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Guan Xuqing appointed Sheng Xuanhuai as the general office of Daqing Bank, Yan Jingming as the assistant, Sheng Xuanhuai's most proud stroke at the beginning of his tenure was to acquire 20% of the shares of the British shipbuilding giant Armstrong Company in one fell swoop under the instruction of Guan Xuqing, and fully acquired the Rotterdam shipyard in the Netherlands, as well as several large ironworks and oil refineries in eastern France, and also bought a 5 million pound bond from the Royal Bank of England under the banner of supporting Britain. This series www.biquge.info of crazy moves made the whole of Europe exclaim: Chinese is coming!

Fortunately, Guan Xuqing implemented the enlightened policy of vigorously introducing foreign capital and increasing the total amount of foreign trade, and many powerful British and French enterprises and businessmen came to China to invest and build factories, setting off a gold rush in the East at the end of the 19th century, and the traditional powers such as Britain and France relaxed their vigilance against China.

After the unveiling ceremony of Daqing Bank, Wang Shang pulled Sheng Xuanhuai out of the pile of domestic and foreign reporters and called him to the emperor's side.

Guan Xuqing handed over a symbolic large silver ticket of 45 million taels to Sheng Xuanhuai in front of the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs: "The silver amount of the Qing Navy will be deposited in the Daqing Bank, Li Hongzhang has worked hard to run the navy, and the silver roots are tight a few years ago, and I don't have too good ideas." Now that I have a little more money, I will make up more for the navy, and you have to take care of this money for me. ”

Sheng Xuanhuai took the silver ticket and knelt down to thank him, feeling that the burden on his shoulders was really not light.

Guan Xuqing said: "Money is the blood of the country, you must always remember that every money and silver in the Daqing Bank is the people's fat and people's ointment, you must not only keep it for me, but also use it well, and use every penny of silver to the blade." Got it? ”

"Yes, Xuanhuai must live up to the sainthood and do everything possible to make every penny work." Sheng Xuanhuai replied firmly.

"I heard that the United States has a very good way in finance, and Prime Minister Yamen has already contacted the United States, and in a few days I will send you to Wall Street in the United States to study and see how people master the operation of capital."

"Wow."

In the evening, Guan Xuqing met with Li Bingheng, the governor of Shandong. "I heard that your 60th birthday will be in a few days, I have prepared a bowl of bird's nest porridge, I hope you will be strong and strong, and serve the country more."

Li Bingheng held this bowl of bird's nest and burst into tears, not knowing how to thank the emperor.

Guan Xuqing asked Wang Shang to hand over a handkerchief: "Wipe your tears, at such an old age, it is inconvenient for your subordinates to see it." ”

"Thank you...... Emperor Xie. If Li Bingheng was afraid of this master, now he is more respectful.

"I heard Li Hongzhang say that you have not been in Shandong for a long time, but you have quite a political achievement, and you are not young, but I still have to work for you for a few more years, and the Qing Dynasty is indispensable for an old minister like you." Guan Xuqing said leisurely.

"The emperor is gracious, the minister does not dare to forget for a moment, the minister has just come to Shandong, and he can't say too much for a while, the minister thinks that the minister is the governor of Shandong, first, to seek a peaceful life and work for tens of millions of people in Shandong, and second, to share more worries for the navy." Li Bingheng is very thin, but his voice is very loud, and he knows at a glance that he is a person with no shame.

Guan Xuqing nodded: "Shandong is an important province of coastal defense, and it guards Gyeonggi, I handed over Shandong to you, and I always want to hear your opinion." Today, don't expect me to give you any lessons, you know more about Shandong than I do, so let's talk about it. Did you come from a logistics background? ”

Li Bingheng bowed and said: "Back to the emperor, the minister has been in Guangxi since the war between China and France in the seventh year of Guangxu, and the minister is from the department, so he is more meticulous in doing things, and second, the emperor is clear, the reputation of this department is not very good, and the officials who do things under him do not dare to deceive the ministers. Therefore, it is easy to do things. The minister thought that Shandong Province, as His Majesty said, has an outstanding status, Shandong is the auxiliary of Gyeonggi, the gateway of the Bohai Sea, Shandong is in danger, Beijing is shocked, and Shandong is lost. Shandong defense, and coastal defense as the first priority, the northeast of the mountain to Wuding Haifeng, south from Yizhou Rizhao, the coast stretches for more than 2,000 miles, these more than 2,000 miles, and Dengzhou, Yantai, Weihai for the heaviest, so as the governor of Shandong on the one hand, to govern the locality, to ensure that the people live and work in peace and contentment, the so-called for the official one, for the benefit of one party; On the other hand, it is also necessary to provide sufficient logistical support for coastal defense, which is the foundation of the people and the country. ”

"Well said! With this understanding, your governor will definitely be able to do a good job, and go back and write these things down again, so that you can teach other officials a lesson. ”

"Yes."

The next day, the holy driver came to Tianjin, and was naturally warmly greeted by local officials and people. The leader is none other than Li Hongzhang, the minister of Beiyang. Sheng Xuanhuai also served as Tianjin Dao, so he also greeted Li Hongzhang.

Guan Xuqing looked at the palatial palace, and his face was immediately covered with a layer of clouds: "Before I came, I asked Xianghua to generate electricity, and repeatedly told me not to set up honor guards along the way, the simpler the palace, the better, are you the wind in your ears when you are me!" ”

Everyone knelt down together, and Li Hongzhang said in fear: "The emperor is angry, and the ministers are only afraid that the simplicity of the preparations will degrade the prestige of the Son of Heaven, so they ......."

"Forget it, let's all be flat. Shaoquan (Li Hongzhang's character), the prestige of the Son of Heaven is not piled up by luxury and magnificence, I ordered you to supervise the navy, and the treasury has a lot of silver to buy ships and ships for you, I don't feel distressed at all, but if you spend all this energy and money on these things, you will disappoint me. Guan Xuqing personally helped Li Hongzhang up and said earnestly.

"The minister is guilty." Fine beads of sweat oozed from the corners of Li Hongzhang's forehead, and his eyes did not dare to raise them.

"If there are any difficulties on the naval side, you just have to say it." This is the issue that Guan Xuqing is most concerned about.

Li Hongzhang wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his expression eased slightly: "Other things are okay, that is, the ammunition supply of the Beiyang Naval Division is not guaranteed, and the training of the Navy lacks professional guidance. ”

"I have already thought about the supply of ammunition for the Beiyang Naval Division, and you can build your own ammunition factory locally to ensure the use of the Beiyang Naval Division. As for training, we can invite more foreign instructors, especially retired naval officers, who have actual combat experience and will be more professional in their guidance on training. ”

"Tsk. There is another thing, the battleships and soldiers of the Beiyang Naval Division are quite complete, but there are still very few talented commanders and generals, and the minister wants to have the courage to promote a person to the emperor and let him enrich the Beiyang Naval Division, which will be of great help in the future. Li Hongzhang secretly glanced at the emperor and wanted to observe the emperor's reaction.

"Tell me, who is this person?" Guan Xuqing also often feels that talents are rare, and the person Li Hongzhang wants to promote, he should not be wrong.

"This person's name is Yuan Shikai. At the beginning, the Japanese envoy hijacked the king, and this man mastered the current battle plan, and personally led a bid to rescue the king of Han to my Qing camp, which relieved the emperor's worries. Li Hongzhang's eyes flashed, and his excited voice trembled a little when he said the key point.

It turned out that he was the one who rescued King Han? However, Yuan Shikai in history is indeed brave and strategic, as long as he is wholeheartedly for the country, such a person can be reused. "I heard that the person who rescued King Han was called Yuan Xiangcheng, and I also commended him for this matter."

"Yuan Xiangcheng is Yuan Shikai, his ancestral home is Xiangcheng, Henan, and people are used to calling it that."

"Since it is Shaoquan Baoju's person, there must be two brushes, call him over, and I will lecture him face to face." Guan Xuqing was very interested in this person and wanted to see this historical thief with his own eyes.

After a while, Li Hongzhang asked the guards to bring a young officer, who was not tall but very stout, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and between his eyebrows he was heroic. ”

It seems that this Yuan Shikai is still a hot-blooded young man. Guan Xuqing asked: "You have made great contributions to the imperial court, why are you a criminal minister now?" At the same time, he beckoned Yuan Shikai to get up and speak.

After Yuan Shikai got up, he thanked Li Hongzhang and said: "Shikai has seen Enxiang, only the Son of Heaven is here, Shikai saw the Son of Heaven first, and only when the Son of Heaven allowed it, Shikai dared to thank him." ”

Li Hongzhang smiled faintly and said, "Say it." The emperor wants to see you, it is your blessing, and when the country is employing people, Li is also doing his duty as a minister. ”

"The criminal minister Yuan Shikai, in the eighth year of Guangxu, went to North Korea to serve as a tax assistant in North Korea from the Huai Army Meng Li Zhongtang, and was also recommended by Marshal Wu, successively served as an assistant, battalion affairs, pipe belt, military affairs assistant, etc., and assisted Han Wang* to train the Korean army. Young and ignorant, dissolute, vain and famous, but ignorant of people's hearts. During the period when the criminal minister was in the court, he also won the mention of Wu Dashuai, so he attracted the jealousy, the Korean Renwu Incident, Concubine Min monopolized the power, and this woman's power and opportunity to change is not inferior to that of men, so the criminal minister boldly bribed the Koreans with money, and also took more care of the Korean people. Because the criminal ministers often spent money on this matter, they often complained about their peers, and the commander Wu Zhaoyou even impeached the criminal ministers for raising military prostitutes, selling tobacco and soil, and embezzling military salaries. In this matter, Li Zhongtang also scolded the criminal ministers for buying people's hearts purely with money. In the year of Jiashen, the Korean incident, the Japanese envoys colluded and rebelled, and kidnapped the king, and this matter also had the help of Concubine Min. In this matter, Li Zhongtang also scolded the criminal ministers for buying people's hearts with money...... "Speaking of this, Yuan Shikai stopped and looked at Li Hongzhang.

Li Hongzhang opened his mouth and said: "Your Majesty, the Wu Dashuai he said is Wu Changqing, who died of illness in the tenth year of Guangxu. Wu Changqing's old department, most of whom were not on good terms with Yuan Shikai, accused him of failing Wu En and falling under my Li Hongzhang. Everyone is golden, and the old minister is not good at protecting him too much. Thinking that Wu Changqing is also the old department of my Huai Army, the old minister is really embarrassed. ”

Speaking of this, Li Hongzhang turned his head to Yuan Shikai and reprimanded: "Is what the old man said wrong? Money and silver buy for a while, but they can't buy for a lifetime. Besides, if you can make money, can't the Japanese? Could it be that I, a big country in the Qing Dynasty, want to fight for money with Japan, a small state! "The voice is very harsh.

Yuan Shikai hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, "Lord Zhongtang is punished." He raised his eyes and glanced at Guan Xuqing.