Don't worry about King Gong? Yi Zhizu leaned back slightly, and said, "Isn't Huifu worried about King Gong too?" ”

For a long time, Zhao Liewen has prejudices about King Gong Yi, and he doesn't need to hide it at all, so he nodded and said: "The Queen Mother is virtuous and cautious, and can focus on state affairs, but King Gong is not, she likes to be adventurous, disregards the overall situation, and is difficult to control. ”

Yi Zhixiang smiled and said: "Yi Yi is indeed not the ideal candidate for prime minister, but compared to his brothers, he is the most suitable, besides, he is also indispensable for advocating and promoting the constitution, we can't cross the river and tear down the bridge." ”

After a pause, he continued: "The constitution of the Qing Dynasty was pushed too fast, and a smooth transition was needed, and King Gong was the current emperor's uncle, and he was appointed prime minister, which was conducive to pacifying the Manchus and stabilizing the court situation, which was irreplaceable by Su Shun.

Su Shun was the son of Prince Zheng and a member of the Yuanzhi clan, and if he succeeded King Gong, a good transition would be formed, and after eight or twelve years, the Qing Dynasty would be expected to implement a true constitutional government. As for Yi Yi's difficulty in control, there is no need to worry, he can't make waves. ”

After a slight sigh, Zhao Liewen said: "The expansion of the northwest should be in the past two years, once the northwest starts a war, the country will be empty and ......." ”

"Send a part of the Eight Banners New Army to the northwest." Yi Zhizhi said without hurry: "The rest will be mixed, and he will not be allowed to get involved in military power and financial power, even if he has the ability to turn the sky upside down, it will be in vain." ”

Seeing that he had already considered it, Zhao Liewen didn't say much, and said instead: "For King Gong to become the prime minister, the Queen Mother should have some concerns, so it's better to make a secret break." ”

Yi Zhishu nodded and said, "Okay, Huifu drafts one." ”

After Qingming, Shanghai has entered the annoying rainy season, the drizzle is endless, a train slowly enters the Shanghai platform in the drizzle, the door opens, countless passengers flock out, and instantly form a surging crowd on the platform.

Ding Baozhen, who was wearing a blue robe with braids, did not rush to get off the train, but sat on the seat and looked at the crowd on the platform through the window, and Chen Jin, an accompanying staff, said softly: "In less than 30 years, the population of Shanghai has surpassed Jiangning and has become the largest city in the southeast...... ”

"It's not just the population that surpasses Jiangning." Ding Baozhen said softly: "Today's Shanghai can be called the political, military, financial and economic, industrial and commercial, scientific and technological and cultural center of the entire Qing Dynasty, attracting thousands of people of all kinds every day...... Vitality. ”

Chen Jin smiled when he heard this, "Shanghai is indeed a miracle, and it's no wonder that they want to set up the Advisory Bureau in Shanghai." ”

While the two were talking, the attendant stepped forward and reminded softly, "My lord, the carriage is empty." ”

"Get out of the car." Ding Baozhen stood up and shook off his long shirt as he spoke, and walked to the door without hurrying, no one in the same carriage as him would have thought that this person in his fifties with a long beard, no smile, and an old master would be the governor of Jiangsu.

Ding Baozhen, a native of Niuchang Town, Pingyuan, Guizhou, a three-year jinshi in Xianfeng, successively served as a scholar and editor of the Hanlin Academy, the prefect of Yuezhou, the prefect of Changsha, and the envoy and political envoy of Shandong.

The four-wheeled carriage drove briskly on the smooth asphalt road, Ding Baozhen looked out the window with great interest to look at the street scene outside, he came to Shanghai for the matter of the Advisory Bureau, and now the Advisory Bureau has become the hottest topic in the provinces of the Qing Dynasty, and the governors of all provinces regard the Advisory Bureau as a top priority to grasp.

Zhennan Wangfu, Changle Book House.

“..... According to the intelligence of the port and railway station of Tianjin, the British brought 30,000 guns and a large amount of ammunition. Ren An said and added, "There is also a batch of machinery and equipment, which should be used to prepare for the construction of the ammunition factory." ”

Seeing Yi Zhicontent, Yan Yangtian said slowly: "It is now the end of March, the spring plowing and sowing season has passed, the famine of the Wa Kingdom will continue, and there is no need to carry out large-scale purging ...... war. ”

Yi Zhizu nodded slightly, and said, "The monk Greenqin led his troops to stay in the Wa Kingdom to continue the clean-up, and the other troops were transferred to Tianjin one after another. ”

"Headmaster." Yan Yangtian hurriedly said: "Yang Xiuqing's military discipline is scattered...... It is inevitable that the troops stationed in Tianjin will be ......slackened for a long time, so it is better to station their troops in Fukuoka for training, after all, the garrison in Tianjin is focused on deterrence. ”

Speaking of Yang Xiuqing's department, Yi Zhishu also felt a headache, the officers and soldiers of the New Sixth Army formed by the Taiping Army said that almost all of them were veterans of a hundred battles, with strong combat power, and they dared to fight, but the military discipline was loose, and he groaned slightly, so he said: "Okay, let Yang Xiuqing come to Shanghai for a trip." ”

Seeing that it was a slit in the words, Zhao Liewen said slowly: "Big shopkeeper, Yuan Qi has developed tea gardens and silkworm bases on a large scale in the Wa Kingdom over the years, and the war is over, and it is necessary to restore ...... as soon as possible." ”

Yi Zhishu nodded, "Organize immigrants from Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong and other coastal provinces to attract experienced tea farmers and mulberry farmers with the most preferential policies." ”

Before the words fell, Lin Meilian reported at the door: "The big shopkeeper, Ding Baozhen, the governor of Jiangsu, is asking to see him outside." ”

Yi Zhizhi smiled and said, "It's just right to come, invite him in." Seeing this situation, Ren An and Yan Yangtian hurriedly got up and retired, and the two of them retreated, and Yi Zhengxing, who had not spoken, spoke: "Why don't you sell the tea garden mulberry forest in the Wa Kingdom, so that Yuan Qi can not only get a lot of income, but also avoid paying a large amount of immigration fees." ”

Hearing this, Yi Zhizhi smiled contentedly: "The purpose of conquering the Wa Kingdom is to permanently incorporate the Wa State into the territory of the Qing Dynasty, which of the two ways is better?" ”

Yi Zhengxing hesitated and said: "This entry and exit, the price is inevitably too great." ”

"A loss-making deal like this, Yuan Qi has done a lot." Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "In the short term, this is a loss-making business, but in the long run, it is a steady profit." ”

"Sure to make money or not to lose money?" Yi Zhengxing was a little puzzled, and couldn't figure it out for a while, how could he make a steady profit when it was a loss-making business?

Zhao Liewen explained with a smile: "The Japanese state is included in my Qing Dynasty territory, and Yuanqi naturally cannot continue to monopolize the trade with the Japanese as before, but Yuanqi can continue to monopolize the trade with the Japanese with the most preferential policy, which is a double win." ”

Yi Zhizhi smiled contentedly, got up and said, "Yahuang is here, welcome you." ”

Ding Baozhen walked into the courtyard, raised his eyes and saw Yi Zhishu standing on the steps outside the study to greet him, he hurriedly quickened his pace, he had also seen several princes in Beijing, all of them were amazingly big, and the officials below the supervision did not look at the seats at all, let alone go out to greet them, it was unimaginable.

Walking quickly to him, Ding Baozhen arched his hand and smiled: "I have killed the lower officials, how dare I be the prince in person." ”

"Yahuang should be greeted by the king." Yi Zhixiang smiled and returned the salute, and then introduced: "Mr. Zhao doesn't need to be introduced, this is a dog, okay." ”

Yi Zhengxing waved his hand obediently, "The kid has seen Master Ding." ”

Yi Zhengxing is son-in-law is a serious son of eight hundred, how dare Ding Baozhen accept his courtesy, hurriedly turned sideways to avoid it, and arched his hand: "Don't kill the old man." Saying that, he saluted Zhao Liewen again.

Entering the room and taking a seat, Ding Baozhen said straightforwardly: "The Jiangsu Consultative Bureau was originally planned to be set up in Jiangning and Suzhou, but all the parliamentarians wanted to merge the Consultative Bureau into one and set the Advisory Bureau in Shanghai. ”

After a slight sigh, Yi Zhizhi said: "Shanghai has an open atmosphere and is also the political and economic center of the southeast, and it is quite appropriate for the Jiangsu Consultative Bureau to be located in Shanghai. As he spoke, he asked rhetorically: "All the members of Jiangsu's Advisory Council have been elected?" ”

Ding Baozhen hurriedly said: "A total of one hundred and sixty, all of them have been selected." ”

The election of members of the Council is based on a re-election system, in which the first round is the electorate elects the candidates, and in the second round, the candidates elect the full members from among themselves.

Yi Zhizhi then asked, "How many candidates are there?" What is the ratio of full councillors to candidates? How many voters are there? What percentage of the electorate is the total population? ”

Ding Baozhen was sweating when he was asked these questions, he didn't expect Yi Zhishu to ask so carefully, but fortunately, he knew the basic situation of the province and the election situation of the Consultative Bureau, and he groaned slightly, before he spoke: "There are more than 1,700 candidates, and the official councilors are about 10% of the candidates, the total number of voters is more than 150,000, and the proportion of voters in the total population is 5/1,000. ”

Yi Zhishu pondered for a moment before looking at Yi Zhengxing and said, "What is the proportion of voters in England to the total population?" ”

After hesitating, Yi Zhengxing said: "The child only remembers the data of England in 1833, the proportion of voters in the total population was 3.3 percent, and this proportion is steadily increasing every year, and it is estimated that it should have reached 5 percent or even higher. ”

Listening to the conversation between the two fathers and sons, Ding Baozhen said with a wry smile: "This is the first election in the Qing Dynasty, and the low proportion is normal. ”

Yi Zhizu sighed lightly and said: "It is said that the idea of constitutionalism has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and it will be completely exposed in one election, and the situation in Jiangsu should be the best among all provinces. ”

Zhao Liewen's expression was also a little gloomy, the revised "Advisory Council Charter" and election rules have been relaxed as much as possible, and the proportion is still so low that it is really a little ugly.

"Take your time." Yi Zhifu quickly cheered up, "In a country with more than 2,000 years of imperial power, how can the road to constitutionalism be so smooth, take your time, ten years will not work, another ten years, with the implementation of constitutionalism, the situation will inevitably gradually improve." ”

"That's what the prince said." Ding Baozhen echoed: "Everything is difficult at the beginning, after all, this is the first election that has never been found, and many people don't understand, are not enthusiastic, and have scruples, which is normal." ”

After a slight sigh, Yi Zhizhi said: "Call the provinces, and they will make statistics and archives of the election situation of the Consultative Bureau, so that it can be compared later." ”

"Yes." Zhao Liewen hurriedly responded.

After lighting a cigarette, Yi Zhishu then asked: "The elected parliamentarians are all officials, gentlemen, and business gentry, right?" ”

Ding Baozhen nodded and said, "Lord Mingjian, the elected legislators are either gentry who have held official positions in the central or local government, or gentry with traditional fame, or scholars with new education, or business gentry with rich assets. ”

After a pause, he continued: "As the following officials have seen, the main reason is that they do not have enough understanding of the election, and the competitive style of taking interests as the link in the election, that is, canvassing for votes, has not appeared at all.

They all believe that the elected legislators rely on their own knowledge, literacy, and public morality and other cultural high status to win the support of the people, in short, as long as there is a certain amount of prestige and prestige, they can become a legislator.

In the West, it was a campaign, and in the Qing Dynasty, it was to convince people with virtue and take the initiative to let the virtuous, and after the gentry were elected, they repeatedly resigned from their seats, and they were also rumored to be beautiful. ”

Listening to this, Yi Zhixin had a bitter smile, no wonder the elected parliamentarians are all 'gentlemen', this kind of election situation, it is strange that ordinary people can be elected! It seems that the election culture of the West will not be accepted in the Qing Dynasty for a while.

Take your time, you can't eat fat in one breath, I was relieved, and I was content to change the topic, "The Japanese country has experienced war and a rare famine, the population has plummeted, and there is no one in ten, and now a large number of immigrants are needed, especially tea farmers and mulberry farmers, Yuanqi will provide a generous immigration policy, you first follow the statistics and statistics of the prefecture and county, this is also an alternative relief to the poor, don't be exploited." ”

Since the Yuanqi expedition to Nanyang, these years Yuanqi has been uninterrupted immigration, the generous immigration policy has long been widely known, the early immigrants to the two provinces of Nanyang are now living in abundance, if this is the living advertisement of Yuanqi immigrants, today's Yuanqi immigrants are not as difficult as the beginning, often as soon as the news comes out, the general poor households are flocking to it.

When he heard that he was going to immigrate to the country on a large scale, Ding Baozhen was naturally happy, and quickly nodded: "The country is only a few days away from Jiangsu, and there should be many people who are willing to emigrate. ”

Seeing Ding Baozhen away, Yi Zhishu glanced back at Zhao Liewen and Yi Zhengxing, and said, "I'll give you a task to compare the tax situation between the Qing Dynasty and Britain and France." ”

Zhao Liewen was stunned for a moment, and said tentatively: "The big shopkeeper is ready to innovate taxes? ”

"What do you think?" Yi Zhixiang said slowly: "Does Hui Fu know that the taxes of the Qing Dynasty are higher or lower than those of Britain and France?" ”

Zhao Liewen really didn't know about the tax situation in Britain and France, so he immediately looked at Yi Zhengxing, "You should know something?" ”

"It's not very clear." Yi Zhengxing said: "However, I think it should be higher in Britain and France." ”