The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 230 The Thoughts of the Acadians
"Have you heard? Half a month ago, the Qi people discovered a coal mine near the Chinecto Isthmus."

On May 1730, 5, a group of Acadian (French descendants) farmers and businessmen were holding a grand banquet in a manor on the outskirts of City Royal (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia). , although the pomp and atmosphere are far less luxurious and grand than in mainland France, but in this poor and remote colonial territory, it is extremely stylish.

There are wines and champagnes from mainland France, as well as mead (rum) from Saint-Domingue, and even sorghum wine and rice wine shipped from the Luoshan Islands (now the Canary Islands). The food is also extremely rich, including cod from the local Newfoundland Bay, steaks from New England, canned whales brought by the Qi people, and even oysters from Europe.

Most of the guests at the banquet were dressed in luxurious costumes popular in France. Both men and women tried to dress themselves up as noble and elegant as possible. They were humble and yet polite to each other, just like a real French aristocrat.

The hall is richly decorated, and the murals are also painted with relief images from the ancient Greek and Roman periods, decorating the entire hall. Through the milky white curtains of the window, the flavors and colors of the delicacies and dishes present a very stimulating visual feast to the outside.

Bruno Le Maire picked up the glass and took a sip of champagne. With a sarcastic expression on his face, he shook his head and said: "Since the Qi people came two years ago, they have been everywhere in Nova Scotia. They wandered around hoping to find precious mineral deposits such as gold or silver. However, after such a long time, they found almost nothing. Now they finally found a coal mine, which was a relief. They were probably excited about this black and dirty mineral deposit. Nothing more!”

"Although the value of coal mines is far less than that of gold and silver mines, it still has a high investment value for now." Sebastian Lecorni, a fishery businessman from Newfoundland, has a different view. Opinion, "With the spread of Qi's steamship technology, European countries will surely rush to develop and imitate similar steamships for maritime transportation. After all, this kind of steamship can completely escape the restrictions of monsoons and ocean currents, and can also There is no need to wait for the most suitable weather to go out to sea. Over the course of a year, the transportation efficiency is definitely much higher than that of traditional sailboats. Moreover, I think that the large-scale application of steam ships will help us to transport cod caught in Newfoundland fishing grounds to Europe in a timely manner. , which is great news. Yes, we can sell more cod all year round, regardless of the season, thus increasing our profits.”

"What Le Corny said makes sense." Olivier Disopter nodded and said: "It is said that in winter, burning coal is much more durable than burning wood, and there is no need to add more at night. Firewood, you can sleep peacefully for a night. Oh, by the way, how come the people of Qi are so lucky to find a coal mine near the Chinecto Isthmus."

"Since August last year, the newly arrived Prince of Qi wanted to draw a clear boundary line with our Acadia region in northern France. The two sides conducted several months of exploration and exploration near the Chinecto Isthmus. Surveying. Maybe it was at that time that the Qi people accidentally discovered the coal mine. As you know, after the Qi people came, they sent many prospecting craftsmen and surveying and mapping personnel to survey the entire Scotia area. Conduct exploration and investigation. Oh, His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi probably wants to find out how much wealth there is in his territory."

"Speaking of the Prince of Qi, I have a strong feeling that he seems to lack obvious trust in our local people." Bruno Le Maire placed the wine glass in his hand on the dining table and said seriously: "This In the past two years, except that he had just arrived in Royal and met us and held a welcome feast together, he had almost no contact with us in the following years. It was said that he also wanted to move the administrative center. Move to the southeast coast of the peninsula and prepare to build a new city and port there. "

Although these French-descended Acadians became residents of the English colonies, they quickly adapted to foreign rule. They were even able to do business on both sides, trading with the English colonies and continuing to do business happily with the New France territory.

The population of New France, the French North American Territory, experienced a period of rapid growth during the reign of Louis XIV, especially from 1663 to 1673. While encouraging immigration, the French government also recruited a large number of "King's Daughters" from mainland France. , as long as any eligible single woman accepted the royal conditions and came to New France to marry a single colonial man, she would receive a dowry of 30 livres from the royal family (equivalent to 2/3 of an indentured laborer's annual salary).

In the early days, the English who ruled the Acadians thought they would accept their rule and did not take drastic action or expel them from Nova Scotia, so both the rulers and the ruled carefully maintained peace. After more than ten years of peaceful and stable development, the former French settlements prospered rapidly under the protection of foreigners, with the population increasing from 1700 in 1726 to more than in .

"The Qi people are at an absolute numerical disadvantage whether in Newfoundland or Nova Scotia." Sebastian Lecorni said with a smile: "Maybe it is for this reason that this Your Highness has a strong sense of insecurity. Oh, how many people are there in Qi? Four hundred people? Or five hundred people? You know, there are more than a thousand French people in Royal City alone. There are probably 20,000 to 30,000 people in the whole of Acadia and New France. In this situation, if I were a Qi national, I would also feel scared."

"Yes, on the entire east coast of North America, in addition to us French, there are also English and Spanish. Qi people are an absolute minority here, especially in Nova Scotia. From now on, this prince His Highness must seek our opinions if he wants to issue necessary decrees. Therefore, I strongly request that a parliament be established in Scotia to fully safeguard the interests of us French people.”

As of 1725, the entire New France Territory had about French settlers. Although the vast and sparsely populated North American continent was not as densely populated as the British North American Territory, in front of the newly arrived Qi people, That is definitely a very powerful force.

The English did not care about the feelings of the Acadians and did not hesitate to throw Nova Scotia and Newfoundland to Qi in exchange for an early end to the war.

The sudden change of the king's flag at the top of the city made the Acadians in Nova Scotia a little confused. For a while, they didn't know what kind of mentality and actions they should take to deal with this situation.

Without the exploitation and military service of the original French colonial governors and lords, and without the interference of the English - these French descendants did not even need to pay taxes. Under the comfort of Catholicism, the Acadians relied on building embankments to defend themselves against the tides of the Bay of Fundy. , living a leisurely and comfortable life in the fertile land.

France would suffer the most from the loss of Acadia, because the English navy was stronger than France. If England turned Acadia into an offensive forward base, the entire New France would face the threat of the English navy. Therefore, after the war, the French devoted themselves to operating Isle Royale (today's Cape Breton Island) and built Fort Louis on the easternmost end of the island to replace the original Port Royal in Acadia in an attempt to defend against England. Naval attack from Nova Scotia.

In just over ten years, the land they lived in changed owners three times, and the ruler they welcomed was an Oriental whose religion and culture were completely different from those of continental Europe.

More than twenty years ago, in the Treaty of Utrecht, the French were forced to cede Newfoundland and Acadia to England. The exclusive rights along the Hudson Bay coast included access from Lake Superior to the northern waters. The passage was also all ceded to the English Hudson's Bay Company, and the French withdrew from all posts along the coast.

Although France stopped recruiting "King's Daughters" in 1673 due to tight finances due to the war, nearly women came to the French North American Territory through this kind of funding. Made an indelible contribution to the development of the region.

However, things are unpredictable. Four years ago, a war broke out between the English and the Qi Kingdom, and they were defeated by the English expedition. The navy suffered heavy losses, and the mainland was blockaded. In the end, they had to sue for peace.

When the prince from Qi came to Royal, he announced to them that Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were his fiefdoms, and in accordance with the emperor's decree, the above two places were also renamed Chenzhou. , all Acadians will be his people.

The Acadians did not express any objection to this. Since the Qi people could defeat the powerful English, they naturally enjoyed the right to rule this land.

However, the Acadians tactfully made a request to the Prince of Qi, hoping that his arrival would not change everything here, and allow all residents here to continue to maintain the right to self-government, without paying taxes, performing labor services, or responsibilities. Military service in war. You know, when the English ruled here, they never required the local Acadians to assume the obligations and responsibilities prescribed by the country.

The prince of Qi was noncommittal about this request, saying that he needed to get familiar with the specific local conditions before he could give a formal answer.

As a result, two years later, the people of Qi seemed to have forgotten them, the Acadians, and neither asked them to pay tribute nor conscripted them to build new palaces and castles. Even the land and properties they own have not been re-registered and confirmed.

In addition to the more than 60 people from Qi who initially followed the prince here, two more groups of immigrants arrived later. There were scholars, craftsmen, soldiers, and farmers. No one paid attention to their exact number.

Because most of the land granted to these people by the prince of Qi was ownerless land in the southwest and southeast regions, and they did not usurp the land of the local Acadians.

Although the Acadians were pleased with this, they also had some thoughts.

In Nova Scotia, we Acadians have an absolute advantage in numbers. Can we be given more power to manage local affairs?
Otherwise, as the number of immigrants from Qi increases, they will inevitably suppress the locals and even encroach on their legitimate interests.

When the English ruled the area, they repeatedly asked the Acadians to swear allegiance to the British King, but they were refused, saying that they would strictly maintain a neutral position in the event of a conflict between England and France.

The English could rely on their strength in North America to deprive them of Acadian attempts to intervene in the centers of power to some extent.

However, if you, the weak Qi people, want to rule here firmly, shouldn't you rely on us?

"Gentlemen, I just received a message from the dock." Just as a group of people were discussing whether to put pressure on the Prince of Qi to force him to establish a local assembly, it would be decided by the Acadians and the people of Qi. A businessman hurriedly came to the banquet hall and told everyone a very unexpected news, "A Qi merchant ship came to the port and brought a small army, numbering 260 people." about."

"Ah?" Everyone was in an uproar, with shocked expressions on their faces, "Is it an army from Qi State?"

"No, it doesn't seem to be the Qi army." The businessman shook his head and said, "It's the Irish! A group of heavily armed Irish troops."

"Irish?...Why are Irish troops here?"

"Gentlemen, I'm afraid you have forgotten one thing." Bruno Le Maire's face was gloomy. "The people of Qi helped the Irish to establish an independent country, and also gave a lot of assistance and support in many aspects such as politics, military, and economy. The Irish , has become the most loyal follower of the Qi people. I guess that this Irish army must have been sent here at the request of the Prince of Qi. "

"Why did he ask for an army to be stationed in Royal?"

"Because the Qi people want to rely on force to completely subdue all our locals. ...Oh, God, he wants to completely control Royal, and then control the entire Nova Scotia."

“Will he require us to pay taxes?”

“Will he confiscate our land?”

"...Will he drive us all out of Nova Scotia and turn this into their own world?"

"Oh, God, how should we respond? Should we send a message to Quebec and ask the Governor of New France to put a little pressure on the people of Qi?"

"..."

"Okay, gentlemen, we don't need to be too nervous." Bruno Le Maire said loudly: "The Qi people mobilized troops from Ireland to station in Royal, and they do not necessarily have to impose harsh measures on all of us. I I think the purpose of the Qi people should be to show our submission to their rule through a show of force... Oh, of course, we may suffer some economic losses, but I think they will never dare to force us. Jedi. Not to mention that we have thousands of local residents in the entire Nova Scotia, the number of which far exceeds the Qi people. Even the entire New France Territory, and even our Kingdom of France, will not watch us being humiliated under the rule of the Qi people. Or be treated harshly.”

"So, we still have room to bargain with the people of Qi. Of course, the premise is that we all must unite and make our common voice heard."

(End of this chapter)