"Lu Huitian!" Yuan Shikai was quite impressed by this person. When Chen Ke sent him to negotiate with him, Lu Huitian was arrogant and rude ...... at that time.

"Yuan Gong, Lu Huitian is now the secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee of the People's Party. It is equivalent to the position of governor of Hubei. Yang Du said. He didn't know about Yuan Shikai's previous entanglement with Lu Huitian.

"What is the secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, that is, a eunuch who supervises the army." Wang Shizhen said a rare mean word.

Looking at the attitudes of the two, Yang Du already knew that this Lu Huitian must have greatly offended Yuan Shikai and Wang Shizhen. But he didn't dare ask. Although the People's Party is all young people, it is really very tolerant in doing things. There has also been a discussion in Beiyang about whether the People's Party will take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand around. But so far, the BJP has stopped at the territory it has already gained. Otherwise, it was a fair deal, which made people feel that the BJP was particularly uneasy and kind.

"Pingqing, what do you think Chen Ke wants to do this time?" Yuan Shikai asked Wang Shizhen.

Wang Shizhen did not answer immediately, the People's Party really grasped the opportunity too well. Yuan Shikai is now overwhelmed by financial problems, and the People's Party is now exporting large quantities of soda ash and industrial acid to the north. The price is much cheaper than the imported one, and it occupies the northern market at once. In the past three months, the sales volume has reached one million taels. If you continue to do this, you will earn at least four million taels a year. Although Wang Shizhen is now the Minister of War, he is still Yuan Shikai's most important adviser. In Wang Shizhen's view, the purpose of the People's Party's trip is only for money.

"Yuan Gong, I think the People's Party wants to cooperate more on this trip." Wang Shizhen replied.

"Oh?" Yuan Shikai felt a little surprised. In these years, people looking for Yuan Shikai have something to ask Yuan Shikai to come to the door. Even if it is to "offer advice", it is all to be able to seek a position and a half-official, or to ask Yuan Shikai for something. The People's Party is an alternative that Yuan Shikai encountered, and it is very easy to deal with the People's Party.

As far as Yuan Shikai knows, the People's Party is a big thief, but there are many people who read in it. But even the loud horses are not as straightforward as them. The impression left by several encounters on Yuan Shikai was, "Dare to say anything, dare to do what you say." "So there's no point in preparing too much.

Thinking of this, Yuan Shikai said, "Forget it, let him in." ”

After seeing Lu Huitian, Yuan Shikai felt that Lu Huitian had changed a little, at least he was much more cheerful than the last time he saw him. After settling down, they exchanged greetings, and Lu Huitian did not have the taste of the last time they met. Pure politeness is politeness, and simplicity cannot be simpler.

"Yuan Gong, the British in Wuhan came to contact us, and tried to fool us with some trick to recognize the identity of the belligerents, but we refused. Chairman Chen sent a telegram to Yuan Gong, but I don't know if Yuan Gong could see it. Lu Huitian went straight to the point.

Yuan Shikai was really satisfied with this matter, the People's Party did not give the British a chance to intervene, and Yuan Shikai's life would be much better. The British have enough bargaining chips to suppress Yuan Shikai, and if the People's Party stabs him in the back, the British are only afraid of being even tougher.

"I appreciate Wen Qing's kindness, I don't know what good news Wen Qing is going to send me this time?" Yuan Shikai said very implicitly.

"Chairman Chen sent me here this time mainly for two reasons, first, the issue of customs duties, I don't know what Yuan Gong's plans are. Second, the recent chaos in Fujian, what is Yuan Gong's plan? Lu Huitian replied.

"What are Wen Qing's plans for tariffs, as far as we know, Wen Qing has made a lot of money recently. Could it be that Wen Qing sent Brother Lu to send me money? Yuan Shikai said with a smile. The People's Party and foreigners have done a great deal of business, and Yuan Shikai has long been red-eyed. However, if the People's Party cannot be defeated, there is naturally no room for interference. However, the People's Party is already a big seller of several businesses in the north, and Yuan Shikai has not done it for the time being, which does not mean that he will not do it all the time.

"Yuan Gong laughed, with the power of Beiyang, wouldn't it be better to make money together?" Lu Huitian didn't laugh. Compared with before, Lu Huitian feels that some of his ideas have changed a lot, one of which is that Lu Huitian will no longer think that politics can take precedence over economics. Chen Ke has a saying that impressed Lu Huitian very deeply, "Business is business". In the past, Lu Huitian liked to be "perfect" in his work, that is, he hoped that all parties could have a common positive evaluation of one thing. Now he finally realizes that this attitude itself is a concrete manifestation of stupidity.

Contradictions are always the unity of opposites, and if there are no two sides of the contradiction, then there is no contradiction. There can be no uniform evaluation around the same thing. After realizing this, Lu Huitian was completely able to accept a different attitude.

"Yuan Gong, we know that cotton in Hebei and Shandong is well planted, and if the price is right, we are willing to buy from Yuan Gong." Lu Huitian said.

Yuan Shikai and Wang Shizhen glanced at each other, and the People's Party had made a lot of money from the north, which was a terrible blood loss for the financially strapped Beiyang. However, the products produced by the People's Party are not produced by Beiyang itself, soda ash, industrial acids, hardware products, and more recently, silk. Beiyang can only be purchased unilaterally. The People's Party is willing to buy cotton on a large scale, which is a big deal.

"Wen Qing, what do you mean?" Yuan Shikai was puzzled by this. It is impossible for Chen Ke to send money to Yuan Shikai in vain. Moreover, the yarn mills in Tianjin also need a large amount of cotton, and the cotton that can be produced in the north may not be able to sell much.

"Chairman Chen believes that the north is now an important market for the People's Party, and if the north is not allowed to balance trade with us, Yuan Gong will definitely not agree. After we maintained the trade balance with the foreign devils, business was doing well. For the north, we have the same intentions. We can talk about that. There are so many good things in the north, and we all need them too. ”

It must be said that Lu Huitian's politeness this time was far from reaching the level that Yuan Shikai hoped for, but Yuan Shikai felt that Lu Huitian at this time was much more pleasing to the eye. Beiyang needs money, and collecting commercial taxes alone is indeed a big deal, but these commercial taxes are far less than Yuan Shikai's needs.

"What does Wen Qing mean?" Yuan Shikai asked.

Lu Huitian took out a piece and gave it to Yuan Shikai and Wang Shizhen. At this time, in addition to these two people in the house, there was also Yang Du. Lu Huitian wanted to give the other one to Yang Du, but Yang Du wanted to see it, but he still refused. "Tiger Zen, you listen too." Yuan Shikai said.

With Yuan Shikai's order, Yang Du took the thing given by Lu Huitian.

"Yuan Gong, this is an icon of sales and profits." Lu Huitian explained. This is a key part of Chen Ke's business cooperation with Yuan Shikai. If the price is low, it will not make money, but if the price is high, the people will not be able to afford it, so modern business will choose a balance point of total sales. Commercial operations are carried out around this equilibrium point.

This is the case with the BJP's commodities, especially several heavy chemicals. Although it is a unique business, the sales price is very particular. In addition to selling in large quantities overseas, there must be a sense of wholeness when selling domestically. It is well understood within the BJP that the good life of the BJP now is based on a lot of trade. Not only the overseas market, but also the domestic market. For other provinces, the BJP has no choice for the time being. But Beiyang is a good breakthrough. And Beiyang also has a financial crisis, and they need money more than anyone else.

This theory is not complicated, and Yuan Shikai and others understood it as soon as they heard it. The People's Party wanted to engage in large-scale business dealings with Yuan Shikai on the basis of breaking even.

"What does Wen Qing want us to do in Beiyang?" Yuan Shikai was unclear about his role.

"On some goods, we are big sellers, so we need a big buyer too. And on many products, we are big buyers, so we also need big sellers. We couldn't find any other collaborators other than Beiyang. Lu Huitian said the final answer.

Yang Du was young after all, and when he heard this, he couldn't help but show joy on his face. Yuan Shikai and Wang Shizhen looked serious. Chen's proposal is very attractive. But Chen Ke is not a fool, and if he does this, he will not get the slightest benefit on his books. Although commercial tax is a large income, unless Chen Ke has other profits, he still feels that the gains outweigh the losses after spending so much effort.

"What does Wen Qing want to get from me here in Beiyang?" Yuan Shikai asked.

Lu Huitian explained to Yuan Shikai the economic policies of the People's Party, saying that if the people in the Duan base area did not have a large number of employment opportunities, their lives could not be improved. Chen Ke is a staunch opponent of any welfare system. If you want to earn money, you have to work. The BJP must maximize employment opportunities. Without a large amount of raw materials, many factories would not be able to operate.

And Lu Huitian also has things that he can't tell Yuan Shikai. In the First World War, after discussions in the People's Party, everyone temporarily agreed with Chen Ke's viewpoint, "Europe must purchase goods from all over the world to meet the needs of the war." "If there are no large number of construction factories now, the People's Party will not be able to supply goods to Europe in large quantities.

"In addition to cotton, what else does Wen Qing want to buy from us." Yuan Shikai asked.

"Wool, a lot of wool from Inner and Outer Mongolia." Lu Huitian replied.

Wool is a good thing, in addition to wool spinning, Chen Ke asked the comrades of the People's Party to try on a kind of boots, cowhide surface, with a layer of sheep wool inside, which is really warm to wear in winter. The wool spun from wool and the sweater woven from the wool are also good warm clothes after the cold weather. This commodity can be basically and thoroughly digested within the base area, and there is no need to consider the issue of export sales at all.

"Yuan Gong, the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway has been repaired, and the wool is transported directly from the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway to Beijing, and it is very convenient to load the ship by water. The only problem is the price. As long as the price is right, we want as much as we want. So we wanted to set up a station in the north for the initial processing of wool and then transport it to our base. The matter of purchasing wool, we will hand it over to Yuan Gong. ”

Yuan Shikai's heart set off a fluctuation. He had been bribing the Mongol princes, but force alone had limited effect. Beiyang doesn't have much money, and throwing money into those princes can't satisfy the appetite of these princes at any time. And wool is not a valuable thing in Inner and Outer Mongolia, how much you want. As long as you give some money, the princes of Inner and Inner Mongolia will only think that this is pie in the sky. But Chen Ke's vision of economic layout made Yuan Shikai feel very uncomfortable.

As the saying goes, no one ploughs the thin land, and there are people fighting for the ploughing. The People's Party knows that it will increase employment opportunities for the people in the base areas, so doesn't Yuan Shikai know that there are benefits to increasing employment opportunities?

Lu Huitian knew that Yuan Shikai would definitely think so, in fact, the base area was not only trying to raise sheep, but also planting a lot of cotton. It is also difficult for everyone to accept the purchase of raw materials from other provinces. China has always been scarce, and even if it doesn't make other people's money, it can cause a huge sense of loss. The view of the economy is more scientific in the field, so the sense of loss is also stronger.

There was silence for a while before Yuan Shikai spoke, "Is it just such a thing that Wen Qing asked you to come?" ”

Lu Huitian didn't expect Yuan Shikai to make up his mind immediately, "Chairman Chen wants to ask Yuan Gong, if the Manchu Qing Dynasty is completely destroyed, will the customs issue still follow the previous agreement?" ”

Yuan Shikai didn't expect Chen Ke to really be sure of this matter, and he didn't actually think about it. I wanted to give a simple answer and go according to the previous agreement, but Yuan Shikai held back. There must be a number of reasons why Chen Ke asked. He asked, "What happened to Wenqing?" ”

"We have signed a few new agreements with the British, and this part of the sales will not involve the domestic market, so we are afraid that we will not be able to count these revenues into the original agreement." Lu Huitian replied.

"How much?" Yuan Shikai asked casually.

"Forty million taels of imports and exports a year."

After Lu Huitian finished talking about this number, Yuan Shikai, Wang Shizhen, and Yang Du's eyes couldn't help but widen. No wonder Chen Ke was reluctant to include these transactions in the original agreement. Even at a 5% tariff, these sales are two million taels a year. Converted into silver dollars, it is nearly four million a year. Even if Yuan Shikai collects less, he can earn one million silver dollars a year. Enough to feed a new army in a town.

"I'm only afraid of ......, and I have to discuss." Yuan Shikai almost refused directly. But he understood very well that if the Manchu Qing Dynasty did not come to power, he would not be able to touch this money no matter what. Even if the Manchu Qing Dynasty falls, this money may not be able to fall into the hands. If you want to get a million silver dollars a year, you have to give Chen Ke enough benefits.

"We'll talk about that later. I heard Huitian say that there are still things about Fujian, but I don't know what Wenqing thinks about Fujian. Yuan Shikai felt that Lu Huitian's main purpose was to have a plan for Fujian.

"We ask Yuan Gong to restore the situation in Fujian as soon as possible. Or does Yuan Gong simply not want Fujian to be discussed in the national parliament next year? In any case, we will not meddle in Fujian's affairs, but we are not at ease if Fujian continues to be so chaotic. Lu Huitian replied.

"Wenqing is unwilling to quell the rebellion in Fujian?" Yuan Shikai asked.

"If we wanted to fight the Manchu forces in Fujian, we would have sent troops a long time ago. But since we have reached an agreement with Yuan Gong, we will naturally not break the contract. We sincerely hope that Yuan Gong can take control of the situation. Then everyone will be able to live a good life. What's in it for us if there's such a ruckus around? Lu Huitian emphasized this issue.

Such high-sounding words made Yuan Shikai puzzled, did Chen Ke really want the world to be peaceful? Beiyang is now fully prepared to take advantage of the chaos to seek greater territory and interests, and the People's Party seems to have no interest in this chaos. What exactly do they want?

But no matter how you ask, Lu Huitian's attitude is always the same, hoping that Yuan Shikai can quickly calm down the situation and completely overthrow the Manchu Qing Dynasty. And trade with the BJP on a larger scale. This is somewhat surprising when you look at it. After sending Lu Huitian away, Yuan Shikai asked Wang Shizhen, "Pingqing, what kind of trick is Chen Ke doing?" ”

Wang Shizhen also couldn't figure out what benefits Beiyang would have for the People's Party? Since the People's Party rejected the threat of the British, it shows that the People's Party is unwilling to cause chaos in Beiyang. However, the People's Party did not show the slightest sign of fear of Beiyang. What do they want?

"Yuan Gong, will the People's Party really not want China to be in chaos?" Yang Du asked hesitantly.

This question is really a bit silly, Yuan Shikai sneered: "They are the culprits of the chaos in the world, will they be afraid of the chaos in the world?" ”

"Just because the People's Party wants to overthrow the imperial court doesn't mean they want chaos in China." Yang Du's voice was not loud, but he was not too afraid.

"Humph!" Yuan Shikai snorted coldly. If he said that he wanted to save the country and save the people, he could not insist that the People's Party did not have such plans. However, under the current situation, Yuan Shikai will never admit that there is anyone more loyal to the country than him.

Wang Shizhen has always felt that Yang Du is a lucky person, so he has never been very polite to Yang Du, "Hu Chan, the People's Party is scheming, and it is definitely not a good type." Either way, you talk to Na Lu Huitian privately and see what he really wants. ”

Yang Du looked at Yuan Shikai, Yuan Shikai nodded, "Hu Chan, what are they saying, you might as well make peace." Be sure to know what they want. ”

After Yang Du went out, Wang Shizhen said: "Yuan Gong, the People's Party has seen the chaos in the world, and I'm afraid that it is going to fish in troubled waters." They came to test our Beiyang this time, and they weren't ready to come. After swallowing Jiangxi and northern Jiangsu, the People's Party did not have the strength to enter Fujian for a while and a half. ”

"What do you suggest?"

"It depends on whether Yuan Gong wants to stabilize the situation, or is ready to put a long line to catch a big fish. If Yuan Gong wanted to stabilize the situation, then he would send troops into Fujian and Shaanxi to restore order. Anyway, looking at it now, all the generals are waiting for Yuan Gong to divide the governors of the provinces. These two provinces might as well start. Moreover, Zhejiang is lonely in the south of the Yangtze River, if it can possess Fujian, Jiangnan will become a piece. As for Shaanxi, if you want to enter Sichuan, you must seize Shaanxi. As long as Yuan Gong sends troops, other provinces know that they are powerful, and they will be honest. ”

Wang Shizhen analyzed very seriously, Yuan Shikai nodded slightly, and he was undecided now. It would be best to be able to capture more provinces directly. However, this dispatch of troops requires money, and Beiyang's finances are stretched. The scale of the troops is not likely to be too large. However, the generals have been waiting for a long time for the feudal governor, and they do not meet their needs, and they are afraid that Beiyang itself will make trouble first.

Yuan Shikai actually has his own belly case, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Hebei, must be directly subordinate. Inner and outer Mongolia should be semi-directly subordinated. The other provinces could be divided into governors. But once partitioned, Yuan Shikai lost direct control of these provinces. If the one who divides the seal is unfaithful, it is to raise a tiger. He who divides is faithful, but it only weakens his own strength. It's a real dilemma.

Thinking of this, Yuan Shikai suddenly found that the People's Party was actually ahead of him again this time. Chen Ke's suggestion is actually to ask Yuan Shikai to express his position. And the same as last time, the People's Party has the bargaining chips that Yuan Shikai desperately desires. Yuan Shikai no longer has to pay the expenses of the bannermen in various places. This has already saved a lot of money. If there is more cooperation in commerce and tariffs, Yuan Shikai's Beiyang government will collect a certain amount of money from other provinces, and the national fiscal revenue and expenditure will be balanced. I'm afraid there will be some surplus.

Although the People's Party has ill intentions, it harbors evil intentions. But Yuan Shikai really couldn't think of how to refuse this temptation.

"Pingqing, do you think that once the imperial court is overthrown, Chen Ke will come to Beijing to be an official?" Although he knew that Chen Ketie was determined to be the emperor of the four provinces, Yuan Shikai couldn't help but ask.

"No way." Wang Shizhen's answer was categorical.

Yuan Shikai sighed slightly, and then said, "I want to control the situation quickly." I wanted to come to Chen Ke so politely this time, in fact, I wanted to see if Beiyang was really capable. If we can't do it, they'll do it. I don't want this kid Chen Ke to please see our Beiyang. Do you have any thoughts on the selection of the secretary of state? ”

"Let Cao Kun go to Shaanxi. Let Feng Guozhang go to Fujian. Wang Shizhen gave the answer.

"Cao Kun, if he wants to go, send him to Shaanxi. Why did you want Feng Guozhang to go to Fujian? Yuan Shikai asked.

"Let Duan Qirui hurry back to Beijing. If Yuan Gong can rest assured of Feng Guozhang, then let him temporarily guard Jiangnan. Zhejiang and Fujian provinces are too far away from us, and there is a People's Party Huaihai Province in between. This is also Chen Ke's cunning, and the position he chose is too tricky. Wang Shizhen said.

After hearing this, Yuan Shikai subconsciously glanced at the map, and the People's Party went from the sea to Hubei. Completely cut off north-south traffic. By land, you can only enter the south by taking Sichuan. However, the People's Party guards Yimeng Mountain in the east and Dabie Mountain in the west, both of which occupy the situation. In the south, Jiangxi is directly inserted into the south of the Yangtze River and borders Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan and Zhejiang. You can march into these provinces at any time. Although the Huanghuai Plain in the middle bordering Beiyang is vast, Beiyang really cannot be sure that it will defeat the People's Party in a large-scale field battle.

Once Beiyang divides the generals, the power of the central government will only be weakened. If it is not possible to accumulate money as soon as possible and form an army on a large scale, it is impossible for Beiyang to win. But if you want to make money, you have to make an agreement with the BJP. Yuan Shikai can figure out the joints here, but Chen Ke can always grasp the situation first. Even if this is the only point, Yuan Shikai wants to teach Chen Ke a lesson.

After thinking for a long time, Yuan Shikai said, "Let's prepare to send troops." ”