After getting a positive reply from Zhinao Xiaobai, Liu Hai boldly opened the door and entered the living room.
After Liu Hai entered the living room, he first saw a mighty old man sitting in the middle. The old man was not tall, but there was a murderous aura in front and behind him.
When Liu Hai saw the old man, he quickly stepped forward, knelt down on the ground and raised his hands, saying, "My son-in-law, Liu Hai, has met my father-in-law."
Zeng Guoquan, who was sitting above, saw Liu Hai kneeling on the ground. He didn't ask him to get up immediately. Instead, he picked up the tea cup on the table and took a sip. Then he asked slowly: "Why are you so late?"
"Going back to my father-in-law, I was ill for a few days on the road, so I was delayed."
After Zeng Guoquan was satisfied, he asked Liu Hai to stand up and sit on the chair next to him.
After Liu Hai sat down, he immediately took out Liu Kun's letter from his arms and held it in front of Zeng Guoquan with both hands on the ground.
"Father-in-law, this is a letter from my uncle to you."
After Zeng Guoquan took the letter, he opened it in front of Liu Hai and took a look. While reading the letter, he glanced at Liu Hai from time to time.
The bangs made Zeng Guoquan feel uncomfortable all over, as if he was being targeted by a tiger.
After Zeng Guoquan read the letter, he put it in the envelope again, and then looked at his bangs with a gloomy face.
"Originally, I only said that you were a bit naughty, but I didn't expect that you turned out to be a bad student."
Liu Hai felt helpless after hearing this. It turned out that Liu Hai was indeed a bastard who did all kinds of evil, but now that he has inherited everything from him, he can only accept it.
So Liu Hai could only sit there with his head down, not daring to say anything.
Zeng Guoquan saw Liu Hai's face flushed and sitting there tremblingly. He nodded and thought to himself that this kid is still afraid, so it's not hopeless. At worst, I can control him well in Nanjing and give him a future. After all, no matter what
Said he was also his son-in-law.
"What are your plans for coming to Nanjing this time?"
When Liu Hai heard that Zeng Guoquan finally started to ask about business, he quickly stood up from his chair and said: "Father-in-law, although my son-in-law has been a bit naughty in recent years, he still lacks some Western theories from Western priests. I think it's better than anything."
Make the best use of it, go to the Nanyang Navy as a casualty, and then see what else you can use it for."
After hearing this, Zeng Guoquan raised his eyes and looked at Liu Hai, saying that Zeng Guoquan did not think highly of the Nanyang Navy.
Historically, since Zeng Guoquan became the governor of Liangjiang, the Nanyang Navy has not added a single ship.
"You have to think carefully, that place is not a place for people to stay, and I don't think there is much future."
Because Zeng Guoquan knew very well that the focus of the imperial court was now on Beiyang, and Nanyang could not even guarantee funding. It was like a stepmother.
But Liu Hai knows the importance of the navy in the future. Now his idea is to sneak into the Nanyang Navy in advance. With his identity, he will definitely not be a soldier. At least he will have an official position. When the time comes, he will rely on his connections.
, the Nanyang Navy will not be within one’s grasp in the future.
Now that Liu Hai had this idea, he immediately found a reason to reply to Zeng Guoquan.
"Father-in-law, although the Nanyang Navy is not very popular, its organization is the same as that of the Beiyang Navy. Anyone who serves as an official there is several ranks higher than the officials outside."
After Zeng Guoquan heard this, he looked at Liu Hai with surprised eyes. He didn't expect Liu Hai to have such thoughts. If it was like what Liu Hai thought, the Nanyang Navy would make a transition now, get a rank, and then go to serve as an official elsewhere.
, but it is also a shortcut to the south.
"I feel relieved if you think so. By leaving my daughter in your hands, I can give him a good home."
Zeng Guoquan paused after saying this, and then continued: "You stay in the house first, and I will give you news in a few days."
After Zeng Guoquan finished saying this, he shouted to the outside: "Here comes someone."
Immediately, the housekeeper who had led Liu Hai the way came in from outside again.
Liu Hai looked at the housekeeper and was a little puzzled. He didn't know where the housekeeper was hiding just now, but he clearly dismissed him.
After the housekeeper came in, he bowed to Zeng Guoquan first, and then stood there politely waiting for Zeng Guoquan's instructions.
Zeng Guoquan saw the butler come in, and then said to Liu Hai on the side: "This is the butler in my house. Just call him Lao Wang. If you have anything to do in the future, ask him to handle it."
Liu Hai nodded to Butler Wang, who hurried over and saluted Liu Hai again.
"Lao Wang, first prepare a small courtyard for your uncle to settle down."
"Yes, sir."
After Butler Wang answered Zeng Guoquan, he turned around and led Liu Hai out of the living room.
Then we turned to the northeast corner of the Governor's Yamen, where there was a quiet, elegant and luxuriously decorated courtyard.
It seems that Zeng Guoquan knew that Liu Hai was coming and had already prepared a place for him.
After Liu Hai entered the courtyard, three maids immediately came over to salute him.
The housekeeper looked at the three guys kneeling on the ground and said to Liu Hai: "Uncle, these are Chunmei, Xia He and Qiu Ju, the maids arranged by the master for you."
Liu Hai nodded, and then said to the manager: "Please make arrangements for some of my family members. They are all from the countryside. If there is anything you don't understand, please give me some advice."
"Don't worry, uncle, I will arrange for your family to be outside the second door. If you call out from the second door if something happens, they will go over and take care of you."
Liu Hai nodded, and then sent the housekeeper away. Next, Liu Hai took a hot bath under the service of several maids, and then ate a delicious meal of this era before falling asleep.
In the next few days, Liu Hai stayed idle in the governor's office of Liangjiang, waiting for Zeng Guoquan to give him news.
But for some reason, after more than ten days, there was no news from Zeng Guoquan, and Liu Hai couldn't sit still.
Although it was said that there were people to serve you in ancient times, compared with modern times, there were many inconveniences in both entertainment and life.
What's more important is that Liu Hai feels that there are people waiting for him anytime and anywhere. It seems very comfortable, but in fact, every move is in the eyes of others.
Originally, he thought that after getting an official position and having a house outside, he would be able to do his own thing, but he didn't know that Zeng Guoquan didn't give him any news for such a long time.
On this day, Liu Hai was sitting in the small courtyard as usual, relaxing with a book while several maids beside him brought him tea and water.
While confirming, Butler Wang hurried into the small courtyard. When he saw Liu Hai, he bowed to him first and then said: "Uncle, I am summoning you in the study."
Liu Hai stood up from his chair as soon as he heard this. It seemed that there was news from Zeng Guoquan.
"Wait a moment, I'll go in and change my clothes, and then I'll go with you to see my father-in-law."
After Liu Hai finished speaking, he entered the inner house, changed into a new set of clothes under the clothes of several maids, and then came out after finishing dressing up. He followed Butler Wang straight to the study room of the headquarters Yamen.
When he arrived at the door of the study, Liu Hai stood outside the study, compared the inside and said, "My son-in-law, Liu Hai, wants to see you."
"Come in, there are no outsiders here, no need to be polite."
After receiving the reply from Zeng Guoquan in the study, Liu Hai dared to enter the study.
When Liu Hai entered the study, he first saluted Zeng Guoquan, who was sitting between me, and then stood respectfully, waiting for Zeng Guoquan to speak.
Zeng Guoquan actually left his bangs hanging in the house during this period, just to see his character. He got the news from his old friend Liu Kunyi's letter. This kid was running rampant in the countryside and was not easy to deal with.
Unexpectedly, after more than ten days of observation, Zeng Guoquan thought that Liu Kun was too harsh on his bangs. From his observations these days, although Liu Hai was pampered, he did not have that dandy temper.
Precisely because Zeng Guoquan was still a little pleased with Liu Hai, and because his little daughter was entrusted to him repeatedly by his wife before she died, Zeng Guoquan also took care of her under Aiwujiwu, plus their Hunan Army in Liangjiang.
The power finally gave Liu Hai a neither high nor low position in the Nanyang Navy - Counselor of the Nanyang Navy.
This position seems inconspicuous and has no rights, but the grade is not low, and it is a real fourth grade.
Don't think that this level is too high. In the late Qing Dynasty, several major naval forces had a problem, that is, the level of their official positions was too high.
For example, the admirals of major navies are all from the first rank, and the captains (supervisors) of major ironclad ships are all from the second rank. Even the captains of cruisers are from the second rank.
Son.
Therefore, in comparison, Liu Hai, a fourth-grade combat officer, was just a junior in the Nanyang Navy.
Liu Hai took the document and immediately smiled. Even though he was just a counselor with no power now, in a few years, with Zeng Guoquan's help, would he be afraid that he would not be able to take charge of the Nanyang Navy?
Zeng Guoquan looked at the smiling bangs below and said with regret: "You are still a failure. If you had had this ambition a few years ago, the position of admiral of the Nanyang Navy would still belong to someone else."
"Father-in-law, there is no rush. My son-in-law, I am not familiar with the place. After I go there, I will familiarize myself with the environment first. It will not be too late to rise up slowly."
After listening, Zeng Guoquan nodded, and then said: "That's what you said. You can make do here for the next few years. After a while, I will think of a way for you to improve your grade."
When Liu Hai heard this, he became interested and quickly asked: "Father-in-law, what can you do to help my son-in-law?"
Zeng Guoquan stroked his gray beard, and then said confidently: "The Beiyang Navy has acquired many new warships in recent years, especially the two ironclads, which move like a mountain."
Zeng Guoquan was a little envious when he said this, "Our Nanyang Navy still only has a few soldiers and generals. In addition, in the war with the French in the past few years, we also lost several warships, and we have not replenished them yet. I thought it would be better to just
Let the gentry in Jiangnan pool their money and buy an armored ship, and then let you be the leader, won't this level be improved?"