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Text Chapter 447 A good wife is a treasure

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    "I didn't expect you to be so smart. It's a pity. It would be better if you read more books!" Guo Songtao held Liang's hand and couldn't help but sigh when he looked at her eyes like a pool of clear water.  It can be said that Guo Songtao married Liang by accident.  Guo Songtao¡¯s first wife died young. Although he had many concubines, none of them were with him.  As early as when Guo Songtao resurrected and was about to leave Hunan after getting His Majesty's order, he asked Feng and other concubines if anyone would be willing to accompany him to Beijing. Feng was a rural woman and had never been out, although she wanted to go out and see more.  Ichiban, but because he had small feet, it was difficult to move, and he couldn't bear the fatigue of carriage and horseback, so he refused. Another concubine, Qian, was having a quarrel with Guo Songtao, so she naturally didn't want to go out. The only concubine, Zou, who had been out to see the world,  He passed away again, so Guo Songtao had to go to Beijing alone.  While in Beijing, relatives and friends learned about the situation at Guo Songtao's home and enthusiastically helped him. Especially after the news came out that he would be appointed as the second envoy to a foreign country after Hong Jun, some friends who knew the situation in foreign countries asked  As an envoy of a country, he went to a place where envoys from all countries gathered, and there were many people, ladies and ladies, luxurious and rich, but you were alone, but what should you do?  Guo Songtao asked this question .  I heard that in diplomacy, if someone has a wife, you must also be accompanied by her. This is the rule and etiquette before a banquet.  My friend said, now is the time when you need to renew your relationship, why don¡¯t you hurry up and marry someone better?  There are so many good women in the world. As long as you nod, these people will take care of things for him.  Guo Songtao then nodded and entrusted the matter to a few friends.  Several friends inquired enthusiastically, and soon found a loyal family named Liang in Xicheng, Beijing. Liang was the eldest of the three daughters in the family. No official had ever been in her family (along with Sai Jin).  It¡¯s completely different if Hua became famous before she debuted).  In addition to making a living by boating, Uncle Liang prepares to sell some candied haws on weekdays. In winter and spring, he sells briquettes and Chinese cabbage. There is no shortage of expenses, but there is not much money left.  The days passed normally.  But the eldest daughter of the Liang family is extremely beautiful. She has the longest braid among all the girls in Xicheng. Her braids are as long as she is tall. She has big, watery eyes and fair skin.  .  She was ingenious, hard-working and meticulous. She sold the candied haws made from the West City to the East City. She managed to support half of her family with this craftsmanship. Therefore, many people came to propose marriage, but she never mentioned marriage until she was in her twenties.  In this era, a person in their twenties can be said to be an old girl. Many people ask her what on earth is she waiting for?  She just smiled and didn't answer.  On this day, a friend of Guo Songtao passed a message to the Liang family through an acquaintance of an acquaintance, a friend of a friend.  Ask Miss Liang if she would like to go to a foreign country and see another world.  Uncle Liang didn't expect these things extravagantly, thinking that poor people were better off in their duties. Miss Liang was not used to having such dreams. However, when the Liang family found out, they found out that they were going to be matchmakers for a minister and were about to go abroad to serve as imperial envoys. The three Liang family members  When my daughter heard this, she was very happy. The little sister said that her elder sister was a good character.  Uncle Liang was dumbfounded and said it sounded like he was in a dream.  The second sister was practical, and secretly went to see Guo Songtao with the visitor. When she came back, she said that although he seemed to be a few years older, he looked very lucky.  And I heard that he is a very knowledgeable person.  And she found out that her sister used to be a second-rate wife, not a concubine, but an unadulterated second-rate wife.  Went to England.  "After hearing what the second sister said, Mrs. Liang, the elder sister, didn't say anything.  Later, with the help of his friends, Guo Songtao married Mr. Liang and entered the house. They worshiped heaven and earth, bowed to the high hall, and the husband and wife bowed to each other. It was all the same as a matchmaker marrying. There was not enough room for a few banquets at home, so he went to a large restaurant and set up more than twenty banquets.  Half of them are neighbors, and the other half are wearing red, blue and white tops, many with flower feathers. They are both civil weddings and official weddings. The street where the Liang family is located has never been so lively in this life.  It can be said that Guo Songtao could not be more satisfied with this marriage.  This beauty has a pair of unwrapped feet, and she walks without squirming. She has her own unshakable beauty, which she can show off to outsiders.  After their wedding, Guo Songtao loved Mr. Liang very much. It can be said that if he dropped it on the ground, it would be like tofu with ashes on it, and if he held it in his arms, it would melt like ice cubes.  Mrs. Liang was also extremely considerate towards Guo Songtao, knowing both coldness and warmth. It can be said that Lao Guo suddenly fell into the land of gentleness.  "I see that you have been depressed these past few days, what's the matter?" Mrs. Liang has been noticing Guo Songtao's gloomy expression these past few days. There was no one around, so she asked.  It is still difficult for the newly married Mrs. Ru to understand Guo Songtao's many hardships, but she wholeheartedly wants to share some of Guo Songtao's sorrows and work for him.  Hearing her question, Guo Songtao couldn't help being moved and gently held her hand.  Ms. Liang is a woman from the lower working class. Since she married Guo Songtao, she has taken care of Guo Songtao's life in every possible way. She is now working asA little girl was by Guo Songtao's side, and her endless affection could make Guo Songtao forget some of his troubles in reality.  "It's not because of Liu Yunsheng." Guo Songtao couldn't help but sigh when he thought of the awkward things Liu Xihong had found for him in the past few days.  "I have noticed in the past few days that Liu Yunsheng is no longer what he was when he left the capital. I wonder why he is like this?" asked Liang.  "Isn't it because I didn't sponsor him as deputy envoy?" Guo Songtao sighed, "I don't know who drafted the letter of credence this time, but it didn't even mention the deputy envoy. He thought I knew and didn't tell him on purpose.  After all, he hates me." After hearing what Guo Songtao said, Mrs. Liang frowned when she remembered that Liu Xihong had come to make a scene in Beijing.  After receiving the appointment as envoy to the UK, Guo Songtao made careful arrangements in the selection of personnel to go abroad. He really wanted to have a few more outstanding talents in his team who truly understood foreign conditions and understood foreign languages.  The Prime Minister's Yamen also had the same consideration for this. It initially planned to arrange for Zhili candidate Xu Qianshen to accompany Guo Songtao abroad as a deputy envoy. Guo Songtao did not object after learning the news because he knew from the side that Xu Qianshen was quite a good person.  .  Unexpectedly, Liu Xihong was running around for several days, always competing for the position of deputy envoy.  Originally Guo Songtao thought.  Liu Xihong was cultivated by him. This opportunity to go abroad was rare, so it was not a bad idea to leave him a counselor position.  But Liu Xihong wanted to be the deputy envoy.  Guo Songtao knew Liu Xihong's talents very well and was afraid that he lacked abilities.  Second, he was afraid that others would gossip and accuse him of running a "personal kingdom", so he had a heart-to-heart talk with Liu Xihong and asked for his understanding. Unexpectedly, Liu Xihong suddenly turned against him.  That day, Liu Xihong ran to Guo Songtao¡¯s residence.  As soon as he opened his mouth, he asked Guo Songtao, why couldn't Liu Xihong be the deputy envoy?  The tone was completely different from that of an old subordinate talking to an old boss, which surprised Guo Songtao.  I thought Liu Xihong took the wrong medicine, so why did he become so bullying?  And whose power are you relying on?  A few days later, he found out that Liu Xihong was afraid that he would not be able to get the deputy envoy from him, so he resorted to sneaking into Chencang secretly.  I asked Li Hongzao for help.  And Li Hongzao just wanted to place a confidant among the people going abroad to remotely control Guo Songtao (the last time he arranged Hong Jun to be Lin Yizhe's deputy, it was also for this reason), because in his view, once Guo Songtao is released, Guanshan will block him.  , thousands of miles away.  Losing control can lead to disaster.  It happened that Liu Xihong was clinging to this position, so Li Hongzao went along with the situation and secretly helped Liu Xihong, without even saying hello to Guo Songtao.  Only then did Guo Songtao realize that Liu Xihong had a lot of connections in Beijing, and his backstage was also very tough.  After being officially appointed as deputy envoy, although Liu Xihong still respected Guo Songtao on the surface and continued to visit him, he would always reveal to Guo Songtao from time to time that he was serving the military and the yamen.  Guo Songtao knows the hard work of dogs and horses.  You can't do anything to me!  Although the two of them never bickered, gossiped, or gossiped in public, the main thing was that Guo Songtao considered the overall situation and asked himself to cultivate his moral character.  To avoid causing greater embarrassment.  At that time, Liu Xihong was also considered interesting, and the two of them got along well for a while, and even looked the same on the surface as before.  But the matter of the credentials finally made the conflict between the two public.  After arriving in London, Guo Songtao went to the British Foreign Office, met with the British Foreign Secretary Derby, and submitted his credentials. Only then did he know the specific content of the credentials.  "The Great Emperor of the Qing Dynasty wishes to greet the Great British Monarch and the Five Great Emperors of India. I am destined to be born, and I will support Phi Ji. I miss my friends and neighbors, and I will always be friendly. . . . The Imperial Envoy of the Special Council, the Left Minister of the Department of Rites, and the Prime Minister of all countries  The minister of affairs, Guo Songtao, went to your country to convey my sincere wishes and to stay in your capital as evidence of sincere reconciliation. I know that Guo Songtao is capable, loyal, peaceful and knowledgeable, and he is very knowledgeable in handling Chinese and foreign affairs. I hope that I can be a loyal friend forever.  I will definitely be deeply happy to live in harmony and share peace" The credential clearly explains who Guo Songtao is, why he was sent to the UK, and the hope that China and Britain will be reconciled, etc., but it makes it clear to Liu Xihong, the vice-president.  Shi did not mention a word.  In fact, the person who drafted the letter of credence cannot be blamed for this, because the person who drafted the letter of credence and the Prime Minister's Office are familiar with international practices, and there is no deputy envoy at the minister level.  But then, Liu Xihong quit.  Because it is also an international practice, when meeting with a foreign head of state, it is only a matter for the envoy, not the deputy envoy.  When Guo Songtao went to the British Foreign Office to submit his credentials, he learned that he would only have an audience with Queen Victoria, and Liu Xihong did not need to go.  Liu Xihong was very angry after learning the news. He believed that he, the deputy envoy, was actually equal in status to Guo Songtao, the principal envoy. The Celestial Dynasty sent envoys, principal and deputy envoys, to restrain each other. This is the system.According to the custom of the country, "the envoys sent by the state and the dynasty are both principal and deputy, so they maintain the system." He thought that Guo Songtao had known the contents of the credential for a long time but did not tell him, so he wrote angrily in his diary: "Check the credential."  Before he could reach Chen Hong, he once told people in the capital that Shi Zheng's envoys would be the first to attack with a letter, and they would be irreversible." Liu Xihong believed that this was Guo Songtao's intention to embarrass himself. Originally, he thought that as a deputy envoy, he could "sway Duke Guo.  ¡±, but now ¡°deputy envoys abroad are called assistants, and they are subject to orders from the main envoys. Since leaving the capital, the system has changed from overseas. The documents of all foreigners have single titles, and there is no way to discuss everything, and they only earn their salaries.¡±  Out of dissatisfaction, his attitude towards Guo Songtao also became bad.  Although Guo Songtao cannot be blamed for the letter of credence, Guo Songtao still tried his best to make amends. After Guo Songtao negotiated with the British Foreign Office, the British side agreed that Guo Songtao and Liu Xihong could meet at the same time. However, the conflict between the two has become public.  .  "Today I went to visit Mr. Chen, the leader of Chinese businessmen in England, and went with him, but he actually said in front of others that their daughter-in-law was 'the queen of the West'. As a result, I was humiliated and was  He laughed at me and got into trouble with me again on the way back. "If I had known this, I would have better not have asked him to go. What would he do next if he offended me to death?"  After hearing Guo Songtao's words, Mrs. Liang immediately understood what was going on. She wanted to share Guo Songtao's worries. After thinking about it for a while, she asked: "Master Junxian (she hasn't gotten enough to call her Junxian directly)."  , Dare I ask if there are any children in the Chen family? " Guo Songtao suddenly thought of little Chen Wei and couldn't help but smile and nodded: "Yes, yes, he is a very attractive boy." He looked at it.  Mrs. Liang, I don¡¯t understand why she asked this.  "Why do you think of asking if there are any children at home?" "If there are children, things will be easier to handle." Mrs. Liang smiled, stood up and said, "I will make some candied haws, I have another one there.  A silver necklace and a pair of small silver bracelets were sent together." Guo Songtao immediately understood Liang's intention.  I was deeply moved.  "Can you prepare these things in time?" Guo Songtao was moved, but he couldn't help but admire Liang's delicate thoughts.  "I just think that when you are stationed in a foreign country, you need to have social contacts. Although these small things are inconspicuous, they are still of some use." Liang said with a smile, "Although your salary is high (the Prime Minister's Office stipulates that when you go abroad,  The first-class envoy serves as a first- and second-class envoy, with a monthly salary of 1,400 taels of silver. Liang can't earn even 1,20 taels of silver a month from selling candied haws, but he can't spend it arbitrarily. I come from a small family and can't think of anything big.  "Thinking about these little things has helped me a lot." Guo Songtao felt warm.  Holding Mrs. Liang's hand, reluctant to leave.  Not long after, the carriage of the legation arrived at the Chen family manor again. Chen Tingxuan and Sara were very happy to see the gifts sent by the legation¡¯s wife.  "Weier, look! What is this?" Chen Tingxuan took a candied haws and shook it at little Chen Wei with a smile.  As soon as Xiao Chen Wei saw the candied haws, his big bright eyes immediately shone. He ran over and snatched the candied haws from his grandfather's hand. Then he rushed to the table and put his hand in the gift box.  I grabbed two candied haws, turned around and ran away like a gust of wind.  Chen Tingxuan knew that Chen Wei was carrying it for his two younger sisters, so he couldn't help but smile at Sarah and nod.  Sarah looked at the exquisite silver necklace and a pair of small silver bracelets in the gift box, with a smile on her lips.  At this time, the impression Guo Songtao gave her was even higher.  "This Mr. Guo is really a kind elder." Sarah said, "He was afraid that we would be angry, so he sent these gifts in the name of his wife." "Yes! Although this gift is not very expensive, it is thoughtful.  But it's here." Chen Tingxuan sighed, reached out and took a big candied haws, and started to bite it.  "It's delicious, it's delicious." Chen Tingxuan praised, "This is an authentic candied haws a stick from Xicheng, Beijing. Mrs. Guo is such a good craftsman." When I saw my father-in-law eating the candied haws, he looked just like his grandson, Xiao Chen Wei.  Two, Sarah was secretly amused.  It was getting late, and even though the beautiful lady Liang was by his side, Guo Songtao still had no intention of sleeping. He asked Liang to help him spread the paper and polish the ink, and began to write the memorial.  "the calculation of Britain's strength began with the imperial dynasty. The country's political affairs were also very chaotic at the beginning, which is inferred from the foundation of the country. Therefore, if it lasts for a long time and the country's power becomes stronger, the parliament of Baal Gate (Parliament) has the meaning of maintaining the country.  . Suppose Maier (mayor) has the feeling of obeying the will of the people. The two are in harmony with each other, and the country has been invincible for more than a thousand years.  The human body must be used to fulfill its purpose. Even if Yao and Shun were born today, they would have to adopt the Western methods and implement them urgently, and they would not be able to slow down for a day  " In the diary of that day, Guo Songtao recorded the following words: "Liu Xihong served as an attach¨¦, and the Privy Council suddenly appointed him as deputy envoy.  He wanted to convey the discussion to the capital, and he took Song Tao as his leader. He was proud of his ability to repel the barbarians and Di, and he was profound and considerate, so as to be in conflict with each other.  Not only does one's aspiration go unused throughout his life, but it also causes him to look up to the sky, vomit blood, become angry and vomit blood, and his ambition is exhausted, and his intelligence and intelligence are also choked.  " At this time, Liu Xihong was not idle. After returning to the embassy, ??he locked himself in the study and wrote a memorial. "The British Foreign Office also stated that ministers without names should not be allowed to see the king of the country.  After Guo Songtao negotiated with him, they finally got the same opinion. However, when the list of envoys from various countries was published, only the names of ministers were listed but their duties were not specified. I don't know what Guo Songtao's intentions were.  The country has repeatedly invited envoys to stay permanently, but now it is full of questions and cannot be solved.  I found that all the Chinese people doing business in London adopted foreign customs and were rewarded by the country. They were no different from the people of that country. The situation was very different from those in the United States and Japan" The next day, Liu Xihong got up early and quietly  He called a close confidant and handed him the telegraph manuscript he had written for the Prime Minister's National Affairs Office, and asked him to go to the telegraph office and send the report. And just as Liu Xihong's confidant completed the formalities, he left.  Shortly after entering the telegraph office, a man who looked like a British gentleman in a suit and top hat left the telegraph office in a hurry and called a carriage "To Rothschild Bank."  "The gentleman paid the coachman a silver coin and whispered. 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