Chapter 86: You finished singing and I will appear

The first year of Xinhai ended in the bustling national turmoil, and the new year came amidst the turbulent disputes. (7*

With the support of European and American powers, Yuan Shikai's government finally launched three killer weapons in a row:

1. Announce the Bank of China’s exchange charter, the exchange coupons issued by Bank of China are equivalent to silver dollars, and the reorganized Bank of Communications will carry out its business in accordance with the relevant Bank of China’s regulations;

2. The new salt tax policy is promulgated throughout the world, and provinces are strictly prohibited from withholding, intercepting and misappropriating taxes paid to the central government;

3. Reform the governmental structure of provinces across the country and formally establish the position of civil affairs chief, and order provinces to lay off troops and reduce military expenditures. Local military forces shall not interfere in local government affairs.

These three policies are good things from the national level, but they depend on whom the state power is in. This is the focus of the special editorial published in the Kuomintang's official newspaper Minli Daily, and is praised by all walks of life in China and abroad as the first shot of the Kuomintang's government in the new year.

The day after Yuan Shikai’s three policies were promulgated, the core meeting of the Kuomintang headed by Mr. Zhongshan was held in Shanghai. At the press conference held after the meeting, Mr. Zhongshan issued two public resolutions:

First, we will effectively ensure the construction of the Guangdong-Hanchuan Railway, and call on the central government to allocate special funds for railway construction year by year. All provinces along the railway should actively donate funds and do their best to support a series of railway construction projects that benefit the present and the future; second, we will join hands with six European, American and Japanese countries to establish a Sino-Western joint venture bank in Shanghai.

After the news broke, it was hotly discussed nationwide.

Consuls and institutions in Europe and the United States have issued statements, emphasizing that they have never held any talks on investment and joint operations with Sun Yat-sen and the Kuomintang led by him, nor will they ignore the stability of China's political situation and cooperate with any opposition party at the risk of affecting the prestige of the Chinese government and the overall plan for economic recovery and development.

Yuan Shikai responded within three days. He held a press conference between Chinese and foreign countries at the Presidential Office, made a public conversation on the Kuomintang's meeting resolution, expressed his strong support for Sun Yat-sen's opinion, and praised the Kuomintang's economic construction capabilities and beautiful blueprint for planning, but did not agree with any political party making irresponsible remarks that harmed national interests and government prestige.

In private, Yuan Shikai gave no penny to Sun Yat-sen's Railway Association and the Guangdong-Hanchuan Railway Company established by the Kuomintang, which made Huang Xing, who was in a hurry to take office as the General Office of the Guangdong-Hanchuan Railway, ate boiled rice every day during the inspection, and finally left in anger.

Secondly, the Sichuan people, who were deeply hurt in the road protection campaign, have not healed their scars so far, and Sichuan people and groups from all walks of life who have been deceived once lost their money. However, no matter whether you are Sun Yat-sen or Yuan Shikai, you ask for your old capital that is still unknown. Newspapers in various parts of Sichuan were full of angry condemnations, asking Sun Yat-sen and Yuan Shikai to make up for the 25 million Sichuanese first. ( .com)

Seeing the public's grievances, how could Mr. Zhongshan dare to respond? Yuan Shikai ignored it and seemed that he had never heard it at all. This made the call for "Sichuan people to govern Sichuan" unprecedentedly high.

Obviously, Mr. Zhongshan’s beautiful blueprint touched the scarred and fragile nerves of Sichuan people, and then affected the policies vigorously promoted by Yuan Shikai, which were rejected by all sectors of Sichuan.

In order to establish branches of Bank of China in Chengdu, Chongqing, and the Syrian Prefecture, Yuan Shikai sent three telegrams to the Sichuan Provincial Government and the Grand Governor Hu Jingyi, ordering him to forcibly implement the exchange of banknotes between Bank of China and Bank of Communications, collect salt taxes of no less than 18 million yuan per year, and pay them to the central government. Then he appointed three Sichuan government officials in one go, the most important and most powerful position of the Civil Affairs Minister, and the former deputy governor of Sichuan who was driven to Beijing by Yin Changheng, and the position of the Salt Administration was Yang Jiashen, the former Sichuan salt transportation envoy who lived in seclusion at home.

This move is ruthless. Aren’t you yelling about Sichuan people to govern Sichuan? OK! The Sichuan governor I appointed now is you Sichuan people, let’s see what you do! In addition, Hu Jingyi, the Sichuan governor who has long defected to Yuan Shikai, shook the flag and shouted for the new policy, and brought out the sharpest sword of "national unification and ensuring legal system", standing at the height of morality, looking down on all living beings.

All sectors of Sichuan have become passive, and shouting and cursing are not feasible. The key is that no matter how you oppose it, there is no legal basis. Moreover, all localities do their own things and cannot reach the prerequisite for submitting a referendum to the enlarged meeting of the Provincial Parliament. Unless the Beijing government, which publicly opposes Yuan Shikai, announces ** again, they can only endure endless exploitation from the central government.

On the surface, if Yuan Shikai's three policies were implemented in Sichuan, the biggest losses would be from governments at all levels and people in Sichuan. However, as long as you analyze it carefully, landlord capitalists of all sizes in Sichuan will undoubtedly be the first to bear the brunt.

Without the salt tax dividends that have just enjoyed for half a year, in order to ensure various fiscal expenditures and continue the construction and repair projects of farmland water conservancy and road facilities, local governments in Sichuan can only transfer tax pressure to land production, industrial and commercial production and circulation fields. The working people who have no guarantee of food and clothing can't squeeze out a lot of money. They can't restore the likin and tax donations that the people are scolded, right?

If you really get to that point, it doesn’t matter if you can’t save your black hat from the grassroots officials, but if you can’t save your life, you’ll lose a lot! Not to mention anything else, the entire Sichuan is now flooding with guns. The people of Sichuan have experienced the heavy road protection movement, experienced the proud Sichuan-Yun War, and then the West China Times spared no effort to promote more than a year of human rights and civil rights ideas, and their tempers are generally not as good as before.

Therefore, from the time of New Year's Day to the Spring Festival, celebrities and officials at all levels in Sichuan were in a hurry to jump up and down. The provincial parliament had a lot of noise every time it held a meeting, and almost staged a full martial arts campaign many times. Unfortunately, the Grand Governor Hu Jingyi fully supported the decision of the central government. The new Sichuan Civil Affairs Minister Zhang Peijue also changed his previous revolutionary image of shouting "Sichuan people govern Sichuan and protect civil rights." He talked endlessly and eloquently safeguarded state power and central authority. He used the official mouthpiece "Sichuan Daily" to launch round after round of high-sounding arguments. Sichuan local forces gradually fell into a disadvantage, and finally reached the dangerous edge of being exhausted from strikingly collapse. Holy Temple.com

During this period, General Hu Jingyi and Civil Affairs Minister Zhang Peijue also went to the North School sideline military headquarters like a large number of government officials to visit the Shenfu people's wishes. They are also the largest warlord leader and industrial and commercial giant in Sichuan, Xiao Yimin, in order to gain his support.

Xiao Yimin adhered to the moral principles of a soldier from beginning to end, and warmly received all visitors, but he also expressed his righteousness:

"As the commander-in-chief of the Sichuan Border Defense Army appointed by the Central Committee and the first principal of the Sichuan Army Officer School, as an ordinary soldier who regards honor as life, I must abide by the principles and not interfere in civil affairs."

On January 20, 1913, the commander of the Sichuan Border Defense Army, Xiao Yimin, delivered a New Year's speech and outlook on the English version of the "Zi Linxi Daily" and the front page of the West China Times, reiterating that he and the Sichuan Border Defense Forces supported the central government and obeyed the clear position of the central leadership. At the end of the article, he solemnly announced: "I will transfer all the shares of the West China Group Company I hold before February 20, and I will be committed to military construction from now on!"

Xiao Yimin's article aroused a lot of response and warm support from all walks of life across the country. Yuan Shikai, who was tortured by the Tongmenghui, was extremely excited and immediately held a special press conference to vigorously commend the achievements of Xiao Yimin, the commander of the Sichuan border army, and praised Xiao Yimin's move for setting an example for the entire political circle. He was a real and pure soldier, an outstanding general with a broad mind and far-sighted vision.

This is also a great thing for the Kuomintang, which has been unable to open up the situation in the southwest for a long time.

The newspapers under the Kuomintang also commented, praising Xiao Yimin's exemplary role in taking into account the overall situation, and calling on all officials of the government to fight for national stability and national prosperity for life like General Xiao Yimin.

On January 23, the Sichuan Provincial Special Session passed the special proposals of the Grand Governor Hu Jingyi and the Civil Affairs Minister Zhang Peijue with two-thirds votes, and formally included the border defense army of 25,000 officers and soldiers into the Sichuan-Standard Army's standing army system, and reimbursed the border defense army's two-year wage arrears and the two-year war in Kangzang and Tibetan, and the total expenditure of the Sichuan-Yunnan War was 1.6 million yuan, and the border troops' food and salary for this year was allocated in advance.

On February 20, 1913, Luo Defa, general manager of Sichuan West China Group, held a press conference for China and abroad, officially announcing that General Xiao Yimin, the former largest shareholder of the company, completed the share transfer and officially resigned as chairman. The West China Group was reorganized successfully. Sichuan West China Group was split into two parts. All hardware machining enterprises under the former West China Group were divested as a whole to form the "Sichuan West China Industrial Corporation". The chairman and general manager was the largest shareholder, Luo Defa.

The former power plant, water plant, clothing factory, construction engineering company, import and export company, as well as trading enterprises and transit terminal warehouses established in Shanghai, Nanjing, Hankou, Chongqing, and Xufu, are integrated into the "China West China Trading Group Company". The company's chairman is Zeng Shouwu, the largest shareholder, and the directors are Rhodefa, British businessman Zhuang Sen, and German businessman Shumeide. The general manager is Deng Xianke, a famous industrial and commercial industrialist in Chongqing.

The transfer of Xiao Yimin shares was completed. His wife Yi Zhenying quietly became the first shareholder of the "Sichuan West China Industrial Corporation", the largest industrial enterprise in several southwestern provinces in China. Xiao Yimin recovered 2.45 million yuan in the share transfer. In the name of the "Sichuan Huafeng Trading Company" established by his wife Yi Zhenying, it deposited it into Dehua Bank and Standard Chartered Bank respectively, and purchased special steel, machinery and equipment and industrial products from Germany, Britain and the United States.

On February 25, the Sichuan Provincial Chamber of Commerce held a New Year's meeting in Chengdu. More than 500 representatives from all over Sichuan attended the grand meeting, which was held at the Chengdu Hotel on Hanjiang Road, a subsidiary of the "China West China Trading Group Corporation".

At the end of the three-day meeting, the participants discussed unanimously and passed the resolution:

The "Sichuan Federation of Industry and Commerce" was officially established, and Sichuan's business celebrities were elected. Mr. Zeng Shouwu, chairman of the "China West China Trading Group Corporation", served as the president. Mr. Deng Xianke, a famous entrepreneur in Chongqing, was the executive vice president. The young Sichuan business rookie Rodfa served as the secretary-general. There are twelve respected business celebrities in ten regions, happy to serve as the board of directors.

The next day, Sichuan newspapers reported on this grand occasion. After reading the list of presidents, vice presidents and members of the "Sichuan Federation of Industry and Commerce" listed in the newspaper, people were surprised to find that more than half of the well-known figures on the list were all figures at the level of deputy speakers of the provincial and local councils. Political sensitive people immediately realized that capital interest groups in various parts of Sichuan were tightly tied together, and the political game in the Sichuan officialdom was about to come.

News of the grand establishment of the Sichuan Federation of Industry and Commerce has been reprinted by newspapers across the country. The sharp-eyed newspapers from various countries in China, such as "Zi Linxi Daily", "Beijing-Tianjin Times", "Mainland Daily", and domestic "Shenbao", "Ta Kung Pao", "Beijing Morning Post" and so on, which was greatly surprised by the rapid integration of Sichuan's local capital forces. They speculated that it was likely to be an important warm-up for Sichuan's local forces before forming political parties, predicting that Sichuan's move will have an immeasurable impact on the entire political situation of China and the capital forces of various provinces.

In the residence of the Beijing President, Yuan Shikai and his aides were also worried about this. No one expected that the local forces in Sichuan were so stubborn and so unexpectedly rose rapidly.

They were deeply aware that the establishment of the Sichuan Federation of Industry and Commerce showed that the local forces in Sichuan had united, from loose local civil society to a powerful political interest group. It seemed that President Yuan had difficulty getting money from Sichuan.

At the end of the discussion, Yang Du, the chief adviser wearing a moon-white brocade robe, stood up, gracefully put away the ivory bone fan in his hand, took a few steps, turned around suddenly, and said to the worried Yuan Shikai word by word:

"Master, Xiao Yimin is really clever! My subordinates dare to conclude that everything comes from his planning. He cleverly led the national attention to the newly established Sichuan Federation of Industry and Commerce, and led the conflict to the Sichuan Provincial Government and the Governor's Office. He hid behind the scenes and watched the fun easily. He won praise from the world, but also received support from the emerging local forces in Sichuan. He also obtained a large amount of huge profits from the transfer of shares. It can be said that the turn of hands is to turn the clouds and rain!

"This guy judged the situation and reached out and gently moved it, and got a good ending of fame and fortune, and also laid a solid foundation for his future development. It's really high!"

Liang Shiyi nodded and agreed: "It's true! We originally thought that there were a group of hermit masters around him to give guidance, but his core aides were only Zou Wenhan and Bao Jiqing, the civil and military personnel, and nothing else was worth mentioning. Moreover, this series of exquisite strategies that were easy to advance and retreat and linked together were definitely not something that the old Zou Wenhan and Bao Jiqing, who were better than Wentao's martial arts. It seems that we have always underestimated this young man!"

Yuan Keding beside him was very annoyed. Xiao Yimin has been becoming more and more arrogant recently, and has frequently seen the news, which has made Yuan Shikai, who is also in his prime and is known as the four great princes in the world very unhappy. He didn't care about any etiquette at the moment, jumped up from the sofa, walked to Yuan Shikai a few steps, and said loudly:

"Isn't it just a teapot runner? Dad, let my son go to Chengdu to clean up him. I want to see how many things there are in this little teapot's belly!"

"Ba"

Yuan Shikai waved his hand and slapped his son so hard that he almost sat on the ground. A group of advisers rushed forward to persuade him. Yuan Shikai pointed at Yuan Keding in anger and scolded loudly:

"You prodigal son, you are not worthy of pouring tea for a small teapot except for eating, drinking, gamble and eating! You dare to show off in front of me. Your uncle, I will kill you, this thing that you have not grown up..."

The strategists rushed forward and hugged Yuan Shikai, who was furious, and kept persuading him.

Yang Du quickly winked Yuan Keding. Yuan Keding was not frightened and spit out thick phlegm in anger. Seeing his father's body tremble, he tried hard to get rid of a group of teachers. He really fucked the stool, and was so scared that he seemed to rush out of the lobby. He suddenly lost his trace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ps: This chapter seems to be an additional update for monthly tickets with a total of 950 tickets!

After the infusion, the person was sleepy and said, "I don't know if I can express the meaning." In short, the emperor has worked hard, so I'm asking for automatic subscription and monthly ticket support!
Chapter completed!