The disaster caused by the surge of the Yellow River is getting bigger and bigger. Sishui, Mengjin, Wenxian, and Guangwu in Henan were flooded one after another. Several sections of the Yellow River iron bridge on the Ping-Han Railway, the lifeline of north-south transportation, were washed away. By August 13,
Afternoon, Yu
Kaocheng, Heze, and Cao counties on the border of Shandong were also flooded one after another. The number of disaster-stricken areas increased to more than 30 counties. There were countless casualties and missing people in the disaster-stricken areas of Henan and Shandong. Millions of people became homeless in the blink of an eye.
Returnable refugees.
The rapidly expanding disaster has left the distressed Nanjing central government running around in all directions. The Disaster Relief Committee, led by Wang Jingwei, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang and Executive Director, has been calling for flood relief all day long. Dozens of members have gone to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi to mobilize social forces.
To raise funds, Chiang Kai-shek became the boss and went all out to launch the fifth encirclement and suppression campaign against the Central Soviet Area of the Communist Party. Hundreds of thousands of troops sharpened their swords and moved into position one after another.
At this time, An Yi, Gu Changfeng and his party had arrived in Kunming and began an exchange visit to Yunnan Province. What surprised An Yi and his party was that not only Zhu Peide, Zhu Shigui, Zhan Huanqi, Hu Ruoyu and other generals of the Yunnan Army expressed their support for the Anjia Army
The Simao Reclamation Zone strongly supported it. Many senior political officials in Yunnan Province who had already guessed that the "Marei Town Incident" was the work of An Jiajun also expressed to An Yi their desire to protect their family in either euphemistic or straightforward ways.
Defending the country is a consistent foreign stance.
An Yi was a little puzzled by the enthusiasm of the Yunnan military and political circles who did not hesitate to offend the British. After thinking about it repeatedly, he finally understood that in this backward era when people still believed in the Lord of Heaven and Earth, whether they were warlords or corrupt Confucians, there was still a lot of blood in their veins.
Running to protect the soil
With the passion to defend the people, everyone cherishes the land left by their ancestors like gold, and truly inherits the national spirit of everyone taking responsibility in the face of national calamity. What’s more, everyone around me represents the 25 million people of Yunnan and cherishes himself extremely.
Rights-savvy people.
Li Hongxiang, Speaker of the Yunnan Provincial Parliament, General Hu Ying, Director of the Department of Construction, Zhou Zhongyue, Director of the Education Department, and more than a dozen seniors, went to the airport to greet him, and returned to Zhu Peide's residence at the corner of the Yunnan Lecture Hall on the bank of Cuihu Lake for a cup of tea.
Come up and start communicating with An Yi and others.
Hu Ying, Director of the Department of Construction, affirmed the gratifying achievements of the Southern Yunnan Reclamation Zone and was deeply pleased with the joint development of economic mutual assistance between Yunnan, southern Sichuan and western Guizhou. He recalled An Yi's speech in the Yunnan Provincial Congress Hall that year.
I sincerely praised An Yi for his foresight, and finally said with regret that Yunnan still did not do well enough. It still needs to speed up the pace of development and catch up with the rapid development of southern Sichuan, western Guizhou and western Hunan as soon as possible.
Lu Han, who has been promoted to Vice Chairman of the Yunnan Provincial Military Commission, changed his past caution and politeness towards An Yi and clearly stated his tough stance on the continuous conflicts on the Sino-Myanmar border for many years and the British's push for further advancement. Lu Han's last words
Winning a round of applause:
"If our military cannot protect our border residents and resolutely fight back and punish the invaders who have repeatedly committed heinous crimes, how can we have the dignity to let the 25 million people of all ethnic groups in Yunnan support us?"
Minister of Education Zhou Zhongyue and President Dong Ze of the former Donglu University, now renamed Yunnan University, expressed their gratitude to An Yi for the gift of a complete set of advanced teaching experimental equipment produced in Europe and the United States, and to the education circles in southern Sichuan headed by Jiang Yunshan for the gift they just received
Five school buses and one million education aid funds to Yunnan University.
However, in a half-joking and half-serious manner, Dong Ze criticized the temptation and plundering of graduates from Yunnan University and other schools by major enterprises in southern Sichuan, saying that the best talents have all gone to southern Sichuan, and it is only the Zhaotong government and the government run by An Yi that
Railway, steel, trading and other companies took away more than 40 engineering graduates from Yunnan University last month.
Everyone looked at An Yi and smiled with deep thoughts. An Yi stood up a little embarrassed, apologized to Dong Ze respectfully, and then sincerely expressed his sincerity:
"This junior is here to discuss something with my husband and colleagues from Yunnan Province. A month ago, the French consul in Shanghai and the French consul in Beijing sent letters to the junior twice to discuss whether a consulate could be established in Syria.
Strengthen economic and trade exchanges and understanding and cooperation in all aspects between China and France."
"Oh? The French are not slow to respond this time... It seems that they also know that China's industrial center with the most development potential has been transferred from the old Nanchang and Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai areas to southern Sichuan... How did the nephew reply?
"Zhu Peide became interested.
An Yi said with a smile: "The juniors held a special meeting. After the discussion, they wrote back to the French and politely declined their request to set up a consulate. I told them clearly: So far, no country has set up a consulate in southern Sichuan. According to the administrative level
, Southern Sichuan is not qualified, but so far, Germany, Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Belgium have received approval from the Southern Sichuan Parliament and have confirmed the establishment of business offices in September this year. I wonder if France is interested?
"Before the juniors left southern Sichuan, a letter from the French arrived again. They decided to set up business offices with European and American countries, and requested the juniors' strong support so that their commercial offices could be settled in Syria at the same time as other countries. They also proposed to participate in the southwest economy.
In order to promote the construction and development of the district, we requested to participate in the commodity expo jointly held by our four provinces in October, and obtain the qualifications for bidding for major projects such as railways, bridges, mining, and import and export of machinery and equipment held at the same time.
"At the end of the letter, the French Consul in Beijing asked our Greater Southwest Economic Cooperation Group in detail whether we have any plans for economic investment and cooperation in the Gejiu area in southwestern Yunnan? The junior replied that we do, and that large-scale investment will begin soon.
Because after this inspection, the juniors will consult the seniors for their opinions.
In the name of the Hunan-Yunnan-Guizhou Border Appeasement Office, together with the Yunnan Provincial Department of Construction and the Department of Resources, we have carried out large-scale investment cooperation in traditional tin, zinc, silver, copper, lead and steel chemical projects in southwestern Yunnan. The juniors made a special trip this time to lead
We have received a detailed investment plan and have initially decided to invest US$100 million in development. I hope all seniors will support it.”
"One hundred million dollars..."
"This is an ocean of 360 million..."
All the military and political dignitaries in the hall exclaimed in unison. Zhu Peide had learned about this huge development plan for southwest and southern Yunnan as early as last month during the meeting with the Syrian government. Therefore, he was not as shocked as other colleagues. However, he was still worried about An Yi.
Admire the wealth and generosity.
An Yi smiled and turned to Dong Ze: "Sir, in the upcoming great economic development of Yunnan, all walks of life will need a large number of talents. Are you still worried about not being able to retain your elite graduates? The juniors can express their gratitude here.
Sir, I promise that as long as our Southwest Economic Collective passes these large-scale economic revitalization plans, the younger generation will donate and build a comprehensive school with complete facilities for every county in southeastern Yunnan, ensuring that it can be easily accommodated.
Taking into account the 5,000 teachers and students who have taught eight years of education in primary schools and middle schools, three staff members are needed for every 100 students, which means at least 1,500 staff members are needed. An entire class of graduates from Yunnan University’s teacher training major is not enough.
, if you add in the construction and commissioning of dozens or hundreds of enterprises, how many talents will be needed? Maybe today next year, Mr. Yunnan University and other schools will feel that there are too few talents trained."
Dong Ze nodded solemnly: "No wonder Brother Yucheng rushed to send one million, and also pretended to casually suggest that I double the enrollment. It turns out that you had a premeditated plan..."
Everyone laughed heartily, but Zhu Peide did not laugh. He looked at everyone and reminded loudly: "Everyone, remember the adjustments and construction of governments at all levels in eastern and southeastern Yunnan that we have been discussing for the past year? If General An brings
The proposal jointly formed by the governments of southern Sichuan, western Hunan, and western Guizhou was passed, and our Southeast Yunnan
Twenty-one county-level governments are about to be rebuilt. In order to ensure the safe and smooth development of economic construction, the size of the county police stations and security forces will be doubled. The southeastern Yunnan region that has long been neglected will receive strong
However, we are still undecided so far. Are we moving too slowly?"
"We all know Yi Gong's concerns, but every move is worth money! In the past two years, we have finally suppressed sporadic rebellions in various places and regained leadership in Western Yunnan. Half of all taxes have been invested in military expenditures and the construction of highways in Western Yunnan.
Since last year, the province has learned from the successful experience of southern Sichuan, reformed its financial system, abolished Yunnan stamps, adopted silver coins, and jointly established the Southwest Bank with the Sichuan-Hunan-Guizhou Economic Group, resulting in a five-fold increase in fiscal revenue.
This has eliminated shortcomings such as chaotic expropriation. However, we must see that most of the increased revenue has been invested in the construction of the Yunnan-Guizhou Railway and the revitalization of public-owned large-scale industrial and commercial enterprises. If more money is used to invest on a large scale in southeastern Yunnan, reorganize officialdom, increase
The number of military and police officers is not a small sum... Although it is imperative to develop the economy of southeastern Yunnan, the government and the province's industrial and commercial circles are powerless at the moment, and it is estimated that it will have to be delayed for one or two years!"
Lu Chongren, the Minister of Finance, said worriedly that the Acting Minister of Finance appointed by the original Long Yun was a well-known Yunnan man with both civil and military skills. After Zhu Peide came to power, he treated him with great courtesy and had great trust. Lu Chongren was deeply grateful, so he took up the post again.
The Director of Finance of Yunnan Province has worked hard over the past few years and achieved continuous success, putting the chaotic Yunnan Province's finances on the right track step by step.
, the military’s tax privileges were abolished, and financial institutions at all levels were established. As a result, the burden on the people of Yunnan was greatly reduced, and Yunnan’s economy also recovered rapidly. Zhu Peide also gained a huge reputation for being generous, benevolent, and knowing people well. Because of this,
Lu Chongren's opinions are very important. In many cases, his practical advice can determine the choice of a major matter.
When everyone heard this, they all frowned, obviously unable to do anything about the financial shortage.
An Yi watched calmly and said nothing. He didn't want to take the initiative to get involved in other people's family affairs and leave a bad impression on others. He planned to find a time to have a good talk with Lu Chongren later, but the veteran Li Hongxiang
One sentence made An Yi have to stand up:
"General An, I must have encountered similar problems in the process of governing southern Sichuan. I wonder how the general solved it at that time?"
An Yi stood up and replied with shame: "To be honest, this kind of thing is very difficult. I had no choice but to keep filling it with my own private money. I spent a thousand and two dollars on it."
It took more than one million to re-establish all the county-level governments in southern Sichuan."
"oh……"
Everyone sighed in unison, envious of An Yi's wealth but also quite disappointed. In contrast, Yunnan, a vast country with a capital of 10 to 20 million, could not solve the problem.
An Yi thought for a while and suggested: "Seniors, the juniors have an immature idea, which is also some knowledge accumulated by the juniors from running Lao Nanchang, Yichang and then to southern Sichuan. If the seniors are willing to listen, the juniors will bite the bullet and show their shame.
,how?"
"General, please speak!"
"My dear nephew, stop being so modest."
Lu Chongren stood up and saluted An Yi solemnly: "General, you are a great talent. Without the general's painstaking management, there would be no prosperity of today's old Nanchang, Xiangxi, Qianxi and southern Sichuan. This is obvious to all the country. Please also ask General
Don’t hesitate to teach me!”
An Yi hurriedly stepped forward and helped the respected Lu Chongren to his seat, saying he was ashamed.
After repeated requests from everyone, An Yi decided not to avoid suspicion and truthfully stated his thoughts:
"Seniors and juniors know that a large part of Yunnan's fiscal revenue comes from tin ore exports, most of which have been monopolized by the three major French consortiums established in the Gejiu area. In addition, the world economy has been in a slump in recent years, and exports have doubled.
, even the three major French consortiums themselves suffered huge losses. It is conceivable that
The provincial government is in a dilemma in terms of taxation; secondly, due to lax supervision, a large amount of tin ore is smuggled out of the country, and local security groups and government officials collude with unscrupulous businessmen, resulting in two-thirds of the tin ore exported every year.
The juniors are convinced that all the seniors are aware of these shortcomings of giving the government a penny in taxes."
Zhu Peide and others sighed after hearing this. Those present here were all seniors who ruled Yunnan according to traditional gentle governance methods. From An Yi's unfinished words, they already vaguely understood what he wanted to express.
When An Yi said this, he hesitated for a moment. Under Lu Chongren's relentless questioning, he had no choice but to tell everything in his mind:
"There is a way to solve the problem... The French have worked hard to build the railway from Annan to Kunming. So far, they have been complaining about losses, but they are unwilling to transfer the management rights to the Yunnan government. The three major consortiums are also complaining all day long.
They are losing money, but they are still mining every day.
If the weather is shipped to Annan, it can be seen that the French not only do not lose money, but also make money, otherwise they would not continue to do it... If my estimate is correct, the way the French make money is to encourage smuggling and tax evasion, so the French have
I will attach great importance to this trip to Yunnan for my juniors.
"The younger generation originally did not want to interfere with the political situation in Yunnan, but seeing the current situation in southeastern Yunnan, I can't help but feel pain in my heart. To be honest with you, southern Sichuan has been cooperating with the Guangxi clique to exploit the northwest Guangxi mining area through western Guizhou. Three of the Guangxi clique
The smelting plant was built with the help of younger generations. Nowadays, the Guangxi clan does not need to sell ore at low prices to foreign countries. Instead, it will process the tin ingots
We sold them all to major smelters and enterprises in southern Sichuan. Not only did we no longer have to be squeezed by foreigners, we also made profits beyond their expectations. In the first half of this year alone, we paid the Guangxi clan for tin and zinc ingots.
It cost more than 37 million yuan. The Guilin-Liu Railway and several major highways currently built by the Guangxi Clique were built with funds from the sale of tin mines.
"In comparison, the world-famous 'Xidu' Gejiu is located in the southeast of Yunnan. How much tax can the government receive every year? If we adopt vigorous and uncompromising measures to manage it, we can put an end to smuggling and then build one or two big buildings."
The annual tax revenue of a medium-sized smelting plant is more than tens of millions. It can also obtain the most precious pricing power, reverse the long-term passive situation of looking at the faces of foreigners, and make tangible contributions to increasing the income of the people and revitalizing the national industry.