"Then, can you trust him?" Yue Qingshan deliberately reminded him. In Luo Shiniang's eyes, these words clearly contained a hint of provocation.
Luo Shiniang comforted: "Second brother, Mr. Hua and I have cooperated for more than 20 years. We have always known each other. If I didn't trust him, I would not cooperate with him at all. You can rest assured." When they were talking, Hua The old man seemed to have noticed them, and put down his work and walked to him: "Mr. Gui Geng?"
"Now eighty-eight in sixty." Yue Qingshan casually reported his age.
"Speaking of which, I want to call you brother." The old foreign man's words struck everyone as humorous. He was obviously a foreigner, but he sounded like an old scholar. His words sounded weird and he looked weird.
Seeing this scene, Sun Daqiao decided to get close first and find out the details of the old foreign man. He walked up and cupped his hands and said, "I can't tell, Mr. Yang also understands Chinese quite well. He even understands the word Gui Geng." The old foreign man slightly cupped his hands. : "The little old man is now fifty-two. He participated in the work with China when he was young and was a business translator for the former Prime Minister's Yamen." After hearing this, Sun Daqiao felt something interesting and said in surprise: "Oh, business translator? That's it? He is a very capable person." What is a business translator?
The business translator that the foreign old man said is just a professional title. According to the official position in the previous dynasty, he was called the Foreign Language Interpreter of the Prime Minister's Yamen.
It sounds very long, but in fact if it is simplified, it is just a foreign language translation. At the end of the previous dynasty, various countries had used treaties and trade to divide their territory of influence at home. The government had previously been able to rely on the arrogance and rudeness of the higher country. After seeing the power of foreigners, they no longer dared to be arrogant. From then on, they would no longer be arrogant in all matters involving foreign affairs Dare to underestimate it.
The Prime Minister's Office was established to handle trade and diplomacy between various countries and China! Since the establishment of the new Yamen, the functions and powers of the Prime Minister's Yamen have also changed with the situation of foreigners coming to China. In the early days of the Yamen's establishment, the Yamen only had to deal with foreigners setting up factories, building railways, opening mines, running schools, and sending overseas students. The business will not be taken over.
As more and more foreigners come to China, their powers are constantly expanding with the frequent activities of foreigners, from directly covering all matters related to foreign countries and foreigners to finance, military, education, residence, etc. related to foreigners. Mining, transportation, commerce, missionary work, building factories, setting up schools, travel, etc. were almost all under the jurisdiction of the Yamen.
Here, it has actually become the hub for handling diplomacy and overseeing the New Deal for Westernization! Although this agency is a newly established government office, its functions and powers are very important. It is directly under the Yingwu Hall, the Legal Affairs Hall, the Russian Affairs Hall, the Meiwu Hall, the Haiphong Hall, the Siwu Hall, the Clearance Hall, the Telegraph Office, and the Bank. It has jurisdiction over the General Taxation Department, Jingshi Tongwenguan, Beiyang Tongshangtang, and Nanyang Tongshangtang.
Not only must we manage foreign affairs, diplomatic affairs, and envoys stationed in foreign countries, but we must also manage trade, coastal defense passes, tariff assessment, roads, mines, and iron smelting, post and telecommunications, military equipment work, and translation, and even dispatch overseas students, protect Chinese workers have to take care of both, which can be called a miscellaneous job.
How could you not know foreign languages when dealing with foreigners? At that time, the Capital Tongwen Museum had already begun to recruit foreigners to teach, translating Western works for them, teaching students, and at the same time, serving as translators for them to negotiate with foreigners.
As long as they were recruited foreigners, in order to show their importance to their allies, they were directly given the title of Lang Guan, called the Foreign Language Interpreter Lang of a certain hall in the Prime Minister's Yamen, with a rank of seven grades and a generous salary.
Under such circumstances, many foreigners are willing to come to the Prime Minister's Yamen to seek employment and become real people in China.
"Foreign adults". These people have different original intentions for joining the job. Some want to experience the official culture in a foreign country. Some want to have a deep understanding of the people's customs by handling official affairs. Some want to start a family and start a career in a foreign country so that they can find a job and integrate. What's more, here, I want to get a glimpse of the face of the uncrowned Queen of the East through the bureaucratic team.
Most of them joined the National Hall to handle diplomatic affairs and trade matters related to various countries. After several years of handling Chinese affairs, even an ordinary Lang Guan has become someone who is familiar with Chinese, familiar with local customs, and understands Chinese social etiquette. If Hua Wu Tong were to hold a high position of power, it would be possible for him to be a walking Zhang Jing beside the emperor!
Once these people leave the Prime Minister's Office, they are already the favorites of other countries because of their own experiences. With the opening of the treaty ports of the previous dynasty, foreigners flocked to the East to pan for gold. What they needed was Huawutong, who was familiar with the local customs and customs. Some foreigners who had served in the Prime Minister's Yamen mostly worked in major foreign banks, trading houses, Of course, some people hold important positions in factories, and some people will use their own advantages to directly open a business.
Even if these people return to their home countries, they can use these experiences to serve as lecturers in universities in their home countries, or be hired as consultants or something!
Now, Sun Daqiao heard that the foreign old man had served as the Prime Minister's Yamen when he was young, and he immediately became curious and asked casually: "I don't know which yamen of the Prime Minister's Yamen you are working for, Mr. Hua." A Western veteran versus the East Old man, no one dares to tell lies casually. Now that Sun Daqiao has finished talking, Mr. Hua can only continue to answer: "The Prime Minister's Yamen Yingwu Hall, at that time, the title given to me by the previous government was the seventh grade. A foreign language translator is responsible for acting as a translator in the yamen, advising on British diplomacy and trade affairs, and sometimes teaching students at the Capital Tongwen Hall."
"Oh, you were born in the Yingwu Hall, so why are you here? Forgive me for talking. With your background, no matter whether you are here or back home, you are still a Huawutong. Why are you here in Yueyang City?" Sun Daqiao said. The old foreign man hesitated a little, then he thought for a moment and replied: "It's for treasure hunting!"
"Oh? I didn't expect Mr. Hua to also like our antiques." The foreign old man waved his hand: "It's different. What I'm looking for is not the antique you mentioned, but a treasure that records ancient secrets!" Sun Daqiao understood that since The old foreign man has already said this, which means that the thing is not an ordinary thing. So, if he insists on excavating the Southern Song Dynasty treasure ship, he is afraid that it is also related to this treasure ship: "This? Mr. Hua please elaborate on it. What is it?" What treasure can make you so obsessed with it?"
"Have you ever heard of Yin Yang Pisces?" As soon as these words came out, Yue Guanchao's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly suppressed the surprise in his eyes. Song Siyuan clasped his palm to signal him to remain silent.
Except for Yue Qingshan and Sun Daqiao, everyone else here also knew about Yin Yang Pisces. Seeing that the old man came with bad intentions, they all acted as if they had never heard of it.
Sun Daqiao continued to ask calmly: "I have lived for more than half my age. Why have I never heard of Yin Yang Pisces? What on earth is this thing? Mr. Hua, please don't be deceived. We have too many counterfeit cultural relic dealers here." If there are too many, you can always make up a set of rhetoric to fool people."
