Chapter 40

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From the dirty and noisy industrial area of Manchester, filled with beggars, prostitutes, and child laborers, to the magnificent and extremely luxurious Blenheim Palace, it was like moving from hell to heaven, or from 1843 Europe to 2014 Europe.

The owner here is the 6th Duke of Marlborough, George Spencer Churchill, who is the older brother of the fat Churchill. This luxurious mansion covers 2,100 acres, equivalent to about 12,000 Chinese acres. It was granted by Queen Anne of Britain to honor the 1st Duke of Marlborough, John Churchill, for his great victory in the Battle of Blenheim in 1704. To build this mansion, the British Treasury spent 240,000 pounds, and the Churchill family also contributed 60,000 pounds—pounds from the 18th century!

As soon as Zhu Jishi entered Blenheim Palace, he immediately felt the opulence and luxury. The lawn alone was unimaginably large, and a little further away was a lake, whether natural or man-made, it was unknown. On one side of the lake were large areas of natural forest. The carriage drove for quite a while on the hard road across the lawn before approaching the main building of Blenheim Palace. Outside the palace, Zhu Jishi saw many intricately carved fountains, stone figures, and neatly trimmed shrubs, all typical of European garden style.

Zhu Jishi had been to this place over a hundred years later, on a trip with Ye Yiren. Now, he was visiting this luxurious estate as a guest, accompanied by Isabelle Deneuve and a fat man who might be the uncle of Prime Minister Churchill.

Zhu Jishi was not the only one visiting Blenheim Palace today. Looking around, colorful umbrellas were spread out everywhere, and elegantly dressed gentlemen and ladies were scattered on the lawn in groups. Dining tables had already been set up. Chefs wearing tall white hats stood proudly, preparing European cuisine on the spot. Many servants, wearing embroidered tweed jackets and holding trays of cocktails, moved among the guests, diligently pouring various fine wines into their glasses.

When Zhu Jishi and his group arrived, there was a sparse round of applause, and many blonde beauties cast interested glances at them—on the way to Blenheim Palace, the fat Churchill had told Zhu Jishi in a half-joking tone that many of the ladies in the Omark Club were privately betting on who could be the first to seduce him. Of course, Isabelle would not participate in such a bet, although her relationship with Zhu Jishi was still quite pure, everyone believed she had already slept with him. Words can be truly terrifying...

Zhu Jishi greeted all these gazes with a friendly smile. At dinner the night before at the Deneuve villa, Isabelle and Romane once again gave this young man from 170 years in the future a lesson in the decadent lifestyle of the bourgeoisie. They told Zhu Jishi that if he wanted to make a name for himself in this world, he should have as few enemies and as many friends as possible—apparently, the principles of dealing with people are similar in both the East and the West.

The sisters also said that in Europe, men and women are relatively equal. So boyfriends are friends, and girlfriends are also friends, and the more, the better. The way to befriend the wealthy and powerful women in the Omark Club is to sleep with them! Therefore, it is best to satisfy the requests of the noblewomen who are willing to be his friends! Because in most cases, sleeping with them is a sign of respect, and not sleeping with them is a sign of disrespect, which could create unnecessary enemies!

Well, this capitalist system is truly decadent and dark, no wonder Engels disapproved!

Of course, who to sleep with and who not to sleep with is a very delicate matter. Sleeping with the wrong person could lead to disaster! Therefore, Isabelle required Zhu Jishi to seek her opinion before sleeping with anyone. It seems that the 5% share she holds is not for nothing; it includes "bed advice fees."

The fat Churchill led the way, and Isabelle Deneuve, wearing a shoulder-baring long dress, held Zhu Jishi's arm, her face beaming with happiness, as if she were a devoted woman conquered by Zhu Jishi and willing to be his mistress. Of course, this was all an act, but "conquering" a "mistress" in the Omark Club was a matter of great prestige, making the playboys and noblewomen of high society look at Zhu Jishi with new respect (what kind of rule is this?).

Zhu Jishi smiled and looked around, nodding to greet various noblewomen. Most of the foreigners present showed considerable friendliness to this "great Eastern scientist," but there were two gazes that were decidedly unfriendly. Zhu Jishi's eyes met those of a middle-aged man in his fifties, who was looking at him with a mix of disdain and even hatred. The man seemed to be ill, coughing occasionally and covering his mouth with a silk handkerchief.

Just as Zhu Jishi was about to look away, he suddenly saw something that made him freeze. He stared at the side of the middle-aged man, where there was an East Asian face, a Chinese man wearing a long robe and a melon-shaped hat. The Chinese man's eyes were wide open, staring at Zhu Jishi as if he were an alien, his shock impossible to hide.

After a moment's pause, Robert Churchill, with impeccable gentlemanly manners, introduced Zhu Jishi to the British guests at Blenheim Palace. These guests were all from the upper echelons of British society, either nobles, high officials, or wealthy merchants. Zhu Jishi greeted them warmly, using the tone Isabelle had taught him, and kissed the gloved hands of many noblewomen. Soon, Zhu Jishi was standing in front of the middle-aged man with the Chinese servant.

"This is Mr. William Jardine, a Member of Parliament in the House of Commons... Mr. Jardine is also a respected businessman, the owner of Jardine Matheson, who has long been engaged in trade with China and lived in Guangzhou for a long time..."

Zhu Jishi's historical knowledge was limited, and he did not know who William Jardine was. Despite sensing the intense hostility from the man, he still smiled and extended his hand to shake his—this was the gentlemanly demeanor he had learned. However, William Jardine only gave a cold laugh and spoke in fluent Cantonese: "I never thought I would meet a second Chinese person in England, besides my servant Svenson, and one without a queue..."

Zhu Jishi smiled and withdrew his hand, also speaking in Cantonese: "Mr. Jardine, if I am not mistaken, you suffer from severe tuberculosis, don't you? In the past, it was an incurable disease, but I have found some methods to extend the lives of tuberculosis patients and alleviate their suffering. Although no tuberculosis patients have been cured by the medicine I invented yet, I think you should give it a try."

William Jardine gave a cold laugh and replied: "Are you talking about the injectable berberine hydrochloride and the tuberculosis syrup with added diethylmorphine? I am already using these two drugs; otherwise, I probably wouldn't be standing here! By the way, you might not know, but I am also a surgeon and a member of the Royal College of Surgeons."

Zhu Jishi chuckled: "It is an honor to contribute to your health." He paused and cast a curious glance at the Chinese man beside Jardine: "And this is?"

William Jardine glanced at the Chinese man, who bowed to Zhu Jishi with a smile: "I am Bai Siwen, from Guangzhou."

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