Chapter 37

In the spring of the fourth year of the Tongzhi era, it was destined to be a time of many events. If Xiao Letian’s "Journey to the West" initially only stirred the hearts of scholars, then the concept of industrial special zones truly shocked the imperial court.

After Xiao Letian left the Prince Gong’s Mansion, it took only a day for the entire city of Beijing, from the streets to the teahouses and taverns, to be filled with discussions about this special zone.

"Hey, Mr. Huang! How are you? Are you drinking here? Have you heard that the overseas traveler advised the Emperor, and in exchange for four words, he became a second-rank attendant..."

"I know, I know. Everyone is going crazy today. Those scholars are so angry they could eat people. After all, they spend decades studying, and when they enter the bureaucracy, they can only hope to reach the sixth or seventh rank. By the time they reach the second rank, their hair will be white. Can you blame them for getting jealous?"

"Exactly. Those Han officials are all eager for fame and fortune. If it weren’t for Xiao Letian knowing his limits and refusing the Emperor on the spot, there would probably be a group of Hanlin scholars storming his house today..."

"Ha ha, let them worry! It’s still better to be a Manchu, with our steady and reliable livelihood. They say the greatest blessing is peace, and those who can enjoy peace are truly blessed. What do you think?"

"Mr. Huang, you have a keen eye. But I have a thought. According to the news from the Prince Gong’s Mansion, if this industrial special zone succeeds, it will be like a second Willow Hedge, a steady and reliable livelihood for us Manchus. And the chosen locations are close to foreigners and very prosperous. If we operate it well, won’t everyone have a job?"

"Ah, you’re smart. We should keep a close eye on this..."

In contrast to the Manchus' excitement, the Qing scholars and Han officials were filled with anger and resentment. The Qing scholars, as usual, were ready to criticize any policy. As for the Han officials, represented by Zeng Guoquan, he had been unable to eat or drink for the past two days, preoccupied with Xiao Letian’s words.

What kind of state was the Qing Dynasty in? Zeng Guoquan knew better than anyone. Three forces were intertwined, each hoping to gain more power. If Xiao Letian’s industrial special zone plan really began to be piloted, the first choice would definitely be the south, where trade with foreigners had started earliest.

"This Xiao Letian is really giving me a hard time. Is he trying to get the Manchus to infiltrate my sphere of influence? If there are really large iron factories, military factories, and machinery factories, even a yearly production of ten thousand rifles would be too much for me to handle. The rapid arming of the Manchus would not be a blessing for the Han people..."

"No, this treasure absolutely cannot be given to the Manchus. Fortunately, you were smart enough not to agree on the spot, or your fate would have been dire. More and faster chapters are available at [website]."

Thinking this, Zeng Guoquan shouted, "Someone, bring my precious old ginseng to Wang Shizheng. I need to build relationships with these Hanlin scholars..."

Anything that could upset the Manchus, the Ninth Marshal, Zeng Guoquan, was always eager to do. His greatest ideal was to overthrow the Manchus and make his brother the next Zhao Kuangyin. As for whether he could become the next Zhao Kuangyi, that was uncertain. If this ideal couldn’t be achieved, Zeng Guoquan hoped to maintain control over the prosperous Jiangnan region.

This was not just Zeng Guoquan’s idea but also the idea of many Xiang Army leaders. These military groups, centered around family and hometown, had finally gained control over the political and economic power in Jiangnan and were not about to give it back to the court easily.

In real history, the assassination of Ma Xinyi in the ninth year of the Tongzhi era was closely related to this mindset. Ma Xinyi, a loyalist to the court, was assassinated in public after a military parade, and the assassin, Zhang Wenxiang, did not flee but instead shouted, "I am the assassin, Zhang Wenxiang."

Not only that, but within days of Ma Xinyi’s death, numerous satirical plays about him appeared in Jiangnan, detailing his capture and surrender to bandits and his bribery of high officials. In essence, Ma Xinyi was destroyed both spiritually and physically.

This was one of the four major cases of the late Qing Dynasty, the "Assassination of Ma Xinyi." It shows how wise it was for Xiao Letian not to jump on any particular bandwagon too early. Even a governor could be killed, let alone a "second-rate foreigner."

As Zeng Guoquan began to send people to contact the leaders of the Qing scholars, in the Forbidden City, Prince Gong, Yixin, was sitting in a chair in the Kunning Palace, while his second sister-in-law, Empress Dowager Cixi, was lying on a couch reading a memorial.

Cixi was only 30, in the prime of her life. Leaning on the couch, she read the memorial, the afternoon sunlight shining through the glass window onto her face, giving her a unique charm. A woman who could captivate the Qing Emperor could not be anything but beautiful.

Yixin had a long-standing relationship with this sister-in-law, which was why he supported the young woman during the Xinyou Coup. However, with Cixi’s power becoming more stable, Yixin did not dare to be as bold as before, only sneaking glances at her with his peripheral vision.

Cixi had long noticed her brother-in-law’s lecherous gaze and inwardly laughed, "The Aisin Gioro family is truly one generation worse than the next. How did our Yehe Nara clan end up being defeated by them?" Thinking this, she put down the secret memorial.

"Uncle, you have worked hard for us. You have truly gone to great lengths for my son and me... Honestly, I never expected this 'second-rate foreigner' to come up with such a plan. Starting with a few small pilots to keep the Confucian scholars from saying anything, even if it fails, it’s just a small circle, and it can be dismantled without much trouble... Our Qing Dynasty needs to revive. Otherwise, these foreigners will bully us even more. But there are few among us Manchus who can truly rise to the challenge..."

Although Cixi wielded power, she was not foolish. She knew all too well what the Eight Banners were like. "Uncle, we really don’t understand these things. If you don’t find someone knowledgeable to manage it, I dare not approve it. Remember, there is still a great Buddha in the Forbidden City..."

Yixin, slightly regretful, said, "I don’t know what’s wrong with this Xiao Letian. I offered him a second-rank position, but he still refused, insisting on going into business. He’s like a piece of mud that can’t be shaped into a wall..."

"Ha ha, I think this 'second-rate foreigner' is smarter than you. Having eaten foreign beef, he’s more astute. He’s only been back for a few days and has no foundation, yet he dares to jump into this murky water? He would be devoured... Don’t worry, I’ve thought about this in advance. It’s a waste to have a capable relative in the Aisin Gioro family and not use him..."

Yixin was stunned by Cixi’s words, "A capable relative in our family?" Cixi’s lips curled, and her eyes hooked, almost pulling Yixin’s soul away.

"Is there no relation between the Fucha clan and your family? They are the descendants of Emperor Gaozong. Aren’t they your cousins? I’ve heard that there is a capable young man named Fuching, who was guarding the Western Mausoleum. He is known as 'Little Li Guang' and 'Flower Rong,' far better than those who only frequent teahouses and theaters..."

"This young man has a close relationship with Xiao Letian, forged during a bandit encounter. Can you imagine how close they are? If he leads the way, do you think Xiao Letian won’t help him..."

Yixin slapped his thigh, "Oh, my dear sister-in-law, you are truly a heroine among women. How could I not think of him? I saw his sister, Fuhui, on the street last month. Yes, they are relatives, and by seniority, he is the Emperor’s cousin..."

Cixi, seeing the light in Yixin’s eyes when he mentioned Fuhui’s name, was amused, "You men are all a bunch of philanderers... Little Anzi, go out and check on my flowers, don’t let the wind harm them."

The Little Anzi, the famous Andehai, was a man of quick wit. He understood immediately and waved his hand, and all the eunuchs and maidservants left. Yixin, seeing this, knew what was coming and, with a lecherous smile, climbed onto the bed. Soon, the two were rolling together.

While the Kunning Palace was staging a grand scene, at the home of Qing San in Huahua Alley, Fuching was having a heated argument with Xiao Letian.

"How can you be so foolish? That’s a second-rank position. You just pushed it away? You want to go into business? Are you crazy? Do you think a second-rank position can’t support you?" Fuching scolded Xiao Letian, genuinely concerned for his friend.

Xiao Letian was indifferent, thinking that a second-rank position, even if he were to be corrupt, would only yield a few hundred thousand taels a year. Even as Minister of Works, it would be uncertain whether he could earn over a million. Compared to his business plans, it was too small.

Seeing Xiao Letian’s indifferent expression, Fuching’s anger grew. He grabbed Xiao Letian’s wrist, "Come on, let’s go to the Prince Gong’s Mansion. I’ll take you to apologize. I have a relative there, and I’ll make amends for you..." and dragged him out.

Xiao Letian, being weaker, was dragged out, "Hey, let go! What are you doing? Forcing a cow to drink when it’s not thirsty? Help, someone, help..."

Before he could shout much, Fuhui, who was getting ready inside, came out.

"Hey, you two were just fine, why are you fighting now? Xiao brother must have his reasons for resigning. Let’s talk it out calmly!" She pulled and pushed the two apart.

Xiao Letian, seeing no one around, whispered to Fuching, "San, why can’t you see it? Who was there with the Prince besides me? It was the Ninth Marshal, Zeng Guoquan. Zeng Guoquan is the brother of Zeng Guofan, who commands a vast army and controls half of the southern territory..."

"You, you, you... Do you suspect the Zeng brothers!" Qing San’s face turned pale.

"Hmph! I have a habit of seeing the worst in people first. I can only trust them after all the bad is ruled out. I can’t say whether the Zeng brothers have rebellious intentions, but the court must be wary of that large army. You know what the Qing Dynasty is like now..."

"Foreigners, Qing scholars, the royal family, and the increasingly powerful Han governors. This is the most chaotic period. I am an outsider with no foundation. Can I jump into this mess? Any of them, except the Qing scholars, could crush me..."

At this, Fuhui suddenly spoke, "Fuching, I think Xiao brother has a point. As a woman, I shouldn’t comment on politics, but you know I often talk with the families of nobles. I can sense the tension Xiao brother described. Brother, you should listen to Xiao brother more often!"

Fuching sighed, realizing his rashness, "Forget it, sister, go arrange some food. We’ll have a few drinks tonight. It’s getting late..." At that moment, the butler rushed in, out of breath.

"Master, quickly change your clothes... The butler from the Prince Gong’s Mansion is here, saying the Prince urgently summons you, and you should go immediately..."

"Ah!" Fuhui was so shocked she knocked over a chair, "What did he say? What’s the matter?" The butler shook his head, "He didn’t say anything. I gave him 200 taels, but he still didn’t say anything. It seems he doesn’t know either."

At this, Xiao Letian suddenly laughed, "Ha ha ha, San, go with peace of mind. I feel something good is coming. Don’t worry, I won’t leave. I’ll wait for you here with a drink. If I don’t get good news, I’ll stay here..."