[92] Do you buy a boat?

"It's because I've done too little, and it's not easy to change the idea of the imperial court with a little trade. By contrast, the flapping of a butterfly's wings on a small island in South America is far more likely to whip up a natural storm in the Pacific Ocean. Nature is more easily changed than human society......"

Next.

Jinan City, Shandong Governor Yamen.

Yao Fan finally met Li Hongzhang.

The 52-year-old Lao Li is well maintained, with a white face and a clean beard, and a calm bearing. He was wearing a navy blue thin satin coat covered by a fat blue-gray satin robe, and a pair of black-faced and white-soled official boots under his feet. His face was diametrically opposed to his stomach, his nose was straight, he looked looking thin and cultivated, and he had a faint smile on his face, which seemed to be an active and joking expression.

Yao Fan saw Li Hongzhang standing in the courtyard, admiring the newly blooming chrysanthemums in the courtyard, and didn't know whether to go up to greet him.

"It's Yao Fan, right?" It turned out that 'Li Dajiazi' had already noticed Yao Fan, who was taller than him, and began to look at him squarely.

Li Hongzhang looked at Yao Fan, the person in front of him had a youthful vitality from the moment he walked in, his face was sunburned with a healthy wheat color, and it was ruddy and white, his handsome face had upright facial features, and the outline was powerful and distinct, like a marble statue carved with the most delicate chisel, with an astonishing beauty, especially the eyes full of ambition, shrouded in a soft mist, which made people feel deep and quiet.

Li Hongzhang thought that if these eyes began to shine, and the soft mist was replaced, the eyes must be hot and full.

"Junior Yao Fan, I've seen Master Li." Yao Fan strode over and slammed into the ground.

Li Hongzhang saw that Yao Fan did not kneel, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but hang a playful smile.

"Yao Fan, aren't you afraid of me?"

"Mencius said, 'If you say that you are an adult, you will despise it, and don't look at it as majestic.' The ancestors taught the gentlemen of the world like this, why should I be afraid of adults? If you see an adult, you will be shocked and frightened, and you will not dare to look at it. 'This is Qin Wuyang, there must be a ghost in his heart, and adults must beware. Yao Fan gave his tongue, got up and looked at Li Hongzhang gently.

"Good, good, what a young talent, Ding Baozhen is a good person. Yao Fan, I heard that your family has a factory overseas, and all kinds of Western aircraft can be purchased. ”

"Although my Yao family is lonely overseas, I dare not forget my roots, as long as it is a matter of contributing to the country, even if it is the blueprint of the armored cruiser that the British are building on the slipway, my Yao family will not hesitate to get it for the adults!" Yao Fan carefully guided the conversation, trying to go in a direction that was beneficial to him.

"Oh?" Li Hongzhang could hardly believe Yao Fan's wild words.

The blueprint of a country's warship, that is a secret among the secrets, not to mention foreigners, even non-related secret participants in the country, it is impossible to take a look, and this young man actually said that he could get it. However, Li Hongzhang contacted the Yao family's collection that he read before contacting, and this book is complete with evidence, exquisite color pictures, and the history of the European powers is explained thoroughly, which shows that the Yao family's power in Europe is unimaginably huge.

"Come in and talk." Li Hongzhang nodded, took Yao Fan into the back hall of the governor's yamen, and gave him a seat to watch tea.

"Tell me, how can you get the blueprints of the warship of the militaristic heavy weapon?" Li Hongzhang had already whetted his appetite with Yao Fan's bait, and he bit it hard and didn't let go.

Yao Fan took out a folded color picture from his sleeve pocket, stepped forward and offered it with both hands: "My lord, please see, this is a three-view paper of the British armored cruiser Shannon, which was commissioned in August 1873, and the ship is scheduled to be commissioned in September 1877. ”

Li Hongzhang took this drawing reprinted by Yao Fan according to the ship collection album of later generations, and was stunned at first glance.

"My lord, this Shannon has a displacement of 567o tons, a length of 79 meters, a width of 16.5 meters, a draft of 6.8 meters, 337o horsepower, and a voyage of 12 knots. It carried 9oo tons of coal, and the thickness of the waterline armor belt varied from 15 to 22 centimeters from the sides to the middle. The main guns were housed in the underdeck gun compartments, plus one front and one fore and one in the forerunner, which were evenly placed along the side sides. In total, there were 4 254 mm caliber 15 x front-loading rifled guns, 6 228 mm 14x diameter front-loading rifled guns and 6 2o pounder breech guns. Plus a 254 mm gun in the bow and a 228 mm gun in the stern. Yao Fan briefly introduced the British Empire's steam-sailed ironclad ship stimulated by the Russian Navy's 'Admiral #' armored cruiser.

Li Hongzhang saw that the illustrations on the coated paper in his hand were extremely exquisite, the printing was luxurious, and the hull drawing was not the slightest rough, and he already believed it in his heart.

"Yao Fan, how did you get this drawing?"

"My family has shares in many shipyards in Europe, so I can participate in the operation of the shipyards, so I know a lot of shipbuilding engineers, some of these people are good at gambling, some are good at prostitution, and some are even good at smoking opium, once a person owes money, he is naturally willing to sell everything." Yao Fan said with a smile.

Li Hongzhang couldn't distinguish the authenticity of the drawings and Yao Fan's words, but he was already very sure in his heart.

"Yao Fan, I have read all the books you gave to the scriptures and scriptures, and your Yao family is indeed the first person in my Qing Dynasty to open my eyes to the world. Especially Lord Lingzun, it is not an exaggeration to say that he has learned all over the world, if he is willing to come back to the Qing Dynasty, I can do these foreign affairs as he chooses. ”

"Thanks to the love of my lords, my father is very old, and he travels to European countries every year, visiting friends, playing in the mountains and rivers, and recuperating his body, and he doesn't care about all the affairs of the family, not to mention that the state affairs are so complicated, he will definitely refuse."

"Well, Ling Zunshi is an elegant master. Yao Fan, are you willing to join my mansion as a staff member? Li Hongzhang suddenly spoke, and directly tore his face to solicit, completely ignoring Yao Fan's appearance as someone who still belonged to Ding Baozhen.

"Adults, the younger generation has been taught since childhood, 'money is not everything, and it is impossible to leave money', and the family often says that earning money is the foundation of life, and gaining power is the root of causing trouble. The younger generation is dull and does not dare to set foot in officialdom. Yao Fan had already thought of an excuse.

Li Hongzhang was slightly disappointed, he didn't expect that the kid in front of him was actually a big money fan, no! It should be said that this kid's family is all money fans. However, Li Hongzhang thinks that this is fine, he knows that everything in the world that can be bought with money is not a problem!

"Your Yao family is willing to serve the country, and in terms of silver, the Great Qing Kingdom will not treat you badly." Li Hongzhang simply promised.

Yao Fan couldn't help but look overjoyed and said, "Junior Lord Xie takes care of it!" My Yao family must be loyal to the errand and live up to the high expectations of adults! At present, my family's overseas shipyard is manufacturing new ships, all of which are ironclad steam tugboats, and the younger generation has persuaded the elders in the family to smuggle the ship and sell it to me in the Qing Dynasty. ”

Yao Fan knew that in 1876, Li Hongzhang's steamship China Merchants Company merged with the American merchant Qichang Steamship Company, and spent 2.22 million taels of silver to buy 16 old ships of the Qichang Steamship Company, which guaranteed the capacity of the steamship China Merchants Company.

"What kind of ship is it?" Li Hongzhang was short of ships at the moment, and when he heard that there were new overseas ships willing to sell to him, he naturally pricked up his ears.

Yao Fan then said the number of steam tugs he ordered.

"The tugboat can push and pull in the port to guide the sea ships to land safely, and can pull three or five barges to sail on the Yangtze River inland river, it is really the best water transportation tool, if the adults are willing to ask for it, I will ask the family to build it and send it!"

"Of course I'm willing to ask for it, but I haven't seen the ship, so it's not easy to price." Li Hongzhang was a little unsure.

"The price is easy to say, as long as it is not on credit, it doesn't matter, we are only afraid that the book liquidity will be squeezed out, as long as we can pay in full, we have no problem making less, not to mention that this is also a good thing to serve the country, I Yao Fan is willing to take some risks." When the ship is finished, I just ask my family to bring the boat, and if the adults don't like it, I will find another family to help. Nowadays, governments around the world and foreign companies are waiting for new ships, and the slipways of European shipyards are already covered with keels of civilian ships, and the supply exceeds demand. ”

Yao Fan responded calmly. After all, this is the case, in recent years, the shipping business has been rising with the trade volume of various countries, and the shipbuilding business is extremely hot, and it is completely a seller's market.

"The heavy rain fell on Qilu, the white waves were surging, and the fishing boats were fishing outside Jiaozhou Bay.

I can't see an ocean, who do you know?

The past is more than a thousand years, Wei Wu whipped the whip, and there is a posthumous chapter in the east of Jieshi.

The bleak autumn wind is now again, and the world has changed. ”

As Li Hongzhang slowly chanted out this adaptation of Taizu's waves, Yao Fan couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

"This is something I made with Sun Maowen when they were eating and drinking, how did Lao Li know? Yes! Sun Maowen transcribed it with a pen at that time! But how could it flow into Lao Li's hands? Yao Fan thought while breaking out in a cold sweat.

"I didn't expect the author of this poem to be unwilling to be an official. I thought that when you came back to your homeland, you must have planned to make a career in the office, and I am willing to help you. Li Hongzhang said lightly.

Yao Fan said: "It's not that I don't want to be an official, it's just that the business at home is too complicated, and I can't do without someone to take care of it, so please forgive me."

Besides, now that the Qing Dynasty is peaceful and prosperous, where do I need to put aside my huge family business to fight for. The real good time to enter the government is when Lord Zeng Zuo and Lord Li were cramped and suppressed the rebellion, my lord, you were able to show your talent at that time and gain the emperor's grace and fame, which is really envious of the world's soldiers. Today's peaceful days are only suitable for doing business to make money and be a rich man. ”

Yao Fan deliberately said some sour and vulgar words, wanting Li Hongzhang not to doubt himself.

Li Hongzhang laughed when he heard this, and he didn't blame Yao Fan's sour words, and said with a smile: "Everyone has their own ambitions, since you like silver, then you can make good money, but you have to remember two things." ”

Yao Fan hurriedly asked, "Which two?" Please also ask adults to teach juniors! ”

"First, remember that when making money, take into account the needs of the country, as long as it can benefit the country, you can not only earn a lot of money, but also earn peace of mind.

The second is to remember that those who are disgusting must not be able to leave the word arrogant, even if they are talented and smart, they must also deal with things plainly. ”

Yao Fan immediately stood up and said deeply: "The guidance of the junior Lord Xie must be remembered and never forgotten." ”

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