Among the various news, the one that Xianfeng attaches the most importance to is that the fiscal and tax revenue of Suzhou in the second half of last year reached 2.6 million taels of silver!

You must know that the taxes paid by the Suzhou government have always accounted for one-tenth of the Qing Dynasty, with an average of 4 million taels in previous years, while the 2.6 million taels of the Democratic League in half a year are based on the abolition of miscellaneous taxes and various assessments, and only one-tenth of the agricultural tax.

In addition, farmers in northern Jiangsu are enthusiastic and actively participate in the construction of reservoirs and dams during their spare time, according to preliminary statistics, an average of 100,000 people per week!

Songjiang Economic and Technological Development Park and Cotton Cultivation Base and Changzhou Economic and Technological Development Park have been established!

Cement output broke through the 5,000-ton mark in April, and strive to break through the 10,000-ton mark by the end of this year!

Concrete is a success!

Huainan Mining has received great news that a 100-million-ton high-quality coal field has been proven, and it is expected to be officially put into operation in the same period next year!

The establishment of Jiangsu Provincial Work Safety Supervision Bureau will play a role in effectively ensuring the safety of coal miners!

The state-owned COFCO Corporation was formally established and will establish grain reserves in various localities.

The government has determined the division of labor goals for the governor to focus on rice bags and the mayor to focus on vegetable baskets, and strive to ensure that food prices do not rise in disaster years. The mobile phone reading network solves the problem that people are difficult to eat vegetables and expensive meat!

From January to April this year, a total of 312 complaints were filed and 54 cases were dismissed. The rest were all settled, and 98 incompetent public servants were investigated and dismissed

Big news for every piece of tofu. All hit Xianfeng's chest like a heavy hammer, and between the lines there was a clear and orderly atmosphere. He didn't understand why the construction of the Democratic Alliance Army was so good, and then he looked at his own Qing Dynasty, the upper magnates were drunk and dreamed of death, luxurious and frivolous, and the people at the bottom were struggling and resentful!

Xianfeng was actually a very aspiring emperor, and he longed for the Qing Dynasty to restore the glory of the Kangqian era with his own hands, but the contrast between the two sides was too clear. It's too clear at a glance, if this momentum continues, even if the Democratic Alliance Army does not attack, the Qing Dynasty will gradually collapse and collapse!

"Smack!" With a bang, Xianfeng put a stack of newspapers on the desk, he couldn't read it anymore, leaned back in his chair, and sighed heavily.

Yixun also had no intention of looking at it again, and asked with a worried face, "Mr. Mai Lian." Where did you get these newspapers? ”

Mai Lian said lightly: "Xinhua Daily is a public publication of the Democratic Alliance, and our consulates in Shanghai, the United States, Britain and France think it is very valuable, which can enable us to have a good understanding of the policy program and specific measures of the Democratic Alliance, and can also provide an important basis for us to formulate policies against the Democratic Alliance." The Consulate in Shanghai has a special staff to collect and analyze the newspapers, and send them to the Beijing Legation on a regular basis. ”

Yixun turned his head and arched his hand: "Your Majesty, Xinhua Daily should be strictly forbidden to circulate in my Qing Dynasty." Anyone who dares to privately hide and circulate it will be punished as a conspiracy. Raid the family and exterminate the family! ”

Xianfeng deeply thinks so, if Xinhua Daily appears outside the territory of the Democratic League. The result can only be the loss of people's hearts, and he immediately nodded and said: "Accurate!" ”

Bao Ling couldn't help but chuckle: "Your Majesty, Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, we believe that your country should face up to the reality and come up with practical and effective reform measures, instead of blindly prohibiting confiscation, the Democratic Alliance implements the Western democratic form of government, and even in some respects, our ministers of the three countries have to admit that he has done more perfect than the West, and he can win the hearts of the people more than the slavery autocracy implemented in your country. ”

Xianfeng's face showed a hint of gloom, as an emperor, how could he have been accused? But it was the British minister who accused him, and he could only suppress this annoyance, not to mention that people were not wrong, if they didn't change from the root, how long could the Qing Dynasty be confused?

Yi Xun said coldly: "Mr. three ministers, this king thinks that you will not come to see the emperor just to bring a few newspapers, right?" ”

Bao Ling took out his pipe, knocked on the tobacco and lit it, took a sharp breath, and then puffed out the cigarette: "Qing is our friendly country, our three governments have important interests in Qing country, and now your country is facing the danger of destroying the country.

If your country is willing, we can send experts to assist your country in referring to the Western political system and combining it with the actual situation of the Qing Dynasty to design a complete set of effective reform plans, which is enough to greatly increase your country's national strength. ”

Yixin and Xianfeng glanced at each other, although the political reform was imminent, it involved too many aspects, which could not be solved in a short time, especially the participation of foreigners in the design, and they were wary of foreigners.

Yi Xun said noncommittally: "On behalf of the emperor, this king thanks the three ministers for their kindness, but political reform needs to be discussed in the long run, and it needs to be fully investigated and studied, we can first send personnel to contact and exchange, and after reaching a consensus, it is not too late to talk about specific issues, and the military threat of the Democratic Alliance Army is a problem that our country urgently needs to face, and we can start from the military side first." ”

The vigilance of the Qing court is not unexpected, the food must be eaten in one bite, the road must be walked step by step, and the step by step is slow, are you afraid that you will not be able to turn the Qing Kingdom into another India?

Bao Ling, Bourblon and Mai Lian also looked at each other, and Bao Ling said, "Although we cannot directly send troops to support your country, we can sell advanced weapons to your country and conduct modern military training for your army.

As far as we know, one of the great advantages of the NLD is that its weapons and military command system are almost indistinguishable from those of Western countries such as Britain, France, and the United States, and even stronger than those of secondary countries such as Russia and Turkey. ”

Yi Xun muttered: "Mr. Bao Ling is reasonable, the short-haired guns are far and accurate, and our country does need to introduce advanced weapons, but can we make a list of types and prices, so that we can determine the quantity and raise silver taels according to our needs." ”

Bourblon waved his hand and said: "Your Royal Highness Prince Gong don't have to bother, we have already helped your country think about it, according to the standard French army equipment, and then based on the scale of 500,000 after your country's downsized, it will take about 2.5 billion francs, and it will definitely form a combat effectiveness within three years!" ”

"What?" Xianfeng's complexion changed greatly, and the franc was converted to twenty-five to one pound sterling according to the gold content of Napoleon's gold coin, and two and five billion francs were equivalent to one hundred million pounds sterling, which was also equivalent to three hundred million taels of silver.

Before the Taiping Rebellion, the average annual income of the court was 40 million taels, and the expenses were 38 million taels, with a small surplus, and after the Taiping Rebellion, Yunnan copper could not be transported to Beijing to mint money, and the financial situation deteriorated rapidly, forcing Xianfeng to mix iron and lead into copper to mint inferior Tongbao, or as ten, or as fifty, or as thousand, and also issued banknotes to replenish the number.

The banknotes issued by Xianfeng do not have any guarantee of gold and silver reserves, and are pure credit currency, with a face value equivalent to silver. When the people get their hands on it, the first thing is to spend it regardless of the cost, and the currency value is depreciating rapidly, and it is only a year or two, which is almost like waste paper.

In addition, since Su Song was too often occupied by the Democratic League, the Qing court's finances were even more embarrassed, and it was almost on the verge of bankruptcy.

Yixun's face was also extremely ugly, and he couldn't help but say angrily: "Mr. Bourblon, don't you think your asking price is too outrageous? ”

"No, no, no!" Bao Ling stood up and said: "His Royal Highness Prince Gong may not understand the arms market in the international market, take the Mini gun equipped by the British army and the Democratic Alliance army at the same time as an example, which is equivalent to fifty taels of silver, plus two spare barrels, excluding bullets, the price is about eighty taels of silver, according to the scale of your army of 500,000 people, this is 40 million taels of silver."

At the beginning, Xu Naizhao, the governor of Jiangsu, reached an intention with Ali Guo, the former consul of our country in Shanghai, to purchase grenades, 20 taels of silver, based on the standard of 10 pieces per person of 500,000 people in your army, this is another 100 million taels, plus artillery, a certain size of naval fleet, 300 million taels of silver will only be less than more, in addition, the military training provided by our side is free, and your country only needs to pay the salaries of the corresponding personnel. ”

"This" Xianfeng and Yixun looked at each other, as soon as the foreigner opened his mouth, it was 300 million, even if he was willing to let some price, but the silver in the treasury did not even have a million taels, how could he have the money to pay!

Mai Lian smiled faintly: "The Democratic Alliance Army occupies the richest Jiangnan region in the Qing Dynasty, and the population under its rule is equivalent to that of a medium-sized European power, so his development potential is quite terrifying, and if your country is not armed quickly, the consequences will be unimaginable." ”

Bourblon took it and said, "I have a general idea of your country's financial situation, and am I unable to pay such a large sum?" This is not a problem, and our three countries can form a joint banking consortium to provide loans to your country, but, in view of your country's dire financial situation, we have doubts about your country's ability to repay, so we request that we send personnel to explore the mineral deposits north of the Yellow River in your country, and after assessing the value, as collateral for the loan. ”

"No way!" Xianfeng immediately refused: "How can the inheritance left by the ancestors be mortgaged to outsiders?" ”

Bao Ling chuckled: "Your Majesty, Emperor of the Qing Kingdom, you can think carefully about who is more important, but I have to remind you, don't delay for too long, otherwise it will be too late to say anything when the Democratic Alliance Army comes to the door." ”

Xianfeng's face showed a violent struggle, he knew that the court could not afford to repay the loan of 300 million taels of silver, and in the end he could only give the mine to the foreigners, which had never been done since the Qing Dynasty entered the customs!

On the one hand, it is a betrayal of the country, and on the other hand, it is the extinction of the dead race, Xianfeng's heart is tingling for a while, and he can't help but look at Yixun.

Yixun's face was full of bitterness, and he made his last effort to ask: "Three ministers, I can't afford the loan of 300 million taels of silver in the Qing Kingdom, can I reduce some of it?" (To be continued......)

ps: Thank you for the tip~~~~R1292