Seoul is a port city, and Zhao Xuening invested a lot of resources in its construction, making this port city a prosperous city second only to Batavia as soon as it was put into use.
As distinguished guests, Cornley and Marek were personally accompanied by Chen Qilong and traveled through the streets in a carriage.
It was not the first time for Marek to come to Seoul, but it was the first time for Cornley to come to Seoul. As he moved forward, he paid close attention to some of the scenery and humanities in Seoul that were different from other places.
This city has the prosperity and prosperity that it should naturally have. The planning of the streets and the architectural design of the houses are all based on simplicity and strictness. However, Cornley feels that what deserves his attention more is the Lanfang citizens in this city. The clothes they wear.
Cornley heard someone say that in addition to being able to fight, Zhao Xuening also had a well-known hobby, which was to design all kinds of clothes.
The clothes he designs are often really interesting, and the company's senior executives like them so much that some people jokingly call Zhao Xuening the number one fashion designer in the East Indies.
The clothing styles he designed have become popular styles in the areas around the East Indies, and the most popular among them is the Lanfang uniform, the current national costume of the Lanfang Republic.
Lanfang uniforms were first designed by Zhao Xuening for company employees after the establishment of Lanfang Company, the predecessor of Lanfang Republic, five years ago. Company employees and their families were provided with free clothing by the company, so of course, everyone soon became familiar with it. Wearing a uniform.
With the expansion of the company and the increase of employees, the scope of application of Lanfang uniforms has become wider and wider, and it has become more and more known.
After referring to French styles, Dutch styles, Qing Empire styles and indigenous styles, Zhao Xuening designed such a set of clothing styles with his personal brand based on local climate conditions and the daily needs of company employees.
The characteristic of this clothing style is that it completely abandons the robe and mandarin style design of the Qing Empire. It is based on the short trousers worn by farmers and laborers at the bottom, and combines the characteristics of Dutch and French military uniforms. In a simple, A capable, spiritual and practical appearance is presented to the world.
Cornley didn't know what other people thought. Anyway, when he first saw the clothing style of Lanfang nationals on the streets of Seoul, he felt that this thing should be regarded as a military uniform. Even if it is a women's style, it can be regarded as a women's military uniform. , instead of normal European women's fashion and casual wear.
All people wear military uniforms?
Conley thinks Zhao Xuening is a bit imaginative.
Because it is located in a hot tropical area, this garment is also divided into two styles: inside and outside.
It is said that people in Lanfang usually wear inner clothing, a light and breathable half-sleeved short coat and a pair of trousers that can almost cover the uppers of the shoes. It is very simple and is the same for both men and women.
When something happens, such as working at sea, military war, etc., they will change into outer clothing.
Lanfang's standard outer clothing is what Conley sees as military uniforms. It is also divided into tops and bottoms. The style is wide and its main features are the pockets on the shoulders, chest, and abdomen on both sides. The same is true for trousers. The sides of the legs start from the outside of the hips. There is also a pocket on each side of the knee.
So a set of Lanfang uniforms has ten pockets of different sizes, which can be used to store some personal items in daily life, work supplies for work, and war supplies such as gunpowder and bullets during wartime.
The color of this uniform is mainly a mixture of earth tones and green, which is not bright and beautiful at all. However, everyone in Lanfang likes this costume so much that all the people use this costume as a national symbol. .
Not only Lanfang citizens like this clothing, but people of all ethnic groups in other areas who are not Lanfang citizens are also willing to buy and wear this clothing because it is light, breathable, strong and durable, making this clothing a well-known brand in the spice sea. Top quality clothing.
In addition, all the people in Lanfang have pretty uniform hairstyles.
It is said that during the Lanfang Company period, Zhao Xuening's requirement for company employees was that men should have what he called a "straight-inch" hairstyle, while women should have their hair not close to the ears.
Of course, there are local factors involved in this hairstyle. For example, the local climate is hot, and hair that is too long is prone to lice and various diseases. Shorter hair is easier to clean.
After the company was reorganized into a state, Zhao Xuening relaxed this requirement and did not impose it on civilians, but state officials and military personnel continued to maintain this hairstyle.
So far, although Zhao Xuening has no specific hair style requirements for citizens, everyone has followed the company's practice by default. Men have short hair, and women have hair that is below the ears. They are all the same regardless of age.
This intrigued Cornley.
He knew a little about the hairstyle of the Qing people and knew that the Qing people were very concerned about their hairstyle.
He also knew that the hairstyles of people in the Ming Empire more than a hundred years ago were different from those in the Qing Empire today.
After the Manchus from the north moved south, the hairstyles of all Qing people were forcibly unified and became braids.
He also knew that the Chinese in the East Indies once retained their hairstyles from the old era. After entering the new century, due to the increasing number of immigrants from the Qing Empire, the number of people who retained their original hairstyles gradually became a minority and was eventually completely wiped out. .
However, what Cornley didn't know was that the real reason why they changed their hairstyles was that they were abroad and their personal safety was difficult to guarantee, so they hoped that their home country, the Qing Dynasty, would support them, so the Chinese in the East Indies gradually adopted the Qing imperial style. hairstyle, giving up the original hairstyle.
But it turned out that the Qing Dynasty regarded them as sinners and had no intention of protecting them or supporting them, no matter what their hairstyle was. This fact made them very disappointed.
Therefore, after the rise of Zhao Xuening's Lanfang power, all those who joined Zhao Xuening, especially the Chinese, changed their hairstyles in compliance with Zhao Xuening's request, adopting the current Lanfang hairstyle and giving up braids.
Cornley actually has some opinions on this matter.
Braids are obviously very handsome, very fashionable, and very popular. Basically everyone in the European courts wears a braid. This is true in France, Prussia, Russia, and many European countries, from monarchs to nobles to officers in the army. And soldiers, no one felt bad.
Most people are not even qualified to wear braids!
Cornley also has a long braid hanging on the back of his head, reaching the length of his waist. His wife braided it for him. The shape is very beautiful and very beautiful. Cornley is proud of it and wears it every day. They spend a lot of time taking care of their braids.
When he was in the Netherlands, many upper-class people envied him for having such a clever wife who could weave such beautiful braids for him. Some nobles even sent their wives or servants to learn from Cornley's wife. Tips for Braiding Hair for Men.
Having braids is a beautiful thing!
Lanfang, on the other hand, directly canceled the braids and left only short hair instead of long hair. There were no hairstyles or decorations on her head. This was a very unfashionable thing in Cornley's opinion.
Although Cornley also didn't like the fact that ordinary Qing people simply shaved off most of their heads, braids are really beautiful and fashionable.
Zhao Xuening doesn’t understand fashion and is a coward!
Cornley believes so.
However, there are too many things about Lanfang that make people who don't know it feel strange. Compared to Lanfang's military, clothing and hairstyle are completely trivial matters.
There are women joining the army in Lanfang Republic.
This is something unbelievable to Europeans. No matter how much they claim to be civilized and open, Europeans cannot understand the matter of women joining the army to fight. However, Lanfang still has women joining the army, and there are also specially organized women. Musketeers and Artillery Corps.
According to opponents who have fought against Lanfang's army, Lanfang's women's musketry team is very good at fighting, very proficient in musketry tactics, the female gunners are also very skilled, they are also very strong in combat, and their morale is relatively strong.
There are conservatively estimated to be 5,000 women in the entire Lanfang army.
Currently in Europe, women are still entirely men's accessories. Cornley only heard that in the UK, many women are gradually going out to work. There are more and more women working, but overall there are still very few. .
But when it comes to women joining the army and fighting in wars, no matter how good a European fantasist is, they would not imagine such content.
Therefore, things like the fact that a woman in Lanfang joined the army to fight in the war was often classified as gossip and strange trivial matters in European newspapers, which made Europeans who read the newspapers feel baffled. In a sense, they also regarded Lanfang as a strange small country.
Looking at the living conditions of the people in Lanfang he saw before him, Cornley didn't know what Marek was thinking, but he gradually saw a little bit of the secrets after receiving an elite education.
These Lanfang citizens seem to be...
Very united.
Regardless of clothing or hairstyle, the people of Lanfang are in a highly unified state, and no one feels bad about it. This is absolutely impossible in the countries and regions that Cornley has visited before. .
Not to mention non-European countries, even European countries will not have such a situation. The only ones that are somewhat similar to Lanfang's current situation are the armies of various countries, but even the armies of various countries rarely wear uniforms now. Case.
In the current period, most of the European armies are mercenaries, with only a small part of the regular standing army. Therefore, it is impossible for any monarch to prepare uniform uniforms for the rapidly recruited peasant mercenaries in a short period of time. Such conditions are often Only a small elite standing army would be provided.
Therefore, on the European battlefield, a common situation is that in addition to the obvious distinction between the flags of the armies of various countries, most soldiers have various uniforms, making it difficult to distinguish specific countries.
However, Lanfang has the ability to make all citizens wear uniforms. This not only reflects Lanfang's relatively developed production capabilities, but also reflects Lanfang's highly centralized national system.
In other words, it is the authority of the supreme ruler that is highly effective and practical.
That is, the power and authority of Zhao Xuening himself.
The citizens of Lanfang wear the same clothes every day, so in wartime, as long as they give an order, they can also go to the battlefield and participate in the battle in a uniform manner. This may be the reason why Lanfang broke out as a small country. The reason for the strong combat effectiveness.
But the reason why Lan Fang is so good at fighting is obviously not just that.
The reason for all this must be attributed to Zhao Xuening, the founding leader of Lanfang, the uncrowned king of the Spice Sea, the hateful traitor from the East, and the evil sea dragon who chooses people to be addicted to.
Cornley has not met Zhao Xuening or dealt with him directly. He doesn't know what Zhao Xuening looks like. He is very interested in this king of the Eastern Sea and can't wait to see him.
The carriage drove through Guomin Street in Seoul, entered Qiangsheng Street, then turned right, entered Chang'an Avenue, and then went straight, passing two rows of shops selling snacks, tea, clothing, and daily necessities along the street, and arrived at Lanfang National Center - —Presidential Palace.
The Presidential Palace is built on the highest hill in Seoul. You can overlook the whole city from a high position. The main color of the building is white, and it adopts Chinese-style brackets and gable-style roofs. It looks majestic and exquisite at first glance. It is said that one of the members of Zhao Xuening’s team Professional technical personnel guide the construction.
Because the main color of the building is white, locals often call the presidential palace "the White House".
The entire presidential palace is three stories high. Because it covers a large area, it accommodates all the state power and responsibility departments in Lanfang. The first floor is the general official office, the second floor is the ministerial office, and the third floor is Zhao Xuening's office. Home of the Presidential Office.
Although Cornley was curious about this, his first stop was not the Presidential Palace, but the Lanfang National Artillery School located north of the hills where the Presidential Palace is located.
On the day of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Zhao Xuening prepared to hold a military parade while receiving distinguished guests. He would have his troops set off from the artillery school to the hills where the Presidential Palace is located, and walk around the hills. On the last lap, let the distinguished guests on the hills review the army with Zhao Xuening.
Military parades are not a rare thing, but this is the first time that the Lanfang army created by Zhao Xuening holds a military parade publicly for everyone.
Cornley, who had never seen Lanfang's army, was very interested.
Amsterdam is also interested.
They are eager to fully understand the composition, number of personnel and combat strength of Lanfang's army, and then they can determine how much price they need to pay in this diplomatic war to allow Zhao Xuening to achieve their goals.
Similarly, Marek has the same idea. For the British, Zhao Xuening's current strength is directly linked to the British's diplomatic costs. The British don't know whether Zhao Xuening's military strength will make further progress or remain unchanged after several years. .
Because of the forces they represented behind them, as "distinguished guests", Conley and Marek were able to go directly to the artillery school under the leadership of Chen Qilong to meet Zhao Xuening first and have a small-scale private conversation.
Other guests need to go directly to the third floor of the Presidential Palace, drink tea, eat snacks and wait for a while in the living room.
The two men headed directly to the artillery school under the leadership of Chen Qilong.
At the same time, Zhao Xuening was making final confirmations on the square formation and ordering of the artillery units in the military parade with Chu Teng, the commander-in-chief of the military parade, his confidant and commander-in-chief of the Army of the Lanfang Republic, Chu Teng.
"Yunfei, artillery is the country's weapon, so it has to be the last to appear. Don't think I'm verbose. Today is a special day. Some things must be seen and feared by certain people. Only in this way can the situation be stabilized. Our situation It looks good, but in fact it is full of dangers, so no problems can occur no matter what.”
Zhao Xuening walked along the artillery formation and made final confirmation to Chu Teng.
As a personal follower of Zhao Xuening for ten years, Chu Teng knew Zhao Xuening's cautious character very well and was accustomed to his cautious and meticulous management style, so he straightened his back.
"Don't worry, it is my greatest honor that you leave this matter to me. I will never let you down, and I will definitely let everyone who should see it see our strength!"
"Very good. In this case, Yunlong will complain less."
Zhao Xuening looked at Chu Teng with a smile: "Yunlong has complained to me many times. He feels that you are unreliable. The commander of the military parade should be handed over to him. Don't let me lose face in front of Yunlong."
"Absolutely not!"
Chu Teng immediately said: "Although his navy is sharp and his military exploits are great, our army is not a vegetarian! Don't worry! This time, I will convince that bastard Li Chuang! I won't be able to say a word!"
"Then I'll just wait and see how you perform."
Zhao Xuening smiled and patted Chu Teng on the shoulder.
