The Royal Merchant of the Red Chamber

The changing situation in the palace, ghosts, monsters, slandering and slandering Xue Pan naturally don't know.He didn't have that interest in getting involved.So when Lin Mozhi came to visit, he never thought about inquiring about Tu Zhen's behavior in private.It was Lin Mozhi who took the initiative to talk about Tu Zhen throwing chestnuts.Xue Pan listened, although on the surface he didn't care, but in the end he was still happy.After all, no one wants to be used as a target.

Lin Mozhi looked at Xue Pan's ignorant expression, and sighed slightly in his heart.In terms of intelligence, Xue Pan is by no means inferior to him.It's just that for some reason, Xue Pan has intentionally or unintentionally concealed his abilities since his last life.You say he is pretending to be a pig and eating a tiger, but he is really calm.If you want to say that he really doesn't care about anything, it's not like that.But when you don't mess with him, it's true that he's as harmless as a rabbit.

But in life, there will always be some thoughts.Expect to get something, or fame and fortune, or rich clothes and food, or peace and prosperity.Where there is need, there will be desire. Although Xue Pan also has this point, it always makes people feel that these things are there, and if they are gone, it is not a rare feeling.After all, I still didn't care about anything.But he really doesn't care?

Knowing that he is being used by others, he is not unwilling, and knowing that he is being plotted by others, he is not at all impatient.Is it really indifferent or the city is too deep?

For a moment, Lin Mozhi felt that he couldn't understand what Xue Pan was thinking at all.He is like a basin of clear water, so transparent that you can see through it at a glance.Anyone who understands physics also knows that because of the refraction of sunlight, the depth of water that people see with the naked eye is not necessarily true.

Lin Mo frowned subconsciously, and was in a daze for a while.

Xue Pan looked at it coldly, and said with a grin: "Don't use your psychoanalysis skills on me. Are you not tired after thinking so hard every day?"

Lin Mozhi's heart skipped a beat, and he said calmly, "It's work, where the responsibility lies."

"Work is work, and entertainment is entertainment. It is a combination of work and rest." Xue Pan said with a smile: "Tomorrow, I will go to Honglu Temple with Prince Zhongrui, do you want to follow?"

Lin Mozhi twitched the corners of his mouth, and said disapprovingly, "You are going to torture the prisoners, what should I do next?"

"Use your proficient psychological knowledge to torture them, completely disintegrate the strong barriers in their hearts, and quickly obtain the materials and information we want." Xue Pan narrowed his eyes and said with a smile: "This is to serve the country!"

Lin Mozhi shook his head, he also knew how much Tu Zhen valued these barbarians.Mingli asked Nan'an County King to handle the matter, which attracted the attention of most people, including the emperor.Secretly, he did not hesitate to spend a lot of money to set up a shipyard in Tianjin Wei in the name of others, and searched for many barbarians who could build ships and experienced folk craftsmen to study the two captured warships.Spending money like flowing water, I am afraid I also want to quickly form a sharp navy!

Exports have been more profitable since ancient times.The profit of overseas caravans also ranks in the top three of all the Xue family's businesses.With the financial support of the Xue family, Tu Zhen also realized the huge profits of overseas trade.Under the secret bridge of Xue's family, Tu Zhen has now sent people from the sticky pole to hook up with smuggling ship dealers in Yangzhou, and quietly started sea business.They even quietly bribed the nobles of many overseas countries and stole back the materials for building gunboats.They also secretly bought a lot of the latest gunboats, and even pretended to be pirates and wandered around the Ryukyu area, specializing in robbing those barbarian merchant ships that came to do business.All the profits were invested in Tianjin Wei's shipyard.

After all, the thoughts of the heaven and the kingdom are at work, and Tu Zhen is all about making excellent gunboats.He couldn't bear the fact that those uncivilized barbarians who had not received Confucian etiquette were smarter than the people of the Dayong Dynasty... Isn't it just shipbuilding, the majestic dynasty contends with a hundred schools of thought, there are countless strange people and strange things, and he will never be stumped by such a trivial matter.

So from a certain point of view, Tu Zhen is a very paranoid person, and he does not stick to means. As long as he can achieve his goal, he doesn't care even if the process is a little secretive.And once he made a decision, he had to go all the way to the dark, and he would not turn back when he hit the south wall.Fortunately, he is the emperor of a country. Although he is aggrieved on the surface, but with the support of the state machine, some things are relatively easy to do.

It's just that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't change the fact that the national treasury was empty.What's more, with his current strength, even if the treasury is abundant, he would not dare to move it at will.That's why he was so concerned about Xue Pan's going to Honglu Temple.No one else—I just hope that Xue Pan can make some profitable business quickly, so that he can continue to make arrangements.

There are too many gullies in Tu Zhen's heart, and it is difficult for Xue Pan to figure it out.However, he could understand Tu Zhen's impatience recently.Therefore, he does not intend to drag Prince Zhongrui who wants to be a partner.Left and right Tuzhen Jinkou Yuyan, he must go to Honglu Temple tomorrow.

Lin Mozhi naturally understood the collusion, and immediately smiled indifferently: "I'm going to do business, do you have a charter in mind?"

In fact, Xue Pan already has a charter for what kind of business he wants to do, and tomorrow's past is just trying to get some technical things.So Xue Pan said lightly: "What do you think of opium?"

Lin Mozhi was startled suddenly, and asked subconsciously, "What did you say?"

"Do you still remember the Opium War?" Xue Pan squinted his eyes slightly, and said calmly: "When I read the modern history of China, I was very breathless. Why did we Chinese have to suffer so much? Now I am just retaliation. An eye for an eye."

Lin Mozhi said in a deep voice, "It's not humane for you to do this."

Xue Pan sneered and said with a smile: "Did they think about humanity when they were in the Eight-Nation Alliance? Tomorrow, I will go to Honglu Temple just to ask if anyone knows how to purify it."

Lin Mozhi looked at Xue Pan silently. Although they had imagined what would happen if they returned to the ancient times in their previous life, but when things came to an end, he suddenly felt uneasy.

"Don't worry!" Xue Pan patted Lin Mozhi's shoulder and said with a smile: "I have found the origin of poppies, and I have also asked people to study how to grow poppies in greenhouses, and now I have a clue. Wait for the Holy One to fix it." After the gunboat and the navy, we also set up a Chinese company or something to grab colonies outside. I still remember that Baidu once said that there is a poppy field in Burma that is of particularly good quality. The opium imported from Britain to China was produced there. There is always a lot of silver, and there will be no shortage of money."

Lin Mozhi could only hear his heart pounding, but he couldn't tell what it was like.Recalling that period of humiliating modern history in my mind, although they are now living in a superficial era, it does not prevent those history from hurting them...

After pondering for a long time, Lin Mozhi gritted his teeth and said viciously: "Tomorrow I will go to Honglu Temple with you. Whether they know each other or not, I will definitely ask for everything that should be tortured."

Seeing this, Xue Pan narrowed his eyes triumphantly.I thought in my heart: "If it is made out, the first one will be sold to Dongying. Meow meow, I will make another opium cessation cream at that time, one industry will make two money, quack..."

Early the next morning, Xue Pan got up under the service of the maid.After washing and having breakfast, it's just the beginning of the hour.

It was not yet daylight.Xue Pan looked out through the window, only feeling foggy, and couldn't help chuckling: "It's the first time I wake up so early after the Chinese New Year! Sure enough, people with a country in their hearts are like this day and night, forgetting to eat and sleep!"

Lin Mozhi rolled his eyes disgusted by Xue Pan's words, and sneered coldly: "You are as cheeky as the corner of the city wall."

Xue Pan chuckled, and the two chatted again.I heard a report from someone outside: "Prince Zhongrui and Prince Zhonglian came to visit, the master asked if he was awake. If he is awake, go to the main hall quickly!"

Xue Pan and Lin Mozhi looked at each other, and said speechlessly: "Do you need to be so active!"

The two brought each other to the main hall, and found that the two princes were talking happily with Xue Zhizhang.After Xue Pan and others came forward to meet the ceremony, Xue Zhizhang said to Xue Pan with a smile: "The two princes said that today they will go to Honglu Temple with you on business. You have to be careful, and don't miss the official business of the two princes. Son."

Xue Pan nodded in agreement.

Only then did Tu Huang smile and said: "You are loyal and trustworthy. In fact, Xiao Wang was ordered to assist the young master on this errand. The important thing is the young master, and Xiao Wang is not serious."

Xue Zhizhang quickly said: "Don't dare, dare. I still know what the child is doing. It's just playing around all day long. How can I achieve any career. Everything is planned by the prince."

"Marquis Zhongxin's words are wrong. The name of the young master, the god of wealth, is known to everyone, and everyone knows it. How can the little king fight for the front. This time, I hope that I can learn more from the young master's side, so let me wait and see." Just look at this way of turning stone into gold." Tu Huang said, and gave Xue Pan a meaningful look.

Xue Pan blinked innocently, and smiled shyly at Tu Huang, looking innocent and ignorant.

Seeing this, Tu Huang froze the smile on his face, feeling a little greasy in his heart.

After a few more gossips on the hatchback, it was daylight.At this time, the yamen of all ministries also started to handle errands.Everyone got up immediately, and after saying goodbye to each other, Xue Pan and Lin Mozhi followed the two princes out of Xue's mansion.

Tu Huang looked back at Lin Mozhi, who was calm and breezy, frowned, and asked loudly, "Why are you following?"

Xue Pan explained with a smile: "His interrogation methods are very powerful, and he can save a lot of trouble."

When Tu Huang heard this, he was startled.After looking him up and down, he felt that Lin Mozhi was thin, gentle and elegant, gentle and handsome, no matter how you looked at him, he was a modest gentleman, without any privacy and terror of the torturers.I can't help feeling suspicious in my heart. "Look at him, he doesn't look like this, he can't be a lie!"

Prince Zhonglian pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said: "You can't judge by appearance, and this kind of thing doesn't require torture to extract a confession. Maybe Lin Zhuangyuan has other ideas!"

Tu Huang looked at Lin Mozhi suspiciously, but he no longer doubted it.The left and right Honglu Temple will be there in a while, and it will not be too late to talk about anything when it arrives.

After a stick of incense, everyone stood side by side in front of the gate of Honglu Temple.The Minister of Honglu Temple, who had already received the news, waited in front of the door with a group of subordinates.After letting the person inside respectfully.Xue Pan was the first to ask, "Where are those barbarians?"

Because of the double orders from the emperor and the saint.Even though Xue Pan had no position, the minister of Honglu Temple did not dare to neglect him in the slightest.Hearing Xue Pan's question, he immediately replied respectfully: "There are more than 2 people, except for a group of gunners who were taken away by the Nan'an County King, the rest are locked in prison."

Xue Pan immediately said, "Take us there to have a look."

Honglu Siqing immediately hesitated. "Returning to the young master, the prison is dirty and smelly. I'm afraid it will offend several nobles. If the young master tells the person he needs, I will send someone to the prison to pick him up." .”

"No need." Xue Pan waved his hand, and said indifferently: "We need a lot of people, and maybe we need to ask questions one by one. It would be too troublesome for you to bring them up one by one."

The Minister of Honglu Temple felt a little comfortable with the words, and immediately said with a smile: "In that case, I will do as I wish."

After finishing speaking, he paused for a moment, and then added: "Actually, I heard that my superiors ordered several nobles to come here yesterday. The subordinate officials have already sent people to clean up the prison. But no matter how you clean it up, it's all up to you. Prison..."

Xue Pan nodded, expressing his understanding.

So Honglu Temple Minister led the way with a smile, and personally led the people into the prison where the prisoners of war were held.

The location of the prison is underground, and as soon as Pu entered, the dim light made people feel oppressed and uneasy.The torches on both sides were burning and crackling.The walls and floors are newly painted and very clean.Even a little wet.There was a damp, putrid smell in the air, and even a faint smell of blood.

There are wooden cages on both sides, which are full of people.The cell bosses in twos and threes walked back and forth with sharp weapons in their hands. When they saw Xue Pan and his party, they immediately nodded and bowed in salute.

Xue Pan and the others lingered on the ragged prisoners, most of whom had colorful hair and eyeballs.The skin on his body couldn't see its original color because he had been imprisoned for too long and hadn't been washed.When they saw Xue Pan and the others, they just looked dull and huddled in the corner blankly.

The Minister of Honglu Temple on the side smiled and said: "Don't look at them being quiet now, they were very noisy when they first came, and they were noisy every day. Our officials have never dealt with so many prisoners of war. Later, they were sent from the prison and Jinyiwei. Some people were transferred over, and after a tidying up, it was considered honest."

Xue Pan and the others immediately knew that this sort of arrangement was definitely not as simple as it sounded on the surface.

Xue Pan turned his eyes back to these people, feeling his sizing up, those prisoners immediately shrank themselves into a ball, without saying a word, and even tried their best to reduce their sense of existence.

Seeing this, Xue Pan suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

He grew up in a so-called equal world in his previous life, and all he saw was peace, prosperity, and flowers.After rebirth, he also lived in a big family with ample food and clothing, and never suffered physical persecution or spiritual oppression.He couldn't imagine what kind of means turned each soldier into what he is now.

The foreigners in his impression are all arrogant, and he even met many racists who looked down on the Chinese when he was studying abroad.So he didn't like foreigners very much.But seeing foreigners like this now, I feel that they are quite pitiful.

The minister of Honglu Temple on the side suddenly said: "Young Lord, don't look at them now, they are very pitiful. When they first came, they looked very hideous. They even threatened us to let them go quickly, otherwise their emperor will send the most powerful The gunboats attacked us. When they were on the coast of the West Sea, they relied on their own ships and their sharp guns, and often robbed passing merchant ships. After killing the men, leaving the women behind... they even went ashore to plunder the people. Burning, killing and looting, they did everything. If it wasn't for the King of Nan'an's victory this time, I'm afraid the people of Xihai Yanzi will suffer even more crimes."

After speaking, everyone's eyes turned cold again.Xue Pan turned his head and talked about his needs with Honglu Siqing, whispered for a while, and suddenly heard a cry from the cage in front of him.It was a very blunt Beijing dialect, and he said in a stumbling manner: "Let me out, I can provide you with important news."