Chapter 3 Red Top Merchant (2-1)

He said something, and Fuquan agreed; his expression was not only serious, but also sincere.In Jianghu, the emphasis is on "receiving a foot from others, and giving back to others." When You Wu saw this situation, he couldn't help but confess with sincerity and humility. Yu Fuhua was very happy once the long-standing grievance was resolved.In terms of interests, although the Shachuan Gang was prosperous for a while, the Cao Gang was deeply rooted and had different forces, so the two gangs reconciled, especially in the Shachuan Gang.Yu Fuhua is a very calculating person, and feels that this matter is worth a lot of extravagance; if it is spread that You Wu himself is willing to fix it, isn't it a good thing that can increase the brilliance and momentum?After making up his mind, he immediately stated that in the next few days, he would choose an auspicious day, hold a big banquet, and pay a little respect.Sincere words, You Wu cannot and should not refuse; thank you before eating, it is a foregone conclusion.

This time the love is even more different, Yu Fuhua drank and chatted quickly, in great interest.You Wu was rather anxious, he had something important to discuss, so how could he be in the mood to reminisce about the old days?But it's inconvenient to make him happy; if this goes on, won't it be a waste of time for the master to get drunk? He waited and waited, endured and endured, and when he could not bear it any longer, Yu Songnian saw the signs and reminded his father, "Dad! Fifth Uncle You has something to discuss with Dad!" "Oh, oh, yes Yes." Yu Fuhua could no longer pretend to be sloppy, and then turned around and said, "Fifth Brother You, please say it again."

"It's like this. I have a batch of rice. I need to borrow your boat to take the sea route from Haining to Biezimen, enter the Qiantang River, and transport it to Hangzhou." You Wu also said, "The people in Hangzhou do not only eat grass roots. The bark is eating human flesh; therefore, we must ask the boss for help in this matter, the sooner the better." "Fifth Brother You, your business, in a word. However, the situation of the Shachuan Gang can't be hidden from you. I have never been to the road of Biezimen. If I am not familiar with the water, I will be stranded. Wouldn't it delay the big thing?" He said nervously. Then he said, "Of course, brothers from the Cao Gang can lead the way, but the sand boat walked into the river, and the road is not right. In this case, I will find someone to discuss it immediately, and I will always think of a perfect plan. Can I call you back tomorrow?"

Hearing this, You Wu was quite displeased; he was thinking in his heart that in such a time of turmoil, it would be risky to go anywhere; even in peacetime, when the wind and waves are dangerous, there is no guarantee that nothing will happen.To say that you want a perfect plan, isn't it just a deliberate evasion? If you think this way, of course there is absolutely no reason for it to happen, but I want to point him out, "Boss Yu," he said, "Brothers, settle accounts clearly, favors belong to favors, and business belongs to business; Public account, why let the river water not wash the boat?"

"Heavy words, serious words! Brother You, you misunderstood, I am definitely not planning on this. The purpose is..." Yu Fuhua felt that it was inappropriate to say anything, and he wanted to ask about the situation on the road, so he changed his question to ask He said, "Fifth Brother You, that Hu Daotai, I have admired his name for a long time, can you guide me to meet him for a while?" Hu Daotai is Hu Xueyan; in the past few years, he has made donations and guarantees, and his official career has prospered, and he has become a special person who is both an official and a businessman in the city of Zhejiang Province; Resigned, and said: "Leave as soon as you say, and you will listen to it."

"Today is too hasty! One is drunk, and the other is hasty and disrespectful. I will definitely visit tomorrow morning; I don't know where Hu Daotai will be delayed?" "He lives in Sheqin Gu Yingchun's house. I will come early tomorrow morning catch." "It turned out to be Lao Gu's place. We are also acquaintances. I have been to his house; don't bother me, I will go by myself." Speaking of this, it is over; and there is enough wine, You Wu got up to leave.Once back at Gu's house, Grandma Qigu came forward to meet her. Although she didn't speak, her eyes were more concerned than she spoke.

"How about it?" You Wu didn't answer, just asked how is Hu Xueyan's injury?This made Qigu's grandma happy, and praised the traumatologist's ability; Hu Xueyan's pain was greatly relieved, and the wound healed very quickly. It is estimated that in three days, he will be able to get out of bed and walk around. "This is also when people come here, they feel at ease." Grandma Qigu said again, "People feel refreshed on happy occasions. If Boss Yu is willing to help, it will be more useful than any medicine." "I am willing to help. Things are not so fast. Talk to my uncle first."

So start over.Grandma Qigu, who was listening quietly, kept smiling at first; when she heard Yu Fuhua said that she would not reply until tomorrow, she jumped up all of a sudden. "This is obviously a pretext!" "Seventh Sister," Hu Xueyan hurriedly stopped her and said, "Someone is in a difficult position. Don't worry; discuss it slowly." "I'm worried for you, little grandpa!" "I know, I know." Hu Xueyan still calmly said, "If I were Boss Yu, I would have to be careful; there is nothing on the sea, once you enter the Biezi Gate, and walk in the Qiantang River, there are long hairs on both sides of the river. Naturally, we have to worry about things. This is the only way to do this matter. On the one hand, we have to tell him the truth, where there is danger, where there is no danger, and how to deal with danger? On the one hand, we must ask him to be more friendly; An adventure. As the saying goes: "Think about others in the first half of the night, and think about yourself in the second half of the night. "Now let's think about ourselves first, what's the benefit to go to others; they are willing to take risks based on their friendship. "

"Yes!" You Wu was overwhelmed, "The two words of my uncle are reasonable; if you think about it this way, the matter can be settled." "Okay!" Qigu's grandma was helpless; then she thought about it, her generation of women doesn't need to take care of this important matter, so she said: "When the sky falls, there will be an elder to top it. It has nothing to do with me. You can discuss it." She said. Turn around and leave. "Seventh sister!" Hu Xueyan shouted hastily: "There is something I must discuss with you. Please come back!"

She naturally stood still.Hu Xueyan had listened to her words and was almost angry. Actually, she didn't have anything to discuss with her, but now that he had said it, he had to find something to discuss with her. With an idea, he said, "Seventh Sister, I haven't been to Shanghai for half a year. Have you got a good coffin recently?" "Yes!" Grandma Qigu replied, "A new Taihe restaurant has been opened, which combines the tastes of the north and the south. I have eaten it a few times, and the dishes are amazing." "What about the place, is it spacious?"

"Not only is it spacious? Qingxing Building, Fuxin Garden, Hongyun Building, among the many big restaurants that can be counted, none of them are as elegant as it." Grandma Qigu asked, "Uncle, do you want to treat someone?" "I can't hide my thoughts from Seventh Sister." Hu Xueyan replied with a smile, intending to compliment her; then turned to look at You Wu and said, "Fifth Brother, since you have been wronged, why don't you just look at the people in the city of Hangzhou and feel wronged?" In the end, please come forward and invite a guest to invite all the big and small characters under Boss Yu's subordinates; we Cao Gang brothers, it's best to be there too, to give him enough face, let's see what he says?" "Okay. One word." "Then I will entrust Seventh Sister to Dingtaihe Pavilion. The name belongs to Fifth Brother, and the money belongs to me..." "You don't need to tell me about it." Grandma Qigu hurriedly said, "I don't know how many people there are; how many tables should be reserved." Of course you have to ask You Wu about this, and he replied slowly: "Either you don't invite; if you invite, it doesn't matter how many people he has. I only have one post, and I will invite all the brothers of the Shachuan Gang; take the Taihe Hall to book it, and open the water table." , one table counts as one table.” "It's a joy. That's all." Hu Xueyan cupped his hands to Grandma Qigu: "Please, please!" Grandma Qigu likes to be lively and lively, and she promises nothing; but there are details in the rough, and after thinking about it, she asked: "Which day will you please?" "Isn't it fast!" You Wu replied, "Tomorrow is the fast time." Grandma Qigu kept silent, took down the imperial calendar lined up behind the door, flipped through it and said, "Tomorrow is a good day for fear of failure; there are always people who will be married and treat guests there. It is inappropriate for the alliance and other matters.' I don’t know if it’s okay or not?” "Yes!" Hu Xueyan said immediately, "This is considered an 'alliance'." Without further ado, Qigu's grandma took a silver envelope and took a carriage to the Taihe Hall to reserve a seat.You Wu went to Mr. Zhao, the accountant of the Gu family, wrote a full letter, and sent it to Qiao's house, Bin Yu's house. At the same time, he sent someone to find one of his beloved apprentices, Li Delong, to handle errands. The siblings were busy, and Hu Xueyan was lying on the bed alone and thinking; when You Wu came back again, he had already made up his mind. "Fifth Brother, let's talk about each other now. How is Mi?" "I've already taken care of it, and it will be settled this afternoon." You Wu replied: "Although the more the better, it also depends on how many boats Boss Yu has? In a word, as long as he has boats, I have rice." "That's good. Let's talk about boats. Boss Yu is afraid of coming and going, and he is most afraid of Changmao. But it doesn't matter; Changmao is on the shore, and we are in the river. They don't have gunboats, so there is no need to be afraid of him. At most, they can sit in a small boat and use foreign guns." come to attack; we can have a group of people ourselves, prepare them with dozens of good guns, and fire them as soon as we say we want to fire, and beat him to death." Hu Xueyan said again, "I have also thought about this group of people; Is Yang Fang familiar?" You Wu understood what he meant, nodded and said, "Very familiar. It doesn't matter if you're not." "Why?" Hu Xueyan asked. "Uncle, do you mean that you want to borrow someone from the foreign general Huaer?" "Yes!" Hu Xueyan asked, "Didn't it be said that the negotiation between the foreign general and Haidao was negotiated by Yang Fang?" "That's right. Yang Fang is the director of the 'Siming Office'; Ningbo is also Zhejiang. There is no reason for him not to contribute to the affairs of his hometown. Even if he doesn't know him, he can still ask him for help." "I don't know much about this person's life. Of course, if there are acquaintances who talk about it, things are more likely to succeed. However, I think so. I don't know if it will work. I have to ask Old Gu first; he doesn't know. When are you coming back?" "You don't need to ask him," You said, "There is someone here now." This person is Xiao Jiaji.He went to work with Gu Yingchun early in the morning; because of Hu Xueyan's care, Wang Youling's two blood letters had to be handed over to Xue Huan, so Gu Yingchun has been guarding the Jiangsu governor's office in Shanghai, waiting to be heard.For fear that Hu Xueyan would miss him, Xiao Jiaji was specially sent back to deliver the letter. "Look," Hu Xueyan said to You Wu, "this is the reason why I just planned to borrow heavily from foreign generals. If there is no way to do things in the officialdom, it will not work; it is so difficult to meet Xue Futai, how can I hope for it?" He sent troops to protect our food. Even if he is willing to send, it won’t be possible to move in three or two days.” He added with emphasis, “I’ve made up my mind, and we’ve decided to figure it out ourselves.” So You Wu told Xiao Jiaji about his plan; Xiao Jiaji listened quietly without making a sound. "How is it? Jiaji!" Hu Xueyan asked urgently: I have seen that he has other ideas. "There is a way to do this. It looks like a lot of trouble, but it's actually easy." He said, "It's better to ask the British or French naval admiral to send a military ship to escort." "This—" You Wu was the first to express doubts, "Will this work?" "It will work." Xiao Jiaji said: "Foreigners have another set of rules. It is one thing to start a war, but another to save the people. If it is said that this batch of rice is military rations, it is inconvenient for them to escort it; to save the common people, of course they can.” Hearing this, Hu Xueyan was very happy; but, "How do I explain this; who do I talk to?" He asked. "I can go!" Xiao Jiaji volunteered; but immediately added: "But first ask my master." "Of course your master agrees," You Wu interjected, "However, I still don't quite believe it, I'm afraid there won't be such a good thing." "That might as well be a two-pronged approach." Hu Xueyan asked Xiao Jiaji: "Look, we pay for it ourselves, and ask Huaer to send dozens of people to protect it. Can we try this method?" "There is nothing you can't try." Xiao Jiaji replied, "However, I find it difficult. Why——." The reason is firstly that the "mercenaries" under Hua Er have been "accustomed" to Shanghai Dao Wu Xu, and spending a lot of money may not be able to win their efforts; secondly, these mercenaries are "infantry Army", it is doubtful whether it can exert its power on the water. "It makes sense." Hu Xueyan was the most unwilling to conceal the strengths of others, and admired Xiao Jiaji greatly, "Jia Ji, I need you to do me a favor in this matter." "Mr. Hu is serious. If there is anything, just ask." One is appreciation, the other is admiration, so You Wu has a concern, let's not talk about it for now; we will wait for Gu Yingchun to come back. "Xue Futai saw you." Gu Yingchun looked unhappy, "Uncle, Wang Xuegong is probably delusional if he wants to expect him to do anything." "What did he say?" Hu Xueyan asked calmly. It's okay if you don't ask, but it makes people angry if you ask.Xue Huan lamented a lot of hard work; he also blamed Wang Youling for not thinking of a way to train the army in Zhejiang, and the military pay was used to support southern Anhui and Jiangxi. Now that the situation is bad, Shanghai is also in a tight spot.He also mentioned how domineering and headstrong he was when he was in Jiangsu; what he said is that he has fallen into today's situation, which means he is to blame. "It's no wonder he!" Gu Yingchun said again: "The chaos in Beijing has turned upside down, two princes have died, and now Prince Gong is in power; once the emperor and the courtiers, Zeng Guofan is coming to Liangjiang soon, Xue Fu Taiwan's acting governor of Liangjiang and Shique's governor of Jiangsu seem to be on the verge of crumbling, and of course they are in a bad mood." "I know." Hu Xueyan said, "Before you came, Brother Wu and I and Jiaji were all in a bad mood." We've discussed it; I didn't want to rely on him at first. However, he is the governor of Jiangsu, and Wang Xuegong's book must be sent to him. I don't know if he has done it yet?" "He didn't dare not to do it." Gu Yingchun said, "Even the official business to urge Li Yuandu has been explained. I was afraid that the next one would be too late, so I specially said hello; I promised that all the official business will be done together tomorrow." "Leave it alone, then. We negotiate ours." So You Wu and Xiao Jiaji told Gu Yingchun exactly what happened just now.This was a great comfort to him; he wasted a good time just to see Xue Huan, and he was not only angry, but also very anxious.From what I can see now, there are many ways to go, and things are not unprepared, so I feel relieved and my spirits are greatly refreshed. "Since this is the case, we must first determine the purpose; for the matter of inviting soldiers to escort, we can talk to the admirals of Britain and France. Sending troops to escort is not only strong enough and safe, but also free of money. However, there are two concerns. First, I’m afraid the governor of Jiangsu still needs to do official business; second, it can’t be done within three or five days.” “It’s too slow!” Hu Xueyan replied immediately, “I’m living like a year now, and I can’t wait to leave tomorrow.” "The only way to do it is to hire Hua Er's subordinates. I'm afraid this amount of money is quite a lot." "How much?" "It depends on how many people are hired? At least thirty taels of silver for each person; if you die, you will receive a pension of one thousand. Counting fifty people, at least one thousand five; if—" If all were killed in battle, another 50,000 yuan would have to be paid; Gu Yingchun realized that the words were too frustrating when the words reached his mouth, and as expected, Hu Xueyan's life would naturally be in danger, so he swallowed the words. Hu Xueyan didn't take it seriously, "One thousand and five is one thousand and five; the leader of the team will always give more, I don't care. On the contrary," he pointed to Xiao Jiaji, "he has good worries, I'm afraid he is used to fighting on the shore. Yes, once on the boat, you can’t exert your strength, and you can’t use your strength.” “You have to ask them to know. Although there must be brave men under heavy rewards, life cannot be exchanged for money; if they don’t Sure, of course I dare not agree rashly. We outsiders don’t have to be smart.” Gu Yingchun's last words were meant to be a warning to the students; therefore, Xiao Jiaji, who wanted to express some opinions, was inconvenient to speak up. "Speaking of Yang Fang, I also know him. Although I don't have a deep relationship with him, he still thinks highly of me. I'll go see him tonight." "That's right! Let's work separately. At this moment, let's make a rule that the rice and sand boats belong to me; the foreign generals belong to you." You Wu said to Gu Yingchun, "There is one more thing, you need to transfer a batch of cash positions. " "It doesn't matter!" Hu Xueyan took a ring from his hand and handed it to Gu Yingchun: "You know the number of shops I have been dealing with; it depends on how many positions you have, and you can adjust it as you like." The ring is made of red gold, and there are eight coins even if there is no one or two. It is extremely large and very vulgar; but it is actually a stamp. Let's do it.However, with Gu Yingchun's strength, he still can't use this. "No need!" You don't leave this ring for a moment, and you still carry it yourself. ""otherwise! Hu Xueyan said, "I have other intentions."Going back to Hangzhou this time is all right; if we can't meet again in the future, I will leave everything to you.People owe people, wait for me to issue a list tomorrow and hand it over to you. " Gu Yingchun also became more and more unwilling to accept his ring seal, took his hand, and insisted on putting it on for him. While he was tugging, Grandma Qigu came back; Ask exactly.Everyone knew that she was emotional, and if she said it, it would definitely make her sad, so they winked at each other and covered it up with random words. "The dishes are ready, a table of sea vegetables for 8 taels of silver; we will arrange forty tables for them." Grandma Qigu said, "The boss there said it was a loss-making business, but he wanted to use this business to create a brand. Since people value it so much, people Less, the scene is not lively enough, and it is not good-looking, fifth brother, I am a little worried." "What are you worrying about? Calling people to the scene and having a banquet, are you afraid that there will be no one? I will take care of Li Delong later." "Then where is Boss Yu?" "You can rest assured about this. The method that my uncle thinks of is what Boss Yu couldn't wish for, and there must be many people coming." You Wu said again, "If you don't worry about it, I'll ask Li Delong to let the wind out and say that we will take care of it." If you don’t come to the Taihe Pavilion, please invite the Shachuan Gang, if you don’t come, you will look down on us.” "That's good. I'll ask someone to inform, and I'll prepare another ten tables there." Grandma Qigu said as she walked out. "Seventh Sister is really interesting." Hu Xueyan said with a smile: "It's so lively, it must be a lucky person." "Let's gossip. I have one more thing, Ying Chun, what do you think?" You Wu said: "My uncle is an important person." Help; to be honest, it is useless for you and me to go. I sent Li Delong, you sent Xiao Jiaji, and followed my uncle all the way to Hangzhou." "Mmm 1" Gu Yingchun looked slightly hesitant. "No, no need." Hu Xueyan was the most knowledgeable, and quickly resigned. Gu Yingchun was really in a difficult situation.Because the relationship between Xiao Jiaji and him is different from that of the Cao Gang; the Cao Gang opens a fragrant hall to accept apprentices, and the master's order is as heavy as a mountain, and he is born and died, so it is not a serious matter.After all, Xiao Jiaji was just an apprentice learning foreign language and doing business. When it comes to such matters of life and death, it is inconvenient to force him. You have to ask him himself. But Hu Xueyan's friendship in this area is really too deep; if he can contribute, he must do his best, and he can't say no to excuses.At the same time, I saw that Hu Xueyan said "no need"; but there was a disappointed expression on his face, and he felt more and more sorry.Think about it and say honestly: "Uncle, if I had a brother, I would definitely ask him to follow you. Jiaji's name is apprentice, but his surname is Xiao; let me ask him." At this point If Xiao Jiaji was timid and refused to go; wouldn't it appear that his apprentice was "not enough", so he had to add a cover-up: "His old lady is sick in bed. Will definitely go." As soon as the conversation was over, someone outside the door spoke, it was Xiao Jiaji's voice; he happened to come over and heard it, and volunteered: "I'll go! I'll definitely go!" This solved Gu Yingchun's problem; he also felt that his face was very radiant, but Hu Xueyan had to thank him - he also knew that Xiao Jiaji's mother was ill in bed, it was a setback that Gu Yingchun intentionally left behind in order to show compassion for his apprentice .It's just that "a bachelor is easy to do, and it's hard to escape through the door"; and this "passing the door", Gu Yingchun is inconvenient to fight, so he has to speak up himself. "Jiaji, I know your loyalty, but being loyal and filial is the first, and making the old lady feel unwell, you should stay and serve." "No problem, no problem!" Xiao Jiaji was also very alert, and quickly replied, "My mother's stomachache is an old problem; it will be fine in two or three days." "That's how it is!" Gu Yingchun stood up: "Since you are going to follow, everything must be on top; you and I will go to see the 'Daji' Boss Yang." The family owned by Yang Fang The name that exclusively sells Yangzhuang is called "Daji". At the same time, he expressed an unfeeling request: of course, we can talk alone if necessary. "Okay!" Yang Fang promised generously, "Please come here." In the corner of the living room, sitting with knees together; Gu Yingchun straight to the point explained why he came, Yang Fang took a breath, looking quite troublesome. "Brother Yang, forgive me for saying something I shouldn't have said. The east and west of Zhejiang are closely related; for the sake of the fellow villagers in your province, I ask you to find a way anyway." "Yang Fang said repeatedly: "The embarrassing thing is that recently Huaer and Wu Daotai have had a quarrel. Foreigners have a very stubborn temper, so it's fine to agree with anything; it's not easy to talk if you violate his temper. Now There's only this way: I'll send someone to make an appointment with him first, and we'll meet tonight. When I'm done perfunctory with the guests, we'll go together; just eat and drink, why don't you just sit here. Speaking of this, Gu Yingchun was naturally inconvenient to refuse; while entertaining at the table, he was thinking in his stomach, how to persuade Hua Er? "Master, I think I'll go back first and come back later." Xiao Jiaji suddenly said, "I'm going to ask Mr. Hu carefully." "what? "Foreigners do things carefully, and they are fighting wars. You must ask clearly about the situation on the road. Otherwise, you will never agree." "That's right." Yang Fang praised greatly, "This little brother is really knowledgeable. Then you go quickly! Can't we finish talking for two hours?" "enough." "Okay. I'll meet Walter at nine o'clock; come anyway at half past eight." Before the appointed time, Xiao Jiaji had gone and came back; in addition to asking him everything he wanted to ask, he also brought a word from Hu Xueyan. "Master! Mr. Hu asked me to tell Master: Please general is worse than aggressive general!" This is really a bit of a "military adviser"; strategizing, winning a thousand miles, and paying such a "kit".On the bumpy carriage, Gu Yingchun repeatedly savored the six words "please generals are not as good as aggressive generals". Hua Er camped near the Jing'an Temple in Shanghai; Yangfang was used to coming here, and the guards at the gate of the camp took a lantern and waved his hands to let him go. The carriage drove to Hua Er's "signature room". After the introduction, the four of them sat around a small round table; Yang Fang started by saying that Gu Yingchun was one of the representatives of Zhejiang official circles, and he wanted to ask for advice.Then Gu Yingchun spoke. First, he supplemented Yang Fang's words and showed his identity. He said that the official representative of Zhejiang officialdom was Hu Xueyan; Having said that, Wall raised his first question: "Why did Mr. Hu appoint a representative?" "He was injured, very seriously; in order to return within three to five days, he must obey the doctor's orders and must not act." Gu Yingchun said: "He is staying at my house to recuperate." "Oh!" Hua Er was understanding: "Please continue." So Gu Yingchun expressed his original intention, and in addition to offering hope, he also complimented him; , and his brave subordinates will surely complete the mission successfully. Halfway through the talk, Wall kept shaking his head; when he finished speaking, he immediately replied in a stern voice: "Sorry! I sympathize, but I can't help you." "This is so disappointing to me." Gu Yingchun asked: "Can you tell me why you can't help?" "Of course! First, Zhejiang is not the area where I should send troops; first, the mission is very dangerous, and I am not sure." "The first reason does not seem to be valid. As I have said, this is a charitable mission—." "No!" Hua Er rushed to say, "I have my position." "Isn't it your position to help Shun-help the Chinese government?" "Yes." Wall said reluctantly, "I must take care of Shanghai first." "However, the deployment of fifty people will not affect your strength." "Whether it will affect it or not is up to me to judge." "Colonel," Yang Fang helped to say good words, "Everyone has great hopes for you, you shouldn't refuse like this." "No!" Wall just shook his head, "The mission is too dangerous. This is a worthless adventure." "It's not dangerous!" Gu Yingchun pointed to Xiao Jiaji and said, "He can explain everything to you." "No! I don't need to listen to his explanation." This way of rejecting people thousands of miles away, and showing great contempt, Gu Yingchun couldn't help but get angry. Thinking of Hu Xueyan's words, he immediately thought about it, sneered, and said to Yang Fang with a frosty face: "People say Unbelievable. All lobbyists will talk about justice and justice, be eager to meet the needs of others, and work hard; who knows that this is not the case at all. They are just a group of cowardly and profit-seeking mercenaries!" Speaking of the last sentence, Hua Er suddenly changed color; Huo Di stood up, looked down at Gu Yingchun condescendingly and shouted: "Who are you calling a cowardly and greedy mercenary?" "You should know." "Of course I know!" Wall roared, "You must apologize, we are not mercenaries." "Then you are in the regular army?" "certainly." "The regular army must be under the command of others; may I ask, should you take orders from Chinese officials? Is it Xue or Wu; as long as you say it, I will have my own way." This hit the heart of Wall. Command him; then find someone who can command him to give orders, wouldn't it be self-deprecating. "To be honest, maybe I'm too much greedy for profit; but I don't admit that it's wrong to say that you are timid!" "Your biggest mistake is this. Do you know how insulting it is to say that a soldier is cowardly?" Gu Yingchun didn't give in at all, and confronted him tit for tat: "If it's an insult; it's also because of your own behavior!" "What!" Huaer grabbed Gu Yingchun's shoulder and shook it vigorously: "Speak! Where do I show timidity?" Seeing that he was going to use force, Xiao Jiaji's nurse was eager to block him first; then Yang Fang also came to persuade him, but Huaer's strength was strong and he was furious, so he refused to let go. Gu Yingchun looked calm, and said coldly: "Anyone who is timid is brave enough to fight privately." One sentence made Hua Er let go of his hand, turned to Yang Fang and said: "I must maintain my prestige; this person's behavior does not insult an individual, but the entire group. This matter is quite serious. If he does not have a reasonable explanation , he will bear all the bad consequences." Yang Fang didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in Gu Yingchun's gourd?Can't help complaining: "It's not good like this! It's a matter of begging for help, how can you make such a big face? Now, it's a bit difficult to end." He spoke in Chinese, and Gu Yingchun also answered him in Chinese: "Don't worry! I will force him to behave like this! Of course I have a reasonable explanation." Yang Fang didn't know that he was following Hu Xueyan's "ingenious plan" of "inviting generals rather than aggressive generals", which has other magical effects; he just solemnly asked again and again: "Be peaceful, be peaceful, and don't cause disputes." "Please don't worry, unless he is unreasonable, he will obey me." Gu Yingchun said these few words in Chinese; then he turned to Hua Er and said in English: "Colonel! There are hundreds of thousands of people in Hangzhou, and they are on the verge of starving to death. their fate; they need food as you and I need breath now. If, thanks to your help, ventured through this route to transport food to Hangzhou, hundreds of thousands of people would survive. This is a 'worthless adventure' ?" One sentence stopped Wall.He rolled a cigarette and lit the foreign lamp, and said in the thick smoke: "Take this risk, there is no possibility of success." "Is it possible, let's not talk about it; please answer my question: If the venture succeeds, is it worth it?" Wall was forced to have no choice but to admit: "If it can be successful, of course it will be valuable." "Very good!" Gu Yingchun continued his words: "I think you are a valuable person, and of course you are willing to do valuable things. You should remember that I told you that this task is not dangerous; Xiao can explain everything to you. But you don't think about it at all; when you hear about Hong Yang's troops, you first feel timid—" "Who said that!" Hua Er was not convinced, "You are insulting me. " "I hope you will show your bravery and value with your actions." "Okay!" Excited, Hua Er blurted out, "Let me understand the situation first." After speaking, he stood up and walked to a map Stand in front of you. When things turned around, Yang Fang admired and was excited at the same time. He hurriedly took a foreign lamp from the table and at the same time signaled Xiao Jiaji to explain the situation.Even Gu Yingchun went with him, staring at the map drawn on thick foreign paper on the wall under the light of the foreign lamps; this is much more complicated than the map of China, and there are many small red and blue pennants nailed on it, which is even more complicated. People can't understand.But Xiao Jiaji also often looked at the nautical chart on the ship; so after watching it for a while, he understood it. "You won't encounter any enemies at sea; the possible danger starts here." Xiao Jiaji pointed to Biezimen and said, "In fact, there is only one more dangerous place, because the sea is vast, and Hong Yang's troops have no gunboats, so they cannot threaten them." Our ships. There is only one place, where the north and south mountains are bounded by a pass, which is also the source of the famous "Zhejiang Tide". Passing through this pass, the river widens again, and the danger disappears." "Then how wide is the river at this pass?" "I haven't measured it. But if you shoot with a long gun on the shore, you can hit the ship without any power." Hua Er shook his head: "I'm not afraid of rifles." He then asked: "Is there a fort?" "Absolutely not." Gu Yingchun said next to him. "Even if there are no forts, there must be temporary artillery positions. If it were me, I would definitely deploy artillery positions here." "Don't overestimate Hong Yang's troops." Gu Yingchun said again, "It's impossible for them to understand your military art." This point, Wall thinks it is right; he has taken many battles with Changmao, and he knows it quite well. They are not even very skilled with foreign guns, and of course they don't know how to use firepower to hold key points.To take a closer look, even if you know it, there is no need to defend this pass, because the Qing army in this area is weak, and no navy will pass through this pass to reinforce Hangzhou; land. However, the principle of "more chances of victory" is the same in both Chinese and foreign art of war; Hua Er felt that a safer method should be adopted, so he asked again: "Is this pass very long?" "No." Gu Yingchun reckoned, "At most ten miles and eight miles away." "Then, what kind of boat should I use?" "Use a sea boat." The so-called sea boats are sand boats.Hua Er studied the army, and he was a layman when it came to ships; but he always knew the direction of the wind. He pointed to the map and said, "Now is the season of the northwest wind. Travel from east to west; the wind direction is very unfavorable." "This point," Gu Yingchun replied very cautiously: "I don't think you need to worry too much. Apart from using sails, there are always other ways to assist navigation. Sea-going ships are strong and tall, and the hull has considerable defensive power; I think it's quite safe." "I still need to study this aspect; I need to discuss it with the commander of the fleet. It would be best if we could smuggle through this pass in the dark to avoid confrontation with Hong Yang's troops. conflict." Such a tone already promised to send troops to escort, Yang Fang said happily: "Thank you, Colonel! We will make a decision today to set the number of people and the salary you want to subsidize. What do you think?" "You want fifty people, and I will send them to you according to the number. For other details, please discuss with my quartermaster tomorrow." "Okay!" Yang Fang happily replied: "I completely follow your wishes." So "turning hostility into friendship", Gu Yingchun also thanked with a smile, and left and boarded the car. "Old Gu," Yang Fang expressed his admiration in the car, "You really have a way. Let's cooperate more in the future." "It's a fluke! Thanks to the advice of an expert." Gu Yingchun said: "It's also Hu Daotai's words: Please generals are not as good as aggressive generals. Sure enough, they succeeded in motivating Hua Er." "It turns out that Hu Daotai is also a good hand in foreign affairs." "He doesn't know much about Western affairs, but he is very familiar with human relations!" "When will I see him?" Yang Fang said again: "Huaer's 'quartermaster' is also a Chinese; I know him very well. Tomorrow night I will ask him out for flower wine, everything is easy to talk about." "That's great. I should be the host. Tomorrow morning, I'll send the post to you, please do it for me." "It's the same whether you are the host or I am the host. I won't talk about it here, but I have a word. I want to ask: Isn't Hangzhou besieged? How can the grain ship get into the city when it arrives there?" This sentence made Gu Yingchun startled, "Ah," he said as if waking up from a dream, "That's true! I haven't thought of it yet. I'll answer you when I go back and ask." "Can you give me a definite reply today?" 到了杭州的事，此刻言之过早；而且米能不能运进杭州城，与杨坊无干，何以他这么急着要答复？看起来，别有作用，倒不能不弄个明白。 这样想着，便即问道：“为什么这么急？” “我另外有个想法。如果能运进杭州城，那就不必谈了；否则——。”杨坊忽然问道：“能不能此刻就替我引见，我想跟胡道台当面谈一谈。” “这有什么不可以？” 于是马车转向，直驶古家；车一停，萧家骥首先奔了进去通知。胡雪岩很讲究礼节，要起床在客厅里迎接会面；七姑奶奶坚决反对，结果折衷办法，起床而不出房门，就在卧室里接见客人。 女眷自然回避。等古应春将杨坊迎了进来，胡雪岩已经穿上长袍马褂，扶着萧家骥的肩，等在门口了。彼此都闻名已久，所以见礼以后，非常亲热，互相仰慕，话题久久不断。古应春找个机会，插进话去，将与华尔交涉的经过，略略说了一遍；胡雪岩原已从萧家骥口中，得知梗概，此刻少不得要向杨坊殷殷致谢。 “都是为家乡的事，应当出力。不过，”杨坊急转直下的转入本题：“粮船到了杭州，不晓得怎么运进杭州？” 提到这一层，胡雪岩的脸色，马上转为忧郁了；叹口气说：“唉！这件事也是失策。关城之先，省城里的大员，意见就不一，有的说十个城门统通要关；有的说应该留一两个不关。结果是统统关了。这里一关，长毛马上在城外掘壕沟，做木墙。围困得实腾腾。”他一口气说到这里，喘息了一下又说：“当初还有人提议，从城上筑一道斜坡，直到江边，作为粮道。这个主意听起来出奇：大家都笑。而且工程也浩大，所以就没有办。其实，此刻想来，实在是一条好计；如果能够这么做，虽费点事，可是粮道不断，杭州就能守得住！”接着，又是一声长叹。 听得这样说法，古应春先就大为着急：“小爷叔，”他问：“照你这么说，我们不是劳而无功？” “这也不见得。”胡雪岩说：“只要粮船一到，城里自然拼死命杀开一条血路，护粮进城。” 杨坊点点头，看一看古应春，欲语不语地；胡雪岩察言观色，便知其中有话。 “杨兄，”他说，“你我一见如故，有话尽请直说。”“是这样的，我当然也希望杭州的同乡，有一口活命的饭吃。不过，凡事要从最坏的地方去打算：万一千辛万苦将粮船开到杭州，城里城外交通断绝，到时候，胡先生，你怎么办？” “我请问杨兄，依你看，应该怎么办？” “在商言商，这许多米，总不能送给长毛，更不能丢在江里。”杨坊说道：“如果运不进杭州城，可以不可以请胡先生改运宁波？” 原来他急于要见胡雪岩，是为了这句话。古应春心想：此人倒也是厉害脚色，“门槛”精得很，不可小觑了他。因此，很注意地要听胡雪岩如何回答。 “杨兄的话很实在。如果米运不进杭州城，我当然改运别处，只要不落在长毛手里，运到什么地方都可以。”说到这里，胡雪岩下了一个转语：“不过，杨兄的话，我倒一时答应不下。为什么呢？因为宁波的情形，我还不晓得；许了杨兄，倘或办不到，岂不是我变成失信用。” “宁波的情形，跟上海差不多——。” 因为宁波也有租界。江苏的富室逃到上海，浙东的大户，则以宁波租界为避难之地；早在夏天，宁波的士绅就条陈地方官，愿集资五十万两银子，雇英法兵船代守宁波，及至萧绍失守，太平军一路向东，势如破竹，攻余姚、下慈溪、陷奉化，宁波旦夕不保；于是英、法、美三国领事，会商以后，决定派人到奉化会晤太平军守将范汝增，劝他暂缓进攻宁波。范汝增对这个请求，不作正面答复，但应允保护洋人，因此三国领事已经会衔了布告，保护租界；但陆路交通，近乎断绝，商旅裹足，也在大闹粮荒。杨坊的打算，一方面固然是为桑梓尽力；另一方面亦有善价而沽，趁此机会做一笔生意的想法。 不过杨坊的私心，自然不肯透露，“胡先生，”他说，“据我晓得，逃在宁波的杭州人也不少。所以你拿粮食改运宁波，实在是不得已而求其次的唯一出路。” “那末，到了宁波呢？如果不能上岸，又怎么办？”“不会的。英、法、美三国领事，哪一位都可以出面保护你，到那时候，我当然会从中联络。” “既然如此——。”胡雪岩矍然而起——想好了主意，一时兴奋，忘却腿伤，一下子摔倒在地，疼得额上沁出黄豆大的汗珠。 萧家骥动作敏捷，赶紧上前扶起；古应春也吃了一惊，为他检视伤势。乱过一阵，胡雪岩方能接着他自己的话说下去。“杨兄，既然如此，我们做一笔交易。杭州缺粮，宁波也缺粮，我们来合作；宁波，我负责运一批米过去，米、船，都归我想办法。杭州这方面，可以不可以请你托洋人出面，借个做善事的名义，将我这一批米护送进城？” “这个办法——。”杨坊看着古应春，颇有为难的神情。“小爷叔，做生意，动脑筋，不能不当你诸葛亮。”古应春很委婉地说，“可惜，洋务上，小爷叔你略为有点外行，这件事行不通。” "how?" “因为外国领事，出面干预，要有个名目；运粮到宁波，可以'护侨'为名，为的洋人不能没有食物接济。但杭州的情形就不同了，并无英法美三国侨民，需要救济；而救济中国百姓，要看地方，在交战区域，民食军粮是无从区分的。”等古应春解释完了，杨坊接着补充：“八月里，英国京城有一道命令给他们的公使，叫做'严守中立'；这就是说，哪一面也不帮。所以胡先生的这个打算，好倒是好，可惜办不通。” 胡雪岩当然失望，但不愿形诸颜色；将话题回到杨坊的要求上，慨然说道：“那就一言为定了。这批米如果运不进杭州城，就转运宁波。不过，这话要跟郁老大先说明白；到时候，沙船不肯改地方卸货，就要费口舌了。” “这一层，我当然会请应春兄替我打招呼；我要请胡先生吩咐的是粮价——。” “这不要紧！”胡雪岩有力地打断他的话，“怎么样说都可以。如果是做生意，当然一分一厘都要算清楚；现在不是做生意。” “是，是！”杨坊不免内惭；自语似地说：“原是做好事。” 谈话到此告一段落，古应春怕胡雪岩过于劳累，于伤势不宜，邀了杨坊到客厅里去坐；连萧家骥在一起，商定了跟华尔这方面联络的细节，直到深夜方散。 第二天大家分头办事，只有胡雪岩在古家养伤，反觉清闲无事；行动不便，不能出房门，一个人觉得很气闷，特为将七姑奶奶请了来，不免有些微怨言。 “我是不敢来打扰小爷叔；让你好好养伤。”七姑奶奶解释她的好意，“说话也费精神的。” “唉！七姐，你哪晓我的心事。一个人思前想后，连觉都睡不着；有人谈谈，辰光还好打发。” 谈亦不能深谈，胡雪岩一家，消息全无，谈起来正触及他的痛处。因此，平日健谈的七姑奶奶，竟变得笨嘴拙舌，不知道说什么好？ “七姐，”胡雪岩问道：“这一阵，你跟何姨太太有没有往来？” 何姨太太就是阿巧姐。从那年经胡雪岩撮合，随着何桂清到通州；不久，何桂清果然出仓场侍郎，外放浙江巡抚；升任两江总督，一路扶摇直上。阿巧姐着实风光过一阵子。“好久没有见到她了。”七姑奶奶不胜感慨地，“那时候哪个不说她福气好？何大人在常州的时候，我去过一次；她特为派官船到松江来接我，还有一百个兵保护，让我也大大出了一次风光。到了常州，何大人也很客气。何太太多病，都是姨太太管事，走到哪里，丫头老妈子一大群跟着，那份气派还了得！人也长得越漂亮了，满头珠翠，看上去真象一品夫人。哪晓得何大人坏了事！前一晌听人说，人都老得认不得了。伍子胥过昭关，一夜工夫急白了头发；看起来真有这样的事。” “这样说起来，她倒还是有良心的。” “小爷叔是说她为何制台急成这个样子？” “是啊！”胡雪岩说，“我听王雪公说，何制台的罪名不得了。” “怎样不得了？莫非还要杀头？” 胡雪岩看着她，慢慢点头，意思是说：你不要不信，确有可能。 “这样大的官儿，也会杀头？”七姑奶奶困惑地，大有不可思议之感。 “当然要杀！”胡雪岩忽然出现了罕见的激动，“不借一两个人头做榜样，国家搞不好的。平常作威作福，要粮要饷，说起来是为了朝廷、为了百姓；到真正该他出力的时候，收拾细软，一溜了之。象这样的人，可以安安稳稳拿刮来的钱过舒服日子；尽心出力，打仗阵亡的人，不是太冤枉了吗？” 七姑奶奶从未见过朝雪岩有这样气急败坏的愤激之态，因而所感受的冲击极大。同时也想到了他的境况；心里有着说不出的难过。 “小爷叔，”她不由自主地说：“我看，你也用不着到杭州去了；粮船叫五哥的学生子跟家骥押了去，你在上海养养伤，想办法去寻着了老太太，拿一家人都接到上海来，岂不甚好？” “七姐，谢谢你！你是替我打算，不过办不到。”“这有什么办不到？”七姑奶奶振振有词地说话：“这一路去，有你无你都一样。船归李得隆跟沙船帮的人料理；洋将派来保护的兵，归家骥接头。你一个受了伤的人，自己还要有人照应，去了有帮什么忙？越帮越忙，反而是累赘。”“话不错。不过到了杭州，没有我在从中联络，跟王雪公接不上头，岂不误了大事？” 想一想这话也不错；七姑奶奶便又问道：“只要跟王抚台接上头，城里派兵出来运粮进城；小爷叔，就没有你的事了。”“对。” “那就这样，小爷叔，你不要进城，原船回上海；我们再商量下一步，怎么样想法子去寻老太太。”七姑奶奶又说，“其实，小爷叔你就在杭州城外访查也可以；总而言之，已经出来了，决没有自投罗网的道理。” “这话也说得是——。” 听他的语气，下面还有转语；七姑奶奶不容他出口，抢着说道：“本来就是嘛，小爷叔，你是做生意的大老板；捐班的道台，跟何制台不同，没有啥守土的责任。”“不尽是为公，为的是交情。”胡雪岩说：“我有今天，都是王抚台的提拔，他现在这样子为难，真正是在十八层地狱里受熬煎，我不跟他共患难，良心上说不过去。”“这自然是义气，不过这份义气，没啥用处。”七姑奶奶说，“倒不如你在外头打接应，还有用些。” 这话说得很有道理，但胡雪岩总觉得不能这么做。他做事一向有决断，不容易为感情所左右——其实，就是为感情所左右，也总在自己的算盘上先要打得通；道穿了，不妨说是利用感情。而对王有龄，又当别论了。 “唉！”他叹口气，“七姐，我何尝不知道你是一句好话；不但对我一个人好，而且对王雪公也好。不过，我实在办不到。” “这就奇怪了！既然对你好，对他也好，又为什么不这么做？小爷叔，你平日为人不是这样的。” “是的。我平日为人不是这样；唯独这件事，不知道怎么，想来想去想不通。第一、我怕王雪公心里会说；胡某人不够朋友，到要紧关头，他一个人丢下我不管了。第二、我怕旁人说我，只晓得富贵，不知道啥叫生死交情？”“嗳！”七姑奶奶有些着急了，因此口不择言：“小爷叔，你真是死脑筋，旁人的话，哪里听得那么多，要说王抚台，既然你们是这样深的交情，他也应该晓得你的心。而况，你又并没有丢下他不管；还是替他在外办事。”说到这里，她觉得有一肚子的议论要发：“为人总要通情达理。三纲五常，总也要合道理，才有用处。我最讨厌那些伪道学，或者不明事理的说法：什么'君要臣死，不能不死：父要子亡，不得不亡'！你倒想想看，忠臣死了，哪个替皇帝办事？儿子死了，这一家断宗绝代，孝心又在哪里？” 胡雪岩笑了，“七姐，”他说，“听你讲道理，真是我们杭州人说的：'刮拉松脆'。好痛快！” “小爷叔，你不要恭维我；你如果觉得我的话，还有点道理，那就要听我的劝！”七姑奶奶讲完君臣、父子；又谈“第五伦”朋友：“我听说大书的说'三国'，桃园结义，刘关张不愿同年同月同日生，但愿同年同月同日死，这话就不通！如果讲义气的好朋友，死了一个，别的都跟着他一起去死，这世界上，不就没有君子，只剩小人了？” “这话倒是。”胡雪岩兴味盎然，“凡事不能寻根问底，追究到底好些话都不通。” “原是如此！小爷叔，这天把，我夜里总在想你的情形；想你，当然也要想到王抚台。我从前听你说过，他曾劝过何制台不要从常州逃走；说一逃就身败名裂了！这话现在让他说中；想来杭州如果不保，王抚台是决不会逃走；做个大大的忠臣。不过，你要替他想一想，他还有什么好朋友替他料理后事？不就是小爷叔你吗？” 这话说得胡雪岩矍然动容，“七姐，”他不安地，“你倒提醒我了。” “谢天谢地！”七姑奶奶合掌当胸，长长地舒了口气：“小爷叔，你总算想通了。” “想是还没有想通。不过，这件事倒真的要好好想一想。” 于是他一面跟七姑奶奶闲谈，一面在心里盘算。看样子七姑奶奶的话丝毫不错，王有龄这个忠臣是做定了！杭州的情形，要从外面看，才知道危险；被围在城里的，心心念念只有一个想法：救兵一到，便可解围。其实，就是李元度在衢州的新军能够打到杭州，亦未见得能击退重重包围的长毛。破城是迟早间事；王有龄殉节，亦是迟早间事。且不说一城的眼光，都注视在他身上，容不得他逃；就有机会也不能逃走，因为一逃，不但所有的苦头都算白吃，而且象何桂清这样子，就能活又有什么味道？ “我想通了。”胡雪岩说：“王雪公是死定了！我要让他死得值。” “是嘛！”七姑奶奶异常欣慰，“原说小爷叔是绝顶聪明的人，哪里会连这点道理都想不通？常言的道的是'生死交情'，一个人死了，有人照他生前那样子待他；这个人就算有福气了。” “是啊！他殉了节，一切都在我身上；就怕——。” 他虽没有说出口来，也等于说明白了一样——。这倒不是他自己嫌忌讳；是怕七姑奶奶伤心。然而，在这样的情形之下，以七姑奶奶的性情，自然也会有句痛快话。“小爷叔，这一层你请放心。万一有个三长两短，一切都在我们兄妹夫妻身上。” “是了！”胡雪岩大大地喘了口气，“有七姐你这句话，我什么地方都敢去闯。” 这话又说得不中听了，七姑奶奶有些不安：“小爷叔，”她惴惴然地问：“你是怎么闯法？” “我当然不会闯到死路上去。我说的闯是，遇到难关，壮起胆子来闯。”胡雪岩说，“不瞒你说，这一路来，我遇见长毛，实在有点怕；现在我不怕了，越怕越误事，索性大胆去闯，反倒没事。”