206. The peach and plum in the city are sad and rainy

The next day, Sun Yuan first went to visit Jang Zhidong, a scholar of the Faculty of Management. dWin phone bill)

Sure enough, as the old man said, Zhang Zhidong also got the grace of "wearing filial piety, wearing a vegetarian and wearing filial piety, but the description is much more haggard than when he was in Hubei." When Sun Yuan saw it, he hurriedly stepped forward to ask for peace: "Xiaguan meets Lord Zhongtang!" ”

Zhang Zhidong waved his hand and said with a forced smile: "The old man knows that you are lazy and temperamental, and if you don't want to kowtow to others, don't pretend there!" said that it was kowtow to the old man, who knows what you slandered the old man in your stomach? ”

Sun Yuanqi got up from the ground and replied with a smile: "The lower official kowtows to Xiangshuai, it is absolutely sincere, how dare you have a trace of slander?" ”

Zhang Zhidong took the Hubei native products handed over by Sun Yuanqi and said: "Baixi has a heart!" But you and the old man are really fateful, the old man is in Hubei, and you went to Hubei to serve as a scholar; The old man has been back to the capital for more than a year, and you have also returned to the capital, and you are still in the same yamen. ”

"I'm also leaning against a big tree to enjoy the shade." Sun Yuanqi slapped a sycophant, "But compared with Hubei, Xiangshuai, you can reduce a lot." The affairs of the Military Aircraft Department are complicated, and in addition to working on state affairs, Xiang Shuai should pay attention to the health and cherish the blessings! ”

This remark seemed to hit Zhang Zhidong's weakness, his face suddenly clouded and uncertain, and it took a long time to sigh, and when he spoke again, he had already changed the topic: "Baixi, how is the Beiping Iron Works you are preparing to build?" ”

In the process of preparing for the construction of the Beiping Iron Works, land acquisition, demolition and other issues were involved, and Zhang Zhidong, the great god, was not less troubled. Zhang Zhidong has always liked to engage in large projects and construction, and he has given full support to the establishment of the iron and steel industry.

Sun Yuanqi replied: "The early preparation of the iron plant is very smooth, and the casting and stamping workshop has begun trial operation. As for the mining, beneficiation, iron-making, steel-making and other workshops, it is estimated that they will not be able to put into operation until the middle of next year. ”

"With the experience of Hanyang Iron Works, your Beiping Iron Works has taken a lot of detours." Zhang Zhidong stroked his beard and said.

The so-called "lessons from the past" by Zhang Zhidong are actually the great joys of achievements, the eagerness to achieve success, and the command of the layman to the insider, which often appeared in the political achievements of later generations. When Zhang Zhidong first came to Hubei to serve as the governor of Huguang, the Westernization movement was in the ascendant throughout the country, and in order to keep up with the trend, he decided to do a big project to attract the attention of the center.

Hubei is not only rich in rice and wheat, lotus root, but also rich in mineral resources, such as Daye has high-grade iron ore, Daye and Jiangxia also have coal mines, for the ambitious Zhang Zhidong is undoubtedly a shot in the arm: isn't this just suitable for the development of the iron and steel industry? So he used the power in his hands to recruit workers to enclose land, pave roads and build houses, and built the Hanyang Iron Works in Ping Pong. When it was officially put into production, it was found that there were many problems:

The first is that the factory is not located properly. According to the general belief, the factory should always be located near the mineral, which can save a lot of freight. Therefore, at the beginning of the iron plant's proposal, Sheng Xuanhuai advocated setting up in Daye, which is not only a coal, iron, and manganese ore mining area, but also close to the Yangtze River water transportation. Who knew that Zhang Zhidong focused on the convenience of direct management, and strongly advocated that Hanyang, which was located in the provincial capital across the river, and that coal and iron had to be transported from other places, which increased a lot of costs out of thin air.

The second is that the equipment purchased and sold is not suitable. In order to reflect his political achievements, Zhang Zhidong was bent on pursuing speed and higher output when purchasing smelting equipment, ordering equipment without fully understanding the quality of ore, and immediately doubling the scale as soon as his mind was hot. As a result, the hastily purchased equipment is not suitable for refining the ore with high phosphorus content of Daye Iron Ore, and most of the machines can only be idle.

The third is that the iron works do not have a stable supply of coke. The Hanyang Iron Works came to count on Daye and Jiangxia's coal, who wanted Daye's coal mine to be flooded after two years of mining and forced to stop working; After the coal mine in Jiangxia was put into operation, it was found that the sulfur was heavy and ashy, which was not suitable for smelting at all! In desperation, I had to import coke from Britain, Belgium, Germany and other countries, or buy it from the Kaiping Coal Mine in North China, and the freight was very high.

After such a mess, the price of steel produced by Hanyang Iron Works is actually more expensive than the high-quality steel imported from abroad, how competitive can it be? With the support of the government, it can barely support its survival, and once it enters the market and competes fairly, I am afraid that it will only lead the neck to be killed!

Sun Yuanqi opened the Beiping Iron Works, naturally he would not do the business of a layman commanding an insider, and he had inspected the Ruhr industrial zone in Germany before and understood the general situation of the steel industry, so he could not be regarded as a complete layman. Zhang Zhidong learned from the pain, and also combined with the actual situation in China, gave a lot of reasonable suggestions, which did make Beiping Iron Works take a lot of detours.

So at this time, Sun Yuanqi said: "The fact that the Beiping Iron Works can have today is also because of Xiangshuai's teaching, and the Hanyang Iron Works has also made great contributions to this." Although the Hanyang Iron Works is not doing as well as it could be, it is still the largest steel mill in East Asia today, and it is the largest steel plant in the East. And we have to know that there were no decent steel plants in China before this, and Hanyang Iron Works was the first. It is Xiang Shuai and all the adults who have a blue thread on the road to enlighten the mountains and forests, so that there is today's situation.

"The so-called 'attempt to succeed since ancient times', An Neng because of Shang Ying's death, he will do his best to reform the new deal? Because of the brutality of the First Emperor, An Neng slandered his achievements in unifying the Six Kingdoms, measuring weights and measures, and establishing the county system? Since the establishment of the Hanyang Iron Works, the successes have been the experience of other factories to emulate, and the failures are enough to serve as lessons for other factories. Both experience and lessons are worth learning and remembering for future generations, rather than slandering and condemning! ”

These words can be regarded as talking about Lord Zhang's heart, although he didn't speak, he kept brushing his beard and nodding.

"Steel is the foundation of heavy industry, and China's vast territory and large population make it not enough for a single Hanyang Iron Works to keep foreign steel from invading. This is also one of the reasons why Xiaguan built the Beiping Iron Works. Sun Yuanqi changed his words, "Now the Beiping Iron Works has just started, only the casting and stamping workshop is in preliminary operation, and a lot of steel is needed to do some experiments, so Xia Guan Yanyan wants to ask Xiang Shuai to give priority to providing a batch of steel, I don't know how?" ”

Although it has been a year and a half since Zhang Zhidong left Hubei Province, many key departments in Hubei are still in the hands of his henchmen, and the Hanyang Iron Works is no exception.

"Well said, well said!" Zhang Zhidong immediately agreed.

For Zhang Zhidong, the steel produced by the Hanyang Iron Works is a unsalable product, which needs to be forced by the government to be sold. And for Sun Yuanqi, since it is an experiment, it is natural that all kinds of steel materials are needed, and Hanyang is no exception, so it can also support the national industry, why not? So the two hit it off.

After gossiping for a while, Zhang Zhidong served tea to the guests.

Sun Yuan got out of Zhang's Mansion and drove to the Mansion of the School Shangshu Rongqing.

Rongqing is a Mongolian Zhenghuang Banner people, and was born in the imperial examination of the right way, when he was ranked among the "three talents", the so-called "Da Rong (Rongqing), Xiao Na (Natong), Duan Lao Si (Duan Fang)" is also. But he can have today, in addition to the appreciation of the Empress Dowager Cixi, it is more important to rely on Yuan Shikai's help. Now this old friend who is in love with Jin Lan and Entong is recreated, but he was diagnosed by the imperial court as "suffering from footprints" and asked to go back to his hometown to recuperate, how can he be happy?

At this moment, he was in a daze in the study, and heard that the doorman came to report that Sun Yuanqi asked to see him, and he originally had the intention to see him, but when he thought about it, Sun Yuanqi was no longer the Wuxia Ameng of the past. Three years ago, he was a Yang Hanlin of the Hanlin Academy, and he was a bachelor and a scholar in charge of the academy, so he could naturally ignore it; Now, he is already the left waiter of the school, and he is still just changing from the household department to the school. When people come to see you, it's to give you face; If you provoke him, he flicks his sleeves and leaves, what can you do with him? Did he be bitten by a bird?

After hesitating again and again, Rong Qing still decided to meet him, and he wouldn't lose a hair if he met anyway.

Although Rong Qing is a bit of a bastard in terms of political opinions, his character is very good, he is very honest and honest as an official, and he never accepts gifts and bribes. Sun Yuanqi didn't want to be bored, but just sent a few worthless Hubei native products, and Rongqing didn't care about himself, so he accepted it happily immediately.

Sitting in both sides of the main hall, there were servants serving fragrant tea, and then Rong Qing sighed: "Three years ago, I met Master Sun here for the first time, and I remember that you were still a bachelor in the Hanlin Academy. In less than half a year, the imperial court established the Yamen of the School Department, and you were appointed as the right attendant of the Department of Science. After another half a year, he was released as a student envoy in Hubei. Up to now, Master Sun is already the left waiter of the school, which is really a success! ”

"If you can have today, the upper part is the imperial court's grace, and the lower one depends on the cultivation of your predecessors!" Sun Yuanqi has been in the officialdom for so long, and he can still say a few words on the scene, "This is not a lie. When you were born in Hanlin Academy, you were a bachelor in charge of the academy; In his later years, he went from acting as the right waiter, to the schooler, and even today's right waiter, you are a scholar! Over the years, I have been working under the elders of Rong, and I can benefit a lot! ”

Rong Qing smiled: "Master Sun is too humble!" ”

Then the two had nothing to say. Sun Yuanqi couldn't help but miss Yuan Shikai who was present back then, and it was because of him that he let himself and Rong Qing meet and could say a few words. Now there is no such lube, and the meeting quickly becomes a cold field.

At this time, Rongqing was actually missing Yuan Shikai, and it was the appreciation of this friend more than ten years ago that made him soar. Now that he is sitting in the position of Shangshu, his old friend has been driven home to farm, and he wants to help but can't start, which is a shame for his friend!

In this way, there was half a cup of tea, and the two did not say a word. Sun Yuanqi was about to get up to say goodbye, when Rong Qing suddenly asked: "Lord Sun, when we first met you back then, you said that whether the constitutional monarchy can work in my Qing Dynasty will be known in six years." Now, more than three years later, do you still think so? ”

"Yes, please wait another three years, and it will be clear at a glance!" Sun Yuanqi replied affirmatively, then stood up and left.

The boss said that "the capital has been a little unstable recently", it seems that it is really not alarmist, even a person like Sun Yuanqi who is slow to politics can smell a trace of abnormality. In accordance with the boss's instructions to save his life, Sun Yuanqi "said and acted carefully, said less and did less", as if he was Sister Lin who had just entered Jiafu, paying attention every step of the way, always caring, and refusing to say a word more easily, and take one more step.

Sun Yuanqi went back to Jingshi University to chat with teachers and students when he had nothing to do, and only returned to the capital when he had something to do, and visited the old man by the way. However, because the Spring Festival is approaching, there is not much to do in the yamen, and most of the time I stay at school.

The day before the festival, Sun Yuanqi welcomed several uninvited guests to the school office: the first four Jingshi University students who had just graduated from the Japanese Army Non-commissioned Officer School.

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