Chapter 196: Zuo Zongtang's Restoration of Chenhai's Defense and Suppression of Grain Transportation Outside the Customs (1)

On March 16, 1875, Zuo Zongtang, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, watched Li Hongzhang plan to discuss coastal defense, and was resentful, so he explained the actual situation of coastal defense and blockade defense, as well as the actual situation of suppressing and appeasement, raising grain and planning outside the customs, and said:

On February 12 of the first year of Guangxu, the minister of military aircraft secretly sent an edict on the third day of the first month of February of the first year of Guangxu, and the minister prepared a secret performance. Chin this.

Respect the post again and again, admiration of the holy thoughts, meticulous, all the foolish ministers do not dare to lead the show, have been Qu Meng benevolent forgiveness, instruct Zhou Xiang. After kneeling and listening, it is like a stinging insect around the household, and when you smell the spring thunder, it is leisurely and has the meaning of Zhaosu.

Those who steal and maintain current affairs should plan and plan for conspiracy, the east is coastal defense, and the west is plugged defense, and both are equally important. As for those who talk about coastal defense today, it is advisable to pay attention to the Western Regions at present, and it is advisable to strictly guard the borders, and there is no need to rush to forge ahead. As for those who defend the fortress, the Russians should be cunning and cunning, and it is advisable to pay full attention to the westward expedition, so that the northwest is safe and the southeast is self-consolidated. These are all loyal to the country, and those who do not appoint themselves with their own private opinions.

The foolishness of the minister, how can he express the end of the discussion a little, and blaspheme Chencong. The minister was stationed in Fujian and Zhejiang, and knew a little about the situation of the sea country; and the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, although the constraints between the Rong horses, so far few results, and the situation and terrain of the Guansai expedition also pay attention. If you have been inquired about, you don't have to sacrifice your foolishness, so that you can choose the saints.

Stealing the cooperation between Britain, France, and the United States to seek me, his ambition is to make profits through trade, and there is no other treacherous scheme. Because the country used it to conquer merchants, all the countries in the past took the occupation of ports and seaports as a matter, and did not plunder their land and people. If you know that if you get the land, you will increase the number of garrisons, and if you get the people, you will set up a government department, and you will want to win, but you will be consumed, and the wisdom of the businessmen will not be taken.

However, his ambition was to recruit business, so he set up troops on ships to protect him. In case of occupying the port and fighting for the port, the company must call for a meeting to discuss and share the military expenses, and then take action. Since the agreement was reached, the port and port have been completed, and the countries have long thought that it would be profitable, and they know that the defeat of the treaty will hinder the country's use. Businessmen are trying to win every day, knowing that losing the contract will hinder their livelihood, so they have no choice but to make trouble!

Since the beginning of the steamship, I can do the same to those who have taken me to pride me; And I concentrate on seeking good deeds and sharp weapons, and I am well prepared. It is said that he is still cunning and thinking, and taking care of him does not seem to be reasonable.

The commentators want to withdraw the troops of the fortress in order to benefit the money of coastal defense. In addition, as for the salary that should be raised for coastal defense, it is necessary to start with the purchase of ships, guns, garrisons, and forts; Recurrent expenses, such as the cost of training, salary increase and boat maintenance of the land and water standard battalion. Fujian Bureau shipbuilding, gradually have a clue, so as to promote the sophistication, the ship is gradually more, the cost of buying a ship can be saved, the cost of hiring a ship can be changed to the cost of maintaining a ship, this initial need and regular needs are not waiting for other people.

For those who should plan for coastal defense, training the army on land and water is the most urgent task, and the atmosphere in all coastal areas is strong, and it is not difficult for merchants, fishermen, and sailors to take talents. By land, the provinces will recruit and supplement the elite soldiers, such as Guangdong's Guang, Hui, Chao, Jia, Fujian's Xing, Quan, Yong, Zhang, Zhejiang's Tai, Ningbo, and Huai, Xu, Feng, Si, Ying, and Bo all of the two Huai's places, all of which can be trained into an army and taught to recruit brave soldiers, which can be festive and lasting. At present, Zhejiang's method does not increase salaries, and the soldiers are practical. Since the beginning of Taiwan's defense discussion, Zhejiang's expenses are unique, and it seems that there is no one to be afraid of. That's all there is to Haiphong.

The commentators are discussing the suspension of the withdrawal of the customs for coastal defense, so that the urgency of coastal defense is twice as high as today's siege defense, and the salary of the Long army is more abundant than today's coastal defense, which can still be said!

The ministers' troops entered the customs in triumph for the second time, and they asked for a military salary of 4 million, divided into 600,000 taels of Shaanxi, and the rest of the ministers' troops. All military supplies, rations, munitions, uniforms, transfers, relief, allowances, and recruitments shall be diverted from salaries and temporary emergency needs, and no separate funds shall be made. Subsequently, the Ministry of Household agreed to allocate the provincial customs and two gold to relieve the ministers' army, and the military salary of the ministers' army was more than 8 million. However, there is a fee for the removal of redundant troops and the defeat of soldiers, and there is a fee for pacifying bandits and planting the people, and the situation is expanding day by day, and the cost is increasing day by day.

In the past, all the armies in Gansu were issued with salt vegetables, grain, winter clothes, freight and monthly wages according to the ministers. The total entry into the customs is Dulong, calculated every year, and the actual salary received is less than 5 million taels, and the amount that should be paid is not less than 8 million taels. When the co-payer arrives at the camp, it will be exhausted as soon as it is dispersed; Chen owes a huge amount of money.

Therefore, the army is paid a full salary for two months at the beginning of each year, and then a full salary for one month. At the end of each winter, wandering around the tent, at a loss, at any time to add frugality.

By the end of the twelfth year, the arrears of perennial salaries had reached more than 8.2 million taels, more than 300,000 taels of silver had been emptied, and the salaries owed by the provinces and customs had reached 30 million taels!

At the turn of the spring and summer of last year, by the grace of God, he gave the treasury a million taels. The ministers withdrew 40 battalions of horses, and then withdrew 1,000 horses, and the provincial salary was more than 2 million taels. This refers to the amount of arrears of more than 8.2 million taels, not real silver. After the recovery of Suzhou, preparations were made for grain procurement and transshipment, and a total of 3 million taels of silver were paid, and the grain was available until this year.

The grain is transported from Liang to Gan, from Gan to Su, from Su to Anxi, from Anxi to Hami, and there is still a shortage of hundreds of thousands of taels of real silver. According to the regulations of the Ministry of Households, although it is allowed to make legitimate expenses, but still only the salaries of the subjects are taken, and the amount of real money due for a year is taken up. It is the desire to be perfunctory and perfunctory, to take care of the present, and to be unable to do so. In addition, the farther away the grain transportation outside the customs is more and more expensive, and the overall situation in Gansu should gradually return to the old system, and the expenses will increase unabated.

Tracing the five coastal provinces, Tongzhi has received nearly 3 million taels of assistance every year in the 11th and 12th years; since the Taiwan defense incident in the previous year, Fujian has not been able to solve the problem, Guangdong and Jiangsu have slightly reduced the amount of money, while Zhejiang has solved 290,000 taels more than in 11 years, 370,000 taels more than in 12 years, and Shandong has also solved 25,000 taels more. The total of the four provinces is more than 2.4 million taels of silver. If it were not for the friendship of the ministers of Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shandong, the huge amount of grain transportation would have to be stopped, and the plan would not have been settled.

The commentator intends to stop the withdrawal of the troops, regardless of whether Urumqi has not been restored, there is no reason to withdraw the troops; That is, Urumqi has been restored, and it has been decided to divide the land and defend it, and take the conscription as a solid plan, and take advantage of the obstacles to prevent the autumn, scattered everywhere, the land can be reduced but the soldiers cannot be reduced, the soldiers can be increased but the salary cannot be lacking, and the financial endowment of the southeast is not combined to make up for the lack of the northwest. It is that the defense can be adapted to the conditions of the time, and it is still difficult to reduce the salary of the soldiers.