Chapter 25 Proposed shipyard

Despite his busy schedule, Zuo Zongtang still made appointments from time to time, and one day he even wrote a letter asking him to visit the West Lake the next morning.This time, Hu Xueyan was really dumbfounded!But I had to keep the appointment, so I had to stay up all night, and I had to deal with several important matters that had been backlogged for a long time and had to be completed in the morning of the next day.When the dawn was about to break through, I took a nap with my clothes on. After a short sleep, I woke up with a start, but saw that it was a beautiful day with red sun all over the window, so I hurriedly washed and changed my clothes, got on a sedan chair and went straight to the West Lake. Zuo Zongtang's date.

The sedan chair was carried over the dilapidated "Qiying", and the West Lake was in sight. Hu Xueyan suddenly noticed that there were a lot of pedestrians going north along the lake.At that time, I called my attendants to inquire, only to find out that they were all going to see the "Western Steamboat". Hu Xueyan suddenly realized that it was not for the leisure of visiting the West Lake, but just invited him to watch the trial voyage of the small steamer - of course Hu Xueyan knew about it.As early as summer, Zuo Zongtang told him that he had found a mechanic to try to build a small wheel.Because he was too busy to ask questions, he didn't want to have a small steamer made by himself in three or four months.This is a big deal!If you can build a small ship, you can build a large ship. Hu Xueyan's thinking is very broad and fast, and he immediately thought of the many benefits of having large ships in China.The more I thought about it, the more I thought about it, and I lost my mind, and I didn't become alert until the sedan chair stopped.

When I got off the sedan chair, I saw that it was in front of Zhaoqing Temple, one of the four famous temples in West Lake.There was a tent by the lake, with brilliant feathers and snow-like knives, the most striking thing was that there were a few foreigners mixed in, one of them was wearing a suit, the other was wearing a third-rank military officer's uniform, and there was a fake braid on the back of the big hat.Hu Xueyan knew them very well. These two foreign generals were both French. One was called Riyige, who had been changed to Wu Jiuwen, and was appointed as the tax department of Ningbo Xinguan, so he changed into casual clothes, and the other was called Dekebei. , Because of his military merits, he was able to be a general, and he was willing to change his appearance to show his obedience, which was highly valued by Zuo Zongtang.

In the middle of the lake, a small fire wheel was tied to a very thick cable, ready to go.Hu Xueyan also visited with the crowd. When he was giving instructions, Zuo Zongtang had already left his tent. He walked slowly through the ranks of civil and military officials standing on duty until he stood by the lake and shouted: "Master Hu!" Hu Xueyan was called over, and after the ceremony, he first apologized: "I didn't come to serve you earlier." Then he said with a smile, "Zeng Zhongtang and Li Zhongcheng both paid attention to foreign affairs, and paid attention to strong armor and sharp soldiers. Now they are all lagging behind the adults."

This compliment made Zuo Zongtang very happy, "I just want them to see it!" He stroked his short gray mustache and nodded, "So I specially invite you to see it, only you understand my intention." Hu Xueyan didn't dare to talk anymore, because it doesn't matter if he compliments casually.As soon as we talk about it in depth, I don't know what Zuo Zongtang's idea is, and he himself doesn't know much about it, so it's better to hide his clumsiness for now. Fortunately, this is not the time for in-depth discussions, the main thing is to watch.With an order, the small, crude steamer made a "boo boo boo" sound, causing a big splash of water at the stern, but the sound of the machine was intermittent, like an aging old man coughing. Looked out of breath.

At this time, tens of thousands of officials, soldiers, and civilians who were watching with bated breath by the lake were all sweating for the small fire wheel that didn't make any noise, lest it wouldn't move. He was sweating profusely, and kept getting in and out of the cabin. After working for a long time, he finally heard the sound of the machine, and the rhythm was even.Then suddenly rushed forward, Hu Xueyan couldn't help saying: "Thank God, it's moving!" It moved, but it couldn't walk fast, it staggered, and it was barely dragging.It took two quarters of an hour to circle the lake and drive back to the original place.An alternate magistrate who undertook the job brought a machine builder wearing a red tasseled cap to the task. Zuo Zongtang, who had a very serious face, still ordered that each machine builder be rewarded with twenty taels of silver.

Everyone saw that Zuo Zongtang was not very satisfied, and they all felt that their spirits were waning, and so did Hu Xueyan.The station shift sent Zuo Zongtang away, and hurried back to the city to attend to his public and private affairs.Unexpectedly, in the evening, Zuo Zongtang sent Geshha to invite him with a business card, saying: "The commander-in-chief will wait for Mr. Hu to arrive before serving dinner." When I arrived at Xingyuan, I was surprised to find that the two guests were there, and the other was a general surnamed Cai.Hu Xueyan first met Zuo Zongtang, then saluted with Dekebei and Riyige, bowed to each other, and entered the table.Although Zuo Zongtang is the master, he is still occupying the first seat, with foreign generals on the left and right, and Hu Xueyan is accompanied by the prime minister. Cai Tongshi is just like Ghoshha, only standing behind Zuo Zongtang.

"We need to ask foreigners for advice on foreign affairs." Zuo Zongtang said to Hu Xueyan, "I asked the German general and the Japanese tax department to get off the boat and look at it. I said that the imitation style is not bad. The machine can work, so it is difficult for them. However, If you want to go fast, you have to use Western engines. Admiral Desan happens to have this shipbuilding atlas, so you might as well take a look." "Yes!" Hu Xueyan asked tentatively, "What does your lord mean—?" "Listen to what they say first." Zuo Zongtang answered irrelevantly, then turned his head slightly, and asked Cai Tongshi, "Ask them, I want to build ships and machinery, can they hire foreign craftsmen?"

So Cai Tongshi interpreted in French.Dekebei and Riyige answered immediately, one talking to the other, their tongues rolling, fast and eager, and they seemed very energetic. "Returning to the Commander-in-Chief," Cai Tongshi said, "General Decan told the Japanese Taxation Department that not only can he hire foreign craftsmen on his behalf, but he is also willing to handle materials on his behalf and set up a factory to supervise the manufacturing. The general intends to retire from the army and return to the country to do this for the adults." "Oh!" Zuo Zongtang nodded, and took a deep look at Hu Xueyan.

Hu Xueyan understood, and immediately asked the two foreigners a series of inquiries, the most important being funding.Dekebei and Riyige also only know the general idea, and cannot answer every question.However, foreigners stick to the ancient Chinese motto of "knowing what you know, knowing what you don't know" and never ambiguously perfunctory.Therefore, with Hu Xueyan's mind, based on the known exact figures and extrapolation, he can also know the overall estimate. This meal is more relaxed.Zuo Zongtang sent the foreigner away, leaving Hu Xueyan behind, invited him to sit down in the signing room, and said at the first sentence: "Xueyan, I want to build a military ship by myself."

Hu Xueyan was taken aback, "It's not easy?" He said, "To build a shipyard, you can't afford half a million silver, and you need two or three hundred thousand silver to build a warship—and you can't build a shipyard for a warship. Not to mention too many, counting the construction of ten, it is two to three million. The two provinces of Fujian and Zhejiang, plus the two rivers, may not have such strength." "That's right! But, don't worry. After I finish speaking, you will know that my plan is not only feasible, but also absolutely necessary. Xueyan," Zuo Zongtang said happily, "Li Shaoquan's knowledge is It comes from experience, but it’s just a matter of the past few years. He only needs to be familiar with the Imperial Academy. Since the nineteenth year of Daoguang, he has worked hard—" This year, Lin Zexu destroyed opium in Guangdong, British warships violated the border, and the Opium War broke out. In this year, Tao Shu died of illness and served as the governor of Liangjiang. Zuo Zongtang moved to Tao's house and took care of everything on his behalf. The posthumous notes of Yinxin Stone House include historical biography, biography, and novels since the Tang and Song Dynasties, as well as Zhicheng, Zaiji, and official and private documents after the Qing Dynasty.So when it comes to "huge ships in the vast ocean", he is not a complete layman. "Nowadays, the fire ships of foreigners have no signs in ancient times, but they draw inferences from one instance to another. The reason is the same. Sea ships cannot be used in rivers, otherwise they will run aground. The ridiculous thing is that the gentlemen of Gungun don't even have this simple truth. Understand, so that it is played by foreigners! Speaking of it, Li Shaoquan's understanding of Westernization is actually limited." Hu Xueyan heard these words without thinking or understanding, and his relationship with Zuo Zongtang had reached the level of familiarity and informality, so he immediately asked honestly: "What is your Excellency referring to?" "Isn't it the case that Xianfeng bought a military ship from Britain in the last years?" "Oh, I remembered, there is such a thing. At that time Hangzhou was besieged, and then Hangzhou fell. I fell seriously ill in Ningbo, and everything was separated. I only know that there is such an incident. I don't know the ins and outs at all. clear." "I know very well. I have read all the memorials carefully. I can tell you roughly that it was the British Li Taitai and Hurd who made troubles. The British agency had three medium-sized steamers and a small-sized steamer. Four, the price of the ship was set at 650,000 silver, and Li Taitai made his own opinion, adding one more, and adding up to 1,070,000 silver. As for the salaries of the officers and soldiers on board, as well as coal for miscellaneous uses, each It costs one hundred thousand silver per month. That’s not counting, the officers and soldiers on the steamer must be led by the British—” "I interrupted the sentence," Hu Xueyan cut off the sentence and asked, "What is this for?" "Well, just look at this and you'll know." Zuo Zongtang was really caring. He had already copied into a book the relevant edicts and memorials related to the purchase of British warships in the past few years. At this moment, he casually opened one and handed it to Hu Xueyan for him to read carefully. This article is copied from the memorial of the Prime Minister, Minister of State Affairs, Prince Gong, Wen Xiang and others in May of the second year of Tongzhi. It begins with: The thieves and others thought that the atmosphere of thieves was not calm, and they were trying to win. Because they planned to buy foreign gunboats, thinking that they would be able to suppress the thieves, they wrote a memorial in May of the 11th year of Xianfeng, and issued an imperial edict: "The thieves are spreading in the southeast. If you can buy foreign gunboats, you will be able to suppress the thieves, and it will be beneficial to the overall situation." For this reason, I follow this and consult with the respective governors. According to Zeng Guofan, governor of the Liangjiang River, "purchasing foreign ship guns is the most important task of saving time today." After reading this, there is no need to look any further.Hu Xueyan said: "If it is used to suppress thieves, all you need is a small gunboat that can sail the Yangtze River. Why would it cost a million silver?" "That's it! You can see the ignorance of the dukes. You can read this article again!" What Zuo Zongtang pointed out to Hu Xueyan was a memorial from Zeng Guoquan in late August of the second year of Tongzhi, which said: Checking the previous year's government decree to purchase and operate the No. 7 steamship, it did not hesitate to spend a lot of money, but fortunately it succeeded, and everyone heard that it was going to Haikou!I have recently seen that the Prime Minister's Office and the foreigner Li Taitai have agreed to go back and forth. In addition to the ship's net price of one million yuan, the monthly rations of the Western soldiers used are more than 70,000 taels, and the annual rate is no less than one million taels, all of which will be deducted by the customs.The country's treasury is emptied by stealing, and huge sums of money are added every year, and the expenditure will not be paid. When the purchase was first discussed, it was thought that Chinese manpower could be used to command freely, and at that time the Yangtze River was blocked, and they were trying to use this giant weapon to pacify the giant bandits.Since the conquest of Jiufuzhou this summer, relying on the emperor's prestige, the river road has been opened, and the city beside the river, only the capital of Jinling Province, has not yet been restored. Period raids. The minister secretly saw that the ship passed the Yangtze River, and every time it encountered the sandy islands and returned to each other, or it was too late to avoid them, there was a danger of glue shallowing.Gaijiang Road is narrow, but if the sea can be used to its full potential.For example, if you Jianer holds a spear in a short alley, there will be many obstructions in the left, right, front and back, because of its force.It is still like this when you usually go straight in one line. When you are in battle, how can you circle back and forth and do your best?It is a steamship used by the great river, and the non-special forces are few and inferior, and there are times when skills are poor.Now that he enters the river, it is true that he does not use his power to fight and attack. If he stops at the mouths of the sea, he will be at ease and have nothing to do. Seeing this, you can also cover up.The purpose of buying and building a large ship was not to suppress bandits. When Zeng Guoquan presented this memorial, Jinling was encircled for the second time, and Suzhou was also being attacked by Li Hongzhang. He was sure of his success, and Zeng Guoquan naturally did not want anyone to share his achievements.What's more, the analogy he made, such as "A strong man holding a spear in a short alley, going left, right, front, back, and there will be many obstacles", and the actual situation of Heng Zhuhai's sailing on the river is also very appropriate.The imperial court thought that Li Taitai was cunning and difficult to conspire with, so if he got this, of course he would resolutely dismiss this discussion. "However, the past and present are different," Zuo Zongtang said. "On the coast of Fujian, there are not enough ships to consolidate the frontier and defend against foreign enemies. Xueyan, what do you think?" "Yes! My lord can see far." Hu Xueyan replied, "The governor is in charge of military affairs. Now that the internal strife is about to be calmed, foreign aggression must be guarded against. If outsiders invade from the Fujian and Zhejiang seas, the responsibility of defending the land rests entirely with your lord. If you don't make a long-term plan, although It won’t make a joke like Master Ye’s in Guangdong, but it will also hurt your reputation.” The so-called "Master Ye" refers to Ye Mingchen, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi who died in India, "no war, no peace, no defense, no death, no surrender, no departure".Comparing him, I feel a little unfair, but in terms of facts, there is a lesson to be learned from the past.Zuo Zongtang said very enthusiastically: "You are right! I see that I am duty-bound, Xue Yan, I am determined to run a shipyard." "As long as the funds are available, of course it should be done." "There is no need to worry about the funds. At the beginning, the purchase of the ship was shared among the customs, and of course it is still the same today. However, the customs of Fujian and Zhejiang must pay special attention." "That's for sure. But—" Hu Xueyan pondered and stopped talking. Zuo Zongtang knew that Hu Xueyan was deeply embarrassed when he encountered this situation, and it was inconvenient to express it clearly, but he also knew that in the end, Hu Xueyan would definitely solve the problem.The most important thing is to let him speak freely without hesitation. Therefore, he showed a leisurely attitude, "There is no need to rush, let's talk slowly. Things are imperative, but the time is not limited." He smiled mysteriously, "After I send troops this time, the situation will be completely in control I have it in my hand, it’s important to be slow, send and receive freely.” These last two sentences are quite incomprehensible, even an astute person like Hu Xueyan can't help but read the words and taste the meaning carefully. Seeing Zuo Zongtang's confident yet unpredictable demeanor, Hu Xueyan suddenly understood that the so-called "important and slow, sending and receiving freely" refers to the military affairs of going to Fujian to suppress bandits.In other words, he is not only confident that the remaining long hair will be wiped out, but also has full confidence in the day when it will be wiped out, whether it is far or near. The distance between this and that depends entirely on his plan.Industrious kings, eager to make meritorious deeds, naturally chasing fiercely, can be wiped out soon, if there is something that can be used for the remaining long hair, such as the excuse that bandits are rampant, and they need to be paid and soldiers, then they must "raise the bandits themselves" . Thinking of this, one must first understand Zuo Zongtang's plan, "My lord," he asked, "How many years are you going to spend in Fujian?" "Good question!" Zuo Zongtang felt the joy in his heart, and then asked, "How many years do you think I should work in Fujian?" "If you are determined to run a shipyard, of course you will have to do it for a few more years." "I think so too." "How do you do it?" Hu Xueyan asked, "You can't keep growing your hair all the time, can you?" "Of course, of course! The soul in the bottom of the pot is vulnerable to a single blow, and it will linger for a long time, which will damage my reputation. However, it doesn't have to be successful immediately." Speaking of this, Zuo Zongtang thought with his mustache, the smile on his face disappeared, and he nodded after a long time and said: "You know, the territory of Guangdong must be taken over. The military affairs will last for a long time. It depends on whether my in-laws are good or not. Seeing the opportunity? He is willing to retreat bravely, and I am happy to defeat the enemy as soon as possible, otherwise I will pay more. Do you understand what I mean?" "Understood!" Hu Xueyan said, "I just need to understand what you mean before I can plan for you." "So, now you understand?" This is to remind Hu Xueyan to make plans.He replied energetically: "As long as Guangdong can listen to your lord, things will be easy to handle. I was thinking that in the future, your lord will play a concert and ask you to build a shipyard. For such a big event, the imperial court will definitely send an order to the governors of the coastal provinces to express their opinions. See you. Needless to say, Fujian and Zhejiang, if Guangdong plays a comeback, I strongly praise its success. Your lord's momentum will be considerable." "Exactly! That's why I have to win Guangdong. There are three provinces on the coast of Nanyang on my side. How dare Liangjiang make things difficult for me?" "The two rivers don't dare to embarrass themselves publicly. They must be making a fuss about apportioning funds. When it comes to the funds for setting up a shipyard, it is only natural that the funds for the establishment of the shipyard should be allocated under the customs tax. The Tianjin Customs in Beiyang, let alone the Customs in Nanyang , including Guangdong, a total of five customs: Jiang Customs in Shanghai, Guangdong Customs in Guangzhou, Min Customs and Xiamen Customs in Fujian, and Ningbo Customs in Zhejiang. In the future, we will share the funds. Except for Fujian and Xiamen Customs, Guangdong Customs is willing to support. Even if the five gates account for the third, and Zhejiang is under the jurisdiction of the lord, Ma Zhongcheng has no choice but to sell his face. In this way, the Liangjiang side can say that the Jiangguan customs are worthless?" "By the way! Your plan is reasonable, and the key to it is in Guangdong. Xueyan, I think so, you take my copy back, refer to the previous example of buying a ship, think carefully, and write a detailed summary Come on, as for when to play the performance, we have to wait for the right time. According to my opinion, the performance can only be played when there is a place in Guangdong." "Yes. I think so too." Hu Xueyan said, "Fortunately, the time is very leisurely. On the one hand, I will discuss with De Kebei and the others first, and on the other hand, I will roughly calculate the source of funds. As for the preparation of this major event, we must first Use some money, and I will find a way to advance it." "Excellent! Let's do it this way. However, Xueyan, Jianghaiguan is the essence, and Li Shaoquan can't let Li Shaoquan hold it there forever! You should think of a way to dig him out more!" "There is a way. But," Hu Xueyan shook his head, "It's best not to use that method!" "why?" "If you use that method, you will be scolded." "You don't need to worry about it. Please tell me, what is the solution?" "You can borrow money from foreigners." Hu Xueyan said, "You need guarantees for borrowing. If Jiang Customs says that there is no money to allocate at present, then there will always be a time to allocate. We will refer to the percentage of Jiang Customs' income in a certain year as the The repayment of foreign debts is a guarantee. However, there must be some people who would not take it seriously when a great country borrows money from foreigners. The masters of the celestial kingdom will attack together, but it is too much to bear." These words left Zuo Zongtang in a daze, then stood up and walked around for a while, finally picked up the "copy" that had been handed over to Hu Xueyan, turned to a page, pointed and said: "Look at this A paragraph!" It refers to a section of Prince Gong’s memorial. According to Li Taitai’s statement to King Gong: “If China wants to use silver, Yi Nengdai will borrow 10 million taels of silver from foreign businessmen and return it with interest every year.” But Prince Gong He also concluded: "If you ask for a loan of ten million taels of silver, there is absolutely no way for China to do so." "My lord, please read," Hu Xueyan pointed to that sentence, "the court and the central government will never borrow foreign debts." "That moment, this moment!" Having said this, Zuo Zongtang suddenly changed the topic, "Xueyan, you have to remember one thing, the most important thing in doing big things is to make up your mind! Once you make up your mind It is not difficult to explain the truth. Take this memorial of King Gong as an example. At that time, because China bought ships, and everything had to be listened to by foreigners, some people in the court disagreed. I just said that China has absolutely no way to borrow foreign debts. If at that time the military affairs were not sure, and it had to rely on the strong armor and sharp guns of the foreigners, then there was another way to say that, first, the foreigners were willing to lend to China because they admired the Chinese Empire. Voluntary assistance; second, foreigners are not afraid of letting go of their loans. They are expressing their trust in China. The reason for willingly promising?" These few words, to Hu Xueyan, are "knowledge", and he sincerely expressed that he was taught.And Zuo Zongtang talked more and more vigorously. "Let me tell you the secret of doing great things again. There is an idiom called 'it is better to take advantage of the situation than to wait for the time'. Many big things that seem difficult to do are actually done smoothly because of knowing how to take advantage of the situation. What is power? Xueyan, I will test you, tell me, what is power?" "This failed me." Hu Xueyan said with a smile, "I'd better ask my lord to teach me!" "Some things, I want to ask you for advice, and some things I do my part, I can teach you. When it comes to power, it depends on people, things, and time. The power of a person is power, which is the meaning of a villain's snobbery. At the beginning, I almost met an unexpected disaster, because the governor of Huguang’s official documents were more powerful than the governor of Hunan, Luo Bingzhang, so the court naturally listened to him. It was very easy for him to join me.” "Yes. It's the same thing. It depends on who says it." "It also depends on what you're talking about?" Zuo Zongtang said, "As far as today's major issues are concerned, military affairs are more important than anything else, and military affairs are urgent. Cleaning up the remnants of the long hair is also the top priority, so I speak for other matters. You don't necessarily have strength, but if you want to talk about going to Fujian to suppress bandits, you will definitely listen to me. Do you believe it?" "Why don't you believe it? Believe it, believe it!" "I think you must be able to believe it. With my current status, speaking is powerful enough. When discussing a matter, it depends on what it is and when to speak. The timing is just right, and the words are obeyed. It is too late to say that it is too late. Useless." Zuo Zongtang said with a smile, "For example, kicking out my in-laws, now is not the time." "Yes." Hu Xueyan blurted out, "It's time to hit the border between Fujian and Guangdong." Zuo Zongtang laughed.After laughing, he said solemnly: "The establishment of the shipyard is a major event after the completion of military affairs and the discussion of coastal defense. But it also depends on the timing. However, we must be prepared ourselves so that we will not miss the opportunity. You know me mean?" Hu Xueyan not only understood what he meant, but also understood it, thinking deeper and further than Zuo Zongtang.Combining the overall situation, Zuo Zongtang's honor and future, and his own career and interests, I understand one thing, Zuo Zongtang must win the battle beautifully!This is a key that nothing can replace. Because of this understanding, he decided on the priority of doing things for Zuo Zongtang, but of course, this must be approved first, so he said: "I can understand the ambition of your lord. When the time comes, what should you do? I also have a rough idea, and I will have to prepare in advance. Now I want to ask my lord, what is the most important thing to lead troops to suppress bandits?" Zuo Zongtang paused at this question, thought for a while and replied, "Of course it's the salary!" "I can think of a way to advance the payment. However, it is not necessary for me. The payment is paid everywhere, and I can repay it continuously. Why should I advance the loan and eat more interest?" "Ah, I understand what you mean." Zuo Zongtang said, "If a craftsman wants to be good at his work, he must first sharpen his weapons. If a soldier is strong but his weapons are not good, he can defend but not attack. I want excellent Western weapons. The more the better, Xue Rock, it's up to you!" "Yes! My humble opinion is exactly that." Hu Xueyan replied happily, "I work for the adults. The first thing is to buy Western weapons. I don't need to be ordered by the adults. I will pay attention to it. As for the shells and ammunition, it is not a problem, and I will never worry about it." Let the front be in short supply; the second is the salary, the amount that should be allocated within the share, no matter whether the Zhejiang treasury allocates it sooner or later, I will always prepare it for the adults. As for the extra funds, the amount is not large, of course, at any time, if the amount is too large , it’s best to ask your lord to give you a warning in advance, so as not to be caught off guard. In addition to building a shipyard and the like, I will do the same for everything your lord has told you. Please don’t worry about it, don’t rush, I will never miss the opportunity.” "Great!" Zuo Zongtang was very happy, "Henkel's success is due to Xiao He. We just said that, you can go ahead and do it, and I will take care of everything."