Chapter Sixteen: Eldest Uncle Wan Fu

  The Little Knives will rebel and occupy the county town of Shanghai, and many Chinese people will rush into the concession, causing a sharp increase in population. Overnight, there are many more Chinese-style shops with signboards on Zhonghua Road, and the flow of people is also bustling, adding to the prosperity.

  Ye Shao and Su Lao Da sat in the first floor hall of a tea house drinking tea, also observing the various people pouring into the concession from the streets.

  In the morning, Ye Zhao took Su Lao Da to Mr. Hore's residence for a cup of coffee. Mr. Wells had already left Shanghai and all business matters were handled by Mr. Hore.

  Turning to see the gauze wrapped around Su Lao's face, Ye Zhaoyang couldn't help but sigh. Last night, he had chatted with Su Lao for a few sentences and mentioned, "Big Brother is very famous in Guangxi, but has been in Shanghai for a long time, I'm afraid of being recognized, tomorrow I'll think of a way to help you."

  Who would have thought that Su Lao Da cut his own face that night, although Su Hong Niang didn't know what Ye Zhao wanted her brother to stay in Shanghai for, but listening to Ye Zhao's words, it seemed that it would be of great help to the anti-Qing cause, so Su Lao Da, this iron man, actually self-mutilated his body for Ye Zhao's sake.

  "Big brother, compared to you and these contemporary heroes, I'm really ashamed!" Ye Zhao exclaimed. These people were either heroes or fugitives, but in this era, they had their uses. Compared to them, he was just a weakling, and even a small scratch would make him cry out in pain.

  Su Lao Da smiled foolishly, touched the gauze on his face and said: "The foreigners' medicine is quite effective." He had just been to Lawyer Holl's place and asked a Western doctor to re-suture and bandage him.

  Ye Zhaoming nodded and said, "Yes, Western civilization has its merits. Elder brother will stay in Shanghai and take care of everything." He had just discussed with Lawyer Holl that Su Lao Da would be introduced to the Shenhe Bank as a comprador, and after getting familiar with the circle, he would set up a shipping company and charter a steamship for transportation business. Holl was very much in favor of this idea, as at present foreign firms were not allowed to trade northward, while Chinese merchants' first steamship going northward would surely make a fortune.

  Su Lao Da smiled and nodded, glancing at Ye Zhao, saying: "Young Master Ye, I'm a straightforward person, I don't mince words. You're an ambitious person, and you think I, Su Lao Da, have some minor use, so I'll definitely help you handle this matter perfectly."

  Ye Zhao smiled: "What great ambition, big brother is too optimistic about me, but I do have a few words to remind you."

  "You said." Su Lao Da put down the celadon tea bowl.

  Ye Zhaotian rubbed his chin, speaking in a low voice: "I know that Big Brother and the Taiping Army, the Small Swords Society are sworn enemies, but I hope from now on, Big Brother will forget old grudges and focus on training in Shanghai. Let me put it this way, even if there are Green Camp soldiers chasing after Heaven and Earth Society members on the streets right now, Big Brother only needs to be a bystander, for a small moment of intolerance can ruin the entire plan."

  Su Lao Da nodded slowly and said, "I understand." But then suddenly smiled: "Young master, I like it when you call me big brother. It's Hong Niang's good fortune to meet you."

  Ye Zhaowu was slightly stunned, but didn't expect Su Lao Da to actually agree with her and Su Hongniang's affair, and even took the initiative to act as a big brother-in-law.

  Su Lao Da sighed softly and said, "Hong Niang is a strong-willed child, her fate is bitter, it's all my fault, I've exhausted her since she was young, wandering around the world, coming and going in the wind and rain, not having a single peaceful day. A good girl like her has to spend every day with a group of rough men, living a life of bloodshed and violence. I'm ashamed of myself! When I meet my mother in the afterlife, she'll ask me one question: how did you take care of your sister? I won't know what to say."

  Unexpectedly, this rough-looking man still had such delicate thoughts. Ye Zhaolight patted his hand and said: "Brother Su, rest assured, I will take good care of her from now on and won't let anyone bully her."

  Su Lao Da smiled with relief and raised his tea bowl, saying: "Today we can't drink wine, so let's use the foam to toast you! I hope you won't disappoint my little sister!"

  Ye Zhaoye raised his teacup and clinked it against his, seeing Su Lao Da gulping down tea, a surge of heroic spirit rose up in his chest.

  Two people were chatting, when suddenly a sound of silk and bamboo came from the side. Turning their heads to look, they saw that an old man and a young boy had appeared in the teahouse, dressed in tattered clothes. The old man was over 70 years old, holding a erhu, playing and singing: "The golden powder is scattered throughout the fifteen provinces of the southeast, and the deep-seated resentment belongs to the famous families. The guests who have been wronged are all accounted for, and the talented scholars are in high positions. Afraid to hear the sound of the zither, they write books that are all about the interests of the aristocracy. Where are Tian Heng's 500 men? Could it be that they have all become marquises upon their return?"

  The melody is desolate and bleak, evoking a sense of sorrow and melancholy.

  The old man can sing this song, it is clear that he is a learned scholar who has not achieved his ambitions and has ended up in such a desolate state in his later years. Looking at the 4 or 5 year old child, with a face full of black mud, pitifully stretching out his hand to beg for rewards from the table, but the guests just shoo him away with disgust.

  Looking at the old and young, Ye Zhao let out a soft sigh in her heart, silently muttering "Ten thousand entanglements of gratitude and resentment, ten thousand entanglements of gratitude and resentment", gradually becoming infatuated.

  Su Lao Da tossed a few pieces of silver coins to the young child, also without saying a word.

  ……

  In the afternoon, British Consul A. G. Reid came to the Imperial Commissioner's Office to make a solemn protest against the looting of the Concession by Qing troops.

  As the concession is not separated from the Qing army barracks outside by a city wall, there are often Qing soldiers and militiamen entering the concession, resulting in constant disputes. A few days ago, some soldiers and militiamen stole wood from the dock and clashed with foreign merchants, beating them up before fleeing; last night, soldiers and militiamen again fought with foreign merchants at Yangtan, but were driven off when a company of foreign riflemen arrived, wounding several Qing soldiers and killing one, whereupon the soldiers and militiamen scattered.

  Ye Zhaowu knew that the famous Battle of Mud City in history was caused by the deepening contradictions between the two sides several months later. The fuse was a foreign businessman who was walking with his wife in the horse racing hall and encountered Qing soldiers, and both sides fired, and the foreign businessman was seriously injured. This series of conflicts made the consuls of Britain, France, and the United States determined to teach the Qing army a lesson, so they organized more than 300 British and American sailors and marines to attack the Qing army, and also asked the Small Swords Society to cooperate in the battle. Ironically, only three hundred foreign guns defeated tens of thousands of Qing soldiers, and even burned down the Qing army's large camp.

  The Battle of Taku Forts also further exposed the weakness of the Qing dynasty to Western countries, and Western countries began to focus on using military force to protect concessions. After this battle, officials in Jiangnan region became more fearful of Western countries and began a military cooperation with them to suppress the Small Swords Society and Taiping Army. However, hardliners in Beijing still looked down on foreigners. Of course, these so-called hardliners did not have any national dignity, but rather an inexplicable sense of self-importance. Even after losing the First Opium War, they thought that Western countries were far away across the ocean and would quickly leave after signing treaties. They believed that the Qing dynasty was doing favors to Western countries by granting them a few ports for trade and giving Hong Kong Island to Britain.

  It was just a trick to fool the foreigners and make them leave China as soon as possible, no one thought of abiding by it. The conditions proposed by the British at that time were outrageous, but unexpectedly, the Qing government agreed to them all at once, which made the British extremely happy, but they had no idea that the Qing government didn't take this treaty seriously from the very beginning.

  Ten years later, in the Great Qing Empire's imperial court, there is still a sense of discontent and arrogance about that war.

  It wasn't until the Second Opium War several years later that the Anglo-French coalition army actually arrived at the gates of Beijing, burning down the Yuanmingyuan Garden. It was only then that the hardliners led by the Xianfeng Emperor were truly hurt. The Xianfeng Emperor died suddenly, and Ye Mingchen, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi who had refused to deal with foreigners, was captured and exiled to India, where he died in a foreign land. The impact on all officials of the Qing dynasty can be imagined. The attitude of the subsequent Qing government towards Western countries underwent a 180-degree turn, the Self-Strengthening Movement emerged, and comprehensive cooperation with the West began to suppress the rebels.

  The Battle of Nanking is rarely mentioned in domestic historical books, but its impact is actually very profound.

  Looking at the current situation, a conflict between the concession foreigners and the Qing army is likely to be unavoidable. In response to Eliot's protest, Ye Zhaoying only replied that it was not within his power, but he understood the indignation of various countries and expressed regret.

  That night, Ye Zhaoxing suddenly got up and wanted to go take a look at the horse racing hall that caused the Battle of Mud City in history. In fact, the horse racing hall that caused the Battle of Mud City was the second horse racing field that was about to be excavated, not where Ye Zhao went, but Ye Zhao wasn't very clear about it.