C43

Chapter 43 - East Warm Pavilion Xiao Chao

The seal of the yellow phosphorous flame was crushed, Xiao Letian's arm swayed slightly in the darkness as the flame started to spray out bright flames. Immediately after, three consecutive fireballs flew into the night sky, bright enough that it could be seen from more than five kilometers away.

"It's the Mr. Xiao, it's the advisor …" The crowd was stirred up immediately as the flickering torchlight danced in the darkness. The fire dragon started to gather towards Xiao Letian and soon after, everyone discovered a Xiao Letian who had a head full of big bags of grass sticks.

"Advisor, we're guilty …" Seeing that Xiao Letian was safe and sound, the three bodyguards who were led by Xiao Hexin immediately knelt and crawled on the ground, crying their hearts out.

"Enough, stop peeing. Hurry and get Hu Niu on the carriage, it's so f * cking cold in the mountains! " With the support of her brothers, Xiao Letian quickly crawled out of the valley and returned to the main road.

"Everyone, listen up. Retreat. Release these captives …" Xiao Letian's order confused everyone present. "Advisor, are we not going to avenge this?"

Yes, we will not take revenge. The brothers that surrounded Xiang Jia Village have all retreated, we will not settle this grudge. On the contrary, send out spies to observe the movements of the Xiang Jia Village … I feel like Xiang Shaolong and his entire family is going to get screwed … "

At this time, the eastern horizon had already turned slightly white. An entire night had passed, and Xiao Letian got on his horse to face the light of dawn and shouted, "Everyone listen to me, go back to the Yi County with me. I've decided that if this Beijing doesn't have someone to invite me, I won't go in again … "Bang!" After which, he urged his horse forward.

Just as Xiao Letian was about to lead the team out of the mountain, in the majestic ninth stage of the Forbidden City, the Small Dawn Assembly had already begun. However, Tongzhi's meeting was not in the throne room, but in the Yangxin Palace.

The empress dowager Tongzhi sat on the throne, with a pearl curtain behind his. The empress dowager of both the east and west palace faintly revealed his figure. Sitting in front of the emperor on both sides were the imperial court's senior officials, Prince Kung Yi? He sat on the first seat on the left.

And the one ranked first on the right was actually the crown prince's junior bodyguard, Ceng Guoquan, the governor of the two rivers. Today, all the officials gathered at the Small Court were of the practical type. As for those with high titles, none of them called out.

"Alright, everyone should be discussing this paper. Why isn't anyone saying anything after looking at it for a long time?" The one who spoke out first was Ci Xi.

What was passed around in people's hands was a imperial report, and the owner of the imperial report was just the new Zhang Jing from Head Office, but the person who delivered the report to them was not a simple person, it was none other than Prince Kung Yi.

The paper was written by a Manchu with eight flags called Fu Qing. The words on the cover said "Please try to break the rules of a powerful country in Industrial Zones", giving the emperor and the empress dowager behind the curtain an spirited look.

The contents inside the paper were extremely shocking. This Manchu called Fu Qing actually wanted to ask for an edict for Industrial Zones s from Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Shanghai, Ningbo and Tanggu. Each district was divided into five hundred to more than a thousand acres according to their respective uses. He also paid a high salary to hire a foreign engineer to design and construct the five Industrial Zones s that would belong to the Great Qing Empire within three years.

The establishment of steel mills, military factories, textile farms and even ocean fires and oil factories in the Special Zone should begin with the construction of gradually perfecting Daqing's industrial system. If the initial results are good, you can increase the number of trials, such as Tangshan, Wuhan, Jiaodong... Waiting for the city to gradually open up.

In the end, Fu Qing arrogantly said, "As long as Industrial Zones can operate at full power for five years, this humble subject can guarantee that Daqing can create a Gun cannon not inferior to the foreigners. Furthermore, he can produce a new type of battleship that can navigate thousands of miles and carry a huge cannon …"

Overall, he had spoken very loudly, but he wasn't just bragging. There were detailed introductions on everything from the initial preparations to the start-up funds, including which country's technology to use. He even separately described the problem of safety.

The safety of this place obviously wasn't the safety of production, no one cared about the life and death of these lowly commoners, the safety that Fu Qing mentioned was the safety of the people. He believed that because the Industrial Zones was built using a foreign method, they should build a military camp with walls. The camp only allowed goods and goods to circulate, and the commoners were forbidden from contacting the people inside. This avoids the foreigners from bewitching my clear heart.

Fu Qing had copied this plan 100% according to Xiao Letian's instructions. It could be said to be the most realistic plan in the Great Qing at that time, one that would affect the least benefits from everyone.

When the paper was handed out by the Prince Kung, the entire East Warm Pavilion was quiet. Everyone looked at the paper then lowered their heads and did not speak, until Ci Xi took the initiative to break the silence.

"I think this method will work!" The first to speak was Jiu Shuai, "I think everyone has seen what the Great Qing is like now. If they do not express their anger now, I am afraid that the foreigners will not be able to face them anymore. What's the point of drawing out a few hundred mu of land to give a test? "Let me state my stance first. Ningbo and Fuzhou are in two special districts. I will issue a military decree for five years to make things look good for the imperial government …"

The first half of Ceng Guoquan's words was still reasonable, but the other half was something the mandarins present didn't like to hear. Aiyo, he's about to make a move? Your Xiang Army has almost shaved off all of the rich and powerful lands in Jiangnan, how many have you robbed of Liang Liang Tian? Now that you are not greedy enough, you start to think about our Manchu's small assets?

Before the officials could refute him, a voice emotionlessly rang out: "Reporting to Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, I wonder which yamen supervisor will the Industrial Zones place in?" Logically speaking, this should be the job of the work department, but since it involves matters of communication with the foreigners, it should be the job of the Head Office … "

"Not only that, but arranging for the army to build the city walls and for the barracks to be built is also a duty for the Ministry of War." They even tried to educate the people around them to avoid being bewitched by the foreigners. These were matters of the Ministry of Rites … After all was said and done, all departments and offices had to cooperate in this matter. How was the imperial government planning to coordinate this? "In addition, I wonder if there are any people in charge of this matter in the imperial court?"

He made his move. Qing Liu was about to make his move. Not only was the empress dowagers and the other officials awakened, even the Emperor Tongzhi could smell something different.

Qing Liu had always been known for its large numbers and poor organization. Usually, other than the violence of their shouts, no one would expect them to do anything, but Qing Liu's leaders were different. These kinds of people were basically all famous Gui Chen in the country.

If the emperor were to meet such a minister, it would be quite a headache to speak the truth. Especially this person in front of him, Weng Tonghe, who represented himself with integrity, was a Qingliu Leader that all the powers should not underestimate.

Weng Tonghe. Uncle Ping. A regular acquaintance in Jiangsu. Xian Feng had a warrior in the first place every six years, he was an assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, a censor in the left of the capital, a director of the Ministry of Justice, work department, a minister of the Ministry of Revenue and other important positions. Look, the Weng Tonghe of history is just so awesome. It was only after the change of the law in the 1800s that he was removed from his post due to the interference of his students.

As for Weng Tonghe, who had been there for four years, he had already passed down the decree to walk the Hall of Hongde Palace and lecture the Emperor of Tongzhi, so it could be said that this was the treatment given to him by the Imperial Advisor. At this time, he was only 35 years old, and was in the prime of his life. Being promoted to Qingliu Leader was something that was practically recognized by everyone in the court.

Even the emperor and empress dowager had to give some face. Ci Xi and Ci An did not speak, so Tongzhi, the little emperor, did not know what to say. He opened his mouth, "Uncle Ping, aren't we discussing now? Nothing is set, nothing is set …"

Weng Tonghe smiled slightly: "I am just casually asking, and just wanted to remind everyone that after our Holy Empire passes, it has been fortified. Along the way, we met with many storms, but the whole Han Dynasty was always able to get through the crisis, what does it rely on? It was also through the development of the saints that the hearts of a nation were stabilized. "To put it in an outrageous manner, if the semblance of knowledge were to decline, who knows how long our imperial court would be able to hold on for?"

This single sentence silenced everyone on the scene. If it were an ordinary official who had spoken such outrageous words, they would have long been reprimanded. However, once the Qingliu Leader spoke out, all of the officials in the Warm Pavilion turned silent.

empress dowagers and the other officials of the Manchu officials all understood that if Da Qing really gave up trying to spread the knowledge of western learning, then this group of Confucian Scholars would definitely retaliate in full force. They were the representatives of the Great Qing's most powerful and influential people.

At this time, Ceng Guoquan was extremely happy, thinking, you guys can fight, in any case, if we were to forcibly pass Industrial Zones's plan, we Xiang Army will at least get two points, and we won't lose out if we die.

If the imperial court and this group of people were to fall out, hahaha, this would be even better. We Xiang Army have enough officials to accommodate these Gui Chen s, with their support, how many days would your Xiluo's family have to fawn over us?

It was beautiful, Ceng Guoquan felt as if he had drank ice water from a pot in the heavens. However, this was in line with the demise of the full officials. Yi? Hurry up and explain, "Uncle Ping, what do you mean by that? Since when did the imperial government say that they were going to promote Western learning? "The development of a saint is always the foundation for governing a country. This is an iron law set down by the ancestor, so there's no need for you to worry …"

Just then, Tongzhi, the little emperor, suddenly spoke out, "Master Weng …" If we don't get the Industrial Zones involved, and if we don't create the Gun s' cannons, then how should we deal with the foreign invaders who come at us again? "

Weng Tonghe laughed out loud. "Haha, Your Majesty, you are still not clear about it yet, although the foreigners are strong, but in front of such a vast piece of land like us, they are still not strong enough. "Think back to the foreign army that attacked Guangzhou during the Daoguang years and then marched northward to attack the coastal cities. Although it was huge, it did not penetrate into the interior at all. Why is that?"

"Isn't it because they don't have the ability to enter the mainland! I have a million miles of mountains and rivers in Great Qing Dynasty, let the foreigners fight! They would be dragged to their deaths in less than a few hundred miles. They wouldn't even be able to replenish their ammunition. This is what we rely on the most. "

Oh my god, if Xiao Letian was here, he would definitely pick on our big brother. This Weng Tonghe has quite the elegance of Principal Jiang, he actually knows how to use space to buy time.

"As for four years ago, that was due to the English and French and the Barbarians of Russia. They took advantage of the internal strife in my time to attack us from the back, causing us to meet with such a calamity. If the long-haired man did not cause any trouble, may I ask if their English and French would dare to venture deeper into the mainland? "

At that time, Weng Tonghe's words shocked everyone speechless. The nine year old Tongzhi slightly nodded his head, as if he had understood something, and even Ceng Guoquan had no choice but to count the thumb in his heart.

"As expected of the Qingliu Leader, this bit of knowledge is not something an ordinary corrupt scholar can have."