Chapter 36

In the quiet study, a deathly silence reigned. Xiao Letian remained silent for a full quarter of an hour, pondering how to bring about change. To be honest, before he was transported to this era, Xiao Letian was just an ordinary white-collar worker, with a personal interest in military and history. However, in front of true politicians, his level of expertise was far from sufficient.

But it was precisely because his mind contained several hundred years of history that he could face the current situation with composure. The Tongzhi era was a period when human history was transitioning from the First Industrial Revolution to the Second Industrial Revolution. China had completely missed the First Industrial Revolution, which was characterized by steam power. Should China miss the Second Industrial Revolution, which was characterized by electrification?

It was 1865, and in just three years, Japan would enter the Meiji era, marking the beginning of the significant Meiji Restoration. At present, the Japanese government and society already had a group of people like Sakamoto Ryoma, Takasugi Shinsaku, and Okubo Toshimichi, who were desperately thinking about ways to reform. The conservative and reformist factions had already engaged in fierce battles.

In three years, this small ship of Japan would begin its modernization, and in just 27 years, in 1894, the small Japan would defeat the vast Qing Empire, tearing flesh from the Chinese nation to nourish its own.

There was only a little over two decades, a fleeting moment, which was precisely what troubled Xiao Letian the most. Time was truly short, and it was a great transformation unseen in three thousand years. Wanting to learn from other time travelers to build an army to overthrow the Qing, establish a new country, and complete initial industrialization, while also overcoming the stubborn traditional thoughts, was a daunting task.

Alright, I'll see if there are any wild Ultramen I can catch; taming two might be more practical. For more and faster chapters, please visit.

Time passed minute by minute. Prince Gong and Zeng Guoquan waited with unprecedented patience. All the women serving them, except for one who was taking notes, had left.

Xiao Letian seemed to be making a very difficult decision, even breaking out in a sweat on his forehead. When he finally spoke, the prince and the general were taken aback.

"If I can't come up with anything, will I be immediately executed? Are there 800 executioners waiting outside the door?" Xiao Letian's words were truly humorous, dissipating the serious atmosphere that had just been built up in the study.

In Prince Gong's eyes, if Zeng Guoquan had said this, it would have been a declaration of war. But coming from Xiao Letian, it was just a joke.

"Ha ha, Mr. Xiao, you have just returned from abroad. It seems you have heard many tales of the heroes from the mountains and rivers, and have forgotten what is fiction and what is reality... Ha ha ha, you are truly only familiar with Western learning and have a superficial understanding of your homeland..."

Both Prince Gong and Zeng Guoquan laughed, secretly thinking, "Eight hundred executioners? In this era, are there better tools for killing than Western guns? If we wanted to kill you, we would have done so when you were plotting against the old scholar. Do you really think a few bandits you've recruited can protect you?"

Xiao Letian was certainly not a fool; he was just pretending to be one, deliberately saying things that showed his lack of knowledge to prove his identity as a solitary traveler from abroad. Only by ensuring he had no ties to any domestic factions could they trust him.

"Alright, since the prince hasn't arranged for executioners to chop me up, I'll speak my mind." Xiao Letian carefully recalled the reform paths of various nations in the future, slowly laying out the plan he had been thinking about for a long time and which had gradually matured.

The thirty-year-old zhuangyuan red wine on the table emitted a strong aroma, and the dishes had been cold for a long time, but without the prince's order, the eunuchs outside the study did not dare to come in and replace them.

"Reforming a vast empire is extremely difficult. It's like a heavily loaded cart that, once moving in a certain direction, generates a powerful inertia. To change this inertia, a greater force must be applied, and if these two forces conflict too intensely, it can easily lead to the destruction or disintegration of the entire cart..."

Xiao Letian began by explaining the principle that a small boat is easier to turn. He discarded all idealism and clearly laid out all the problems faced by the Qing Empire, with the core issue being the empire's rejection of Western ideas.

You say that railways can travel a thousand miles a day and pull thousands of pounds of cargo? I will insist that the noise of trains will disturb the tombs of our ancestors. You say that steam engines are efficient and powerful? I will insist that this iron monster robs the people and harms farmers and workers.

And you say the Earth is round? I refuse to believe it, even if you invite me on a world tour, I have no interest. As for opening the sea to build a long-distance merchant fleet, that is absolutely out of the question. This policy has been in place since the Ming Dynasty, and we do not want to change it, nor can we. Whoever changes it will be a sinner for all time.

Look, the power of tradition is immense. The core conflict is that the Confucian scholars, who represent the dominant ideology, fear the invasion of Western learning. If the state no longer uses Confucianism to select talent, these scholars will be left with nothing. Therefore, the rise of Western learning will inevitably face countless obstacles, even bloody ones.

Speaking of this, Xiao Letian couldn't help but think of the Six Gentlemen of the Hundred Days' Reform. What a time it was, a time when Japan had just defeated China, and the Qing Empire had lost its last shred of dignity. It was a time when almost all scholars knew that without reform, they would die.

In such an atmosphere, the efforts of Tan Sitong and others to reform and strengthen the country ended up with their beheading in the market, their blood once again suppressing the enthusiasm for reform among the scholars. The power of tradition was so strong that those in power would never give up their acquired rights.

Xiao Letian did not want to die. Despite his efforts to establish relations with foreigners, portraying himself as a collaborator, and writing books to gain prestige, hoping to secure some safety as a master of Western learning, if he dared to touch the power of the vested interest groups, even a little, he would have no place to bury his body, and even foreigners could not save him.

"Therefore, the Qing Empire is now like a weakened patient. Although it has just survived the crisis of the Taiping Rebellion and its body is beginning to recover, we must not forget its condition. Therefore, any major reform is not advisable..."

"Here, I only offer one suggestion to the prince, and that is to establish special economic zones... You heard me right, a small country within a country. I am not trying to rebel. The 'country within a country' I am talking about is to allow the Qing to gain everything the Western powers have with the least cost..."

"In places like Guangdong, Shanghai, Fujian, Ningbo, Tianjin, and Shandong, we can designate some areas near the ports to build industrial zones for the Qing. Here, we can build steel mills, lay railways, establish military factories, and even shipyards..."

"Political reforms can be gradual, but the Qing Empire must have its own industrial foundation. We must be able to produce our own guns and cannons. All of this requires a solid heavy industry base! With sufficient guns and cannons, we can at least have the means to resist the foreigners. Even if there are rebellions, we won't have to buy weapons from the foreigners, which would be a huge loss..."

Xiao Letian spoke in great detail and slowly. He gradually outlined the雏形 of a vast industrial empire. China is too large, and precisely because of its size, it is difficult to carry out comprehensive reforms. However, its size also gives China more choices and possibilities, and a greater strategic depth.

Without going into the distant past, if just one or two provinces in China could achieve industrialization, the population and resources of these provinces alone would be enough to match Japan during the Sino-Japanese War. Ito Hirobumi once said that his opponent in the Sino-Japanese War was only the Beiyang, only Li Hongzhang. The Sino-Japanese War was essentially a war between Japan and Li Hongzhang, and it had already dragged Japan's economy into bankruptcy.

Prince Gong and Zeng Guoquan were already stunned. What a talent, a top talent. Why didn't we think of using this method to establish factories? If we had thought of this earlier, we wouldn't have to worry about the endless chatter of the scholars. Mr. Xiao's words are so good. At worst, we can build walls around the industrial zones to keep the general public out and station troops to prevent chaos.

By artificially controlling the risks, allowing useful goods to flow in and out, and sealing everything else inside, who could still spread rumors?

Prince Gong was so excited that he stood up and paced back and forth in the study. He immediately saw the feasibility of this plan. The resistance from various factions to this plan would be minimal, and with a little effort, it could certainly pass through the court.

Zeng Guoquan was also moved. Although the Xiang Army now had several repair shops and could even replicate some famous foreign guns, there was one problem they could not solve: the industrial system. Steel mills, large machinery factories, precision parts production plants... the Qing Empire had almost none of these industrial foundations. The few repair shops they had were merely assembling semi-finished parts provided by foreigners.

What a treasure, this solitary traveler from abroad is truly a treasure. The representatives of the two major factions both had greedy looks in their eyes at that moment.

Xiao Letian, of course, knew what they were thinking. He even knew about Zeng Guoquan's hidden rebellion. Moreover, Prince Gong could certainly understand his underlying meaning. Special economic zones were not only a way to avoid the political battles in the court but were also easier to control.

The Qing nobles could station their most loyal Eight Banners troops in these cities and even enclose the industrial zones with walls. These industrial bases would become the private lands of the Qing, just like the Willow Hedge in Northeast China, which they would firmly hold in their hands.

Time passed minute by minute. When Xiao Letian finished recounting his plan, it was already dusk, and the entire afternoon had passed.

"Prince! Prince? The wine and dishes are already cold. Don't you want to serve me a meal anymore?" Xiao Letian teased.

At this moment, Prince Gong seriously said to Xiao Letian, "I wonder if Mr. Xiao is interested in serving in the court? This grand plan for the special economic zones, I will entrust it to Mr. Xiao. A second-rank Minister of Works, I believe, would not be unworthy of your talents. If the special economic zones are successful, the position of Minister of Works, I can promise you..."

What a bold move, Prince Gong. Opening his mouth to offer a second-rank high official, but unfortunately, it was just the Ministry of Works. When Zeng Guoquan heard the bait Prince Gong had thrown out, his expression changed. He never thought Prince Gong would offer such a high price.

However, much to everyone's regret, Xiao Letian smiled and shook his head. "Prince, you have overlooked something. You forgot that I am not a citizen of the Qing Empire. If I were to become a second-rank high official, the court would be in an uproar. Besides, my ambition is not in the court. In two months, I plan to invest in a foreign company in Tianjin and do some business with foreigners. A life of ease and profit is what I truly desire."

A hint of regret appeared in Prince Gong's eyes, but he quickly added, "The issue of identity is not a problem. Our Qing Empire still recognizes dual citizenship. As long as Mr. Xiao changes your mind, my promise will always be honored!"

翻页上AD开始

翻页上AD结束