There are many fragrant grasses in February in the south of the Yangtze River, and spring is in the drizzle.
It is still a snowy winter in the north, but in February in the south of the Yangtze River, it is already drizzling, and you can enjoy the plum blossoms and green flowers. Going upstream along the Yangtze River, several 400-ton water tankers, the most common ones in the Qing Dynasty, are moving forward, along with other boats on the river. There is no difference between the boats. They have the same tattered sails and the same repaired hulls.
But as long as you have the qualifications to walk into the interior of this ship, you will be able to marvel at its luxury. It turns out that all the shabby appearance of this ship is all disguised.
Hu Xueyan, the God of Wealth in Jiangnan, sat on a rosewood armchair, with only half of his butt touching, and his waist half-bent. It was clear that the spring outside the window was freezing, but his forehead was already sweating.
It wasn't that the temperature in the cabin was too high, it was just that sitting across from him were Xiao Letian, the God of Wealth of the East China Sea, and Aixinjueluo Zaichun, the master of the Qing Dynasty.
The little emperor came out on a study tour. He would not express any opinions. He would just listen quietly, his eyes looking at the beautiful scenery of Jiangnan outside the window, but his ears and heart were focused on the meeting between the two gods of wealth.
The conversations between Xiao Letian and Hu Xueyan focused on the economy, from the issuance of bonds to the establishment of the East Asia Telegraph Company, and even Zuo Zongtang's military expenditures. The entire Jiangnan economy was just like a commonplace conversation in their mouths. of blandness.
"How is Brother Hu doing with Zuo Jigao's military expenses?"
"It's very difficult. The Gansu-Shaanxi area has been destroyed, people's livelihood is in decline, and Guanzhong has been flooded and droughted in recent years, and there is no extra financial resources to collect locally. Now, except for sending it up from Shanxi and Luoyang, there is no Other good ways…”
"It's a pity that the imperial court issued an order a few days ago to mobilize the deposits of Henan and Shanxi to the capital, which caused panic among the local businessmen."
Xiao Letian nodded, "I know about this. The imperial court is going to use banknotes to exchange local deposits for silver. In the future, Zuo Jigao will have no money to use, so he can only use bonds to pay military pay."
Hu Xueyan patted his head, "Isn't this nonsense? If the court blindly prints more money, the bonds will depreciate more and more. Not only will the people's morale be unstable, but the military's morale will also be unstable..."
Xiao Letian said with a smile, "There is nothing we can do about it. The imperial court has been going crazy for lack of money these years. It was easy to learn a set of money printing spells, but it still has to be put to good use... Fortunately, the economy in Jiangnan will be restored soon." There can be no chaos. It is best to purchase many materials directly from us and ship them up. Don’t let Zuo Jigao hold bonds to purchase locally, which will destroy the economy of the north..."
"Hey...it's a pity that the freight is so expensive for traveling thousands of miles. It would be great if the Qing Dynasty also had a Western-style railway..."
At this time, Zai Chun suddenly said, "Yes, we will have everything the Qing Dynasty should have. As long as I take charge, I will build a cross-shaped railway from south to north and east to west along the territory of the Qing Dynasty. At that time, commercial goods from the north and the south can be transported to all directions, and the mobilization of troops can be quick and convenient..."
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." Hu Xueyan half pulled his buttocks up just to make it easier for him to kowtow. When he saw the emperor speaking, he kneeled on the ground, being as submissive as he wanted.
"But if your Majesty builds the railway, you must appease the Salt Gang and the Cao Gang. These people all rely on the Grand Canal to make a living. Once their jobs are cut off, they will rebel."
Zai Chun nodded, "I love you, I understand. If a railway is built in the future, I will give priority to the people who live on the canal and won't let them live without food and clothing..."
People in ancient times were simple and easy to fool. The little emperor just said a few human words, which made Hu Xueyan burst into tears with excitement. This shows how low the expectations of the people of the feudal dynasty were for their rulers.
At this moment, a whistle suddenly roared on the river, and then the tanker quickly dodged and the hull shifted violently to the right. The precious porcelain in the cabin and the furnishings on the ancient shelves fell down, and Zai Chun was unable to sit still. Fell to the ground.
"What's going on? Do you know how to sail..." Mr. Long rushed out angrily, but when he saw the scene on the river, he suddenly became furious.
"These damn beasts..." Mr. Long took off his coat and plunged into the cold river water.
At this time, Xiao Letian and others ran out of the cabin. When they saw the steaming wooden-hulled freighter on the river, they knew what was going on. It was a steam paddle steamer, and thick black smoke rushed straight into it. In the sky, the deck was full of laughing foreign sailors. In the busy inland river, they actually knocked over three cannons without slowing down and were still laughing.
The boatman who fell into the water hugged his child and went out for a swim. The boat owner who cried bitterly hugged the plank and was about to commit suicide. The boat was filled with goods bought with all his property. If he fell into the Yangtze River, he would be completely dead.
Master Long and the sailors on the surrounding ships went to rescue people one after another. There were whispers of curses on the river, but no one dared to stop the foreign cargo ship.
"Check whose ship it is." Xiao Letian ordered angrily, but Hu Xueyan shook his head and sighed and said, "No need to check, I know this ship. It is a cargo ship of Shanghai Shunlong Foreign Company. There are British shares behind it. It is on the Yangtze River." The area downstream is extremely arrogant..."
"Prime Minister, please don't act rashly. The wharf of Xinglong Foreign Trade Co., Ltd. is close to the British warships. It is not so easy to deal with..." Hu Xueyan knew what Xiao Letian was going to do and hurriedly persuaded him.
"Humph, they are just a group of scoundrels who bully the weak and fear the strong. If I want to use the army to deal with them, it will be a compliment to them... To deal with scoundrels, we must have rogue methods..."
"Let the CIA take action, check out the property of Shunlong Foreign Company in the concession, and burn some of them to make me happy... and the captain, first mate, and second mate who are sailing the ship today will cause some accidents. .”
Xiao Xiulian silently translated the order into a code from behind, and then handed it over to the messenger to quickly leave the ship and find the nearest telegraph room on the shore. What a storm this coded message sent to the CIA branch in Shanghai will stir up now. unknown.
At this moment, Zai Chun's little face was livid with anger, "In our land of the Qing Dynasty, foreigners are so arrogant. Is this the tragic scene of the colonies you mentioned, master?"
"No, my apprentice, Jiangnan can only be considered a semi-colony. Have you ever seen how miserable a real colony is? The aborigines there are all slaves."
"Europeans have been trading slaves in Africa for three hundred years. The lives of the untouchables who colonized India are worse than a dog. The colonized people in countless mines will not be able to escape until they die..."
"The Qing Dynasty still had its own government, and the people were starving and even had the opportunity to learn. The most terrifying thing in those places was not being colonized, but being brainwashed. They even felt that the colonized life was natural. …”
"Look, British ships are running rampant on the Yangtze River. At least our people still have anger in their eyes and curses in their mouths... At least we know that this is wrong. Even if there is only a little bit of this spirit of resistance, we The nation will not become extinct." This book was first published from, be the first to read the genuine content!
