After hearing Zhuge Weidao's declaration, Guo Xiaobao's dark face became even darker.
It's not that he is afraid of war. In fact, a world war would not do any harm to him, an officer with a middle-level or middle-level noble background. Of course, there is not much benefit.
Nowadays, the military and political circles of the Ming Dynasty are relatively serious. If an elite member of the Zhuge family like Zhuge Weidao hadn't lost his mind and climbed up step by step, he could reach the general level with his eyes closed. If Zhuge Weidao can become the military advisor of the Zhuge family - that is, if he enters the family's inner circle, then he can go up one or two more levels. He will not be able to become the admiral, the navy minister, the chief commander, and the education chief. questionable.
At Guo Xiaobao's level, it is quite certain that he will be a naval lieutenant colonel or colonel. To be promoted to general level, it depends on whether Zhuge Weidao, who he follows, can become the third officer. If Zhuge Weidao goes up, he will also benefit from it. Otherwise, it would be enough to become a colonel... This future is not bad, but it is not particularly good either.
As for naval officers with civilian backgrounds, unless they are particularly outstanding, it is difficult for them to be promoted to captain. Most people reach the end of their career after reaching the rank of major. It is a bit difficult to reach the rank of colonel. The starting point of Zhuge Dao is the end point of many people!
The size of the Ming Dynasty Navy is very large, second only to the British Navy, and it also has naval bases throughout the Western Pacific and North Pacific. Such a huge navy certainly requires a lot of odd-job officers, and there is a lot of hard work. Therefore, there are quite a lot of officers in the Ming Navy who are civilians and will never be promoted.
Therefore, among the Ming Navy, there are many people who want to start a war!
But Guo Xiaobao knows that fighting a world war is not the wish of the eight major families headed by the Zhuge family... In particular, the great military advisors of the Zhuge family are particularly unwilling to fight a world war, and they are particularly unwilling to fight the British!
"Baozhi, am I right?" Zhuge Weidao also saw that something was wrong with Guo Xiaobao's face... If it got darker, he would look like an African!
"Brother Daozi!" Guo Xiaobao said in a low voice with a pulled face, "Do you know who are the people in our Ming Dynasty who are most opposed to war with Britain?"
"It's difficult..." Zhuge Youdao thought for a while, "Is it the Zheng family? His family is engaged in international trade, right? Once the war breaks out, the Zheng family will definitely suffer heavy losses! Moreover, the Zheng family has many investments in Japan , it will be confiscated by the Japanese if we fight."
Guo Xiaobao sighed and said to himself: "This man only remembers the bad things about others, but forgets that the old men in his own family who dote on him are the worst!"
"Brother Daozi," Guo Xiaobao said, "Of course the Zheng family does not want to fight, but they are not the most opposed to war with Britain. Although the Zheng family is engaged in maritime trade, their main assets are placed in Siam and Vietnam. ...Agriculture is the foundation of the Zheng family. As for the Zheng family's investment in Japan, it was quite a lot in the era of King Wu Zhong, but it is not much now. Business in Japan is difficult. The Japanese have spent all their money on armaments. Moreover, the lacquerware, silk, and tea produced in Japan have been defeated by us internationally and cannot be sold at all."
"Then how does Japan build armaments?" Zhuge Weidao was stunned, "Where does the money come from?"
Guo Xiaobao snorted, "It depends on women...Brother Daozi, do you still remember what Nanyang Sister and Dongyang Wife are?"
"Sister Nanyang, remember," Zhuge Weidao nodded, "What is this Oriental wife?"
Nanyang sisters are Japanese custom girls who go abroad to Japan, mainly to Nanyang!
Historically, Japan's original capital for the Meiji Restoration was, first, the gold and silver accumulated in the country - Japan is not a poor place without some resources. Historically, before the gold and silver in the New World were dug out, Japan was also famous for being rich in gold and silver. However, most of the gold, silver and copper produced in Japan have filled the trade deficit with China. But by the time of the Meiji Restoration, there was still a little left, and it was all used by Meiji heroes like Okubo Toshimichi to fill the huge hole of industrialization.
However, this capital alone will definitely not be able to fill the pit of industrialization - Japan is not a US emperor, it is a country chosen by heaven, and it has everything it wants. Japan's industrialization is very difficult. It requires resources but not resources, and technology but not technology. Therefore, there must be a large deficit in the early stage of industrialization. Relying on old capital is not enough, so we have to sacrifice N generations of Japanese women at the bottom. This is how Sister Nanyang came to be!
Guo Xiaobao said: "Oriental wives are those men in the Ming Dynasty who can't get a wife. They spend one or two hundred silver dollars to buy a Japanese girl from an Asian girl to be their wife... Those Japanese girls are hardworking and hardworking. , you can be beaten and scolded at will, and it’s very affordable. Of course, some particularly cute little Japanese girls will also be sold to rich families as concubines. The funds that flow into Japan every year through Nanyang Sisters and Toyo Wife are their arms development The cost of building a factory.”
"No wonder Japan has never been beaten by the Ming Dynasty..." Zhuge Weidao said in his heart, "That is the land of hope for the bachelors at the bottom of the Ming Dynasty!"
He thought for a while and then asked a little uncertainly: "Baozhi, I don't have a Japanese baby mother, do I?"
"No." Guo Xiaobao said very firmly.
"Fortunately," Zhuge said in his heart, "the old man is still a moral gentleman. I have to learn from him. But I can't buy some ***, Hatano teacher, Yoshizawa teacher and train him..."
Guo Xiaobao added at this time: "Although your virtuous father has a romantic nature, he does not have concubines. He only has some confidants outside...and a few, several children born out of evil."
Ah, the old guy is not a good person either!
Zhuge Weidao suddenly thought of himself and looked at Guo Xiaobao nervously: "Baozhi, what about me? Have I made a large group of confidante outside?"
"You?" Guo Xiaobao took a breath and said hesitantly, "You...seem to be clean and tidy."
Fortunately...no!
A very scary thought suddenly appeared in Zhuge Weidao's mind: "I am as beautiful as a tree, talented, young and rich, a famous son... It is not difficult to pick up girls, how can I keep myself clean?" Isn't it... crooked?"
Thinking of this, Zhuge Weidao's chrysanthemums tightened!
Nervously, he quickly changed the topic, and Zhuge Weidao asked: "Baozhi, since it's not the Zheng family, who is the most opposed to the war?"
Guo Xiaobao was dumbfounded by Zhuge Weidao's question, so he had to answer truthfully: "Brother Daozi, the ones who are most opposed to war with Britain are the elders and masters in your family...including your father-in-law! Back then Napoleon When it started in Europe, many young military generals in the country advocated joining forces with the French emperor to fight against the British barbarians, taking Malacca first, and then saving Tianzhu from the fire."
"Save Tianzhu from water and fire?" Zhuge Weidao thought to himself: "Who are these people? Why should we save Tianzhu? Isn't it good for them to be in dire straits?"
Zhuge Weidao stopped trying to torment Indian Asan, frowned and asked, "What did my father say?"
"His old man said that the British and barbarians are the troublemakers of the European continent. The mainland is small and has no ambition to unify, and it will not allow the European continent to be confused. If the emperor wins, the European continent may be unified, and then the population, land, and resources will be equal. For our new Roman Empire of the Ming Dynasty. If the British and the barbarians win, the European continent will be divided into pieces... Is a divided Europe beneficial to me, or is a unified Europe beneficial to me?"
"The analysis is quite correct, but it's not right..." Zhuge Weidao thought to himself: "The ancestors didn't leave a copy of "Modern History of the World" to their descendants, right? Those great military advisers looked through the history books. They can figure it out right away. And as long as they have the ability to figure it out, they can deify the Zhuge family. Now the history of the Ming Dynasty is unpredictable, but the overall pattern of Europe has not changed much. Zhuge As long as the family guides them secretly, they can make history develop according to its original trajectory, at least not deviating too much. In this way, they can maintain a myth of being able to figure things out... in the face of someone who can really do it. The Zhuge family is so calculating that no enemy dares to have any bad intentions. In this way, won’t the Zhuge family be able to maintain its dominance for a long time?”
Zhuge Weidao felt that he was getting closer and closer to the truth. He thought for a while and asked again: "Even if we don't join forces with Napoleon, we can conquer the Strait of Malacca and then invade Australia!"
Guo Xiaobao said: "At that time, many people indeed proposed to seize Malacca and Australia, but your father said that Malacca and Australia were in the hands of the British and barbarians, and that they were places that must be defended and saved... We can surround Malacca and Australia Set up the battlefield, encircle the points and gather reinforcements, annihilate the main force of the British Royal Navy in one fell swoop, and lay the foundation for world domination.
If Malacca and Australia were with me, there would be nothing more than an extra gate and a vast expanse of wasteland. Once the British and foreigners lose the care of this gate and this wasteland, they will make up their minds to cut off trade and work hard to develop their own industry. It is better to let the UK temporarily hold Malacca and Australia to develop them for us, and then when conditions are ripe, they can just take them over. "
"Wishful thinking is pretty good," Zhuge Weidao thought to himself, "It's a pity that the British are not fools either!"
Guo Xiaobao continued: "Your Majesty once said that the heroic spirit is not exhausted, but there is not much left. We, the Ming Dynasty, can wait patiently for it to defeat itself. The most urgent task is to support the independence of New Spain to contain the United States."
"Support New Spain to be independent?" Zhuge Weidao asked, "What is the situation in New Spain now? Is it independent?"
"Already independent," Guo Xiaobao said, "It became independent in 1821 of the Western calendar, and established the Mexican Empire in May of the following year."
"The Mexican Empire...is still there? It didn't fall, right?"
The First Mexican Empire in Zhuge Weidao's memory existed for more than a year, but died of poverty because there was no money to pay the army.
"Yes!" Guo Xiaobao nodded, "Agustín I was the founding emperor. He had troops and the support of the Ming Empire. How could he collapse? Agustín I had just come to power, and the Ming Dynasty used a An increase of 10 million silver dollars, plus an interest-free long-term loan of 50 million silver dollars, was exchanged for the exploration and mining rights of metals, oil, and coal in California. With so much money, Agustin I's empire was as stable as That’s like the Sierra Madre.”
Sixty million silver dollars were exchanged for the California Gold Mine... Historically, the gold mines in California produced 12 million taels during the gold rush alone, which was worth tens of millions of silver dollars.
Moreover, the 60 million given to Agustín I could not only help him maintain his power, but also be used to purchase armaments and train the army. On the one hand, it could contain American imperialism, and on the other hand, it could also sell arms...
Zhuge Weixin said: "Although the people from the Zhuge family are a little timid, they are very good at abacus!
Therefore, they chose a development route that was the safest for them. On the one hand, they compromised and tried to maintain relations with the United Kingdom; on the other hand, they used financial aid to Mexico to contain the United States. Perhaps they also hoped that after the British Empire weakened, Instead.
According to their calculations, even if Daming cannot replace Daying, it should be able to maintain its current position. In this way, the prosperity and wealth of the Zhuge family and their ability to calculate can certainly be preserved... It turns out that the most cowardly person in the Ming Dynasty is the Zhuge family!
But they didn't expect that Ming's hard power was now too strong. Its population, industry, territory, resources, and naval scale had all reached the point where it was possible to crush the British Empire... Moreover, the United States was the eldest son of Britain, and its hegemony was still there. The inheritance between Britain and the United States is nothing more than the succession of weak father and son. The Ming Dynasty and the Great Britain are basically two civilizations, so the experience of hegemony alternation between the Great Britain and the United States cannot be used in the struggle for hegemony between the Great Britain and the Great Ming.
In addition, the Mexico they support is actually a puddle of mud that cannot stand up to the wall. It is not a match for the United States at all... In the end, I am afraid that I will have to go out and fight the United States in person! "
After thinking about this, Zhuge Weidao felt a little sleepy. He looked at Guo Xiaobao again. He was already yawning nonstop and was about to fall asleep. So he stopped embarrassing the little black fat man and said with a smile: "Baozhi, it's getting late, you go to bed early... We will arrive in Turqisk tomorrow, and then we will ride on the horse Pulling a sled into the gold empire!"
Zhuge Weidao is still looking forward to this strange fortune-telling country, the Golden Empire... When he gets there, he should be able to capture the Grand Duchess Natalie Pavlovna!
After settling down for a while, the freckled Sasha (Natalie's maid) will no longer be like a dog-skin plaster, sticking to Natalie's side, right?
