C43 (1/2)
Chapter 43 - East Warm Pavilion Xiao Chao
The seal of the yellow phosphorous flame was crushed, Xiao Letian's arm swayed slightly in the darkness as the flame started to spray out bright flames. Immediately after, three consecutive fireballs flew into the night sky, bright enough that it could be seen from more than five kilometers away.
”It's the Mr. Xiao, it's the advisor …” The crowd was stirred up immediately as the flickering torchlight danced in the darkness. The fire dragon started to gather towards Xiao Letian and soon after, everyone discovered a Xiao Letian who had a head full of big bags of grass sticks.
”Advisor, we're guilty …” Seeing that Xiao Letian was safe and sound, the three bodyguards who were led by Xiao Hexin immediately knelt and crawled on the ground, crying their hearts out.
”Enough, stop peeing. Hurry and get Hu Niu on the carriage, it's so f * cking cold in the mountains! ” With the support of her brothers, Xiao Letian quickly crawled out of the valley and returned to the main road.
”Everyone, listen up. Retreat. Release these captives …” Xiao Letian's order confused everyone present. ”Advisor, are we not going to avenge this?”
Yes, we will not take revenge. The brothers that surrounded Xiang Jia Village have all retreated, we will not settle this grudge. On the contrary, send out spies to observe the movements of the Xiang Jia Village … I feel like Xiang Shaolong and his entire family is going to get screwed … ”
At this time, the eastern horizon had already turned slightly white. An entire night had passed, and Xiao Letian got on his horse to face the light of dawn and shouted, ”Everyone listen to me, go back to the Yi County with me. I've decided that if this Beijing doesn't have someone to invite me, I won't go in again … ”Bang!” After which, he urged his horse forward.
Just as Xiao Letian was about to lead the team out of the mountain, in the majestic ninth stage of the Forbidden City, the Small Dawn Assembly had already begun. However, Tongzhi's meeting was not in the throne room, but in the Yangxin Palace.
The empress dowager Tongzhi sat on the throne, with a pearl curtain behind his. The empress dowager of both the east and west palace faintly revealed his figure. Sitting in front of the emperor on both sides were the imperial court's senior officials, Prince Kung Yi? He sat on the first seat on the left.
And the one ranked first on the right was actually the crown prince's junior bodyguard, Ceng Guoquan, the governor of the two rivers. Today, all the officials gathered at the Small Court were of the practical type. As for those with high titles, none of them called out.
”Alright, everyone should be discussing this paper. Why isn't anyone saying anything after looking at it for a long time?” The one who spoke out first was Ci Xi.
What was passed around in people's hands was a imperial report, and the owner of the imperial report was just the new Zhang Jing from Head Office, but the person who delivered the report to them was not a simple person, it was none other than Prince Kung Yi.
The paper was written by a Manchu with eight flags called Fu Qing. The words on the cover said ”Please try to break the rules of a powerful country in Industrial Zones”, giving the emperor and the empress dowager behind the curtain an spirited look.
The contents inside the paper were extremely shocking. This Manchu called Fu Qing actually wanted to ask for an edict for Industrial Zones s from Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Shanghai, Ningbo and Tanggu. Each district was divided into five hundred to more than a thousand acres according to their respective uses. He also paid a high salary to hire a foreign engineer to design and construct the five Industrial Zones s that would belong to the Great Qing Empire within three years.
The establishment of steel mills, military factories, textile farms and even ocean fires and oil factories in the Special Zone should begin with the construction of gradually perfecting Daqing's industrial system. If the initial results are good, you can increase the number of trials, such as Tangshan, Wuhan, Jiaodong... Waiting for the city to gradually open up.
In the end, Fu Qing arrogantly said, ”As long as Industrial Zones can operate at full power for five years, this humble subject can guarantee that Daqing can create a Gun cannon not inferior to the foreigners. Furthermore, he can produce a new type of battleship that can navigate thousands of miles and carry a huge cannon …”
Overall, he had spoken very loudly, but he wasn't just bragging. There were detailed introductions on everything from the initial preparations to the start-up funds, including which country's technology to use. He even separately described the problem of safety.
The safety of this place obviously wasn't the safety of production, no one cared about the life and death of these lowly commoners, the safety that Fu Qing mentioned was the safety of the people. He believed that because the Industrial Zones was built using a foreign method, they should build a military camp with walls. The camp only allowed goods and goods to circulate, and the commoners were forbidden from contacting the people inside. This avoids the foreigners from bewitching my clear heart.
Fu Qing had copied this plan 100% according to Xiao Letian's instructions. It could be said to be the most realistic plan in the Great Qing at that time, one that would affect the least benefits from everyone.
When the paper was handed out by the Prince Kung, the entire East Warm Pavilion was quiet. Everyone looked at the paper then lowered their heads and did not speak, until Ci Xi took the initiative to break the silence.
”I think this method will work!” The first to speak was Jiu Shuai, ”I think everyone has seen what the Great Qing is like now. If they do not express their anger now, I am afraid that the foreigners will not be able to face them anymore. What's the point of drawing out a few hundred mu of land to give a test? ”Let me state my stance first. Ningbo and Fuzhou are in two special districts. I will issue a military decree for five years to make things look good for the imperial government …”