Chapter 28 Expedition

His first major event was the Western Expedition.And whenever there is a large-scale conquest, the first thing to plan is the two things of soldiers and salaries.Zuo Zongtang stayed up all night and meditated under the lamp. He had written an outline of the plan. At this time, he took it out of the desk drawer and asked Hu Xueyan to read it carefully. In this abbreviation, we will talk about soldiers first, and pay later.And when talking about troops, one must adapt to local conditions. The terrain in the northwest and southeast is completely different. When the army in the south reaches the northwest, first, they are not used to eating wheat, and second, they are not tolerant of cold.Therefore, Zuo Zongtang's powerful generals who fought in the southeast, especially those whose native place belonged to Fujian and Guangdong provinces, could not be brought to the northwest.

There were only more than 3,000 people who were brought to the northwest. In addition, he planned to send Liu Dian, who used to be an assistant in Fujian's military affairs, but has now given a memorial to recommend his assistant in Shaanxi-Gansu military affairs, back to Hunan, recruited 3,000 soldiers, and brought them to the northwest.These more than 6,000 people were used by Zuo Zongtang as his own soldiers. As for the large number of troops used for combat, he planned to recruit locally and work together with the "Heroes of Guanzhong". Seeing this, Hu Xueyan couldn't help saying: "My lord, according to your old man's method, how long will it take to calm down the chaos?"

"I don't quite understand what you said." "My lord, please think about it. Recruiting into an army does not happen overnight. It is even easier said than done to become an elite? This way, it will take a year or two." "It's not just a year or two?" Zuo Zongtang said, "Ten years are not enough to reap the merits of running the Western Regions." "Ten years?" Hu Xueyan was taken aback, "Then—" Although he kept silent, Zuo Zongtang also knew that what he was talking about was how much it would cost.He smiled and said, "Don't worry! I'm going to set up land reclamation in the northwest, which is a long-term solution. Just like running a shipyard, you can't rush for profit, but once it works, you will know that my plan is good."

"Yes!" Hu Xueyan put the abbreviation aside and lowered his head in thought. "What are you thinking?" "I think very far." Hu Xueyan replied, "I also think about ten or eight years later." "Go!" Zuo Zongtang clapped his hands happily, "Your idea coincides with mine. We must plan carefully and raise the salary for ten or eight years." Hu Xueyan didn't answer for now, picked up the excerpt and read it again, and got a general understanding of Zuo Zongtang's plan to use troops in the northwest.He wants to train the horse team, build "two-wheeled gun carts", and set up the "General Bureau of Farmland"-to run reclamation, to ask for farm tools, seeds, carts and horses, and to advance all grain and miscellaneous uses before the harvest. Money, really not a few.

"My lord," Hu Xueyan asked, "Training the horse team and building artillery carts are necessary for victory, and the imperial court will definitely allow it. I am afraid that the imperial court will regard it as a non-urgent task for the reclamation?" "Well, you don't understand." Zuo Zongtang said, "After all, there are many scholars in the court, and they will understand." Hu Xueyan blushed, but said sincerely: "Yes! I really don't understand, please teach me." So Zuo Zongtang briefly explained to Hu Xueyan the restrictions on using troops in the Western Regions. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Western Expeditions were all in the early spring and returned in autumn.Because first, the autumn is tall and the horses are fat, and the enemy has the advantage first; the second is the severe cold weather, which the soldiers in the pass cannot adapt to.

"Because of these inconveniences, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty conquered the Xiongnu in the early years of Yuanshuo, and almost every year he won battles, and every year he had to go out as an army. Cutting the weeds could not get rid of the roots, which became an endless burden." After citing the scriptures, Zuo Zongtang transferred to The main topic, "It seems to be the same reason now that there is chaos in Pinghui. Select a team of 20,000 to 30,000 capable players, go out in the spring, chase the north all summer, and hand in the autumn class teacher, just like what Wei Huo did back then, I can also do it .But, is this the end of the rebellion?"

"Naturally there is no level." Hu Xueyan understood, "There is a saying that goes, 'Wild fires are endless, and the spring breeze blows again.' As long as you spend a lot of effort to completely turn over that piece of land, weeds will naturally not grow." "Exactly! Your analogy is very appropriate." Zuo Zongtang said happily, "As long as you understand what I mean, I will be at ease. You will definitely do what I want." This "high hat" comes from Zuo Zongtang's mouth, and it is precious, but also extremely heavy.Hu Xueyan knew that Zuo Zongtang meant that he should bear the main responsibility for raising wages.After concentrating on it for a while, I felt that the matter was too big and the situation was complicated, so I had to ask for clarification first.

"My lord, how many battalions will you train in the future?" "It's hard to say, we have to go outside the customs to see the situation." The first question became a difficult problem, the number of people has not been determined, and the amount of monthly salary cannot be calculated.Hu Xueyan can only make a rough estimate. Based on 50,000 people, each person's food, clothing, weapons, and miscellaneous expenses such as camp pots and bowls, within five taels of silver, would cost 250,000 taels a month. So he asked the second question: "Is it to take 6,000 people out of customs?"

"Yes. About 6,500 people." Zuo Zongtang replied, "3,500 people set out from Fujian and Zhejiang provinces, and another 3,000 people were recruited into the army in Hunan and left directly." "What about the financing? Is twelve taels enough for each person?" "I think that should be enough." "That's 65,000 taels, and it's in sight." Hu Xueyan asked the third question, "How many cavalry are you going to train?" "I haven't led a cavalry team before, and I don't know the battalion system very well. Only from the initial plan, I will train a cavalry team of 3,000 people."

"Then there must be at least 3,000 horses." Hu Xueyan said, "You have to go to Zhangjiakou to buy horses. The money is ready-made, and I can advance it." "What? Do you have money in Zhangjiakou?" "Yes." Hu Xueyan said, "I have 100,000 silver in Zhangjiakou. I originally planned to keep it for fur goods and medicinal materials, but now I have to move it to buy horses." "That's good." Zuo Zongtang said happily, "Since this is the case, I can immediately send committee members to purchase." "Yes! Your lord has appointed me and I will send someone to accompany you." Hu Xueyan asked again, "Where are the two-wheeled gun carts? How much does it cost?"

"'General Han Xin, the more the better'. There is a vast expanse outside the fortress. In addition to galloping fine horses, the bombardment of artillery carts can be clarified in one fell swoop. It is the most powerful weapon for sweeping holes!" Hearing this, Hu Xueyan felt heavy in his heart.Because he also often heard that there are officers and soldiers who don't care about the lives of the people, and they often point their cannons at the villages and bombard them indiscriminately.Of course, the bandits who hid in it either died or were injured or escaped, but there were also many ordinary people who suffered from the disaster. Hu Xueyan purchased most of the foreign guns and cannons under Zuo Zongtang's department in Shanghai. The reasoning behind it was that he committed crimes invisibly. For Hu Xueyan's purchase of murder weapons, Mrs. Hu had persuaded him many times. Hu Xueyan is very filial, he obeys his mother's order in housework, but when it comes to official affairs, he has to disobey his kindness.Fortunately, Mrs. Hu also knew very well, knowing that it was not her son who was disobedient, she really had no choice but to do so.Therefore, I can only try my best to make up for his "sins". Burning incense and worshiping Buddha at ordinary times is a no-brainer. In summer, we administer medicine, medicine and herbal tea. She promised generously. However, although countless good deeds have been done, buying birds and releasing them will not pay off human lives, so when Mrs. Hu mentions buying arms, she will be depressed.Hu Xueyan heard Zuo Zongtang speak so vigorously at this time, and couldn't help thinking of his mother's sad face, so he kept silent. "What?" Zuo Zongtang was of course puzzled, "Do you think it is difficult for me to build a two-wheeled gun carriage?" "No. I was wondering how much the cannon carts cost, and how much money each one would cost. I can't figure out this budget." "That's for the future. I just have to make an approximation. I think it's best to draw 200,000 silver to build a cannon carriage." "Then what about farming? Excuse me, sir, how much money do you need to raise?" "It's even harder to say." Zuo Zongtang said, "Fortunately, farming is not a matter of three to five years, and the burden is always getting lighter and lighter. I think there is half a million silver, and it will be enough to turn around. gone." "Yes." Hu Xueyan thought silently for a while, and said in a broken voice: "This is terrible! Terrible!" "how?" "I'll tell you to my lord!" Hu Xueyan pointed out, "The capital is 60,000 yuan. If you buy horses with saddles and bridles, you can count him 122 taels of silver per horse. Three thousand horses are 36,000 yuan. Build a cannon cart." 200,000. Half of the money will be raised for farming, 250,000. Food and salaries are calculated at 50,000 people, and each person is 5 taels per month. The total is 250,000, and 3 million a year. The total is 3.54 million. This is the salary to be raised in the first year." With this calculation, Zuo Zongtang was also stunned.How easy is it to raise 3.54 million taels of salary?Even if we raise half of it first, we still need 1.78 million, which is really not a small sum. "Besides, I think that transportation in the northwest is inconvenient, and everything has to be calculated with ease. This payment must be prepared first and taken away! My lord, this is no better than Fuzhou to Shanghai, which can be reached in two days by sea. If there is an urgent need At that time, I was able to help no matter what. Thousands of miles away from the northwest, in the snow and ice, at that time, the adults were short of food and couldn’t respond well, wouldn’t it be useless to die suddenly?” "That's right, that's right! That's exactly what I mean. Xueyan, this salary must be raised first. It's less than a year, and at least it needs to be free from shortage for half a year." "As long as I have a reliable 'payment', I will serve you no matter what." Then, Hu Xueyan analyzed the military pay for the Western Expedition, so there must be no reason for the slight delay.In other provinces, if there is a temporary shortage, there are taxes that can be allocated, money and food that can be transferred, or taxes that can be temporarily turned around, and even if it is not good, neighboring provinces can accommodate.The people in the Northwest are barren and poor, and there is nothing to move about. In the neighboring provinces, only Shanxi can be used as an emergency, but it is also limited, and the transportation is inconvenient. It often takes a month to withdraw cash.Therefore, if the young and yellow are not picked up, and the hungry soldiers mutiny, it will become an uncontrollable trend. This view is also in Zuo Zongtang's deliberate foresight.Therefore, I fully agree with Hu Xueyan's proposition that the "payment" that is not short of a penny and not delayed for a day should be prepared first, that is, the "sweet payment" that the provinces should negotiate. When it comes to this level, Zuo Zongtang is very proud of his foresight. If he hadn't driven out his "in-law" Guo Songtao, at most he would only have two territories in Fujian and Zhejiang, but now there is a wealthy Guangdong inside.The salary to be raised naturally starts from these three provinces. Among the three provinces, we must first start with Fujian.Originally, Fujian had assisted Zuo Zongtang's monthly salary of 40,000 taels for the Zhejiang Army, and Fujian Customs had assisted 10,000 taels a month.Since the long-mao remnants were purged, the 40,000 taels of Xiezhe were changed to Xieji Gansu, and now it is logical to belong to Zuo Zongtang.As for the 10,000 taels from the customs, it has been changed to help the shipyard's funds. Followed by Zhejiang.When Yang Yuebin took over as the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu and took full responsibility for the Western Expedition, Zeng Guofan once raised the salary on his behalf, and assigned Zhejiang to settle 20,000 yuan a month.Zuo Zongtang led troops to Guangdong in October last year, and the plan of "eating in Guangdong" had been realized. Under the urging of Hu Xueyan, he had to keep his promise to reduce the burden on Zhejiang.In Zhejiang, it is equivalent to an extra 140,000 silver per month. Ma Xinyi is a person who cares about the overall situation, so he asks for an additional 30,000 taels of silver, for a total of 50,000 silver per month. "Zhejiang is finally worthy of me. Ma Gushan is also a very nice person. The salary of 50,000 silver per month is really not small. However," Zuo Zongtang paused and said, "There are two sums of money that were originally paid for in Zhejiang. What do you think of the expenditure, I will take it over and not increase the burden on Zhejiang?" "It depends on where it was originally given to?" "One is to support the shipyard's shipbuilding funds, 10,000 taels per month. Now that the factory is set up to build ships, it will all be allocated by Fujian tariffs and likin. You might as well change the 10,000 taels into a salary." This is a disguised way to increase the burden on Fujian.Hu Xueyan was amused in his heart, Zuo Zongtang's abacus is sometimes more sophisticated than that of a philistine, but as long as he is not tired of Zhejiang, he has no reason to disapprove.So he nodded and said, "I don't think Ma Zhongcheng will object at this level." "Another 10,000 taels of money to aid Prime Minister Zeng's cavalry. In my opinion, it should also belong to me. Xueyan, think about the reason for it." "Ms. Zeng once set a monthly salary of 30,000 for Jiangsu Xieji. I heard that the monthly salary is insufficient. Does your lord want to use the 10,000 taels from Zhejiang to offset Jiangsu's salary?" "That's right! It doesn't hurt at all, why can't I transfer the account?" As far as the matter is concerned, how can it be said that "there is no harm in the past"?Hu Xueyan wanted to persuade him that it was not worth the ten thousand taels of silver, which made Zeng Guofan unhappy.After thinking about it, if Zuo Zongtang tried to persuade him like this, he would definitely scold Zeng Guofan again, and the business would not be able to continue.So he retracted the words that came to his mouth. This will be counted as Guangdong's aid.Guangdong's salary was originally set at 10,000 yuan, and the shipbuilding expenses were also 10,000 yuan. Following the example of Zhejiang Province, the total amount was 20,000 yuan.Zuo Zongtang meant that he hoped to double the amount, the same as Fujian, 40,000 per month. "This can definitely be done." Hu Xueyan said, "Jiang Zhongcheng was single-handedly selected by your lord, and you should do your best in both public and private matters. It should not be too late. My lord will write a letter soon." "It doesn't matter, anyway, Jiang Xiangquan can't help but sell my face, and now it can be included in the budget." "Fujian 40,000, Zhejiang 70,000, Guangdong 40,000, plus Jianghai Customs 30,000. The actual amount that can be collected at present is 180,000, which is only 2.16 million a year. It's a lot worse." "Of course there are. As discussed by the Ministry of Household Affairs, there are seven other provinces that should assist in the payment of wages. Jiangxi, Hubei, and Henan. When I pass by this time, I will meet with them face to face. Jiangsu, Henan, Sichuan, The salaries of the four provinces in Shandong can only be discussed after arriving in Shaanxi. I think that if you calculate it, it will be 2.4 million silver a year, no matter what.” "Then, I'll raise half of the money for you." Hu Xueyan said nonchalantly. "Half?" Zuo Zongtang was afraid that he didn't hear clearly, so he made a special sentence, "Half is 1.2 million silver." "Yes, 1.2 million." Hu Xueyan said, "I prepared it for my lord and took it away." "Here," Zuo Zongtang didn't know what to say, "where did you raise such a huge sum?" "I have a solution. Of course, this method requires the approval of adults. I will report to adults after I have made a plan." Zuo Zongtang is inconvenient to follow up and ask.Although he was somewhat skeptical, he believed more than he doubted, and when he thought that all the promises made by Hu Xueyan had never been fulfilled, he felt relieved. "When will your lord leave, and when will you leave the customs?" "I want to leave in early November, and talk to the governors of various provinces along the way about official business. I will walk slowly, and I will not arrive in Beijing until the end of the year." "To Beijing?" Hu Xueyan asked puzzledly, "Isn't the Shangyu a caretaker, and go out directly?" "Where is this the meaning of the superiors? It is nothing more than some people coercing the emperor to order the princes. They are afraid that I will go to Beijing to cause trouble, so I will go to annoy them. Me." Zuo Zongtang paused for a moment and then said, "As for the date of leaving customs, I can't make a reservation yet. It will have to be next spring at the earliest." "There are still three or four months to go. Before my lord leaves the customs, the 1.2 million will definitely be enough. As for the immediate needs, I can manage the 200,000 to 300,000 silver." "That's great! Xueyan, I hope you can make plans early so that I can rest assured." So what does Zuo Zongtang say?Hu Xueyan also hopes that the outcome can be settled soon.But I had an idea in my heart, although I was 80% sure, I never got the money in the end.As the saying goes, "the cooked duck flies away", it is an exaggeration, but when it comes to money, there is an agreement, and it is common to change one's mind at the last moment.1.2 million taels is not a small amount. The key to the success or failure of the Western Expedition and Zuo Zongtang's ability to enter the cabinet after being ennobled is all related to this. The relationship is really serious.If you fail, how do you explain it? Thinking of this, Hu Xueyan deeply regretted, why would he forget the precept of "full food is delicious, full of words is hard to say"?Now that we can't back down, we have to go all out and step up. The trouble is that they still can't get away, because Riyige and Dekebei have to deal with the Chinese officialdom, from the shipyard project to the personal life.In Zuo Zongtang, he was suspicious of foreigners, and he was afraid that when he said something, foreigners would reject it on the spot, which would hurt his identity and prestige. This is difficult!Thinking about it, I didn't think of an answer for a while, and sat there in a daze.This was a appearance Zuo Zongtang had never seen before, so he couldn't help being surprised, but it was hard to ask.The two guests of honor answered each other silently, which made Ghoshha, who was standing in the hall, also stunned, because Zuo Zongtang and Hu Xueyan always met each other on weekdays, talking and laughing happily, and talking endlessly, why are they sitting in a daze at this moment? So, Geshha, a close friend of Zuo Zongtang, stepped forward and asked, "But Mr. Liuhu is here to eat?" This made Hu Xueyan wake up, "No, no, thank you!" He thanked first, "I have to go to the pier to see off the passengers." "To whom?" Zuo Zongtang asked. "Bulang, Fuzhou Taxation Department." "Oh, he's going to Shanghai?" "Yes." Hu Xueyan replied, "It is the French Consul General in Shanghai, Belini, who is looking for him to discuss business matters." "What business are you talking about?" Zuo Zongtang asked, "Could it be related to the shipyard?" Hu Xueyan had an idea, nodded and replied, "Maybe." "You have to be careful." Zuo Zongtang said, "Foreigners have a lot of tricks. Riyige and Dekebei handled this matter, bypassing their consul general at first, and going directly back to China to meet. Of course, Bailani was not happy. But at this moment, all contracts are also It must be Bailini's pledge, I'm afraid he will obstruct it." "Your Excellency is far-sighted and sees it very well. I think—" Hu Xueyan deliberately hesitated, "Impossible things. Forget it!" "Why?" Zuo Zongtang asked, "What can't be done?" "I think it's best for me to go too and keep a close eye on Bulang. It's just that I'm not allowed to be cloned here." Zuo Zongtang stroked his short gray mustache, pondered for a while, and said slowly: "Go and come back quickly, it will not hinder you." Hearing this, Hu Xueyan cheered up, "Yes!" He immediately replied, "I will follow my lord's instructions and go back quickly. If the business that Bulang is talking about has nothing to do with the ship, he can return to Fuzhou in only three to five days." .” "Okay!" Zuo Zongtang said, "You can please! I still have a lot of important matters to discuss with you, especially the 1.2 million silver. I have no money for a day, and I am restless all the time." Hu Xueyan didn't dare to talk anymore this time, and only promised to rush back as soon as possible.As for Fuzhou, the only ones who are not at ease, Riyige and Deke Bei, have the intention of retreating. They are afraid that there will be twists and turns, and there will be no one to mediate, which will lead to a breakup. Good words to persuade, good to comfort.If there is any point of disagreement, I will put it aside for the time being and wait for Hu Xueyan to return to Fuzhou. With this guarantee, Hu Xueyan felt at ease, returned to his apartment, hurriedly packed his bags, rushed to the pier, and sailed directly to Shanghai on the same boat as Bulang. The first thing to do in Shanghai is to visit Gu Yingchun for a secret talk. Gu Yingchun has made new developments in recent years. He is the comprador of the British HSBC Bank. According to the English translation, he is commonly known as "Kang Baidu". He is the head of the Chinese staff in the bank. All negotiations with the Chinese, ranging from handing over the officialdom to hiring coolies, are all done by compradors.And Chinese people have business contacts in foreign banks, and they have to find compradors.Therefore, Gu Yingchun has a lot of power in HSBC Bank, he is capable and diligent, and he is trusted by Yang Dong, and he obeys his words. This is why Hu Xueyan first sought him out. "I want to invite the 'staff' of several foreign banks to dinner." He said as soon as he opened his mouth, "You can write a list for me instead!" "Uncle," Gu Yingchun asked, "Is it because of the shipyard?" "No! I want to borrow money from them." I usually borrow money from foreign banks, one or two hundred thousand silver, and I can borrow it with just a word from Hu Xueyan.Now it is specially to invite foreigners to dinner, it can be seen that the number is not small.Gu Yingchun thought for a while, took out a list of foreign commercial firms in Tongzhi four years ago, turned to the column of "Banks" and asked, "Do you want to invite all ten companies?" Hu Xueyan looked at these ten foreign banks: One, Agara Bank.Second, benefit the Bank.Third, Lishang Bank.Fourth, Huiquan Bank.Five, Macquarie Bank.Sixth, Huilong Bank.Seven, it is beneficial to the bank.Eight, the Bank of France.Nine, HSBC.Ten, as beautiful as a bank. This time, he hesitated.Because it is commonly known as a foreign bank, but has different nationalities, especially Britain and France, have always been fighting each other to expand their power, and now they are setting up factories and shipbuilding for Zuo Zongtang, which is even more at odds.Wouldn't it be a waste of effort if you were invited together, suspicious of each other, and unwilling to meet openly and honestly? So he asked, "How about coming separately?" "Of course. But, as far as I am concerned, little uncle, please only use what is useful. Once you get it right, you don't need to worry about the rest." "So, you say, which ones are useful?" With a pen in hand, Gu Yingchun ticked five, seven, and nine banks without thinking.This is also in Hu Xueyan's mind, because HSBC is indispensable in Gu Yingchun. As long as HSBC exists, there are two companies, Mercalli and Lili, because these two are British banks and have a deep relationship with HSBC. However, HSBC is not purely a British bank.It was originally named "Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank Co., Ltd.", and its head office was established in Hong Kong in the third year of Tongzhi, with a capital of five million Hong Kong dollars. invest.Chinese merchants also have shares, and Gu Yingchun is one of them, and with this origin, he was able to act as the comprador of the Shanghai branch. The Shanghai branch of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank was established one year later than the head office. The general manager who was sent was named Mai Lin, an Englishman, and Gu Yingchun was an old acquaintance. He had long known that he was capable and reliable, and he was also a shareholder of the bank. So recruit him as comprador.Gu Yingchun's first suggestion after taking over the incident was to "rectify the name". The name of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank is a literal translation of the original English name, and there is no mistake. Moreover, it is inexplicable to use two place names as the name of the bank.If "Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank" is added with the words "Shanghai Branch", it will feel even more nondescript, and it will be difficult to become a "golden signboard". Mai Lin followed the advice of Gu Yingchun and adopted the advice of Gu Yingchun. According to the custom of "worshipping" in China, he named the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, referred to as HSBC Bank or HSBC. Regardless of the northern and southern accents, the shouts are very loud.Moreover, there is no difference between the northern and southern accents, unlike the word Mecca in the Macquarie Bank, which is not consistent with the northerners in the Shanghai population. Gu Yingchun's second suggestion is that if shareholders have different nationalities and different positions, they will have different opinions, forming mutual constraints and unfavorable situations that cannot be developed.Therefore, it is advocated to take the United Kingdom as the main body, gradually buy shares in other countries, and at the same time contact friendly banks to gather forces and support each other.It was also readily accepted by Mai Lin. The two friendly banks contacted by HSBC are of course the Bank of England, that is, Macquarie and Lee Bank.Lili is the oldest foreign bank in Shanghai, founded in the fourth year of Xianfeng.It is one of the UK's overseas banks with its head office in London and branches in Mumbai, India and Shanghai. Macquarie Bank is a joint stock limited company issued by the Emperor to set up branches in India, Australia and Shanghai.The head office is located in London, and Xianfeng opened a branch in Shanghai in seven years. Cantonese call it "Zha Da Bank", which is the transliteration of the English word "charter", but Shanghainese find it difficult to pronounce the word "Cha Da", so they simply use it as the first bank. The first general manager named it Macquarie Bank. Macquarie Bank was set up solely to facilitate the trade of British businessmen in India, Australia, and Shanghai. Therefore, in addition to their peer relationship with Hu Xueyan in Fukang Bank, they also had business contacts with "Selling Foreign Village". "Of course these three banks are useful." Hu Xueyan said hesitantly, "I'm afraid it's not enough." "Not enough?" Gu Yingchun realized at this time that after talking for a long time, what was going on, and he hadn't figured it out yet. It was a ridiculous thing to speculate and talk based on knowing each other for a long time and a deep understanding, so He briefly asked, "Uncle, how much money do you want to borrow?" "At least 1.2 million." "This is a huge amount that the bank has never lent before." Gu Yingchun asked again, "Who is it borrowing for? Of course Master Zuo?" "certainly!" "Building a ship?" "No! Military pay for the Western Expedition." Even Gu Yingchun, who is well-versed in both China and foreign countries, couldn't help being stunned, "I don't seem to have heard of them borrowing money from foreigners to fight wars." He said frankly, "Uncle, this matter It's going to be difficult." "I also know it's difficult. But it must be done successfully." Gu Yingchun no longer discouraged.Hu Xueyan was never afraid of difficulties, and persuasion was ineffective. He knew that the only attitude he could take was to help Hu Xueyan overcome difficulties regardless of success or failure. So he asked: "Uncle, you have always thought up a regulation, how to borrow, how to repay, how much interest to pay, and how much time to set? Let's talk about it first and see if it works or not?" "Borrowing 1.2 million, the interest may be slightly higher. The term is one year, and only interest will be paid in the first half of the year. In the second half of the year, the principal will be repaid monthly, and the repayment will be made in six installments." "What will you pay back then?" "Western Expeditions for all provinces." Hu Xueyan calculated, "Fujian 40,000, Guangdong 40,000, Zhejiang 70,000, that's 150,000, only a difference of 50,000. Jiang Customs' idea of ​​30,000 is still short. Twenty thousand, no matter what, think of a way." "Uncle, you've got your wishful thinking. The provincial associations are unreliable! What if you default on the arrears?" "I am guaranteed by Fukang Bank." "Otherwise!" Gu Yingchun shook his head, "There is no need to do this! Besides, foreigners are straightforward in doing things. If it comes to Fukang's guarantee, foreigners will definitely say: 'I will lend you the money in Fukang Bank. As long as you Provide a guarantee, we don't care what you use it for.' Then, uncle, you are not only taking too much risk, but also too ostentatious. Not right, not right!" After thinking about it, it really wasn’t right, Hu Xueyan, who was very obedient, nodded deeply, "You are much more proficient than me in the rules of foreign banks and the temper of foreigners. Look, how do you do it?" He said, "As long as things are done Yes, I will accept any conditions." "Foreigners do things a little differently from us. We talk about faith and business, and we only count on one word, and don't think much about the consequences. Foreigners, although they also believe in faith, are more legalistic and have a bit of a 'little heart'. Calculate the good and the bad first. Taking borrowing money as an example, the first thing that comes to mind is, will the other party not be able to pay it back in the future? What if the other party can’t pay it back? What should you do if you can’t pay it back? These two points, little grandpa, you have to figure it out first , otherwise it’s better not to speak.” "I understand. The first point is that it must be worth it, because the co-pays of each province have stipulated the amount, so it is natural to report to the Ming court and the Western Expedition. Which province does not understand, and delays the military opportunity, and the crime is not light. Besides, In Fujian, Guangdong, and Zhejiang provinces, there are people from Mr. Zuo there, and they will definitely buy it. There are 150,000 in these three provinces, and there are three out of four shares, so don’t worry.” "Okay, I can tell foreigners about this. What about the guarantee?" "Since it is inconvenient for Fukang to make a guarantee, then we can only ask Mr. Zuo to come forward." "Lord Zuo can only come forward to borrow, not be a guarantor." "This is difficult!" Hu Xueyan had an idea, "Please ask the governors of the provinces who are cooperating with the payment to act as guarantees, and print the stamps first, and collect them from the vassal offices of the provinces when they expire. Is this all right?" "Not necessarily! But it's always a theory." Gu Yingchun said again, "In my opinion, the governors of the provinces are not necessarily willing." "You don't have to worry about this level, Mr. Zuo can do it naturally. He is best at the trick of 'holding the emperor to make the princes'." "Okay. As long as we are sure, we can talk about it." Gu Yingchun said, "I think it's better to put the meal in the back. I'll use the big board of HSBC to make an appointment to meet my uncle first. How about it? " "Daban" is the abbreviation of "Big Boss", which is what the Chinese employees of foreign firms call their "Yangdong".HSBC's "big board" Mailin, Hu Xueyan has also met, he is very shrewd, but as the Shanghainese say, he is "on the road", as long as everything is on the right track, the negotiation can always be successful.So Hu Xueyan readily agreed.But there are still some things to explain. "Old Gu," he said, "I couldn't hide my situation from you, but this year I took you as an employee of HSBC, so I'm a bit alienated from my personal situation. I'm a 'hollow old man' now, and the scene is too much. It’s big, and there are unspeakable hardships. On the Fujian side, the cash relief and the advances for the purchase of arms cost me two to three hundred thousand yuan. On the Zhejiang side, the accounts of the agent’s treasury have not been settled. It's easy to reimburse, but it's not easy to argue, because it's hindering Mr. Zuo's face, and the advance money from the aftermath bureau has to be left there. Calculated like this, it's another two to three hundred thousand, a total of five hundred thousand silver. The bill is there, you say, how can you bear it?" "There are so many overdue accounts!" Gu Yingchun was taken aback. "In the blink of an eye, spring will begin, and the two cities of Silk and Tea will be bustling. First, we have to put down a lot of money. At that time, my uncle, if Fukang's turnover is not working well, wouldn't it be ugly? ?” "It's not only ugly? It's terrible!" Hu Xueyan continued, "Speaking of ugly, if something is not arranged well during the year, it will show its original shape. I am a Taoist who distributes Fujian. I shouldn't be in charge of the salt affairs in Zhejiang, but Zhejiang is finally under the jurisdiction of the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang, which makes sense. Now that I am dispatched by the Governor-General of Shaanxi-Gansu, I will be permanently stationed in Shanghai in the future to handle the transfer of military supplies and salaries in the Northwest. Zhejiang Salt Affairs must be handed over. To hand over, it took more than ten years Wan's deficit, why not return it?" "That is to say, it will cost hundreds of thousands of yuan to pass the door within a year." "It's just this place, and there are others. Fukang will always need 500,000 silver to turn over once it's opened for a year. If this loan is successful, it will be remitted in batches. I can use it first, and once it arrives Next summer, when the silk and tea markets are over and the money for goods comes in, I will be alive." Gu Yingchun heaved a sigh of relief. "Okay!" He said resolutely, "I will definitely find a way to use this loan to succeed." "With you, we can definitely succeed. Old Gu, I still have something to say, let me tell you, first, this matter must be kept secret, and no news must be leaked, otherwise, the "Master Du" in Beijing will play a Ben, there are more than enough bad things. Let me tell you, even Mr. Zuo himself doesn’t know about this approach—” As soon as this remark came out, Gu Yingchun was very surprised, "Then," he said worriedly, "when the negotiation is successful, if Mr. Zuo says 'no', it's not a joke!" "Don't worry! There will never be a joke. I am fully sure that he will do as I say." "Okay! Let's talk about the second thing." "Second, I want to entrust a foreign businessman. In fact, if someone is willing to lend money, they might as well take some part and earn more interest." "It depends, it's too early to tell." "As long as you know what's in your mind." Hu Xueyan said, "Master Zuo's fame and my career are all based on this loan." In order to keep the secrets, Gu Yingchun asked Mai Lin to meet Hu Xueyan at the newly established "German General Association", and as soon as they sat down, they talked straight to the point.Mai Lin was quite deep. After listening to the details, he made a series of inquiries without commenting. "What is your court's opinion on this matter?" "Suppressing chaos is regarded as a top priority in China." Hu Xueyan replied through Gu Yingchun's translator, "If the minister leading the army can raise enough military expenses by himself, the imperial court will of course fully support it." "As far as I know, the ministers leading the army in China have their own spheres of influence. Lord Zuo's sphere of influence seems to be limited to Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, which are the most barren places." "No." Hu Xueyan refused to admit the territory theory, "The prestige of the imperial court extends to all provinces. As long as the imperial court agrees to the loan and the method of apportioning the repayment by the provinces, it must be done. Please don't worry about it." "Then why don't you ask your government to borrow this loan?" "Grandpa Zuo is representing the Chinese government." Hu Xueyan said, "All negotiations must be on an equal footing. If the Chinese government comes forward, it should be discussed with your 'Household Department', not us here. .” Mai Lin nodded deeply, but then asked again: "Master Zuo represents the Chinese government, and you represent Lord Zuo, that means you represent the Chinese government. Is that so?" This is a difficult question to answer.Because of this matter, at the beginning of the campaign, even Zuo Zongtang didn't even know that there was a way to borrow money, let alone authorized by the imperial court.If rumors are passed on, Hu Xueyan is stealing his name and blatantly humiliating the country, and the crime is not light.But if you don't dare to admit it, you will lose your grounds and can't talk anymore. After thinking for a while, he replied vaguely: "If the negotiation is successful, I represent the Chinese government. If the negotiation fails, I only represent myself." "Mr. Hu's eloquence is wonderful and mysterious, but it is also very real. Okay, I will treat it as a representative of your Chinese government. I can agree to this loan in principle. However, I must declare that in our negotiations You can't talk to any other bank until you have a conclusion." "Yes, I am willing to trust you." Hu Xueyan said, "But we should set a deadline for the negotiation. At the same time, I also have a request that you must keep the secret until the negotiation has no result." "That is a constraint that both parties should accept. As for the deadline, it is difficult to set a deadline, because the negotiation of details often requires long-term negotiations." "Good! Let's talk about the details now." This is tantamount to confirming that Mai Lin has made a promise to borrow money. Even Gu Yingchun laughed, "Uncle," he said, "I think you can handle the negotiation by yourself. I will just interpret. Mai Lin is very shrewd. Only smart people can make him admire." 于是即时展开了秘密而冗长的谈判，前后三天，反复商议，几于废寝忘食。麦林原来就佩服精明的人，此时更为胡雪岩的旺盛企图心所感动，更为胡雪岩的过人的精力所压倒，终于达成了协议。 这一协议并未订成草约，亦未写下笔录，但彼此保证，口头协议，亦具有道义上的约束力量，决无翻悔。商定的办法与条件是： 第一，借款总数，关平一百二十万两，由汇丰银行组成财团承贷。 第二，月息八厘，付款先扣。 第三，由胡雪岩、古应春介绍华商向汇丰银行存款，月息明盘四厘、暗盘六厘。 第四，各海关每月有常数收入，各税务司多为洋人，因此，借款笔据，应由各海关出印票，并由各省督抚加印，到期向各海关兑取。 第五，自同治六年七月起，每月拔本二十万两，半年清偿。 这五条办法中，第三条是洋商与胡雪岩、古应春合得的好处，明盘四厘，暗盘六厘，即是中间人得二厘的佣金，这也就是说，洋商向中国人借了钱，转借与中国官场，四厘入，八厘出，所得四厘好处，各半均分。 至于印票必出自海关，是麦林坚决的主张。因为他虽相信胡雪岩与左宗棠，却不相信有关各省的督抚，到时候印票如废纸，无可奈何，而海关由洋人担任税务司，一经承诺，没有理由不守信用。 这在胡雪岩却是个难题，因为除江海关每月协解三万两，可以情商上海道先出印票以外，其余各海关并无协饷之责，就不见得肯出印票。想来想去只有一个办法，就是奏明朝廷，每月由各省藩司负责将应解甘饷，解交本省海关归垫。 幸好协饷各省都有海关，每月闽粤两海关各代借二十四万，浙海关代借四十二万两，加上江海关本身应解的十八万两，共计一百零八万两，所缺只有十二万。胡雪岩建议左宗棠要求湖北每月协饷两万，由江汉关出十二万两的印票，合成一百二十万整数。 这些办法，左宗棠完全同意，但等奏准，已在开春，丝茶两市方兴，正须放款，因而利息提高到一分三厘。这是从未有过的高利贷，于是流言四起，说胡雪岩从中渔利，尤其是李鸿章一派的人，不但展开口头的攻击，而且亦有实际的破坏行动。 这个行动很简单，却很有效，就是策动江海关税务司拒绝出具印票。一关如此，他关皆然，几于功败垂成。 经过胡雪岩的巧妙斡旋，这笔大借款还是做成功了。是为中国借外债的开始，而左宗棠的勋业，以及胡雪岩个人的事业，亦因此而有了一个新的开始。但福者祸所倚，“红顶商人”胡雪岩的结局，相当凄惨，种因亦在于此！ 《红顶商人胡雪岩5》即将出版，精彩预告： 胡雪岩帮助左宗棠西征，立下军功，得赏布政使衔、从二品文官顶戴用珊瑚，慈禧御赐黄马褂，成为一代红顶商人，大富大贵，显赫一时。然而，凡事盛极必衰，在风光无限的背后，胡雪岩的事业已经有了全面崩溃的迹象。在政治上，他被卷入到左宗棠与李鸿章的政治斗争中，李鸿章确定了“倒左必先倒胡”的方针，准备对胡雪岩痛下杀手，危机悄然临近，胡雪岩却对此警惕不足；在生意上，新式缫丝技术的潮流不可遏抑，胡雪岩为了保护江南养蚕人家的生计，决定逆势而行，以一人之力对抗西方工业革命的大潮，悲壮的结局悄然注定。胡雪岩一手创下胡氏商业帝国，享尽世间荣华，却在巅峰时种下隐患，他将如何应付这场前所未有的商业危机？ 敬请阅读《红顶商人胡雪岩５》。