The Hu family was discussing things, and Hu Rong came in to tell Hu Chuyuan, saying that Mei Qizhao, the governor of Zhejiang, and Qu Hongji, the prefect of Hangzhou, came to visit him.

This made Hu Chuyuan and the rest of his family a little surprised, if there is nothing urgent, then it should wait until tomorrow, right? It makes the family more aware of ...... Hu Chuyuan's status in the business and political circles of Jiangnan is becoming more and more powerful, and he is even better than Hu Xueyan, and even Mei Qizhao, the governor of Zhejiang, has to take the initiative to visit him.

Zhejiang Governor Mei Qizhao and Hangzhou Governor Qu Hongji are certainly not ordinary people!!

Hu Chuyuan hurriedly got up to say goodbye to the elders in the family, and went out to greet the two distinguished old friends.

The three of them hadn't seen each other for a while, but when they met, they were very happy with each other.

Seeing Hu Chuyuan, Mei Qizhao smiled and said: "Chu Yuan, I want to congratulate you on quelling the salt chaos, and you have contributed to the imperial court!" ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled: "Same joy, same joy." Two adults, please come to my study and talk slowly? ”

"Good!" Mei Qizhao and Qu Hongji agreed together.

Because the Hu family gathered in the lobby of Baishi Building, Hu Chuyuan led the two to Suoqiu Hall, and it happened that Yan Shizhang lived here and was studying in the flower hall.

He and Qu Hongji had a secret conversation a few times as early as in Beijing, and Qu Hongji's talent was by no means simple at a glance, so he recommended it to Hu Chuyuan, and for Qu Hongji, he was also a real benefactor.

When the two saw each other, they couldn't help but sigh a few words.

For Mei Qizhao, Yan Shizhang is not an outsider.

The four of them sat down in the flower hall of Suoqiu Hall, and before they had time to drink a cup of tea, Mei Qizhao said to Hu Chuyuan: "Chu Yuan, I heard the rumors, saying that the governor He has returned to Beijing with his family to take up his post, and Shen Baozhen and Shen Shangshu recommended you to be the Fuzhou shipmaster. ”

Qu Hongji also smiled and said: "Congratulations on the promotion of the cavalry lieutenant, the current Fuzhou Ship Master is the Governor He concurrently, and the Governor General is also the governor of Fujian and the general of Fuzhou. In this way, this is the power of the second grade of the imperial court, and I am envious! ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled and said, "The matter has not been decided yet, so the two adults don't need to be in such a hurry to congratulate." ”

Mei Qizhao laughed and said to him: "Chu Yuan, don't worry, as far as I know, the imperial court can't come up with a second candidate at all." The promotion of the shipmaster is a fat difference, but it is not something that ordinary officials can appoint, and they need to be very proficient in foreign affairs and Western affairs, and without the nod of the governor He and the monk Shen, no one can sit in this position. ”

Qu Hongji also said: "My friend Zhang Baixi, a fellow villager in the same year, is serving as the meeting office of the Fuzhou Shipbuilding Yamen Tongyuan Bureau. According to the news that he and I have communicated, it has been spread all over the shipyard's yamen, and they all say that you are going to take office if you don't say it. ”

Hu Chuyuan couldn't laugh and said, "Then thank you for the two adults for your care." ”

He knew in his heart that the promotion of Fuzhou Shipmaster to this position was not a good thing for him, and he had to spend a lot of money to make achievements in this position, to keep He Jing, and to keep his future.

In the same way, he had to be promoted and had to spend money.

It was easy to deal with the French army, but it was not easy to deal with the French navy, and he estimated that in a total of six years from this year to 1885, he would have to pay at least five million taels of silver in order to prevent the Fujian Navy from being defeated by the French Far East Fleet.

He also had to draw official funds from the Jiangnan Commercial Bank, and use them on a large scale to buy ships and build ships and build additional forts, and the cost before and after could not be less than 10 million taels of silver, otherwise it would be impossible to resist the French.

Qu Hongji is a shrewd person, more shrewd than Mei Qizhao, and when he saw Hu Chuyuan's expression, he guessed in his heart that he was not far from ten - Hu Chuyuan was forced, and he was forced by Zhongtang Zuo Zongtang and He Jing, and he had to go to Fuzhou Shipbuilding Yamen for emergency, not if he didn't go.

He immediately stopped talking about this matter, and instead said to Mei Qizhao: "Lord Governor, we still have to get down to business, the Jinhang Water Canal is very important, it's rare that Captain Hu is back, let's try to finalize some details today!" ”

Mei Qizhao nodded silently, then took a map of Zhejiang, spread it on the table and made a detailed comparison with Hu Chuyuan, and said: "Chuyuan, we plan to build six reservoirs on the periphery of the Jinqu Basin, which are the same as the six large canals, and the big canals will open more than 30 small canals and more than 100 branch canals, which can basically irrigate the entire Jinqu Basin and Yanhang. Not to mention anything else, only after the dredging of the three major canals of Jinqu Canal, Yanhang Canal, and Jinhang Canal is completed, the newly irrigated paddy fields can reach more than 4 million mu; if the project can be completed within four years, we dare not say anything else, and the agricultural tax of the four prefectures in western Zhejiang can be at least doubled, and hundreds of thousands of taels of silver can be added every year. However, the total cost is not small, I am afraid that it will cost at least six or seven million taels of silver. ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "Taxation and investment are secondary, the key is to benefit the people, whether it is to grow rice or mulberry, the income is huge, the people's words are better, all walks of life can be better, and the Zhejiang governor Yamen can be better." ”

Mei Qizhao smiled: "That's true, since Chu Yuan, don't worry, when will the first payment arrive?" ”

Hu Chuyuan thought for a while and said, "Within three days, I will borrow one million taels of silver for the start of construction, but it's just ...... All joints must appoint suitable candidates, and they are not afraid to invest money in canal repairs, but they are afraid that the officials are too greedy and the money will not be used. ”

Mei Qizhao said: "That's exactly what I'm here for, Chu Yuan, can we do it officially?" I personally served as the director and let Huo Zhifu be the assistant, and the specific matters were taken care of by Jiangnan Commercial Bank? ”

"So?"

Hu Chuyuan pondered for a moment and felt that it was okay to do this, so he said: "Okay, I will set up a Jiangnan Water Conservancy Bureau under the Jiangnan Commercial Bank to cooperate with the construction of water conservancy in the provinces of Jiangnan, and the yamen can directly contract the project to me." ”

Mei Qizhao said: "That's easy...... In addition, there is one more thing! ”

Speaking of this, he gave Qu Hongji a look.

Qu Hongji immediately said: "Captain Hu, this matter costs a lot of silver, and the governor of Zhejiang, Yamen, is afraid that it is...... It will certainly not be repaid, unless the loan term is extended to ten years. I had a private discussion with the governor, and I originally wanted to expropriate the fields along the canal in the name of the yamen before the canal was built, and when the canal was completed, the land price would increase several times from Sha Tin to paddy fields, and the land price could be repaid by these profits. It's just that......! ”

He didn't finish.

Mei Qizhao coughed lightly, and then continued to say to Hu Chuyuan: "It's just that this official doesn't compete with the people for wealth, if I do this, I'm afraid I will leave a tongue for others." So, I'm thinking I'll leave this matter to you. The profits you make from them are used to offset the loans, and you pay them back in the name of donations to the governor's yamen. In this way, you will gain fame and will not lose money, and the yamen will have money to repair the canal. ”

Hu Chuyuan shuddered coldly.

Please, he already has the Yufeng Grain Society.

If he continues to build millions of acres of land in Zhejiang, will he still be alive?

He is indeed afraid of death, but he is also greedy for money.

Thinking about it left and right, he actually gritted his teeth again and said, "Just do it!" ”

At this time, Yan Shizhang, who had not spoken, suddenly said: "The owner, we are not suitable to come forward directly, it is better to ask the fourth master to contact the rich gentry from all over Zhejiang, and everyone will pay together and give them a benefit fee." ”

Hu Chuyuan nodded and said, "That's true, the amount of land involved is too large, and if I come out to annex alone, I will always leave a tongue for others...... In fact, it is also possible to ask the Jiangnan agricultural cooperatives to come forward and let the local silk heads and tea heads come out to buy land, and the land purchased can be expanded to the cooperatives. As for the entire project, I will donate and borrow half. ”

Mei Qizhao smiled: "Okay, let's make a decision." ”

Hu Chuyuan said: "A word is a certainty. ”