To Hu Chuyuan's surprise, Zuo Zongtang did not reprimand him for his wild words.

After a while, Zuo Zongtang gradually calmed down the anger in his heart, and asked Hu Chuyuan very calmly: "Do you have a good way?" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Then we must solve the root of the problem." ”

"Oh?" Zuo Zongtang couldn't help but be a little curious, and asked, "Then what do you think should be done?" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "It's easy to say, but it's hard to do." Today, there are 40,000,000 people, and there are at least 350 million peasants who cultivate the land, and the rest are merchants, craftsmen, officials, and soldiers. For example, the introduction of improved varieties, the promotion of new cotton, the promotion of new mulberry and new tea, the repair of reservoirs, and the opening of channels. When they became richer, the merchants naturally became richer, and the court did not need to raise taxes, and the taxes were sufficient and available. ”

Zuo Zongtang was inevitably a little disdainful, because he had heard similar words thousands of times, so he said: "Sure enough, it's easier said than done." ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Actually, it may not be really that difficult, I have already told Zhongtang that when the profits of Jiangnan Commercial Bank are stable, I will build an agricultural museum to cultivate a large number of talents who are proficient in agriculture and mulberry, and then build a Jiangnan agricultural cooperative around the tea and silk industries in the five provinces of Jiangnan, and provide small low-interest loans to farmers in the five provinces to encourage them to buy new seeds and cultivate diligently." The imperial court has no money to invest in the place, so the Jiangnan Commercial Bank will lend loans to the yamen of the prefectures to build water conservancy, repair canals and roads, and then build reservoirs, release water in drought, store water in floods, as short as three or four years, and as long as ten years. ”

Zuo Zongtang had indeed heard these words roughly, but he thought that Hu Chuyuan was just a momentary thought, and even if he had some investment, it would be a very limited amount of money, a drop in the bucket.

Now that he listened to it again, he knew that Hu Chuyuan had already made up his mind, and the Jiangnan Commercial Bank was just the first step to save the country and become strong, and there were more plans after that.

Thinking of this, Zuo Zongtang couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaimed: "I see...... Geniuses can be easily revealed, this is the great luck of the world! ”

Geniuses can be easily revealed, this is the great luck of the world!

Being able to get such a level of praise from Zuo Zongtang would make anyone very excited.

Hu Chuyuan was also very happy, he laughed, and Zuo Zongtang continued: "Zhongtang, although my plan is good, it can only save the five provinces in the south of the Yangtze River, and in addition, I also need the full support of Zhongtang and Lord He. ”

Zuo Zongtang chuckled and said: "You don't have to worry about this matter, as long as you really want to strengthen the country, the old man can gradually expand the influence of Jiangnan Commercial Bank to other provinces." With your talent, it's a shame to just run a business. At present, you should first work hard to run the Jiangnan business, do the things you promised, and when your period of worry is over, the old man will fully sponsor you to the imperial court. ”

Hu Chuyuan arched his hand and smiled: "Thank you Zhongtang!" ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "The old man looks at what you have learned, far from the knowledge of history and history, you might as well tell me, where did you learn these ideas, these ideas, when the old man returns to Jiangning, you can also study by yourself in your spare time." ”

Hu Chuyuan thought for a while and said, "Half of it was learned from reading books, and the other half was thought by itself." If you want to read a few strange books in the middle hall, then I recommend two! ”

Zuo Zongtang asked curiously, "Which two?" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "The Englishman Adam Smith's "Theory of the Rich Country", and the German Clausewes's "On War". There are no translations of these two books in China, only the original texts, or both are English editions, and Zhongtang can find a few people who are proficient in English and German to translate them into Chinese. ”

Zuo Zongtang was skeptical and asked, "Do you think these two books have advantages over the Analects?" ”

Hu Chuyuan thought for a while and said: "It can't be compared like this, although the two books I recommend are foreign books, they are very practical and simpler." Moreover, where were the foreigners when the Analects came out, and where were the steam engines? The times are always changing, if you can strengthen the country by guarding the scriptures and history, why does the imperial court have today? ”

Zuo Zongtang was dumbfounded.

After thinking about it, he said: "The old man is going to leave tomorrow, it's rare to practice tonight, and there is nothing to do, so you can casually talk to the old man about the truth in those two books, lest the old man go back and can't understand it, but no one can ask!" ”

"It's good!"

Hu Chuyuan nodded, starting with "The Theory of a Rich Country".

When he was studying at Yinghua Academy in Shanghai, he was too idle, so he really took out the English versions of these two books and read them several times, which not only exercised his English reading ability, but also increased his knowledge.

He picked out some basic economic principles in "The Theory of a Rich Country" and chatted with Zuo Zong, which often went beyond the scope of "The Theory of a Rich Country".

His economic theory is very simple, if you want the country to become rich, you must first have the growth and inflow of capital, and the export of tea and raw silk is the most important cause that China should strive to protect at present, not only should not collect heavy taxes, but should collect low taxes, because to keep them is to ensure a steady flow of silver.

Hu Chuyuan's thinking is very clear, porcelain, tea, raw silk are the three world-class industries that Chinese are best at, if you can't even do what you're good at, how can you do what you're not good at, even if you make a little achievement, it's not much use.

Therefore, if you want to really save China, you must first work these three major industries.

If we continue to stabilize the current scale of silver inflows, domestic funds will be more abundant, the market will expand, and we will naturally have the conditions to invest in the machinery industry.

The current situation in China is different, and the second question to consider is not to invest in foreign affairs, but how to convert the continuous inflow of silver into state taxes and revenues, which cannot be directly paid to the imperial court, and try to keep them in the hands of local governors to buy arms and train the army.

Only after these two problems have been solved can China have room to consider the problem of national industry.

Even if we start to consider national industry, we should not give priority to light industry, because China's situation is still too unique, and we must first develop the military industry step by step.

Silk reeling mills, silk dyeing mills, tea mills, cotton yarn mills, textile mills, flour mills, sugar mills, paper mills, ...... These can be done, but not in a hurry.

China has a population of 400 million, but 350 million of them are low-income households with no purchasing power, and the purchasing power of the remaining 50 million people is also very limited.

Therefore, cultivating the market is still a long way to go.

On the contrary, the military industry has a very sufficient market space, and it is easier to develop the military industry than the light industry...... How to do it, he also has plenty of ideas and methods in his heart.

Listening to Hu Chuyuan's detailed explanation, Zuo Zongtang suddenly seemed to have found an answer in his heart, and he couldn't help but sigh with Hu Chuyuan: "Many times, the old man is also discouraged and helpless, and now he just wants to stabilize this game of chess of the Hunan army, and he doesn't think much about the rest." Now it seems that everything can still be saved. ”

After a pause, he said to Hu Chuyuan again: "Western learning is for use, middle school is for the body...... I'm afraid it's a fallacy! ”

Hu Chuyuan didn't think about this problem.

As far as he is concerned, it is inappropriate to unilaterally and completely promote Western studies, after all, Chinese are Chinese, thousands of years of tradition have been lost, what are Chinese?

He thought for a while and said to Zuo Zongtang: "There is a person in the West who said that making all irrational things obey oneself and freely control all irrational things according to one's own rules is the ultimate goal of human beings. I thought that this statement applies not only to everyone, but also to countries and races. The so-called rational and irrational surnames themselves only exist in our deep-rooted understanding, just as we think that foreigners are irrational, and foreigners think that we are irrational. We want foreigners to obey us, and foreigners want us to obey them. ”

"You mean ......?" Zuo Zongtang couldn't accept such words for a while, and was subject to the times, even people like him couldn't fully understand these words.

Hu Chuyuan replied casually: "Actually, the 'middle school' we insist on is the reason why we are unwilling to tolerate other theories, and the so-called 'middle school for the body, Western learning for use' itself is a stubborn division and a kind of discrimination against other ethnic groups. I think that although foreigners and us look different, they are also human, and they are not the same as the previous Huns. ”

"Uh-huh......!" Zuo Zongtang was reluctant to admit it.

After a little thought, he and Hu Chuyuan asked, "Then what do you think today's statecraft should look like?" ”

Hu Chuyuan thought for a while and said: "Making money is always the last word, with money, we can at least protect our family and country." In addition, what is useful is taken out and used, and what is useless is put aside for the time being, and there is no argument! ”

Zuo Zongtang suddenly had an epiphany.

The previous sentence, everyone knows it, but only does not say it.

The latter sentence seems to be worth scrutinizing.

Zuo Zongtang silently repeated the second half of the sentence in his heart, thinking left and right, and then said in a low voice: "Put aside the controversy, and use it as much as possible!" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Yes, that's it!" ”

"Yes, put aside the dispute, and use it for what is useful!"

Zuo Zongtang couldn't help but repeat again, at this moment, he finally found the answer to save the country and make it strong here from Hu Chuyuan, and he sighed again in his heart: Genius can be easily revealed, this is the great luck of the world!

He thought that Hu Chuyuan, a child, was only used to run a business, raise grain, grass and military salaries for the Hunan army, and prepare for foreign affairs for Liangjiang...... I'm afraid it's a waste, the talent for governing the country is in front of you, and the person who can inherit the old man's career is not in front of you? In the past, Lin Zexu was old, and he wanted to pacify the western frontier but had no time, so he entrusted the affairs of the western frontier to me.

He didn't say that, he still needs to look at it again.

State affairs are important, and they are child's play.

A person who can speak is not necessarily a person who can do it, and a person who can do it is not necessarily a person who can speak.

He'll have to take another look.

The two talked all night, and the sky was getting brighter.

Zuo Zongtang is already a sixty-six-year-old man, who has been on the battlefield for a long time, and is riddled with diseases, and he can't stand the sleepiness of this late night, but at this time, he doesn't know where to gush out of endless enthusiasm and energy, supporting him, so that he no longer knows how to be tired.

When Hu Chuyuan stopped talking, his heart was already clear.

He slowly stood up, walked to the door, opened the door, and let the sunlight into the room, shining on his body, on his shoulders.

Looking at the scenery outside the door, he turned around and said to Hu Chuyuan: "Chu Yuan, your talent is ten times better than that of the old man, and you were born at the right time, and the future is limitless." ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Zhongtang is too praised! ”

Zuo Zongtang shook his head solemnly and said: "No, what the old man said is true, but unfortunately the old man is old after all, and he won't last long, but the old man no longer feels sad and lonely, because the old man knows that there are still geniuses like you in the country." The old man said that there are not many times, and in this little time left, the old man will still do his best to do a few more big things, hoping to help you. ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Lord Zhongtang must live a hundred years old, don't worry. I only hope that Zhongtang will not worry too much, everything will go naturally, the country cannot be prosperous forever, nor can it be defeated forever, thirty years in Hedong, thirty years in Hexi, the number of gases. ”

Zuo Zongtang bowed his head silently and said, "This is the destiny of heaven, and then ...... We should also do our best. What you want to say, the old man has heard it and remembered it. Now, the old man can leave without any worries, and with your talent, the old man doesn't have to worry about it at all. ”

Hu Chuyuan didn't speak, and now that he thinks about it, he feels quite bored again.

Even if he and Zuo Zongtang said this, how much meaning does it have?

Even if Zuo Zongtang is willing to accept some of these ideas, or has to accept them, what about others?

Even opium has to be cultivated on a large scale, so what is the meaning of a country that engages in the spirit of domestic opium?

Zuo Zongtang is indeed a good person, and now he is also very beautiful.

But he wasn't a great man.

He was just one of the most powerful feudal officials of this era.

Whether it is for Zuo Zongtang or for all the officials and feudal officials of the entire Qing Dynasty, Hu Chuyuan does not have any hope.

Making money is always the last word!

As long as we can keep China's silk industry and tea industry, stabilize the two basic plates of China's economy, and then find a way to defeat the capital, then when the revolutionary army comes, what we will get is not a poor China.

He thought that if he could make it this far, he would win.

He won in this life.

Revolution is always very happy, but unfortunately, the cause of revolution and the stabilization of China's economic fundamentals are a very conflicting thing, especially the revolution that is too hasty, if a big war is set off in the south of the Yangtze River, will there still be a chance to develop China's agriculture and keep the economy of raw silk and tea?

Hu Chuyuan couldn't tell whether he was a revolutionary or not, but he knew that he must be a master of business.

He preferred to use the power of capitalism itself to attack the shackles of feudal society and the Manchu regime, rather than pin his hopes on the ability to organize the revolution that he was not aware of.

He firmly believed that as long as China continued to become rich and strong and education continued to spread, the spirit of nationalism and the idea of modern capitalist freedom would surely take root in this land, and the collapse of feudalism and the Manchu regime would be a matter of time.

Of course, a very important key point was not to allow the Manchus to have a sufficiently strong military power.

Chinese there are times when they are bold and there are times when they are timid, and the military power of the dictatorship is too strong...... Definitely not a good thing.

He is the largest capitalist in the world, China is rich and powerful, the revolution is successful, and he has become a world power......!!

For Hu Chuyuan, this is of course the best result, and it is also the result he wants the most, as for whether to go overseas to develop new forces...... He hadn't figured it out yet, and he didn't have the opportunity right now.