~《》~ Chapter 26 Lianyun Seeking Concession Kedingsi Black Gold (Please vote for me!)

"Prime Minister, from the time of the boycott of American goods in the late Qing Dynasty to the "Jiao'ao Incident" and the annihilation of Japan, senior American officials have been frightened by the wave of China's national revolution. They were worried that if they were unwilling to make appropriate concessions, they would be forced to make concessions. And

Since the products currently imported from the United States to China are mainly high-end products such as automobiles and machinery, with a smaller audience, raising the tariff rate will not only have little impact, but will easily win the favor of the Chinese people. At the same time, due to China's performance during the Jiaoao Incident, the United States

The government has just decided to support our country in order to curb Japan's tendency to dominate China and thereby stabilize the international order in the Far East. Therefore, we have maintained a tough attitude and adhered to the existing stance of tariff autonomy and extraterritoriality, which has achieved the current good results."

Looking at the Prime Minister sitting behind his desk, Lu Zhengxiang explained softly, then lowered his voice slightly.

"Although the Prime Minister has persuaded Zhu Erdian, told him his interests, forced him to admit the reality and start negotiations with our country, he still wants to maintain his status as the boss in my country. If he wants to force him to submit, he must negotiate with the big powers individually. In order to isolate the United Kingdom, therefore, after discussions with Shaochuan, we will interrupt negotiations with Shaochuan after a breakthrough in tariffs, thereby isolating the United Kingdom and creating a tough appearance."

Although he had already colluded with the Prime Minister, he was well aware of the Prime Minister's intention to "quickly sign a contract", so he rushed to the State Council to explain clearly to the Prime Minister as soon as the negotiations were suspended to avoid misunderstandings. Now the "Special Foreign Affairs Committee" is in

It was carried out under the direct leadership of the Prime Minister. As a diplomat, Lu Zhengxiang knew very well that without the support of the Prime Minister, the revision of the New Testament might start with a bang and end badly.

"Putting aside the negotiations with the United Kingdom for the time being. This is the diplomatic strategy we have decided on before. Negotiate with France first, and then negotiate with Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands. When we have conquered all these countries, the British will also

It’s urgent! They will naturally make concessions when the time comes.”

In the office, listening to Lu Zhengxiang's report, although Li Zicheng was a little anxious about the progress of the current negotiations, Li Zicheng still did not show any pressure, even though he urgently needed the results of the new agreement to increase the prestige of the State Council so that he could win in the future.

The reputation has been established through a series of big moves, but some things cannot be rushed.

There have been some mistakes on the United States' side, but that was the first one. Now, let's leave it to the Special Foreign Affairs Committee!

"Zici, to make a new contract, you only need to abide by one principle. We need to take back a lot of the power we need to take back. As for the bottom line of extraterritoriality, as long as it does not exceed the United States, it is acceptable. And in the concession..."

After a moment of silence, Li Zicheng, who knew that this matter involved a lot, understood that it would be very difficult to take it back directly, unless...

"Prime Minister, in the unequal treaties originally signed between China and foreign countries, there was no such thing as a concession. Its appearance was only the result of a transaction between a British consul and a Chinese local official."

At this time, Gu Weijun gave an appropriate reminder. Faced with Gu Weijun's reminder, Li Zicheng just smiled. The Treaty Section of the Foreign Affairs Office of the State Council had conducted a thorough study on the privileges of various countries in China. As for the concessions, they had also conducted research in accordance with the legal provisions of each country.

Comparison, so it can be considered as understanding.

"For the concession, we must maintain judicial jurisdiction, police power, military power, and taxation power. These four powers must be recovered. As for the concession..."

Sneering, Li Zicheng didn't say anything. He wanted to take back the hard power first. As long as the hard power is taken back, the next thing will be easier to handle.

"In the concession, the interests of the British are great, and the interests of the French are not far behind. We must ensure that these four rights are recovered. As for the rest, don't worry, the mountain people have their own clever plan!"

While he was talking, Li Zicheng picked up a note from the table and scribbled a few sentences. When he was finished, he pressed the bell leading outside the office. Zhang Yilin walked in a few seconds later.

"Prime Minister, what are your orders?"

"There is a confidential telegram here. Send it to Ou Chu now. Send it as a company secret. He knows what to do!"

With that said, Li Zicheng handed over the note. Although he was very curious about the content on the note, after the Prime Minister mentioned that it was a company secret, neither Lu Zhengxiang nor Gu Weijun knew it was inconvenient to intervene.

Although the Prime Minister is now the Prime Minister, as the chairman of ** Company, while handling state affairs, he also needs to intervene in the company's affairs, and his contact with the company is through the special radio station established by the State Council.

Looking at the two of them, they seemed a little curious, but Li Zicheng smiled and said nothing, and just warned them.

"You continue to negotiate with other countries according to this bottom line. As for other matters, leave them to me. In short, I still say the same thing. I will give you whatever you need. If you have any problems, leave them to me. As for the accusations from the outside world, I will take care of them.

Take it!"

Half an hour later, in the ** Building in Lianyungang, in the office on the 16th floor of ** Company, Mu Xiangyue, the general manager of Company 6, was sitting on a leather armchair.

As soon as he saw the seal of the secret document, he knew that it was a telegram sent by the Prime Minister and the chairman of the company. Since the chairman came to the capital to take office, his command of the company has been through telegrams, with an average of ten telegrams every day.

Fortunately, the company there has an in-house radio station, otherwise just telegraph exchanges would be a huge expense.

After opening the secret letter, Mu Xiangyue, who originally thought the chairman was giving some instructions on business operations, was stunned. He read the contents of the letter repeatedly, and after a while he said softly:

"Oh My God!"

But no one promised him, he was the only one in this office.

Ten minutes later, Mu Xiangyue once again strode back to his desk, sat on the luxurious leather chair next to the table, and glanced at the confidential telegram on the table. The telegram

The content was very simple. It was a "commercial" telegram. The telegram requested him to acquire land in concessions across the country. Of course, it was not "renting land" from the concession authorities, but purchasing already leased land in concessions from the original landowners.

Perhaps for other people, it seems that they cannot see the intention behind this. When the concession land was rented to the people, the earliest concession in Shanghai only cost 1,500 taels of silver per year, and the higher ones only paid ten taels of silver per year. For any

For a businessman, it seems that there is really no benefit in acquiring those concession lands and it will only take up a lot of funds.

"Spend a lot of money to buy a "hardcore crop" that guarantees harvest despite droughts and floods!"

At most, that's it.

But for Mu Xiangyue, who was sitting on the chair, he saw the deep meaning behind this, especially since the Prime Minister's instructions were very clear. Do not go through the company directly, but try to come forward through other people as much as possible, especially those who attract "property buyers".

"The nouveau riche came forward. It would be really ridiculous to say that the Prime Minister is only interested in "guaranteeing harvests from droughts and floods for hardcore crops."

"Concession!"

Considering the ongoing negotiations, Mu Xiangyue casually wrote two words on the pad. He could guess what the Prime Minister would do. He wanted to use "commercial" means to take back the concession, so as not to cause any diplomatic turmoil.

!

In the process of land acquisition for the Longhai Railway, the company has long accumulated a set of "land acquisition" methods, and also has a team of talents who can skillfully use any legal means to obtain land within the commercial scope. The Prime Minister left this matter to the company

, it can be regarded as the right person. Even in the concession, I am afraid there will not be as many problems as the company encountered during land acquisition.

As for the concessions across the country, if they were all acquired, there would still be... Calculating the expenses silently on the paper, Mu Xiangyue leaned back on the chair again and frowned slightly.

"Does it require so much expenditure?"

Perhaps the rents may not seem high, or the scope of the concession may not seem wide, but like all acquisitions, everything has its own price. As for the land in the concession, which is regarded by the people as "hard-core crops that guarantee harvests despite droughts and floods"

, if you want a smooth acquisition, you need to give a suitable price. After just a little calculation, Mu Xiangyue was still shocked by the nationwide expenditure on concession acquisition.

After calculating a basic number, he leaned forward and pressed the bell. The secretary outside the door quickly walked in.

"Secretary Fang, send this telegram to the Prime Minister. You will wait for the telegram in person."

The secretary came back 20 minutes later. In his hand was a telegram he had just received. The content of the telegram was very simple.

"I agree with your plan. The required funds will be temporarily advanced by the company!"

Looking at the contents of the telegram, Mu Xiangyue was stunned at first, and then smiled. Now the chairman was in his "position" again, so he picked up a pen and wrote directly on the telegram.

“The company requires 40% of the total revenue as handling fee!”

Then he handed the telegram to Secretary Fang.

"After sending the telegram, please ask Manager Chen from ** Real Estate Company to come over."

When Secretary Fang was about to walk out, Mu Xiangyue added another sentence.

"Also, invite Director Wei from the company's security department!"

This matter cannot only rely on the company's acquisition through normal channels. For some businesses, it requires the cooperation of some other means.

From Yangshupu to South Pier, there are wharves from various countries along the Huangpu River. A long list of foreign ships flying various national flags almost makes people forget that this is Chinese land. Almost every port

Chinese people who have some sense of conscience feel gloomy every time they stand on the pier and can only shake their heads secretly.

The same is true for Liu Hongsheng. Perhaps it was for this reason that he resigned from the post of comprador of Kaiping Mining Bureau three years ago and went to Lianyungang to discuss with Longhai Railway Company the agency rights to sell Lianghuai coal.

At that time, the Lieshan Coal Mine in Huaibei had just produced coal, and the Jiulonggang Coal Mine in Huainan had not even started construction.

However, foresight can always make people succeed. Before that, the entire lower reaches of the Yangtze River used Kaiping coal or Japanese coal. Kaiping coal was delivered in Qinhuangdao at 6 taels of silver per ton, with freight of 3-4 taels, and the cost to Shanghai was 9 taels.

-10 taels, the sales price is about 14 taels. The delivery price of Lieshan coal in Lianyungang is 6 taels, the freight is about 1 taels, and the cost to Shanghai is only 7 taels. The Huainan coal is delivered at the wharf along the Huaihe River at 5 taels per ton.

The freight is about 1.5 taels. Compared with Kaiping coal, even if it is sold at a low price, the profit per ton is far higher than that of Kaiping coal.

But for Liu Hongsheng, what makes him most proud is that in the past two years, not only did he earn more than two million taels of silver for himself in just two years, but he successfully squeezed Japanese coal out of the Yangtze River

Midstream and downstream markets.

When natural resources are scarce

The coal reserves are quite abundant. As early as the beginning of the Meiji Restoration

The Japanese government's coal industry has developed rapidly as an important part of the "property and development of industry". In the Meiji period, a mature domestic coal consumption market had not yet been formed.

Japanese coal is mainly sold to Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore and other East Asian regions. The output of Japanese coal is second only to raw silk and cotton silk. During World War I

Coal is one of the important strategic exports used by the Japanese government to earn foreign exchange.

China, which is also a major coal storage country,

The coal industry developed slowly in the second half of the century

Domestic demand for coal mainly depends on imported

Especially coal from Japan. After the five-port trade

Overseas coal began to be imported into various coastal cities in China. In the 1850s and 1860s, British coal and Australian coal were mainly imported into the Chinese coal market. 1866

Japanese coal appeared in the Shanghai coal market for the first time.

Entering 70 years

With the development of Japan's coal industry

In addition to meeting domestic demand, Japanese coal began to be sold in large quantities to coastal areas of China, mainly Shanghai. With the rapid increase in the import volume of Japanese coal,

In the Shanghai market, Japanese coal surpassed British coal and Australian coal in 1870 and 1873 respectively. 1874

Japan’s coal import volume is close to 60,000
To be continued...