New Shun 1730

Faced with this situation, the king and his ministers also had mixed feelings.

Fortunately, in the current situation, the opposition in the parliament has become silent.

What's worrying is that they didn't expect Dashun to play such a "killing" role. They actually supported the slave uprising and actually incited the British lower class to resist?

However, although Dashun played "Mai Tai", he still pointed out a way to Britain in previous contacts.

Of course, with the current general collapse within the UK, the North American issue, which was not originally important, has now become a key issue.

Lord Bute, the mentor of the little king, told the little king sharply about the situation that Britain might face.

"Your Majesty, if we go by what China's diplomatic envoys revealed, it is obvious that we can only relax tariffs and many trade controls. We can rely on tariffs to repay the national debt. This requires us to import a large amount of Chinese goods."

“Whether it’s porcelain or silk, cotton or brass… it’s true.”

"It's clear that tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of English, Scots and Irish people will lose their livelihoods."

"We have to think about finding a way for these people to survive."

"Because if they don't find a way to survive, they're going to find Winstanley and Thomas More."

"That would plunge the UK, and indeed the whole of Europe, into a state of real terror."

"So...the importance of North America has far exceeded what it used to be."

“We must rethink what North America means to Britain.”

"It may not generate a penny of tax revenue, but it will ensure that there is no horrific rebellion in Britain."

"The Chinese will not take away Jamaica and Barbados. They just use the slaves there as bargaining chips in the transaction. They don't want it because it means nothing to them."

"Don't worry about the West Indian problem. As long as there is no help from the Chinese, those slaves cannot capture forts and towns. They don't even have cannons and can't use them. They can't win."

"So as soon as the war is over and the Chinese withdraw, the uprising in Jamaica will soon subside."

"The real problem is not in Jamaica and Barbados, but in the thirteen states of North America."

"There is news that the Chinese are instigating some insurgent activities in North America. This is the real fatal danger."

"If North America is lost."

"Then, for example, the Lancashire weavers, their cotton textile industry is squeezed out by the Chinese pineapple cloth and cannot be sold at all, and they have no land of their own... Letting them go to North America is our only option A way out, but not their only way out.”

"Because they have another way, called rebellion."

Of course, "rebellion" is what Lord Bute calls it, or in other words, what the ruling class around the world calls it at this time.

In fact, some people call this not a rebellion, but an uprising.

Although George III, who was still very young at this time, must have inherited porphyria, he had not taken large amounts of laudanum, so his consciousness was still normal.

The value in North America is the difference between addition and subtraction.

If you add it up, you won’t be able to collect the taxes, so it’s definitely not as valuable as Jamaica or Barbados.

Doing subtraction makes a big difference. If a large-scale uprising breaks out, if the subtracted things are not subtracted or erupted because of the existence of the North American pressure relief valve, then the value of North America will be great.

Of course, North America was a relief valve before.

The very serious sectarian conflicts in the UK have been suppressed.

A large number of "heresies" who did not recognize the Church of England went to North America, and the second religious war in Britain finally did not start.

Now that it is no longer a question of religion, the great value of this pressure relief valve is once again reflected.

The helplessness of reality forced the new king and his ministers to take "the war can only be ended by accepting Dashun's conditions" as the starting point for their thinking.

It is not that, at this time, we are still thinking about the unrealistic "counterattack victory" or "the story of divine wind assisting the destruction of the Spanish Armada".

Now that you have learned to face reality, many problems will actually be solved.

On this basis, the Earl of Halifax also added another meaning of North America.

"My Majesty, if we accept the tariff conditions of the Chinese, and their so-called free trade."

"Then, the value of the thirteen states in North America will further increase."

"That means that the more than two million people in the 13 states will be a vast market, and we will be able to collect more tariffs."

"Whether it's tea, porcelain, silk or cotton, people in the thirteen states will buy it. The more they buy, the more tariffs we get."

"If enough are sold, I think the 150 million pounds of national debt may be basically repaid within 30 years."

"At the same time, using the tariffs as collateral, we can borrow new debt."

"In fact, as long as our tariffs can ensure half of the interest on this 150 million pounds of national debt every year, which is about 2.5 million pounds, then our financial situation will be greatly eased."

"The reality, my Lord, is that we cannot increase land tax and that is the bottom line for the Tories."

"In fact, if we could, we could get the Chinese to collect tariffs for us."

"They only need to collect tariffs on the price in advance and hand it over to us afterwards. Then the problems of smuggling and tax evasion can be eliminated."

"I think it can be done."

"Because, obviously, although they are shouting about free trade, in fact they are not free trade. They will not allow their merchants and private traders to bring goods directly to Europe for trade."

"So, in fact, the free trade they call is still a controlled trade."

"If their emperor is willing, then this method of preempting tariffs on prices by the Chinese is feasible."

"On this point, we and the French can cooperate."

"If trade doesn't bring in tax revenue, then no government will support such trade."

"During previous contacts and negotiations with Chinese diplomatic envoys, they also expressed similar ideas. I think this idea is feasible."

"In fact, the Chinese have clearly rejected the possibility of direct trade in London. Because this would make their ally, the hateful French, unhappy. The French will never allow the trading center for Eastern trade goods to be set up in London. "

"So, if we can do this, that is, let the Chinese help us collect tariffs in advance, then the smuggling problem in North America will be greatly solved."

"The results of sugar tax collection in North America have proven that taxation in North America requires skills and is extremely difficult. We must use new methods to collect sufficient tariffs."

Speaking of this, the Earl of Halifax glanced at George III cautiously and reminded carefully: "Your Majesty, although the land in North America is vast, it is unrealistic to impose land taxes in North America. It may even trigger rebellion. ”

"At this juncture, especially when we clearly know that the impact of Chinese goods will cause tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people to lose their jobs. Once North America rebels, there will also be horrific chaos within Britain. ”

"even……"

The Earl of Halifax paused and spent a lot of energy before uttering the terrible word.

"even……"

"revolution."

This word is so scary and so powerful.

Even though the Earl of Halifax had been careful to use a very soft tone.

But when this word burst out of his mouth, it still made everyone present shiver.

In a long silence, George III considered the words of Lord Bute and the Earl of Halifax. After a long time, he nodded and said in English that was very rare for a British king: "Yes, that's true."

"Revolution...rebellion..."

"Ha, what a terrible word."

"However, this is not necessarily a good thing. As long as it is controlled properly, it will greatly strengthen the authority and majesty of the king."

"It's time to let those people know that the danger is not only from the king, but the more terrible danger comes from the poor."

"I've had enough of the endless partisanship in Parliament..."

This terrible idea was not the first day that appeared in George III's mind.

In fact, as George III's mentor, Lord Bute has been instilling some ideas in George III. These ideas originated from Bolingbroke, at least, the idea of ​​opposing endless partisanship has been instilled in him.

What happened in places like Liverpool and Manchester looked terrible, but in George III's eyes, it was not so absolutely terrifying.

It's not uncontrollable.

At least what happened there united the British Parliament as never before.

The Opposition, the Court Whigs, the Patriot Party, the Country Party, the Tories... the British aristocrats, big landowners, slave owners, big businessmen, enclosure holders, financiers... these people, what happened in Liverpool They were all united in this rebellion.

Even the "Monitor", which has been criticizing the king, has begun to prepare public opinion that counterinsurgency is reasonable.

The king is no longer a terrible despot and tyrant.

Instead, he became the defender of British "freedom".