During the Tongzhi period, telegraph technology had just been invented and had not yet spread to the Qing Dynasty. In this era, people still used the most primitive means of transmitting information, which were fast horses and homing pigeons.
Eight-hundred-mile express and carrier pigeon delivery were the most efficient communication methods in ancient times. Although beacon fire and smoke could also deliver warnings, they could only deliver a dangerous signal and could not inject more information.
Now Xiao Letian already has a very reliable carrier pigeon communication network in his hands. Capital, Tanggu, Yixian, Baoding...and of course Ryukyu. Basically, the areas covered by Xiao Letian's influence have been covered by this communication network.
Information about the Yichou Nian Enke Rebellion had reached Xiao Letian's desk less than eight hours after it occurred. Even though Xiao Letian was brave, he was also taken aback by this trend in the capital.
"Damn, these lunatics are desperate for their lives? Are they turning the tables completely? When did Qingliu become so bold? In history, apart from Tan Sitong, Tan Daudao and the others, I have never heard of anyone else having such courage?"
Xiao Letian got up in the morning when he received the secret message. The Xiao family mansion had been reduced to ruins and could not be rebuilt in the winter. The whole family was crowded into the backyard of Letian Yanghang.
At this time, Xiao Letian was not alone. There were dozens of women in his inner house. Huniu Achou and a dozen of the original maids were considered the first echelon, while Qingwen, Xiren and other beauties from the Grand View Garden were the second echelon. The second echelon, and the third echelon of maids and women who were purchased locally in Tanggu, totaled a total of forty people.
Good guy, this group of people crowded into the backyard of the foreign bank to live, filling the originally spacious small building and courtyard. Even Xiao Letian's bedroom was filled with three beauties, Qingwen, Xiren and A Chou, who was under surveillance.
Now Xiao Letian can feel what Jia Baoyu felt in the Grand View Garden. It was really painful and happy at the same time. His bed was at the end, and there was a small bed and a double bed outside. The three women were crowded together with him, saying that they wanted to serve the master at all times.
Damn, this is so awesome. The young people who grew up in the new era have never seen this posture before. At that time, their noses spurted blood with excitement, making the girls laugh.
This is just Xiao Letian's bedroom. To get out of the small building from the bedroom, Xiao Letian has to pass through a hall, where beds are also laid. Ping'er, Jin Chuan and the others live here, looking at a field of flowers. Hai, my nose is full of body fragrance.
"What a sin, this is really a sin. No wonder the literati in the late Qing Dynasty had few backbones and many soft bones. Just soaking in the powder, the stainless steel skeleton will be softened..."
Xiao Letian once secretly asked Lord Long if he was being arrogant and extravagant, but he got a big look from Lord Long in return.
"Sir, do you think it's a lot?" Mr. Long asked puzzledly.
"Isn't it much?" Xiao Letian asked.
"Is it much?"
"Not much?"
…
This sterile conversation was repeated three times before Long Ye was sure that what Xiao Letian said was not irony. Then Lord Long taught him a lesson.
"Sir, you don't have an official position in the Qing Dynasty, but you do in Ryukyu. If you are a first-rank prime minister, in the Qing Dynasty, it would be equivalent to a second-rank official. Do you know what life is like for a first- and second-rank official now?"
"Don't talk about the first and second grades, just take Wang Shizheng as an example. For a noble Hanlin, most of the women in the inner house are in their fifties or sixties. The wife of the main house, the aunt of the side house, the eldest girl of the first house... and the maid, the cook, etc. Everyone performs their duties like a small yamen. The water sign in the kitchen has all the vegetables in the world. The master can order what he wants to eat in advance and go back to the kitchen to prepare it. There will be no meal without more than twenty kinds of dishes. Chopsticks under the law..."
"This is just the inner house. The outer house also has servants, servants, sedan bearers, housekeepers, and people who lay paper and polish the ink in the master's study... Forget it, I can't explain a word. Anyway, I'm just a Hanlin. There are hundreds of people to serve at home, how many people do you think those first- and second-rank and Manchu nobles need to serve?"
"Of course, you have to have money when you have power. Mr. Qing's family fell into decline in the first few years, and the number of people in charge of the family was only fifty or sixty. If we really count according to the status of the Fucha family, he has two hundred people in his house. People are considered simple..."
Xiao Letian was stunned by what Long Ye said. He couldn't even imagine the wealth and wealth created purely by manpower in the feudal dynasty. Immediately afterwards, Master Long worried about Xiao Letian again, "Actually, Sir, you don't have many people serving you in your inner house. There are just a few dozen people. To put it bluntly, it would be difficult for them to manage ten tables of food and drinks for a long time..."
"Sir, you are a person who does big things. It is inevitable that you will have a big event in the future. If you really want to hold a big party with hundreds of people, you will not be able to catch the blind with your limited manpower..."
Listening to Long Ye's endless introduction, Xiao Letian was a little distracted. He finally understood that the Grand View Garden written by Cao Xueqin was not a boast, it was a true portrayal of this era. As long as you have money and power, you can enjoy a life like a god. However, Cao Xueqin's father and grandfather only held the official position of Jiangning Weaving. Officials of the fourth and fifth grades can have such a luxurious life, and the remaining big shots can still Want to?
"These days are so comfortable. No wonder the Manchu aristocrats and Han Chinese landowners are unwilling to change. These days are like paradise. Who is full enough to carry out reforms?"
Xiao Letian is a person who believes in being romantic but not obscene, passionate but not promiscuous. Now that we have come to this era, it would be a bit too pretentious to be monogamous. But if he was really allowed to have a harem or hold an open-air conference, he really couldn't afford to embarrass that person. Since humans have evolved from animals to humans, it would be better to be more refined when it comes to food and appearance.
Xiao Letian himself felt that he was in need of punishment and was a bit too good at pretending. However, decades of education in his previous life could not be erased overnight. If he really wanted to completely degenerate, he would not be able to let go of his cruel heart, so he had suffered a lot these days. , looking at the room full of beauties, they just didn’t dare to open their mouths to eat.
Xiao Letian did a lot of sneaky hugs and kisses, but if he really wanted to do something serious with a gun and a horse, he would be scared. On the one hand, there were too many people, and on the other hand, it was Huniu’s resentful eyes. .
If I can't hold it in anymore, I'll drink some lotus seed tea, coptis water or something to calm my anger. If I can't hold it anymore, I'll silently recite a few famous sentences such as "The land of gentleness is the Tomb of Heroes, and the pink is the skeleton" as a reminder.
If it didn't work, he would have to rely on work, especially when the latest information was sent to Xiao Letian, the desire in his heart had long been thrown into the Pacific Ocean, and he rushed out without unbuttoning his clothes.
"Quick, quick, quick, notify all high-level officials to hold a meeting. How could I miss this chaos..."
Xiao Letian rushed out, but a room full of warblers and swallows gathered around him. "Oh, sir, your buttons haven't been fastened yet... Sir, where did you send your breakfast? It will get cold if you put it away..." Hat, it’s so cold outside that your nose will fall off. If you don’t take care of yourself, you still have to feel sorry for our infatuation..."
Good guy, Xiao Letian is like a puppet for the women to play with, but he doesn't have the time to waste time here, he keeps rushing out.
"Oh, it turns out that Wenwen Village is the Tomb of Heroes. If you keep doing this, I won't be able to go out. If you don't go out, I will make money to support you... Okay, okay, stop feeding me, it will burn you to death..."
Xiao Letian's nose was pinched and half a bowl of bird's nest porridge was poured into him. Finally, he rushed out of the stairs like a defeated soldier. Behind him, a group of women stared at the master eagerly. They were all as tender as water. It can merge into a sea river.
The location of the secret meeting was placed in a warehouse, with several layers of secret sentries placed outside. This was one of Xiao Letian's many secret strongholds, his wolf lair.
"Have you all read the information? What do you think? Tell me, tell me..." Xiao Letian geared up excitedly.
"Damn it, this is just a slap in the face, the concierge was burned down, are these rotten people looking for death? Sir, give me a dozen brothers, I will sneak in secretly, kill a few leaders, and then everyone will be honest Already..."
Thanks to his achievements during the riots in the first few days, Tietoutuo could be considered a high-level person who could discuss matters. His fiery temper has not changed at all, and he only wants to kill people when he opens his mouth.
Xiao Hexin shook his head, "Kill, kill, kill, you know how to kill. If you dare to do it, you will completely break with the Manchu Qing Dynasty. There will be no room for relaxation at the end. This is not in our interests..."
"Yes, we may have won all the way, but we have not encountered the enemy's main force. If the Manchu and Qing Dynasties really mobilized troops, let alone more. We can't withstand even ten or twenty thousand people. What we need most now It’s just time for development..." Sima Yun also refuted him.
Tietoutuo had been estranged from these two people since the night he mobilized troops. Although everyone talked about it at the post-war summary meeting, the emotions were somewhat different from before. After hearing the two people refute him today, Tietoutuo quit.
"What do you mean? The enemy has already begun to provoke. He burned your house, yelled and cursed all over the capital, and even went to the imperial city to force you to go to the palace. If this matter can be tolerated, who will care about your authority in the future? Let alone the people of the world. Now, what do our brothers think of you?"
"Our power has just begun, but it is precisely because we are weak that we cannot show weakness. When two armies meet, the brave will win. If you sail against the current and do not advance, you will retreat. Brothers, you cannot vent your anger..."
Hey, it was also said that Tie Tou Tuo’s words had some truth. When Wang Huaiyuan heard that, he nodded slightly, “What Tou Tuo said is not unreasonable. Our business has grown so big in more than a year because of all the brothers.” I don’t want to vent my anger in my heart. If we give in for the first time in the face of the enemy’s provocation, I’m afraid there will be a second time in the future..."
"However, killing people blindly is not an option. It will only make things worse..." Wang Huaiyuan looked up at Xiao Letian's confident look and suddenly smiled, "You should have a plan, why bother to test us?"
Xiao Letian looked at the group of brothers in the warehouse. There were leaders in the torture hall and company and platoon leaders in the new army. Dozens of pairs of eyes were staring at him.
"If we want to have the right method, we must first find our goal. And what is our goal at this stage? It is to keep a low profile, to accumulate strength, to build up the industrial zone first, and then to make a fortune and expand our strength. It is our most important task within ten years, and all our thinking must be centered around this goal to make sure we don’t go wrong!”
"But keeping a low profile does not mean being cowardly. What kind of place is the Qing Dynasty? It is a place where hungry wolves roam everywhere and tigers lurk on the mountains. If we take one step back, these beasts dare to take three steps forward. In the end, all our wealth will have to go to them. Belly. So we must take the initiative..."
"Hahaha, just wait and see, sir, how can I teach you another lesson..."
After speaking, riddles were whispered in the warehouse, and gradually people's eyes glowed strangely, and everyone became excited.
