Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

While the two were talking, there was a sudden noise outside.

"Waiter, you're such an unreasonable person! I've dined at your restaurant over a hundred times in the past two years, and I've never once given you less money for drinks. Even if it's a tip I gave you, it's not enough to cover a meal. I'm just short on cash, so I'm giving you two days' credit. Do you have to be so mean to me? It's outrageous!"

"Hey, Master Xue, I can't make the decision on this. If you have money, come in and eat. If you don't have money, find another place. You come here to eat, whether it's cloudy or rainy, don't you know if you have enough money? If you don't have money, I won't let you leave today no matter what!"

The noise outside was getting louder and louder. Guo Songtao frowned, opened the door and looked outside. Liu Ye also came over.

Guo Songtao took a look, was startled, and murmured: "It's him..."

Liu Ye took a look and asked, "Brother Bochen, do you know the person outside?"

Guo Songtao whispered, "Well, I've met him a few times. He's young, but incredibly talented. Last year in the capital, he wrote two essays titled 'On the Imperial Examinations,' exposing the various flaws of the system and calling for changes to boost literary standards, morale, and the selection of talented individuals. The articles caused a huge uproar in the court and the country..."

Liu Ye asked, "Oh? Is there such a thing? What's his name?"

"Xue Fucheng, Xue Fucheng from Jiangsu, is a well-known and talented scholar in the Jiangnan area. However, he failed the imperial examination last year. What a pity!"

"Xue Fucheng!"

Liu Ye was struck by a thunderbolt. Xue Fucheng was a first-rate political figure during the late Qing Dynasty's Westernization Movement and a pioneer of bourgeois reform! Like Guo Songtao, he was the person who had the deepest understanding of Westernization in the late Qing Dynasty!

Liu Ye didn't have time to think about it. He whispered a few words in Guo Songtao's ear and retreated.

Guo Songtao nodded and shouted, "Shuyun!"

Xue Fucheng heard someone calling him and turned around to see Guo Songtao approaching. He quickly bowed and said, "Student Xue Fucheng greets Master Guo!"

Guo Songtao waved his hand and said, "Alright, Shuyun, why are you being so polite to me? Why are you here? What happened?"

Xue Fucheng looked a little embarrassed and quickly replied, "Master Guo, I have been living in the capital for over a year since taking the imperial examination. My money is almost gone. There is an ongoing war in the south, and it is difficult to get news. I came to the restaurant to have a meal with my friends, but I don't have enough money..."

Guo Songtao nodded and asked, "Waiter, how much silver do they need?"

Seeing that the visitor was wearing a hat, the waiter did not dare to neglect him and replied, "Sir, a total of ten taels of silver..."

Guo Songtao took out a silver ingot and stuffed it into the waiter's hand, shouting, "This is ten taels of Kuping silver, which is more than enough. Get out of here now! You are so arrogant!"

The waiter thanked him repeatedly and retreated.

Xue Fucheng blushed slightly and whispered, "Master Guo, thank you..."

Guo Songtao waved his hand and replied, "We are all from Hunan and Xiangxi, so we should help you with this. Come with me, today I will introduce you to an outstanding person!"

Without waiting for Xue Fucheng to answer, he dragged Xue Fucheng into his room.

Xue Fucheng had just entered the house and said, "Sir, I have a few friends there. This..."

Guo Songtao smiled and said, "Well, Shuyun, today I'll show you a true hero. Those friends of yours are nothing to you! Come, let me introduce them to you!"

Guo Songtao pointed at Liu Ye with his right hand and said with a smile, "Shuyun, this is the world-renowned Liu Ye, Lord Liu. Brother Liu, this is the Master Xue Fucheng I mentioned to you!"

Liu Ye stood up, took two steps forward, bowed slightly and said, "I have long heard of your great name, sir. Liu Ye is here to greet you..."

Xue Fucheng's face flushed crimson, his head a little confused, and he stammered, "Master Guo, who are you talking about? Liu Ye? The flying general who terrified the foreigners?"

Guo Songtao smiled and nodded.

Xue Fucheng jumped up immediately, bowed to the ground, and shouted, "General Liu, you are embarrassing me. I dare not accept your courtesy. I greet you!"

Xue Fucheng never dreamed that Guo Songtao would actually introduce him to Liu Ye, the most popular general at the moment, a famous general who even surpassed Zeng Guofan!

Liu Ye smiled and said, "Alright, Brother Shuyun, there are no generals or lords here. We are all friends. You and I are of similar age, so we should be friends as peers."

Guo Songtao smiled and said, "Alright, both of you, please stop being so modest. You are both top-notch rising stars in the Qing Dynasty. Although Shuyun has not yet achieved fame, he has a bright future ahead of him."

The three of them sat down and continued chatting.

Xue Fucheng asked, "You two, what a coincidence today is! It must be a blessing from heaven. I am truly fortunate to be able to meet you two."

Guo Songtao smiled and said, "Shuyun, I was chatting with General Liu about current affairs and foreign affairs. General Liu asked me who among the current officials was an up-and-coming figure proficient in foreign affairs. I just mentioned you to General Liu. I didn't expect to meet you. It's true that if you mention Cao Cao, Cao Cao will appear!"

Actually, where did Guo Songtao talk to Liu Ye about this? It was just that Liu Ye had just told him that he must get to know Xue Fucheng, so he spoke like this to praise the two of them so that they could communicate more conveniently.

Liu Ye smiled and said, "Yes, Brother Shuyun, last year your essay 'On the Imperial Examinations' caused a sensation throughout the court and the country. Although I'm just a warrior, I've heard it so many times that my ears are almost callused. It's a great honor to meet you today."

Xue Fucheng's face darkened, and he said helplessly: "General Liu, Lord Guo, although the article is good, it needs to be appreciated by others. Selling the goods to the emperor's house, but the emperor doesn't like it..."

Liu Ye and Guo Songtao exchanged a glance, and Guo Songtao replied, "Shuyun, you're not only 24 today, are you? You're still very young. The next imperial examination is only three years away, right? With your talent, even if you can't claim first place, you should have no problem getting a Jinshi degree. In three years, you'll only be 27, the prime of your life!"

Xue Fucheng smiled bitterly and said, "That's what I said, but who wouldn't feel sad after failing the exam?"

Liu Ye smiled and said, "Brother Shuyun, I've heard of your talent, but if you place so much importance on the imperial examination, then wouldn't your 'On the Imperial Examination' have been written in vain? Weren't the drawbacks of the imperial examination theory the fault of scholars everywhere? Gong Zizhen once wrote a beautiful poem: 'I urge the heavens to shake themselves up and bring down talents regardless of their background.' If all scholars were forced to compete for the single-plank path of the imperial examination, how could they achieve such a goal?"