Entering the English Channel, the most glorious side of the British Empire finally appeared in front of these Eastern guests. This route was very close to the British coastline, almost following the British soil and sailing towards London.
Zai Chun on the deck now knows what an industrial power is. The entire British landmass is completely different from other places in Asia and Europe.
In Asia, when ships are sailing along the shore, what you can see are forests, rivers, farms, and undeveloped wasteland everywhere, full of ancient flavor. What you see almost a thousand years ago, what you see now Still something like that.
But after sailing in the Mediterranean, the wealth of Europe is completely different. The coast is affected by the warm and humid climate of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Europe is full of forests and grasslands, with pastures as far as the eye can see.
There are also countless imitations of windmills and various workshops. There are countless wine-making workshops alone, and of course there are workshops for making cheese, olive oil and other handicrafts.
What impressed Zaichun even more was the development of commerce in the Mediterranean. Almost all ports here are open. Merchant ships from all over the world are constantly flowing in, transporting goods from all over the world, and transporting goods of their own nation out. There is a tinkling sound in the air. All the sound was the clash of gold coins.
Zai Chun had long made an oath that he would abolish the stupid sea ban when he took office. Almost all countries in the world were desperately opening their doors and wanted to trade with the world. Why didn't the Qing Dynasty do this?
The Qing Dynasty had a vast territory and rich resources, and Europeans wanted all kinds of specialties. I heard from the master that the Qing Dynasty exported bristles to Europe every year, and the trade volume reached tens of millions of silver dollars.
It’s really like holding a golden rice bowl and begging for food. Others desperately wanted to do business, but the Qing Dynasty tried desperately to close the country. In the end, the British had to use cannons to teach them the right to trade. The ports were all forced to open with bayonets. .
It’s exciting to think about it. The rich specialties of the Qing Dynasty were transported to the world, and overseas treasures were collected in the Qing Dynasty. Business prosperity and taxes naturally rolled in. Wouldn’t this solve the financial crisis that plagued the imperial court?
Zai Chun's idea was very good and simple, but after he left the Mediterranean and saw the British land, he was shocked again, because he saw a scenery that was completely different from the Mediterranean coast.
We can no longer see the pristine natural scenery of Asia, nor can we see the medieval handicraft workshops and green pastures along the Mediterranean coast.
Instead, the main colors are black and gray, and the whole of Britain seems to have been washed by lead. Wherever people gather along the sea coast, there are tall chimneys, and billowing black smoke is spraying out overwhelmingly, just like the old man in Journey to the West. Like a monster's cave.
Of course, there are forests and grasslands. The UK is already affected by the Atlantic monsoon, which means it is foggy, rainy, and snowy. The climate here is very suitable for the growth of plants, and the forest coverage rate is among the highest in Europe.
But I never expected that almost all the forests within sight were marked by massive logging. Big trees that three or four people hugged had been knocked down, and lumberjacks were sitting on tree stumps as big as dining tables, drinking morning tea.
There was no farmland to be seen at all. Almost all the fields were covered with green grass. As far as the field of view of the telescope could be seen, there were cattle and sheep. In particular, there were as many sheep as white clouds in the sky, spreading on the ground and moving forward slowly.
"Oh my god, master, look! Britain...why is Britain gray?" Zai Chun asked in surprise.
Xiao Letian raised the telescope and took a closer look, and found that Britain is really gray. The sky is gray, the clouds are gray, the fog is gray, and even the overwhelming sheep are polluted gray. .
Pieces of deforested forests are as ugly as the scars on a bald man's head, and large patches of bald patches have even appeared on the grasslands due to overgrazing. Fortunately, there is no sign of desertification due to the high rainfall in the UK.
Xiao Letian never imagined that pollution in Britain in the 19th century would be so serious.
"Good guy, is it really gray? Such serious pollution!" Xiao Letian shook his head and pointed to a town not far away.
"Did you see it? The culprits should be those factories. The UK is different from the countries along the Mediterranean Sea. This is a deeply industrialized country. Large industry is the lifeblood of the economy, especially the textile industry..."
"Did you notice? They have very little farmland, because Britain now relies heavily on the export of food from the colonies. The land in the country is very valuable. People are more willing to graze to harvest wool, and the profits are greater!"
"And that wood is also a necessary by-product of industrialization. How much wood is needed for railway sleepers? How much wood is needed to build warships and merchant ships? The forests in the UK are almost all cut down at the moment!"
"It's a pity, it's such a pity for this beautiful island... Come here, please ask the British side, what part of the UK is on the shore?"
"This is Lyme Bay... On land is Devonshire in the UK... It has passed the Wellington area..."
After getting the answer from the British side, Xiao Letian nodded, "The Beef Wellington is pretty good. I'll ask the British chef to make one for you later... What's wrong? Why does your face look so ugly?"
Xiao Letian patted Zai Chun on the shoulder and comforted him, "Don't think too much. Environmental pollution is an inevitable price of industrialization. If we take this path in the future, we have to be careful..."
Xiao Letian never expected that his comfort would be exchanged for Zai Chun's excited "Long live!" Xiao Letian was suddenly shocked.
"What's going on? Are you really hysterical?"
"Master, where did you go? With such a beautiful scene, why do you still say it's free of charge? I was wrong, I was really wrong..."
"At first, I thought that the countries along the Mediterranean Sea were already a model of European prosperity! I thought that was my dream, but today I finally understand..."
"Here... only a scene like this is worthy of the Qing Dynasty! The power of industrialization is so wonderful, and this is the kind of power I want!"
Zai Chun said excitedly, "After I take office, I will build countless factories outside Beijing. When I stand in front of Tiananmen Square, I can see chimneys like a forest..."
"I want to see industrial products flowing out like water with my own eyes, and I want the Qing Dynasty to have such power!"
"Steel manufacturing, textile industry, chemical industry, smelting industry... I want all of these, and I want to move to the edge of Beijing!"
ah? Xiao Letian's mouth is so big that he can stuff an egg into it. Oh my God, is this about to start? Before you have tasted the sweetness of industrialization, are you ready to destroy the natural environment of the capital?
"I said...don't you want to tear down the walls of Forty-Nine City?" Xiao Letian asked subconsciously.
Unexpectedly, Zai Chun almost scared him as soon as he opened his mouth. "What's the use of a city wall? Can it block the cannon? Can it block the 210-caliber cannon of the Zhiyuan?"
"It's useless! Demolition, demolition... tear down the old ones, let's replace them with new ones! Long live industrialization..."
