Chapter 49 5. Victory in the first battle made Zhang Zhidong look at each other with admiration

Following Wang Kaiyun's instructions, Yang Du started a series of arduous and detailed actions. He first went to Changsha and found the office of Jiuda Company located in Tianxin Pavilion.As soon as he heard that it was Yang Du, the director-general of the Student Association in Japan, who happened to be in the office to handle official business, Fan Xudong, the general manager, hurried out to greet him.Fan Xudong had known about Yang Du from his cousin Fan Yuanlian's letter at home. Fan Xudong, who was educated in the West, was open-minded and influenced by Fan Yuanlian. people.Almost without Yang Du's further explanation, Fan Xudong readily agreed to hand over 300,000 taels of silver.

It went smoothly as soon as it started, which gave Yang Du great joy and confidence. He visited Huachang Company the next day.The chairman of the company, Liang Huankui, had also heard of Yang Du's name earlier, and even though he was busy with affairs, he personally received him. "Chairman Liang, my younger brother has an excellent friend in Japan. He is an international student who went to Japan with him on the same boat. His name is Liang Huanting, and he is also from Xiangtan. I wonder if it is Chairman Liang's own family?" After sitting down and exchanging greetings, Yang Du asked.

Liang Huankui took out two cigars, handed one to Yang Du, lit one himself, took a sip and said, "Huanting is my younger brother." "Ah, I didn't expect him to be the chairman's younger brother!" Yang Du originally used this to bring out the topic, but he was overjoyed when he hit the bottom with just one shot, and quickly complimented, "Your brother Ling is a very talented young man." .” "Mr. Yang praised you." Liang Huankui said with a smile, "I have five brothers, the second is Huanding, the third is Huanyi, the fourth is Huanjun, and the youngest is Huanting. Although I have many brothers, they are all mediocre. How can there be a gentleman?" You are the clear hope of the second hero of the Yang family!"

Yang Du laughed heartily after hearing this.He started with Liang Huanting's study and life in Japan, emphasizing how he actively advocated the withdrawal of the Guangdong-Han Railway to run it on its own, in order to arouse the chairman's interest.Then he talked about the significance of taking back the self-management and the possibility of doing it, and greatly exaggerated the profit prospects of investors after the completion. The nearly forty-year-old chairman who started to gain weight due to smooth business is also a person who is willing to make a big difference in the industrial field.After hearing this, he said straightforwardly: "The Yue-Han Railway will take back and run itself, which will benefit the country, the people, and investors. Jiuda Company will contribute 300,000 yuan, and we Huachang can also contribute 300,000 yuan, but the company is not me. If you are alone, you have to discuss it with Huang and Yang, and I will reply to you tomorrow."

The next day, Liang Huankui told Yang Du that Huang and Yang were cowardly, fearing that the Chinese would not be able to manage it well, and that they would hardly get back their capital in the future, so they did not dare to invest more. Take 100,000, add up to 200,000.With 200,000, Yang Du is already satisfied.With the 500,000 yuan from Changsha, he rushed to Xiangxiang without stopping. Yang Du first found Li Qianpu, Li Xubin's eldest grandson, in Xiangxiang County.Li Qianpu's mother was Zeng Guofan's niece, and he himself inherited his grandfather's third-class baronet. He managed the family business that his father and grandparents earned and enjoyed a high reputation among the descendants of the generals of the Hunan Army.After Yang Du convinced him, he set up a few tables of wine and invited most of the descendants of the famous generals of the Hunan Army. Among them were the grandsons of Zeng Guoquan, the sons of Zeng Guohua, the grandsons of Luo Zenan, and Li Chendian. nephew of Xiao Fusi, grandnephew of Xiao Fusi and so on.At the meeting, Yang Du delivered a passionate speech as a descendant of the Hunan Army.His status was very useful, and these people felt kind after hearing his words. At that time, several people came over to make friends with him.

Li Qianpu took the opportunity to encourage: "Our fathers and grandparents sacrificed their lives and spilled blood on the battlefield to save the country from Changmao, and only then have we won the glory and property of our descendants. Today, we have regained the right to build the railway from foreigners. It is also for the sake of winning glory for the country. We should follow the example of our fathers and grandparents, share the worries for the country, and bear the burden for the people, so as to make this matter a success. After it is completed, you can all get permanent dividends from it. If you see the country If there are difficulties and we do nothing, what will we look like when we die to see our ancestors in Quantai? I will take 50,000 yuan first, please do what you can."

Inspired by Li Qianpu, some reported generously, and some were reluctant but embarrassed not to report and finally reported.In the end, the people present at the reception, more or less, each reported a number, a total of 513,200 taels, plus Changsha's 500,000, a total of 1,013,200 taels One hundred taels. With this money, Yang Du's confidence in lobbying Zhang Zhidong increased a hundredfold. On a crisp autumn afternoon in late September, the majestic chairman of the Association of Students Studying in Japan set foot on the Mashideng of Wuchang Wharf. After landing, he walked straight to the governor's office at the gate of the department.

When he came to the gate of the yamen, he saw Zhang Zhidong's signature on the newly issued notice, knowing that the governor had returned from recuperation in Wudang Mountain, so he asked the concierge to send a famous assassin in. After waiting for half a day, the young and handsome concierge said to him arrogantly: "Master Taiwan is busy, so he doesn't see any visitors. If you have to see him, you will hand over the name card three days later." Yang Du was very disappointed, he was full of anger, but he couldn't get angry, so he had no choice but to find a nearby inn to stay.On the morning of the third day, give the famous thorn again.Half an hour later, another middle-aged porter with a broad shoulder and round waist gave an order in a rough voice: "Line up one by one, and we will meet you at Shenchu ​​time in three days' time."

Yang Du returned to the inn with his head down and waited.When he handed over the name badge for the third time, a slender, dry middle-aged concierge finally let him in. It was still the same large and luxurious study room. Zhang Zhidong was wearing a dark gray thin silk cotton casual gown and sitting on a soft armchair. His wrinkled face was covered with a bluish-white dim light, compared with the winter of the previous year. is visibly aged. "Your Majesty has become famous in the past two years." Zhang Zhidong said with a half-smile, while tossing Yang Du's famous thorn in his hands.

"Late birth has the high expectations of the elders..." "Are you talking about the special economic department last year?" Zhang Zhidong interrupted Yang Du and sneered, "That was a big joke. It is a shame that there were such anecdotes in the Qing Dynasty. Although he was not admitted, it is a great fortune to go to Dongyang Qiushi with a famous name, compared to those who were admitted but were not reused. This is a blessing in disguise, and safety is not blessing." Yang Du thought of Master Xiangqi's teachings, and took up the conversation with high spirits: "My lord is right. Wansheng originally wanted to use Teke to find a background, express his ambitions, and do something for the country. But the villain slandered , not only deprived Wansheng of the opportunity to enter the society, but also made the elders feel wronged. In order to avoid the disaster of being arrested, he had to go to Japan. In the past year, Wansheng has benefited a lot from studying the laws of various countries at Hosei University in Japan, and has extensively investigated Japanese society. Thanks to all the students studying in Japan, I was elected as the director-general of the International Students Association, so I gained a lot of practical experience. The late students are also lucky, fortunately, the joke of last year appeared, otherwise it would not be so big progress."

"You are very active in Dongyang, and you can often see poems and essays by you in "Xinmin Congbao". I have read some, some agree, some disagree." Zhang Zhidong pointed sideways to the volumes of "Xinmin" in the large porcelain vase Cong Bao". "The "Song of Hunan Youth" is very powerful, but it is too high for the people of Hunan, and ignores the people of the seventeen provinces in the world. Don't you hear what Han Wengong said, there are many generous and tragic singers in Yanzhao? Although the old man is dull, As a scholar of Yanzhao, I also hold grievances for people from the seventeen provinces." A piece of song actually stimulated this strong and fierce old horse, which Yang Du did not expect. He was a little guilty for a while, paused for a moment, and smiled calmly: "My lord, the song written by Wansheng in Tokyo , was originally intended to inspire the ambitions of Sanxiang disciples. After the poem was completed, he only wanted to circulate it among the Hunan people. Unexpectedly, Liang Qichao saw it and insisted on publishing it in "Xinmin Congbao". Wansheng said that it might be inappropriate to publish it publicly , His sons will be angry when they read it. Liang Qichao said, I am from Guangdong, and I am not angry after reading it. Hunan people rule the whole country. Even if someone is angry, it would be better to compete with Hunan people for this pioneer! Eighteen provinces and provinces are like Hunan, then China will not be subjugated, and China will definitely be strong. Wouldn’t it be better? Wan Sheng felt that what he said was reasonable, so he agreed to publish it. I don’t want to offend the boss, so Wan Sheng is guilty.” Zhang Zhidong felt embarrassed when he heard this, and said with a smile: "In this way, the old man's temperament is not as good as Liang Qichao's. Well, Gu Nian, you are out of a patriotic heart, and the old man will not pursue it. You want to see me several times , why?" In the first round of confrontation, Yang Du had the upper hand, secretly happy in his heart, and became more energetic.He said with a little pride: "My lord, when Wansheng returns to China this time, he shoulders the great trust of all the students studying in Japan and the United States. For the matter of the Guangdong-Han Railway, I respectfully ask you to come forward and abolish the agreement between Minister Sheng and the United States-China Hexing Company. The signed contract will take the Guangdong-Han Railway back and run it on its own.” There have been discussions at home and abroad for several months about the withdrawal of the Guangdong-Han Railway from its own management. Some people in the Beijing Normal University played the young Sheng Xuanhuai, and of course Zhang Zhidong knew about it.From his heart, he tends to take back the self-management, but this matter involves a lot, and he is not sure whether the self-management can be successful.As a minister of state, he cannot express his position casually.An old servant came in, holding a bowl in both hands: "My lord, please take your medicine." Zhang Zhidong took the medicine bowl, waved his hand, and the old servant exited the study.He looked at the dark brown concoction, frowned, shook his hand twice, and was not in a hurry to drink it. "Rescinding the contract is a big matter. You should go to the capital to find Qu Hongji. He is in charge of this matter. Why do you want me?" "My lord, the Guangdong-Han Railway is taken back and run by itself. It is a matter for Hunan, Hubei and Guangdong provinces. Of course, you should come forward!" Yang Du straightened his back.The autumn sun in the afternoon came in from the window, and it was shining on his youthful face. Compared with the old governor who took medicine, there was a clear gap between two generations. "Guangdong-Han Railway also accounts for one-third of the railway. Have you ever gone to see Cen Chunxuan?" Zhang Zhidong looked like he was trying to push this important matter away from his shoulders. Seeing Zhang Zhidong's attitude, Yang Du felt a little uncomfortable. He deliberately provoked him: "My lord, on the eve of Wansheng's return to China, the officers of the student union studying in Japan discussed together. Someone suggested going to Beijing to see Qu Hongji first. There are also people who advocate going to Guangzhou to meet Cen Chunxuan first. But most of them, including the late students, say that they should go to Wuchang to meet you first. The old man has the reputation of being a child prodigy. In the capital, he rectified and impeached the dignitaries, criticized the evils of the times, promoted the turbidity, and upheld justice. He became the leader of the Qingyi faction, which was admired by scholars all over the country. He went to Fujin Province and achieved extraordinary achievements. The governor of Guangdong and Guangxi defeated legal persons and defended our territory. Since guarding Huguang, he has built the Luhan Railway, built the Hanyang Arsenal, established the Hanyeping Company, set up schools, trained the new army, and established piles of industries, shocking the world. Lost brilliance. Overseas students discuss state affairs in groups. It is said that there are only two capable people in the current courtiers and border officials. One is you, and the other is Yuan Gongbao. Looking at it, it is not the same after all. The boss established the Westernization Industry, which has achieved great results, and is well-known at home and abroad. The abolition of the Guangdong-Han Railway is not a matter of the boss. It is not enough to persuade the imperial court to deter foreigners. It is not enough to convince the gentry and people of the three provinces that the boss is the master, so Wansheng came here to pay homage to the boss, and did not go to Qu Butang and Cen Zhitai." These few words made Zhang Zhidong very comfortable.In the past few years, he performed brilliantly in Guangdong, Guangxi and Huguang, and was widely praised in the world, but no matter what, he was not placed in the first position.Because Li Hongzhang was still there at that time.Li Yiping's world-renowned reputation of long hair and flat Nianzi made great efforts to carry out foreign affairs. He was the head of the governor, went out to represent the imperial court, and traveled around the world on festivals.There is such a person alive, and Zhang Zhidong is under him, and there is nothing he can do.Three years ago, when Li Hongzhang died, Zhang Zhidong thought he was firmly seated in the top spot, but in fact this chair was not secure.He often heard people say that Yuan Shikai was the hero of the whole world.Yuan not only has outstanding achievements, but also has an army of tiger brigades who bow their heads and obey orders.Zhang Zhidong didn't pay attention to this junior who was more than 20 years younger than him, didn't even pass the examination of a scholar, and became rich and wealthy with just a few martial arts.But there are many people who put Yuan above him, how can Zhang Zhidong not be angry!These overseas students can have a fair evaluation. Zhang Zhidong in his seventies has a feeling of meeting a bosom friend.He drank the medicinal juice in one gulp, the bitter medicine that was usually difficult to swallow, seemed to be no longer bitter at this time.He smiled lightly and said, "I've heard a little about the Guangdong-Han Railway, but I don't know much about it. Let's talk about it first!" "My lord, have you read my "Guangdong-Han Railway Discussion" published in "Xinmin Congbao" recently?" Yang Du asked tentatively.He hoped that his article would attract the attention of this extraordinary bureaucrat. "Your masterpiece, I read the title. The article is so long, and the words are printed small. I am old and frail, and my eyesight is poor. How can I read it? You might as well put your "Guangdong-Han Railway Conference" in front of the old man. Discuss." "Yes." Yang Du was a little disappointed in his heart, and then he thought that it would be better to discuss it in front of him, so he said, "My lord, the first thing I want to report to you is that the Guangdong-Han Railway contract is completely one-sided." It is a scam. Under the banner of building railways to benefit the country and the people, it actually sells the interests of the country to obtain huge sums of money for itself, and Minister Sheng and Shilang Wu have received huge bribes from it." "This old man has also heard about it, do you have any basis?" Zhang Zhidong is an official, although he is extravagant and extravagant in his work, he is not full of corruption, and he is relatively clean in terms of personal conduct. "Yes!" Yang Du replied unequivocally, "Students studying in the United States Wang Chonghui and Zhang Youxun have done a lot of investigations, conclusively proving that Wu Tingfang accepted a bribe of 300,000 US dollars from Meihua Hexing Company, and Sheng Xuanhuai accepted this company every month for many years The subsidy of 3,000 U.S. dollars, in fact, is more than that, because they betrayed the national interests in the contract so amazingly, it makes people have reason to suspect that they have received even greater benefits." "About the betrayal of national interests, you can talk about it in detail." Zhang Zhidong, who was a censor in his early years, was very interested in this. "I will only pick two main points." Unknowingly, Yang Du has replaced "late birth" with "I", and in his self-awareness, he already feels that he is parallel to the governor of Huguang. "The first point is that we have actually checked and found that it only costs 10,000 taels of silver to build a mile of railway. The total length of the Guangdong-Han railway is 1,470 miles. Including eight miles, three miles of the Xiangtan branch road, and twenty-six miles of the bypass road, there are only 1,529 miles, and a total of more than 15 million taels of silver is needed, which is about 10 million yuan for dismantling the Mekong. Now the American company proposed to ask for 40 million U.S. dollars, and Wu Tingfang and Sheng Xuanhuai also agreed. This alone charged an extra 30 million U.S. dollars, or 45 million taels of silver, and it cost four roads to build one road. The second point is that the contract stated that the loan was 40 million yuan, with a 10% discount in real cash, which means that in fact only 36 million yuan was paid, and the 4 million yuan fell into the pocket of Mei Company Yun. American companies share the benefits, will they agree?" "That's unreasonable!" Zhang Zhidong became angry. "In this way, Wu and Sheng are really traitors. The contract must be annulled, otherwise, the money will be cheated by foreigners, and they will say that there is no one in China." "My lord, it is exactly this truth." Yang Du hurriedly replied, he wanted to use this to affirm Zhang Zhidong's important words. "You studied law in the East, and foreigners pay attention to law. Tell me, if the contract is abolished, whether it is legal or not, will it cause diplomatic disputes between my country and the United States." Zhang Zhidong has been in charge of Western affairs for many years, and his brain is better than most officials in the country. enlightened.Those people are either arrogant and arrogant, always pretending to be a great kingdom of heaven, and they can do whatever they want;Zhang Zhidong is smarter than these people. He knows that dealing with foreigners must be done according to the law. "Good question, my lord." Yang Du replied, "The abolition of this contract is completely legal, because the original contract was signed with Meihua Hexing Company, and now two-thirds of the company's stock has been bought by the Belgians, and the company exists in name only. , no longer has the status of a legal person. In terms of breach of contract, it is completely legal for Hexing Company to breach the contract first, and we will abolish it later. As for matters that do not involve diplomatic relations, you can rest assured. The contract signed is called a treaty, which belongs to public law, which is a major issue involving diplomatic relations, while the contract signed by the companies of the two countries is called a contract, which belongs to private law and does not involve diplomatic relations. Therefore, the China Yuehan Railway Company and the United States and China Whether or not the contract signed by Hexing Company is abolished will never affect the diplomatic relations between China and the United States." "Oh, that's good." Zhang Zhidong nodded slightly. "According to this, it can be abolished. However, if we do it ourselves, can it be done? First of all, there is the issue of funds. Even if, as you said, it only needs fifteen million taels of silver, this figure is still very large. Can the three provinces of Hunan, Hubei and Guangdong do it?" "Okay!" Yang Du replied firmly, "Boss, we can learn from the foreigner's method and divide the solution into two types: equity capital and borrowed capital. Equity capital means investors, and they are shareholders. After the railway is built in the future, they will pay dividends according to their shares. If it is not completed, their money will be confiscated. Shareholders have to bear the risk, but the profit is big. The other is to borrow money, that is, to issue bonds. Those who buy bonds do not pay dividends, but only interest. They earn less, but not Take risks. I did some calculations, as long as I have 3 million shares, I can issue 12 million debts, so funding is not a problem." "Where did the three million shares come from?" Zhang Zhidong grasped the crux of the matter at once. "With the size of Hunan, Hubei, and Guangdong provinces, they should be able to raise funds." Yang Du intentionally revealed his unique trick step by step. "If you don't manage money with one step, you don't know the difficulty of money. Hunan, Hubei, and Guangdong can't raise a share capital of three million taels right now!" Zhang Zhidong stood up from the soft reclining chair and slowly moved on the thick felt blanket. pacing. Yang Du saw it, and secretly admired Master Xiangqi's foresight. "My lord, the three million taels will be shared equally, and Hunan will share one million. In terms of the financial resources of the three provinces, Hunan is the poorest. If Hunan can contribute one million, Hubei and Guangdong provinces should also contribute." "Yes, if Hunan can afford it, Hubei and Guangdong should also be able to afford it, but Hunan will never be able to afford one million taels of silver!" Zhang Zhidong walked a few steps, feeling tired, and sat down on the soft recliner again superior. "What if you can get it out?" "If Hunan can come up with one million yuan, I will dare to take over this matter." Governor Huguang has already considered the matter of taking back the Guangdong-Han Railway to run on his own, and has discussed it with his staff for a long time, just because Lack of money, has been afraid to speak hard. "Boss, before I came to Wuchang, I had already raised one million silver for you." "It was raised in Hunan?" Zhang Zhidong was taken aback. "All raised from Hunan." Yang Du proudly took out a stack of papers. "My lord, please take a look. This is a stock that a group of gentry in Hunan voluntarily collected for the abolition of the Guangdong-Han Railway." Zhang Zhidong took it, and saw that there was a long list of names written on the paper, and there was a total at the bottom: one million one thousand three thousand two hundred taels. "Is it reliable?" "It's completely reliable!" Yang Du said, "Whether they are the chairman of the company who has made a fortune, or the descendants of the generals of the Hunan Army, they mean what they say. As long as the boss is in charge, it will represent the Guangdong-Han Railway Company. As soon as the contract is abolished, they will immediately take out the money and become shareholders of the new company." "Good!" Zhang Zhidong praised Yang Du, "You have done a very good practical thing. I always think that the country is doing practical things for the people and I am self-motivated. In the past, the Lu-Han Railway was arranged by the Belgians. I am very unconvinced and often miss us. Why do Chinese people have to let foreigners build their own railway? Are we so useless? This time, the Cantonese-Han Railway, both the government and the opposition are talking about withdrawing the self-management. Overseas students have such a strong patriotism even if they are not in office. As a minister of the country, how can you fall behind the young people! You can tell them with one step that the Guangdong-Han Railway must be taken back from the hands of foreigners, but this matter involves a lot and still needs to be dealt with. We will see the outcome within a month." Yang Du got up and said excitedly: "Boss is loyal to the country and the people, and the whole world admires it. The people of Hunan, Hubei, and Guangdong will be extremely grateful. Boss has a lot of personnel, so I will leave." Zhang Zhidong stared at the plenipotentiary representative of overseas students, and felt a sense of historical responsibility in his heart.He said emotionally: "Sit down for a while, the old man still has a few words to say to you." "Please enlighten me, my lord." Yang Du sat down. "Mr. Xizi." Zhang Zhidong changed his address, which was obviously more important than the word "one step". "The old man is sixty-eight years old this year. Since he entered Hanyuan at the age of twenty-six, he has been in the officialdom for forty-two years. From the day he got involved in official career, the old man told himself that he should be a good official and be loyal to the country. Doing good things for the people, from Beijing officials to Jin Fu to Guangdong Governor and then to Lake Governor, I think I have not lost my original intention. But for decades, outsiders have invaded, and the country's affairs have gradually changed. Even under the old man's rule, many things cannot be fulfilled. The fact I have taught the old man a lesson. If the country is to be strong and the people want to be rich, the imperial court must reform. For this reason, the old man joined forces with Jiang Du Liu Xianzhuang to give Lafayette three reforms, and advised Lafayette to make the best use of the situation, change the law of the ancestors, and follow the New Deal of Taixi. Fortunately, Lafayette has adopted it. As long as the imperial court’s reform edicts are conscientiously implemented from top to bottom, the country still has hope. Recently, the envoys to France, Sun Baoqi, and envoys to the UK, Wang Dakui, have proposed many proposals to the imperial court regarding the new policy. It is estimated that Lafayette will accept the specific suggestions. The purpose of telling you about these major political events is to hope that you will know that the country will soon have a big move, a big change, and it will take a lot of people to realize it. Talents, especially outstanding talents are needed. As a leader of overseas students, you also specialize in the laws of various countries and study Japanese constitutionalism, which is a rare talent suitable for the development of the current situation. This time, you can handle the matter of the Guangdong-Han Railway. Not only can you discuss and defeat foreigners from a legal perspective The basis for defending the country's rights is even more precious. After returning to the country, he was able to contact wealthy businessmen and gentry and raised a share capital of millions of silver taels. This old man has experienced a lot in his life and has read many people. It’s more common. Now many young people, especially overseas students, don’t concentrate on learning the strengths of the West and the East, and don’t study China’s current situation in a solid manner. I am a patriot, but in fact it is a disaster for the country and the people. I am very pleased to see my progress over the past year. I hope that you will cherish yourself, continue your studies after returning to Japan, learn more from other people's strengths, and benefit yourself when you come back This country. The old man has been recommending people all his life. Now that he is old and has nothing to do, he especially likes to recommend young people who can really make a difference. Whenever he has the opportunity, he will always play as a guarantee to the court. I deeply hope that you will not live up to the old man’s high expectations.” Zhang Zhidong's sincere expectation moved Yang Du greatly.He stood up and bowed again: "The late students must bear in mind the teachings of the elders, and strive to achieve success in their studies. It's just that they are too young. I hope the elders will cultivate them in the future."