In order to cope with the negotiations with England, Yi Zhishu specially asked the ophthalmologist on Doulan Street, the American missionary, to learn about "international law" and asked someone to buy "Principles of International Law" by Henry Wheaton from the United States.

Although he knew some knowledge of the "International Law" on the sovereignty of states and war, it was difficult for him to explain in detail, and he muttered a little before he said: "The most important and fundamental principle of these international treaties and international customs, collectively known as the "Public International Law", is equality and reciprocity among nations.

The nine articles proposed by the British army, in addition to the first three, the other six basically uphold the principle of equality, and it is not excessive, but we have been calling ourselves **** countries over the years, and for European countries that come to trade and trade, they have always been treated as vassal states, and they have imposed various restrictions on foreign countries in Guangzhou, and they have not exchanged with foreign officials in Guangzhou on an equal footing, which is a very impolite measure in the international community. ”

After a brief pause, he continued: "Lin Butang is also very interested in the "Public International Law", and he has already asked someone to purchase the most authoritative "Principles of International Law" from Citigroup, because Lin Butang is in a hurry, and the missionaries in Guangzhou and Macao have sorted out some fragments on national sovereignty and war, translated them, and returned to Guangzhou, where they will submit the relevant materials to the adults. ”

It turned out that Lin Zexu was also interested in international law, Qi Shan secretly thought in his heart, then he would study and study this "International Law" more carefully, and he must not let the other party see the joke, and he groaned slightly, so he said with emotion: "Ruling the world for 200 years, and going through a hundred years of prosperity, the Manchu Dynasty is both above the top, and it will no longer be an equal interaction with other countries." As he spoke, he sighed and said, "Now that the enemy is strong and I am weak, negotiation can only be based on reason." ”

"What your lord said is very true." Yi Zhizu took over the conversation and said: "We are inferior to others, only fight according to reason, England is not a barbarian, its civilization is still above my Qing Dynasty, this war, all of England single-handedly provoked, we are not at fault, negotiate with it, everything must be detained a 'reason' word, but." ”

After hesitating for a moment, he continued: "Over the years, England has relied on force, invaded everywhere, established overseas colonies, preached power politics, advocated hegemonism, advocated power and justice, weak countries have no diplomacy, and adults should not expect too much from negotiations. ”

The strong is justifiable, and the weak have no diplomacy? Hasn't that been the case since ancient times? Qi Shan glanced at him and said in a deep voice: "If you are content to enter Beijing, the Holy Lord will definitely summon you, and the summons will inevitably ask about negotiations, and you will be content to truthfully report these requests made by Yingyi." ”

What do you mean, let him test the meaning of Daoguang? Yi Zhixiang smiled secretly in his heart, this favor was done, and he immediately bowed and said: "I understand." ”

Guangzhou, Yuehua Academy, Qincha Xingyuan, backyard.

Elaborately dressed, dressed in Han costume Jin Ling sat elegantly in the pavilion, in the corridor, Guan Qiaochang, who was not confused, concentrated on painting on the drawing board, mastered the European modern oil painting portrait technique, he is quite famous in Guangzhou, he has a lot of Chinese and foreign customers who come to the painting shop on Tongwen Street in the thirteen lines every day, and go to the house of the rich gentry to paint portraits for his family, for him, it is also an ordinary thing.

However, it was the first time he had painted a portrait of the daughter of a first-class marquis, a scholar of the court, and a governor of Zhili, and of course he knew that this was a rare opportunity for him, a rare opportunity to extend his influence to the Daojing Master of Tianjin, and that he was far more attentive and attentive than usual.

But Jin Ling is a person who can't sit still, let her sit motionless for an hour or two, which is even more uncomfortable than killing her, but after only sitting for a quarter of an hour, she couldn't help it, looked at a few minions around her, and thought about it It wasn't very interesting, so she looked at Guan Qiaochang and said, "You know Yuan Qi, right?" ”

Guan Qiaochang, who was concentrated, thought that she was talking to others, he had been in and out of large families a lot of times, and generally the family members of large families would not take the initiative to talk to him, and he rarely talked to other people's family members, which was a taboo thing.

Seeing that Guan Qiaochang ignored it, Jin Ling glared at the maid who was waiting on the side, and the little girl hurriedly said, "Mr. Guan, what about our aunt and grandmother asking you?" ”

"Huh?" Guan Qiaochang raised his head and glanced at Jin Ling a little blankly, and hurriedly put down the paintbrush, about to salute, Jin Ling raised his hand and said, "Don't be formal, you can talk while painting." ”

Drawing and talking? Guan Qiaochang couldn't help but secretly complain, what kind of jokes, a slight mistake, the whole painting was repeated, but the identity of the other party made him dare not refuse, it seems that he can only pick up the unimportant painting first, he really didn't expect that this marquis's daughter would be so unruly.

Seeing that he picked up the paintbrush again, Jin Ling repeated again, "Yuan Qi you know, right? ”

"The little ones know." Guan Qiaochang said casually: "Don't talk about Guangzhou, it's the whole of Guangdong, I'm afraid there aren't many people who don't know Yuanqi, and the small painting shop is on Xiguan Thirteen Hang Street, how can you not know Yuanqi?" ”

Jin Ling was just idle and bored, chatting casually about a topic so as not to be too boring and boring, and immediately asked: "The big shopkeeper of Yuanqi is content to have a clipper, have you seen it?" ”

"The little ones have seen it." Guan Qiaochang replied while painting: "A very beautiful Western sailing ship, praised by the people as 'the most beautiful, charming and fastest sailing ship'. ”

Jin Ling listened to it, the ship is a foreign ship, but there are no sails at all, and the two big wheels on both sides of the ship are ugly and dead, what else is the most beautiful and charming? How many ships does that guy have? She immediately said, "I'm talking about big wheels on both sides of the ship." ”

Guan Qiaochang knew that he had made a mistake, and hurriedly said: "That's a steamer, which was recently captured by Yuan Qi Tuanlian from the Yingyi Yuehai Fleet. ”

"You're talking about sharpening your knives?"

"Yes."

"The battle of Modaoyang was not fought by Guangdong sailors?"

"Yuanqi also participated in the group training."

It turned out that the steamship was a trophy captured from Yingyi, Jin Ling's eyes rolled, and said, "What kind of ship is the most beautiful, charming and fastest sailboat you just mentioned?" ”

"Clippers." Guan Qiaochang said: "The shopkeeper of Yida made a special trip to ask the little one to draw the style of the ship in Huangpu, which is indeed very beautiful. ”

"The painting in your hand?"

"No, in the hands of the shopkeeper of Yida."

"Do you know Yi Zhicontent?"

"Acquaintance."

"Tell me about him."

"That's a long way to say." Guan Qiaochang said slowly while mixing colors: "Yida shopkeeper can be said to be the most legendary figure in Guangzhou City, originally a famous swinger in Xiguan, four years ago after getting drunk and falling into the water, he did not die, as if he had changed his person, he founded Yuanqi Bank, and since then it has been out of control. ”

For these things that he was familiar with, Guan Qiaochang didn't have to be too distracted, and quickly smeared on the canvas as he spoke, and soon, an outline was outlined on the canvas.

Guan Qiaochang said plainly, but Jin Ling listened to it with relish, she originally thought that the Yuanqi shopkeeper who was content with his son inherited his father's business, but she didn't expect that he created it by himself, and she didn't expect that the limited edition Tianbao gold watch that was hard to find in Beijing was actually produced by the Tianbao watch factory founded by Yi Zhifen.

Founded Yuanqi Bank, Tianbao Watch Factory, defeated the Bank of Guangzhou Mansion, unified the Guangzhou money industry, stirred up the Guangzhou Tea Market, manipulated the Shunde Silk Market, and recruited female silk reeling workers with high salaries, Jin Ling's heart shook when she listened, and the shopkeeper of Yida, who was younger than her and looked no more than two years older, actually had so many stories, which were even more wonderful than the stories told by the storyteller.

Just as she listened, Fuqing tiptoed up to her, bowed down and said, "Master, Yi Zhizhi has returned to Guangzhou, but the ship is nowhere to be seen." ”

Finally back? Jin Ling was overjoyed, and then asked, "What about the master?" ”

"The master should still be in Humen."

After a slight groan, Jin Ling said, "Please Mr. Guan go down and paint again tomorrow." ”

Don't draw anymore? Guan Qiaochang was stunned, but he didn't dare to ask more, and hurriedly packed up his belongings, but he secretly worried in his heart, he didn't know which ship of Yida's shopkeeper was taken by this daughter, and he was afraid that he would be ruined.

Jin Ling got up and walked back to her boudoir quickly, and ordered one after another: "Change clothes and put on makeup." ”

Yuanqi General Number, Rong Yuan.

After Yi Zhizu sent away several shopkeepers, he was alone in the study wondering if there was anything missing, he went to Beijing this time, if it went well, he could return in more than a month, but if it didn't go well, it might take two or three months, and, if it went well, once he returned to Guangzhou, he had to raise 10 million cash.

It is impossible for Yuanqi Bank to advance this money, and the only way is for the stock exchange to open for public sale of treasury bonds in a timely manner, and before leaving, he will arrange everything in order to avoid being in a hurry when he returns.

Furthermore, when he went to Beijing, he reported to Lin Zexu, one is that he, the big shopkeeper of Yuanqi, is now very important in Guangzhou, and it is impossible to leave Guangzhou for a long time without a sound, and furthermore, Lin Zexu may not have some relationships in Beijing that can be taken care of, as well as some members of the Beijing Division, which ones he should visit, which ones should be embankmentd, this has to be analyzed and reminded by Lin Zexu.

Wu Bingjian there, as soon as he returned to Guangzhou, he went to visit first, Wu Bingjian had no opinion on him to go to Beijing, not only did he have no opinion, but he also strongly supported and generously sponsored him 10,000 taels of silver, which made him feel a little drummed.

Just as he was thinking about it, Li Wang hurriedly came in and reported: "Young master, there is a golden prince who is out asking to see him. ”

Hearing him bite the word 'childe' very hard, Yi Zhishu immediately reacted, it was Jin Gongzi who was dressed as a man, but he hadn't seen him for a few days, so he immediately got up and went out, walked to the yard, and saw that it was Qi Shan's brutal and willful daughter who came in, and he remembered that the other party claimed to be surnamed Jin, but when he heard it, he mistakenly thought it was Jin Lanxiang.

However, he can't afford to provoke this Jin Gongzi, so he doesn't have time to mess around with her, so he smiled and said: "Brother Jin is a good ear and eye." ”

Jin Ling smiled and arched her hand: "I went to Xiguan to play today, and I happened to pass by, so I stopped by to take a look, I don't want Brother Yi to really come back." ”

And such a coincidence? Yi Zhishu was skeptical, but said with a smile: "It's better to come early than to come sooner, and Brother Jin has just come back." As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and said, "Brother Jin, please." ”

Yi Zhizhi was content with a mess of things, and he didn't have time to talk to her, so he entered the house and sat down, so he said straightforwardly: "Brother Jin wants to borrow that steamer, why should Brother Jin come to the door in person and send someone to say it." ”

"I've changed my mind." Jin Ling said with a smile, "I heard that Brother Yi also has the most beautiful, charming and fastest sailboat in his hand, by the way, it is called Flying Shear, I want to borrow that." ”

Flying clippers, Yi Zhishu has more than one in his hands, but they all have their own uses, he wants to use it, and he will transfer it from Hainan, how can he lend it to the other party? immediately smiled, "Unfortunately, the ship is not in Guangzhou." ”

Jin Ling said unrelentingly: "It's okay to wait for a few days." ”

"It's not a matter of waiting for a few days, but at least a month or two." Yi Zhizhi said: "If you want to go to Beijing in the next few days, you must use a flying clipper boat." ”

"Brother Yi is going to Jingshi?" Jin Ling was surprised, and then said, "Brother Yi is not joking. ”

"It was arranged by Ling Zun." Yi Zhixiang glanced at her and said, "The imperial court wants to issue 10 million treasury bonds and let Yuan Qi undertake it, Brother Jin doesn't know about this?" ”

Jin Ling really didn't know that there was such a thing, Qi Shancai wouldn't tell her these things, she said curiously: "How long does it take to take the clipper boat to Tianjin?" ”

Yi Zhixiang smiled and said, "Ten to twelve days." ”

"Faster than five hundred miles expedited?" Jin Ling said with a look of disbelief: "Is it really that fast?" "They came to Guangzhou from Tianjin, and they hurried all the way, or did it take more than a month, and it only took ten days to fly clippers?

Yi Zhi replied lazily, took a cigar, lit it for himself, and wondered how to send her away, seeing him like this, Jin Ling didn't annoy him at all, and said with a smile: "Brother Yi has never been to Jingshi, right?" There are many yamen in Beijing, and there are many rules, how about we make a transaction, you give me ten Tianbao limited edition gold watches, and I will accompany you throughout the whole process in Beijing with Su Shun, and keep you doing everything smoothly, how about it? ”

Ten Tianbao limited edition gold watches, this tomboy really dared to open his mouth, but Yi Zhixiang did not rush to refuse, the name Su Shun said by the other party aroused his interest, Su Shun can also be regarded as the number one person in the Qing Dynasty, but I don't know if Su Shun in her mouth is the same person.

After a slight hesitation, he asked, "Who is Su Shun?" ”

Seeing him ask like this, Jin Ling knew that there was a play, so she opened the folding fan to fan the smoke away without hurrying, and said slowly, "Su Shun is the son of Prince Zheng Wuer Gong'a, ranked sixth, the same age as Brother Yi, and is a third-class auxiliary general, and now he is a minister of scattered ranks, and he is idle all day long." (To be continued.) )