The color is getting darker and darker. The cumulonimbus clouds on the horizon are accumulating, slowly towards the city of Beijing, immortals; Come here, and the stuffy air will make people breathless.

"On this day, it looks like it's going to rain."

Stand in the patio. Looking at the dark and dreary sky, Li Yuanhong sighed, walked back to the study with a heavy face, and pulled the light switch, but the room was still dark and gloomy, and the power plant must have been cut off again. With the rapid development of heavy industry, now the demand for charcoal has soared all over the country, and the coal mines in the north can not keep up with the demand, and the production of butterfly charcoal also gives priority to the supply of heavy industry projects, so several thermal power plants in the Beijing and Tianjin areas are facing a shortage of butterfly charcoal, a few days ago Shandong Arsenal coal emergency, threatening the production of ordnance, a telegram for help photographed the president, the government, as a result, the president a note, the Beijing-Tianjin area of several thermal power plants all the media to the Shandong Arsenal, so that. Naturally, the power plant has to be curtailed, and before the special coal train from Tangshan comes, the civil electricity in the Beijing and Tianjin areas can basically only ensure lighting at night.

It's only half past four o'clock in the afternoon, and the light bulb can't light up before the power supply time.

"Come on, Li Yuanhong, who is in charge of the lamp, called a servant and lit a kerosene lamp, and the room was lit up.

"You can go. Tell the guy that you don't need to prepare my dinner tonight, I have a response in the evening

After beating the servant away, Li Yuanhong sat down at the desk, turned up the kerosene lamp on the table brighter, then took out an open letter from the drawer, took out the letter board from the envelope, and looked at it by the kerosene lamp.

This letter was written by Mr. Hannagen, president of the German Price Merchants Association, to Speaker Li some time ago, and the content of the letter was not complicated, except for the friendship, it was to discuss the establishment of a Shanxi coal mining company, and Hannagen wanted to invite Li Yuanhong to become a shareholder and be his partner. However, Li Yuanhong does not need to contribute directly. It is purely a dry share, not much, only accounting for one percent of the total shares, but considering the huge demand for butterfly charcoal in the national market, once the coal mining company is built, the profit must be considerable, and as a shareholder of the company, the annual share dividend is naturally very considerable.

As the president of the Senate of the National Assembly, it is okay for him to do business in partnership, but if he accepts dry shares from others, it is immoral, and there is even a suspicion of violating the law. During the last "clean government storm", the central ministries had already been swept once, although Li Yuanhong could not be regarded as a staff member of the central government, he was a government supervisory body. But as a politician who has always valued word of mouth, he really did not dare to challenge the law, especially since this law was presided over by the "mad president".

But on the other hand. Now the butterfly charcoal market has risen sharply, and there are many people who follow the trend to invest in butterfly mines, many of whom are important officials in the government, for this boom in investing in mining. The president's side really didn't interfere either, so. Li Yuanhong is still a little tempted, he doesn't dare to ask for dry shares, but he plans to invest in real shares. After all, people are economic animals, and the opportunity to make money is in front of them, how can they be willing to miss it? Although the speaker of the National Assembly has a lot of money, after all, it is very limited, and he really can't earn much extra money just by publishing books and speeches. It is safest to be an industrialist.

According to Hannagan's plan, his new coal mine will use the most advanced machinery and equipment, and strive to minimize the cost to facilitate the price war with other coal mines, and eventually swallow up competitors one by one, form a large coal syndicate or even a trust, and attack the coal and yards in the northern region.

In this way, if he doesn't take dry stocks, this can't be invested, and with Li Yuanhong's current net worth, it is far less than a fraction, so if he really wants to invest in industry, he must find a way to borrow money.

Borrowing money from a bank is certainly a channel. But Li Yuanhong didn't want to go through this channel. First, the interest rate is high, and the risk is also high. Second, the impact is not good, after all, he still wants to continue to show in the political circles, and the evaluation of "money fans" is not positive public opinion, so Li Yuanhong finally decided to borrow money from acquaintances, as the speaker of the National Assembly, Li Yuanhong has many acquaintances, most of whom are rich people with thousands of dollars.

After making up his mind, Li Yuanhong put Hannagan's letter aside, then took out a pen and paper, and planned to write a few letters to those acquaintances, first to test it to see if he was generous on his right hand, after all, the other party was also an industrialist. Now that the national industrial exhibition is large, their stalls are also large, and the liquidity may not be sufficient. Whether he is willing to lend money to Li Yuanhong is also unknown.

As soon as he picked up the pen and wrote a few lines, Li Yuanhong heard the sound of the porter outside the study.

"Master, Mr. Zhang Jizhi sent a subordinate to invite the master over to the banquet."

Zhang Jizhi is Zhang Xiao. The vice president of the Republic of China is also an acquaintance of Li Yuanhong. Just now, Speaker Li was hesitating whether to borrow some money from Vice President Zhang, but the other party sent someone to give Li Yuanhong a message at this juncture, which made Li Yuanhong a little surprised.

"Could this be the providence of the underworld?"

Li Yuanhong pondered. He put down the pen, walked out of the study, took a gilded post from the porter, and looked at it. This post is also well-written, Zhang Sai is not entertaining as vice president, but as an industrialist, no wonder the porter did not shout "vice president" just now.

The time of Zhang Xiao's reception was seven o'clock in the evening, which happened to clash with another party by Li Yuanhong, and the host of that party was not an ordinary person, but Mr. Merry, the plenipotentiary trade representative of the American Texaco Oil Company in China, and now the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is planning to join hands with private businessmen and American companies to jointly exploit the Yanchang oil field in Shaanxi. And only then modern refineries. Lai Si Hung will attend the meeting as a representative of the National Assembly. And to speak. Enhance friendship between Chinese and American business people.

But now it seems that one of the two banquets must be abandoned.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Yuanhong quickly made a decision, so he called the housekeeper and instructed him to go to the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, Tang Hualonglei, and ask Speaker Tang to attend the dinner of the Texaco Oil Company of the United States in place of Speaker Lai, and as for Speaker Li himself, he would go to a dinner hosted by Mr. Vice President.

Since Zhang Sai has a treat, Li Yuanhong plans to test the other party at the banquet to see if the other party can lend him some money to invest in coal mines, and Li Yuanhong also believes that Vice President Zhang invited him to the banquet this time, I am afraid that he also has a request for him, because Vice President Zhang is the leader of the National League, and now, the National League is in trouble and urgently needs help.

This year, everyone has their own plans and takes what they need, which is also politics.

Although it was still early, Li Yuanhong decided to prepare in advance, so he called the servant and waited to change into a well-fitting dress, and those top hats were also tried on in front of the mirror one by one. Finally, I picked a top hat.

The net was neatly dressed, and the housekeeper who went to Tang Hualong's apartment rushed back to Loei, but it was not one. The person who came back followed Tang Hualong came back, which made Li Yuanhong a little surprised.

"Song Qing. I attended the dinner party of the American Texaco Oil Company for you when you were there, and I couldn't go, just like you. I also received a post from Zhang Jizhi, who also invited me to the banquet. ”

Tang Hualong showed Li Yuanhong the post sent to him by Zhang Xiao, and he was also helpless.

"If I don't go, and you don't go, then who will be sent to attend the banquet of the American company? The refinery project is also the "Four Industries Exhibition Program." Important projects, to which the President attaches great importance. Li Yuanhong frowned.

"Why don't you ask Huang Keqiang to go? Or bear-flavored root? Anyway, U.S. companies don't know who Congress is sending to it. That's not rude. Tang Hualong suggested.

"Huang Keqiang has liver disease, doctor, Ding instructed not to be too tired. Nor shall he drink alcohol, for it is not appropriate to invite him to a feast. I think, let's ask Xiong Weigen to come over. ”

Li Yuanhong nodded and instructed the housekeeper to go to Xiong Chengji Zeu again.

After the housekeeper left. Tang Hualong was silent for a moment, and he looked like he wanted to speak and stopped. Li Yuanhong understood that the other party had something to say to him alone, so he took the servant next to him and arranged the bow tie in front of the mirror.

Tang Hualong closed the door and stood behind the door and listened for a moment.

Li Yuanhong said with a smile: "Jiwu, why have you become suspicious?" Since I was bombed in the south two years ago, I have carefully screened the whole of my country, and the people know the rules and will not stand outside the door and eavesdrop on us. ”

Tang Hualong walked back to Li Yuanhong's side with a strange expression, and whispered: "Song Qing, the situation is delicate now, it's better to be careful." I always felt that the Military Intelligence Bureau was a bit like the East Factory and West Factory in the Ming Dynasty. Not only do they spy on enemy intelligence, but they also seem to be keeping an eye on their country. ”

"I'll assume I didn't hear you."

Li Yuanhong turned around, continued to sort out the bow tie in front of the mirror, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Actually, it doesn't matter if the Military Intelligence Bureau is staring at it, the important thing is that we have a clear conscience, don't do bad things, and don't be afraid of ghosts calling the door, the president still trusts us, what he doesn't worry about is the National League, and the old and young people in Beiyang."

Tang Hualong nodded solemnly, and then lowered his voice and said, "Song Qing, in your opinion, Zhang Jizhi invited us to the banquet this time, is it just for yesterday's events?" ”

"What happened the day before yesterday?"

Li Yuanhong was stunned for a moment, then understood, and his expression became solemn.

"You mean" Project No. 1. Something that broke down? Although 6 Langzhai arrested a lot of people from the Jiangsu National League. But what does this mean? The National League said that this was a "coup d'état", but didn't all the members of the Jiangsu Provincial Assembly go to prison, and many members of the National League still criticized "6 Hades, and the people who went to prison were not mistreated, how can this be called, coup?" In those years, "the 100-day Restoration." After that, the Qing court beheaded the six gentlemen, and that was called Zhengshi"

"But. In the eyes of the National League, the move of 6 Jianzhang and Xu Baoshan was a coup d'état. Xu Baoshan is just that. was originally a bandit-born character, and he wished that the more chaotic he was, the better, so that he could fish in troubled waters. But 6 Jianzhang is from Beiyang anyway. is educated, knowledgeable, and has specialized in legal affairs in the past two years, why does he follow suit? Could it be that "could it be that the people in Beiyang are also planning to fish in troubled waters?" Tang Hualong said worriedly.

"Jiwu. Where did you think of it? Beiyang wants to turn the sky upside down? You can't help but think highly of them. If only those people in Beiyang had the courage and that. Courage, why did they step down in the first place

Li Yuanhong shook his head disappreciatively and finished finishing his bow tie. He pointed to the sand and sat shoulder to shoulder with Tang Hualong.

"Jiwu. 6 Lang Zhai is not a fool, without the nod of the Ministry of Justice, he dares to arrest the provincial councilor? When the Ministry of Justice petitioned the National Assembly to seize the judicial immunity of those legislators, you were also there, of course, you understand that the Ministry of Justice has obtained the understanding of the majority of the members of the National Assembly, and with this sword, the Ministry of Justice and 6 Lang Zhai dared to take action, and this is the will of the people

Public opinion? Are you kidding?

Tang Hualong glanced at Li Yuanhong, completely unable to grasp his current position, and judging by his expression, he seemed to be disapproving of the "mass arrest of the National League" in Jiangsu the day before yesterday.

But think about it, Li Yuanhong is the backbone of the United Front, and he is also the leader of the National Assembly, and if his National League is finished, in that case, no one will make trouble with him in the Congress in the future.