In the afternoon, Li Guolou came to Li Hongzhang's residence and gave Uncle Guan a door bag and handed over a ten-tael banknote. Uncle Guan didn't even blink and said, "Xiaolou, you have to wait a little while. In the middle hall,
I'm afraid it will take a while for your Excellency to meet with Sheng Huaixuan."
Li Guolou touched his nose, handed over another banknote, and said with a smile: "Uncle Guan, Uncle Sheng is here, so there is no guarantee. You can check the sky for me. If my uncle is not available, I will leave."
.”
Uncle Guan smiled and said: "Oh, it's easy to discuss with my family. I'll go in and take a look." After speaking, Uncle Guan turned around and ran towards the courtyard, still running in a trotting posture, explaining that the amount of the bank note given behind Li Guolou allowed him to have
Infinite motivation.
Sheng Huaixuan, courtesy name Xingsun, was born in Wujin, Jiangsu Province. He was a scholar. He entered the shogunate of Li Hongzhang in the second year of Tongzhi. In this year, Li Hongzhang led troops from Zhili to Shaanxi to assist Zuo Zongtang in his crusade against the rebellion in the northwest. Sheng Huaixuan served as the camp copywriter and conference manager.
The Business Office gained fame from this. Sheng Huaixuan and his
With his business ability, he worshiped Li Hongzhang as his adoptive father. He was a direct descendant of Li Hongzhang. He was an official and businessman, and his ability to make money was unparalleled. Li Hongzhang appointed Tang Tingshu and Xu Run to establish the Shanghai Steamship Investment Bureau, and soon appointed Sheng Huaixuan as the director. From then on,
After that, Sheng Huaixuan entered the industrial world.
The Steamship Merchants Bureau was originally a Steamship Merchants Company. Since the Qing government stipulated that official property must be transported by this company first, the China Merchants Bureau gained another stable income, among which the rice exclusively transported by the China Merchants Bureau was the top priority. And
Since the establishment of the company, people from the Qing Dynasty have boarded the ship of China Merchants, which has increased the competitiveness of China Merchants. Foreign countries
For this reason, the company also cut prices, but the result was that the Qichang Company in the United States went bankrupt. China Merchants acquired Qichang Company's ships and docks, and China Merchants' strength was greatly enhanced. This transaction
The process was through the hands of Sheng Huaixuan, and after his contribution to the China Merchants Bureau, he accepted commissions, so he was impeached by the censor.
At this time, Sheng Huaixuan was only in his twenties. After the impeachment, he had no official position and was idle at home. He came to his adoptive father Li Hongzhang to complain, hoping to return to the court through Li Hongzhang's recommendation.
Li Hongzhang was chatting happily with Sheng Huaixuan in the living room, chatting here and there and couldn't stop for a while. When he heard Li Guolou's arrival, his face darkened.
Li Hongzhang had his own ideas about Li Guolou, an alternative member of the Li family. When Li Guolou returned from studying abroad, his words, deeds, and behavior that he had forgotten his origins made him very displeased, so he deliberately ignored Li Guolou for a long time.
Time, of course, the shoes were worn by Li Guolou several times, which made this relative of the grandson a disgrace in the officialdom of the capital. Unexpectedly, this brat sneaked into the Ministry of Justice and worked as an errand
, and was also appreciated by Shangshu Bao, who wore a ninth-grade official hat. This time Li Guolou wrote to Prince Gong Yixin and made eleven statements. As for the eleven statements written by Li Guolou, in
At the discussion meeting at the Yamen of the Prime Minister's Office, some Li Hongzhang agreed, while others firmly opposed it. He was simmering with anger, and the yellow-haired boy didn't even have hair, so he talked about national affairs in a rhetorical manner.
Sheng Huaixuan, who was standing next to him, had heard something about Li Guolou. When he saw Li Hongzhang's unhappy expression and his silence, he was very clever and immediately smiled and said: "Father, I have heard about your grandson Li Guolou's affairs for a long time.
I heard that like his brother, he is a master of making money and has a prosperous career. Can you recommend him to me?"
Li Hongzhang's expression returned to normal, he stroked his beard and said: "Xiaoguan, let Xiaolou come in. The brat knows he's here, so he's quite thick-skinned. Xingsun! You two are quite similar. You are both a scholar, and you are the type who can work in the camp."
people."
Sheng Huaixuan was a little embarrassed and giggled a few times. How could he honor his adoptive father without making money? How could he come to the door empty-handed? He was just unlucky enough to be grabbed by the handle and bumped into the censor's gun. How could he make money in business without the support of the government?
After getting rich and working in official business, Sheng Huaixuan wanted to find a lucrative job. He could only rely on his "adopted father" Li Hongzhang for advice to resume his official career.
Li Guolou entered the living room and saw Li Hongzhang in casual clothes. He immediately paid homage with the courtesy of an elder. After some greetings, Li Guolou took out the gift list and handed it over. He was afraid that Li Hongzhang would be angry and not accept the gift. So he did not bring any property.
If Li Hongzhang refuses to take it up, it will be difficult to deal with it in the future.
The Li family was a big family, and he was still able to gain Li Hongzhang's attention because his elder brother and sister were money-making experts and respected Li Hongzhang's eldest son Li Jingyi, so they still moved around each other. Those relatives of the Li family in his hometown were just rich people.
Li Hongzhang above the court
His three sons have official positions, among which the eldest son Li Jingyi (adopted son) is the most important. Several brothers in the direct line of Li Hongzhang are all high officials and big businessmen. The other descendants of the collateral line have not been close to the big tree of Li Hongzhang. Li Guolou
The family belongs to a branch lineage that is well-off.
Li Hongzhang opened the gift list and glanced at it, he knew how much the property was worth. There were antiques, jades, calligraphy and paintings, and some valuable furniture worth about 5,000 taels. This was a gift from a junior. Li Hongzhang smiled slightly and put the gift list on the table.
It was not returned to Li Guolou.
"Sit down in the small building! I haven't seen you for more than a year. You have grown stronger." Li Hongzhang greeted Li Guolou after greeting him for a few words.
Li Guolou greeted his uncle's family and chatted for a while. He looked humble and did not dare to straighten his chest and sit upright.
At this time, Li Hongzhang was in his prime, less than fifty years old. With a rectangular face, full of vigor and three strands of black beard, he was exactly the handsome man in the ancient standard portraits. Li Hongzhang's official career was inseparable from the appreciation of his teacher Zeng Guofan, but
He gained more trust from the imperial court than Zeng Guofan. He had been promoted from the governor of Liangjiang to the governor of Zhili, ranking first among the ministers. If he was promoted further, he could only be given the honorary title of "Grand Scholar of Wuyingdian", the head of the Han ministers.
In the Qing Dynasty, there was only one person who was granted the title of king of the opposite sex, and that was Fukang'an during the Qianlong Emperor's period. He was General Bai Sheng. The person who made the greatest contribution to Tibet's integration into Chinese territory was Fukang'an. It was after Fukang'an suppressed the Tibetan rebellion that Tibet began to
With the Qing garrison, it is different from those vassals that pay tribute.
Country. According to folklore, Fukang'an was the illegitimate son of Emperor Qianlong. Emperor Qianlong made an exception and violated the ancestral precept that "the opposite sex shall not be crowned king." Although Qianlong did not crown Fukang'an king during his lifetime (he was posthumously named Jiayong
County King), but still granted him the title of Baylor, which only members of the royal family can obtain.
In the fifty-sixth year of Qianlong's reign (1791), Tibet was invaded by the Gorkhas. Fukang'an was ordered to be the commander-in-chief, and Hailancha was the deputy commander-in-chief and led more than 10,000 troops into Tibet to fight back. The following year, with the support of the Tibetan people, they directly invaded the Gorkhas.
In the territory of Kabul, victory was achieved.
Due to the Gorkha invasion, various local systems in Tibet were weakened and various shortcomings were exposed. Fukang'an Chengzhi, together with the minister in Tibet and others, and senior local officials in Tibet, jointly negotiated and approved the central government and promulgated the famous """ in Tibetan history.
The Imperial Regulations on Dealing with the Disaster in Tibet (Article 29) governs Tibetan local administration, religion, military, and justice.
Clear and detailed regulations were made on all powers such as foreign affairs, finance and taxation, which greatly improved and improved the powers of ministers stationed in Tibet, and made arrangements for strengthening the central government's leadership over local governments, consolidating national defense, maintaining social order, developing production, and improving people's lives.
Important contribution. But Fukang'an was a famous arrogant and domineering general in history, and he was a man with a lot of personal moral shortcomings.
Li Hongzhang nodded, quite satisfied with the filial piety of his "grandson". He stared at Li Guolou for a while with a pair of bottomless black pupils, and said: "Xiaolou, you have been very prosperous in recent times. I often hear you Even the Prime Minister's Office has seen your letter. Your ambition is not small! Even Prince Gong has personally praised you."
Li Guolou leaned forward and said, "Thank you for your compliments, uncle. My grandson will definitely guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and use outstanding political achievements to repay my uncle for his cultivation of my grandson."
How could Li Guolou not know that the reason why he was promoted so quickly and Prince Gong Yixin recommended him for the imperial examination was because Li Hongzhang was his uncle. Although some of the eleven statements in his letter were inconsistent with Li Hongzhang's political opinions, overall speaking , he still belongs to the Westernization faction and is a member of the same lineage as Li Hongzhang.
"Well, it's good to know. Let's watch the tea!" Li Hongzhang picked up the tea cup to tell Li Guolou that he wanted to chat for a while and would not rush Li Guolou away immediately. Today, this is a matter of family etiquette. They all address each other according to their seniority.
Sheng Huaixuan was also sizing up Li Guolou. He looked very much like Li Hongzhang, with the same rectangular face and slender eyes. He was a relative from the same family.
"Xiaolou, let's treat each other with courtesy, otherwise I'll be embarrassed." Sheng Huaixuan looked at Li Guolou with a smile. Now he doesn't have an official position, which is worse than the younger Li Guolou. If it comes to officialdom rules, he wants to give Li Guolou a big gift, so how can he do it?
Li Guolou looked at Sheng Huaixuan, who had a big-eared face and a rich look on his face, and said with a sweet smile: "Brother Xingsun is very famous. I have been looking up to you for a long time, and the mountains are high."
"Hahahaha! Brother Yu is so ashamed. Now he is just a commoner and has embarrassed his adoptive father." Sheng Huaixuan spread his hands helplessly. Only his adoptive father Li Hongzhang knew the grievance in his heart.
Li Hongzhang smiled and said: "Xiaolou, Xingsun and I just mentioned that you and your brother have business acumen. They opened a textile factory and made some achievements in industry. Now they have developed their business in Tianjin. It's amazing. Jingyi often praises you. If you two brothers can still make a career without relying on government support, it belongs to you two brothers' Yadong Textile Factory. I met your brother when we were in Tianjin. It is a good idea to set up a bank in the British Concession. I I support this initiative of yours.”
An old fox is an old fox. Li Hongzhang had already seen that Li Guoyun and Li Guolou founded the bank "Invite Bank" in the British Concession in Tianjin. It was a joint venture and relied on foreigners' territory. The Qing government would not be able to annex Invite Bank in the future.
Of course, to create a new bank, a huge capital chain needs to be maintained. Next, the banking business will need the help of many people. With Li Hongzhang, the local water transport funds are flowing hugely. The bank will get a share of the pie. Li Hongzhang will not invest in the bank. , but his son Li Jingyi naturally occupied 10% of the shares in the bank.
Li Guolou said with a smile: "My grandson, thank you very much for your uncle's support. The plan that invited us to the bank was written by my grandson. He has no other skills, but he still has solid evidence for his planning. He never fights a battle that he is not sure of."
Li Hongzhang curled his lips slightly and ignored Li Guolou. He was only talking about business today, and his adopted son Sheng Huaixuan was by his side. How could he discuss national policies with Li Guolou.
Sheng Huaixuan listened for a while and figured out the ins and outs of being invited to join the bank. He secretly felt jealous. The Li family was so powerful that they even got involved in the banking industry. All the money that was passed around in society would eventually fall into the hands of the Li family.
Although Sheng Huaixuan is worth a lot of money, he has not yet reached the level of sudden wealth. The banking industry does not dare to think about it. The last time he was impeached by the censor, he spent atonement money and paid 50,000 taels of silver into the national treasury before he could pass the test. He did not make a fortune.
Prison. This time he just wanted to get another good job and get back the lost money with interest.
The Qing Dynasty had a national policy, that is, if an official committed a crime of corruption and his crime was exposed, he could spend money to atone for his crime. Ranging from a hundred taels to hundreds of thousands of taels, the "atonement money" was directly paid into the state treasury, which was also considered a national item.
Income. Who formulated this national policy? It’s funny to say,
This highly innovative national policy was personally approved by He Shen, the most corrupt official during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It has been used to this day without any change. Therefore, the Qing government is not afraid of official corruption. The greater the corruption of officials, the greater the impact on the country.
It will be a silver mine in the future.
Sheng Huaixuan calmed down and did not let Li Hongzhang see the depression in his heart. He smiled and said: "Xiaolou is capable of literary and military skills. He has thoroughly understood the essence of government and business. With this move, no one can find fault with me.
It seems to be much higher than the ticket accounts founded by Qiao Zhiyong, Hu Xueyan and others."
Li Guolou said smugly: "Brother Xingsun still knows the goods. In fact, everyone can do it, but because there is no precedent, I got the first step. My grandson is not boasting about Haikou. If my grandson is invited to come to the bank, he will do it."
The Qing Dynasty has taken root, and a Beiyang navy can be fattened by just inviting people to the bank, without the need for state funding."
At this point, Li Guolou kept silent, picked up his teacup and drank tea, and it was a matter of chance to see if Li Hongzhang would take the bait. Most of the local banks and bank accounts were run by local forces, and all the money they earned went into their own pockets.
If the country does not reap the benefits, it is impossible for the government to support and promote it. Only if the national government truly benefits, will the emerging "invitation banks" spring up like mushrooms after a rain in the Qing Empire.
Li Hongzhang's expression changed, and he looked at the young Li Guolou. Could it be that he had misjudged the idea that this fake foreign devil who looked like a playboy was actually a great talent? A leader in using foreign goods to serve China?
Li Hongzhang is a young and mature figure, with both civil and military skills. He has been in a high position since he was young. He has also had ups and downs in the officialdom and has been tempered for a long time. At this time, his temperament has become more stable, he treats people with a gentleman's demeanor, his acting skills are as pure as fire, and he does not like things or himself.
sad.
But when Li Guolou talked about his hard work, the Beiyang Navy, Li Hongzhang couldn't hold it in any longer. The Beiyang Navy was a monster that devoured huge sums of money from the national treasury. Although a lot of the money for the new Beiyang Navy was directly financed by local customs duties.
Subsidies do not require the use of state treasury funds. But Li Hongzhang’s heart
Li clearly understands that this is a means of deceiving himself and others. Every amount of money is related to the country's people's livelihood. As Li Guolou said, to build a new Beiyang Navy is to tear down the western wall to repair the eastern wall. There will always be loopholes that people can exploit. If you can
When a new generation of army and navy are formed together, wouldn't everyone be happy?