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Battle Volume 1: Fierce Battle in Changsha Chapter 244: Delicate Balance

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    The meaning of Xiao Yungui's words had already made Wenhan, Marsali and others understand. The seemingly rude rebel leader in front of them had actually settled everything long ago.  The city of Shanghai has changed hands. Businessmen and officials like Wu Jianzhang who represent the old forces in Shanghai must be eliminated. These people support the Manchu Qing Dynasty, or these people do not dare to lean towards the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, so the rebel leader will not do anything.  Ruthlessly clean up the old forces in Shanghai, build up forces loyal to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, and then stabilize the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's rule in Shanghai.

    Joining forces to control Shanghai¡¯s commerce and economy is just one step. Since the opening of Shanghai, many Guangdong businessmen have come to Shanghai to open foreign banks. They want to continue the glory of the Guangdong Thirteenth Bank and turn Shanghai into the second Guangdong Thirteenth Bank.

    In fact, foreign companies appeared as early as the Qianlong period. At that time, in Guangzhou, as the only trading port, the merchants who opened foreign companies in Guangdong monopolized the entire country's foreign trade. It is conceivable that the profits generated were huge and rich. Therefore,  Only then could the Wu family have become one of the world's most wealthy people.  With the opening of five treaty ports after the Opium War, this monopoly was broken.  At the same time, due to the increasingly deepening contradiction between the monopoly operation of foreign companies and the free market trade pattern advocated by capitalist countries, the great powers also saw the need to change their business models.

    As Shanghai's trade expanded day by day, the great powers found that even if the foreign companies they ran had Chinese compradors, it was still difficult to compete with some local Chinese businessmen in Shanghai and other places, because the local Chinese businessmen were more familiar with the inland market and trade.  They control the import and export of goods from the mainland.  For example, the three towns of Wuchang, a Yangtze River inland trade area under the control of the Baoqing Chamber of Commerce.  It is a piece of fat that the great powers are very keen on, from where goods from various countries can be sold to the mainland of China.  Many goods from the mainland can also be shipped from there and sold overseas.

    Therefore, foreign businessmen began to try to make changes, allowing Chinese businessmen to take shares in foreign banks, allowing Chinese businessmen to change their thinking when operating, and treat foreign companies as their own enterprises, thereby increasing the participation and sense of belonging of Chinese businessmen. As a result, flags such as Wu Jianzhang's investment in foreign companies appeared.  An example of this is Chang Yang Bank.

    For Xiao Yungui¡¯s proposal to allow chambers of commerce and business gangs from the mainland of the Yangtze River to join the Shanghai market, Wenhan, Marsali and others certainly welcomed and supported it. They also wanted to break the old monopoly.  For commercial trade.  If more merchants join, it will enrich the supply of goods, provide more sources of goods, and allow merchants from various countries to purchase cheaper goods. At the same time, it will eliminate the commissions charged by foreign compradors or Chinese foreign companies for purchasing mainland goods.

    After hearing this, Wenhan immediately stood up and said: "Your Excellency, King Xi, your suggestion is very admirable. Shanghai is a place with free trade. Of course we welcome more businesses to operate in Shanghai. Our British Empire is very happy to cooperate with mainland China."  Businessmen collaborated.¡±

    Marsali also said: "We in the United States also appreciate the courage of His Excellency King Xi, and believe that this measure will further stimulate China's huge mainland market, which is a good thing for both of us." Brombull also said the same thing.

    Foreigners are so cute and straightforward. They were quarreling just now, but then they turn around and find suitable interests.  They will support you again. They don¡¯t have the kind of smiling faces that the Chinese have behind their backs. Their love and hate are all written on their faces, and there is no need to hide anything.

    After receiving the affirmation from the ministers of various countries, Xiao Yungui nodded and said: "In a few days, after the war to clear out the remaining enemies around Shanghai is over, I will convene representatives of foreign firms from various countries in Shanghai, representatives of local foreign firms, and representatives of businessmen from other places to start a meeting.  A business and trade meeting. The meeting was mainly to determine the free development of commercial activities in Shanghai and the promulgation of some commercial activity policies. At the same time, ministers from various countries were asked to pay attention to things. In this process, some of our chambers of commerce or businessmen who support the Manchu Qing Dynasty, as long as we  It has been verified that these merchants are run by Manchu officials, and they are not included in our invitation to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom."

    Xiao Yungui's statement was very implicit. Wen Han and others all understood that Xiao Yungui would eliminate those businessmen who supported the Manchu Qing Dynasty. Many people in Shanghai had the background of Manchu Qing officials. China is a very strange country. Businessmen have low status and rich money.  Many businessmen would like to donate an official position, but even if you donate an official position, you will be looked down upon by your colleagues with orthodox academic backgrounds.  Unlike foreign countries, businessmen have a very high status. If you have money, you can even influence the decisions of Congress and Parliament.

    Before, Wen Han and others were worried that Xiao Yungui¡¯s elimination of businessmen like Wu Jianzhang would affect Shanghai¡¯s business. However, after Xiao Yungui made it clear that more and more businessmen would join the Shanghai market, this worry disappeared.  Moreover, Xiao Yungui would actually convene a meeting of merchants to discuss trade activities in the Shanghai area. This was unimaginable during the Manchu rule. It seems that this wise Western King saw through the fundamentals of Shanghai. If you want to control Shanghai, you must first  To control Shanghai's commerce and economy.

    After discussing some details, the ministers from various countries requested to send liaison officers to be responsible for the peace and security affairs.?To establish contact, the British sent Midile as the China Handler, the United States sent Jin Nengheng, the representative of Qichang Yangxing Company, and France sent Aitang, the successor of the first French consul Mintiny, as the liaison officer.  .

    Xiao Yungui was a little dumbfounded. There were almost no diplomatic talents in the Taiping Army. Hong Yun'er was far away in Suzhou, Li Shanlan was just a scholar and not suitable for foreign affairs, and Wang Libin was still in Suzhou. For the time being, Xiao Yungui could only take on the responsibility of liaison with the great powers.

    Before the ministers from various countries left, Xiao Yungui presented some seized jewelry as gifts, and the ministers from various countries gave some clocks, telescopes and other items as gifts in return.  After this quarrel-like meeting, Xiao Yungui and the great powers found a delicate balance point. Driven by their common interests, the two sides reached a temporary peace and friendship.

    However, Xiao Yungui knew that this situation would not last long. Once the Crimean War ended, Britain and France would return their attention to the Far East. At that time, the great powers would not be so easy to talk to. They would ask for more things. They  The logic is simple, the axiom is only within the range of the cannon.  Therefore, there will not be much time left for Xiao Yungui and the Taiping Army. He must develop his own strength in the shortest possible time and turn Wu Sangui's treasures and the money captured along the way into a war force. Only in this way can it be possible to fight with the Taiping Army in the future.  Don't be bullied when dealing with great powers.  Always having strength is the last word!

    After sending away these troublesome foreigners, Zhou Lichun came back to report that Mu Guandao, Xie Yinglong and others had eaten and drank enough and were resting. Later, Zhou Lichun would bring the purchased cattle and sheep to comfort those who came from Shanghai.  The gang members who came out.

    Xiao Yungui has some headaches with these gangs. They control the underworld in Shanghai. Shanghai will need more dock workers, coolies, etc. in the future. These people are just for this job.  Xiao Yungui cannot lack the help of these people if he wants to restore Shanghai's business in the shortest possible time, but he also hopes to eliminate these old forces, and these gangs are just outsiders, so it is difficult to control them.

    Xiao Yungui was a little hesitant, so he had to let Zhou Lichun go to comfort the helpers and stabilize people's hearts for the time being.  Suddenly getting rid of these gang members now will chill people's hearts and deter those who want to surrender later. Xiao Yungui can only take one step at a time and wait and see.

    After finally getting rid of two groups of people with headaches, Xiao Yungui returned to the tent, his stomach growling with hunger, but he saw Li Xuanji coming in with a bowl of hot noodles at some point, "Xi Wang, eat something first.  Bar."

    Xiao Yungui laughed and looked at the big bowl of noodles placed in front of him. There were two poached eggs on it. With the aroma overflowing, Xiao Yungui started eating and asked vaguely: "Xuanji, what's this?"  Did you do it?"

    Li Xuanji smiled slightly, nodded and said, "I made it, how do you like it? Is it delicious?"

    Xiao Yungui felt better all of a sudden. It was good to have a woman by his side. She would ask questions and care about whether she was hungry. Moreover, Li Xuanji cooked for herself, so she seemed to be a step above Hong Yun'er.  Although the four-eyed girl who can't cook always cares about her own food and warmth, she always lets others cook.  If you can take Li Xuanji as your queen, you will be able to eat delicious food in the future. Sometimes a man¡¯s idea is really simple, that is, when he is most tired, having hot meals cooked by a woman will make him happy.  You will feel very happy.

    While we were eating, there was a report from the guards outside the tent, saying that the patrol had caught a spy sneaking into the camp. However, after the spy was caught, he said that he was a fellow countryman of the King of the West and wanted to see His Highness the King of the West.  The captain of the patrol could not make up his mind, so he had to bring the man to see the King of the West.

    Xiao Yungui frowned and said, "My fellow countryman? What is his name?"

    The guard replied: "The man calls himself Qian Jiang."

    Xiao Yungui groaned, touched the beard on his chin and said to himself: "Qianjiang? Qianjiang? This name sounds so familiar." After a while, Xiao Yungui groaned, stood up and said, "Could it be him?  ? Invite him into the tent immediately!"

    The guards immediately left the tent, and Li Xuanji asked curiously: "King Xi, is this Qianjiang River famous?"

    Xiao Yungui has already remembered that this Qianjiang River is very important. When Xiao Yungui wrote the paper "The Rise and Fall of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom", he had searched for information about Qianjiang. It was precisely because of this man's brilliant strategy that he saved the country.  He helped the Manchu and Qing Dynasty's finances, which were about to collapse, and provided life-saving money and food for the elites in various provinces and regiments, thereby slowly reversing the unfavorable situation for the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom war. Therefore, this person is definitely a talent.

    Qianjiang Qiuping, a native of Changxing, was born into a family of officials and was the sixth generation grandson of Qian Yu, governor of Shandong.  When he lived in Guangdong in his early years, he actively resisted the British with He Dageng, Bian Jiangyin and others in Guangdong. After the Opium War, he led the Guangzhou community to fight against the British entering the city. Yilibu, the Qing imperial minister who was in charge of foreign affairs in Guangzhou at that time, sent Qianjiang to prison.  , confinement to the army.  According to historical records, and then he should have taken refuge with Qishan, the Manchu imperial envoy in the Jiangbei camp, and served as a staff member under Lei Yicheng. Why did he end up here?  As for the rumor that Qianjiang later defected to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and presented Hong Xiuquan with the "Xing Wang Ce", it seemed unlikely to Xiao Yungui. However, when Qianjiang appeared in his camp at this time, Xiao Yungui still had a glimmer of hope.  , hoping that this person can be used for himself.  To be continued.  If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (.Vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation. Mobile phone users please go to m to read.)
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