Chapter 514 Shen Baozhen

Author: Fish Nest

"It's a cold day, just ask your servant to pick me up, why bother to go there in person?"

Liang Shaoqiong seemed very happy to see that it was Liang Yao who came to pick him up in person.

"No matter how you are now a second-rank official, I dare not neglect to let the servants pick you up." Liang Yao joked.

Liang Yao was very happy from the bottom of his heart that someone in the Liang family was able to climb a second-rank official.

There are people in the top leaders of the Qing court, so it will be much more convenient to do business in the Qing Dynasty in the future.

"It's all my family, why bother to see you? This one?" Liang Shaoqiong was very happy. He pointed at Vanderbilt beside Liang Yao and asked.

Liang Shaoqiong had never seen Vanderbilt, so the two did not know each other.

"This is my father-in-law, Mr. Vanderbilt." Liang Yao introduced.

"It turned out to be the in-laws in the north." Liang Shaoqiong immediately met Vanderbilt in skillful English and ordered the servants beside him to pick up a calligraphy painting.

"Mr. Fan, this is a book of blessings for writing. It was given to me by the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. It was written by the emperor in person by the emperor. It was a small meeting ceremony that was not worthy of respect."

Britain and France, who had freed up their hands, shifted their attention from the Near East to the Far East.

"I have drunk this thing with foreigners in Shanghai. It's so bitter that it's harder than medicine. I can't get used to it. So I'd better make a pot of tea for me." Liang Shaoqiong refused.

"I heard that my in-laws are a giant American businessman and rich. In the future, I will have to trouble my in-laws to take care of them."

"Young Master Liang can do this at a young age, which is beyond the reach of an extraordinary person." Shen Baozhen said.

Their real demand is to request the amendment of the agreement to open the inland waterways so that they can extend their tentacles to the Qing Dynasty.

It turned out that the British ships had sailed to the Bohai Sea, no wonder the Qing court was anxious.

"Now there are only three of us in the study. Brother Shen and Uncle San have something to do, but it's okay."

"This is exactly what the emperor is most worried about, so Prince Gong sent me to the United States for inspection, one to purchase to enhance the firepower of the Dagukou Fort, and the other to let me see the American shipyards to prepare for the establishment of the ship management in the future." Shen Baozhen said.

"Mr. Shen hasn't tried it yet, so I'm willing to try it." Shen Baozhen wanted to try it.

Looking at Shen Baozhen who was hesitant and a little embarrassed, Liang Shaoqiong said: "Young Dan, it's okay, my nephew has always been careless."

After some time, the group finally arrived at the stone screen wall of the new residence.

In the Qing Dynasty, there was a scripture of writing "Fu" at the end of the year every year, which began in the sixth year of Kangxi. By the time of Yongzheng, the meritorious governors and even the words "Fu" were often given to the words "Fu" by the end of the year. It was also called "Fu" by the Imperial Book.

Although Shen Baozhen was poor when he was young, his father was also a private school teacher. The Lin clan where his uncle was always a wealthy family. It is not wrong to say that he was born in a scholarly family.

"I'm here to see General Liang." Shen Baozhen reported to his house.

"A general is strange and strange. If Brother Shen refuses to abandon him, he can call me a good brother." Liang Yao said.

"It is similar to the mayor of Sacramento, but the mayor of the Qing Dynasty has much greater power than that of the mayor of the United States." Liang Yao explained to Vanderbilford.

After entering the door, a group of workers were building a fountain.

"It's easy to talk about business. Recently, I have spare money in my hand to invest. If the Qing Dynasty had a way to make a fortune, the Minister would remember me." Vanderbilt said.

"How can you be so embarrassed?"

"The Prime Minister of Fuzhou Prefecture?" Liang Yao felt something was wrong, "Isn't the Prime Minister of Fuzhou Prefecture a surname Qian?"

He and Shen Baozhen are called brothers. If Liang Yao are called brothers, wouldn’t he and Liang Yao be the same?

"My brother is humble. With his qualifications, if it weren't for a sudden change in his family and devoted himself to the imperial examination, he would have done something." Facing the banknotes handed over by Liang Yao, Shen Baozhen did not refuse. After thinking for a moment, he wrote a few words.

Liang Shaoqiong entered the officialdom by running a group training and was not favored by mainstream officialdom in the past three years. Mr. Liang was also very happy that Liang Shaoqiong was able to become a friend like Shen Baozhen and talked to Shen Baozhen to dinner.

There are no pillars of fame at the entrance of traditional Chinese-style houses on the left and right. Instead, there are two flagpoles. The flagpole on the left is hung with the state bear flag of California, and the flagpole on the right is hung with the star and stripes.

The Qing court threatened to apologize and revise the agreement, and opened the two inland trade channels, the Yangtze River and the Pearl River, as well as the inland river ports along the coast as trading ports, and allowed the two countries to delineate concessions at the trading ports so that the two countries could carry out trade in the inland areas of the Qing Dynasty.

When Qianlong, a fanatical fan of stamping, the imperial gifts began to be published indiscriminately, and the scope expanded to princes, county princes, military ministers, and southern study rooms. As for whether the rewarded person has made contributions, it is no longer important. Perhaps Qianlong simply likes stamping to give these to his ministers.

The relationship between the Qing Dynasty and Britain and France became tense.

In order to make peace, Liang Yao’s new home in Sacramento is not very close to the train station.

"Brother Liang's eyes are as sharp as a torch." Seeing that Liang Yao's attitude was direct, Shen Baozhen did not beat around the bush.

Such a large scale manor is rare in the Qing Dynasty.

"The court is currently worried about internal and external troubles, with long-haired matters inside, and Western barbarians outside invading the border. Since July, the British and French ships have repeatedly invaded the Qing Dynasty's sea frontiers. Especially the British, they were very arrogant. They relied on the strong ships and cannons to bully us, the Qing Dynasty had no ships, and they drove directly to Dagukou to spy on the Dagukou Fort."

"The carriages and horses are ready, so please ask the two to go to the humble house to have a chat." Liang Yao asked Liang Shaoqiong and Shen Baozhen to get on the car.

Yueyong's artillery battalion has many foreign gunners hired. Liang Shaoqiong has some business overseas and is inevitably going to deal with foreigners, so he can also speak some English.

Vanderbilt was also very curious about Shen Baozhen's identity, but his Chinese was not very difficult. He did not hear the conversation between Liang Yao and Shen Baozhen clearly, and after getting in the car, he couldn't help asking.

His uncle and father-in-law Lin Zexu was once appointed as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and was appointed as the imperial envoy, but he was unable to own such a luxurious manor.

"His Minister's English is really good." After receiving the gift, Vanderbilt praised Liang Shaoqiong with a smile.

"What is this?" Liang Yao pointed to a man in his thirties beside Liang Shaoqiong, who was a little thin but very energetic.

"This place is very good. It is not far from the downtown city, but it is not lost. Brother Liang will enjoy the happiness." Shen Baozhen looked at the manor that he could not see and said very enviously.

This person is majestic and has a confident and calm gait, unlike Liang Shaoqiong's follower.

"Mr. Liang is a rough man. I have always heard that Brother Shen comes from a scholarly family and is also a Jinshi in the 27th year of Daoguang (1847). Today, Brother Shen is fortunate to visit the humble house. I hope Brother Shen will give him a calligraphy treasure and give him a name to the humble house." Liang Yao said.

"This matter is a long story. Qian Daxin is the former magistrate, and my brother is the new magistrate." Liang Shaoqiong explained.

Liang Yao's original master knew a little calligraphy, but after he arrived in America, due to the habits of his previous life, Liang Yao basically used a hard pen to write, and the original master's calligraphy level had long been thrown away by him.

After the meal, Liang Yao knew that there must be something important to come to California this time, so he invited them to his study.

Unlike the brick wall made of bricks in the Qing Dynasty, this wall in Liang Yao's new home is carved from a complete piece of marble.

"Sure, certain." Liang Shaoqiong said with a smile.

Therefore, Shen Baozhen, who came to Liang Yao's residence, immediately visited Mr. Liang.

"Look at my memory, I'm just patronizing my in-laws, Brother Youdan, I'm sorry." Liang Shaoqiong hurriedly introduced to Liang Yao, "This is Lord Shen, the governor of Fuzhou Prefecture, and I am also my small friend in the court."

During the reign of Emperor Kangxi and Yongzheng, this was rewarded with great scholars who had made contributions.

It turned out to be Shen Baozhen. Shen Baozhen's sudden visit to California surprised Liang Yao. Could it be that the Qing court wanted to promote the Westernization Affairs Office? Liang Yao thought secretly.

Liang Shaoqiong, who was standing beside him, always felt something was wrong when he heard Liang Yao's words, so he quickly reacted.

Liang Yao said apologetically: "The house has not been completed yet, so I will laugh at you."

Vanderbilt said no, but his hands were very honest and snatched Mobao.

Liang Yao has immigration stations in five ports: Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai, and is responsible for picking up and dropping off immigrants to the West Coast area.

In the second half of 1856, Britain and France repeatedly provoked trouble on the coast of the Qing Dynasty, and also made the grounds that the consuls and businessmen of the two countries were discriminated against in China and the "legal" missionary activities of Christian missionaries in China were restricted.

"The grass and trees are flourishing here and the scenery is beautiful. Brother Yu was also inspired, so he wrote these three words, and I hope Brother Liang will not laugh." Shen Baozhen handed the pen back to the servant.

"Wei Xiuju is an elegant name."

"Good handwriting! Good handwriting!" Liang Yao exclaimed after taking Shen Baozhen's ink traces that had not dried.

"Oh!" Liang Yao said in surprise, "Dagukou is the gateway of the capital. The British army was very fierce. It was defeated by Russia in the Near East at the beginning of the year and returned with a great victory. Now the British army is in full swing. Once the British army lands from Dagukou, the horse will be flat all the way from Dagukou to the capital, and there is no danger to defend, and the consequences will be unimaginable."

I have to say that the emperors of the Qing Dynasty had good calligraphy skills, and this ink painting is still of great value for collection.

Therefore, he had some impression of the five local officials. According to Liang Yao, the prefect of Fuzhou Prefecture was Qian Daxin.

This is a rare thing. The old guys in the east often laughed at him as rude and uneducated. If he had this thing, he could take him to show off and brag about it when he returned to the east.

The screen wall is in a single shape, with birds and beasts carved above the screen wall as decoration.

After Russia, Britain, France, Austria and Prussia signed the Paris Peace Treaty in Paris, France on March 30, 1856, the Crimean War ended with the victory of Britain and France.

By giving the imperial treasures given by the emperor to others, it can be seen that Liang Shaoqiong does not care about this imperial treasure. If it were an ordinary minister, the imperial treasures given by the imperial treasures would be framed and hung in the hall to show off, and it would be impossible to give them to others.

Citizens of Britain and France enjoyed extraterritorial legal rights in the Qing Dynasty with super-national treatment. The reasons for discrimination in the Qing Dynasty were purely nonsense.

Liang Yao’s new manor in Sacramento is quite large, and Liang Yao doesn’t want to be careless in the construction of the new manor, so the construction progress is not fast. As of now, only the main building of the new manor has been completed and renovated.

"This is a foreign tea, called coffee. I wonder if you two are interested in trying it?" Liang Yao asked.

Liang Yao glanced at the calligraphy gifted by Liang Shaoqiong to Vanderbilt, and saw a big word "Fu" written in the middle. There was a red seal on the top of the word "Fu" and a small character on the left: Liang Shaoqiong, the right minister of the Ministry of War, was given a second-rank. The date of "Fu" was written on the right.

"Some of my subordinates also speak English, so I learned some." Liang Shaoqiong was not shy and said openly.

"Brother Chen traveled thousands of miles to California, probably not here to drink coffee." Liang Yao said after he sat down.

"Where is this friend's position in the Qing Dynasty?"

When he came, Liang Shaoqiong told Shen Baozhen that Mr. Liang was still in California and had not returned to Xiangshan yet.

Of course, there are not only the two victorious countries of the Crimean War that are constantly being restored.

The defeated country, Tsarist Russia, was also eager to try in the Far East, trying to cut off a few pieces of meat from the Qing Dynasty to make up for the losses suffered by Tsarist Russia in the Crimean War.

Both sides regarded the Qing Dynasty as a piece of delicious fat and prepared to take a bite.

It’s just that Britain and France are concerned about their international image and domestic public opinion, and they will also spend some time looking for some high-sounding excuses to show their necessity and "justice" to the outside world.

As for Tsarist Russia's eating behavior, it's even more ugly. I don't even bother to look for excuses, so I just robbed them openly.
Chapter completed!