After Lin Zexu's sudden death more than a year ago, Lin Zexu's eldest son Lin Ruzhou, who was working in Beijing, should have returned to his hometown in Fujian for three years to mourn Lin Zexu. However, in order to win people's hearts, Emperor Xianfeng not only promoted Lin Ruzhou to the cabinet's lecturer, but also issued an edict to seize the love and continue to stay in the capital to serve. Therefore, before leaving Beijing and returning to Shanghai, Wu Jianzhang took Wu Chaoyue to Lin Ruzhou's house with shame, introduced his precious grandson to the eldest son who was backing, and ordered Wu Chaoyue to respectfully call Lin Ruzhou his uncle - this was also the only political asset that Wu Jianzhang could pass on to Wu Chaoyue.

What made Wu Jianzhang quietly relieved was that Lin Zexu's eldest son did not cut off his mat and broke off his righteousness because Wu Jianzhang later did some business. He politely received the grandparents and grandchildren of the Wu family. Although he confiscated the generous meeting gifts presented by Wu Jianzhang with both hands, he also recognized Wu Chaoyue, allowed Wu Chaoyue to call him uncle, and allowed Wu Chaoyue to come to Lin Zexu Ling to celebrate incense and send a gift. When he remembered the past events before Lin Zexu Ling, Wu Jianzhang couldn't help but burst into tears, crying heartbrokenly.

Next, Wu Jianzhang of course begged Lin Ruzhou to take care of his grandson. What made Wu Chaoyue lose his soul was that Lin Ruzhou not only agreed immediately, but also asked Wu Chaoyue to come to his home every day to study the Four Books and Five Classics, classics, history, and collections of classics, history, and expressed his desire to build Wu Chaoyue into a talent for Wu Jianzhang. Wu Chaoyue had no choice but to bring out his newly worshipped teacher Zeng Guofan as a shield, saying that Zeng Guofan also had similar requests. Lin Ruzhou then gave Wu Chaoyue a favor, but also asked Wu Chaoyue to go to his home every ten days to undergo an assessment to check Wu Chaoyue's academic status.

Seeing that the old master looked down on his grandson so much, Wu Jianzhang was of course grateful and couldn't help but feel happy. Wu Chaoyue forced a smile, thanked him, and screamed in his heart, "It's over! It's over now! Zeng Guofan hasn't figured out how to settle it yet. Lin Ruzhou is here to force me to learn a saint, "Day, I'll be strange if I don't drive me crazy for a long time! I have to find a way to leave, and I have to find a way to leave quickly!"

No matter how much screaming, it was useless. After reporting to the Ministry of Personnel and receiving the official seal, Wu Chaoyue could only report to the Ministry of Rites to meet with the Han Secretary He Rulin and the Minister of Mid Yixiang of the Ministry of Rites. What made Wu Chaoyue even more crying was that although He Rulin and Yixiang both praised Wu Chaoyue's talent for Tongyi, they also taught Wu Chaoyue that he should not only focus on foreign languages ​​and Yi languages, but they should participate in more lectures on the lectures of the Qing Dynasty, learn more about the Four Books and Five Classics, and ethical principles.

What made Wu Chaoyue even more amused was that the main job of Duke Cijue Zhenguo, Yixiang, who was supposed to be the master of the quid, even talked with Wu Chaoyue about piano, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, songs and essays. After learning that Wu Chaoyue knew nothing about these things, Yixiang actually scolded Wu Chaoyue and forced Wu Chaoyue to learn these good things that cultivate one's character and cultivate sentiment. At the same time, it was also later that Wu Chaoyue realized that Yixiang and his wife were both famous talented poets in the capital. In addition, Yixiang also painted a good painting, and a piece of ink was worth dozens of taels of silver in the capital.

If Wu Jianzhang had not had strong financial resources, Wu Chaoyue would definitely be difficult for Wu Chaoyue to leave any good impression on the great calligrapher He Rulin and the great painter Yi Xiang. Judging from the generous gifts sent by Wu Jianzhang quietly the night before, although he did not like Wu Chaoyue's incompetence, He Rulin and Yi Xiang did not make any difficult for Wu Chaoyue in terms of their jobs. He also called Wang Bingtong, the doctor of the host and guest office, and told Wang Bingtong to take care of Wu Chaoyue. Wang Bingtong agreed and took Wu Chaoyue to the host and guest office to meet his colleagues, which allowed Wu Chaoyue to get rid of He Rulin and Yi Xiang's overly enthusiastic reprimand and teaching.

It is convenient for the family to have money. He secretly stuffed a silver note to Wang Bingtong as a meeting gift. After the job, he invited all his colleagues to go to a luxurious restaurant to ruin a delicacy. Wu Chaoyue immediately left a good impression on his direct superior and his colleagues. In addition, because the host and guest office were a clean yamen, Wu Chaoyue, whose grandfather was a well-known wealthy nationwide, became the object of flattery for many colleagues. He talked with Wu Chaoyue very happily and parted with all his fun.

Originally, Wu Jianzhang planned to buy a courtyard house for his grandson in the capital, but Wu Chaoyue, who didn't want to stay in the capital for a long time, refused to do it. In the past, the housing prices in the capital are not as good as Shanghai, and buying is simply a waste. Wu Jianzhang had no choice but to give in and rent a clean courtyard for Wu Chaoyue on the slanting street of Widow Wang, leaving Wu Dasai and others to take care of Wu Chaoyue in the capital. Finally, after repeatedly reminding his baby grandson for a long time, Wu Jianzhang left the capital and returned to Shanghai to continue collecting taxes for Emperor Xianfeng, leaving his baby grandson alone in the capital and lawless.

The host and guest office were already idle. After sending off the comprador grandfather, Wu Chaoyue couldn't find anything to do. Every day, he went to the Ministry of Rites to order a meal, chatted with his colleagues until he got off work. He either invited colleagues who were so poor that they couldn't afford to raise their wives and children to the restaurant, or went to the tea shop to eat meat noodles and cooked pancakes in the second meat shop, wasting time. However, three or four days later, just as Wu Chaoyue was thinking about when he would resign to avoid disappointing his comprador grandfather, Li Hongzhang, who was almost forgotten by Wu Chaoyue, came to the door.

After a few days of seeing each other, Li Hongzhang, who had made contributions in the negotiations between the sixth Japanese devils, was also promoted to half a level and became a fifth-rank attendant. Wu Chaoyue quickly congratulated Li Hongzhang, but Li Hongzhang said bluntly: "Weiting, it was my teacher who asked me to come to you. My teacher asked me to ask you, he gave lectures in Ciren Temple every two days, why haven't you attended it yet?"

"Talking once every two days?" Wu Chaoyue was a little puzzled. After recalling for a long time, he remembered that Zeng Guofan did say this when he was a disciple. Later, after the negotiations were successful, Li Hongzhang also reminded himself. Then Wu Chaoyue quickly slapped his forehead and screamed: "Oh no! I have been too busy these days, I have forgotten it completely, I have forgotten it completely! Brother Shaoquan, you must say a few good words to me in front of my mentor. I have been taking office and receiving seals these days, and I have rented a house to give it to my grandfather. I am so busy that I am not touching the ground every day. I have really forgotten it!"

"I know you are busy, so my teacher didn't blame you much. I asked me to remind you." Li Hongzhang smiled and said, "Otherwise, even if we students arrive at Ciren Temple one step later than the teacher, we will have to be ruled by our teacher!"

Wu Chaoyue hurriedly thanked and asked Zeng Guofan when he would be the next lecture. Li Hongzhang smiled and replied: "Tomorrow is not yet two minutes, my teacher will continue to explain the study of principles tomorrow. According to my teacher's habits, it is likely that you will have to test your experience in your study of sutras, righteousness and propriety in public. You must be prepared."

Wu Chaoyue, who didn't even know what Yilizhizhi was, agreed with a frown. He thought about going to a few poor colleagues to ask for advice after a while, and selling some bullshit Yilizhizhizhizhizhizhizhi would be used to submit tomorrow. Li Hongzhang was not polite and smiled: "Weiting, Brother Yu was ordered to remind you to listen to the school on time tomorrow, but he was kind to you. It was almost time for dinner. Why don't you, the rich man, arrange a place for me quickly?"

Inviting Li Hongzhang to dinner was a trivial matter. Wu Chaoyue did not hesitate and immediately went back to Wang Bingtong for a leave, then changed his clothes and took Li Hongzhang to the restaurant under Dashilan. Li Hongzhang was also a free and easy person. He directly said that he liked to eat wild game and asked Wu Chaoyue to invite him to the Huizhen Building, the most famous wild game restaurant in the capital. Wu Chaoyue, who had a lot of silver notes in his arms, naturally didn't care at all. He asked Li Hongzhang to lead the way and asked Li Hongzhang to order food himself, allowing Li Hongzhang to squander the precious silver that his grandfather had worked hard to embezzle.

Of course, Wu Chaoyue was not a waste of this sucker. Before the guy started serving wine and food, Wu Chaoyue could not wait to ask Li Hongzhang what kind of theory Zeng Guofan liked to explain. Unfortunately, although Li Hongzhang, who was soft-hearted, had told a lot of Yijing Laozhuang truthfully, Wu Chaoyue was like listening to the heavenly books. Not to mention understanding, he couldn't even understand it. He had to interrupt Li Hongzhang repeatedly and asked Li Hongzhang to explain what it means to study things and to achieve knowledge? What is it?

The unity of knowledge and action? What does knowing the void is qi? Faced with these basic questions of Wu Chaoyue, Li Hongzhang continued to ask questions and answer questions, but unfortunately, Wu Chaoyue was still confused when he heard it, and knew that it was that. In the end, there was no way, and Wu Chaoyue also took out his long-lost trick. "Brother Shaoquan, I wonder if you have any notes on your knowledge about the principles of the classics and the principles of the classics. Can you borrow a visit to me?"

If friends think that Wu Chaoyue's words are too profound, they also have a simple vernacular text - "Student Li Hongzhang, have you written your homework well? Everyone is a good brother, please lend me a copy."

Li Hongzhang smiled, and he smiled strangely. At first, he smiled, but then he smiled. Finally, he just laughed loudly and slapped the table and said to Wu Chaoyue, who was already confused, "Weiting, do you think you can pass the tomorrow's level by handing me over the notes of my experience and notes? You forgot that before the teacher took you under the school, your grandfather had told the teacher that you had only been to school for less than half a year when you were a child? Can you use my experience in Neo-Confucianism to pass it? "

Wu Chaoyue smiled bitterly, had to tell the truth, and said with a sad face: "Shaoquan, I have no choice. I have never read any sutras and literacy. You said that the teacher will take the exam in public tomorrow. I will not prepare for it if I don't sharpen my guns in the face of battle, and I will not be able to make a fool of myself in public tomorrow?"

Li Hongzhang laughed again and said, "Weiting, you are really honest. I'm just kidding you, why did you take it seriously? What kind of teacher is our 70th generation grandson of Zong Sheng Zengzi. How can you, a student who has not yet learned to climb, fly in public? I'm teasing you, the teacher has never said anything to test you in public."

Wu Chaoyue, who had been worried for a long time, was furious and scolded Li Hongzhang for being a traitor, a comprador and traitor, and indeed not a good thing. Li Hongzhang was still smart. After laughing, he took the initiative to avenge Wu Chaoyue for teasing, and then said: "Weiting, but the teacher asked you to listen to this on time to learn it is not a joke. You must go tomorrow, and you must also try to be on time in the future."

Wu Chaoyue nodded helplessly and said, "I will definitely go there, but I am not afraid of being embarrassed. If I go there, I will definitely go through a formality. I can't understand anything, and I may even doze off."

"Don't worry, my teacher has known that you have gone for a long time and will definitely not understand." Li Hongzhang said with a relaxed expression and said with a smile: "Weiting, do you want to know why my teacher must go through this motion?"

Wu Chaoyue asked the reason curiously, and Li Hongzhang finally put away his smile and said seriously: "Have you heard that? Mu Yinmu Zhongtang was removed from his position as Minister of Military Affairs and was transferred to the position of Shaoqing of Honglu Temple?"

"I heard of it." Wu Chaoyue nodded and said, "The Lord and Guest Department have been talking about this these days. They said that Mu Zhongtang was unlucky and finally got off from the Military Machinery Zhangjing to the Military Machinery Office. As soon as he climbed into the sky, he fell to the ground immediately."

"Mu Zhongtang is because of you." Li Hongzhang's expression was even more serious and said, "Do you remember the incident of pulling a gun at Chongwenmen? In order to punish you and your grandfather, Mu Zhongtang deliberately suppressed the memorial of the street patrol censor's impeachment of your grandparents for several days, which almost affected the Dagukou negotiations. Later, he presented the memorial to the emperor, and happened to catch up with you to help the Sixth Prince and the foreigners to satisfy the emperor. Qi Zao Qi Zhongtang took the blame again and repeatedly asked why Mu Zhongtang detained that important memorial. Mu Zhongtang was speechless. The emperor was speechless and drove him out of the Military Affairs Office in anger."

"I deserve it!" Wu Chaoyue gloated and said, "This is to harm others but not harm yourself, and you will suffer."

"Mu Zhongtang deliberately chose the emperor to hand in a memorable way when he was unhappy. The method was indeed too despicable. It is not surprising to be retribution." Li Hongzhang nodded and also recognized that Mu Yin was self-inflicted this time. Then Li Hongzhang said again: "But Weiting, don't you think you have offended too many people? Weng Xincun, the Minister of Works, has probably been sent to Xinjiang because you were imprisoned. He also got involved in his two sons and a disciple. Then he is now a military officer, Mu Zhongtang. You, a sixth-rank chief, offended so many important officials of the court, and offended so miserably. Have you not considered the consequences?"

"It was them who asked me, not me who deliberately cheated them." Wu Chaoyue shrugged.

"You are not afraid of being told by the teacher's words." Li Hongzhang smiled bitterly, and then said, "Weiting, you are not afraid, but your teacher is afraid of you. Weng Xin has the leader of Qingliu, and his disciples are all over the court and the country. When it comes to seniority, I have to call him "Tai Teacher". Mu Yingui is the Minister of Military Affairs. Even if his foundation is not deep enough, there are quite a lot of followers and confidants. They dare not take the chief military affairs Qi Lizao, but they have no scruples to deal with you. Moreover, your sharpness is too revealing, just like a hedgehog with thorns all over the body. Whoever dares to touch you can stab anyone. My teacher is worried that if this continues, sooner or later, you will cause an uncontrollable disaster, which will make your teacher unable to pull you."

Wu Chaoyue was silent and understood some of Zeng Guofan's painstaking efforts, saying, "So, my mentor insisted on me to listen to his lectures, because he wanted me to avoid the limelight for a while and not give others the opportunity to seize my handle?"

"There is no smarter than Weiting. It really makes sense at all." Li Hongzhang praised and smiled and said, "The teacher's original words, he finally met you, a student who is extremely talented and proficient in Western learning. He really couldn't bear to waste it. So even if you don't understand his theory of righteousness, you must listen to it and avoid the edge, so that you can know that you are his student, and you have to be a little worried about you when you attack."

Not to mention, Wu Chaoyue was really moved when he heard Li Hongzhang's words, but unfortunately Li Hongzhang smiled and said, "Also, my teacher plans to ask us brothers and brothers to give you some lessons to you, starting from the Four Books and Five Classics. I don't expect you to be a knowledgeable scholar, but at least the eight-legged articles can be given to him."

Wu Chaoyue's face was longer than a donkey. Li Hongzhang misunderstood Wu Chaoyue's meaning and smiled and said, "What? I don't want us senior brothers to be teachers for you? My mentor said that you and we must be teachers with each other. If you learn Chinese studies from us, we must learn Western studies from you. At that time, you will also sit on the podium and explain various Western studies to us."

Wu Chaoyue was happy to teach Li Hongzhang physics and chemistry, but when he thought about what to learn the Four Books and Five Classics and Eight-Legend Articles, Wu Chaoyue felt that life was worse than death. When he was in trouble, a noisy and noisy sound came from downstairs, and a crisp and tender girl could be heard vaguely, "You nonsense! These two swans were shot by myself, I shot by Xiaoshahe! It was not stolen! I didn't stolen! I didn't stolen!"

The noise was even louder. Wu Chaoyue and Li Hongzhang, who were both good things, were both interested. They both left the private room and went downstairs to look down at the situation. But they saw a little girl with cute ponytails in the lobby downstairs. The girl was holding a pair of snow-white swans in her hand, and several guys surrounded the girl and questioned the little girl all over the place. In the end, the little girl couldn't stand the grievance and was angry, so she carried the goose out, "Even if you don't buy it! I won't sell it!"

"Stop!" A guy stopped the little girl and said fiercely: "Put down the swan and leave! Otherwise, I'll send you to see the official!"

"The swan is mine, why should I let it go?" the little girl asked angrily, but the guys insisted that the two swans were stolen by the little girl, and suspected that the little girl was stolen by the swans flying out of the Old Summer Palace or the Qingyi Garden (Summer Palace), and threatened to send the little girl to the magistrate of Wanping County.

Li Hongzhang, who couldn't stand it, could not bear to see so many big men bully a little girl, and whose conscience was more than Wu Chaoyue, went downstairs first and asked in the air, "What's wrong? A few waiters, you are big men five or six feet tall, so isn't it suitable for a little girl?"

"Keep, we are not bullying her, we are saving him." A guy is very good at speaking and pointed at the little girl and said, "Keep, look at how old this little girl is. Can you shoot such a good pair of swans? We have encountered this before. Someone sneaked swans next to the Old Summer Palace. He wanted to sell it here for money but was afraid of being recognized, so he asked someone to sell it."

"You nonsense, this is what I shot in Xiaoshahe, not the swan of the Old Summer Palace!" The little girl turned around and roared aggrievedly. However, after carefully seeing the girl's appearance, Li Hongzhang, who had wanted to see the injustice on the road, was also a little shaken, because although the girl had beautiful eyebrows, pretty eyes and pretty facial features, she was a typical beauty, but she was a little exaggerated. At most, she was only eleven or twelve years old, and she was a typical Xiao Luoli. No matter how she looked, she didn't look like she could take a bow and shoot.

At this time, Wu Chaoyue, who had barely a little bit of conscience, also walked downstairs. After seeing the appearance and age of the little Luoli, Wu Chaoyue also frowned, but said: "Little sister, if you want to prove that this was not stolen by you, it is actually very simple. Find a bow to shoot two arrows to prove that you have the ability to shoot the swans. Isn't that enough?"

"Yes, why did I forget this method?" Xiao Luoli was overjoyed when she heard this and said to the waiters: "Come on the bow and arrow, I'll shoot the arrows for you to see if I have the ability to shoot the swans."

Seeing that Xiao Luoli was so confident, several waiters were hesitant, but coveted the pair of fat swans that could be sold at high prices. A waiter with stingy eyes said: "We don't have bows and arrows here, and even if you shoot it, what if you do? How do you prove that this pair of swans are not swans from the Old Summer Palace?"

The little Luoli was furious and immediately said that she could find evidence to prove that she was a swan shot in Xiaoshahe. The stingy guy and his companions were acting like a scoundrel. They insisted that the little Luoli's witness could not believe it, and repeatedly threatened to send the little Luoli to the government, which made the little Luoli so angry that tears flashed, but they could not refute it.

He couldn't stand it anymore, so Wu Chaoyue spoke again and shouted to the waiter: "Since you insist that this pair of swans belongs to the Old Summer Palace, then you can show evidence and if you can't take it out, let her go!"

He glanced at the thin and ugly Wu Chaoyue. The stingy guy was fearless and said with a sneer: "Customer, I advise you to meddle in other people's business. Do you know who the boss of Huizhen Building is? The younger brother of the eighth concubine of the monk prince, Guan Yunguan, is Guan Yunguan! You must find out whether this pair of swans is from the Old Summer Palace. Yes, our boss can go directly to the Old Summer Palace to inquire about Eunuch Xu and see if there is a pair of swans missing in the Old Summer Palace!"

"No need." Wu Chaoyue, who didn't know that the monk was the bird, smiled and moved out the backing that the comprador grandfather found for him. "I can ask Prince Gong to go to the Old Summer Palace to check the number of swans there."

Hearing this, the waiters' arrogance disappeared. No matter how awesome Senggelinqin was, she was still awesome, but she was only one step away from becoming the emperor's Japanese devil. The scammer with a scattered look on his head and bowed quickly, "I'm blind, I don't know that I'm from Prince Gong's mansion. I deserve to die, and I deserve to die."

"Isn't let the little girl go yet?"

Wu Chaoyue was too lazy to tell the truth about the waiters, but he just shouted that they would let them go. The waiters did not dare to offend Wu Chaoyue, who was even harder in the backstage, so he had to let the little Luoli go away. The little Luoli was overjoyed and hurriedly thanked Wu Chaoyue, handed a swan to Wu Chaoyue, and said, "Brother, you have helped me, I have nothing to thank you. Please accept this swan."

"I want both."

Wu Chaoyue replied with a smile, and the little Luoli was stunned. He never expected that Wu Chaoyue would be so greedy. But after hesitating, the little Luoli still generously handed both swans to Wu Chaoyue. Wu Chaoyue took it with her smile, then took out a few pieces of silver from her arms and handed it to the little Luoli, and said with a smile: "Little sister, you send me swans to cook and drink, I send you silver to buy clothes and red ropes, and you must accept it."

The little Luoli suddenly realized and quickly refused. Wu Chaoyue forced the silver into her hand, patted the cute ponytails on her head and told her to leave quickly. After the little Luoli thanked her and left, Wu Chaoyue turned to Li Hongzhang and said, "Shaoquan, go, go and have a different place to eat. It's uncomfortable here."

Li Hongzhang, who didn't want to eat the waiter, agreed and quickly followed Wu Chaoyue out of the restaurant that bullied people, then frowned and said, "Weiting, my teacher is right. You are really a hedgehog. Do you know that you might offend Senggelinqin again this time?"

"Senggelinqin?" Wu Chaoyue was stunned and asked in confusion: "Why did I offend Senggelinqin again?"

"You didn't hear it just now. The waiter said that the owner of this restaurant is the brother-in-law of the Prince Monk?" Li Hongzhang rolled his eyes and said, "The Prince Monk is Senggelinqin. If you find out your true identity in this restaurant and then expose this matter to Senggelinqin, it would be strange if the Prince Monk didn't hate you to the bone!"

Looking back at the restaurant in surprise, Wu Chaoyue smiled bitterly and said to himself: "I'm really right when I shave my head. I'm really a hedgehog. Doing a good thing can provoke Senggelinqin. But forget it, offend me, if you offend me, you'll have no worries about debt, and if you don't have too many lice, you won't be itchy. I helped a beautiful and cute little Luoli, which is also accumulating good deeds."

Thinking of the little Luoli who sells swans, Wu Chaoyue couldn't help but feel a little regretful. Why didn't he ask why the cute little Luoli sells swans? Is the family's financial situation very difficult? Do you need to borrow a loan to survive? - Our comprador Wu doesn't lack money, but what is lacking is the maid who serves food and clothing. So if that little Luoli is willing, our comprador Wu is very happy to help her at home...
Chapter completed!