A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

Chapter 52
Cixi's way of chasing stars is much simpler and rude, directly asking Yang Xiaolou to take the troupe to Xiyuan to sing.

Tan Xinpei happened to also intend to train him, and focused on the various small details that need to be paid attention to when singing to the Queen Mother. After all, it is not an ordinary stage.

Fortunately, Tan Xinpei has rich experience. Under his guidance, Yang Xiaolou's performance was very successful.

Cixi was in a good mood, pointing to a table of pastries such as Bingxin melon seeds next to her, she said to Yang Xiaolou: "These pastries are rewarding you, take them back."

Although Yang Xiaolou had already learned about Cixi's rules of rewarding people from Tan Xinpei before the performance, but seeing that Cixi wanted to reward him with a plate of melon seeds, he was also blinded. Didn't they all say that the palace is full of jewels, rich clothes and fine food? The queen mother eats melon seeds!

Yang Xiaolou is also a newborn calf who is not afraid of tigers, so he said boldly: "Thank you, Lafayette, these precious things, slaves dare not take them, please... give me another favor..."

"Oh? What do you want?" Cixi asked.

Yang Xiaolou said: "Lafayette is so blessed, may I give you a word?"

He even asked the Queen Mother for words!Yang Xiaolou really didn't know the level of education of Lafayette, the Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty. He just thought that asking others for words was a sign of respect.

Cixi was also very happy. Anyway, those ministers usually came to ask for his own calligraphy. Even Weng Tonghe, one of the four great calligraphers in the late Qing Dynasty, two emperor teachers and three dynasties veterans, praised his calligraphy.

I have heard so much flattery that even Lafayette himself believed it.

"Little Li, bring up the pen, ink, paper and inkstone."

Cixi raised her pen and wrote the word "Fu" with a big stroke.

Zai Zhen was right in front of him, and when he saw something was wrong, Lafayette actually wrote the word "衣" next to the word "show".

Yang Xiaolou also saw the problem at a glance, it's too bad!
If this word is taken back, it will definitely be discussed by others. If it is laughed at, a person with such good face as Ci Xi will not behead him.

But if you don't take it back, wouldn't you immediately lose your empress dowager's face.

Yang Xiaolou suddenly fell into a dilemma, with sweat dripping from his forehead, he didn't know whether to answer or not.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

Cixi actually saw that she had made a mistake, but she was too embarrassed to admit her mistake.

Fortunately, Li Lianying next to him had a quick mind, and said with a smile: "The blessing of Lafayette is a little more than anyone else in the world!"

Li Lianying's ability to be the chief eunuch is indeed astute.

Yang Xiaolou is also a smart person, and he followed Li Lianying's words: "Lafayette has many blessings, and the blessings above ten thousand people, how dare a slave receive it!"

Cixi immediately went down the steps and said, "Okay, I will reward you another day."

Tan Xinpei, who was behind the stage, was scared to death just now, but fortunately he got through a dangerous hurdle.Turning around, he scolded Yang Xiaolou for a while: "Tell me about you, what is wrong with begging, you have to ask the Queen Mother for words! Next time, you may just beg for death!"

Yang Xiaolou looked aggrieved: "I didn't expect that the Queen Mother's blessing would be written wrong."

Yeah, who would have thought!Elementary school Chinese teachers can't stand it!
In the evening, Zai Zhen called Li Yu to the bar again, along with Prince Jin Zaifeng, Pu Yi's biological father.

"Brother Beizi, why did Yaxing ask me to drink together today?" Zaifeng asked.

Zai Zhen said: "Lord Chun, I was just about to ask you about going abroad."

Prince Chun Zaifeng just went to Germany last year. It was the first time in the history of the Qing Dynasty that a royal prince was sent on a mission.

Because the first paragraph and the first article of the "Xin Chou Treaty" signed last year stipulated that "the Imperial Envoy of Great Germany, Baron Ke, was murdered", "Prince Jin Zaifeng, as the first-class special envoy, went to the Great German Emperor. , on behalf of the great emperor of the Qing Dynasty and the regret of the country."

The so-called "regret" means the murder of Klinger, the German minister to China.Speaking of it, this is also an important excuse for the Eight-Power Allied Forces to invade China, so it is naturally the first one.It shows that the great powers are actually seeking truth, not the hypocrisy of the 5000 million taels of silver behind.

How grandiose it is!

But weak countries have no diplomacy, so they can do whatever they say.

Germany was quite arrogant and rude at the time, and the etiquette requirements for the mission led by Zaifeng turned out to be: the Kaiser sat in the Whitehall to see him, and the prince bowed three times; other counselors and entourages must "kowtow in accordance with the Chinese ministers' courtesy to the emperor."That is to say, the German emperor received him sitting down. The special envoy of the Qing government, Prince Chun Zaifeng, had to bow three times, and the other attendants had to kneel and kowtow like the Qing emperor.

In the diplomatic meeting at that time, no one would kneel down, it was absolutely a shame and a great humiliation.In the future, if other countries follow suit and ask the envoys of the Qing Dynasty to kneel down, it will be the end of the calf!
After Cixi found out, she also started to fight, saying that beating people doesn't slap people in the face, so why didn't they start to lose face again!

So annoying!

It is absolutely impossible to lose my face!

Zaifeng had already reached the border between Germany and Switzerland, and was caught in the middle. He didn't know what to do, and even the Kaiser refused to meet him.

Fortunately, other countries came forward to mediate, and it was changed to bowing.However, the Kaiser sat in his seat throughout the meeting in Potsdam and never got up.

But Zaifeng felt that this was "preserving the overall situation, and the country's constitution was not harmed".

Later, Britain, France and other countries knew that the Prince of Qing was away, and wanted to invite him to come and visit. Zaifeng also wanted to travel around the country, but the Kaiser sternly refused, saying that he "violated the purpose of sincerity".

Yes, even this right is not given, it can only be sincerely apologized to the Kaiser!
Zaifeng had no choice but to hastily return home.

Ten years later, Germany found out that Zaifeng, who had come to apologize, became the regent. In fact, he regretted it too much.Of course, they were not afraid of the Qing Dynasty, but were ridiculed by neighboring countries such as Britain and France for not understanding diplomatic etiquette.

Now Puyi has not been born yet, and Zaifeng's status is not that high.

In short, last year's mission to Germany was considered humiliating, but this time Zaizhen was different. It was the Qing Dynasty who took the initiative to congratulate the King of England, and there was no issue of inferior status.

The bar owner, Guo Weiwei, brought whiskey and distilled water and mixed drinks for several people.

Familiar formula, familiar taste.

After a few glasses of wine, Zaifeng told Zaizhen about his "humiliating experience" in Germany.

Zaifeng said: "Brother Beizi, you don't know, their military power is too powerful, and those machines that I can't name are too powerful."

Germany has always attached great importance to the military, and Zaifeng was quite shocked.

"Does Prince Chun think that I will also be treated humiliatingly?" Zai Zhen asked.

"No, no, no! You definitely won't. You are going to congratulate, not to attend a funeral like me!" Zaifeng downed another glass of whiskey, pointed at Li Yu and said, "By the way, you can take him with you."

Li Yu asked in surprise, "Me?"

(End of this chapter)