Returning to his own shipmaster's yamen, Hu Chuyuan convened people to discuss the itinerary.

He wanted to do two major things at the moment, and he didn't dare to take it lightly, so he called Yan Shizhang, Zheng Xitai, Zhang Baixi and others over, and several people discussed it all night, and decided to take Wu Dezhang, the shipping supervisor, and others to Europe to inspect the [***] ships.

In addition, Hu Chuyuan also sent a letter in advance to Xu Jianyin, who was in Europe, through Hua Yufang, asking him to pay attention to these things.

The next time, Hu Chuyuan invited all the officials and supervisors of the shipmaster yamen to the manor hall, explained all the things to be handled later, and temporarily handed over the affairs in the yamen to Zhang Baixi to be responsible for the overall adjustment, and the bureaus and factories performed their own duties.

Ye Fu, Deng Shichang, and Lu Han took the first step and met in Singapore, while Hu Chuyuan was going to Hong Kong.

After waiting for a day, Hu Chuyuan chartered an ocean-going steamer "Taichang" of Swire & Co. and set sail from Fuzhou to Hong Kong.

When the steamer slowly sailed past Luoxing Tower, Hu Chuyuan closed his eyes.

Fuzhou ...... He had come to love the place, and he knew that it wouldn't be long before it would bloom with enough light to shock the whole world.

He did not stay in Hong Kong for long, and waited until he met Zhang Lingpu and met with Liu Yongfu's lieutenant Guo Daxian in Hong Kong, and then officially set off for Singapore.

After two days of turbulence at sea, the Taichang arrived at Pukou, Singapore, where Yip Boon Lan was also waiting for him.

Ye Wenlan often goes in and out of Nanyang, Singapore is always his must-pass place, and there are many Chinese here, so he bought an ivy garden there.

Ivy Garden is a manor composed of several Dutch-style villas, covering an area of about four acres, and is also a place where local Chinese businessmen gather, the scenery is elegant, the architectural layout is also very reasonable, in this place where the four seasons are like spring and summer, a variety of colorful flowers bloom every month, and the shade is lush and green.

As soon as Hu Chuyuan and his party entered the Changchun Garden, Ye Fu and others, who had been waiting here for a long time, greeted them, in addition to a few of them, there were also a few more young military attachés of the Navy Division and a foreign officer about thirty years old in the crowd.

As soon as they met, as soon as they said hello, Ye Fu introduced Hu Chuyuan one by one: "Lord Promotion, this is Major Lang Weili of the British Imperial Navy, responsible for leading the team to drive five Zhenzi gunboats back to the Qing Dynasty...... They also drove a gunboat each, all the way back to China, with ups and downs, which can be described as hard work! ”

Hearing this, Hu Chuyuan couldn't help but be overjoyed.

He smiled and said to Lin Taizeng and others: "Several adults have worked hard, the great cause of coastal defense in the imperial court is a hundred wastes to be revived, you will definitely be useful, if you say that when you say, you will definitely be the admiral who is in charge of the party, Hu is envious!" ”

Lin Taizeng and the others hurriedly replied: "Thank you, Lord Jiyan, this is to serve the country, no matter how hard it is, it is worth it!" ”

Hu Chuyuan smiled and asked everyone to come into the house and talk again.

Ye Wenlan is the God of Wealth of Shen Baozhen and the Fuzhou Shipbuilding Yamen, but Hu Chuyuan is Ye Wenlan's God of Wealth, and Ye Wenlan is afraid of being a little negligent about Hu Chuyuan.

Before Hu Chuyuan arrived, he vacated the best villa in the Ivy Garden, took care of it carefully, and temporarily rented some antique paintings and calligraphy with other merchants in Nanyang according to Hu Chuyuan's taste standards, and decorated the room.

Sure enough, as soon as Hu Chuyuan entered the villa manor left for him to live in, he raised his head and swept his eyes, and nodded with satisfaction.

His eyesight is much better than before, and he is also a shrewd person, and he knows at a glance that this place is all newly purchased.

In short, Ye Wenlan's mind, he took it.

Sitting down in the leather sofa imported from the West, Hu Chuyuan asked Hu Rong to take a few silver tickets, each of which was 3,000 foreign yuan, and gave them to Lin Taizeng and others, and as for Lang Weili, he gave another 1,000 pounds in cash.

As soon as they entered the door, they received the money, and everyone couldn't help but be a little slight, and they didn't dare to accept it.

Hu Chuyuan said with a smile: "Everyone accept it, this is a little bit of my heart as a ship master yamen." The five gunboats of the town can be transported safely to Fuzhou, which is of vital value to the coastal defense of our Qing Dynasty. As a shipmaster, Hu is grateful! ”

After he finished speaking, Zhang Lingpu, who was standing next to him, immediately recounted it in English and Lang Weili.

Lang Weili had nothing to scruple about, and the amount of 1,000 pounds was not small, so he immediately thanked him and accepted the money generously. Seeing that he had accepted the money, Lin Taizeng also pushed the boat and accepted the money separately, but he couldn't help but sigh in his heart: It's really like what Ye Fu and Deng Shichang said, this master's ability to make money and sprinkle money is the best in the world.

As soon as they met, they each rewarded 3,000 foreign rounds, which is really amazing.

Okay, just take the money.

Hu Chuyuan laughed secretly in his heart, and then said with a smile: "When I came from Fuzhou this time, I especially discussed with Lord He, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, and Zuo Zhongtang, the governor of Liangjiang, and also received instructions from the two adults. The meaning of Lord Zhongtang is very simple, the Fujian Sailor is more important than the Yangtze River Sailor, and the top priority is to set up the Fujian Sailor first. Since these gunboats were paid by the Liangjiang Yamen, Li Zhongtang was just handling them on his behalf, and the ships were naturally dispatched by the Liangjiang Yamen, so they were incorporated into the Fujian Naval Division, so after you return to China, you will directly sail the ships to Fuzhou, and you don't have to worry about other things. ”

"...... this?" Lin Tai, who was really in charge of this matter, couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

Hu Chuyuan's words are not wrong, but this arms deal is indeed handled by Li Hongzhang, and it has been made clear when the contract is signed that Li Hongzhang is personally responsible for surveying the ship, and after the acceptance is completed, the balance will be allocated to Britain.

Liu Buyun said bluntly: "Promote your lord, I'm afraid this is very inappropriate, no matter who actually pays for the funds, the contract was signed by Li Zhongtang, the governor of Zhili, and he should inspect the goods!" ”

Hu Chuyuan's expression darkened, he raised his eyebrows coldly, and said: "This matter is not up to you, as long as you sail the boat to Fuzhou and go ashore, the rest of the matter has nothing to do with you." No matter how troubled things are, the two governors will come forward to discuss with the imperial court. ”

Liu Buyun said: "My lord, let's sail the ship to Beiyang first, inspect the ship, pay the payment, and then go back to Fuzhou, isn't this not offended by both sides?" I've just returned to China, and this is going to offend Li Zhongtang, which is really inappropriate! ”

Hu Chuyuan was a little dissatisfied, but he still explained to him: "I won't tell you that these ships were originally given to the Nanyang Naval Division, and the money was from the Liangjiang Yamen, but now the Nanyang Naval Division is under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Liangguang, and it has become a question who these ships belong to." What's more, Li Zhongtang had already intended to leave the five gunboats in the Beiyang Naval Division, in order to avoid unnecessary losses, and in order to properly purchase the Fujian Naval Division, Zuo Zhongtang made it clear that he would come forward to confront Li Zhongtang in the matter, and the others would hide behind and keep silent, and you just need to park the gunboats in Fuzhou Harbor. ”

"...... this?" Liu Buyun was still very annoyed.

On the other side, Lin Taizeng, Ye Zuqi, and Lin Yongsheng did not speak or express their position.

Hu Chuyuan could see that the three of them had agreed.

After all, they are small people with no real power, hiding under the big tree to enjoy the shade, driving directly into Fuzhou Port, and handing over the ship to the shipmaster yamen, which has little to do with them, at most Li Hongzhang feels that they have no intention of serving Beiyang.

If you have to sail the ship to Li Hongzhang, it will completely offend people, not to mention that Hu Chuyuan is not easy to offend, and He Jing, the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, and Zuo Zongtang, a scholar of Tirenge University, cannot be offended.

In fact, Li Hongzhang had already started poaching people, and these people were still in Europe, so he passed on the message through Li Fengbao, the minister to Europe, that he wanted to transfer them to serve in the Beiyang Navy Division and entrust them to be reused.

Lang Weili didn't know what they were arguing about, so he asked Zhang Lingpu.

Hu Chuyuan directly negotiated with Lang Weili in English and told Lang Weili that when the ship sailed to Fuzhou Port, his task would be completed. If the ship needs to continue north, the Fujian Navy will send another sailor general who is familiar with the coastal waterway to lead the ship in charge of the Zhenzhong gunboat.

Lang Weili was a British naval lieutenant and was responsible for piloting these gunboats to be sent to China for the political axe, so he didn't care whether it was the Fuzhou Ship Administration Yamen or the Beiyang Naval Division's Yamen to sign for it.

But he cares about one thing, that is, whether the balance of the British political axe can be returned on time.

Hu Chuyuan replied with certainty: "We will pay the balance directly in Fuzhou, you don't have to worry." ”

"Then there is no problem. ”

This amount has been given to Li Hongzhang, a total of 700,000 taels of silver, an average of 140,000 taels per ship, and the balance of 300,000 taels has not been paid.

Zuo Zongtang's meaning is very simple, 300,000 taels of silver will be paid directly by the shipmaster yamen, and then slowly ask Li Hongzhang for it, if Li Hongzhang doesn't give it, he will scold him a day until Li Hongzhang gives money.

It's a hundred, and Li Hongzhang is not given a chance to fish for boats and people.

It is Li Hongzhang's sword to prepare for the Beiyang Naval Division, and if he detains both people and ships in the Beiyang Naval Division, Zuo Zongtang has no way at all.

Everyone else agreed, but Liu Buyun disagreed.

Hu Chuyuan can also see that Liu Buyun is desperate to go to the Beiyang Navy Division to serve.

Silently, Hu Chuyuan also pondered in his heart...... Liu Buyun is a really smart person, the Beiyang Naval Division is the first naval division that the imperial court really wants to build, and it must be the most valued by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and also the most valued by Li Hongzhang and the Huai Group.

Li Hongzhang has no one in his hands.

Fujian Sailor is full of talents, one more is not more, and one less is not less.

With all this, Liu Buyun expected that once he went to Beiyang, he would be reused by Li Hongzhang.

Hu Chuyuan speculated a little, and said to Liu Buchan: "Liu Guandao is so conscientious about the affairs of the imperial court, and Hu admires him very much. There is no need to discuss this matter anymore, I don't have the guts to be enemies with Zuo Zhongtang and Governor He, if you have the guts, then drive a ship to the Beiyang Naval Division by yourself...... Let's take a look at that then? ”

"...... this?" Liu Buyun hesitated for a moment and gave him a bear-hearted leopard gall, but he didn't dare to do it.

He is just a small pipe band, how dare he offend Zuo Zongtang and He Jing?

Therefore, he still wanted to win over several other pipe bands to join Li Hongzhang.