"Mr. Charlie, Mr. Carl, His Majesty requests your presence."
The reason why the servants who came over addressed him as "Sir" was because of the private training he received from Yinzhen.
Charlie and Carl were both puzzled. Why did the Emperor want them to go there for no reason? Could it be some kind of conspiracy?
However, when you're under someone's roof, you have to bow your head. Since the Qing emperor "invited" them over, they naturally had no right to refuse.
Carl, being somewhat shrewd, smiled and said, "Please wait a moment, we need to change our clothes."
The messenger who came to deliver the message looked at the two men's clothing and concluded that it was indeed inappropriate for them to meet the emperor.
"Then you two gentlemen should hurry, the Emperor is waiting!"
Carl led Charlie to their usual sleeping spot.
The two started talking as they looked for clothes.
Carl: "Charlie, what do you think the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty wants from us?"
Charlie wasn't sure either, but a sudden thought struck him about that "chance encounter," and he blurted out, "The emperor of the Qing Dynasty shouldn't punish people so easily. Don't overthink it; it might be a good thing."
Carl, who was skeptical of anything that seemed too good to be true, scoffed, "How could that be?"
Charlie shook his head and said, "Nothing is impossible. Maybe they want to talk business with us!"
The two of them discussed their guesses, changed their clothes, and came out.
Charlie and Carl kept whispering about what was going on along the way.
Charlie and Carl were led to a secluded pavilion. The pavilion looked unremarkable, but once inside, it turned out to be a hidden gem. At least Charlie really liked the architectural style. Although he maintained his composure because he was going to meet the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, his shining eyes showed that he was in a very good mood.
As his best friend, Carl felt heartbroken seeing Charlie's state. He whispered a reminder: "Look at things later, focus on what's in front of you first."
Charlie's eyes finally lost their brightness.
This wasn't the first time Charlie and Carl had seen Emperor Yinzhen, but this time they saw him in private. Of course, the chance encounter Charlie had with him doesn't count, since he didn't know that was the case.
Charles and Karl bowed to their king, but Yinzhen paid no heed and said to them, "Sit down and talk."
Yinzhen spoke English. As for why he spoke it, Yinzhen believed that knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. Besides, he had the opportunity to learn when his soul was wandering.
Charlie and Carl were surprised that Yinzhen spoke in English, but their goodwill towards the emperor soared.
No one can deny the charm of language. In a foreign country, surrounded by people who speak a different language, it is still very happy to suddenly hear your mother tongue.
Charlie and Carl both sat down, and then Yinzhen looked at Charlie. This time he didn't speak English; on Qing territory, he didn't need to condescend too much.
Yinzhen spoke to Charlie in Chinese: "I have met you once, do you remember?"
Charlie also thought of that "chance encounter." Reflecting on his behavior, Charlie felt somewhat ashamed. British nobles are arrogant; they disdain to interact with those of lower status than themselves, and in their eyes, social hierarchy is absolutely strict.
Charlie knew that in the Qing Dynasty, merchants had a lower social status than farmers and workers, so he wasn't sure if the emperor felt offended by what happened last time.
Charlie: "Sorry about what happened last time..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yinzhen interrupted him: "You don't need to apologize. What happened last time wasn't a big deal, so there's no need to mention that matter."
Charlie looked at Yinzhen and saw that he had no expression. Although he didn't know how credible Yinzhen's words were, he still felt a little relieved.
Karl listened to their conversation. He understood what they meant when they were separated, but he couldn't understand them when they were put together. Could it be that Charlie and the emperor of the Qing Dynasty had some connection?
Charles, being more talkative, took the initiative to speak: "Your Majesty, is there anything you wish to discuss with us?"
As far as Karl knew, emperors were usually very busy managing the affairs of a country.
"I heard you're not planning to return to England?"
Charlie and Carl exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with shock. They had made up their minds not to return to England, but they hadn't told anyone else!
Karl: "How did His Majesty the Emperor know? We do indeed have such plans."
Carl knew that since they had been thoroughly investigated, it wouldn't be good for them to keep hiding anything.
Yinzhen: "The goods you are selling were purchased by my people. If you intend to return to England, you certainly won't have bought all the goods. As far as I know, it would be more in line with your interests to exchange them for Qing Dynasty specialties."
Charlie and Carl were relieved.
However, Charlie thought to himself that the Emperor had once said he wanted to do a deal with him, and now it had actually come to fruition.
Karl: "Once that shipment reaches His Majesty the Emperor, it will surely play a greater role."
Yinzhen chatted with them for a while before getting down to business.
"I have called you here today to discuss something with you. I have heard that Mr. Charlie is quite fond of the architecture of the Qing Dynasty. I am also very interested in the architecture of your country. The Ministry of Works of the Qing Dynasty has many talented people in the field of architecture. If Mr. Charlie is interested, why not exchange ideas with them?"
Charlie was a little confused. Did he mean it that way?
"What does His Majesty mean?"
"If Mr. Charlie is willing to remain in the Qing government, I will create a position for him. What do you think?"
Charlie found it unbelievable; what was going on?
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