On the long street, a middle-aged man walked by.

Tagawa Kakuei, who was sitting by the window of the teahouse on the second floor, looked at him with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Zheng Ping, who was on the opposite side, whispered: "That person is Luo Deyuan, the chief envoy of Jiangsu Province."

Zheng Ping was dressed as a businessman, and he was dressed in rich and noble clothes. After finishing speaking, he added: "I heard that his term has expired, his evaluation is good, and he will soon take up a post in Beijing."

"Really?" Tagawa Kakuei said: "I don't think he has any followers. He doesn't look like a high-ranking official."

He squinted his eyes and saw a pedal rickshaw not far away. The same Rod Yuan just got off the car.

Tagawa Kakuei was very interested in this kind of car. He had never seen such a thing in Nagasaki.

Of course, although this small car looks easy to manufacture, it is very demanding on the road surface. It is not easy to implement it. Only the city of Nanjing can have such smooth roads.

It is worthy of being the "city of all nations"...

"Young master Tian, ​​you don't know something. That man named Luo has always had this kind of virtue. He doesn't take any followers with him when he goes out," Zheng Ping said.

Tagawa Kakuei turned his attention back to Luo Yuan again, and saw him walking on the road with his body upright and his face looking arrogant and angry, indeed a bit official.

"Isn't he afraid of being assassinated?"

"The public security in Nanjing City is very good now." Zheng Ping said: "Besides, there are many patrols on the road that people named Luo usually take to go to and from the Yamen. If you really want to go to a certain place for inspection, the Yamen will automatically provide guards. Oh, then

He is also famous for being a picky person. He doesn't hire any staff or servants, they are all assigned to him by the government."

Tagawa Kakuei took a sip of tea, sneered slightly, and said: "Pick? Let him pick it. If I go down now, I can stab a chief envoy to death with one knife."

"This...even so, I'm afraid Mr. Tian won't be able to escape."

"If you can't escape, you can't escape." Tagawa Kakuei said: "I am a small person, and I am replaced by a high-ranking official like him. What's wrong with it?"

Zheng Ping was a little embarrassed and shrank his neck, thinking to himself that there was no reason to risk his life here with this ruthless man.

Fortunately, Tagawa Kakuei said harshly, but he said: "But I went through all the trouble this time to cross the ocean. I'm not here to kill him. I have important things to do... I'm lucky for this person named Luo."

"Yes, yes, in my opinion, Mr. Tian has a bright future and his life is far more valuable than that of Luo." Zheng Ping breathed a sigh of relief.

The two of them turned to look out the window and saw that Luo Deyuan had turned into an alley.

"Let's get down to business." Tagawa Kakuei said, "How many surviving ministers can I take with me this time?"

"Three hundred and seventy-eight people."

"so much?"

"Yes." Zheng Ping said: "They are all loyal and upright people who are loyal to me, Emperor Longchang and the Duke of Guo. They are literati, warriors, and craftsmen. They also have a large number of classics and property."

Having said this, he lowered his voice, leaned his head closer, and said softly: "There are also several pictures of firearms, all of which are the latest firearms still being produced by the Ordnance Bureau."

"Really?" Tagawa Kakuei's eyes burst into joy.

But he pondered for a long time, then became a little worried, and murmured: "How can I take it away?"

Zheng Ping said: "Young Master, don't worry. Among the surviving ministers, there are relatives and friends who serve in the Jiangnan Navy. After taking care of it, we got a large ship that was eliminated by the Navy... All the necessary documents are here."

"How did this go so well?!"

"Ha, what status did these ministers have in the past, and what status do they have today? When they get there, it's all thanks to the dragon. Who dares not to try their best?"

Tagawa Kakuei then smiled.

Compared with these, the chief envoy I just passed by is really nothing.

The head of his family, Tagawa Shichizaemon, has now made up his mind to help his brother overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate... to establish a country, this is the real great achievement.

Tagawa Kakuei discussed some details with Zheng Ping. At the end, he stood up and said, "You have worked hard staying here all these years. Let's make arrangements as soon as possible."

"It's not hard." Zheng Ping said with a smile: "It's just doing some business and keeping in touch. It's not hard."

Tagawa Kakuei nodded and left the teahouse.

This place belongs to Shangyuan County in Nanjing City. It is the core area of ​​the main city and a quiet street in the middle of the bustle.

Tagawa Kakuei got off the teahouse and had only walked a few steps when he met an official named Luo Yuan coming out of the alley.

Luo Luo Yuan was seen wearing civilian clothes and walking into a grocery store. After a while, he came out holding a small jar of soy sauce.

"Chief envoy? Ha."

Tagawa Kakuei sneered in his heart and couldn't help but reach into his sleeve and took out a dagger. He thought that he could kill a second-rank official by just taking two steps forward and stabbing him a few times.

Such an easy assassination was unimaginable in Nagasaki.

However, after all, there was something important at stake, so he shook his head, finally gave up on this idea and walked away.

On a high-rise building not far away, someone put down his telescope and chuckled: "Ha, this kid actually wants to make trouble?"

The other man put down the fire gun in his hand and said calmly: "He can't grow branches. If he really dares to attack Mr. Luo, I will kill him with one shot."

"It's easy for him to collapse. The big event that we finally arranged to send him to Japan was delayed again."

"I don't know when the Zheng family will start fighting with the Tokugawa shogunate. The wait makes people anxious."

"Soon..."

~~

On the long street, a young man ran past.

"I'm selling newspapers! Jiangnan Weekly... Master Wang left Jiayuguan and went on an expedition to Hami; the fifth living Buddha came to Beijing to have an audience; the Nanjing Agricultural Research Office improved the seeder..."

Luo Luo Yuan looked at the young man from a distance and waved.

"Sir, would you like to buy a newspaper?"

"Why haven't the newspapers been sold out by evening?"

"Ha, the students of Purple Mountain University Hall have a free time today. They gathered in the city to discuss current affairs. They have talked about all the things in my newspaper. Who wants to buy it? It really pisses me off... Sir, do you want to buy it? Buy one.

How about a portion?"

Luo Luo Yuan asked again: "How old are you? Have you ever read a book? Can selling newspapers support your livelihood?"

"I am twenty-four years old and literate. Not only do I sell newspapers, I also hold accounts at the Ocean Trading Company over there... No, sir, do you want to buy it? Master Wang went on an expedition to Hami, and the Living Buddha came to Beijing..."

"Okay, do you have any old newspapers? I'll buy a few stacks to practice calligraphy. Each kilogram...this amount."

Luo Luo Yuan stretched out three fingers and compared them.

The young man let out a "ha" sound, shook his head and said, "This number is not for sale."

Perhaps because there was really nothing interesting to talk about in this number, he was too lazy to look at Luo Yuan again and turned around to leave.

"Sell newspapers...Master Wang is on an expedition to Hami, and the young and old men have national debt to buy..."

Luo Luo Yuan was stunned, but didn't take it to heart, and walked home with the soy sauce in hand.

His wife, a dull woman, was sitting in the hall doing embroidery.

An old woman from the kitchen came out quickly and muttered: "It took me too long to buy soy sauce."

This old woman was also arranged by the government to come to his house to work. Luo Yuan called her Wu Ma.

She usually speaks so toughly, so other officials don't want her, but she still does a good job.

Luo Deyuan didn't talk back. After dinner, he went back to the study to do some work. Outside, his wife and Wu's mother were already packing things for going to Beijing.

That night, Liu's mother suddenly came in and said, "Master, we have a guest here. He's not here to ask you for help. He's here to discuss something with you."

"Then let's meet..."

After a while, a fair-faced, beardless middle-aged man came over with a wheelchair, went to the study, moved the wheelchair, and moved it across the threshold.

Luo Luo Yuan turned his head and was stunned when he saw the man in the wheelchair.

He rubbed his eyes and felt like he was in a dream.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty?"

With a "boom" sound, Luo Yuan stood up and tried to walk around the desk. Because he walked too fast, his knee hit the desk and hurt, but he stepped forward regardless and bowed seriously.

"Your Majesty, Luo Deyuan, the envoy to the left of Jiangsu Province, has met with your Majesty!"

"There's no need to be polite. I'm no longer your majesty. Just call me Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Yan smiled, looked at the study room, and said: "You are a second-grade official, but you only have an old woman working in your family?"

"I...I don't know what your Majesty means by what you said? What do you mean...not your Majesty?"

Zhou Yan said: "Let's put it this way, eight years ago, I lost my throne and became an ordinary person."

"What?! This..."

"Listen to me first. All these years, what has been sitting on the throne is just a piece of wood. The government orders in the world are all the decisions of my brother-in-law and the parliament, and have nothing to do with me."

Luo Luo Yuan stood there completely dumbfounded. He cupped his hands and said again: "Your Majesty..."

"Don't profess your vassal to me. You, the Chief Minister of the Left, were not appointed by me." Zhou Yan smiled, looked at Luo Yuan, and said: "Look, you haven't noticed that the emperor is missing for so many years. It shows that there is me without me.

, no difference.”

Luo Yuan finally reacted and his face twisted, as if a great righteousness was emanating from him.
To be continued...