1855 United States Tycoon

Thinking of some things in the past, Rong Hong couldn't help but sighed again. He settled, and followed the janitor in.

Entering the door and bypassing a rockery, you are facing a set of five-entry magnificent and magnificent houses. This is the main hall of the Governor's Mansion. However, Li Hongzhang did not wait for Rong Hong here—actually is not to despise him. But the house is too big to be used for conferences, but it is not suitable for receiving guests. Generally speaking, Li Hongzhang will meet guests in the small living room at the back.

Sure enough, the janitor took Rong Hong around and arrived in front of a small door. He stopped there and said to Rong Hong, "Mr. Rong, please go straight from here. The Governor is in the small living room in front."

Rong Hong knew that this person's identity was not enough to enter this door. So he smiled slightly at this man, and walked through the small door. Inside the small door, there was another man with the appearance of a horse ben waiting there. He met Rong Hong, first came up to call a thousand, and said with a smile, "But Mr. Rong? Master Zhongtang is waiting for Mr. Zhongtang." So he was in front of him. Leading the way, took Rong Hong and walked a few more steps, passing a few plum trees, and a small and chic blue tiled house appeared in front of him. This is the small living room where Li Hongzhang meets guests every day.

Rong Hong saw that Li Hongzhang was also standing on the steps in front of the room and waiting. Seeing Rong Hong, Li Hongzhang hurriedly walked down the steps and greeted him.

"Yes, Master Zhongtang." Rong Hong hurriedly saluted as soon as he saw Li Hongzhang.

Li Hongzhang took a step forward, helped Rong Hong, and said, "I haven’t seen Brother Chunfuxian for several years. Alas, Brother Chunfuxian hasn’t written to my brother in recent years. I don’t know that my brother is here now. How about United States..."

"Lord Zhongtang missed the labor fee, but my younger brother was fine in United States, but seeing that Mr. Zhongtang was as healthy as the previous years, it really made my younger brother very happy." Rong Wing also replied.

"Oh, it's getting old, it's not useful, it's much worse than in previous years." Li Hongzhang said with a smile, and took Rong Hong into the small living room. The two of them sat down as the guest and the host. Li Hongzhang asked: " My brother traveled a long way back from United States to visit me, but what can I do?"

"Master Zhongtang." Rong Hong said, "I saw some news in United States, I don't know Master Zhongtang knows."

"What news?" Li Hongzhang asked.

"The news that Japan has purchased cruisers from Britain." Rong Hong replied.

Li Hongzhang listened, was silent for a while, and then said: "I've heard about this. It is indeed a good boat. Just because of this thing, Brother Chunfu Xian ran back all the way back?"

"Of course it's not just this." Rong Hong replied, "I heard that the Beiyang Navy hasn't bought a new ship in the past few years. I don't know, but it's true?"

"Yes." Li Hongzhang replied, "The virtuous brother also knows that some people in the DPRK are reluctant to spend money on the navy. I always feel that with the strength of our Beiyang fleet now, it is enough to dominate Asia."

"Master Zhongtang still remember the hair bandit named Wang Qinian?" Rong Hong thought for a while and wanted to ask.

"This person naturally remembers. This person's temperament is extremely bad, but he is very serious in doing things, and he is considered a very interesting guy." Li Hongzhang showed a little smile on his face, thinking that he remembered that Wang Qinian was working as MacDonald back then. The technology represents some things at the time.

"Master Zhongtang, Wang Qinian, showed me a piece of information. I don't know if this information is alarmist, but after hearing it, I can't even sleep." Rong Hong said.

"What information? Let's listen to it." Li Hongzhang was interested.

"It's about the comparison between the firepower of the Japanese naval fleet and the firepower of our fleet." Rong Hong said, "According to his statement, the firepower of the Japanese fleet has far surpassed our fleet, and even more than seven times that of our fleet."

Hearing this, Li Hongzhang's face turned gloomy, and he said: "This person is alarmist again. My Beiyang Fleet has strong guns. Although Japan has purchased a lot of warships over the years, we still have A little more."

"Master Zhongtang, after we bought our warship, have we ever replaced the cannon? Have we replaced the old cannon with a new rapid-fire cannon?" Rong Hong asked again.

This question has already involved some "secrets", although for a country like China with weak industries, such so-called "secrets", foreigners really want to know, it is actually very easy. Because my Daqing did not have the ability to manufacture retrograde rapid-fire guns, if my military ships were replaced by new rapid-fire guns, it would only be imported from foreign countries. In this way, it is actually quite simple for some foreigners in need to find out these news. Li Hongzhang also knew this, so after a little thought, he told Rong Hong:

"The price of the new artillery is too expensive. Besides, the naval guns on the warships are in good condition and can be replaced at all times. In addition, if they need to be replaced, the British must be asked to construct and remodel them. The British ask for an even more ridiculously high price. If the British were not allowed to change, the British claimed that they would no longer be responsible for the maintenance of warships..." At this point, Li Hongzhang could not help but sighed. They own warships, but he said that the British would definitely get the cheap money back by jamming spare parts and repairs, which is not unreasonable."

Hearing this answer, Rong Hong knew that what Wang Qinian told him that the Beiyang Fleet didn't even have a rapid-fire gun to guess that it was true. So he said: "Wang Qinian showed me the configuration of all Japanese purchased warships and a table of Japan's procurement of rapid-fire guns in recent years. According to the figures on this table, almost all Japanese purchased warships have masters. The guns have been replaced with rapid-fire guns. These guns have a rate of fire ten times that of old artillery. If this is the case, I am afraid that Wang Qinian’s claim that the Japanese fleet’s firepower is several times that of our army is not all alarmist."

After hearing this, Li Hongzhang was silent for a while, and after a while, he said: "Wang Qinian is doing business for the Macdonald Arsenal. Maybe he will exaggerate it. But brother Chunfu, the form you mentioned may be for the old man. Brother, let me see?"

Wang Qinian did not allow Rong Wing to copy this form, but Rong Wing’s memory is very good. After reading it a few times, he memorized almost all the content inside. After Wang Qinian left, he would compile all these comparison tables. It was written silently. Now seeing Li Hongzhang ask, he took out these forms from his purse and handed them over.

Li Hongzhang took these forms and said to Rong Hong, "Let me take a look at it slowly, brother." Then he looked at it carefully. Speaking of the list grid, it was originally introduced from foreigners, especially when he was doing business with the McDonald Consortium that year. Li Hongzhang saw a lot of various forms, so for this kind of things, Li Hongzhang is already quite familiar.This table is extremely detailed. It not only includes the various conditions of the Japanese fleet's warships at the time of purchase, including displacement, speed, firepower equipment, and even the various conditions of repairs and modifications of these warships outside Japan, as well as the history of Japan’s Foreign purchase of various accessories, as well as weapons or other equipment used to improve warships.

"Where did he get all these news?" Li Hongzhang couldn't help asking.

"Most of them are from various public newspapers." Rong Hong replied, "My brother also checked. A lot of data can indeed be found in local newspapers."

"Yeah." Li Hongzhang hummed softly and looked down at the form again. After a while, the first page was finished, and Li Hongzhang turned to the second page and continued reading. After reading several pages like this, suddenly, his hand to turn the page paused slightly, because at the beginning of the table on this page was written this line: A list of the conditions of the Beiyang Navy's warships.

The content of this table is no different from the above. It is the initial state of ships purchased by the Beiyang Navy, the number of maintenance operations abroad over the years, and the number of purchases of various accessories. Li Hongzhang is not very clear about whether the information about Japan is true, but the analysis of the situation of the Beiyang Navy is not reliable, Li Hongzhang still knows well. From what he knew, the information on this form was quite accurate.

"Oh!" Li Hongzhang sighed for a long time, put down the form in his hand, and said to Rong Hong, "Sun Tzu said:'Knowing yourself and the enemy, a hundred battles are not dead.' From today's point of view, the Qing Dynasty and the Westerners have almost never won. It is true. There is a reason for it. Anyone who sells or sells can produce such meticulous information. This is really...this is...oh..." Li Hongzhang wanted to find a word to describe it, but suddenly realized that he couldn't find anything suitable. He had to sigh again.

Rong Hong said: "Zhongtang, I also have a table of Japan's fiscal revenue and expenditure in recent years that Wang Qinian gave me, but it is very rough."

"Oh, show me quickly." Li Hongzhang said.

Rong Hong handed this form over. Li Hongzhang looked at it. Compared with the above table, this table is indeed a lot rougher, with only large figures for annual fiscal revenue and expenditure. From this point of view, at least in recent years, Japan’s fiscal revenue has reached the level of 100 million yen. , Converted into Kuping silver, it is probably more than 70 million taels, which is not much different compared to my annual fiscal revenue of 80 million taels. And there is a figure that is particularly shocking, that is, Japan's military expenditure has reached about 30% of the entire fiscal revenue. The navy's military expenditure alone accounts for 15% of the entire fiscal revenue.

Li Hongzhang knew that the naval expenses of my Qing Dynasty accounted for only a few percent of fiscal revenue at most, which was just barely enough to maintain the fleet. So another question immediately popped up in his head: "The Japanese are paying such high naval expenditures, how can they afford it in the long run? If you spend so much money, you can’t make anything, then the money Didn't it fall for nothing?"

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