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Beijing in the month of Layue, it is a cold winter, heavy snow is flying, the cold wind is biting, after a night of heavy snow, the whole Beijing is covered with a layer of snow. It looks cold and white, which makes people feel clear. For many people who are not used to the dusty winds in Beijing, it is a cold wind, but it is a good weather. Compared to the rain, the cold prevents the snow from melting into annoying muddy water, which is a good time to travel, at least for the foreigners who live in Beijing.

Early this morning, Hurd turned down a few invitations, this was called "our Hurd" by Prince Alcohol as the Qing Dynasty General Taxation Department, there will always be a lot of work waiting for him every day, after all, the customs of the Qing Dynasty, not only the collection of tariffs, has already become an agency with extensive powers, not only concurrently with the postal service, and even on behalf of the Qing Dynasty to handle the office, as for the Qing government's foreign affairs are also involved in everything, naturally as the highest person in charge of the customs, he will always be entangled in all kinds of affairs every day, but this morning, When he opened a telegram from Jianghan Pass, the whole person was stunned.

This is a telegram to Jianghan Customs on behalf of the telegram, the message was sent by Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Huguang, and the core of the message is only one Hubei wants to implement a ban on smoking, and set up a ban on smoking, hoping that the customs will give support and cooperation, but this is not the most attractive, in China for so many years, Hurd has seen the local government's ban on smoking, and also seen the local government's dependence on the ** tax. What really caught his attention was the sentence "The anti-smoking bureau has a customs system in accordance with all regulations"

"What do you think, Mash!"

Hurd smiled at his assistant, the statistics secretary, Marsh;

"To be honest, I'm curious!"

Putting down the telegram in his hand, Mars said with a smile.

"What I'm curious about is how the Qing people can resist the cobweb-like personnel relations of China if they are in charge of the anti-smoking bureau themselves, even if they imitate the various systems of the customs."

"It's really curious!"

Hurd nodded in agreement, he has been in the Qing Kingdom for thirty years, if he has the deepest experience of the Qing Kingdom, it is the headache of the interpersonal relationship of this decaying and declining Eastern Empire, even as a foreigner, he has to be confused with it, so that he can't extricate himself, let alone a Chinese?

"Your Excellency, although the Qing State has launched the so-called Westernization since you wrote the book "Outsider Observation Theory", but their learning from the West is only limited to the surface, I think that even if the Anti-Smoking Bureau imitates the customs system, it will eventually be destroyed in the complex officialdom within the Qing State, even if it is like Tang Haoran, it will be deeply trapped and unable to extricate itself,"

Ma Shi said with an oath.

"Perhaps, compared with others, Tang Haoran is undoubtedly the one who knows the West the most in the Qing Kingdom today, and even knows more about Europe and the United States than we do, but, understanding is understanding, precisely because he knows the West too well, and does not understand the East, Your Excellency, if you are not an Englishman, but a Qing person, then there will be today's General Department of Customs and Excess?"

Marsh's rhetorical question made Hurd slightly nod his head, if he was not British, the struggle within Chinese officialdom would have swallowed him up more than a decade ago.

"Since sometimes Your Excellency has to have a headache for many things, how can Tang Haoran, as a Qing countryman, avoid this qiē? Your Excellency, it seems to me that in the next year or two, we will witness a farce in Hubei, which will start in the form of a farce and will also end in the form of a farce, as for Tang Haoran......"

Shrugging his shoulders helplessly, Ma Shi sighed.

"Maybe at that time, he will regret returning to the Qing Kingdom, perhaps, he should stay in Europe, with his knowledge of history, I believe that many universities will be willing to hire him as a professor and be the first professor of the Qing Kingdom, but no smoking, Your Excellency, this is just a farce!"

Maas's answer made Hurd ponder for a moment, and he glanced at the contents of the message again.

"Perhaps, this is a farce, but it has a lot to do with the customs, and Zhang Zhidong hopes that the customs can cooperate,"

Picking up the telegram, Hurd said, pointing to the message.

"He demanded that those of us who did not hold the license of the Anti-Smoking Bureau should not enter the customs and sell it privately, and all tobacco and soil had to be traded with the Anti-Smoking Bureau, which violated the relevant treaty reached between Britain and China in 1858, and since then, ** is legal trade, and we have no right to stop ** through the Guò Jiang Han Customs!"

"Your Excellency, about this article, it depends on how to understand the legalization of **, perhaps, other people's Qing people can't understand it, but Tang Haoran has changed his way."

After a moment's silence, Marsh continued.

"First of all, Hubei does not deny the legalization of **, they have no right to deny the treaties reached between the central government and foreign countries, and similarly, foreign countries do not have the right to prevent local governments from banning smoking, this is their right, and they require foreign companies to trade with the anti-smoking bureau and prohibit the sale of ** to traders, which does violate the principle of free trade, but, Your Excellency, if it arrests all local tobacco merchants, then who will foreign companies sell ** to? Will the legation stand out for the loss of local cigarette merchants in Wuchang? Moreover, it is not to confiscate the foreign bank's **, but to require the foreign bank to only trade with the anti-smoking bureau, I dare to say, the foreign bank is even happy to see this qiē happen, because ......"

"There is control to make huge profits! After its ban on smoking, it will inevitably lead to the prevalence of smuggling, and foreign banks are naturally happy to see this happen! ”

Hurd nodded, for Hubei along the river, its smoking ban process is full of too many loopholes, and foreign companies can seek unimaginable huge profits in those loopholes.

So, what should we do? Maas! Shouldn't Governor Zhang be reminded? ”

"Your Excellency, I think that Governor Li of Tianjin would like to see this matter end in a farce!"

Mash's reminder made Hurd sigh, although he was British, but he also knew that the contradiction between the two governors Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong seemed to be a personal contradiction, but in fact it was a contradiction between the local government and the central government, and the reason why the central government supported Zhang Zhidong was to prevent the local governors headed by Li Hongzhang from controlling foreign affairs, and then get rid of them. In this case, Li Hongzhang naturally saw that Zhang Zhidong's smoking ban ended in tragedy. After a moment's thought, Hurd nodded.

"I see,"

"Hmph, this Zhang Nanpi!"

Tianjin Beiyang Minister Yanei, put down the newspaper in his hand, and Li Hongzhang smiled coldly.

"My lord, if he is allowed to ban smoking, then the matter of Hubei may be completed!"

Zhou Fu looked at Li Hongzhang anxiously and said:

"Now the reason why the imperial court trusts Zhang Zhidong is to divide us by doing foreign affairs, if it is done in Hubei, it will be liked by the imperial court, how can it be done like this?"

For so many years, what have adults relied on to stay in the position that they have not fallen? Doesn't it depend on the fact that the imperial court needs adults to do foreign affairs and deal with foreigners? Zhou Fu didn't say these words, after all, the matter of "bringing foreign goods for self-respect" has long been involved in the imperial court, but the imperial court has no choice, because no one can deal with foreigners except Li Hongzhang, and no one can do foreign affairs.

Because of this, from the day the court supported Zhang Zhidong, the contradiction between the two was doomed. In this case, Zhou Fu naturally did not want to see Zhang Zhidong succeed.

"Yushan, can this be stopped?"

Li Hongzhang looked at Zhou Fu and said,

"He Zhang Nanpi is in the name of banning smoking, if I go up to prevent him from smoking, I will be attacked by Qingliu, and how can I be honest at this time."

From the moment Zhang Zhidong started foreign affairs in Guangdong, Li Hongzhang was wary of him. Naturally, he had to try to suppress it, and he took advantage of his great and joyful character, so that his brother, who took over the position of governor of Liangguang, returned the iron factory, the yarn factory and the gun factory to Zhang Nanpi, originally thought that Zhang Zhidong could not support such a big situation with Hubei's financial resources, and waited until a qiē became a mess, and then he came forward to clean up, but who would have thought that a Tang Ziran appeared, giving advice to him on the side, and now he is collecting money in the name of banning smoking.

"My lord, if that is the case, what then? Do you sit back and let it happen and do it for me? ”

"It's fine!"

With a sneer, Li Hongzhang thought of the secret telegram sent by Hurd.

"He Zhang Nanpi thought that he used the right person, and he got it done, but he forgot a little, in the officialdom of our Great Qing Kingdom, people who can do things may not be able to get officials, if he appoints Tang Haoran to be the general office of foreign affairs, it is also a person who makes the best use of it, but he just appoints him as an official, Yushan, this matter, let's let it do!"

This is a bit unbelievable, Zhou Fu's brows locked slightly.

"What do you mean, sir......"

Seeing Zhou Fu, he seemed puzzled. Li Hongzhang said with a smile.

"If he Zhang Nanpi doesn't do this, how can he mess up this matter!"

"But, my lord, what if it is done?"

Zhou Fu's worry made Li Hongzhang very unimpressed, he shook his head and said.

"This thing is not so easy to do, Hubei is different from Shanxi, not to mention the surrounding mountain roads are complicated, how can the Yangtze River alone be controlled? Driven by the ban on smoking profits, foreign companies sell cigarettes along the Yangtze River, and how can he stop it. If you can't stop illicit cigarettes, how can you sell these public cigarettes? ”

"It seems that he Tang Ziran thinks things too simply."

Zhou Fu's words made Li Hongzhang shake his head,

"It's not that he Tang Ziran thinks things are simple, but he sees things in China too simply, the government, the local government and foreigners, this matter involves a lot, how can he Tang Ziran say that it is forbidden and banned! But ......"

After a pause, Li Hongzhang said regretfully.

"It's just a pity that Tang Ziran is gone, it's not that he Tang Ziran is talented, it's really ......"

After a long sigh, Li Hongzhang looked at Zhou Fu and said.

"If he messes up this matter, when the time comes, the old man will also have the opportunity to accept Tang Ziran into my mansion!"

"That's just as well. I'm afraid that Zhang Nanpi will be unhappy at that time. ”

"No way."

Li Hongzhang shook his head and said.

"When the time comes, I'm afraid that he will not be able to take care of himself, where he can take care of others, Yushan, Hubei, you keep an eye on the matter, if you have a change, you will ......"

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