Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 767: The Western Mission
"Nephew greets my third uncle and congratulates him on being crowned king." Jia Yun looked excited. He walked in quickly, lifted his clothes and bowed.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Robert, the foreign steward and translator, also knelt down hurriedly.

"Stand up and talk." Jia Cong said with a smile.

He then looked at a few old acquaintances from the Western Yi region behind him and said, "Oh, Count von Ilok, Baron Sean, Viscount Raoul, Viscount Parma, it is a great honor for you all to come to our humble home. Please forgive me for not being able to come and greet you from afar."

Everyone took off their hats and bowed, saying, "On behalf of our king, we would like to express our highest respect and sincere greetings to His Excellency the Prince."

"When you came to Beijing last year, the prince was still a marquis, and this year he is already a prince. Such a young man is truly a genius." Feng Yiluoke said with a smile.

"He is not only a prince, but also in charge of government affairs and ruling the country. It is the greatest honor for our family to be acquainted with the prince." Sean also hurried to flatter him.

"If the prince has any instructions, we will do our best to carry them out to consolidate the bilateral friendship." Raul and Parma were not willing to be left behind and quickly expressed their opinions.

Now that Jia Cong holds great power, everyone knows that if they can make friends with him, they will gain countless benefits.

Jia Cong bowed and smiled, "Thank you all for your kindness. Please take a seat."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Everyone bowed and took a seat.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have invited you all here from far away this time because I miss you all. Last time you were in a hurry and didn't have time to stay. This time you must stay in the capital for a few more days so that I can show my hospitality."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness. We are sorry to bother you." Everyone gladly accepted the order. They were worried that they would not have the opportunity to get close to Jia Cong.

"Secondly, I am now the regent and want to develop industry and foreign trade. I will need your help. I hope you can help me."

Everyone hurriedly said, "It is our honor. I wonder what the prince wants us to do."

Jia Cong said: "It's not an assignment, it's just mutual benefit."

"I'd like to hear the details." Everyone said.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have thought of a few preliminary ideas and would like to hear your opinions.

First, now all the soldiers of the Dynasty need to replace their firearms. The Dynasty has millions of soldiers, so this is a big deal. What do you think? "

Everyone felt excited when they heard this.

Von Ilok stood up and said, "I, Netherlands, am willing to serve the prince."

Sean also stood up and said loudly: "I, England, have enough ability to provide your Highness with the best guns, artillery and ammunition."

Raoul sneered, "Come on, Sean. Your Highness doesn't want three or five thousand guns. He wants enough weapons to arm an army of millions. How many can you provide? I, Frank, have no choice but to take care of this matter."

Palma said hurriedly: "All the arsenals in Castile are willing to serve Your Highness wholeheartedly and offer the most favorable discounts."

"I, England, can also provide preferential treatment and guarantee that Your Highness will be satisfied."

"When it comes to firearms, we Franks are the best."

"The goods of the Netherlands are no worse than anyone else's. If Your Highness is not satisfied, I will not take a penny."

……

Jia Cong looked at the four people quarreling, smiled slightly, and said: "Everyone, please be patient. I have always been fair in doing business and will not let my friends down. You all know that."

"Yes, yes, please teach me, Your Majesty."

Everyone smiled and sat down. Now they worshipped Jia Cong as a god for a simple reason. Since doing business with Jia Cong, they had earned tens of millions of taels of silver, which made the status and power of the four families in their respective countries expand rapidly.

Therefore, no one dared to offend the God of Wealth, for fear that Jia Cong would not do business with them.

“I have already tried the tens of thousands of muskets and hundreds of cannons you provided me last time, and they are quite powerful.

He also made great military achievements in the Western Regions and...other places.

In the past, due to the emperor's restriction, I was not able to make large-scale purchases. But now, I have the final say in the court, so I can buy as much as I want this time.

All you have to do is to supply me with goods in a steady stream. As long as the goods are genuine and the price is reasonable, I will buy them all."

Raoul hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. If the trade volume is large, I can give you an additional 20% discount on the basis of last time. You know the quality of Frank's firearms."

"It's the same with us." Everyone said hurriedly.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You can discuss the price with Yun Ge'er. I have only one request, that is, the products you provide to me must be the most advanced and mature products in the West.

Also, you guys better unify the standard specifications of guns and artillery, don't give me a variety of things, which will only increase the logistical pressure."

Seeing that Jia Cong could actually consider the logistics issues, everyone knew that it was not easy to fool him, so they hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Your Highness, we will go back immediately to study the issue of unified gun and artillery standards."

Jia Cong naturally did not expect that his order would actually change the course of firearms development. He just nodded and said, "In addition, for every 100 guns and 10 cannons, you must provide me with an excellent instructor to train the soldiers of the Celestial Empire to maturity before you can leave."

"This is not difficult. We guarantee good after-sales service."

"Okay, this is the first order of business."

Everyone was itching to get their hands on it. The Celestial Prince was so generous that the first deal was enough to make the four companies rich. Would there be a second or third deal?
They all said in the most sincere tone: "Your most loyal servants are waiting for your orders, Your Highness."

Jia Cong said: "The imperial court wants to open more commercial ports in the coastal areas to promote trade. The Celestial Empire is too big, with abundant resources and a prosperous people. You can't eat such a big cake with just a few families. But with our friendship, I can let you eat the most delicious part."

Everyone was delighted and said hurriedly, "We are willing to serve you, Your Majesty."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You guys offer me discounts, and I will also offer you discounts. For example, in terms of tariffs, I charge other merchants 20%, and you only charge 10%. How about that?"

"Your generosity is enough to illuminate the night sky of France."

"Your generosity makes all the noble families in England pale in comparison."

"Your kindness is so great that even all the ships of the Netherlands could not carry it."

"Your friendship is enough to create another Barcelona."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have long admired Barcelona, ​​but I have never had the chance to visit and enjoy the sunshine of the Mediterranean."

Parma didn't expect Jia Cong to know Barcelona, ​​and hurriedly said, "I am willing to be your guide and look forward to your visit to Castile at any time to enhance the friendship between our two countries."

Seeing that Jia Cong seemed to have a special liking for Castile, the other three people rushed to introduce the scenic spots of their own countries.

Jia Cong waved his hand and smiled, "Thank you for your kindness. I also want to go to Europe to have some fun, but I am busy with government affairs and I really can't spare the time.

Soon, the Celestial Empire will send a large group of merchants, envoys and more than a thousand children to travel and study in European countries. I hope you can give them this enthusiasm and provide them with convenience and necessary help. "Your Highness, rest assured, we will make the guests and students of the Celestial Empire feel at home." Everyone patted their chests and promised.

Jia Cong nodded and said, "I plan to establish consulates in your four countries first and send envoys to stay there to show the friendship between our two countries. Your country can also establish a consulate in the Celestial Empire and enjoy diplomatic immunity, trade preferences and other rights. What do you think?"

"That's great! You're most welcome." Everyone said happily. Being able to interact with the Celestial Empire was something the Western barbarian countries had always longed for.

"Every year, the Celestial Empire sends students to study in the most powerful countries in Europe. You can also send students to the Celestial Empire to learn the teachings of Confucius and Mencius. I'll leave all matters to you.

I hope these students can return home as soon as possible after completing their studies, and become a witness to the friendship between our two countries and a link for future contact." Jia Cong said.

Everyone hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Your Highness. We will definitely contact each school and ask them to arrange the best teachers to teach."

They all knew that this group of international students would become Jia Cong's talent pool. Paying more attention to these students at this moment would be a cost-effective thing to do and would surely win in the future.

"Okay. The fourth thing is that the Celestial Empire will carry out industrial reforms. In the past two years, you have helped me build many factories and mines. Now they are all completed and put into production, and we have made a lot of money.

Now, the imperial court wants to build more factories and mines. Are you interested?"

Everyone's eyes shone with gold, and they hurriedly said, "We are willing to serve Your Highness wholeheartedly."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Last time, you helped build mainly civilian factories. This time, the court wants both military and civilian factories. Are you willing to cooperate and transfer the relevant technology?"

"This..." Everyone hesitated. They naturally knew that teaching a disciple would starve the master to death.

Jia Cong said calmly: "Everyone, a strong Celestial Empire is beneficial to everyone. The East needs a strong country to maintain stability, and this country is your friend. Isn't this a wonderful thing?"

Everyone thought about it and realized that Jia Cong already had the arsenal and machinery factory in his hands. Even if he didn't sell them, the Chinese would slowly figure out the ins and outs of them. It would be better to do him a favor.

Moreover, if he did not sell it, it might just play into the hands of others. If he lost Jia Cong's friendship, it would be tantamount to cutting himself off from the Imperial Court, which would be a major setback for the country's destiny.

According to Jia Cong, if they don't sell it, the deal they have discussed before will probably be ruined. No country can afford such a loss. What's more, the Celestial Empire is thousands of miles away from Europe, and there are no conflicts between the two countries.

After a brief consideration, the four of them came to the same conclusion and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Your Highness. We will never hide anything and are willing to promote the exchange of what we have with our two countries with the greatest sincerity."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "This is also what I expect. You will each write up your cooperation plans and I will select the best one."

"Yes." The four of them nodded in agreement.

"As for the details of the cooperation, you can discuss it with Yun Ge'er. As a friend, I would like to remind you that your sincerity and goodwill towards the Celestial Empire will determine the size of our future cooperation space. The opportunity is fleeting, so don't make the mistake." Jia Cong smiled and picked up the tea bowl.

Everyone also understood the rules, and hurriedly stood up and said, "Thank you for your advice, Your Highness. We will take our leave first."

"Robert, take all your friends to Sifang Pavilion and settle down there. Dapeng, you go with them and tell them to have the people from the Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple entertain them well."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness."

"It's a matter of course, not worth mentioning." Jia Cong smiled and sent everyone out of the main hall, waving goodbye on the steps.

"Your Highness, stay."

Jia Cong turned around and sat down, and asked, "Brother Yun, how are the preparations for the caravan and fleet heading to the Western Barbarians going?"

"In reply to Uncle San, since this is our first visit to the Western Barbarians, I don't want to lose the dignity of the Celestial Empire, so I have collected more than 70 treasure ships and great fortune ships.

Among them, there are more than 20 large ones, which are more than 40 zhang long and more than 10 zhang wide. They are equipped with looms and markets, can accommodate a thousand people, and store a year's worth of food. They float on the sea and are as tall as mountains.

The rest of the merchant ships all have a capacity of more than 10,000 taels. If they are fully loaded with silk, porcelain, tea, toys, etc., the profit of one trip will be several million taels.

In addition, the warships built and purchased by the two major shipyards are gradually arriving. The escort fleet includes four second-level ships, twelve third-level ships, and twenty-eight fourth-level ships. The shipbuilders and sailors are all ready, but they are still lacking some skilled naval forces. "

Jia Cong pondered and said, "Lingsu, send a message to Goryeo to quickly dispatch 3,000 skilled new soldiers to serve as the navy to escort the warships."

"Yes."

"Also, send a message to Liaodong and Guangzhou. The new army training bases in these two places must not stop for even a moment. Send Deng Lei and Zhang Yi to supervise the two places respectively. Make sure to expand the scale, intensify the training, and send all the reserve firearms to them."

"Yes."

"Are the goods ready?" Jia Cong looked at Jia Yun again.

"We are stepping up efforts to raise funds for acquisitions, and we have already obtained 50% to 60% of the funds."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Brother Yun, I am assured that you are doing a good job. This business trip is of great importance. It is not only about doing business, but also about showing the strength of the Celestial Empire to the Western Yi countries.

Although it is said that harmony brings wealth, we should not lose our spirit. You can ask Xianglian for help and bring some strange people from the martial arts world with you to prepare for emergencies."

"Thank you, Uncle San, for your support and trust. I would rather die than let you down, let alone bring disgrace upon our ancestors and the court." Jia Yun said in a deep voice.

"Well, although you are not an envoy of the court, you represent my dignity. You are far away overseas and things are unpredictable. You should do what is convenient for you. In short, everything should be beneficial to the court and the family."

"Yes, nephew will follow the teachings of Uncle San."

"You are going there to sell things first, and secondly, you have to buy things. As long as there are things that the Celestial Empire does not have, buy them all. Priority should be given to things that will help strengthen the country's strength and the people's power, such as books, technology, machinery, equipment, talents, etc.

The most important thing is people. It is easy to get thousands of soldiers but hard to get a general. Try to invite all the famous scholars in the Western Yi back to me."

Jia Cong called Fang Ji and others over and said, "Brother Yun, Fang Tongzhi will go with you on this trip. You two can discuss anything together.

He has experienced a lot of things in the world and can see through people's hearts. If you are unsure about something, listen to his opinions more often."

"My nephew obeys your command." Jia Yun bowed and agreed, and then said, "Greetings to Fang Tongzhi."

Fang Ji knew that he was Jia Cong's trusted nephew, and hurriedly said, "Second Master Yun, you are too polite. I have been a landlubber all my life and have never been to sea. This trip is entirely dependent on Second Master's care."

"Where."

The two exchanged pleasantries with a smile.

Jia Cong added: "You have to choose a good place when you go to Xiyi this time, and establish a branch of Wanguohao. You can stay there to take care of business matters, and secretly use it as a base for gathering intelligence."

"Yes."

"When Old Fang is away, Old Wen will take over temporarily. The Jinyiwei must work together and obey orders. They must not pretend to obey but secretly disobey. Those who violate the order will be executed." Jia Cong said.

Wen Zhen was delighted and hurriedly stepped out to bow and said, "Thank you for your appreciation, Your Majesty. I will obey your orders and will do my best to serve you until my death."

Fang Ji felt a little bitter in his heart, as his chair as the official of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was replaced before he could even get comfortable in his seat. However, he had a smile on his face and bowed to congratulate Wen Zhen.

(End of this chapter)