When the time entered the twelfth lunar month of the fourth year of Tongzhi, all overseas trade in the entire Tanggu Port came to a standstill, and the only thing left was for the Chinese to reward themselves.
The streets and alleys are full of people visiting relatives and friends for large purchases. The two major riots in a year have not weakened the people's enthusiasm for spending during the New Year. On the contrary, they have become more eager because of the sharp increase in income this year.
Areas with prosperous commerce will naturally have prosperous industries. Due to the strong presence of Lotte Matheson in Tanggu, it has provided strong financial support to all Chinese businessmen, which has increased the entire annual trade volume of Tanggu Port by 40%.
This is a number that would have been unimaginable in previous years. All the merchants couldn’t close their mouths with smiles after accounting for the year. Even the stingiest merchants have increased the wages of their workers this year.
The streets were full of people clutching shiny silver coins. In the past, they had used the stinky mud-footed poles, and they still wanted to use the silver. But this year, thanks to Xiao Letian, everyone finally got the kind of foreign money that can ring when you blow it. can be carried in people's pockets,
The streets are filled with live chickens, ducks, frozen meat and tofu. Cereal and oil stores and grocery stores have never seen so many people with purchasing power. Almost all merchants are complaining that there are too few goods prepared, and everyone is rushing around to transfer goods.
This year is not only a good year for the workers of various merchants, but also the farmers who are usually reluctant to spend money are in high spirits. A group of landless farmers represented by Xiaowangzhuang have actually become The vanguard of consumption,
Not only did the money from selling the land remain hidden at home, Xiao Letian also arranged a good job for these people in order to thank the villagers for helping him when he was in the most critical moment.
We can't break ground in the winter, but building fences should be no problem. Anyway, what Chinese people fear most is not having a job. As long as they make money, no one will be too cold or tired.
Along the edge of the planned special zone, a long fence was woven. Countless farmers took their daily wages and looked at the enclosed land with regret. They knew that after the spring of next year, there would be crisscrossed roads. I don’t know what the farmland will look like.
Fortunately, everyone still has Mr. Xiao to protect them. The construction of the big temple will start next year, and the people's hearts will be at peace. Then they can find some work in the industrial zone, which is better than digging in the soil.
There is a reason for the prosperity of the entire Tanggu city. Just as it entered the twelfth lunar month, 20,000 elite Hunan troops stopped in Cangzhou. Weng Tonghe, with the decree of the court, finally blocked the army in Cangzhou.
No one knows what the two Han elites, the leader of Qingliu and the commander of the Hunan Army, discussed. Anyway, in the end, Zeng Guofan only took 24 guards and his ninth brother Xingye to Beijing to face the saint. The dark clouds in the sky completely disappeared.
The Hunan Army retreated, the Qingliu men became honest, and Enke continued as usual. The government and the public seemed to have suddenly forgotten Xiao Letian. No one knew the outcome of the negotiations between Zhou Daoying, Er Mao, and Xiao Letian. People only knew that when Er Mao returned Immediately after Beijing, he was promoted to a level, and he was already a supervisory eunuch on an equal footing with Li Lianying.
Politicians are all monkey spirits, and they don't even rub sand in their eyes. Judging from the treatment of Ermao, even if Xiao Letian succeeds this year, there will be nothing that Qingliu can do if he goes into battle shirtless this time.
Monster, he is really a monster. The secret war and open war between the imperial court and Xiao Letian failed to do anything to Xiao Letian even to this extent. This shows that Xiao Letian's foundation is already very hard. Since it cannot be cut, then it will be I can only borrow more money,
The protests all over Beijing disappeared, as did the leaflets flying in the sky and newspapers secretly distributed. People's eyes returned to pots and pans, firewood, rice, oil and salt.
Xiao Letian's safety means that the industrial zone will be safe. The entire Tanggu business district is full of joy. The pile of posts inviting Xiao Letian to dinner every day is like a mountain. However, Xiao Letian has no time to pay attention to them these days. He is busy giving his own The new army is receiving military pay.
Now that Xiao Letian's new army has finally passed the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court allowed Tanggu to form a merchant autonomous guard of no more than 400 people. On the surface, it was said to be responsible for the security of Tanggu Port together with the yamen officers of Tongzhi Yamen and the remaining Green Camp officers and soldiers. , in fact, all Tanggu people know very well that no one can afford to offend these soldiers wearing dark blue woolen uniforms. They are the actual rulers of Tanggu.
"There is no need to hide and tuck in anymore. Brothers no longer need to hide in the warehouse to train at night, just like thieves. From today on, we can walk openly and openly as the business district guard." On the street...the Manchus finally gave in,"
Xiao Letian roared, which was followed by a thunderous roar: "Wan Sheng, Wan Sheng, Wan Sheng..." Xiao Letian was so frightened that he sweated. Fortunately, these stupid boys didn't shout Long Live, otherwise it would have been another big sin.
The New Army camp was surrounded by countless farmers watching the excitement. When they saw this majestic military posture, they subconsciously shrank back. This was the tiger who destroyed the Green Camp and attacked the Eight Banners' soldiers. Today is an eye-opener. There is such a group of killers in Tanggu. God is shocked, maybe I can really live a good life for a few years.
Xiao Letian looked at his army with satisfaction, nodded and said with a smile, "Brothers, it has been half a year since we formed the army in the summer and have been fighting in our mother country. I, Xiao Letian, have not paid you a cent of military pay. I am ashamed, I am really ashamed... Today, I will pay everything I owe you..."
"Soldiers are paid five Mexican eagle dollars per month, squad leaders are paid fifteen dollars per month, platoon leaders are fifty dollars per month, and the company commander with the highest military rank is currently paid one hundred dollars per month... This is only the pay during peacetime, and the pay during war. Double,"
Before Xiao Letian finished speaking, no one said a word among these well-disciplined soldiers. The common people were dumbfounded. Such a good guy is paid such a high salary. No wonder they are all like heavenly soldiers and heavenly generals. This is an army piled up from a mountain of silver. ,
The common people also know a lot. They know that the monthly salary of ordinary Green Camp soldiers is nominally one tael of silver, but they never get the full amount. Seven or eight deductions are even sometimes topped with grain, cloth or something, which can give hundreds of dollars. A copper coin is considered a wealthy army.
The situation in the Eight Banners of Manchuria is slightly better, but the situation of embezzlement has been very serious in recent years, and it is also common to pay in kind for silver. Therefore, these soldiers are harassing the local area to some extent. There is nothing they can do. They are really too poor. ,
Xiao Letian looked around. He saw the surprised looks of all the people in his eyes. This is what he wants. He wants to push his new army into the enviable eyes of the people. Only in this way can the honor of the soldiers be inspired. feel,
"Brothers, when you took military classes before, you all knew what the soldiers in the Qing Dynasty are like now. Every poor person has become a beggar, and they have been forced to become thieves and robbers... I am Xiao Letian The reason why we should pay everyone high is to make you feel a sense of belonging to this army and to make you a soldier with dignity, rather than a stinky soldier in the eyes of the people."
Xiao Letian stood on the stage and shouted loudly, "We are a resounding new army. We are a disciplined iron army. We have our own clean pay. We don't have to bully the people. We don't have to burn, kill, loot and massacre the city. We rely on We hold guns in our hands to protect the people of the world, this is the foundation of our survival..."
"Military law is on your heads. If anyone dares to abuse the people and enrich himself, I, Xiao Letian, don't mind sending you a bullet personally and sending you to hell... Remember, don't embarrass this army, don't talk to everyone Disgrace your comrades who died in the battle, but don’t disgrace yourselves..."
"Now let's roll your names. I, Xiao Letian, will pay you personally..."
Xiao Letian's reprimand hit everyone's hearts like a whip. Not only the new army but even the common people felt waves of passion.
"This is when Grandpa Yue Feiyue's army came back. They froze to death without demolishing the house..."
"Shh... please keep your voice down and don't say this. Grandpa Yue is beating up Jurchen and violating the taboos of the imperial court..."
Amidst the commotion, Wang Huaiyuan began to hold the roster and call out "Wang Dazhuang...Qian Fei...Zheng Erbao..." As the sound of the roll call was heard, soldiers one after another walked onto the stage and stood at attention in front of Xiao Letian with a military salute. ,
Today Xiao Letian also changed into an officer's uniform. He returned the greetings to each soldier with a serious face. Then he took out a stack of paper from the wooden box beside him, counted them and stuffed them into the soldiers in front of him.
"You brat, I remember you. When we charged into Shuri Castle, you shielded me from the arrows. Fortunately, you were not injured... Your name is Qian Fei. You were among the first to lurk in when Mailer was captured. Okay. Such, worthy of being a soldier trained by me, Xiao Letian..."
Xiao Letian said hello one by one and put stacks of paper into the arms of the soldiers, completely ignoring the surprised looks of the soldiers. It's no wonder the soldiers looked weird, because they had never seen anything in their hands before.
"Small deposit certificates of Lotte Bank. This small one is for one silver coin. This one is for five silver coins. There are also ten silver coins... Hey, there are words on the back, 'Freely convertible deposit certificate, anyone can You can use this deposit certificate to go to Lotte Bank to exchange for silver coins of the same value. Is this the legendary banknote used by foreigners?"
A large proportion of Xiao Letian's new army are Chinese who grew up in Ryukyu. They have been making a living on the docks since they were young. They have heard a little bit about the small amount of banknotes circulating in the West. These Ryukyu Chinese have little doubts in their hearts.
But those soldiers who were born and raised in the mainland were dumbfounded. They secretly wondered, "What are you doing, sir? Could it be that your capital is not working well? The big guys gathered under your command want to do a big business, and few of them are just doing it." I came here for pay. In the New Army, I have good food and drink, and everything is taken care of. I don’t really care whether I have pay or not. As for printing a few pieces of paper to fool us,"
These soldiers really wrongly blamed Xiao Letian. This was not just printing to fool people. Xiao Letian just wanted to issue banknotes on a trial basis. If the reputation of this treasure spreads, the money he will make in the future will be much more than that of minting silver coins.
The printing paper was made by Shopkeeper Fan Lian, who gathered more than 20 papermaking experts, and under the personal guidance of Xiao Letian. The fine wood pulp is mixed with a certain proportion of wool and cotton to make the paper stronger and tougher. With great improvement, the inks imported from the West are wear-resistant and do not fade. Although they are not as good as the special inks of later generations, they are unique in the Qing Dynasty.
Xiao Letian once talked with those craftsmen. If you want to forge this kind of craftsmanship at the current level of the Qing Dynasty, it will be impossible to succeed without studying it for two or three years. However, after two or three years, Xiao Letian's technology may have been upgraded for several generations. Woolen cloth,
"Brothers, do you think I, Xiao Letian, am a bit deceptive? Don't worry. When I explain the beauty of this small deposit certificate, you will know my good intentions."
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