Chapter Six: Persuading Zhang Zuolin to Go to Songjiang Prefecture!
“Father! I know our family’s situation!”
“Ever since last year, Yuan Datou restored the monarchy and proclaimed himself emperor, he has been constantly sending telegrams to us in the Northeast to suppress bandits, but he has never sent any funds.”
“You, the Grand Marshal, are living a more miserable life than the bandit leaders.”
“My trip to Songjiang Province is to silence Yuan Datou’s mouth, and secondly, to learn from my father-in-law how to do business!”
Hearing this.
Grand Marshal Zhang’s eyes lit up.
You don’t know the value of rice, oil, and salt until you become the head of a household.
Historically.
Zhang Zuolin taking over the nine provinces of the Northeast seemed glorious, but in reality, he had inherited a mess.
According to records.
“The annual revenue of the Fengtian province was initially only about 10 million, with accumulated losses.”
“Apart from the external debts of 10 million yuan, there was still an annual loss of 2 to 3 million yuan.”
After becoming the Commander-in-Chief of Fengtian.
For a period of time, Zhang Zuolin couldn't even pay his troops.
Luckily, he found Wang Yongjiang, the ‘money bag’ of the Fengtian Army!
Wang Yongjiang was considered an efficient and capable official.
He reformed the military system, vigorously developing industry and commerce, as well as military industries, which finally allowed the Fengtian faction in the Northeast to turn their losses into profits.
However!
That was three years later, in 1920!
Now.
Wang Yongjiang is still a teacher at the Liaoyang Police Academy!
At this moment.
Grand Marshal Zhang, who was already driven crazy by poverty, widened his eyes upon hearing Zhang Xue Ming mention money.
“Xue Ming, are you going to do business?”
Business?
Business your head!
Zhang Xue Ming sneered in his heart: The Fengtian Army runs the Northeast, and they don’t make a single penny at the end of the year. Instead, they have a deficit of 2 to 3 million yuan. This isn’t even as much as Yu Feng Zhi’s monthly allowance!
From their marriage to Yu Feng Zhi’s pregnancy, three months have passed.
Zhang Xue Ming has already saved a huge amount of private money, 6 million silver yuan.
Zhang Zuolin’s five direct line divisions, ten-plus independent brigades, and numerous other unnamed mixed-bag troops, cost over 10 million silver yuan per year.
As long as he wants to.
With 6 million silver yuan.
He can raise two fully-equipped divisions right now!
But Zhang Xue Ming understands the principle of planning ahead.
Now, it is more than ten years away from the national crisis in 1931.
Forget about World War II.
World War I is still ongoing!
According to history, the national boundaries of various countries are still not fully defined. At this time, he should definitely ‘build high walls, store ample grain, and wait for the king’s command.’
His trip to Songjiang Prefecture is not a whim, but a deliberate plan.
A gentleman hides his talent and waits for the right time to act!
With a single strike!
It will be lethal!
He doesn’t want to drive out the barbarians and restore the Great Xia Dynasty!
What he wants!
Is to redefine the territory of the Great Xia Dynasty.
What Zhao Xian Peninsula!
What spanning Europe and Asia!
You foreigners, do you know the principle of ‘all under heaven is the king’s land’?
…
The goal of building high walls!
Lies in Songjiang Prefecture.
Here is the junction of the South Manchurian Railway and the Chinese Eastern Railway, rich in resources, producing coal and iron, a rare heavy industrial base in the Republic of China!
After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it was known as the ‘firstborn son of the Republic’!
And his wife, Yu Feng Zhi’s father, Old Master Yu
Is the largest grain merchant in the Northeast!
Storing ample grain!
He can just go to him!
Actually.
It’s not just Zhang Xue Ming who thinks this way.
Zhang Zuolin has the same idea.
As long as Zhang Xue Ming doesn’t cause trouble and only focuses on making money, Songjiang Prefecture doesn’t seem like a bad place to go.
After all, there are many foreigners there.
Compared to the Chinese, foreigners’ money... seems easier to earn!
He forced Zhang Liu Zi to marry Yu Feng Zhi!
There was another reason for this.
The Yu family was a wealthy merchant in the Northeast.
They also controlled the entire grain trade in the Northeast.
After the two families became in-laws.
The Yu family immediately provided a large amount of grain and fodder to the army.
Zhang’s family’s marriage.
It’s like Liu Bei marrying Mi of Xuzhou in ancient times!
Without money and grain!
He wouldn’t be able to control his group of bandits.
Grand Marshal Zhang couldn’t sit still anymore.
He excitedly said, “Xue Ming, do you think… you can really make money?”
Seeing that his cheap old man was hooked.
Zhang Xue Ming felt reassured.
He was really afraid that this grand marshal wouldn’t let him go.
“Father, I’m not sure if I can make money or not!”
“But it’s better than going to the front lines, right!”
“Father! I’ve said it before! I prefer peace and don’t like fighting!”
…
Zhang Zuolin looked at his second son in confusion.
The son of this warlord.
Now he’s talking about business and peace with him!
It’s incredibly bizarre!
He pondered, “Then tell me, what are you thinking? What kind of business can you do to make money?”
Seeing that Zhang Zuolin’s tone softened, Zhang Xue Ming became somewhat excited.
“Father! Give me an artillery company!”
“I’ll suppress bandits all the way from our home. There are many bandits in Songjiang Province, and they are all old bandits who have been around for years, each of them is incredibly rich!”
“Let the cannons roar and bombard them!”
“I’ll conquer a few strongholds, and it wouldn’t be a problem to collect hundreds of thousands of silver dollars.”
??????
Let the cannons roar and bombard them!
Damn it!
Zhang Zuolin was stunned!
Is this what you call ‘preferring peace’?
Is this what you call ‘making money through harmony’?
You’re planning to kill your way all the way there!
Isn’t the Japanese South Manchurian Railway transporting goods every day, even richer?
Are you going to bring your artillery and bombard them on the railway?
“No! I’ll book a flight ticket and send you to Shanghai to go to university!”
…
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