Back to Ming Dynasty with Industrial Revolution System

Chapter 875 Talking at Sea (Fourth Update)

The Crown Prince, the three British armed warships, and Li Jinde's merchant ship slowly left the London Pool under the watchful eyes of the citizens of London.

"What kind of magical country is the distant and powerful Eastern China..." Princess Sophia stood on the bow of the Crown Prince, with the sea breeze blowing, she opened Wen Zhengming's fan, full of curiosity about the mysterious East.

Li Jinde and his fleet returned to Xiamen Bay along the route they had come from Britain, passing through the most dangerous west coast of North Africa and Cape of Storms in South Africa on the way.There is no Suez Canal at this time, and the fleet must pass through the Cape of Storms.Even so, after the development of the age of great voyages, the Cape of Storms route has become a relatively mature route. The British East India Company is taking this route. The East India Company is conquering India. They do not lack sailors who are familiar with this route. .

"This world is really big, and it takes months to sail at a time, and it is still on the premise of knowing the route." Li Jinde left London City and embarked on the route back to China, and needed to go through the long sea route again. .

At this time, there were already some commercial stations along the coast of the African continent, serving as supply stations for ocean-going ships along the way, and some European countries engaged in criminal slave trade.

"It takes a year to go back and forth. It's really not easy to go to the ocean. If it weren't for you, the shopkeeper, who would come to the ocean. We have a vast land and abundant resources, and we have everything we need, enough to be self-sufficient. The things we shipped back from them It is not a necessity for us." An apprentice looked at the boundless ocean and couldn't help sighing.

"But we have made a lot of profit this time. No wonder some Western businessmen will come to us from far away. Just a few more years of goods can earn enough for a lifetime's expenses." Li Jinde also regretted the silk and silk he brought. There are not enough porcelains, otherwise we can earn more silver taels.

The silk and porcelain were sold out, and there were some Western goods and gold and silver in the cabin.

The vast and boundless ocean appears dark and deep at night, and can only see things with the help of moonlight and scattered starlight.

"That's Ursa Minor, the brightest star is Polaris, that's Cepheus, and Cassiopeia!" Selina said, pointing to the sky as vast as the ocean.

"In our civilization, the names of these stars are Gouchen, Zaofu, Skyhook, etc., but I don't know their exact locations. Only those in charge of the calendar in the imperial court know, and it is difficult for sailors to name them. Our official naming is not vivid enough, so it is difficult to remember." Li Jinde leaned against the bulwark, and it was painful to see the sky full of stars. The official naming follows the complex system of star officials, Sanyuan 28 Mansions.

In fact, the folks don’t use this complicated system, but change it to more understandable and romantic names such as Cowherd, Vega, and Taibaixing. Otherwise, illiterate people will have to remember Kui, Lou, Wei, and Subaru. , Bi, 觜, and reference to these nouns, they will not die in pain.

"You Dongfang is really strange, why don't you use a more vivid description?" Selina asked puzzled.

"In fact, our folks have always used simple and popular descriptions. The simpler the people are, the more they like them. It's like when I saw you at Cambridge University, there are many scholars who are also studying ancient things, and our official ones. Like calendar judges, they all like to use the ancient and difficult sayings." Li Jinde said.

"I see. It seems that the common people still have something in common." Selina nodded. "How is your life in the East?"

"How should I describe this... The place I was born in is called Fuzhou, which is the seat of Fujian Province. Later, after Xiamen Bay developed, I moved to Xiamen City. It is a new city. The local merchants traded and became more and more prosperous. During the busy season, they went to sea for trade, and when they were free, they listened to storytelling and watched dramas in Xiamen city." Li Jinde said.

"Then where is the Academy of Sciences you mentioned?" Selina asked again.

"Of course it is in the most prosperous capital city, which is the capital of the empire. There are many businessmen who are richer and more powerful than me." Li Jinde said, "We have four of the most prosperous areas there, Southern Liaoning, Beijing, Jiangnan, Fujian Among them, the merchants in the south of the Yangtze River are the richest, and the merchants in the capital are the most powerful."

"Can you organize a large ship to come to our London city for trade, just an ordinary businessman?" Selina was a little surprised.

"Maybe I'm good among the merchants in Fujian and Guangdong. Compared with the merchants in southern Liaoning, Beijing, and Jiangnan, I'm really not rich..." Li Jinde said helplessly.

The really rich businessmen have already started to build factories and produce a large number of commodities. The tax they pay every year is an astronomical sum, and the proportion of business tax in fiscal revenue is getting higher and higher.

"The East is really powerful..." Selina was even more surprised when Li Jinde talked about the wealthy Chinese merchants.

"What about the farmers? How are they doing?" Selina asked.

"After the land is owned by the state, the land will be contracted to the farmers. The farmers still have to pay land rent to the state every year. But after the sale of land is not allowed, the burden on the farmers has become smaller." Li Jinde said, "We businessmen have made money. In the future, the first thing to do is to buy farmland. Now that the sale of land is not allowed, it can only be used to buy supplies, build factories, and merchant ships. I always feel that it is a little different from before. My businessman friends are all comparing who makes more money. , the small businessman becomes a medium businessman, and then the medium businessman becomes a big businessman, and the big businessman becomes a giant crocodile again, endlessly, and everyone seems to be enjoying it.”

"Our British merchants are not like this. They continue to accumulate wealth, and their wealth gradually exceeds that of the nobles. They even speak more confidently than the nobles." Selina said.

"Are you going to the capital with your father?" Li Jinde asked.

"I'm going to the capital, the place you said is greater than Cambridge University, the Academy of Sciences." Selina said.

"I'll go with you to the capital too. If you have the chance to meet the military leader of our empire, you will be lucky." Li Jinde said longingly.

He met the King of Britain, thinking that if he could see the military master again, his whole life would be worth it.How could ordinary people easily meet the rulers of two different countries in the East and the West.

"Military Lord, is that the founder of the Academy of Sciences?" Selina asked.

"That is a legendary figure..." Li Jinde said with emotion.

Li Jinde and Selina chatted all night on the deck, which made the British sailor who was an interpreter very miserable, but after Li Jinde secretly slipped him a Spanish silver dollar, he regained his spirits.

(End of this chapter)