Chapter 137 Changes in Fuzhou and Li Hongzhang's Invitation

Hequan Jianshouding is indeed a good knife.

It was left in the house for four years, and I didn't take it out and wipe it. I pulled it out of the scabbard and saw that it was still as bright as a mirror, and Zeze was brilliant.

Unfortunately, Li Cunyi feels that this knife is good, but the weight is not enough. The single knife he uses must have enough weight to kill the momentum, but it can also be used.

This is quite an embarrassing thing.

Hu Chuyuan can see that because the knife is not as good as his opponent, Li Cunyi can't cut straight, and his power is greatly reduced.

He only had such a good knife in his hand. Li Cunyi didn't like it so much. He asked for his surname and gave Li Cunyi a thousand yuan, so that Li Cunyi could find someone to make a real good knife by himself.

As for the three generations of Hequan, it doesn't seem to be a good thing that such a knife is always left in the warehouse and no one takes care of it.

Remembering that Chen Shanyuan could be said to have a life-saving grace for himself, Hu Chuyuan gave the three generations of Hequan and Shouding to Chen Shanyuan, so that Chen Shanyuan could play slowly.

... Li Cunyi went to pack his luggage, and Hu Chuyuan sent someone to send a telegram to Rong Hong. On the one hand, he wanted to ask Rong Hong to be a matchmaker, and on the other hand, he also to talk to the Wu family. After waiting for two days, Rong Hong's call back was "a good thing, that is, to return to China".

This means it's almost done.

Hu Rong also came back from Hangzhou and brought the eldest lady Hu Peng. The eldest lady is responsible for these things. How to do it, how to propose marriage, how to set the number of gifts... There is no need for Hu Chuyuan's heart.

Hu Chuyuan then wrote a letter to Zuo Zongtang, one to talk about his marriage, and the other to ask Li Cunyi over.

After a few days, Rong Hong accompanied the eldest lady Hu Peng to the United States to propose marriage. The Wu family had known it for a long time, and there were 10,000 people who agreed. They were waiting in San Francisco. As soon as the elders of the two families met, they chose the day.

At this time, Hu Chuyuan was finally relieved, and then went to Fuzhou to take office. Halfway, he also met Mei Qizhao in Hangzhou, talked about a few things secretly, and asked Mei Qian not to rush to participate in next year's scientific examination, but to go to Nanchang Martial Arts School.

At this time, it was June 1882, when raw silk and tea were listed on a large scale. Jiangnan Commercial Bank and Jiangnan Cooperative naturally monopolized the two industries as always, especially in the expansion of tea, and the speed of this year is more obvious.

Fuzhou.

After two years of investment and establishment, Fuzhou has undergone great changes.

At the mouth of the wide Minjiang River, on the bank of Mawei, the scale of Fuzhou Ship Administration Yamen has expanded again. Fuzhou Shipyard, Fuzhou Iron and Steel Factory and Fuzhou Turbine Factory jointly organized by Yamen and Jiangnan Commercial Bank Heavy Industry Bureau are also located here, and new factories are one after another.

The most gratifying ones are the new warships bought from Britain and France.

Two second-class ironclad ships of Weikang and Dingkang, two dome-clad cruisers of Guangwu and Jingwu, and four Weijiang-class offshore defense ships made by France have been successively integrated into the Fujian Marine Division.

Fuzhou Ship Administration also designed its own new torpedo boats and patrol boats. The French Bai Laoyi and Zheng Qingli redesigned the new gunboat on the basis of the mosquito ship Zhenzhong, and the drainage tonnage increased from 300 tons to 425 tons.

The construction speed of these three small ships is relatively fast. After rectification, the Fuzhou Ship Administration has four docks, which can build seven or eight gunboats every year. Patrol boats and torpedo boats are built faster because the protective armor is very thin. Can these alone resist the French?

Of course not, Hu Chuyuan is very clear in his heart.

When he arrived in Fuzhou, he first went to the telegraph office to send a telegram to Wu Shuzhen, telling her that he had arrived in Fuzhou safely, and then went to the Fuzhou Ship Administration Office.

Although he hasn't been here for half a year, it is still his territory. Everything is only because of his money and his power.

Except for him, no one else can fully control the Fuzhou Ship Administration.

Among the people who took over Hu Chuyuan were John Abasnot Fischer, Bai Laoyi, Rawls and others. At this time, John Abasnot Fischer was already a brigadier general of the British Royal Navy. He was not only a military adviser to the Fuzhou Ship Administration Office, but also a supervisor of the Fujian Marine Division. He was responsible for the planning of the Marine Division. Regular training.

Just arrived in Fuzhou, Hu Chuyuan didn't want to talk too much.

After the dinner, he asked everyone to go back to rest, leaving only Wu Zhengbing. He specifically asked about the construction of the Luoyuanwan dockyard. This is his secret trick, where three docks will be secretly built to produce gunboats and torpedo boats.

Because neither capital nor technology is a problem, the progress of the situation is not bad. The first shipyard to be built has entered the state of trial production.

After confirming the news, Hu Chuyuan was very relieved and continued to let Wu Zhengbing take responsibility.

For the military in the late Qing Dynasty, Hu Chuyuan has always been a bystander. His main contribution is to pay money, and everything is done by others.

But he really paid a lot of money.

Taking last year as an example, the 13 battalions of the Hunan Army withdrew from Xinjiang Province and began to rectify the level of the Russian army, demobilize veterans, recruit new braves to replace them, replace firearms, and add more than 200 new artillery; Liu Jintang, the first general of the Hunan Army, set up Nanchang Wubei School in Jiangxi; Yang Yuebin, a veteran of the Hunan Army, returned to Hunan to set up Changsha Wubei School; Zuo Zongtang set up Jiangning Art School and Zhenjiang Shuishi School in Jiangsu; He Jing set up Fuzhou Art School in Fujian; Tan Zhonglin secretly set up the first battalion of Xiangying Fubiao; Mei Qizhao secretly set up the third battalion of Jiangxi Army Fubiao; Yang Changjun rectified Jiangnan Manufacturing Administration in Shanghai, replaced new equipment, and hired new technicians and Yang. Consultant, set up a branch factory in Anshan...!

These things were all concentrated in last year. Hu Chuyuan spent more than 6 million taels of silver, half of which was not reported to the imperial court, so that the Qing court would not approve it. This half was donated by Hu Chuyuan, and the other half was borrowed by him.

He didn't even frown.

Of course, these are just a little money for him.

In the following days, Hu Chuyuan carefully checked all the affairs of the ship's government office and made sure that the situation was generally good, so he continued to put Zhang Baixi, Wu Zhengbing and Zheng Qingli responsible.

That night, he asked Hu Rong and Chen Shanyuan to prepare the trip and visit He Jing.

Just as he was about to go out, Yan Xinhou came again. This time, he brought a young man who was not tall, white and had a muste. He looked twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed very well, and held a finely carved origami fan in his hand.

Entering the flower hall of the ship's government office, when he saw Hu Chuyuan, Yan Xinhou arched his hand with a smile and said, "Congratulations to Lord Hu on his appointment as the ship's minister. It's really true. It can't be replaced by others, and it's also a blessing for me in the Qing Dynasty!"

"Mr. Yan is flattered!" Hu Chuyuan got up with a faint smile, looked at the young man and asked, "Is this...?"

"Oh... This is the eldest son of Li Zhongtang's family, Mr. Li Jingfang." Yan Xinhou hurriedly introduced the two.

Li Jingfang immediately arched a fan and said, "Li has seen Lord Chuan Zheng. I heard that although the adults are young, Wen Tao is very good at everything, especially good at foreign affairs, but all dealings with foreigners are the best candidates of the imperial court. Li is a little older. Compared with the ability but the younger generation, he is not only extremely ashamed, but also extremely respected.

Hu Chuyuan still smiled flatly and said, "You two have a good reputation. Please sit down first. If there is anything, let's sit down and talk slowly."

At this time, Chen Shanyuan hurried in and asked Hu Chuyuan, "My master, the carriage is ready. Do you still want to visit the governor?"

Hu Chuyuan waved his hand and said, "I won't go today. Let Hu Rong go and talk to the governor. He said that I suddenly had a few foreign guests here to sell me a new warship, and I couldn't leave for a while."

Chen Shanyuan said yes, and when the door was about to be closed, he didn't let the idle people see the situation in the flower hall, and didn't let others approach.

After a while, he brought tea in by himself, and then guarded outside the door.

Li Jingfang paid special attention to the whole process, and then praised Hu Chuyuan, "Your Excellency's men are really talented. Such a close servant has extraordinary ability and shrewdness different from ordinary people."

Hu Chuyuan hummed and replied, "If he hadn't been in a hurry in Tianjin, my life would have been lost. Close waiter... It's not suitable for many, smart people, powerful people, one for ten.

Li Jingfang praised, "That's the truth."

Hu Chuyuan smiled silently and invited him and Yan Xinhou to drink tea. After a while, he took the initiative to ask Yan Xinhou, "Mr. Yan, did you come to me this time for the Shanghai Shipping Bureau and the machine weaving layout?"

Yan Xinhou smiled and said, "I'm here for this. In fact, it's really a small thing for adults. I'm here for national affairs."

Hu Chuyuan thought a little cautiously and said, "Then let's talk about small things first!"

Yan Xin said, "Well, today's businessmen in the world, if you say the second, then you don't dare to be the first. In your eyes, the ship bureau and weaving layout are the lice on the bald man's head. It's obvious that Lord Zhongtang doesn't want to hide it. The situation is really not optimistic. Beiyang Commercial Bank has paid a lot of money in the past two years. Lord Zhongtang said that after all, you and he are both from Anhui, and they only look at the feelings of the same hometown. As long as you are willing to take over, the shares held by Beiyang Commercial Bank will be transferred to you for free.

Hu Chuyuan smiled and said, "Actually, there is no other way, right?"

Yan Xinhou also had no choice but to smile bitterly and said, "The business methods of the young master's family are really clever. Lord Zhongtang asked me about the policy. I can only tell you the truth. If I can't get along with you in the business field, I can't get along with money. We are our own family, so let's say it directly. You have to do this matter. Lord Zhongtang has only one bottom line, so the income of official stocks should belong to Zhili Yamen.

Hu Chuyuan nodded. Although he was clear about the two games, he had to beware of Li Hongzhang's fraud and asked again, "How much are the official stocks?"

Yan Xinhou said: "The shipping bureau accounts for 40% of the shares. The middle hall means that it can retreat to 20% and a half, the machine weaving layout is 30%, and it can also retreat to 20% and a half. As long as you take over, it's up to you to decide how to do it.

Hu Chuyuan put down the teacup, said "Okay" to the ground, looked at Yan Xinhou and Li Jingfang, and continued, "I took this matter. But I have a condition!"

Yan Xinhou said, "Your excellency, please say it!"

Hu Chuyuan said, "Let me put my hand into Tianjin. I want to open a new Tianjin Merchants Bureau in Tianjin. I open 50% of the shares in the bureau, and the remaining 30% belong to the Zhili government office. The other 20% is to ask other businessmen to hold it. I don't ask much. The layout of the machine weaving belongs to the China Merchants Bureau, and the Ship Merchants Bureau and the Jiangnan Shipping Bureau are merged. How many shares can Jiangnan Commercial Bank and Zhili Yamen occupy shall be calculated according to the cost. The profit of shipping is not much. Don't worry too much. The key is to do things well. The weaving layout is the most profitable and the widest market, but it only operates in Shanghai, which is not a big deal.

"This...!"

Yan Xinhou did not dare to make a decision for a while.

Li Jingfang clapped his hands with great admiration and said, "It's really worthy of being the first official businessman in the world. Li admires it. OK, I'll agree to this matter for my father, and everything will be done according to Lord Hu's wishes. Tianjin Merchants Bureau will operate in Zhili in the future, and there will never be any obstruction, but if there is something wrong, adults can come to find a father. Naturally, there will be a father to make the decision for you.

Hu Chuyuan nodded silently. He knew that it was Li Jingfang who really dared to make a decision. Li Hongzhang could not really give power to Yan Xinhou.

Yan Xinhou asked, "Then who should be the head office of the Tianjin Merchants Bureau?"

Hu Chuyuan said, "There is no one else, it's you. I just don't know if Mr. Yan means this?"

Yan Xinhou was overjoyed and said with a smile, "It would be great if I could continue my relationship with my employer."

Hu Chuyuan nodded.

Li Jingfang also smiled and said, "Mr. Yan is indeed a suitable candidate, but, Lord Hu, will your Tianjin Merchants Bureau, Beiyang Merchants, grab business?"

Hu Chuyuan thought for a while and said, "I only operate in Tianjin and will not go deep into Hebei. Whether there is a dispute or not, it depends on how Zhongtang coordinates. Even so, if Mr. Sheng Xuanhuai still refuses to allow me, then there is nothing I can do.

Li Jingfang smiled and said, "Lord Hu, don't worry, Mr. Sheng naturally has me to say in person. He has been prepared for the same work for the court, and he doesn't care about these minor matters... However, Mr. Sheng also told me one thing. Shandong's salt industry has always been handled by Beiyang merchants, but these days, Shandong patrol Lord Fu Wenger also intends to run his own Shandong business. I heard that he seems to be interested in asking you to invest in shares.

Hu Chuyuan said, "Lord Wenge has not discussed this matter with me. He asked Jing Lian, the minister of the Ministry of Household, and Jing Lian recommended me, and I refused at that time. Of course, this business in Shandong is very good, but at present, everything is focused on the shipping administration of Fuzhou. Even the Jiangnan Commercial Bank is to let the big shopkeepers in the family do it by themselves, and there is no energy to control Shandong.

Li Jingfang laughed and said, "Mr. Sheng really wants to take charge of the business in Shandong. He said that if you can trust it, Beiyang Commercial Bank is willing to run Shandong Commercial Bank jointly with Jiangnan Commercial Bank, and everyone will get five or five points."

Hu Chuyuan also laughed.

He has been well prepared for this matter.

The person he chose was Hu Dazong, and he had already talked about it with Wen Ge for a long time. Wen Ge had a full staff to take care of and support him, such as Shangshu Jinglian, Prince Su, and Prince Gong. He was not afraid of Li Hongzhang at all, let alone take Sheng Xuanhuai seriously.

Jing Lian and Prince Su, including Prince Gong, all hope to leave a piece of land in Shandong, which is under their control. Naturally, they can't let Li Hongzhang's Beiyang Commercial Bank take it away - they think so. I'm afraid the outcome is not what they can expect.

Therefore, the matter of self-organized Shandong commercial firm has been decided, and it can almost be done at the end of the year. At present, it is a quarrel with Li Hongzhang for Shandong salt business.

Shandong's salt industry has a huge output. Once it is seized, it means that the salt industry in Henan and Shandong belongs to Shandong Commercial Bank. As long as there are 30% of the official stocks, a dividend of one million silver can be drawn every year.

So, Hu Chuyuan just smiled.

He knew in his heart which matter was more important.

He immediately said to Li Jingfang, "I really want to cooperate with Boss Sheng. Unfortunately, I can't intervene in this matter. As far as I know, the real backstage is Prince Gong. He insists on letting Shandong merchants read out and not be interfered by the two major businesses in Beiyang and Jiangnan. I originally talked to Prince Gong when I was in Beijing. He said, "I want to buy one share and do something for the business. That's okay. If I want to buy two shares, I can talk about it. More than three shares is a dream."

"This...?"

Li Jingfang was speechless for a moment. Although they had plotted this matter for a long time, they really didn't know these details.

After thinking about it, he and Hu Chuyuan asked, "Is there really no other way? Nowadays, Shanxi Commercial Bank is getting better and better. If Shandong also runs its own commercial bank, Beiyang Commercial Bank's business will soon be able to do it.

Hu Chuyuan sneered softly and said, "Then I can only blame Boss Sheng for his incompetence. I don't have the heart to care about those things. Fuzhou ship administration alone is enough for me."

Li Jingfang smiled.

After a little thought, he didn't talk about those annoying things, and smiled with Hu Chuyuan, "Lord Hu, you and I are all from Anhui. We might as well open the skylight to say something. As long as we take care of Anhui people, my father is willing to buy it. In recent years, adults have continuously funded many Huizhou businessmen, and many people have made a fortune in Shanghai, which is really gratifying. My father wants to set up a Huizhou Guild Hall in Tianjin to attract Hui merchants to Tianjin to make a living. There are many Hui people who are officials in Beijing. In fact, we can also take care of each other.

The meaning of his words is obvious, that is, to win over Hu Chuyuan. Even if they can't defect to the Huai system, the two sides should not continue to fight like this.

Li Hongzhang saw that with Sheng Xuanhuai's ability, he wanted to toss around with Hu Chuyuan in the business field, which was really too young. In addition, in the events of young children studying in the United States, railways and other events, Hu Chuyuan was consistent with him first, which then influenced Zuo Zongtang to change the long-term Xianghuai opposition attitude.

Based on these two points alone, Li Hongzhang felt that it was still possible to cooperate with Hu Chuyuan, and then restrain Zuo Zongtang through Hu Chuyuan's attitude, which was also a wonderful move.

Hu Chuyuan really didn't think before that once he raised the banner of Hui merchants, to some extent, Li Hongzhang was also a beneficiary.

Both of them have to be exposed to the light of the word " emblem" in order to establish their own systems in politics and shopping malls.

Thinking of this, Hu Chuyuan nodded slightly and said, "It's true."

It's not convenient for him to say more words.

Both sides are still in the stage of temptation. In the evening, Li Jingfang and Yan Xinhou left first.

As soon as they left, Hu Chuyuan sent a telegram to Zuo Zongtang, telling the matter in detail. The general meaning is to take down the weaving layout and the shipping bureau first. Follow-up things, take a step at a step.

In this regard, Zuo Zongtang also agreed. If he could reach into Tianjin, it would obviously be profitable.

(to be continued)