Minister Koo Yongyuan's travel arrangements are quite frugal. He only brought one cavalryman, six Gushiha guards, and five personal attendants such as Mo Ba, as well as a few cronies such as the old man Huang Binshi. Huang Binshi returned from Shandong a few days ago and is now Gu Yongyuan's mentor. In addition, there are Lin Wanxue, Lin Yingrui, and Jin Feiming, a total of seven members of the Red Flower Society.

A group of about 20 people rented a carriage to reach the Zhihu Valley, from where they requisitioned a sand boat and headed for Shanghai by sea. In these turbulent times, sea travel is considered the safest option.

Under the scorching sun, there is an endless blue sea in front of you, and the huge sails of the sand boat flutter violently. Gu Yongyuan stood on the bow of the boat, looking into the distance. Although he is not sure of their exact location, he estimates that they have left Bohai Bay.

"Sir, the bow of the ship is windy, and it is not advisable to stay for a long time." The captain, a strong man in his thirties, curled his tongue and said to Gu Yongyuan in the official language. His surname is Zhou, and he is the owner of this sand boat, a native of Pudong. The Pudong Gang is one of the three major shipping gangs in Shanghai. Of course, the term "three gangs" is more about the recognition between merchants from the same region, uniting against outsiders and competing for business.

Captain Zhou Gang transported a truckload of white rice from the south to buy soybeans from Niuzhuang before returning to Shanghai. Unexpectedly, he encountered the government requisitioning a ship to carry passengers, and readily agreed.

Although Gu Yongyuan was dressed in casual clothes, and most of the requisitions were handled by Mo Ba, it was obvious that the one standing beside him wearing a red tassel hat and an extraordinary momentum was the real authority. Despite Gu Yongyuan's youthful appearance, the young nobles of the Manchu aristocracy of the Jingshi often succeeded. Moreover, this young official had only a few attendants, and could not have been a high-ranking figure.

"Brother Zhou, I think, it should cost a few thousand taels of silver to buy this ship, right?" Gu Yongyuan asked him with a smile.

Mr. Zhou's face was a little proud, and he said modestly: "Dear sir, this ship was actually bought by me in partnership with others, please forgive me for my presumptuousness, I am ready to borrow some money and buy another one with my partner in a few years." ”

Gu Yongyuan nodded slightly, his eyes fixed on the distance. He sighed softly: "It's still not as fast as a ship." ”

Zhou smiled: "It seems that you have been to Shanghai before and have seen Western ships. Sir, I won't hide it, I've thought about it myself. However, first, the funds are not enough, and second, the scale of management is not enough. "Ships are complicated. With no ready-made partners, my interest waned over time. ”

"If you don't have a lot of money, you can find a way to gather it. Without partners, you can learn from foreigners, which is not a sophisticated craft. In your shipping career, you have to embrace innovation and change, or you will be defeated. ”

Seeing Zhou Xiaoxiao, but obviously not convinced, Gu Yongyuan continued: "How do everyone make money now? Most of them rely on the north and south to transport goods. Western steamers were forbidden to trade north. But who knows? "Won't this rule change one day? Think about it, the steamer can also buy soybeans from the cattle farm, and travel freely between the north and the south. What will become of our sand boats then?

Zhou smiled: "I'm not skeptical of Mr.'s words, the imperial court will always give us a way to live, isn't it?" On the shore of Shanghai, there are tens of thousands of sand boats, not only sand boats. "My family is alone."

Gu Yongyuan said with a smile: "Commercial competition is often the survival of the fittest, and many things done by the imperial court are done as a last resort. More than a decade ago, Westerners were only allowed to trade in the Thirteen Banks in Guangzhou. But what about now? Treaty ports, free trade. In order to survive, we must change, adapt, and strive for self-improvement! ”

Mr. Huang Binshi, a Confucian scholar, appeared at the bow of the ship without anyone noticing. He stroked his beard while smiling and listening to Gu Yongyuan's words.

Zhou's face became gloomy, and Gu Yongyuan's words seemed to paint a bleak picture of the end of the world. He returned to the helmsman in a depressed mood, and Gu Yongyuan's words still echoed in his ears.

"Old man, it's windy outside, so you'd better go back to the cabin." Gu Yongyuan looked at the weak Huang Binshi and said. He was really worried that a gust of wind would blow him overboard.

The old man smiled: "Young master, you are not afraid, why should I be afraid?" Even though I am halfway into the coffin, what is there to fear? ”

Gu Yongyuan said with a smile. To be honest, among the people he knows, only the old master can be regarded as a real gentleman. Everyone else was nice to him, but when they turned around, their faces were unpredictable.

"Young master, I have a question I want to ask." The old man said modestly. Gu Yongyuan felt a headache. He blamed himself for giving those books to Lin Wanxue, causing the old master to become a living encyclopedia of problems.

In fact, this Confucian scholar, who devoted his life to learning, was dismissive of barbarian customs. However, he was very interested in the description in the book and often discussed it with Gu Yongyuan.

"I guess it's for silver." Gu Yongyuan replied, simplifying the complex conflict between the Eastern and Western systems.

The old master touched his beard and nodded in agreement. He said: "Don't worry, little sir, I'm afraid it will take me another seven or eight days to finish copying." ”

At present, the master is working day and night, constantly copying materials.

Gu Yongyuan smiled: "Don't worry. ”

Even if the journey goes well, it will take at least ten days to reach Shanghai.

...

Although the cabin was well ventilated, it still felt a bit humid and stuffy. When Gu Yongyuan entered the house, Lin Wanxue was sitting on the wooden bed, reading "Peasant Uprising" intently.

She is a leader of men, a warrior at heart, and naturally recognizes the value of this book.

Gu Yongyuan took out a wooden box from behind him and said with a smile: "A gift for you." ”

Seeing Gu Yongyuan enter the cabin, Lin Wanxue put down the book, stood up, and saluted with her palms. This action made Gu Yongyuan a little uncomfortable.

Lin Wanxue really didn't know how to treat Gu Yongyuan. He has a cunning personality and loves corruption and indulgence. Nine times out of ten, his words are lies. Moreover, he cannot be called a hero, he cannot be called a champion. He was a Manchu, but he had no trouble saving her brother from death row. At the age of nineteen, he was already a heavyweight in the royal family.

But no matter how you look at it, he is her brother's lifesaver and supports everyone to escape from the danger of the capital.

Lin Wanxue is known for her integrity and regards honor above life. Therefore, this life-saving benefactor gave her a little headache. She hopes to find a way to repay Gu Yongyuan as soon as possible and cut off all contact before she gets entangled with this cunning guy.

Otherwise, if she listened to his whispers every day, she was afraid that one day she would lose patience and cut off his head.

Lin Wanxue herself would not accept a gift from Gu Yongyuan.

However, Gu Yongyuan opened the wooden box, and inside was an American-made flintlock pistol. In terms of design and construction, it was not much different from the later pistols, only a little larger.

This is one of the Western firearms that was given to Chinese nobles in the past. Although these Western firearms were sealed by Emperor Daoguang, this flintlock pistol came to Prince Yong's mansion for some reason. It was locked in a corner of the study until Gu Yongyuan stumbled upon it and was forgotten. Prince Yong saw that Gu Yongyuan was interested, so he naturally gave it to him.

Gu Yongyuan handed the wooden box to Lin Wanxue and said with a smile: "Western firearms, this is called a pistol, the range and power are not as good as the spear, but it is also convenient." But there were only a few bullets. "When you get to Shanghai, I'll help you procure."

Lin Wanxue waved her hand and said, "You keep it for self-defense, I don't need it." ”

But Gu Yongyuan persevered, and stuffed it into her hand without saying a word. "I know you're proud and skilled, but everyone has times when they're weak, and no matter how skilled you are, can you really fight against firearms?"

Lin Wanxue disagreed, and said, "I've seen the firearms used by the Blue Devil, but they are not that powerful. ”

Gu Yongyuan sighed, "How can a shotgun be compared to a Western firearm?" Let me put it this way, if a shotgun can shoot continuously, with a longer range and great power, can you dodge it? ”

Lin Wanxue's face changed slightly, obviously immediately realizing the horror of this firearm. Her delicate brow furrowed and she asked, "Are Western firearms really that powerful?" ”

Gu Yongyuan replied: "It has not yet reached that level, but with the advancement of technology, the era of semi-automatic Mauser rifles is just around the corner." ”

"Technology?" Lin Wanxue was a little puzzled.

Gu Yongyuan said with a smile: "One of the books I gave you discusses Western technology, it seems that you are not interested." ”

"Let me put it this way, Westerners invented something called the telegraph, which connects distant places with wires, and a word you say can be traveled thousands of miles in the blink of an eye. There are also trains, a steel-powered vehicle with machinery in front of it, tens of thousands or even millions of times more powerful than horses, moving goods along the tracks at high speeds. There are also cameras that can instantly capture your image in the mirror as a souvenir. ”

"All of this is technology, not witchcraft. In the future, machines capable of flying in the sky will appear, which can carry tens or even hundreds of people. ”

"You want to rule the world, but what if you rule the world and become a queen? If the Westerners come to attack, how will you fight them? ”

Gu Yongyuan began to babble nonsense as he spoke. Lin Wanxue was originally impressed by this young man's profound knowledge, but now it has disappeared.

However, Gu Yongyuan didn't know what Lin Wanxue was thinking. He handed over the wooden box with a smile and said, "Here you go, you can continue from where you just left, and I will teach you how to use firearms, in short, with firearms, you can overcome all challenges." "Firearms are your best bet."

In the face of such a relaxed person, Lin Wanxue was a little powerless. She could only take the wooden box, but said solemnly: "Young Master Gu, I am very grateful for your great kindness, but please don't think that I am a fickle woman." Although Lin Wanxue sincerely appreciates your help, please don't ......, "Don't get me wrong, I'm frivolous." ”

Sure enough, Lin Wanxue was born enchanting and so beautiful that it was refreshing. Her smile, smile, can touch people's hearts. Even in the crowd, she is also a red-lipped enchantress, as fast as the wind, and smiling like a silver bell; Before the enemy could react, he had already lost his mind. Her prestige was widely praised in the Liangguang Green Camp, and she was known as the "Charm Witch".

But when facing Gu Yongyuan, Lin Wanxue had to keep a straight face all day long, so as not to give Gu Yongyuan the opportunity to distort the facts. She also didn't want to be misunderstood, thinking that she might have a crush on him.

Lin Wanxue felt that since Gu Yongyuan saved her life, she couldn't show Gu Yongyuan her strength. Gu Yongyuan understood her intentions, nodded slightly, and said sincerely: "Of course, Miss Lin, your adherence to your oath is really admirable. This is how he really felt.

When Lin Wanxue heard this, her heart was relieved.

Gu Yongyuan began to explain to her how to load bullets and how to aim, and demonstrated: "Three-point connection, yes, that's it." As he spoke, the room suddenly shook violently. Lin Wanxue leaned on the bed, Gu Yongyuan stumbled and fell down at her.

"Ahh Gu Yongyuan exclaimed. Seeing that he was about to fall on Lin Wanxue. However, he suddenly felt some pain in his chest, waist, and legs. He found himself hanging in mid-air.

After coming back to his senses a little, Gu Yongyuan found that Lin Wanxue's left hand was supporting his chest, and her right hand was holding the pistol against his waist, while she bent her knees against his legs to prevent him from falling on top of him.

But the pose is quite intimate. Looking down, Gu Yongyuan chuckled in his heart. Lin Wanxue's beautiful face is right in front of her. Her seductive lips seemed to be kissed as long as she lowered her head slightly. Her fair and flawless neck, delicate earlobes, and small rouge-coated hands on his chest were all in sight. Moreover, the chest under the red skirt rose and fell gently, which made Gu Yongyuan's thoughts fall into an ambiguous realm. He even thought of the idiom "want to refuse and welcome", which made him dizzy and felt like he was about to explode.

What made Gu Yongyuan even more flustered was that although he didn't really touch her, the pressure of her knees pressing on him, coupled with the elasticity, made him vividly imagine the indescribable softness under her waist.

In the end, the scene lasted only a moment. Gu Yongyuan felt dizzy, and suddenly felt as if he was soaring into the air, and sat back on the edge of the bed in an instant.

After a while, Gu Yongyuan came back to his senses and saw Lin Wanxue's graceful figure walking out of the room. Hurriedly followed, asking, "Where are you going?" Lin Wanxue's face was solemn and she ignored him at all.

Gu Yongyuan knew that Lin Wanxue was really angry this time. His lustful behavior can even be seen by the blind, let alone Lin Wanxue. In Lin Wanxue's world, he is probably regarded as a lascivious villain. If she had just met, she might not hesitate to attack him.

Gu Yongyuan sighed and shook his head. How could he blame himself?

Twenty years ago, he had already experienced intimate pleasures, and his place in this world was full of temptations. But he didn't want to be labeled a womanizer and had to restrain himself. Even at the farewell dinner with Rui Ci and others, although the attitude was cold, Binglan's almost explicit ridicule could easily ignite the desire of any normal man. But he was not affected in any way, even more so than the legendary chaste Yanagishita Megumi.

But why does all the pain of the past 20 years seem to have reached its peak tonight? Why is it reflected in Lin Wanxue? And just now he praised her for keeping her oath, but in an instant she became a pervert in her eyes. How could he face such irony?

Gu Yongyuan was dizzy, and only a deep sense of frustration remained.

There was only one thing he could not understand. Why did Lin Wanxue pull him up instead of letting him fall to the ground? Everything happened in an instant, is it an unconscious move? Doesn't she necessarily look down on him so much in her heart?

Thinking about it, Gu Yongyuan smiled bitterly and found that he was deceiving himself. How is this possible?