Chapter Seventeen Joining the Army

  "Father, Yuze has paid respects to all the uncles!" After Wang Yuze had greeted everyone, he then stood beside Wang Xiao.

  "Yu Ze, why don't you just sit in on our meeting today? It will be very helpful for your future management of Chuanxi!" Wang Xiao said with a smile.

  At that moment, the heads and deputy heads of the various departments all felt a sense of tension in their hearts. They had keenly sensed from Wang Xiao's words that it seemed he was really going to go all out to cultivate Wang Yuze. However, they were extremely doubtful as to whether Wang Yuze could shoulder this heavy responsibility. Nevertheless, no one was able to stand up and oppose Wang Xiao. After all, the entire western Sichuan province had been founded by Wang Xiao, and without him, there would be no western Sichuan province today. This was a very normal thing, as it was only natural for sons to inherit their fathers' businesses.

  "Alright, Father!" Wang Yuze sat down on a stool in the corner of Wang Xiao's study, with his back straight, head held high and eyes fixed forward.

  "Alright, let's continue! Zhengping, you go on!" Wang Xiao said.

  "Yes, General! In the first half of this year, commerce in our three provinces in western Sichuan has developed greatly once again, and fiscal revenue has also seen a significant increase. It is expected to be 10% to 15% higher than last year, reaching around 100 million yuan." Song Zhengping said after flipping through his notebook.

  "Alas! 1 billion, this is so much. Isn't this already completely beyond the Qing court?" Everyone exclaimed in surprise. To think that the Qing court's fiscal revenue last year was only over 80 million taels. This was still due to the driving force of Sichuan, which made the commerce of neighboring provinces very developed."

  Wang Xiao smiled and nodded, with a rich financial situation, meaning that the three provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi would have more money to invest in industry and infrastructure construction. Of course, the military could also purchase more advanced weapons, which would be of great help in enhancing the combat effectiveness of the Sichuan-Shaanxi army.

  Wang Yuezhe was expressionless, but he was also shocked in his heart. The small Sichuan-Shaanxi-Gansu region actually had a fiscal revenue of over 100 million yuan, which was too powerful! The currency used by the three provinces of Sichuan-Shaanxi-Gansu was made of silver and called "yuan". Each yuan could be exchanged for one or two ounces of silver. The front side of the coin had the characters "" (one yuan) in large font, while the back side had a portrait of Wang Xiao, the governor-general of Sichuan-Shaanxi-Gansu. Therefore, this currency was also known as "Wang Da Tou" (Wang's Big Head).

  According to Wang Yuezhe, at the current international exchange rate, 1 tael of silver can be exchanged for 2 US dollars, and 3 taels of silver can be exchanged for 1 British pound. Doesn't this mean that the financial revenue of Sichuan Province has already reached almost half of that of the United States? Of course, it's only 1890 now, with the start of the Second Industrial Revolution, the US is able to achieve rapid growth. Whether or not Sichuan Province can seize the opportunity depends on Wang Xiao and his son Wang Yuezhe.

  "General, it's just that our business development has now reached a bottleneck. The market and raw material production areas have all fallen into bottlenecks. Furthermore, although the Qing court doesn't dare to openly restrict us, local governors will always set up obstacles for us, which seriously affects the development of Sichuan-Shaanxi-Gansu commerce. Especially with Zhang Zhidong, the governor-general of Hubei and Hunan, our merchant ships are often inspected on the Yangtze River." Song Zhengping said. The meaning is very clear: the three provinces of Sichuan-Shaanxi-Gansu can no longer continue to tolerate this, they must take some action.

  "General, the troops in Western Sichuan are all ready and can launch an attack at any time!" Jiang Xingguo also said.

  Wang Xiao waved his hand and said: "This matter will be discussed again. Going to war is a big deal, we must make thorough preparations!"

  Jiang Xingguo had no choice but to sit down, but a hint of regret flashed in his eyes, which was caught by Wang Yuezhe's sharp senses. "It seems that the military leaders are really eager for war!" He knew that if he wanted to get the support of the military leaders, he must satisfy their eagerness for war.

  "Wen Hua, how about you?" Wang Xiao asked.

  "As for the fiscal revenue, Zhengping has already mentioned it earlier. This year, our fiscal revenue will see a significant increase again. However, where these revenues will be specifically used, that still needs to be discussed and decided at a later time!" said Wang Wenhua.

  "Alright, let's discuss this matter another time!" Wang Xiao nodded.

  "Alright, and you?" Wang Xiao looked at Zhan Tianyou.

  "General, with the completion of the railway from Guangyuan and Bazhong to Chengdu, the total mileage of railways in western Sichuan has reached 5,000 kilometers, covering almost all cities in Sichuan Province. However, due to geographical constraints, it is difficult to build railways in Xikang Province and Qinghai Province. Nevertheless, we have expanded the highways connecting Sichuan to Xikang and Qinghai, greatly improving transportation conditions in both provinces. By the end of the year, we expect to complete the railways from Chengdu to Guiyang and Chengdu to Kunming. At that time, the influence of western Sichuan will extend to both provinces. However, our request to build a railway from Chongqing to Wuhan was once again rejected by the Governor-General of Huguang." said Zhan Tianyou.

  In Wang Xiao's eyes, a glimmer of sharp light flashed. The difficulty of Shu Road is more difficult than climbing to the blue sky. Even now, the passage out of Sichuan is still very difficult to walk. Western Sichuan has been planning to build a railway out of Sichuan, going north over the Qinling Mountains to Shanxi, east from Bazhong or Chongqing to Wuhan, and south to Guiyang and Kunming. On one hand, this would change the situation of being trapped in Sichuan, on the other hand, the places where the railway is built will also become areas influenced by Western Sichuan. However, now the progress in the south is rapid, while in the north and east, it has encountered serious obstacles.

  "It seems that it's really time to take action." Wang Xiao thought secretly. Between Kham and the Qing court, although they had been peaceful for more than a decade. But have they really forgotten the power of Kham?

  "Xingguo, after the meeting, you will discuss with General Xiong and Deputy Chief of Staff Cai to come up with a comprehensive training plan for the troops, in preparation for war. I hope that once the order to start the war is given, all soldiers, officers, and logistical support will be ready!" Wang Xiao said in a low voice.

  "Yes, General!" Jiang Xingguo's eyes shone with excited light. Could it be that the war was about to break out? The soldiers' chance to make a name for themselves had finally arrived.

  "Xing Rong, the attendants' room and the three provinces under the jurisdiction of Chuanxi are all making preparations, fully cooperating with the military's actions. Once the war begins, the government must provide full support!" Wang Xiao gave the order.

  "Yes, General! I will contact the three provincial governments immediately!" Liang Xingrong's old face also turned red because of Wang Xiao's order.

  After Wang Xiao gave the order, the entire Sichuan-Xikang war machine will immediately start running at full speed. However, preparing for war to launching a war is a long-term process. Especially since the Sichuan-Xikang army has not fought in over a decade, it requires an even longer preparation time. Weapons, ammunition, and various logistical supplies all begin to be stockpiled. The arsenals of Sichuan-Xikang are also operating at full capacity.

  After Wang Xiao gave the order, several directors and deputy directors of the Imperial Guard immediately executed the command. Next, they will definitely be busy for a long time. However, from their light footsteps and excited expressions, it is clear that everyone is faithfully executing Wang Xiao's command. The power of Chuanxi is no longer inferior to that of the Qing court, and it is time to continue expanding.

  "Yu Ze, you said we can defeat the Qing court in battle, can't we?" Wang Xiao asked after the attendants left.

  "My father, I have never had the slightest doubt about our victory. The final victory will definitely belong to us!" Wang Yuze replied affirmatively. At the same time, he also sensed that this was an opportunity for him. If he could establish his merits in the war, it would be very beneficial for him to gain recognition from the military leaders.

  "I hope so! Yu Ze, you must remember that our greatest enemy is not the Qing court, but the powerful nations. If it weren't for their obstruction, we would have defeated the Qing court ten years ago!" Wang Xiao sighed. Ten years had passed, and Chuanxi was even stronger now, but at the same time, he was also approaching old age.

  "Yes, Father, I will remember!" Wang Yuze nodded.

  "Right, Father, I want to join the army. As for the knowledge of military school, I have already mastered it completely. Instead of wasting time staying in military school, it's better to temper myself in the army." Wang Yuezhe said.

  Wang Xiao furrowed his brow, seemingly not expecting Wang Yuze to make such a request. However, he soon understood. He knew that Wang Yuze had also felt the urgency and thus made the change. But he was delighted to see this change.

  "Alright, I'll arrange it for you. However, Yu Ze, once you enter the military, you are no longer the Young Marshal of Western Sichuan, but an ordinary member of the Western Sichuan Army." Wang Xiao said in a low voice.

  "Yes, Father, I understand!" Wang Yuze exclaimed excitedly.

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