Chapter 35

"Yueya River winds around the mansion like a coiled dragon, and the distant West Mountain stands like a crouching tiger." Experts familiar with ancient Ming and Qing architecture would certainly recognize this phrase, as it describes the famous Prince Gong's Mansion of the late Qing Dynasty.

Prince Gong Yixin, nicknamed "Sixth Devil," virtually monopolized the Qing Empire's foreign affairs before Li Hongzhang rose to prominence. It was only because his health was deteriorating that he eventually handed over the diplomatic authority to the Beiyang government; otherwise, Li Hongzhang would not have had the chance to take over.

"A single Prince Gong's Mansion, half the history of the Qing Dynasty. Now, the empire's diplomatic center is here, and Sixth Devil is at the height of his power. This opponent is not easy to deal with..." Xiao Letian sat in a borrowed foreign carriage, stopping about a hundred meters from the main gate of the mansion. In front of the carriage, a row of official sedan chairs had already blocked the street, and the mansion's steward was methodically organizing the queue.

"Oh! Isn't this Marshal Jiu? Greetings to Lord Zeng..." The steward of the outer gate bowed deeply, his head almost touching the ground.

The surrounding officials, who had never seen the mansion's steward show such respect, began to whisper and speculate. One of them quietly explained, "You don't recognize this gentleman? Oh, you must be a useless official. Marshal Jiu is the ninth brother of Lord Zeng..."

"Zeng Guoquan!" Someone shouted, "Isn't he supposed to be the governor of Zhejiang? Why is he in Beijing now..."

"Shh, shh, are you crazy? You have a donkey's voice... If Lord Zeng hears you call his name, you might lose your head. What governor? The Hunan Army's Ji Zizheng camp was raised by him, and he will lead the army to attack the Heavenly Capital... Also, it's said that Marshal Jiu came to Beijing to pave the way for Lord Zeng. Zeng Guofan will be coming to Beijing soon..."

People were buzzing, all talking about Marshal Jiu and his brother, the historically famous Zeng brothers. They had just suppressed the Taiping Rebellion and were at the peak of their power. The 500,000 battle-hardened Hunan Army was a military force that the entire Qing Dynasty feared. The Manchu elite had to be very cautious to prevent these two brothers from becoming too powerful.

Zeng Guoquan, as if he hadn't heard the whispers, chuckled and helped the steward up. "You old dog, you've become quite the expert under the prince. Your bow really hurts my heart... Come, give the steward three thousand taels as a reward..."

"Thank you, Marshal Jiu! Come, open the central gate to welcome Marshal Jiu... Don't refuse, the prince himself ordered the central gate to be opened, and he said he would greet Marshal Jiu at the second gate..."

What a great honor! The officials waiting in line were stunned. To have the central gate opened and the prince greet him at the second gate, the Zeng brothers must have a tremendous amount of influence.

Marshal Jiu only slightly declined, then swaggered through the main gate, much to the envy of the surrounding officials. Xiao Letian sneered, "A bunch of fools, they only see this superficial honor. Whether the central gate is opened or not is meaningless. In this era, having money and troops is the most practical. When the Anglo-French Alliance reviewed troops in the Taihe Hall, they didn't need you to open the gate... Alright, after Zeng, it's my turn. Let's cut in front of these sedan chairs!"

The foreign carriage, borrowed through Lewis's connections, skillfully maneuvered around the sedan chairs, drawing a chorus of complaints. "Hey, hey, hey, what's this? Foreigners can cut in line? Go to the back... Oh? The person in the carriage isn't a foreigner, it's a half-foreigner? Oh, isn't that the lone traveler from overseas, Xiao Letian!"

A single word caused a thousand waves. All the officials and the servants at the mansion's gate were stunned. They watched as the black carriage cut in line to the front, and then a half-foreigner in Western attire jumped out, holding a white-gloved hand on a foreign cane, walking with a certain grace.

"Steward? Steward!" Xiao Letian called out twice before the steward finally responded. "This is my invitation." He handed the invitation to the steward and walked forward.

"Wait, wait, wait, Mr. Xiao, please wait..."

"What's the matter? Oh... Did I forget the door fee? I apologize for my oversight." He then slipped two silver dollars into the steward's hand. The steward of Prince Gong's Mansion couldn't care less about such a small amount of money and stood there, his face turning green with embarrassment.

"Thank you, Mr. Xiao... Come, open the central gate to welcome Mr. Xiao, and the prince will greet him at the second gate..." This shout caused a stir on the street. People were stunned, and even Xiao Letian was taken aback.

Is this showing respect to a scholar? Is this helping me turn the tide in front of the Qing officials? No wonder Sixth Devil can handle the entire empire's foreign affairs; his discernment is truly remarkable. He must have seen something valuable in my book. Xiao Letian looked up as the main gate creaked open, as if the empire itself was welcoming him.

The ancients said that the gates of a nobleman's mansion are as deep as the sea, and this was even more true for a prince's mansion. When Xiao Letian entered Prince Gong's Mansion, the opulence created by the sheer number of people almost knocked him over.

Everywhere, respectful eunuchs and servants stood, and maids moved about on tiptoe. Each room was filled with people. When the half-foreigner in Western attire walked past, everyone stood up and pointed.

Xiao Letian thought, "So, Sixth Devil is treating me like a monkey, showing me off to these officials. Not long after, he reached the second gate, but not only was Sixth Devil there to greet him, but Marshal Jiu Zeng Guoquan was also standing there, smiling and watching him.

"This is the lone traveler from overseas, Mr. Xiao Letian, whose writings have moved the capital. I have long admired him. Today, I finally meet him, and he is indeed a man of great charisma. Please, please..." Prince Gong Yixin, a prince, actually gestured for Xiao Letian to enter. Marshal Jiu Zeng Guoquan was even more enthusiastic, personally descending the steps to grab Xiao Letian's hand.

"Only a remarkable man can write such remarkable works. Since your 'Journey to the West' became famous in the capital, I have read it four or five times, each time gaining new insights. Today, meeting the author in person, I must drink until we are both drunk..." He then led Xiao Letian to the back garden, the famous Cuizheng Garden.

Xiao Letian admired the beauty of the garden while carefully considering the underlying motives of this banquet. Prince Gong Yixin was currently on good terms with Empress Dowager Cixi, and they were working together to deal with external threats. The internal peasant uprisings needed to be suppressed, the powerful Han officials needed to be watched, and even the royal opposition led by Empress Dowager Cian needed to be closely monitored.

In Xiao Letian's memory, it wasn't until the reign of Emperor Guangxu, when the Hunan Army's leaders had aged and lost their ambition to rebel, and after Empress Dowager Cian was eliminated, that Cixi finally subdued the royal family, and their alliance was dissolved. Today, Yixin's involvement must have been at Cixi's behest, and this opponent was not easy to deal with.

And Zeng Guoquan was no pushover either. According to historical records, this brother had more than once incited his elder brother to rebel. In reality, after the Taiping Rebellion was suppressed, the Hunan Army had 500,000 elite troops equipped with foreign guns and cannons. In contrast, the Manchu elite's last bit of elite forces had been wasted in Beijing by Senggelinqin. In terms of overall strength, they were no match for the Hunan Army.

According to legend, when Zeng Guofan first returned to the capital after suppressing the Taiping Rebellion, the first thing Empress Dowager Cixi asked him was, "How many troops did you bring to the capital today?" This question frightened Zeng Guofan so much that he was drenched in cold sweat all night. This shows the level of mutual suspicion at the time.

"Damn, these two are completely from opposing factions, yet they are both smiling and coming to see me. What are they up to? The atmosphere is thick with intrigue."

Yixin's invitation to a theater performance and drinking session was just an excuse. After the performance began, the prince did not appear but instead, in a small, elegant study, the three of them sat down for a meal.

Xiao Letian looked at the exquisite dishes, but none of them had names he recognized. Each time, four dishes were served, and the guests would take at most three bites before they were removed and replaced with another four. This was a genuine flowing banquet. Two maids served them closely, making Xiao Letian's hair stand on end. Modern people are not used to such close service, and he didn't know where to put his hands, even having the maids serve him food.

After a few rounds of drinks and dishes, Sixth Devil and Marshal Jiu exchanged a smile, and Zeng Guoquan spoke first, "Mr. Xiao, you are truly a man raised in the West. I noticed the callus on the left side of your middle finger, indicating that you grew up using a Western pen. In our Qing Dynasty, scholars use a four-finger grip, which would not produce such a callus..."

Xiao Letian's heart skipped a beat. Impressive, who says the ancients lack insight? They may lack some scientific knowledge and historical knowledge, but any great figure in history is not to be underestimated.

"Mr. Xiao, Wang Hanlin of the Hundred Flowers Tower once disrespected you. I apologize on his behalf. He is old and doesn't understand new things. There's no need to take it personally. For my sake, let's put this aside..."

Xiao Letian realized there was more to this than met the eye. Sixth Devil, a famous diplomat of the late Qing, spoke with great tact, both polite and threatening. On the surface, he was trying to make peace, but the underlying message was clear: we know the truth about the Taibai Tower, and we know your methods. Dealing with you would be easy.

Xiao Letian was facing a true opponent. The likes of Fuging, County Magistrate Liu, and Lian Er were small fry compared to these historical figures. The power they wielded was unimaginable, and crushing him would be effortless.

Now, he needed to be cautious. "Prince, what are you saying? How could I hold a grudge against an old scholar? But as you know, I grew up in the West, where people respect women. Wang Shizheng can insult me, but he cannot insult my wife. As a man, if I can't protect my own wife, wouldn't that be too pathetic?"

"Ha, ha, forget it, forget it, it's not a big deal." Zeng Guoquan raised his glass to smooth things over. "Mr. Xiao is from overseas, and Westerners are naturally more outgoing. If you were reserved and restrained, I wouldn't believe you were from overseas... Prince, let's get to the point!"

Prince Gong Yixin put down his glass. "Mr. Xiao, I have one question. If our Qing Dynasty were to undergo reforms, how do you think we should proceed?"