Luzon, provincial capital, Manila.

After more than ten years of uninterrupted construction, Manila is now a modern port city, with cement paved docks, wide, straight asphalt streets, lush green trees, rows of buildings, and a towering chimney representing modern industry in the northwest suburbs.

Standing on the deck, Yi Zhishu shifted his gaze from the towering chimneys in the northwest suburbs to the port wharf, and saw the busy scene of sailed ships and steam ships emitting black smoke, and couldn't help laughing: "I haven't been here for two years, and Manila has changed a lot." ”

Ma Yiqing, who was standing behind him, smiled and said, "Manila's rapid development is entirely due to the big shopkeeper. ”

Looking back at him, Yi Zhizhi said: "Brother Junhu has been in the officialdom for all these years, and he has also learned to slap horses. ”

"The big shopkeeper is really wronged." Ma Yiqing shouted: "This is the truth, there is no slug to pat the horse." ”

After a pause, he continued: "After pacifying Luzon, the big shopkeeper called for the vigorous development of rubber plantations in Luzon.

In addition to rubber, a series of factories built by Yuanqi in Manila, such as rubber factories, tire factories, tobacco factories, shipyards, shoe factories, cable factories, dried fruit factories, canning factories, soap factories...... are also from the advice of the big treasurer. ”

Speaking of this, he raised his hand and pointed to the city of Manila, and said with emotion: "Today's Manila has a population of more than 200,000, and the urban area has expanded more than five times. ”

"In that case, the credit for it is really on my head." Yi Zhifen smiled, paused, he continued: "The wide application of rubber has not really begun, the price of rubber still has great room to rise, the foreign trade of rubber may surpass tea and raw silk, become the most important foreign trade commodities in our country, this advantage must be maintained for a long time." ”

Is there still a lot of room for rubber prices to rise? Ma Yiqing couldn't help but be very happy, today's rubber has brought rolling wealth to the two provinces of Nanyang, if the price rises sharply, what will be the situation? He hurriedly asked: "In addition to making bicycle tires and rubber shoes, what other uses can rubber have?" ”

"Rubber is more versatile than you can imagine." Yi Zhifen said slowly: "Whether it is industrial agriculture or civilian military will be widely used in the future, the rubber of the two provinces of Nanyang has basically formed an industry, must be consolidated and continue to develop, the real golden age of rubber has not yet come, when the price is not only rising, but also in short supply." ”

Listening to this, Ma Yiqing couldn't help but be overjoyed, the two provinces of Nanyang are the most rubber, under the encouragement and drive of Yuanqi, large and small rubber plantations are all over the islands of Nanyang, if the price of rubber continues to rise, and the supply exceeds demand, the two provinces of Nanyang will inevitably be rich.

Seeing the joy and excitement on his face, Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "We can't be complacent, we can't be satisfied with selling rubber, Nanyang must strengthen and speed up the research on rubber, improve the processing capacity of rubber, and try to sell rubber products." ”

"The subordinate obeys." Ma Yi said with a smile.

"After a while, the fleet will dock, let's enter the city in micro-suits and take a look at random." Yi Zhizu casually ordered, these days have been at sea, he wants to walk around, in addition, he has no chance to hang out as he wants in Shanghai on weekdays, after all, there are many people in Shanghai who know him, Lincoln was assassinated, and the Japanese country has also frequently been assassinated by high-ranking officials of the shogunate, going out to hang out is already a luxury for him, but it is different in Manila, basically no one knows him.

The streets of Manila are as clean as Shanghai's, with many pedestrians, many with short haircuts, braided hair, and a variety of clothing, but the language is mostly Chinese, mostly Cantonese and Mandarin.

Yi Zhizhi was dressed in a long robe, strolling leisurely through the street to look east and west, and from time to time chatting with some vendors, turning two streets, the two sat on the benches on the side of the street to rest, he looked at Ma Yiqing and asked, "What is being promoted in the school is Mandarin, right?" ”

Hearing him ask, Ma Yiqing couldn't help but smile, "Yes, Mandarin has been mandatory since elementary school, and speaking local dialects in Manila is discriminated against, but there are too many Cantonese speakers, and most of the people who come to Manila to do business are Cantonese, and many people deliberately learn to speak Cantonese around the production business." ”

Yi Zhizu nodded slightly and said, "There are more people with braids here than in Shanghai." ”

After a slight sigh, Ma Yi Qingcai said: "Nanyang advocates freedom, religious beliefs, folk customs, clothing, hairstyles, etc., all advocate freedom, and it is language and writing that are enforced, but students and workers are ...... who cut their hair short. ”

"It's just a casual remark." Yi Zhizhi said disapprerovingly: "The Manchu Qing Dynasty has been in the customs for 200 years, it has been regarded as orthodox, and keeping braids has also become a folk custom. ”

Ma Yiqing glanced at him and said cautiously: "But now the common people are tempted to keep braids, and some even don't let their children go to school in order to keep braids." ”

"We can't just see that the people are like their lives now, and forget that the people in the past cherished their lives." Yi Zhizu said slowly: "We are not taking the violent route, and the times are different now, there is no need to take coercive measures, everything will go naturally." ”

Yi Zhishu paused as he spoke, and his tone changed, "However, assimilation and integration are necessary, although it has formally signed treaties with Spain and the Netherlands to occupy the South Seas, but it is also necessary to prevent the awakening of local nationalities, only complete assimilation and integration, South Seas can be regarded as truly incorporated into our country."

As the governor of Nanyang, you should be very aware of the importance of the geographical location of Nanyang, not to mention that Nanyang also contains extremely rich resources, for the Qing Dynasty, this is tantamount to a treasure trove, and there must be no difference in the slightest. ”

"The big shopkeeper can rest assured." Ma Yiqing said in passing: "The gentry and landlord class in Nanyang have been uprooted, and there is no possibility of national awakening........ ”

"Don't take it lightly." Yi Zhishu advised: "With the development of people's wisdom and the introduction of Western learning, the idea of national liberation and independence will inevitably sprout, and we must pay close attention to it, and once it is found that it is at the beginning, it must be suppressed by thunderous means." ”

"Xia Guan understands." Ma Yiqing hurriedly bowed his head.

Back at the Maracañan Palace, Yi Zhishu took a shower happily, and Lin Meilian greeted him and handed over a telegram report: "Big shopkeeper, an urgent telegram from Manila." ”

"King Xiaoming is critically ill." After receiving the telegram and looking at it, Yi Zhi's brows immediately furrowed, so soon, Meiji is going to ascend the throne? After a slight groan, he ordered: "Call back, pay close attention, and report in time." After a pause, he then ordered: "Send Xiao Mingliang a telegram, cooperate with the shogunate, and eradicate the armed forces of the four southwestern feudatories such as Choshu and Satsuma within this year." ”

Lin Meilian wrote down the telegram before saying, "The big shopkeeper, it's the end of the year soon." ”

"I'm talking about the Western calendar, and it's only January 1867." Yi Zhishu said and took the telegram and signed his name, and commanded: "Encrypt." ”

At eight o'clock the next morning, Ma Yiqing brought a group of civil and military officials from Manila to visit, Yi Zhixiang asked about it, and sent them away after comforting the officials as usual.

Ma Yiqing is also interested, nothing to bother him, busy with his own official business, and at the same time put out the news that Yi Zhixiang had agreed to build a north-south railway in Luzon, as soon as the news spread, Manila was jubilant, the convenience of the railway is already well known, once the construction of the north-south railway is completed, Manila will inevitably be more prosperous.

Yi Zhishu was not idle, and after resting for two days, he began to visit several prefectures and counties near Manila in less than half a month.

After the establishment of Luzon and Java provinces, he had the intention to use Nanyang as a pilot to try out the system of separation of powers, but it was limited to the lack of talents, and it was delayed until five years ago before the trial began, the so-called separation of powers, that is, the separation of administration, justice and supervision, in addition to the original administrative yamen in the provincial capital and county three levels of the judicial bureau and the supervision bureau, the judicial bureau chief officer grade is slightly lower than the administrative chief officer, and the chief officer of the supervision bureau is at the same level as the chief executive, and the judicial bureau and the supervision bureau are vertical leadership, and the appointment and dismissal of the chief official is decided by the superiors.

As a result, the power of the prefect and the county has been greatly weakened, and the trial and judgment of cases, the detention of prisoners, and the local prisons are all under the control of the judicial bureau, and the judicial independence is not controlled by local officials, but is supervised by the supervision bureau, which not only supervises the judiciary but also supervises all local officials, but also only has the power of supervision, and cannot interfere in the administration and the judiciary.

The advantage of this system lies in the distribution of power, easy checks and balances, easy supervision, and more professional, but the disadvantage is that the system is bloated, the separation of powers has increased many officials, and the number of officials who eat imperial grain has doubled, which has increased the financial pressure.

Yi Zhizhi took a turn in the nearby prefectures and counties, and inquired about it, but he couldn't smile bitterly, the separation of powers is good, but the local officials basically have nothing to do, and the judicial bureau can't try a few cases all year round, and most of the cases are trivial, and the supervision bureau is also idle, there is nothing to supervise at all, and the local officials are mostly selected from the new graduates, and there are very few things that are corrupt and pervert the law.

After turning around, Yi Zhixin has a feeling of doing too much, but one thing is still worth affirming, the local gentry and businessmen rarely complain about the local officials.

When Yi Zhizhi returned to Manila, it was close to the Fengya holiday, and when he heard that Yi Zhizhi was back, Ma Yiqing hurriedly rushed over, and after seeing the ceremony, he smiled and said: "The big shopkeeper can gain anything from this private visit to the microservice?" ”

Yi Zhizhi replied to the question: "After the year, I plan to go to a more remote prefecture and county." ”

"The big shopkeeper is so idle." Ma Yiqing said with a smile: "This separation of powers has greatly put an end to the corruption of local officials, and most of the officials of the Supervision Bureau are young scholars from new studies. ”

After a pause, he said: "This system is indeed worth promoting, but I am afraid that it will be difficult for the imperial court to accept, and the number of officials will increase by at least four times." ”

The financial difficulties of the imperial court are indeed unacceptable, Yi Zhixiang pondered for a while before saying: "After turning around below, the biggest feeling is that people are floating in things, and most officials have nothing to do all day long. ”

Ma Yiqing nodded, and said: "Most of the people in the two provinces of Nanyang are immigrants from the north and south of the world, and there is no clan, and Yuanqi's policy on immigration is even more uncontrollable, and the people can live and work in peace and contentment, and there are naturally few things, and the people have a tradition of easily not entering the yamen, and when the separation of powers is not tried, the local officials are also idle and idle. ”

Speaking of this, he hesitated for a moment before he tentatively said, "Why don't you send some officials to try it out in Shanghai and nearby prefectures and counties?" ”

"It's not time yet." Yi Zhizhi said: "It's not too late to try again when the imperial court implements constitutional government." After a pause, he continued: "Can't let them be too idle, three-year assessment, not only to assess political performance, but also to increase professional knowledge assessment, unqualified, demoted." ”

"That's a good idea." Ma Yiqing nodded, groaning slightly, before he cautiously tentatively said: "Now that the immigrant population of the two provinces of Nanyang has far exceeded the local natives, it can be said that the rule of Luzon Java has been consolidated, can Manila and Groba be opened as treaty ports?" ”

Yi Zhizhi originally had the idea of gradually opening up, before the closure of the two provinces of Nanyang was out of the need to consolidate the rule, more than ten years, Yuan Qi can be said to have firmly controlled the two provinces of Nanyang, in this case there is no need to continue to close, he immediately said: "Yes, for the time being, open Manila and Groba, other places can also be opened in the future, first from Guangzhou and Shanghai Customs to transfer some experienced people to build the customs." ”

Ma Yiqing didn't expect Yi Zhifu to agree so easily, and couldn't help but be overjoyed, "The big shopkeeper has long had the idea of opening up the two provinces of Nanyang?" ”

Yi Zhizhi said: "Not only the two provinces of Nanyang, but the entire Qing Dynasty will gradually open up ......." ”

Before she finished speaking, Lin Meilian hurriedly stepped in and handed over a telegram report: "The big shopkeeper, the country is in urgent charge." ”

"Filial piety died, Muren succeeded to the throne, and the era name was Meiji." Glancing at the message, Yi Zhizu groaned for a while before handing the telegram back and saying, "Call back and find out the cause of Xiaoming's death." ”