Chapter 6 arms business

Because of this fit, the meal of flowers and wine was very enjoyable, You Wu had a lot of money, and the guests he invited were all celebrities on the scene, and everyone called for two or three rounds, Yingying Yanyan, going from one to the other , The string pipes are noisy, very lively.After eating at nine o'clock, someone "overturned the table" and made a fuss until after midnight before returning to Yujisi Inn.Grandma Qigu and Azhu had been tired all day and fell asleep early, Lao Zhang always went to bed early and woke up early, only Chen Shilong was waiting for them with a pot of good tea.

"Fifth Brother, are you sleepy?" Hu Xueyan asked enthusiastically. "Not sleepy." You Wu asked, "Is there anything you want to talk about?" "There are a lot of things." Hu Xueyan turned his face and said, "Shilong, listen to it too. I found a gentleman who reads foreign language for you today." After saying this, You Wu immediately understood: "You mean Gu Yingchun! How are you talking?" "It couldn't have been a better conversation—" Hu Xueyan told You Wu the exact conversation between him and Gu Yingchun on the couch.

You Wu is relatively deep, and his emotions and anger are not shown in color, but even so, one can find that his brows are open, and the gloomy complexion in the past few days seems to have quietly disappeared. "You have a quick mind," he said in a slow and solemn voice, "think about it, what can we do with him." "It's the same in front of me, but—" Hu Xueyan's ending sound was very long. "Huh!" You Wu was surprised, "Is there something embarrassing that I can't say?" "I don't know if you have any friendship with Mao Jindao?"

"Maojindao" refers to Liu Lichuan, You Wu of course understood, and quickly replied, "Not to mention." "That's what I'm thinking. The British are doing business anyway. They can sell their guns to the Taiping army, and of course they can also sell them to the army. Today I heard at the meeting that the governor of Liangjiang and the governor of Jiangsu were both wounded for the sake of golden swords. Brain, report out, understatement, it seems to be a local disturbance, but in fact they want to send more troops to defeat him in one battle. In this case, guns and gunpowder are important, why don't we set up a "grain platform" for them first, As soon as their soldiers arrive, they can go out to fight. If you think this method is suitable, I will go to Suzhou immediately. Xu Naizhao, governor of Jiangsu, is from Hangzhou, and I will definitely find a way to meet him."

"That's a nice idea. But I can't do it." "Is it because of 'Quanji'?" Hu Xueyan asked. "Quan Ji" Zhou refers to Zhou Lichun, You Wu nodded and said, "That's right, but you don't have friendship with him, you can do it." "That's fine. First, to do it is to come together; second, people also know my friendship with you. If you feel that there is a hindrance, I will also hinder you if I do something." Hearing this, You Wu felt very relieved. He wished that Hu Xueyan would not do it, but "a bachelor who keeps making money" is obviously a good business, and he couldn't tell him to stop, so he said insincerely, "You can do it."

"I still have a second way. Zhejiang is currently organizing group training. Huzhou is being led by a gentleman named Zhao Jingxian. .” "That's good! Let's do this arms business together." "There is one problem. You need to find a way to succeed." Hu Xueyan said, "The British warships can't sail to Huzhou, so they can only deliver goods in Shanghai. Shanghai will transport them to Huzhou. I'm afraid there will be danger on the way. I snatched them." what to do?" "The danger is only the section from Shanghai to Jiaxing. Once you enter the border of Zhejiang, you will be escorted by officers and soldiers. Who would dare to snatch it? As for this section of the road, I will take care of it." You Wu added, "Anyway, our brothers from the Cao Gang are empty there now. The important people have all the boats they want. There is nothing better than getting them a fortune."

"This is a foregone conclusion for the two of us. Just do what you say, and think about it again. Is there anything else you want me to do?" You Wu thought about it carefully and said: "You ask the Zhejiang side to seal the official business for our Duliang Road here, saying that we will use the ships of the Songjiang Cao Gang to transport the arms. In this way, I will have an explanation to the officials." "It can definitely be done." Hu Xueyan turned to Chen Shilong and said, "You have to travel hard again." "To Hangzhou, or to Huzhou?"

"Go to Hangzhou first. If Mr. Wang has already returned to his post, you can go to Huzhou again and look for him. That's right," Hu Xueyan said suddenly, "You happened to send Ah Zhu back." "Okay. When are we leaving?" "Two or three days at most, when I finish my work here and write a letter, I'll leave right away." The joint is with Gu Yingchun.The next day, the three of them met again in the boudoir of Yiqing's second child. After Hu Xueyan told the story, he asked Gu Yingchun whether the British would sell guns and gunpowder to this side?

"Why not? They are in business, as long as the price can be negotiated, they will sell anything." Gu Yingchun asked, "I can talk about what you want." This stumped Hu Xueyan, "I don't know anything about it." He said, "As long as things are good." "Not only is the item good or bad, but also the quantity. There must be an approximation before we can discuss. For example, how many foreign guns should there be?" "One thousand sticks." "One thousand!" Gu Yingchun laughed, "You think a thousand is a small amount? I think five hundred foreign guns would be fine for group training. Also, do you want to ask for advice? Foreign guns are not human. People know how to put it away, don’t know how to use it, it’s easy to break, and how to repair it if it breaks has to be calculated in advance.”

"Brother Ying Chun," Hu Xueyan cupped his hands and said, "You are much more knowledgeable than I am. Wouldn't it be nice if you came to make a 'shuo post'?" Gu Yingchun generously agreed, and immediately acted.Yiqing's second child took care of it personally, and moved the pen and inkstone used for "calling notes". The ink was thickened, but there was no paper to write on. So Gu Yingchun drew up a pen to conceive, and at the same time he was addicted to opium. The tobacco bubble was loaded into a bong, and a rubber tube was connected to the mouth of the gun, leading to his mouth.After smoking the sixteen tubes of cigarettes, he was full of energy, wrote without adding any points, and handed it to Hu Xueyan.

Hu Xueyan can't write by himself, but he can read, not only can read, but also has a sharp eye. The most important thing for these "posts" is simplicity. It only takes a few words to seduce those high-ranking officials, which is the top grade.Gu Yingchun's writing is very good, but it is more than fluent, and it is unavoidable. He talks about the benefits of foreign guns and gunpowder. Although it is good, it seems that it is a bit difficult.Hu Xueyan thought, Wang Youling and Zhao Jingxian would definitely read this post, but when it was handed over to Huang Zonghan, it was difficult to say whether he would have the patience to read it. "Brilliant!" Hu Xueyan first handed the post to You Wu calmly. "I don't need to read it." You Wu said with a smile, "It's useless to watch." "Brother Xueyan," Gu Yingchun asked, "I'm in a hurry. If there is something wrong, just say it." "Excellent! But, Brother Ying Chun, it's not easy for laymen to speak insider jargon. If you talk about it, people won't understand it. I think that in the previous paragraph, there are some things that need to be cut off." "I understand!" Gu Yingchun nodded, "Nowadays, talking about Westernization is all behind closed doors and talking to people. Those who talk about how to make guns and cannons, to be honest, there are really not many people. I understand, I can delete it. Deletion is deletion, addition is addition, look, where can I say a few more words?" "Very good. There are still some places that can be left alone." This is obviously a polite word, Gu Yingchun said: "I am a person who does things. If I don't do things, I will be fine. Once I do it, I must do it well. Let alone one of my own people, please speak up." "Since that's the case, I ask you to think about it. First, in the light years, 'British and French offended me. Unfortunately, I lost my teachers. The crux of the matter is that swords and spears are no match for firearms'. This sentence hits the nail on the head, but you can still focus on it. Say a few words." "Yes! I have such an idea myself." "There is another layer, Brother Ying Chun, can you add this paragraph—" What Hu Xueyan suggested was to add that the British had limited foreign guns and gunpowder transported to Shanghai. If they were sold to the officers and soldiers, they would have nothing to sell to Hong Jun and the rebellious parties in various places. If there is one less, the entry and exit will be counted as double.In other words, for the price of one gun, the officers and soldiers bought two guns. "Your calculation is very shrewd, but it is not true. The British armaments have come in batch after batch, and the supply is endless. There is no reason why if you sell to one, you can't sell to that." "Yes. Brother Ying Chun, I know this situation well, and you know better, but the officials don't know it, and the emperor and military ministers in Beijing don't know it. We just need to make it sound." Gu Yingchun looked at You Wu and smiled, and You Wu's words were straightforward: "Brother Ying Chun, my little uncle is the best at these tricks, you can listen to him, it's sure to be good." "Okay!" Gu Yingchun said, "I understand everything. If there is nothing else, I'll take it home today, correct it and transcribe it, and then I'll send it to you along with the valuation list from the foreign firm." "Come on slowly!" You Wu interjected and asked, "How do you prepare an estimate?" "As usual, it is 28 rebates." Gu Yingchun replied, "If you want to 'wear a hat', I can also say it." Judging from his tone, it is obvious that he does not advocate "wearing a hat" for floating quotations.Hu Xueyan also felt that on the one hand, foreigners should not be looked down upon, and on the other hand, in order to build trust with the Zhejiang government, it is not appropriate to make other tricks beyond the 20% kickback. "Yes!" You Wu accepted it sincerely, "I was afraid that you would be negligent, so I mentioned it. Since I have thought about it, then everything is good." "However," Gu Yingchun asked next, "In addition to foreign guns, there are also cannons. Do you want to persuade Zhejiang to buy them?" "Slow down. There is a man named Gong in Zhejiang who knows how to make cannons—" A Fujianese surnamed Gong, named Gong Zhenlin, used to be the magistrate of Jiaxing County, and presided over the "Paoju" in Zhejiang in the last years of Daoguang.Since the middle of the Ming Dynasty, the "Red General Cannon" that has been imitated has been made of pig iron, but Gong Zhenlin invented the iron mold for casting the cannon, and wrote "Illustrations" and a book "New Illustrations of Cardinal Cannon Mounts" , In terms of casting technology, there is quite an improvement.His son's name is Gong Zhitang, who can be passed down from his father.Both father and son are highly valued by Zhejiang officials. "Of course, the clay cannons used to shoot 'groups' are not as good as the Western 'floor cannons', but we can't say that! When we talk about it, the people in the cannon bureau must be picky when we want to beat their jobs. Picky in many ways, the result is that they don’t even buy foreign guns.” "Brother Xueyan," Gu Yingchun said with emotion and admiration, "You are really familiar with people, and you have exhausted all the problems in the officialdom." "It's the same in officialdom and shopping malls! In a word, 'peers are jealous of each other', if you can not be jealous of each other, you can succeed in everything!" Both Gu Yingchun and You Wu thought that what he said was good, so their relationship was particularly harmonious.In the Yiqing Courtyard, they talked about many plans to carry out after a little deliberation, until midnight they broke up, and they agreed to meet at the same place the next afternoon. Gu Yingchun left, You Wusu stayed with Yiqing's second child, because there was still something to discuss, so Hu Xueyan "borrowed a shop" in Yiqingyuan.What You Wu wanted to talk about was a piece of news he got at noon that day after breaking up with Hu Xueyan and before meeting again at Yiqingyuan. I heard that Liu Lichuan got in touch with the British.Around Yichang, the British prepared to build a wall to prevent the officers and soldiers from entering, and they did not allow the officers and soldiers to use the road. However, the British prepared to open the Chenjia wooden bridge so that Liu Lichuan could get aid in arms and food. "Based on this, Shanghai won't recover for a year or so. Is our silk business going to continue? We need to make a plan now." "Think about it carefully." Hu Xueyan questioned, "Shanghai's tariffs are the lifeblood of the two rivers, and they will not always make the British fight their teeth and claws. There must be a way to deal with it." "I've heard that too." You Wu replied, "Governor of Liangjiang, Lord Yi, Yiliang, has long been prepared to ban trade between the mainland and the barbarians because of the help of foreigners. Once the source is cut off, what development can we have in Shanghai?" "There are two aspects to this statement. Once the source is cut off, the price of the goods must be high, which is beneficial to us. If there is no goods, no matter how high the price of the goods is, it is useless and not beneficial to us." Hu Xueyan said, "Business can still be done as usual, as long as you This aspect of our disadvantage can be avoided." "How do I avoid it? I just can't avoid it!" One way is to smuggle.With You Wu's influence on the waterway, he can respond flexibly, and smuggling is not difficult, but Hu Xueyan dare not do illegal activities, and everything is going well now, so there is no need to commit illegal activities. The words in his mouth retracted. "Uncle, I think that's the only way to go." You Wu proposed a solution by himself, "Mobilize cash as much as possible, receive the goods in Shanghai, and sell them for a while. In addition, besides arms, if there is any business to do, we will discuss it later." It would be great if we Cao Gang brothers can work together, on the one hand, everyone will have something to eat, and on the other hand, we will avoid idleness and causing trouble.” Hu Xueyan heard You Wu's words that he was worried about the increasingly difficult livelihood of the Cao Gang, and that he was a confidant and related to each other, so he should share his worries, so he asked about the difficulties of the Songjiang Cao Gang to see if there was any way to think about it.This conversation went on in depth, and we didn't go to bed until it was dark. After sleeping until almost noon, Hu Xueyan woke up a "big sister" in the Yiqing Hospital, saying that there was a visitor.When I got up, I saw that it was Chen Shilong, and handed over a letter, saying that Wang Youling sent someone to deliver it.After unpacking the seal, I found out that the anti-grain riot case in Xincheng County was a great success. Ji Heling lived up to expectations, cooperated with local gentlemen, designed and captured the main criminals, and they have been sent to Hangzhou for interrogation. After reporting the good news, let’s talk about Dongcao. Because of the fall of Shanghai, we decided to export the rice from Zhejiang via Liuhe. Wang Youling had to rush back to Huzhou.At the same time, due to the fall of Shanghai, people in Zhejiang were in a state of panic, and regiment training everywhere was stepping up, and Huzhou was no exception.The trouble is that the Maritime Bureau's errands still can't get rid of, and he has no skills. I hope that Hu Xueyan will go back to Zhejiang anyway, because he has many things to discuss face to face. After reading the letter, Hu Xueyan was both happy and embarrassed, and also a little confused. The happy thing was the construction of the new city, but the troubled thing was that he had no skills at all. what to do?He calmed down and thought about it, and decided to go back, but he couldn't "go back empty-handed". There were two things that he could do for Wang Youling first.Thinking of stopping, he told Chen Shilong: "Go back and pack your luggage, we will leave tomorrow, and Ah Zhu will also leave together." Then, he hurriedly washed up and went to discuss with You Wu. When he talked about the exit of Caomi from Liuhe, You Wu frowned and said, "This is a big trouble!" "how?" "Liuhe is to the north of Jiading." "Ah!" Hu Xueyan cried out, it was impossible to transport the rice to the Liuhe by the way of Qingpu and Jiading. "So, how should we go?" "Go around in circles!" You Wu dipped his tea and drew a route on the table, "From Jiaxing to the north, from Wujiang, Kunshan, Taicang to Liuhe." "This is really a big circle." Hu Xueyan asked again, "Is Taicang near Jiading?" "That's right, Taicang is in the northwest of Jiading, forty or fifty miles away." As he spoke, he took a deep look at Hu Xueyan, meaning to be careful of Zhou Lichun robbing Caomi. Hu Xueyan knew it in his heart, and he had an idea, and said with a smile: "You Wuge, your business has come, and you sell copper tins based on your friendship. The last part of Zhejiang Dongcao to Liuhe will be yours, okay?" This is a logical and wonderful thing, but because You Wu came too easily, there is no way in the world that there is such a good thing, so he was at a loss for an answer. "How about it?" Hu Xueyan urged, "I am sure about this matter, and I can completely decide. Just wait for your word, and the matter will be considered a foregone conclusion." "I don't know if 'that aspect' will buy me?" You Wu said hesitantly. This is the point of entry and exit relations, the so-called "relying on friendship, selling copper tin" is also this point, Hu Xueyan said: "You Fifth Brother, I can give you advice on everything else, and you have to figure it out on your own. Don't say anything!" "Yes." You Wu nodded deeply, "It's up to me to make up my own mind. To be honest, since I have agreed, I must have shoulders, and I can't do ridiculous things that implicate you and Wang Zhifu. In this way, in order to be safe, I can only I promise you for the time being. Fortunately, it's still early. I asked someone to say hello to 'Quanji'. If the tone is not good, I will notify you immediately, as long as I didn't mention it. What do you think? " "What do you say, how do you do it. Let's assume that everything will happen, and we will discuss how to do it first." So it was agreed that the Zhejiang tank boats would go to Wujiang, and Guiyou Wu would be connected and transferred until they arrived at the mouth of Liuhe.Because shipping is at risk, water feet cannot be calculated as usual.Hu Xueyan promised to fight for him, one more is better. After talking about the second one, I have to go to Gu Yingchun. Hu Xueyan estimates the situation. Not only will Zhejiang be in power, but he will definitely buy foreign guns. Feel the urgency.Knowing this point, we might as well take a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, we will take the post back to persuade Zhejiang to buy in large quantities, and on the other hand, we will bring the stock back to Hangzhou. If the regiment training does not use foreign guns, we will persuade Wang Youling to buy them for his pro-military team to use.