"Chairman Chen, can I think so, in order to let Yuan Shikai not borrow money from foreign devils, we have to let Yuan Shikai get a bigger sum of money?" Chen Tianhua felt that he basically understood Chen Ke's thoughts.

"We are not simply giving Yuan Shikai money, but to improve Yuan Shikai's ability to do business with foreign devils. Now Yuan Shikai is almost one-sided and is made money by foreign devils. He can make money from foreign devils, but it's just a tariff. That idea tariff can be said to be very few. The heavy industrial products we export from the local area, such as small hardware, such as soda ash in heavy chemical products, various industrial acids, not to mention raw silk and silk in light industrial products. There are also tea, porcelain, pig bristles, all of which can make a lot of money. We use this money to buy equipment and raw materials, and then we continue to produce and make money. The purpose of this negotiation is to pull Yuan Shikai into such a track. ”

In response to Chen Ke's explanation, Chen Tianhua smiled and said, "Chairman Chen, comrades are going to fight hard with you. Doesn't this mean that Yuan Shikai has been exposed to our benefits? ”

"If Yuan Shikai joined, we would only earn 100. After Yuan Shikai joins, we can earn 400. So let Yuan Shikai earn 100 more, what damage will it do to us? Chen Ke explained patiently, "If you want to achieve this goal, you must first take back the actual control of the customs from the hands of foreign devils." What to import and what to export, this has to be decided by our own customs. Without the cooperation of Beiyang Yuan Shikai, it is impossible for us to control the entire customs. So you have to cooperate with Yuan Shikai. ”

As long as Chen Ke can explain the reason, even if the comrades cannot fully understand it for the time being, everyone can accept Chen Ke's arrangement. Because Chen Ke's previous "whimsy" has withstood the test of facts after all. Listening to this clear and unambiguous explanation, even if he was unwilling to let Yuan Shikai earn too much, Chen Tianhua no longer raised objections.

"If we negotiate with Yuan Shikai, will he be willing to cooperate?" Chen Tianhua asked.

"As the new president, Yuan Shikai is naturally willing to master the customs. This is something that can be earned by all faces. If there is any reluctance, it is just that he does not want to share the fruits of victory with others. ”

Yan Fu did not interject, he preferred to approve of strong leaders, and Chen Ke's model of almost single-handedly deciding the direction of diplomacy was completely in line with Yan Fu's philosophy. Naturally, the party committee meeting will be held, and that is only when the work at the local level is decided. Regarding the major events that determine the direction of the entire People's Party, Yan Fu hopes that Chen Ke will be able to "act arbitrarily" in this way.

Since the comrades jointly elected Chen Ke as chairman of the People's Party, they had to accept Chen Ke's arrangement. This is the "organizing principle" that Yan Fu agrees with.

"If Yuan Shikai is too small and is unwilling to cooperate for personal gain, what should we do?" Chen Tianhua asked. He was still uneasy about Chen's optimism.

"If Yuan Shikai's qi is too small, then he is just a Dong Zhuo. Forget your life when you see small profits, and regret your life when you encounter big things. Let's let him realize that he doesn't have to pay too much at this stage, and it is easy to get the benefits. People die for money, birds die for food, and those people in Beiyang are all virtuous. Chen Ke is very confident.

The People's Party delegation dangled on the train for more than two days before it arrived in Beijing, and before it got off the train, it saw a bunch of Beiyang troops standing in the station, full of sentry posts, loaded with guns and ammunition.

"It seems that Yuan Shikai is very important to us?" Chen Tianhua was not surprised by this battle.

"Well, that's right. This is a good sign. Chen Ke nodded repeatedly.

It was Tang Shaoyi who came to greet Chen Ke, and Tang Shaoyi was quite enthusiastic, "Mr. Chen, I thank you for hosting in Anhui last time, and this time I am in charge of the living of Mr. Chen and his party, and it is time for me to take care of you." ”

"Then it's all over to Mr. Tang." Chen Ke also smiled.

Obviously, this is just a nice thing to say, Tang Shaoyi's schedule is very close, and on the day he got off the train, Yuan Shikai met Chen Ke.

"Hello, President Yuan." Chen Ke took the initiative to step forward and shake hands. This made the people around Yuan Shikai frown.

Yuan Shikai didn't care much, he shook hands with Chen Ke very casually, and asked Chen Ke's delegation to sit down. Yuan Shikai's representatives included Xu Shichang, vice premier of the cabinet, Zhang Jian, minister of industry and commerce, and Wang Shizhen, minister of the Ministry of War. After everyone sat down. The negotiations went straight to the point, and Yuan Shikai asked Chen Ke what plan he was going to come up with to solve the current economic difficulties of the central government.

"President Yuan, I think you have also heard that the British once wanted to reach a fixed import and export agreement with us, and the total trade volume reached 100 million pounds a year. Not to mention how much money each side can make in this trade deal. Customs taxes alone can earn five million pounds a year. This is something that President Yuan can think of. ”

The senior officials of Beiyang sitting next to Yuan Shikai felt that this was simply nonsense, and Zhang Jian couldn't help but say: "Five million pounds a year can definitely solve the current problems of the central government, but now we are facing the problem of poor exports abroad, where can we easily achieve the trade quota to the extent of 50 million exports a year?" ”

"I think there is only one key to this export, and the customs has not been able to control it. In terms of bulk trade of imports and exports, we are too fragmented in each industry. Chen Ke replied, "The foreigners want to use China as a dumping base, and we also want to use them as a dumping base." Since both sides have this mind, it is better for the central government to lock them up directly. Every industry has a leader who can master the domestic industry. In this way, exports can be easily controlled, and domestic and foreign taxes can also be controlled. ”

This is Chen Ke's plan, the People's Party has enough strength to control a considerable industry, then it will simply form a complete monopoly on this industry.

Yuan Shikai and most of the people on the Beiyang side had no opinion, and the "state-owned economy" had occupied a dominant position in the Manchus since the Manchu Qing had to open the door. Government investment in industry has always been the mainstream model, and there is nothing deviant about Chen's proposal. It's just that the scale is just too big.

"The key is the standard of export quality." Chen Ke has his own views on this, "That is to say, the products we export must be of uniform standards." For example, raw silk, silkworm seeds, the length and thickness of silk. There has to be a standard for all of this. In addition, it is necessary to develop varieties that can be exported. After all, China is so big, the north and the south have their own specialties, and the number of products that can be exported is definitely quite large. If these standards are negotiated, products will be produced on a uniform scale, and there will be absolutely no problem in exporting 50 million a year in bulk trading. ”

Yuan Shikai listened patiently, although he was already a little impatient. This time, Chen Ke was invited over to talk about letting Chen Ke pay off his debts, but Chen Ke talked a lot about how to make money. This is obviously a bit off-topic. However, Yuan Shikai can also understand that if Chen Ke can't make money, how can he pay for it?

Zhang Jian did not support Chen Ke's idea at all, he himself is a large private enterprise, and he has always supported the development of private enterprises. Not to mention that Zhang Jian's industry has also been hit hard by the People's Party. Seeing that Chen Ke was so enthusiastic about the state's complete control of various industries, he couldn't help but come up and dampen Chen Ke's enthusiasm, "Mr. Chen, this time we are talking about the central financial crisis, what is Mr. Chen's opinion on this point?" ”

"Takami doesn't, if we contribute money to the national treasury, we have some money. But we can't sit back and eat. The national fiscal revenue is like a big pie, you have to get bigger and bigger, so that all parties can get a bigger share. Does Minister Zhang think this is reasonable? Chen Ke replied.

At the first meeting, Yuan Shikai said almost nothing, but Chen Ke and Zhang Jian argued about their differences. Chen Ke insisted that the state take the lead, and Zhang Jian believed that the local lead was more appropriate. Although the two sides have their own positions, in Yuan Shikai's view, this is simply the other way around. Zhang Jian is a central official, and Chen Ke is a local force. It should be Chen Ke who advocates local leadership, while Zhang Jian advocates national leadership.

Seeing that Zhang Jian was really a little wrong, Yuan Shikai had to say: "Wenqing has been tired all the way, let's take a rest first." ”

As soon as the apparent meeting ended, Yuan Shikai privately invited Chen Ke to take his wife and children to Yuan Shikai's house for a light meal that night. It was Yuan Shikai's eldest son Yuan Keding who came to greet him, and Yuan Keding's attitude towards Chen Ke was quite hostile. For this son who vigorously encouraged Yuan Shikai to become emperor, Chen Ke did not treat him much.

It was not only Chen Ke who came to "visit", Xu Shichang also brought a family to "visit" Yuan Shikai. The real negotiations began around the president of the Beiyang government, the de facto prime minister, and the People's Party, the largest local force.

However, everyone generally walked around the form, and met and greeted each other first. The Yuan family has many descendants, dozens of up and down. Chen Ke's family of three really seems lonely compared to others. However, Yuan Shikai did not mean to shout and fight. When Chen Ke's wife He Ying was a child, Yuan Shikai also saw He Ying several times in the He family. As an elder and proposer, when He Ying stepped forward to give Yuan Shikai a gift, Yuan Shikai naturally wanted to reminisce about the old days and talk about the previous relationship between Yuan and He's families.

After the scene was finished, the ladies went to talk with He Ying and Chen Ke's daughter, Chen Qianru. The three heads of the family went to the study to continue the negotiations.

"Wen Qing, you have always been cheerful in doing things. I love it. Since you're here in person this time, you might as well tell the truth. Yuan Shikai did not keep a straight face, but said in the gentle tone of the elders to the juniors.

"I want to follow you, President, to get the customs back." Chen Ke immediately told him bluntly.

Yuan Shikai's eyes lit up immediately, if he could take back the customs, this was not only a major event that could be fully explained to the whole country. It can be more financially profitable. Yuan Shikai will not object to this.

However, for Yuan Shikai, he has seen too many people who speak loudly and deceively, not to mention the remarks of taking back the customs, and even the remarks of beating foreign devils out of China, it is not one or two people who have said so, he smiled: "But I don't know what Wenqing has to do to take back the customs." ”

"Foreign devils can open the door to China with guns, but they have spent so much effort that they can't sell many products to China, which is their dead end. What Britain, France, Germany, and the United States are trying to sell to China now, so we might as well buy it. The President already knew the situation in our base areas, and on the basis of the trade balance, we imported European and American machinery and exported things to the colonies in Southeast Asia, and the scale of such trade alone was quite large. If we come to an agreement with customs in this way, we will certainly be able to regain control of customs. "Chen Ke has never been against global trade. One of the beneficiaries of global trade in the 21st century is undoubtedly China, and now in the 20th century, it is the British who dominate global trade. Chen doesn't think the British can be tougher than the Americans.

Yuan Shikai couldn't help but be a little disappointed when he heard this, this is what Chen Ke said during the day. He thought that Chen Ke would have something to say in private. "Wen Qing, you are now in the south, holding raw silk and other transactions, so you naturally have the confidence to say this. But we in Beiyang don't have the convenience of yours. Now talking about this expansion of trade, isn't it a bit of a standing and talking without backache? ”

"Haha, President, that's a joke. The north naturally has the advantage of the north, which is not comparable to the south. If it can be developed, it will be amazing. Just like the soybeans in the Northeast, you can't grow them in the south. ”

As soon as Xu Shichang heard this, he immediately had his spirits.

Yuan Shikai was also a little surprised, he asked: "Juren, you are outside the gate, but is this so?" ”

"But so." Xu Shichang immediately replied, "In the past few days, I will have people send some soybeans in for the president to taste." ”

Chen Ke hurriedly climbed up, "The quality of soybeans in the Northeast is excellent, and now it has not been exported on a large scale, and the biggest key is that we have never really taken out these good things to sell." Personally, I have a foolishness, foreign countries have international expositions, and we might as well hold expositions in China every year. And this expo must be hosted by the central government. ”

The Canton Fair is a good thing, and China itself is undoubtedly able to host a Canton Fair. After Chen Ke explained the content of the Canton Fair in detail, Yuan Shikai and Xu Shichang already had some understanding of the inherent characteristics of Chen Ke's proposal. Different from ordinary market trading, the purpose of the Canton Fair is to allow all parties to come up with their best and then do business openly. And the purpose of the government's leadership is nothing more than one, since it is run by the government, the natural government has to pull a stroke from the middle.

"I'm afraid this tax alone is still too little, and it's too slow." Xu Shichang said.

"Whether it's slow or not, it depends on how you operate. If you rely on those companies to do it themselves, there will definitely not be much business. But what if the government is willing to invest? Chen Ke replied.

"Government investment?"

"Yes, for example, the soybeans in the Northeast I mentioned are actually just some very ordinary things in the Northeast, but if the government is willing to invest and support, the annual output will increase greatly, and the income will be very extraordinary. And with the Canton Fair, we can clearly know what foreign devils want to buy, and it is not easy to make mistakes in the direction of investment. That's the benefit. Chen Ke replied.

"So what does this have to do with recovering customs?" Xu Shichang still doesn't quite understand this.

"After the customs are recovered, what to do is naturally determined by us. So I'm still suggesting that I do what I talked about during the day about the quota trade agreement. Chen Ke went around such a long way, and finally got the key problem back.

"Haha, President, that's a joke. The north naturally has the advantage of the north, which is not comparable to the south. If it can be developed, it will be amazing. Just like the soybeans in the Northeast, you can't grow them in the south. ”

As soon as Xu Shichang heard this, he immediately had his spirits.

Yuan Shikai was also a little surprised, he asked: "Juren, you are outside the gate, but is this so?" ”

"But so." Xu Shichang immediately replied, "In the past few days, I will have people send some soybeans in for the president to taste." ”

Chen Ke hurriedly climbed up, "The quality of soybeans in the Northeast is excellent, and now it has not been exported on a large scale, and the biggest key is that we have never really taken out these good things to sell." Personally, I have a foolishness, foreign countries have international expositions, and we might as well hold expositions in China every year. And this expo must be hosted by the central government. ”

The Canton Fair is a good thing, and China itself is undoubtedly able to host a Canton Fair. After Chen Ke explained the content of the Canton Fair in detail, Yuan Shikai and Xu Shichang already had some understanding of the inherent characteristics of Chen Ke's proposal. Different from ordinary market trading, the purpose of the Canton Fair is to allow all parties to come up with their best and then do business openly. And the purpose of the government's leadership is nothing more than one, since it is run by the government, the natural government has to pull a stroke from the middle.

"I'm afraid this tax alone is still too little, and it's too slow." Xu Shichang said.

"Whether it's slow or not, it depends on how you operate. If you rely on those companies to do it themselves, there will definitely not be much business. But what if the government is willing to invest? Chen Ke replied.

"Government investment?"

"Yes, for example, the soybeans in the Northeast I mentioned are actually just some very ordinary things in the Northeast, but if the government is willing to invest and support, the annual output will increase greatly, and the income will be very extraordinary. And with the Canton Fair, we can clearly know what foreign devils want to buy, and it is not easy to make mistakes in the direction of investment. That's the benefit. Chen Ke replied.

"So what does this have to do with recovering customs?" Xu Shichang still doesn't quite understand this.

"After the customs are recovered, what to do is naturally determined by us. So I'm still suggesting that I do what I talked about during the day about the quota trade agreement. Chen Ke went around such a long way, and finally got the key problem back.

"So what does this have to do with recovering customs?" Xu Shichang still doesn't quite understand this.

"After the customs are recovered, what to do is naturally determined by us. So I'm still suggesting that I do what I talked about during the day about the quota trade agreement. Chen Ke went around such a long way, and finally got the key problem back.