Travel through the Qing Dynasty and become emperor

Chapter 384 Yuxiang Building Celebration

Zhao Bingjun felt that this Lin Qizhao really didn't know the rules, and he even boasted and showed off his knowledge in front of the emperor, so he felt a little more disgusted with him at the moment, and took a sneak peek around him, but saw that the emperor was very interested in the things Lin Qizhao introduced. "What's the name of this stinky tofu?"

Lin Qizhao shook his head and said: "The folk saying goes: smelly Nanxun, spicy Wuzhen, because people in Wuzhen love spicy food, but people in Nanxun love stinky food. This dried stinky tofu is the representative of Nanxun cuisine. There are two general ways to eat it: One is dried stinky tofu fried in oil, mixed with sweet onion sauce, diced green onion and other condiments and can be eaten; the other is dried stinky tofu with onion, sauce, ginger and other condiments, and stewed in water to form a clear stew. Although dried stinky tofu and stinky tofu have a bad smell, they taste delicious and have a very good taste. In the words of Nanxun people, this is the pure Nanxun flavor."

Guan Xuqing was particularly interested, picked up a piece of dried stinky tofu, mixed it with the seasoning, and slowly put it in his mouth to chew. He only felt that the mouth was pungent, but after chewing, it became more and more delicious. After eating a few yuan, he said to Zhao Bingjun, Liu Kun and the others: "It's delicious, the flavor is really different, everyone come and taste it."

Everyone ate with fluid from the bottom of their tongues, and within a short while, a plate of dried stinky tofu was wiped out.

Next, Lin Qizhao introduced famous Nanxun foods such as Shuangjiao noodles, embroidered brocade vegetables, smoked bean tea, Shuanglin sister-in-law cakes, and Dingsheng cakes.Everyone chatted while eating, and Guan Xuqing was in high spirits, pointing out Fengyue and talking about the past and the present with a smile.

Liu Kunyi and Yang Shenxiu who were sitting at the bottom looked at a loss. It was the first time they were eating at the same table with the emperor. The two of them were so cautious that they seemed to be unable to hold the chopsticks steadily, but it was the little girl who was standing by the side pouring wine. Yue'er, with big and bright eyes, has been staring at Guan Xuqing curiously.

Seeing that everything was almost done, Guan Xuqing specially hosted a banquet today to celebrate Lin Qizhao's victory in the Raw Silk War in the south of the Yangtze River.

Seeing that everyone present looked restrained, Guan Xuqing also shook his head helplessly, not to be too deliberate, so he changed the topic to the income of raw silk, the accounts still need to be sorted out.

When it came to business matters, Lin Qizhao's mind suddenly became much clearer than before, and he was no longer at a loss as before. After a little thought, he began to speak in an orderly manner.

This time, the income from the raw silk was used to pay 900 yuan for compensation for cutting mulberry trees, and repaid the loan from the Far East Joint Stock Company and the emperor’s internal money, and then threw it away for various expenses such as storage, transportation, and interest, as well as this time. After serving the emperor and collaborating with the Minister of State and others, the last remaining money is [-] million yuan.

Being an emperor is not an account, but the amount Lin Qizhao said was about the same as what he himself estimated. Guan Xuqing glanced at Lin Qizhao calmly and said, "This time you and your Lin family have contributed a lot, and you have also taken a lot of risks. What I mean is, how about sharing half of the profits from the money earned by your Lin family?"

"The Chen family and the Lin family don't want any money." Lin Qizhao said decisively.

Guan Xuqing put down his wine glass in a little surprise, but didn't speak, just looked at Lin Qizhao quietly.

"In the past, foreigners bullied my Chinese businessmen, and repeatedly suppressed and encroached on them. We are weak, and we are subject to foreigners everywhere, but we are not helpless. This time, the emperor only used A small trick can make the foreigners bow their heads and ears with bitterness. Looking at the helplessness and bewilderment on the faces of those foreigners and the grass people when they signed the agreement, the grass people are happy like never before and are not afraid of the emperor's jokes. It’s a good thing, but the Lin family started out as a bank with countless transactions, and I, Lin Qizhao, have never put money in my eyes.”

As he said that, Lin Qizhao stood up suddenly, adjusted his clothes lightly, knelt down solemnly and said, "A good man should do something grandiose. The grass people don't want money. What the grass people want is to follow the emperor, but they have a life, not life and death."

Guan Xuqing pointed at Lin Qizhao and said with a smile: "You are really a master of the monkey spirit. You say you don't want money, but you know that you will earn countless money with me in the future." Guan Xuqing's words made everyone unable to help Smiling, Lin Qizhao also scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "Caomin doesn't mean that."

Guan Xuqing put away his smile, raised his wine glass and said solemnly: "This battle of raw silk is just a risky gamble, but it can never be done again. Foreigners are not fools, and after they understand it, they will not be fooled like this again. Now the empire The economy is still in its infancy, and relying solely on such means will not help. It is precisely because we do not understand economic rules that we are often led by the nose by foreigners. Hammer. It depends on people to make things happen, and this sky is the fate of the country. I bet on the luck of the country that has been passed down for thousands of years in this country, and there will be a day of nirvana and rebirth. This is the real battle of life and death. ! Are you two willing to take a gamble with me?"

Suddenly, there was a hot current in everyone's heart, but they couldn't say a word in a daze.Looking at each other, they took a drink from the glass in their hands.

Guan Xuqing drank the glass of wine with his hands up, and said solemnly: "The revitalization of the country depends first on the economy. Jiangnan is the foundation of national taxation. I want to make a big difference in Jiangnan. Talents like Zihua are indispensable. What do you think? Feel free to speak up today.”

Lin Qizhao raised his eyebrows and said in a loud voice: "If you want to clean up the economy in the south of the Yangtze River, it will be difficult for the grassroots alone. This time, the grassroots are doing business with foreigners, and they have some insights. The reason why we are being calculated by foreigners and controlled by others is Not only is the national strength weak and the economy backward, but also the reason is that the merchants in the south of the Yangtze River are short-sighted and fight on their own. If they can join hands to fight against foreigners, they may not be able to make a difference. From now on, contact the famous families in Jiangnan and set up an alliance of businessmen and merchants like Shanghai, specializing in the sale of tea and raw silk. These two are important tasks for the economic development of Jiangnan. It reached 7000 million. If foreigners can’t buy tea and raw silk in the market in the future, they can only buy from alliance groups. If foreigners want to control the price at will, I’m afraid they won’t be able to do it. It’s just”

Lin Qizhao hesitated for a moment, and seeing the emperor looking at him, he went on to say: "If we really want to do this, the power of merchants alone is far from enough, we must have the support of the imperial court, so the grass people want the emperor to give us a supervisor to manage Jiangnan. In the name of the economy, to set up commercial firms under the supervision of the government and businessmen or jointly run by the government and the businessmen will not only avoid the constraints of government, but also reduce the worries of Jiangnan merchants and facilitate the raising of funds."

Before Lin Qizhao finished speaking, Guan Xuqing already understood what he meant, but he wanted to engage in a monopoly operation, probably because he had tasted the sweetness of the raw silk business this time, but it was different from what he thought.

Guan Xuqing lowered his head and pondered for a while and said: "Although it is very difficult, you can try it first. The name you want, I will let the cabinet draft an order later. However, I also have some ideas, and I will open up to chat with you today. You think about why the Jiangnan cloth industry, which used to be the world's clothing and quilts, was hit in a mess in just a few decades? There is also a reason for this. Trade can only be used as a short-term priority, and industry can save the country. But more The important point is the current situation, the current situation of the world. In the past, the big country of China did not understand the current situation and ignored the current situation, which led to the disconnection with the development of the world. The Jiangnan cloth industry also did not develop in line with the current situation. Think about it, the United Kingdom has already realized machine weaving. , and Jiangnan is still clinging to hand-woven fabrics, with single colors and low output, it is inevitable to be hit."

Lin Qizhao was startled, looked up at Guangxu with some astonishment, hesitated for a while and suddenly understood, bowed and said: "The grass people understand what the emperor said."

Yang Shenxiu, who had been sitting by the side without speaking, stood up and held up her wine glass and said: "The emperor favors talents, and the revival of the country is just around the corner."

Guan Xuqing glanced at Yang Shenxiu, when did this kid learn to flatter?I couldn't help but smile in my heart.

At this moment, a major-level officer under Zhao Bingjun hurried upstairs and handed a telegram to Zhao Bingjun. When Zhao Bingjun saw the telegram, his color changed immediately, and he dared not continue reading it, so he hurriedly presented the telegram to the emperor. .

Guan Xuqing unfolded the telegram, looked at it carefully, and after reading it, he slapped it on the table with a "slap", suddenly looked up and laughed, all the people present were baffled by the emperor's actions, and all turned their eyes to Zhao Bingjun. Zhao Bingjun shook his hand at everyone, meaning I don't know either.

Guan Xuqing handed the telegram back to the military intelligence officer, and the agent had sharp eyesight and quick hands, and immediately a newspaper burned the telegram.

Although late winter has passed in the south of the Yangtze River at this time, the spring is cold and chilly, and a spring breeze occasionally seeps through, but it is also chilling, but the room in Yuxiang Building is as warm as spring.

Guan Xuqing said with a flushed face: "In the past, the ancients served wine with Han books, but today we serve wine with Nanxun ancient dishes and Jiangnan Fengyue. It must have a different taste." He raised his glass and said: "This first glass of wine Defeat the foreigners for this battle of raw silk."

Guan Xuqing drank it down in one gulp, and said: "This second glass of wine is for the sake of Jiangnan silk merchants' reputation." After finishing speaking, he drank it down again.

"This is the third glass of wine." Guan Xuqing cast his eyes on the line of clouds and water outside the window, and said, "For the soldiers who fought bloody battles on the European battlefield, do it!"

Guan Xuqing was a little drunk between the toasts.

Paris, the Elysee Palace, the official French residence located at the eastern end of the Champs-Elysées in Paris, the President of the Third French Republic, François Philifort, sat in the center of the conference room with a dejected expression. Facing their faces, there was no trace of joy. Opposite them was General Joffre, the chief of the general staff and the commander-in-chief of the front line, and his subordinates.No one gets angry anymore, because anger has no effect on the current result.

(End of this chapter)