Eunuchs who traveled through the Qing Dynasty

After staying for a few days.Just about to take Duan Xingnian back to the capital, Xu Shichang, Lai Dingzhong and others refused to let him go no matter what, they insisted on staying for a drink.But Xu Shichang was fine, but Lai Dingzhong was a pirate after all, and he was recruited recently, Xiao Ran didn't want to accept his kindness, so he agreed.

After such a delay, when we return to the capital.It was already mid-November.On the other side of the same hall.Yu Lai was in a hurry to find him.He came to the house several times a day to ask when his brother-in-law would come back.Xiao Ran thought that something happened in the business, so he hurried to Tongran Hall before he even had time to take a look at the child.

It so happened that Zhang Zhidong was also there that day, when he saw Xiao Ran, he hurriedly bowed respectfully.As far as this hole is concerned, it is indeed a good hand in doing things, and several factories are well managed.Compared with Rolto, Li San, etc., he is much more professional.Xiao Ran was very satisfied with his performance, so he naturally wanted to encourage him.

At this time, Zhang Zhidong was still young, had just embarked on his official career, and had not yet cultivated to that level of calmness and sophistication.To Xiao Ran's compliments, I just felt like flying, and immediately slapped my chest and expressed my determination, wishing I could be overwhelmed.Immediately double the output several times.No wonder.Xiao Ran was kind to him, and Zhang Zhidong also deeply felt that he wanted to be successful in the future.You have to hug Xiao Gonggong's thigh.

After sending Zhang Zhidong away, Xiao Ran asked Yu Lai why he was so anxious to find him.Yulai first shared some good news. First, the telegraph line assumed by Fulai Matheson Co., Ltd. has been completed, and the telegraph bureaus set up from Shanghai to Beijing have all been handed over to Tongrantang. Tongrantang paid ICBC 41. two.The second thing is that the two railways built by the British, one from Kowloon to Beijing, have been basically completed, and the two steam locomotives have also arrived in Guangzhou and have been debugged.The Shanxi-Hubei railway is divided into six sections due to its length. It is currently under construction and it is expected that at least three sections including Hankou, Xinyang and Xuchang will be opened within a year.

These two pieces of news really interested Xiao Ran, especially the successful laying of the telegraph line brought a qualitative leap in the transmission of information between the north and the south.From the expedited [-]-mile and [-]-mile rush in the past, to the current horizon, this change has played an inestimable and irreplaceable role in both the military and the economy!

After the two things were finished, Yu Lai's expression suddenly became serious, and he ordered the footman to back down, and then closed the door specially, then he whispered to Xiao Ran: "It's still two things, I'm not sure, so Urgently ask brother-in-law for an idea."

Seeing his cautious look, Xiao Ran couldn't help but wonder: "What is the important thing?"

Yu Lai said: "The first thing is that Liu Quan from Shanghai sent a telegram, saying that there is a Ningbo trading company that wants to take a share in China Merchants Shipping, claiming that it can invest in twelve large ships, which can run inland river shipping and Can run near the sea..."

Liu Quan was originally the star businessman of Tongrantang, because he was proficient in business, strong in ability, and the key was his reliable character, so he was sent by Yulai to Shanghai to be in charge of the Shanghai branch of Tongrantang.When Xiao Ran heard the Twelve Points

At that time, private firms rarely possessed such strength, and immediately said: "This is a good thing, is there any difficulty? Could it be that Li Hongzhang deliberately made things difficult?"

Yu Lai shook his head and said, "Why, it's too late for the yamen to be happy! When I first heard it, I thought the same as you, but after thinking about it carefully, there is still a problem here. Brother-in-law, you think: our native What kind of person can come up with such a large amount of money all at once? Besides, the Ning and Shao areas, where the Taiping Army has been tossing for many years, have already run away with a little bit of wealth. How can there be such a big business?"

When Yu Lai said this, Xiao Ran couldn't help being moved.It took only two short years for the Qing army to regain Ningbo. In such a short period of time, it is indeed impossible for a company of such a scale to develop.From this point of view, the origin of this firm is indeed suspicious, and its purpose of joining Shipping China Merchants is worthy of scrutiny!

Xiao Ran frowned, and said: "Li Hongzhang is a shrewd and cautious person, such a matter should not be hidden from him. What does he think about this matter?"

Yu Lai smiled wryly and said, "I have already sent a telegram to Liu Quan, and specifically asked Mr. Li what he meant. At the same time, I asked Liu Quan to talk to him through the side door. Unfortunately, it is said that Mr. Li is busy with opening a factory recently. I don't have time to take care of too many things. The most important thing is that this firm was recommended by Zuo Zongtang, governor of Zhejiang Province. Mr. Li didn't want to lose face of Mr. Zuo, and secondly, the recent investment promotion situation of the Shipping Bureau is also true. It's not very good, especially the three-masted ships that can be used for offshore navigation. I haven't recruited a single one, and I'm having a headache. Therefore, when I heard that this firm can invest in so many cargo ships, I highly appreciate it, and only sent people as a matter of routine. I went to Ningbo for an investigation, and I was sure it was a local business, so I didn’t care about anything else. If Liu Quan hadn’t insisted on negotiating with the general manager of our Tongrantang, the decision would have been made almost on the spot. Liu Quan sent a telegram a few days ago, saying that Li Your Excellency has already submitted a special notice to the Prime Minister’s Office, and I reckon that the imperial court will approve it in all likelihood.”

Both Zuo Zongtang and Li Hongzhang had served as Zeng Guofan's aides, so they could be regarded as brothers of the same family, so it was reasonable for Li Hongzhang to do this.Xiao Ran pondered for a long time before saying: "What is the name of this firm? What is the origin of the owner? Did Liu Quan send someone to find out its details?"

Yu Lai nodded, and said, "Liu Quan has already arranged someone to run it. This firm is called Lu's Firm, and the owner is called Lu Tingshan. It is said that his ancestral home is Shandong, and he has been doing business for generations. This owner seems to have stayed abroad a few years ago. After returning, I moved the business to Ningbo, and I also made foreign goods, as well as local goods. Anyway, the business is very big. It is very powerful in Ningshao and even Hangzhou. As for who the backer is, this is not very clear. "

"Lu Ting Shan, Lu Ting Shan..." Xiao Ran repeated the name repeatedly, subconsciously dipped the tea in his cup, and wrote these three words on the table.I was thinking in my heart: with the major I studied in my previous life, I knew more or less about the outstanding businessmen in history. The most outstanding person in this period should be the red-topped businessman in Hangzhou, Fukang Hu Xueyan, the big owner of the bank, died.And this Lu Tingshan is so close to Hu Xueyan, and the business is so big, how could it not be famous in history at all?Could it be that I have a bad memory and forgot? ...

Just thinking about it like this, Yu Lai smiled and said: "Brother-in-law, this person's surname is not Shuang Er Lu, but the road facing the sky. Speaking of which, he and Sister Xue Yao have the same family name!"

"Lu...?" Xiao Ran's heart skipped a beat. The surname Lu is not common, but coincidentally, this person is from Shandong, just like Xueyao!Is this pure coincidence, or...

Can't help but think of Xueyao's bitter life experience, the girl's father died tragically at the hands of pirates, and her mother was taken over by her clan uncle and hanged herself.Xiao Xueyao, who was only nine years old at the time, almost fell into the claws of that animal clan uncle, and had no choice but to go to Beijing to enter the palace and become a palace maid, so she escaped the catastrophe.

Later I heard from Xueyao that Ding Buwang, a native of the Lu family, had only two cousins ​​in his father's generation, that is to say, there was only one uncle.In this way, Lu Tingshan, the owner of Lu's firm, must have something to do with Xueyao and the others, right?

Could it be that the world is really so small that there is such a coincidence?Xiao Ran clenched his fist and thumped lightly on the table, suddenly remembered that Xueyao's family had been in business for generations!

If it's really him, thank God! "Xiao Ran murmured with a smile, this is really the way to heaven, you don't go, and there is no way to hell, you come here! If you fall into my hands, you just wait to cry!"

Yu Lai on the side didn't know Xueyao's life experience very well, so seeing Li Ran's obscene smile, he couldn't help feeling a little strange, and said, "Brother-in-law, could it be that you recognize this person?"

"Ah? Ah, maybe, hehe." Xiao Ran squinted his eyes, but he was thinking quickly: Although Xueyao's family has accumulated a lot of business, the business was not particularly big until Xueyao was forced to leave. When the family came to Beijing, it was only a small scale in the Shandong area, mainly engaged in the business of cloth, silk and tea.Normally speaking, in just seven or eight years, it is unlikely to develop to such an awesome situation. There are twelve large ships, and nine out of ten are supported by someone behind them.If that's the case, the banker doesn't show his face and finds such a despicable and rascal person to come forward. Could it be that there is some conspiracy here?

After pondering for a while, he said: "Call Liu Quan immediately, and ask him to send more capable people to investigate separately in Ningbo and Shandong. Be sure to find out this guy's family background. Especially in the past few years. What did you do, how did you get it, and who is behind it, you have to find out as soon as possible.”

Yu Lai nodded and said, "Okay, I'll take care of this right away."

Xiao Ran thought for a while, and said, "You just said there are two things, what is the other thing?"

Yu Lai hesitated for a moment before saying: "Brother-in-law, I don't have any definite evidence for this matter. It's just a guess now, I don't know if you should say it. If you say something wrong, don't blame me."

Xiao Ran wondered: "Since when did you learn how to be a mother-in-law? You can just talk if you have something to say. I hate beating around the bush."

Yu Lai scratched his head and said, "Okay. Our explosives branch, the shipments of explosives and detonators in the past month are a bit abnormal. I think explosives are different from other products, and we can't just focus on making money. , so I specifically told the shopkeeper to pay attention to the whereabouts and uses of the explosives. According to our current rules, the purchase of explosives is only allowed from the Mines and River Transport Department. When purchasing, you must have the seal of the local government office. Explosives semicolon The local shopkeeper checked it. Recently, the shipment volume in Shandong has increased sharply. It has tripled compared to the past and still hangs up, and all of them have the approval of the government. I asked the guys from all over Shandong to pay special attention. It seems that there has been no shipment in Shandong Province There are no new large-scale mines and water conservancy!"

"En?" Xiao Ran's eyebrows furrowed at once.It is self-evident that fried rubber, as a high explosive, has special military significance.If it flows into the hands of people with ulterior motives, it will be a big trouble! ***.How can you be so careless when you only think about making money?Xiao Ran thumped his forehead in frustration, and said, "Yu Lai, you did the right thing. So, from now on, no matter what the reason is, immediately stop selling explosives to Shandong, and selling to other provinces The amount should be strictly controlled. In addition, send someone to Shandong immediately to find out where the fried glue went. Since there is an approval document from the government, I think it is probably a collusion between the government and the business. So this matter. Remember not to disturb the yamen, they come to hide it, let's not let him reveal it!"

Yu Lai nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll arrange competent staff right now."

Xiao Ran suddenly raised his hand and said: "Wait a minute, this matter is unusual, I'm afraid it will be dangerous. In this way, I will ask Ma Chao to bring a few good hands with him. After all, they have my place name. If there is any accident, as long as If you reveal your identity, the local forces should not dare to act rashly."

Immediately call Ma Chao, bring along three fine brothers, plus Yu Lai's two safe and capable men, there are six people in total.After giving detailed instructions, he ordered them to rush to Shandong in a hurry for four hundred miles.In ancient times, the rush of hundreds of miles referred to the distance traveled by the horses in one day. At that time, there was a post station every [-] miles. Emergency military reports and official documents should be marked with the word "Flying" on them, and then according to the There are several different speeds of [-] miles, [-] miles, [-] miles or [-] miles a day. Every time a post station is passed, a horse must be changed.However, those over [-] miles are usually relayed by postmen. Not only do horses need to be changed, but also a shooting star needs to be changed every ten stations.Because if a person bumps six hundred or eight hundred miles a day on horseback, the iron muscles will not be able to bear it (except of course the legendary Lu Bu, Zhao Yun and other God of War figures).Therefore, if Ma Chao and others wanted to go to Shandong in person, they would have to travel four hundred miles a day to approach the limit.At this speed, the round trip will take about ten days.

Ma Chao and others flew away, and Yu Lai went to send a telegram to Liu Quan in the Shanghai branch.And Xiao Ran went to the Prime Minister's Yamen, intending to go to Yi

What Xiao Ran is most worried about about Tong Shengbao's territory now is that these explosives went to Shengbao's place. ***, shouldn't it be Yihuahua?

Rushing to the Zongli Yamen, Yi Tian, ​​Yi thought, Xiao Ran also felt that his guess was unlikely, Yi was famously cautious, how could he take such a risk blatantly?It seems that this matter should be something else.

But this trip was not in vain, Yi Kuang.The [-] elite soldiers led by Shi Dakai were always appearing and disappearing, leading the Qing army around, making Liu Changyou, the governor of Zhili, very worried.In the Battle of Zhangjiakou, Shi Dakai staged an extremely beautiful ambush by virtue of favorable terrain and sharp new-style firearms, defeating more than [-] Qing troops in one fell swoop, and took advantage of the victory to pursue all the way to the Xuanhua area, killing more than [-] enemies.

Liu Changyou had a nickname called General Wiping the Neck. When the Taiping Army was suppressed in the early years, the main force of Yuan Zhou's army was almost wiped out in the first battle.Later, he suppressed Hunan Tiandihui and went to Liuzhou to pursue Shi Dakai. He was defeated all the way.This time, he was beaten by his old opponent Shi Dakai, looking for his teeth all over the place. Thinking about why this life is so hard, he has lived a life of aggrieved life. He gritted his teeth and stomped his feet, and as usual drew his knife to kill himself. Fortunately, the left and right lieutenants hugged him tightly.

Shi Da's great victory in Zhangjiakou turned the Zhili area upside down and made people panic, but he did not rush forward greedily. Instead, he led the team to turn around and advance to Taihang Mountain, and then went all the way to Xi'an.And Liu Changyou was naturally involved in a suppression disadvantage, and he was overthrown.Empty the position of the governor of Zhili and the head of the border ministers, the whole country, except for Zeng Shuai Zeng Guofan, who is worthy of this great task, naturally does not think of anyone else.

The imperial edict has been issued, and Zeng Guofan was transferred to be the governor of Zhili, and he was rewarded with the crown prince Taibao and a first-class marquis. Now Zeng Guofan has left for Beijing to take up his post.So far, Zeng Guofan has gained fame, wealth and power, and he is already an extremely powerful minister. Most of the [-] Hunan Army under his command have been sent back to Hunan, and a small part has been incorporated into Zuo Zongtang's Chu Army and Li Hongzhang's Huai Army.

With the disbandment of the Hunan Army, the imperial court suffered the biggest heart trouble.Of course, some people realized that Zeng Guofan became the governor of Zhili, so the shogunate era of the Qing Dynasty officially kicked off.

Another thing that Xiao Ran was concerned about was the Tong Wen Guan and Math School opened a while ago.With the education syllabus formulated by Xiao Ran as a copy, and improved according to the actual situation and using Western-style education for reference, the two schools are currently running in full swing.And the unusually generous treatment offered by the academy has also attracted many outstanding Western scholars. The current teaching staff is not strong, but surplus.Xiao Ran proposed to set up an additional Western Studies Research Institute. All the scientists and scholars attracted, regardless of what they are studying or whether they can be used now, in short, they cannot be let go for nothing.If you want money for money, if you want equipment to buy equipment, in a word, I would rather support them for a lifetime than let them go out for a while.

As a brand-new educational model, the new school is being gradually promoted to various places in a planned way.The order of the prime minister's office is equivalent to the red-headed document of the central government. Who dares not to follow the rules obediently in the local government offices and school administrations?Naturally, there was a green light all the way. Starting from Hebei Province, and going south to Shandong and Henan, new-style schools were established in major cities. The teachers were recruited by the local school bureaus.In addition, Yi specially selected a group of talented and hard-working young students, a total of 170, who are undergoing unified training. It is expected that after the Spring Festival this year, these students will be arranged to study in Britain, France, and the United States, mainly studying the West. of advanced science and technology.A few years later, when these dolls grow up, they will become the pillars of the new China in the future.

Saying goodbye to Yi, who is over a year old and just beginning to babble, Xiao Shuang is still under the age of [-], and looks beautiful.With a pair of sons and daughters in his arms, Xiao Ran was so beautiful that he was so expensive all day long.In addition, he had to fight fiercely with his wives every night, and the public rations were always paid, and he had to go to the palace to find his sister and Yanlin to warm up every now and then.Fortunately, on the one hand, Xiao Ran was young and full of firepower, and on the other hand, he is now a serious local rich man and a rich man, who can afford all kinds of precious medicinal materials, and his body is well nourished.In addition, there is Li Jingchou, a part-time private health doctor in Huichuntang, who can still bear these rounds of tossing.

However, there was no final statement from the general manager of the hall. On the side of the Shanghai Shipping Merchants Bureau, the matter of the company's shareholding was delayed.Lu Tingshan, the Dongjia, obviously couldn't sit still anymore, and rushed from Ningbo to Shanghai to urge him personally. At the same time, he found Zeng Guofan, hoping that he could mediate from it.

Although the China Merchants Bureau is jointly run by Yamen and Tongrantang, which is a joint venture between the government and business, the weight of Tongrantang is placed there. The industrial pillar of the Qing Dynasty had a special status.Li Hongzhang is well aware of the background of Tongrantang, so even though he intends to facilitate the investment promotion as soon as possible, he can't say much, think twice, give Yi

As for Xiao Ran, he was still waiting for news from Liu Quan, the Shanghai branch.He asked Xueyao about the name of Lu Tingshan from the side, but Xueyao said that he didn't know this person.Xiao Ran was a little unsure. Could it be that he just had the same surname and misidentified the wrong person?

Because he didn't want to stimulate Xueyao and remind her of the unbearable past, Xiao Ran didn't ask the bottom line, and kept talking about the investment promotion in such a leisurely way.Yi Xiaoran mentioned it twice, but Xiao Ran was noncommittal.

Until the beginning of December in the lunar calendar, the person Liu Quan sent to Ningbo to inquire finally sent back a message.It was found that Lu Tingshan was indeed from Shandong. He was a businessman with his ancestors. Later, it was said that he lost all his business. He had no choice but to go to England to study abroad in the sixth year of Xianfeng.This walk lasted for two or three years, and it happened at the right time. Somehow, it made him prosper.Returned to Fujian at the beginning of [-]th year, established Lu's firm, and later moved the head office to Ningbo.

When it comes to Zhejiang business, one cannot fail to mention one person, that is Hu Xueyan, a famous red-capped businessman in history.This person was poor when he was young, and he used to herd cattle for a living. Later, he was introduced to a bank as a handyman.Fetching water, sweeping the floor, emptying the urinal.Do anything.Because of steadfastness and diligence.He is smart and highly appreciated by his master. Later, he took over the bank and gradually prospered. He also made friends with officials, got a red top, and was both an official and a businessman.Eventually he rose to become the richest gentry in Hangzhou.

After Zhejiang was recovered from Changmao, Zuo Zongtang became the governor of Zhejiang, and Hu Xueyan joined Zuo Zongtang's account. Because of his meritorious service in raising money and food, he was promoted to the general manager, in charge of the province's money, food and military pay, and assisted in the establishment of enterprises and commerce.Handled the purchase of foreign machinery and arms.It also monopolized the export of silk and tea, manipulated the market, and monopolized finance.In a sense, this red-capped businessman Hu Xueyan.He controls the economic lifeline of the entire province.

It was such a prominent official businessman who took extra care of the Lu's firm in Ningbo.There are many reasons for this, the most important point is that this Lu Tingshan was specially entrusted by Zuo Zongtang to take care of him.

It turns out that Lu Tingshan has a very close relationship with Zeng Guofan.Back then Zeng Guofan's Hunan army was once defeated, and the Qimen camp was trapped twice, and food and grass could not be provided. Fortunately, with the help of Lu Tingshan, food and grass were raised in time, and the defeat was turned into victory.Later, Zeng Guofan did not forget his old feelings, and recommended Lu Tingshan to Zuo Zongtang, hoping that he would take special care of him.The teacher-student friendship between Zuo Zongtang and Zeng Guofan was naturally unavoidable. When Shanghai China Merchants Bureau was established, he recommended Lu Tingshan to Li Hongzhang.

Xiao Ran was even more surprised that this Lu Dong's family had a lot of background, and he even wanted Zeng Guofan.When I found out that he had stayed in the UK, there was an extra question mark in my heart.It's a pity that the road to Shandong is far away, and the person sent to inquire has not yet returned, so I don't know what this guy really is.

Liu Quan also said in the telegram that due to the delay in attracting investment, Lu Tingshan could not wait, and had already left for Beijing ten days ago, and wanted to have an interview with the shopkeeper of Tongrantang in person.Xiao Ran said in his heart that it was just right, I really want to see what kind of fairy you are.

A few days later, Ma Chao brought people back from Shandong.At the same time, it brought back a shocking news: the explosives that flowed into Shandong were indeed in the hands of Deputy Capital Tong Shengbao!

It turned out that after Ma Chao and others rushed to Shandong non-stop, according to the underground bill of purchasing explosives, they found Jiyang along the way, which was a station of the Shandong Eight Banners Army.It just so happened that at night, a large cargo ship was about to depart from the inland river, and two teams of officers and soldiers with live ammunition were sent to escort it.Ma Chao and others became suspicious: Does this cargo ship have anything to do with Shengbao's Eight Banners Army, and what kind of cargo is on board?If it is to transport food, grass and luggage, why do you have to sail secretly at night?