Chapter 457.

Zhang Anshi summoned the people and only gave a general account of the relief.

There was really nothing he cared about regarding this, or rather, didn’t feel the need to pay extra attention to it.

The stock of food in Taipingfu was sufficient, and even if it wasn’t, there were other ways to solve the problem.

On the Zhili side, transportation is also no problem at all, especially after the laying of railroads, which can almost completely ensure the dispatch of food.

As for from top to bottom, as if the spider web of officials, most of them are the original Taipingfu cultivated, they are more able to abide by the law, at least even if there are some dirty things, that is also hidden, unlike other mountains high emperor far away place, simply openly, face don’t want.

So this is just a matter of giving an order, after giving the order, let the Changshi Palace and Gaoxiang to host everyone to discuss which county is the most seriously affected, how much money and grain is needed, how to transport, how much manpower to be deployed, how the other counties can help to resettle, and so on and so forth, it is not what Zhang Anshi is good at.

So after roughly giving everyone a chicken blood, Zhang Anshi went to the small hall of the royal residence, and right after that, he started to gather other people to come.

Big things go in small meetings.

It was obvious that Zhang Anshi wanted to do something big now.

The people who came, there is the minister of the Ministry of Sea Politics Yang Pu, there is the Jin Yiwei Commanding Envoy Tongzhi Chen Li, there is the general manager of the merchant bank Zhu Jin, in addition to that, there are actually some big merchants and businessmen.

One of them was Ma Yu, the first scholar.

Ma Yu’s merchant bank, now the scale has become bigger and bigger, his main business is shipping, in addition, also operates a lot of overseas industries.

In the city, they are all guessing his worth, at least two million taels or more.

This is already at the limit of personal assets.

Scale bigger, it is not inevitable to need to deal with the government, more dealings, occasionally and Zhu Jin these people have some relations.

This time, Zhang Anshi asked Zhu Jin to find some merchants to come, Zhu Jin from the people around him, selected some, including Ma Yu.

Because according to Zhang Anshi’s instructions, these people at least have enough brains, the value should be enough, the best main business is shipping and foreign trade clouds.

Zhang Anshi didn’t choose that people must be reliable.

Because reliability is too subjective, there is no such thing as absolute reliability in business.

But it was important to be sober-minded, because only a sober person would not be so blinded by profit that he would offend the County King’s House and do something to betray Zhang Anshi for the sake of scheming for a small profit in front of him.

The people gathered together, sipping tea with their heads bowed, but at this time, they had different thoughts.

For Chen Li and the others, His Highness must have something big to discuss, but he didn’t know what it was.

As for Ma Yu and others, His Highness the King of Wuhu County suddenly summoned, indeed, they feel honored twice as much, not to mention the people who came, are familiar with the big names, more seem to be valued by His Highness, extraordinarily different.

However, they are also slightly worried in their hearts, this is invited, will not be His Highness lack of silver, want to find from them to make up a little silver to spend?

Their fears were not without merit; after all, it happened all the time outside of the Directory.

At this time, Zhang Anshi smiled and opened his mouth, “Everyone is here today, it’s rare to get together, especially Mr. Ma and the others, it’s really a nuisance to take time out of their busy schedules to make a trip. ”

That’s a very polite thing to say.

Ma Yu and other people, the heart of the cold, this hall County King His Royal Highness, for no reason to come to you to say such polite words, still need to guess? Either thinking about your life, or thinking about your silver.

At that moment, Ma Yu immediately said: “The grass people people, etc., rely on Your Highness for many years, if not Your Highness care, and how can have the grass people people today. His Highness ruled the Taiping Province since, on the merchants have to carry, up and down the officials, to the grass people people, etc. are also good to each other, we all say, this Taiping Province is worthy of the word Taiping, it is really the world of peace.”

He reacted quickly, first being modest, and then quickly giving Zhang Anshi a high hat.

His Highness usually take care of everyone, everyone is grateful, you can not slaughter us today a knife ah.

Zhang Anshi smiled again, and Ma Yu did not know, whether Zhang Anshi understood these words.

However, Zhang Anshi nodded and said, “To be good with you, this is the truth, to mention it would be overstating the case, but it is just doing some of the things that are part of the job.”

Ma Yu smiled and said, “But I wonder what Your Highness has to offer?”

“I can’t talk about giving advice, it’s just that there are some big events that need everyone’s group efforts.” Zhang Anshi opened the door.

He has guessed the mind of these people in Ma Yu, these guys, too much heart, one by one, they are all eight-sided, instead of circling around here, it is better to simply say their intentions.

So he went on to say: “Things are like this, now all over the world disaster, the court, and ordered the Wen Yuange Hu Gong Chin order relief, such a big disaster, unprecedented, the king of this, but quite a few points of worry, the so-called precautionary approach. So it …… also have to ask you to help, think of ways to get more food to, the king thought well, to open the new food, for one thing, have to rely on shipping, now …… we have a lot of sea ships, if the ships of the ship, to be able to return to the return trip, collectively loaded full of food back to the journey, then …… can solve the big problem.”

Ma Yu and others are a little surprised, the sea transportation of grain, is not impossible, but the profit is too low, far less than the return trip, with Western specialties high profits.

However, they were relieved because after all, Zhang Anshi was only asking them to help, and this favor was only earning less silver, after all, he had not yet made a move to rob them, which was already considered a good result.

Just the more this time, Ma Yu and other people’s face but refused to relax, because although this matter on their own losses, but just more earn less problem, is still considered easy to do, the more they appear to be difficult, is not easy to do, this County King His Highness only know that they are in order to help, spend a lot of money.

This is like doing business, the other side opened the price, if you agree too easily, the other side will not be happy, but will wonder if their price is low.

Zhang Anshi then smiled and said, “Of course, the benefits are not without, all of you ships, how much grain is shipped back, the customs side, collectively temporary exemption from tariffs, will be your food, converted into …… well …… points. And then according to the points, to give you the appropriate amount of tax exemption, in short, do not teach you to suffer.”

At these words, Ma Yu and the others were greatly energized.

If so, it means that …… their losses can be greatly reduced, after all, what they do is a long term business, both can take this opportunity to help the county king’s house a favor, but no big loss, such a thing, of course, is to beg for it.

Many times, favors were better than straight gold and silver for a big businessman like Ma Yu.

“Your Highness said to this point, how dare the grass people do not do their best, please rest assured that Your Highness, the grass people people, etc., will certainly try to do everything possible to transport food, just Your Highness need how much food.”

Zhang Anshi said, “Take as much as you can, you just transport it, you don’t have to care about the rest.”

Ma Yu Ren and the others did not ask any more questions, and answered with a full promise: “With these words from Your Highness, then it is up to us.”

Zhang Anshi said with satisfaction, “Then this king will wait and see.”

Ma Yu and other people, satisfied to go, they are shrewd people, know that this is an opportunity, in the case of their own not suffer much loss, in front of the county king, the better the performance, for their future in the Taiping Province long operation, the more favorable.

Although the merchants in Taiping Province does not have too much discrimination, unlike other provinces and counties, people for the knife and chopping board I fish meat, but there are not too many privileges, still subject to the local government, even if it is just this time to climb on the friendship with the county king’s office, for them, but also precious.

Since we have to do things well, then we should immediately develop a set of shipping methods out, how to take advantage of the monsoon and sail a good time to immediately put out a large number of ships out, and how to fire with Luzon, Annam, Java, Malacca and other grain origin early liaison, so that the other side of the grain, the first hoarded in the port early, in order to load at any time, and quickly return to the voyage, and strive to be able to transport more than one trip is a trip.

In addition …… to this ship to expand the loading capacity, there is also the problem of preservation of food, also need to be prepared.

All in all, this must be done beautifully.

Even the major shipping lines, I’m afraid there is some hidden competition, if others do better than their own, on the one hand, it is inevitable to teach peers to look down on, on the other hand, people transport more, in the view of His Highness, I’m afraid that they also feel that they are in the perfunctory.

Doing business people, the most clear but, very often, the sale is not necessarily just a little bit of small profits, to see is the attitude of the problem, there are merchants, clearly the goods are beautiful and inexpensive, but the attitude is not good, but to give a kind of goodwill of the bad impression.

Especially since the object of this sale is His Highness the King of Wuhu County, who can pinpoint them and even decide whether they live or die.

The only way to show that they have worked their asses off for His Highness’s sake is to do their best and think of all the ways they can transport more food, so that in the long run they can gain the most benefit.

…………

Ma Yu and the others had left, and at this point in this hall, only his own people were left.

But the scene became unusually quiet for a while.

Zhang Anshi stood up, his hands behind his back, his mouth pursed tightly, but his attitude was not as pleasant and modest as it was to Ma Yu and the others.

But it was a cold, unhappy look.

Yang Pu, Chen Li, Zhu Jin and the others had followed Zhang Anshi for quite a few days, and seeing Zhang Anshi like this, they naturally knew that His Highness the County King must have something on his mind.

The pleasant attitude of outsiders, after all, is only external, and now, behind closed doors, put on a foul face, which is their own people have something to discuss.

Zhu Jin took the lead with a dry smile, “Your Highness, this grain from all the prefectures and counties in Zhili should be enough to cope with the current disaster in Zhili, so why does Your Highness need to spend a great deal of effort to teach people to transport grain?”

Zhang Anshi, however, had a taut face, looked up and swept a glance at them, and said in reply, “What do you think of Lord Hu as a person?”

The question was abrupt and a bit hard to answer.

The three of them looked at each other, all seeing surprise in the eyes of the other two.

Of course, Yang Pu was cautious and did not open his mouth.

After all, Zhu Jin was a merchant, and naturally he could not comment on the high and mighty Duke Hu.

On the contrary, it was Chen Li, the Jin Yi Wei Commanding Officer’s co-conspirator, who thought about it and then said, “Based on the many pieces of information, it should be a truly honest person.”

He bites the word real hard.

The Jinyiwei has a Chitose office that specializes in intelligence research, and will produce a clearer judgment of a particular person through the countless things that have happened.

Zhang Anshi, however, suddenly hooked up a smile, only this smile obviously did not reach his eyes, and said, “Will you guys be worried if such an honest person goes to relief?”

“This …… is not easy to say.” Yang Pu thought for a moment and said, “After all, Duke Hu has a huge reputation, not to mention ……”

Zhang Anshi waved his hand, interrupting Yang Pu, “We should not take a chance, once we save a chance, then maybe …… things will develop in the worst direction.”

“The New Deal has come to the present, has also no longer allowed us …… to continue to focus only on the Taiping Province or Zhili such a corner of the land, is that the eyes to put some far. What’s more, such a catastrophe, the relationship is too big, there is a saying that people do not have far-flung worries will be near, always do the worst intention is good.”

Yang Pu frowned, said, “Once upon a time, even if we encountered a disaster, we were able to cope with it, this time ……”

Zhang Anshi shook his head and said, “Today’s times are different, have you forgotten that over the years, a large number of Taipingfu goods have impacted the countryside of the various prefectures and counties in the world, coupled with a large number of strong force exiles, has made the original ecology of the various prefectures and counties in the world, has changed? This kind of change …… according to my opinion, but will make the squire even more inferior, that is, the environment becomes the worse when this last bit of the warmth of propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame, will also disappear.”

Zhang Anshi had been a man of two lives and knew this situation all too well. The deterioration of the burghers and squires was the most important feature at the end of almost every dynasty.

When the countryside begins to wither because of frequent disasters, lack of manpower, banditry, or other reasons, almost all squires and burghers, in order to ensure that their interests are not infringed upon, will choose to do whatever it takes.

Of course, there are those who refuse to go along with it, and then they may be greeted with bankruptcy.

Now although it is not the end of the dynasty, but in fact, the new policy to give the world’s prefectures and counties to bring the impact, in fact, has been no less than the end of the dynasty of various disasters, according to the brocade guards to bring some of the report to see, this situation has begun to appear the end.

This is like eating chicken, the poison circle is constantly shrinking …… At this time, the original folkways or morals alone can no longer restrain these people who already hold power in the local area.

Thinking of these, Zhang Anshi’s face became more and more gloomy, said in a deep voice: “So I need food now, how much do I need, not only by shipping food, but also need us to get food from other places, the Department of Sea Politics this side, how is the situation of the sailors, convey the order to go down, suspend the drills, all the people …… by the size of the ships, go down to the sea to catch sea fish.”

After a pause, he seemed to suddenly think of something, and said: “Oh, right, in addition, in the absence of the disaster in the area of Jiangsu and Zhejiang, but also find ways to acquire some grain. In short, in the name of our Zhili relief, give me how much food, get how much food, at all costs.”

Zhu Jin immediately revealed a look of flesh pain.

Zhang Anshi glanced at Zhu Jin, but laughed: “There is no need to be heartbroken, as long as there is food, how much will …… be spent out in the future, we can earn it back exponentially, and we can t eat our losses.”

“Of course …… if Hu Gong is really capable, and the parental officials as well as the gentry in this place still have a few consciences, it is okay. Perhaps this is just this king overthinking, we may have to suffer a little loss. But if these people, really dare to fool around, then they are not benevolent, don’t blame us for being unrighteous, at that time, teach them to die without a burial place.”

When he said this last part, Zhang Anshi’s face took on a few touches of ruthlessness.

The words had been spoken, so how could the people dare to say anything more?

All along, it was Zhang Anshi, the County King, who took the idea, and naturally no one dared to question it.

The crowd said, “Yes, sir.”

Zhang Anshi’s face then relaxed a bit, then added: “Water Division Commander, tell him to hurry from Songjiang water fortress to me, I have something to explain.”

……

The Marine Division under the Ministry of Maritime Affairs is a change from the former Waterway Patrol Division.

Of course, the personnel were heavily replenished and the ships were added in large numbers.

And now the water division are commanding officer, in fact, is halfway out, the early years is the model battalion out, made a merit, they sent to the waterway inspection division as inspector.

And now, a group of cadres retired from the Model Battalion have been recruited to conduct some training in the area of sailors, which is considered to put up this frame.

This water division is all grassroots, everything is difficult to start, but at this time, the water division does not have a strong rival, but also allows them to have enough time, slowly establish a set of water division system.

This commander-in-chief is called Lu Qian, Lu Qian got Zhang Anshi’s edict, then rushed to the county king’s house with fire speed.

Zhang Anshi received him politely, and it was midday when Zhang Anshi taught people to set up a sumptuous table of wine and food in the small hall.

Zhang Anshi took his seat first, and then greeted Lu Qian with a bit of affability, “Come, sit down and talk.”

Although Zhang Anshi looked easygoing, Lu Qian still didn’t dare to be reckless and said stiffly, “Yes.”

Lu Qian was actually a bit overwhelmed, he owed it to himself to sit down, his body sat straight, and he didn’t move his bowls and chopsticks.

Zhang Anshi said, “When did you move?”

Lu Qian then busily said, “Last night, after hearing that His Highness had summoned me, I rushed here.”

Zhang Anshi acted as if he didn’t see Lu Qian’s discomfort and remained cordial as he chucked the fish fillet and ate it, saying on the other side, “It’s very hard work, isn’t it, come on, don’t be polite, fill up your stomach first.”

Lu Qian responded, and only then did he pick up his chopsticks and mechanically chucked a piece of meat into his mouth.

Zhang Anshi casually said, “Over at the water fortress, how is the situation?”

Lu Qian busy will mouth the mouth of meat swallowed, said: “Now there are two thousand seven hundred and ninety-five personnel, the size of the ship one hundred and forty-three, but my humble this …… is not yet proficient, so …… hired some of the people who have been to the West, as a sailor instructor, the rest of them, as long as they are not out of the sea for training, they are all in the rules of the model battalion drill. As a sailor instructor, the rest, as long as it is not out to sea for training, will be to model the rules of the battalion in the water fortress drills, I thought, the other regardless of this well-trained is always not wrong.”