1850 American Gold Tycoon.

Today's Liang family is no longer the same as the old Liang family.

Although Liang Yao's grandfather did not return to Beijing to become an official, anyone with a discerning eye knew that the future of the Liang family was limitless.

There are two armies most relied on by the imperial court to exterminate Changmao, one is Xiangyong and the other is Yueyong.

And the Liang family controls half, or even more, of Yueyong.

In the future, if the long-haired gangsters are put down, the Liang family will definitely be rewarded for their merits.

Not only in Xiangshan, but even in Guangzhou, when people mention this family, they always look respectful.

It has become a custom for the governors and admirals of Guangdong and Guangxi to visit the Liang Mansion during the holidays. This time when Liang Shaoqiong returned from the Jiangbei camp in Yangzhou, the governors and admirals of Guangdong and Guangxi also made a special trip to greet him.

"You kid, you've been living in that ghostly place called Borneo for half a year, and you're not willing to come back to see me, a person whose half of my body is about to be buried in the ground."

As soon as he saw Liang Yao, Liang Weiming stepped forward and took Liang Yao's hand and complained.

Although Liang Weiming spoke with resentment in his tone, he still couldn't hide the relief and pride in his eyes.

"The Xiang army was beaten by Changmao in Jiangxi, and the Hunan army was in a panic in Jiangxi. Even Zeng Guofan almost drowned himself."

"Nonsense, when I was young, your grandfather was a well-known handsome young man from all over the world. When my grandfather was a scholar, the people who proposed marriage stepped down the threshold of our Liang family." Liang Weiming couldn't help puffing up his chest, "Stop talking nonsense, Did you bring back a photo of my granddaughter-in-law?"

"It's also my fault that I was eager to do meritorious service and wanted to show off too much. I didn't listen to my father's teachings and my nephew's advice. You are right. This long-haired bandit must be suppressed, but it can't be suppressed too hard." Liang Shaoqiong's face was full of The color of remorse.

"Grandpa must have been majestic and handsome when he was young, and he was a good-looking talent." Liang Yao looked at the photo and said in admiration.

The loach boat is a small boat for the well-informed Liang Yao, but in the Qing Dynasty, especially in the Yangtze River Basin, it is a properly large boat.

"My grandson has lived in a Western country for a long time. Is there any surprise for me to know some rare objects of Westerners?" Liang Weiming stroked his beard and smiled, and then asked for some daguerreotypes.

Liang Yao knew that it was true that Taqibu failed to attack Jiujiang several times in July, became depressed and died of illness, and it was not a psychological warfare of the Taiping Army.

As long as Yueyong's sailors can practice well, they can also provide him with certain help in the Nanyang region in the future.

From another perspective, Taqibu's death may not be a bad thing for the Hunan Army, but it may be a good thing.

"Bah, bah, grandpa, don't talk nonsense, grandpa's body is strong, and our Liang family still needs to rely on you to support us." Liang Yao said, "When my grandson was in Borneo, he often looked north, but he was busy with military affairs. , I really can’t leave.”

Although he was an opponent, Liang Shaoqiong still admired Shi Dakai, a young general of the Taiping Army, very much.

Right now the Hunan Army is at a disadvantage in fighting in Jiangxi, and it is only a matter of time before the imperial court reuses Yueyong.

"Yueyong's performance is so good that the imperial court is afraid. Has the imperial court started to suppress Yueyong?" Liang Yao said.

"Taqibu has been defeated repeatedly, and he has been unable to win Jiujiang for so long. I heard that he died of anger. Of course, this is just a rumor. I don't know if it is true or not. Maybe it is Changmao's trick." Liang Shaoqiong drank a small cup of rice wine, smacked his lips and said.

These photos include photos of the old man himself, group photos of the family, and photos of Liang Weiming and the local gentry and magistrate.

Sure enough, Jiang is still old and hot. Liang Shaoqiong may be better than the old man in leading troops, but he is far less transparent than the old man in seeing the situation in the temple.

Unless an army of this size conducts high-intensity combat for a long time, it is no problem to support an elite army of 5000 people with the financial resources of wealthy merchants and gentry in Guangfu.

"Mr. Fan is the most wealthy man in the United States, so he must be in the right family with his grandson." Liang Yao said, "Grandfather, forgive my grandson for being unfilial. I agreed to this marriage without asking you for instructions."

Right now there is no war in Yueyong, Liang Shaoqiong wants to take advantage of this time to train a navy.

Liang Weiming nodded approvingly to Liang Yao, thinking why he didn't realize that there was such a piece of rough jade in his house back then.

If Liang Shaoqiong defected to the Hunan Army, even with his resume, he might not be able to enter the core circle of the Hunan Army.

As for another important general of Yueyong, Pan Shicheng of the Pan family, he made his fortune directly from a merchant background in Guangzhou, although the Pan family tried their best to downplay their merchant background before.

Once the imperial court reuses Yueyong, Yueyong will have to enter Jiangxi to fight. The water network in northern Jiangxi is densely covered. If there is no satisfactory navy, we will suffer a lot when we fight Changmao. " Liang Shaoqiong said.

After stabilizing the Jiangnan and Jiangbei camps and curbing the momentum of the Taiping Army going north, Liang Shaoqiong wanted to enter the Jiangxi battlefield to fight.However, Liang Shaoqiong's request was quickly rejected, which made Liang Shaoqiong feel very disappointed.

"You are also 25 this year, and it is time to get married."

"Last year, Xiangyong was able to conquer the two lakes and Jiangxi thousands of miles away, except that Changmao's defense forces in these places were insufficient and the foundation was still shallow, all thanks to the navy.

Liang Shaoqiong was also convinced when he gave up this position to Liang Yao, without any complaints.

It's just that the current war is not good for the Hunan Army, morale is low, and news that is not good for morale, such as the death of important generals, must be blocked as much as possible.

Although for the court, whether it is the Hunan Army or the Yueyong side, it is a disaster, but the two evils are the lesser, and there are far more people in the court who support the Hunan Army than the Yueyong. "Liang Yao nodded, deeply agreeing with Liang Weiming's opinion.

This production capacity is not enough for him himself, so it is impossible to sell it to Yueyong.

"Your nephew in California has a better understanding of the situation in the Qing Dynasty than you, so learn from him."

Liang Shaoqiong wanted to practice naval training, and Liang Yao was very supportive.

"Haha, the imperial court wants to invite me to be a teacher this time. If I don't give three or five battalions, I will stay in Xiangshan." Liang Shaoqiong laughed.

Four or five years ago, Liang Weiming thought that the Liang family had fallen to the bottom of the valley, and there was almost no hope of a comeback. Liang Weiming had no great hope for the descendants of the Liang family.

"In the Qing Dynasty, which of the benefactors behind Yueyong wasn't rich and powerful?" Liang Yao laughed.

Liang Shaoqiong scratched the stubble on his head embarrassingly, and said with a smile: "As long as I have half the ability of my third nephew, I won't be able to achieve nothing in middle age.

It was also expected that the Qing court would place generals of the Eight Banners in Yueyong.

"Fifth Uncle, don't blame me for not reminding you, Navy divisions are no better than Lu divisions, this thing is a gold-swallowing beast." Liang Yao reminded.

"I will coordinate with the Cantonese merchants on this matter." Liang Shaoqiong rubbed his hands excitedly and said.

The Qing court always took precautions against the armed forces of the Han people.

Moreover, the loach boat is fast and flexible, and can advance and retreat freely without relying on wind power, which is very suitable for inland river warfare.

"The loach boat is enough." Liang Shaoqiong was very satisfied with Liang Yao's answer.

"It's urgent, the United States is thousands of miles away from the Qing Dynasty, your grandfather and I are not pedantic people, you have your own reasons for agreeing to this marriage." Liang Weiming also expressed his understanding of Liang Yao's behavior.

Liang Shaoqiong tactfully gave up this position to Liang Yao.

"Personal matters? Is my nephew engaged?" Liang Shaoqiong's eyes lit up, and he said to Liang Yao.

"The Hunan Army is mainly supported by the Hunan gentry. Zeng Disheng had a smooth career. Before he took charge of the Hunan Army, he was an official to the left servant of the Ministry of Officials.

"It's all from my own family. If you ask for it or not, Uncle Wu will just say it. As long as it is something that is within my nephew's ability, my nephew will definitely let Uncle Wu do it." Liang Yao said.

After thinking for a while, Liang Yao said: "There are no big boats, I don't have enough for myself, but I have as many loach boats as I need."

To put it bluntly, if it weren't for the fact that the imperial court had no soldiers to use, a dead horse was a living horse doctor, and Pan Shicheng's relationship with the capital was well managed, and Prince Gong would stand for Yueyong.Yueyong didn't even have a chance to form.

After everyone sat down, Liang Weiming motioned for the servants to serve.

Although Liang Shaoqiong has made some achievements recently, and his seniority is also higher than Liang Yao, but in terms of contribution to the Liang family, Liang Shaoqiong is still hard to come by.

"The Hunan army is not a weak brigade. To beat Zeng Guofan to such an embarrassment, there are still some characters in the long hair." Liang Yao said.

"Ah? You still know the photo?" Liang Yao was a little surprised.

However, as the maiden product of the San Francisco Shipyard, the loach boat has very mature production technology and sufficient production capacity, so Liang Yao can still give some to Yueyong.

Liang Shaoqiong took a long-term view, and his performance was slightly higher than Liang Yao's expectations for him.

"Yueyong can't compare to your western brigade. With a wealthy patron like you, if I dress too well, how can I ask the court for money?" Liang Shaoqiong said after sitting down.

"The official business is almost finished, and it's time to talk about your private affairs. I still want to hug my great-grandson as soon as possible."

"Grandpa is right. Compared with the generals of the Hunan Army, our Yueyong generals are not as upright as the generals of the Hunan Army. The imperial court has deep prejudices.

After Liang Weiming sat down in the chair, Liang Yao asked Liang Shaoqiong to sit in the deputy chair opposite the old man.

Speaking of the two Manchu generals who were placed in Yueyong, Liang Shaoqiong made no secret of his dissatisfaction with these two Manchu generals.

The main generals of the Hunan Army, such as Zeng Guofan and his brothers, Luo Bingzhang, Jiang Zhongyuan brothers, Hu Linyi, Zuo Zongtang, Peng Yulin, etc., were either from the orthodox landlord class or officials from the imperial examination.

Liang Shaoqiong knew that Yueyong was a completely firearmed army, and it relied heavily on logistical ammunition supplies.If there is a strong navy to cooperate with the battle and use the water network to supply supplies, it will get twice the result with half the effort and greatly improve Yueyong's chances of winning.

Liang Yao walked into the room with his hands behind his back. There was only a table with four corners and eight immortals for four people.

Third nephew, uncle, I have one more thing to ask you. "

Liang Yao looked at these photos. In the photos, Liang Weiming faced the end calmly and confidently, and his demeanor revealed a bit of dignity.

Walking into the mansion, Liang Yao cast a glance and stood guard at the door.

And although our Yueyong also has the support of the gentry in the Cantonese government, the main food and wages are still raised by Cantonese businessmen.Compared with Shang, the imperial court is naturally more willing to trust the gentry. "

"Your grandfather doesn't know anything about the United States. You are here today. Tell me today, what is the situation with this Mr. Fan, and is he right with us?" Liang Weiming asked very seriously.

Speaking of this, Liang Shaoqiong showed a look of pity, feeling extremely sorry for Zeng Guofan's attempt to commit suicide by drowning himself.

Although the imperial court has temporarily neglected Yueyong, Liang Shaoqiong has already thought about the combat issues after the imperial court reuses Yueyong.

At present, Yueyong has five battalions with a strength of more than [-] troops.

But without the efforts of two or three generations, it may be difficult for the Pan family to be truly accepted by the mainstream ruling class.

Although the military salary given by the Qing court was insignificant, the main source of military salary for Yueyong was not the court, but the rich merchants and squires in Guangfu with Guangzhou merchants at their core.

Liang Shaoqiong has not made any new moves in Yangzhou for more than half a year, and the number of arms purchased from him has also decreased recently. It is probably because of the rise of this Han Chinese armed force that the Manchu and Qing dignitaries began to fear, worrying that Yueyong would not lose his tail after he became a big one.

"There are indeed heroes among Changmao. This time, he is in charge of the Western Expedition. It is Shi Dakai, the pseudo-winged king of Changmao, who fought against Zeng Guofan in Jiangxi. Shi Dakai was in Hukou at the beginning of the year, and Jiujiang defeated the Hunan Army twice. I heard that Shi Dakai is now in Jiangxi. Xiang Pimo won many prefectures and counties.

Liang Yao knew that at his level, it was impossible to just want a particularly pure love without the exchange of benefits.Good match is really important for both parties.

Four positions, I think Liang Weiming came to discuss things with him.

I didn't expect that the Liang family had such a character as Liang Yao, which directly caused the Liang family to rebound from the bottom. It's really a blessing from the ancestors.

"That's good, but what are you going to say about the court?" Liang Yao continued to ask.

"Since the imperial court placed two uncles with yellow flags in our Yueyong at the beginning of the year, the imperial court has not used Yueyong much. It just let Yueyong guard the Jiangnan and Jiangbei camps to prevent the long hair from going north."

Furthermore, Liang Yao has made it clear that he will develop in California in the future and has no intention of returning to his hometown. Liang Shaoqiong also has no reason to be jealous of Liang Yao over this trivial matter.

"The Xiang army also has Taqibu watching." Liang Yao said.

"Yueyong's attire is a bit shabby."

"A lot of things can't be solved with money."

The only one who can beat the Hunan Army into such a mess is this Pseudo-Wing King.Our Yueyong also suffered under his hands. " Liang Shaoqiong said.

Although these Yueyong were Liang Shaoqiong's personal soldiers, their attire was very plain and simple. They wore solid and clean cotton uniforms, a turban wrapped around their heads, and an armed belt full of bullets.

As for Yueyong's general, although Liang Shaoqiong was also from a family of landlords and officials, Liang Shaoqiong's own achievements in judging others, and the almost zero political experience before the principal Yueyong, are obviously not enough to look at in front of the Hunan Army bosses. .

At present, Liang Yao's San Francisco shipyard has more than [-] tons of warships. To put it bluntly, the annual output of bold-class steam cruisers is two and a half ships.

"Qiong'er, pay attention to your words. This is the family here, so it's fine to be indulgent. If you say these things outside, won't you give people some excuses?" Liang Weiming said seriously, and then changed the subject.

"Do you have any photos?" Liang Weiming asked.

He didn't expect the old man to accept new things from the outside world so calmly.

Liang Yao wrote a letter immediately after confirming the engagement to tell him that he already valued his grandfather.

"It's not as good as you in California in Qing Dynasty." Liang Weiming took a bite of food with his chopsticks and delivered it to his mouth.

Liang Shaoqiong's own boat is a small steamer. He knows that this kind of Western steamship is different from ordinary sailing ships. It takes a longer training period for sailors to skillfully use this kind of steamship.

"This time I asked Qiong'er to report illness and return home. I also made progress by retreating. Right now, the Hunan Army is at a disadvantage in fighting in Jiangxi. At that time, the imperial court will have no soldiers to use, so we still have to rely on our Yueyong." Liang Weiming said.

"Carnegie, get Miss Elizabeth's photo." Liang Yao said to Carnegie.

Carnegie opened the briefcase and took out two photo frames from the briefcase, with daguerreotypes embedded in the frames.

One is a full-body photo of Elizabeth, and the other is a group photo of the two at the Crystal Palace in New York.

Liang Yao has many photos of Elizabeth, but these two photos are what Liang Yao is most satisfied with, so Liang Yao only takes these two photos with him.

After Carnegie put up the photo, Liang Yao took out his pocket watch from his coat pocket. He opened the pocket watch, revealing the portrait inside, and gently placed it on the table.