Dominate the Country

In June of the ninth year of Chengtian.

A clipper ship returning from Europe docked at the Shanghai dock. As soon as it docked, a group of dock workers in short-sleeved work clothes surrounded it, holding the planks and pulling the cables. Large steam pulley cranes were slowly pushed to the corresponding positions under the call of dozens of workers.

Very high specifications, right?

Ordinary ships do not receive such treatment after arriving at the Shanghai dock, but this is a clipper ship returning from Europe.

This was the ship that accompanied Gao Yanming on his diplomatic mission to Europe. It came back once in the fourth year of Chengtian, and has been there ever since. It has been four or five years since it left.

Many of the people in the original delegation have returned, and new people have gone to Europe, but some have been away for seven or eight years before returning.

Gao Leisi stood at the bow holding his beloved French wife Catherine Cullen's hand and took a deep breath of the air of his hometown.

Nanjing is his hometown. His parents have moved from Beijing to Nanjing for many years. After being away from their homeland for many years, Nanjing has become very kind in his mind.

The port environment in Singapore is already very good. The air at the Shanghai wharf is even better than that at Singapore Port. In addition to the natural smell of the sea, Gao Leisi feels that it is as fresh as a remote and uninhabited beach. And if you compare the current Shanghai Port with the big ports in Europe, such as Marseille, Bordeaux, London, Manchester, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Genoa, Gibraltar, Gothenburg, Barcelona, ​​St. Petersburg, etc., he has been to almost all the famous ports in Europe, but the sea breeze and smell there, the combined smell is like being in a rotten and spoiled sea fish or a garbage dump. The air in Shanghai is like heaven compared to it.

Although Gao Leisi knows that the sanitation management of the Shanghai port area is very strict, only with comparison can he have a higher evaluation.

It was not obvious when the ship docked in Jinghai, which was obviously still a small seaport. Singapore already had a bit of smell, and Shanghai was a big surprise.

Katherine Cullen, who was wearing a sergeant's uniform, had a handkerchief in her hand, but now she obviously didn't need it.

The main roads in the whole city of Shanghai, including the port area, were all flat cement paved surfaces. Snow-white lines divided the port work area into grids. Not far away were neat dock warehouses, tracks intersecting each other, and horse-drawn carriages galloping on them. Several lawns, tree green belts, including street lamps painted snow-white with beautiful windproof oil lamps hanging on them, were all scattered.

Workers in port work uniforms pushed carts or carried goods, shuttling back and forth. Policemen in groups of two hung batons and pistols on their waists, leisurely looking at the ships. There were also cleaners with red cuffs on their arms.

Looking west along the wide streets, the city of Shanghai, which was distributed like a chessboard, was hidden among the lush green trees, but standing on the side of the ship, at least the distribution of the port area could be clearly seen, and most of the port area could be seen. As a specimen of China's new urban construction, Shanghai's urban architecture and distribution are very geometric. The roads and green belts are dividing lines, which are either horizontal and vertical or graceful curves.

The urban area of ​​Shanghai, which is blocked by the buildings and trees in the port area, looks very mysterious, and is more attractive and upscale against the port area in front of it.

After not returning to China for such a long time, Gao Leisi, who has been mentally prepared, is still secretly surprised by the scene of Shanghai's port area and the changes in Shanghai in the distance.

Obviously, this is completely different from the Beijing city in his memory, and it is also completely different from the European cities he is familiar with.

As a template for China's new cities, the template of Shanghai is a garden city, a green city.

Karen opened her mouth in surprise. Jinghai and Singapore have shocked her, but Shanghai makes her unexpectedly happy. No wonder she always listens to the French businessmen who returned from China and told her in an envious tone that she would fall in love with China. People living in Shanghai and Nanjing are happy.

On weekdays, she also heard some oriental "traditional culture" from her husband, and felt the sense of superiority in her husband's tone. She was getting more and more used to the large number of goods and materials from this country in her life. Although the whole lifestyle was still mostly Western, now, this beautiful and fresh city in front of her gave Catherine Karen a great surprise.

This is just Shanghai, not Nanjing. They will live in Nanjing in the future, unless Gao Leisi is sent to Shanghai again.

As the capital of a country, Nanjing should be more beautiful than Shanghai. Just like Paris is better than Marseille, London is better than Manchester.

"There are so many flowers here, and there are grass and green trees. I like this place. Father, will our home be as beautiful as here?" Suddenly, a childish voice sounded. It was Gao Leisi's baby daughter, who was only four or five years old.

A very smart child, looking at the beautiful Shanghai Port, she already thought of her own home.

"Of course, dear baby, the scenery of the ancient Qinhuai is better than here."

"I have already entrusted my family to help us build a villa, referring to the new world architecture and European style in Shanghai. With poor Mr. Pierre as the counselor, the French style will definitely be incorporated into the layout. Dear, you and your daughter will like it." Gao Leisi said to his wife and daughter, and looked at Yang Dewang appearing on the dock with a smile on his face.

Yang Dewang came back earlier than Gao Leisi. He returned to China in the fifth year of Chengtian, and then worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Office in Shanghai.

They haven't seen each other for several years, but it has not affected the relationship between Yang Dewang and Gao Leisi. In the entire Chinese officialdom, there is no third person who married a foreign wife, and the wife is the main wife, and does not take concubines.

Yang Dewang's wife is Marie Deneuve, also French. She and Karen knew each other as a girl.

So, it is really difficult for Gao Leisi and Yang Dewang to "separate" in this life.

Yang Dewang and his group of ten people, he and a colleague from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then eight are all police officers and national security responsible for security work.

"Welcome back!" Yang Dewang held Gao Leisi in his arms, then greeted Karen in an intimate manner, and finally greeted the cute mixed-race girl next to the French young woman in a serious manner, "Dear Miss Gao, welcome back to China." That was Gao Leisi's only daughter so far, only four or five years old.

Her face was originally full of smiles, but she was frightened by Yang Dewang's serious look, and her whole face became tense.

"Thank you, I like China." Ru answered like a little adult. The voice was obviously a little nervous, but it was deliberately calm. This look immediately made the adults around laugh, and even the police and national security in charge of security couldn't help laughing.

A very cute little girl.

"Mr. Gao, welcome back. I am the first secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs..." Gao Leisi nodded slightly to another person wearing a fifth-rank official uniform. He knew that this person was the person he would deal with frequently in the next few days.

Gao Leisi had to hand over all his work notes and some secret things to the person in front of him for sorting, and during this period, Gao Leisi would report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as he should. The latter's purpose was not to know Gao Leisi's gains, but to verify other aspects from Gao Leisi's gains, and to infer or discover some things that Gao Leisi himself "did not realize" from the details. This "first-class secretary" position belongs to the intelligence department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and works specifically with the Military Intelligence Bureau and the Intelligence Research Department.

After the visitor greeted Gao Leisi, his eyes shifted to the faces of the servants behind Gao Leisi and his wife.

Karen was born into a French noble family. When she got married, she brought a very expensive dowry. In addition to wealth such as gold coins and real estate, there were several servants brought from home.

A housekeeper in his forties, his wife [cook], a coachman in his fifties, an old gardener of the same age, and six maids in their thirties and forties.

The first-class secretary's eyes gradually became sharp. When the nine Frenchmen's eyes just met his, everyone couldn't help but straighten their chests, because their masters were obviously of higher status, but soon everyone moved their eyes away unnaturally.

Sitting in the carriage, the twenty carriages were completely filled with people and gifts. Gao Leisi and his wife and Yang Dewang took a carriage, which was the most spacious one. Yang Dewang and Gao Leisi did not talk about work, but about life.

There is no doubt that Yang Dewang also has some feelings for France, and his wife's relatives are also in Paris.

"How should I put it? Although France's finances are a big problem, the overall situation is relatively stable. The French are confident of winning this war. The Battle of Yorktown gave the whole of France hope to defeat Britain."

"But even if France finally wins this war, the war costs will seriously damage the vitality of the entire country."

"Prices are rising everywhere, from food, cotton, cloth, to copper, iron, lead, tin, and fish, meat, cheese, butter, everything is rising in price."

The entire French economic order has changed. "And the most important thing is the debt of the French government. Their national debt interest rate is almost twice that of the British. The serious consequences of huge military expenditures are immeasurable."

"The French government can never pay back this debt unless it increases taxes. But increasing taxes is not easy, and the consequences are even more fatal."

"Compared with the huge debt crisis and social troubles after the war, these problems during the war are not so serious."

When leaving Europe, Gao Leisi once suggested that the people of the Cullen family pack up their property and leave France as soon as possible after the future war.

If you really don't want to leave the land where your ancestors lived, you have to leave Paris.

"The French regard buying and selling national debt as an investment. It is not pure patriotism, but an investment mixed with economic interests."

Gao Leisi didn't understand this very much, and Yang Dewang didn't understand this either. It was just that when Yang Dewang left Europe, it was only 1778 in the Gregorian calendar. He hadn't seen the enthusiasm and crazy enthusiasm of the French to buy national debt after France declared war on Britain.

Gao Leisi believed that the madness definitely contained love for the country and hatred for the British. But the war has been going on for too long, and this sentiment, which is separate from economic interests, is gradually weakening.

"You are saying that after the war, the victorious French will turn all their thoughts to financial interests while their self-esteem is satisfied. Are you worried that once a financial crisis breaks out in the French government, chaos will occur in Paris?"

Yang Dewang was surprised. Is it that serious? Didn’t France never have a financial crisis?

Paris is the capital of France. Chaos in Paris means that King Louis XVI has lost control of the country's power. Does that mean that the whole of France may be in chaos?

Yang Dewang couldn't help but glance at Karen, who obviously didn't care about the conversation between her husband and Yang Dewang. At this time, she was looking out the window and browsing the scenery of Shanghai, intoxicated by the urban appearance of Shanghai that was very different from Paris.

"It seems that I need to communicate with Deneuve's family." Yang Dewang shook his head. He really couldn't imagine that domestic chaos would break out in a top European power in the blink of an eye. But Yang Dewang believed Gao Leisi's words.

Yang Dewang's home is not an ordinary apartment building, but a uniquely built manor. Just like Gao Caisi who married an aristocratic lady as his wife, although Yang Dewang's wife was not an aristocrat, the Deneuve family was a very wealthy businessman in Paris. When she married Yang Dewang, she brought a very objective dowry with her. .

Otherwise, with Yang Dewang's salary of several hundred yuan a month, how could he not live in a public house and buy land to build his own manor?

"This place is incomparable to yours. You have never seen the scenery there. I guarantee you will like it. It is really like a garden against the backdrop of the Qinhuai River. Although you haven't moved in yet, it is It has already caused a trend in Nanjing.”

"On the banks of the Qinhuai River, several buildings of that style have appeared in the past two years. Pierre should not have asked you to collect wages. You have opened up a new market for him." Xinshi architecture and European-style buildings The combination is really beautiful and fits Yang Dewang’s aesthetics very well.

And Pierre, who turned his back on France, has now found his new position.

Yang Dewang's manor is not large in area. There are flowers and green grass at the entrance. There is also a three-layer European-style water tray. The water flow should be lifted up by siphon effect. On the top stands an oriental fairy sculpture with fluttering clothes, which makes Gao Lei I always feel a bit inconsistent when I think about it.

It would be most appropriate to put a little angel here.

The carriage drove up the steps. The main building of the manor was a two-story building with a square shape. The open space in the middle was decorated with flowers, plants, tables and chairs.

There is a bit of European style, but why didn't Gao Leisi see statues and paintings? He clearly remembered that when Yang Dewang returned to China, he brought back many sculptures and religious paintings from Europe.

"Housekeeper, tell people to move their luggage quickly!" Marie Deneuve, who was only 25 years old, entertained Gao Caisi's family of three very warmly. Especially for the doll-like children, she was really envious of her. . Because Yang Dewang had three sons, Deneuve dreamed of giving birth to a daughter.

As for the question that Gao Leisi just had, Yang Dewang and his wife, who were sitting in the living room, looked at each other and smiled, with bitterness in their smiles.

"If you want to develop in officialdom, you should not focus too much on pursuing God."

"This is a secular world, the East."

Yang Dewang's face was full of helplessness. Gao Caisi was in Europe, and in that atmosphere, he couldn't feel anything. Gao Yanming would not explicitly restrict him from going to church, worshiping, or praying to God. They would even indulge him intentionally, because this would allow them to have better activities in Europe.

But returning to the East is a different situation.

"Every year, the Church Administration rejects Father Li Shun'en's application report. There is not even a church bathed in the holy light in Shanghai. And with the outbreak of the war, people can no longer see the hope that the holy light will shine."

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