Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 1138 The King's Envy

"I don't know if you are satisfied with the land I allocated to you to build a handicraft factory? If you feel any dissatisfaction, you can bring it up with me at any time." Charles I was very satisfied with Li Jinde and others who were able to behave.

In this trade between the two countries, the royal family represented by Charles I apparently made the most profits. He received a large amount of cash, and he would be able to reap land rent, customs duties and protection fees every year in the future.

"We are very satisfied with the land leased by His Majesty the King. Please allow His Majesty to grant us the right to freely hire labor in the City of London. We need a large number of people to build factories and carry out production, and may need to hire hundreds of workers." Li Jinde told Charles I brought up the matter of hiring British laborers.

"You can hire laborers in the city of London as you like, but you can't treat them badly and cause conflicts between the two sides." Charles I said.

"Naturally." Li Jinde replied.

"I heard Earl Compton say that you have four standing fleets, each of which may have as many cannons as your warships moored on the Thames. The size of this fleet is comparable to that of the Armada." Charlie I knew that Sun Xu, Ruan Youjin and others were fleet officers, and became more interested in them.

The struggle for sea power has become a symbol of a powerful country. Charles I is trying to revive the Royal Navy and replace the Spanish Navy and the Netherlands Navy as a maritime power.

As the commander of the Fourth Fleet, Sun Xu saw that Charles I took the initiative to ask about the situation of the four fleets of the Kyushu Army, so he replied: "It is true that our Admiralty has four fleets, but our sea area is very vast and we need more ships. That’s more. The Admiralty’s sending us here is already the limit. Our fleet exists only to protect our waters, and we have no intention of actively attacking foreign countries.”

Charles I did not believe what Sun Xu said, because according to the information he received, the fleet of the Kyushu Army took the initiative to attack all European warships and armed merchant ships on the Spice Islands.During the South Seas War where the Kyushu Army Fleet was the main force, an armed merchant ship of the British East India Company was damaged by artillery, so there was no idea of ​​taking the initiative to attack... and based on Charles I's speculation, Huaxia's size should be able to support more Many warships.So where did the money that could have built more warships go?
Charles I didn't know that this was just a young navy, and it still needed years of precipitation, and it had to invest money to build naval bases in coastal areas and develop steam warships...

"A big country is good. If we have hundreds of millions of people in Britain, we should also be able to have enough wealth and manpower to form a huge navy." Charles I envied.

"It is a miracle in itself that your country can build a warship capable of sailing thousands of miles with a population of several million." Sun Xu was still polite.

"That's not the case. Our western countries are constantly at war, and we are also at war with the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean. In fact, more than [-] million people are developing technology together. In order to suppress each other on the sea, we can only continuously acquire the other's technology for transformation, not It can be researched by millions of people." Charles I told the truth, more like telling the nobles around him, "Therefore, only by having a powerful naval fleet can we defeat other countries and safeguard our interests."

The nobles who participated in the grand banquet originally did not want to establish a huge standing army, but seeing that the powerful Eastern Empire had four naval fleets, it was not easy to openly object to Charles I's proposition.The Fourth Fleet brought by Sun Xu stimulated the British gentry and nobles in a sense.

The grand banquet lasted for a whole day in the Whitehall Palace, and there was a lot of wine and wine. Sun Xu, Ruan Youjin, Ruan Youyi and other officers of the Fourth Fleet participated in the European-style palace banquet for the first time, and they were somewhat shocked by the extravagance here.It is impossible for the Admiralty to be so extravagant even during the holidays.

Charles I, who received a huge sum of money, was very drunk and returned to his dormitory under the leadership of his servants.And Li Jinde led a group of Chinese businessmen who came to start diplomacy with the British nobles, and they needed to gain a firm foothold in London.

"We will ask you to take care of us in London in the future." Li Jinde met the nobles in London at this feast, and had a good chat with them, intending to win over the nobles who can get high-quality cotton and coal.

"Where is there, our city of London exports the most coal every year. If you are interested in purchasing, we can contact the mine owner in the county that produces the coal." Some nobles in the city of London agreed.

Now Li Jinde finally understood why Chu Yun asked him to learn the local language from Sarina. Such direct communication allowed him to make friends with local nobles and businessmen, obtain raw materials and open up markets quickly.

"Is this big ship real? I want to see it." The little prince Charles II asked Li Jinde holding the ship model of the Victory.He seemed intrigued by the distinctive shape of the Victory.

"Of course there are real big ships, but they are tens of thousands of miles away to the east." Li Jinde stroked Charles II's hair.

After seeing the king and princess Li Jinde a lot, he no longer felt in awe of the princes and nobles who used to appear high above them.

"East? Where does my aunt live now?" Charles II asked again.

"You mean Princess Sophia, right? She is indeed in the east now." Li Jinde thought of Princess Sophia, it seems that Princess Sophia is really the little aunt of Charles II.

"In the future, I will also go to the east to see this real big ship. I like this very much." Charles II said excitedly, holding the model of the Victory.

"Your Highness, be careful!" The maid in charge of looking after Charles II was afraid that the model ship of the Victory would fall and hit Charles II.

"Treasurer Li, there is a man over there who has been staring at you angrily, have you offended him?" A Huaxia businessman reminded Li Jinde in a low voice.

"How could I offend the people here..." Li Jinde murmured in his heart. When he first came to London, he just walked around the city of London and Cambridgeshire a few times, so he didn't offend the people here.

Li Jinde looked in the direction reminded by his companion, and found a noble gentleman staring at him angrily.

Li Jinde smiled bitterly helplessly, this noble gentleman was none other than Sir Greenville, his father-in-law who had his daughter taken away by him back then.

"Sir Greenville, how have you been over the past year?" Li Jinde greeted awkwardly.

"You left my daughter in the East, how is she now?!" Sir Greenville grabbed Li Jinde's collar regardless of his aristocratic demeanor.

"Ahem...she's mine now..." Li Jinde stammered.

(End of this chapter)