Chapter 289 The next Zeng Guofan, Li Hongzhang

Enough, very enough.

Although the Cleveland group did not say this directly, they all understood in their hearts that if, if, if, if more than 200,000 Chinese officers and soldiers could really have a good impression of the United States, then it would play an extremely huge role in promoting the United States to explore the Chinese market.

Not to mention, the arms business alone is enough to make the entire United States of America profitable. You know, that is 200,000 people. How many soldiers are there in the entire United States of America? Because they were defeated by the Red Corps, they only expanded the federal army to 60,000. If a army that has a number of 200,000 and is used to use American weapons is willing to order the US fire all year round, this business is enough to make the entire American politics bow down. Moreover, the 200,000 may just be the beginning.

Before attending this hearing, everyone had carefully learned about the situation in China. Therefore, everyone present was very clear about the current situation in China. One of the things that was irrelevant was very important, that is, the Chinese regime is actually in the hands of warlords.

Imagine that since the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom more than 30 years ago, the Qing government had to rely on a local armed force called the "Xiang Army". The representative figure of this armed force was called Zeng Guofan. After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was wiped out, the generals of the Hunan Army were immediately dispersed to various regions of China and became important local military and political chiefs. After the Hunan Army, they were Li Hongzhang's "Huai Army" and Zuo Zongtang's "Chu Army"! Zuo Zongtang was dead, not to mention him, but after defeating the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and eliminating the Nian Army, they took on the responsibility of the north from Tianjin, Baoding, and Shanghai to Wu.

Song, the defense of important rivers and seas thousands of miles north and south. Li Hongzhang, based on the power of the Huai Army, mastered China's diplomatic, military and economic power, and became an important figure in China's political situation. His main generals of the Huai Army, Zhang Shusheng, Liu Mingchuan, Zhou Shengbo, Pan Dingxin, Wu Changqing, Ding Ruchang, Ye Zhichao, Wei Rugui, Nie Shicheng, etc., formed the Huai Warlords and became an important armed political group in their ruling class. Even if the warlords in this system were willing, they could overthrow the current Qing Dynasty... And what was the armed force of the Huai Army? After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was eliminated, it was 50,000!

Fifty thousand combat-capable troops have so many regions and power in a country. If there are 200,000 people and these 200,000 people have a good impression of the United States, what kind of huge benefits would it be?

...

"Not only that." Guo Jinzhang seemed to think that he was not saying enough. "When cooperating with the Qing Dynasty's army, we can not only get a large number of troops with a good impression of the United States, but we can also successfully take the opportunity to enter the Chinese market."

"You have just said this." Vice President Hendrisk spoke out rare.

"No, I haven't said it yet." Guo Jinzhang looked at him with a smile, "because I haven't explained what the Chinese market we are going to enter contains."

"Then you just agree." Brian said.

"agriculture……"

"Wait." Brian interrupted Guo Jinzhang again, "You talk about agriculture?"

"That's right." Guo Jinzhang nodded.

"But I think you're kidding." Brian blinked, "China is a big agricultural country, and more than 90% of the people there are farmers... Do you let us break into their agricultural market?"

"It is precisely because of this that we have the opportunity to enter their agricultural market." Guo Jinzhang smiled, "because the food there is extremely expensive. Ninety percent of the farmers, with nearly 300 million people, cannot afford the food they produce..."

"This is impossible..." Daniel Manning shook his head repeatedly, "The farmers of 300 million people cannot eat the food they produce themselves? That's 300 million... How much food do they have to produce each year? So many people cannot eat the food they produce themselves, so how chaotic will this country be?"

"The reason why they can't eat is because they can't produce much grain. Because in the vast China, their arable land area is only a little bit. The grain produced by the land area that is truly suitable for growing grain crops is only enough for them to make a living. This is the best time... It's a good weather and no natural disasters." Guo Jinzhang said.

"I don't believe it." Daniel Manning still shook his head.

"Do you believe it is your business, but I still recommend that you consult the ambassador to China again. In addition, I would like to advise you, Guo Jinzhang, and every Chinese in Tangzhou and Seattle, to testify to you. I hope you can use your rusty brain to think carefully. If we can live a good life in China, why should we continue to persist in the anti-Chinese wave, or even persist in the desperate situation, huh?"

"...Aren't we talking about this?" Bayard smiled helplessly. The statement of 300 million people cannot eat their own food is a bit exaggerated, but he believes that the Chinese people must have a bad life. Otherwise, Guo Jinzhang would not be standing in front of him, and there would be a Tangzhou in the United States.

"It's okay not to talk about these, but I hope everyone will not be so stupid anymore." Guo Jinzhang snorted coldly and continued: "The food prices in China are very expensive. In addition to insufficient output, there is a large amount of silver circulation. Everyone knows that in recent years, the purchasing power of silver has been greatly reduced, so this has also affected China... causing their food prices, and of course, other items, to rise sharply."

"So you think we can sell food to China?" asked Bayard.

"If you just sell food, although you can make a lot of money, compared with the 300 million agricultural population, do you think selling food alone can satisfy them?" Guo Jinzhang asked.

"what else?"

"Chemical fertilizer, abbreviated as: fertilizer! A fertilizer made by chemical or physical methods that contains one or several nutrients needed for the growth of crops!" Guo Jinzhang explained.

"I don't understand very much." Hendrisk frowned. Although fertilizers have appeared, they have not been used on a large scale during this period, and it can even be said to be in the laboratory stage. So not many people know about it, especially those in the non-chemical field. However, chemical fertilizers have actually appeared for a long time. In 1828, German chemist Weiler had used artificial methods to synthesize urea for the first time. According to the "viability theory" popular in the chemistry community at that time, organic matter such as urea contained a certain vitality and was impossible to synthesize it manually. Weiler's research broke the absolute boundary between inorganic substances and organic matters. However, people had not yet recognized the fertilizers of urea at that time.

Use. Later, in 1838, the British squire Rous used sulfuric acid to treat phosphorus ores to make phosphorus fertilizer, becoming the world's first chemical fertilizer. In 1840, German chemist Liebis published the book "Application of Chemistry in Agriculture and Physiology", which founded the theory of plant mineral nutrition and the theory of exchange of rules, completely denied the two major plant nutrition theories that were popular at that time, and laid the theoretical foundation for the invention and application of chemical fertilizers. Liebis also invented potassium fertilizer in 1850. Around 1850, Roebis invented the earliest nitrogen fertilizer. However, due to various reasons, chemical fertilizers have not yet been widely used.

"Crop growth requires a lot of nutrients, including carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, trace nutrients include boron, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, chlorine, etc. If we can synthesize these fertilizers so that crops do not have to work hard to absorb these nutrients from the land, then the crops will grow faster, better, and have a larger yield... This has an extremely huge effect on increasing a country's agricultural output." Guo Jinzhang said.

"So, China, which has a farmland area that seems very sparse compared to its huge agricultural population, is a huge market for fertilizers." Samuel Randall asked.

"That's right." Guo Jinzhang said.

"Do you master the production technology of fertilizers?" Brian asked with a look at him.

"You are very smart, former Secretary of State." Guo Jinzhang gave him a blank look.

"That means that if we sell fertilizers to China, Washington State will gain huge benefits, and we... can only watch, right?" Benjamin Harrison sneered.

"If you really think so, I have nothing to say. But if you think Tangzhou alone can satisfy the entire China, then you think too much of us. Moreover, fertilizers can be sold to countries with low grain production in the world. You won't be unclear how huge this market is, Congressman Harrison?" Guo Jinzhang asked back.

"Since we can sell it to the whole world, why do we have to care about China?" Harrison sneered again.

"Because China has the largest market. Moreover, fertilizers are just our stepping stone. You must know that even if we can have hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have a good impression of us, we still need to make some achievements or show sincerity to truly gain the trust of the other party." Guo Jinzhang said.

"That is, not just the agriculture aspect. So, what else can we benefit from?" Cleveland asked.

"Gentlemen, because China is traditionally strong, they are still unwilling to admit that they are lagging behind the world. But this country is not short of people with clear minds. They are actually very clear-headed. They are actually very clear-headed. But how can they be strong? After two thousand years of ritual and music education, their understanding of industry and commerce is still in an extremely superficial state, and they even believe that merchants are a group of cunning disasters. It is precisely this so-called national self-esteem and their guardianship of industry and commerce that their market has never been truly open to countries around the world, including Britain and France, which once captured their capitals...

...The British and French had thought of using powerful means to open this huge market from the outside, but unfortunately they eventually failed. Even if they achieved military victory and obtained a number of open ports along the coast of China, they still had no choice in the face of the vast mainland of China. Just like this Sino-French War, France's purpose was to take the opportunity to open Guangxi and Guangdong in China... It's a pity that they failed. And even if they won the victory, they would just get a few more trade ports, which was not a great victory... So, how can they open the Chinese market?" Guo Jinzhang looked at everyone seriously and asked.

"How to open it?" Cleveland asked equally serious.

"Inside!" Guo Jinzhang let out a light breath, "From ancient times to the present, for thousands of years, only when there are problems within China and big problems can people outside find opportunities to take advantage of it. Similarly, only the Chinese themselves can help us open the door they have closed for a long time!"

"Then these Chinese people who may have a good impression of us are the key to us to open this door?" asked Bayard.

"Correct." Guo Jinzhang nodded.

"I already understand what you mean." Hendrisk thought for a moment, "By 'hiring' the Chinese team to go to war with Spain, we will gain the favor of an astonishing number of soldiers. After these cooperation with us and the war with the Spanish, when they return to China, they will become our natural allies. Then, we will use fertilizers that are crucial to agriculture and are also extremely important to farmers who account for 90% of China's population to open the door to the Chinese market, and then gain their deeper favor, and then... enter the mainland of China on a large scale and occupy that countless huge markets... This is your plan, right?"

"I think you can be president." Guo Jinzhang snapped his fingers and said.

"Cough..." Although Cleveland ignored this shallow provocation, he still coughed dryly in protest.

"This plan is very good, but I still have one more question." Harrison suddenly raised his hand and stared at Guo Jinzhang with both eyes. "Dear General, have you ever thought about what the UK and France would think if we enter the Chinese market on a large scale?"

"They can think whatever they want." Guo Jinzhang smiled.

"I admire your optimistic spirit very much. But the problem is... Even if we can ignore the diplomatic and military pressures of Britain and France, China's customs is still in the hands of the British. Can we get around this department when we enter the Chinese market?" Harrison asked in a deep voice.

"Your eyes are very sharp, parliamentarians. But you seem to have overlooked one problem, that is... After having hundreds of thousands of elite troops who have experienced wars and are wars with the great powers, will the Chinese government still sit and watch their customs be controlled by foreign countries?" Guo Jinzhang asked with a smile.

"The British are at sea, and they can cut off all maritime trade between China and the outside world." Harrison snorted coldly.

"Similarly, the Chinese are also building a powerful naval fleet. This year, the two main battleships of this fleet will be driven back to China from Germany... China will basically complete the construction of its own navy. According to the information we have obtained, the scale of this fleet will reach the sixth in the world and the first in Asia... Although, I do not think it is qualified to challenge the powerful British Royal Navy, the British should not go to war with such a fleet for the sake of control of a customs, right?" Guo Jinzhang asked back.

"This..." Harrison shook his head. The United States was not very concerned about external affairs at this time. He was really not very clear about the Chinese people's establishment of a powerful navy. However, the sixth in the world... should be enough for the British fleet to restrain its hostility, even if the fleet had just been built.

"Not only 200,000 troops...you guys, this war may last more than one or two years. Look at the war between China and France, two and a half years. And Spain is only a little colony, so they will definitely fight to the death. At that time, this war will definitely delay for a long time... three years, five years, or even more...so if you want to fight for a long time, this army that travels across the ocean must implement a rotating war system. Then, accordingly, the participating troops will be far more than 200,000, or even 400,000, or even 500,000, or even more..."

Just when the informal hearing was being held outside Washington, another "Qing Dynasty-style hearing" was being held in Baiyun Temple outside Beijing. Compared with those who Guo Jinzhang faced, the identities of the people present here were also quite good: Prince Gong Yixin, Chief Minister of Military Affairs, Prince Li Shiduo, Prime Minister of Affairs, Minister of State Affairs Qing Beile Yili, Governor of Zhili, Minister of Beiyang Li, Minister of Military Affairs, Minister of Revenue Weng Tonghe... In addition to these old people, Liu Tongfu, who was "speaking", also knew that right next door, Prince Chun Yihuan, the biological father of Emperor Guangxu, the chief power leader of the Qing Dynasty, was also listening.

"Everyone, imagine that years of fighting are tantamount to actual combat training, and military pay and arms are all produced by the government of the United States of America... This is tantamount to using the wages of other countries to train our country's soldiers. Regardless of victory or defeat, one can train an elite soldier, which can not only strengthen the power of the Qing army, but also show strength to the great powers. What a wonderful thing?"

"Hundreds of thousands of troops fought outside the sea area... It would be fine if they won, but if they could not win, the Americans would naturally not be afraid of the Spanish, but how could the Spanish give up on me to the Qing Dynasty?" Liu Tongfu had been talking for a long time, and his words were full of temptation, which made the Qing officials who had been bullied by the great powers for many years, especially the important officials of the Qing Dynasty who had just been bullied by the French this time were a little moved. After all, hundreds of thousands of troops, how much would it cost if the Qing Dynasty only had to train itself? But if the money was the American... However, even if the heart-wrenching, some people thought this was unreliable, especially the Guangxu teacher Weng Tonghe.

"Sir Weng, we will sign a mercenary treaty with the Qing Dynasty. At that time, the war with Spain will be the United States or our Tangzhou government, but it has nothing to do with the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, even if the Spanish knew that the Qing officers and soldiers were fighting with them, they could only follow international norms and could only find us or the American government, and not cause trouble for the Qing Dynasty. Moreover, thousands of miles apart, how could the Spanish be considered to be seeking hardships to fight against the Qing Dynasty? They are worse than France." Liu Tongfu said with a smile.

"But I always feel..."

...

"This old master Weng is looking to the emperor. Who doesn't know that if this matter is done, no matter who gets the military power, it will be the next Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang. This emperor is afraid that he will not keep his word..."

Seeing Weng Tong and Liu Tongfu arguing with each other, and looking at Li Hongzhang and Yixin who were sitting together but didn't say anything, Qingbeile Yili came to Prince Li Shiduo's ear and said softly.

...
Chapter completed!