North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 92 What is despicable? What is shameless? (6,000 words)

"If you want San Francisco to cooperate, fine, but what do you have to offer in exchange?"

Faced with Azu's question, Speaker Brosnan looked troubled and remained silent for a long time before answering, "Mr. Li, what do you want?"

Azu took another sip of wine before calmly replying, "First, I want at least ten seats in the state legislature, and five each in the Senate and the House of Representatives!"

"What did you say? That's impossible!"

Speaker Brosnan was shocked and immediately rejected the offer.

"Don't be impatient, just listen to me!"

Ah Zu continued, "Second, abolish the Foreign Miners Tax Law and allow all new immigrants, including Chinese laborers, to enjoy the same national treatment!"

"That's even more impossible!" Speaker Brosnan's eyes widened!

Azu completely ignored him: "Third, reduce the entry tax back to its original level!"

"Hmm, this one is barely negotiable!"

"Fourth, I must have control over at least one of these four crucial agencies: the State Taxation Administration, the State Police Department, the State Attorney General's Office, and the State Courts!"

"Dream on!" Speaker Brosnan jumped up, glaring at Azu. "Mr. Li, you're just daydreaming!"

"Wait, I haven't finished speaking yet!"

Azu smiled and raised his glass to him: "Speaker, that arrogant country bumpkin Burnett is nothing more than an interim governor! In next year's gubernatorial election, I can support you to sit in the real governor's seat!"

"What...? Say that again?" Brosnan could hardly believe his ears!

Azu remained calm: "Mr. Speaker, there's no need for this pretense! You and that arrogant Democrat Burnett are not as harmonious or as united as you appear!"

"You are a seasoned Whig, while Burnett is just an unknown Democrat! Yet Burnett was elected as interim governor, while you, though nominally the interim speaker, are merely a state senator with slightly more power, no different in substance from ordinary legislators!"

“Mr. Speaker, I don’t believe you have no ambition for the governor’s seat!”

“You are a staunch opponent of abolitionism, while Burnett is a staunch abolitionist! Based on this alone, you are destined to become enemies.”

"And I not only control the voters and ballots of San Francisco, but I also have the Standard, and Bishop Evan of the Bay Area is my fiancée's uncle!"

"If you, Mr. Brosnan, support me in fulfilling the four requirements I have stated, you will be the official Governor of California next year!"

At this point, Azu's face turned cold: "If Speaker Brosnan also opposes my four demands, then I guarantee that the state government and the state legislature will find it impossible to move an inch in San Francisco!"

"If you choose not to cooperate, then the laws and policies you formulate will be nothing but a piece of waste paper, and they won't even leave your office!"

"Arrogant! Li, you...you are simply too outrageous!"

Speaker Brosnan, in a fit of anger, simply turned and left.

Just as he was about to slam the door and leave, Ah Zu's voice rang out behind him again.

"Mr. Speaker, it seems you have made the most unwise choice!"

Ah Zu coldly said to his retreating figure, "Well then, we'll see!"

"Boom...!"

Speaker Brosnan completely ignored Azu's warning and stormed out in anger.

"Heh, what a stubborn old man!"

"Clap clap!" Azu clapped his hands lightly, and a door in the bookshelf in the study cracked open silently.

Monica swayed her plump, round buttocks as she walked out of the door.

Azu didn't even turn his head: "Did you hear everything?"

"Of course, my master, I heard everything!"

"Then, let's execute our pre-arranged plan!"

"Yes, my master! Hmm, is there anything else I need to do for you?"

Ah Zu glared at her: "Go quickly, don't delay important matters!"

"Okay, master!"

Monica, filled with regret, turned and disappeared through the door.

Less than fifteen minutes later, the state legislators and high-ranking officials who had just been enjoying the beautiful women, fine wines and delicious food at the Rosewood Hotel were all kicked out of the hotel!
“Bang, bang, bang…!”

Not only were the people kicked out of the hotel, but their luggage was also thrown out of the hotel like garbage, and scattered all over the street!
"Hmph!" Speaker Brosnan, who had also been driven out, sneered, "Lee, you think you can make us submit like this? Impossible!"

"Hey, where's our carriage?"

A group of people searched the surrounding area, but their carriage, along with the horses and the driver, had vanished into thin air!

"Fuck! Damn Chinamen, let's go!"

Led by the proud and upright Speaker Brosnan, dozens of members of parliament and high-ranking officials, dressed in thin clothes, shivered in the cold wind of the early November night!
"Speaker, where are we going?"

Dozens of high-ranking officials and members of parliament hurriedly rummaged through their luggage to find thick clothes to wrap themselves in, and then, in the pitch-black night, dragged their heavy suitcases along the deserted streets in a disheveled state!

"Let's find another hotel!"

"I refuse to believe that such a big city as San Francisco can't find a hotel that can accommodate us?"

Unfortunately, he was right!

This large group of people walked until late at night, searching for more than a dozen hotels, but none of them were willing to take them in!

All the hotels and guesthouses refused to let them in!

By the middle of the night, this group of people were completely exhausted in the cold wind!

"Tsk tsk tsk...!"

Suddenly, from the dark street ahead came the sound of hurried footsteps!
"who?"

Speaker Brosnan, being a former soldier, roared at the top of his lungs.

"Who are you?"

"I am California State Senator Brosnan!"

"Speaker Brosnan...? Fuck...! I'm the interim governor, Burnett!"

"What......?"

The two groups met on a dark street, looking at each other in extreme awkwardness, each more disheveled than the last!
"Mr. Acting Speaker, you were also kicked out?"

"Mr. Interim Governor, I can't believe you've been kicked out too!"

The two groups, totaling more than a hundred people, shivered in the increasingly cold early morning streets!
"How about we spend the night in the office?"

"Alright!"

Just as these state legislators and high-ranking officials had agreed to spend the night in their offices.

"boom……!"

Suddenly, a towering flame shot up from the top of Mount Nob, where the state government and state legislature had just moved into Cameron Estate, illuminating half of San Francisco!

The towering flames illuminated the faces of the interim governor, the speaker, and others!
"Fuck...! This Chinese guy is absolutely ruthless!"

Speaker Brosnan stared at the fire and muttered to himself.

Upon hearing this, the interim governor Burnett, who was standing next to him, asked, "Mr. Speaker, are you talking about that Chinaman?"

"Which other Chinese guy is there? The behind-the-scenes boss of Huamei Corporation, the behind-the-scenes master of San Francisco, Li Zunian!"

Burnett seemed to realize something: "So it was him! No wonder I was sleeping so well, how come I was suddenly kicked out of the hotel!"

"Sigh...!" Brosnan sighed deeply, "I shouldn't have talked to him!"

"What?" Interim Governor Burnett exclaimed in surprise. "Speaker, you've spoken with that Chinese guy?"

"Yes!"

"What did you talk about? Why did he force us out onto the streets in the middle of the night?"

Speaker Brosnan then truthfully recounted the contents of the conversation, especially the four points raised by Azu.

Of course, the fact that Azu wanted to put him in the governor's seat could not be revealed.

After hearing this, Governor Burnett jumped up and down, cursing, "Fuck... This is outrageous! We absolutely cannot agree to that damned Chinaman!"

Speaker Brosnan expressed his strong agreement: "Of course we can't agree to that! If we do, his power will be no less than that of the governor!"

"So what do we do now? We've been kicked out of the hotel, and our office has been burned down. Where do we go?"

“We’re not going anywhere! We’ll stay here until dawn, and then we’ll move the entire state government and legislature back to Monterey!”

Speaker Brosnan said angrily, "He can control everything in San Francisco, but I don't believe he can extend his reach to Monterey!"

"Okay, let's do it!"

"Even if we starve or freeze to death, we will never compromise with that Chinaman!"

……

More than a hundred high-ranking members of parliament and officials, wrapped in layers of clothing, huddled on the side of the street, shivering and waiting for dawn!

At this moment, these high-ranking nobles are no different from the homeless people on the street!
Finally, dawn broke, and the streets gradually filled with more and more people.

Speaker and Governor, quickly send people to find carriages and boats, and leave this troublesome place, San Francisco, as soon as possible!
Unfortunately, after spending half a day trying, not a single carriage or boat was willing to take their order!
No matter how much money they offer, I won't take it!
"Fuck...! This damn Chinese guy is trying to wipe us out!"

Burnett cursed angrily, but couldn't think of a solution: "Speaker, what do we do? Are we supposed to walk to Monterey?"

“Yes, we’ll walk there!” Brosnan declared resolutely.

"What...? You're not serious, are you? Monterey is over eighty miles to the south...!"

Brosnan, dragging his heavy suitcase, said fiercely, "Once we get out of San Francisco and into the next town, I don't believe we won't be able to find a carriage!" "Yes, yes, let's go!"

A group of over a hundred people, dragging their suitcases in a disheveled state, walked through the streets of San Francisco.

Almost all the passersby cast curious or even disdainful glances at this strange group.

At this moment, they were no longer high-ranking members of parliament and officials; they were no different from beggars and homeless people!

"Hey, did you see that? That's our interim governor, Lord Burroughs!"

"Yes, yes, I saw Speaker Brosnan! They were so impressive when they first arrived in San Francisco a few days ago!"

"Haha, what's wrong with these guys? They look like beggars and homeless people!"

At this moment, Burnett and Brosnan, among others, wished they could bury their heads in the ground; they had lost face to the extreme!
"Make way, everyone! Make way for the adults!"

A police force of several dozen men appeared out of nowhere, waving batons and driving away the onlookers who had gathered on the street.

"Report, San Francisco Police Department, Sheriff Tom, is ordered to escort you gentlemen away!"

Short and fat Sheriff Tom gave Governor Burnett and Speaker Brosnan a proper salute!

"Hmph, let's go!"

Escorted by police officers, the group finally left the bustling city center and walked onto Market Avenue in the southern suburbs.

Just follow Market Drive south for another ten miles or so, and you'll reach the next town—Auckland.

Even if this large group of people walks the entire way, they will definitely be able to reach Auckland tonight.

Once they reach Auckland, they will surely be able to escape their current predicament.

Unfortunately, after walking only a few miles, they ran head-on into dozens of Indian cavalrymen!

“Woooooooooooooo…!”

Driven by the Indian cavalry, this group of already disheveled men abandoned all their luggage and ran back in a panic!

Fortunately, they hadn't run far when they encountered the San Francisco militia who had come to their rescue.

Although they were rescued by the militia, a few unlucky ones were still wounded by the Native Americans' arrows.

Having stumbled and crawled all the way back to San Francisco, these newly appointed, ambitious members of parliament and high-ranking officials had completely lost their arrogance.

Escorted by the militia, Speaker Brosnan and Governor Burnett finally returned to the warm and cozy entrance of the Rosewood Hotel.

Ah Zu is here to welcome them!
"Well, Governor and Speaker, can we have a proper talk now?"
Azu wore a calm and composed smile.

The governor and speaker, looking disheveled and exhausted, immediately said, "Mr. Li, we need to eat, we need to take a shower, we need to change our clothes...!"

They've been up and about all day since last night, and these guys haven't even had a bite to eat. They're starving!
Even their clothes were riddled with holes and tattered during the pursuit by the Indian cavalry.

Unfortunately, they lost all their luggage during the escape, and they didn't even have a decent change of clothes!
"Snap!" Azu snapped his fingers, and Monica behind him immediately led them into the "Rosewood Hotel," where everything had already been arranged for them.

……

By the time they had eaten and drunk their fill, washed up, and changed their clothes, it was already late at night!

In that same study, Governor Azu, Governor Burnett, and Speaker Brosnan sat facing each other.

Mayor Vic and City Council Speaker Edgar Allan Poe also participated in the negotiations.

Speaker Brosnan downed the Macallan whiskey Monica handed him in one gulp, then stared at Azu with a complicated expression: "Mr. Lee, your control over San Francisco, and the methods you used today, are simply breathtaking!"

"Having served in the military and politics for decades, this is the first time I've truly experienced what it means to be despicable and shameless!"

Ah Zu, holding his wine glass, smiled and said, "I had no choice but to offend you all! I believe I will have the opportunity to make amends for the harm I caused you today!"

Burnett downed his Macallan whiskey in one gulp and exclaimed impatiently, "Lee, I can't believe it! You're actually colluding with the Native Americans...!"

"Heh!" Azu sneered, "Mr. Interim Governor, do you have any evidence? If you don't have any evidence, I can sue you for defamation!"

“I…!” The proud and arrogant Burnett, who was suffering greatly, was clearly extremely agitated and couldn’t hold his breath any longer.

"Slap!" Speaker Brosnan slapped him on the shoulder and said in a deep voice, "I believe everything that happened today was purely coincidental, am I right, Mr. Lee?"

“Yes, it’s all a terrible coincidence!” Azu replied with a smile.

The current situation leaves Brosnan with no choice!
He, along with everyone in the state legislature and the state government, must swallow this insult!
If things really fall apart, there will definitely be over a hundred more human scalps among the spoils of war for the Native Americans!
Ah Zu then asked, "Regarding the four conditions I proposed last night, I wonder what the gentlemen have thought about them?"

"impossible……!"

Burnett, still unable to grasp the situation, remained stubborn.

"Slap!" Brosnan slapped Burnett hard again, knocking his body off balance.

"I think what the interim governor is trying to say is that nothing is impossible! Whatever the demands and conditions, we can talk about them properly!"

Azu nodded and smiled: "Then, let's go through them one by one!"

"First, I want five seats in the state legislature, and five seats in the Senate and five seats in the House of Representatives!"

Brosnan nodded in agreement: "Sure! The current state legislature is also a provisional legislature, and it hasn't been elected. We can add five seats each in the Senate and the House of Representatives!"

"Second, abolish the Foreign Miners Tax Law and allow all new immigrants, including Chinese laborers, to enjoy the same national treatment."

Brosnan said with difficulty: "The Foreign Miners Tax Act has been passed by both houses of Congress, and Governor Burnett has signed it into law."

"If we abolish it so easily, then the already dwindling authority of the state legislature and the state government will be completely wiped out!"

Brosnan stared at Azu and said, "I think this is also disadvantageous for you, Mr. Li, isn't it?"

Azu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let's postpone it until the governor and legislature are elected next year!"

"I think it's okay!"

“No!” Burnett retorted immediately. “The three permanent militia regiments also need funding from the Foreign Miners Tax Act! Without this funding, the militia regiments cannot be established! The Indians cannot be suppressed, and the state government will have no armed force under its control…!”

Burnett will never forget what happened today!

The fact that this young Chinese man can manipulate them like puppets ultimately stems from the fact that the state government and legislature lack any powerful institutions or armed forces!
With the state police department, state prosecutor's office, state court, and state militia under construction, how could a mere Chinese man be allowed to act so arrogantly if he possessed any of these forces?

Unexpectedly, Azu completely ignored his protest and continued, "The third point is to reduce the entry tax to the original level!"

"can!"

"I object!"

"Article four: I want one of these four powerful agencies—the State Taxation Bureau, the State Police Department, the State Attorney's Office, and the State Court!"

"This... is too difficult. I'm finding it hard to convince the other legislators and the interim governor!"

"I object! I object! I object! ...!"

Ah Zu grew impatient: "Throw this dissenting gentleman out!"

Mayor Vic and Edgar Allan Poe personally grabbed interim Governor Burnett by the arms on either side and threw him out of the room!

"Bang...!" The study door slammed shut in front of Burnett.

From this moment on, it also means that he, as the interim governor, may have been excluded from the core of power!

"Phew!" Azu exhaled a breath of stale air: "Without that noisy crow, Mr. Speaker, we can have a truly open and honest talk!"

Azu continued, "I think Mr. Burnett is no longer suitable to serve as interim governor. Mr. Speaker, would you mind taking that position?"

“I…!” Brosnan hesitated for a moment: “The senators and the House of Representatives, especially the House, where Democrats hold a majority, I’m afraid they won’t agree!”

“They will agree!” Azu replied without hesitation.

"Well, okay!" Having witnessed Azu's little tricks, Brosnan had no doubt that he could "convince" all the councilors.

Azu then asked, "Now that the Speaker has relinquished his position, who do you intend to appoint as the Speaker of the Senate?"

"Well... what do you mean, Mr. Li?"

Azu looked at Edgar Allan Poe beside him: "I think that, in terms of both fame and prestige, Mr. Edgar Allan Poe is qualified to serve as the Speaker of the Senate!"

"Mr. Speaker, what do you think?"

"Hmm... I think it's absolutely perfect in every respect for Mr. Edgar Allan Poe to take my place!"

"So, one last question, which organization are you going to give it to?"

Brosnan fell into deep thought again: "The State Revenue Department is not for you. It is the foundation of the state government and the legislature! Without the Revenue Department, the government and the legislature would shut down because they would not have the money."

“The state police department, the state attorney general’s office, and the state courts—this judicial system cannot function properly if any one of them is missing! Giving you any one of these agencies could paralyze the judicial system.”

Brosnan pondered for a long time: "Mr. Li, can't you make a different request?"

“It won’t change anything!” Azu said calmly, “After what happened today, I’m afraid you’ll fabricate charges and use this legal system to target me and my people!”

“Alas!” Brosnan sighed. “Mr. Li, in truth, our relationship now is that of some kind of ally, though not harmonious! I would never use the legal system to deal with you or your people!”

"There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests!"

Azu continued, "Today we can be allies because of our interests. But tomorrow, you might turn around and betray me for your own benefit."

"I won't sleep soundly until I have control over a single link in the judicial system!"

Seeing how resolute Azu was, Brosnan pondered for a long time, weighing the pros and cons, before saying, "Then, I have no choice but to hand over the state attorney general office to you!"

"State Attorney General's Office?"

Although it was expected, Ah Zu couldn't help but smile!
Compared to the state police department and the state courts, the state attorney general's office doesn't seem to have as much real power.

But Azu guessed that Brosnan, that old fox, would give him this law enforcement agency that didn't seem that important.

Therefore, he had other plans.

(End of this chapter)