Shanghai Railway Station. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

A passenger train slowly drove into the platform, the train stopped, but the door of the carriage was not opened, all the conductors were guarding the door of the carriage waiting for orders, this passenger car has distinguished passengers, I heard that the status is extremely noble, you have to wait for the distinguished guests to go first.

In a specially made carriage, Prince Hui Mianyu looked out through the window, and saw that there were few people on the platform deserted, and he couldn't help frowning, what does it mean to be content? didn't even do superficial work, although he came to Shanghai this time, he also sent a telegram to Shanghai, not to mention the grand welcome ceremony, at least Yi Zhishu should come to greet him in person, right?

It seemed that he was not welcome, Mianyu got up and ordered: "Keep a low profile, don't be public, this king is a private visit to Weifu this time." ”

After getting off the train and stepping on the platform, three four-wheeled carriages slowly stopped in front of him, and a middle-aged man dressed in Western-style clothes and wearing a polite dress got off the train to greet him, took off his hat and bowed and said: "In order not to be too public, the big shopkeeper specially sent down to welcome Prince Hui, and the prince please get on the train." ”

Mianyu glanced at him, but he recognized it, and a smile appeared on his face, "It turned out to be the shopkeeper Yan." ”

When Prince Hui Mianyu was the general of the expedition to the south, Yan Shikuan received him once, and he didn't want him to remember, so he immediately smiled, "The prince still remembers it, it's really an honor, the prince please." ”

Mianyu smiled, he also did his homework when he came to Shanghai this time, and knew that Yan Shikuan was a contented right-hand man, so he immediately felt a little more comfortable and happily boarded the car.

The carriage drove out of the railway station on the smooth and smooth asphalt road without feeling bumpy, Mianyu lifted the curtain to look at the scenery outside the car, but it was a few years, Shanghai has changed a lot, looking at the buildings outside the window, the carriages and bicycles coming and going on the street, and the pedestrians rubbing shoulders on both sides, he was greatly emotional, but after finding that many young people did not have braids but had short hair and Western dress, his expression was a little gloomy.

The carriage stopped at the gate of a garden near the Zhenhai Mansion, Yan Shikuan got out of the car first to meet him, and said, "The prince has been tired all the way, take a rest for the time being, and the big shopkeeper will come to visit later." ”

Yi Zhishu was not in the public mansion, but accompanied Zaitong to wander around the old county, Zaitong was dressed as a man, and he was wearing a robe and a horse coat and a pair of sunglasses, because he had changed his appearance slightly, unless he was a very familiar person, he didn't have to worry about being recognized at all, even so, there were several groups of plainclothes guards in front of and behind the two.

Autumn is high and cool, the sun is shining, easy to be content with the mood is also very good, leisurely accompany Zaitong all the way to wander, the changes of the old county town in recent years are also great, the streets and alleys in the city are all paved with neat bluestone slabs, all the river embankments are also built with bluestone, the dilapidated houses in the city are also planned and repaired by Yuan Qi at the expense of the Yuanqi, because a large number of cleaners are arranged, the streets and alleys and the river are exceptionally clean, attracting a lot of Western sailors, sailors, businessmen, and diplomatic officials to come to hunt for curiosities.

It's a woman's nature to love to buy things, all the way down, the two little guys who followed behind Zaitong were full of big bags and small bags, Yi Zhishu glanced at the two little guys, and said with a smile: "It's hard to accompany you out to relax, how can I take care of shopping." ”

Zaiton glanced at him, "A big family, can't you go back empty-handed?" ”

There are a lot of women in the family, and there are also a lot of children, this is not a topic, Yi Zhizhi smiled, and quickly changed the conversation, "Are you tired, or find a teahouse to rest." ”

Zaitong said with some surprise: "You are idle today? ”

"Take a break in the busy." Yi Zhizhi smiled and said, "Since it came out, don't bother with it." ”

Zaitong knew that there were constant guests in the house every day, and it was very rare for Yi Zhishu to spend half a day to hang out with him, so he smiled and said: "I'm tired after shopping for a long time, so I'd better go back in a sedan chair." ”

"Okay, it's up to you." Yi Zhizu said: "Spring outing, autumn outing, the weather is good these days, I will take you on an outing another day." ”

Hearing this, Zaitong glanced at him suspiciously, Yi Zhizhi is content to see people talking about things every day, how can there be so much spare work? It's shopping with her again, and it's an outing, and she reacts very quickly, "But you're going out again?" ”

"It's not far." Yi Zhizu smiled and said: "I plan to go to Guangzhou, Fujian, I'm afraid it's a bit long." ”

No wonder this is the case, Zaitong was suddenly relieved, but he didn't say much, Yi Zhixiang always has to go out a few times a year, she has long been used to it.

Back at the mansion, Yi Zhizhi entered the courtyard door of the library, and Yan Shikuan quickly chased after him and said, "Prince Hui has arrived." ”

"Call a good table to send over to Prince Hui to pick up the wind and wash the dust." Yi Zhizu entered the study as he spoke, and Yan Shikuan followed in and said with a smile: "These little things still have to be worried about by the big shopkeeper, they have been arranged." As he spoke, he said cautiously: "Prince Hui is here this time, I'm afraid that the person who came is not good, is it too obvious to calm the chaos?" ”

"It has to be so obvious that it can have a deterrent effect." Yi Zhizhi said slowly and lit a cigarette, the Nanyang Navy was ordered to send troops to the southeastern provinces to pacify the rebellion, except for Taiwan, almost all of them were bloodless, as soon as the army arrived, all the parties in various places heard the wind and surrendered, one place is so, and it is said that in the past, everywhere is so, but it is too strange!

Acting as a deterrent? Yan Shikuan's eyes rolled, and he hesitated: "The big shopkeeper is not worried about the imperial court openly turning his face?" ”

"Blatantly flipping?" Yi Zhizu sneered: "The court doesn't dare! As he spoke, he shifted his words, "There is no news from the Persian Gulf yet?" ”

"Nope." Yan Shikuan hurriedly said: "Don't worry, the big shopkeeper, several clippers are in the Persian Gulf, and they will report as soon as possible if there is any movement." ”

Yi Zhixiang smoked a cigarette and said nothing, will the Crimean War break out this year? He didn't have any bottom in his heart, but there should be no suspense about the outbreak of war, the negotiations between Prince Menshikov, the plenipotentiary envoy of Tsarist Russia, and the Ottoman Turkish Empire in Constantinople had broken down, and the combined Anglo-French fleet had sailed into the Bay of Besiga in June, as long as nothing else, war would definitely break out, just sooner or later.

Yan Shikuan didn't understand why Yi Zhixiang attached so much importance to whether a war would break out in the Persian Gulf, thousands of miles away, but he knew that there were really not many things that Yi Zhixiang was so concerned about, and he groaned slightly, and then he said: "The telegraph is really a good thing, if only Nanyang could open a telegraph, it is not only fast, but also saves a lot of manpower and material resources." ”

"Nanyang can open a telegraph." Yi Zhizhi said: "People have already been arranged to explore the line." ”

Yan Shikuan just said casually, and he couldn't help but be stunned when he heard this, "Doesn't the telegraph need to set up a line?" Can you still cross the sea? ”

"Of course, you can cross the sea and lay lines from the bottom of the sea." Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "Only what you dare not think, there is nothing that you can't do, now the world is completely different, and now Citigroup is preparing to connect all continents with telegraphs, and it is not uncommon to lay cables across the ocean." ”

Connecting continents with a telegraph? Yan Shikuan didn't close his mouth for a long time in shock, "In the future, you can telegraph with Western countries?" ”

"Not bad." Yi Zhifen smiled: "Does it feel like the world is getting smaller and smaller?" In the future, people will still be able to fly in the sky, and it will take an hour from Shanghai to Manila. ”

"The more the big shopkeeper talks, the more bizarre it becomes." Yan Shikuan obviously didn't believe it, took out his pocket watch and looked at it, and then said, "It's almost, let's go over." ”

"What's the hurry?" Yi Zhicontent said casually: "Dry him, and go back when it's dark." ”

In fact, for Prince Hui Mianyu, Yi Zhishu is no stranger, he has dealt with in Beijing and Guangzhou, and he may have the deepest relationship with Prince Hui among several princes and princes in the court, and Prince Hui left him with a bad impression, although he is a little greedy for money but he is a smart person, otherwise he would not be only hanging for half a day.

Going after dark? Yan Shikuan was full of disappointment, he also planned to take the opportunity to give Mianyu the opportunity to catch the wind and wash the dust, and accompany him to have a drink, after all, he is the prince, the imperial uncle of the dynasty, it is difficult to have a chance on weekdays, and it is not his share to talk about things when it gets dark, but Yi Zhizhi said that he wanted to dry the other party, and he did not dare to talk more.

After it was dark, Yi Zhishu walked out of the mansion with a small guy in civilian clothes, and arrived at the garden where Mianyu stayed, he handed over the post, and after a while, Mianyu personally greeted him, Yi Zhizu smiled and said: "It's late to come back, and I hope that the prince Haihan is sluggish." ”

"The city doesn't have to be polite." Mianyu returned the salute with a spring breeze on his face, and then stretched out his hand to give courtesy, and said familiarly: "Come into the house and say." ”

The two of them talked all the way, sat down in the room, and served tea, Mianyu retreated, and said: "The emperor has already agreed to the construction of large naval bases in Lushun and Qingniwa, but does Guocheng really plan to directly annex Korea into the territory of the Qing Dynasty?" ”

Yi Zhishu smiled and said, "Does the prince know why the Qing Dynasty has always allowed the vassal state of Korea to exist?" ”

Listening to this, Mianyu couldn't help but be surprised, since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, North Korea has always been a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty, no one has ever asked so, and he has never thought about this question, after all, at the beginning of the founding of the country, when the Central Plains were established, it was not difficult to annex North Korea, but why did not Korea be destroyed at the beginning?

"Because of the Wa Kingdom." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "Since the beginning of the previous dynasty, the Japanese state is a major hidden danger in my China, Toyotomi Hideyoshi has invaded Korea on a large scale, and the Japanese have frequently troubled the southeast coast, in view of the lessons of the three conquests of the Japanese state during the Yuan and Mongolian periods, the beginning of the establishment of this dynasty did not conquer the Japanese state, and retained the vassal state of Korea, in order to leave a buffer zone between the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese state, which is actually a concrete embodiment of guarding the border and guarding the four yi.

Now that the Japanese state has been submitted, North Korea has naturally lost its due value, so why should Korea exist in the form of a vassal state? The geographical location of the Korean Peninsula, there is no need for me to say more, such a piece of fat meat is close to the mouth, it is really itchy not to eat it, besides, the annexation of Korea is also conducive to the annexation of the Japanese state in the future. ”

From this point of view, there is indeed no need for the vassal state of North Korea to exist, Mianyu nodded slightly, as for the annexation of the Japanese state, he is really not interested, after all, Nanyang is a lesson from the past, and after a slight groan, he arched his hand and said: "I also want to congratulate the national city on quickly quelling the rebellion in the southeastern provinces." ”

Yi Zhizhi said nonchalantly: "A group of clowns who jump off the beam, depending on the legend, are really not worth mentioning." ”

After hesitating, Mian Yu said: "I heard that the Nanyang Navy is recruiting new recruits in the southeastern provinces? ”

Yi Zhishu nodded and said: "The navy can't be stationed in the interior for a long time, recruit some new soldiers to be stationed in the local area to prevent the party from rebelling again, the southeast is the important place of the imperial court's wealth, and it is also the fundamental place of Yuanqi, there is no room for chaos, the imperial court will not have an opinion, right?" ”

Mianyu smiled bitterly and said: "There are no outsiders, we don't have to hide, the Nanyang Navy is expanding again and again, what do you think of the national city?" ”

"It seems that the imperial court has an opinion?" Yi Zhizhi lit a cigarette and slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, and then said unhurriedly: "The Russian Empire and the Ottoman Turkish Empire are about to go to war, and all the troops in the Henan and Shanxi areas will soon be transferred to the northwest." ”

Mianyu was overjoyed, "Is the Russian-Turkish war predicted by the national city really about to break out?" ”

"It's not the end of this year, or the beginning of next year, and it won't be far away." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "In addition, once a war breaks out in the northwest, it will be a big war, we must go all out, and the country must be stable!" ”

What does this mean? Mianyu said in disbelief: "What does Guocheng mean that the Nanyang Navy is going to send troops to encircle and suppress the Taiping Army?" ”

"Not bad." Yi Zhizu said in a deep voice: "The Nanyang Navy will make every effort to encircle and suppress the Taiping Army and the Twist Army, so that we can focus on the war in the northwest!" This is also the reason for the large-scale recruitment of troops in the southeast, does the imperial court still have opinions? ”

"Such a good thing, why can't the national city report it?" Mianyu's face lit up excitedly, he knew very well that there was no need for Yi Zhixiang to deceive him like this, because there was no need, the Nanyang Navy was expanding its troops in the southeastern provinces, and the imperial court was helpless at all.

Mianyu only felt happy for a while, relaxed, originally for Yuan Qi to expand the army in Anhui Henan, expand the army in the southeastern provinces, and the Japanese fleet occupied the Lushun green mud pool, a strong army, raising troops to make a mess, the Manchu Dynasty civil and military including Xianfeng were all worried, but I didn't expect that this reason was behind Yuanqi's army expansion, it was really surprising!

Northwest, Northwest! Once Yi Zhishu really sent troops to the northwest and sent troops to exterminate the Taiping Army and the Twist Army, it means that Yi Zhishu will definitely not have the intention of rebellion! This news was transmitted back to the Beijing Division, and the Manchu Dynasty civil and military forces were afraid that they would have to celebrate with a crown!

After a long time, Mianyu suppressed the joy in her heart, got up and walked to the door and ordered: "Come on, hurry up and prepare a table for a banquet." Turning around, he smiled and said, "Don't go for a few years, you won't get drunk today!" ”

"Don't be in a hurry to be happy, lord." Yi Zhixiang said with a smile: "The Taiping Army and the Twist Army are not easy to exterminate, and the imperial court has to delegate power." ”

Hearing this, Mianyu couldn't help but be stunned, how big is the scope of activities of the Taiping Army and the Twist Army, he is clear, to control the overall situation, I am afraid that it is necessary to control the military and political power of more than a dozen provinces, which is equivalent to the military and political power of most of the Qing Dynasty, Xianfeng will agree?