Chapter 68

### Request for favorites and recommendations

"Come, come, come, you take a little, I'll take a lot, Brother Bai, let's get thoroughly drunk together!"

Han Si, with a solicitous expression, filled Bai Siwen's glass with the 1825 red wine from the Château Duhart-Milon, and then filled his own.

These two had been in the West for some time now. A bottle of 1825 Château Duhart-Milon was a level of wine they had never even smelled before, let alone tasted, before they joined Zhu Jishi.

Today, the Duchess of Segur, Maria Clementina, visited Zhu Jishi again, bringing a whole box of Château Duhart-Milon wine. She also stayed overnight in Zhu Jishi's guest room at the Louvre. Isabelle gave Han Si and Bai Siwen a bottle of Château Duhart-Milon, asking them to keep a careful watch, and then went back to her room to sleep.

Will Heming had just signed an intent letter with the French Army for the supply of hand grenades and was leaving for England this afternoon. The French Army, currently bogged down in Albania, was extremely interested in the powerful ammonium nitrate hand grenades, placing an order worth over ten million francs (400,000 pounds). However, they also set a condition: all ammonium nitrate hand grenades, including the explosives and detonators, must be produced in France. Will Heming was returning to London to discuss this with Duke Churchill.

So tonight, only Bai Siwen and Han Si were staying in the room next to Zhu Jishi's guest room. They prepared a few French dishes and a bottle of 1825 Château Duhart-Milon, setting up for a heart-to-heart night talk.

Bai Siwen, seeing Han Si's solicitous manner, secretly smiled. Only Zhu Jishi would believe in his loyalty and honesty—does being a bit darker and more rustic mean he's loyal and honest? By this standard, all the black people in Africa would be honest kids?

"Brother Bai, I'll drink first, I'll drink first. Ah, good wine, good wine, hahaha..."

Looking at Han Si's honest and loyal appearance, Bai Siwen felt a bitter smile. This kid really knows how to act! If he weren't so unattractive, he could have gone into acting. He put down his glass and coldly snorted, "Han Si, Lord Han, since the Duke isn't here, don't pretend to be foolish in front of me!"

Han Si was slightly taken aback, looking at Bai Siwen with an innocent expression.

Bai Siwen said, "Now, in our great Qing, we have a wise emperor on the throne, and the country is at peace and prosperous. Would an honest and law-abiding person leave their homeland for Nanyang? Talking about being framed by villains and being wanted by the authorities? Ha, villains and corrupt officials do exist, but why would they frame a poor and unattractive person like you? Villains and corrupt officials only act for profit, either for money or for beauty. You don't have money, and as for beauty... with your looks, you probably can't even get a beautiful wife, and even if you had a sister, she would be coarse and dark. Which villain would be blind enough to fancy you? This nonsense might fool Duke Zhu, but to try to fool me, Lord Bai, there's not even a window of opportunity!"

Han Si put down his glass, looking at Bai Siwen with a serious expression, and coldly laughed, "Alright, Lord Bai, since you're a smart man, I'll tell you the truth. I'm not an honest and law-abiding person. In this era, being honest means a lifetime of poverty. I couldn't bear that, so I joined the Heaven and Earth Society and became a bandit leader in Guilin, living a life of luxury and pleasure..."

He sighed lightly, shook his head, and finished his glass in one gulp.

Bai Siwen nodded, not asking any more questions. The rest of the story was obvious: he must have been defeated by the army, and the government issued a warrant for his arrest. With no other options, he fled to Nanyang. But a bandit leader wouldn't be willing to work hard and earn a living. In Nanyang, he would still try to make quick money through illegal means. However, Nanyang was dominated by people from Fujian and Guangdong, and a bandit from Guangxi, no matter how capable, couldn't survive there. Thus, he ended up in India, serving as a servant to a French officer. The Frenchman, seeing his strength and bravery, recommended him to the Foreign Legion, where he was injured and became a cripple. His life seemed ruined, but then he met Duke Zhu Jishi...

Bai Siwen smiled, picked up the wine bottle, and refilled Han Si's glass, saying, "Lord Si, as the ancient saying goes, 'fortune and misfortune are interdependent.' You've met a great benefactor now!"

Han Si smiled bitterly, patting his crippled leg, "I know Duke Zhu is a great benefactor. I have some discernment. Just by looking at where he lives, the Louvre! The most learned people in France are here, and the foreign lady who brought the wine is top-notch..."

"That foreign lady is a Bourbon, a princess from the Kingdom of Sicily. The current French emperor is her uncle."

"A princess from the Kingdom of Sicily!" Han Si couldn't help but draw a breath. He had heard of Zhu Jishi's fame, knowing him as a "great Chinese scientist" with considerable wealth. Being a bodyguard for such a person was very satisfying, at least ensuring a secure future. However, hearing that Zhu Jishi had a relationship with a duchess, and a very beautiful one at that, was quite surprising. He knew a bit about the political bed games in Europe, and that it was difficult for people from vastly different social classes to share a bed.

Could Duke Zhu have reached a level where he could be with a European duchess?

Bai Siwen smiled slightly, "Lord Si, do you remember the oath you took when you joined the Heaven and Earth Society?"

Han Si nodded, reciting softly, "The H flag waves, heroes gather, the overseas emperor, to restore the Ming..." He suddenly looked at Bai Siwen with wide eyes, "Lord Bai! Do you mean that Duke Zhu is..."

Bai Siwen nodded, "Most likely a descendant of the Ming! His ancestors fled to Nanyang when the Qing entered the pass. He also has a family heirloom, a white jade dragon pendant with the character 'xuan' engraved on it, which was probably passed down from a Ming prince. In the letter he wrote to the current emperor, he even referred to himself as a remnant of the Ming!"

"Who did he write to? Emperor Daoguang?" Han Si was stunned, "Lord Bai, what did the letter say?"

Bai Siwen smiled bitterly, "It was full of admonishments, treating the current emperor like a student. Saying he is a traitor is putting it lightly! But Emperor Daoguang probably can't do anything about it. He can't send troops to Europe to capture him, can he?"

A spark of excitement flashed in Han Si's eyes as he looked at Bai Siwen and lowered his voice, "Does the Duke have great ambitions?"

"Great ambitions?" Bai Siwen smiled and shook his head, "I can't tell. How about you, Lord Si, keep an eye out for me? If the Duke really has great ambitions, let me know. I should have a share in the glory of following him, right?"

Han Si smiled, "Of course, of course. If the Duke really restores the Ming, Lord Bai will definitely be the number one hero, maybe even a king!"

Bai Siwen didn't respond, but sighed, "Unfortunately, our Duke is indeed a remarkable person, but he was born at the wrong time. If it were two hundred years earlier, he might have been a great revivalist of the Ming. But now... the Qing dynasty has the people's hearts, and a wise emperor on the throne. It's almost impossible to restore the Ming!"

"Almost impossible?" Han Si laughed, patting his chest, "I haven't been in the French Foreign Legion for nothing. I know all their military strategies! I'm not boasting, but with me and my brothers from the Heaven and Earth Society, Daoguang's Eight Banners and Green Standard Army are nothing!"