"No, no, no, mother, you are wrong. Chinese families are very particular about filial piety. Failure to support the elderly is a serious crime in China, and it is a felony comparable to treason. No one dares not to provide for the elderly..."
"Through contact, my expedition team understood that the Chinese regard development and construction as a kind of religious belief..."
"A day without work, a day without food! This is their life creed, and they know better how to gather sand to form a tower. Maybe I can only clear one square meter of wasteland in one day, but what about one year? What about ten years?"
"What's more important is that the Chinese are not doing this work reluctantly. They are really enjoying the process. When they see with their own eyes that their results are getting richer day by day, they feel relieved even after all the hard work." It’s all sweet!”
"You are still clearing wasteland and growing vegetables when you are nearly eighty years old. That is not a punishment, but a real pleasure for the elderly!"
“What a terrible nation, and only such a nation can unearth these primitive treasures. I believe that if the Chinese are the mainstay in economic construction, the resource output of Southeast Asia will increase tenfold and a hundredfold! "
"What is the national power of an empire? In the final analysis, it is just the amount of resources at hand and the productivity of processing these resources. If China can help us dig up this huge primitive gold mine, then what if we support a Chinese ethnic group? "
Edward had obviously done his homework in advance. This crown prince was good at foreign affairs and had a strong curiosity about the outside world. His pioneering spirit was no less than any of his predecessors.
In his plan, in the future East Asia will support two British agents, one Manchu and one Chinese, one facing the mainland and one facing the ocean.
Britain cannot do everything in this world, so it is the British way to find suitable agents to rule the world together.
Through careful observation and research, the crown prince determined that only the Chinese in Asia have the strongest ability to create wealth. Who else can be used instead of this nation?
And who will rule this nation? The Manchus? That group that pees their pants when they see the ocean? Of course not, the only suitable candidate is Xiao Letian.
It took two full cigarettes for Edward to finish explaining his plan, and the Queen seemed to be really relieved. She didn't show any impatience, and she nodded positively when she heard the highlights.
But just when Edward thought this was bound to happen, the Queen said, "What you said does make sense, but have you ever thought about how you would implement it?"
"My child, don't forget, what is the national system of our country? Is everything you just said something that our royal family can interfere with? Is your position as prime minister and foreign minister just for show? Do you want to interfere in the government affairs of the cabinet? "
"Don't think of mother as omnipotent. I can only exert a little influence at the right time, not make decisions for the cabinet!"
"If your plan wants to succeed, then Benjamin must pass this level. If he doesn't agree, then what's the use of your plan being perfect?"
“They are the ones who have to spend every penny when negotiating with the Chinese. They are the ones who finally sign the agreement and draft the terms. They are still the ones who sign and record it and are responsible... My signature is just a ceremonial presence. Do you really think I can do whatever I want? ?"
"Now it seems that Benjamin and you have completely different judgments. How do you bridge this conflict?"
"Okay, first of all, I have to admit that what you said makes sense. The civilization level of the island countries in the Pacific Rim is too low. The primitive indigenous people don't know what construction is at all. There is nothing wrong with choosing the Chinese..."
"But have you ever thought about it? The Chinese are smart, hard-working, and capable... while they have so many advantages, what else do they have? Their own independent civilization system! My child, how can you guarantee that they will be dependent on the British? "
"How can you guarantee that they will not resist our control after they become stronger? What if they support an enemy?"
"This is actually what the cabinet is most worried about. To be honest, the better Xiao Letian performs, the more obvious their concerns become. This is the root of the problem!"
Edward pressed the cigarette hard into the ashtray, "Hahaha... Mother, you underestimate the strength of my Royal Navy. I can't guarantee that it will be foolproof when fighting against the army in this world, but when fighting against the navy?"
"Hahaha... As long as it is covered by the sea, it is the sphere of influence of our empire where the sun never sets. Southeast Asia is a country of a thousand islands. There are many islands and the sea conditions are complex. This kind of place is the main battlefield of our Royal Navy. China People haven’t played with the navy in hundreds of years, so we expect them to defeat us on the sea?”
"If Xiao Letian makes such a judgment, then he is no longer the head of state of the Chinese nation. He will not be so unwise!"
"Also, it's his weird battleship! Mother, do you really think that you can show off your power with just one battleship with more advanced performance? The Navy Ministry has already made more than 20 war scenarios for the Zhiyuan, sinking it He has more than a dozen plans!”
"And our brand new ironclad warship is also under construction. With our British industrial strength, the newly launched warship will definitely crush it in all aspects. By then, its only advantage will be gone!"
"Without the slightest advantage, what can he use to resist us? How many years will it take to bridge the gap between the small Chinese race and the empire on which the sun never sets? One hundred years or two hundred years? Haha, mother, you are so unfounded... …”
"Come on, let me calculate the data with my mother, okay? What is the Chinese land area? What is the population? What is the steel production? What about coal? What about non-ferrous metals? What is the total mileage of all railways? What is the industrial population... …”
At this point, Edward laughed heartily, "Haha, my mother, even if I believe that the Chinese will catch up with us one day, but will it take hundreds of years? During this period, I am afraid we have already taught him countless lessons with the army. That’s it!”
"I worry too much, my mother worries too much, and Benjamin worries too much!"
Queen Victoria could not refute her son's reasoning. Indeed, these data were solid facts, and industrial strength was not false. This was national vitality that took hundreds of years of hard work to accumulate.
Do you think the Chinese can finally challenge the British? In fact, the Queen doesn't believe it either, but as a veteran politician who has spent her whole life in the political arena, she has a unique sense of smell and an inexplicable ability to predict things.
She couldn't make sense, but facing Xiao Letian, she was a little worried. In the end, the queen could only shake her head and said, "Okay, my child, even if what you said makes sense, then I still said what I just said Words! We cannot interfere with the power of the Prime Minister, Xiao Letian must face his own problems! "
"Don't expect me to intervene or exert influence! I can only do it without restraint, that's all!"
Edward stood up and bowed and said, "Having my mother's unconditional promise is a huge help to Xiao Letian!"
