【215】Thousands of miles of rivers and mountains open up a new face (19)

Zuo Zongtang put down the letter and frowned.

Liu Jintang pointed to a pile of books on the table and said, "My lord, Yao Fan ordered Shanxi businessmen to send these books all the way to make a Laoshizi?" Now that he learned that Beijing had fallen, the hearts of the people in Shaanxi and Gansu were fluctuating, and it was extremely difficult for the grain station to raise grain, he Yao Fan sent 100,000 silver dollars and a bunch of gunpowder and guns, asking us to continue to help him sell his life, but he did not give him food! He also wanted to incorporate the 25th battalion of our Hunan army in Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang, which was really a lion's mouth. ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "If there is a great change today, the Huanghuang Qing Dynasty collapsed overnight, the capital of the Son of Heaven fell into the hands of Yao Fan, and the emperor and princes were all under his control. Now the funny thing is that Li Hongzhang couldn't beat him, so he simply changed his master and defected to him Yao Fan, so that he Yao Fan was only afraid that sooner or later he would win the world. ”

Liu Jintang said: "The world is so good? Even if Li Hongzhang wants to be Wu Sangui, then Yao Fan is not afraid that Li Hongzhang will be big in the future? ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "I heard that Li Hongzhang has long been without a single soldier, and the CPPCC is all civilian officials and does not have military power. I can see Yao Fan's path clearly, he only holds the gun tightly, and he is generous in his civil rank. ”

Liu Jintang sat on the chair and thought for a long time and said: "My lord, if we hand over the military power, I think Yao Fan will be very happy and will not embarrass us." But he is a yellow-mouthed son, how can he pacify this big mess in the northwest! At that time, I am afraid that the Russians will take advantage. I, Liu Jintang, have long wanted to go back to my hometown to live a peaceful life, but this mess in Xinjiang is a matter of national decency! ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "He Yao Fan said in a very loud tone, saying that he wanted to give the British some color to see, and we will temporarily reclaim the wilderness, slow down the army's advance, and settle the war in Xinjiang." In the future, if Yao Fan does not succeed, after we pacify Xinjiang, we will also be able to leave some foundation for the country in the northwest. If he really swept the whole country, won the hearts of the people, and changed the dynasty to implement a new policy, my Zuo Zongtang would not be a person who was attached to power, and I would only entrust the northwest to him. ”

Liu Jintang said: "I think Yao Fan is a person who is still a general knowledge, there are 32,000 guns sent this time, 1,000 Lei Mingdun foreign guns used by the Huai army, all of which are ** Chengxin, as well as 3,000 catties of black powder, 300 shells, and silver, he is not afraid that we will take his ammunition and hit him in turn." ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "I look at this person's poems, it can be said that he swallows mountains and rivers, and he thinks that he is the talent of the hero.

Jintang, I'm already old, and I don't see anything in the court, Li Hongzhang is used to seeing the wind and making the rudder, since he took refuge in Yao Fan before me, he categorically can't allow me to interfere again. Now the war in the northwest mainly depends on you, if you can fight well, you will also be able to enter the future with resources. ”

Liu Jintang said: "My lord, Yao Fan may not be willing to see Li Hongzhang stand out, if the adult is effective, he will definitely want to use the adult to balance the Huai system with my Hunan system." ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "You don't be obsessed, Yao Fan started from Shandong, and now the Lu family is the main body, Li Hongzhang is a delicate person, how can you not see this, if the Hunan department forcibly intervenes, I am afraid that he will be used by him, and he will die in the future." ”

Liu Jintang hesitated: "Then we will deal with it first?" ”

Zuo Zongtang said: "What to deal with?" Beat! I, a child of Sanxiang, always want to create a world in the northwest, so that Yao Fan can't underestimate us! It also leaves a capital for the sons and daughters in the future.

In addition, he wrote to Yao Fan that there was our Hunan army in the northwest, telling him not to send a single soldier, just to deal with the British with his heart, and not to let the foreigners rush into Beijing to be presumptuous, otherwise, my Zuo Zongtang would never be the same as Li Hongzhang.

Also, sue him Yao Fan, grain and grass are not enough, if there is a big chaos today, I can't count on the assistance of the provinces, this year the northwest needs at least 500,000 taels of silver, in addition to military salaries, the people of all ethnic groups in the northwest also need financial assistance, the 100,000 taels he sent is far from enough, tell him to watch it.

Also, there are many casualties and deaths in the Hunan camp in the northwest, and 13oo people should be transferred from Hunan to supplement the strong people, but now all provinces are prevaricating the salary, and Hunan does not send the strong to come, you tell Yao Fan, if he wants, he can send a thousand Shandong soldiers over, whether it is to join the Hunan army, or to form an army of his own, but you have to listen to my orders. ”

……………………

Due to the need for fast horse transmission of letters, the demise of the Qing government led to a large-scale collapse of the post station, many officials who managed the post station along the way rolled up the money and ran away, and the people below also stole the post horse, and Zuo Zongtang's letter had to be handed over to the merchant to take back to Beijing.

The land reform in the liberated areas is proceeding very smoothly, the work of comprehensively banning tobacco houses and brothels is also being carried out vigorously, the action of raiding corrupt officials and corrupt officials and the public security measures of cracking down on bandits and ruffians are also being implemented, these policies have continuously provided Yao Fan with a large number of free laborers, the total number of prisoners in the labor camp who have participated in the construction of the railway has reached 100,000, and the construction of a double-track railway connecting Beijing, Tianjin, Cangzhou, Dezhou, Jinan, Zibo, Weifang, and Qingdao is under full construction.

Yao Fan handed over the position of Minister of Railways to Xu Shou, who had just arrived in Beijing by boat from the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau Translation Office in Shanghai. Xu Shou was named by Yao Fan, so Li Hongzhang wrote a letter to summon him to Beijing.

Yao Fan met Xu Shou in Zhongnanhai Yi Nian Hall, accompanied by Li Hongzhang.

"I am relieved that Mr. Xu can serve as the Minister of Railways, when it comes to today's Chinese scientists and engineers, there are only a handful of famous ones, and more are unknown technicians in various factories that do foreign affairs, Mr. Xu once single-handedly made China's first steamboat driven by a steam engine, which will be a credit to the annals of history."

Xu Shou saw that Yao Fan was approachable, and he praised himself greatly when he met, and he was also proud in his heart.

"Chairman Yao has won the award, over the years, I always feel that my health is getting worse, and the energy and energy that I used to run around the machine are also insufficient, so I quit the practice of the Ordnance Institute and went to work in the translation hall, hoping to introduce Western science to China more in my lifetime. During this period, although many court officials invited me to go out of the mountains to set up factories and mines for them, I also refused.

However, the day before yesterday, I received a letter from Mr. Li and read about the democratic regime established by the chairman and the president's governing philosophy. I also sent the letter with a bibliography issued by you, Chairman, and I learned that the books I translated, Chairman, have all been translated into Chinese, and there are even more scientific top-secret versions, which really makes me feel like a frog in a well.

Since the translation of books is no longer of great use, I want to think about it and make up my mind that I am willing to do what I can for the start of New China's industry. ”

Looking at the white old man in front of him, Yao Fan's respect for him in his heart was really greater than that of Li Hongzhang. Xu Shou was born in a dilapidated landlord family, lived a hard life since childhood, was industrious and thrifty, did not love the imperial examination, only liked science, and spent his life in pursuit of bridging the gap between modern Chinese science and the world. Since he withdrew from industrial practice and began to translate books, to his death in 1884, he translated 1o5 scientific and technological books, such as "Chemical Origin", "Chemical Quality", "Objects Changed When Heated", "The Beginning of Steam Engines", etc., it is no exaggeration to say that the Chinese nation has continued the broken scientific backbone in a timely manner.

Yao Fan said sincerely: "Xu Lao is not only proficient in machinery, but also knows everything in mathematics, chemistry, physics and other disciplines, and it is really a bit condescending to be the minister of the Ministry of Railways, so I hope you can concurrently serve as the president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, I don't know if you agree?" ”

Xu Shou kindly looked at the extraordinary young man in the chair in front of him, and said: "Building a long-line railway and building a small track in a coal mine are two different things, although I have not built a long-line railway, but I also know that this is a hard work, line survey, design and construction of bridges and tunnels, excavation and stacking of roadbed, I have not been exposed to these works before, the head, where is there time to care about the Academy of Sciences." ”

Li Hongzhang sat next to him and said: "The construction of the railway can be managed by foreign engineers, and Mr. Xu can be in the middle of the total, so there is no need to be too rigid in practice." He actually learned from Yao Fan, and also called Xu Shou Xu Lao.

Yao Fan said: "I have specific detailed drawings in terms of routes, which are almost the same, there should be no problem, bridges, I have dozens of sets of bridge drawings to choose from, and in terms of human resources, we can mobilize as many people as we want for the project."

The work of the Ministry of Railways is not only to repair the railway, but also to be responsible for the construction of the railway locomotive factory and equipment factory, and even the railway staff school, but these affairs require a leader who is proficient in science and technology to dispatch in the middle, and Xu Lao is definitely the best candidate.

As for the establishment of the Academy of Sciences, there is no hurry at present, after all, there are very few scientists in our country, and this matter can be put aside for a while, and when it is established in the future, I will ask Xu Lao to take on the role. ”

Xu Shou asked with a sharp gaze: "These secret technologies, foreigners have never been willing to teach, even Western missionaries, and they don't know anything about this, does Chairman Yao have this technology?" ”

Yao Fan said: "All the technical documents are readily available, as well as the most advanced production equipment, and in terms of locomotives, I have several mature models of secret designs that can be adopted." ”

Xu Shouxi said: "This is very good, I think this matter should not be delayed, we need to start preparing as much as possible, the railway is the national heavy weapon of the new world, without the construction of the railway, there is no way to strengthen the country!" ”

Then Yao Fan talked with Xu Shou for a long time, Yao Fan praised Xu Shou's son Xu Jianyin, called him a pillar of the country, and told Xu Shou that the government would appoint his son Xu Jianyin as the minister of light industry.

Xu Shou also recommended his friend Hua Yufang, and Yao Fan knew that Hua Yufang was a mathematician who developed steamboats with Xu Shou, so he readily agreed and appointed Hua Yufang as the Minister of Iron and Steel Industry.

Li Hongzhang listened to it on the side, and his heart was greatly touched, these people who were valued in the Westernization faction in the past, but could only be regarded as technical officials, under Yao Fan's hands, were actually appointed one by one, Li Hongzhang knew that these so-called ministers were Shangshu in the past!

Yao Fan's next sentence impressed both Li Hongzhang and Xu Shou: "Science and technology are the primary productive forces. ”

Li Hongzhang completely understood in his heart that Yao Fan was a person who had no good impression of the traditional eight-strand imperial examination.

"Could it be that the people he will use in the future are scientists like Xu Shou?" Li Hongzhang frowned secretly. r1o58

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