Chapter 23 Spending Money Until It Hurts

  During the waiting period for the verdict, Ye Zhaohua went on a shopping spree and bought a bunch of Western goods to bring back to Beijing. He even managed to buy Holle's camera at a discounted price.

  In the cozy living room of Mr. Holl's lawyer, sipping strong coffee, Ye Zhaoshowed great interest in discussing with Holl the possibility of building a canning factory.

  These days of contact, Holl has been deeply impressed by Ye Zhaowu's knowledge and learning, which is simply "talented and knowledgeable" in Chinese.

  Hawking was an astronomy enthusiast at home, and Ye Zha talked to him about astronomy, saying that the solar system is not the center of the Milky Way, and it will be proven when a better telescope is born.

  Hawking was shocked. The consensus of the Western astronomical community is that the solar system revolves around the center of the Milky Way galaxy, so what makes him confidently overturn this consensus?

  After a few words of debate, Ye Zhaoming smiled and said: "There is a Chinese proverb that says 'man is the spirit of all things', and Westerners have also had similar views since ancient times. However, it must be known that the vast universe was not born for humanity. Hundreds of years ago, Eastern and Western civilizations both believed that all things and stars revolved around the Earth, and a hundred years ago they thought that the stars in the sky revolved around the Sun. Only today did we come to know that the Sun is just an ordinary star in the vast universe. Why must we forcibly assume that the solar system is the center of the Milky Way? Mr. Holl, don't you think this is reasonable?"

  A single remark made Holmes nod silently, and he felt that Yexiao's words were not false.

  A few days ago, Ye Zhaoyou took out a document that he called a "business plan", which was actually a proposal to establish an armory on the American continent by taking advantage of the industrial gunpowder factory. The plan meticulously analyzed the sharp contradictions between the interest groups in North and South America and predicted that war between them was inevitable. It also stated that establishing an armory in America would allow them to reap huge profits from the war, but this would have to wait until the gunpowder factory had taken root in America.

  This draft is to be sealed and taken back to England by Mr. Holt for Wells' perusal.

  And today, Ye Zhaotan talked about the canning factory and pointed out that food spoilage is caused by microorganisms, while high temperatures can kill these bacteria that cause food spoilage.

  Although in continental Europe canning was done by boiling and then sealing, people knew this could preserve food for longer but no one could explain the principle.

  Hawking was astonished and thought that after returning home, he would ask biologists from the Royal Academy of Sciences to prove it.

  Whether it's the proposal or Ye Zhaoboasting in front of Huo, the purpose is to let Wells know how wonderful the prospects of cooperation with himself are. If not, businessmen forget their integrity when they see profits, and they are separated from England by vast oceans. Now that the Suez Canal has not been opened, it will take at least a year for a round trip if the wind is not favorable. I'm afraid that Wells will have an idea and kick himself to one side, and the two so-called authorization documents in his hand will be worthless.

  Ye Zhaohad also realized that while he might be able to plagiarize some small techniques or inventions for the time being, if he didn't put them on the European continent, he would never be able to gain the greatest benefits, and even more so, he wouldn't be able to make them provide the greatest help for his future development. Handing over the patent rights to Wells was indeed a gamble. If he won, the road ahead would be smooth; if he lost, he had only plagiarized others' techniques - what was there to regret? It was just that this path wasn't working out, and it was better to give it up to someone else. If he couldn't even see through this worldly affair, then his rebirth would have been in vain.

  However, the canning factory being discussed now is indeed something Ye Zhao hopes to build in Shanghai. He has some spare money on hand and wants to build a small factory, which would cost no more than tens of thousands of taels of silver.

  Ye Zhaoye didn't expect the canning factory to make any money either. Although providing for the merchant ships coming and going from Shanghai Wharf was a considerable market, this ten thousand taels of silver, if used to purchase goods and travel between Shanghai and London, would yield a substantial profit. Who would invest their silver in such an uncertain short-term venture?

  Ye Zhaowu didn't quite understand military affairs, but he also knew that canned food equipment for the army was a milestone in the history of military supplies, and it had important significance for alleviating the army's logistical burdens and supplying the troops.

  Although lawyer Holl was persuading, Ye Zhaohui still insisted on his own opinion with a smile. Lawyer Holl seemed to have thought of something and started helping Ye Zhaohui analyze the feasibility of the canning factory. In the end, he was disappointed to find that he had to set up a small glass factory to produce containers for canned food.

  Ye Zhaodao didn't mind, so he asked lawyer Holl to write a letter or send someone back to England to purchase equipment that couldn't be bought domestically.

  Mr. Ho smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Ye, the machinery and equipment needed for the factory don't have to be purchased on the European continent, just buy them from Calcutta."

  Ye Zhaowu nodded slightly, but it was not the case. The first railway in Mumbai, India had already been opened to traffic, while the Qing Empire redeemed the first railway built by British merchants on Chinese soil in Shanghai with silver dollars 20 years later, and then dismantled the railway and filled in the roadbed.

  Can this land be changed by a mere government-led Westernization movement?

  ……

  Xianfeng 3 years December 24, in fact, is January 23, 1854.

  Several imperial edicts finally arrived in Shanghai. In "The Cabinet's Memorial to the Emperor", officials such as Xu Naiji were commended for their efforts in suppressing the Small Sword Society rebels over the past few months, stating: "You have worked tirelessly day and night to eliminate them, and it is all thanks to your efforts... We are deeply pleased with your memorial." It also stated: "The bandits have been defeated and are isolated, and the strategy now lies in using military force combined with conciliation. It is precisely the time to take advantage of the situation and quickly sweep them away, carefully planning and coordinating the effort."

  The imperial edict granted rewards to all officials, with Xu Naizhao being promoted to the rank of Right Vice Minister of War, and given a special promotion. Qiao Songnian, the prefect of Suzhou, was promoted to the position of Daoist official, awarded a peacock feather, and concurrently appointed as the Intendant of the Changzhou-Tongzhen-Haizhou Circuit.

  In this edict, the affairs of Jianghai Customs were also mentioned, saying "the sea border is peaceful during the day, and the barbarians surrender immediately". It also said that Ye Zhaoying was "diligent in completing his mission, strategizing to eliminate bandits, mature beyond his years, and relieved me of many worries", and was appointed as a first-class General of Pacifying the Nation, and returned to Beijing for reuse.

  Obviously, Ye Shaojun's military achievements were added to the merits of handling barbarian affairs, and he was promoted three ranks in a row. The title of General of the Nation was first-class, but for the sons of the imperial family, it wasn't a particularly impressive title either. Many people had been enfeoffed as Dukes or Beile since childhood, but Prince Zheng was still in his prime, and Ye Shao would obviously be assigned to take care of things after returning to the capital, which was different from those who relied on their titles to make a living.

  Wu Jianzhang also benefited from this and was appointed as the acting Governor of Jiangsu, changing his title from Daotai to Fantai.

  Looking back on the scenes after arriving in Shanghai, Ye Zhao could only sigh that he had good luck. Originally, it was thought that this trip would be extremely difficult, but who knew that one mistake after another would lead to him gaining an advantage? First, due to Su Hongniang's relationship and Xiao Dao Hui's connection, they were able to persuade Xiao Dao Hui to abandon Shanghai County, causing the Battle of Mud City to deviate from its historical course. As a result, Shanghai City was recovered, and Ye Zhao gained the upper hand in negotiations with Ali Guo and others. Furthermore, his ability to adapt to changing circumstances and negotiate using Western thinking, combined with unexpected events such as the disturbance at the concession area, ultimately led to the successful completion of this mission.

  Ye Zhaoself-deprecatingly said that he was lucky to the extreme, but in fact, every step of the way wasn't carefully planned by him? Perhaps only the unexpected episode of his personal soldiers causing trouble in the concession area.

  At the same time as receiving the imperial edict, Ye Zhao also received two letters from home. One was written by his father, the Prince, and didn't contain any important matters, only expressing his hope for his beloved son to return to the capital soon.

  Another letter, however, shocked Ye Zhao. It was written by Su Shun, who had just been appointed as the Left Servant of the Ministry of Revenue, and also happened to be his uncle in this world. To know that previously, Ye Zhao rarely had any dealings with him, and Su Shun was indeed a clever and capable person. Although his brother, Prince Zheng, and the Xianfeng Emperor did not have a very harmonious relationship, he still managed to advance smoothly in his career. In just three short years of the Xianfeng Emperor's reign, he gradually rose to prominence.

  However, when it comes to noble titles, Su Shun is actually not comparable to his elder brother who inherited the royal throne. His title was only that of a General Who Assists the Nation, whereas Ye Zhao, at a young age, already outranked him by one grade.

  In the letter to Ye Zhao, Su Shun mentioned that the imperial court might open up the border area outside the pass, and Su Shun, as the left servant of the Ministry of Households, came for this purpose. If the emperor's intention is decided, Su Shun fears that he will be in charge of handling the affairs of immigrants.

  It is said that the Northeast may have been opened up a few years earlier because of Zheng Qianwang's memorial, and soon after Ye Zhaowang left Beijing, General Jingchun of Jilin outside the pass submitted a memorial stating that Russian traces were found in the area around Haji Bay.

  In history, due to the implementation of the "virtual border" policy in Northeast China, the area between East Siberia and the Ussuri River was rarely visited by people. The Russian government had no way of knowing about the encroachment of the Qing government on Sakhalin Island, let alone sending anyone there or to the mouth of the Amur River. Even when the Russians completed their actual occupation and sent General Muravyov to renegotiate the border issue with the Qing government in the Far East, the Qing government was still completely unaware that its "back garden" had been occupied by others, thinking they were discussing the long-standing Ussuri River border issue.

  But now that Ye Zhao has taken a preventive shot, he received the secret report from General Jilin and there will be a fierce discussion on the court. From Su Shun's letter, it seems that the voice of opening up the outside of the pass has gained the support of Emperor Xianfeng, but how to open up, where to open up the land, how to move in Han people, how to manage Han people, and what scale to move in Han people? etc. Many threads are likely to be debated by these ministers.

  In the letter, Su Shun lavishly praised Ye Zhaowu a few words and said that when his nephew returned to Beijing, this uncle would definitely have a thorough conversation with Ye Zhao all night.

  Ye Zhaos uncle was quite capable, but too arrogant and lacking in political cunning. He had also made an enemy of Empress Dowager Ci Xi, which led to his tragic fate. As soon as the Xianfeng Emperor died, he was beheaded in a coup launched by Empress Dowager Ci Xi and Prince Gong.

  And how will history develop in this life?

  Ye Zhaowu didn't know and couldn't guess, so he could only take it one step at a time!

  ……

  The golden sign of the Juxian Building shone brightly in the scorching sun, sipping tea, Ye Zha looked out from the carved red wooden window, and sighed lightly in his heart. The sparse pedestrians on the long street, the vegetable vendors lined up not far away, seemed to be listless and dispirited, the current appearance of the country's people was really quite different from what was seen in film and television works.

  This is a newly opened tea house on the second floor, Ye Zhaositting with Su Lao Da are purple sandalwood five-foot inlaid jade round stools, on the red wood tea table, there are two dragon play bead flower carved lacquer small tea trays, white jade-like official kiln porcelain covered bowls, the tea fragrance is elegant and refined, all utensils are of high quality, no wonder the tea price on this second floor pavilion is seven cents silver.

  Su Lao's face was covered with a thin layer of gauze, and it seemed that his wound was healing quickly.

  Shanghai trip, just made Ye Zhao feel the lack of manpower, and on the way back to Beijing, Lao Fuzi was likely to stay in Shanghai for a while. The canning factory had Holler taking care of it, and the management personnel and technicians were all recruited by Holler from Europe or India. However, Lao Fuzi needed to recruit Chinese workers and apprentices, as they couldn't keep employing foreigners at a simple canning factory.

  Moreover, Ye Zhaohopesto successfully sell an idea to Shanghai's Chinese merchants through this canning factory, that is, Western technology is not as mysterious as imagined, and technical workers who do not need to grasp theory are not difficult to cultivate.

  The enlightenment of the people is not a matter of one morning and one evening. The emergence of technical workers will temporarily become a kind of enlightenment in some form.

  Ye Zhaoye had also thought of running a newspaper, but after reading several Chinese newspapers brought back from Hong Kong by lawyer Holle, he found that they were all run by foreign businessmen and were merely tools for them to attack the British government in Hong Kong. Just like how British businessman Denton was using the newspaper "The China Friend" to launch a long-winded attack on Governor Bowen of Hong Kong over the inadequacy of the water supply facilities on Hong Kong Island.

  But if he himself was not in Shanghai, it would be difficult to produce a newspaper with new ideas to cultivate the habit of Chinese businessmen reading newspapers. Ye Zha could only discuss this idea with Hol and ask him to help find talent for running a newspaper, and other matters would be discussed later.

  The other task that Ye Xiangchu had to do in Shanghai with the help of Mr. Hol was to set up schools. The church schools in Hong Kong and Shanghai were actually primary education, but Ye Xiangchu hoped to set up two secondary schools in Shanghai, one for boys and one for girls, mainly teaching basic scientific knowledge. The potential target students were naturally from merchant families in various treaty ports and Hong Kong who had frequent contact with Western countries. Who would send their children to a private school taught by foreigners otherwise? And Ye Xiangchu planned to charge tuition fees for these two schools, which could cover the school's expenses, and the fees would also make these Chinese merchants feel that the threshold of the two schools was very high, and it would be prestigious to send their children there.

  In terms of faculty, Hol had an agreement with the church that the church would provide teachers, but the school would have to pay them a certain salary. The school also had to set up courses taught by pastors to spread Christian teachings, one class per week.

  It seems that Lao Fuzi will have to stay in Shanghai for a while, and the nearly 20,000 taels of silver that Ye Zhaohad just received as a gift had all been handed over to Lao Fuzi. After two tasks were completed, it was likely that not much would be left.

  Thinking about this, Ye Zha found that his trip to Shanghai was smooth sailing and he didn't have to spend much money out of his own pocket, yet many things were accomplished.

  "Is Master Ye leaving Shanghai?" Su Lao Da wore a western suit and a bowler hat, now he was almost unrecognizable even to his fellow townspeople.

  Ye Zhaoming smiled and nodded, saying: "Let's set off on the second day of the new year. We can't spend the New Year on the water, it's unlucky. Besides, it's not easy to hire a boat."

  "It's only a few days left." Su Lao Da calculated the date, tomorrow is New Year's Eve, and that means they will set off in three days. He hesitated for a moment, asking: "And, and Hong Niang?"

  Ye Zhaqiang smiled and said: "Hong Niang should also return to Guangxi."

  Su Lao's face flashed a hint of disappointment, and he said in a low voice: "My sister, I really hope she follows you from now on and lives a peaceful life." Killing officials and rebelling would ultimately lead to no good ending. What Su Lao hated most about himself was bringing his sister into the bloody storm of the jianghu. But when he met Ye Zhao, he knew this was an opportunity. Although Ye Zhao seemed carefree, Su Lao had a feeling that if there was another man in this world who could tame his wild and unruly sister, it would be this young master Ye in front of him.

  No matter what identity Ye Zhao has, Su Lao Da hopes to bring the matter to a successful conclusion, so that his sister can leave behind her life of bloodshed and live a happy and peaceful life. What's the use of having fought in over a hundred battles and being undefeated? What's the point of being a heroic figure if one cannot even protect oneself? A girl is truly fortunate only when she has a loving husband to care for her. Even if one is a heroic woman, what good is it if one ends up dying an unjust death? In the afterlife, how can one face one's own mother with dignity?

  But when he heard that his sister would eventually return to Guangxi, Su Lao Da's disappointed expression was evident, and he silently drained the tea in his cup.

  Ye Zhao patted Su Lao's hand and said, "Hong Niang is not a bird to be kept in a cage. If you insist on keeping her as a golden oriole in a cage, she will wither away and lose her original luster. She won't be happy either. Wait until she gets tired and exhausted, and she will naturally fly back to the nest."

  Su Lao Da sighed and nodded: "It seems that the young master is indeed Hong Niang's confidant, but perhaps even Hong Niang herself doesn't know."

  Ye Zhaosheng smiled slightly and took out his pocket watch to check the time. He said, "I'll go down and take a look. Big brother can sit for a while longer."

  ……

  Ye Zhaolai came down and walked over to the table by the window, where Rui Si, Bakshi, and Alhatu were seated. Seeing their master come down, the three of them hastily stood up to greet him.

  The lobby was filled with the sound of the erhu, but it was that old man and young child I had seen before, who seemed to have a connection with Ye Zhao, yet were now here singing for money.

  "Get out!" Suddenly, a crisp slap sounded, and one of the guests slapped the child who was asking for rewards. Someone even shouted: "What are you singing? You're ruining my mood! Get out!"

  The teahouse owner was originally sympathetic to the old and young, so he let them in. Now seeing that they had annoyed the guests, he hurried out to mediate and repeatedly urged the two to leave.

  "Slow!" Ye Zhaolifted his hand and smiled, beckoning the old man, "Sir, come sit here."

  The guests at the table were about to make a move, when one of them, a short and stout man dressed in silk and satin, suddenly stood up. But before he could say anything, Rui Si was even more arrogant than they were, rushing to speak first, glaring with his triangular eyes as he scolded them loudly: "You few little rabbits get out of here for me! You dare to be so wild? I'll see just how capable you are!"

  Baqersh and Alhatu also stood up abruptly, both with robust physiques, intimidating and standing there like two door gods. Just looking at them made one's heart beat faster, and what was even more frightening was that as soon as they put their hands into the long package on the tea table, each of them pulled out a gleaming dagger, although it was quickly concealed, but still had to be carried.

  "Sir, sirs, look at my face, look at my face." The shopkeeper was so scared that his face turned white, but after all, he couldn't neglect his own business. He ran over to persuade them, while constantly giving the customers at that table meaningful glances, apparently they were regulars.

  "Hao Zhanggui, we've had enough of you today!" The customers at the table said some angry words, got up one after another, threw a few copper coins on the table and slipped out of the teahouse.

  Ye Zhao, however, paid no attention to their dispute. As the old man approached, he smiled and handed him a ten-tael silver note, saying: "Old fellow, singing on the streets isn't a good way out; why not go back to your hometown and find a proper job?"

  The young waiter who came over to pour tea with a trembling heart saw the silver note and his tongue was stuck for half a day, this guy is really generous, the reward is as much as ten taels of silver.

  The old man saw the silver ticket and was stunned, then quickly came to his senses and pulled the child to make him kneel down and kowtow to Ye Zhao, "Hua Zi, hurry up, thank the benefactor."

  Ye Zhaolai picked up the child who was about to kowtow to him and said, "Old man, sit down quickly." He then turned around and called out to his servant to bring tea.

  The old man was even more frightened, the kind-hearted old master who had seen many rewards with silver, but had never been so generous, let alone asked himself to sit at the same table and drink tea, it was a rare occasion, how could such a kind old master, who also valued hierarchy, sit at the same table and chat with a street performer?

  The old man declined repeatedly, but Rui Si'er glared at him and said: "I told you to sit down, so just sit! What's with all the nonsense!"

  The old man was startled and slowly sat down, Ye Zhaogazed at the muddy-faced child and sighed: "Old sir, this child is only a few years old, running around with you will not end well, he should be studying instead."

  The old man was taken aback and then sighed with a bitter smile: "Sir, it's not that I've ruined this child's future, she's just a silly girl."

  Ye Zhaosaw it too, although the child's face was covered in mud, his eyebrows and eyes were beautiful, and there was even a small red birthmark on his brow.

  Ye Zhaoming smiled and said, "What's wrong with girls? They can also pursue their studies and make progress. If they can't enter a private school, they can go to the church school! Not only do they not need tuition fees, but they can also learn Western knowledge. I think daughters should be self-reliant too!"

  Listening to Ye Zhaoli's rebellious words, Lao Ren Shan Yang Hu was panting heavily, but he didn't dare to retort against his benefactor, so he could only respond with a vague "yes".

  The child blinked her eyes, curiously looking at Ye Zhaung. She didn't quite understand what Ye Zhaung was saying, but she secretly remembered it in her heart. This handsome little uncle seemed to make more sense than Grandpa's words.

  Ye Zhao saw the young girl staring at him, smiled and patted her head. At that time, Ye Zhao didn't know that their fate was far from over. Years later, when they met again, it would be a completely different scene.

  ……………………

  Votes...