Mr. Fan Lian was leaning on the couch, his legs covered with a thick woolen blanket, listening to the red-top businessman Hu Xueyan read the latest telegram, his eyes half closed and silent.
Hu Xueyan was originally an imperial merchant in the imperial court and had a close relationship with Zuo Zongtang. However, now that Marshal Zuo has handed over power and the Western Expeditionary Army has lost so much business, the relationship between Hu Xueyan and the imperial court has weakened a lot.
His roots are still in Jiangnan, and if he wants to do business in Jiangnan, he can only rely on the Chinese.
With the current Chinese control over Jiangnan's economy, the historical Raw Silk War may not be fought, and Hu Xueyan's tragic fate has been slightly adjusted.
The Chinese tribe is very powerful, and Hu Xueyan knows that people have to bow their heads under low eaves, so it is better to rest in the shade with your back against the big tree of the Chinese tribe!
Nowadays, Hu Xueyan spends one-third of the year running a network of contacts in the Chinese territory, and the old shopkeeper's place is even more important!
During the fierce battle in the Great Council, the old shopkeeper tried his best to support his grandson. Outsiders thought that the old shopkeeper had weak legs and feet, but Hu Xueyan and the others knew very well that the old shopkeeper worked hard and drained all his energy that time. The big council came back After that, I couldn’t get off the bed.
Since the end of the Grand Council meeting, the old man has been resting. He has been old for many years, but he still has no energy. He seems to be half asleep and half awake.
Hu Xueyan and others alternately read newspapers and new information to the old man. Most of the time, the old man was silent, but at this moment, he was uncharacteristically different.
When he heard that Liu Peiqi had made gold into antiques and blacklisted Chinese businesses, the old man opened his eyes and smiled, "Haha, interesting, I didn't expect that Liu Peiqi was still a loyal minister? What benefits did the Qing Dynasty give him? , Are you working so hard to die?"
When Hu Xueyan heard that the old man had spoken, he was extremely happy, "Oh... Master, please drink the ginseng soup. There is also warm tea here... This Liu Peiqi is a direct descendant of Yang Zhi, so he naturally has the same heart as the imperial court!"
"It's all unwise. In today's world, can't we still see the road ahead clearly?"
The old shopkeeper smiled and took a sip of the ginseng soup. "Brother Hu...you really don't understand? Or are you pretending not to understand and waiting for me to explain?"
"Haha... This is also the magical skill of flattery practiced in the imperial court. I understand it but I can't explain it. Let the superior person tell this truth to satisfy the vanity of the superior person. How can you show off your energy?"
Hu Xueyan blushed, "This... what did you say, old man..."
"Haha... Brother Hu, this Liu Peiqi is a smart man! He is as ghostly as Yang Zhi... He knows how to be an official very well!"
"Everyone can understand the current general trend of the world. The Manchu and Qing Dynasties are weak, and the Chinese will be the winner! Sooner or later, the world will belong to us Chinese... Except for a few die-hard elements, most of the Manchu and Qing officials have to consider the future. Road!"
"The same goes for Liu Peiqi... But he is very cunning. He knows that he is already one step behind others. If he wants to gain the respect of the Chinese people at this time, he must do the opposite..."
"Is he showing loyalty to the Manchus? Wrong... He is showing us Chinese that he is capable!"
"The subtext is to tell us that he is useful. If we give him some benefits, he can do more things than others and do good things!"
"He's quite a clever little monkey..."
Hu Xueyan quickly handed over a cup of warm tea, "I can't escape the old man's eyes! I just realized with your reminder that this is really possible..."
"Flatterer!" Fan Yan scolded with a helpless smile, knowing that Hu Xueyan was lying and flattering, but he had to admit that the flattery was quite useful.
"Okay...Brother Hu, stop pretending and tell me your opinion! I don't believe it. You don't understand what's going on here..."
Hu Xueyan pondered for a moment, "This...I said it might not be right...I'm guessing...could this be Yang Zhi's attempt to ask for directions?"
"After all, Liu Peiqi belongs to Yang Zhi, and it is impossible for him to do anything without going through Yang Zhi...Does this kid understand the general situation and wants his subordinates to test it and ask for advice..."
"Is it possible that he wants to defect again and ask the head of state to spare his life?"
"Haha... it's very possible!" Fan Yan sneered, "I think back then, when I was operating a silver furnace in the depths of the Taihang Mountains to privately cast the Mexican Eagle Ocean, I realized that this kid Yang Zhi cannot be reused!"
"I also tried to persuade my uncle, but he didn't take it seriously... maybe it's because my uncle doesn't know much about this!"
"My father has taught me the art of fortune-telling since I was a child. Why did Zeng Guofan write "Bingjian"? It is actually a book of fortune-telling... Our ancestors were very particular about this, and it is true to identify people!"
"I discovered this when Yang Zhi had a big pot meal with everyone in Taihang Mountain... He is not greedy on the surface. He only eats the food in front of him and doesn't know how to turn it over. His eating appearance is similar to that of the big guys..."
"But I vaguely noticed that while he was eating at the table, his eyes were sneaking around to spy on all the dishes, including how much others had eaten... You can also tell a person's character through his eating appearance!"
"Later I discovered that after several big pot meals were finished, he could guess the cooking skills of the cook, and he could also know that the dishes rotated every few days. Based on the order in which the dishes were served, he could know where his favorite dishes would be... …”
"When the time comes, he will be sure to sit in a good seat in advance... He will still eat a few dishes in front of him, but he will definitely eat them smoothly..."
"How can ordinary people observe these things? If my father hadn't taught me these people-telling skills when I was a child, I wouldn't have noticed that this man was thoughtful and extremely selfish. His rebellion was quite unexpected!"
Hu Xueyan nodded, "Yes, when I was an apprentice, my master also taught me a lot of things... How a person eats is so important. In eating, a person's nature can always be revealed!"
"Whether a person has been rich or poor since he was a child can be seen from the food he eats... Anyway, as long as my subordinates have food, they will never stay!"
"But old man... think about it, can the head of state allow him to come back? There was so much noise when Yang Zhi rebelled!"
Fan Jian closed his eyes and thought for a while, "It's hard to say... My uncle still misses the old relationship. It was Yang Zhi's rebellion that resulted in the Qing Dynasty's southern banknotes and northern banknotes. Otherwise, we Chinese might be able to unify the Qing Dynasty's banknotes. He is the one who set up a plan for us!"
"But the head of state did not kill him. Instead, he said that Yang Zhi would be left alive, just like a thorn, to forever remind the descendants of our Chinese race!"
"In the following years, the assassinations of Yang Zhi were actually carried out by Wang Huaiyuan and others. Those people were so angry that they carried out the assassination behind my uncle's back!"
"If you think about it carefully, if the head of state personally ordered it, how could Yang Zhi still be alive today..."
