Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 252: It’s overturned, it’s overturned, the foreigners are serious and want to send a mission to see Qianlong

The adopted sons Li Dahu and Li Ergou were a little anxious.

Li Yu had noticed it early and decided to let them achieve some military exploits.

"Li Ergou, I will give you 2 battalions. The navy will help you transport a heavy siege artillery to the vicinity of Chizhou Mansion. You can capture Chizhou Mansion as soon as possible."

"Li Dahu will resign as Suzhou City Defense Officer immediately and leave it to you to take over Huizhou Prefecture with two newly formed militia battalions."

"As ordered."

The two of them were so happy that they finally had meat to eat.

It's not a hard bone, so it's easy to chew. At present, there is no Qing army capable of fighting in the entire southern Anhui Province. They are all weak.

During the three-hour meeting, Li Yu made dozens of arrangements.

It’s all based on one foundation: money!

……

The main color is light red, and the seat cushion is Sichuan embroidered satin.

The more vacancies we have, the more hope we can leave to future generations.

Major changes to the civil service system:

I am not Xiang Yu, and I will not begrudge my official seal.

He will soon realize the pain of having no money to spend!

Although it is a test product, it has been carefully polished and painted.

The horse turned and the front two wheels of the carriage also turned.

For example, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Industry and Mines, the Minister of Transport, the Minister of Construction, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Colonial Affairs, the Minister of Education, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Law, etc.~
It’s all delicious food. You should work hard and strive to become a minister as soon as possible.

The minister's monthly silver is set at 1000 taels, and all food, clothing, housing and transportation are provided by public funds.

His own bodyguard acted as a groom and drove a four-wheeled carriage drawn by two horses.

The monthly salary for the director's position was set at 600 taels.

……

The color of the entire carriage resembles the military uniform of the Li family, with red and black mixed in, and some places are decorated with gold powder.

After clarifying the current practices, Li Yu made some adjustments to the official positions of his subordinates.

After all, a man cannot have low self-esteem and a huge amount of money at the same time!

……

"I added a separate axle to the front wheel and fixed it under the entire frame to achieve cornering."

The army remains unchanged for the time being.

"Test drive it."

More than 10 million taels were instantly credited to his account, and commercial taxes were slowly released. Li Yu felt confident again!

Li Yu gave a hint that there would be a series of vacancies in the future.

Director Kuai's craftsmanship is good, and he even thought of leaving some space for placing items.

However, the good times are coming soon.

It is better to be deficient rather than overabundant, and the team does not need to be full.

Equipped with a gun, the book can be placed in a recess.

"Lao Kuai, did you set up the turning axis?"

At this time, everyone saw the beauty of the small size of the front wheels, which would not collide with the car. Can make big turns.

Qianlong looked so ordinary but so confident because the Qing court had an annual income of more than 4000 million taels of silver.

The interior is even more luxurious.

"No, let's replace it with iron. You can go find Lao Zhang and cast the parts that are severely worn. Then we can fix the size in the future."

The deputy minister's monthly income is 800 taels, which is slightly lower than the local level of food, clothing, housing and transportation.

"Turn."

"Hardwood shaft."

Li Yu's eyes remained on the territory of the carriage.

The front two wheels are slightly smaller, about 6% of the rear pair.

After the meeting, Li Yu received a gift from Jiangnan Shipyard.

"What materials are used?"

In the three-layer drawer nailed to one side, some food can be placed.

Wagon!

Civil Affairs Officer Fan Jing was adjusted to Minister of Economic Affairs, and Logistics and Supply Officer Du Ren was adjusted to Minister of Industrial Affairs. Hu Xueyu was appointed Minister of Commerce and Trade, and the deputy ministers were Lai Er and Fucheng.

"Would it be too extravagant?"

"On the contrary, when Maanshan Iron and Steel's production increases and the craftsmen's skills are fixed, iron will become very cheap."

"Yes."

Li Yu himself also went up to experience it.
He discovered a problem, it was a bit difficult to turn.

One is the lack of bearings, and the other is the lack of grease.

It was difficult to make the bearing for a while, so he could only briefly talk about the principle of ball bearings.

Obviously, Lao Zhang didn't understand.

"Your Majesty, I can only make a relatively smooth iron ring."

"Okay, build it first. The road has to be done step by step." In fact, Li Yu himself did not understand the process of ball bearings, so he simply said, "Announce my idea to everyone. Including all the factories under your command, including Jiangnan officials and people. Whoever can build it should come to see me as soon as possible. I will reward you with 500 taels of silver, plus a civil official's hat at the industrial port."

If you are indecisive, reward mechanics.

In a word: Believe in the wisdom of the crowd!

Regarding the endless emergence of scientists and inventors in the West, Li Yu just wanted to say that it has something to do with soil.

If one could get ahead by doing research in the Qing Dynasty and earn a lot of money as a noble, millions of civilian scientists would probably emerge overnight.

Although most are visionaries, there are some real talents.

At this point, Li Yu and Qianlong once again reached a consensus:

There is never really a lack of talent, it just needs you to discover and promote it.

You can't expect a person who doesn't have enough to eat or warm clothes to make any earth-shattering contributions.

Even if there was, he would have brought it into the coffin.

……

Li Yu gestured at the rear of the car:
"Install a hook here, hang a small bucket to contain the grease, and put a small brush here."

"Ask the navy of Jinshan Guard to cooperate and go out to sea to hunt some whales. Whale oil can be used as lubricating grease for axles. It is probably the best substitute we can find at the moment."

"Yes."

No one was surprised how the prince knew so much.

As ancient people who believed in the "Destiny Theory", a person who is destined to be the emperor is naturally favored by God.

Knowing astronomy from above and geography from below is the basic configuration, and it is normal to surpass ordinary people's wisdom.

In addition to childbirth, the emperor can provide guidance in other fields.

The ancients were so simple. Do princes, generals, and generals have the kind of love?

Unless there is no food to eat, the ancients still admit that they have the guts in their hearts!

The vast majority of people are not likely to have arrogant thoughts. They hope to have an "enlightened emperor" above them. This mentality will still exist even if it takes hundreds of years.

……

There are two types of four-wheel carriages: one for carrying people and one for carrying cargo.

The first temporary yield will be small, the second yield will be large.

According to Li Yu’s request:
In the baggage camp, more than half of the vehicles will be replaced by four-wheelers.

For military vehicles, the cost should be low, the design should be simple, and the quality should be reliable. The appearance is based on the caravan used by Citigroup to expand westward.

The Li Jiajun is a fully firearms-based army, which determines its reliance on logistics.

The four-wheel carriage is indeed easier to load and has better stability.

In the past, two-wheeled carts and two-wheeled carriages had a small loading capacity, and part of the downward weight was borne by livestock.

Jiangnan is a large plain, and cement roads are being laid.

A good road environment is the prerequisite for the popularity of four-wheel carriages.

In some states and counties with bad roads and mountainous areas, the invention of this is equivalent to a dragon-slaying knife.

The vehicle problem has been solved, but the livestock problem remains difficult.

The Li Jiajun has been facing a long-term shortage of horses. Not to mention war horses, they can barely manage 2000 horses.

Pack horses, too, were in short supply.

The main force of the baggage camp is mules, and it seems that they can be replaced for the time being.

Therefore, Fan Jing made a special appointment with the 13 largest livestock dealers in Jiangnan.

Pay a deposit of 1000 taels directly to reserve high-quality mules.

According to the market price, it is delivered in cash, which is very heroic.

……

In short, today's businessmen and people in Jiangnan have gradually accepted the reality of changing flags.

And I thought silently in my heart that the Qing court should never fight back again.

His Highness King Wu is a good man and doesn't like to mess around.

As long as you follow the rules, you don't have to worry about being broke.

The people of the Qing Dynasty never thought that the military master would pay the original price when buying things, which was very satisfying.

Moreover, the quantity purchased by the military can range into hundreds or even thousands. Businessmen from all walks of life in Jiangnan were moved and went to Suzhou Prefecture with generous gifts to meet the Minister of Economic Affairs Fan Jing.

Fan Jing naturally did not dare to collect them randomly.

Instead, he called all the businessmen to a teahouse and held a simple meeting.

First of all, affirming their behavior of devoting themselves to a bright cause is very worthy of encouragement.

Then, the gift was accepted as a congratulatory gift to His Highness King Wu, and the name and value were included in the gift list and presented to the prince for inspection.

Finally, the twenty-eight kinds of goods that are needed recently are disclosed.

From leather boots and military caps to turret buildings, everything is included, and the prices are clearly marked.

……

Fan Jing has calculated that the profit margin is about 3%, which is relatively reasonable.

Businessmen compete happily and naturally, showing off their strengths to each other based on price tags and detailed data.

For example, the number of employees, the secret family skills, and the fact that the business has never gone wrong for decades.

Fan Jing decided to cooperate on the spot.

After that, a subordinate officer will be responsible for the docking and discussing the specific delivery requirements of the goods.

From now on, there is no need to pay a deposit in advance.

On the day the goods arrive, a one-time payment of 8% will be made.

The other 2% must be paid within three months, which is known as the quality deposit. This is based on His Highness King Wu’s long-term reputation for behaving in a disciplined manner.

And His Highness King Wu, who is very good at understanding the psychology of businessmen,

A warrant was also added, allowing a bronze plaque to be hung at the entrance of the workshop whenever military orders are taken on.

It says: Business partner of Prince Wu’s Mansion!
When the order is over, take it off immediately.

This yellow jacket-like thing is very marketable and can hit people's hearts.

Doing business with this bronze medal is inexplicably tough and courageous.

……

Businessmen in Guangzhou, 3000 miles away, were also partying.

Ever since the general supervisor of Guangdong Customs was replaced by Yongxiang, the bannerman of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Heshen's confidant, the export business has been extremely smooth.

Various previous restrictions on foreign businessmen have now been shelved.

In the twenty-fourth year of Qianlong's reign, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi petitioned Qianlong to pass the "Regulations on Preventing Foreign Foreigners", which stipulated:

Foreign businessmen are not allowed to spend the winter in Guangzhou!
Foreign businessmen are not allowed to rent houses or travel casually!
Foreign merchants are not allowed to hire locals as servants!

You are not allowed to bring women ashore!

It can be said that Qianlong was very wary of foreign businessmen.

After Yongxiang took office, except for the first article, everything else was changed. No article was invented, but the Thirteenth Line was privately instructed to relax the restrictions.

The supply types of goods have also been added.

As a result, not only the Saxon East India Company, but also Iberian and Dutch merchants came to hear the news.

Everyone is looking forward to a beautiful reality:

The ancient Qing Empire may have to change its usual closed-door policy and prepare to open its doors to embrace the world.

……

Today, foreign businessmen gather outside Guangzhou.

All parties hoped to establish a good friendship with the empire as soon as possible and sent outposts to spy on the movement.

The merchants of Thirteenth Line were busy and beaming with joy.

The money is pouring, and I can't push it away even if I want to. The wealth and wealth that poured out of the sky hit the city of Guangzhou.

Foreign ships came loaded with money and left loaded with all kinds of goods. This grand occasion may be traced back to the Shipping Department of the Song Dynasty.

When business is booming, the merchants of the Thirteenth Industry naturally spend a lot of money.

Whether it's military pay for Emperor Qianlong's service or local Qiu Feng, everyone is welcome.

Yongxiang is bold and believes in finding wealth through danger.

How could the emperor know how the distant Guangzhou works if you and his lord are up there to protect you from the wind and rain?
The governor-general, garrison general, governor, and chief envoy all visited in advance to establish relations.

They will have their own share of the profits, as long as they close their eyes.

These people all have secret rights. If a secret message goes directly to Tianting, then it is a bad idea.

All the officials knew Qianlong's temper.

Mean, cruel, very concerned about respecting Huayi and Huayi, he wants both money and face, and takes certain things very seriously.

Fortunately, these senior officials today are all flexible people.

……

The Saxons belonged to the East India Company's Taipan, and Kali also came.

Taking a three-masted sailboat with a translator, he quietly visited the owner of Tongfu Bank, a long-term cooperative company, and asked him to make an appointment with the general supervisor Yongxiang.

A secret meeting took place in the wealthy businessman's luxurious manor on the outskirts of the city.

After the food and wine were served, all the maids were sent away.

Qing Party: Yongxiang, General Superintendent of Guangdong Customs, and Pan Dongjia of Tongfu Bank.

Spalphon: Kali, there is another counselor.

Pan Dongjia was young and powerful, so he decided to start with this compatriot general:

"This gentleman has a handsome demeanor, but is he from Nanyang?"

"No, no. I, Wang Zhaoming, am from Suzhou Prefecture. Because I hated the local powerful, I had no choice but to go abroad with my wife and children."

"Then what happened next?"

"Later I unexpectedly met Mr. Kali. He was my boss. He worked as a general officer in the East India Company and learned to speak fluent foreign language."

Having said this, Kali smiled slightly.

It's obvious that he enjoys this feeling.

He opened his mouth and said:

"Thank you gentlemen, your move to open up the sea ban will definitely go down in history. Hundreds of years from now, perhaps our meeting will be described as the first handshake between civilizations between the East and the West."

"By the way, I would like to ask your Excellency the General Superintendent. Is this unprecedented relaxation of maritime trade restrictions approved by your country's great emperor?"

……

Yongxiang took a sip of wine and said reservedly:

"Of course. I, the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, am supreme and control everything in the empire. How could I dare to lift the ban privately without his permission?"

As a qualified child of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, he is more skilled in lying than telling the truth.

After listening to Wang Zhaoming's translation, Kali's eyes lit up and he breathed a long sigh of relief:

"Thank God."

"I have officially sent a written request to London last month, requesting to send a high-level mission to visit your capital and the great emperor."

The blood of Yongxiang and Pan Dongjia instantly ran cold.

Holding back his panic, he asked calmly:

"What mission? What are you here for?"

"Of course it is a mission on behalf of the king of our country, to wish the great emperor a birthday and discuss the prospects of cooperation between the two great empires."

Kali said intoxicatedly:
"I can't even imagine how excited the businessmen in London will be when the news gets out!"

"This will surely make headlines throughout the Empire, no, across Europe."

……

Jinshanwei Port,
Two ships flying white flags appeared on the east sea, making no distinction between the enemy and ourselves.

The fort defenders are all in place, the artillery shells have been loaded, and they are on alert.

At a distance of 5 miles, the defenders discovered that one of the three-story armed merchant ships had half its sail lowered.

This kind of behavior is a sign of goodwill!
It means giving up maneuvering speed to show that you have no malicious intentions.

The fort defenders looked through their binoculars as the ship sailed straight towards the fort and slowly approached the port.

bow,

A red-haired ghost waved his white shirt with an excited expression.

"Why is he so excited?"

"do not know."

The fort defenders could not possibly recognize this man. He was an Irishman named Smith.

It was the guy who was deceived by Li Yu and went to the capital to defraud Qianlong's reward by pretending to be the Siris envoy.

He finally returned as the king.

He became famous in Nanyang and owned three smuggling ships and more than a hundred die-hard sailors, at the cost of losing an eye.

After putting on the black blindfold, he looks closer to a real pirate.

But he doesn't care about this disability. Compared to the poor who eat potatoes without peeling them, this image regret is nothing.

When he visited the most expensive taverns in Manila and Batavia, the women praised him with gleaming eyes for his handsomeness and graceful demeanor. He looked like a gentleman from the East End of London.

He even shouted boldly: "I'll buy this round of wine!"

As a gentleman, the first thing is to be generous.

Sprinkle those lovely gold coins to make men bend down and women to kneel.

A gentleman in the West is equivalent to a high official in the Qing Dynasty. Although the appearance is slightly different, the spiritual core is highly similar.

……

(End of this chapter)