Chapter 41

Bai Siwen... his name sounds quite refined, but he doesn’t look like a laborer. He is of medium height, with a fair complexion and regular features, and wears a harmless smile. It’s hard to tell where he’s from.

"May I ask where Mr. Zhu is from and how you came to England?" Bai Siwen spoke in perfect Mandarin, without a trace of a Cantonese accent, his expression showing a hint of curiosity as he tried to probe Zhu Jishi’s background.

William Jardine smiled and watched the two, seemingly waiting for Zhu Jishi’s answer.

Zhu Jishi chuckled, turned to Jardine, and said in fluent English, "Mr. Jardine, I wonder how Mr. Bai Siwen came to England? Did you bring him from China?"

Jardine’s lips curled into a disdainful smile, "Bai Siwen is a Chinese noble and a naval officer, as well as a devout Christian. He was persecuted by the Chinese government and had to leave Guangzhou under my protection to come to England."

"Chinese... noble?" Zhu Jishi looked at Bai Siwen again, somewhat puzzled, and asked in Chinese, "You are a noble? What title do you hold?"

Bai Siwen smiled bitterly and waved his hand, "I’m not really a noble, just a Manchu. I was a flag officer in the Guangzhou naval camp, but I lost my position long ago. If it weren’t for Mr. Jardine’s help, I would have lost my life in Guangzhou..."

Zhu Jishi frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "This guy must be a traitor, or rather, a traitor to the Manchus. He probably helped the British opium dealers a lot while in the navy, which is why he lost his job and fled in a hurry, following this sickly Jardine to England."

"Mr. Zhu, when did you come to England? Where is your hometown?" Bai Siwen’s gaze swept over Zhu Jishi and then settled on Isabel beside him. He had been in England for several years, and although this was his first time being brought to Blenheim Palace by Jardine, he had seen some high-class Western ladies before. He could immediately tell what kind of woman Isabel was. Being able to walk into such a place as Blenheim Palace with a Western lady like her as a guest probably indicated Zhu Jishi’s wealth and social status!

However, Zhu Jishi did not answer Bai Siwen. He merely nodded slightly and, with Isabel, continued to greet other guests. At this moment, William Jardine suddenly called him, "Mr. Zhu, my health is not good, and I may not be able to protect Bai Siwen for much longer. If you need a Chinese servant, I think Bai Siwen would be very suitable. He can cook delicious Cantonese cuisine."

Cantonese cuisine! Zhu Jishi smacked his lips; he hadn’t had Chinese food for several months... Although Mrs. Durand’s cooking was excellent, and French cuisine was also a renowned delicacy, it still couldn’t compare to the comfort of Cantonese food from home!

Thinking about this, he smiled at Jardine, "Alright, let Bai Siwen follow me. I’m planning to hire a few servants, and having a Chinese servant would be just what I need."

Bai Siwen, who understood the conversation between Zhu Jishi and Jardine, hurriedly walked up to Zhu Jishi, bowed, and said respectfully, "Sir, I am Bai Siwen, and I greet you."

Zhu Jishi nodded but did not pay much attention to his new cook. He continued to greet the other guests with Isabel, introduced by Robert Churchill. He didn’t notice that Bai Siwen didn’t follow him but returned to William Jardine’s side, where they were having a rapid and urgent conversation in Cantonese.

...

"Jason, this is my brother George." The last person Churchill introduced to Zhu Jishi was the 6th Duke of Marlborough, George Spencer-Churchill, who was also the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire.

"It’s an honor to meet you, Your Grace." Zhu Jishi sized up the middle-aged man before him, who bore a slight resemblance to Churchill, though not as fat, just a bit shorter and stockier.

"I am as well," the Duke of Marlborough smiled and nodded, taking a document from a nearby servant and handing it to Zhu Jishi, "Dr. Zhu, this is your medical license. The Medical Association has decided to return it to you and has asked me to convey their sincerest apologies."

Zhu Jishi took the medical license with both hands, put it in his suit pocket, and smiled, "I would also like to convey my apologies to the Medical Association and the Royal Medical Society through Your Grace, as some of my previous statements did indeed have a negative impact on the reputation of British medicine."

The Duke of Marlborough waved his hand and smiled, "I won’t do that for you, because you will soon meet Sir Reed of the Royal Medical Society." Saying this, he took another invitation from a servant and handed it to Zhu Jishi.

Zhu Jishi took the beautifully printed invitation and was immediately stunned by the heading.

"Windsor Castle? Isn’t this the residence of the British royal family?"

"Yes, it’s an invitation from the royal residence. Prince Albert wishes to invite you to Windsor Castle," the Duke of Marlborough smiled at Zhu Jishi, while the fat Churchill and Isabel stood nearby with their mouths half-open in surprise.

Zhu Jishi, who had been in England for several months in the 1840s, knew that Prince Albert was Queen Victoria’s husband and the first husband of the British Empire, a figure far beyond his reach.

"May I ask, Your Grace, do you know why Prince Albert has invited me to Windsor Castle?" Zhu Jishi pressed, trying to hide his surprise.

"I’m afraid I don’t know," the Duke of Marlborough shrugged and smiled, changing the subject, "Jason, may I call you by your first name?"

"It’s my honor, Your Grace."

"Call me George," the Duke of Marlborough smiled, "You will soon be a member of the French Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society."

Zhu Jishi nodded. A duke without the title of king was not a monarch, and there were still many such people in Europe. Although their status was high, it was on par with that of an academician, and scientists were highly respected in Europe!

"Jason, Robert told me that you recently established a pharmaceutical factory and a rubber products factory?" The Duke of Marlborough shifted the topic to business.

"That’s right, there are two factories on Vincent Street in Manchester, but they are just small startups with very little business," Zhu Jishi smiled in response.

"Oh," the Duke of Marlborough nodded slightly, glancing at William Jardine nearby, then turned back to Zhu Jishi, "Jason, does your company need funding? I have some spare money. How about an initial investment of 10,000 pounds?"

10,000 pounds was no small amount! But Zhu Jishi’s smile was somewhat forced. His company was not short of funds. The purchase of the bankrupt textile factory cost only 5,000 pounds, the procurement of opium, raw rubber, and Coptis chinensis cost less than 2,000 pounds, the purchase of equipment and tools cost about 2,000 pounds, and he paid less than 1,000 pounds in wages. Additionally, Zhu Jishi spent 300 pounds on a used carriage and two horses. After all this, the 12,500 pounds he had raised were almost spent. However, the sales of diethylmorphine, morphine hydrochloride, and berberine hydrochloride had been quite good, and he had received many orders, with the payments and deposits exceeding 10,000 pounds. Therefore, his company did not lack cash.

Thus, he did not want to sell his shares at a low price, as the future prospects of those businesses were very promising. However, refusing the Duke of Marlborough was not a good choice. Isabel, standing beside Zhu Jishi, quickly pulled him. Zhu Jishi seemed to remember something and smiled, "George, to be honest, my pharmaceutical factory and rubber company don’t lack cash... but besides these two businesses, I have another one that is also related to scientific inventions and is sure to make a lot of money."

"Another business?" The Duke of Marlborough was taken aback, "What kind of business?"

"Explosives!"

"Explosives?" The Duke of Marlborough thought for a moment, "Jason, do you mean gunpowder?"

"No, not gunpowder, but explosives! Ten times more powerful than black powder!"

"Ten times more powerful than black powder? Jason, are you joking with me?" The Duke of Marlborough and the fat Churchill’s eyes were wide as saucers.

Zhu Jishi smiled at the Duke of Marlborough, waved the invitation to Windsor Castle in his hand, and said, "The prospects of this business are no less than those of the pharmaceutical factory and the rubber company. Let’s discuss the details after my visit to Windsor Castle, shall we?"

The Duke of Marlborough nodded blankly, "Oh, alright, let me know when you want to meet, and give Robert a call."

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