Chapter 284 The Revolutionary Army of the Last Minister of the Qing Dynasty (please order, please vote)

In August of the third year of Xianfeng in the Qing Dynasty, Songjiang Prefecture, Shanghai County.

The market in Shanghai is already quite prosperous. In the "new districts" outside the county seat, there are roads under construction and Chinese or Western-style houses under construction everywhere. In the more suburban areas, you can see beaming landlords everywhere Accompany Chinese or Western businessmen to see their own land.

These are all people who are planning to take advantage of the current opportunity of the sharp increase in land prices to sell their land at a high price, and then deposit the cash in HSBC to earn interest - after all, no one knows when the Taiping Army will break through the "Jiading Defense Line" Approaching Shanghai County.

By then, land prices will surely fall the fastest!

The streets in Shanghai County, which were already overcrowded, are even more bustling in this autumn. New and old citizens of Shanghai, wearing much more decent clothes than elsewhere, are surging shoulder to shoulder on the streets. Many people also Wearing novel dresses, some men imitated the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and wore their hair loose and a hood on their heads, which was also a strange sight.

Occasionally, troops of the Shanghai New Army passed by on the street, wearing gray-blue military uniforms and cyan turbans, carrying foreign guns with bayonets, holding "The Great Wall Will Never Fall" flags, and shouting "One, two." "One" command, and sometimes two lines of the military song "After sleeping for a hundred years, the Chinese are gradually waking up" will be heard, which makes you feel particularly energetic.

The mental outlook of these big-headed soldiers is surprisingly good. They all have glowing faces and strong bodies. They walk vigorously and shout commands and sing with great energy. You can tell at a glance that they have received enough military pay and eaten enough military rations. A new army where no one smokes foreign cigarettes.

Moreover, their discipline is also very good. Businessmen in Shanghai County and Shanghai New District all know that these new soldiers never disturb the people, and they will definitely pay for their purchases. Even the foreigners living in Shanghai New District sometimes react when they see them. They would all provoke Thumbs up to praise "revolutionary army" - in foreign language, of course.

Wen Xiang led several cavalrymen on an old lock ship transferred from the Guangdong Navy, and drove all the way from Guazhou Wharf in Yangzhou to a newly built military wharf on the North Bund of Shanghai. They disembarked at this newly built wharf. , he also saw two huge "black ships" flying the new American flag. He asked the Shanghai New Army soldiers on duty at the pier, who told him that these were the warships of the American Navy Admiral Rear Admiral Perry, and This Major General Perry is now Xueshuai's distinguished guest and often visits the Governor's Mansion in Yuyuan.

Afterwards, Wen Xiang followed a group of New Army soldiers who shouted commands and sang the military song "The Great Wall Will Never Fall" through the Suzhou River Wooden Bridge into the prosperous Shanghai New Area, along the Shanghai Bund lined with Western-style buildings, toward Shanghai Go to the county seat.

"The Great Wall will never fall, the Yellow River is surging for thousands of miles, and the mountains and rivers are beautiful and colorful. Ask me if my country is infected with a disease. Let's clear the bloody road and wave your hand."

Since this group of soldiers conducting routine patrols on the Bund Street were all from Hunan and could not sing Cantonese songs, they all sang military songs in Hunan Mandarin. Wen Xiang could understand some of them, but the more he listened, the more he felt that something was wrong!

This lyrics would have created a literary inquisition even during the Qianlong reign!

Of course, if a Western-style elite soldier carrying a foreign gun and practicing foreign exercises sang this song, he would have to be the last minister of the Qing Dynasty.

However, Wen Xiang doesn't feel that this army in Shanghai is on the same path as the Taiping Army.

But the smell of Shanghai New Army still makes Wen Xiang feel a bit scary!

When the Shanghai New Army passed by the Bund Street, which was originally part of the French Concession, many foreigners waved to them and even gave them a military salute.

Obviously, foreigners in Shanghai support Luo Xueyan very much!

Wen Xiang felt a little frightened when he thought of the elite soldiers who sang "The Great Wall Will Never Fall" and Luo Xueyan who was supported by foreigners.

And when Wen Xiang led his men through the bustling streets of Shangxian City and appeared outside the south gate of Yu Garden outside Sansui Hall, he was wearing a blue-gray military uniform and a warm jacket without a top or tassel. A tall officer wearing a hat and a short, furry beard was walking out talking and laughing with a tall foreigner wearing a blue military uniform, a square face, a wide mouth, and a lion nose. There were also a group of big boys accompanying him. Among the Qing officials and foreigners, one Wen Xiang looked very familiar - it seemed to be Zeng Guofan!

He has triangular eyes, hanging eyebrows, high cheekbones, and a big beard. He seems to be younger than Zeng Guofan, and his official position is not as big as Zeng Guofan. He is just a top-notch man of the fifth rank. Could this man be Zeng Guofan's brother?

While Wen Xiang was in shock, Luo Xueyan had already put the visiting foreigners on the carriage and waved goodbye to them. At this time, someone had already spotted Wen Xiang and several cavalry following him.

Then the tall officer and the official who might be Zeng Guofan's brother walked towards Wen Xiang with smiles on their faces.

Wen Xiang wore a blue linen coat with no patches, but he worked with Prince Gong and had an official position from the fourth rank, so wearing a fourth-rank top hat was quite eye-catching.

The official who looked like Zeng Guofan spoke first, smiled and clasped his fists, and spoke with a Xianghu accent: "Is this gentleman coming to Shanghai on business? Zeng Guohua, the candidate for governor of the state, is now the minister of the five-port commerce minister. I don't know. What do you call me, sir?"

Wen Xiang was startled for a moment and quickly asked: "Zeng Guohua? Who is Zeng Disheng, brother?"

"Zeng Disheng is my brother." Zeng Guohua said with a smile.

"I am Guarjia. Wen Xiang." Wen Xiang was surprised, but he still introduced himself. Then, without waiting for Zeng Guohua to introduce the tall officer to him, he asked, "Master Zeng, are you coming to Shanghai?"

Zeng Guohua said with a smile: "When Xiaguan was in Hunan, he often went to Luo Ruweng's house, so he got acquainted with Master Luo, who worked at Master Luo's house. This is Master Luo Xueyan!"

As he spoke, he pointed at the tall officer wearing a gray-blue military uniform who was with him. The latter also gave Wen Xiang a fist in his arms: "It turns out to be Wen Wenshan. I have admired him for a long time."

Then Luo Xueyan politely greeted Wen Xiang, who looked surprised, and then explained for Zeng Guohua: "My father-in-law knows that I, my brother, can handle foreign affairs, so he asked Wen Fu to come to my place to help."

Zeng Guohua smiled and said, "I don't dare to help. I'm here to learn from Brother Xue Yan."

Luo Xueyan waved his hand and said, "Well, Brother Wen Fu is a senior official in the officialdom. I still have to learn a lot from Brother Wen Fu."

Seeing the two people calling each other brothers and being very affectionate, Wen Xiang began to suspect that Yuan Bao was blind.

He thought to himself: "Luo Xueyan and Zeng Guohua are obviously old acquaintances, and they really met at Luo Bingzhang's place. How could this Luo Xueyan be a demon descended from the sky? Can't this Zeng Guohua also transform into a demon?"

"This is not the place to talk. Master Wen, please come in!"

At this time, Luo Xueyan pointed to the Sansui Hall at the south gate of Yuyuan Garden with a smile, made a sign of respecting guests, and invited Wen Xiang in.

"What? Your Majesty wants to marry Concubine Yi's sister, Wan Zhen, to me? Doesn't this mean that there is a rule that banner men do not marry?"

In Sansui Hall, Luo Xueyan looked extremely surprised when he heard Wen Xiang tell him his purpose of coming. Zeng Guohua on the side had already clasped his fists and congratulated him: "Congratulations, congratulations! Brother Xueyan, this is a marriage granted by the emperor, and the emperor's rules are the greatest. , if he wants to grant a marriage, then grant him a marriage!"

He smiled at Wen Xiang again and said, "Wen Shan and Xue Yan have taken concubines, but they have not married a real wife."

Wen Xiang smiled and said: "That's great, just don't have a wife. Brother Xueyan, because the emperor doesn't know whether you have a wife, the marriage edict has not been issued. You and I will go to Yangzhou together and wait for you to make peace with us personally. After the prince said this, he will report it to the emperor, and then the marriage will be granted. However, Miss Wanzhen is only 12 years old this year, and you have to wait a few more years before you can marry her. Is there no problem?"

"No problem, of course no problem." Luo Xueyan smiled, obviously very satisfied with this marriage. Then he asked Wen Xiang carefully about Wan Zhen's appearance and the situation of Concubine Yi. When Wen Xiang mentioned Concubine Yi When Xianfeng gave birth to her eldest brother, Luo Xueyan was even more surprised.

"Brother Wenshan, I have been free recently and want to go to Yangzhou to visit the prince as soon as possible."

Luo Xueyan then acted a little impatient. After saying this, he seemed to feel that something was wrong. He changed the subject and said: "Recently, Changmao has stepped up the siege of Suzhou. Suzhou is surrounded on three sides: east, north and south. Only There is still access to and from the west side of Taihu Lake. We must make a decision as soon as possible, whether to mobilize a large army to relieve Yifutai or to lead Yifutai to break out. If we delay it any longer, I am afraid that something big will happen.

In addition, I also got news that Yang Xiuqing, the long-haired puppet king of the East, is preparing to personally conquer Jiangbei and destroy the Jiangbei camp in Yangzhou!"
Chapter completed!