Chapter 92 Do you buy a boat

[92] Do you buy a boat

"It's because I've done too little. It's not easy to change the mind of the court. In contrast, the flapping of a butterfly's wings on a small island in South America is much more likely to roll up a natural storm in the Pacific Ocean. Compared with human society, nature is easier to change..."

The next day.

Jinan City Shandong Governor's Aman.

Yao Fan finally met Li Hongzhang.

52-year-old Lao Li is well maintained, his face is white and his beard is clean, and his temperament is calm. He wore a navy blue thin satin coat covering the fat blue-gray satin robe and stepped on a pair of black-faced white thick-soled official boots under his feet. He was tall and burly, with his fat belly against his clothes, which was slightly prominent. His face is completely opposite to his stomach, his nose is straight, he looks thin and cultivated, with a faint smile on his face, and he looks like an active and joking expression.

Yao Fan saw Li Hongzhang standing in the yard and admiring the newly opened ** in the courtyard. He didn't know if he should go up to greet him.

"Is Yao Fan here?" It turned out that 'Li Daqi' had already noticed Yao Fan, who was taller than him, and began to look at him.

Li Hongzhang looked at Yao Fan. The man in front of him had a young vitality since he walked in. His skin was exposed to a healthy wheat color by the sun, and his handsome face was rosy and white. His facial features were strong and distinct, like a marble statue carved with the most exquisite chis, with an amazing Beauty, especially those ambitious eyes, are shrouded in a soft layer of fog, which makes people feel deep and quiet.

Li Hongzhang thought that if these eyes began to shine and change to the soft fog, their eyes must be hot and full.

"Yao Fan, the younger generation, has met Lord Li." Yao Fan strode to the ground with a deep bow.

When Li Hongzhang saw that Yao Fan did not kneel, he couldn't help smiling jokingly at the corners of his mouth.

"Yao Fan, aren't you afraid of me?"

"Mencius Yun" said that if you are an adult, you will despise him and don't look at him as scorpious.' Why should I be afraid of the emperor when he taught the gentlemen of the world like this? If you see an adult, 'the color will become trembling and you dare not look at it.' This is Qin Wuyang. There must be a ghost in his heart. Adults must beware. Yao Fan said, and got up and looked at Li Hongzhang gently.

"Okay, okay, what a young talent, Ding Baozhen is a good man. Yao Fan, I heard that your family has a factory overseas, and all kinds of Western machines can be purchased. Now that the Qing Dynasty is full of self-improvement, you can show your skills and don't live up to the love of Lord Ding.

"Although our Yao family is alone overseas, we do not dare to forget our original work. As long as we contribute to the country, even if it is the drawings of the armored cruiser that the British are building on the platform, our Yao family will risk our lives to get it for adults!" Yao Fan carefully guided the conversation and tried his best to go in a direction that was beneficial to him.

"Oh?" Li Hongzhang could hardly believe Yao Fan's wild words.

The warship drawings of a country are confidential. Not to mention foreigners, they are non-related confidential participants in the country. It is impossible to take a look at them, but this young man actually said he could get it. However, Li Hongzhang contacted Yao's collection that he had read before. The books are all complete and colorful pictures, which tell the history of the European powers thoroughly. It can be seen that the power of the Yao family in Europe is simply unimaginably huge.

"Come in and talk." Li Hongzhang nodded and took Yao Fan into the back hall of the governor's government and gave him a seat to watch tea.

"Tell me, how can you get the warship drawings of the military heavy weapons?" Li Hongzhang has been lifted up by Yao Fan's bait and can't let go.

Yao Fan took out a folded color picture from his sleeve bag and stepped forward and said with both hands, "Your Excellency, please see, this is the three-view paper of the armored cruiser Shannon, which started construction in August 1873. The ship is scheduled to enter service in September 1877."

Li Hongzhang took over this drawing reprinted by Yao Fan according to the ship collection album of later generations, and was stunned at a glance.

"Adult, this Shannon has a displacement of 5670 tons, 79 meters long, 16.5 meters wide, 6.8 meters of water, 3370 horsepower and 12 knots. It carries 900 tons of coal, and the thickness of the waterline armor belt varies from 15 cm to 22 cm from both sides to the middle. The main gun is installed in the turret under the deck, plus one in the front and back, and the inside of the turret is evenly placed along the side. There are 4 254mm front-loaded 15x-loaded guns, 6 228mm 14-mm front-loaded guns and 6 20-pound guns. Plus a 254mm gun in the bow and a 228mm gun in the stern. Yao Fan briefly introduced the steam sail ironclad ship of the British Empire, which was stimulated by the armored cruiser Admiral # of the Russian Navy.

Li Hongzhang saw that the copperplate paper illustrations in his hand were extremely exquisite, the printing was luxurious, and there was no roughness in the hull drawing, and he had already believed it in his heart.

"Yao Fan, how did you get this drawing?"

"My family has shares in many shipyards in Europe, so I can participate in the operation of shipyards, so I know many shipbuilding engineers, some of whom are easy to gamble, some are easy to prostitute, and even some are easy to suck*. Once a person owes money, he will naturally sell everything." Yao Fan laughed.

Li Hongzhang can't distinguish the authenticity of the drawings and Yao Fan's words, but he is already very confident.

"Yao Fan, I have read all the books you gave me and scriptures. Your Yao family is indeed the first person to see the world in the Qing Dynasty. Especially your father, it is not an exaggeration to say that he has learned all over the world. If he is willing to come back to the Qing Dynasty, he can choose one of these foreign affairs I do at will.

"Thank you for your love. My father is old. Every year, he travels to European countries, visits friends, landscapes, and recuperate. He has never cares about all kinds of family affairs. What's more, he will definitely refuse to do with such a complicated state affairs."

"Well, your father is really an elegant and refined man. Yao Fan, would you like to join my house as a staff member? Li Hongzhang suddenly opened his mouth and directly opened his face to solicit, completely ignoring Yao Fan, who seemed to belong to Ding Baozhen.

"Your Excellency, the younger generation has been taught since childhood, 'Money is not omnipotent, and it is impossible to leave money'. Family members often say that making money is the foundation of settling down, and power is the root of causing trouble. The younger generation is stupid and dares not get involved in officialdom. Yao Fan has already figured out the pretext.

Li Hongzhang was slightly disappointed. He didn't expect that the boy in front of him was actually a big money fan, no! It should be said that this boy's family is a fan of money. However, Li Hongzhang thinks it's okay. He knows that anything that can be bought with money is not a problem!

"Your Yao family is willing to work for the country. In terms of money, the Qing Dynasty will not treat you badly." Li Hongzhang simply promised.

Yao Fan couldn't help saying, "Thank you, my lord, for taking care of it!" My Yao family must be loyal and live up to the high expectations of adults! At present, my overseas shipyard is manufacturing new ships, all of which are iron-clad steam tugboats. The younger generation persuaded the elders of the family to secretly transport the ship and sell it to me to the Qing Dynasty.

Yao Fan knew that in 1876, Li Hongzhang's Ship Merchants Bureau merged the American Qichang Steamship Company and spent 2.22 million taels of silver to buy 16 old ships of Qichang Steamship Company, which guaranteed the capacity of the Steamship Merchants Bureau.

"What kind of ship?" Li Hongzhang is short of ships at the moment. When he heard that there were new overseas ships to sell to him, he naturally pricked up his ears.

Yao Fan then talked about the steam tug data he ordered.

"The tug can push and pull to guide the sea ship to reach the shore safely at the port, and can also pull three or five barges to travel in the inland river. It is really the best water transportation tool. If you want it, I will ask my family to build it and send it!"

"Of course I would like to, but I haven't seen the ship, so it's not easy to price." Li Hongzhang is a little uncertain.

"The price is easy to say, as long as there is no credit, it doesn't matter. We are afraid that the book liquidity will be squeezed out. As long as we can pay in full, it is no problem for us to make less. What's more, this is also a good thing to serve the country. I, Yao Fan, am willing to take some risks. When the ship is built, I will only ask my family to bring the ship. If the adults don't like it, I will find another family to take action. Nowadays, governments and foreign banks around the world are waiting for new ships, and the platforms of European shipyards are also covered with the keel of private ships, which is in short supply.

Yao Fan responded calmly. After all, this is the case. With the rising trade volume of various countries these days, the shipbuilding business is extremely hot, completely in the seller's market.

"The heavy rain fell on Qilu, the white waves were surging, and fishing boats were fighting outside Jiaozhou Bay.

A vast ocean is missing. Who do you know?

For thousands of years in the past, Wei Wu waved his whip, and there was a legacy in Jieshi in the east.

The bleak autumn wind has changed the world again.

As Li Hongzhang slowly recited this song adapted from Taizu's Langtaosha, Yao Fan couldn't help sweating.

"This is what Sun Maowen and I made when they were drinking. How did Lao Li know? Ah! Sun Maowen copied it with a pen at that time! But how did it flow into Lao Li's hands?" Yao Fan thought in a cold sweat.

"I didn't expect that the author of this poem did not want to be an official. I thought that when you come back to your hometown, you must be planning to stand out in your career, and I am willing to help you. In this case, you can make good money. Li Hongzhang said lightly.

Yao Fan said, "It's not that I don't want to be an official. It's really that my family's business is too complicated to be taken care of. Please forgive me.

Besides, today's Qing Dynasty is peaceful and prosperous, and there is no need for me to put aside such a large family business to fight for it. The real good time to become an official was when Lord Zeng, Lord Zuo, Lord Li, was able to show your talent and get the reputation of the emperor at that time. You really envied the world's scholars. Today's peaceful days are only suitable for making money from business and being a rich man.

Yao Fan deliberately said some sas and vulgar words, trying to make Li Hongzhang not doubt himself.

Li Hongzhang really laughed after hearing this, and did not blame Yao Fan's sour words. He smiled and said, "People have their own aspirations. Since you like silver, you can make good money. Just remember two things."

Yao Fan asked hurriedly, "Which two?" Please teach the younger generation!"

"One must remember that when making money, you take care of the needs of the country. As long as it can benefit the country, you can not only make a lot of money, but also make peace of mind.

The second is to remember that those who are suspicious must be inseparable from a proud word. Even if they are talented and smart, they should also deal with things plainly.

Yao Fan immediately stood up and bowed deeply, "Lord Xie's guidance, you must remember it and never forget it."