Opening game, American Tycoon

Chapter 279 Deception is the kingly way (second update, please subscribe)
How can I see the governor?

It is definitely not realistic to come to see the governor rashly.

So after thinking about it along the way, Zhao Tianfeng made up his mind to use "reporting the military situation" as a stepping stone.

Needless to say, this brick is really useful.

After being led by the guards into the big lottery hall, Zhao Tianfeng looked at Governor Li sitting upright in the hall, bowed upright in front of him, and introduced himself neither humble nor overbearing:

"The late student Zhao Tianfeng pays his respects to the governor."

"Your foot is Zhao Tianfeng? Is there any confidential military report?"

Governor Li looked at Zhao Tianfeng carefully.He appears to be about thirty years old, of medium height, with a broad and long face, wearing a black dress, a black hat, and foreign-style leather shoes on his feet.

This man is completely dressed in foreign clothes.

"My lord, the late-born Zhao Tianfeng, whose name is Ziqing, was born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. He was honored by the imperial court as a vice-president. He was supposed to serve the imperial court and benefit the common people, but he never imagined that he would be plundered by bandits and sold overseas..."

Then Zhao Tianfeng told about his experience of being sold to Nanhua and later studying in the United States.

He actually stayed in a foreign country and studied in a Western university!
Talent!
Governor Li immediately fell in love with him. After Zhao Tianfeng introduced his situation, he said to him affectionately:

"Oh, Ziqing, although you are in a foreign land, you are determined to serve the imperial court unswervingly. I really admire you! There is no need to be formal, please sit down quickly."

His word "admiration" was not a polite way for ordinary literati to meet, he really felt that this person was loyal and commendable.

After Zhao Tianfeng sat down generously, Governor Li asked:
"Listen to what you said earlier, you have studied in an American university, I don't know what you learned in the university!"

Governor Li didn't ask Nam Hwa at all.

In fact, Governor Li is no stranger to Nanhua. Nanhua's labor recruitment notices have been posted all over the three provinces under his rule. Every year, hundreds of thousands of laborers go to sea from Lianyun and other places.

As for the American company's annexation of Chile, I have heard a lot about it. After all, as the Minister of Commerce and Industry of Beiyang, it is his job to do diplomacy. Besides, the owner of the American company married the niece of the French emperor, but for the American company's Understand, it is limited to this.

As for Zhu Xianhai's name matching that of the previous dynasty, Governor Li just pretended not to know, not because that person had never declared his identity to the outside world, but because South America is really far away, so there is no need for overseas affairs. Let the queen mother and princes worry about it.

The governor seems to have no interest in Nan Hua?
Frowning, Zhao Tianfeng was a little puzzled.

In fact, he didn't know that this matter was a bit delicate for Governor Li.

Where is the subtlety?
He has been doing business with Liu Kunpeng of the American Company in recent years, not to mention him, even the four ironclad ships in Wuchang with his mentor, and the cannons for the fort along the river, all bought from Liu Kunpeng.

Bought it through America Inc.

If you pursue it, it would be not so good!

So as in the past, Governor Li would rather pretend not to know, and naturally changed the subject.

But Zhao Tianfeng didn't quite understand, so he still asked.

"Then Nanhua..."

Before he could finish speaking, Governor Li interrupted him directly.

"Hey, the affairs of the Qing Dynasty are enough for the emperor and the empress dowager to worry about. There is no need to distract the emperor and the empress dowager about such trivial matters tens of thousands of miles away. Let's settle the matter of the Qing Dynasty. That's it."

When he said these words, Governor Li was completely loyal to share his worries.

It was indeed for the good of the Qing Dynasty. Xiangsi was afraid that the other party would not understand why he did this, so he explained again.

"Think about it, the emperor and the queen mother are the backbone of our Qing Dynasty. If they worry about the country and the people all day long, if their bones collapse, it will not be a blessing for the world. What happened to the medicine we made of oranges? It should be Let the empress dowager know what they should not worry about. Don't bother them with things like this, after all, it's not our Qing Dynasty's business, don't you think?"

"That's what the lord said!"

Isn't this just deception.How can you do things like this?
But I think that the Qing Dynasty has its own national conditions here.Although he was a little puzzled in his heart, Zhao Tianfeng also understood what it meant to be out of position and not seek his own government, so he could only pretend to be confused and replied.

"My lord, the late student was born in 1861, which is the eleventh year of Xianfeng, and left Nanhua to study in the United States. After arriving in the United States, he first studied language in New York, and then studied in a local middle school. Five years ago, he was admitted to the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute to study mechanics. He also dabbled in other engineering subjects. After graduating from school, he was born late and worked as an intern in machine factories, ironworks, and railway companies. In the United States, he learned that the Governor-General was stationed in Xuzhou to quell the bandits and relieve the people, so he was not afraid of others. I am humble, and I am here to serve adults."

Since he came to seek refuge with the governor, he always had to say something high-sounding, after all, everyone loves to hear these scenes.

"Well, not bad..."

Although Yung Wing was not around, seeing the person in front of him had a good conversation, he thought that since this person dared to recommend himself, he must have some talent, so he said with a smile:
"Well, you came just in time. Ever since I was ordered by the court to be the governor of Zhili, I have tried my best to put down the rebellion, but the bandits have colluded with illegal foreign businessmen and exchanged lake silk and people for foreign guns and cannons. It can be said that the army is strong and the horse is strong. If you want to put down the bandits, you must train your troops and promote foreign affairs. I am ordered by the imperial court to handle foreign affairs in Xuzhou and other places. Since you have learned something in the West, there must be room for you to use it in the future. Wait until you When you achieve something, I will definitely go to the court to ask for an official position for you."

The Governor's words made Zhao Tianfeng secretly happy.What is he here for?Isn't it just to seek an official?Now that his wish has been fulfilled, he hurriedly stood up and said with a long bow:
"Oh, Wansheng thank you for your kindness!"

"By the way, since you said you can make machines, can you make weapons?"

Governor Li asked.

"I know a thing or two about making weapons..."

With a deep breath, Zhao Tianfeng knew that now was his chance, so he continued.

"However, from Wansheng's point of view, if you want to quell the chaos, the first thing you should do is to build the railway."

"Building railways? Putting down chaos?"

Li Hongzhang pondered.

"You're talking about transporting troops. Railways are much more convenient for transporting troops. Trains can travel thousands of miles a day. You don't know. In the past two years, some people have been urging me to build railways from Lianyun to Xuzhou and other places, but building railways consumes a lot of money. There are quite a lot, and now the country is in turmoil, it is really difficult to raise this money."

"My lord doesn't know, but the thing that impressed me the most when I lived in the United States for several years was the convenience of the railway. This railway can not only transport troops, but also fight wars. My lord, do you know that in foreign countries there are not only iron-clad warships, but also iron-clad trains!"

"What? Ironclad train?"

Governor Li was surprised.

"What is this?"

"My lord, an iron armored train has iron armor on the outside of the train and cannons inside the carriage. In the United States there is a saying of "Land Cruiser". Later, I heard that someone installed ten-inch cannons on the train to attack fortresses... "

Zhao Tianfeng is no stranger to armored trains. After all, both the North and the South used armored trains during the Civil War, and there were similar news in the newspapers.

"If your lord builds a railway and equips it with an iron-clad train, the ten-inch heavy cannon it carries can destroy the city and destroy the land. Even if you have a strong army and a strong horse, how can you stop the power of the iron-clad train?"

"The armored train...is it really that powerful?"

Governor Li was puzzled.

"What do your lords think of the power of a ten-inch cannon?"

"Ten-inch cannons are naturally amazingly powerful. When bandits ravaged the river, they relied on the ten-inch cannons on several armored ships. However, the cannons weighed tens of thousands of catties and could only be used on ships. If iron-clad vehicles could Sending cannons to the land, it is no problem to attack cities and land, but..."

After thinking about it, Governor Li asked.

"The train can only go along the railway, what if there is no railway?"

"Naturally, it is to build the railway. During the American Civil War, basically the railway was built there when the battle was fought. The adults can first build the railway from Lianyun to Xuzhou, then go south to Anhui, and finally cross the Huaihe River to attack all the way." Just plunder the city. Even if the Huaihe River cannot be built temporarily, with this railway, it is not only convenient to dispatch troops, but also can be built all the way west to Hubei. In this way, rice and grain from Hubei, Sichuan and other places can be directly passed through Railway, transported to Lianyun, from Lianyun to the sea, transported to the north, and connected to the capital..."

(End of this chapter)