Meeting foreigners was very troublesome, and the etiquette alone gave Han Xiufeng a headache all afternoon.

It is my first formal visit, and I am representing Futai, Zhetai and several Taoist priests. Do I need to bring some greetings? After meeting, it is impossible not to say hello to others, whether to bow, bow, or imitate foreigners to stand on tiptoe and touch them.

The brim of the hat... I thought about it for a long time and couldn't come up with the reason. The chicken seller didn't come back and couldn't even find anyone to discuss it. Han Xiufeng simply didn't prepare anything, just put on a clean blue cloth gown and called.

Lin Qingyuan and Yang Nengge's long follower Ding Gui, accompanied by Datou, Chen Hu and others who also changed into casual clothes, headed for the English Concession.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he left the house, Ding Gui caught up with him and asked, "Mr. Han, why are you wearing this outfit? Are we going to go like this?"

Han Xiufeng stopped and said, "What do you think I should wear, and how do you think we should go?"

"You are a fifth-grade supervisor, so you naturally have to wear official uniforms." Thinking of what he told you, Ding Gui frowned and said: "Besides, an official cannot travel without a guard of honor when traveling. People like you neither ride in sedan nor do you want to wear official uniforms."

If you hold an umbrella and don't even send someone to clear the street in front of you, not to mention you will be looked down upon by foreigners, even those unscrupulous people will not take you seriously!"

"You mean I should go back and change into official uniform, hire a sedan chair, and find some people to play gongs to clear the way?"

"This is how it should be. If you go like this, you will not only be looked down upon by foreigners, but it will also damage our Qing Dynasty!"

Han Xiufeng thought to himself that those who are close to red are red and those who are close to ink are black. Any kind of master will have the same kind of family. He looked back at the foreign gun team patrolling not far away and asked in a low voice: "Ding Gui, do you know?"

Do you know where this is, and do you know where it is on the other side of the river?"

"You know, this is the Citi Concession, and the other side is the British Concession."

"Then do you know that we can come to the foreign concessions, but can the rebels also come?"

"Mr. Han, don't scare me."

"I really don't want to scare you. Let's put it this way. We sent people to the concession to inquire about the rebels. The rebels will also send spies to inquire about our movements. What's more, we are all new here, and the rebels' spies are mostly local snakes.

.If we go to the British Consulate for a banquet like you just said, they will definitely not miss this opportunity. My, Han Xiufeng's safety is small, but if I really fall into the hands of the rebels, it will affect the quelling army.

Morale!”

Seeing that the general surnamed Ding was doubtful, Lin Qingyuan, who had already disliked him, couldn't help but said: "Brother Ding, if you think Mr. Han's going like this is damaging to the country, then we will quickly hire a sedan and find more people.

According to the formal guard of honor for a fifth-grade master to travel. However, Mr. Han's safety is not only related to the morale of the army to quell the chaos, but also to the face of the court. Naturally, you cannot put yourself in danger. Why don't you put on Mr. Han's official uniform and ride in the sedan?

, we walked behind and waited until we got to the British Consulate to change back into official uniforms."

Although Ding Gui was arrogant, he was not stupid. He did not want to die in the hands of the rebels, so he asked without hesitation: "I am not Mr. Han's family, why do you let me wear Mr. Han's official uniform and ride in the sedan chair?"

"Because Mr. Han has a distinguished status, he cannot take risks with his own life!"

"Mr. Han has a distinguished status, so naturally he cannot take risks. What is your identity? Why don't you put on Mr. Han's official uniform and ride in the sedan?"

"I am an interpreter. If something happens to me, who will help Mr. Han negotiate with the foreigners?"

"My surname is Lin, what do you mean by this? Your life is as valuable as your love, so nothing can happen to you. My life, Ding Gui's, is worthless. Even if I die at the hands of the rebels, it will be fine."

"Brother Ding, don't get me wrong, I am doing this all for the sake of the court's face!"

Seeing Ding Gui wanting to have an attack but not daring to have an attack in front of the foreigners patrolling nearby, Han Xiufeng said lightly: "Stop talking, let's go, just go. We are going to a banquet, not a formal visit, so use

Don’t bother with the red tape.”

Thinking that the master did not wear official uniforms when attending banquets in the capital, but only hired a sedan or a car, Ding Gui said bitterly: "I almost forgot that this was a banquet. Master Han is right, you don't need to be so polite with foreigners.

There’s no need to pay attention to all the red tape.”

…

The Taoist Office was occupied by the rebels. The subordinate officials and government officials who worked in the Taoist Office did not die at the hands of the gang. When Liu Lichuan led his people to rush into the Taoist Office, he did not even bother them, so they not only escaped

left the city, and gathered again a few days ago

"It's fun to sell chickens" subordinates.

Now that the governor has arrived, "Selling Chickens" not only can no longer build a Taoist platform, but also has to recruit young and strong gangs together with the new county magistrate Sun Feng to attack the city. Those subordinate officials are smarter than each other. How can they not know how to fight?

The truth of the dead people did not dare to follow "Selling Chickens for Fun" anymore, and they all ran to meet the new Taoist.

Yang Nengge was worried that he had no one available for him. Not only did he accept them all, but he also asked several secret friends to inquire about the situation of the party in detail. They confirmed that the party not only sent many spies and eyes to the concession, but also frequently contacted those who were illegal.

The foreign merchants purchased foreign guns, gunpowder, grain and oil and other military supplies. They immediately summoned the old prison officials and the local squad leaders who had come to defect, and ordered them to summon reliable manpower, disguise themselves, and go to the concession to arrest the rebels.

Get a reward of five taels of silver from a gangster!

The governor brought so many officers and soldiers, and they won a battle as soon as the army arrived. Gu Afu, the old prison official, and the government officials felt that they could not miss this opportunity to make a fortune, and they felt like they had been given blood.

Gearing up for a fight.

After sending away the subordinate officials, Yang Nengge looked at Qiao Songnian who came to visit and said with a smile: "Jianhou, have you seen that there must be a brave man under the heavy reward?"

Qiao Songnian knew very well that going to the concession to pick up people was not a trivial matter, but thinking that he was in high spirits, if he objected, he might be labeled as a person who had lost his power and humiliated the country. He could only smile and said: "Every time a traitor is captured, I will be rewarded with silver."

Five taels, how could they not die? But where did the money come from? What if they hurt innocent people?"

"Jianhou, do I have to worry about money while you are here?" Yang Nengge asked back, and said confidently: "As for whether those subordinate officials will harm innocent people, you can rest assured. I just ordered them to lock up

To seize the rebels, they only need to live and not die. Whether they are targeting the rebels or innocent people will be revealed through detailed interrogation."

Qiao Songnian thought that when those subordinate servants send people to you, even if they are innocent, they will be beaten first. However, he can only keep these words in his heart and simply talk about the money: "Mr. Yang, what you just said

With Xiaguan here, you don’t have to worry about money, which really puts Xiaguan to shame."

"Jianhou, what do you mean?"

"Mr. Yang, you may not believe it when I tell you. The treasury in my Songjiang Mansion is now empty. I don't know how to pay for the army's food and salary, and I don't know how to explain it to the grain station. The Xieji Taoist Office is really over-the-top.

But the strength is not enough." Seeing Yang Nengge's displeasure, Qiao Songnian raised his hand and said: "To be honest, this is why I came to see you."

"Jianhou, so you come to me to ask for money?" Yang Nengge asked Qiao Songnian closely.

"Mr. Yang, you are new here, how can you have any money?"

"I thought you didn't know."

"I know you don't have any money here, but I know where there is money."

"Where is it?" Yang Nenge asked subconsciously.

"There are taxes at Jianghai Customs. The taxes owed by the British and French merchants and the taxes owed by the English and French consuls these days add up to at least two to three hundred thousand taels. You are ordered to negotiate with the foreigners at this critical moment. If

If you can get your taxes back, do you still have to worry about money?"

Although Songjiang Prefecture is rich, its taxes are also high. What's more, Jiading, Qingpu and other counties and Chuansha Hall have just been occupied by the rebellious party. Yang Nengge is not an unreasonable person. He knows very well that Qiao Songnian really can't get money, so he remains silent.

After a while, he whispered: "I am currently handling the matter of negotiating with foreigners."

"May I ask Mr. Yang how you plan to negotiate with foreigners."

"Didn't the foreign minister and consul send invitations this afternoon to invite Futai, Zhentai and me to a banquet? I have ordered Jiang Customs Supervisor Han Xiufeng to attend the banquet on my behalf and asked him to take me with him.

’s handwritten letter.”

"Master Yang, can Han Xiufeng handle such a big thing?"

"It can be done or not, let's take a look first." Yang Nengge asked Qiao Songnian to sit down and said with a smile: "Besides, what he was asked to bring was only a few letters, not the official documents of Su Songtai. If foreigners read it,

If the tax is not returned even though the letter was sent, the Japanese official will send another letter for negotiation tomorrow.”

Qiao Songnian really wanted to ask him why he didn't go with the foreigners, but he thought that he didn't want to see the foreigners either so he just didn't ask. Just when he didn't know what to say, Yang Nengge suddenly remembered something: "Jianhou,

Since the foreigners claim to 'strictly maintain neutrality' and say that the two sides are not helping each other, then why do they invite Futai, Zengtai and me to have a drink?"

"The official estimates that although the foreigners say that they are not helping each other, in fact they still feel that the imperial court is the orthodoxy, and whether it is the bandits or the chaotic parties in the city, it will not become a problem."

"Even if they still have some vision, whether they are looking for bandits or the gangsters in the city, it will be a matter of time before they are wiped out. But since they know it, why do they use the guise of not helping each other to get everyone involved?"

"Master Yang, I believe that the foreigners are only interested in profit. Those foreign guns, cannons, gunpowder and other military supplies were not given to the bandits and the rebellious parties in the city for free, but were sold to the bandits and the rebellious parties at a high price. Since it is beneficial

But why don't they do this business?"

"Just trying to make money?"

"Nine times out of ten."

"It's easy to do it if you just want to make money, whether it's to join the bandits or to join the party, they don't have a cornucopia, and the little money they rob will eventually be spent. When the money to join the bandits and the party is spent, those

Naturally, a profit-seeking foreigner will not sell them foreign guns and cannons."

"What Mr. Yang said is absolutely true." Although Qiao Songnian said this, he was thinking in his heart that more than 20,000 old Guangxi thieves led by Lin Fengxiang and Li Kaifang had already reached Zhili, and the Changmao of the Western Criminals had also reached Zhili.

Under the city of Nanchang, I really don’t know if the imperial court can persist until the day when Chang Mao and the Hui Party spend all their money.

Yang Nengge didn't know what Qiao Songnian was thinking, so he shook his fan and murmured: "'Selling chickens' is a threat to foreigners' self-respect, and foreigners can also threaten invaders' self-respect. In other words, since foreigners claim that the two sides are not helping each other, then tonight

It is possible to invite not only us, but also Liu Lichuan and other bandit leaders."

Qiao Songnian was stunned and said thoughtfully: "It's really possible."

"If the foreigners really invite Liu Lichuan and other bandit leaders, then it will be up to Han Xiufeng."

"Master Yang, how do you say this?"

"Eat the emperor's salary and share the emperor's worries. If the foreigners also invited Liu Lichuan and other bandit leaders, Han Xiufeng would act as a banchao and kill them. Even if the success is defeated and blood is scattered five steps, it is still a good talk!"

Qiao Songnian never expected that he would actually say these words. He thought to himself that you are standing and talking without hurting your back. You are not the same as eating the emperor's salary and sharing the emperor's worries. Since you know that foreigners may invite Liu Lichuan and other rogue gangs,

, why don't you follow the example of Ban Chao and kill the captives?

However, I can only keep these words in my heart, and I can only secretly pray that Han Si will not run into Liu Lichuan and other rogue gangs. If he does and does nothing, he will be impeached in all likelihood.

.At the same time, he secretly made up his mind to stay away from anyone named Yang from now on, otherwise even if he is not tricked to death, he will be drowned by the spitting of Qingliu from him and the gang of Qingliu who are friends with him and talk nonsense and harm the country.

What made him even more dumbfounded was that the more Yang Nengge thought about it, the more worried he became. He actually stood up and said: "Guan Cheng, hurry up and find Ding Gui at the British Consulate. If you don't know the way, hurry up and find a guide who is familiar with the British concession."

"Master, what happened after we found Ding Gui?" A family member ran over and asked.

"Let him tell Supervisor Han that if foreigners also invite Liu Lichuan and other bandit leaders, Ban Chao will kill them on the spot and Liu Lichuan and other bandit leaders must not be allowed to return to the city alive!"
Chapter completed!