Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 385: Shock from the Great Zhou

It is too tiring for the emperor to want to do things. Not only the emperor is tired, but his ministers are also tired.

But what can I say? If the emperor and officials are enjoying a comfortable life, how can the country be good?
Everyone had the impression that Jia Lian wanted to be lazy, but the emperor just wouldn't let him go. It was such a tragic story, and the cabinet ministers were quite happy to see it.

This is how comfortable Jia Lian is, which is even more uncomfortable than my own life.

Holding the imperial edict, Jia Lian came to the Honglu Temple. After reading the edict, he called the Honglu Temple Minister and two Shaoqings to a meeting.

After two consecutive days of meetings, the corresponding personnel were determined. On the third day, Jia Lian called everyone together for a meeting and spoke very sternly.

"Your Majesty attaches great importance to the reception of the English delegation this time. Don't feel tired. This official and the three superiors have jointly submitted a budget of 20,000 taels of silver. There will be overtime pay for overtime work and travel allowances for business trips. As long as the work is done well, this official can also ask His Majesty for some rewards."

The scene was filled with thunderous applause. Everyone in the capital who worked for the government knew that when Lord Jia came, benefits would come. In the crappy government offices like the Wucheng Bingmasi and the R&D Department, the people at the bottom lived a comfortable life.

Honglu Temple is not inferior to anyone!

Jia Lian knew very well that his relationship with the people in the Honglu Temple was average, and it was useless to reason with them, so he could only use money to talk.

The reason why there was constant cheering at the scene was very simple. It was originally a poor government office. In the past, when these people received foreign guests, all the benefits went to their superiors, and the people working below could hardly get a sip of soup.

No government office is immune to the practice of embezzlement at every level.

The only exception is Jia Lian. If someone ruins his business right under his nose, he will definitely take revenge. The dog's family background is too good. As long as no one is killed, he will be fined three cups of wine at most. If the officials of the Honglu Temple have evil intentions, Jia Lian will not follow procedures and reason with them.

Before convening a meeting of officials, Jia Lian had threatened everyone that everything should be done in moderation, and that they should forget about reimbursement for eating and drinking, and just put the operating funds in their pockets, and be careful about the position under their butts.

For this reason, the officials of the Honglu Temple were unanimous in their opinion and wanted to finish the work quickly and get rid of this plague god.

There is one good thing about Jia Lian. Since it is his responsibility, he never slacks off and lets his subordinates do the work while he rests.

So, under the scorching June sun, Jia Lian personally led a group of officials from the Honglu Temple and a large number of personnel to the Tianjin dock to welcome the delegation.

On the Tianjin Navy side, General Sun had already received Jia Lian's message, and together with the prefect, he vacated the barracks, cleaned it up, and used it as an isolation site.

The purpose of the half-month quarantine is not to embarrass the envoys, but to prevent the epidemic and to give lessons to the diplomatic corps members returning from their visits, telling them to watch their mouths.

Accompanied by the prefect and the navy commander Sun Tongzhi, Jia Lian inspected the preparations for the quarantine area. Several large bathing pools were cleaned and the water boilers were prepared.

There were five ships of the English mission, plus two ships of the returning mission, a total of seven ships appeared on the sea in the distance.

The reason we have so many ships here is not to demonstrate England's national power, but because the sea is not peaceful. If you don't have some strong capabilities, you would not be able to operate a shipping route.

On the Wilson, Henry, the head of the English envoy, looked at the Dagukou Fort in the distance and was somewhat surprised. Sassoon beside him said with joy: "Mr. Henry, look at this coastal defense fort, it is difficult to pose a threat to our fleet." Henry frowned and said nothing. This deputy head of the envoy, Sassoon, has been thinking about going to war with Da Zhou all the way. Does he really think Da Zhou is North America or India? North America is in turmoil now. How can the British Empire have the energy to go to war with China, not to mention that even if it takes the coast, how many troops will it take to go deep into the inland? This is a unified country with a population of 200 million.

"The cannons on the Humen Fort show that Zhou's technology level is capable of making good cannons. As a naval officer, I don't think it's wise to use warships against the forts."

Henry was displeased, but there was nothing he could do. The Sassoon family had a great influence in Parliament. The damned opium dealers not only sold opium in Europe, but also wanted to use the power of the British Empire to force the sale of opium to China.

However, many gentlemen in Parliament would rather open up the trade market with China and ease the trade deficit through the sale of industrial products.

Sassoon shrugged and said, "Your Excellency is right. I just wanted to express one point. The Zhou Kingdom is not as powerful as it looks."

The pilot boat appeared and led the fleet slowly into the dock to drop anchor. Henry could clearly see three officials walking under a shed in the distance, followed by a group of soldiers.

The guard of honor was formed by Jia Lian by selecting the elite troops of the Shenji Camp. It had 100 people, and after a period of training, they looked quite presentable.

It’s a pity that there’s no way to lay out a red carpet here, otherwise the atmosphere would be even better.

The Great Zhou did not have the concept of a national anthem or national flag. Jia Lian has been busy with this recently. He made a flag with a yellow background and a red golden dragon playing with a globe. The national anthem is "Securing the Golden Bowl".

After it is completed, it will be reported to the cabinet, and then submitted to the emperor for approval and formally implemented. In Jia Lian's words, the Celestial Empire should have an extraordinary atmosphere.

This will be the standard for the entire world from now on! The Great Zhou Dynasty is the first of its kind in the world!
Emperor Chenghui was very happy to be coaxed and stamped the document very quickly.

As for why the team coming to Tianjin to welcome him was not led by the Minister of the Ministry of Rites, the reason was simple: it did not require such a high level of rank. The one who came from England was not a cabinet member, but a naval commodore.

No one knew why a cabinet member didn't come. Anyway, Jia Lian hinted to Emperor Chenghui that the other party didn't disrespect the Great Zhou, but it was a test for the first time and they would not send a formal cabinet minister.

Emperor Chenghui said he understood. After all, in this era, sailing was a life-threatening thing. The English cabinet ministers would never take such a risk.

Before Henry and Sassoon got off the boat, they carefully tidied their appearance with the help of servants. After they landed, Jia Lian came forward and clasped his hands: "Welcome to the representatives of the English delegation. My name is Jia Lian, and I'm the person in charge of this reception." Henry and Sassoon had seen such a scene in Guangzhou, so they were not surprised at all. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

"This is Lord Henry, the British ambassador, and this is Sassoon, the deputy ambassador."

There were translators on both sides. Interestingly, the translator for Da Zhou was Kane, a bankrupt British businessman hired from Guangzhou, and the translator for the British was a Guangzhou native named Wu Youfu.

When Jia Lian hears the surname Wu, he always thinks of something called Thirteen Lines. Well, there is also a surname Pan, which will also be triggered.

There is also a TV series that whitewashes these people, which is extremely shameless.

"Welcome to our country. I think you two envoys will be more comfortable with the handshake method." Jia Lian spoke as he extended his right hand, but Henry and Sassoon on the opposite side almost dropped their jaws in shock.

Because Jia Lian speaks fluent English with a London accent. It's not Jia Lian's fault, he has a talent. The tapes he listened to in middle school were all in London accent.

After Henry shook hands with Jia Lian stiffly, Sassoon came back to his senses and shook hands quickly. Jia Lian made a gesture of invitation: "Henry, please formally review the guard of honor!" It was the first time for both of them to see this scene. Jia Lian was in front, and Henry was stunned for a moment, but he still followed.

Under the two flagpoles, Jia Lian stood with Henry, and heard in his ear: "Play the national anthem!"

The band (found from a theatre troupe) played music, Henry was a little confused when he heard the familiar "God Save the King" and saw the British flag on the flagpole.

But Jia Lian's face was solemn, with his hands hanging down, and he quickly looked at the national flag seriously, and then he sang "Securing the Golden Bowl" again.

When the majestic march sounded, Jia Lian made a gesture of invitation, and Henry took a step forward subconsciously, looking at the neatly lined-up soldiers of the Shenji Camp as he walked.

The equipment of the Zhou soldiers looked very familiar, flintlock rifles! The posture of holding the rifles with both hands and holding them upright in front of the body made them look very powerful.

After finishing the whole process in a daze, Henry was still a little distracted, as if the situation was different from what he understood in Guangzhou.

Sassoon, who was not qualified to review the guard of honor, watched the series of procedures that Henry went through accompanied by Jia Lian, his eyes turned red with jealousy.

Damn the Zhou people, they are really unreliable! Nothing they said made sense.

Let alone Henry, Sassoon and the British envoys, Zhou Songtao who got off the two boats behind was also confused! Fortunately, the two Dali Temple Shaoqings greeted and explained, and only then did they understand the new state etiquette.

Jia Lian politely introduced the reception process and said that according to the latest epidemic prevention law of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the delegation needed to rest in the quarantine area of ​​Tianjin for half a month. The long journey was very tiring, so they should rest well before going to the capital.

Henry didn't mind too much. He was confused by the series of treatments just now. He nodded repeatedly to show his understanding. He secretly remembered it in his heart and would suggest to the king to copy Da Zhou's homework when he returned.

A brand new four-wheeled carriage (produced by the R&D department, it must be a top-quality product) came over, Jia Lian invited Henry and Sassoon to get on the carriage, but the two did not rush to get on the carriage, but first looked at the appearance of the carriage, and when they found that it was a metal frame, their expressions trembled slightly. The ability to make a carriage with a metal frame shows that the industry of the Great Zhou Dynasty has a certain strength. In other words, the horse pulling it is not strong enough, which may be a problem with the Mongolian horse breed.

After the three of them got on the carriage, it started and headed for the navy camp. After getting on the carriage, Henry sat opposite Sassoon and Jia Lian, all carefully looking at the interior decoration. The craftsmanship of the top craftsmen of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the hand-made carriage, highlights a subtle elegance. At first glance, it is nothing special, but a closer look is full of the unique charm of oriental details. There is also a faint fragrance in the air, which is a bit refreshing after inhaling.

In fact, Jia Lian was reluctant to use ambergris because the smell of these two was a bit strong, so he quickly asked someone to light it up to offset it.

The chief and deputy envoys could not live in the military camp, so the house where Jia Lian had lived before came in handy. Sun Shaozu led 20 cavalrymen to clear the way, and there were 50 cavalrymen guarding the carriage.

"Sir, how should we accommodate our entourage?" Henry asked proactively. Sassoon, who wanted to speak, shut up tactfully.

"Please rest assured, there will be corresponding reception staff who will deliver it later." After Jia Lian answered with certainty, the two nodded slightly.

All in all, today's process opened the eyes of the two bumpkins.

The house was near the military camp, with guards at the door. The middle door was wide open, and the housekeeper stood at the door. A dozen servants stood in the courtyard in a neat line, shouting, "Welcome, distinguished guest!"

There are more men than women among the servants. If you look closely, you will find that the women all have one characteristic: they are old and ugly. Well, they are all older practitioners found from brothels. They come here to retire and not worry about food and clothing.

Perhaps because of their appearance, these women look much younger than those of the same age in Europe.

Henry and Sassoon were stunned again. These servants could actually speak English. Jia Lian promptly explained: "They have been specially trained. They only know this one sentence."

After entering, the two were naturally arranged to take a bath first. The clothes were all large sizes prepared in advance and made in a hurry, made of Songjiang cotton cloth.

After scrubbing and washing for an hour, the two finally came out and changed into comfortable casual clothes. Although it was a bit awkward, it was very comfortable.

It's a pity that the people who serve them in bathing are all men (brothel pimps and bathhouse bath attendants). Their service attitude is impeccable and their technique is also very comfortable.

The two looked at each other and smiled. Henry whispered, "I feel like I have changed my body!" Sassoon smiled and shook his head, "If you can go ashore in Guangzhou, you will have a different experience."

"Oh?" Henry didn't quite understand. Sassoon said, "There are places in Guangzhou that specialize in doing business with European merchants, but the prices are much higher. The service staff are all recruited from the Middle East and India."

As he spoke, Sassoon lowered his voice and said, "The merchants of Zhou dare to participate in the smuggling business, but they dare not let Zhou women serve Europeans. Once discovered, the consequences will be serious."

Henry was silent for a while before saying, "The Eastern Zhou Kingdom is like a noble queen, wearing a mysterious veil, looking down at the world. She is conservative, but she can easily harvest the world with luxury goods through trade. This process has been going on for more than a hundred years."

Sassoon shook his head. "Sir, it's been more than a thousand years, since the ancient Roman era, when the Eastern country was still called the Han Dynasty. Silk was transported to Rome through the Silk Road in exchange for an equal weight of gold. Later, it was porcelain, and now tea. Under the mysterious veil of this country, there is probably a graceful and luxurious side."

"Well, the reception officer was very young. I even forgot to ask about his title."

"The interpreter told me that he should be a fourth-rank official, the heir to a duke, and the most trusted young minister of the Zhou emperor. Oh, and he is also a military commander. He has led troops to fight at the age of sixteen, and he has never lost, whether it is against domestic rebellions or Tatars on the grasslands. Oh, and just a month ago, he defeated 100,000 Tatar cavalry with only 20,000 troops."

Sassoon still did a lot of things, including quietly reporting the news in order to please Henry.

Henry's expression suddenly became serious after hearing this: "I can feel the murderous aura from him!"

After the two came out, there was a maid waiting at the door, who gestured to them to go out. When they arrived at the main hall, they found Jia Lian standing in the middle, smiling and saying, "Two messengers, please take your seats!"

Jia Lian didn't need a translator, so the two of them sat down naturally. Looking at the eight-immortals table filled with dishes, bowls and chopsticks, the two messengers' expressions were a little unnatural.

Jia Lian smiled and clapped his hands. Three women came forward and served the three people food with serving chopsticks.

Seeing Henry struggling with the chopsticks while Sassoon was able to use them, Jia Lian turned his head and whispered something, and soon another woman came in and changed a plate and knife and fork for Henry.

The luxury of the powerful and wealthy in the Great Zhou Dynasty was all created by the number of people they hired. The women hired from these brothels were all good at serving people.

Even Sassoon, who often came to Da Zhou for business, felt like a bumpkin under this kind of service.

(End of this chapter)