Liu Buyun's attitude made Hu Chuyuan realize that there was a limit to the rice grains that could fit in a bowl of porridge.

It is a good thing to have more talents, but talents also want to climb.

The South China Sea in late summer and early autumn was very unstable, and the 300-ton gunboats did not dare to cross the sea directly because of their surplus displacement and their limited displacement, and even if they walked along the coast, it would be very troublesome.

Therefore, Lin Taizeng and others decided to wait for another half a month, delay until October, when there will be no major typhoon on the sea, set sail from Singapore to Manila Port and Lingjiayan Port, and then enter Keelung Port, and then cross the Taiwan Strait into Fuzhou.

After a meal in the evening, Hu Chuyuan asked everyone to go back to rest, but left Ye Fu alone.

Everyone else left, Ye Fu drank a cup of rock tea silently, and waited for a while before saying to Hu Chuyuan: "My lord, you are in a hurry about this matter, you should ask me first, and let me discuss it with Lin Taizeng and them in private in advance." ”

Hu Chuyuan also nodded slightly in acknowledgement.

He has been too smooth over the years, he wants people, money and money, and this time he has the secret support of two governors, so he was a little negligent for a while.

Immediately, he and Ye Fu asked, "What do you think should be done later?" ”

Ye Fu thought about it for a while, and organized it in his heart before he said to Hu Chuyuan: "I'll talk to Lin Taizeng and Ye Zuqi later." Liu Buchan, he is a smart person, to be honest, since he wants to leave, you can't keep it. He is a first-class talent, he understands which is more important, the Beiyang Navy Division is the most relied on by the imperial court, with his talent, as long as he goes, he will definitely be able to be reused by the imperial court and Li Hongzhang. Staying in the Fujian Water Division, with Lin Taizeng, Ye Zuqi and others here, his weight inevitably lightened. ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Then it's troublesome for you." In the long run, the Yangtze River Naval Division could not become one of the three major naval divisions of the imperial court after all, and I discussed with Lord Zhongtang that the Fujian Naval Division would be the foundation, and when the time was ripe, it would be expanded into the East China Sea Division, which would be divided into three, with its headquarters stationed in Fuzhou and two fleets branched, one in Ningbo and the other in Qingdao. At that time, the East China Sea Division will have one admiral and four commanders, while the Yangtze River Naval Division will be used solely for patrolling the Yangtze River, with one commander and two commanders, mainly gunboats and patrol boats below 1,000 tons, and three or four main 1,000-ton coastal defense ships. You can discuss this with Lin Taizeng and Ye Zuqi, just talk about space, the Jiangnan Navy can accommodate a lot of talents, just don't be too anxious. ”

Ye Fu replied cautiously: "Don't worry, the lower officials will definitely negotiate with a few classmates carefully." ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded, signaling him to go immediately, don't delay any longer, lest Liu Buyun also lobby Lin Taizeng and others to go north.

As soon as Ye Fu left, Hu Chuyuan called Zhang Lingpu in.

Since he was sent to Vietnam to find Liu Yongfu, Zhang Lingpu has also left Hu Chuyuan's side for a long time, and after this period of experience, he seems to be much more capable.

Let him sit down beside him, Hu Chuyuan couldn't help but sigh a little.

After thinking for a moment, Hu Chuyuan and Zhang Lingpu said: "I have thought about it, when I went to Europe to buy warships this time, I wanted to send you to the British Naval Academy for further study, and then I would practice in the British Navy for two years, and I am afraid it will take three years before and after." ”

Zhang Lingpu couldn't help but be a little surprised, and said, "My lord, ......?" ”

Hu Chuyuan interrupted him and said, "Listen to me, originally, I also wanted to keep you by my side and handle some special things for me." Now the situation has changed slightly, and the overall situation of the Min people's monopoly on imperial court coastal defense has been difficult to change, I want you to take the opportunity to enter the naval division, promote more, and have the opportunity to take charge of the Fujian naval division in the future. With your ability, you should be able to study hard in the UK for another three years. ”

Zhang Lingpu thought silently for a moment, and then said, "Thank you, my lord." ”

The human heart is made of flesh.

Hu Chuyuan not only treats him very well, but also relies on and trusts him, and he seems to prefer to stay in Hu Chuyuan to serve rather than serve the country and join the army. What's more, everything that can be done by staying by Hu Chuyuan's side is not simple, which also makes him feel more fulfilled.

can not only do things for Hu Chuyuan, but also serve the country and join the army, for Zhang Lingpu, it is the best of both worlds.

After a pause, Zhang Lingpu said again: "Who should General Liu's affairs be handed over to in the future?" ”

"One step at a time!" Hu Chuyuan is not a god, he hasn't thought it through for the time being, and he hasn't made any arrangements at all before.

Zhang Lingpu said: "I recommend someone." ”

Hu Chuyuan asked with great interest, "Who?" ”

Zhang Lingpu said: "My friend Chen Shanyuan in the Ship Master Academy is also my friend in the same township. He was two years older than me, and when we were younger, we studied together in a private school, and he was a calm and cautious person, and he studied hard, and worked as a helper in my family's tea house for two years before being admitted to the Harbour Master's School. ”

Hu Chuyuan said with a smile: "It's a pity that you didn't say it earlier, otherwise you would have brought him over when you were in Fuzhou." ”

Zhang Lingpu said with a smile: "It's too late to bring it now, then I'll go back to Fuzhou to talk to him first, and then tell him about General Liu, and tell him the way to contact General Liu." About a month later, I went with him to England to meet the adults. ”

Hu Chuyuan asked cautiously: "Are you sure he is a reliable person, General Liu ...... this matter!" ”

Zhang Lingpu said: "Don't worry, your lordship, supporting General Liu is also a righteous act, but it is not appropriate to let the court know, just make it clear to him." Seonwon is a very stable person, and his mind is also flexible, so he will not be so rigid. ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded slightly and said, "That's good." ”

In many cases, Hu Chuyuan is not a person who specifically handles practice, but a decision-maker.

This also determines his employment characteristics, and if he works by his side, he will naturally have space and a future, so Zhang Lingpu especially wants to recommend one of his own people to work for Hu Chuyuan to replace his current responsibilities.

Zhang Lingpu is a smart person, and he knows very well that what he is doing for Hu Chuyuan now will be extremely important in the future.

Of course, he just returned to the establishment of the Fujian Water Division, and as Hu Chuyuan's cronies, he also has different space and responsibilities from others.

In short, defecting to Hu Chuyuan is the most important opportunity in his life.

There are many benefits to following Hu Chuyuan to do things, and Zhang Lingpu is not the only one who knows this.

Ye Wenlan knows better.

Seeing that Hu Chuyuan was temporarily idle, Ye Wenlan couldn't wait to come to him to discuss the affairs of Nanyang Commercial Bank.

The imperial court has already made a reply, agreeing to the Fuzhou Shipyard Yamen to invest in the establishment of the Nanyang Commercial Bank, and to do business for the benefit of the country between Nanyang and Fujian, and between Guangxi and Guangzhou.

Unlike Jiangnan Commercial Bank, since this capital is from the shipmaster's yamen, it is directly under the jurisdiction of the Fuzhou Shipmaster, and has nothing to do with the functions and powers of the governor of Liangjiang and the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang.

Therefore, this matter is purely up to Hu Chuyuan at present.

The two talked and decided to make Singapore the headquarters of Nanyang Commercial Bank, with total assets of 4 million taels of silver, Jiangnan Commercial Bank contributed 800,000 taels of silver, and then lent 1.2 million taels of silver to the Harbour Yamen, accounting for 20% and 30% of the shares respectively, Hu Chuyuan held 10% of the shares through the Cathay Fund, and the remaining 40% was controlled by Ye Wenlan.

Ye Wenlan did not intend to monopolize it, he invested 1 million taels of silver to account for 25% of the shares, and the remaining 15% was jointly owned by local Chinese businessmen in Nanyang. In order to attract more Nanyang businessmen to join, he also planned to give up 1 million taels of silver in discount shares.

Equivalent to the Jiangnan Commercial Bank, the imperial court gave the Nanyang Commercial Bank a good deal, exempted from paying some miscellaneous taxes and fees, and there was a lot of business between Nanyang and Jiangnan, Ye Wenlan also planned to set up the Nanyang Steamship Company, with a small capital and big profits, only a few freighters to run back and forth.

Ye Wenlan asked Hu Chuyuan about the strategy of Nanyang Commercial Bank, and Hu Chuyuan only said eight words: "Take root in Nanyang and peep into the two Guangzhous".

With the success of the Jiangnan Commercial Bank, the governors and governors of various localities had to deal with the relevant monopoly enterprises, Zeng Guoquan and Liu Kunyi bought the Taiyuan Commercial Bank in Shanxi, and ran the Shanxi and Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningbo Salt Administration, Li Hongzhang purchased the Beiyang Commercial Bank in Tianjin, and the Hebei and Shandong Salt Administrations, and the Sichuan Commercial Bank, the Liangguang Commercial Bank, and the Huguang Merchants Bureau followed.

Most of these firms were run by state-owned merchants, with the only exception being the Huguang Merchants Bureau, a government-run agency set up by Li Hongzao, the governor of Huguang, and the sale of salt was completely controlled by officials.

In addition to the salt administration, these commercial banks and investment promotion bureaus also manage the mining, rice, tea, oil and sugar industries within their jurisdictions, completely copying the model of Jiangnan commercial banks, and some also set up agricultural cooperatives.

For their plagiarism, Hu Chuyuan welcomed, but also sighed.

After Li Hongzao's Huguang Merchants Bureau obtained the right to sell the salt industry, the wholesale price of salt rose to 75 yuan per catty, 15 yuan higher than that of the Jiangnan Commercial Bank, on the grounds that the transportation cost remained high.

However, Li Hongzao's Hunan Agricultural Cooperative and Hubei Agricultural Cooperative have done a good job.

Unlike him, Sheng Xuanhuai's Beiyang Commercial Bank did not raise the price of salt, but his Beiyang Agricultural Cooperative was just a group of pawnshops.

Hu Chuyuan can only say that if the commercial banks and cooperatives cannot unite and work together to make efforts for agriculture in the region, the only meaning left is to make money.

There are also benefits to making money.

According to the information obtained by Hu Chuyuan, the Qing court was in fact already considering abolishing some miscellaneous taxes and fees, so as to avoid the government-run commercial houses having too many advantages, and ordinary businessmen could only sit back and wait for death.

At least during this period, the Qing court, led by Prince Gong and Cixi, was not as stupid and incompetent as the later Zaifeng era, and they knew that the interests of small merchants were to be protected, and the rights and interests of the local and central political axes were also to be balanced.

In such a chaotic situation, it is indeed a question whether Nanyang Commercial Bank, which has a shallow foundation, can develop well.

What's more, the awareness of [***] in this area of Nanyang is extremely strong, and there have been massacres of Chinese people in Indonesia and Malaysia, and small-scale bloody conflicts have never been interrupted.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Hu Chuyuan wanted to gather some very powerful Chinese businessmen in Singapore and Malaysia, and suggested that they prepare for the Nanyang Chinese Entrepreneurs Association, and secretly purchase guns from overseas to establish the Nanyang Chinese Body's Association for self-protection.

Speaking of this, Ye Wenlan remembered something.

He and Hu Chuyuan suggested: "Actually, you might as well talk to the people of Lanfang Company, these people have built a small country in Borneo, and they are also a little powerful in this area of Nanyang, as long as they are Chinese, they are still very secure when they get there." ”

Syllable.

Hu Chuyuan quietly clapped his hands, and his heart was secretly excited.

He really wanted to slap himself in the face, and said secretly, how could he forget the people of the Lanfang Republic, speaking of which, these people really shouldn't be forgotten.

In the Republic of Lanfang, this thing is also quite magical, some Hakka people in Guangdong, together with Chinese from other places, set up several companies in Borneo, and later followed the example of the Dutch East India Company, which was responsible for protecting some of the small chieftains and tribes of Borneo, and as a condition, they could mine gold in the local area.

Slowly, these companies merged into a single Lanfang company, which was renamed the Republic of Lanfang.

In short, it is a very magical thing, very suspicious of crossing, but it is not a special case, as early as the Ming Dynasty, there were already merchants from Guangdong and Fujian in Nanyang to handle special business names in Nanyang, and even held the position appointed by the Ming court, and was responsible for governing the local area while running business.

During the Sino-French War, taking advantage of the Qing court's preoccupation with itself, the Dutch launched an attack on the Republic of Lanfang and assigned Borneo to the Dutch Indian territory, which was later Indonesia.

What is the Netherlands during this period, the so-called Dutch Kingdom is already a second-rate country in the whole world, and it is not ranked among the top ten in terms of economic and military strength, of course, it is still easy to invade the Republic of Lanfang.

Thinking of the affairs of the Lanfang Republic, Hu Chuyuan couldn't help but laugh.

Why?

Because he knows that he is fully capable of making the Lanfang Republic continue, and he still has six years to prepare, which is enough to make the Lanfang Republic look new and armed from head to toe.

Seeing that Hu Chuyuan seemed to be particularly happy, Ye Wenlan was a little strange and asked, "Hu Shao, have you also heard of them?" ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded slightly, and asked with a smile with Ye Wenlan, "Do you have any acquaintances with them?" ”

Ye Wenlan said with a smile: "Familiar, too familiar, I stayed in Yamaguchiyang for a few years in my early years, that is, I learned the local language there, and there are many acquaintances there." How many can I refer you? ”

Hu Chuyuan calculated the time for a while, and felt that he could go there, so he said to Ye Wenlan: "Then arrange the itinerary directly, it is better to see than to hear, I will go to them to see the actual situation." ”

Ye Wenlan said: "That's okay, it just so happens that you are renting a British boat, and it is more convenient to enter and exit Shankou Yang, let's go directly to Shankou Yang, it is easier to go to Lanfang from there." ”

His words made Hu Chuyuan a little alert.

Hu Chuyuan and Ye Wenlan asked, "Can't other ships enter?" ”

Ye Wenlan said: "Yes, in the early years, the power of Lanfang Company still covered Pontianak, but now it can't be done, it has been taken over by the Dutch. Lan Fang's men had already retreated to the mountain pass, but they couldn't do it there, and the Dutch warships were circling around the neighborhood all day long, and when they saw our Chinese merchant ships, they had to order them to be inspected. Keep firing guns, to be honest, Nanyang has been so chaotic all these years! ”

"That's it!"

Hu Chuyuan's heart gradually brewed something.