Travel through the Qing Dynasty and become emperor

Chapter 110 The Southeast Coast
A huge fleet of [-] to [-] warships from the Beiyang Fleet of the Qingshui Division bypassed the Leizhou Peninsula in Guangdong and entered the Beibu Gulf, which is calm and rich in fish.

On the east side of Beibu Gulf, across the sea from Leizhou Prefecture in Guangdong is Qiongzhou Prefecture in Hainan Island.In recent years, due to the development of Shilu Jinniuling Iron Mine and the establishment of Qiongzhou Iron Works, this place has developed very fast.

The Haikou Port, which was specially built for it, also became lively. On the seaside of the port area, small western-style buildings made of red bricks and cement can be seen rising from the ground, and people wearing Li, Miao and other ethnic minority costumes shuttle around During this period, they were either working or selling their own goods.Many fishing boats returning from night fishing docked on the shore and began to sell the fish on the boat. Among the fishing boats, there were occasionally two or three cargo ships waiting to be loaded. These boats were all hung with white sails. It looks like a clear white line from a distance.

In fact, the scene here can be regarded as a microcosm of the development of Guangdong Province and even the four southeastern provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Vietnam.These four provinces are not only the places where the germs of capitalism were first born in Chinese history.

Jiangning, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, and Guangzhou were all large-scale commercial cities in the late Qing Dynasty, and this was the first place to be invaded by Western capitalism. Most of the foreign ports opened after the two Opium Wars were distributed in these four provinces .

The original natural economy and small-scale peasant economy in these four provinces were the most severely damaged, and they were also the first places to accept Western culture, which made them not only have a natural business foundation and atmosphere and strong commercial capital, but also have a good sense of business and atmosphere.In addition, modern universal education was first completed in these four provinces, which made the four provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong have the advantage of talents under the condition of favorable time and place.thus.After the Sino-French Vietnam War and the Sino-British Burma War, the first wave of industrial and commercial development swept across these four provinces first.

In the past three years, the industrial output value of these four provinces has increased ninefold, accounting for two-thirds of the national industrial output value growth; tax revenue has increased sixfold, accounting for nearly half of the national tax revenue. Not too much.

From Suzhou and Yangzhou in southern Jiangsu, through Songjiang in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo and Wenzhou in Zhejiang, Fuzhou and Quanzhou in Fujian to Chaozhou, Huizhou, Guangzhou, Leizhou in Guangdong and Qiongzhou in Hainan Island The long and narrow industrial belt in the Qing Dynasty concentrated more than half of the heavy industry and more than two-thirds of the light industry in the entire Qing Dynasty. This is China's Pennsylvania.

Guan Xuqing thought of the beginning of the year before last.The cabinet passed the decree to open ports to foreign powers in the four provinces in the south of the Yangtze River to establish a "code commercial zone", and to give more support to the four provinces in terms of government decrees and money, such as implementing preferential tax rates in the four provinces.Attract domestic and foreign capital to enter.

Before 1881, the cumulative commercial tax of various names in the mainland was as high as 55%.But even under such harsh and miscellaneous taxes, Shanxi, Anhui, Zhejiang, and Cantonese merchants still developed to a considerable scale, which is simply unimaginable abroad.On the one hand, of course it is tax evasion, on the other hand, it shows that the pie of Chinese business is too big, and what these businessmen get is huge profits.After Guan Xuqing came to power, he gradually reduced the tax rate through various means.The current domestic commercial tax rate is about 25%. Last year, the land support policy was passed, which further reduced the commercial tax rate in the four provinces to 15%. This tax rate was the same as the British tax rate in Hong Kong at that time.

In addition, in order to facilitate the development of foreign trade in the four provinces, and to purchase machines, talents and technology from Western countries, the Qing Commercial Bank will open branches at major ports in the four provinces.Handle foreign exchange transactions.At the same time, it provides [-] million silver dollars of low-interest business loans;

As for the "Dian Commercial District", it is actually a special economic zone for later generations.It was Guan Xuqing's experimental field for feudal economic reform.Although it has been in power for nearly ten years, domestic capitalism has developed greatly compared to history.But now the Qing Dynasty is still dominated by a self-sufficient feudal small-scale peasant economy.In order to carry out social and economic reforms and engage in a capitalist market economy, on the one hand, we have no experience, and on the other hand, our thinking has not changed and we are not very accepting. The gradual reform thinking of "crossing the river by feeling the stones" is a necessary thought for economic reform.Through experiments, successful experience will be extended to other regions, and unsuccessful experience will be discarded.

After all, China has been closed to the outside world for hundreds of years. Although some contacts were passively established after the Opium War, for most regions, there is no contact with foreign countries, or there is no means of contact with foreign countries at all.Similarly, China, an ancient oriental country, is also very mysterious and strange in the eyes of foreigners.

Therefore, some so-called "windows" are needed, which include two meanings: one is to learn from and absorb foreign advanced things.The second is to show China's political and economic conditions to foreign countries.Just like a great man in later generations said. "We need windows. Technology windows. Management windows. Knowledge windows. Also foreign policy windows." Ports opened during the two Opium Wars.Its openness is very limited.Foreigners are still regarded as scourges.Some local officials are afraid of conflicts between the people and foreigners.Every time a foreign ship docks.Both sent a large number of soldiers to "protect" foreigners.And strictly limit the scope of their activities.This makes the open ports not play their due role. The "Dian Commercial District" actually further clarified the functions of the open ports.

China is now facing "great changes unseen in a thousand years." The rules and regulations, legal system, and thinking habits of the entire society are still in the feudal economic era.Set aside some areas to implement special economic policies.Let officials in these areas let go.Through the introduction of foreign capital, the introduction of advanced technology, the establishment of factories and the establishment of new financial institutions.Implement different policies from other regions.This will play a very positive role in demonstrating China's progress from a feudal society to a capitalist society.After all, relying solely on propaganda to change the inherent ideological culture of the Chinese people for thousands of years.The process is too slow.What China needs is time.What is most lacking is time.If you can actually make some achievements.It is easier for people to recognize the development and changes of society.

Now it seems.Generally speaking, the upward direction is good.The prototype of a modern industrial zone has been formed here.Due to the rapid industrial development of this area, except for the northernmost Yangzhou Prefecture.Most are located south of the Yangtze River.Therefore, it is called Jiangnan Industrial Zone.in hereafter. The "Jiangnan Industrial Zone" and the "Northern Industrial Zone" where the output value of heavy industry accounts for half of the country, and the "Two Lakes Industrial Zone" known as the "Oriental Ruhr" and the reputation of "China's three major industrial arteries". "Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" came the long siren sound.The ships in front of the combined fleet in the North and South Ocean retreated one after another.In front of these steel behemoths of the industrial age.They are just a light boat in a creek.

Looking at the current situation he created after traveling to this time and space, Guan Xuqing was excited and proud.This is similar to the classic stand-alone game "Red Alert" that Guan Xuqing was obsessed with when he was studying. If there are mines, there will be money. If there is money, there will be a strong industry. If there is a strong industry, there will be stronger military power.And now, Guan Xuqing is digging mines in this fertile land.

Wang Shang, who had been waiting outside the door, brought in the water for washing his face that he had prepared early in the morning. Seeing Wang Shang's puffy feet and bloodless face, he knew that he must have vomited heavily, and he had been blowing the sea breeze outside all night.People who have never been on a warship do not know the hardships on board. When they first boarded, the bumps on the board even the "fisherman" who grew up by the sea had to vomit, not to mention food, housing, and space for activities, etc. aspect restrictions.

"Didn't I tell you to rest in the cabin? I don't need someone to wait on me at night." Although Guan Xuqing spoke majesticly, he really couldn't help but blame Wang Shang.

Wang Shang just held up the washbasin for cleaning his hands and face, lowered his head and did not speak.

Guan Xuqing sighed, stepped forward to wash up, then waved his hand and said: "You go and call Li Dehai over, I don't need you to serve me in the morning, you go to the cabin and have a good sleep. In addition, ask the imperial doctor to prescribe side medicine for you, send Once you sweat, you have been blown by the wind all night, so be careful to get sweating."

Sighing, he stepped forward to wash up, then waved his hand and said, "Go and ask Sun Dehai to come over, I don't need you to serve me in the morning, you can go to the cabin and have a good sleep. In addition, ask the imperial doctor to prescribe side medicine for you, send a Sweat, you've been blown by the wind all night, be careful of sweating."

Guan Xuqing walked to the deck, and the soldiers on the ship who were about to get up before the fourth watch had finished their morning training. Seeing Guan Xuqing standing upright one by one, Guan Xuqing waved them to continue doing their own things, and then found two The soldiers on guard began to chat, these days he has become very familiar with the sailors on the "Zhenyuan" ship.

Seeing the booming economy in the southeast coast, Guan Xuqing suddenly sprouted a dream of dominating the world at this moment.The neighbors to the east have also developed rapidly in recent years. If it weren't for the rapid development of the Qing Dynasty in the past few years, it would be really hard to imagine that the Yamato clan would really repeat history, invade China again, and ravage our Chinese children.

But all of this is impossible to happen, and perhaps one day in the future, the Qing Dynasty will trample on the country.Thinking of this, Guan Xuqing smiled and looked at the rough sea.It seems that one day in the future, the Sino-Japanese naval battle and the large-scale naval battle with the fleets of various countries in order to compete for the Pacific Ocean may be seen. Perhaps in history, the situation where the Qing Dynasty declared war on eight countries at the same time will be repeated in this time and space in the future, but absolutely not There will be another shameful scene of the Eight-Power Allied Forces entering Beijing.

A fiery red sun rose above the sea in the east, and the golden sunlight made Guan Xuqing bright red.Like a phoenix reborn from the ashes standing on the deck, anyone who sees it has an impulse to worship.

(End of this chapter)