July 9, Daxing Railway Station.

In the country of Qi, countless books and monographs are published every year, bringing rich and diverse culture and knowledge to many ordinary people in China, and effectively promoting the construction of "spiritual civilization" in China.

In addition, newspapers and magazines that are prevalent throughout the country are also the most important part of the flourishing writing activity. In the whole country, there are now about 600 kinds of newspapers and periodicals that are regularly issued. And, as time goes on, the number of publications continues to increase at a rate of dozens per month.

Royalty, cabinets, officials, academics, poets, experts, writers and journalists provide a variety of news material to the newspaper on a daily basis. Although the number of newspapers issued daily in Daxing is not as large as that of Jianye in the north, by virtue of its superior geographical location near the capital, the various political newspapers issued are quite authoritative and timely, and in addition to the dense population in the eastern region, the total circulation is far greater than that of Jianye Newspaper.

Previously, the competent authority for newspaper censorship and supervision was the Office of Civil Surveys. However, with the rapid development of the domestic newspaper industry, it is difficult for the polling department to continue to undertake this increasingly complicated work while countering espionage. In the fifth year of Shaoning (1690), the cabinet entrusted the responsibility of censorship and supervision of the press to the newly established Information Management Bureau, which was responsible for the management of press propaganda and censorship.

Several major newspapers such as "Daily Political Affairs" and "Hanzhou News" have a circulation of more than 300,000 copies, and even "Daxing Times" has a circulation of more than 100,000 copies with its 16-24 folio pages, marketing several surrounding prefectures and counties.

Of course, there are many tabloids in various parts of the country, which only report foreign news under special circumstances, and their reports focus on local news in various provinces and cities, mostly short "trivia", as well as humorous stories and ridiculous advertisements, which are rarely published in long form.

In addition to various daily newspapers, the special weekly magazines founded in various places are also favored by readers, led by the "View of the World" published by Daxing, which provides a comprehensive interpretation and introduction of important events in China and around the world, so that readers can figure out the ins and outs of various major events and future trends without leaving home.

Newspapers and periodicals such as "Eastern Weekly", "Observer", "Tianxiazhi", "Literary Weekly", and "Script" are mainly outstanding for their literary content, so they have also been actively purchased by a large number of readers.

Relying on decades of compulsory education, the literacy rate of the people of Qi has exceeded 75%, far exceeding the world average. In this environment, many Qi people have also developed the habit of reading, usually with a newspaper or a weekly, to pass a short and boring time, it can be said that the influence of newspapers and periodicals in the spiritual and political life of the people of Qi should not be underestimated.

In addition to attracting professional writers to publish content, many newspapers invite many literary and scientific celebrities to express their opinions in the daily newspapers, thus greatly enhancing the reputation and popularity of their newspapers and magazines, so as to achieve the purpose of expanding circulation.

As for the sale of all kinds of newspapers, apart from the bustling street stalls in the city, the railway station is the most important "distribution point". Outside the platform, in the waiting room, and even on the train platform, there are many part-time newsboys, shuttling between the sides of the parked trains, shouting loudly.

Considering that the journey from Daxing to Chang'an was nearly three hours, Li Yanliang squatted next to a newsboy, ready to buy a few newspapers to pass the boring time on the way.

"Sir, if you don't travel far, you might as well buy a copy of the Script." The newsboy enthusiastically introduced: "This publication has recently serialized the Zhiwei "Liao Zhai Zhi Wei" from the Qin State, and each story is particularly fascinating, and it is not in the form of chapters, so it will not leave the suspense in the next issue. ”

"Chi Monster? …… Not interested. Li Yanliang shook his head and said, "Give me a copy of "Daily Political Affairs", as well as this "Viewing the World". ”

"Okay." The newsboy quickly pulled out the two newspapers and handed them to Li Yanliang, "Two cents for "Daily Political Affairs" and three cents for "Viewing the World". ”

Li Yanliang carried his luggage in one hand and a newspaper in the other, and slowly walked towards the platform with the passengers checking the tickets.

“…… Hello sir! ”

A passenger who came from behind may have been in a hurry, constantly pushing aside the pedestrians in front of him and moving forward quickly, but in a hurry, he accidentally bumped into Li Yanliang. He turned his head a little annoyed, and found that it was actually an officer of the Royal Praetorian Guard, Captain Xuanjie (Major), and immediately turned his face on his face and saluted the other party.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." The Janissary Xuanjie Captain gently patted Li Yanliang on the shoulder, and said with a smile: "I made an appointment with my family to meet on the platform, and the time was a little rushed." ”

"Sir, it's okay to be humble." Li Yanliang responded.

"Are you going to Chang'an?"

"I was ordered to go to the Army Headquarters to report on my work."

"Just returned from overseas?"

"Yes. He previously served in the garrison of the western states of India. ”

"Xizhou garrison?" The Praetorian Guard Captain Xuanjie nodded reservedly, not paying attention to the little Renyong Captain (Lieutenant).

The Imperial Guard is a separate branch of the army and navy system, subordinate to the emperor, if in ancient times, it was the royal army, the "Son of Heaven's close minister". Almost every officer and soldier is a hand-picked member of the military and the reserves, not only on the basis of their origin and background, but also on the very strict requirements of professional military skills.

The entire Praetorian Guard numbered 3,200 people, in addition to defending the imperial city of Chang'an and traveling with Emperor Hu, there were also a different number of Praetorian Guard officers and soldiers stationed in the Jianye Palace, the Imperial Mausoleum of Zhongliang Mountain, and the Royal Annexes on Elysium Island (now Tasmania, Australia).

As a Praetorian Guard, defending the royal family, he has a pride of his own. Not to mention that he is a low-ranking junior officer of the overseas garrison army, that is, an army and navy officer who is slightly one or two ranks higher than him, he may not be able to color.

Gain, a Praetorian Guard officer, was selected from the Army and Navy and would often stay in the Praetorian Guard for a few years before being released to his native branch of the army, where he could be quickly promoted. After all, after "bathing in the holy grace" for many years, its loyalty has been proven to be no problem, and if it has a little military literacy, it will naturally be the focus of the army's future training.

"Okay, I'm about to get to the carriage, thank you Captain Li." Coming to the door of the first-class carriage, Pan Xifeng smiled and took the heavy suitcase from Li Yanliang's hand.

"There is no need to thank you, I am willing to serve the chief." Li Yanliang secretly sighed and handed over the luggage to Pan Xifeng.

"He is destined for a day, and we may meet again in Chang'an. At that time, I should invite Captain Li to have a drink. Pan Xifeng said politely.

"Thank you, sir." Li Yanliang responded: "If you see the chief again in Chang'an, you should listen sincerely!"

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law!"

Just as the two were about to leave separately after a short greeting, a man got out of the first-class carriage and greeted Pan Xifeng warmly.

"Why is my brother-in-law late? …… I thought you were going to miss the train and not be able to go back to Chang'an. ”

"Hehe...... on the way, the carriage startled the driver and hit people, so I delayed for a while." Pan Xifeng turned his head and explained to the visitor: "Oh, by the way, Haoxuan, this is Captain Li, I just met at the entrance of the station, and he is a promising young officer in my Daqi Army. ”

"Yes?" Zhou Haoxuan looked at Li Yanliang, his face suddenly changed, and he said in a gloomy tone: "I know you." Hmph, a nosy, self-righteous competitive officer! ”

"......" When Li Yanliang saw Zhou Haoxuan, he immediately recognized this gentleman who bullied the station passengers in the name of royalty.

It's a small world! ——

The Changxing Railway (Chang'an to Daxing), which is just over 130 kilometers, was once the first public-private partnership railway in China, and it is also the most profitable railway line. In less than 20 years since the railway was put into operation, all the investment has been recouped and all the investors have made a lot of money.

Under the planning and guidance of the Ministry of Transport and Development, the railway company relied on huge dividends to build more than 800 kilometers of extension lines to the western section of the railway, which directly connected Huangyan County (now Quelpi Town, Australia), which is located in the hinterland of the western interior, so that agricultural and sideline products and mineral products from the vast inland areas could be continuously exported to Chang'an, Shuntian (now Gatton, Australia), Chengde (now Ipswich, Australia), and Daxing and other eastern cities.

If one of the important pillar industries of Daxing is cotton, then the nearby Chengde is wool and worsted wool, woolen wool and recycled wool.

Large quantities of wool from the pastoral area were transported to Chengde, where 400,000 spinning ingots and more than 8,000 steam looms were processed, and then bales of woolen textiles were transported by train to Daxing Port, where they were finally sold by countless merchant ships around the world.

The Chengde Railway Station was originally built in the eastern part of the city, but with the rapid increase in the city's population and the continuous expansion of the city's limits, countless factories and houses gradually surrounded the railway station, and the local municipal department built a new and huge station on a large vacant land in the north of the city more than ten years ago.

As in other industrial cities in Hanzhou, the once-beautiful towers have been replaced by tall chimneys, and the city is often filled with black and yellow smoke, and even at the train station far from the city, you can faintly smell the pungent smell of industrial chemicals.

The train stopped at Chengde Station for fifteen minutes, and when Li Yanliang withdrew his gaze from the newspaper and looked at the carriage, he clearly felt that the entire carriage was more crowded.

"Sir, can you lend me your newspaper?" A man sitting next to him poked his head over and asked cautiously.

"Oh, here you go." Li Yanliang handed a copy of "Daily Political Affairs" to the man.

"On July 7, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Cabinet submitted the two-year revision of the Commercial Companies Act to the Imperial Court for review. During the compilation of the decree, thousands of suggestions from domestic experts and scholars, as well as managers of many trading companies, factories and mines, were collected one after another, and it was completed after repeated deliberation and argumentation. The significance of this decree is that, for the first time, private individuals and individuals are allowed to freely and voluntarily form a trading company outside the state and the government, within a certain framework. The establishment of a joint-stock trading company will be transformed from an elite privilege into a national right, and no special permission from the government will be required. This will support the operation of trading companies into a formal legal mechanism, and will establish a high degree of trust between investors, making the new type of trading companies completely different from traditional family businesses and government-authorized monopoly franchises. ……”

"Hey, in the future, the establishment of this trading company will become easier and more free! What is even more remarkable is that the Act codified joint-stock trading companies as a system, and established limited liability, free transfer of investment interests, and the status of trading companies as legal subjects. I wonder if the promulgation of this decree will greatly stimulate more people to devote themselves to the establishment and operation of trading companies, and correspondingly, it will also greatly promote the development of the domestic economy and trade! ”

"Not really! At present, private trading companies, family trading companies, and a large number of partnership trading companies are basically based on family property, and they are guaranteed by individuals and families. Once the management is not good, it will have to lose the bottom and push the whole family into the bottomless abyss! ”

"If this decree can be approved by the Imperial Court and then submitted to His Majesty for approval, then the competition in the market will become more and more fierce in the future. If you think about it, this trading company will change from a franchise to a free registration, from a privilege to an equal right, then it will inevitably change from monopoly to free competition, from closed to open, and we, the private small businessmen, will be able to compete for business in the market with those large trading companies with strong capital. ”

“…… It is said that trading companies have limited liability to the amount of capital contributed by investors, and this was proposed by Emperor Taejo during the reign of Emperor Taejo. However, in view of the immature social and economic conditions at that time, it has never really been enshrined in the law. Nowadays, with the increasing activity of our domestic industry and commerce and the improvement of the economic system, the introduction of this decree can be regarded as a matter of course. ”

“……”

A group of small businessmen were engaged in a heated discussion on the newspaper's "Trade Cooperatives Act," and they all exuded excitement, as if they could extract countless benefits from this law.

Well, the reason why they are all a group of small merchants is naturally inferred from their behavior of riding in the third class carriage with most ordinary passengers. If you have the money, who wants to sit in such a bad, and overcrowded third-class car?

Li Yanliang shook his head, a little incomprehensible to these small businessmen who seemed so excited because of the introduction of a decree. So he opened another weekly magazine, "Viewing the World", and read it carefully.

"The Qin army washed Qinghai in blood, tens of thousands of Mongolians were slaughtered, where will the northwest strategy of Qin go? 》”

A huge headline appears in the most prominent position on the front page of the weekly, which can't help but arouse the reader's desire to find out.

"Yo, the people of the Qin State actually made such a big move in the border area!" Li Yanliang gently leaned back in the chair, chose the most comfortable position, and then picked up the newspaper with both hands and immersed himself in reading.

(End of chapter)