Ten Dragons Take the Inheritance

Chapter 171 The English Envoy
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Yinzuo was not surprised by the visit of the envoys from England, because it was originally arranged by him in private. Those big-nosed Englanders had been busy in the capital for a long time, and they never saw a single important official. Even the officials of the Ministry of Rites and the Qing History Department did not like to see this stickman "Sheng Fan", but under Yinzuo's ingenious arrangement, the English envoy finally came to Yinzuo's mansion-I can't blame Yinzuo for being careful and talking to foreign countries. When dealing with envoys, you still have to consider the influence. It is not a trivial matter to get a book of ginseng. It took a lot of thought to meet these envoys Yinzuo. I also made it clear to Mr. Kangxi in advance, and only after getting the acquiescence of the old man Received the English envoy in his back garden.

Van Foster Green, in his early forties, strong and strong, with thick brown hair, wearing a black tuxedo and a gentleman's top hat, immediately took off the top hat when he saw Yinzuo, put his hands on his chest, and walked smartly Bowed and said hello in English; Sean Brown was in his early thirties, blond, tall, with an upturned beard and a red military uniform. When he saw Yinzuo, he immediately stood at attention and gave a military salute. The scene made Yinzuo I couldn't help but think of the style of the British gentleman in the foreign blockbusters I watched in my previous life, and I felt a little bit unpredictable about the world.

Yin Zuo can understand English. In his previous life, he spent a lot of time on listening in order to pass the sixth level. As for speaking, he is only at an average level. After so many years, he is very rusty, but some simple conversations are still Not a problem, of course, Yinzuo will not reveal that he can understand English, until the interpreter has finished translating Van Foster Green's greetings, he smiled and said: "There is an old saying in China: There are friends who come from afar. Very pleased to welcome Mr. Green and Captain Brown. Please take a seat."

The interpreter is a thin middle-aged man named Zheng Bin. He speaks English fluently, but his Chinese is stuttering. Cantonese, but he was born in India. He is an overseas Chinese, and he is also engaged in business. This time, England is eager to open up business channels and lacks interpreters, so he invited Zheng Bin to go to China via Java. Hitchhiking, to see if I could do some business with the country, and then returned to the country.

Zheng Bin translated Yin Zuo's words, Van Furst Green bowed to express his thanks again, and sat down, while Sean Brown stood behind Van Furst Green like a javelin, not looking sideways He looks like a soldier.

Van Foster Green said reservedly: "Your country has a vast land and rich resources and a long history. On behalf of King William III of England, I would like to extend a sincere invitation to your country, and welcome your country to join the world business circle. , This is really a good thing, I hope the prince can persuade your Majesty to allow our citizens to enter your country to set up companies to engage in business and trade, if the prince can help this matter, I would like to express my gratitude to the prince on behalf of the king of our country."

Hehe, this sounds very familiar. It seems that the British guy said the same thing to the emperor of the Mughal Dynasty in India, and then he used the excuse to protect his own citizens to force the army to be stationed, and then he simply took the whole of India into his pocket. Demo, I also played this trick with Lao Tzu, and really took us for a fucking fool.Yin Zuo muttered in his heart, his face was very calm, after listening to Zheng Bin's translation, he smiled and said: "Thank you for the kindness of the king of your country, your two countries really should communicate with each other, but the national conditions of our two countries Different, our country’s law clearly stipulates that foreign businessmen are not allowed to set up companies in China, please forgive me for this point, if your country does not object, our country is willing to set up companies in your country or Tianzhu, which belongs to your country.”

After listening to Zheng Bin's translation, Van Foster Green's face remained unchanged, and he nodded slightly: "Dear Your Highness, the Kingdom of Great England welcomes businessmen from your country to set up companies in our country, but as a courtesy, our country also requires Your country agrees with the right of Chinese businessmen to do business in your country freely, and I hope that your country can make efforts to achieve the goal of reconciliation between your two countries."

Damn, this British guy is really cunning. I was talking about India, but this product was transferred to the British mainland. Hey, there is a big difference.With the strength of China's current navy, it is impossible to escort ocean-going merchant ships, even in Asia. If the merchant ships arrive in Europe, they may not even be able to bring their people back.Yinzuo smiled and said, "Thank you for allowing our businessmen to set up companies in Tianzhu, but this king has already said that our laws do not allow foreign businessmen to set up companies in China. This is an iron law and no one should violate it."

"Oh, Your Royal Highness, India is not our territory, and our country has no right to approve businessmen from your country to set up companies in India. As for the laws of your country, I deeply regret it. If this is the case, if you find a port along the coast of your country as a commercial port for our country I wonder if the anchorage for merchant ships is feasible?" Van Foster Green cunningly set a trap again.

An anchorage?Hey, it's interesting to play tricks with me!This is parked, parked, Hong Kong will be parked, right?Although Yinzuo was angry in his heart, his face was calm and he still said: "I regret what your envoy said. Our country cannot provide any port, or even a small offshore island, as an anchorage for your country's merchant ships. If your country If you plan to start trade with our country, the two sides can set up an intermediate trading place in a place that is neither your territory nor our territory. According to this king, Tianzhu is the most suitable place. Please consider this point. If If your country does not agree, our country will not force it, there are many European countries, and my king's fleet can carry out trade with Holland, Portugal, Spain and even France."

Van Foster Green didn't expect that Yinzuo would reject his proposal outright, and even more that Yinzuo knew so many European countries. He seemed to be very familiar with European naval power in his words. After listening to Zheng Bin's translation Afterwards, he was at a loss for a while, and his originally serious face became a little dull. He reached out and took out a white silk cloth from his pocket to wipe the sweat on his forehead, thought for a while and said: "The Great England Kingdom has the world The most powerful navy in the world can guarantee the unimpeded flow of our country's merchant ships on the ocean, which is something that other countries cannot do, so please think about it more, my lord."

Depend on!Threats of force are coming, mother, bully Lao Tzu without a navy, right?When Yinzuo heard Van Foster Green's words, the fire in his heart fluttered, but people told the truth, the British navy is indeed the most powerful in the world at the moment, not to mention Daqingshui at the moment Division, even if the reorganization of Yinzuo's navy is completed, there is no certainty of victory-ships and guns can be made more advanced than others, and tactics are not a problem, but a fleet that has not experienced a war will always be just a paper tiger. If you are a child, you will not be of great use, and you will not be able to mature if you do not experience a few failures. The so-called invincible in the world is simply a novelist's words, and it cannot be taken as true.If other officials of the Qing Dynasty understand the meaning of these words, they will turn their faces immediately and take down all the "shengfans" or drive them out, but Yinzuo is different. Master Qingshui couldn't make a move at all. Although he was angry, he didn't break out. Instead, he said with a smile: "I have heard a lot about the strength of your navy. It is said that your warships are divided into four levels. The biggest is There are three gun decks, 100 cannons, and a capacity of 875 people. I wonder if this is true?"

Zheng Bin translated Yinzuo's words. Before Van Foster Green could speak, Sean Brown proudly replied: "Yes, this is a battleship, the guarantee that my Great England fleet is invincible in the ocean."

"Very good." Yin Zuo nodded and said, "As a naval officer, Brown should be proficient in naval warfare. According to your Excellency, how many cannons can my king's merchant ship be equipped with if it is slightly modified?"

After hearing Zheng Bin's translation, Sean Brown was stunned for a moment and said: "It can hold about 120 guns, but merchant ships are not warships. There is a huge difference between the two. Besides, my artillery in Great England is also the most advanced in the world."

Yin Zuo smiled: "Thank you Mr. Brown for your blunt words, but in my opinion, it is difficult to convert a merchant ship into a battleship, but since I can build a merchant ship, it is not difficult to build a battleship. As for artillery, expensive The muzzle-loading guns of our country are probably a little outdated, with a short range of only [-] feet, and it is troublesome to load them. The new artillery made by our country has a range of [-] feet and can be reloaded quickly, which is far better than your country's artillery."

As soon as Yinzuo said this, both Sean Brown and Van Foster Green looked disbelieving, thinking that Yinzuo was bragging, but neither of them said anything, expressing their dissatisfaction with silence.Yinzuo didn't explain much, and raised his hand with a smile. Qingsong, who was standing behind him, took out a revolver from his arms and handed it to Yinzuo. The two British envoys couldn't understand that the one in Yinzuo's hand was obviously a gun. What kind of thing is a type of weapon? After all, smokeless gunpowder has not been invented yet, and the world's powerful countries still use flint guns filled with black powder.

Yin Zuo was a super military fan in his previous life, and he knew everything about weapons. Naturally, he was thinking of ways to manufacture modern weapons. However, without those infrastructures such as machine tools, lathes, and electricity, mass production is simply impossible. Besides, Even with these infrastructures, Yinzuo didn't have the guts to mass-produce weapons before he ascended to the throne, but it's not difficult to get one or two revolvers and bullets to play with:
The revolver is the simplest structure among all pistols. The various parts are not complicated, and Yinzuo did not dare to shape it at one time. After drawing the blueprint and indicating the size, different craftsmen made it time-sharingly, and made a big one. After a pile of waste products, I finally successfully assembled a few guns, but because they were hand-built, and there were no tools such as vernier calipers and screw micrometers, the accuracy and range of the guns were very limited.

As for the bullets, it is easy to handle. After drawing the pattern, let the craftsmen create brass shells and bullets according to the size of the muzzle. A small amount of hydrochloric acid and copper are produced by reacting with ethanol in the presence of excess nitric acid.The propellant is smokeless gunpowder - nitrocellulose is produced by immersing cloth or plant fiber in a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid in a certain proportion, dissolving the nitrocellulose in ether and ethanol, and adding an appropriate amount of stabilizer to it. The jelly is made into smokeless gunpowder by pressing into sheets, cutting into strips, drying and hardening.

Yin Zuo had a lot of factories and enough manpower, and after a while, he fiddled with revolvers and bullets, but limited to the backward production conditions, even if he was not afraid of impeachment, he couldn't mass-produce them at all-the scrap rate was really high It is astonishingly high, and mass production will have to wait until Yinzuo takes office, and it is possible for those students sent to do basic research to make a name for themselves, but it is enough to scare the two British envoys.Yinzuo raised his wrist with a smile, and tapped the trigger with his fingers, but there was a crisp sound, and the gun burst into flames, and a ball of grassy mud exploded on the grass 15 meters outside the pavilion, and then Yinzuo continued to buckle. After five clicks of the trigger, after a series of snaps, an eye-catching row formed on the grass, and there was not much smoke in the pavilion. With a flick of his wrist, the magazine bounced open, and six golden shell casings fell out. When it landed on the stone floor between the pavilions, there was a clanging sound.

Although Van Foster Green has been in contact with firearms, he is only a businessman after all. Although he was surprised, he didn't have too many associations. Sean Brown is different. He is a genuine soldier. When he came to China this time, he originally I have the task of inspecting China's military equipment. I have seen swords and spears in Hua for many days. I have already branded China as backward in my heart. Now I saw the revolver in Yinzuo's hand and immediately thought of this weapon. The military value and its revolutionary significance, the original arrogance disappeared completely, and he lowered his head and whispered to Van Foster Green, but he didn't expect Yinzuo to understand English.

Hey, Xiao Mian, I’m afraid of this, mother, let you threaten me with a big nose, it’s a pity, this thing can’t be mass-produced, or we can make rifles and machine guns together, and 10 people are enough to arm conquered all of Eurasia.Yinzuo smiled and threw the gun in his hand to Qingsong, without opening his mouth, just quietly listening to the exchange of the two British envoys.After the two noses discussed in low voices for a while, Van Foster Green said reservedly: "Can you sell this gun to the Kingdom of Great England?"

"No." Yin Zuo replied very simply.

Van Foster Green shrugged his shoulders to express his regret, and continued: "The prince's proposal to establish a company in India is a major matter. I am afraid that this envoy cannot make a decision. It needs to be passed by the Free Parliament and submitted to His Majesty the King for approval. It is better for your country to consider our proposal first."

Think about it, Xiao Mian, isn’t your special envoy a plenipotentiary envoy?How can there be no right to decide?Hey, let's push you again.Yinzuo smiled and said: "No need, our country does not lack of trading partners. Our country's current transaction with the Netherlands is smooth, and the cooperation between the two parties is happy. The king will not consider changing it for the time being. Your envoy can return to China for business."

The sky is big, and the profit is the biggest. For a commercial country like Britain, nothing is more important than money. If Van Foster Green returns empty-handed, I am afraid that his status in the British East India Company Whether it is for personal purposes or for the interests of the company, he has never watched the possibility of the Dutch making a fortune. Seeing that Yinzuo is going to issue an order to expel the guest, he can't help feeling a little anxious——Van Furst Green has been in China for some time, and he knows that those big ships are basically Yinzuo's property. If he is swept away by Yinzuo like this, he may not have a chance to visit again, so he hurriedly said: "Dear Your Highness, your request to establish a company in India is beyond the authority of this envoy, but if the two parties trade in the Indian port, it can be negotiated, I wonder what the prince wants?"

Hey, little sample, hurry up, deal is deal, let's send some people to figure out the course for the future is also good, but at this time there is no need to promise too fast.After listening to Zheng Bin's translation, Yinzuo frowned, pretending to be in deep thought, and said after a while: "In this case, the king can agree to give it a try, and the king will send someone to discuss with your envoy on specific matters. see a visitor out."

Van Foster Green came here full of hope and wanted to use hard and soft to achieve the goal of setting up a company in China. Dare to stay longer, got up and bowed again, said goodbye and left.

Seeing the departure of the British envoy, Yinzuo didn't feel the slightest joy in achieving his goal. There are still many things to do waiting for Yinzuo, not to mention the urgent need to improve the deployment of the future hegemony, even if it is not easy to play the old man right now and these things are not the fields that Wu and Lin are good at, everything can only be dealt with by Yinzuo himself.This battle in the future is not only related to Yin Zuo's own fate, but also to the future fate of the entire nation. It cannot be neglected. Yin Zuo explained to Wang Hao who came after hearing the news, and asked Wang Hao to send the boat After preparing for the voyage, I sat alone in the pavilion silently and fell into deep thought...

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Xiao Liu knelt down on the ground, crying and said: "Bosses, give me some monthly tickets."

(End of this chapter)