A Man of Science and Engineering in Troubled Times Wandering in the Late Qing Dynasty

The abdication of the Qing emperor can almost be regarded as the most peaceful dynastic transition in Chinese history.

On the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, one week before the New Year, the Aixinjueluo family was not given a chance to celebrate the New Year. Empress Dowager Longyu had to issue the "Edict of the Qing Emperor's Abdication" in the name of Emperor Xuantong Puyi.

The edict was issued in Yangxin Hall, a palace that had been used as the residence and office of the emperor since the Yongzheng era, and eventually witnessed the fall of the Qing Dynasty.

The last court meeting was held not with Yuan Shikai, but with Foreign Minister Hu Weide.

Since the last assassination attempt by Liangbi, Yuan Shikai had never entered the Forbidden City again. He always sent his cronies to enter the court on his behalf.

After receiving the edict, Yuan Shikai immediately sent copies to all embassies in Dongjiaominxiang and sent telegrams across the country.

In the midst of the celebration, the dragon flag of the Qing Dynasty was lowered and the five-color flag symbolizing the republic of the five ethnic groups was raised. This was the end of the Qing Dynasty and the fall of the imperial system that had lasted for thousands of years.

Objectively speaking, although a large proportion of people do not like the Qing Dynasty - after all, many legacy issues of the Qing Dynasty are still affecting China 100 years later, but in the last moments of the Qing Dynasty, it still showed the chic and wisdom that a dynasty should have. .

It began with blood and carnage, and even ended with humiliation for the country.

But regarding its demise, it is better to choose to view the disappearance of a dynasty with warmth and respect.

Because no matter what, this is the best result of decades of revolutionary movement.

The people in the capital reacted very naturally to the abdication of the Qing emperor. It is probably because they have been used to big storms in recent years. Ten years ago, Cixi was driven out of the capital by the Eight-Power Allied Forces.

As for the majority of farmers, they were far behind in knowing about this matter. I remember it was described in "White Deer Plain". When the common people heard that the emperor abdicated, they first cried twice symbolically to show respect for their ancestors.Then he immediately went back to inquire about the new dynasty and era name, and asked who would give the royal grain to him in the future.After they got to know each other, they started competing with each other to see who could cut off their braids first, because they were already used to the braids on their heads and it was very uncomfortable to cut them off all at once, so they were all competing.

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Shanghai, in a teahouse on Fuzhou Road, people drink tea and chat as usual.

"Have you heard that the emperor has abdicated?"

"You just know? A relative of mine works in a British newspaper and told me a long time ago."

"Are British newspapers so well-informed?"

"Isn't it because Yuan Shikai told them? Without the acquiescence of the embassies of various countries, how could Yuan Shikai, a little red guy, do such a thing?"

"Hush! How dare you say that Yuan Shikai is a little red guy!"

"Why can't I say it? He contributed to the revolution? Now he wants to be the head of the new court! We Shanghai just took over the leadership position from Wuchang and had to give it to Nanjing. Now he, Yuan Shikai, is enjoying the success and wants to be in the capital. If you succeed to the throne, you won’t take us seriously in the future.”

"How could it be! I heard that Nanjing will send people immediately to welcome Yuan Shikai as he goes south."

"I think it's better for him not to come. It will be even worse if he turns Jiangsu and Zhejiang into his northern power."

"Hey! Stop bragging. If you can become the governor of Jiangsu, it won't be too late to scold Yuan Shikai again!"

"I don't deserve it! I won't even go if you want!"

"You just have a great mouth!"

……

Li Yu took a sip of tea and saw Zhang Jian entering the door.

"Sucai, I'm late. The situation has been changing recently and I can't live in peace." Zhang Jian said.

Li Yu said: "I received the news from Brother Ji Zhi and came over immediately to wait. I also ordered you a pot of fine Longjing tea."

Zhang Jian seemed to come to this teahouse often. He looked around and said, "Let's go to their inner room for peace and quiet."

The design of the interior room is very elegant, with a simple feel from the Song Dynasty.

Li Yu sat down and said, "Brother Ji Zhi, as the chief industrial officer, why do you always go to Shanghai?"

Zhang Jian said: "I have submitted my resignation."

"Submit your resignation?" Li Yu asked doubtfully, "Why?"

"It's difficult to work with us! Sun Wen didn't fully understand China's territory, customs, and governance for 5000 years, and he didn't fully understand the origins of political customs in various countries," Zhang Jian sighed, and then said in a somewhat dissatisfied tone, "Talking to Sun Policy is unknown."

Li Yu said: "Mr. Sun is a revolutionary. He has been hiding overseas for many years and returned to China as a spiritual leader. Naturally, he cannot be fully accommodated at first. But after all, we are changing dynasties. Many things need to be used new. Plus there are so many Specific departments will be determined through discussion."

Zhang Jian said: "I also want to discuss it, but they insist on using Han Yeping Company to mortgage loans from Japan. I absolutely cannot agree to this. As the industrial director, I can only resign."

Hanyeping Company was jointly established by Hanyang Iron Works, Daye Iron Mine and Pingxiang Coal Mine. It is a super large coal and steel complex enterprise.

Han Yeping Company is currently the largest steel company in Asia. After many years of production, the quality of the steel it produces is better than that of Japanese products. Japan also needs to purchase Han Yeping's steel for its railway construction.

The steel industry is an important part of an industrial power, and the Japanese have long coveted Han Yeping Company.

Moreover, because it is a high-quality asset, it has been used for mortgage loans many times.

As soon as the Nanjing Provisional Government was established, its finances were in dire straits. Sun Wen, Huang Xing and others were forced to use Han Yeping Company to borrow another mortgage of 1500 million yen from Japan.

Don't think about it, it's definitely not a good thing.

Li Yu asked: "Which Japanese consortium did you borrow from?"

Zhang Jian said: "A month ago, Song Jiaoren and Chen Qimei borrowed 30 from Japan's Mitsui Corporation through Uchida Ryohei of the Black Dragon Society. They should still borrow money from Mitsui this time."

Li Yu said: "The Japanese are extremely ambitious and their innermost thoughts must be to control Han Yeping Company."

Zhang Jian has been engaged in industry for many years, and he also saw the horror behind it, "So I firmly disagree with using Han Yeping Company as collateral, and there will be endless troubles. Mr. Taiyan also learned about this, and he sent a telegram to accuse Sun Yuhuang. However, Mr. Sun explained to him that Mr. Sun and others did not know the current situation of the Nanjing army. Dozens of people went to the War Department to collect pay every day. Military bills were not unfeasible, but the cash was too small to convert. Although the city residents were forced to pay, It’s no use anymore.”

At present, Zhang Taiyan was appointed as a senior consultant by Yuan Shikai and sent to the three northeastern provinces to engage in industry.

Not only did Zhang Jian and Zhang Taiyan disagree, there were also too many people in society who opposed using Han Yeping Company as collateral.

After that, Han Yeping Company was slowly penetrated and controlled by Japanese capital. Through Han Yeping Company, Japan obtained a large amount of coal and iron resources needed for military expansion.

Making the little devil comfortable was the most uncomfortable thing for Li Yu and he had to take care of it.

Japan conducted an asset appraisal on Hanyeping Company and concluded that it was only 3000 million yen. Only a ghost would believe it.

Li Yu said: "Han Yeping Company is a chicken that can lay golden eggs, but the Japanese only consider the value of the chicken when valuing it. They are too evil-minded."

"Yes! Coal and iron are so important to the country. Even Sheng Xuanhuai, an old official of the former Qing Dynasty, knew that Japanese capital could not be allowed to infiltrate Hanyeping," Zhang Jian said. "The power of a country is like a deer. If it is lost and scattered in the wild, it will have no owner." , everyone gets it, chases it away, and competes with it." Zhang Jian's words were quite heartbreaking.

The fall of the Qing Dynasty meant the destruction of the original political center, and Zhang Jian did not want to have the situation of "the deer scattered in the wild" when the Qin Dynasty fell.

China is so big, it is like a herd of deer, and important companies like Han Yeping are one of them.

Li Yu thought for a while and said: "I can try to borrow money without using Han Yeping Company as collateral."

Zhang Jian said happily: "It's so easy to talk to a smart person like Shucai! I'm looking for you just to see if you have any ideas. After all, looking at the whole country now, you are the only one who can build such a big industry in the territory of foreigners."

Li Yu said: "There is no need to ask the Japanese to borrow money. Through these two years of operation, I have established a relationship with Minister Walter Rathenau, a powerful figure in the German Ministry of Industry. He agreed to carry out high-value loans. I have already obtained 4000 Ten thousand marks is equivalent to about 2000 million yen, which is equivalent to 500 million taels in silver. I can mediate and borrow at least 4000 million more marks."

When Zhang Jian heard this, he immediately became energetic: "Such money can solve a big problem at once! But for the Nanjing Provisional Government, you can't use your company as collateral, right?"

Li Yu said: "You can use several new companies that are about to be established in Shanghai as collateral, such as a pharmaceutical company that Germany will contribute half of the money. Or you can directly use financial means. I will not come forward with these funds. I will only serve as a guarantor. The bonds can be used anyway." Digested in financial markets."

Zhang Jian's thinking is equally clear: "What the Nanjing government is worried about now is that no one dares to take over the bonds. It would be great if it could turn political matters into commercial transactions!"

Li Yu smiled and said: "It does not violate my promise not to participate in politics. I am just an intermediary in the financial market."

Li Yu made up a perfect rhetoric of "finance + bonds", but in fact he knew very well: when the First World War starts, the money will not have to be paid back!

As for why a German sheep was caught trying to pull out its wool?No need to ask, because it’s so tight!
Besides, they took away so much money through the Gengzi compensation, so there is nothing wrong with getting a little back.Moreover, France is the most ruthless place in picking wool. They simply use a clipper to push it all away!
Zhang Jian said excitedly: "I will ask Nanjing to send the Minister of Finance to contact you as soon as possible."

Li Yu asked again: "As the Minister of Industry, do you still want to resign?"

Zhang Jian said: "As long as you don't pawn off the companies under my management casually, it seems that there is some meaning in continuing to do it."

Li Yu smiled and said, "I'm still counting on Brother Ji Zhi to help me a lot in the future."

Zhang Jian said: "You can't tell who will help whom."

After Nanjing learned that there were suspicions about the loan, they immediately asked Finance Minister Chen Jintao to discuss the loan matter.

To be honest, 4000 million marks, or 500 million taels, is really not a big amount for maintaining the government.

Chen Jintao is currently very active in his work, but he later became a traitor to Wang Puppet regime.

Li Yu's idea was to accept the money through his own bank.

Daqing Bank had just changed its name to Bank of China a few days ago, and added Bank of Communications, allowing them to receive payments.

This will kill two birds with one stone, not only borrowing money, but also allowing the two banks to expand their business and replenish capital early.

Chen Jintao said excitedly: "Thank you so much, Mr. Academician, you are really capable! I studied financial law at Columbia University in the United States many years ago, but could not solve financial problems."

Li Yu just wanted to mess up the Japanese conspiracy. For such a big country, 500 million is nothing.

Li Yu said: "It's just a little business activity. I can also benefit from it."

You have to treat it as an ordinary financial transaction and talk about yourself as not so high-end.

Chen Jintao said: "I understand that Mr. Sun wants to make you a banner with an inscription in his own hand. He also promises that you can take 4000% of the [-] million marks."

Li Yu smiled and said: "I don't need it, as long as you take care of the national industry in the future."

Chen Jintao said: "That's right! Minister Zhang Jian said that Shanghai will establish an industrial association, and we can elect you as the president."

The Shanghai Industrial Association was also established this year. According to history, Li Siguang should be the president, but now he has been forced to study in the UK by Li Yu.

Li Yu said: "I will feel sorry if I refuse again."

It was a good opportunity to take this opportunity to support national industries before World War I.

After so many years of development, the national capital in Shanghai and Jiangsu and Zhejiang has already reached a very good scale. With a little guidance and a market, they can unleash great potential.

The vice president of the Industrial Association is an old acquaintance, Ma Junwu, who is also the deputy director of the Industrial Department of the Nanjing Provisional Government.

In the association, Ma Junwu only had a name, helping the president handle some government-related matters and not caring about other matters within the association.

Li Yu's related industries can now be easily launched in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Whether it is acquiring land or recruiting people, it can go smoothly.

As for the first national enterprises to be supported, they have to be the more conventional cotton textile industry and food processing industry.

In particular, the cotton textile industry, although it has always been our traditional industry, has been suppressed by foreigners in modern times.

But Li Yu thought simply and crudely. Supporting the cotton textile industry would not only strengthen national capital and solve the employment problem of a large number of labor forces, but the key point could also make the little devils uncomfortable.

In fact, before September [-]th, although Japan's economy seemed to be better than that of the Republic of China, Japan's economy was actually completely dependent on the Chinese market.

China is Japan's largest resource supplier and foreign trade market.

It can be said that without China's resources and market, Japan would be finished immediately.

The Japanese products at this time were not high-end at all, they were just daily necessities such as cotton cloth.

The Republic of China government also knew that it wanted to protect national enterprises, and starting in 1929, it slowly increased tariffs.

Before this, Japanese goods did have a market in China.

The current domestic feelings towards Japan are very subtle, not as hateful as after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War. After all, the First Sino-Japanese War did not damage the fundamentals, and everyone still has the mentality to learn from Japan.

Therefore, even though there were many anti-Japanese demonstrations and boycotts of Japanese goods during the Republic of China, they were not very effective.

There is no way, this is the dimensionality reduction attack of industrial countries on agricultural countries. Japanese cotton is indeed cheap and easy to use.

But Li Yu couldn't just sit back and watch the little devil dumping comfortably. He planned to introduce advanced production lines from the United States and Britain, and then use China's cheaper labor force to let the Japanese domestic market taste the anti-dumping feeling of Chinese cotton.

There are also various daily necessities such as MSG and instant noodles, which will never be dumped by the little Japan in history.

War is about economics and logistics. If you pinch the little devil's breasts 20 years in advance, you can at least make him malnourished.

As for whether people in Japan will have a more difficult time, that is not something Li Yu should consider, let alone a psychological burden.Because throughout history, ordinary people in Japan have been enjoying the dividends of war, and no one is innocent.

(End of this chapter)