Sunday, August 17, 1642.

In a high-end community in the south of Manchester City, in front of a beautiful manor, it is surrounded by lively citizens. Several high-end carriages with wedding characters on them stopped in front of the gate of the manor, and the men and women accompanying the motorcade continued to hand out small wedding gifts to the surrounding residents with smiles on their faces.

In a certain room in the manor, Jenny is carefully arranging the wedding dress for her soon-to-be-married daughter Cheng Yuan with the help of a maid.

"Wow, my sister is so beautiful! Mom, I want one too! ”

Cheng Xiaoxiao, who is only 12 years old, touched the hem of her sister's wedding dress, her eyes full of stars. Cheng Xiaoxiao inherited the advantages of her mother Jenny's appearance, and has her father's long dark hair, which is a perfect combination of Chinese and Western. Now she also naively wants an identical set, which makes Jenny and Cheng Yuan cry and laugh.

"Wait in church, remember to help your sister tie the tail of her skirt, and keep quiet, you know?" Jenny touched her own daughter's hair and said kindly.

The 37-year-old Jenny is still so radiant, and twenty years of pampered life have also cultivated a more graceful and elegant temperament for her. At this time, Jenny, like all mothers, was grooming her adopted daughter one last time with a reluctant expression.

"Mom......" Looking at herself in the dressing mirror, Cheng Yuan suddenly had red circles in her eyes, and turned around and hugged her adoptive mother.

Cheng Yuan, 21 years old, only graduated from an Ivy League high school this summer, and just a month later, she chose to get married. The groom is Guan Zhanyun, the eldest son of Haizhou Governor Guan Ruzhong, who is one year older than Cheng Yuan and a Chinese orphan adopted by Guan Ruzhong that year. Guan Zhanyun graduated from Fudan University last year with a degree in teacher training and is now teaching at Manchester National High School. The two met during a semester of college exchange students, and then they fell in love and got to this point.

"It's the happiest time, isn't it? Always keep smiling, God will bless you for the rest of your life. Jenny looked back at her husband, who was silent in front of the door, and smiled as she placed a bouquet of flowers in her daughter's hand.

Regarding the future choices of their children, Cheng Daxiong and his wife have looked at it with a relatively tolerant attitude from beginning to end. For example, the eldest son Cheng Dong. After graduating from the National University of Capital last year, instead of working at his own Manchester City Entertainment Company as his parents wanted, he resolutely chose to go to the Caribbean to start a business, and together with a few classmates, he started a small trading company there, and dared to travel between the Caribbean, South Brazil and the Gold Coast of West Africa.

The two adopted children are now grown up and independent, and now only the 12-year-old third daughter Cheng Xiaoxiao and the 6-year-old young son Cheng Qu are still at home. Looking at the happy and slightly sad expression of his beautiful daughter, Cheng Daxiong, who was over 50 years old, showed a smile of relief.

"Sir, Mr. Lu is here to visit." The couple were about to accompany their daughter to the church when a housekeeper appeared in the hallway outside the door.

"There's still an hour...... Please invite Mr. Lu to the study. He took out his pocket watch and looked at it. I don't think it's going to be a wedding at Manchester Cathedral. After hugging his daughter once, Cheng Daxiong turned around and walked out.

……

In the study, Lu Shengqiang was dressed as an ordinary person, looking at the Cheng family's bookshelf, and muttering the title of the book softly from time to time.

"Hehe, Brother Cheng, my daughter is getting married when she grows up, congratulations! Hey, unconsciously. It's been so many years, and we're all old. Seeing Cheng Daxiong walking in, Lu Shengqiang hurriedly put on a smiling face.

"The wedding is basically prepared by Guan Ruzhong's family, but I am very leisurely." The relationship between Cheng Daxiong and Lu Shengqiang can only be regarded as average. Even because of the chaos of the other party's private life, Cheng Daxiong publicly ridiculed, so this time his daughter got married, Cheng Daxiong never thought of inviting the other party.

But let's talk about old age. It's probably not Lu Shengqiang's turn yet, because the other party is only 42 years old this year.

"Oh...... I don't know if there are any Qi Jianjun's family who are attending the wedding today? Lu Shengqiang's face changed slightly. The voice is also very low.

"Huh? Lao Qi's family will participate, what's wrong? Cheng Daxiong rarely saw the expression of the other party's array, and a trace of doubt gradually rose in his heart.

"Brother Cheng, I know that you and Lao Qi have always had a good relationship, so I have something I want you to ask, oh, it's to talk about it......" Lu Shengqiang sat down a little decadently, his eyes darkened a lot, "I heard about one thing, my eldest Lu Yuzhou, met a girl in an Ivy League college......"

Slowly listening to Lu Shengqiang finish telling a commonplace campus love story, Cheng Daxiong had already opened his mouth wide in shock.

The first half of the story, placed in the afterlife, is definitely a prologue to the top romantic love, the princely top student of the National University of Capital University School of Medicine and the princess of the Ivy League university meet. But like the turning point of all dog-blood soap operas, the "curse" of "may there be lovers in the world who will eventually become brothers and sisters" still appeared decisively.

The girl Lu Yuzhou, the son of the Lu family, fell in love with in the Ivy League college, is Qi Zuping, the daughter of Qi Jianjun, the current speaker of the Senate, a European-American mixed-race baby girl who was brought back by the Qi family from the obstetrics and gynecology ward of the hospital that year.

Qi Zuping's biological mother was an ordinary European hostess at the Yipinspoon Hotel back then, and later became pregnant unmarried somehow, and then died when she gave birth in the National Hospital of Manchester Capital, leaving only an orphan of unknown origin unclaimed, and finally was raised home by Zhai Hong, who was doing logistics work in the hospital at the time.

Judging from the registration data of the admission procedures and the genetic appearance of the child after birth, it is definitely a typical mixed-race offspring of Asian and European Americans. But under some well-known unspoken rules, Qi Jianjun's family did not plan to expose or help this orphan find relatives, but raised them as their own flesh and blood.

“…… How can you be sure that Qi Zuping of the old Qi family is your daughter?! Cheng Daxiong smiled bitterly and picked up the coffee, and he lost his affection for Lu Shengqiang, who was depressed in front of him.

"I paid for Rebecca to be sent to the hospital, and I was secretly present during the formalities, and then I left ...... something" Lu Shengqiang's eyes flashed with a hint of trepidation, and the consequences of some ridiculous decisions made by him when he was young were out of proportion.

"You, you! After all these years, you haven't fulfilled a little bit of your father's responsibility?! You can let Lao Qi's family bring up the child with peace of mind! Now that the child is older and can choose her own life, you only thought of suing her, she has a relationship with her own brother?! Cheng Daxiong's coffee cup fell heavily on the table, and he didn't know how to attack in his heart.

"I know I bastard...... I was afraid of hitting the child and that something would happen, so I didn't say anything...... Brother Cheng. You have a good relationship with Lao Qi, please help me talk about it, as long as the two children don't stay together. The rest is Lao Qi's family affairs, and I won't recognize her again. In the end, Lu Shengqiang was already remorseful and self-conscious.

"Hey, it's not just you...... God knows how much more of this will happen in the future. Cheng Daxiong sighed helplessly, "Okay, I'll talk to Lao Qi alone tonight, hoping that he can find an opportunity to deal with this matter." But you also have to make it clear to your family boss, because this is not the responsibility or fault of the old Qi family. ”

"Thank you, Brother Cheng. Thank you, Brother Cheng! Seeing that the other party was finally willing to help, Lu Shengqiang took a long breath.

……

In Manchester City, where a new generation of families is formed almost every day, the marriage of the Cheng family is no longer a big news, but Cheng Daxiong's own social status has caused many citizens who believe in Christianity to spontaneously go to congratulate him. The cathedral was packed with people, and Brest, president of the Chinese American Christian Association, personally officiated the wedding for the couple.

The chime bells pierced through the entire city of Manchester and into the manor house of Sun Yang and Yan Xianping's family. In the restaurant, Cao Xiulin, who was dressed in the costume of an ordinary Ming scholar, was sitting cautiously and politely in the guest seat.

“…… Lord Cao returned to the staff this time, and I didn't have any good gifts. Some gorgeous local products to express their gratitude. Yan Xianping sat side by side with her husband Sun Yang very generously, and took a gift slip from the maid next to her, "The fourth uncle is not in good health, my husband and I specially got some propolis." Please send it to Lord Cao himself. ”

"Yan Xianfeng seems to have left some things with me, saying that he would bring them when Mr. Cao returned to the staff." Sun Yang, who was dressed in a navy uniform, drank the broth in a big gulp, seemed to remember something, and hurriedly beckoned to the servant. In a short time, a few books were delivered to the table.

For more than half a year, Cao Xiulin has read too many gorgeous books. Although the way of reading in print is different from the old habit of reading. But Cao Xiulin has gradually become accustomed to this kind of beautifully bound simplified Chinese texts, and even often asks people some questions, among which Sun Yang's house is the object of his frequent visits.

In fact, there are too many gorgeous elites worthy of Cao Xiulin's contact, but since an in-depth exchange with Yan Xianfeng, Cao Xiulin, who is tasked with engaging in goodwill diplomacy for Yan Sicheng, has chosen a neutral position. The correspondence with Sun Yang and Yan Xianping is just a formatted maintenance of old relationships.

"Could it be that this book is written by the eldest prince? Be sure to read it below! Looking at the cover title of the brand-new book on the top, Cao Xiulin quickly stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Hehe, Mr. Cao still has good eyesight. Yes, it is Yan Xianfeng's "On Civil Law and Social Morality" that has just been published, and I heard that the Ministry of Culture and Education and the Ministry of Justice have prepared excerpts to be included in the standard textbooks for the legal profession in colleges and universities. This child is very insightful and can boldly put forward many different points of view, and the country needs such a public awareness. ”

Sun Yang smiled and glanced at his wife, both of whom nodded. This book is not so much a work of Yan Xianfeng's perception, but rather a product of guidance deliberately cultivated by some people in the Ministry of Culture and Education and the Ministry of Justice.

"A few days ago, I had a lot of conversations with the eldest prince, and I often got General Sun's guidance, and I am grateful." Seeing that Yan Xianping's attitude towards himself had changed greatly, and they also held a farewell luncheon for themselves, Cao Xiulin was also quite moved.

"Actually, Mr. Cao can stay for a while longer, so you don't have to go back in such a hurry." Sun Yang already knew the real purpose of Cao Xiulin's arrival in Huamei, and even knew that his wife had beaten some things in private. Seeing that the other party seemed to understand Huamei's position, he no longer spoke to himself.

"Don't hide it from General Sun, this return to the east is the official letter sent by Lord Tongzhi from the senior officer. So I came to say goodbye today, in addition, there is another matter to ask...... "Cao Xiulin paused, his head lowered, "I saw the newspaper a few days ago, the Huamei government has issued a new law, and the annual loss of Ming ordnance has plummeted, I don't know why?" ”

As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Yan Xianping.

"Ordnance?" Yan Xianping was stunned for a moment, probably understanding the other party's intention to come today.

"Daming and Huamei are both bloodline. Nowadays, the eastern captives are rampant, bandits are everywhere, and the imperial court has made great efforts to procure armaments for many years, and the Nanyang Taixi military weapons are the top priority. If the Chinese and American military weapons are cut off, and the war in the Ming Dynasty is eroded, wouldn't it be a move to damage the same clan......" Cao Xiulin has been holding back in his heart for a long time. Finally couldn't help but raise the volume a little.

"Hehe, it's really the blood of compatriots...... But it's just that Mr. Cao thinks so, but Daming doesn't necessarily see it this way. A meaningful expression appeared on Sun Yang's face, "In your eyes, you all think that it is a 'tribute' to the Celestial Empire, but in our eyes, it is just an ordinary reciprocal business. ”

"General Sun, please speak clearly!" Cao Xiulin was sitting precariously with a very stern expression.

"Reciprocity is about taking care of each other's interests. This benefit can be short-term or long-term. Once the reciprocity of trade decreases. There is no need to continue some kind of business. Sun Yang picked up the teacup and looked at the serious officials in front of him with a smile, "We need a stable Daming, and Daming also needs a stable national defense, which is the common wish of both sides." In recent years, we have exported arms to the Ming Dynasty at ultra-low prices, not to make money. However, by the end of the Battle of Songjin, the arms delivered to the official army of the Ming Dynasty did not protect the family and defend the country. Almost all of them fell into the hands of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, accelerating the growth of opponents, do you think this kind of 'reciprocity' is meaningful? ”

"Tens of thousands of miles away, Matsuyama was defeated. Hearsay may not be true...... Even if there is an occasional defeat, the country of thousands of miles in the Ming Dynasty can not be resisted by just the establishment of the state! Cao Xiulin blushed. It's still hard in the mouth.

"Well, it's just a Manchu Qing Dynasty...... The Ming Dynasty fought this battle for more than 20 years and spent hundreds of millions of taels of military spending. Defeated, defeated and fought, the courage of the Ming army became smaller and smaller, and the Manchu Qing became stronger and stronger. In order to reverse the defeat, your emperor and the imperial court raised military expenses and raised taxes for more than 20 years, and finally forced the common people to rebel. If Huamei let a bunch of people use a large number of arms to feed the Manchu army, do you think the life of the Ming Dynasty will be better? We don't do this kind of business. ”

"The big man still loses rice and grain to the country every year, if Huamei sits idly by, how can the Ming Dynasty turn defeat into victory? The Chinese soldiers are well fed, if they can help, the disaster of the East Captives can be gone! Cao Xiulin stood up, his fists clenched.

"I don't think it's a good thing to let thousands of gorgeous young people go to the death of the Ming court 15,000 nautical miles away." Sun Yang glanced at his wife, who was speechless, and the sneer on the corner of his mouth was even worse.

"In addition, please Mr. Cao see clearly that Huamei is an independent country, not a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, and has no obligation to be loyal. The word Gongbo can be used in the official mouth of the Ming Dynasty, but there is no market in Huamei. Sun Yang looked at the Ming scholar in front of him with great interest, and sighed again and again in his heart.

"Saving one's fellow people from fire and water is also an act of faith...... Shenzhou is in crisis, how can you watch from the sidelines. Cao Xiulin sat back in his place decadently, still muttering in his mouth.

"The country spends millions of dollars every year, and tens of thousands of refugees from the Ming Dynasty travel to North America every year, living and working here in peace and contentment, is it considered to save the same people from fire and water? Does it count as faith? Could it be that all of this is done wrong? Sun Yang dropped the napkin that wiped his mouth and walked towards the study, not planning to continue to talk about the relationship between the country and the nation with this historical elder.

"Young lady, the lower official was rude just now." Cao Xiulin's face turned a little pale, and he knew that he had lost his temper again today.

Quietly looking at Cao Xiulin, who had a poor face in front of him, Yan Xianping's brows were also furrowed tightly. I had often heard my husband's words in private before, but now when I put them on the table and told them directly to an official from Daming, I felt very harsh. This feeling even makes Yan Xianping a little difficult to adapt to.

"The West Sea of Huamei is a beautiful country, and there are hundreds of thousands of people, which is less than the number of Jiangnan in the Ming Dynasty. Today, I think of the love of my compatriots, and it is already a great good thing to travel thousands of miles to rescue and relocate my fellow clan every year, so why should Lord Cao be strong......" Yan Xianping said lightly, his eyes turned to the bronze cannon on the lawn outside the window, with a wry smile on his face.

"After drinking, the lower official was ashamed, so he said goodbye......"

Originally, he came to say goodbye, but now he broke up unhappily after some talking, Cao Xiulin knew that there was no point in staying any longer, so he could only leave in a huff.

……

A few days later, Cao Xiulin's merchant ship left, and another large longitudinal sail merchant ship of the Oriental Union Group, which had sailed from Nanshan overseas, docked at the port in the southern part of Manchester City.

Before the planks were lowered, a group of police and government officials gathered around the dock, where several men and women in high-end clothes were waiting in anticipation.

"Daddy! Sister! When An Shaoqing appeared at the exit of the boat with his eldest daughter An Jie, several young men and women on the shore raised their hands.

"The time is quite good, and when I come back, I can catch up with the children's summer vacation, and the family is together."

Accompanied by government officials, Zhang Li, a wealthy woman, finally got together with her husband, and when she saw An Shaoqing's slightly emaciated face, Zhang Li touched the other party's chest quite distressedly.

"It's a pity that you didn't have one, otherwise you could see a lot of interesting things." An Shaoqing took his wife's hand. The government officials who greeted him around nodded frequently.

The Congress's Far East research work, which lasted for eight months, officially ended today, and the results brought back were not bad, and An Shaoqing and his entourage were carefully received by the Congress and cabinet officials.

"Sister, I want a gift!" The youngest An Ming is only 5 years old this year, and at this time he grabbed the skirt of his eldest sister An Jie and behaved well.

"Big sister, who are they? Did Dad bring it? An Shu took An Jie's hand and looked sideways at a few Chinese young people with a restrained face not far away.

"Oriental students brought by my father. Well, let's go back, mom is here......" An Jie took the little brother in her hand, and then squatted down and saluted Zhang Li, who walked in front of her. Showing a strict family education.

On the other end, the three young Chinese people all looked at the scenery around them in surprise. Even though they have seen too many new scenery after passing through many gorgeous overseas towns such as Yuexi City, Nanshan Port, Shuangzigang City and Shuangwan City, no matter how much psychological preparation they have, they are still surprised by the more magnificent and elegant city in front of them.

"Brother Xiping, Brother Zhongqing, this gorgeous Jingyi is really extraordinary, and it is more magnificent and chic than the cities and ports along the way......"

Wang Fuzhi looked at a five-story marble parliament building in the north surrounded by greenery, and his face was full of surprise.

Xiping. It is Luo Jian's table word. Because of the coincidence, Wang Fuzhi and Gu Jikun were fortunate to take the same return passenger ferry with An Shaoqing and others, and they also became friends with Luo Jiancheng, who secretly went out of the house to study in Huamei. Luo Jian, who had a companion along the way, was much less embarrassed, and quickly called Wang Gu and the others brothers.

Compared with Wang Gu and the others, they can only be regarded as self-recommended to study. Luo Jian's road to studying abroad is much more "tall". When he heard that Luo Jian was persuaded by a woman from a gorgeous and powerful family to study abroad, even Gu Jikun, who was old and serious, showed an expression of disbelief.

However, in this way, Wang Fuzhi and Gu Jikun also took the opportunity to meet Huamei Senator An Shaoqing. When An Shaoqing learned the identity of the other party, the wonderful look on the old man's face was not much less than that of the other party.

As early as when I arrived at the overseas consulate of Gassan Island. An Shaoqing couldn't wait to send the news of Wang Fuzhi and Gu Jikun's study abroad back to Manchester City. Fang Gang, the fat minister of the Ministry of Culture and Education, immediately inquired about the matter in person, and before the person arrived, several copies of the relevant study abroad arrangements had already been made. There is a posture of "finishing its work in one battle". For example, now, Fang Gang is hiding in a carriage like a strange animal, quietly watching the two great celebrities in history.

"May I ask if it is Mr. Luo Jian, Mr. Wang Fuzhi, and Mr. Gu Jikun?" A Chinese female clerk from the Ministry of Culture and Education came over at this time, smiled and saluted the three Ming young people who were stunned and were still looking around, "I am the receptionist sent by the Ministry of Culture and Education to arrange three study abroad, and the accommodation has been arranged, and I will go to the Ministry of Culture and Education tomorrow to go through the formalities......"

"I'm sorry, young lady. Minister Fang just agreed, the three guests will be accompanied by me to tour the city tomorrow, and it should not delay your arrangement. A middle-aged European housekeeper walked up to the three of them and decisively diverted from the arrangement of the Ministry of Culture and Education.

Seeing that the senator in the distance was talking with the Minister of Culture and Education in front of the carriage, the female clerk of the Ministry of Culture and Education had no choice but to step aside.

"A good night's rest, tomorrow Aunt Mina will take you on a tour of Manchester City. If you are short of anything, please tell Aunt Sùmina, and she will help you prepare. ”

An Jie also came over with a few younger brothers and sisters at this time, still with that quiet and elegant appearance. Mina, the housekeeper, saluted politely on the side, and An Shu looked up and down the young man who was "abducted" from the East by her eldest sister with a mysterious smile.

Although she has also socialized with this gorgeous and powerful daughter along the way, and they have never been less courteous to each other, this Miss An obviously takes special care of Luo Jian. At this scene, Wang Fuzhi and Gu Jikun were once again impressed by the companion who was not yet twenty years old, while Luo Jian himself was so red that he didn't dare to say a word except bowing his head.

"Extra! Extra! The Army Foreign Legion won its first battle in South Africa, capturing 500 Nguni prisoners! ”

At this time, a young newsboy came running from the port area waving a newspaper, and many citizens gathered around to pay for it, and then laughed heartily after reading it.

"It seems that the sea is leveling, but the four are not stopping. Plundering slaves is like picking up things, and the people are accustomed to it, and they smell it like a miscellaneous chatter, not worried but happy. Is such a competitive and war-seeking state really a place to learn the right way......

As if recalling the strings of black slaves that he saw in Nanshan Port on the way, when the carriage started, Gu Jikun pinched his little short beard and suddenly muttered. Wang Fuzhi, who had not yet calmed down, overheard it, and the expression on his face was even more surprised. (To be continued......)