"Brother Zhusheng, don't dare to be!"

Zhao Jingxian had two lines of tears on his face, and knelt down on the street, which moved Guan Zhuofan's heart - it seems that what Liu Xunxian said is true, this person is really a man who values kindness and righteousness, and he did nothing wrong by exchanging Huang Wenjin for him. He helped Zhao Jingxian up with both hands and let him salute everyone.

"Whew...... Alas...... Zhusheng, what do you say......" Zhao Binglin was not as firm as Guan Zhuofan, shook Zhao Jingxian's hand, looked at his nephew, and choked up so much that he couldn't speak, "Your legs are ......"

"Second uncle, it's okay." Zhao Jingxian got through the initial excitement, and his tone had returned to calm, "It's a big deal to be on crutches in the future, and you can still contribute to the country." ”

After a period of chaos, Zhao Jingxian was carried by Guan Zhuofan's personal soldiers, entered the government office, and sat in the flower hall, followed by a messenger to serve hot tea and a steaming cup of stew.

"Brother Zhusheng, this is a skullcap fish soup specially prepared for you, the most replenishing vitality, you drink it first, let's talk slowly." Guan Zhuofan said with a smile, insisting that Zhao Jingxian finish the soup.

Respect is better than obedience, Zhao Jingxian had to be rude, take a sip first, but felt that the taste was delicious and abnormal, and couldn't help but praise: "This soup is the practice of our Zhejiang people." The chef in Xuanshuai's mansion is from Zhejiang? It's really a good workmanship. ”

"Hmm...... Speaking of which...... It's a Hangzhou girl. Guan Zhuofan unexpectedly asked about this, and replied hesitantly. The soup was specially prepared by him at the request of Hu Qingqing, and it naturally tasted good.

It wasn't until the soup was drunk that the two of them cut to the chase. Along the way, Liu Xunji has put the current situation. Tsai carefully said it to Zhao Jingxian. Hence the need to talk about it. The main thing is to plan for the future.

"After Brother Zhusheng was captured, the imperial court repeatedly ordered Zeng Governor and Zuo Zhongcheng to visit your whereabouts. When I heard that you were locked up in Suzhou, I also tried to rescue you, but I didn't expect that it was the younger brother who was lucky enough to make this contribution. Guan Zhuofan said with emotion, "I'll prepare the mansion for you, Brother Zhusheng, please take care of it for a few days, and where will you go in the future." Presumably, the imperial court will have a grace in a few days. ”

"Xiexie Xuanshuai, it's good for me to stay with my second uncle, don't bother about it anymore." Zhao Jingxian was anxious to say not this, "I heard Liu Songyan say that Xuan Shuai's soldiers defeated Huang Wenjin in less than half a day?" ”

"We've been on guard for a month, and about the heart of Long Hair has been slack, and it's just a surprise."

"Why should Xuan Shuai be too humble? Huang Wenjin and I are old enemies and know his strength. Zhao Jingxian shook his head. It's not something that can be done by surprise. With that, there was a pause. Said eagerly: "I know a lot about Zhejiang's long hair. Xuan Shuai holds such a strong team, if the soldiers are pointing south, then Huzhou and Jiaxing will definitely be able to break the momentum, even Hangzhou, may not be broken! ”

Guan Zhuofan saw that he had just been out of prison, and he had such a spirit, so he wanted to call the soldiers to seek revenge from the Taiping Army, and his heart was full of admiration. It's a pity that what he said doesn't match the path he predetermined.

"Brother Zhusheng, I'm not a beggar-thy-neighbor person, but I heard that the Chu army is fighting well in southwest Zhejiang," Guan Zhuofan said with a smile, "Zuo Ji is a great talent, and as the governor of Zhejiang, he naturally has to manage the overall situation." ”

The words are euphemistic, but the meaning has been clearly expressed - with Zuo Zongtang's ambition, he naturally regards Zhejiang as a forbidden country, so Xuanjun has no intention of entering Zhejiang.

For Guan Zhuofan, the focus is not on Zhejiang, but on Zhao Jingxian. He is talented and capable, and now he has a great reputation for being "unyielding" under the long-haired obscenity, and if he uses it well, he can play a great role in the future. Seeing Zhao Jingxian's face showing a slight look of disappointment, he couldn't help but say a few more words.

"I am an official in Jiangsu in the end, and I have to look at the meaning of Futai in everything. By the way, Li Shaoquan is there, Brother Zhusheng should also go and say hello, I will send someone to send you over later. ”

Zhao Jingxian arched his hand and expressed his affection: "Xuan Shuai, I take care of these, it's me Meng Lang." Speaking of which, Zuo Jigao and Li Shaoquan are both from the former commander's shogunate, and they are naturally the dragon and phoenix among people in terms of talent. If there is anything that can help Xuan Shuai in the future, please feel free to ask. ”

Zhao Jingxian said bluntly, Guan Zhuofan was humble in his mouth, but he was disappointed in his heart. It's just the first time we meet, and it's not yet time to solicit, as long as you show a little meaning, it's enough.

"The imperial court attaches so much importance to Brother Zhusheng, it is naturally of great use, and your whereabouts are naturally subject to the will of the imperial court. There must be a lot of places for the younger brother to borrow in the future, and I just hope that when the time comes, Brother Zhusheng will not forget the younger brother. ”

waited until Zhao Jingxian was sent away, and then went to see Forrest and a few people waiting in the side hall. These are their own people, and everyone understands the truth of the guest before the master, so no one feels neglected. Some comfort and encouragement are inevitable, and then settle down, and tonight they will set up a drink in the government office to suppress their shock, and the generals of the Xuan army will come to accompany them.

After finishing all this, I was about to take a breath, but I saw Libin, who had already left, and went and returned, with an excited look on his face.

"Yixuan, the person sent out by Citi's European Division has news." Libin whispered excitedly, "I just received a telegram from Hong Kong that Lucas and my cousin, Song Zhikuan, have disembarked from the port of Portsmouth in England. ”

*

*

What Libin said is good, but it is already "old news", at this time, Lucas and Song Zhikuan have not only arrived in the UK, but also have boarded the liner from the UK to Stockholm, the capital of Sweden.

The liner from Putsmouth crosses the English Channel and then the Strait of Dover into the North Sea, and travels north along the coast of the Netherlands and Denmark. After bypassing Cape Skagen, the northernmost point of Denmark, it turned south into the winding sea lane, crossed the Skagerrak Strait, and finally entered the Baltic Sea.

The Baltic Sea is an inland sea, calm and calm, and compared to the Atlantic Ocean, which is high and rough, it can be regarded as a huge saltwater lake. Song Zhikuan, who had endured all the hardships at sea for several months, finally breathed a sigh of relief at this moment, looked at the sea outside through the porthole, and smiled at Lucas, who was sitting on the bed: "Finally, there are a few comfortable days to live." ”

Lucas nodded, opened one of his suitcases, and took out a piece of paper to look at, which indicated the goal of the trip. Then he took out a cloth bag and opened it gently, only to see two white clods of dirt inside. He solemnly inspected it to make sure there was no damage, and then carefully wrapped it up and put it back in the box.

"My cousin, I don't know what to think, treats these two pieces of Guanyin soil as treasures, and says that he wants to use this to negotiate with others." Song Zhikuan felt a little funny, "I heard that in the past, when there was a famine, you could eat this to survive, is it because you Europeans are hungry, so you specifically asked us to bring it?" ”

"I'm not sure it's Weishenme, but Mr. Leigh is an amazing person, and his knowledge of many things in Europe is even better than mine." Lucas replied, with the characteristic rigor of the Prussians, "Since he has told him so, he must have a reason." ”

On the smooth sea, the ship moved extremely fast, and in the early morning of the fourth day, it slowly sailed into the port of Stockholm.

After disembarking from the ship, the ship's servants hired a carriage for them at the docks, and carried their luggage all the way to the carriage. Song Zhikuan only speaks English, which is hardly used here, so everything is handled by Lucas, who can speak Swedish.

"The Swedish language is about the same as the German we speak in Prussia," said Lucas, with a slight smugness, "and it took me only three months to master it completely." ”

After getting into the car, Lucas held the piece of paper in his hand and asked the driver if he knew about the place "Winterwiggen".

"Yes, sir, in a town on the outskirts of Stockholm."

"Very well, you can find a better hotel for us around there." Lucas took out half a Swedish kronor and handed it to the coachman, "When we have breakfast, please go and inquire about a gentleman named Alfred, who is the owner of the Buffos Iron Works." Inquire about it, come and pick us up again, and I'll give you another half crown. ”

Encountering such a bold guest, the coachman was very happy and full of promises. The car entered Stockholm from the dock and headed east through the city to the suburbs. Song Zhikuan looked left and right, looked at the exotic customs of Northern Europe, and thought: The streets are spacious and tidy, and the houses are sturdy and sturdy, but in terms of prosperity, it seems that compared to Hong Kong and Shanghai, it is quite inferior.

The coachman was very good and sent them to the inn to settle down, and before breakfast was finished, he had already turned back.

"Sir, I have inquired," said the coachman respectfully to Lucas, "his home is not far from here. ”

Just go. Lucas and Song Zhikuan hurriedly finished the rest of their breakfast, picked up their boxes and jumped into the car. After a short walk, he came to a simple and unpretentious house. In the middle of this house is a red-necked European-style two-story building, with a tall and straight cedar growing in the garden in front of the door, and a row of flat buildings on the right side of the house.

The doorbell rang, and the answer came out was an old servant in a double-breasted suit. Lucas reported his name and stated that he had come to visit Mr. Alfred, and that he could not make an appointment because he had just disembarked from the ship.

A European and a yellow? The servant looked at them with a little suspicion, said, "Please wait," and turned to go in. After waiting for a moment, a white man with black hair, blue eyes, and about thirty years of age, walked out. His clothes were casual, almost raunchy, to be exact. Although there was a little doubt in his eyes, he was still very friendly to the two uninvited guests at the door, and said hello.

"Hello."

"Mr. Alfred, it's a pleasure to meet you." Lucas took the hat in his hand and said politely, "My name is Lucas, and this is my assistant, Song." We are here to represent Citigroup in the United States, and we have some business matters to discuss with you. ”

"You're very welcome, please come in." Alfred looked at Song Zhikuan with some surprise, shook hands with the two, politely let the two into the room, and said while leading them inside: "Please don't be polite, just call me Nobel." ”

*(To be continued......)