"Yes, we are not local, we are merchants from the north...I heard that business in Jiangnan is good, so we came here to find some connections!"
"Ouch...how did you get here? There are patrolling soldiers all around here. How can you come in without a government guide?"
Da Sixi, who was next to Zai Chun, said in a low voice, "Brother, I don't know. There are connections in our employer's government. Of course there are ways to lead..."
After saying this, he took out a piece of writing paper with a large vermilion seal and showed it to him.
A fisherman could tell that this was actually one of the drafted reward orders for the new imperial forest army, and it was written as a reward for Ma Ming.
But it was such an extremely official-looking official document that won the trust of the honest fishermen. "What I said is that you are big businessmen. Of course you have the connections..."
Ma Ming, who was behind Emperor Tongzhi, secretly cursed the poor way. He landed from Bailong Port and detained three groups of patrolling soldiers along the way, including a group of Hunan Army cavalry. Only then did his master safely approach the Huangpu River. ! '
The combat effectiveness of the Yulin New Army has been developed. Of course, the small patrol team with more than ten people arrived to capture them. Later, the accompanying Shen Baozhen, eunuchs Da Sixi, Xiao Sixi and others came forward to contact them directly.
Pulling out the official seal, the identity of Emperor Tongzhi was revealed, accompanied by two British naval officials... Finally, he pointed at the British warships on the sea.
No matter how suspicious the patrolling soldiers were, they had to kneel down to greet him. No one dared to leak the information. Only then could Emperor Tongzhi pay a private visit incognito.
After detaining three patrol teams along the way and sending them to the seaside to be taken care of by other new Yulin troops who had landed, Emperor Tongzhi quietly approached the Huangpu River.
From landing in the morning until noon, Emperor Tongzhi was so tired that he crossed the entire Pudong area. He was now on the east bank of the Huangpu River, in the Wusongkou area.
"Fellow...what's going on here? It looked like a fight was about to start just now..."
"Hey... don't mention it... we will greet you as soon as you greet him. We didn't say anything, but what's the point of not being allowed to drink water... How can an older person withstand this!"
Upon hearing this, Zai Chun quickly took out a purse, which contained some candied sour plums. "Brother, if you take a few bites of this... I guarantee you won't be thirsty!"
Real sour plum preserves! Marinating it with rock sugar juice could not mask the sour taste of the green plums, and it was left in your mouth as soon as you put it in your mouth.
"Ouch... sour... sour... it really quenches my thirst..."
Shen Baozhen, who was accompanying him, said in a low voice, "These idiots, if you don't give them water, prepare some sour plum and old vinegar. It can also quench your thirst!"
A few sour plums suddenly narrowed the distance between the surrounding fishermen and Emperor Tongzhi. Once their guard was down, there was nothing to say.
Anyway, the emperor's ship didn't come. Everyone was squatting on the ground waiting, and no one cared about anyone chatting.
"How can we live our lives? How should I put it? It's much better than the years during the war. At least I can have enough to eat..."
"Fishing and farming are not acceptable. If you want to make money, you still have to work in the city. You can earn many times as much money by doing any crafts as you can in the countryside..."
"Although foreign devils are annoying, the wages they pay are high! An ordinary cook can only earn five taels of silver a year working in a landlord's house, but in the concession, the salary can be as little as forty or fifty taels a year..."
"But it's just small money. If you want to do business, you still have to cooperate with the Chinese... There are plenty of opportunities, but the key is for the Chinese to teach you the craftsmanship!"
"Those who are smart can learn to do accounting and write... When they go out and stand at the counter in a bank, they can earn enough money to support a family. If those who are smart can go to work, what do they call... blue-collar workers?"
"As long as you can acquire a blue-collar trade, earn silver dollars every month, and enjoy hot and spicy food, your life will be wonderful..."
Emperor Tongzhi was smiling on the surface, but he was very shocked on the inside. From the few words of these people, he had already outlined the economic structure of a semi-colonial Shanghai area.
It's horrifying. Although this place is still part of the Qing Dynasty, the economic foundation has been completely transferred to modern industry and commerce!
Keeping the traditions of the Qing Dynasty and living a farming life? Then it can only be surpassed by families involved in industry and commerce day by day!
Where are the people's hearts and minds? It is no longer in the hands of the Manchu Qing center, nor in the hands of the landlord class. At this moment, it can be said that all the people in Shanghai Road and Songjiang Prefecture have understood where the money is.
This is no joke, people tend to be interested in profit, and they don’t just go wherever there is food!
Sure enough, we still need to visit privately incognito. You can't hear these words just by listening to the officials talking!
While chatting, the topic turned to today's welcome. It has been half past two in the afternoon since the morning, and the crowd is really unbearable.
The unbearable hunger and thirst combined with the heat make one's heart extremely irritable.
The stomachs of some of the villagers chatting had already begun to growl, "Why haven't you come yet? When will we have to go... If we get hungry again, we will die!"
"You... weren't you organized to welcome him? Don't you care about food?" Emperor Tongzhi asked deliberately.
As a result, this sentence made a group of villagers extremely angry: "I only took care of the morning meal and did not provide water, saying that I was afraid of being disrespectful..."
"Isn't this bullying? With such a big Huangpu River and such a big area on both sides, you can stink the Long Live Lord?"
"It is said to be one silver dollar a day. How much will be deducted at that time? Everyone in the yamen is the master of making money from the frying pan..."
"We make a living by fishing. We have not been allowed to fish for four or five days. What will we eat?"
"For those of you from other places, don't go and live in the city. I advise you to take a walk and go to Jiaxing for a few days, and then come to Shanghai after Long live the Lord is gone..."
"People in the city don't even allow the toilets to be emptied, but the house stinks. When did Long live the Lord leave, and then they were allowed to pour water into the river! I heard that some people bought ten toilets in one go and kept them... …”
Emperor Tongzhi almost felt sick after hearing this. Only then did he realize that the so-called welcoming atmosphere was all fake and that local officials had many ways to deceive the emperor.
While their small circle was chatting angrily, the restless atmosphere of the crowd could no longer be suppressed, and the conflict finally broke out only sixty or seventy meters away from Zaichun.
"You haven't allowed us to urinate without food or drink... The emperor hasn't come yet, and you still don't want us to live! Grandpa, I'm going to pee right now. You can't let me pee my pants..."
"Damn untouchable, do you dare to cause trouble? Catch me, drag you behind and put you in the shackles... I still don't believe that I can't control you!"
The volcano that had been suppressed for a day finally erupted. At this time, the young man with a hot forehead rushed forward and smashed his fist into the guard's face. "I'll beat you to death! Let you whip us and beat him..."
"Rebellion...rebellion...send troops to suppress..."
There was also the slightly kinder government servant who calmed down the confusion: "What are you making a fuss about? You don't want your life? You don't want your home... Isn't that what greetings are all about?"
"When Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong went to Jiangnan, the rules were even stricter than they are now. Who dares to disobey them?"
"Everyone, step back..."
But by now the people were dizzy from the heat, and there were curses everywhere in the crowd, "Have a great Double Ninth Festival. We are not at home to spend the festival with our parents. We will suffer here!"
"This emperor is also a fool!"
