The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 352: Eight Banners New Army, Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang! (Please subscribe and vote)

"Dao Pu, Zeng Yi, Bo Wen, Xia Jun, Sheng Fu, Xian Xian, do you all know what Emperor Xianfeng meant? Why is he selling official positions and sending the Eight Banners soldiers to the battlefield to die? What happened in the country during my absence?"

Shanghai, Yu Garden, Dianchun Hall. After sending off Ronglu, who was delivering a letter for Imperial Concubine Yi, Luo Xueyan immediately called over his subordinates and aides to inquire about the situation in the court.

The people he named now, Wu Jianzhang, Cheng Fupei, Wang Kuiyi, Weng Tongjue, Weng Tonghe, and Qian Zhenchang, were all his subordinates and aides who did not go to Japan with him. Among them, Weng Tonghe was a newcomer who had just joined the company today and had come from Beijing with Ronglu, so he must have known the situation best.

Now that he heard the question from his immediate superior, he naturally had no choice but to answer, "General Xue, the emperor is selling the local vacancies in the southeastern provinces this time because he really has no money to spend. The court in Beijing has been making new policies these days, and the first of these new policies is military reforms, including setting up a new army, purchasing foreign weapons, and hiring foreign generals.

In addition, Prince Gong also proposed to open an ordnance factory in Tianjin, introduce foreign craftsmen and machines, and produce guns and cannons. He also wanted to open Tongwenguan to train foreign affairs talents.

Which of these new policies and foreign affairs did not cost a lot of money? At the same time, the court had to deploy troops for defense in many places, which also cost money. Although the court banned mining and tobacco, and made money by selling mines and forest farms outside the Great Wall, and implementing a monopoly on foreign tobacco, there was still not enough money to spend.

So I thought of taking some money from Marshal Xue, Lord Zeng, and Lord Zuo. Isn't this just a desperate attempt to find a cure?"

Actually, it’s not!

Luo Xueyan thought to himself, "It's hard to say whether Zeng Guofan has money or not, after all, he only has half of Huai Salt. But I am making a lot of money guarding Shanghai! The customs office alone can collect 600,000 silver dollars in import and export taxes a month!"

In addition, Shanghai also has a lot of exorbitant taxes and fees, including commercial tax, salt tax, land tax, deed tax, stamp tax, city wall tax, etc.!

Moreover, Luo Xueyan had already started the foreign cigarette monopoly in Shanghai when Xianfeng had just started it in the north. He also implemented the business licenses for casinos and brothels, which could make him more money.

Not to mention how much the booming real estate industry in Shanghai can contribute to General Luo.

Therefore, Shanghai’s monthly tax revenue exceeded 800,000 yuan at the end of last year, and it was only in the fourth year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign that it exceeded one million silver dollars!

One million a month means twelve million a year!
When the Qing Dynasty was still in turmoil, the annual income was only about 40 to 50 million.

The tax for one city is as high as 12 million. This gives us an idea of ​​how much wealth is concentrated in Shanghai today.

The total expenses of the Shanghai Governor's Office, the Nanyang New Army, the Nanyang Minister's Office, the Nanyang Naval Association, the Jiang Customs Office, the monthly tribute to Hong Xiuquan in Tianjing, the "respect" to the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Wu Wang Mansion, etc. would never exceed 400,000.

Therefore, the Shanghai Military Governor's Office could save a large sum of money in its account at HSBC Bank every month!

"General Xue, we really have too much money in our account to spend right now, so why not buy a few official positions to expand our power!"

After Weng Tonghe finished speaking, his brother Weng Tongjue continued, "It seems that the court intends to sell the officials in the territories that the marshals can actually control to the marshals' mansions. This is legitimate.

Marshal Xue, I think we can first set up a Shanghai Prefecture, and incorporate the several counties and prefectures directly under the Shanghai Military Governor's Office into the Shanghai Prefecture. The Shanghai prefect will naturally buy them first, and then the several counties and prefectures under them will also be bought.

Then we will buy Susong Town. The Susong Town General's Mansion is located on Chongming Island. Although it is now just an empty shell, it is still a town and a naval town. If we don't buy it, it might be taken away by someone else, and it would be embarrassing for you, Marshal Xue, if they pull down the flag."

Luo Xueyan nodded slightly but said nothing.

The idea of ​​establishing Shanghai Prefecture is a good one!

However, the other positions are not that important. With the Nanyang New Army and the Taiping New Army, there is nothing to worry about.

Luo Xueyan's "chief steward" Wu Jianzhang took over and said: "Marshal Xue, you can also get the official positions of Minister to Japan, Minister to the United States, Consul to California, Consul to Nagasaki, Governor of Ryukyu, Governor of Lanfang, Governor of Sulu, Governor of Vietnam, Governor of Siam, etc.

These are the righteous reputations you have demonstrated overseas!"

Wu Jianzhang certainly now knows how "close" the relationship between Luo Xueyan and Luo Yaoguo is! They are inseparable and as close as one person!

Only by obtaining these diplomatic positions can Luo Yaoguo and Luo Xueyan expand their "selling piglets" business and export the surplus population!

"These diplomatic posts must indeed be taken!" Luo Xueyan frowned, "Foreigners generally do not recognize ministers and consuls sent by local officials. What else can be bought?"

What else to buy?
Wang Kuiyi remembered what Ronglu had said to him a while ago, so he smiled and asked, "Marshal Xue, do you want to buy the governor of Jiangsu?"

Cheng Fupei immediately shook his head and said, "What's so good about being the governor of Jiangsu? Xuzhou, Huai'an, and Haizhou in the north are all occupied by Zeng Disheng. Xue Shuai can't get it even if he becomes the governor-general of Liangjiang! It's better to buy a governor of Zhejiang!"

"But Marshal Xue is an official from Shanghai. How could he buy the position of Governor of Zhejiang?" Qian Zhenchang shook his head, expressing his confusion.

Luo Xueyan's eyes lit up, and just as he was about to typeset, Zhao Liewen on the side spoke first: "Why buy the Governor of Zhejiang? If you want to buy one, buy the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang! The Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang is more senior than the Governor of Zhejiang, and can also manage the affairs of Fujian Province. Isn't this better than buying a Governor of Zhejiang?"

Luo Xueyan slapped his thigh with a "pa" sound: "Father Hui is right! We are buying something anyway, why not buy a governor? A governor is not much more expensive than a governor, right?"

Weng Tonghe shook his head and said, "But the Governor of Fujian and Zhejiang cannot possibly stay in Shanghai. If you go to Zhejiang, what will happen to Shanghai?"

Zhao Liewen smiled and said, "The Shanghai military governorship is not a permanent position. Marshal Xue can just set up the Nanyang Minister's Office in Shanghai and put the new army under it. Then appoint a reliable Shanghai prefect and Shanghai general. Then Marshal Xue can lead the Nanyang new army to Hangzhou to take office. If Zuo Jigao can buy the governor of Zhejiang, then the two posts of governor and governor of Zhejiang will belong to Marshal Xue and Marshal Zuo. The court will only have one admiral and one general left in Zhejiang!"

Luo Xueyan thought to himself: "If this can really be accomplished, not to mention Fujian, Zhejiang Province can probably be taken over!"

Thinking of this, he asked again: "Then, what does it mean that Emperor Xianfeng wants me, Lord Zeng, and Lord Zuo to invite the Eight Banners soldiers together?"

Weng Tonghe smiled and said, "It's still for the money."

"What?" Luo Xueyan didn't understand for a moment, "Does he want to give away all those Eight Banners soldiers?"

"Of course that's impossible," Weng Tonghe shook his head. "The emperor's intention should be that several generals come forward to ask the court for people, and the court will use this as an excuse to transfer the Eight Banners soldiers to the south. Those Eight Banners soldiers will definitely not agree, so the emperor can use this to reduce the iron crops of the Eight Banners children, and won't the money be saved?"

"Are those Eight Banners descendants so easy to talk to?" Luo Xueyan was a little skeptical.

Weng Tonghe smiled and said, "I don't know about this. Maybe the emperor has some other tricks?"

Luo Xueyan smiled and said, "This is not very kind. I have to think of some ideas for those Eight Banners!" He looked at the people around him and said with a smile, "How about I take the title and ask the court to set up a new Eight Banners army?"

"Zhonghua, I have read the letter from the Imperial Concubine, and I have also informed several of my colleagues and Zuo Jigao from Ningbo!"

Three days later, in Dianchun Hall, Luo Xueyan smiled and said to Ronglu who came to listen to the news: "I don't want to be the governor of Jiangsu. I really can't show my talents in Jiangsu."

"is it?"

Ronglu nodded, feeling a little disappointed.

"But I am somewhat interested in the position of Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang!"

Luo Xueyan's next words made Ronglu's eyes light up.

The Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang is more senior than the Governor of Jiangsu!
The bigger, the more expensive it must be!
Besides, it's not easy to handle, and he, who has some connection with it, can definitely put more money into his pocket.
(End of this chapter)