Xiao Letian really missed a huge historical opportunity. He had no idea that Britain was currently in a critical period of mutual transformation between domestic and foreign affairs.
In fact, the truth becomes clear once you explain it. The government invests huge amounts of money every year, and these investments have very strong purposes. With Benjamin as the Tory Party, they will put a lot of investment into foreign expansion when they are in power.
Colonial armies need to be ring-fenced, new forts need to be built at ports, new foreign wars need to be launched, etc... It even includes supporting opposition parties in other countries, secretly funding some rebel armies, etc.
All of these require money, and they are all gold-eating monsters. Especially the expansion of the navy is a bottomless pit. Even if the empire is as wealthy as the sun never sets, if it wants to comprehensively upgrade the navy's warships, it must be careful and careful.
However, in the view of Gladstone and others, the strength of an empire does not only depend on the size of its population but also the vastness of its territory. It is naturally better to have more colonies. Everyone knows that dumping of raw materials and goods is important.
But everything has a problem of degree. When expanding outward, we must not forget about inward development!
Look at the chaotic public order in London at the moment. There are countless uneducated children running on the streets. They either sell newspapers, shine shoes, or work as factory workers.
Some even become thieves and beggars, and their parents are completely unable to provide any help for their children's future, so these children can only fend for themselves.
Education is a big issue, but what about healthcare? What about road construction? What about public health drainage facilities? Needless to say, are the number of people who die from typhoid fever and dysentery in London every year increasing year by year?
Dirty streets, clogged small waterways, and people can't even drink clean water. Is this really what the empire on which the sun never sets wants?
It's time for change, and Gladstone's ideal is to shift national policy from being outward-focused back to the right path of being inward-focused.
Existing colonies can no longer expand, and limited funds must be invested in improving people's livelihood.
Education is especially important. The empire needs more outstanding talent reserves. This is the root of Britain's continued prosperity!
At this time, human society did not have the so-called concepts of the first industrial revolution and the second industrial revolution. These were all analyzes and summaries of history by later generations.
Only time travelers like Xiao Letian can clearly judge that technological innovation is coming soon!
However, no one can underestimate the wisdom of the ancients. Although Gladstone and others do not know where the breakthrough of new technology lies, they are aware that breakthroughs in technology are brewing.
Business competition requires factory owners to improve efficiency and reduce costs, and then develop new technologies and new products. Only in this way can they obtain more and more generous profits.
However, new industries and new technologies will definitely require more high-quality industrial workers. Xiao Letian sees this most clearly. In the future, emerging industries such as electric power, chemical industry, petroleum industry, internal combustion engines, etc. will not be accessible to ordinary people.
All practitioners need a solid foundation of basic knowledge before they can talk about professional training and even innovation in their work.
This is the benefit of compulsory education and the only way to strengthen the country. It is also the lifelong ideal that Gladstone has dreamed of.
Xiao Letian didn't know that it was precisely because of the emergence of the Chinese that the British compulsory education system was advanced by more than ten years, and all this was because of the stimulation brought by the internal reforms of the Chinese to the UK.
To allow a small country to seize the crown of being the first country in the world to promote compulsory education for all, the Empire on which the Sun Never Sets was very embarrassed and felt a deep threat.
Gladstone's report impressed the Queen, and the Queen in turn influenced the royal family. This led to a series of cabinet battles, and this gave Xiao Letian room to take advantage of the situation.
It's a pity that Xiao Letian doesn't know all this. If his intelligence network can get access to such core secrets, Xiao Letian's courage and appetite will increase exponentially.
Everything was groping forward in chaos. Although there was a glimmer of light in the fog before Xiao Letian's eyes, he had found the right direction, but the fog was still a fog, and there were no less obstacles than there should be.
"Your Majesty! The leading Guards cavalry has passed Downing Street and is now turning onto Victoria Avenue. The golden carriage will arrive at Buckingham Palace in fifteen minutes!"
The queen suddenly opened her eyes, "Okay, it's almost time to rest, let's go out! After all, he is the emperor of China, and he deserves to be greeted by me personally. I will greet him at the gate!"
This face is really as big as the sky. As the Queen of the British Empire, I have never seen her stand at the gate in person to greet any guests.
This is not only a matter of national strength, but also a matter of seniority. The Queen was only 18 years old when she ascended the throne. She is already 50 years old now. When he first ascended the throne, the Qing Dynasty was still in the reign of Daoguang.
There are also seniorities in the political arena. Now the Queen is basically the oldest person in the world's political arena. The rulers of all countries follow the etiquette of juniors in front of her. There are very few kings who can be of the same seniority as her.
The queen in full dress, holding a scepter and supported by the palace guards, walked out of the gate of Buckingham Palace. At that moment, the scene was filled with exclamations of surprise.
"Look! Our Queen! Long live the Queen!"
"Oh God! The Queen actually came to greet the envoys in person. The Queen greeted the Chinese Emperor at the main entrance!"
Queen Victoria's reputation was so high that as soon as she appeared, the crowd on the street opposite Buckingham Palace suddenly became excited, and shouts of "Long Live the Queen" were heard everywhere.
Victoria gently waved her hands to the crowd, which was met with even more violent cheers!
"This is my prosperous age, and I will definitely make it even more glorious!" the queen proudly swore in her heart.
At this moment, the vanguard of the Guards cavalry escorting the envoy had appeared on the street. A long line of three hundred cavalry passed by on the street. People could even see the dazzling golden carriage in the distance. light.
The envoy's team was very long. Starting from the leading cavalry and dragging them back four to five hundred meters, there were more than 800 Guards cavalry alone.
All the Royal Guards formed a military parade in front of the Queen. The officer gave an order and all the cavalrymen drew their swords and held them flat against their chests, pointing their gleaming blades at the sky.
Under the bearskin military caps are faces soaked in sweat but extremely proud. "The Guards salute Her Majesty the Queen!"
Seeing the facade of the empire approaching, the queen felt extremely comfortable. She raised her hand to greet these handsome young men.
More and more cavalry were passing by in front of the queen, until finally the golden light of the golden carriage appeared in the queen's sight.
"We've finally arrived, Chinese! You arrived too late, thousands of years too late!"
