The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 256: Give you the Book of Heaven, go abroad to fool people! (Please subscribe, please vote)
"Shaoquan, Lanqing, Young Master Wu, this is my confidante, Miss Xu Yuegui. She just came from Hunan and brought me a rare book."

In the reception room of the garden house, Luo Xueyan was introducing his confidante Xu Yuegui to Li Hongzhang, Wang Libin and Wu Chaoyue.

This garden house belongs to Wu Chaoyue. It was Wu Chaoyue who arranged today's meeting. Not only Li Hongzhang was invited, but also Wang Libin from the Morrison Education Society in Shanghai. He was a great man. He was one of the first few people in China to open their eyes to the world. He was also one of the earliest translators, journalists, political commentators, and new school educators in China. It is said that he once went to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's capital, Tianjing, under a pseudonym and took the exam to become a "Long-haired Number One Scholar."

It’s a pity that although he was born at the right time, there was no wise leader in the world, so he could only advocate progress and lead the way for those who came after him.

After Luo Xueyan became the master of Shanghai, he asked Wu Chaoyue to introduce this person to his own staff. However, he did not let him immediately join his core team. Instead, he introduced him to Li Hongzhang and asked him to accompany Li Hongzhang abroad as the staff of "Marshal Xue".

It's not that Luo Xueshuai doesn't value talents, but that Marshal Luo has an important task to entrust him with, which is to "go abroad and fool foreigners."

"Yue Gui meets Lord Li, Mr. Wang, and Mr. Wu."

Although Luo Xueyan called Xu Yuegui his confidante and called her "Miss Xu", she was very respectful to Li Hongzhang, Wang Libin and Wu Chaoyue, and bowed to them. After she finished the blessing ceremony, Luo Xueyan waved to her and asked her to stand beside his seat.

Seeing this "Xu Lady" being obedient, Li Hongzhang already knew that this "female hero" must be a woman working for Luo Xueyan. He didn't know where she came from. Looking at her figure and heavily made-up face, she must not be from a good family. He also didn't know how Luo Xueyan conquered this woman.

Luo Xueyan explained at this time: "Yuegui was originally a female bandit of the Tiandihui in Hunan. She once responded to Changmao and rebelled with others in Changde Prefecture. I led troops to defeat her and captured her alive. She could not escape death, but I saw that she was a good chivalrous woman with a sense of justice, so I interceded with Luo Ruweng and spared her life. I took her as my subordinate to help me find out the news about Changmao."

Li Hongzhang nodded slightly, and glanced at Xu Yuegui's high and raised peaks, as if thinking about something.

"Yuegui, take the strange book you got from the Taiping rebels' territory in Hunan to Lord Li." Luo Xueyan ordered with a smile at this time.

"Yes, sir." Xu Yuegui immediately took out a rolled-up thread-bound book tied with a ribbon from a cloth bag she was carrying, walked up to Li Hongzhang, and handed it to him with both hands.

Li Hongzhang reached out and took the thread-bound book, unzipped the ribbon, unfolded the book and took a look. On the cover of the thread-bound book were written "The Second Volume of the Great Prophecy" in seven big characters.

Li Hongzhang was surprised: "There is a second volume of the Great Prophecy Book?"

Luo Xueyan said to Xu Yuegui: "Yuegui, tell me."

"Yes, sir." Xu Yuegui said, "Sir Li, this second volume of the "Great Book of Prophecies" was left behind by the false angel of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom before he left Hunan. It predicts what will happen in 1854."

It is already April 1853. When Li Hongzhang and his companions arrive in Europe, it will be almost October 4. Almost all the prophecies in the first volume of "The Great Book of Prophecies" will be out of date. How can Lord Li fool people like this?

If Mr. Li doesn't fool around, how can Luo Yaoguo still be a "master" and give advice to the big capitalists, big feudal lords, and big imperialists in the world? This is a very powerful "soft power". In the case that hard power requires a long time to accumulate and hone, it is very important to use "soft power" well.

Li Hongzhang also knew that the contents of the first volume of "The Great Book of Prophecy" were being fulfilled one by one, so he was naturally very interested in the second volume of "The Great Book of Prophecy" and immediately began to read it.

There are still a lot of doggerel on it, and there is no English translation, only Chinese.

Of course, the content still does not involve China. This is also easy to understand. Saint Angel Wu Wang Luo Yaoguo himself is in the overall situation of China. Even if he can predict it, he will not talk nonsense everywhere. What if the enemy is prepared?
"Lan Qing," Luo Xueyan said to Wang Libin with a smile, "I'll leave the translation to you. You'll have to work hard on this journey. You have to teach Shaoquan English while translating the second volume of the Great Prophecy Book."

"Your Excellency is too kind. This is what I should do."

Wang Libin was obviously very satisfied with the important position he had received. He was just a scholar, not from Shaoxing, so it was difficult for him to be an official, let alone a legal advisor. Moreover, he had worked with the British missionary Medhurst at the Morrison Education Society in Shanghai for five years. He not only learned English, but also learned a lot about the world. Of course, he was eager to learn more about the world. So when Luo Xueyan asked him to accompany Li Hongzhang to visit Europe, he immediately accepted the order with pleasure.

Luo Xueyan smiled and nodded, then glanced at Wu Chaoyue: "Young Master Wu, have you exchanged the white pounds?"

"Okay, okay." Wu Chaoyue immediately smiled and took out a big leather bag, ready to hand it to Luo Xueyan.

Luo Xueyan waved his hand and pointed at Wang Libin: "Lan Qing, this is 5,000 white pounds. You can take it with you when you go abroad. This is for buying books. I hope you can use this money to buy several sets of textbooks from Britain, France, and Prussia, from primary school to university. You don't need to buy religious textbooks, but buy as many as possible of the others.

I hope that after you return from Europe, you can help me run a Shanghai Translation Bureau, and then hire a group of foreigners who are proficient in Chinese to translate all these textbooks into Chinese. Our new-style education in China must start with these textbooks. "

"Yes, sir. Libin will definitely live up to your trust."

Wang Libin took the heavy pounds with both hands, and a sense of mission that was difficult to express in words suddenly surged in his heart.

Luo Xueyan then asked Li Hongzhang: "Shaoquan, when are you going to leave? Is Shengkezhai going with you?"

"Benxian is going to Japan. When he comes back, we will take his Hermes to Hong Kong, and then transfer to other steamships to Europe." Li Hongzhang said with a smile, "As for Lord Sheng, he originally came to Shanghai to buy foreign guns and cannons from foreigners. After that, he has to return to Suzhou. However, the route to Suzhou has been cut off recently, so he plans to go to Tianjin by sea, and then go to Beijing to meet the emperor."

"Oh, so that's how it is." Luo Yaoguo nodded slightly, thinking: "Yuan Bao has recognized me, he should not hide it from Sheng Bao. I don't know if Sheng Bao will go to Beijing to expose me? But by the time Xianfeng reacts, I will have already established a firm foothold in Shanghai. Then I can send the Taiping Army to take Chongming Island. In this way, Shanghai and Beijing will be basically isolated! At worst, I will just be a middleman between the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the foreigners."

In Yu Garden, Inner Garden, under the big stage, Zhou Xiuying finished practicing ten sets of Luohan Fist and was already sweating profusely. She closed her eyes again and began to simulate in her mind how to break Xu Yuegui's Eight Cutting Knife and then assassinate the Qing demon Luo Xueyan.

Now she is "locked up" in the inner garden alone. There are people to serve her when she eats, drinks and washes herself, but the inner garden is surrounded by high walls, and the only exit leading to the outer garden is guarded by soldiers with live ammunition. She has no way to leave, nor can she get weapons. The most she can do is sharpen her chopsticks and stab Luo Xueyan to death. Although Miss Zhou is confident that she can kill Lord Luo with a chopstick, she has no chance of winning against Xu Yuegui's Eight Cutting Swords!

"Hey, you're still practicing boxing? Do you want me to practice with you for a few moves?"

Xu Yuegui's voice suddenly came from downstairs, interrupting Zhou Xiuying's thoughts.

Zhou Xiuying looked back and found that Xu Yuegui had already appeared downstairs of Huanyun Building with several middle-aged maids.

"Hello, Sister Xu." Zhou Xiuying quickly bowed to Xu Yuegui.

Xu Yuegui smiled and walked forward to help Zhou Xiuying, saying, "Sister Xiuying is really hardworking. She is sweating all over. I have asked someone to prepare the bath water. Go and wash yourself clean so that you can go see the master."

"Meet the master?" Zhou Xiuying's heart suddenly started pounding.

"Yes," Xu Yuegui said with a smile, "Sister Xiuying, you are selling your art and your body. Isn't it time for the adults to take a good look at you?"

"Yeah," Zhou Xiuying nodded with a red face, "I should."

Xu Yuegui smiled and nodded: "Okay, go wash up quickly. I have asked someone to prepare new clothes for you. Wear them beautifully, and the adults will definitely like you."

(End of this chapter)