At midnight, outside the gate of the governor of Huguang, the wind blows the lanterns of Gao County, between the swaying of the lanterns, the guards outside the gate walk back and forth, on the quiet street, the bleak autumn wind rolls up the withered yellow leaves fluttering in the air, and then falls to the ground after a few turns.

The reason why everyone is so excited, it is Tang Haoran's construction that arouses their "interest", whether it is "foreign yarn and homespun", or the "silkworm machine reeling" that uses the developed sericulture industry in Hubei to say that it is the financial road pointed out, and Zhang Zhidong is even more happy sometimes stroking his beard, sometimes nodding in agreement. In his opinion, Tang Haoran's proposal of building yì just relieved his worries, the yarn mill and the silk mill are not only for the iron mill and the railway, but also for the factories and factories to work together, the overall planning, saving the official funds, and more importantly, whether the yarn mill or the silk mill is a steady stream of wealth, not only for the iron mill and the railway, but also for other undertakings, looking at Tang Haoran's gaze is more and more appreciative.

"And then there's the coal!"

In everyone's expectation, Tang Haoran continued his "Four Strategies for Seeking Wealth".

"Since the invention of the steam engine by the British Watt, coal has been a necessity for the shipping industry and is also an industrial fuel, and the people's livelihood is also inseparable from coal, for example, the customs import more than 4 million quintals of coal every year, and the Chinese coal is only more than 500,000 quintals......

When Tang Haoran mentioned coal, Zou Daijun, who was sitting at the end, was moved, and he asked himself about the coal at the Shanghai Customs today, and he didn't understand it at that time, but he didn't think that he would move his mind to get rich on the coal.

"Even in Jianghan Pass, more than 600,000 quintals of foreign coal were imported last year, and the annual outflow of silver is more than 10 million taels?"

Looking at Zhang Zhidong and seeing his beard nodding, Tang Haoran knew that his words had reached his heart.

"In addition, I Hubei wants to run foreign affairs, build iron works, build railways, all of which do not need coal, therefore, the establishment of a new type of coal mine, coal mining by foreign methods, not only for iron mills to coke, but also to save the right to import foreign coal into the outflow, is also a top priority, of course, more importantly, the establishment of coal mines can not only be used for the needs of iron mills, but also can be shipped to Shanghai for sale, to meet the needs of iron factories and railways!"

The reason why coal is mentioned is because coal is different from yarn and silk, coal is necessary for industrial production and maritime trade, but Shanghai, as an international commercial port, does not produce coal at all, and relies on foreign coal strictly, and this situation has not changed even until more than half a century later.

"And compared with yarn and silk, coal can be described as a million profits, after the completion of the coal mine, more than 100,000 quintals of coal, you can make a profit of hundreds of thousands of yuan, all you need is to expand production......

Seeing that Zhang Zhidong and others were attracted by the "blueprint" they depicted, Tang Haoran was even more proud in his heart, these three are undoubtedly "short, flat and fast" projects for now, the fastest ones can be completed in a few months, and the slow ones can be completed in two years.

Compared with iron factories, railways such as yarn mills, silk factories and even coal mines, which can be used to "practice", although Tang Haoran studied metallurgical engineering in college, at most he studied law for a period of time when he was admitted to graduate school, but he has worked in the company for several years, and he has never eaten pork and seen pigs walking.

In Tang Haoran's view, only by first achieving something in small things can he become Zhang Zhidong's cronies, and then master such large projects as the iron factory and the railway, and even in the future, like Sheng Xuanhuai, he will be in charge of more than ten enterprises, integrating the Westernization movement in Hubei, and at that time, he will be able to achieve a career in this era.

Of course, this is just the goal of the vision, and now, what Tang Haoran needs to do is to make the other party trust and reuse himself, instead of facing the possibility of being marginalized at any time as before.

In history, when Zhang Zhidong's staff was at its peak, there were as many as four or five hundred friends, and how many of them were famous all over the world? Those who survive in later generations are either known for their learning, or they are "famous" because of the failure of the Hubei New Deal.

"Good!"

Zhang Zhidong rarely shouted for Tang Haoran, in the past, it was not that no one had mentioned running a yarn factory, a silk factory and a coal mine, but others only saw its benefits, and had no clue about how to do it and how to do it, only he Tang Haoran could know the interests of running a factory and how to run a factory in an orderly manner. This thought alone is beyond the reach of many people.

"And that boat, why do you want to have a boat?"

If it is said that yarn, silk, and coal are all sources of profit, Zhang Zhidong does not doubt it, but why he has to do shipping business, he is a little unclear.

"Xiangshuai, do you remember the boat I took to Wuhan after I got off the ship from Shanghai?"

"Hmm!"

Zhang Zhidong nodded.

"At that time, we were on the steamer of the American merchant Joan Kee Foreign Company!"

"I'm waiting for the national ship at sea, why is it behind the Yangtze River, but it's a foreign steamer?"

Tang Haoran's question made Zhang Zhidong and others frown, they really didn't think about it, logically speaking, there are still merchants shipping bureaus and other lines competing with foreigners, why is there no national ship in the Yangtze River, which is less risky?

"Since the beginning of the chaos, the Western shipping industry has invaded the Yangtze River, the goods of Chinese and foreign merchants have been handed over to the steamer for shipment, and the Chinese people want the convenience of foreign ships, so foreign cargo ships are popular, foreign cargo ships are not only gradually replacing Chinese ships on the entire coastal route, but also almost become the only navigation tool on the Yangtze River below Hankou, and the China Merchants Shipping Bureau, not only ten years as a day did not add a ship, but also completely ignored the foreign ships according to our Yangtze River navigation, let the foreign ships invade our routes, this is the foreign ship we are on! This investment is to attract investment, all foreign businessmen are recruited according to our routes, and the inner and outer seas are occupied by foreigners! ”

Tang Haoran's words immediately aroused Zhang Zhidong's approval, he has always been willing to compare with Li Hongzhang everywhere, and he secretly competes with him, but he doesn't know that the China Merchants Shipping Bureau was created by Li Hongzhang, and it is one of the most dazzling of Li Hongzhang's many foreign affairs.

"In addition, in the nearly 20 years since the establishment of the China Merchants Shipping Bureau, the ship's use of foreign personnel, from the captain to the senior crew and mechanics, are all outsiders, so that during the war with France, the ships of the shipping bureau could not be used to help Taiwan and Guangzhou's military supplies due to leakage by outsiders, and fake foreigners were also rejected."

Tang Haoran recounted the past, so that Zhang Zhidong nodded thoughtfully, but isn't it, when he supervised Liangguang because of the main battle, when the Soviet Province received the military supplies of Liangguang, the China Merchants Shipping Bureau had no ships to send because of the foreign crew's secret notice to the French consul director, and finally had to rely on foreign ships to transport at a high price, which can be said to be blackmailed in every way.

"If this shipping must be done, it must be done, if you don't first withdraw 100,000 taels from the treasury to prepare for the shipping business?"

That is, Zhang Zhidong, he will do what he says, and most of the people in the scene have experienced the Sino-French war, so they naturally know that the Sino-French war route is blocked, and of course they strongly agree, but in the approval of everyone, Tang Haoran shook his head and said.

"Xiang Shuai, this ship is not as good as others, don't do it in a hurry!"

Yo, when everyone was in the mood, Tang Haoran poured cold water on his head.

"Why is that?"

If it was in the past, Zhang Zhidong might have pushed Tang Haoran's words back, but now he has revealed an attitude of asking for advice, this change in attitude really made the surrounding staff envious, everyone knows that after everyone knows, this Tang Haoran can be regarded as really entering the scene, although there are dozens of friends in Zhang's house, but there are only ten people who can really enter the big signing room, as for the others, they are nothing more than just receiving a copy of Cheng Yi.

"Hui Xiangshuai, China Merchants Shipping Bureau 20 years in failure, one is improper employment, the second is improper education, more than 20 years, if it educates people, now the shipping bureau will not be controlled by foreigners, and the ship will not be operated by foreigners, moreover, now the Yangtze River routes are controlled by foreign companies, we hurriedly set up a shipping bureau, only for fear of being squeezed out by foreigners, and then repeat the difficulties of yesterday's China Merchants Shipping Bureau, so Haoran thinks that if I want to run a shipping bureau, I need to first set up a Rotary school, first train captains, crews and mechanics, which takes more than a year, after its learning, After the coal mine is put into operation, the coal is used to raise ships and transport coal to the Changhai Sea for sale, which can be a large quantity for the shipping bureau.

Zhang Zhidong, who was originally bent on instigating Tang Haoran to set up a shipping bureau, immediately laughed out loud after listening to his explanation,

"You Tang Ziran, you are so safe to do things at an young age, rare, rare, this matter depends on you, I think, this ship bureau matter, no need to pretend to be in the hands of others, just leave it to you, as for the silver! According to what I said earlier, 100,000 taels,"

Zhang Zhidong, who was in a good mood, did not hesitate at all, and handed over the still empty ship bureau to Tang Haoran, and the ship bureau was handed over to me? Leave it to me? Tang Haoran, who finally got on an errand, hesitated for a moment before saying.

"Since Xiang Shuai can trust the boy, Hao Ran should be a heavy life, however, Hao Ran is willing to make three chapters of the law here in Xiang Shuai, if Xiang Shuai agrees, five years later, Hao Ran will not only return to the official capital of 100,000 taels, but also hand over the profit of the ship bureau every year is not less than 50,000 taels!"

"Oh!"

Zhang Zhidong was curious for a while, and then glanced at Sang Zhiping, who had just come out of the mountain after three chapters of the law with him, and saw him nodding and chuckling, so he laughed.

"Okay, you Tang Ziran, you made an appointment with those three chapters, and said it, if you can rely on it, the old man will rely on you!"

(New books continue to be uploaded, tonight's update is a little late, and there will be a change later, ask for recommendations, ask for collections, every recommendation and collection of yours is the biggest motivation for speechlessness!) ）