The arrogance started from Chinatown

Chapter 688 I am where I am today, all thanks to my own hands
"Are these the boat people?" Chen Zhengwei stood by the river, holding his nose, looking at the small boats in the river. Some ragged men and women were busy on the boats, with patches all over their clothes, looking no different from beggars.

These people were all at the bow, making fire and cooking. As the cabin was small, they could not only not straighten their legs, but many of them could not even straighten their waists.
"These are the Tanka people. The common people on the shore call them Quti. These people don't even have household registration, and even the poorest families on the shore won't intermarry with them. Brother Wei, what they are wearing is called Jiurigan!" A thug whispered in an introduction.

"Jiuri Gan? This name is interesting, what does it mean?" Lin Changning asked curiously.

"Sister-in-law, look at their clothes, they have layers of patches on them. Once they get wet, they need nine days to dry in the sun!" Ma Zai laughed.

"How pitiful!" Lin Changning said softly.

"In this world, how can ordinary people not be pitiful?" Chen Zhengwei sneered. "They have no food to eat but they don't go and rob. They deserve to starve!"

"Are they all the same as you? And among those who rebel, how many succeed?" Lin Changning glanced at him and said.

"Brother Wei, there have been several rebellions in Guangdong in recent years, but they were all suppressed. Those people have no foresight and knowledge, so they are naturally not like Brother Wei." The henchman also laughed.

The boat people on the boats saw a group of people in luxurious clothes pointing at them and talking to them on the shore, and they wanted to approach them and ask if they wanted to cross the river.

But he was driven away before he could get close.

Chen Zhengwei stood by the river and watched for a moment, then turned around and left.

He was not interested in knowing how those boat people lived. He was not Kangxi, and he did not like to go on secret visits.

Just happened to walk here.

As long as you know that these people can be useful, and someone will prepare a report to explain the situation to you, that's enough.

In this regard, Chen Zhengwei's men are quite reliable.

After all, Chen Zhengwei has only been rising for a few years, and his subordinates have all been through hard times, so they know what these people are thinking.

After a tour of Xiguan District, Chen Zhengwei lost interest in Guangzhou.

There were low-rise houses everywhere, and alleys filled with sewage. There was a thick layer of black water on the ground, and Chen Zhengwei didn't even dare to step in.

Puddings with numb expressions and tattered clothes can be seen everywhere.

It was a world of difference from when he came here before.

Well, in the previous life.

Back at the consulate, the collapsed wall had been cleared and some workers were repairing it.

A group of people were bringing vegetables and meat into the consulate.

There is a party in the evening.

The American minister invited consuls from various countries in Guangzhou and some heads of foreign companies.

"What did Guangdong Governor Zhang Zhaodong say?" Chen Zhengwei took the time to call the American minister to ask.

"They don't agree, and they can't make the decision. But they have sent the news back to the capital. This year, the Qing Dynasty's telegraph from Shanghai to Zhili was repaired, and the message was transmitted much faster. Otherwise, it would take at least half a month."

"Tell them that if they don't agree, my fleet will go north to Zhili!"

"By the way, is Macau in the hands of Portugal now?" Chen Zhengwei asked another question.

"The sovereignty belongs to the Qing Dynasty, but Portugal has been governing it for hundreds of years. Now Portugal is trying to force the Qing Dynasty to sign a treaty in an attempt to obtain permanent management rights!" said George Seward.

"Fuck, Portugal doesn't even have a few ships now! I'm afraid their ships will sink halfway from Europe to Asia." Chen Zhengwei sneered.

If the US Navy is third-rate, the Portuguese Navy is the last-rate, even weaker than the Spanish Navy.

It is entirely supported by the colonies left in Asia and Africa.

After sneering, Chen Zhengwei pondered for a moment: "Portugal has not yet obtained the management rights of Macau?"

"Although they turned Macau into a colony a long time ago, it has not actually been turned into a colony yet..." said George Seward.

"Fuck!" Chen Zhengwei understood, which means... in the next few years, Portugal really forced the Qing Dynasty to sign an agreement and obtained the administrative rights of Macau.

Portugal is so weak now, but it can still force the Qing Dynasty to sign an agreement. Why doesn't the Qing Dynasty give it 300 million silver dollars?
"300 million silver dollars, not a cent less! And a shipload of silk!"

"Otherwise I'll go north!"

Chen Zhengwei was thinking about firing a few shots when passing by Macau.

As the saying goes, whoever sees it gets a share, so Portugal should at least get half of it.

Although Macau is not a deep-water port, it can serve as a warehouse and transit station.

In addition, many of those who smuggled out went through Macau.

Those from the east go through Shantou, Huangpu, Hong Kong and other places, while those from the west of Guangdong mostly go through Macau.

From now on, civilians who want to go to Southeast Asia will be directly loaded onto ships and sent to San Francisco when they arrive in Macau.

Why go to Nanyang!
……

At the same time, the news reached the capital. Cixi was in the East Warm Room and threw the memorial on the table with a gloomy face.

"A lowly laborer actually asks us for compensation?"

“It’s so audacious!”

"Tell me, who gave him the courage?"

"Empress Dowager, the other side is unruly by nature, and they are so bold because they rely on their strong ships and powerful guns. If you accept the official position and title, there will naturally be no question of compensation." Dong Xun spoke only after Cixi finished her temper.

"But I'm afraid this title, Shunyi Hou, is a little inappropriate! This person will definitely be furious when he finds out."

Everyone discussed this matter in the court today.

Chen Zhengwei had strong ships and powerful guns, and he had a fleet under his command. He had great influence in the West and also occupied Ryukyu.

The result of the discussion in the court was to grant him the title of Admiral of the East China Navy, a rank of the first grade.

Yellow jacket.

He was given dozens of jade articles, jewels and a thousand ounces of gold.

However, when it came to awarding the title, Cixi went against the majority opinion and insisted on awarding the second-class marquisate of Shunyi Marquis.

There was actually a Shunyi Marquis in the early Qing Dynasty. He was the general of the Ming Dynasty, but later surrendered to the Qing Dynasty. The title was discontinued after six generations.

At that time, Dong Xun felt that this reward was inappropriate.

Since you want to bribe Chen Zhengwei, why do you need to do something that will anger him?
In the evening, the news that Chen Zhengwei demanded a compensation of 300 million silver dollars reached the capital, and Cixi was furious.

Dong Xun also took this opportunity to persuade him.

Cixi suppressed her anger and asked: "Then which title do you think is more appropriate?"

"It's still the second-class marquis, Marquis Zhenhai! Just changing the title makes a big difference!" Dong Xun said.

……

The next day, the news of the reward was first sent to Tianjin.

He was granted the title of admiral of the Eastern Navy, and the title of second-class marquis Zhenhai Marquis, and was also given a yellow riding jacket, dozens of jewels, and a thousand taels of gold.

But this matter needs to be discussed with Chen Zhengwei in advance.

Chen Zhengwei had many troops and fleets under his command, and the Qing Dynasty regarded him as a military commander, so they asked Guangdong Admiral Fang Yao to persuade Chen Zhengwei. In addition, they asked Chen Zhengwei about selling muskets.

It was only due to Li Hongzhang's strong persuasion that the court responded so quickly.

In fact, the most suitable person was Zhang Shusheng, the Governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. Unfortunately, Zhang Shusheng was not in Guangzhou at the time, and there was no telegram from Guangxi. Even the court did not know his specific location.

It can only be said that old people are cunning and tricky. After Zhang Shusheng realized that there was trouble, he decided to leave immediately.

After Fang Yao received the imperial edict, he directly sent someone to deliver the invitation.

"Guangdong Governor Fang Yao? Why did he come to see me? Does he want to rebel?" After receiving the note, Chen Zhengwei thought about it and guessed it was about the musket.

He also didn't expect that the Qing Dynasty would actually grant him an official position and a title.

"They have a good idea!" Chen Zhengwei smiled playfully.

But you still have to meet people.

"Let him come here!"

The next morning, Fang Yao came to visit, dressed in official uniform, a Qilin patch, and a court crown. He got off the sedan chair as soon as it reached the door.

The surrounding consulates and foreign companies saw this scene and thought to themselves, "Here we go again!"

However, two days ago, so many Green Camp members stood at the door of the consulate for a night, and then dispersed like a farce, leaving only a few people at the distant street corner to monitor this place.

At this time, Fang Yao only brought a team of people, and everyone stayed outside. Fang Yao got out of the sedan chair and led a few people into the consulate.

I was taken to the reception room in the consulate, where I saw Chen Zhengwei sitting there smoking a cigar.

The distance was a little far that day, so I couldn't see it clearly.

Now Fang Yao took a closer look and found that he indeed had the aura of a hero.

Especially the other person's age. Although he looks a little older because of his body shape and temperament, his face does not have the childish look of a young person.

But I heard that this person is only in his early twenties.

Fang Yao calmed down and bowed. "Mr. Chen!"

"Sit down! Tell me what you are here for. Are you ready to pay the compensation?" Chen Zhengwei looked at him with his legs crossed.

After Fang Yao sat down, he asked, "I wonder if Mr. Chen is from the Qing Dynasty... or an American?"

Chen Zhengwei looked at him and said, "So what if they are from the Qing Dynasty? So what if they are from the Americans?"

"Mr. Chen was born in Taishan, isn't that true?" Fang Yao said.

"After all, you and I have the same skin color, the same language, and we are all from the same race."

"The West is full of blond and blue-eyed foreigners who look down on us Chinese. Mr. Chen has made a name for himself in America. He is truly a young hero!"

"But this West is still the West of foreigners. Mr. Chen is an outlier among them! Those who are not of our race must have different hearts. What do you think, Mr. Chen?"

After hearing Fang Yao's words, Chen Zhengwei thought for a moment, then smiled playfully.

How fast does Chen Zhengwei's brain work?
Combining Fang Yao's words with the current situation of the Qing Dynasty, he almost guessed the other party's purpose.

The Qing Dynasty actually wanted to recruit him.

"The Queen Mother's order." Fang Yao bowed towards the north and said straight to the point:

"The court is willing to promote Mr. Chen to the position of admiral of the Eastern Ocean Navy, in charge of all Eastern Ocean affairs! Confer him the title of second-class marquis Zhenhai Hou, grant him a yellow jacket, and a number of jewels and gold!"

"Mr. Chen, then you and I will serve in the same palace!"

"Unlike us, Mr. Chen controls a fleet and is in charge of a region. Even the imperial court does not have many restrictions on you!" Fang Yao said.

With the power that Chen Zhengwei possesses, even the Qing court can't do anything to him and has to treat him well.

Chen Zhengwei leaned back against the sofa, one hand on the backrest, the other hand smoking a cigar, and asked, "Do you think my fleet is good? Do you think my munitions are good?"

"Mr. Chen naturally has strong ships and powerful guns!" Fang Yao said.

"I am where I am today thanks to my own hands! Whatever I wanted, I just grabbed it myself! Why should I rely on others to give it to me? Why should you, the Qing Dynasty, confer a title on me?" Chen Zhengwei laughed loudly with a defiant look on his face.

"Mr. Chen, this matter will only benefit Mr. Chen!"

"Besides, if you don't think ahead, you'll have immediate worries! Although Mr. Chen can now dominate the West with his powerful ships and cannons, how do you know it will still be the same in ten or twenty years?"

"Mr. Chen now relies on nothing more than those seafaring laborers. How many talents do they have? To be able to reach this point is all thanks to Mr. Chen being a contemporary hero. Just think about how difficult it is!"

"But if Mr. Chen becomes an official of the Qing Dynasty, he can select talents from the entire Qing Dynasty. He will have an extra way out in the future!"

"As for the court's order, if Mr. Chen doesn't want to listen, who can do anything about it?" Fang Yao said sincerely.

Fang Yao analyzed the pros and cons clearly in just a few words.

In his opinion, this matter would be beneficial to Chen Zhengwei and there was no need to refuse.

Chen Zhengwei smiled and said, "Do you know what is most important to me?"

Without waiting for Fang Yao to answer, he laughed loudly and said, "The world is big, but I am the happiest!"

"If I want something in this world, I will just go get it. I don't need anyone to give it to me!"

"Even if I want to be an official in the Qing Dynasty, I have to fight to the capital and force them to give me an official position!"

"Besides... Admiral Fang, as a Han Chinese, why would you work for the Manchus?"

Fang Yao's face changed slightly when he heard this.

"Can you really not see the current world situation, or are you afraid to open your eyes and see?" Chen Zhengwei pointed the cigar in his hand at him and took two sharp puffs.

"The world is undergoing great changes, and all countries are striving to stay ahead in this era! It was already bad enough early on, and it's hard to turn things around. Now we can only patch things up!"

"Even if you mend your ways, even if you struggle, you can only live for a dozen or twenty years!"

"In this situation, why would you, a Han Chinese, work for them?"

"If you ask me, you might as well take over this rich land in the southeast with your people. The Qing Dynasty is troubled by external and internal troubles, so how much energy would it have to bother you?"

"I like investing the most when doing business. If you are against the Qing Dynasty, I will sell guns to you. Think about it, if you take my guns, what can the Qing Dynasty do to you? Then you can occupy the southeast and pay me interest. What do you think?" Chen Zhengwei laughed.

"My loyalty to the court is as clear as day and night. This is absolutely impossible!" Fang Yao's face turned pale.

He came to persuade Chen Zhengwei to accept the official position granted by the court, but he did not expect that Chen Zhengwei was so bold as to persuade him to rebel.

"Don't refuse so quickly. I'm telling you what's going on. Who else can tell the court?" Chen Zhengwei leaned forward, staring into Fang Yao's eyes.

"I don't believe that anyone who can become a first-rank admiral can't even see the current situation. I also don't believe that there are many honest and unambitious people who can become a frontier official!"

"Everyone take turns sitting in that position. The Qing dynasty has reached the end of its lifespan, and someone has to take its place!"

"Nowadays, people all over the world are living in poverty, and China is falling behind step by step in the competition with other countries. It is nothing more than the current Qing Dynasty's accumulated problems that are difficult to reverse."

"It's better to change the situation. It will be better for you and the people of the world!" Chen Zhengwei said with a smile.

"This is nonsense! Since you don't want to accept the title, I will inform the court. Goodbye!" Fang Yao snorted coldly, stood up and walked out. Although he tried his best to remain calm, his steps were still a little flustered.

(End of this chapter)