Jiangsu Governor Tan Zhonglin's words made Hu Chuyuan secretly surprised, and he suddenly woke up in his heart, and only then did he understand the purpose of the whole thing.

He hurriedly said: "I was negligent, and when I go back, I will immediately let people deploy this matter!" ”

Zuo Zongtang waved his hand quietly, and said: "You are still young, and you are not familiar with the affairs of officialdom, it is normal to be defenseless, Wen Qing has long been on guard, and has asked the Jianghuai salt farms to increase manpower to produce salt, and use soldiers to transport it to various places." In Zhejiang, he also took care of Governor Mei, and there must have been salt hoarding. ”

Hu Chuyuan said to Tan Zhonglin again: "Thank you, Lord Governor!" ”

Tan Zhonglin was vaguely still a little dissatisfied, after all, these things should have been handled by Hu Chuyuan himself, he said: "I have already laid down eyeliner among Shanghai businessmen and secretly investigated, I am afraid that this matter is just around the corner, you are not sure to pass this year, you must be careful." I and Zhongtang made a decision, the surname Suo will come to a plan, you don't make a sound, Master Mei and I are secretly hoarding salt everywhere. Let those salt merchants speculate on the price first, and when they are speculated to a certain extent, you are suddenly dumping, so that these salt merchants will all suffer a dumb loss. ”

Zuo Zongtang and Hu Chuyuan asked: "This time, the origin of others is very big, and the strength of several people is not much worse than yours, I am afraid that as much salt as you sell, others will eat as much salt as you want." Do you have a way to quietly buy some salt from other places and stock it up? ”

Tan Zhonglin said: "Zhongtang, others calculate him in front, the five major salt farms in China, the salt in Beijing, Tianjin and Donglai cannot be bought, and the newly appointed governor of Liangguang, Zhang Shusheng, is also an important minister of the Huai department, let alone expect him to come to relief." As for the foreigners, others have already contacted them, I'm afraid that only he doesn't know about it now! ”

Zuo Zongtang looked displeased, in his heart, Hu Chuyuan's talent was enough to help the world and strengthen the country, but he was still young and lacked experience, if time came, he would definitely be several times more powerful than Hu Xueyan, and even worse than him.

In this way, he never said it to others again, but he knew in his heart that he wanted to slowly sharpen Hu Chuyuan and think about it in the long run.

He said: "Wen Qing, you don't have to criticize Chu Yuan, at his age, where is he half shrewd?" ”

Tan Zhonglin arched his hand and said: "The lesson of the middle hall is that the lower officials are just a little impatient, after all, this matter is very important. If this matter is defeated, the Hunan army's military salaries in Xinjiang Province will definitely be greatly damaged, and Li Hefei will have a lot to do. ”

Zuo Zongtang bowed his head silently, and his expression became more and more solemn.

Hu Chuyuan's chess level is indeed still amateurish, but he is a person with quick wit, and the more tense the moment, it is easy to come up with strange methods, and his "insight" is even more peculiar.

In a blink of an eye, he thought of a good way and said to Zuo Zongtang: "Zhongtang, the foreigner, the other party did say hello, I'm afraid that they will secretly join forces to deal with me, but I also have a way to deal with it." ”

"Oh?" Knowing that he was an unborn genius, Zuo Zongtang asked with great attention: "Then tell me about it!" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "The Yamen, the governor of Liangjiang, can set a salt sales certificate law under the unified sales law, and the Jiangnan Commercial Bank is responsible for issuing the notarization of salt sales, but only those merchants with certificates can engage in the transportation and sale of salt." In this way, they can stock up on salt, but they can only buy it, not sell it, let alone transport it. ”

Zuo Zongtang took a slight breath and said, "This method is very good...... But? ”

Tan Zhonglin continued Zuo Zongtang's words that were difficult to continue, and continued: "This method treats the symptoms and the root cause, but it cannot cure the enemy!" ”

Zuo Zongtang bowed slightly.

Hearing them say this, Hu Chuyuan completely understood that these shrewd and sophisticated strongmen had long predicted that there would be such a day, and they wanted to take the opportunity to wipe out all the salt merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, so they released loopholes for the merchants to drill.

He thought about it again and said, "Then I can still send someone to Yuben and North Korea to buy salt, but I don't know how big the surname is, how high the price is, and how much it is." ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "Just give it a try." The colder the winter wax moon, the more the people have to pickle meat and vegetables, and the salt consumption is quite large, and the salt price at this time is the highest in the past year. Coupled with the speculation of those businessmen, I am afraid that it will rise several times! ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded, then got up to say goodbye and went to handle it first.

He called Hu Rong over and asked him to charter a boat to Shanghai overnight to find Tan Yiyun, and it happened that Pan Limei and the shipmaster students were still waiting for the ship in Shanghai, so Tan Yiyun and Pan Limei went to Yuben together, and through Pan Rong and Koji Nakamura, they found a way to buy a large amount of salt in Yuben for emergency.

If North Korea also has salt to sell, then even North Korean salt is bought.

The price of salt in Ben and North Korea has always been very low, they do not have a vast inland land, and the whole circle around the sea is full of salt-producing land, and the amount of private salt is very large, and it is impossible to implement the salt industry in the government and run the government.

After arranging these things, he returned to Lan Xuetang and said to Zuo Zongtang: "I have already sent someone to buy salt from the two countries, if it is feasible, I should be able to resist it!" ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "This is also a way. During this time, you should also pay attention quietly, and once the salt industry sells too fast, you must pay attention to beware. We don't know much about the things in the mall, and how to do it depends on your ability. I'll give you a bottom line, it doesn't matter how many times the price of salt is exceeded, but before the Chinese New Year, the price of salt must be pushed back to 70 wen a catty. ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded silently, and couldn't help but think about it in his heart.

Zuo Zongtang said: "As for the matter of the silk industry you mentioned, I talked to Wen Qing, and it is really impossible to adjust it for the time being, first let Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces prepare to build the Sang Academy, take precautions, and wait until the military salary debt of Xinjiang Province is paid off, and then we will find a way to reduce the silk tax and centi." ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "I have asked people to contact people who are both literate and proficient in mulberry affairs, and prepare a Jiangnan silk industry cooperative to train people who are proficient in mulberry silk industry in various counties and villages, called silk heads or mulberry silk." They are responsible for the preparation of the local mulberry society, and the commercial bank and the mulberry society cooperate with each other, negotiate with each other, and jointly improve the output and quality. ”

Tan Zhonglin couldn't help but nod and praise: "This method is very good, and the official Sang Academy of the Imperial Court also has to be done, but the main thing still has to be done by businessmen." Chu Yuan, this official must fully support you. In addition, I also discussed with Lord Nakado, and I wanted to change the position of Shanghai Daotai. After that, when Jiangnan Commercial Bank entered and exited Shanghai, it could be exempted from some miscellaneous taxes. ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled: "Thank you, Lord Governor!" ”

Zuo Zongtang sighed at this time, and said to Hu Chuyuan: "You have indeed suffered some sins during this time, and you are dedicated to the country, but you are going to be plotted by villains, you want to set up education and revitalize the silk industry, but others can't get along with you everywhere." I know your heart must be sore, but don't worry too much. I've had similar experiences before, and I'll just get through it! ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Thank you for your understanding. ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "If I sit in Suzhou for a long time, others will be afraid, since you have already started to prepare, I will return to Jiangning tomorrow." Others don't want you to stay in Shanghai, just because Shanghai is the unified sales place of the salt industry in the five provinces, forcing you to leave, and when the price of salt is turned upside down, it will be too late for you to know again, and there is no way to go back. Tomorrow, I will return to Hangzhou with a high profile, and then quietly return to Suzhou. Suzhou and Shanghai come and go in just an hour, and it is much easier to dispatch. ”

Hu Chuyuan said yes.

Zuo Zongtang also wanted to talk to Hu Chuyuan about the matter of the book, and about competing with Li Hongzhang for the operation of the telegraph, but this moment was too important, and he didn't want Hu Chuyuan to be distracted, so he asked Hu Chuyuan to prepare early.

Hu Chuyuan lives in the Fucui Pavilion in the Humble Administrator's East Garden, and Zuo Zongtang has already made arrangements, so he can always live here when he comes to Suzhou in the future.

Back in Fucui Pavilion, Hu Chuyuan's heart was messy, and he couldn't sleep for a while, it happened that Yan Shizhang was also invited by Zuo Zongtang, and the two hadn't seen each other for a long time, so they played chess in Fucui Pavilion and talked about these messy things.

Hu Chuyuan's chess skills are not ordinarily bad, and his heart is chaotic, and he was killed by Yan Shizhang in the time of half a burnt incense.

Hu Chuyuan sighed and sighed: "Okay, you won't let me!" ”

Yan Shizhang smiled and said: "Dongjia, you, you are still young, and your cultivation is not enough. Think about it, for the affairs of Xinjiang Province, how important is the position of the governor of Shaanxi, and how difficult is it? Lord Zhongtang let Tan Zhonglin and Lord Tan sit there for three years. Jianghuai Yanzheng These things are not trivial, one wrong step, one wrong step, Lord Zhongtang put a few bigwigs of the Hunan faction without it, but recommended him to be transferred to the governor of Jiangsu, which shows that Lord Tan's ability is definitely not ordinary. ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded silently.

Yan Shizhang continued: "So, you just need to do what you have to do. Such a big thing, Zhongtang may not be relieved to let you carry it, Zhongtang has been in the officialdom for so many years, and Li Hongzhang has also fought for half his life, so he must have a killer after that. As long as you don't lose early and hold on to the critical moment, Lord Tan will definitely make a move. This shot is absolutely amazing, but we just don't know anything! ”

Hearing him say this, Hu Chuyuan suddenly fell into a big stone in his heart, and he was much more stable, and said, "I hope so." ”

Yan Shizhang said again: "In addition, I have to recommend someone to the owner, it must be what the owner urgently needs right now." ”

Hu Chuyuan rearranged the chessboard and asked, "Who?" ”

Yan Shizhang said: "The owner wrote to me and Shopkeeper Liu a few days ago, asking us to prepare for the mulberry industry, I don't understand these things, so I asked Shopkeeper Liu to send me a few knowledgeable people." Among the people sent by Shopkeeper Liu, I saw a very good person named Lu Sanyuan. Although this person has no fame, but read a lot, Nanxun people, since childhood at home engaged in mulberry affairs, proficient in the silk and mulberry two industries of the big and small, shrewd and alert, not much to say, but really hard-working, and is particularly careful! ”

Hu Chuyuan asked curiously, "How old?" ”

Yan Shizhang said: "It's a pity that he is only twenty-six years old, and he is only a master in a commercial bank. I suggest that the proprietor might as well make an exception to promote and appoint, and let him set up a deputy for the shopkeeper Liu to preside over the affairs of the Jiangnan Silk Industry Cooperative. ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "You can give it a try, and when we go back to Hangzhou, we will do this thing!" ”