The elegant side hall is elegantly decorated, and the potted begonias on the high platform have begun to pull out small flower buds, kicking off the beautiful prelude to the upcoming bloom.

Gu Yongyuan was drinking tea while chatting and laughing with Jiarong.

Miaoqing spent the "retreat month" at her mother's house, and Gu Yongyuan suddenly felt a little bored. Regardless of the convention, he rushed to Miaoqing's house. Nowadays, he

Recently, Gu Yongyuan

After discussing with Mo Ba and the others, it was decided to leave five hundred taels of silver as a reward, and the remaining four people

Originally, Gu Yongyuan was thinking about buying something interesting. After chatting with Jiarong for a while, he couldn't help but think of Shanghai, where there are so many novelties to explore and a lot of money to spend.

"Little Wangye, is Shanghai really as charming as they say?" Jiarong's face was full of longing.

Before Gu Yongyuan could react, a young man in a green robe suddenly rushed into the room and almost tripped over the threshold. He stammered, "Young Master, good news, good news!" ”

Jiarong frowned: "Be polite!" Get out! ”

However, the servant continued in a panic: "Madam, concubine, concubine has returned to the house, and she has come back to visit!" He finally blurted out this sentence, and he almost ran out of breath.

"What?

Gu Yongyuan nodded slightly. He didn't believe that Concubine Lan would make trouble in the palace. Her sudden return to visit could be another reason

Looking out the window, Concubine Lan was just a concubine after all. She doesn't have the exaggerated aura that she depicts on TV. However, since she was still a member of the royal family, the palace was bustling, and eunuchs and palace maids came and went. The Empress Dowager, it seems that there is still Miaoqing, all went out to greet her.

After a while, the music gradually started, followed by a pair of eunuchs, holding feather dusters, incense beads, embroidered handkerchiefs and other things. Several palace maids walked in the front, followed by eight eunuchs carrying the queen mother and others with delicate phoenix pattern gold sedan chairs. More eunuchs and maids followed, holding various items in their hands. It wasn't until they entered the lodgings that they returned home.

Gu Yongyuan didn't continue to watch, not wanting to be rude.

Sitting down to drink tea, he found that all the servants were nowhere to be seen. He felt a little bored. However, it seemed a little rude to leave suddenly, and just as he was hesitating, the footsteps were approaching in a hurry. Jiarong looked happy, pushed open the curtain and walked in, "Brother-in-law, come with me, Miaoqing wants to see you." ”

Gu Yongyuan was slightly stunned. He didn't know what Miaoqing was doing now. Jiarong gently covered his mouth and corrected, "It's not Miaoqing, it's Concubine Lan." ”

Gu Yongyuan paused. Concubine Lan wants to see him? What might she want?

But he had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow Jiarong through the room to the backyard. At the entrance of the main hall, the Queen Mother and Miaoqing had just come out. Gu Yongyuan naughtily bared his teeth to Miaoqing, but Miaoqing ignored him.

In the hall, a eunuch announced in a hoarse voice: "Protector General Jingxiang, please meet!" ”

In desperation, Gu Yongyuan lowered his head and entered the hall. Then he saluted in a proper manner: "Jing Xiang respectfully invites Concubine Lan!" I wish Lan Guifei good luck! ”

Strictly speaking, people below the concubine cannot be called a "noble concubine". But since this is a special case involving family members, such an address is not entirely inappropriate.

Gu Yongyuan continued: "Jing Xiang is humble, please apologize to the concubine!" ”

The yellow curtains blocked the view and made it difficult to see inside. He could only see faint shadows.

As far as Gu Yongyuan's current mentality is concerned, there is nothing special. He thought he would feel something unusual when he met one of China's most important figures for the next fifty years. It's just that he didn't expect to have any intersection with her so suddenly.

But at this moment, his mood is surprisingly calm, not as enthusiastic as when he met the giants of history.

"General Protector, please be seated." Her voice is charming and melodious, as sweet as a warbler's song.

"General Protector, don't be too restrained, since we met today, I want to meet my sister's husband and talk."

"Of course." Gu Yongyuan sat down on the cushion brought by the eunuch. He wondered if the little eunuch in front of him was An Dehai, and secretly admired Concubine Lan is Concubine Lan. Most people don't get to see their sister's husband so as not to spark gossip.

"General Protector, do you know a lot about Western countries?" Her words are full of captivating charm.

Gu Yongyuan was still calm, staring at a point fixedly. He replied, "I have heard a little, but I don't know a lot." ”

"The Protector General is quite modest."

Gu Yongyuan saw the question and answer between the Empress Dowager Cixi and foreign envoys in the diaries of some Qing officials in his previous life. He knew that the Empress Dowager knew a lot about foreign affairs, unlike the Empress Dowager Ci'an, who often only talked about daily life.

"The barbarians of the Western Regions, in the long run, will undoubtedly bring disaster to our Qing Dynasty. Protector General, you must be very clear about their essence by now, this is very valuable. ”

Gu Yongyuan hurriedly said: "I don't dare to say that I have such an understanding. Moreover, when dealing with foreign affairs, there is always a risk of rumors and gossip, which is also what I have always feared. ”

Concubine Lan seemed to think about it for a moment before continuing: "There are very few people who really understand this. Take up the responsibilities of the country, and you must be patient when those people end up being your enemies. ”

Although they had a private chat at home, she seemed to feel a little uncomfortable discussing official matters with him. So she changed the subject and asked, "How is Miaoqing?" ”

Hearing about the little guy, Gu Yongyuan smiled, "Except for being disobedient, she has done a good job in other aspects." ”

However, he forgot where he was and who he was talking to. He spoke very frankly, only to realize that something was wrong later. He sighed inwardly. Although Concubine Lan is a woman, it shouldn't be so easy by her side. Others may not know her scheming nature, but as a traverser, doesn't he?

Behind the yellow curtain, Concubine Lan was silent for a while, startled by Gu Yongyuan's reaction. She didn't expect to get such an answer, and she didn't know how to continue the conversation for a while.

After a while, Concubine Lan said again: "Did she have any disobedient behavior, such as snatching your telescope?" ”

This time, it was Gu Yongyuan's turn to be dumbfounded. He didn't expect Miaoqing to tell his sister everything. It seems that their sisterhood is still very deep.

After a while, Gu Yongyuan replied: "The female celebrity who weaves or something has taken over, no matter what I say, she doesn't listen." He hurriedly changed the subject, not knowing what Miaoqing said to his sister. It seems that his reputation as the second-generation ancestor of the loser has been deeply rooted in the eyes of the Queen Mother.

Concubine Lan was obviously taken aback by Gu Yongyuan's reaction again, was silent for a moment, and said, "You spoil her too much." ”

"It's a matter of course to love your wife!" Gu Yongyuan finished with a wry smile. He knew in his heart that the woman in front of him was not his friend. She probably wanted his head sooner than he expected. Strangely, perhaps aware of this woman's potential danger in the future, Gu Yongyuan was not afraid. Subconsciously, he had the feeling of trying to play tricks on her. Perhaps, this is also another emotional uneasiness.

It is estimated that the palace maids who eavesdropped on this conversation were a little dumbfounded. However, if they are allowed to come, they must be Concubine Lan's confidants.

After a while, Concubine Lan said, "You can get up." After a pause, she said again: "General Protector, you are not an ordinary person, there is no need to hide your true feelings and pretend to be crazy and stupid." ”

Gu Yongyuan was stunned for a moment, and felt a slight sweat on his forehead. For a moment, he felt as if the woman behind the yellow curtain had seen through him. It was the first time since he came into this world that he instinctively felt danger.

What Gu Yongyuan didn't expect was that on the second day after meeting Concubine Lan, he was summoned to the palace to see the emperor. It seems that Concubine Lan's words are not empty words.

Not to mention Concubine Lan's true thoughts about herself, with her current situation, even if there are rumors that she may soon be made a concubine, or that she may have been assisting Emperor Xianfeng in handling official affairs, she does not dare to talk about political affairs bluntly in front of the emperor. She also did not dare to comment on court officials.

In the inner room of the West Warm Pavilion of the Yongxin Hall of Yonghe Palace, there is a plaque of Emperor Yongzheng's handwritten "Diligent Administration and Honorable Sage". The characters are strong and powerful, creating a sense of awe and admiration. When Gu Yongyuan saw these four words, he couldn't help but think of Emperor Yongzheng, the most diligent ruler of the Qing Dynasty, and his heart was deeply moved.

The rooms are fitted with glass windows that bathe the room in bright light. There is a kang bed on the east side, which is equipped with bookcases and stationery. Stacks of monuments and documents, several feet high, lined up. Since Prince Yong was not present, Gu Yongyuan knelt on the yellow mat with a respectful expression.

"Among the young Manchus, you can be regarded as the best." Emperor Xianfeng said, his voice with a hint of sickness, but clear.

Gu Yongyuan had been privately summoned twice before, once after returning from Shanghai, and once before getting married, Gu Yongyuan was still relatively relieved in front of the emperor.

"I don't understand many things, I just follow His Majesty's orders, and I will do whatever His Majesty asks me to do." Gu Yongyuan lowered his head and said reverently.

Emperor Xianfeng said, "I have reviewed your memo. You propose to set up a shipyard to counter the indestructible Western warships. You propose to learn Western technology and build more ships. ”

In fact, Gu Yongyuan knew that under the current system of the Qing Dynasty, state-owned enterprises were doomed to failure. Corruption, corruption, and overstaffing, which are prevalent in government agencies, also inevitably permeate these enterprises. As for the search for innovation and knowledge in technology, there was no basis for discussion. In this case, success is a strange thing. Still, there must be a process, a starting point.