"Thank you Lord Governor for your help," Hurd looked grateful, stood up, and bowed slightly to Li Hongzhang, "When I was working here in Shanghai, I got along very well with Lord Governor, and I hope that I will have the opportunity to work with Lord Governor in the future, but then again," Hurd looked at Li Hongzhang with blue eyes, and asked sincerely, "What does Lord Governor want?" ”

"Mr. Hurd is really straightforward, I don't expect anything, if I have the opportunity in the future, I can lead a fleet to defend the land south of the Yangtze River, it will be a great blessing. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 info" Li Hongzhang said with a smile.

"It is a matter of course, and if I can participate in the discussion of the ownership of the fleet, I will certainly serve the Governor," Hurd promised, "and in return I will now go to the French Admiral and see what he thinks." Li Hongzhang nodded, picked up the teacup, Hurd was familiar with Chinese etiquette, knew that this was the meaning of sending off guests, and left the house.

Zhou Fu flashed out behind the screen, the earliest and longest staff member who followed Li Hongzhang, Zhou Fu looked at Li Hongzhang thoughtfully, "Handsome, is this foreign devil reliable?" ”

"I don't expect him to achieve anything," Li Hongzhang turned around and sat down, "If he can succeed, it is naturally the best, let's rely on it more, if it can't be done, it is not a bad thing to make friends with this person who is very likely to replace Li Taitai as the General Department of Customs and Excise in the future, now this customs is busy day by day, and the tax money is also piled up like a mountain, to say that the father of the Empress Dowager Ci'an, if it is not for the cornucopia in Ningbo Mansion, where would he get so much silver to buy guns and cannons for us?" ”

"This is right, but I heard that Mu Yang'a has stopped the muskets and artillery shipped to Jiangning."

"Jiangnan Pingjing, where are there so many muskets and cannons, this is the official's words, in fact, even Mu Yang'a can see it, this Jingshi is up and down, and I really don't feel at ease with my teacher, and the king who was originally said to be good is no play!" Li Hongzhang gloated a little, "This Zuo Zongtang can't get used to my teacher, so Mu Yang'a flattered Zuo Jigao with this move, no wonder he wants to praise Mu Yang'a's merits." ”

"Yes, although Zeng Shuai is modest, Zeng Jiushuai is really tight, and he still wants to come to Dashuai to ask for money, which is really ......."

"This is also the reason why I don't want to be in Suzhou, after all, it's too close to Jiangning," Li Hongzhang sighed, the governor of Jiangsu was supposed to be stationed in Suzhou, "I'm going to leave far away, so as not to have the imperial history say that I also have a heart of disobedience in the future, thinking of colluding with Zeng Shuai, far away, out of sight, now in Shanghai, I find that this Shanghai is different," Li Hongzhang smiled, his eyes showed an inspiring light, "I'm afraid that our foundation has arrived now, Yushan, you go and draw up a music for me, It is said that Shanghai is a place where businessmen from all over the world gather, and it is also an important place for soldiers to carry out foreign affairs, so please move the governor of Jiangsu here. ”

"What about the sailor? Why don't you put it off? ”

"Yes, now the DPRK and China are worried about this matter, I'm afraid that there will be a lot of trouble, if I say that I want a sailor at this time, I'm afraid that I will be disgusted and ignorant of current affairs, and when the warship arrives in the future," Li Hongzhang was full of confidence, "With the appreciation of the Queen Mother, I'm afraid that there will be no sailor to manipulate?" ”

"What the marshal said is very true."

"By the way, we will also report the plans of the shipyard, firearms factory, and ordnance factory that will be set up next, so that it seems that we have not only trained the soldiers, but also the forerunner of foreign affairs, the teacher is in Liangjiang, I am in Shanghai, Zuo Jigao is in Zhejiang, if the three of them are compared to each other, they can never be weaker!"

。。。

The British ambassador angrily pushed away Li Tai's office in the General Customs Administration, Li Tai was bowing his head and talking to a Chinese, heard the sound, saw that it was the British ambassador coming in, Li Tai frowned slightly at the British ambassador's impoliteness, waved his hand to let the Chinese stand back, and stood up, "My dear John, although you are not satisfied with my matter about the fleet, you can't knock on my living room like this, right?" ”

"Nelson, do you know that this matter has already aroused the Prime Minister's strong dissatisfaction!" The British Minister waved his hand exaggeratedly, "You and those people in the Admiralty have done it, even if the Prime Minister and Lord Palmerston are the same unlucky bastards, they look down on these yellow-skinned pigs in the Far East, but he has to consider which arms dealers in the House of Commons who elected him, just as you and I must obey the orders of the Prime Minister, the arms dealers, by the way, and now with those warship dealers, will they be willing to pay millions of silver this year?" My God, if they were willing, they would not have negotiated peace with the Chinese back then, and they would not have let the Chinese buy their broken ships! You must know that this is not just business, the Prime Minister said, this can also promote the upgrading of our navy, which is simply exchanging garbage for silver! ”

"Dear John, I understand what you mean, but you know," Li Tai said, lighting a cigar, "what would happen if we owned the Chinese navy and all the maritime power?" (To be continued.) )