Nanyang Bank.

This will be a very important chess piece for Hu Chuyuan, although his shareholding in this bank does not exceed 40%, after all, there are also Zhang Bishi, Xu Run, Ye Wenlan, Mo Liuzhang and others joined, especially Zhang Bishi, he is the real main pillar of Nanyang Bank.

Hu Chuyuan will use a small sum of money to leverage the financial markets of the entire Nanyang, Liangguang, Vietnam and other places, and Zhang Bishi will also enter China's financial field through cooperation with him, and both sides will take what they need.

This is a cooperation between the richest man in the Qing Dynasty and the richest man in Nanyang, Xu Run, Ye Wenlan, Mo Liuzhang and others are just foils and auxiliaries.

The artillery of the Sino-French war became louder and louder.

In Tianjin, Li Hongzhang had already signed the "Treaty of Li Fu" with the French representative Fono.

Li Hongzhang himself could barely accept this treaty, and pinned his hopes on the later negotiations, the new military aircraft foreman Prince Li Shiduo had just taken office, and the power was in the hands of Prince Yixun, who was not a very capable person, and his attitude towards this was very vague, neither opposing nor agreeing.

This matter should have been managed by the new Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prince Su Longqin, but he is even more incompetent, and the reason why he was able to stand out a few years ago was that in the final analysis, he still relied on Hu Chuyuan, and Hu Chuyuan made the decision for him in everything.

In Fujian and Taiwan, the French sent fleets to prepare for the landing in Keelung, and the imperial court still sent Liu Mingchuan, the boss of the Huai army, as the minister of Taiwan affairs, and led two battalions of the Huai army to be responsible for resisting.

Xianghuai is not in harmony.

This is a well-known thing, and the gap was originally provoked by the Manchurians, and the Manchurians themselves knew it in their hearts, so they no longer expected Sun Kaihua's troops from the Hunan Army originally stationed in Taiwan to contribute, but just asked Sun Kaihua to transfer troops back to Kaohsiung.

In Liangguang, as soon as Mei Qizhao's fold was handed over, the Qing court also agreed half-pushing, half-pushing, and half-agreeing, deploying the two armies of Hunan and Huai separately, and only letting Mei Qizhao, a middle faction, be responsible for the command and scheduling, so as not to make internal disputes between the two factions and delay the fighters.

Pan Dingxin, the governor of Guangxi of the Huai Department, and the minister of Langshan Supervision and Administration, sat in Langshan and Pingxiang, and Wang Debang, the governor of Guangxi, led the Hunan army to retreat to Longzhou County, and the Jiangxi army continued to transfer new recruits from Jiangxi to supervise and train, expanding to eight battalions, and divided troops to guard Kip Shiguan and Jiangzhou County, and promoted Feng Zicai as the minister of supervising regimental training, and supervised regimental training in Nanning Prefecture and Ningming County.

As for the Nanyang Bank proposed by Mei Qizhao, because there were too many precedents, and now it was the time for emergency use of money, the imperial court could not take care of it a lot, so it immediately approved it and asked him to raise money in the local area as soon as possible.

First of all, it is difficult for the French army to replenish the French army, and it has to go through long mountains and rainforests, while the Qing army has its back to Nanning Mansion, and the Pearl River waterway leads directly to Nanning Prefecture, and the upstream also leads directly to Jiangzhou County and Longzhou County.

From Hunan to Guangxi, from Xiangtan to Guilin, there are not only 30-ton diesel engine small steamers that can pass by water, but also land roads, which are not affected by the dry season and the rainy season.

In other words, the French could not be mobilized throughout the period from April to November, and it was difficult to replenish manpower and armaments, while the Qing army could be continuously replenished throughout the year...... From the perspective of the overall grand strategy, this is the real factor why China was able to win the Sino-French war.

As long as they can fight for seven or eight percent of the damage this year, next year will definitely be a big victory, and it will drag on until April, and if the French want to start a large-scale decisive battle again, they will have to wait until April of the following year.

Even France could not afford such a war attrition, and even if it did, it would not want to resist the German invasion in the future.

Hu Chuyuan lived very comfortably in Taiping Town, but he was particularly concerned about his wife and soon-to-be-born children, and he would write an encrypted telegram to Yan Shizhang every few days, and then ask Yan Shizhang to forward it to Wu Shuzhen.

On the Fuzhou side, Qu Hongji also began to be anxious for help, sticking to Yan Shizhang day and night, asking Yan Shizhang to ask Hu Chuyuan to think of a way, and Yan Shizhang asked him to listen to Ye Fu's arrangement.

Hu Chuyuan still did something, and played a game with Li Hongzhang in Beijing through telegrams.

Li Hongzhang was afraid that the Fujian sailors would ruin his good deeds, so he led the French fleet to Tianjin, and tried his best to send Zhang Peilun south to supervise the war, saying that it was to supervise the war, but it was better to say that the plenipotentiary overseers were not allowed to go to war.

In this seemingly insipid, but actually dangerous link, Hu Chuyuan suddenly exerted his strength, and through the old relationship between Prince Su Longqin and Li Hongzao, he asked the imperial court not to send another person.

Since Zuo Zongtang has been appointed as the minister of the Qin Mission, and He Jing, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang and the general of Fuzhou, is in office, why send another person to supervise the war?

If you don't trust Zuo Zongtang and He Jing at this time, wouldn't it be a chilling move?

Cixi weighed left and right, and finally under the persuasion of Prince Su Longqin, she decided to believe in Zuo Zongtang's ability, and handed over the Southeast Military Affairs Plenipotentiary and Zuo Zongtang, the "Minister of Supervision and Supervision of Fujian and Zhejiang Southeast Coastal Defense", and only Taiwan's defense affairs were handed over to Liu Mingchuan, whose qualifications were not simple.

Subsequently, Hu Chuyuan sent a telegram to Zuo Zongtang, saying that everything had been fully prepared during his tenure, and that he only needed to trust Ye Fu and Ye Zuqi at this time, and that he should not send Yang Yuebin and other famous generals from the Hunan army to come, which would only add trouble.

…… Hu Chuyuan's life and death are unknown, and even those who know that he is alive are elusive about his whereabouts.

After helping Mei Qizhao straighten out the military affairs of Liangguang and sending a batch of arms to Liu Yongfu through the huge transit station in Nanning, Hu Chuyuan turned around and followed the troops escorting the arms to Yunnan.

Facts have proved that Hu Chuyuan's early use of Nanning as a transit station for munitions and materials is a very good choice, and Nanning's transportation advantages are obvious, and it itself belongs to the heart of a huge Guangxi Basin, and its defensive advantages are also obvious.

Even if the waterway from Guangzhou to Hong Kong was cut off by the French, it would not be difficult to supply Guangxi through Hunan.

Through Nanning, along the waterway can provide supplies to Langshan and Zhennanguan, to the west, through Baise Mansion into Wenshan in Yunnan, through the official road all the way north is Kunming, south is Lin'an Mansion and Simengzhou, which is exactly the battle line between the Dian army and France.

In June, Hu Chuyuan arrived in Yunnan.

Yunnan is a special and good place, full of small dams, like a plateau composed of countless small basins, and those small dams are more like countless isolated paradises.

The person he wanted to see this time was none other than Cen Yuying, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, who also had more than 20 battalions in his hands, totaling 17,000 people, half of whom were the old Gui army he had brought from Guangxi.

The person who introduced Hu Chuyuan and Cen Yuying was none other than Liu Yongfu.

All the way to the Jiayuguan Pass in Vietnam with the Guangxi Green Battalion soldiers transporting arms, Hu Chuyuan first went to Liu Yongfu's military camp.

Hu Chuyuan wanted to contact Cen Yuying, as early as when he left Heye, he had already negotiated with Liu Yongfu, and when he came to Jiayuguan after a circle, Liu Yongfu had already contacted him properly.

Cen Yuying and Liu Yongfu are fellow villagers, as early as the Tongzhi years, the two had secret contacts in private, after Cen Yuying led more than 10,000 troops into Jiayu Pass, Liu Yongfu also symbolized the surname of the leader of more than 4,000 troops stationed outside Jiayu Pass, and renamed "Fuzi Battalion".

As soon as he secretly entered Liu Yongfu's big tent, Hu Chuyuan sat down to drink herbal tea, and there was a stirring outside the tent.

Soon, as soon as the curtain of the tent door was lifted, Liu Yongfu turned sideways and invited a half-hundred-year-old official who was not very tall to come in first.

Here and now, the second-grade master, a flower feather.

Except for Cen Yuying, the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou, there is no other candidate, unless Mei Qizhao also comes over.

Hu Chuyuan also got up, and Cen Yuying couldn't help but raise her eyes and look at him carefully.

Liu Yongfu let the soldiers behind him stay outside the account, tightened the thick tent, and then said in a low voice: "Lord Governor, this is ......!" ”

Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Cen Yuying asked himself tentatively: "Minister of Jiangnan Trade and Commerce...... Lord Hu? ”

Hu Chuyuan didn't hide it, nodded and said, "It's Xiaguan, Governor Cen, please take a seat!" ”

The official system of the Qing Dynasty is more complicated, the governor is generally the second grade, the title of the Jiashang is from the first grade, and the increase of the bachelor's rank and the military aircraft rank is the first grade, and the difference between each level here is very huge, and it may not be able to survive for ten years.

Hu Chuyuan is the minister of Jiangnan trade and trade of Zheng Sanpin, and he is still a miscellaneous official, with no actual authority, while Cen Yuying is the governor of Yunnan and Guizhou and the governor of Yunnan of Zheng Erpin, and has the right to control the soldiers and horses of all walks of life on the Western Front.

Because Hu Chuyuan had money in his hands and controlled most of the arms and materials, Cen Yuying on the Western Front and Mei Qizhao on the Eastern Front both asked him.

Cen Yuying didn't pay attention to who was high and who was low, he understood in his heart that it was the same as a mirror, and immediately nodded and sat down.

As soon as he sat down, he and Hu Chuyuan exclaimed: "President Hu's office has been assassinated several times, and his life has been hanging on the line repeatedly, and the court is powerless to stop it, which is really chilling, and the old man is also quite indignant." ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled but did not speak.

Cheap words, who wouldn't say?

Cen Yuying said again: "This official has something to understand, the court is anxious to ask you to go out of the mountain to reconcile the matter of China and France, since you are out of danger, why are you unwilling to show up, so that we all think that you have lost your life at the hands of thieves?" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "There is such a thing as a family name, and only I know that it is precious. If the imperial court doesn't put pressure on me and doesn't let me have the military power to protect myself, why should I joke with my surname? ”

Hu Chuyuan is indeed taking one step at a time, and at the moment, he really wants to take advantage of the situation to blackmail with the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and hold a military power of his own in his hand, and it is an official establishment that the Manchu court must recognize.

Cen Yuying sighed silently and said: "Yes, we know that this kind of thing is precious, in the eyes of the court, courtiers should be loyal to death, and early death and late death are death." When we die, the court will issue an official document and give us a nickname...... What's the use of that? ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Don't say it, the Sino-French war is anxious, and I can't allow me to live outside the world and just seek my own safety." I had come this time to discuss with the Governor about dealing with the French, and I had arrived at Jiayuguan with a new batch of munitions, 30,000 new guns of American and German manufactures, a total of 14,000,000 rounds of ammunition, 68 American-made imitation Armstrong cannons, 70 small cannons, 80,000 shells, 1,500,000 loads of grain and grass, and 60,000 pieces of military clothing. ”

Cen Yuying was overjoyed and said, "Oh, Master Hu, you are sending charcoal in the snow, saving the old man and the water and fire!" ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled and waited for the following.

Sure enough, Cen Yuying immediately frowned and sighed: "It's a pity that the military budget of the imperial court is tight, heavy and light and expensive, and the old man doesn't have much silver in his hands." The old man was just trying to borrow a sum from Governor Mei to see if he was willing to cooperate with the old man, but he really didn't expect to lure you, a rich gentleman, out. ”

Saying this, he laughed again and said, "The old man is fishing for small fish, but he fished out the Dragon King of the East China Sea, sin, sin!" ”

Hu Chuyuan replied solemnly: "Don't worry, Lord Governor, I told Lord Mei, the Governor of Liangguang, that the eastern and western fronts must work together to fight the enemy, and this military fund was paid by the Yamen of the Governor of Liangguang first, and the debt problem will be calculated slowly after the war is over." ”

Cen Yuying smiled and didn't say a word "good".

He knows what kind of person Hu Chuyuan is...... How can the world's No. 1 businessman do such a loss-making business, there is no doubt that what is hidden here is precisely a big deal.

After thinking for a moment, he said: "Master Hu, just say it directly, it can be regarded as a trick for the old man, and see how this account is settled?" ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled and said, "I estimate that the adults can still sit in Yungui for at least ten years ......!" ”

Cen Yuying suddenly raised her hand and said, "Ten years can't be talked about, the old man's own body, the old man himself understands, at most it will last another six or seven years." Even if the old man is seventy years old, he will be transferred to another place. ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "It doesn't matter how many years it is. The Governor of Liangguang, Mr. Mei, has already asked the Imperial Court to borrow money from Citigroup in the United States, which is still guaranteed by my CITIC Bank. I estimate that this military debt will eventually reach 100 million yuan, of which 30% will be distributed to you. How the money will be repaid in the end, adults don't have to worry. When it comes to Yunnan, I think it's very rich, and I say it's the 'money' of silver money. As long as the Governor believes in my vision and adopts my suggestions, Yunnan will definitely be able to enrich the southwest. ”

"Oh?"

Although it was a war that was burning his eyebrows at the moment, Cen Yuying was still quite interested when she heard these words, and immediately asked, "Lord Hu, please say it directly!" ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "The key to whether Yunnan can develop lies not in Yunnan itself, but in the north of Vietnam. If you can take the north of Vietnam, build a railway along the Red River, go all the way to Kunming, and then build a road through the dams in various places, it can be said to be gradually prosperous. ”

Cen Yuying couldn't help but sigh: "It's better not to talk about the railway. ”

Hu Chuyuan did not persuade him, and said: "Then only build a few small lots, focus on the development of tin mines and silver mines in Yunnan, and build large mines and railways funded by Yunnan-Guizhou Commercial Bank, mainly engaged in tin ore and tin ware." It is transported to the Red River by railway, and then exported all the way through the Red River to Nanyang and overseas countries. ”

Cen Yuying nodded silently and said, "This is feasible." ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "It has been two or three years since the establishment of the Yungui Commercial Bank, and the performance has been poor. Secondly, the money printing tax is also an important centi, and the Governor of Liangguang, Lord Mei, has already reported to the imperial court to approve the construction of the Guangzhou Silver Bureau, and the Governor may wish to report to the imperial court to approve the construction of the Yungui Silver Bureau and print and distribute banknotes. Of course, these are trivial matters, and even if the governor has no money in his hands, relying on the borrowing of the imperial court is enough to win this war. ”

Cen Yuying said: "What you said is very true. The money printing tax is something that everyone wants, and the old man knows this very well in his heart. The point is that others can't do it, and they have to find you when they do. A few years ago, Sheng Xuanhuai also set up a Beiyang Bank, and everyone saw what the result was. Not even this person, you are the only one in the Qing Dynasty who can do it...... But then again, the country's baht banknotes are all for you to print, this is the sin of Huaibi, even if the court has to agree now, what should you do in the future? ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "I don't plan to monopolize its profits, this time, I am helping Boss Xu Runxu to purchase Nanyang Bank." You might as well hand over the right to print money to Nanyang Bank first, and we don't seem to have to worry so far about the future. ”

Cen Yuying is not stupid, he knows that Hu Chuyuan mostly has shares in Nanyang Bank, but as Hu Chuyuan said, what will happen in the future ...... It doesn't seem to matter that far.

How many more years can he serve as the governor of Yungui, first care about the immediate benefits.

In the future, let the court think about it for itself.

He immediately nodded in agreement.

Because the Qing baht in the five provinces of Jiangnan, Shandong and Zhili has dominated the world, the issuance of paper baht accounts for 7 percent of it, and even spreads to Henan and Huguang.

As long as the following governors proposed to use this method to levy money printing taxes without affecting the income and expenditure of the household department, the Qing court would basically agree. It would be better if the bank in charge of the purchase was not Hu Chuyuan's CITIC Bank, which proposed it in the same month and approved it in the same month.

In any case, it is a tax of several million taels of silver every year, and the current Yungui and Liangguang are anxious to use the money, and the money printing tax is the best way, and the imperial court does not have to take any risks.

Hu Chuyuan and Cen Yuying had to talk about much more than just printing money, and soon, Cen Yuying talked about the equipment of the two main forces under his account, the Gui Army and the Dian Army.

Cen Yuying is just a talented person, and being able to sit in Yungui completely depends on the military power in his hands.

He was also reluctant to take out his army and fight hard with the French, this point, he was the same as Li Hongzhang, after the defeat of the Huai army, he immediately Mingjin withdrew his troops and withdrew his troops to Jiayu Pass.

If you want to achieve a real victory against France, the Western Front must work together with the Eastern Front, Hu Chuyuan is very clear about this, he half sold and half donated, and gave Cen Yuying a particularly generous condition, so that he could get an extra sum of arms and grain and grass.

In terms of military salaries, Hu Chuyuan also donated 3 million taels of silver to Cen Yuying in the name of the Yungui Wanliyuan ticket number, so that he could use it to sort out his descendants of the Dian Army and the Gui Army.

(To be continued)