The weather has become colder and colder. The formerly sparkling Haihe River has officially frozen, and water transportation has come to a halt. Not only water transportation, but also maritime transportation has now entered a downturn. Chinese businessmen are now preparing for the New Year, and Western maritime merchants will not choose to come to the cold Bohai Bay at this time. The city of Tanggu has finally become quiet. stand up.
Everyone can rest, but not Xiao Letian. He is riding horses in the wilderness with Qing Sanye, Mike, Matthew and others. The construction of an industrial zone will begin here in the spring. It is impossible not to conduct an on-site inspection.
"The first thing to do in the industrial zone is steel. We have shipping and water transportation here, and there are coal mines and iron mines in Kailuan to the north, which is enough for us. Anyway, the Carnegie family started in the steel industry. I want to get one It shouldn’t be difficult for a small-scale iron factory..."
"When we have steel, we will build mechanical processing plants and arsenals. In the future, the arms trade will be the most profitable in the world. As long as quality and output can be guaranteed, you can sell as much as you produce..."
Xiao Letian's face turned red from the cold wind, but the fire in his heart grew stronger and stronger. It was such an exciting event to be able to witness the rise of China's heavy industrial base in 1865.
Xiao Letian had already planned that he would build a huge fortress in Tanggu Industrial Zone, and he chose this as the first stronghold of his new army. By then, with high walls, thick barbed wire, and criss-crossing traffic canals filled with new troops, the entire special zone will be like a military camp.
No matter whether the Manchus came to power or they had shaved their heads to rebel, no matter what republican democracy or constitutional monarchy, you have to be careful to deal with my foreign guns and cannons, and the elites who have fought hundreds of battles. As long as he has money and soldiers, he can influence the direction of China's history. No matter what major events happen, Xiao Letian has the right to speak.
Looking at Xiao Letian's excited expression, Master Long sighed secretly and decided to become a remonstrator. He poured a ladle of cold water over it, "Sir, Beijing is going to be in chaos today. Why do you act like you're just fine?" How about asking Huaiyuan to send more people there..."
Xiao Letian rolled his eyes at him, "When did I let you down? Since you have chosen to follow me, you must absolutely believe in me. Why do you still want to embarrass me with this little thing? Don't say that I look down on them. It won't take them three days." I have to cry to death..."
Third Master Qing, with his pointed ears, quickly rode over and asked, "What do you mean? What happened in Beijing?"
"Haha, if the plan had not changed, there would have been a lot of scolding in the capital now. Countless scholars and scholars gathered together to first attack Prince Gong's palace and then put pressure on the court to kill me. I seem to have heard the rising tide of curses..."
Fu Qing said awkwardly, "Brother, just surrender and stop fighting with these scholars. It's okay to lower your head a little..."
"Nonsense! Do I want to fight them? Are they trying to bully me? They spread rumors, slander and assassination, instigating the local gentry to become my enemy. How do you expect me to give in? They You can't even kill me, can I defend myself?"
"Then what do you want to do? You can't kill again, can you? In the past, you had a reason to kill in self-defense, but now people are just yelling at you, why are you still raising a knife?"
The corner of Xiao Letian's mouth curled up, "Oh! I understand, the third master doesn't believe that I can resolve this chaos. Do you think I can only use violence? Oh, this time I will let you open your eyes and be a scholar. I can still play with the knife thing... Come on, let's go home, I'll show you a Western thing!"
Just when Xiao Letian was taking Third Master home to open his eyes, Chun Shisanniang in the capital took action.
"According to the plan last night, all the execution halls were dispatched to let these scholars know how powerful we are! Release the carrier pigeons..." With an order, dozens of carrier pigeons were released from the pigeon house hidden in the private house, carrying secrets Command to fly to their respective targets.
The detectives disguised as Five Elements and Eight Operators ran wildly through the streets and alleys. Secret strongholds began to take action. Xiao Letian's forces finally began to fight back.
Sneaky figures appeared at almost all intersections in the capital. They started painting the walls with brushes and buckets of glue. When they turned around and saw no one around, the big-character posters tucked under the creaking nests were pasted on the walls.
At the top of the black letter on a white background is a big word "Wrong", which can be seen clearly from any distance. It didn't take long for people to discover this unexpected big-character poster, and a large number of people quickly gathered around it.
"Oh my God? This, this, this... this is too outrageous..."
The detectives appeared and disappeared on the alley streets, and thousands of large-character posters were posted in an instant. It wasn't over yet. Just as the long line of protestors was shouting, a famous Qinggong master flew up to the roof and raised his hand on the courtyard wall, sending a handful of leaflets flying in the wind.
"The people of Sijiu City should take a look at it. Don't let these liars deceive you. Listen to Xiao Letian's injustice!"
Flyers like snowflakes were flying in the sky. These scholars even forgot to shout slogans, and a leaflet slapped him in the face.
Pulling off the flyer and taking a closer look, the official's eyes were as big as a bell: "Shameless, this is so shameless, Xiao Letian actually beat him up..."
The flyer is very crudely printed, and the words on it are blurry and have no aesthetic value at all, but you can definitely see them clearly. Moreover, the writing is extremely simple and childish, just like an old farmer who has never read a book is crying out for injustice.
"Xiao Letian's seven questions? What is this..."
That's right, the flyer is full of all Xiao Letian's questions about the imperial court and Xianxue. The artillery fire is now open.
"First question: Why should Xiao Letian and He De bother the court to assassinate him? Sun Sanhu, armed with the court's secret decree and his badge, secretly mobilized troops in an attempt to besiege Letian Yanghang. Where is the national law?"
"Second question: Is Tongzhi Yamen a government agency of the imperial court, and was Tongzhi Zhou Mingkui appointed by the imperial court? If so, why did Sun Sanhu's dead men carry them and blow up dozens of houses, killing and injuring more than 300 government officials. They also Are they all rebellious?”
"Third question: Since ancient times, disaster has never come to my wife and children. Even if I, Xiao Letian, deserve to be killed, I can't be executed. Even if it comes to this, the court still has to clarify the canonical punishment. Why do Jiao Si and Sun Sanhu give my inner family members? Poisoning? My concubine is dying, and even if she is cured, she will not be able to have children. Why does the court want to exterminate the descendants of my Xiao family?"
"Fourth question: The court said that I keep an army privately? Let me ask you, Lotte Yangxing, the richest man in Tanggu. He handles more than ten million taels of silver a year. Is there a large number of guards of 200 people? Which law of the court prohibits foreign companies from maintaining guards?"
"Fifth question: Sun Sanhu and the soldiers have already confessed. His purpose of mobilizing the army is not only to deal with me, but also to take advantage of the chaos. May I ask the court, who gave the order to loot the Tanggu business district? Where is the little Sun Sanhu? Are you brave enough to come?”
"The sixth question: The brazen night attack by the green battalion soldiers has made all foreigners in the port frightened. Now the foreign soldiers have landed, armed sailors have begun to block the streets, and the foreigners have even called for taking over the security power of Tanggu Port. Now I, Xiao Letian, am here After a lot of hard work, the foreigners didn't make the situation worse. May I ask the court, should I, Xiao Letian, take care of me in the future?"
"The seventh question: People in the imperial court want to rob my property, want my life, and even poison my family members in an attempt to make me extinct. After doing all these things, they still dare to talk nonsense and say that I, Xiao Letian, am going to rebel? And they still rebelled with a bodyguard of two hundred people! I, Xiao Letian, ask all the people of the Qing Dynasty, where is justice? Where is morality?"
Xiao Letian's Seven Questions Ling Ling always poured out all the grievances in his heart. Every line was full of grievances and injustices, and all the viewers were dumbfounded.
"Hahaha, Xiao Letian is running out of excuses. He is already afraid of us. What's the use of such a child-like cry of grievance? My classmates and classmates, Xiao Letian finally gave in..."
In the final analysis, this group of scholars are just experts at catching a toad and peeing out of it, bullying the weak and afraid of the strong. In fact, they were most afraid of Xiao Letian's violence. If those soldiers killed a few of them under the cover of darkness, they would be really scared to death.
But now Xiao Letian chose to argue with scholars. This has been the traditional position of scholars for thousands of years. This group of people has never lost a lawsuit. They are the newspapers, TV and Internet of the Qing Dynasty. Their mouths control the ears and eyes of the people. If they say briquettes are white, they are white.
What did Confucian scholars rely on to control China for thousands of years? It relies on the control of public opinion and the penetration of people's hearts. From high-ranking court officials to local gentry, and even talented students, they formed an extremely huge network of public opinion. These huge networks that rely on teacher-student relationships, classmates relationships, and relationships in the same year can instantly filter out remarks that are beneficial to them and then instill them in every citizen.
They say that whoever is a wise king is a wise king, and they say that whoever is an upright official is an upright official. In the late Qing Dynasty when compulsory education was not universal, they were the core force controlling people's hearts.
Now Xiao Letian actually dares to hand out leaflets? You actually chose to reason with these scholars? This is really using one's shortcomings to attack others' strengths. All the scholars on the street were jumping with excitement, and even the protest slogans were a little louder.
At this time, none of the Confucian scholars could understand Xiao Letian's response. Everything was still analyzed from the traditional perspective.
Time passed minute by minute, and the slogans of the students still rang through the sky, but the leaflets flying like snowflakes in the sky showed no intention of stopping. There were figures on the roof ridges and haunted the courtyard walls. Everyone knew they were Xiao Letian's men, but no one among the scholars or the soldiers maintaining order paid any attention to them.
After all, they just threw some pieces of paper. In the final analysis, they were charged with polluting the environment. It was such a mess that no one bothered to compete with them.
But I never expected that changes would happen quietly. There were many literate people in the capital. People picked up the leaflets and read them together while muttering to each other.
"Masters, take a good look. This is a leaflet thrown by Xiao Letian. The Seven Questions are almost as good as the Seven Questions at the founding of the People's Republic of China. Do you think it is true?"
"Tsk, tsk, it's really hard to say. I just don't know if Xiao Letian has any evidence. If there is any evidence, it's really something wrong with the court, and the Xiao family will be exterminated. This is too poisonous..."
"Look, look again, the water here is really too deep. The father-in-law is right and the mother-in-law is right. We are all stupid. Just listen to the wind and rain. I have seen through it. We still have to do this. I really can’t get involved..."
There are always some people in the crowd who are good at thinking. They are not easy to fall into fanaticism. Even if they are temporarily trapped, they will quickly jump out and analyze the situation at any time. It was this group of people who discovered the merits of Xiao Letian's move.
"Tell me, why did Xiao Letian get so many leaflets all at once? How rich he is. If the Qing Dynasty were to risk their lives and let go, this matter would be really big... "
