Both Colbert and Ruyter stayed in the northern capital of the Ming Dynasty for a long time, partly to purchase weapons and equipment and military supplies, and to wait for the armored ships to be installed.
On the other hand, we have to wait for the Sudan Canal to be fully completed and open to navigation. Taking this route can greatly save time, and is a good choice for both military and commercial purposes.
The two fleets of Zheng Chenggong and Jiexuan will also choose to take the canal route, unless it is not completed as scheduled by then.
However, judging from the reports from the Daming construction team participating in the project, the progress of the canal is basically implemented as planned.
Especially when the Ming Dynasty provided a large number of steam trucks to the Ottomans, the excavation speed has been greatly improved.
Although there are no excavators, there are plenty of coolies on the Ottoman side. They just use shovels to scoop up the soil...
Regarding the toll collection method of the canal, Osman has also notified customers from various countries who want to take this route.
The fee is based on one-fifth of the product of length and width. For example, a merchant ship that is two hundred feet long and forty feet wide needs to pay one thousand six hundred silver coins to pass through the canal, which includes the towing fee for the entire length.
The method of measuring length and width is also very simple. The captain can use the giant ruler marked on the shore to measure it.
Two horizontal rods are stuck on the bow and stern of the ship respectively, and people on the shore can know the captain by comparing the numbers.
It is also easy to measure the width of the ship by tying an inflated sheepskin bag to the other end of the iron ingot that has sunk to the bottom of the river.
Just like the lanes in a swimming pool, the sacs are equidistant and have numbers painted on them.
As long as the ship to be tested sails into the specified range, the width of the ship can be directly seen.
In order to solve the problem of towing giant sail ships, a certain new emperor also provided steam tractors to Ottoman.
It means placing a bunch of steam engines with ropes and chains on both sides of the canal. When the steam engines work, the ropes can be tightened and the ships will be pulled over.
A large number of coolies were used as auxiliary force to prevent the ship from getting stuck in the canal where the wind was weak when the steam engine was not happy.
In fact, the original Suez Canal was opened to navigation at the right time, just after steam ships became popular.
Before this, even if the canal could be dug, similar methods could only be used to tow sailboats.
The U.S. military used this method to salvage sunken ships from Pearl Harbor. If a ship sank in the canal, it could also be fished out using this method.
Judging from the charging standard, it is also relatively reasonable and does not directly scare away potential customers.
On average, a ship receives one thousand silver coins. If one thousand ships pass through the canal every year, that is one million silver coins.
This does not include the fruits, vegetables and meat purchased by the crew when anchored along the coast.
If all is taken into account, the economic benefit will not be less than two million silver coins.
Osman plans to recover all the initial investment costs within five years. If it is run properly, it will be paid back in three or four years, and everything will be a net profit in the future.
In addition to providing some of its own local products to the Ming Empire, another money-making project of the empire was oil extraction.
A kerosene project with an annual output of 7 million tons has been completed and the production capacity will be expanded to 20 million tons in the next five years.
There is nothing in the desert, but there is a lot of oil, and it is so abundant that it is free. More importantly, it is close to the sea, and transportation is very convenient.
The only problem is, the oil is produced in Kuwait!
In other words, refined oil must either be transported by land to Istanbul, or it must go around the peninsula and enter the Mediterranean Sea.
After Ming Dynasty's first- and second-tier cities began to launch power generation projects, kerosene lamps became less important.
In view of the friendly relations between the Ottoman Empire and the Ming Dynasty, a certain new emperor transferred glass technology at a friendly price.
Maintaining a strong Ottoman will help it contain the military power of half of Europe.
Only after the decline of the Ottoman Empire did Europe break free from its fetters and rise completely.
If the Ottomans are not finished, Europe will always have one foot stuck in the quagmire and cannot pull it out...
A certain new emperor split the technology he mastered into two, and he did the same to his partners.
What was sold to France and the Netherlands was high technology such as ironclad ships, but they could not be cashed out immediately to make money.
What was sold to Osman was oil extraction and other technologies. Although the technology was not high, it could pay off in a short time.
Even if France and the Netherlands master the construction technology of ironclad ships, it will still take a long time to digest the new territory in North America they have acquired.
Although Osman cannot climb the technology tree, he can use the money he earns to continue purchasing advanced weapons and equipment from Ming Dynasty.
These two big pieces of meat, like canals and oil fields, are money-making projects that can continue to be profitable for hundreds of years.
Coupled with the continuous sending of troops northward to plunder the white-skinned monkeys, these three projects have become the pillars supporting the development of the empire.
Daming provided plans and vehicles for the canal project, technology and equipment for the oil field project, and then directly bought the Ocean Horse with real money and silver.
It can be said that cooperation with the Ottomans can be regarded as quasi-comprehensive cooperation except in the military field, while cooperation with the other two companies is slightly worse.
A certain new emperor supported the Ottomans more than France and the Netherlands. The reason was simple. Because the future was dominated by technological powers, the Ottomans would not pose much of a threat to the Ming Dynasty.
Those two companies are different. Unless they are more than fifty years behind their main competitors in the field of science and technology, a certain new emperor will not be able to sleep peacefully.
Of course, the face-saving work must be done well. At least Kolbe and Ruyter can feel at home when they come to Beidu.
As long as these two people stay in Beidu for a day, they can supply refrigerators and freezers.
Because this thing is so in short supply, as for other foreign businessmen, only those with connections like Little Putmans can get it in stock.
Kolbe and Ruyter were also convinced by receiving such generous treatment.
They also knew that it was impossible to buy bulk goods on the market now, only in Emperor Haojing.
Moreover, as long as this product reaches the mainland, even if the quantity required by the military has been met, it can be sold to nobles and wealthy businessmen, and they will be cashed out immediately, and then receive doubled profits in return.
So these two people didn't care anymore. They could carry as much as the fleet could carry, and they would even sacrifice their dignity to borrow money from a certain new emperor to buy goods.
Both of them felt that their country's fleet was commanded by the mature and prudent Putmans and Sodi. At least before they returned home, there shouldn't be any major problems.
If it is true, it is because an old man caught a cold. As for other reasons, I can't think of it so far.
Due to the existence of ironclad ships, the main fleets of Britain and Spain simply did not dare to engage in a decisive battle with the French and Dutch fleets.
D'Estre and Ruyter exchanged views. Both of them believed that although the current measures taken by Britain and Spain to avoid war were negative, they could indeed preserve their main fleet.
On the contrary, within three days at most, hundreds of battleships would be wiped out by the French and Dutch fleets, thus accelerating the progress of the entire war.
The problem at hand is that the French and Dutch fleets have the strength to eliminate the two main opponents, but they cannot figure out where the other side will end up.
These two opponents have too many anchorages, and our own squadrons cannot defeat them.
Before the main fleet arrived, the opponent chose to flee early, which was like playing a mole...
When the army is temporarily unable to be dispatched, this kind of maritime guerrilla warfare is the most troublesome thing for our own side.
When the Ming fleet arrives in Europe, the situation will become completely different, and the coalition's maritime power will be doubled.
With the help of the Ming fleet, even if the British and Spanish fleets still wanted to play the game of mice and cats, they would not be able to succeed.
For this reason, a certain new emperor had ordered Zheng Chenggong to lead his troops back to his hometown in Fujian for repairs. Besides, the entire army was exhausted from fighting in Burma.
The Tokugawa general has agreed to send 100,000 troops to assist the dumper in mopping up Mangbai's troops.
If feasible, we will gradually increase the number of troops in the future.
The remaining soldiers can choose to live on the mainland, mine in Liaodong, or go on adventures in the Americas.
The third expedition to America had already begun in the spring, and this time the leader was Zheng Guangying.
The ships used were also Zheng Jun's ships, but they carried 5,000 advisory group officers and soldiers and corresponding weapons and equipment.
They will take root in South America in the future. If that guy Poirot feels that he can stand on his own, then let him sober up...
But at present, a certain new emperor believes that it would be good if the advisory team and this group of huggers can survive successfully, and most other things are just unrealistic and extravagant hopes.
The scale of this time was different from the previous two, and it was relatively small, but Zheng Guangying also got six Zhiyuan ironclads, which were enough to fight Spanish wooden warships that were not afraid of death.
A certain new emperor couldn't guess what he could get by scraping the land this time, but as long as the Spaniards were still in the designated area, they could at least catch a bunch of miners!
The King of Ming Dynasty did not make mistakes and arrested people when they could not capture the territory. This is a fine tradition and must not be given up easily.
Those puppet natives who were loyal to the Spanish could not be spared either.
If the white-skinned monkeys are not enough, we will use the puppet army natives to make up for it.
A certain new emperor believes that all creatures on this planet that do not cooperate with his arrangements or obey his orders are suitable for mining!
In the future, it can be divided by region, Northeast Mining Area, Northwest Mining Area, Grassland Mining Area, Xianbelia Mining Area...
It seems that mining is the essence of human civilization!
This is not a big talk by some new emperor, because it is based on facts.
Mining can dig out precious metals, which can provide sufficient funds for the Academy of Sciences.
The progress of scientific research can also be advanced, and then various technological objects can be continuously created.
This will then make the Ming Dynasty more advanced, and under the leadership of a certain new emperor, ultimately promote the progress of all mankind!
Therefore, mining is the foundation of civilization and progress!
No money?
Everything is in vain!
The miners must be caught, and the land must be scraped!
When Zheng Guangying takes Zheng Haiying and others to shave once more, they will become familiar with it, and then they can go there and shave by themselves.
Zheng Guangying will continue to make a living in Europe with his old partner Jie Xuan in the future, because he feels that he is tired of playing in North America and it is time to change places to play.
I hope I can catch up, but if I can't catch up, there's nothing I can do about it, it just depends on my fate...
Now Jiexuan's fleet does not have any combat missions, it is just preparing for an expedition to Europe.
What can be transported is stored in the base near the port and prepared to be loaded onto the ship.
All major products produced in Ming Dynasty can make a lot of money as long as they are shipped to Europe.
A certain new emperor didn't mind loading the fleet with goods at all. Since there was free space, why not load more?
Private merchant ships can also go with the fleet, except that they have to pay themselves when crossing the canal.
The expeditionary force fleet is expected to include eighteen ironclads, two hundred wooden warships, and thousands of merchant ships.
Judging from the scale of the fleet submitted by Jiexuan, the scale is relatively large.
If you think about it carefully, it seems that this is not going to fight, but to scrape the land, otherwise it would not bring so many auxiliary ships.
This is the cleverness of Jie Xuan, he understands Emperor Hao Jing's true intentions very well.
Defeating Britain is only the first step in the entire war. The next step is to weaken Britain's strength so that it cannot recover in a short time.
The goods transported by merchant ships are naturally dumped to Europe, but when they return, the ships will be filled with miners, and the ship owners will make a profit.
After Colbert heard about this, he even wanted to use his own money to buy some of the goods transported by the Ming Empire shipowners.
Because the price difference here is so tempting, as soon as you turn around and make a move, you will get tens of thousands of silver coins. How easy it is to make this money!
If you visit the Ming Empire, you can earn yourself a large local manor.
Traveling thousands of miles away to visit the Eastern World is definitely worth the money!
Not only Colbert, but also D'Estré, under his guidance, began to have his subordinates move boxes of goods to his flagship.
The salary in the French Navy is not low, but no one can easily refuse the opportunity to earn thousands of silver coins.
The French fleet anchored in Tianjin basically kept loading, and did not stop until the draft of many ships was already very deep.
Now, there is no need for ballast stones. From the top to the position near the bottom of the ship, there are all kinds of commodities.
If you don’t have enough money, you can take out a loan. If you still don’t have enough, you can simply buy the gunpowder on the battleship at a discount...
In short, you can carry as much as you can without worrying about being attacked at sea.
This time the French and Dutch fleets returned together, with hundreds of ships huddled together, and no one dared to take a chance on them.
Ruyter is more concerned about how many merchant ships from the Ming Empire will sail to his country...
The French have many people and can digest it locally.
The Dutch have few people, but they can be transported to Germany, Denmark and Sweden.
But the more merchant ships from the Ming Empire come, the better. As long as we capture enough prisoners, we can cash them out and exchange them for money.
Now Ruyter is increasingly agreeing with Emperor Hao Jing's final solution for Britain and Spain.
Eliminating its military strength would not completely eliminate the threat posed by these two expresses to the Netherlands, and more severe measures would have to be taken.
The population of the Netherlands is too small. Once the old enemy is allowed to overturn, the consequences will be disastrous.
It would be better to use the power of the Ming Empire to reduce its population size, especially the number of young people.
In this case, both the Netherlands and the territories in North America will be safer in the future.
It would be best to use the British population to fund the construction of the Dutch possessions in North America.
Everyone knows that war is cruel!
More importantly, don't let cruel things happen to yourself!
Even if we are involved in a war, we must reduce casualties and losses as much as possible.
If one's own losses cannot be reduced, then one must get back the capital and profits from the loser!
