Chapter 86 Officials do not compete for wealth with the people

The Hu family was discussing something. Hu Rong came in and told Hu Chuyuan that Mei Qizhao, the governor of Zhejiang, and Qu Hongji, the governor of Hangzhou, came to visit him.

This surprised Hu Chuyuan and other family members. If there is nothing urgent, it should wait until tomorrow, right? What's more, the family realized that Hu Chuyuan's position in the commercial and political circles of the south of the Yangtze River is getting stronger and stronger than Hu Xueyan. Even Mei Qizhao, the governor of Zhejiang, has to take the initiative to visit him.

Of course, Zhejiang governor Mei Qizhao and Hangzhou governor Qu Hongji are not ordinary people!!

Hu Chuyuan hurriedly got up and said goodbye to the elders in the family, and went out to meet two distinguished guests and old friends.

Some of the three of them didn't see each other. When they met, they were very happy with each other.

Seeing Hu Chuyuan, Mei Qizhao arched his hand and smiled and said, "Chu Yuan, I want to congratulate you on calming down the salt chaos. You have made great contributions to the court!"

Hu Chuyuan smiled and said, "Same joy, same joy. Two adults, would you please come to my study to chat slowly?

"Good!" Mei Qizhao and Qu Hongji agreed together.

Because the Hu family gathered in the lobby of the Baishi Building, Hu Chuyuan led the two to the lock autumn hall. Just in time, Yan Shizhang lived here and was studying in the flower hall.

He and Qu Hongji had a secret conversation in Beijing several times. At a glance, Qu Hongji's talent was not simple. Only then did he recommend it to Hu Chuyuan. For Qu Hongji, he was also a real benefactor.

As soon as they saw each other, they couldn't help sighing a few words.

For Mei Qizhao, Yan Shizhang is not an outsider.

Four people sat down in the flower hall of Suoqiu Hall. Before they could drink a cup of tea, Mei Qizhao said to Hu Chuyuan, "Chu Yuan, I heard the news that the governor said that Lord He had returned to Beijing with his family, and Shen Baozhen and Shen Shangshu recommended you to do the promotion of Fuzhou Ship Administration. This has always been to make up for the official vacancies of the third grade. If it is the news That's true. Then I want to congratulate you on your promotion!"

Qu Hongji also smiled and said, "Congratulations on the promotion of cavalry lieutenant Gaosheng. Today, the Minister of Ship Administration in Fuzhou is the concurrent Governor He, and the Governor-General also serves as the two important positions of Governor of Fujian and General of Fuzhou at the same time. He is involved in official business and has a relationship with you as a son-in-law. Isn't your ship administration the real Minister of Ship Administration? In this way, this is the power of the second grade of the imperial court. I'm so envious!"

Hu Chuyuan smiled and said, "The matter hasn't been settled yet. You two adults don't have to be in such a hurry to congratulate you."

Mei Qizhao smiled and said to him, "Chu Yuan, don't worry. As far as I know, the court can't come up with a second candidate at all. The transfer of the ship administration is a fat job, but not ordinary officials can take office. They need to be very proficient in foreign affairs. Moreover, no one can sit in this position without the nod of the governor, Lord He and Lord Shen.

Qu Hongji also said, "Zhang Baixi, my good friend from my hometown in the same year, is in charge of the Tongyuan Bureau of Fuzhou Ship Administration Office. It is also recommended by the cavalry captain, and the middle hall has been transferred. According to the news between him and me, it has been spread all over the ship's government office, and it is said that you are going to take office.

Hu Chuyuan couldn't laugh and said, "Thank you for your careful care."

He knew in his heart that it was not a good thing for him to transfer this position by Fuzhou Ship Administration. He had to spend a lot of money to make achievements in this position, to keep He Jing, and to keep his future.

In the same way, he had to be transferred and had to spend money.

It is easy to deal with the French army, but the French navy does not agree. He estimates that from this year to 1885, in a total of six years, he will have to lose at least 5 million taels of silver to prevent the Fujian navy from being defeated by the French Far East Fleet.

He also had to withdraw official funds from Jiangnan Commercial Bank to use it to buy ships and build more forts in the shipping government office. The cost should not be less than 10 million taels of silver, otherwise it would be impossible to resist the French.

Qu Hongji is a shrewd person. He is smarter than Mei Qizhao. Looking at Hu Chuyuan's expression, he also guessed in his heart - Hu Chuyuan was forced, and he was forced by Zhongtang Zuo Zongtang and He Jing. He had to go to Fuzhou Ship Administration Yamen for emergency treatment.

He immediately stopped talking about this matter, and instead said to Mei Qizhao, "Your Excellency, we still need to talk about business. The Jinhang Canal is of great importance. It's rare for Lieutenant Hu to come back. Let's try to finalize some details today!"

Mei Qizhao nodded silently, then took a map of Zhejiang, spread it on the table and drew it carefully with Hu Chuyuan, and said, "Chu Yuan, we plan to build six reservoirs on the periphery of the Jinqu Basin, which are the same as the six large canals. The large canals can basically be irrigated with more than 30 small canals and more than 100 branch canals. The whole Jin Qu Basin and Yanhang. Among other things, after the three major canals of Jinqu Canal, Yanhang Canal and Jinhang Canal have been dredged, the newly irrigated paddy fields can reach more than 4 million mu. If the project can be completed in four years, I dare not say that the agricultural tax of the four prefectures in western Zhejiang can be at least doubled, and hundreds of thousands of taels of silver can be added every year. However, the total cost is not small. I'm afraid it will cost at least six or seven million taels of silver.

Hu Chuyuan said, "Tax and investment are secondary. The key is to benefit the people. Whether such paddy fields grow rice or mulberry, the income is huge. The people's son is better, the people's sons are better, and the sons of all walks of life can be better, and the sons of Zhejiang governor's government will be better."

Mei Qizhao smiled and said, "It's true. Since Chu Yuan, don't worry about it, when will the first payment arrive?"

Hu Chuyuan thought for a moment and said, "In three days, borrow one million taels of silver to start work, but... all joints must be appointed with suitable candidates. I'm not afraid of investing money to repair the canals. I'm afraid that the officials are too greedy to use the money."

Mei Qizhao said, "That's why I'm here, Chu Yuan, can we do it as an official supervisor? I personally served as the director and asked Huo Zhifu to assist me. Is Jiangnan Commercial Bank responsible for the specific matters?

"Is that so?"

Hu Chuyuan thought for a moment and thought it was okay to do so. He said, "Ok, I will set up a Jiangnan Water Conservancy Bureau under the Jiangnan Commercial Bank to specially cooperate with the construction of water conservancy in all provinces in the south of the Yangtze River. The government office can directly entrust the project to me."

Mei Qizhao said, "That's easy to do... In addition, there is one more thing!"

Speaking of this, he gave Qu Hongji a look.

Qu Hongji immediately said, "Hu Qiwei, this matter costs a lot of money. I'm afraid that the governor of Zhejiang is... I'm sure it can't be repaid, unless the loan period is extended to ten years. I discussed with the governor in private that before the canal was repaired, I originally wanted to expropriate the fields along the canal in the name of the government. When the canal is completed and the fields are converted from sand fields to paddy fields, the land price can rise several times, and we can rely on these profits to repay the loan. It's just...!"

He didn't finish.

Mei Qizhao coughed gently, and then continued to say to Hu Chuyuan, "It's just that this official doesn't compete for wealth with the people. If I do this, I'm afraid I'll leave someone else's words. So, I think it's better to leave this matter to you. The profits you earn from it are used to offset the loans, and you pay back the profits in the name of donating to the governor's government. In this way, you get a reputation and don't lose money, and the government can have money to repair the canal.

Hu Chuyuan shivered coldly.

Please, he already has Yufeng Grain Club.

If he continues to engage in millions of mu of land in Zhejiang, will he still live?

He is indeed afraid of death, but he is also greedy for money.

After thinking about it, he actually gritted his teeth again and said, "Let's do it!"

At this time, Yan Shizhang, who has not spoken, suddenly said, "Master, we are not suitable to come forward directly. It's better to ask the fourth master to contact the rich gentry from all over Zhejiang. Let's pay together and give them a bonus."

Hu Chuyuan nodded and said, "It's true. The number of fields involved is too large. If I come out to merge alone, I will always leave words for others... In fact, I can also let Jiangnan agricultural cooperatives come forward, let the local silk heads and tea heads come out to buy land, and expand the land I bought into the cooperatives. As for the whole project money, I will half donate and half borrow.

Mei Qizhao smiled and said, "Well, let's make a deal."

Hu Chuyuan said, "It's a deal."