Years of the Republic of China 1913

Volume 110 A Troubled Times Chapter [-] [-] Bad

Although Fang Zida is a son-in-law, in Lao Yuan's eyes, he is only a son-in-law at most, and his weight will never be compared with Yuan Keding and Yuan Kewen.Perhaps, in a few more years, when Yuan Sizhen's child grows up and Fang Zida gradually integrates into the Yuan family, he will be truly recognized by Yuan Shikai from his heart. Now Fang Zida, Yuan Shikai is only admiring Yuan Shikai's political affairs for him. How could Yuan Shikai, who has experienced a hundred times more wind and rain than ordinary people, trust a person so easily?

In Fang Zida's mind, he actually understood this.Although Yuan Shikai cared about him carefully, and his usual care was touching, but the relationship between the two of them often lacked that kind of family affection, politeness was more than intimacy, otherwise Yuan Shikai would not have hidden it in his conversation with Fang Zida.

Now that the situation is unclear for the time being, it is absolutely inappropriate for Fang Zida to come forward directly. On the way back to the mansion, Fang Zida made countless assumptions in his mind, and finally chose the method of the Yuan family's children to come forward to prevent all this from happening.

What Fang Zida said with Yuan Sizhen was half-truth and half-false. Although he said in his heart that he was unwilling to do so, he still made this choice in the end.Seeing that Yuan Sizhen took the initiative to make a decision according to his own wishes, Fang Zida's smile was filled with joy and pride, but also with some shame.

For the next thing, Fang Zida temporarily stood by and waited for the outcome of the Yuan family's discussion.Although some tricks were used, it was worthwhile to get Fang Zida out of the dilemma.

Yuan Sizhen did not disappoint Fang Zida's hope, and she found Yuan Kewen early the next morning. Yuan Kewen was shocked when he heard the news, and asked Yuan Sizhen where he got the news.Because Fang Zida explained in advance, Yuan Sizhen just said that he heard and guessed it, and picked out a few things to talk about. Although Yuan Kewen felt that Yuan Sizhen was a little too sensitive, after careful consideration, he felt that this matter did not seem to be groundless, especially Some of the recent actions of the elder brother Yuan Keding are indeed questionable.To be on the safe side, he hurriedly found his younger brother Yuan Keliang, younger sister Yuan Shuzhen, and elder sister Yuan Bozhen to discuss with him and decided to verify it.

This verification really allowed Yuan Kewen to find out the clues. When he was shocked, he cursed Yuan Keding for wanting to put his father on the fire.As a son of man, although Yuan Kewen knew that the main reason was Yuan Shikai, he still didn't dare to point the finger at Yuan Shikai directly. After discussing, he decided to persuade Yuan Shikai together with his elder sister Yuan Bozhen.

Unexpectedly, when the two of them saw Yuan Shikai and just tentatively asked Yuan Shikai if he had any intention of becoming emperor, Yuan Shikai, who had just smiled and looked like a loving father, immediately became furious, and not only scolded the pair of children Dun, and he kept saying that there is no emperor in the Republic of China, and Yuan Shikai would never be called emperor when he was born as the president. Where did you hear this nonsense? Do you dare to believe this kind of thing?Simply confused.After the training, Yuan Shikai asked them to go back and contemplate their mistakes behind closed doors. They are so grown up and they still listen to wind and rain, which makes him too disappointed.

Yuan Kewen and Yuan Kewen left dejectedly. Although they were a little embarrassed, they were still happy.Perhaps it was really like what Yuan Shikai said, he didn't mean it at all, and everything was misunderstood by themselves.This matter passed easily in a blink of an eye, but the strange thing is that after Yuan Kewen persuaded Yuan Shikai, the eldest son Yuan Keding suddenly became more honest, and even Cao Kun, who invited Fang Zida to the banquet, left Beijing in a hurry. .

A storm just disappeared.Although Fang Zida was glad in his heart, he knew very well that this was just a temporary peace.As long as Yuan Shikai, Yuan Keding and others have the intention to call themselves emperors, no matter how they try to cover up, they will eventually explode one day.

This matter is not clear to outsiders, and even Xu Shichang and others have not got the news. The days passed day by day, as if they had never happened.Not long after, Wang Shizhen officially served as the chief of the general staff, and Xu Shichang was also approved by the government through the Congress to replace Zhu Qiqian as the chief of the internal affairs.

In that month, the Zhongyang Military Academy formally appointed Jiang Fangzhen, the former headmaster of the Baoding Army Military Academy, as the headmaster of the Zhongyang Military Academy.At the same time, the Zhongyang Military Academy opened additional affiliated military academies for non-commissioned officers, Lu primary school, and reserve military academies in several provinces.Due to the participation of a large number of German instructors who stayed in China, the teaching staff of the Zhongyang Military Academy was unprecedentedly strong, and Fang Zida also fully supported the Zhongyang Bank as the main allocation of funds.

After dealing with the official duties at hand, Fang Zida finally took the time to go to Tianjin.The main purpose of his trip to Tianjin was for China Merchants. Although the headquarters of China Merchants is in Shanghai, Tianjin, as the main port in the north, is comparable to Shanghai in terms of scale and business after its opening. there.

Speaking of China Merchants, this is a government-supervised and merchant-run enterprise established in the Qing Dynasty. The whole process of China Merchants is Ship China Merchants. There are branches in Kobe and Singapore, and the main business is shipping.

But if you only think that China Merchants is just a shipping company, you would be very wrong. After decades of development, China Merchants not only takes shipping business as the main means of operation, but also plays a great role in other business fields.I'm afraid many people don't know that China's first large-scale coal mine - Kaiping Mining Bureau, the first steel and coal joint venture company - Hanzhiping Factory and Mine Company, the first textile enterprise - Shanghai*Shanghai Machine Weaving Co., Ltd. The first bank - China Merchants Bank, the first insurance company - Insurance China Merchants, even the first railway, the first telephone line, etc., are all inextricably linked to China Merchants.

It can be said that when China Merchants was brilliant, it could be regarded as half of China's business world. However, from more than ten years ago to now, China Merchants' operations have gradually fallen into difficulties. There are obstacles from various countries outside and political turmoil inside. , The board of directors has been reorganized several times over the past ten years, but the operation still has not improved.Otherwise, when Fang Zida opened his mouth and asked Yuan Shikai for the China Merchants Bureau, Lao Yuan just gave Fang Zida the management right of Zheng Fu in the China Merchants Bureau after a little consideration.

When he was in Shanghai, Fang Zida went to the headquarters of China Merchants, and attended the board of directors in the name of Zheng Fu's major shareholder in China Merchants, and carried out a reorganization.Later, Fang Zida became the chairman of China Merchants, and Zhongyang Bank successively injected 300 million silver dollars as equity capital to order ships. Taking advantage of the outbreak of World War I in Europe, he planned to revive China Merchants' prestige.

"President, I'm going to Tianjin soon."

Beijing*Beijing is not far from Tianjin*, just sleep in the box of the train.Accompanying Fang Zida to Tianjin was not only several guards from Zhang Huchen and several capable men from Zhongyang Bank, but he also deliberately brought Jiang Zhiqing with him. It was Jiang Zhiqing who gently reminded him of his arrival just now.

Nodding his head, he stood up and washed up briefly. When Fang Zida put on his coat, the train also slowly entered the station.When he stepped out of the carriage, several persons in charge of the Tianjin Investment Promotion Bureau were already waiting on the platform and greeted him quickly.

"Are you Chairman Fang? I, Li Xinkai, are the manager here in Tianjin." The leader of the people who came to greet him was a man in his 40s who looked sharp and capable. He was of medium height and he was wearing navy blue. wearing a suit, he extended his hand and shook Fang Zida enthusiastically.

"Manager Li, thank you for your hard work. Are these colleagues from China Merchants?" Fang Zida smiled politely, and turned his attention to the others.

"This is Mr. Lian Jing Lian Zikang, my assistant. This is Mr. Zhang Ze and Zhang Xirun, who is mainly in charge of shipping, and this is..." Li Xinkai introduced each of them, and Fang Zida greeted him with a smile on his face. They shook hands one by one and said hard work.

As the manager, Li Xinkai had already made arrangements, and after receiving Fang Zida and others, he went to one of the best restaurants in Tianjin that had been prepared - Astor Hotel.Stepping into the guest room, it could be seen that Li Xinkai had specially re-arranged the room. Fang Zida felt very satisfied and thanked him for his warm reception.

"It's good that you are satisfied. The chairman is tired from the journey. Let's rest early today. I will pick you up at the hotel tomorrow and go to China Merchants."

"No." Fang Zida rejected Li Xinkai's kindness, and said with a smile: "I slept on the train, it's still early, why don't Manager Li sit down with me and have a chat? It's my first time here in Tianjin. I have to ask Manager Li."

"Don't dare, since you have such a heart, Chairman, I will chat with you?" Li Xinkai hurriedly said modestly.

"Hehe, let's talk." Fang Zida nodded, pointed to the sofa and asked him to sit down, and asked someone to make a pot of tea and come in.

"Smoking?" Fang Zida took out his cigar and asked.

"Thank you!" Li Xinkai took it without being overbearing, and helped Fang Zida light it first, before taking a sip himself.

"How many years has Manager Li worked in China Merchants?" Looking at Li Xinkai, Fang Zida asked with a smile.

"I joined China Merchants when I was 15 years old. At first, I helped on the ship, and then I became the manager step by step. Time flies, and it will be almost 30 years in a blink of an eye." Li Xinkai sighed.

After questioning and answering, Fang Zida chatted casually, and Li Xinkai gradually let go of his heart. He felt that the chairman he met for the first time did not seem to be the evil spirit in the legend. Fang Zida was not born in shipping, but sometimes when he talked about shipping issues, he often spoke to the point, which made him admirable as an old shipping company.

"Manager Li, how is the business here in Tianjin?"

"The transportation in the north is not as developed as that in the south. Now I have 5 large ships and 3 passenger ships here. They mainly use the Japanese route, and sometimes there are a few northeast routes. The capacity is about 19500 tons, which is higher than that in the south. The transportation capacity of nearly 4 tons is much less." Li Xinkai replied confidently, Fang Zida shook his head slightly, the transportation capacity of 19500 tons is quite a lot in the eyes of outsiders, but Tianjin, a big northern port, is actually so small The transportation power is really low.

"What about the overall business situation?"

"This...to tell the truth, the chairman, there are only two words to describe it." Li Xinkai hesitated for a while, and said, "Oops!"

"Why?" Fang Zida was very satisfied with Li Xinkai's ability to tell the truth to himself, and couldn't help asking again.

"It's hard to say! Chairman, if you are interested tomorrow, I can accompany you to the pier to have a look. After you see it, you will understand." Li Xinkai pretended to be tricky, and Fang Zida was puzzled. Famous?What did Li Xinkai want to tell himself?