Chen Wenqiang is certainly a local powerhouse, but his vision, and his ultimate goal, are the whole country. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info Therefore, he seems to be fighting against the imperial court for the interests of the two Guangzhous, and also waging war and negotiating with foreigners, but in essence, what he is fighting for is the national interest.

One must build on a firm foundation? Li Hongzhang couldn't understand this truth, he wanted to protect the interests of the Beiyang clique to the death, and was passively afraid of war, but he was still defeated in the First Sino-Japanese War, not only did he not achieve his original goal, but also left behind his infamy.

In fact, this is also a question of long-term vision and broad thinking, and it also has a lot to do with the social system and the type of education received.

For example, the two major military enterprises under Chen Wenqiang's control, the Yazhou Arsenal and the Chenzhou Arsenal, are supplying weapons to the new army in the south. This seems to be adding resistance to the revolutionary army, but in turn, isn't it also a force that strengthens the country?

Moreover, through these two major arsenals, Chen Wenqiang further seized the tariffs and financial adjustments of the Qing court, and made the military manufacturing produce economic benefits, showing a benign development.

Generally speaking, since military industrial products do not participate in commodity circulation and cannot generate profits, their development does not depend on internal capital accumulation, but on the financial support of the government. At that time, most of China's larger military enterprises were funded by the central government, mainly from the allocation of tariffs and military spending. Taking the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau as an example, when it was first established, its perennial expenditure was "about 10,000 taels per month", which was allocated from the Huai Army's military expenditure.

In view of the peculiarities of the military-industrial complex, most of its funds come from government financial allocations, tariffs, centimen and military appropriations. With the exception of a few large enterprises such as the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau and the Jinling Machinery Bureau, which have received funding from the central government, most of the Western-style military enterprises have relied on the support of local finances to develop them.

Since the two major arsenals in Yazhou and Chenzhou could not receive funds from the central government, Chen Wenqiang withheld local funds, such as centigold and salt taxes, for subsidies. At the same time, in accordance with the order of the War Department to organize and train the new army. The standard firearms of the Southern New Army were Mauser rifles, which were produced and manufactured by the Yazhou and Chenzhou arsenals. Chen Wenqiang set the price for the factory guns according to this, and asked all localities to pay for the purchase, with one hand for money and one hand for goods, and two for silver.

Dare to violate conventions, naturally there is something to rely on. By hiring German technical experts. Through scientific management, strict quality supervision and cost saving, and because of the self-sufficiency of required materials, the guns and ammunition produced by the two major arsenals are slightly lower in price than imported goods, and they are qualified to compete with foreign goods.

Since there is no disadvantage in price and quality, coupled with the short transportation distance and fast delivery time, the purchase of domestically produced goods has become the first choice for the formation and training of the new army. Due to financial problems, all localities naturally wanted to negotiate with Chen Wenqiang for preferential treatment or installment or postponement payment, and Chen Wenqiang used this as a reason. In the imperial court, Chen said that the factories were in difficulty, and demanded that they enjoy the treatment of the manufacturing bureaus in Jiangnan and Jinling, and receive tariff subsidies, so that the plan to organize and train the new army in the provinces could be carried out smoothly.

The reason for this was that the war in the southwest was urgent for the formation and training of the new army, so that the Qing court finally allowed the Qing court to play the game, and the foreign tax of Guangdong Customs was used as the perennial expenditure of the two major arsenals. The imperial court sent superintendents to the factories, and the guns and ammunition needed for the formation and training of the new army were all supplied at half price. The balance will be settled in four instalments over a period of two years.

It seems that the customs duties are still in the hands of the Qing court, but after the customs duties support the perennial funds of the two major arsenals, because the factories are firmly in the hands of Chen Wenqiang, this is equivalent to indirectly delegating part of the use of customs taxes to him.

The supply of weapons and ammunition gradually came into the hands of Chen Wenqiang, which was a reliable guarantee for the victory of the revolutionary army in the long run. Because Chen Wenqiang's supply of ammunition to the new army is limited. It is calculated to supply in batches. In the event of a war, he could immediately cut off the ammunition of the hostile Forces nouvelles and leave them defeated without a fight.

It was in this seemingly win-win compromise that the Qing court eased its finances a little because of the installment payments, and the plan to train the new army in the southern provinces was launched; Chen Wenqiang won subsidies from the central government for the two factories. And indirectly has the right to use part of the customs revenue. But these are superficial things, and how many people know and understand the more far-reaching plans and strategies?

The time for the great launch of the revolution is getting closer and closer to Chen Wenqiang's prediction, the planning and layout are also in full swing, and several key conditions are about to be realized one by one.

On April 23, 1908, the Binzhou-Shaoguan section, the last section of the Guangdong-Hankou Railway, was completed, marking the full opening of the Guangdong-Hankou Railway.

As a difficult and key point of the project, the Chenshao section can be completed in an astonishing time for many reasons. Advanced management, scientific construction, crowd tactics, contracting competition, mechanical strength, etc., are all indispensable. At the same time, it also broke the authority of foreigners, so that China's railway expert Ling Hongxun was able to make a name for himself at home and abroad.

In fact, as early as a long time ago, Britain had made many measurements between Lechang and Chenzhou, and proposed plans such as "Baisheng Line", "William's Line" and "Dick's Line", but they were all inconclusive due to excessive length, too large elevation, and many tunnels.

After many explorations on the site, Ling Hongxun finally denied the inherent thinking of the British, and determined the plan of bypassing the steep Dayao Mountain, winding all the way around the Wushui River Valley, and then going straight south.

Because the Yueling Highway had not yet been built at that time, it was very difficult to construct and transport materials, and the line had to cross Baishashui five times. Ling Hongxun also decided to use local materials and build five stone arch bridges at the same time, each with a span of 40 meters, which was the longest in China at that time, and was known as the "five arch bridges".

According to Ling Hongxun's plan, the original 70-odd tunnels surveyed by the British were reduced to 16, and the construction difficulty was greatly reduced, and the construction period was greatly shortened.

Ling Hongxun broke the authority of the foreigners and made great contributions in the construction of the Chenshao section, and in the construction of the entire Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway, who else could be the most meritorious except Chen Wenqiang?

If it weren't for him to set up a railway patrol police, he would use various means to ensure that the project would not be obstructed and delayed; If it weren't for his long-sleeved dancing and fund-raising, the Guangdong-Hanzhou Railway could only repeat the old mistakes of history, repair and stop, and it would take twenty or thirty years to break through; If it weren't for his bold hiring of German and American experts and construction teams, and the purchase of a large number of advanced machinery, the progress of the project would not have been so fast; If it weren't for the fact that he relied on his influence and money to convene millions of migrant workers to participate in the construction, how could the railway, the product of industrial civilization, be so quickly "buried" the "Chuyue Confucius" through which the thousand-year-old mule and horse merchants traveled?

……………… (To be continued.) )