Chapter 64 of 100
Chapter 64
13 min read3,192 words
New book uploaded, please collect and recommend.
On August 15, 1843, Zhu Jishi, Isabelle Denave, Will Heming, Maria Clementina, and Bai Siwen rode in a carriage provided by the Segur family, entering one of the gates in the Thiers Wall of Paris. Maria Clementina did not accompany Zhu Jishi to Paris; instead, she returned to the Dut Castle. She told Zhu Jishi that she would come to Paris once the documents for their cooperation were ready, asking him to wait patiently for a few days.
"This wall began construction in 1841, with plans for 17 gates, 94 defensive forts, and a 15-meter-wide moat... King Louis-Philippe clearly wants to turn Paris into a true fortress. But everyone knows that the enemies of the July Monarchy are not outside the walls of Paris, but within the Thiers Wall!" This was said by Will Heming. He came to Paris not to be Zhu Jishi's assistant but as a representative of Jason—Churchill Explosives Company to negotiate business with the French Ministry of War. He brought 10 pounds of ammonium oil explosives—ammonium nitrate mixed with kerosene—and ten guns, which was quite dangerous. If they exploded in the carriage, Zhu Jishi and the others would likely lose their lives!
"Swenson, do you remember what Will said? The current July Monarchy is quite weak both domestically and internationally, and cannot be compared to Britain. Therefore, they are unlikely to take any aggressive actions against the Qing Dynasty." Last night, Zhu Jishi discussed the July Monarchy with Maria Clementina for half the night and now had a low opinion of the "Naked King." The current July Monarchy was barely maintaining its rule with the support of a group of bankers and a few old generals from the Napoleonic era. The six-year-long Algerian War had already left the king in a difficult position. How could he have the energy to threaten China, which was thousands of miles away?
...
"Jason, it seems someone has come to welcome us."
As soon as they entered the Thiers Wall of Paris, the carriage Zhu Jishi was in stopped. Then a servant from the Segur family ran over and spoke a lot of French to Maria.
"They are the new French ambassador to the Qing Dynasty, Marquis de Lagrené, and the president of the French Academy of Sciences, Count de Riffardeau." Maria smiled and said to Zhu Jishi.
"Great, finally someone has come to welcome us. Otherwise, in such a large city like Paris, who would know where the Academy of Sciences is?" Zhu Jishi clapped his hands, smiled, and pushed open the carriage door. He bowed his head and got out. As soon as he stepped out, he saw several foreigners in neat suits standing under the scorching sun, their faces and heads covered in sweat, indicating they had been waiting for a while.
"Are you Sir Zhu? Welcome to France. I am Count de Riffardeau from the French Academy of Sciences." One of the elderly men with white hair stepped forward and shook hands with Zhu Jishi.
"Count de Riffardeau, it is an honor to meet you in Paris." Zhu Jishi also politely returned the greeting. Although he did not think much of the July Monarchy, he was grateful to the academicians of the French Academy of Sciences. Without their support, the British would not have treated him as a valuable asset. This was the benefit of the many countries in Europe—there was always a place for you if one did not accept you. Unlike in the Qing Dynasty, where there was only one place, and the emperor and the court did not value talent as much. He wondered if Bai Siwen could survive in the Qing Dynasty's bureaucracy?
"Sir Zhu, this is Marquis de Lagrené, the new French ambassador to the Qing Dynasty." The old man smiled and introduced a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties to Zhu Jishi.
The French marquis was tall and handsome, with a distinguished air. He shook hands with Zhu Jishi very politely and said with a smile, "Sir Zhu, you have had a long journey! Your visit to Paris is an honor for the government. The king plans to hold a banquet for you at the Louvre (which is actually the headquarters of the French Academy of Sciences)."
Marquis de Lagrené spoke in English, so Bai Siwen, who was by Zhu Jishi's side, could understand. The French king was going to hold a banquet for Zhu Jishi at the palace! It seemed that this man was no ordinary person. Not only was he on friendly terms with the British prince, but even the French king wanted to be his friend. According to what Will Heming said, the new Western beauty by Zhu Jishi's side was even the Duchess of Segur, who owned dozens of estates! These things should be remembered, and he could write a book called "Travel Anecdotes in Europe" when he returned to the Qing Dynasty. However, the duchess was indeed beautiful and alluring. How could such a good thing not happen to him? Just thinking about her breasts, her buttocks, and her allure was enough to make him lose himself...
"Swenson, Swenson, what are you thinking about?" Zhu Jishi's voice rang in Bai Siwen's ear, pulling him out of his daydream.
"Sir, you called me?" Bai Siwen hurriedly smiled and looked at Zhu Jishi.
"Stand up straight!" Zhu Jishi scolded in Chinese, "You are representing China now! Do you understand? Don't bow and scrape in front of the French and make them look down on you!"
"Yes, sir." Bai Siwen straightened up, but his smile still looked a bit fawning.
"This is Mr. Bai Siwen, a Chinese... nobleman." Zhu Jishi pointed to Bai Siwen and said to Marquis de Lagrené, "He came to Europe to study before the outbreak of the Sino-British trade war."
Study? Marquis de Lagrené was taken aback, thinking, "Could he be a spy? This Bai Siwen must be sent by the Qing emperor to gather intelligence in Europe!" This was bad; the French situation would be thoroughly understood by the Chinese!
"What is Mr. Bai Siwen's title? What position does he hold in China?" Marquis de Lagrené asked, probing.
"Ah, what title? I'm just a leader of the Bordered White Banner of the Han Army, serving in the Guangzhou naval camp..." Bai Siwen replied in Chinese, as he did not know how to translate terms like "Bordered White Banner," "leader," and "naval camp" into English.
"Mr. Bai Siwen says he is a Chinese banner man, equivalent to a knight in Europe, a low-ranking noble. Additionally, he is a naval officer, serving as a staff officer in the Guangdong fleet," Zhu Jishi translated.
Marquis de Lagrené nodded, more convinced that Bai Siwen was a spy. In Europe, such tasks were usually assigned to lower nobles and officers, and a staff officer and a knight were just right. If it were a count or a marquis, it would be too high.
"Marquis, Mr. Bai Siwen has completed his study in Europe and was planning to return to the Qing Dynasty. Now, hearing that your country is preparing to send an envoy to China, he wants to hitch a ride. I don't think there will be any problem, right?" Zhu Jishi continued to persuade.
"No problem, no problem. We can use this opportunity to learn more about the situation in China..." Marquis de Lagrené agreed, but he was both pleased and worried. He was pleased that a Chinese spy was traveling with the French delegation, indicating that the Qing Dynasty was friendly towards France. However, he was worried that the Qing Dynasty was more concerned about the Western situation than he had imagined, as they had already sent spies to Europe to gather intelligence!
...
"Sir, I didn't come to Europe to study..."
As they continued to the Louvre, Bai Siwen whispered to Zhu Jishi, somewhat guiltily, "I am still a criminal. If I pretend to be an official and the higher-ups find out, it could be..."
"Could be what? Lose your head?" Zhu Jishi chuckled, looking at Bai Siwen's pigtail, and said, "I heard that in the Qing Dynasty, there is a rule for criminals to atone for their crimes. Now that you have gathered intelligence on the Western countries, if you take it back to the emperor, do you think a small crime won't be forgiven?"
Bai Siwen looked miserable and said, "Sir, you don't know the rules of the Qing Dynasty's bureaucracy. I..."
"Enough, enough, stop complaining," Zhu Jishi said, unwilling to listen to his nonsense. He analyzed the situation for him, "You, Bai Siwen, are a banner man, so you have some connections and are considered one of the emperor's own. You have also held an official position. Secondly, you truly understand the Western situation, which is unique in the entire Qing Dynasty. Thirdly, I will provide you with money. With connections, skills, and money, and looking quite clever, do you think you won't be able to become a high-ranking official?"
Bai Siwen was taken aback and thought about it. It seemed to be true. He bowed to Zhu Jishi, "Meeting you, Sir, is like meeting a benefactor. If I ever become successful, whatever you ask, I will do it for you, even if it means risking my life."
Of course, this promise was not reliable, but Zhu Jishi still smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, alright, I don't need you to risk your life. Just do one thing for me when you return to the Qing Dynasty. Try to select some literate but unsuccessful scholars, like you, to study at the academy I have set up in Hong Kong. Oh, and don't choose those who are too old; preferably teenagers around fifteen or sixteen years old."
"That's no problem, I'll take care of it." Bai Siwen readily agreed, though whether he could actually do it was anyone's guess.
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