In the study, Rong Lu slowly leaned back on the back of the chair and said lightly: "What is betrayal of the country?" ”

Gong Chengqi said: "Didn't you write to Mr. Ali Guo and say that you can provide information on the deployment of the Qing army in Dagukou, Tianjin, and near Gyeonggi?" In Mr. Aliko's view, betraying the country's military deployment is treason. ”

Rong Lu snorted and said, "Mr. Ali Guo, has you forgotten my last one?" I can be the agent of Britain in the Qing Dynasty, the Qing Empire has reached an era that needs change, it needs Western civilization, it needs civilization, it needs more trade opportunities, and the Qing Dynasty needs enlightened ministers like me to seek cooperation with Western powers. And the so-called betrayal of the military deployment in Dagukou and other places is just to smash the conservative forces in this country, and I am saving this country. British interests are not dying in the Qing Dynasty, are they? ”

Gong Cheng touched his nose and laughed: "It's really rare for Lord Rong to be able to talk about betraying the country and seeking glory so high-soundingly. However, for the time being, Mr. Alligo would not implement or recommend this construction to Sir Ergin, because the Americans had already intervened in the war between Britain and France and the Manchus, and perhaps Britain and France would not need to go to war to obtain the desired benefits. ”

Rong Lu took a sip of tea and said: "The king of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will not watch the peace between Britain and France and the Qing Dynasty, I believe that this negotiation will end in nothing, I don't know what Sir Ergin thinks, it is impossible to maximize benefits without the negotiation obtained through the war, doesn't he know this truth?" ”

Gong Cheng arched his hand and said, "Lord Rong, the villain is just passing the word." Don't speculate about what you don't know. However, the villain can also guess the thoughts of Lord Rong, who was recently belittled by the Queen Mother of the Two Palaces. I am resentful, so I want to use the hands of foreigners to give the court some color, with the military deployment of Dagukou in exchange for the trust and support of Britain and France, becoming an agent is only the first step, I guess that when Britain and France are approaching the capital and the court is eager to seek peace, Britain and France will designate you to come out to participate in peace talks. In this way, you can use the power of foreigners to become an important minister of the imperial court again. ”

Rong Lu smiled slightly and said: "You are very smart, but you are overconfident, what's the good thing about participating in peace talks." Do I have to fight for it? Forget it, I can't understand with you, since you're just a messenger, then go back and sue Sù Ali Kingdom. I'm waiting for him at any time. The military deployment from Dagukou all the way to the capital can be obtained from me, and I believe that one day he will be able to use it. ”

Gong Cheng didn't talk nonsense, got up and saluted: "That good villain will leave here." Just as he was about to leave, Rong Lu said, "Wait a minute." Gong Cheng turned around, Rong Lu touched the jade wrench on his thumb and said, "I heard that Mr. Banlun, you are very short of money?" ”

Gong Cheng smiled slightly and said, "Could it be that Lord Rong wants to buy the villain?" Rong Lu also smiled and said: "Everyone takes what they need, and everyone gets what they want." Gong Cheng also said politely: "Then I don't know what price Lord Rong can offer?" ”

Rong Lu pondered for a moment and said: "This official set up a trading house when he was in Guangzhou, although the Taiping army later occupied Guangzhou, but the Taiping army did not know that the trading house was in the name of this official. Moreover, 30% of the shares of that firm belong to Mr. Aliguo, so it is still in operation. The official can give you 20% of the shares, and the annual dividend is also quite a lot. ”

Gong Cheng was slightly startled and said, "Could it be that Lord Rong is talking about Huifeng Foreign Bank under the name of Mr. Ali Guo?" ”

Rong Lu took out some documents for Gong Cheng to see, which indeed listed the shares and other contracts of the foreign bank, as well as the signature and seal of Ali Guo. Gong Cheng smiled bitterly: "No wonder Lord Rong and Mr. Ali Guo have such a close relationship, the villain has only recently served as the head class of Huifeng Foreign Bank, and I dare to love Lord Rong is still the owner of the villain." ”

Rong Lu put away the paperwork and said, "How?" Do things for me, you will get 20% of the shares, and you are also one of the bosses of Huifeng. Gong Cheng hesitated slightly, and said after a while: "Although the villain does things for the British, he is still Chinese, and Huayi still has defense." ”

Rong Lu smiled: "Do you really think I will be a traitor to seek glory?" The conservative forces in the DPRK and China are quite large, and if they are not defeated, when will the country be able to civilize and reform? What this official is doing is only borrowing the momentum of foreigners, and he will not really help foreigners change the dynasty. ”

Gong Cheng asked suspiciously, "Why is Lord Rong so sure?" ”

Rong Lu said: "Britain and France only seek sea trade, and they have no interest in occupying the Qing Dynasty, you can rest assured." In the future, once the official succeeds in taking advantage of the situation, you can also enter the court as an official, and the revenge of Ling Zun who was degraded and murdered back then can be avenged, isn't it? ”

Gong Cheng pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly and said, "Okay, Lord Rong, the villain is happy to cooperate with you." Rong Lu stretched out his hand and shook hands with him, and then smiled: "Happy cooperation." Gong Cheng then asked, "What does the villain need to do?" ”

Rong Lu said slowly: "Give me the news, all the news, and the British, I need someone who can provide them with reasonable construction." ”

Gong Cheng smiled slightly: "It's not difficult to provide information, and it's not difficult to provide Jianyi, but the British are very conservative and stubborn, and it is not so easy to really let them change their decision. ”

Rong Lu said confidently: "Look at it, that King of the West will not disappoint us." ”

Gong Cheng nodded and asked, "Is the villain still doing this foreign business class?" Rong Lu said with a smile: "The official has read the account transcript of the foreign bank recently, you have done a good job as a large class, of course continue to do it." ”

Gong Cheng frowned and said: "But now most of Huifeng's business is done with the Taiping Army, and even helps them import arms, is it proper for Lord Rong to do this?" ”

Rong Lu said indifferently: "The purpose of opening the door of foreign banks to do business is naturally to make money, just to make profits, the most important thing to do business is credibility and reputation, as long as you can make money, who to do business with is not to do it?" What's more, this foreign bank has a three-percent stake in Aliguo, and in the eyes of foreigners, it is natural to put profit first, do you think that this official said that he would not do business with the Taiping Army? In addition, when the small Dutch country and Spain went to war in the past, although the two countries were at war, the money exchange between the Spanish nobles in the Dutch bank was still normal, and even Dutch merchants sold weapons and warships to the Spaniards. In business, foreign banks just have to let go and do it, and the official only needs to make money. ”

Gong Cheng laughed and arched his hand: "Lord Rong is really not very human, and the villain understands." The villain will go back, Mr. Ali Guo and Sir Ergin have actually arrived at Dagukou, the war mediation negotiations are about to begin, and the villain will do his best to repay the news. ”

After saying that, Rong Lu also said a few polite words, and then asked the housekeeper to come in and send Gong Cheng away as usual, looking at Gong Cheng's back, Rong Lu smiled secretly: "Xiao Yungui, Xiao Yungui, don't let me down." ”

……

Off the coast of Dagukou, on the French cruiser Nemesis, the French Minister Bourblon, the French Consul of Tianjing, Gro, the British Minister Sir Ergin, the British Consul of Shanghai, Ali Guo, the British Fleet Commander, Grant, the French Fleet Commander, and Rear Admiral Brod, the French Fleet Commander, gathered together.

Through the open porthole, the coastline of Dagu Kou loomed in the distance, Grant was dressed in an admiral uniform, holding a sword studded with gems and staring into the distance, Ergin took off the glasses on the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyebrows and said: "Gentlemen, the attitude and sincerity of Qingguo in this negotiation are very friendly, and the Americans are also very enthusiastic about mediation, it seems that it is time to consider negotiations." ”

Grant turned around and said, "The Royal Navy of the British Empire suffered a defeat at Dagu last time, and the Navy does not have the practice of holding negotiations before defeating the enemy, besides, Your Excellency the Governor, do you think that without victory as a bargaining chip, we can get what we want at the negotiating table?" ”

Ergin and Burbulon glanced at each other, Ergin shrugged his shoulders and said: "General, I understand the sense of honor of your soldiers, but the other party asked for negotiations, and the Americans also came forward to mediate, we can't give up and go to war directly, do you want Qingguo to surrender unconditionally?" ”

Grant scoffed and said: "Americans just fell into the eyes of money, they are greedy, selfish, unprincipled, and only have two words in their eyes. Has Your Excellency the Governor forgotten that the United States Comptoir was procuring arms and equipment for the Qing Dynasty? ”

Ergin let out a sigh of relief and said, "I and His Excellency the French Minister Bourblon are very angry about this, so we supported the Taiping Army's approach, and the batch of arms and equipment was not delivered to the Qing State. For this reason, the Americans also lodged a solemn protest, but fortunately, our wise friend, His Excellency the King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, resolved this commercial dispute, didn't he? ”

Grant still stood very straight, and he said firmly: "I still think that we can't negotiate peace with the Qing people, the expeditionary force has ended the war in India and can be sent to the Far East at any time, and we can accept peace talks as victors." ”

Ergin hummed and said: "I can understand that the weight of victory can increase the success rate of negotiations, but both Britain and the United States have suffered from severe economic crises, and what we need is to reduce costs to achieve the goal, not to increase the war debt." ”

Grant said loudly with some reluctance: "Gentlemen, if we make peace now, perhaps we will not be able to fulfill the requirements of maximizing profits, and it is more likely that we will waste more time." ”

Ali Guo suddenly interjected: "General Grant, are you sure of victory?" Or do you know what the Qing Dynasty invested in this war? Grant was a little speechless, and Ali Guo said slowly: "The Qing country has a huge infantry and cavalry force, with elite Tatar cavalry, and the war also has unpredictable risks, and negotiating first may not be a solution to the problem." ”

Grant blushed and said, "We have nearly 30,000 soldiers waiting in India, and I firmly believe that we can defeat the barbaric Qing people!" ”

While the argument was ending, the door of the reception room opened, and the British consul in Tianjing, Midley, walked in quickly, holding a document in his hand and said excitedly: "Gentlemen, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is also willing to negotiate a new treaty with us!" (To be continued......)