Baoding Zhili Governor's Office, from the Tongzhi period of the Beiyang Minister by the Governor of Zhili, successive Zhili Governors for concurrently foreign affairs, commerce, coastal defense and foreign affairs and so on moved the place to Tianjin, and from the Tongzhi nine years as the Minister of Beiyang, Li Hongzhang spent most of the year in Tianjin.

As in previous years, when the New Year is approaching, the Beiyang ministers are constantly visiting all day long, not only the old curtain will have personally or sent people to Li Hongzhang to pay New Year's greetings, even the Beiyang naval division far away on Liugong Island will also send warships to Dagu, and the admiral of the naval division will personally visit him by going home for the New Year, and other people are even more so, for a time, the line is always extremely lively all day long.

Li Hongzhang, who has been the minister of Beiyang for 20 years, is also rare in the history of the Great Qing Dynasty, and how many people have been able to serve as feudal officials in one place for 20 years since the founding of the Qing Dynasty for more than 200 years? At this moment, he was standing in the garden, looking at the flying snow outside the corridor with a solemn expression, frowning, and gradually revealing a kind of non-angry and self-righteous edge.

"Misfortune to the country!"

Just yesterday, not only was the sailor's request to buy two new-type warships rejected, but he Weng Tongrong even demanded that the sailor not buy ships within two years on the grounds of lack of salary.

"If China runs a navy on weekdays, what if it is wartime?"

Although he was annoyed, Li Hongzhang had no choice but to ask Admiral Ding Ruchang to write a letter to refute it, Weng Tongyi is the emperor's teacher, and he is deeply trusted by the emperor, even if he is in a book, what can he do?

Sheng Xuanhuai is Li Hongzhang's cronies. With a stack of newspapers in his hand, he hurried in from the outside. Seeing Li Hongzhang standing on the side of the corridor as if pondering, he slowed down his pace and stood beside him, not daring to disturb him.

Li Hongzhang didn't seem to notice Sheng Xuanhuai, and still frowned.

"Hey!"

A sigh came from Li Hongzhang's voice.

"Lord Nakado, what are you sighing for?"

Sheng Xuanhuai asked on the side.

Li Hongzhang turned around and smiled bitterly at Sheng Xuanhuai.

"The excerpt requested by the sailor to buy the ship was returned, and he Weng Tonggong even asked the Nanyang Navy Division not to buy ships and weapons within two years on the grounds of lack of salary."

Sheng Xuanhuai immediately continued.

"Changshu is really hateful, and he actually abolished the public because of his own selfishness."

The Changshu in Sheng Xuanhuai's mouth naturally refers to Weng Tongxi, but Li Hongzhang did not continue to talk with him about this matter, after all, he Sheng Xuanhuai is also a businessman.

The two walked into the inner hall as they spoke, and Li Hongzhang said meaningfully.

"Xingsun, people often say, 'Be a big official, do great things', it seems that only by being a big official can you do big things. We might as well look at it the other way around, if a person accomplishes great things first, he will naturally be able to become a great official. The truth is something you'll learn later. ”

After finishing speaking, he picked up a square towel on the bookcase, and motioned for Sheng Xuanhuai to sit down and talk while wiping his hands.

Sheng Xuanhuai blinked thoughtfully, then bowed and said.

"The teachings of the middle hall must be remembered forever."

Li Hongzhang sat down on the Taishi's chair and continued: "But this is said again, the height of the temple is so dangerous! In fact, who doesn't want to stay out of the world, be an idle cloud and a lonely crane, and end up in the mountains and forests. ”

"That being said...... But the trees want to be quiet and the wind does not stop. ”

Sheng Xuanhuai also sat down, put the stack of newspapers in his hand on the table and said.

"Now all the major newspapers in Shanghai have published the smoking ban in Hubei, as well as the news that the smoking ban bureau imitates the customs system, plus the previous imitation of the customs system to recruit bureau members. For a time, the controversy about the smoking ban spread throughout Shanghai, and now this matter has become a stir. ”

"Pick out useful ideas and listen to them."

As soon as he heard that it was a matter of Hubei, Li Hongzhang leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to recuperate.

Sheng Xuanhuai picked out a "Shanghai News" and read it.

“…… The pseudonym is "no smoking", but in fact it is a monopoly, and it is monopolized by the government**, and this unprecedented thing is actually to make money and open this absurd and unbearable trip......"

Li Hongzhang waved his hand, Sheng Xuanhuai picked out another newspaper and read it.

"Hubei's ban on smoking and monopoly sales is certainly detrimental to decency, but it is a precedent for banning smoking and preventing ......the trend of tobacco and drug proliferation."

"Well, that's the truth."

Li Hongzhang, who also advocated banning back then, spit out a sentence lightly after hearing it.

Sheng Xuanhuai picked up another copy of "Declaration":

"On the Prohibition of Smoking in Hubei": Tobacco and poisoners, the real disaster to the country and the people, since the same year of the ban on Xian, the local governor for the medicine donation and all encourage planting, which caused a number of provinces to famine, today Hubei in the three towns to try to ban smoking, although for the monopoly of the monopoly, and then if the personnel are appropriate, can also control the tobacco and poison not to spread wantonly, if the appointment is improper, it may also go to the government for the benefit of the tobacco soil, and have no intention of banning smoking......"

"There's a little bit more to this article."

Li Hongzhang slowly opened his eyes.

Sheng Xuanhuai heard Li Hongzhang say this, so he handed over the newspaper, Li Hongzhang took the newspaper, squinted his eyes and read, and said slowly:

"The key to doing things lies in people, since Zhang Nanpi's excerpt went to the court, the three towns monopolized tobacco in January and earned nearly 500,000 yuan, after deducting the cost and bureau expenditure, the treasury was handed over to 98,674 taels, this fold is now a big noise outside, and the local governor is also a lot of temptation, thinking that this can be filled with the treasury without donations, of course, there are also some people who oppose it, thinking that the government monopolizes foreign medicine, which is harmful to the official reputation. Now the two sides are-for-tat, face to face, and the imperial court is also undecided, and has no idea, just to see how Hubei implements it. But neither side got to the point, or this article got to the point......"

Pointing to the newspaper in his hand, Li Hongzhang continued.

"The key lies in people, if it is replaced by someone else, how can 20% of the tobacco profits be handed over to the treasury?"

Sheng Xuanhuai hurriedly said:

"Zhongtang means that Zhang Nanpi used the right person."

Li Hongzhang smiled noncommittally and shook the newspaper in his hand slightly.

"This is really quite unique, and it is good to be able to hand over one percent to others......"

Sheng Xuanhuai looked at Li Hongzhang and waited quietly for the following. Li Hongzhang put down the newspaper, got up and walked to his bookcase, picked up his hookah, took a puff and said.

There are three arguments in this newspaper: first, the host really does not smoke, not for the benefit of smoking; the second is to employ people properly, without self-fattening worries; The third is the imitation of the customs of the tobacco bureau, which is solid and effective, and there is no worry about corruption......"

Li Hongzhang sat down slowly.

"The reason why he Zhang Nanpi did this is to ban smoking, if he really does not smoke, how can he do it as a monopoly, just like what happened in Shanxi back then, but it seems that Tang Ziran is to ban smoking!"

Li Hongzhang took another puff of cigarette and spit it out heavily:

"The system of the tobacco bureau imitates the customs system, if Tang Ziran is for self-fattening, imitating the system of the yamen, although the ban on smoking has not achieved anything, but self-fattening is not worried, and it can also help the governor's office, now a province in Hubei Province foreign medicine donation is not more than 500,000 taels, if it is solved one or two million taels a year, how can Zhang Nanpi have something to say? Now, his anti-smoking bureau has just been prepared, and with the help of others, he can get nearly 100,000 taels of silver in three towns a month, and there is no need to go to the governor's mansion, this Tang Ziran is really a talent! ”

Thinking of doing foreign affairs for so many years, how many money do you pay each year, such as the Telegraph Bureau, the Textile Bureau, and the China Merchants Shipping Bureau? Li Hongzhang couldn't help but envy Zhang Nanpi's good luck, when he first ran foreign affairs, he not only got a real talent, but also a fortune boy.

Lord Zhongtang's words fell on Sheng Xuanhuai's ears, which immediately made him unhappy for a while, and he thought for a moment:

"What Lord Zhongtang said is extremely true, if Tang Ziran pushes the smoking ban to the whole province of Hubei, I am afraid that the income will be at least three or four million taels a year, with this financial resources as a basis, wouldn't Zhang Nanpi want to set up any factory, what factory will he build? I am afraid that within a few years, factories such as iron factories and gun factories will be fully displayed in Hubei. ”

Li Hongzhang nodded and sighed lightly:

"If Zhang Xiangtao does it himself, he doesn't have to worry about it, but I'm afraid of ......"

I'm afraid that Tang Ziran will be allowed to preside over this matter at that time! Holding the hookah, Li Hongzhang couldn't help but fall into thought.

Sheng Xuanhuai seemed to understand Li Hongzhang's voice, but he was silent and did not make a sound.

After pondering for a long time, he shook his head first, and Li Hongzhang let out a long sigh.

"In fact, anyone can do foreign affairs, the key is a word of money. The imperial court can't come up with more money to do foreign affairs, and the local government has not come up with a way to raise money. Now Tang Ziran's ban on smoking is also a foolproof strategy, with money can naturally be done to do foreign affairs, but foreign affairs can not be done without money, and there are many problems that need to be solved. For example, employing people, especially the people in charge! ”

Hearing the appreciation of Tang Ziran between the words of the adults in the middle hall, Sheng Xuanhuai pondered for a moment:

"If Zhang Xiangtao uses Tang Ziran, it will be twice the result with half the effort to do his foreign affairs. He is not like a scholar as an official, he is known for being arbitrary, and his anti-smoking bureau is entrusted to Tang Ziran, which shows his courage. ”

"All use Tang Ziran's ......"

Li Hongzhang put the hookah on the table.

"It doesn't hurt to use Tang Ziran, but it's just a human being!"

Sheng Xuanhuai suddenly understood something from Li Hongzhang's tone, and asked cautiously.

"Listening to the tone of Lord Zhongtang, isn't it already in your chest?"

Li Hongzhang shook his head and said:

"It's too early for Cheng Zhuzhi to say, but I just want to see what he can do with foreign affairs if he Zhang Nanpi has silver."

(History is always very microsecond, Tan Sitong, who was advocated as a "loyal monarch", is actually one of the anti-Qing scholars, in his book "Renxue", it can be seen that one or two, behind him, his friend Tang Caichang was also actively engaged in anti-Qing activities, founded the self-reliance army, as for the name of his loyal monarch, it is not Kang Youwei's generation to deduct it as a self-aggrandizement, just like the so-called four gentlemen of the Restoration and Kang Youwei have never been people on the same road, this point of interest can be greatly Baidu Baidu, thanks to the book friends unswerving, Huaishui Coast, ccd7057, Nickname fill-in tip! The new book is being uploaded, and I hope you will continue to support the speechless, ask for recommendations, and ask for collections! The Rising Sun of the Empire Readers: 150536833)