Witch Wind

Chapter 163 Court Summons (Part )

Pinghai City, the International Concession, a busy and orderly reconstruction site. The hardworking and tenacious Eastern craftsmen, like a group of tireless worker ants, tried their best to display their craftsmanship, working meticulously bit by bit, spending the money allocated by Princess Yihe to build a magnificent palace for the foreign masters from hundreds of countries in the far west.

The purple-ribbon Taoist robe turned into an ordinary scholar's green shirt. Xing Tianli held the Tongtian Magic Bamboo in his hand, with one hand behind his back, quietly looking at the busy construction site in front of him.

The rectangular construction site covers an area of ​​more than 300 acres and has a good location. Diagonally opposite Binjiang Avenue is the berth of the First Squadron of the British Royal Navy's Pinghai City International Concession.

Amid the muffled sounds of motors, a dozen pilot boats were guiding two new main battleships to dock.

The battleship was so huge that its deck was almost ten feet above the Binjiang Avenue. The thick gun barrel was raised high, and the sunlight cast a thick shadow that cut the entire Binjiang Avenue in half.

On the streets, countless Eastern people held their breath and stared at this huge and incredible creation with dull expressions.

Many knowledgeable scholars and Confucian scholars looked extremely gloomy. Some of them were even so concerned about their country and their people that they almost had the urge to follow Qu Yuan's example and jump into the river to commit suicide.

Such a huge ship!

Its power is simply immeasurable.

Before, the 10,000-ton giant warships of the hundred countries in the far west had extremely brutally blasted away the people of the Dayu Dynasty. In the huge Dayu Dynasty, the foreign devils acted arrogantly and domineeringly with almost no taboos.

In this case, if the foreigners brought such a huge ship over, it is conceivable that the Chinese navy would have no power to resist.

As for the character of foreigners, everyone in the Dayu Dynasty knew it.

When they hold such a sharp weapon, their attitude towards the Great Yu Dynasty will certainly become more harsh, and their oppression of the Great Yu Dynasty will certainly become more unscrupulous. In the court, from the Queen Mother to the old Saint Mother, the officials cannot bear the hardship, so the people of the Great Yu Dynasty will suffer again.

Xing Tianli felt the extremely heavy and depressed mood of the crowd.

On the north side of the Yangtze River, in the concession area, near and far, along the twenty-mile-long river bank, hundreds of thousands of Eastern people were completely silent. The muskets stopped firing, the tiger-jutting cannons stopped firing, and the gongs, drums, and horns all stopped.

Some people even wiped the corners of their eyes with a handkerchief and left quietly with red eyes.

Gradually, more and more people from the East Country scattered. When these huge ships stopped at the berths one after another and the Yingji sailors on the ships shouted slogans and disembarked in orderly steps, more than 90% of the people from the East Country who came to participate in the Dragon Boat Festival and watch the dragon boat race on the shore, whether in the south or north of the river, had already dispersed.

Only some heartless gang members, some low-class scoundrels, hooligans, and scoundrels gathered together laughing and gesticulating towards these huge ships, calculating that if these new battleships fired a single shot, hundreds or thousands of the officers and soldiers who usually showed off their might would be killed.

There was even a very lousy pimp who approached the English sailors who had just landed and asked them in fluent English with a smile: "Dear gentlemen, you have come from afar and must have had a hard time. The wind and waves on the sea must have been tough, right? I believe you need one or more warm embraces to warm your weathered and tired hearts."

"You want a woman?"

“All ages.”

“All skin colors.”

“We have products at all price ranges.”

"The women of Dongyun are petite and gentle... the women of Saint Ross are tall and strong... the women of Saint Norman have a very ancient aristocratic style... the women of Farus understand romance the best... Well, maybe you can try the barbaric style of the cannibal tribe from Black Borneo? It's also quite interesting!"

Xing Tianli's eyes were grim as he swept over these boring, useless and incompetent scum. He snorted coldly and looked at the magnificent building in front of him that had already been mostly built.

This is the former site of the International Court of Justice in the original concession. Before, there was a great chaos in the International Concession and the entire concession was almost razed to the ground.

After the countries in the concessions dispatched their military forces and, with the cooperation of the Dayu Dynasty, eliminated all the minotaurs and took back the concessions, they extorted and forced the Dayu Dynasty to cede more land. The territory of the International Concession increased several times again.

The original International Court occupied only a dozen acres.

The newly planned International Court covers an area of ​​more than 300 acres, and the buildings of all sizes constructed on it are extremely grand and luxurious in design. After all, the one who pays for it is Princess Yihe, the number one sucker in the Dayu Dynasty, so of course they can waste the money however they can.

I won’t say much else.

Take the main building of the new Court of Nations for example. On the left and right, there are two pieces of top-quality marble, one ten feet long, three feet wide, and two feet high. A large group of top carving craftsmen are surrounding the two huge stones and hammering them. The two huge stones have been polished into a prototype, and vaguely you can see two majestic and domineering sphinxes!
In the myths and legends of the hundred countries in the Far West, Sphinxes have the extraordinary ability to see into people's hearts and distinguish between loyalty and treachery. In the hundred countries in the Far West, they are the defenders of justice and the patron saints of fairness and justice!
In the hundreds of countries in the Far West, there are two sphinxes standing in front of the courts of all countries!
Xing Tianli kept smacking his lips. These two boulders were so huge and heavy. He really didn't know how these ordinary craftsmen transported them here, and how much mining and transportation fees they spent. Apart from those expenses, did the craftsmen of the East Country sacrifice their lives in the process of transporting such huge boulders?
Shaking his head slightly, Xing Tianli strode towards the east side of the construction site, where there was a row of two-story buildings built with blue bricks and logs. They had no decoration on the outside and looked extremely simple.

The main building of the International Court of Justice is still under reconstruction. All the judges and staff of the International Court of Justice are crowded in this row of small buildings to handle relevant judicial affairs.

Xing Tianli brought a large group of people to the door of the small building. The Chief Justice of the International Concession, Fisherman from the Kingdom of Saint-Norman, as well as the Consul General of England, Joe Peter, and the Consul General of Saint-Norman, Greenman, were all waiting here with smiles on their faces.

The weight of Xingtian Carp today is completely different from that in the past.

Before, Xing Tianli was just a newcomer to Pinghai City. With a little luck, he got a nominal position by connecting with the British Consulate General. To put it bluntly, in the minds of these foreign masters, Xing Tianli at that time was just an Eastern lackey who would work hard for them and let them do whatever they wanted with just a piece of meat and bone.

There are millions or even tens of millions of such lackeys in the East Country!

The national conditions in the East are like this. All the dignitaries in the court have the same face. There are many scums in the people who are born without backbone and with soft knees, and they all want to cling to the thighs of foreign masters.

At that time, whether it was Peter Joe or Greenman, all they had to do was give Xing Tianli a smile, which was the greatest courtesy and politeness they could show.

But today.

Xing Tianli controls Black Borneo, and he has become the "God" in the hearts of countless indigenous tribes in Black Borneo!
Xing Tianli controls the southern islands of the Dongyun Island Federation. The total number of indigenous warriors and Dongyun cannon fodder under his command exceeds 20 million... As long as Xing Tianli is willing, he can recruit hundreds of millions of cannon fodder from the southern islands at any time!

Xing Tianli even displayed his terrifying personal strength.

"Respected Lord Xing Tianli, Lord Augustus has been recalled to his homeland to report on his work. He told us that he would apply for an imperial title for you that matches your current status in front of the Queen." Joe Peter looked at Xing Tianli with red eyes, and took the initiative to salute Xing Tianli before Xing Tianli.

He did not hide his jealousy at all, and said seriously: "A viscount? Even, the title of earl. The power you control now, the terrifying strength you possess, are worthy of everything the empire is about to give you!"

Xing Tianli smiled.

Greenman also rushed forward and saluted solemnly to Xing Tianli: "Respected Mr. Xing Tian, ​​as Joe Peter said, Mr. Di Si has also been recalled. Mr. Di Si entrusted me to tell you that he will also apply for a title for you in the Kingdom of Saint Norman that matches your status."

"Even within the Holy Mother Church, His Excellency Disi will apply for a teaching position for you that matches your current one."

"The parish bishop of a diocese? Even a cardinal? Of course, both are possible." Greenman smiled brightly.

Xing Tianli gently pulled his sleeves and said calmly: "Oh? Titles from two countries? Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"

Qiao Peter smiled brilliantly: "Of course there is no problem. In the history of the Western Continent, the most outstanding epic figures never had titles from only one country. For example, Charlemagne I in our country's history had titles from two empires, seven kingdoms, and twenty-three duchies at the same time."

Qiao Peter shrugged his shoulders: "The greater the ability, the greater the glory!" Xing Tianli smiled and nodded, and said very impolitely: "Then, I won't be polite. Well, I have some local specialties from Black Borneo and Dongyun Island. I have sent them to your residences. They are just some worthless gold nuggets and gemstone ore, some metal lumps and stone lumps, which are not worth much. Please don't be polite."

Joe Peter and Greenman groaned at the same time, looked at each other, and smiled even more.

Gold nugget?
Gemstone ore?

Haha, of course, of course, it's not worth much. After all, strictly speaking, it's just some 'ordinary' 'ore'. Is ore valuable?
With their identities, they can definitely be called "naturalists" or "mineral experts". They collect some "ore samples" for "scientific research". Even those cold-faced executioners of the Imperial Supervision Department can say anything? Isn't it just some ores?

Xing Tianli extended his hand to Chief Justice Fisherman, who was standing behind the two men. His long hair was like instant noodle curls and his face was ruddy and kind. He said, "Mr. Fisherman, nice to meet you. I heard that you are the person who knows the law best in the International Concession. Then, you are the person who knows 'fairness' and 'justice' best in the International Concession."

Fishman also smiled brightly.

That's right. He was the person who knew the law best in the International Concession. There was no doubt about that. He knew all the legal provisions of the hundreds of countries in the Far West by heart, whether they were the common codes of various countries, the kingdom laws promulgated by each country, even the territorial laws issued by the noble dominions of various countries, and even the special laws of various countries against overseas colonies.

He knew the contents of all the codes and laws and was aware of all the loopholes that could be exploited.

He was certainly the person who knew the law best in the International Concession.

But is he the person who understands "fairness" and "justice" best in the International Concession?

What is the definition of 'fairness' and 'justice'?

Fisherman's decades of life have taught him that in many cases, "fairness" looks exactly like various guns and cannons; and "justice" is such a noble and lofty object that it is naturally "covered with golden light" and, at first glance, looks exactly like "gold coins"!

Xing Tianli now has tens of millions of warriors and cannon fodder under his command. He occupies Black Borneo and the southern islands of Dongyun. One can imagine the financial resources he has accumulated - naturally, he is the essence of "fairness" and "justice", there is no doubt about this.

"The authority bestowed upon me by the Most Merciful Virgin Mary is to safeguard the 'fairness' and 'justice' of the world." Fisherman looked at Xing Tianli seriously: "For the sake of 'fairness' and 'justice', I and my colleagues can face any enemy."

"Even a huge and corrupt dynasty?" Xing Tianli asked him with a smile.

"Even a huge and corrupt dynasty!" Fisherman smiled brightly.

'The huge and corrupt dynasty'?
Oh, if it was the Kingdom of Yingjishi or the Kingdom of Saint Norman, Fisherman would have to be crazy to fight against such a behemoth. But since this "huge and corrupt dynasty" refers to the Dayu Dynasty, then why not?
Xing Tianli spoke very straightforwardly: "For your justice, a ton of gold nuggets will be sent to your residence later. Then I will definitely be able to get the most fair treatment in the Court of Nations, right?"

Fisherman's body swayed and his old face suddenly turned red.

Joe Peter and Greenman both made a 'quack' sound in their throats, like a duck being slaughtered, and almost fainted.

Bastard, how much land did Xing Tianli plunder from those poor natives in Black Borneo?

Can gold nuggets be weighed in tons?

A ton of gold nuggets, God bless you.

One ton of gold is really not that much. Converted into gold, it is just over 30,000 taels of gold and hundreds of thousands of taels of silver...

But, a ton of nuggets!

Bastard, Xing Tianli, you are breaking the rules. Even if it is a bribe, who would directly give a ton of gold? Even if it is a low-purity nugget, but because it is a natural nugget, this thing, this thing, is more than several times more valuable than pure gold?
A ton of gold nuggets!

You are price gouging, you adorable little bastard, you are price gouging!
From now on, how can you let the merchants and officials of various countries in the International Concession bribe them? What a cute, hateful, but unbearable little bastard!
So cute!

"Of course." Fisherman exhaled and hurriedly took Xing Tianli's hand: "Well, please come this way. Our office space is a bit shabby, but praise the Virgin Mary, these hardworking and lovely Eastern craftsmen, they work very hard and are very dedicated. By this time next year, our new building will be ready for use."

"Now, please, respectfully, Mr. Xing Tianli, state your request."

"The Court of Nations will do its utmost to uphold the dignity of the law and protect the 'fairness' and 'justice' of the world... Your Excellencies the two Consuls General, what do you think?"

Peter Joe and Greenman looked at Fisherman with red eyes, "Damn it, one ton of nugget gold? One ton... I don't know how much nugget gold Xing Tianli sent to his official residence. Well, even if it's not as much as that black-hearted old ghost Fisherman, you should at least send five or six hundred kilograms, right?

Qiao Peter coughed lightly and said, "All the forces of the Kingdom of Yingji in the East will do their utmost to protect the rights and interests of His Excellency Xing Tian, ​​at any cost, no matter who the enemy is!"

Greenman said solemnly: "The same is true for the Kingdom of Saint Norman."

On the south bank of the river, the former site of Pinghai City.

All the craftsmen who could be hired in Jieshi County and even in Jiangdong Province went to work in the International Concession, working day and night to rebuild the Concession for the foreign masters.

Pinghai City was also completely razed to the ground during last year's war. The huge ruins of the city are now covered with simple shacks. In the entire city, only the original county government office and Jieshi County Government have been rebuilt, and the supporting government offices of all sizes have also been built neatly.

The national conditions of the Dayu Dynasty were like this. No matter how hard the life was, the common people could suffer a little. They could still live in shacks.

However, there could be no ambiguity about the government offices and official residences where officials worked - at the beginning of this spring, the Pinghai County Government Office and the Jieshi County Government had been rebuilt, and the officials from various government offices had already moved in to work.

Even near the government offices and official residences, seven of Pinghai City's time-honored high-end restaurants and twelve of Pinghai City's best time-honored brothels had already been built. Their specifications and scales were several times larger than those of the original old stores.

Green willows form shades and flowers are everywhere.

In the Jieshi County Inn, which is decorated with carvings of dragons and paintings of phoenixes and overflowing with gold and colors, and in a spacious and luxurious courtyard with exquisite furnishings, several pretty women in blue clothes are singing the romantic and charming Jiangnan style in a "yayaya" voice.

Dozens of maids came and went like butterflies flying among flowers. Wine, snacks, and even the finest dark night fragrance were delivered in a constant stream. Various hot towels or ice towels, various spittoons and clean basins were constantly brought up and taken away.

Jin Santan ate a piece of iced fruit, wiped his hands with a hot towel, drank a glass of realgar wine, exhaled heavily, took another ice towel and applied it hard on his face.

When the ice towel was warmed by the temperature of his face, and even wisps of hot air continued to rise, Jin Santan took off the towel and threw it on the tray in the hands of the maid beside him: "Everyone, discuss, discuss. Where did the fleet come from? How can it be so huge? What is its effectiveness? What do the Yingji people want to do?"

No one said anything on the side.

Many senior officials had cold sweat on their foreheads.

There are more than 300 large ironclad ships, including auxiliary ships, whose tonnage is much larger than the main battleships of various countries.

According to the standards of the navies of the hundred great powers in the Far West in the past, this would mean more than 300 battleships... More than 300 ships, enough to blockade the entire maritime borders of the Dayu Dynasty.

What do the British want to do with such a huge fleet?

Are they going to repeat the invasion war of thirty years ago, invade the Dayu Dynasty once again, and attack the capital Fentian City?
(End of this chapter)