In the twenty-eighth year of Daoguang, in the spring of March. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

On the Wusong River, a small steamer with a wooden hull emitted black smoke and quickly crossed the estuary, going upstream, attracting the attention of many sailors and passengers on the sailing boats on the river.

The Yellow Dragon Banner is the military flag of the Nanyang Navy, and now there is no one who does not know the Yellow Dragon Banner on the coast of the Qing Dynasty who is begging for a life on the water, on the bow deck of the small steamer, a twenty-six seven, with short hair and pigtails, big eyes and thick lips, dressed in a gray robe, looking at a very capable young man standing tall with his hands up, this person is none other than Chen Hongming, the commander of the Second Marine Regiment who sits in Dinghai and is an officer to a deputy general.

Looking at Wusong in front of the chimneys, Chen Hongming sighed with emotion, Wusong is simply the same as a year, large and small chimneys have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, this is only a few years, are about to catch up with Guangzhou, the speed of development is really beyond his expectations.

"Old Chen." Instructor Sun Youyu walked over slowly and said, "Go directly to Shanghai, or dock at Wusong?" ”

Turning sideways slightly, Chen Hongming said, "Docking at Wusong?" Going to Shanghai by train? ”

Sun Youyu smiled and said, "I haven't taken a train yet, I want to see ...... with my own eyes." ”

Chen Hongming came to Shanghai this time on order, but Yi Zhixiang specially told him to come in Weifu, and he immediately said with a smile: "Okay, just land in Wusong." ”

Sun Youyu said with some unease: "You won't delay the business, right?" ”

"No problem." Chen Hongming said disapprerovingly, this time Yi Zhixin summoned him to Shanghai, but simply said that it was for a lesson plan, not an urgent matter, and besides, taking a train from Baoshan is not slower than taking a boat, so you can't miss something.

The railway from Baoshan to Shanghai is the first double-track railway in the Qing Dynasty, it has only been half a year since it was opened to traffic, Chen Hongming, Sun Youyu and his party arrived at the railway station to buy tickets into the waiting hall, and saw that it was overcrowded, and couldn't help but secretly speak, Sun Youyu looked at the ticket in his hand, the price is a dime, the price is not expensive, but it is not cheap, he couldn't help but say: "A train can hold so many people?" ”

Chen Hongming said: "It's easy to have one or two thousand people, and it's okay to squeeze three or four thousand." ”

Can you fit that many people? Sun Youyu was secretly surprised, but he didn't ask any more questions, and looked around, the people in the waiting hall were extremely mixed, there were red-haired and blue-eyed Westerners with officials in robes, gentry and merchants in robes and horse coats, workers in new-style uniforms, and peddlers and pawns in short shirts, all kinds of people.

Chen Hongming was attracted by a group of talkative young people, most of them were in their twenties, with short hair and pigtails like naval officers and soldiers, and wore blue military uniforms, but the jacket was open and unbuttoned, revealing the snow-white shirts inside, and several of them were still wearing new watches from Tianbao Watch Factory, and they all spoke fluent official language.

What attracted him was not their dress, but their topic, they were talking about a lesson plan that happened in Qingpu County, and after listening attentively for a while, he figured out the ins and outs of this lesson plan, and wondered in his heart, this so-called Qingpu lesson case is just a small case that can not be smaller, how can it be so troublesome? This is not like the style of a principal!

The so-called Qingpu case is nothing more than three English missionaries who violated the regulations to preach in Qingpu County, and clashed with the Cao gang on the dock, the story is very simple, the three missionaries propagated the doctrine and distributed leaflets, and the Cao gang asked them for scriptures - that is, the cost of the Bible, God knows whether they wanted the scriptures to wipe their buttocks, or to paste the windows, or to smoke cigarettes, no one knows.

The three missionaries did not say that they did not have scriptures in their hands, and even if they had scriptures, they could not afford such a large-scale gift, so the two sides had a verbal conflict, and then a dispute ensued, and both sides became anxious, and between the crowding and pushing, a missionary's cane did not know whether it was intentional or unintentional, anyway, it poked in the face of a Cao gang member in the front row, and it poked out blood.

This was tantamount to stabbing the hornet's nest, and the Cao Gang, who had a large number of people, refused to give up, and swarmed up and beat the three missionaries, but fortunately, the Qingpu Governor arrived in time with the messengers, stopped the still angry sailors, stopped the further expansion of the situation, and did not cause any deaths.

The three missionaries were sent back to Shanghai by the Qingpu Governor, and the English consul Alcock went to the Shanghai Provincial Government to demand severe punishment for the murderers, but Shanghai Daowu Changqing was extremely tough, saying that the missionaries had violated the rules and violated the treaty to preach in Qingpu, and all the consequences were borne by themselves.

Seeing that the negotiations were fruitless, Elcock actually openly threatened to mobilize a fleet in Hong Kong to blockade Wusongkou, and this Elcock was not a verbal scare, but put into action, and now there is definite news that the British fleet stationed in Hong Kong has indeed gone north and will arrive in Shanghai in a few days, and the news spread, which immediately caused a great sensation, and the Nanyang Prime Minister's national affairs and foreign affairs yamen did not react to this at all, causing great dissatisfaction among the people.

Chen Hongming pondered for a while, and had vaguely guessed that Yi Zhishu might have used this lesson plan to deliberately create tension, thinking of this, he couldn't help but secretly excited, with his understanding of Yi Zhicontentment, the Nanyang Navy should have a big move next, and the Nanyang Navy has been developing in the past few years, and it is time to come out and show its face!

On the north bank of Suzhou Creek, Xingzhong Road, Nanyang Prime Minister's National Affairs and Foreign Affairs Yamen, Prime Minister's Signature Room.

Nanyang Prime Minister Wu Changqing, who is learning to walk and Shanghai Daodao, walked in quickly, and did not salute, so he said directly: "It has been rumored that the city is full of wind and rain, and it is said that the British fleet will arrive at Wusongkou in five days, and what is said has a nose and eyes, is it true?" ”

Seeing his fiery appearance, Yi Zhizhi smiled, put down the pen and took a box of cigarettes on the table, smoked one and threw it over, and then lit one himself, which is a new cigarette produced by Shanghai Cigarette Factory, in order to advertise cigarettes, he gave up his cigar and smoked cigarettes.

Throwing out the firesticks, Yi Zhizhi said slowly: "To be exact, it should be four days before the British fleet can reach Wusongkou." ”

Will it really block Wusongkou? Wu Changqing was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said: "Once the British fleet blocks Wusongkou, the impact will be great......." ”

Got up and closed the door, Yi Zhizhi turned around and sat down opposite him, and then said: "It's been a few years since the peace of the world, and it's not a bad thing to let them make trouble." ”

Hearing this, Wu Changqing was very vigilant and said tentatively: "Although the British Elcock is not small, he is not stupid, this should not be instructed by the big shopkeeper, right?" ”

Yi Zhifen's tone was relaxed, and he replied to the question: "Don't worry, you can't fight." ”

It seems that it was really from the other party's instructions! Wu Changqing's heart tightened, and he asked, "What is the action of the imperial court?" ”

Yi Zhizu shook his head slightly, there was no movement in the imperial court, but now it is the twenty-eighth year of Daoguang, no accident, Daoguang has not lived for two or three years, even if there is no movement now, it should be soon, he has to strike first, and he can't wait passively.

Seeing him shake his head, Wu Changqing said puzzledly: "It's not because of the Cao Gang, right?" ”

"What is the Cao Gang? Today's Cao Gang must live with Yang Yuanqi's snort. Yi Zhizhi took a puff of cigarette before continuing: "There is no movement at the moment, but it is not a good thing that it has been peaceful for a long time, let the British toss it, so that some people in the DPRK and China will not have nothing to do." ”

Hearing him say this, Wu Changqing nodded slightly, relieved, Yuan Qi's investment in Shanghai in the past few years can be said to have been bloody, he is really worried that the outbreak of war will ruin the situation that he has managed so hard, since Yi Zhi is content, he has nothing to worry about.

After a slight sigh, he said: "Nowadays, there is a lot of criticism of the Prime Minister's Yamen outside, and the big treasurer must be cautious, so as not to give people a handle." ”

Yi Zhizhi smiled contentedly, "Don't worry, I won't give the court an excuse." ”

As soon as the words fell, I heard a gentle rhythmic knock on the door, and Yi Zhizhi said aloud: "Come in." The door was gently pushed open, tall and beautiful, Lin Meilian, who was wearing a well-fitting cheongsam, came in with a tea tray and said softly: "Two adults, please use tea." ”

After she withdrew, Wu Changqing smiled and joked: "The beauty staff and translator can also be used as a maid, and the big shopkeeper is the first to open up the atmosphere, so he is not afraid of being attacked?" ”

"This is the need to negotiate etiquette with Western consuls, and there is no need for the imperial court to issue a fortune, who dares to attack?" Yi Zhicontent said with a smile, "Up and down, are you also considering hiring a beautiful secretary to translate?" ”

Wu Changqing hurriedly waved his hand and said: "The Prime Minister's Yamen can also be said to be out of etiquette needs, my Yamen has no excuse, the big shopkeeper should first implement it in the Prime Minister's Yamen." ”

Yi Zhizhi smiled, Lin Meilian, this girl was a girl taken in by Lei Yuan back then, not only outstanding in appearance, but also extremely smart, in just a few years, she has practiced fluent spoken English, and there is no problem in reading and writing, and as she grows older, she is becoming more and more beautiful.

The government yamen has never used female staff, Yi Zhizhi has traveled with the United States on many occasions, and he has stayed by his side to be responsible for the reception, which has caused a lot of sensation in the prime minister's yamen, and has become a big joke in Jiangsu officialdom, but it is just a romantic affair to talk about, with the increasing authority of the prime minister's yamen, Yi Zhizhi is also more and more authoritative, and the deep light is heavy, but no one is uncomfortable.

Of course, there are a lot of criticisms and envy, but like Wu Changqing, envy is envy, but because of the official, no one dares to leave a beauty by his side as unscrupulously as Yi Zhixiang.

Wu Changqing didn't dare to drag down this topic, flicked the cigarette ash, and then he said: "This cigarette is not as good as a cigar, how can the big shopkeeper not hesitate to spend a lot of money and energy to open a cigarette factory?" I heard that in the West, this cigarette does not seem to be popular, and most of them are pipes. ”

How big is the market prospect of cigarettes, no one knows better than Yi Zhicontent, the current cigarette factory in Shanghai is basically the manual rolling, whether it is quality or output is inevitably unsatisfactory, but he doesn't care, he is not focused on the present, but in the future, once the efficient and practical cigarette machine is developed, cigarettes will soon be popular all over the world, which will bring him rolling money.

"It's better to smoke a cigar with a pipe than ......" Before Yi Zhi's content finished speaking, Lin Meilian knocked on the door again and came in to report: "Master Hou, Chen Hongming is outside asking to see you." ”

"Let him in."

Hearing that Chen Hongming was coming, Wu Changqing knew that it must be because of the lesson plan, it seemed that Yi Zhizhi had already arranged it, so he got up and said, "Then don't bother ........" ”

Yi Zhizhi was not polite, and ordered: "Xiaolian, take me to send Master Wu." ”

Lin Meilian hurriedly greeted her, smiled and stretched out her hand to salute, "Lord Wu, please-." ”

Lin Meilian only sent Wu Changqing to the gate of the courtyard, and then led Chen Hongming in, Chen Hongming couldn't figure out her identity, so he couldn't help but be a little restrained, and followed without squinting, but he secretly wondered in his heart, which one did the principal sing, and actually got such a beautiful woman in the courtyard, could it be that the West is like this?

When he entered the signing room, he bowed slightly and said, "Student Chen Hongming has seen the principal. ”

"No formality, sit." Yi Zhizu stretched out his hand and pointed to the chair, waited for it to sit down, and then briefly introduced the situation of the Qingpu teaching plan, and then said: "The British fleet will arrive at Wusongkou in four days, and you will lead the fleet to anchor in Haikou ....... one day later." ”

Chen Hongming said tentatively: "Do you want to take the initiative to provoke?" ”

Yi Zhizu rolled his eyes and said, "You don't want to provoke another Sino-British war, right?" Our strength is far from being the opponent of the British, and besides, our current target is not the British, don't look for trouble, block the sea and wait for orders. ”

"Yes, students understand." Chen Hongming hurriedly replied aloud, and after speaking, he said tentatively: "The student is stupid, I don't know what the target of the principal is ......?" ”

"We'll find out then." Yi Zhishu said and advised: "There are not too many warships, twelve are enough." ”

"The students obeyed." Chen Hongming hurriedly said, hesitated for a moment, and then said: "Sun Youyu and a group of other officers are on vacation, and this time they also came with the ship to ....... ”

Yi Zhixiang is not surprised by this, the officers and soldiers of the Dinghai battalion now have four days of vacation every month, and many officers and soldiers will take advantage of the holiday to come to Shanghai on weekdays. ”

"Back to the principal, there are thirty-five people in total."

Yi Zhishu nodded and said, "A new western restaurant has opened on Yanjiang Avenue in Shanghai, and in the evening.... At six o'clock, I'll have someone take you over and treat you to a Western meal. ”