Early the next morning, although Song Zhewu was still a little dizzy, the habit he had developed over the years still made him get up early, and he drank too much last night.

Song Zhewu thought about his words and deeds from yesterday when he entered the Governor's Mansion until after the dinner while getting dressed, and after he was sure that there was nothing wrong. He hurriedly washed his face, participated in the morning of the guard company as usual, and then gave himself another set of punches and kicks, and did not stop until he was sweating.

The residence arranged by Yan Xishan for Song Zhewu was originally a merchant's residence, although it was not very grand, but it also had thousands of square meters, three before and after, very elegant. Yan Xishan arranged servants for Song Zhewu and his party, but as soon as Li Dayong arrived, he removed all these servants, blocked the courtyard, and personally led people to carefully inspect all places inside and outside before setting up guards. According to the division of labor of ordinary guard tasks, there were only Song Zhewu and Liang Bi and a group of guards under Ye Qing who entered the courtyard in the third place.

Song Zhewu returned to his room, and the guards had already set up breakfast. While eating, Song Zhewu instructed Ye Qing to ask Shi Ming and Luo Hu to come over as soon as they had dinner, and Manager Sun also asked him to come over as soon as he arrived.

The reason why Song Zhewu brought Shi Ming and Luo Hu was to familiarize them with the terrain from Lingqiu all the way to Taiyuan, as well as the situation of the streets and key parts of Taiyuan City. According to the plan, Shi Ming and the others will be familiar with the layout of Taiyuan City from today. To master Shanxi, the most important thing is to smoothly take Taiyuan, the economic and political center of Shanxi, as quickly as possible. As long as Taiyuan is taken, the Jin Sui army will lose its support, and Shanxi will also be cut off, and the north and south will not be able to take care of each other. The Fourth Route Army can not only let go of the recovery of northern Jin, but also calmly take Taiyuan as the center and advance to southern Jinnan. And if Taiyuan cannot be taken quickly, the Fourth Route Army will not only have to leave heavy troops to attack, but also bear the internal and external attacks of the Jin Sui Army and even the Northwest Army.

Taiyuan is too important to Song Zhewu's Shanxi strategy plan, Song Zhewu can't be cautious, and once again told the two of them to be careful, don't arouse the suspicion of Jin Suijun, otherwise there will be endless disasters.

As for finding Sun Jiahui, it was purely Song Zhewu's deliberate attempt to capture and indulge, and he knew that Yan Xishan's purpose in inviting him to Taiyuan was to win him over to make his clear stance against Chiang and join the anti-Chiang camp that Yan Xishan was building. In Song Zhewu's plan, although he had to join the largest anti-Chiang armed group first, and then he could successfully realize his plan, if he took the initiative to throw himself into Yan Xishan's arms, Yan Xishan would feel that it was too easy to win over Song Zhewu, which was somewhat unreasonable, and it was easy to make Yan Xishan wary.

This matter can only let Yan Xishan beg him, Song Zhewu wants to be as indifferent as possible, and wants Yan Xishan to think that Song Zhewu is pinching him, only in this way will Yan Xishan think that it is more in line with his current thoughts Song Zhewu, that is, he wants more benefits, so he wants a larger territory, so that it will be more reasonable.

Accompanied by Sun Jiahui, who came in a hurry, Song Zhewu took Liang Bi and Ye Qing and other guards to lead the horses out of the courtyard gate, and before they could get on the horse, they saw a black car driving from the direction of the Overseer's Mansion to stop in front of the door, Zhao Pilian got out of the car with a smile on his face and said, "Wen Ge, where are you going early this morning?" I have been ordered by Chairman Yan to accompany you to enjoy the scenery of the ancient city of Taiyuan. ”

Song Zhewu smiled secretly in his heart: "This Yan Xishan wants him to show his anti-Chiang attitude is much more urgent than him, but he didn't mention it yesterday, and today he wants Zhao Pilian to lead him to enjoy the scenery, obviously he has the same mind as himself, but now Chiang Kai-shek is urging him and Feng Yuxiang to go abroad almost every day, I want to see how long you Yan Xishan can last." ”

Song Zhewu also replied with a smile: "Mr. Zhiqing, I can't compare to Chairman Yan has the taxes of Jin, Sui, Cha, and Hebei provinces available, you know, most of my military expenses have to be raised by myself, and my factories are the lifeblood of our Fourth Route Army, most of my factories are now moved to Taiyuan, I feel uneasy if I don't go to see it, I am going to the factory, the scenery of Taiyuan will still have time to watch it in the future, and I will not work for Mr. Zhiqing today." ”

According to Yan Xishan's information, the Fourth Route Army, including the troops of Outer Mongolia, was about 300,000 people, but Chiang Kai-shek approved and recognized only about 200,000 yuan, and the military salary given by Chiang Kai-shek and the money that Yan Xishan received from him added up to 10 million yuan every year, even the military salary according to the standard of the Central Army was not enough. What's more, this Song Zhewu just wants to be different, and the salary standard for his Fourth Route Army is set extremely high, and the military salary of the Jin Sui Army is also the highest in the country, a major general's monthly salary is 800 oceans, and it is said that the Fourth Route Army is much higher than this, so the actual annual salary of the Fourth Route Army is at least thirty or forty million, and this deficiency has to be made up by the profits of his own Xinghua Company's factories, these factories are of course the lifeblood of Song Zhewu, and it is natural for Song Zhewu reporters to go to see his factory.

Zhao Pilian secretly blamed Yan Xishan in his heart: "Song Zhewu has handed over his cornucopia to you, what else do you have to worry about, now that the anti-Jiang is ready to fly, Song Zhewu is not blind and can't see it, just say it directly, unless Song Zhewu doesn't want his Fourth Route Army, he has to obey with these factories of this Xinghua Company." ”

Thinking in his heart, Zhao Pilian still said with a smile on his face: "Since Wenge has something important, then we will change the name of Taiyuan City and visit again." In this way, I will accompany Wen Ge to Shouyi Gate today, and then Wen Ge will go to your business, and I can also go back to report to Chairman Yan. Zhao Pilian said, and without waiting for Song Zhewu to express his position, he walked over and took the reins from a guard, and got on the horse with the help of the guard.

Song Zhewu smiled and said, "It's okay, then there is Mr. Lao Zhiqing." ”

Out of the West Street of the Governor's Mansion is the most prosperous Zhonglou Street and Jisi Street in Taiyuan. Surrounded by guards, Zhao Pilian, who rode side by side with Song Zhewu, introduced Song Ziwen pointedly.

"This bell tower street was built in the Ming Dynasty; According to the division of the street named after the original Shanxi Province Sentencing according to the Department of Justice, is the Ming and Qing dynasties of Shanxi's highest law enforcement agencies. It is reported that after the middle of the Qing Dynasty, Zhonglou Street, Jisi Street and Dongyang Market gradually developed into the main commercial markets on the land of the Three Jin Dynasty. Especially after the opening of the Zhengtai Railway, due to the development of transportation, the commodity trade here has expanded rapidly. Tianjin, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou merchants came one after another, and businessmen from all over the province came one after another. As a result, the famous temple Baofan and the Buddhist temple Zen forest "Kaihua Temple" and "Big Bell Temple" located in Zhonglou Street and Jisi Street are also regarded as treasures for doing business and making fortune by merchants, and they have been transformed into shopping malls and become the two earliest commercial areas on Zhonglou Street. ”

Song Zhewu looked at the scene of Zhonglou Street with great interest. In addition to the tallest building, the four-forked building Yuanlongdang, there are rows of tall brick houses on both sides of the street, hanging all kinds of signboards such as tea houses and shoe houses, including Hexiang tea, Yanjing Buying Zhai shoes, Guangshengde silk and satin cloth velvet, tooth shop, Yigu Zhai, mouse hole, ......, everything from eating to wearing. Long robes and horse coats and people in short clothes walk densely through the street, just from the density of the flow of people, it can be seen that what Zhao Pilian said is true, this is definitely an authentic commercial street.

The pedestrians on the street saw Song Zhewu and his line, and some knew that he was a great hero who recovered Outer Mongolia, so they stopped and gathered on the side of the road. ”

Then he said with some embarrassment: "Speaking of the bell tower in Taiyuan, although it is not as majestic as the Yanjing Drum Tower, it is more exquisite and beautiful than it." This bell tower was built in the Ming Dynasty and was rebuilt in the middle of the Ming Dynasty under the initiative of Fu Shan's grandfather Fu Lin. The building is divided into two parts: the base and the pavilion. According to records, the upper part of the pavilion is three floors high and five zhang, the heavy eaves are magnificent, the rafter arch is flying, and the cross knot is topped. A huge bell hangs high in the pavilion, up to more than zhang, weighs more than 1,000 catties. Every morning to tell the time, the sound of the four far and more than ten miles, and the drum sound of the giant drum of the drum tower at dusk, each other is the pearl wall, is the time support for the people of the whole city. ”

Zhao Pilian then said with emotion: "The history of the ancient city of Taiyuan has been more than 2,500 years, there are many places of interest and historic sites in Taiyuan, such as the Jin Ancestral Hall, the Tianlongshan Grottoes, the Wenbi Twin Towers of Yongzuo Temple, the Dou Dafu Temple, etc., just the original site of the two big business cities of Dazhong City and Kaihua City is very historical. ”

Dazhong City was originally the site of the Great Bell Temple, the Great Bell Temple was founded in the Song Zhenzong Dazhong auspicious eight years of the ancient temple, formerly known as "Shouning Temple". Because of the eight years of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, a new bell tower was built in the temple, and the monks gave lessons, chanted scriptures, and played meditation, all of which were subject to the sound of the bell. The bell was so loud that it could be heard throughout the city, so it was named "Bell Temple" or "Big Bell Temple". In the Qing season, Buddhism was sluggish, the big bell temple said to see the depression, but the business developed greatly, the two corridors in the temple then leased the vendors to set up stalls, in order to make a living in the temple income. As a result, Jingguang miscellaneous goods, gold and silver jewelry, clocks, glasses and other trading houses and commodities were the first to circulate here. At the time of the Xinhai Revolution, the Qing soldiers took advantage of the chaos to break into the Great Bell Temple to loot treasures and burn the temple. In one day, the treasure temple that had gone through more than 800 years was destroyed by the soldiers. ”

Kaihua City, originally also known as the Fan Bao Temple, the founding age has been unexaminable, Song Shao rebuilt in the holy year, named "Hanshou Temple". During the Yuan Dade period, it was renamed "Yanshou Temple". During the orthodox period of the Ming Dynasty, the third generation of Jin King Zhu Meijian rebuilt, and gave the "Kaihua Zen Forest", so it was called "Kaihua Temple". The temple hall and the Van Pagoda are magnificent and majestic, and the storage of scriptures is quite abundant, and it is one of the largest Buddhist temples in the city of Taiyuan Prefecture......"

Listening to the history of Taiyuan monuments that Zhao Pilian came to, Song Zhewu couldn't help but secretly admire Zhao Pilian for being the principal of Shanxi Provincial National Normal School, and his knowledge was really rich. It's just that Song Zhewu thinks that Zhao Pilian would be better as a scholar, is it better to be a politician, the honest Zhao Pilian is not qualified.

Zhao Pilian didn't know Song Zhewu's thoughts, pointed to the street in the distance and continued: "However, the construction of this Dazhong City is very distinctive, and Wen Ge should take a look if he has time." In the second year of the Republic of China, Liu Zhanyuan, a merchant in Yangqu, established Dazhong City, because its site was originally a temple, in order to avoid evil, the new building was designed to be turtle-shaped, and the roof of the building was circular, to show the turtle cover, and the four corners opened four doors, indicating the turtle's foot; The front door faces south to the south according to the division street, and there is a shop on the left and right sides of the door, indicating the turtle eye; At the north end, there is a fire alley leading out of the remnant Thousand Buddha Pavilion after the fire, indicating Gumi. After the completion of the new shopping mall, it was named Dazhong City after the homonym of the original temple name. ”

Zhao Pilian gushed endlessly to Song Zhewu to "popularize" the knowledge here, and came all the way to Shouyimen. Because there are Zhengtai Railway, Railway Police Station and many private automobile transport cooperatives outside Shouyi Pass, the transportation is very convenient, and Song Zhewu's Xinxinghua Company is located outside Shouyi Pass.

Because of the convenient transportation here, there are many small private factories and workshops here, and Sun Jiahui, who was sent by Li Rujuan to Taiyuan to choose a new factory site, took a fancy to it at a glance. Because Yan Xishan attached great importance to Song Zhewu's initiative to move his treasure factory to Taiyuan, he specially assigned his secretary general, Jia Jingde, to be in charge of this matter. Jia Jingde was very embarrassed that Sun Jiahui wanted to set up the factory on Shouyi Street outside Shouyi Pass, although he knew the significance of Xinghua Company's move to Taiyuan to Yan Xishan, Yan Xishan also instructed him to provide all conveniences, and the factory site was in Taiyuan City, except for the Governor's Palace, he could choose any place.

But this Shouyi customs outside the business is too dense, if you want to choose here, you have to move a large number of businesses, not to mention the cost, no one in these businesses will be willing to move away, a bad one will cause trouble, if the students are taking the opportunity to make trouble, then he Jia Jingde just can't eat and go around.

In order to solve the problem of financial difficulties and meet the needs of Yan Xishan's large-scale military expansion, in the spring of 1925, Jia Jingde, as the secretary general of the Provincial Public Office, Yang Zhaotai, director of the Department of Finance, and Xu Yiqing, president of the Shanxi Provincial Bank, jointly planned to propose the valuation and collection of housing tax.

As soon as the policy of levying housing tax was introduced, it immediately aroused widespread dissatisfaction among the officials and gentry and the common people, and the resentment of the people in the whole province boiled. Thousands of students from Taiyuan schools held demonstrations. The demonstrators stormed the Provincial Council, scaring away the Speaker and the Councillors, and then surrounded the Overseer's Palace. When the representative who sent the negotiator did not come out for a long time, the enraged students rose up and smashed the Overseer's sign.

Forced by the situation, Yan Xishan had to retract his order and ordered: "The method of supplementing the deed of housing valuation will be cancelled immediately." If this tax is collected, it will be refunded immediately to show fairness. On the way back from the retreat, the demonstrators threw their grievances on Jia Jingde and other strategists. Jia Jingde, Yang Zhaotai, and Xu Yiqing's apartments were all smashed by the students who were still angry, and there was a mess inside and outside.

Yan Xishan's attitude was to publicly issue the "Guilty Order" and the "Forgiveness Order".

Yan Xishan's "Guilty Order" took the initiative to take responsibility and expressed self-blame: "The governor of this province has been lacking in Jinjiang for four out of ten years, and his virtue is thin and fresh, and his achievements are nothing. Recently, there are many reasons in the four realms, and they are trying their best to protect law and order. All matters decided by the Finance Council shall be specially handed over by the Governor of the Province. Only I look good, virtue is not enough to convince the public, honesty is not enough to feel things, so that the students are full of doubts. The blame is on oneself, and it is the responsibility to take care of the heart, and gradually become better. ”

The "Forgiveness Order" blames the students for their excesses, and at the same time expresses their innocence in the past: "Before noon on the 18th of this month, thousands of students passed by the provincial assembly and smashed doors and windows. Subsequently, the Cluster Department requested that the valuation order be withdrawn. In order to obey the will of the people, I immediately agreed to suspend it. After the students left the office, they went to the apartments of Yang Zhaotai, Jia Jingde, and Xu Yiqing on the grounds that the rumors on the road did not match the facts, smashed the door into the house, and destroyed their belongings. The people and merchants are panicked, the order is disordered, and the local law and order is a big obstruction. It should have been dealt with in accordance with the law, but the students of all schools were still young, and they could not bear to be punished by the law, and they were all exempted from in-depth investigation if they were lenient. It is necessary for the principals of each school to strictly admonish and be vigilant. ”

Collecting housing tax, satisfying military needs, and overcoming difficulties were Jia Jingde's ideas for Yan Xishan's difficulties, but it backfired, but instead of achieving results, it went against the will of the people and triggered a popular uprising. At the same time, he set himself on fire and became the target of the students' attacks, and he inevitably felt sorry in his heart.

Jia Jingde was a little scared when he thought of this, he didn't want his home to be smashed by the students again.

Jia Jingde, who had no choice but to ask Yan Xishan, was also a little embarrassed, but in order to let Song Zhewu move the factory to Taiyuan as soon as possible, Yan Xishan still gritted his teeth and agreed, in order not to arouse public resentment, he instructed Jia Jingde to give preferential treatment to the relocation costs of the businesses that need to be relocated outside the Shouyi Pass, and all of them should be allocated from the provincial government and government finance, so that things must be done safely.

Jia Jingde knew that such a large amount of money made it difficult for Yan Xishan, a person who calculated to get home, to avoid pain in his flesh, but fortunately, Sun Jiahui did not go too far, but asked for a factory area at the end of the street that was 1,200 meters long from north to south and more than 500 meters wide from east to west. Although there are few businesses here, the area is too large. Jia Jingde asked Sun Jiahui and was shocked, he actually wanted to build more than a dozen large factories here, and this tax was a big income.

Zhao Pilian reined in his horse, pointed to the Shouyi Gate with a horse whip and said to Song Zhewu: "Wen Ge, this Shouyi Gate was originally called the New South Gate, which is the southeast gate of Taiyuan City in the Ming Dynasty, the original name was Taiping, and later changed to Chengen, and the Qing Dynasty was called the New South Gate in order to be different from the Great South Gate. In order to commemorate the uprising of Xinhai Taiyuan, it is now called the first righteous gate. Outside the customs, you will come to your factory, and I will not accompany you. ”

After Song Zhewu said goodbye to Zhao Pilian, he followed Sun Jiahui out of the customs and went to the factory.

(To be continued)