The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

After stripping naked, Shen Lian and the other two wrapped themselves in bath towels and walked inside with a wooden sign in their hands.

Lifting the curtain, a wave of heat rushed in. The air smelled of soap and human skin. Wow! A sea of ​​white stretched before my eyes—a hundred or so naked men were scrubbing themselves on the tables. In the rest area to the side, some were playing cards, drinking, and playing chess.

In the distance were three steaming pools, teeming with people. Even from a great distance, Shen Lian could see a layer of black foam floating on the surface of the water.

Soaking like this? Shen Lian felt a wave of unease. He had never experienced anything like this in either of his lives.

"Brother-in-law, what are you looking at? Over here!" Nie Shuping took a few steps and, seeing that Shen Lian hadn't followed, turned around and called out.

Shen Lian quickly followed, and the three of them walked through a partition. This area was different from the outside; besides having the same three pools, there were also some small cubicles. There were far fewer people here, so it seemed to be the so-called VIP area.

The water in the pool is much cleaner now. Although you can still see some dirt, at least it doesn't have a layer of black foam floating on top like in the pools outside.

Shen Lian and Nie Shuping went down into the pool, and soon someone brought over a tea tray with cigarettes for the two of them on it.

Tan Ya attentively lit cigarettes for the two of them. "Tan Ya, you don't need to serve me, go make your own," Shen Lian waved his hand.

"Brother-in-law, your cigarettes are really good! I can't live without them now, you have no idea how envious everyone is of them. Hehe!" Nie Shuping said with satisfaction after taking a puff of his cigarette.

"Then, Third Brother, how much do you think I should sell a box of these cigarettes for?" Shen Lian smiled slightly. This was the most lucrative industry, and few men could resist it.

"Let me put it this way! These few boxes I have, if I were willing to sell them, I could easily sell them for tens of taels each. If your quantity isn't particularly large, I think selling them for ten taels is perfectly fine."

Shen Lian nodded; it was about what he had estimated. He had always intended this kind of cigarette for a high-end market, and he relied entirely on bringing it back from the mainland, so the quantity was definitely not going to be large.

"What about this kind of lighter?"

"That's a different story! It can cost hundreds or even tens of taels. If you add gilding or inlays, the price is entirely up to you!"

Shen Lian understood. With these two industries, supporting an army was more than enough. If he also had a territory and some time to develop, overthrowing the Qing Dynasty and defeating the foreign powers wouldn't be difficult at all.

Unfortunately, everything requires territory, and he can't rush that now. Hopefully, he can successfully take over Taiwu Lindao! Otherwise, just having a guerrilla force in Linqing is too much of a constraint.

In an inconspicuous alley near Taiping Bridge, Nie Shuping and Shen Lian got out of the car in front of a house. Tan Ya went up and knocked on the door.

Soon a door opened; "Who are you, and what brings you here?"

"Please inform Eunuch Zhang that the third son of the Nie family has come to pay his respects." Nie Shuping casually slipped a piece of silver into his hand.

The doorman weighed the silver in his hand, estimating it to be about ten taels, and a smile appeared on his face. "The third young master of Governor Nie's family?"

Nie Shuping nodded!

"Wait a moment, I'll go inform the eunuch!" The doorman slammed the door shut and went inside. He came out a short while later.

"Young Master Zhang, please come in!"

Shen Lian and Nie Shuping exchanged a glance. The information they had gathered at Xinyuan Bathhouse yesterday was correct; Xiao De Zhang was indeed home today.

This is just an ordinary three-courtyard house, looking much like any other house. The decoration isn't luxurious either, suggesting that Li Lianying was rather low-key.

At this moment, a young eunuch was lying on a recliner in the courtyard, with two junior eunuchs standing beside him serving him.

"Nie San'er greets Eunuch Zhang!" Shen Lian followed Nie Shuping and quickly stepped forward.

"Ah! Third Master Nie! What a rare guest! What brings you to our residence today? Please, have a seat!" The eunuch in the chair sat up and greeted him with a smile.

"Hi! I've always wanted to get closer to my father-in-law, but he's always so busy, I don't dare to bother him when I have nothing to do!" Nie Shuping chuckled.

"Third Master Nie is quite famous in the capital, and he associates with princes and nobles. I'm afraid he wouldn't want to deal with people like us, would he?" Xiao De Zhang said with a crooked mouth and a sneer.

"Father-in-law, you're joking! I'm just a good-for-nothing who lives a life of idleness and waiting to die. Any fame I have is just a bad one. Hahaha."

After a few perfunctory pleasantries, Nie Shuping steered the conversation to the main topic.

"Here's the matter! My brother-in-law has just returned from America and is eager to serve the court. He recently donated money to become a Daotai (a high-ranking official). He wants to visit Chief Eunuch Li and receive his guidance. I hope Eunuch Zhang can convey my message."

"This is a difficult matter! You don't know, the Empress Dowager hates it when people in the palace associate with officials from outside the palace. My godfather is in a tough spot too!" Xiao Dezhang said, fiddling with the prayer beads in his hand and glancing at Shen Lian.

“It’s not easy for my brother-in-law to come to the capital, so please ask my father-in-law to inform him. Here’s some silver; please take it and have a cup of tea.” Nie Shuping then took a stack of silver notes from Tan Ya and handed them over.

The young eunuch beside him reached out and took the note. Xiao De Zhang glanced at it and saw that each note was worth one hundred taels, so it looked like there were several hundred taels in total. His expression immediately relaxed.

"Here are a few beads, which my brother-in-law brought back from abroad. Please give them to Steward Li as a token of our appreciation." Nie Shuping then handed over an exquisite box.

“These are cigarettes made from tobacco that my brother-in-law brought back from abroad. Everyone thinks they’re very good. Father-in-law, take them and have a taste with Steward Li!” Nie Shuping presented five more packs of cigarettes.

"Oh! Third Master Nie, you're too kind! This cigarette is a rare find. I heard that foreigners smoke this in the palace, but this is the first time I've ever seen it!" Xiao Dezhang said with a big smile, clearly a smoker himself.

"Oh! Really! Then we really made the right choice. Here, let me light one for you to try." Nie Shuping said, taking one out of her cigarette case and handing it to Xiao Dezhang, then lighting it for him.

"Mmm! It smells amazing, and it's not spicy at all!" Xiao De Zhang said with a big smile after taking a sip.

With the cigarette dart clearing the way, the rest of the conversation became much easier. Finally, Xiao Dezhang said he would inform his godfather as soon as possible, and that Shen Lian and the other man should return and await further news.

“What could a candidate for the position possibly want from his godfather? He just wants to secure a substantive post, right? Unfortunately, his godfather has always disliked meddling in court affairs, so your plans may be in vain!” Xiao Dezhang shook his head and sighed as he watched the group leave.

"Ha! This Shen Lian is quite generous!" Xiao De Zhang opened the box, his face showing greed as he looked at the twenty neatly arranged, finger-sized pearls inside. But he immediately closed the box again.

This is something he wouldn't dare embezzle!