In the Tianjin Zhili Governor's Palace, Li Hongzhang played with a box of safety matches. Ding Richang and Sheng Huaixuan stood aside and waited. Li Hongzhang is in the prime of life, and now that he is in a high position, his ambitions are even more inflated. Now that Zuo Zongtang has been forced away in Jiangnan, there is no one in Jiangnan, especially in Shanghai, to compete with him. Li Hongzhang is about 1.80 meters tall and moderately fat and thin. His face was ruddy, his beard was black and bright, and his eyes were deep and sharp, giving people a look of authority without anger.

At this time, Ding Richang, the new governor of Jiangsu, who was short and a little funny-looking, said: "Lord Zhongtang, what's so unusual about this little match!" "Don't look at this little match, but I can't produce it in the Qing Dynasty." The West has left us far behind, and I feel anxious to think about it. "Now that there is a master in the middle hall, my Great Qing Kingdom will soon change." Ding Richang slipped and patted the horse.

Li Hongzhang put down the match and said, "Richang!" Do you know that I weishenme made you the governor of Jiangsu? Ding Shichang said with a smile: "It is the love of Lord Zhongtang, and his subordinates do not forget it, and they will serve the dogs and horses of Lord Zhongtang for their liver and brain!" Li Hongzhang frowned and said dissatisfied: "Stupid! "Yes, yes, yes! Subordinates are stupid! Ding Richang sweated on his forehead. Li Hongzhang said: "Foreigners have opened match factories in Shanghai, and foreigners have tasted their nods, and foreign factories will be built more and more. ”

"Please advise Nakado-sama!" Ding Richang is even more cloudy and foggy. Sheng Huaixuan Bingxue said smartly: "Lord Zhongtang, now Hu Xueyan has opened a trading market in Pudong, and now the trading market is very prosperous, it is said that a glass factory has recently been opened, and the glass and glass mirrors produced by it are rare things, and many foreigners are rushing to buy them, Hu Xueyan is too shrewd." Li Hongzhang looked at Sheng Huaixuan and smiled with satisfaction: "It's not too late for us to catch up, the imperial court has agreed to let us open a factory in Shanghai." ”

Li Hongzhang continued: "Richang asked you to serve as the governor of Jiangsu, which is to support Huaixuan and make every effort to open a factory. Nowadays, Western countries hope that the Qing Dynasty will reform and buy new machinery and equipment, and we are the opportunity to show their ambitions, do you understand? "Lord Zhongtang, my subordinates are determined to do their best to assist Brother Huaixuan and complete the trust of the adults." Ding Richang was the first to express his heartfelt feelings. Sheng Huai preached: "Lord Zhongtang! I won't let you down. ”

Li Hongzhang said: "Not long ago, Zuo Zongtang entrusted Hu Xueyan to send a batch of mirrors and glass to the Empress Dowager Xi, and the Empress Dowager Xi was overjoyed and asked to replace all the windows of the Forbidden City with glass. The princes and nobles below will follow suit, and Zuo Zongtang has Hu Xueyan to help, which is like a tiger with wings. You may not know that Hu Xueyan's glass factory is now completely supplied to the capital, and no one else can buy it at all. Then Li Hongzhang asked people to bring a mirror.

This palm-sized mirror shows a mercury-like glow. "You see it! This mirror can't even be produced by foreigners, what does it mean? Explain that I am a hidden dragon and a crouching tiger in the Qing Dynasty. Sexuan! "The subordinates are here!" "When you go to Shanghai this time, the first thing you will do is to negotiate with foreigners and let the foreigner match factory produce a batch of special matches, and I will give them to the Queen Mother of the West, you must do this beautifully!" "Lord Zhongtang, my subordinates are determined to complete their mission!"

Li Hongzhang continued: "You proposed to run the machinery factory first, which is a very good suggestion. The Qing Dynasty cannot always be controlled by foreigners, and we must also produce foreign machines ourselves. However, the silver taels given by the imperial court are limited, and if you can get silver, it will be a great achievement. Shixuan, I pin my hopes on you, and it is our duty to create the modern industry of the Qing Dynasty. "The subordinates remember the words of Lord Nakado, do their best, and die!"

Entering September, Jiangnan is still steaming. Sheng Huaixuan went ashore at Songjiang Wharf, standing on the wharf and looking at the hot trading market opposite, his eyes were hot and his heart was full of passion. Sheng Huaixuan has entered the year of establishment this year, and his energy and life experience are in a mature period. Now that the Lord Zhongtang values himself, Sheng Huaixuan decided to live up to expectations and do it vigorously. The sharp weapon of foreigners, Sheng Huaixuan has studied. How to use foreign for China and create a modern industry in the Qing Dynasty, he was full of ambition.

Sheng Huaixuan arrived at the Songjiang Mansion Post Station, and due to the fatigue of the journey, he rested early. The next day, Sheng Huaixuan prepared to go to Jardine Matheson to negotiate the supply of special matches. He made up his mind and directly showed Li Hongzhang's banner, and the foreigners would definitely give face. In view of the fact that the match business is so hot, Sheng Huaixuan decided to buy special matches at a price two percent higher than the market price, and he believes that foreigners will not refuse.

"My lord! Sheng Huaiyin asks to see! "The next person hurriedly came in to report." It's cousin! Hurry up. Sheng Huaixuan immediately went out to greet him, "Cousin! I didn't expect you to come so quickly, and I wanted to go to see you again after finishing the business at hand. "When we met, Sheng Huaixuan said politely." Brother She, I happened to pay homage to Old Taishan, so I delayed a few days in the city to greet you. About Sheng Huaixuan's arrival itinerary was almost over, Deng Zixuan invited Sheng Huaiyin and his wife to wait at their mansion in Shanghai City.

Therefore, Deng Zixuan and Wan'er took Sheng Huaiyin and his wife to live in the Shanghai City Mansion and greeted Sheng Huaixuan by the way. After Sheng Huaiyin's grand introduction, Deng Zixuan said politely: "Brother Sheng, the heavens are entrusted to the people, and it is the emperor's grace. Now Brother Sheng is deeply valued by Master Li, and the younger brother has already heard of it. I am glad to hear that Brother Sheng came to Shanghai on business, so he came to visit. After all, Deng Zixuan is his cousin's brother-in-law, and Sheng Huaixuan is quite polite. The guest and the host entered the living room and sat down, everyone exchanged pleasantries for a while, and a subordinate said: "My lord, is the trip to Jardine Matheson ・・・・・・ today?" ”

"I'm not going anywhere today, I'm going to have a drink with my brother!" Sheng Huaixuan waved his men and retreated. Heading to Jardine Matheson? Stumped so soon, Sheng Huaixuan began to negotiate the establishment of a factory? Deng Zixuan's head spun around a few times, thinking that it was impossible. If you negotiate the purchase of machinery and equipment, you must negotiate with a foreign commercial company, and the level of Jardine Matheson is not enough. So what did he do at Jardine Matheson?

"Zixuan, what do you think, now that Huaixuan is standing in front of me, he is not an outsider, tell me your tricks!" Sheng Huaiyin got straight to the point, Sheng Huaixuan looked at Deng Zixuan and was a little confused. Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "Brother Sheng, the younger brother dares to ask, what is your business trip to Jardine Matheson?" To be honest, the younger brother has a good personal relationship with Mr. Charlie, the manager of Jardine Matheson, and may be able to help. Sheng Huaixuan's eyes lit up when he heard this: "Real people can't be disguised, how did you meet Mr. Charlie?" ”

Deng Zixuan continued: "The second brother-in-law knows that I went to Guangzhou last year and encountered a storm on the way back. The strong wind blew us to a nameless island, where we unexpectedly found porcelain from the Song Dynasty. When I returned, I entrusted Mr. Charlie to sell it, and obtained hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, so my younger brother and Charlie became friends. In addition, when the younger brother was a child, he hid from his family and learned foreign language from the pastor in the church. Mr. Charlie saw that I could speak in foreign languages and often invited me to be a guest of a foreign company! ”

“haha！ It didn't take much effort to break through the iron shoes and find nowhere to go, I didn't expect my luck to be so good, it seems that this trip to Shanghai will be smooth! Sheng Huaixuan was overjoyed and said: "Brother Zixuan, there is a match factory under the command of Jardine Matheson, and now the business is very hot. That's why Nakado-sama asked me to negotiate a deal. Ask the match factory to produce a batch of special matches for the palace, since my brother and Mr. Charlie have a good personal relationship and know foreign languages, how about asking my brother to go to the foreign bank with me to negotiate? ”

"Brother Sheng, it's better to hit the sun today, let's leave for Jardine Matheson now, I think Mr. Charlie will definitely give me face." Sheng Huaixuan naturally accepted it. Now it was Sheng Huaiyin's turn to be surprised: "Brother-in-law, your Taoism is not shallow, no wonder your father-in-law recruited you, now I finally understand." Then Deng Zixuan and Sheng Huaixuan rushed to Jardine Matheson. There is no need to elaborate on the politeness of the meeting, Deng Zixuan said a few foreign words, and the veteran Charlie knew what to do.

The two of them had a conversation in English, and Sheng Huaixuan couldn't understand a word. Charlie cooperated very well, and after bargaining, Deng Zixuan negotiated the production of special matches for the palace on the condition of one percent higher than the market price. Sheng Huaixuan was overjoyed to hear that Deng Zixuan not only negotiated the business, but also only increased the price by one percent. The two sides agreed to produce samples in two days. Deng Zixuan said goodbye to Sheng Huaixuan and went directly to the match factory.

found the factory director James, James, who hadn't seen Deng Zixuan for a long time, hugged him, not to mention his enthusiasm. The buying and selling is so hot, and the scale of production is expanding, and according to the conditions, the production line is doubled, and James's salary will increase by a third, do you think he can not be happy. "Dear Deng, you are too great, you are a business wizard of the Great Qing Kingdom!" James was amazed from the bottom of his heart. "Mr. James, I heard that you brought your lady and child!"

"Mr. Deng, I'm ready to live permanently in the Great Qing Kingdom!" James was elated. "I welcome you on behalf of the host, and I will be a guest when I have time. But today I've got you another good deal! Deng Zixuan said. James was not surprised to hear that the match business was so hot. Then the engineer was recruited, and Deng Zixuan asked for the special matchstick to be thicker and longer. In particular, the matchbox must be exquisite and beautiful, and the pattern should be gorgeous. The matchsticks in it can be reduced by one-third, so that the cost of special matches is the same as that of ordinary matches, and it can make an extra profit.

In the afternoon of the same day, the samples were made. In the evening, Deng Zixuan entertained Sheng Huaixuan at home, accompanied by Sheng Huaiyin, Jin'er, and Wan'er. When Sheng Huaixuan took the beautiful matchbox and drew a few in a row, he couldn't put it down and said: "Brother Zixuan, you are really powerful, it's like a trick, just like this, I want 10,000 boxes first." Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "If Brother Sheng thinks there is no problem, I will reply tomorrow, and they will be able to produce it within half a month." ”

"The speed of foreigners is fast! If it were our workshop, I am afraid we would not be able to make it out without a month. Brother Zixuan, you are polite for your brother! Sheng Huaixuan stood up and clasped his fists with both hands to show his sincerity. Brother Sheng, you are outside, you are all your own family, you don't have to be polite! "Huaixuan! It's all your own family, it's as it should be, come and come and let's drink! "Sheng Huaiyin seems to regard himself as the master, and he doesn't treat himself as an outsider!

After three rounds of wine and five flavors of food, Sheng Huaixuan opened the conversation and said, "Cousin! To tell you the truth, I came to Shanghai this time to inspect the preparation for the construction of a machinery factory, and Lord Zhongtang was far-sighted, if he wanted to get rid of the checks and balances of foreigners, the Qing Dynasty must have its own industry, and we must produce our own machines, which is a top priority at the moment. Brother Zixuan, I can see that you are a talented person, you are familiar with foreigners and understand foreign languages, I want to hear what my brother thinks? ”

Deng Zixuan whispered: "Brother Sheng has already spoken, since Brother Sheng can afford me, the younger brother will dare to show off a few words!" "I want to hear about it!" Sheng Huaixuan listened attentively, Sheng Huaiyin was also stunned, during this time, Deng Zixuan hung his appetite, and it was He Jin's clever plan that made his heart itch. Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "Brother Sheng, looking at the world, Westerners have developed science and technology, and they have left the Great Qing Kingdom far behind. Frankly speaking, the imperial court was forced to open the country under internal and external pressure, but in fact, the imperial court was worried that Western ideology would affect its dominant position, and it did not sincerely accept the advanced things of foreigners! ”

Sheng Huaixuan was secretly surprised, he didn't expect this kid to have such insight at such a young age: "Brother Zixuan is really insightful, and there are very few people with such insight in the Qing Dynasty right now. Deng Zixuan said with a smile: "If you want to say that Li Dacai is the elite of the contemporary era, the courage of Lord Zhongtang to move forward and change the backward situation of the Qing Dynasty has no one before or after him." The younger generation is very appreciative of the industry to save the country, and my Qing Dynasty is full of treasures and talents, and over time, it will definitely impress foreigners. ”

"That's great, Brother Zixuan, you and I really hate to see each other late!" Sheng Huaixuan not only shot the case. Deng Zixuan continued: "Lord Zhongtang is very determined, but he is facing many difficulties. Brother Sheng has a heavy responsibility, probably worried about the silver! "Brother Zixuan, you said to my heart. At present, less than half of the silver taels allocated by the imperial court are allocated, and the rest of the silver taels can only be raised by me, but I don't have any clue now, could it be that Brother Zixuan has a good plan? Sheng Huaixuan was a little impatient.

Deng Zixuan said confidently: "Brother Sheng, how can a living person suffocate urine, he can engage in a joint venture between the government and the people, and operate in a joint-stock system!" Sheng Huaixuan stood up and said to himself: "Public-private joint venture, joint-stock operation? He walked a few steps on the ground and said, "Brother Zixuan, tell me in detail!" ”