At the end of Qin, I became a son of the plane

Chapter 602: The Seleucid Empire's Reform Path and the Roman Senate's Settlement of Revenge
Demetrius and other Seleucid nobles had already discussed how to carry out reforms before returning to Seleucus. The Han Dynasty had already paved the way to wealth through industry, so they, the Seleucids, naturally learned the Han Dynasty's model of developing industries, including establishing their own Seleucid Shaofu, building factories to make money to supplement the military industry, building railways, liberating slaves, opening up land, and a series of other reform measures to enrich the country and strengthen the military. In short, they were just following the path that the Han Dynasty had taken, except saving the money on welfare benefits.

Antiochus IV said helplessly: "Reform requires money, but we just don't have the money right now. There have been dozens of peasant riots reported this year. Now the farmers are fleeing in large numbers, and we can no longer continue to exploit them."

He would be willing to build factories, repair railways, liberate slaves, and open up land if he had money, but the key was that Seleucid had run out of money. Now Seleucid could only rely on selling grain to obtain foreign exchange, but farmers had been exploited to the limit. As for other products such as minerals, dyes, and the dairy industry in cooperation with the Han Dynasty, these were either just starting out and had low production capacity, or they could not be sold at any price. Making ends meet was the biggest problem for Seleucid.

Diodotus smiled and said, "The Han Dynasty has an economic model called futures, where farmers first take out loans to buy farm tools, and then sell the products they produce to merchants who place orders at the regional market price, so as to achieve a win-win situation. The country can also obtain more tax revenue. If this is taken into account, it can be called a win-win situation. Our Seleucid Kingdom is also vast in Daqinzhou. We can take out a part of the land to grow cotton, and then use cotton to repay the debt. More importantly, with cotton as a raw material, our country can upgrade the industrial chain, build textile factories, and produce cotton cloth. The textile industry requires low investment, has quick results, and high profits. Even the starting point of the Han Dynasty's industry was the textile industry. Moreover, our Seleucid Kingdom has a huge firefighting market with tens of millions of people. The textile industry is naturally our country."

Demetrius said: "If our country can develop the textile industry into a pillar industry, this industry alone can make our people worry-free about food and clothing. I even learned that the salary of a female textile worker in the Han Dynasty is close to 2500 coins a month, while in our Seleucid Kingdom it is less than 300 coins. We have an advantage in labor costs. If the textile industry develops well, our Seleucid cloth may be able to be sold in the Han Dynasty."

Talking about these, Dmitri became more and more excited, as if he saw acre after acre of fields in the Seleucid Empire planted with snow-white cotton, and millions of acres of cotton fields were taking shape. Next to the cotton fields was a textile industrial zone. After the cotton entered this industrial zone, white cotton cloth was woven into it, and then loaded onto ships to the Han Dynasty in exchange for countless steel machinery.

Antiochus IV looked at his relatives who were already in awe and said awkwardly, "Is this model no longer profitable?"

Dmitri was stunned and asked, "A lie?"

Antiochus IV said: "In the beginning, there were many Han sea merchants, and the money house managers used this model, but many families had too much expenses, so they used this money, but later they couldn't hand over the goods."

After hearing this, Diodotus and the others suddenly understood why the king said it was a lie. Then he said with great sorrow: "This model requires the highest credibility. Those people are exchanging our Seleucid credibility for money, and the exchange is extremely small. The country has not gained any benefit. Your Highness, why don't you punish these treacherous nobles?"

Antiochus IV said: "Your father also cheated 300,000 Han people. How can I punish him if he is a relative?"

Diodotus was speechless, and the other students dared not say anything, for they were afraid that the king would say that their fathers had also defrauded the Han Dynasty of money, which would be a real loss of face. During the four years of studying in the Han Dynasty, they not only gained knowledge, but also raised their moral standards. At least they knew that such dishonesty was extremely immoral.

Demetrius asked, "Didn't the Han Dynasty use this futures model to invest in the dairy industry in our Seleucid Empire?"

Antiochus IV looked strange and whispered: "We mortgaged the customs, and now the customs of the Seleucid Empire are controlled by the Han people."

His heart was extremely complicated. The Seleucid Empire was an ancient country with a long history and was once a hegemon in the Mediterranean. Their heyday was during the reign of his father Antiochus III, so the nobles and people of the Seleucid Empire were very proud and thought they were a great country. It was because of this pride that Antiochus IV felt ashamed. Rome did not do such a thing as mortgage tariffs, which would lead to the loss of sovereignty, but the Seleucid Empire did. The fact that the Romans did not do this made him feel even more ashamed.

But at the same time, he was glad that the Han people were extremely honest, and the domestic Greeks, Persians, and Jews could not compare to them. Before they took over the customs, the annual tax of the Seleucid customs was at most 30 talents of gold, and after they took over, the tax increased to 60 talents of gold in the second year. It was with such a strong contrast that he realized how much money his officials made from the customs. These tariffs from many places solved many problems for Antiochus IV. After all, every penny of money was extremely precious to the current Seleucid Empire.

Antiochus IV's words made these ambitious international students scratch their heads. Without even the initial start-up capital, how could they learn from the Han Dynasty and develop industries?

Dmitri thought for a long time and said, "Your Highness, sell Ailimeili to the Han people."

Antiochus IV immediately shook his head and said, "Ailimeili is now the largest port of our Seleucid Empire. If we sell this port, the national finances will be reduced by 20%."

Elimelia is located at the junction of Kuwait and Iraq in the Persian Gulf. The mouth of the Euphrates River is here. A small half of the maritime cargo from the Han Dynasty to Daqinzhou entered from this port, and then crossed the entire Seleucid Empire along the Euphrates River into the Asia Minor region of the Mediterranean. This area is also one of the richest regions in the entire Mediterranean.

Dmitri said: "Then we should sell the Chalaseni area to the Han people and use some of the money to develop our country's cotton fields and cash crop plantations."

Antiochus IV said: "I'll leave this matter to you to discuss with the Han diplomats."

Most of Charaseni is a desert wasteland. Although it can be used as a port, Seleucus already has a port, so naturally there is no shortage of this port.

Antioch, Han Consulate.

Dmitri found the diplomat Li Ji and said, "My Seleucid Empire wants to develop cotton plantations. We will initially open up 30 acres of cotton plantations and increase it to one million acres within three years. We would like to seek financial support from the Han Dynasty."

Li Ji asked calmly: "Whether it is 30 mu of cotton plantations or a million mu of cotton planting area, these are not small numbers. What collateral does your Seleucid Empire have?"

Dmitri took out a map of the Seleucid Empire and pointed to a small area in the Persian Gulf. He said, "Our country wants to sell Charaseni to the Han Dynasty. If a port is built in this area, the Han Dynasty's warships can threaten the Xiongnu in the east and intimidate the Tianzhu region. They can also support the Yanzhou Governor's Office in the west. This is of great strategic significance to the Han Dynasty."

Li Ji looked at the map and knew that what Dmitri said was right. It was nothing to intimidate India, but being able to intimidate the Huns did interest him.

The Han Dynasty was also very troubled by the Xiongnu. The Han military had always wanted to build the World Island Railway, but the Xiongnu had always been worried that the Han Dynasty would invade them along the railway, so they had never agreed. The court could not start another war just because the Xiongnu did not want to build a railway connecting with the Han Dynasty. If a naval base was established in the Seleucid Empire, the Han Dynasty's naval warships would be less than 200 miles away from Quanzhou, the most important port city of the Xiongnu, which would pose a great threat to the Xiongnu.

Li Ji smiled and said, "In principle, I agree. However, for such a major matter as purchasing land, the Consulate General of Daqinzhou needs to report to the court for approval. You send officials to Alexandria to negotiate." Dmitri was relieved when he saw Li Ji's face. At least he could see that the officials of the Han Dynasty were keen to buy this land.

Then Li Ji asked: "You also studied in my country for four years, so I think you know the railway network of my country."

Dmitri enviously said, "Trains start in the morning and arrive in the evening, covering a thousand miles a day. Railways are the most important equipment of the country. It is no exaggeration to say that they are the dragon vein of the Han Dynasty. Before I left the Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty had built more than 4 miles of railways. This is a wonder project that only a great country like the Han Dynasty could build. The legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the pyramids of Egypt are not as great as the Han Dynasty's railways."

Li Ji said: "My Han Dynasty has the idea of ​​helping your Seleucid Empire build a railway. As long as the railway is built, many of your country's unsalable goods will have value for sale. According to my Han Dynasty's experience, places where railways pass will quickly become prosperous. My Han Dynasty is a world-famous beacon. We have the obligation and responsibility to bring your backward countries into the civilized world."

"Building a railway is a great thing. My Han Dynasty intends to unite all the countries in Daqinzhou and build a railway network covering the entire Daqinzhou. When this network is formed, the poverty situation in Daqinzhou will be completely changed."

Dmitri did not show an optimistic expression, but his face became serious. Should the Seleucid Empire build railways? Of course, how can it develop industrialization without building railways? How can it transport its goods without building railways?
However, the railway was to be built by the Seleucid Empire itself, rather than with the help of the Han Dynasty, because the railway not only brought economic benefits, but was also a huge military facility. If the railway was controlled by the Seleucid Empire, the Seleucid army could reach any territory in the empire within a day, and rebellion would be greatly suppressed in the future.

But if it was controlled by the Han Dynasty, just the thought of it made Dmitri break out in a cold sweat. The Han Dynasty's army could reach Antioch in one day along the railway line. With the Han Dynasty's powerful military force, it would be enough to destroy the Seleucid Empire. Even though he knew that the Han Dynasty had no such idea, he could not let his homeland be at risk of such a risk.

He knew in Chang'an that even at the meeting of princes, the envoys of the Xiongnu Kingdom were under pressure and even humiliated and dared not open the railway loophole. Building the Daqinzhou railway network might improve the economy, but it would also be more convenient for the Han army to teach them a lesson along the railway line. The military cost would be too high.

Dmitri smiled awkwardly and said, "With our country's economic capacity, we are temporarily unable to build a railway. Even with the help of the Han Dynasty, we can barely build the railway. But we can't operate the railway. Ambassador, please wait until the economy of the Seleucid Empire improves before we discuss the railway."

When Li Ji saw Derimite's expression, he understood that his inner thoughts were the same as those of the Huns. They were all judging others by their own standards. They wanted to teach you that countries still needed railways with the military strength of the Han Dynasty, but they were all ungrateful.

Li Ji threatened: "You also know the military strength of the Xiongnu. It is stronger than your Seleucid Empire. If it were not for our country's suppression, I'm afraid they would have attacked the Seleucid Empire long ago. The Xiongnu have such a strong fighting power, and the railway is also an important reason. The Xiongnu's railway has exceeded 6000 miles.

It would take less than a month to gather hundreds of thousands of troops from the capital of the Xiongnu to invade the Seleucid Empire by relying on railway transportation logistics. In a month, I am afraid that all the troops of the Seleucid Empire can be assembled. In a real battle, the 10 Xiongnu troops can exert the combat effectiveness of 30 troops. This is the strategic advantage brought by the railway. You have also studied in my Han Dynasty, so you should be very clear about the strategic significance of the railway network to the army. "

Dmitri thought to himself, it is because I know the strategic significance of the railway that I don't allow you Han people to build it. If the railway is controlled by you Han people, my Seleucid Empire will be destroyed. He also understood that the Han ambassador was threatening them with the Huns. But he was firm in his attitude and said that the Seleucid Empire had a poor economy and few talents, and it was difficult to operate a railway system.

Li Shang could only report the situation to Zhang Pijiang in disappointment. Zhang Pijiang also understood that one cannot eat hot tofu in a hurry, and this matter should be done slowly. He thought that the Han Dynasty should build a naval base in the Persian Gulf, and the requirements put forward by the Seleucids were not high, just 100 million, which was nothing to the Han Dynasty. It could increase the Han Dynasty's voice in the Mesopotamian region, so this money was worth spending.

So he used a steamship to bring the news back to the Han Dynasty. A month later, the imperial court sent an order agreeing to the deal.

August 39, the 8th year of the Han Dynasty, Rome, Senate.

Claudius spoke to all the Roman elders, "The Han Empire is vast and rich in resources. They have an extremely developed industrial system that can produce goods at dozens of times the efficiency of our Rome. That's why the Han Empire has a population of over 2000 million, most of whom are citizens of this empire. According to the Emperor of the Han Empire, the Han Empire is a country formed by million middle-class families.

Claudius paused to explain to the elders what the middle class of the Han Dynasty was, "A family can earn 3 Han Dynasty dollars a year. Because the prices of goods in Rome and the Han Dynasty are different, I will take grain as an example. The income of a middle class in the Han Dynasty is equivalent to the income of ten ordinary citizens in Rome. Therefore, the Han Dynasty can be said to be a giant empire with 2000 million citizens."

The figure of 36 million shocked the Roman senators. After the riot a few months ago, the Roman senators began to pay attention to the situation of Roman citizens, but found that Rome, which originally had 34 citizens, now only had 6. This figure simply shattered the three views of the Roman senators. It should be noted that this happened when the land law increased the number of citizens by 8. In other words, in the past few years, Rome has lost citizen families. Rome’s original citizens have decreased by nearly a quarter. This is a major event that shakes the foundation of Rome. No wonder the citizens of Rome are so angry.

Claudius continued, "The Han Empire is already so rich and powerful, but they still haven't stopped their pace of progress. The new Han emperor ascended the throne five years ago and became the most powerful person in the world, but he is still not satisfied with the current situation of the Han Empire and has proposed the goal of enriching citizens. The new Han emperor is ambitious and wants to make every citizen of the Han Empire live a wealthy life within 5 years."

"What is the standard of wealth for the Emperor of the Han Dynasty? A citizen can earn 6 Han coins a year, the sons of citizens can enjoy free education until the middle school stage, and all citizens can be provided with low-priced houses. The Emperor of the Han Dynasty's standard is based on the housing standards set by my Roman Knights. There is also free medical care. Citizens of the Han Dynasty will not fall back into poverty due to illness. From what I have seen in the Han Dynasty, because there is a medical system throughout the Han Dynasty, few people will die from illness or injury in the Han Dynasty. The mortality rate of pregnant women and children is also extremely low, only a few tenths of that in Rome."

Maxius said angrily: "What does the prosperity of the Han Empire have to do with us Rome? Why should the Senate let those mobs go? Do you know how much loss their reckless actions caused Rome? They caused Rome to lose 300 talents of gold."

Claudius sneered, "Maxius, you have been blinded by anger. 2000 million citizens means that the Han Dynasty has the power to destroy any country in the world, including our Rome. Facing such a powerful empire, the elders still think that we have too many Roman citizens. We also want to deprive the rioting Roman citizens of their citizenship."

Although their way of doing things is problematic, we cannot deny that they are patriots. It is Rome that has not taken good care of the rights of these citizens. They just use such extreme methods to alert the senators to the current situation in Rome. This is the tradition of our Rome. When the rights of citizens and the rights of senators are out of balance, the citizens of our Rome will find a way to restore the balance of rights. "

At first, those Roman citizens burned silk, threw tea leaves and spices and felt very happy, but that riot caused the Roman senators to lose hundreds of millions of Han coins worth of goods. Many senator families were seriously damaged, so the senators' reckoning came quickly. In just these two months, nearly two thousand citizens who had rioted were arrested. After being tried, these people will be exiled to the Iberian Peninsula as slaves to pay for their sins. The number of Romans who lost their citizenship reached tens of thousands. This was the largest single-time loss of citizenship in Roman history.

But these people aroused the sympathy of the entire Roman citizen circle. Spices, silk, and tea were precious, but what did they have to do with them? They could hardly afford to eat. Did the senators still want the citizens of Rome to sympathize with their losses?
International students such as Claudius came from senatorial families and had some political acumen. They grasped the emotions of the old Roman citizens, defended these rioting citizens, won the support of a large number of Roman citizens, and became the youngest senators in Roman history.

(End of this chapter)