Tuqing: My first love was Cixi

Chapter 160 Finally succeeded! The will of the empire!

Next, everyone in the audience was stunned as they listened to Su Yi's voice, which continued to come out of the gramophone.

Although this phonograph was superior to Edison's first phonograph, it was still relatively crude.

However, this is entirely because Su Ye does not have excellent manufacturing technology. Once there is a factory, it is not difficult to improve the sound quality because Su Ye has the most advanced drawings.

In a few years, it could even be commercially available.

It's still possible to reach the level of phonographs in the early 20th century.

But at this time, it is still enough to bring unprecedented shock.

Especially since many people present are well-informed and know that this is not a kind of witchcraft.

It's a technology.

It is precisely because of this that Prince Albert knows how magical it is.

He even imagined how much of a sensation this thing would cause once it appeared at the World Exposition.

It is completely unimaginable that such advanced things would be born in the backward and decadent Qing Dynasty.

This three-minute voice actually had no content. It was just Su Yi's greetings to Prince Albert. He also explained the history of China in the briefest possible language and looked forward to the prospects for the future friendship between the two countries.

But Prince Albert still listened to it over and over again, as if it was extremely beautiful.

He was absolutely sure that this was the first time humans had left a voice on a machine, and it was an advancement in human technology.

And the first sound in this world was a noble greeting to Albert.

I believe it will also go down in history in the future.

After listening to it several times, the prince sighed: "This is indeed a magical person, and it is incredible that such a person was born in the Qing Dynasty."

Next.

The prince asked: "Tea, or coffee?"

Although Basia Li and Bao Ling both wanted to drink coffee, they both chose tea at this time.

Because His Royal Highness has a bad gastrointestinal condition, he dare not drink coffee for fear of being irritated.

The three of them were drinking tea, and the prince said: "I have completely read your diplomatic proposals. They are very well written and have a very far-sighted view. Whose work is this?"

Basia said politely: "This is also the work of Sir Su Yi."

The prince said: "Is this how he conquered you at that time, so that you directly chose to retreat, thus angering the parliament?"

Basharli said: "Yes, but it's not just these, there are also some related interests."

The prince said: "Can I understand it this way? In a very decadent country, a very legendary figure was born? He is determined to change the entire country and save the entire country?"

Basia said politely: "That's right."

The prince said: "In a way, it's just that he is very different, but is this country still a desert of technology and industry? This country still has unbearable ignorance and decadence?"

Ba Xiali was silent for a while and said: "I'm not completely sure that the people in their country are indeed very ignorant. But some people inside will be very smart once they come into contact with the civilized world. I feel that their intelligence level is not low. .”

The prince said: "You also know that the attitude of the entire empire towards the Qing Dynasty is completely consistent, that is, war and dumping, similar to a semi-colonial attitude, rather than an investment. Although Su Yi has repeatedly stated that this is already It is an outdated and backward economic method, and his strategy is more advanced, but policies without practice are just castles in the air."

Basia said politely: "Your Highness, there is something I wonder if you know?"

The prince said: "Please tell me."

Ba Xiali said: "The source of our last trade war was because Lin Zexu destroyed our opium. Opium is the largest source of profit from our trade with China. In recent years, our export of opium has been declining year by year. Even In the Qing Dynasty, the voice against the opium trade has become smaller and smaller, and there is a core reason for this."

The prince turned his body slightly and listened carefully.

Ba Xiali said: "Because the Qing Dynasty has also begun to grow opium on a large scale. I understand that their opium cost may be lower than ours. Then it will not be us dumping opium to the Qing Dynasty, but they will dump it to us." .”

Although this is a relatively late thing, it is indeed the case.

It won't be long before the Qing Dynasty will become the world's number one opium producer and exporter.

This thing has harmed us for hundreds of years.

Or some people say that the Western world has also been tortured for many years?

But I have to say that they are very tolerant of corruption.

Basharli said: "So, the benefits we gain from dumping in the Qing Dynasty will be less and less. The Qing Dynasty is a very closed, self-sufficient market, and the demand is very small. And if we invest in them to set up factories, we can transfer their The market is cultivated, tenfold, a hundredfold, and then harvested.”

The prince said: "I know, this is Su Yi's theory of making the cake bigger."

"And the other part is something that Marquis Su Yi has not mentioned." Bao Ling said: "Because the machines in these factories are ours, and the technology is also ours. Once you invest in their factories, you have to master them to a large extent. Their economic and industrial lifeline, this is a more sophisticated economic colonization."

Ba Xiali said: "This is a great experiment for Su Yi. But for us, is it not the same? We have the largest number of colonies, but the benefits brought by the colonies seem to have reached the ceiling. Instead, there were countless resistances and uprisings. Even as docile as India, there are constant uprisings against our rule, and the cost of maintaining colonial rule is getting higher and higher."

"If we continue this way, maybe one day we will lose most of our colonies."

Bao Ling said: "And this Jiujiang Economic Experimental Zone just allows us to make another attempt."

Ba Xiali said: "If it can be successful, it may be replicated in other colonies in the future. This can bring greater benefits and less resistance."

"Even according to what Su Yi said, this kind of policy may be able to extend the hegemony of our British Empire for another hundred years."

Then, he took out the three million pound note and said, "In order to achieve this goal, Su Yi has raised more than ten million taels of silver, which is equivalent to more than three million pounds. Not only that, He also got a piece of land, a land that had gone through the war, completely started from scratch, and for this plan, he planned to immigrate 300,000 people, and it was all going on.”

The prince was surprised: "This secret agreement has not been officially signed, and we have not passed it yet, and he has already done this? Paying such a huge price?"

Bashar said: "Yes, he is making an unprecedented gamble."

Prince Albert said: "What if my side doesn't pass? Then all his efforts will be reduced to ashes?"

"Of course." Ba Xiali said bitterly: "And Sir Bao Ling and I will lose all our political futures and almost all our savings. And Su Yi will completely lose everything, as well as the fate of hundreds of thousands of people." , they were all reduced to ashes."

"The most important thing is that the British Empire will completely lose the opportunity to experiment and explore another path. There may be a chance for another experiment, but it will definitely not be as perfect as this one."

"Sometimes, I don't even know who of us will suffer the greater loss once the secret agreement fails."

"Because Sir Su Yi's theories are indeed far-sighted. At least they completely conquered me, who has little knowledge."

The prince said: "Two Sirs, there is no need to be modest. Although you are making a big political gamble, and to some extent you are not willing to take the gamble, you just underestimated the difficulty of this matter in advance, resulting in no way to turn back. But at the end of the day, you are still among the finest minds in the British Empire."

Then, the prince tapped his fingers on the table and said: "But it is useless to look far-sighted, interests, interests, interests! Gentlemen, our capitalists do not have too much patience. The gentlemen in our Congress do not have too much patience either. of patience.”

The British Empire has always been like this, looting is faster and construction is too slow.

Of course, they are surprisingly patient when it comes to certain things, such as political troublemakers.

Ba Xiali said: "So, Su Yi is willing to sign a gambling agreement with us. The profits distributed to us in the first year after the completion of these factories are three million taels of silver, and will increase at a rate of 20% every year from now on. "

When the prince heard this number, he was shocked. "Absolutely impossible." The prince said: "According to the content of the secret agreement, we invested 180 million pounds and related talents and technologies, accounting for 49% of the shares. In other words, the total investment was less than million taels of silver. In the first year, The profit must be six million taels? This is absolutely impossible!"

Basia Li said: "In fact, Sir Su Yi's investment is more than 20 million taels, but this has nothing to do with us. According to the content of the secret bet, the total profit of these factories in the first year must indeed be million taels. Then it will increase by % every year.”

Prince Albert said: "In other words, the total profits created by these factories fifteen years later will be approximately equal to the fiscal revenue of the Qing government?"

Bashar said politely: "According to the content of the secret agreement, this is indeed the case."

The prince shook his head and said: "This is crazy."

Basharli said: "But if it can really be achieved, the benefits it will bring to the British Empire will be astronomical. It will far exceed the benefits brought by war and dumping, even several times."

Bao Ling said: "In fact, according to the contents of the secret agreement, the profits given to us in the first year alone will exceed the British Empire's annual profits from trade with China. In other words, the benefits of this route in the first year will exceed ours. The original diplomatic line towards China.”

The prince said: "This is still too exaggerated. The prospect is so wonderful that people can't believe it."

Ba Xiali said: "So there is a gambling agreement. If the profit handed over to us in the first year is not that much, then Su Yi will have to compensate us twice the total investment."

The prince said: "He can't afford the money."

"Yes, he can't take out the money. The more than 10 million taels of silver he has now has been a collective cash-in of all his honor and political capital." Ba Xiali said: "So, he used penicillin Patented manufacturing methods are used as collateral. We have found top professors at Cambridge Medical School. This penicillin can treat syphilis, pneumonia, and wound infections. This is a miraculous drug. As long as production can be expanded, the benefits will be It could be over five million pounds, or even ten million.”

"This is the relevant report." Basiali handed over the relevant report from Cambridge Medical School, as well as experimental data.

The prince said: "Gentlemen, you must realize one thing. Neither penicillin nor metronidazole can be produced in large quantities. They are very miraculous, but they cannot bring huge benefits. They can only be used as a gimmick, just Just like this gramophone. Even the benefits are in the far future."

Ba Xiali said: "It sounds like this, but... our British Empire and the Qing Dynasty are not the same. He can't produce it at scale, but that doesn't mean we can't produce it at capacity."

The prince said: "No, we cannot expect that the patent for this thing will bring a lot of benefits in the short term. Otherwise, Su Yi would have used it to make money. So this investment is a big gamble for Marquis Su Yi, but for us It’s also a big gamble.”

"I have carefully read your report. Our pure investment may indeed be 1.8 million pounds, but when including related patented technologies and related personnel costs, it is actually far more than 1.8 million pounds. Just like Su Yi, they claimed to invest three million pounds, but in reality it would be more than that."

"And if this investment fails, do you know what it will mean?"

Sir Basari said: "It means that the investors will tear the two of us apart. Not only will we lose all political futures and all our property, but we will even lose more."

Prince Albert said: "If I pass this secret agreement and endorse the secret agreement. If this investment fails in the future, I will become the laughing stock of the European royal family. Because I am violating the will of the entire Congress. It is well known that your plan is in Congress suffered a complete defeat and opposition. That’s why you tried every possible means to bypass Congress and find me to get the royal family’s endorsement.”

Bao Ling and Ba Xiali turned pale.

In fact, this is what happened, and it even seemed like they were instigating a confrontation between the royal family and Congress.

Prince Albert said: "You know, within the empire, many people regard me as an outsider, and there are many people who oppose me."

"Once this investment fails, it will be the Waterloo of my political career and even a blow to the majesty of the royal family."

“It’s crazy to think about investing in such a large-scale industry in the backward and decadent Qing Dynasty.”

Sir Basial's expression suddenly became extremely gloomy.

He thought that no matter what, there seemed to be no need for Prince Albert to take such a political adventure.

He is already the uncrowned king. Unlike Bao Ling and Ba Xia Li, he has invested too much in this secret agreement and there is no way back.

"So, gentlemen!" Prince Albert said seriously: "For my political reputation and the majesty of the Queen, please do your best to make this investment successful."

"I, Albert, am willing to endorse your secret agreement!"

"I am willing to admit that this is another diplomatic line recognized by the royal family."

"I am willing to admit that your plans are sanctioned and supported to some extent by the Crown."

"I am willing to order that the British Empire's troops in the Far East are not allowed to carry out any form of military attack on your investment industries."

"I am willing to order that the British military is, in a sense, obliged to protect your investment assets. This includes but is not limited to the safety of transportation at sea and rivers."

"I am willing to decree that all trade routes of the British Empire will be open to your investment industries. Even the colonies of the British Empire will be open to you as raw material suppliers. The markets of the British Empire and its colonies will also be open to your investment industries. The investment industry will open up to some extent."

"For the benefit of the British Empire, I am willing to use my political reputation to open another diplomatic route with China, even as an alternative route."

Prince Albert then began writing the document.

The entire document is very detailed. But what he described was what he just said, endorsing the secret agreement.

After writing it!

Pouring wax oil on it, he stamped it with the relevant seal.

In this way, it becomes a decree full of authority.

Two identical documents, one remains at Buckingham Palace.

The other copy was handed to Bao Ling.

Bao Ling and Basia Li couldn't believe what they were seeing.

The whole person was sluggish at first, and then began to tremble, almost crying with joy.

They finally got it, even more than they imagined.

Just as they despaired again and again and hit the wall again and again, after this meeting with the prince, they had already given up hope.

But the result... they got it.

Finally, he couldn't hold it back any longer, and tears still came out of his eyes.

"I will always praise your wisdom, your kindness, your nobility, Your Highness."

Bao Ling and Basia Li could not wait to kneel down and kiss the prince's shoes.

Prince Albert said: "This may be a staged victory for you and Marquis Su Yi. But... the challenge has just begun, because now there are more than just the three of you in this chariot. Half of my foot is up there too."

"I hope you won't let my political reputation be damaged and don't let me become a joke in the mouths of European royal families."

Bao Ling and Ba Xiali seemed to have a fire hidden in their hearts. At this time, no words could describe their gratitude to the prince.

Even an old Chinese saying came to Basiali's mind: A scholar will die for his confidant.

Su Yi, your efforts are not in vain!

We made it!

......................................................

Note: I stayed up all night writing again, and my energy can no longer support it, so the number of words in this chapter is a bit short, sorry.

Then...can I still ask for a monthly ticket? Thank you all, thank you.

(End of this chapter)