Beiyang reactionaries

Duan Xun's request came directly to Cao Rulin.

Both of them are direct descendants of Duan Qirui, with Cao Rulin in the center and Duan Xun in the local area.In terms of qualifications, Cao Rulin far exceeds Duan Xun, but in terms of power, Duan Xun is no less than Cao Rulin.After all, Duan Xun had a great reputation in the War to Protect the Nation. He became another local governor of the Beiyang Army, and he was Duan Qirui's nephew and son-in-law.

So Cao Rulin gave Duan Xun enough face.

Zhao Desan, an old man from the Ministry of Communications and a railway expert, was sent to Sichuan to help Duan Xun build the railway.Zhao Desan is 43 years old this year, and his life is considered a legend.Zhao Desan's family was very poor when he was a child.Not only was he poor, his father married a stepmother after Zhao Desan's mother died, and the stepmother treated Zhao Desan very badly.But at this time Zhao Desan met a nobleman.

That is the American Pastor Puqiwei who came to them to preach.Because his family was poor, Zhao Desan went to raise cattle for Pu Qiwei's family, and later worked in the kitchen.At this time, the smart Zhao Desan learned English here.It is precisely because Zhao Desan's English is very good, so when the US Consulate in Yantai was looking for an interpreter, Pu Qiwei introduced Zhao Desan to the US Consulate in Yantai.

Here, Zhao Desan began to study while working as an interpreter.Study railway design, study engineering, and then use this as a springboard to enter the Qing Dynasty's Ministry of Posts and Communications.After the founding of the Republic of China, the postal department was divided into several departments, including the Ministry of Communications.Zhao Desan has been working in the Ministry of Communications and is an excellent railway expert.Although not as good as the famous bridge experts at present, he is also a very capable person in the Ministry of Communications.What Duan Xun wants to build is only a few tens of miles of railway, so it is impossible for the Ministry of Communications to send the best bridge experts in the country.Zhao Desan, a railway expert, was dispatched for Duan Xun's sake.If it is another province, it would be nice to send them an officer.

However, Zhao Desan's rank was too low, so Zhao Desan did not go to Chengdu to meet Duan Xun, and Duan Xun did not have the energy to meet a small official of Zhao Desan's level.After Zhao Desan entered Sichuan, he met Jiang Hongyu directly in Chongqing, and then Jiang Hongyu sent a telegram to Chengdu.

Duan Xun appointed Zhao Desan as the director of the Chongqing Railway Administration, who was fully in charge of the railway from the coal mine to the river.

"I think everyone has heard the news that we are going to build a railway. I can make it clear here that it is true. Please see, the railway we are going to build is this section. It is mainly for the smooth operation of my Chongqing Coal Mine. come out."

Jiang Hongyu took out the map and showed it to the local gentry in Chongqing.

very clear.

Although this is not as detailed as the military map, it is already very good.You can clearly see the railway sections that need to be built.After everyone read it, Jiang Hongyu said: "As long as this railway is built, we can buy some large machinery and transport them into the mine by railway, which will greatly increase the output of the coal mine. Besides, there are not only coal mines around, but also cement production The required mudstone, as well as rock salt, are abundant. Once the railway is built, these minerals can be mined.”

The mineral resources around Chongqing are very rich.

The various minerals that have been explored so far are already surprising.Listening to Jiang Hongyu's introduction, many people present were a little excited at first, but soon everyone calmed down.

These people, as local snakes in Chongqing, are quick to hear about many actions by the government.After Duan Xun entered Chengdu, he set up the Mining Bureau, and then prohibited localities from issuing mineral mining licenses.If you want a mineral mining license, you must get approval from the Mining Bureau and the provincial government. This policy is no secret to them.So even if the opening of this railway can promote the development of minerals, it seems to be of no benefit to them.Anyway, they can't get involved in these minerals.

When Jiang Hongyu saw the expressions of these people, he understood what they were thinking.However, Jiang Hongyu ignored them and continued: "According to our estimation, once this railway is opened, my annual coal output in Chongqing will definitely reach hundreds of thousands of tons, or even millions of tons. Mining, this railway transports millions of tons of various goods a year. Or once the railway is opened, some small counties may form around the mine. At that time, their daily products will also need to be transported by railway. This A railway will become the most important channel connecting the mine and the outside world.”

When Jiang Hongyu said this, many people began to think about it.

Many people immediately looked up at Jiang Hongyu and listened carefully to Jiang Hongyu's next words.Jiang Hongyu smiled and said: "Since this railway is an investment and construction, it is impossible for people to use it for free. Of course, the transportation of goods must be calculated according to the weight. If it is a person, then the ticket must be bought per person. Our preliminary estimate , as long as the annual coal output of the coal mine exceeds 30 tons, the annual profit of our railway can be at least 40 silver dollars. If the freight weight exceeds one million tons, then the annual profit of the railway can be more than [-] yuan."

Draw a pie.

However, Jiang Hongyu's painting of a big cake is not aimless.As long as this railway is really opened, because this railway connects the road between the mine and the river, it will definitely be profitable. This is beyond doubt.

The several railways opened in China in the late Qing Dynasty were all very profitable.If it weren't for this, in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, there would not have been so many railway booms in China, and many people wanted to invest in railways.

"The Mining Bureau has decided to integrate the current coal mines around Chongqing and establish a Chongqing Coal Mine Group Company. Moreover, the Mining Bureau has also reached an agreement with the British to purchase the most advanced machines in the world to transform the coal mines around Chongqing and increase its Output. After the Spring Festival, this batch of machines is estimated to be able to enter Sichuan, and this batch of machines will be installed in April next year at the latest. By then, my coal production in Chongqing will increase exponentially.”

Song Yuren interrupted.

"Mayor Jiang, if you have anything to say, you can say it directly."

Li Heyang had roughly understood what Jiang Hongyu meant, but he needed to hear what Jiang Hongyu meant in detail.Among the current Chongqing gentry, Li Heyang has a very good relationship with the government.

Li Heyang's older brother, Li Zhanyang, has gone to Chengdu to meet Duan Xun, the governor of Sichuan.Because Li Zhanyang was a hero of the Sichuan Revolution in [-], and he was also from the Tongmenghui. More importantly, he has been in politics since the end of the Qing Dynasty until now.Now that Duan Xun is in charge of Sichuan, Li Zhanyang will either retire, and if he wants to continue to play in the political arena, he must meet Duan Xun.Because of Li Zhanyang's status, it is impossible to come out of the mountain casually.Li Zhanyang was already a senior official in a province as early as the end of the Qing Dynasty, and his status in the Sichuan military government after the Revolution of [-] was not low.

Originally, Li Zhanyang wanted to see the development of the situation, but as Xiong Kewu, Zhu Zhihong, Song Yuren, and Zhang Lan began to appear in Duan Xun's government, Li Zhanyang couldn't wait any longer.

With Li Zhanyang's qualifications, ability, and reputation, as long as he comes out, he will be a high-ranking government official.Coupled with the recent increase in the cooperation between the Li family and the government, Li Heyang spoke as a representative of the Chongqing gentry.

"Okay. I don't want to hide it from you. At present, the government has too much money to spend, so the construction of this railway, including the establishment of a large coal mining group, is a bit tight. Therefore, we decided to accept private equity participation."

"Mayor Jiang, how do you ensure that the 'state-owned railway' in the late Qing Dynasty will not happen again?"

Just as Jiang Hongyu finished speaking, a young man sitting next to Li Heyang suddenly spoke.This person is 29 years old, not very old, but no one ignores him.Because he is Yang Cansan, the third son of the Chongqing businessman Yang Wenguang, and the most important son of Yang Wenguang.Not only that, Yang Cansan himself is also a very good businessman.

When the Sichuan Road Protection Movement was in full swing in the late Qing Dynasty, the market was chaotic and prices fell sharply.Yang Cansan took the opportunity to "bargain prices" and hoard goods.Within a few months, the Revolution of 900 succeeded, the Shu military government was established, the market recovered, prices rose, and Juxingcheng and several other associates made hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.All of a sudden, Yang Cansan's name spread throughout Chongqing.After the Revolution of 2, Yang Cansan expanded his bank account business, successively took over the purchase and sales business of Chongqing Tongyuan Bureau, and obtained the privilege of collecting salt tax in northern Sichuan, with a total amount of more than 27 million taels per year.In the first year of the Republic of China and the second year of the Republic of China, the income from water transfers and deposits reached [-] taels.

This is Yang Cansan.

After he started to take care of some of the family's businesses these years, he has helped his family earn nearly one million assets in a short period of time, and has become the most famous young business elite in Sichuan.

Yang Cansan was so famous that even Jiang Hongyu recognized him at a glance.

"Yang Shaodong's family, I promise you with empty teeth, and I believe that you may not believe it. The Chongqing Municipal Government is willing to sign a contract with you, affix it with the stamp of my Chongqing Municipal Government, and let the governor personally stamp it. Then This contract was publicly published in my major newspapers in Sichuan to show our sincerity."

These people in Sichuan have lingering fears.Because at the end of the Qing Dynasty, the imperial court had a policy of "state-owned railway lines".

When Yang Cansan heard Jiang Hongyu's assurance, he immediately said loudly: "Mayor Jiang, on behalf of our Juxingcheng (name of Yang's company), I am willing to invest [-] silver dollars in Chongqing Coal Group Corporation, and [-] silver dollars in this railway. Silver dollars."

atmosphere.

Although Sichuan is an inland province, the wealthy businessmen here are not as rich as those in the Jiangnan area, but the wealthy businessmen here should not be underestimated.Not to mention Li Zhanyang and Li Heyang, the Li family known as the richest man in Southwest China, Yang Cansan's Yang family is also a multi-millionaire family.Because their family is doing banking business, the Yang family Juxingcheng was originally a bank, and last year their family opened Juxingcheng Bank.

Therefore, the first shot is 20 silver dollars.

This is not because Yang Cansan supports Duan Xun and Jiang Hongyu so much, but because Yang Cansan has nothing to do.The Yang family has many properties, among which the business with the highest income is the business of Chongqing Tongyuan Bureau and Northern Sichuan Salt Taxation.Every year, the amount of the Chongqing Tongyuan Bureau and the Northern Sichuan Salt Tax alone is nearly [-] million. With this money, Yang Cansan's bank profits have always been very high.

But not now.

After Duan Xun took over Chengdu, Yang Wei now merged several government-run banks to form the Southwest Bank.All of these businesses that were originally handed over to private banks were handed over to Southwest Bank, which immediately cut off the business of Juxingcheng Bank.Without this business, the operation of Juxingcheng immediately became very difficult.

So Yang Cansan was also looking for other businesses.After listening to Jiang Hongyu's introduction just now, Yang Cansan became very interested in coal companies and railways.That's why he gave 20 silver dollars so boldly.

Of course there are other reasons too.

Since the rise of Southwest Bank is unstoppable, Yang Cansan hopes that his own bank will have the opportunity to cooperate with Southwest Bank.There are many projects that banks can cooperate with, especially their own banks are well-known in Chongqing.

"My Deng family contributed 50 yuan. 30 yuan was invested in the coal group company, and 20 yuan was invested in the railway."

A young man sitting relatively far behind spoke immediately, startling everyone.Everyone glanced at the man and quickly turned their heads.Because the one who dares to bid 50 yuan is definitely a rich man in Chongqing, and everyone knows it.

The dress is very ostentatious, and it looks like a rich old man.

This person is Deng Zhiru, a great salt merchant in Chongqing, and even the largest salt merchant in Sichuan.Relying on the sale of Sichuan salt, he became a rich man in Sichuan.

But he is the same as Yang Cansan.

Are looking for opportunities.Yang Cansan found another way because his government bank business was suddenly snatched away by the Southwest Bank.But Deng Zhiru was even more helpless.Originally a big salt merchant in Chongqing, Deng Zhiru's family not only had its own salt fields in Neijiang and Ziliujing areas, but also had its own salt team.Relying on the wharf of Chongqing, selling salt in the southwestern and central provinces, amassed amazing wealth in a short period of time.

However, after Duan Xun entered Chengdu, he established a separate salt affairs administration and a Sichuan salt affairs company.Monopoly everything in Sichuan Salt and turn it into a government-run business, cutting off the business of these salt merchants.Now if you want to sell salt, you can only get the approval of the government, then buy salt from the salt company, and then sell them.To obtain a government approval number, one must not only pay an astonishing deposit, but also need the support of contacts from the government.

Originally, Deng Zhiru also wanted to do some tricks.

But after seeing that those who dared to resist in the Neijiang and Ziliujing areas were all shot dead by the army, Deng Zhiru immediately dismissed this year.Later, I saw that Duan Xun's troops dealt with the Gelaohui toughly. In just one month, more than 100 famous Gelaohui bosses died in the government's anti-smoking process.

This kind of ruthlessness made Deng Zhiru understand that hard topping is not the answer.Duan Xun and his troops who are controlling Sichuan in front of them are not from Sichuan. They don't have much friendship with the locals in Sichuan, so they don't need to look at other people's faces.When it's time to be ruthless, Duan Xun will never be soft-hearted.

Since hard ones are not enough, Deng Zhiru chooses soft ones.So he hopes to participate in government projects to please the government and let the government issue licenses to him.That's why 50 was called out.

Jiang Hongyu and Song Yuren communicated with each other, and they were both in a very good mood.It is estimated that if you want to start a large coal group company and build a railway, you will need tens of millions of silver dollars.This puts a lot of pressure on the government.

That's why they chose to let these rich locals participate in the shares.