Chapter 40: Seeking Recommendation at Blenheim Palace

  New book uploaded, seeking collection and recommendation

  From the dirty, noisy industrial area of Manchester full of beggars, prostitutes and child laborers to the magnificent Blenheim Palace which is luxurious to the extreme, it's like going from hell to heaven or from Europe in 1843 to Europe in 2014.

  The owner of this house is the 6th Duke of Marlborough, George Spencer-Churchill, who was also the elder brother of Winston Churchill. This luxurious mansion covers an area of 2,100 acres, equivalent to over 12,000 mu, which was awarded by Queen Anne of England to John Churchill, the first Duke of Marlborough, for his great victory in the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. To build this mansion, the British treasury spent ￡240,000 and the Churchill family also spent ￡60,000 - that's 18th-century pounds!

  As soon as he entered Blenheim Palace, Zhū Jì Shì felt the atmosphere of luxury and extravagance hitting him in the face. The lawn was so vast that it was hard to imagine, and a little further away there was a lake, which was either natural or man-made. On one side of the lake there were large tracts of woodland, all naturally grown. The carriage drove for a while on the hard road surface crossing the lawn before approaching the main building of Blenheim Palace. Outside the palace, Zhū Jì Shì saw many beautifully carved fountains, stone statues and neatly trimmed hedges, all in typical European garden style.

  This place, Zhu Jishi had been here more than a hundred years ago, was traveling with Ye Yiren. Now it is accompanied by Isabel Denauf and possibly Churchill's uncle's fat son as a guest visiting this luxurious mansion.

  Today, the visitors to Blenheim Palace are not just one or two. As far as the eye can see, colorful umbrellas are open everywhere, and beautifully dressed ladies and gentlemen are scattered on the lawn in twos and threes. Tables have already been set up. Chefs wearing white tall hats stand proudly, making European cuisine on the spot. There are also many waiters carrying trays of cocktails, wearing embroidered woolen jackets, walking among the guests, carefully pouring various fine wines into the guests' glasses.

  As soon as Zhu Jishi arrived, there was a burst of sparse applause, and many blonde beauties cast interested glances his way. On the way to Blenheim Palace, Qiu Pangzi told Zhu Jishi in a half-joking tone that several famous beauties in the Omar Club had already made a private bet on who could be the first to seduce him into bed. Of course, Isabelle was not participating in this betting game, although her relationship with Zhu Jishi was still quite pure, everyone thought she had already slept with him, truly frightening...

  While Zhu Jishi met all these gazes with a friendly smile. Yesterday, when having dinner at the villa of Denaf, Isabel and Roman, the two sisters, once again gave this good young man from 170 years later in China a brainwashing lesson on the decadent lifestyle of the bourgeoisie. They told Zhu Jishi that if he wanted to make a name for himself in this world, then the fewer enemies the better, and the more friends the better — it seems that the principles of dealing with people are similar between East and West.

  The two sisters also said that in Europe, men and women are relatively equal. So boyfriends are friends, girlfriends are also friends, the more the better, and the way to make friends with those wealthy and powerful women in Omar's club is to go to bed! So for those noblewomen who are willing to befriend him, it's best to satisfy their request to go to bed as much as possible! Because in most cases, if you sleep with them, it means respecting them, and not sleeping with them means looking down on them, which would unnecessarily make enemies!

  This capitalist system is really too rotten and dark, no wonder Comrade Engels couldn't stand it!

  Of course, whose bed can be boarded and whose bed cannot be boarded is still very particular. If you get on the wrong bed, you may also suffer from misfortune! Therefore, Isabel requires Zhu Jishi to seek her opinion before getting into bed with others. The 5% stake in emotions, the female countess really isn't white, including "bedding problem consultation fee".

  Qiu Pangzi led the way in front, Isabel Denuve, wearing a off-the-shoulder long dress, was holding onto Zhu Jishi's arm, with a happy smile all over her face, just like a lovesick woman who had been conquered by Zhu Jishi and was willing to be his mistress. Of course, this was all an act, but "conquering" one of the "mistresses" in the Olmack Club was a very prestigious thing, it could make those playboys and noble ladies in high society look at Zhu Jishi with new eyes (what kind of rule is this?).

  Zhu Jishi was smiling and nodding his head, greeting a certain noblewoman. Among the crowd, most of the foreigners showed considerable friendliness towards this "Oriental Great Scientist", but there were also two pairs of eyes that revealed an extremely unfriendly atmosphere. Zhu Jishi's gaze also fell upon them, only to see a middle-aged man in his fifties staring at him with contemptuous and even hateful eyes. This middle-aged man seemed to be ill, coughing from time to time, and covering his mouth with a silk handkerchief.

  Just as Zhu Jishi was about to withdraw his gaze, he suddenly saw something and was stunned, staring fixedly at the side of the middle-aged man. To his surprise, there was a Chinese face there, wearing a long gown and a melon-shaped hat! The Chinese man's eyes were even wider, foolishly staring at Zhu Jishi as if sizing up an alien visitor, the shock in his eyes impossible to conceal.

  In a moment, Robert Churchill had introduced Zhu Jishi to the British guests in Blenheim Palace with impeccable gentlemanly manners. These guests were all members of the British upper class, either nobles or high officials, and at the very least wealthy merchants... Zhu Jishi smiled warmly at these people, using the tone that Isabelle had taught him to greet them, and even kissed the gloved hands of several noble ladies. Before long, Zhu Jishi found himself in front of a middle-aged man with a Chinese servant.

  "This is Mr. William Jardine, a member of the House of Commons... Mr. Jardine is also a respected businessman, he is the boss of Jardine Matheson & Co., has been engaged in trade with China for a long time and lived in Canton for a very long period..."

  Zhu Jishi's knowledge of history was limited, and he didn't know what kind of person William Chardin was. Although he felt the intense hostility emanating from him, he still smiled and extended his hand to shake hands - this was the legendary gentlemanly demeanor that Zhu Jishi had also learned. However, William Chardin merely gave a cold smile and spoke in fluent Cantonese: "I never thought that in England I would meet a second Chinese person besides my servant Sven, a Chinese person without a queue..."

  Zhu Jishi smiled and withdrew his hand, also speaking in Cantonese to Zha Dian: "Mr. Zha Dian, if I'm not mistaken, you're suffering from severe pulmonary tuberculosis, aren't you? In the past, this was an incurable disease, but I've found a way to extend the lives of TB patients and alleviate their suffering. Although no TB patient has been cured by my invention yet, I think you should still give it a try."

  William gave a cold, mirthless smile and replied, "You're referring to the injectable salt acid atropine and the pulmonary tuberculosis syrup with added diethyl morphine? As it happens, I've already been using these two medications; otherwise, I probably wouldn't be standing here! By the way, you probably don't know that I'm also a surgeon and a member of the Royal Medical Society."

  Dr. Zhu smiled: "It's my honor to make a contribution to your health." He paused for a moment, casting a curious glance at the Chinese man beside Mr. Chardin, "And who is this?"

  William Jardin looked at the Chinese man, who rushed to Zhu Zhiyi and bowed his fist, with a smile all over his face: "I am Bai Siwen, a Guangzhou citizen."