New Shun 1730

Whether the navy is useful depends on the benefits.

This Chinese translation of "Guoxingye Hezhan" can only be regarded as an unusual gift among the congratulatory gifts given to the emperor by the ministers, but it is not the only unusual gift.

Since it is the emperor's birthday, there will be no shortage of auspicious things. There are many kinds of tributes on weekdays.

But this time, in addition to a bunch of weird gifts sent by Liu Yu, there were also some other unique gifts.

A "Detailed Illustrated Explanation of Training Methods" written by someone from the General Staff Department details the tactical system proposed by Liu Yu, complete with illustrations, and can directly be used as a textbook for military officers' schools in the future.

A volume of "An Ancient and Modern Research on the Place Names of the Western Regions, Recovering the Old Names of the Han and Tang Dynasties" compiled by the ministers of the Central and Central Governments. It refers to a large number of ancient books of the Han and Tang Dynasties, and corresponds the current place names of the Western Regions to the old place names one by one. It was changed back to its old name during the Han and Tang Dynasties.

There are many more gifts that are different from usual ones. But the most special ones are those sent by Liu Yu, which are already weird.

Stocks, silver, glass, and the Chinese translation of "Guo Xing Ye He Zhan".

The Chinese translation is not too thick, it is just a play with a few folds.

Li Gan had read it when it was first delivered. Shi Shiyong's cultural level was not good enough, but after Kang Buyao polished it, he was very proficient in Gonghuo's rhetoric.

Waiting for Shi Shiyong to return to Beijing and talk about some of his experiences and remarks in Edo, Li Gan became very angry.

At this time, he asked the eunuch to bring the book. His anger had long subsided. What he wanted to do at this time was to wait for Liu Yu to be ready and distribute the book to the ministers to expose Ryukyu's double tribute. Window paper, let’s see what the ministers will say.

After casually flipping through a few pages, he came across those extremely offensive sentences again. The eunuch reported back that Liu Yu had finished inspecting the military reform situation in the Beijing camp and had come to return his orders.

Li Gan didn't put the book away, so he asked someone to announce him in.

After kneeling down, Li Gan first asked: "You have come all the way from Dagokou and inspected the capital camp. What do you think?"

When it comes to thoughts, Liu Yu really has a lot.

Before entering the capital camp, there were already quite a few.

He supported the construction of the Dagukou Fort. This seems to be a matter of face, and it would be better to spend the money on the navy, but considering the contact negotiations with France, this face must be saved.

In addition, the military reform has achieved some results. Some troops in the capital have been issued new guns and bayonets. After the Qingzhou Army was broken up, it led the Beijing camp. The appearance of some Beijing camps already looks good. After changing their firearms, they at least look like a line of private soldiers.

Some of the military songs often heard by the Qingzhou Army were also heard in the capital. Even some grumbling military songs are not banned and have some flavor.

After actually walking around the Beijing camp for a few times, I found that it was really possible.

Troops are trained at the Troop Training Office. During the training process, officers who have not been dismissed learn according to their ranks. Those who fail the assessment will be eliminated.

Only when you reach the fourth level or above, you don't need to study. When you actually fight, you rely on the staff to take command.

The only thing that affects the speed of military reform is firearms. The current inventory of the Beijing camp plus the Qingzhou army only has 30,000 new guns, but these 30,000 people have been basically trained.

The Jing camp itself is pretty capable of fighting, and the military discipline is just fine. It's not completely rotten to the core. It's just a matter of changing the tactical system.

After summarizing what he had seen and heard, the emperor threw the "Detailed Illustrated Explanation of Training Methods" to Liu Yu.

"I have taken a look at the content above, and I think it can be promoted as a military academy course. You can also go back and have a look. If there are any shortcomings, just tell me."

Liu Yu didn't even look at it and said: "I have already taught you everything I have learned. Since it was written by them, I think you can read it or not read it."

I have said before that I have passed on everything I have learned, and this is true. Many details require practical experience. But the overall idea is that. The best people also understand the idea of ​​​​the tactical system. The teaching materials compiled around this tactical system are not just thought of.

Everyone involved in the writing has experience in leading troops and has brainstormed to ensure that the tactical system and ideas are correct, so there is no need to read it.

Besides, Liu Yu also had to let the emperor know that in the army, he really had nothing to squeeze out, and he didn't have to worry about hiding anything.

As for the tactical changes after mini bullets and rifling, Liu Yuzang gave them to him, so naturally he wouldn't talk about them.

When the emperor heard what Liu Yu said, he felt happy and said with a smile: "Even so, you can read it. After all, this book has your hard work."

"Your arsenal is doing well, but after the military reform, the craftsmen who make a living from bows, knives, armors, etc. have lost their jobs. And that arsenal alone cannot supply hundreds of thousands of people for the military reform."

"The imperial court also wants to try it out. You can dispatch some skilled craftsmen to come over."

Liu Yu had already expected this, but Liu Yu still carefully reminded him of the emperor's words.

"Back to Your Majesty, it is my duty to mobilize the craftsmen. But if you say that this is my arsenal, I really don't dare to do it. In this arsenal, your Majesty's shares are the largest. Moreover, there are also the shares of other merchants. , how can this be said to belong to the minister?”

Li Gan didn't know much about joint-stock companies, and he couldn't say whether they were good or bad. Can't see it yet.

At least judging from Liu Yu's introduction, it seems that there are only advantages and no disadvantages.

He did know that the British had chopped off the king's head, but at this time the person in the court who knew the Westerners best was Liu Yu, and Li Gan also learned about the Western countries from the "A Brief Examination of Western Countries".

Since he holds the monopoly on information, Liu Yu's definition of the British beheading of the king is a "lesson plan". He never said it was a bourgeois revolution, but only said it was a religious struggle: this is like the dispute between Buddhism and Taoism. .

The consequence was that the emperor was already very dissatisfied with Catholicism, and after seeing it, he became even more determined to ban the religion.

What is interesting is Li Gan's review of Cromwell: "There are people who can be kings, but their heirs are weak, so the second generation died. This man is also an outstanding person. For example, in this dynasty, Taizong is located in Gaozong, so it is stable."

Reading history makes people wise, and Li Gan had never really been to England, so he could only understand it from Liu Yu's distorted books.

It does not talk about the rise of the bourgeoisie, but only talks about the feudal system where the monarch was ostracized by the officials and the conflicts between the Protestant Puritan and Anglican sects. To understand the problem from this perspective, the emperor's perspective on the problem will be very different.

As for Songjiang's establishment of such a bunch of joint-stock companies, what Li Gan saw in his eyes was not danger, but two things.

First, the stamp duty collected by the customs and the taxation model for new products such as glass in the future. The stamp duty alone will cause Songjiang Customs' tax revenue to increase sharply this year.

Secondly, a joint-stock company can allow the royal family to make money without having to worry about the public resentment caused by eunuchs collecting taxes in the previous dynasty, and it can eliminate all kinds of opposition caused by comprehensive government-run trade.

Now Liu Yu reiterated this matter again, and Li Gan said with a smile: "In fact, some people in the court have suggested that firearms are the most important weapon of the country. Merchants value profits and cannot operate. They should be returned to the government."

Liu Yu was shocked and was about to object, but Li Gan said first: "However, I have also considered it. There are also shares of internal funds, and there are also shares of other merchants, which have been priced and each holds shares. If you want to take it back, It's okay to go to the government, just pay to buy all the stocks. Otherwise, all the bills in my hand will be turned into pieces of waste paper."

"It is estimated that if the merchants hear the news, they will definitely be in panic. Not only the stocks of the arsenal, but also the iron smelting plants, glass workshops, etc. will sell their stocks one after another."

"This is naturally not good. It's just that... the treasury spends money to buy guns, but I am the largest shareholder. This seems like I am seeking personal gain."

Liu Yu thought to himself, if you don't want to seek personal gain, then you can just use your internal funds to buy all the shares in the arsenal. It would be so easy without making a penny.

"Your Majesty, I think this is not because your Majesty wants to gain personal gain, but to use it as a supervision. If it is made by government-run craftsmen, it is not as good as the one from Weihai Arsenal. The quality is not as good and the price is higher, so naturally you will not get orders. Your Majesty The purpose of controlling the shares of the arsenal is not to seek personal gain, but to prevent corruption at the top and deceive the top and the bottom. "

"The former Western French Party sold armor worth more than ten taels of silver per set, and also sold Western guns and bastions at sky-high prices. As for the Western French Party, the government ordnance was also in a state of decay."

"Rectify the administration of officials. If you rectify it today, it will be rotten tomorrow. If you leave something other than the government office, you can also know the cost. If the government office is cheap and the quality is good, then the arsenal in Weihai will naturally be dilapidated, and the craftsmen will go to the government office. . If the quality is not good and the cost is high, then His Majesty’s arsenal in Weihai will supervise it like a whip.”

"It really cannot be said that His Majesty is doing this for profit."

First, he found a moral high point for Li Gan to pin on, which relieved Li Gan from worrying about being criticized for the "Emperor's moral issues". Li Gan nodded secretly, thinking that this made some sense.

only……

"It's just that there is one thing I don't understand. This joint-stock system requires dividends. It is obviously profitable. For private purposes, I should hope for a high price; for public purposes, I should hope for a low price."

Liu Yu replied: "As long as the dividend money is less than the consumption of official corruption, it can be cheap and maintain quality. If there is no corruption in the world's officialdom, and Your Majesty is the emperor, all the share capital will be lost." If you lose something, not only should you not be worried, but you should be overjoyed.”

The problem of official administration is almost unsolvable. Corruption cannot be eradicated at all. When Liu Yu mentioned this point, Li Gan thought about it and realized that it was the same.

After exposing the arsenal, Li Gan said again: "I have some ideas about these joint-stock workshops you set up, but I don't know if they are right or not."

"King Hui of Liang said: I only care about the country with all my heart and ears. If there is bad luck in the river, move the people to the east of the river, and move the millet to the east of the river. The same goes for the bad luck in the east of the river."

"The people can move and the grain can be adjusted, but the silver in the hands of the rich cannot be moved. Without silver, many things cannot be done. The treasury does not have that much money, and my internal funds are just a drop in the bucket. As you say "Yan, this money needs to be mobilized. I didn't understand it at first, but now it seems that I have some understanding."

"Like Liaodong, there are fewer people and more land, so it has been difficult to develop. If you want to develop it, you need money. Money comes from the national treasury, internal funds, or rich households in Liaodong."

"However, there are few wealthy people in Liaodong, while there are many wealthy people in Jiangnan. Such joint-stock companies can gather wealth and move it to Liaodong. In this way, the court can immigrate thousands of people without spending a penny."

"The opening of iron smelting workshops in Liaodong has allowed the silver stored in many people's hoards to be transferred from Songjiang to Liaodong. Ironware is owned by the people, taxes are paid by the state, and silver is circulated. There is no harm."

"Besides, joint-stock companies can disperse wealth to others, and can also gather private wealth. Even if someone has different intentions, others will not agree. Such dispersion and aggregation seem to be of great benefit."

"However, merchants are profit-oriented, so we must be on guard. If merchants become extremely wealthy, they may annex land. Therefore, this matter cannot be promoted nationwide."

"I think, why not try it out in Songjiang, introduce laws and regulations, and facilitate administration and taxation. Except for Songjiang, it cannot be done anywhere else. Is it okay?"