The Rise of the Writers of the Republic of China

In January 1937, there were two major events in Sichuan.

First, drought is still continuing on a large scale. In counties in eastern Sichuan and central Sichuan, thanks to Zhou Hexuan's disaster relief food relief, the living conditions of the hungry people were much better than in history. Although it is impossible to calculate statistics, at least one million people were saved, and it is possible that two or three million people were saved. However, due to extremely difficult transportation in northern Sichuan, northwest Sichuan, and northeastern Sichuan, the disaster cannot be effectively alleviated at all.

The second is the establishment of Liji Financial Group. Seven banks, Sichuan Salt, Meifeng, Sichuan, Chongqing, Jianghai, Sichuan Kangzhiye, and Sichuan Commercial, jointly established the Liji Consortium in Chongqing to cooperate with the Sichuan Provincial Government in implementing the tobacco and soil control policy.

As the Nanjing government continued to urge Liu Xiang to ban smoking, and public opinion in Sichuan also demanded a smoking ban. Coupled with the financial difficulties caused by the drought, Liu Xiang finally stepped up his tactics this time.

In the past, high cigarette taxes were imposed when banning smoking, and the more severe the ban, the more severe it became. Now Liu Xiang is implementing a tobacco control policy, which is to use administrative monopoly measures to control the entire opium trade in Sichuan in the hands of the provincial government. However, the Sichuan Provincial Government was in very difficult financial circumstances and had to rely on help from major banks, thus giving rise to the so-called Chongqing Liji Financial Group.

The specific method is that businessmen need to obtain government subscription qualifications, purchase tobacco soil from tobacco farmers, and then sell it to the tobacco soil collection office. The collection office then sells the tobacco to the General Administration of Smoking Control, which then distributes it to tobacco shops in various places. These tobacco shops must also obtain government-certified qualifications.

Throughout the process, the tobacco and soil trade is collected and managed uniformly, and tobacco taxes are also set at unified standards, which can increase tax revenue to the Sichuan provincial government by at least 30 million yuan every year.

Liu Xiang was really forced to have no choice but to come up with this bad idea, which was actually to legalize and monopolize the opium trade. If he does not do this, Sichuan civil servants will not be able to pay their salaries this year because the agricultural harvest has failed and the agricultural tax is almost zero.

What about Sichuan’s industrial tax?

Due to the Nanjing government's unified taxation policy, taxes from Sichuan's cotton yarn, textile and other industries were collected directly by the central government, and Liu Xiang could not get a dime. In other words, the people of Sichuan have always paid taxes to the central government, and it makes no sense for the central government to ignore the drought in Sichuan.

When news of the official establishment of the Liji Consortium came out, Zhou Hexuan immediately prepared to build a cigarette factory. He did this not just to make money.

We know that opium is extremely prevalent in Gansu. The opium planting area accounts for three-quarters of the province’s cultivated land, and opium output accounts for more than 90% of the province’s agricultural income.

Sichuan was not much better. As early as the late Qing Dynasty, Sichuan's opium production accounted for 37% of the country's total, making it the largest opium-producing province in China at that time. By the mid-1930s, the poppy cultivation area in Sichuan had reached 20 million acres, accounting for 18.8% of the total cultivated land in Sichuan. Although the proportion was not as high as that in Gansu, the opium output was far better than that in Gansu.

This is also one of the reasons for the famine in Sichuan. Nearly one-fifth of the province's land is used to grow opium. How can grain output be guaranteed?

Zhou Hexuan conveniently built a cigarette factory in Chongqing and Yibin respectively, hoping to guide opium growers to switch to cigarettes.

Although they are all cigarettes, at least cigarettes are far less harmful than opium.

Under normal circumstances, poppy can bring huge profits, and tobacco farmers basically will not choose to grow cigarettes. But now Liu Xiang is playing with opium control and raising the threshold for opium production, which will inevitably lower the profits of opium production and sales. Presumably those cigarette dealers who cannot obtain provincial government certification are willing to work with tobacco farmers to do cigarette business with Zhou Hexuan.

At the same time, Zhou Hexuan also purchased 5,000 acres of unowned wasteland and summoned hungry people to help him grow food. As tenants, Zhou Hexuan provided seeds and cattle for these hungry people. In the first year, they were required to pay 20% of their income as tenant rent. After that, the rent increased year by year. After five years of farming, the land was directly given to the tenants.

Sichuan, as the rear area during the war, would definitely not be able to grow opium alone. There was no telling how high food prices would rise in the future, so Zhou Hexuan could only do his best.

Sometimes, Zhou Hexuan feels very absurd. He is a scholar and businessman, but he is doing things that the government should consider.

Alas, this government will come to an end sooner or later.

We are not talking about the Sichuan Provincial Government, but the Nanjing National Government. During the Anti-Japanese War, there were countless people who made a fortune while the country was struggling. The four major families even took the lead in doing so.

Historically, 100 French currency could buy 2 cows in 1937, 1 cow in 1938, 1 pig in 1941, 1 chicken in 1943, and 1 chicken in 1945. Fish.

During the Anti-Japanese War, salt, sugar, matches, cigarettes, cotton and other daily necessities were all sold exclusively by the state. This is understandable, after all, it was necessary for the war. However, this kind of material monopoly has become a profit-making method for collusion between officials and businessmen. If Zhou Hexuan did not attract powerful people to take shares, his factories would probably be squeezed into bankruptcy.

February 4th.

Liu Xiang came to Chongqing from Chengdu. The main purpose was to meet with the heads of the seven major banks and personally interrogate the implementation of the tobacco control policy.

Liu Xiang's residence is not far next to Zhou's residence, and he brought his wife to visit Zhou's house that night.

Liu Xiang only married one wife in his life, the daughter of a country tailor who was 3 years older than Liu Xiang. She didn't even have a formal name. She was initially called Liu Zhou. Later, when Liu Xiang became successful, she asked her husband to name her Zhou Yushu.

"Master Fu, Po Po, welcome you two!" Zhou Hexuan said with a smile and cupped his fists.

Liu Xiang quickly grabbed Zhou Hexuan, shook his hand and said, "Thank you, Mr. Zhou, for saving Sichuan and me, Mr. Liu!"

Zhou Yushu took out a gift box and said, "Thank you Mr. Zhou! This is a little thought. I made the red sweet potato cake by myself. I hope Mr. Zhou won't feel shabby."

"No, no, sending goose feathers from thousands of miles away is a light gift, but a lot of affection." Zhou Hexuan accepted it with a smile.

Zhou Yushu is a typical rural woman. When she became the wife of the provincial chairman, she didn't know how to dress up. She was dressed in a cheap blue shirt, with the "big daddy" bun unique to peasant women on the back of her head. Her hands were covered with calluses. She must have been doing chores a lot.

Of course, no one can underestimate her because of this. Zhou Yushu is not a submissive village woman, she is also a powerful tigress. At the critical moment, Zhou Yushu was able to bring his servants with him and a rolling pin to beat the faces of unruly guys, including Liu Xiang himself.

Liu Xiang also looked for flowers and willows, but he couldn't afford to offend the tigress at home, so he gradually became a "raked ear" (a strict wife), and he didn't even dare to keep an outhouse quietly.

Zhou Yushu is very talkative, and he is almost like Zhou Hexuan: "Mr. Zhou, you can't write two characters of Zhou in one stroke. Your surname is Zhou, and my surname is Zhou. We were a family five hundred years ago."

Liu Xiang took the opportunity to say: "Then you should just treat each other like brothers and sisters."

"I think I'm afraid that Mr. Zhou, a cultured man, will look down on me, who comes from a rural area." Zhou Yushu said hurriedly.

The couple sang together and stopped talking. Zhou Hexuan could only laugh and said: "Sister, don't keep saying that a rural area is not a rural area."

Zhou Yushu said in surprise: "Yodi (younger brother) speaks Sichuan very well."

The three of them chatted about home affairs for a long time, and Zhou Yushu left on his own initiative to chat with Zhang Leyi.

When there were only two people left in the reception room, Liu Xiang got to the point: "Brother, they say you are an expert on political issues. Come and analyze the situation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party."

Liu Xiang was extremely concerned about the Xi'an Incident. In January alone, he called Chang Kaishen three times in the hope of peacefully resolving the follow-up issues of the Xi'an Incident. At the end of the month, he called Chang Kaishen to return to Nanjing to take charge of the overall situation.

Zhou Hexuan said: "Cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party is the general trend, and it is unlikely to change in a short time."

Liu Xiang smiled and said: "Since the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party is unchangeable, the Sichuan Army, the Northwest Army, and the Northeast Army have all become a thorn in Jiang's side. He will always find someone to attack."

"You can say that." Zhou Hexuan nodded.

Liu Xiang asked again: "How do you think I should respond?"

Zhou Hexuan said bluntly: "Sichuan's problems are not external, but internal. The economy and people's livelihood cannot be improved, and the military cannot develop. It will be a matter of time before it surrenders to the central government."

When these words hit Liu Xiang's heart, he nodded and said: "Half a month ago, He Yingqin came to Chengdu to discuss with me the reorganization of the Sichuan Army. Brother Zhou, do you think the Sichuan Army should be reorganized?"

Zhou Hexuan said: "The Sichuan Army spends more than 40 million on military expenditures every year, accounting for one-ninth of the country's total military expenditures. The people have long been miserable. Regardless of whether the central government requires reorganization, I think the Sichuan Army should disarm and implement leaner troops and simpler administration. Sichuan has long been unified. Now, who can we fight with so many troops? Moreover, unlike ancient times, modern armies are not only useful if they have a large number of people."

"That's true." Liu Xiang nodded.

Zhou Hexuan smiled and said: "I know Mr. Fu has his difficulties. The issue of disarmament is too involved. But now is a good opportunity. Why not agree to the central government's request for army reorganization in exchange for the central government's disaster relief for Sichuan. During the army reorganization, those who are disobedient should be removed." All the soldier leaders were suppressed, and no one dared to object due to the central government's uprightness. In this way, we not only made good friends with the central government, but also stabilized the Sichuan Army. Why not?"

"That's a good idea. I'll think about it again." Liu Xiang smiled a little evilly.

Promising the central government to reorganize the army means nationalizing the Sichuan Army, and returning personnel, command, management and other powers to the central government. But everything is operable. The sooner the Sichuan Army agrees to the army reorganization plan, the more benefits Chang Kaishen will receive, because it can set an example for the Northwest Army and the Northeast Army.

By that time, not only will the central government have strengthened its control over the Sichuan Army, Liu Xiang will also strengthen its control over the Sichuan Army. For example, Fan Ha'er, Liu Xiang has always disliked this person. When he was reorganizing the army, he rose up and down covertly, directly turning Fan Ha'er into a polished commander. Fan Haer did not dare to resist this, because Liu Xiang had the central government's righteousness in hand, and opposing the reorganization of the army was opposing the central government.

The most important point is that Liu Xiang can't hold on any longer. The Sichuan Army's annual military expenditure of more than 40 million yuan is too huge. If it encounters a severe drought that is rare in a century, if the army is not reorganized and dismantled as soon as possible, military pay will definitely not be paid in the second half of the year.

It seems that God is blessing China. Although the severe drought in Sichuan has brought endless suffering, it has accelerated the nationalization of the Sichuan Army. In conjunction with the Xi'an Incident, the Northwest Army, the Northeast Army and the Red Army all quickly completed the central army's army reorganization plan in the early stages of the War of Resistance.

This is very beneficial to the war. At least in name and in terms of organization, Chang Kaishen successfully unified the Chinese army. Otherwise, fighting with various numbers would be even more troublesome.