Chapter Thirty-Six: Planning for Real Industries

  The King of Qing is the later famous Prince Qing Yi, his fame is not like Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong's foreign affairs, nor is it like the Prince of Chun and the Prince of Gong who have achieved something in politics, but because he is greedy. He has only been in power for a few years, and his reputation for greed has already spread overseas. Tan Yankai had heard of this Prince Qing before, but at that time Yi was just a king, with limited power. According to the old man's speculation, the promotion of King Qing to Prince is simply a matter of crossing the threshold, only needing an opportunity to complete it, and now Empress Dowager Cixi's 60th birthday is such an opportunity.

  Tan Zhonglin indeed helped Wang Cunshan obtain the position of acting Guangdong Maritime Customs, which was also necessary for Tan Yanqing to establish his prestige in the Liangguang Governor's Office. However, Qingjunwang also wanted to make money from the Guangdong Maritime Customs and gave this position to a slave servant in his mansion. Tan Zhonglin may not have been afraid of Qingjunwang, but rather thought that it was better to have one less trouble. In those years, Tan Zhonglin took risks to rescue Gongqinwang, who was closer to him by blood than Qingjunwang, the grandson of Yonglian, Qianlong's 17th son. With Cixi's temperament, it was possible for her to favor Tan Zhonglin, but he did not want to make an enemy of Qingjunwang and also warned Wang Cunshan not to provoke Zhou Rongyang without reason.

  Tan Zhonglin's expectations of Wang Cunshan were his own, but for Tan Yanqian, people like Wang Cunshan are as common as cow hair in China's official circles. Such people are indeed detestable, but in the eyes of top predators, they are just mobile gold vaults with two legs. Unfortunately, Tan Yanqian was one of these predators, and although he wasn't at the top level, dealing with small roles like Wang Cunshan wasn't particularly difficult for him.

  "Please rest assured, I will definitely remember the teachings of my mentor..." Wang Cunshan said somewhat incoherently. Although the position of acting Guangdong Customs Commissioner had flown away, knowing Zhou Rongyao's background was also very useful information for him. A superior agent like this was not someone he could afford to offend, with Tan Zhonglin presiding over the two Guangs, and this Daoyuan wanting to get a good real job was no problem at all, it was just a matter of time. Since he had already been a Daoyuan for eight years, he didn't care about one or two more years, Wang Cunshan could wait!

  Tan Yanqin smiled meaningfully and turned to walk towards the horse carriage not far away, Wang Cunshan was momentarily at a loss as to what to make of this young man, and could only frown and follow Tan Yanqin off the dock...

  Three days later, the old man arrived at Guangzhou Wharf as scheduled. The high-ranking officials of the two provinces of Guangdong and Guangxi, including the governor, provincial military commander, and judicial commissioner, as well as a group of minor officials, all stood on the wharf waiting for a full hour. Tan Yankai naturally took note of these people.

  It is said that Zeng Guofan once had a dream in which he and several good friends evaluated his life. Everyone said that Zeng Guofan's life was enough to be recorded in history, but one friend said that he had planted the root of national subjugation - although Zeng Guofan had eliminated the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, he had also caused local warlords to carve up the territory, and if this continued, wouldn't it lead to national subjugation?

  Tan Yanxian only understood the profound meaning of this scene - for more than 200 years, the Qing court had controlled the military and finances were under the Ministry of Revenue, while provincial governors obeyed the central government. However, among the Hunan Army led by Zeng Guofan, more than twenty people rose to become provincial governors through their military achievements. Behind Zeng's Hunan Army was Li Hongzhang's Huai Army, whose leaders were even more arrogant and lawless.

  The central and local governments are a mess, if the empire hadn't suffered from strong external enemies, the central government could still rely on its moral authority to have a strong-handed monarch consolidate power into a relatively powerful entity. Unfortunately, China has now become a loose sand, a governor-general who controls two provinces can make the officials of the two provinces tremble with fear, especially since this governor-general had personally beheaded a provincial official before arriving in Guangzhou, which made the officials of the two provinces even more fearful - this old man is just a crystal ball, but his son is a real killing god!

  "Father, you've had a long and tiring journey, why not take a rest now?" Tan Yanqian said softly after sending away the officials from Guangdong and Guangxi on behalf of his father, seeing that the old man was somewhat fatigued.

  To be honest, Tan Yanxin had to admit that he had some respect for the old man in front of him, after all, Tan Zhonglin's cultivation was sincere. However, this "respect" was ultimately overshadowed by "fear". No matter what, Tan Zhonglin was his father, and although the old man had been "mixing" in officialdom in recent years, he still admired the old man's clever calculations and strategic planning from the bottom of his heart. It was precisely because Tan Zhonglin was wholeheartedly helping him that when he saw the old man tired, he couldn't help but show concern - this was also sincere.

  Tan Zhonglin smiled slightly and waved his hand, saying: "People can't help but get old, as a father, I have indeed gotten older in recent years! Old three, take this away, maybe it will come in handy somewhere..."

  At the old man's gesture, Tan Yanqing took a wooden box from beside him with great suspicion. When he opened it, he found a thick stack of silver notes, all brand new and worth one million taels!

  "Hmph, I didn't think He Yi had been the governor of Fujian for so many years. The 'tributes' he receives from the local bandits every year are a staggering amount, and this is just one-tenth or one-twelfth of that. It's at least 210,000 to 220,000 taels of silver. You want to start a foreign business, I won't stop you, and I know you have almost 200,000 taels of silver that you can use. But this is for the consideration of our family's future, unlike your two useless brothers... Consider this as me giving you a push, it's all according to the official rules anyway..." Tan Zhonglin sighed and said.

  This was the first time Tan Yan had seen so many large denomination silver notes, but he didn't show any attachment to such wealth and casually closed the wooden box, saying lightly: "My son has been in Guangzhou for only a few days, but I've already heard that there are all sorts of corrupt practices in the official circles here. Wang Zizhang told me before that one term as the magistrate of Nanhai County can embezzle over 200,000 taels of silver. I really don't know where these people get so much silver from."

  Tan Zhonglin slightly furrowed his brow: "Wang Zizhan had followed my father for many years, but having left for such a long time, he's probably forgotten that I too have killed dozens of corrupt officials in the past!"

  "Prefect Wang's mansion had once secretly met with the child, and although Prince Wang was a Daoist official, his hands had become increasingly black over the past eight years. Prefect Wang quietly hoped that the child would inform their father not to be tainted by the reputation of such a despicable person as Prince Wang..." Tan Yanqin said softly.

  "Xiao San, are you going to lay a hand on Wangzi Zhan?!" Tan Zhonglin asked with narrowed eyes.

  Tan Yanqing slightly shook his head: "Wang Zizhan cannot be reused, nor can he not be used! Reusing him would inevitably follow the old path of Zhang Zhidong and Zhao Maosheng. Not using him is not feasible because in this two Guangs one mu three fen land, we are after all outsiders. Wang Zizhan has been operating here for eight years and has some foundation, not using him would be a pity..."

  Tan Zhonglin shook his head and said, "Xiao San, maybe Father is really old, but seeing you walk to this step today, Father's heart is still very happy... As for Wang Zizhan, what kind of person he is, Father knows it all too well. This kind of person can't give you much help. The previous activity as the agent of Guangdong Customs was just to ease his mind. When you think it's suitable, send him off then... His path has always been walked by himself, but in eight years, Wang Zizhan has become someone even Father doesn't recognize..."

  Tan Yanqian smiled slightly and said, "Father is now a second-grade official of the imperial court, how can he be old? He still wants to make achievements in these two Guang provinces!"

  "It's all just a matter of age, and as a father, I've seen it all clearly. The position of Governor-General of the two Guangs is quite dazzling among those below the Grand Councilor. Among all the Governors-General in the country, Li Huifei of Zhili is the first, Zhang Nanyang of Huguang is the second, and this old man and I are the third... One step further up and there's no way to go, and I don't want to return to that small circle in the capital either. Those first- and second-rank officials in the capital are not worth mentioning in my eyes; how can they compare to being Governor-General of these two provinces, where one can come and go freely? It seems that throwing away that First-Rank Minister of War position wasn't a bad move after all... But this imperial edict has pushed me to the side, with no way up or down. From now on, it's up to you!" Tan Zhonglin sighed and said.

  Tang Yan nodded and said: "Even if he is a high-ranking official in the capital, what can be done? That circle is not something ordinary people can stay in. One careless move and it's a disaster for the family. They are always on edge, like walking on thin ice. It's better not to take such an official position! The Manchu nobles have always been watching this place, afraid that Han officials will seize their power. Even if there were capable ministers like Zeng Guofan or Li Hongzhang, they would still be on edge. If someone with insufficient cultivation took the position, they would be forced to rebel early!"

  Tan Zhonglin furrowed his brow slightly after hearing this, and then let out a sigh, saying: "Zu An, your road is still very long. The key to navigating the officialdom is nothing more than the two words 'caution'. Unless absolutely necessary, one must not take risks..."

  Tan Yanqian didn't say anything either, and simply supported Tan Zhonglin as he walked towards the backyard...

  Tan Yanqing's desire to start a modern industry was not a sudden impulse, but rather the result of considerable preparation. His decision to enter the textile industry as a starting point for modern industry also involved careful consideration. In this era, "modern industrial enterprises" mainly referred to textiles, shipping, telegraphy, coal and iron mining, and smelting. Compared to the latter three, the textile industry had a relatively low threshold, was not very complex in terms of technology, and could purchase the most advanced equipment from abroad. Moreover, the latter three industries were not only commercially valuable but also held significant military value, whereas the textile industry was less subject to foreign political interference.

  Tan Yanxin also knew that the old man was conservative in foreign affairs and industry because he had a knot in his heart - ten years ago, Tan Zhonglin was newly appointed as the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and the first major event he handled after taking office was to close the Lanzhou Woolen Mill, which was established by Zuo Zongtang. The Lanzhou Woolen Mill was one of the earliest textile enterprises invested in and founded by the foreign affairs faction. At that time, Zuo Zongtang's power was at its peak, and he relied on his personal political prestige to purchase textile equipment from abroad and transport it thousands of miles to set up a factory in Lanzhou. Tan Yanxin now thinks that even with his toes, he can think of the consequences of Zuo Zongtang opening the woolen mill in Lanzhou - Lanzhou is an important town in the northwest, but thinking about the extremely limited consumer market in the northwest, it can be known that the final consumers of the products of the woolen mill must be in the east. However, thinking about transporting the products of the woolen mill out of Lanzhou would be Zuo Zongtang's fatal weakness - at the beginning, when the equipment was transported to Lanzhou, the transportation problem was a major issue, and it can be said that building bridges and opening roads were routine. In the absence of railways, the transportation costs alone could have dragged down the Lanzhou Woolen Mill.

  After Tan Zhonglin took office as the Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, he saw that the Lanzhou Woolen Mill had been in operation for three years. Not to mention during that era, even now, which of the many enterprises opened by the Westernization Group officials was not run like a government agency? The Lanzhou Woolen Mill also became a small government agency, with poor product quality, high production costs, and high transportation costs, increasing losses every day. This Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu ranked lower among the governors nationwide because Shaanxi and Gansu were one of the poorest regions, which couldn't afford the mill's mismanagement. Helplessly, Tan Zhonglin had to close the woolen mill opened by Zuo Zongtang, which was completely abandoned the following year. Zuo Zongtang, from Hunan, had left a famous saying "Hunan sons all over the mountains" after his expedition to Xinjiang. Thinking about how he had to shut down the enterprise personally started by Zuo Zongtang, whom he admired, Tan Zhonglin's feelings can be imagined. From then on, Tan Zhonglin, who was not enthusiastic about Westernization industries, became even more opposed to them. He could maintain good relations with Westernization Group officials, but he himself had nothing to do with Westernization - in his opinion, Zuo Zongtang was a great man of the time, and if even Zuo Zongtang couldn't make it work, he wouldn't be able to either. Without Zuo Zongtang's political prestige and power, Tan Zhonglin estimated that if another "Lanzhou Woolen Mill" were to appear, Zuo Zongtang might get away with it, but he himself would end up in a very inglorious situation.

  Tan Yanqing's motive was very simple, that is to make money from the textile factory. According to the information he had, China imported more than 50 million taels of silver worth of cotton textiles from Britain alone every year, which was second only to the amount of opium imports. If he could get a small share of this market, it would be easy to imagine the enormous wealth that would be generated. To put it into perspective, building a Beiyang Fleet didn't even cost 10 million taels of silver.

  Tan Yanqun ventured into industry because he had a few good projects in hand. Although he didn't study physics or chemistry in his previous life, his past experiences had many things that were not available in this era. Several low-tech and low-investment projects could be transplanted to the present to make money by opening factories.

  "There are many things in this world that money can't do, but life can't leave without money!" This is the monetary creed that Tan Yanqing has always believed in. Until now, he doesn't expect himself to be able to do such anti-heavenly things as "overthrowing the Qing government and establishing a new republic...", but making China stronger requires money, especially since he also wants to grab Japan's rice bowl and restrict Japan in international trade, which is even more inseparable from money.

  In this era, China's number one textile enterprise is still the Shanghai Machine Weaving Bureau established by Li Hongzhang and the Beiyang Group. Zhang Zhidong's Hubei Weaving Bureau has just opened for less than a year and cannot compare with the Shanghai Machine Weaving Bureau in terms of scale or efficiency, which owns 400 looms. Recently, when Tang Shaoyi passed through Shanghai, one of his tasks was to inspect the Shanghai Machine Weaving Bureau, from which he learned that last year's output of the bureau approached 200,000 pieces, a truly remarkable quantity. However, this output is only equivalent to one-eighth of China's imported foreign cloth in the same year.

  "This market is so big, if I don't get involved, the money will all be made by foreigners. It's better to participate and earn back some of their money!" Tan Yanqing thought to himself. His background was solid enough, and besides, the so-called "ten-year patent" rights had already expired today. He wanted to start a large-scale textile enterprise and would no longer be restricted by the Shanghai Machine Weaving Bureau. Currently, in the textile industry, apart from two large-scale weaving enterprises in Shanghai and Wuchang, there were also Chen Qirong's Jichanglun Silk Factory in Guangdong, which was established twenty years ago, and Huang Zuqing's Gonghe Silk Factory in Shanghai, which was established ten years ago. At least in the textile industry, private capital had not yet made much of a stir."

  Guangdong was the first region in China to have contact with foreigners, but it also gave birth to many talents who were proficient in foreign affairs. Tang Yanqian had to admit that the degree of openness in southern China today is far superior to that in the north. Of course, as the center of power, the north naturally has a role in attracting talent, but the corruption and rigidity within the Qing government cannot play a role in utilizing foreign-affairs talents. Tang Yanqian wanted to set up a textile mill, apart from writing letters to his acquaintance Tang Bowen, asking him to help, he simply recruited local talents in Guangdong to form a textile mill.

  Actually, Tan Yankai's government had business talents, Shen Jing and Kou Qing in the translation department not only had a solid foundation in foreign languages, but they also had a deep understanding of foreign affairs industries. They either followed their families to drift abroad for business or worked for foreigners in Shanghai's foreign firms. Tan Yankai himself invested his own money in industry, and although he was protected by his title as the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, it was essentially a private enterprise. Moreover, even if Tan Zhonglin was willing, Tan Yankai did not want his business to become a miniature government office.

  Under the leadership of Tang Yuelong, Shen Jing and Kou Qing wrote a charter based on their own practice. In Tang Yuelong's view, it was nothing more than an 18th-century version of a business plan - they adopted the method of hiring managers to manage the textile mill, from raw material procurement to production and sales, and the manager's salary was completely tied to the fate of the factory.