After listening to the guard's words, Wen Han asked in some surprise, "Rong Lu?" Who is this person? ”

Blombur shrugged his shoulders and said, "Don't ask, it must be Wu Jianzhang of Shanghai Dao, and he seems to be the only Manchu official who can speak English." ”

Marshali frowned and said, "Your Excellency, I still think we should help our poor Daotai lord, after all, he has given us a lot of benefits in Shanghai, hasn't he?" ”

This Wu Jianzhang, named Tianxian, called Daopu, nicknamed Ah Shuang, was named Wu Tianyuan when doing business in Guangdong, and foreigners called it Shuanggong. Guangdong Xiangshan Cuiwei Township people, from a humble background, in the early years in Macao, Guangzhou and other places to sell chickens as a business, the market people called selling chickens. In 1832, Tongshunxing was established in Guangzhou. In 1839, he participated in negotiations with foreign businessmen to ban the import of opium. After the opening of Guangzhou in 1843, it operated the tea trade, accumulated huge sums of money, and invested in Qichang Foreign Company together with the Americans, becoming one of the seven major shareholders of the bank. Around 1845, he went to Shanghai to expand his business by operating opium smuggling, tea trade, and pawnbroking. In 1848, after serving as Su Song Taidao, because of his fluency in English and familiarity with foreigners, he was regarded by the Qing court and the British and American consuls as "Tongyi's talent", and in the same year, he promised Britain to expand the concession and promised the United States to open up a concession in Hongkou.

Wen Han and Blombull glanced at each other, and both knew the relationship between Wu Jianzhang and the Americans, and Mashali seemed to be more like helping the Manchus, and was extremely enthusiastic about Wu Jianzhang's proposal to borrow teachers to help suppress. Wen Han touched his chin and smiled: "We have met Wu Jianzhang who can speak English, have you seen other Manchu officials who can speak English?" ”

Marshali shook his head together with Blomble, and Wen Han nodded and said, "Okay, let's meet this Ronglu, Ronglu?" I've never heard of this name. ”

The guards turned around and went out, and after a while they walked in with four Manchu officials, all of whom were dressed in ordinary Manchu military attache attire, the first one was only sixteen or seventeen years old, and he looked very young, but his eyes were cold and obedient.

Ma Shali looked at Wu Jianzhang and saw that there was no Wu Jianzhang among them, and none of the four knew each other, so he couldn't help but be very disappointed. Lord Wenhan was also surprised, he had never seen any of these four Manchu officials, so he didn't know what would happen to them?

I saw that the young Manchu military attache stepped forward, a smile appeared on his cold face, and he stepped forward and said: "My name is Rong Lu, and I am the imperial guard from the Forbidden City, I don't know which one is Lord Wenhan?" ”

That Rong Lu spoke fluent English, except for Blombull, Marshali and Wen Han both understood, Wen Han stepped forward with a little surprise and said, "I am Lord Wen Han, the imperial guard?" Is it the Emperor's bodyguard? ”

Rong Lu nodded and said, "Exactly, Lord Wenhan, all four of us. ”

Marshali exclaimed, "The Great Emperor's guards? Oh my God, how did you come to Shanghai? Could it be that the Great Emperor figured it out? Want to meet me in person? Can I go to Beijing to present my credentials in person? ”

Rong Lu's expression returned to coldness, frowned at the somewhat emaciated Marshali, and asked, "I don't know who this is?" ”

Marshali got up and stretched out his right hand to shake hands with Rong Lu, and said: "My name is Marshali, and I am the US Minister Plenipotentiary to China. ”

Rong Lu sighed, stretched out his hand and shook hands with Marshali, and said: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Excellency, we have come to Shanghai to handle other affairs, diplomatic matters, you should find the Governor of Liangjiang or the Minister of Commerce and Commerce." ”

Mashali was disappointed, and he shook his head and said, "Damn, you're all pushing around like this, you know?" I met Ye Mingchen, the Minister of Commerce and Commerce, and made a request, he asked me to find the Governor of Liangjiang, and I went to Shanghai to find the new Governor of Liangjiang, Yiliang, but he asked me to go back to Ye Mingchen, do you Chinese really not want to contact with outside countries? ”

Rong Lu said indifferently: "I'm sorry Your Excellency, this matter is not within the scope of my responsibility, but I may be able to bring your words back, and I can't control what happens to Zuihou." ”

Marshali's eyes lit up and said, "Really? Yes, you are the Emperor's bodyguard, there must be a way to talk to him, we in the United States of America want to establish diplomatic relations with China, and on behalf of the United States, I want to go to Beijing to meet the Emperor and personally present my credentials. ”

Where can Rong Lu actually talk to Emperor Xianfeng? But he still didn't change his face and said, "I can try." ”

Marshali was very surprised, Wen Han frowned a little, he knew that the Manchu officials were all the way, and the British had not been able to reach the request of the minister to meet the emperor in Beijing for so many years and submit the credentials, what could this young man in front of him do? Wen Han was very skeptical.

After listening to the translator's words, Blombull got up and made an introduction, Rong Lu was stunned in his heart, it was really a coincidence, the ministers of the United States, Britain and France were all there.

Wen Han invited everyone to sit down, except for Rong Lu, the other three Manchu military attaches looked very restrained, very curious about the sofa, piano, and furniture in the reception room, the Indian servant in the embassy brought coffee to the dead man, Rong Lu drank a few sips, his face was calm, but after the other three drank coffee, the expression on his face was very painful.

Wen Han coughed lightly, held back a smile and said, "I don't know what happened to Mr. Ronglu?" ”

Rong Lu put down the cup and said, "I came to borrow troops from the three ministers. ”

Upon hearing this, Wen Han and Blombble shook their heads together, and Wen Han frowned and said: "It's a pity that we have an internal instruction that Britain remains neutral in China's civil war, and we can't do anything about borrowing troops to deal with the rebels." ”

Blombull also nodded, only Marshali did not speak, Rong Lu's face remained unchanged, and he said lightly: "The Great Emperor Bixia sent me not to deal with the long-haired rebels in Nanjing, but the chaotic party in Shanghai. ”

Wen Han and the others were stunned, and Marshali frowned and said: "Mr. Ronglu, your emperor wants you to deal with the local rebels, you should go to Wu Jianzhang of Shanghai Dao and let Wu's yamen send troops, you seem to have found the wrong place." ”

Rong Lu still sat upright, and said calmly: "I'm not wrong, Minister Marshali, I think you should know Wu Daotai's origin, he is from Guangdong." ”

Marshali nodded and said, "So what?" ”

Rong Lu said slowly: "Wu Daotai is a native of Guangdong, he reuses his fellow Cantonese villagers in office, and the Goshha and Ya servants around him are all Cantonese nationals, as far as we know, the Shili of the Guangdong Gang in Shanghai has spread to the entire Yamen of Susong Taidao, and they are plotting to revolt and capture Shanghai." ”

After hearing this, even Wen Han couldn't sit still, after all, it was the Tianping Heavenly Kingdom that had a secret agreement with him, and this Guangdong Gang didn't know what the way to come from. Mashali exclaimed, "My God, Cantonese Gang? Who are they? What do they want? ”

Rong Lu picked up the cup and took another sip of coffee and said: "Many of them are the rebels of the Guangdong Tiandi Society, led by Liu Lichuan, who is a fellow villager and friend of Wu Daotai, and the others are the local Qingpu uprising peasants who resisted grain and some local gangs. Liu Lichuan and others planned to rescue Pan Qixiang, a comrade who had been sentenced to death for the Qingpu teaching case, and then capture Shanghai. ”

Wen Han frowned and said, "Mr. Ronglu, I think you should still remind Wu Daotai instead of coming to us." ”

Rong Lu shook his head and said: "I have talked to Wu Daotai about this, but Wu Daotai firmly believes that his fellow villagers will not harm him, and now most of the people in his yamen are chaotic parties, and he does not dare to act rashly." ”

Wen Han still shook his head firmly and said, "It's a pity, Mr. Ronglu, we can't send troops based on a few words from you, you may be able to transfer reliable troops from other places to solve this matter." ”

Rong Lu smiled slightly and said: "I also regret that the soldiers in the surrounding prefectures and counties have been transferred to the area of Suzhou and Hangzhou to fight against the long-haired rebels, and I have no soldiers to adjust." Speaking of this, Rong Lu took out a yellow silk wrapped thing from his arms, and said slowly: "But I have the holy decree of the Great Emperor Bixia, we go south this time, we can mobilize the money and grain of various prefectures and counties, since the ministers have difficulties in sending troops, I want to use the tariffs in Shanghai as collateral to borrow a batch of money from the banks of a certain country, and then recruit a group of volunteers, or mercenaries to do things for us, after the matter is completed, we will pay the remuneration." ”

Wen Han coughed lightly, turned back to Marshali and Blomble, and said, "Gentlemen, we should probably discuss it privately. Then he turned back to Rong Lu and said, "I'm sorry, we have to miss us for a while." ”

Rong Lu nodded, raised his cup and drank coffee again, Wen Han and the others got up and went to the next door.

A few foreigners left, and Cheng En, who was beside Rong Lu, frowned and said, "Okay, you Rong Lu, you can even talk about foreign devils, what is this, it's so hard to drink, and you still drink it with relish?" ”

Rong Lu said lightly: "This is coffee, just like our tea, it is a foreigner's drink." ”

Cheng En said with some trepidation: "Brother Rong, what do you say if the foreigners don't agree?" Wu Daotai didn't want to listen to us, if he said anything to Liu Lichuan, I was afraid that he would startle the snake, or we would go back to Beijing to transfer troops. ”

Rong Lu snorted and said: "Transferring troops from the capital, the daylilies are cold, don't worry, Wu Daotai won't say anything to Liu Lichuan for the time being, he is still reluctant to be rich." He also has difficulties, they are all buddies of the villagers, and the yamen is full of the eyes of the Heaven and Earth Society, if he has any abnormal movements, it will definitely arouse the vigilance of the chaotic party, maybe the dog jumped over the wall in a hurry and started in advance, but it is better for us to come forward. Foreigners are all people who see money, and besides, with the war in Shanghai, their trade will also be affected, and they will agree. As long as this precedent is set, and we borrow teachers to help suppress it later, it will be easier for foreigners to agree. ”

Cheng En sighed, looked at Rong Lu strangely and said, "How do you know so many things?" ”

Rong Lu said lightly: "I have a master who used to be a comprador who worked in a foreign company, and he told me. ”

While speaking, Wen Han and the others returned to the reception room, Wen Han did not waste time, and coughed lightly: "Mr. Ronglu, after our discussion, several of our countries will form a volunteer team to defend the concession, as for the volunteers you need, we can publicize it to the people of the countries in the concession on your behalf, and I hope you can tell us the specific salary, and how much do you need to borrow?" ”

Rong Lu laughed, he stood up and said: "I'm very happy to cooperate with you to jointly defend the interests of Shanghai, I already have the specific regulations here, let's discuss them in detail later." ”