Xianfeng three years, summer. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

The Huangpu River in Shanghai is busy, all kinds of large and small ships are shuttling back and forth on the wide river, countless ships are densely moored on both sides of the river, and a sailing fleet with the sea soul flag is slowly approaching the Yuanqi Wharf, and a group of businessmen waiting on the wharf are scrambling to meet it.

Yuanqi Nanyang fleet is mostly a grain fleet, now Shanghai is the most scarf-in-demand is grain, whether it is rice, barley, corn are very sought-after, because of the war, Hunan, Hubei, Anhui and Henan grain production has been greatly reduced, coupled with the imperial court issued a large number of money, official bills and treasure money, grain prices have risen again and again, now rice has risen to six oceans and one stone, and is still rising strongly.

The rice transported by the Yuanqi Nanyang fleet is not all sold to the outside world, only 30 percent is sold to the outside world, although it is only 30 percent, but the fleet transports a large volume, there are 30,000 or 40,000 stones, and a number of large and small grain merchants in Shanghai are still rushing to buy it, and everyone knows that this is a business that is sure to make money and not lose money.

Tang Tiansheng, who was wearing a long shirt and a linen gauze disc top hat, stood far away with a coarse black umbrella, looking at the excitement with a relaxed face, he was also a businessman, but not a grain merchant but a bean cake merchant, but he was now interested in guano from Nanyang.

Last year, when he stumbled upon Yuanqi providing Nanyang guano to nearby farmers for free, he was keenly aware that this would not be easy, what is Yuanqi? Yuanqi is the well-deserved number one business group in the Qing Dynasty, and it is not enough to describe the wealth of the country, how can the business that Yuanqi is involved in be small?

Sure enough, after a few months, he found that the farmers were full of praise for the effect of guano fertilization fields, which was better than the effect of bean cakes.

He didn't come today to buy guano in a hurry, but wanted to carefully understand the situation of guano in Nanyang, and when the merchants on the dock scattered, he stepped forward slowly, and asked the crew about guano with a smile on his face.

At dusk, Tang Tiansheng rushed to the Zhenhai Mansion, handed over the post at the door, and then stood outside the door waiting anxiously, he didn't know if Yi Zhicontent would meet him, after all, Yi Zhicontent is a third-class duke, a minister of Nanyang, a governor of Nanyang, not to mention ordinary businessmen, even ordinary officials are afraid that it is rare to see him, if Yi Zhicontent does not see him, what way should he pass? The shopkeeper of Yuanqi Shanghai Branch? It's just that he has nothing to do with Yan Shikuan, and Yan Shikuan is not something that everyone can see.

He was going up and down in his heart, a sedan chair stopped outside the gate, a slightly fat man in his early thirties and dressed as a gentleman came out of the sedan chair, and after a glance, Tang Tiansheng couldn't help but ask, who is this Yan Shikuan? This is a rare opportunity, he made a quick decision, and hurriedly stepped forward and said: "Tang Tiansheng in the Xiabai Bean Industry Office, I have long admired the name of the shopkeeper Yan, and I can see ....... today." ”

Yan Shikuan was in a hurry, so he didn't have time to listen to his politeness, and he didn't know him, so he hurriedly smiled and said: "The politeness of the shopkeeper Tang, I will see the shopkeeper today if I have important matters, and I will talk about it another day." So saying, he pulled out his feet and left.

Tang Tiansheng hurriedly said: "Shopkeeper Yan, I came here today for the Nanyang guano business, and I hope that Shopkeeper Yan will say a few good words in front ......of my grandfather." ”

South Sea guano? Yan Shikuan glanced at him quite unexpectedly, the Nanyang guano business, Yi Zhishu attaches great importance to it, and he heard that it is not a small business, so he hesitated a little before he said: "Follow me in." ”

Tang Tiansheng was overjoyed, and hurriedly bowed down, "Xie Yan is the shopkeeper." As he spoke, he hurriedly followed into the door.

After being reported by Lin Meilian, Yan Shikuan quickly stepped into the study, and when he saw that he was content, he said straightforwardly: "The big treasurer, the commander of the US East India Fleet, Commodore Mathew. Perry has arrived in Shanghai and hopes to meet with the treasurer as soon as possible. ”

Perry led four steam gunboats to Hong Kong, and Yi Zhizhi knew that he originally thought that after the Wa Kingdom became a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty, Citigroup would no longer have any ideas, but he didn't expect that the one who should come still came, and he groaned slightly, and said with talent: "Let him go directly to the Prime Minister's Yamen tomorrow morning." ”

Go to the Prime Minister's Yamen? Yan Shikuan was surprised, there are only two situations when he goes to the Yamen to talk, either it is a courtesy formality, or it is official business, directly speaking, Yi Zhi's contentment attitude is very unkind to see the other party, and the ministers and diplomatic officials of various countries come to visit the Yamen in private before going to the Yamen, and the relationship between Citigroup and Yuan Qi has always been very good, and Perry, as the commander of the East India Fleet of Citigroup, is so unpopular, which naturally surprises him.

After a little hesitation, Yan Shikuan didn't ask much, and the conversation changed, "There is a businessman who does bean cake business, saying that he is interested in Nanyang guano and asks to see ...... outside. ”

Yi Zhixiang didn't plan to see Tang Tiansheng, but when he saw Yan Shikuan speak, it was not easy to sweep his face, so he nodded and said, "Let him in." ”

Tang Tiansheng was excited and a little nervous in his heart, and after entering the door, he was waiting for a big salute to pay homage, but Yi Zhizhi waved his hand, and said in a warm tone: "No need to pay a big salute." He gestured to his chair.

Seeing that the other party's tone was gentle, Tang Tiansheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and hurriedly bowed down and said, "Tang Tiansheng, a businessman in the Shanghai Cake and Bean Industry Office, has seen an adult. Standing up, he didn't dare to sit, so he stood, but in fact, the difference between the two statuses was too big, and he really didn't have the courage to sit.

Yi Zhizu looked at him twice, and saw that he was only about thirty, and he was dignified and well-behaved, so he said gently: "Are you interested in Nanyang guano?" ”

Tang Tiansheng hurriedly said: "The Xia family has been operating soybean cakes for a long time, and has also accumulated a lot of contacts in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and is willing to buy a large number of Nanyang guano for promotion. ”

Connections are channels, listening to this, Yi Zhishu was a little interested in him, and asked: "Do you know the situation of planting rice and mulberry?" How much fertilizer do you need per acre? ”

Tang Tiansheng said without thinking: "In a normal year, planting rice generally requires fertilizer per mu, that is, 160 catties of soybean cake, which is about three silver dollars, and the production capacity per mu is three stones, and 750 catties of soybean cake is needed to plant mulberry, which is about 15 silver dollars. ”

Yan Shikuan didn't understand this situation, and his heart jumped when he heard it, and he couldn't help but say: "So much silver is invested in an acre of land? ”

"Shopkeeper Yan may not be very clear." Tang Tiansheng hurriedly said: "Farming is really a small profit, an acre of land can have two silver dollars of income, even if it is good, bean cakes are expensive, green manure and manure are not cheap, and the manure collected in the city is eight quintals of silver dollars." ”

This guy has a lot of knowledge, Yi Zhizhi glanced at him, and said: "Now the price of rice is six silver dollars, but the bean cake has risen to five yuan, chasing the price of rice, what's going on?" ”

"Back to my lord." Tang Tiansheng has completely relaxed, "The price of soybean cake has risen because the imperial court has set up a card to increase the cost of transportation, and the price of rice in Shanghai has not risen much, because the rice from Nanyang has not been rated." ”

Yi Zhishu nodded and said, "How much is the right price for struvite stones?" ”

Tang Tiansheng didn't dare to answer this question rashly, and pondered for a while before saying: "Nanyang struvite is rich in reserves, it is a long-term and stable business, at present, the price of grain is rising, and the soybean cake is also rising, but in the lower theft, the price of struvite should not be set too high, one is not conducive to promotion, and then in the year of famine, soybean cake can satisfy hunger, but struvite can not be ...... After a pause, he said, "One load of three yuan, what do you think?" ”

Yi Zhizhi smiled contentedly, "You know that one acre of rice field only needs a load of struvite stone to use fertilizer." ”

Tang Tiansheng said with a smile: "In normal years, a farmer's acre of rice field is invested in three yuan, and now it is sold at this price, which can quickly open up the sales situation." ”

"This price will be a great blow to the bean industry in Liaodong, Shandong, have you thought about this?" Yi Zhishu glanced at him and said slowly: "Jiangnan agriculture is a model of high input and high output, and this model is worth promoting, especially in places where it can be harvested twice a year, such as Huguang, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Liangguang. ”

After a little hesitation, Tang Tiansheng said: "My lord, the blow is only temporary, once it returns to normal years, the fertilizer money invested in one acre of land is the same." ”

"Bean cake is a large trade, and even if it is a temporary blow, it will bankrupt many merchants." Yi Zhishu glanced at him and said, "In this situation, it is not suitable to dampen the enthusiasm of Beiyang merchants, otherwise the increase in grain prices will be even greater." ”

After a pause, he said: "In Jiangsu and Zhejiang, it is best not to sell at present, you go to discuss with the merchants of the bean cake industry office to see if anyone is willing to open up the fertilizer market in Huguang and Jiangxi." ”

To open up the fertilizer market in Huguang and Jiangxi? Tang Tiansheng paused for a moment, and hurriedly bowed down and said, "I am determined to live up to the trust of adults." ”

Tang Tiansheng, who was waiting, retreated, and Yan Shikuan said, "How is this person?" ”

"If you have the ability to develop, you can be regarded as a talent, so let's take a look first." Yi Zhixiang changed his head as he spoke, "Food prices are rising, and the people's reaction is not small, right?" ”

"It's not small, it's just boiling public resentment." Yan Shikuan said with a wry smile: "Even the workers in various factories are clamoring for processing money, otherwise they won't be able to support their families." ”

"It should be added, and it must be added." Yi Zhizu said in a deep voice: "With two or three representatives from each factory to set up the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions, so that the trade unions can safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of workers, we have to take the lead in formulating all kinds of rules and regulations. ”

Yan Shikuan listened, "Isn't this unpleasant to find yourself?" ”

"There are no rules, there are no rules!" Yi Zhizu rolled his eyes, "The interests of the workers' concubines must be resolutely safeguarded, otherwise it will not be a trivial matter if something happens." After a pause, he continued: "In addition, if the bean cake industry company wants to borrow money to buy struvite stone, give them low interest. ”

Citi Consulate on the north bank of Suzhou Creek, Jiangbei Road.

Humphrey, the third U.S. minister to China. Marshali stood by the window frowning and looked at the lights on the Suzhou Creek and the Huangpu River, the door was gently pushed open, and the commander of the East India Fleet, Commodore Mathew, who was in his fifties and had a big nose like that of an Englishman. Perry walked in.

Marshali turned around and said casually, "Drink something?" Coffee or tea? ”

"Green tea, thank you." After Perry finished speaking, he asked, "Any news?" ”

"Let you go directly to the Prime Minister's Yamen tomorrow." As he spoke, Mashali lifted the kettle and brewed two cups of green tea, then sat down and said, "I feel like he guessed what you mean." ”

"No one knows what Mr. President has given me." Perry shook his head, "Maybe he's sensitive to my identity." As he spoke, he picked up his teacup, and this time he had come to the Far East, and President Millard Fillmore had given him clear instructions to obtain a refuge base for American ships and crews in distress and shelter in Japanese waters. Second, to obtain food, water, fuel supplies and to provide a supply base for ship maintenance. These two articles are aimed at the needs of whaling vessels operating in the Pacific. The third is the acquisition of treaty ports, which is needed for trade with China and the Pacific steamship routes.

With the rapid rise of the Nanyang Navy, the Qing State has become more and more tough in diplomacy, and only after a slight mutter, he said: "Mr. Minister will accompany me on a trip?" ”

"Overnight visits?" Marshali was a little surprised, "It's a shame to be rejected, don't you want me to go with you to be embarrassed?" ”

"Let's go, it's not good if it's too late." Perry said as he stood up.

Yi Zhizhi was still asleep, he was holding a candlestick and looking at the map of Heilongjiang in the northeast, the Beiyang Fleet sent information, Zai Zhao led the Beiyang Navy Fleet to patrol north, and established a post in the excellent harbor at the southern tip of Sakhalin Island, preparing to establish a supply port, and will continue to go north to the Heilongjiang estuary, he really does not know what good ports are on Sakhalin Island.

Lin Meilian walked to the door and glanced at it, and said with a smile: "What are you looking at, sir?" ”

Yi Zhishu turned his head to look at her, "Didn't you say that you didn't see the guest?" ”

"Here comes Mashali." Lin Meilian said: "How tough that guy is, the lord should know, he can't let him wait all night." ”

"It can't be him, right?"

"The lord can guess accurately, there is indeed an old man with a big nose."

Yi Zhixiang was speechless for a while, Marshali's face still had to be given to some extent, "Let him come in." ”

Soon, Marshali and Perry walked in, and as soon as they met, Marshali smiled and said, "It's really rude to disturb Your Excellency so late, but I can't help it." As he spoke, he turned sideways and said, "This is the commander of our East India Fleet, Commodore Perry. ”

"Long admiration." Yi Zhishu smiled and stretched out his hand, "I heard that the first steamship of your navy, the USS Fulton, was built by Your Excellency when he was the director of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. ”

Did this guy investigate him closely? Perry was a little surprised, shook hands with a smile and said, "The great names of Yuan Qi and His Excellency the Duke have now spread throughout the world. ”

"You may be seated." Yi Zhixiang gave in for a moment, and after sitting down, he said straightforwardly: "Japan is now a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty, Your Excellency the General should know, right?" I promised the shoguns of Japan to protect Japan from the rest of the world, and for this purpose, I specially sent a fleet to live in Japan for a long time. ”