The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Chapter 565: Poor Ghost, Covenant

On the prosperous ten-mile-long street, the crowds were bustling, and people passing by looked at a few aliens who could be seen at a glance as "not of our race". There were even some idle people who followed them closely, staring at them like monkeys, and bursting into laughter from time to time.

Several aliens were very angry, but did not dare to say anything. They could only speed up their pace and try to shake them off.

Looking at the aliens fleeing in a panic, the surrounding people burst into laughter.

Finally, the patrolling yamen runners couldn't stand it anymore and drove away the group of idlers, thus rescuing the few people.

These people were none other than the U.S. tribute delegation headed by U.S. Vice President Adams.

Adams breathed a sigh of relief. The people of the Tang Dynasty were so "enthusiastic"!

As we walked, a man from the United States spoke up (in beautiful language): "According to the quotation from the Tang Dynasty, the little gold we brought with us can't buy many warships and weapons and equipment."

Another man said: "It's too expensive, and they are all second-hand goods that they have discarded."

Another man said: "Although they are all second-hand goods, they are exactly what we need. Besides, now except for the Tang Dynasty, no one is willing to sell weapons and equipment to us at the risk of the English blocking the trade route."

Several people were silent.

Adams sighed. It was obvious that the Tang Dynasty was asking for too much and was blatantly trying to steal money.

A second-hand second-class sailing battleship was priced at 30,000 Tang Dynasty gold coins! They had to cut down thousands of sandalwood trees and hunt countless seals and sea otters to exchange for a second-hand second-class sailing battleship.

Although he was angry, he had no choice. European countries would not sell weapons and equipment to them.
In addition, he had looked at the data of the Tang Dynasty's second-class sailing battleship, and its performance was almost catching up with the English first-class sailing battleship, with a very high cost-effectiveness.

As for the better first-class sailing battleship, he didn't dare ask the price, fearing that his heart could not bear it.

In fact, what he wanted most was the Tang Dynasty's ironclad warships, but unfortunately the Tang Dynasty refused to sell them.

However, even if the Tang Dynasty was willing to sell it, they couldn't afford it because it was too expensive!
He had not yet met the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Regarding the etiquette of meeting the emperor, they had a heated debate with the officials of the Tang Dynasty. The other side required them to perform the ritual of three kneelings and nine kowtows to the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, but they wanted to use the Western ritual of kneeling on one knee to pay homage to the emperor.

As soon as they said this, they were scolded by the Tang officials. Some of them even turned hostile on the spot and asked them to go back to where they came from. Their attitude was very tough and there was no room for negotiation.

The Han Chinese have an old saying: When you live under someone's roof, you have to bow your head.

For the future of the United States and for the freedom of the North American continent, they were forced to accept such humiliating conditions, learn to perform the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows, and wait for the summons of the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

Officials from the Ministry of Rites said that their emperor had gone to Taihu Lake to fish with his daughter and had no time to summon them.

The scene of the Guangdong trading port suddenly emerged in Adams' mind. A member of the American Congress had his head chopped off and hung on the flagpole of the port for public display.

Faced with such humiliation, they did not dare to show any dissatisfaction and even had to apologize humbly.

Now, they still have to wait humbly, waiting for the summons from His Majesty the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, no, for alms!
A weak country has no dignity!

Suddenly, a burst of fragrance wafted into Adams' nose, and his stomach immediately growled.

The men's stomachs growled and they all looked at Adams.

Adams subconsciously touched his pocket, hesitated for a moment, and whispered, "The food at the post station is good, let's go back and eat."

A man said: "We came out here, it's embarrassing enough to go back empty-handed, and we haven't eaten yet."

Adams blushed. He had previously formed an alliance with the Wu family. Not only did the Wu family pay for all expenses in Guangdong, but they also gave him many valuable gifts when he left. Congress thought that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty would be so generous, so they did not allocate additional money to them.

Who would have thought that the Tang Dynasty only provided them with food and lodging, without any of the preferential treatment that the Wu family enjoyed.

As for them, they thought they could make a fortune, but they didn't bring any money at all, and the gold they brought had already been handed over to the officials of the Tang Dynasty.

They were not penniless. On the second day after arriving in Suzhou, Adams pawned his gold watch. However, the pawnshops in the Tang Dynasty were too shady and the prices were too high. After a few days, he was left with only a few silver coins and some copper coins.

At this time, another man spoke up: "I heard that noodles are cheap, you can have a big bowl for two or three copper coins! There is one in front." As he said that, he pointed to the noodle stall in front.

Adams' eyes lit up and he strode over.

The stall owner stood about three steps away from the pot of boiling water, wielding his knife quickly. Pieces of dough as thin as paper flew out from the dough on his shoulder and into the pot.

Adams and others were all stunned.

The stall owner looked at them and said, "Shaved noodles, two copper coins a bowl."

A US businessman who could speak Chinese immediately translated it.

Adams noticed the noodle stall not far away. With the idea of ​​comparing prices, he walked over and just in time the waiter came over with a bowl of noodles.

Adams looked intently and saw that the noodles in the bowl were crisp and crisp, and the light brown noodle soup was clear and transparent. Large and small golden oil droplets and emerald green chopped green onions floated on the soup, and the aroma wafted into his nose.

Adams swallowed subconsciously and looked at the American businessman who could speak Chinese.

The merchant asked in a stiff Chinese accent: "What kind of noodles is this? How much is a bowl?"

The waiter looked at them for a while and replied, "Yangchun noodles, three copper coins a bowl."

Three copper coins?

Adams swallowed hard, then gritted his teeth and said (nicely): "Let's go. Eat shaved noodles." After that, he turned and walked towards the shaved noodle stall.

The waiter curled his lips and said, "A bunch of poor bastards!"

Seeing Adams and his group coming back, the stall owner curled his lips but said nothing.

The group sat down at the small table in front of the stall, and Adams said to the American businessman who could speak Chinese, "Tell him to give us more noodles."

The businessman was stunned for a moment and translated it to the stall owner.

The stall owner rolled his eyes, meaning: Who do you think you are?
Adams didn't need a translator. He could tell from his eyes what he meant. He snorted, "Tang people are so stingy!"

Bowls of piping hot shaved noodles were brought to them.

In the past few days, officials from the Ministry of Rites not only taught Adams and others etiquette, but also taught them how to use chopsticks.

Although they were not very skilled, Adams and others were able to put the shaved noodles into their mouths with the help of a spoon.

A man's hand shook, and the shaved noodles that were about to reach his mouth fell from the spoon into the bowl. The boiling hot noodle soup splashed onto his face, scalding him so much that he grimaced and screamed.

The stall owner and the diners around laughed.

Perhaps they were really hungry, or perhaps it was because the stall owner was a good cook, Adams and the others even drank up all the noodle soup.

The stall owner collected the copper coins on the table, looked at the backs of Adams and the others, then looked at the bowls without even a drop of noodle soup left, and twitched his lips, "A bunch of poor bastards!"

After walking three or five steps, Adams saw the official from the Ministry of Rites who was in charge of entertaining them. He walked over quickly. The official also saw them and hurried over to greet them: "Quick! Go back and take a bath and change your clothes. The emperor wants to see you!"

As soon as this sentence was translated, everyone started shouting.

Adams frowned even more: "Now? This is too hasty and too disrespectful." The official from the Ministry of Rites didn't understand and didn't want to know what he said. He grabbed his arm and walked away, saying: "Let's go quickly. If you delay, someone will die!"

Adams wanted to say something, but after listening to the translation, he immediately shut up.
"Announce the American envoy to enter the palace!"

"Announce the American envoy to enter the palace!"

The eunuch on the paging line delivered the order, and Adams, who had been waiting outside the palace, and the beautiful foreign businessman who could speak Chinese followed the eunuch in charge into the palace.

On both sides of the corridor, the imperial guards holding guns and swords stood like stone statues.

Adams completely forgot the repeated instructions from the Ministry of Rites officials and looked around, as if his eyes were not enough.

Soon they arrived outside the main palace gate. Looking up, the majestic and magnificent palace came into view. The architectural style was completely different from all the houses he had seen. It had red walls and golden tiles, and was located at a very high altitude, giving people a feeling of looking down on the world.

As you enter the palace, you can feel the solemn atmosphere everywhere.

The eunuch in charge took Adams and the merchant to stop at the stone steps of the main hall.

Four imperial guards wearing helmets and armor stood on both sides.

The fat boy came out.

The eunuch in charge stepped forward and said, "According to your order, I am bringing the envoy from the United States to see His Majesty."

The fat boy nodded.

The eunuch in charge withdrew.

The fat man said to Adams and the businessman expressionlessly, "Come in." Then he walked in first.

Without any translation, Adams followed in.

The businessman followed in.

The space inside the palace is incredibly large, and the interior decoration is extremely luxurious. The gold-lacquered throne, dragon-carved screens, and coiled dragon caisson ceilings all demonstrate the royal style.

Adams swallowed his saliva. This was just a temporary palace of the Tang Dynasty Emperor. What would the legendary Forbidden City look like?

The first thing that caught his eye was the imperial platform. On the platform, there was a man sitting on the dragon throne. He knew that this man was the emperor of the Tang Dynasty.

Several Tang Dynasty officials were standing under the imperial platform.

Walking to the front, Adams saw Jia Yucun, who nodded slightly to him.

Adams glanced at the officials, then secretly glanced towards the imperial platform, and happened to meet Li Hu's eyes!
Adams was so frightened that he hurriedly lowered his head and swallowed hard. The Tang Emperor's eyes were calm and sharp, as if they could penetrate his soul and see his deepest thoughts.

The little fat man said with some dissatisfaction: "Salute."

The businessman hurriedly reminded Adams.

Adams came back to his senses and spoke in stiff Chinese: "American envoy Adams pays homage to His Majesty the Holy, Wise, Benevolent and Martial Emperor. I wish the Emperor good health and good luck! Long live the Emperor, long live the Emperor, long, long live the Emperor!"

After that, he followed the etiquette taught by the officials of the Ministry of Rites and performed the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows to Li Hu. Then he pressed his head firmly on the brick floor, waiting for the voice of "stand up".

The businessman also followed suit and bowed deeply.

Li Hu sat high on the dragon throne, looking down at Adams who was kneeling there. From this position, he could only see a butt sticking up high.

Li Hu smiled and said, "Get up."

As soon as this sentence was translated, Adams shouted, "Thank you, Your Majesty!" He kowtowed again and then stood up.

Li Hu examined Adams from head to toe and asked: "When do you plan to go to war with the English? How are your preparations? How are your troops? How are your weapons and equipment?"

Adams was the Vice President of the United States and naturally understood the true situation in the United States. However, he did not answer Li Hu's question immediately. Instead, he guessed Li Hu's intentions in his heart and weighed the pros and cons.

Li Hu seemed to see through Adams's thoughts and continued, "Sooner or later, there will be a war between the Tang Dynasty and England, so the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

After hearing the translation, Adams' eyes lit up and he asked anxiously: "His Majesty the Emperor agrees to form an alliance with our beautiful country." At this point, he came to his senses, realized that he had lost his composure, and smiled awkwardly.

Li Hu smiled and nodded.

Adams lost his initial guard and bowed to Li Hu: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Li Hu: "Since we are allies, the Tang Dynasty has an obligation to support our allies, and we support them in all aspects. I have decided to provide you with a loan to purchase warships and weapons and equipment from the Tang Dynasty."

Adams was startled at first, then he knelt down involuntarily and said in a trembling voice: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Li Hu waved his hand: "Stand up and talk."

Adams kowtowed respectfully, then stood up and looked up at Li Hu with respect.

Li Hu smiled secretly: "However, there is a saying in the Tang Dynasty, 'Brothers should settle accounts clearly'. I can waive your interest, but you have to use the land as collateral. Do you understand?"

As soon as this sentence was translated, Adams immediately replied to Li Hu: "We know the rules. I can sign a contract with the Tang Dynasty on behalf of the United States. Your Majesty, please rest assured. I am the two-term vice president of the United States. As long as the treaty is signed, I can easily defeat my opponent, win the election next year, and become the second president of the United States."

Having said that, he no longer had any hesitation and told the true situation in the United States.

After hearing Adams' words, Wang Yaozu, Jia Lian, Jia Yucun and others were stunned. After more than a year of mobilization, the regular army increased from 10,000 to 15,000. They were puzzled by the indifference of the American people to joining the army. In the Tang Dynasty, as long as there was an official document, the young and strong people who joined the army could trample the threshold of the government office!
Li Hu suddenly had a bold idea in his mind, first destroy the United States, and then use the United States as a springboard to directly attack the English mainland. Then he rejected this idea, England and other Western countries would not sit idly by.

Seeing that Li Hu and others looked unhappy, Adams hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured that our United States will expand its regular army to 35,000 before the war and recruit 30,000 volunteers. In addition, each state will be required to prepare 80,000 militiamen to deal with the war."

"Okay. But I have a request. After you eliminate the English in Canada, you must seize the opportunity to launch an attack on the English mainland immediately. Don't worry, the Tang Dynasty will directly send troops to participate in the war."

Li Hu stood up and said to Adams, "There is an old saying in the Tang Dynasty, 'If you don't remove the roots, the grass will grow again in the spring breeze.' Only by completely eliminating the English can we rest assured and expand our territory."

Adams thought for a moment and said, "Okay."

Li Hu smiled and nodded, then turned his gaze to Jia Yucun.

Jia Yucun understood and said to Adams, "Let's go and draft a peace treaty." Then he extended his hand.

Adams bowed to Li Hu and followed Jia Yucun out.

Li Hu also walked down the platform and smiled at Adams' back.

Wang Yaozu smiled and said, "It is called an alliance only if there is strength. Without strength, it is just a piece of waste paper."

Jia Lian and others laughed. The purpose of a covenant is to be torn up.

Li Hu also laughed. The United States is still very innocent now. It is not as shameless as it was in the past, with skin as thick as a pig.

This time, he wants to let the United States taste the dangers of the underworld.
(End of this chapter)