Time is like flowing water.

The beginning of the spring of 1888, March.

In the large study of Yongyuan, Hu Chuyuan completed the largest general ledger liquidation in his life.

His career is so great that it takes three general ledger rooms on the left, middle and right, three general ledgers, more than 20 main accounts, and more than 100 assistants to complete the monthly accounting.

In this year, this month, he calculated that his total assets had reached 4.793 billion yuan.

However, don't care too much about this figure, all this is just the product of the paper money era and the rapid development of the Chinese concession economy, the Shanghai concession real estate industry alone has created a value of 1.47 billion yuan for Hu Chuyuan, the Shanghai stock market has contributed 1.258 billion yuan to Hu Chuyuan, and the scale of the real estate contribution of the Tianjin concession and the Haiphong concession is not low.

The sufficiency of the money supply caused a large amount of capital to pour into the market, and capital was profit-seeking, which naturally poured into the concession with the highest mobile surname, and thus caused the real estate and stock economy of the concession to expand violently.

The scale of the Shanghai Concession and the Tianjin Concession has exceeded the 20,000 mu mark, with the average land price of the former recovering to 100,000 Qingyuan/mu, while the latter has broken through the 30,000 Qingyuan/mu mark for the first time in history.

Banknotes, banknotes.

The roots of everything are in the banknotes.

CITIC Bank is the root of all evil.

Another evil is the excessive concentration of capital, in the process of skyrocketing real estate in Shanghai and Tianjin, not only Hu Chuyuan, a super-rich, but also a number of billionaires, second only to Hu Chuyuan is Xu Run and Yan Xinhou.

With the emergence of the Shanghai stock market, a large number of national industries began to enter the market, and a large number of multimillionaires were born.

In addition to bank loans, loans from foreign banks, private banks, and the savings of the squire, there is also a large amount of bureaucratic capital and even the money of officials.

Prince Su, Prince Li, Prince Alcohol, Li Hongzhang, Zeng Guoquan, Zhang Zhidong...... Wait, their money is through Hu Chuyuan CITIC Securities Company into the stock market, through CITIC Financing Company into the real estate industry, which one is not to earn soft leg cramps.

In the words of Prince Su Longqin, since there was a Hu Chuyuan in our Great Qing Kingdom, it is really fucking easy to make money.

On March 5, 1885, the fourteenth year of Guangxu, the twenty-third day of the first month, he was stunned and avoided traveling.

Hu Chuyuan continued to calculate the changes in the accounts in his big study, and after two years of capital work, he had already hidden most of his wealth and separated the Jiangnan Agricultural Cooperative from the Jiangnan Commercial Bank, with the purpose of separating himself from the audit of official shares, concealing the accounts, and reorganizing it into a new China Agricultural Credit Cooperative, referred to as the CITIC Society, which was used to control the Jiangnan Agricultural Cooperative and agricultural cooperatives in other provinces.

With the gradual rollover of the joint venture system, the accounts to be reported by the Jiangnan Agricultural Cooperatives every year are very terrifying, which is already an imperative thing.

Money is not the key, the key issue is the amount of joint land, which is what the Qing government axe is most afraid of.

When it comes to the issue of holding land, the CITIC Agency is not excessive, and the seven secret grain cooperatives such as Yufeng are the big trouble.

Silently looking at the accounts of Yufeng Society, Hu Chuyuan also sighed in his heart, he thought that it was time to end Yufeng Society...... He wanted to resell the large amount of land held by Yufeng Society in exchange for real money.

These fields add up to almost the same as a later Shanghai city, and now when they are sold again, they can almost be exchanged for billions of yuan.

The key, he thought, is what can be exchanged for back?

A bunch of CITIC clear baht?

He wants to exchange it for silver, but the question is does China have so much silver for him?

But what can be done if you don't sell it?

When he was worrying about this problem, the door of the big study was pushed open, and Chen Shanyuan walked in and said, "Your Excellency, ......!" ”

Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Hu Chuyuan couldn't help but ask, "Is it that Liu Chengxiang and Hu Dazong have already arrived?" ”

Chen Shanyuan shook his head and said, "That's not it, that Mr. Kang Youwei from Guangdong came to ask to see again, this is the third time, and he also took a letter of worship from Mr. Xu Run!" ”

Hu Chuyuan frowned, he didn't like Kang Youwei, he always felt that this person was sick, so he refused Kang Youwei's request to see him twice in a row.

It's troublesome right now, you can't even give Xu Run's face, right?

He sighed and said, "Let him in and tell him that I only have ten minutes to spare...... What's next? ”

Chen Shanyuan looked at the itinerary book in his hand and said, "In half an hour, Sir Butterfield and Sir James Keswick will come to negotiate with you about the budget of the two major British-funded foreign companies for this year." ”

Oh yes.

Hu Chuyuan was depressed, he thought for a while, and said, "Let Mrs. come to me in ten minutes, just find a reason!" ”

Chen Shanyuan smiled and understood what Hu Chuyuan meant...... Obviously, he wants to squeeze out Kang Youwei's itinerary.

He snorted, and went out to arrange for Kang Youwei to enter the big study.

It is not easy to enter the Yongyuan Garden and meet Hu Chuyuan, there is a very luxurious welcome building between the gate and the second gate of the Yongyuan, which is completely built of white marble and is specially used to receive guests.

Entering the welcome building does not mean that you can see Hu Chuyuan, it is good to say that there are appointments and acquaintances recommended by the post, followed by the fellow villagers in Huizhou and Hangzhou, and the rest of the people will wait slowly.

Kang Youwei thought that he was a great scholar and famous all over the world, and the first two times he came directly to ask to meet Hu Chuyuan, but he waited for two days in the Yingbin Building.

This time, I learned to be obedient, and I actually asked for a letter of worship from my fellow villager Xu Runxu's boss.

Chen Shanyuan made a phone call from the general secretary room to Mr. Qian, who was guarding the welcome building, and asked Kang Youwei to be led into the garden.

Kang Youwei is Chinese New Year's Eve one year old today, not tall, with two small beards on his mouth, and a little beard, which is not very clean.

Born in a family of eunuchs, he was quite famous in Guangdong when he was young, and in recent years he has traveled to Hong Kong, and his knowledge has gradually increased, claiming that he is "a master of learning", but he has repeatedly hit a wall in the Guangdong Township Examination, and this year he is planning to go to Beijing to try his luck.

When passing through Shanghai, I don't know why, he suddenly remembered that he wanted to meet Hu Chuyuan, so he stopped, and tried every possible way to meet Hu Chuyuan, and last time he specially sent someone to send a manuscript of his own.

Hearing that Hu Chuyuan agreed with him, Kang Youwei couldn't help but be a little happy, but he thought in his heart, a businessman is a businessman, or just look at the businessman's face.

After waiting for a while, several nurses invited him into the dark room for inspection, this search made Kang Youwei even more unhappy, he always felt that Hu Chuyuan was still stingy, could it be that people like him would plot against others?

He was a scholar who read the books of the sages.

After the inspection, two nurses were in charge of introducing him to Yongyuan.

Crossing the second iron gate of Hujia Yong Garden, Kang Youwei found that he had suddenly opened his eyes, this is like a foreigner's palace, there are such beautiful and strange buildings everywhere, and it is like a foreigner's small city.

In the woods on both sides, you can see some wonderful stone sculptures like living people, and there are more vivid, like the real general landscape scenery, which is full of praise.

In front of the Hu Mansion, on the huge and square square, there are actually some more wonderful sculptures, and the fountain is wonderful.

Bypassing the square, there are dozens of steps in front, and then go up is the magnificent Hu Mansion, which is like a cathedral for foreigners, and like a Roman temple in the picture book.

Oh, my God.

This person lives in this kind of place every day?

Kang Youwei was a little frightened, and suddenly felt that Hu Chuyuan was indeed a character, and it should not be easy for people to live in such a place.

On the second floor of the Hu Mansion and through the corridor on the east side, Kang Youwei saw not only Westerner gadgets all the way, but also dozens of guards lined up on both sides.

When the housekeeper and Chen Shanyuan pushed the door of the big study open, Kang Youwei looked up and saw the person sitting behind a large desk, on the half-meter-high white marble steps, and he had to look up at him, and he couldn't help but think in his heart, this person ...... Think you're the emperor?

Hu Chuyuan continued to check the accounts, because Butterfield and Keswick were coming, and he was now temporarily looking at the year-end accounts of Swire and Jardine Matheson.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, he also glanced up, and saw a scholar about thirty years old walking in, so he continued to look at his accounts.

"My lord, Mr. Kang Youwei is here!"

Chen Shanyuan said goodbye, and then closed the door, he did not withdraw, saying that when he often encountered this kind of guest who was not very familiar, he would stay to prevent the other party from suddenly making a move.

There is also a dark bell on Hu Chuyuan's desk, as long as he presses it, the six guards guarding the door will immediately rush in, and whoever dares to cause trouble will be beaten wildly...... This kind of thing has not happened without incident, most of them are people who want to borrow money, and they can't help but scold when they can't borrow money.

Hu Chuyuan closed the accounts, still thinking about Jardine Matheson and Swire Matheson.

After a while, he seemed to react, glanced up at Kang Youwei, and asked, "What do you have to do with Boss Xu?" ”

Kang Youwei said with a smile: "Fellow countryman, he is from Xiangshan, and I am from the South China Sea, not far away." ”

Hu Chuyuan asked curiously: "Because it is a fellow villager, will he recommend you over?" As far as I know, Boss Xu generally doesn't do this. ”

Kang Youwei smiled, couldn't help but be a little proud, and said: "Kang has a slight life in Guangdong, he is outstanding in knowing the world's affairs, and he is extensive in ancient and modern times. ”

Hu Chuyuan laughed.

He just teased Kang Youwei and killed the ten minutes by the way.

Other things, he doesn't know, what kind of person Kang Youwei is, he doesn't know, he only knows one thing, that is, Kang Youwei always said that he and Weng Tongyi have correspondence, and how Weng Tongyi appreciates his talent and knowledge.

But as far as Hu Chuyuan knew, Weng Tongyi still hated Kang Youwei, because Kang Youwei wrote him a letter for no reason, saying something inconsequential. For the sake of Kang Youwei's teacher Zhu Ciqi, Weng Tongyi also politely replied with his surname, but he didn't expect that Kang Youwei was like a neurotic, and he continued to send letters to the past, feeling the rise and fall of the country, and he was the only one who had a way.

This annoyed Weng Tongyi to death, and the surname Suo no longer replied.

No matter what others say, Hu Chuyuan judged that Kang Youwei was a very opportunistic person because of this incident, just like Li Hongzhang - he wanted to be an official, and he wanted to be the number one official in the world.

Hu Chuyuan didn't speak, he just wanted to get through the ten minutes.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Kang Youwei continued: "My lord, the clumsy book sent by Kang before, I don't know if the adult has seen it?" ”

Hu Chuyuan sighed and said, "Recently, I have been busy with official business, and I have been even busier with private affairs, so I really can't spare time." In half an hour, I have two friends who have just come from England to talk to me about things, so please hurry up and say anything if you have something, let's talk about it directly, and do whatever we want! ”

"Okay, sir!"

Kang Youwei high-fived happily, and then looked around, wanting to find a chair to sit down and talk.

Hu Chuyuan stood up and said to Kang Youwei: "Let's go to the side and talk." ”

On the right side of the large study, there is a special guest arrangement, Hu Chuyuan sat down in his sofa, and Chen Shanyuan arranged for someone to pour tea again.

When Kang Youwei also sat down, Hu Chuyuan asked him, "What is the matter?" ”

Kang Youwei took out a handwritten letter from his cuff and said, "My lord, this is a thousand-word letter to save the country that Kang has written in the last few days, and I invite you to look at it." ”

Why, scholars are the most troublesome about this, and they are a thousand words at every turn.

As soon as he heard that it was "a thousand words", Hu Chuyuan's head became big.

He took the handbook and skimmed through it cursoryly.

Then, he fell silent.

All he could say was ...... Shit, bullshit.

But he laughed.

Kang Youwei saw him smiling, and couldn't help asking, "My lord, what do you think?" ”

Hu Chuyuan still smiled and said, "I remembered an old incident ten years ago...... Time flies so fast, it is the old thing ten years ago, that year, my father passed away, and Zuo Lao Zhongtang came to my home to preside over the funeral for my father. One night, Lao Zhongtang asked me what I thought about national affairs, I was only eighteen years old at that time, young and vigorous, and said a lot, Lao Zhongtang later only said one sentence, in short, easier said than done. ”

Kang Youwei is a shrewd person, he said: "Could it be that the adults want to say the same to me...... ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded and said, "So to speak, but now that I think back on the past ten years, with the support of Lao Zhongtang, I have finally done a lot of things." Therefore, it is true that it is easy to know and difficult to do, but it is difficult to climb to the sky, even if you can't climb it, you can at least climb Mount Hua. ”

Kang Youwei was overjoyed and praised: "What the adults said is very true, Kang is determined to save the country, and wants to use the power of the communiqué to widely publicize the theory of saving the country. If the adult is willing to fund Kang, Kang wants to set up a national salvation newspaper in Shanghai, and the name is "Qiangguo Gazette". ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "This is easy, you go to find Xu Run, isn't he in Shanghai?" He has no less financial resources than me, and he admires you very much, so he should support you wholeheartedly. After all, I am a senior official of the imperial court, and some things are inconvenient to do, what do you think? ”

"This ......!"

Kang Youwei couldn't help but hesitate, of course Xu Run is good, but where can he compare with Hu Chuyuan's reputation.

He was full of plans to pull Hu Chuyuan into the water, and hung Hu Chuyuan's name on the "Qiangguo Gazette", when the time comes, everyone knows that Hu Chuyuan appreciates him and supports him, so won't he be able to set foot on the clouds immediately?

Hu Chuyuan smiled enthusiastically: "You don't have to worry, I'll call Boss Xu now, he also has a lot of contacts in Shanghai and Tianjin, Guangdong businessmen are still very powerful, with their support, there is nothing that can't be done in China." ”

As soon as he heard this, Kang Youwei couldn't help laughing and said, "Okay, then you have to trouble the adults to take care of it." ”

Hu Chuyuan snorted and laughed.

When he's a kid, don't you look at who he's been fighting with all these years?

Hu Chuyuan's journey to this day can be said to be very, very difficult, only he knows the hardships and dangers, and today, the word "old and calculating" is not enough to describe him.

He doesn't like Kang Youwei, and he doesn't look down on Kang Youwei, but it doesn't mean that Kang Youwei can't be used by him.

Kang Youwei shouted for a ghost who chirped and wow wow and caused a greater threat to the imperial court, wouldn't he be safe?

The key to why the Qing court was able to tolerate Hu Chuyuan was that Hu Chuyuan did not engage in any new policies and reforms, but only fine-tuned the economy.

Kang Youwei...... That's another story.

Hu Chuyuan immediately made a phone call to Xu Run, finalized the matter, and asked Xu Run and Guangdong businessmen to come forward to support Kang Youwei.

With Hu Chuyuan's status in China's economic and political circles today, as soon as he opens his mouth, it will not be a trivial matter.

Especially for Guangdong businessmen, Hu Chuyuan is the boss of their boss, their boss is a foreign bank, isn't the boss of a foreign bank Hu Chuyuan?

The top ten foreign companies in Shanghai are on the table, seven of which are Hu Chuyuan's, and the so-called four major foreign companies are all Hu Chuyuan's.

Shanghai's three major foreign banks, Citigroup, HSBC and Concierge, all have major stakes controlled by Hu Chuyuan.

As long as Hu Chuyuan opened his mouth and said, "Kang Youwei, this young man is still good", Guangdong businessmen and compradors will be able to praise Kang Youwei like heaven.

After making the call, Wu Shuzhen walked in with a smile, and when she saw Kang Youwei, she asked Hu Chuyuan in surprise: "Aren't you resting during this time, why are you also meeting guests...... I have something to discuss with you! ”

Hu Chuyuan hummed, he was very happy in his heart, and immediately said sorry to Kang Youwei pretendedly, and then asked Chen Shanyuan to send Kang Youwei out.

Closed the door, and when Chen Shanyuan came back, Hu Chuyuan instructed him: "Don't let him come again in the future, but don't say it." ”

Chen Shanyuan nodded slightly and left the big study again.

Wu Shuzhen asked Hu Chuyuan with great interest: "What kind of person, you hate me so much, you use me?" ”

Hu Chuyuan laughed and gave Wu Shuzhen the "Thousand Words on Saving the Country" left by Kang Youwei and asked her to read it for herself.

Wu Shuzhen is Wu Shuzhen after all, and after reading it, she also chuckled and said: "It's like a child playing at home, what you say is the same as the truth, but nothing has practical meaning...... Although I didn't talk to him face-to-face, I think this person is quite conceited, as if he is the only one in the world who understands things, and everyone else is far inferior to him. ”

Hu Chuyuan sighed and didn't plan to talk about Kang You's question anymore.

Wu Shuzhen sat beside him with a smile and said, "I happen to be free today, let's talk about your concubine, you can't always avoid talking about it, the eldest lady and the fourth master are in a hurry." ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled awkwardly and said, "We are still young, what are we anxious about, the eldest lady and the fourth master, I will find a way." ”

Wu Shuzhen smiled, but said: "Don't just take care of me, follow the customs, I'll find a good candidate for you, just be beautiful." It's no secret that she likes you and you like her. I introduced her to two very nice people, she refused, think about the old girl who will be by your side for a lifetime, the old accountant, I don't want to say it in my heart, no matter what, she calls me a sister. ”

Hu Chuyuan was silent for a while.

He was also very sad to think about it.

Since following him, Wu Shuzhen has not suffered less, and in the first two years, he was worried every day, and he knew it in his heart, so he didn't want to have a second wife.

However, since Wu Shuzhen gave birth to her eldest daughter Hu Jiali, there has been no sign of pregnancy again, and the Hu family has become a fire up and down.

There are three unfilial pieties, and no queen is the greatest, Hu Chuyuan is in charge of such a big family business, in case there are no children under his knees...... So what's the matter?

Hu Chuyuan didn't care very much, he had already thought about it, even if he really didn't have a biological child, he could inherit one from the second and third families, but if it didn't work, he would recruit a son-in-law!

The daughter and son are not the same, but there is no little jj!!!

It's a pity that the eldest lady and the fourth master Hu Yueqiao don't agree.

Hu Chuyuan didn't care, but when he thought of Pan Limei's fate, he was also very sad.

He likes Pan Limei, and he can't hide this from Wu Shuzhen, but although he and Pan Limei are often together, they are absolutely innocent, which Wu Shuzhen knows better in her heart.

Seeing that he was speechless, Wu Shuzhen understood in her heart, she smiled faintly, and said, "That's okay, I'll invite someone to go to Pan's house tomorrow to propose marriage, let's do this well, and it will save more trouble." Besides, Limei has been with you for ten years, and you have to give her a home. ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded slightly and said, "Okay, this matter will be done as you say...... But you have to ask, after all these years, does she still agree? ”

Wu Shuzhen smiled and teased: "What does she think, don't you know?" ”

Hu Chuyuan didn't have anything to be proud of, just smiled silently.

Times are different, and sometimes, he really can't crack what other people's hearts think.

(To be continued)