Great Qing Dynasty talker

Chapter 587: Binding War, No Decoupling

Chapter 587: Binding War, No Decoupling~
"Sea Heart" Castle, afternoon tea time.

The ladies appreciated works of art, drank afternoon tea, chatted about gossip, passed around a classic oriental adult comic book (a magical adaptation of A Dream of Red Mansions, illustrated by Your Majesty), attended concerts, and ballroom danced with the young embassy attachés.

In short, we laughed so hard that we couldn't stop and had a lot of fun.

If the women are so happy, the men can't be too bad either.

The old nobles sat on the highest balcony of the castle, looking out at Windsor Castle and chatting with Earl Jia.

George III's most trusted cabinet prime minister, Lord North, arrived.

At this moment, he is enjoying the tea ceremony!
Two cooks who had just finished serving the ladies came rushing over to make and pour tea.

no way,
The embassy does not keep idlers.

Everyone has multiple roles.

……

A full set of exquisite tea sets made in Jingdezhen and the smooth movements of making tea reveal the fact that the chef is from Chaoshan.

The aroma of tea overflows.

Pleasant to the eye.

Lord North's hand was eager to try.

Londoners have never seen an authentic tea ceremony.

Superb performances, exquisite tea sets, rare tea pets, Da Hong Pao specially supplied to the royal family, and an unparalleled environment.

Even the Duke had to pinch the small teacup with two fingers and take a sip:
“Very good.”

……

Drinking tea, of course, requires smoking.

Tobacco, alcohol and tea are inseparable.

Jia Xiaozhen first took out a cigarette that was shaped like a cigar.

Everyone was shocked. It was too rough! It was great!

It is in line with men's aesthetic.

"Gentlemen, would you like one?"

Lord North tried first, he was a chain smoker.

During this session, all VIPs were served on their knees by a Parisian maid wearing only a new Chinese-style moon-shaped hood.

The maid first stuffed the cigarette into an exquisite jade filter, then carefully cut off the front end of the cigarette, then lit it, blew it in small puffs, and finally put it to the guest's mouth.

"Sir, please."

The guests do not need to do anything during the whole process.

As soon as I tilted my mouth, the cigar came automatically.

After taking two short puffs, the Parisian maid squatting beside him would move the cigarette away at the right time.

The ultimate enjoyment.

……

The assistant to the speaker of the upper house suddenly asked:

"Your Excellency, where is this tobacco produced? It seems to have a Mediterranean flavor."

"No, no, no. It comes from a very cultural and romantic place in our empire. It's called the South of the Colorful Clouds."

Everyone nodded.

Indeed, the South of Yunnan is more upscale than the Mediterranean.

The assistant speaker took another sip and exclaimed:

"It seems to be mixed with a hint of the scent of a young girl."

Jia Xiaozhen's eyes lit up and said, "Straight man, you came to me on your own initiative."

Quickly explain:

"My emperor chose a beautiful place in the southern border of the empire and opened a handmade cigarette factory exclusively for the royal family. It uses high-quality fruit wood and bakes it over a low fire. Then, unmarried Yunnan girls who can recite the female rules will roll the cigarettes on their legs."

"Finally, you have to give it another pinch, and the cigarette is finished."

"Everyone, do you think it's unforgettable?"

Everyone was shocked.

Damn, no wonder it’s so good.

Lord North took two deep puffs, pinched the Parisian maid, and exclaimed:
"At this moment, I feel like I am in the south of the colorful clouds."

……

If you think that the aristocrats in London are all fools, you are asking for trouble.

They are very rational.

The friendship is due to the continuous flow of taxes from the trade between the two countries into the kingdom's purse. There is no such thing as pure friendship in this world, it is nothing more than mutual benefit.

In the 18th century, Saxon tariffs were quite high.

They imposed extremely high tariffs on imported tea, silk, and porcelain for use in the war across the ocean.

At present, the Saxon Kingdom and the Wu Kingdom have no conflicts, but have too many common interests.

A proper honeymoon period.

The Saxons' level 3 ship building technology, metal processing technology, and construction technology were all open to the Wu State.

Military attachés of the embassy can visit the most advanced military factories in the kingdom, and occasionally go out to sea on a first-class sailing battleship.

……

the next morning,

Farewell guests.

The Parisian maids stood up like a choir and sang "Farewell".

Although there is a language barrier, music has no borders.

Amidst the slightly sad singing, the guests received a gift.

The man received a gift box of cigarettes and jade filters, while the woman received a jade bracelet and a Suzhou embroidered moon-shaped bag.

After everyone left,
Jia Xiaozhen instructed the embassy's commercial secretary:
"Spread the word. I have a batch of very popular luxury goods and I'm looking for buyers urgently."

……

inside the fort,

The four reporters who were specially left behind stood up respectfully and took off their hats.

"Your Excellency, how can we help you?"

Jia Xiaozhen's eyelids were swollen and her eye circles were dark.

A big wave:
"Journalism is a noble profession. I used to work in the news industry and I know how difficult it is. This small gift is just a token of my respect~"

then,

There was a pure gold pen in front of each reporter.

"Your Excellency, I am unworthy of this."

"No, no, no, in our Wu country, this is called travel expenses. It is a compensation for business trips given to excellent and righteous journalists."

The reporters were deeply moved. What an excellent culture.

Civilization is in the East.

Andy, a reporter from The Moon, asked: "How do you want us to report this, Your Excellency?"

Earl Jia's voice was firm and full of justice: "It must be reported truthfully."

Andy understood instantly:

"In one hour, could Your Excellency take a look at my draft?"

“Isn’t this bad? Or is it suspected of interfering with press freedom?”

"No, Your Excellency the Earl is a senior in the industry. It is natural for seniors to guide juniors."

……

Within a few days, newspapers began to report intensively.

There are simple and rough compliments, there are praises with tricky writing, and there are descriptions as gentle as the breeze and drizzle.

The angles are different.

E.g,

The Moon focuses on gossip and covers a wide range of readers, from ordinary workers to the upper class.

Le Journal Eiffel focuses on the latest fashions, targeting mainly the upper class and a small number of the middle class.

The Scottish Gentleman's Paper is keen on reporting on illusory philosophy, art, and culture, targeting the cultural class and a small number of the upper class.

After half a month of intensive reporting, the newspaper sellers made a lot of money.

A Parisian business put a batch of top-quality oriental luxury goods on sale, and they were sold out on the same day.

Cultural output needs to be implemented in practical ways, that is, through carriers, such as commodities, lifestyles, clothing, books and ideas.

Emperor Wu personally determined several key carriers:

Tea, silk, porcelain, luxury goods and thoughts.

Tea, silk and porcelain are for the middle class, luxury goods are for the upper class, and ideas are for the lower class.

……

Wu's long-distance shipping capabilities were limited, so it did not engage in bulk cargo and focused on high-value, small-volume luxury goods.

The principle is: high profit for each product.

When the delegation came,

On board the ship were 200 sets of ladies' clothing, 200 boxes of cigarettes, 150 boxes of jade, 100 boxes of fine tea sets, 50 boxes of handkerchiefs, 10 boxes of Sichuan brocade, 10 boxes of handicrafts, 10 boxes of royal tea, and 10 boxes of jewelry.

Among them, there are very few styles and patterns that are repeated.

Every item is a treasure. Emperor Wu cherishes his reputation very much and will never allow his brand to be damaged.

Jia Xiaozhen engaged in hunger marketing, buying press releases from newspapers while shipping products sporadically.

……

What the superior loves, the subordinates will follow.

As oriental luxury goods became popular in the upper classes of London and Paris, the demand for tea among the people gradually increased. Even grocery store owners felt that holding a cup of tea water was very prestigious.

Of course, it is best paired with a blue and white porcelain tea bowl.

This is called "a good horse deserves a good saddle", as mentioned in the newspaper.

Public opinion has a great influence on the people.

Earl Jia also did some charity work in moderation. For example, he insisted on distributing food at the gate of the embassy on the banks of the Thames, 100 pieces of sugared bread and 2 large pots of sugared black tea every day.

Rain or shine, it never stops.

Compared with the money used to buy the conscience of journalists, the money used for charity is just a tiny fraction of a dime. In fact, I didn't spend much money in the whole year, but I earned a good reputation.

This is called much ado about nothing.

Anyway,

The friendship between the embassy and major newspapers is very strong.

Reporters rushed to participate in the event and racked their brains to write popular articles.

The travel expenses and writing fees given by Earl Jia were always higher than the market price, and he was even more generous in giving red envelopes to those who wrote beautifully.

Under the guidance of cultural output and public opinion.

The middle and lower class people in London and even in other areas have infinite admiration for Dongtu.

……

Although the world is changing with each passing day.

but,

Louis XVI remained true to his original aspiration and devoted himself to the study of locks, with remarkable results.

His beautiful Queen Mary was the same as always, indulging in gorgeous balls, costumes and jewelry every day.

At a ball at Versailles, she proudly told a noblewoman from St. Petersburg:

"I have 8 new dresses."

"Change one for morning, noon, and night, and you'll never be able to wear them all in your lifetime."

obviously,
She passed the news to Catherine in St. Petersburg through the mouth of a female noblewoman. The struggle between the royal women was also cruel.

……

Miss Bovary, as a new socialite in Paris, was also invited to attend.

Even in the magnificent Palace of Versailles, her Chinese-style noblewoman dress was still eye-catching.

Many noble ladies were very interested in this new and beautiful dress without a crinoline. Even Queen Mary took a few more curious glances and told her housekeeper, the Marquis:

"Go to London and find the Earl of Wu. Buy as many pieces as he has. He can set any price."

"Also, invite him to the ball at the Palace of Versailles. I want to dance with him and talk about art."

Queen Mary was used to spending money lavishly, and even though she had 8 new dresses, there was still one missing in her wardrobe.

The female marquis immediately complimented:

"It will be the greatest ball ever."

"Yes, I can't wait any longer."

only,
She would never have imagined that Earl Jia was equally impatient.

……

Count Jia promoted Miss Bovary to become one of the top socialites in Paris just to fish, to fish for the big fish in the upper class of Paris.

The current alliance with London is only temporary.

Sooner or later, the Wu Kingdom's tentacles will extend further, and it will inevitably come into conflict with the Royal Navy.

It is impossible for the State of Wu to give up a forest (Europe) for a big tree (London).

Emperor Wu instructed:

Even if the world is at war in the future, we should try to maintain normal trade. Through decades of repeated competition, the European continent will become a dumping ground for the empire's industrial products.

……

In Europe, there are many examples of two countries doing business while fighting a war, and engaging in diplomacy while fighting a war.

It's civilized on the surface!
In fact, the two countries are too deeply involved, you are in me and I am in you, and it is impossible to cut them off with one knife.

The reasons are very complicated, in addition to national interests there are also personal interests. In short, it is difficult to explain clearly.

And our Earl Jia is working hard for deep bundling.

In accordance with the will of Emperor Wu, after establishing himself in London, he would also set up embassies in Paris, Amsterdam, and even St. Petersburg to build a network of contacts.

The method is very vulgar:

Through these vain ladies and socialites, he established connections with the upper classes of various countries.

High-end diplomacy often adopts the most primitive methods.

Dance.

Sleep.

Give money.

……

European newspapers were intensively discussing "drinking tea = gentleman, drinking tea = initial experience of Eastern civilization. Not drinking tea = barbarism, not drinking tea = not human."

Li Yu finally returned to Suzhou Prefecture, which he had not visited for a long time.

Important officials of the Wu court, wealthy merchants from Jiangnan, and tens of thousands of common people gathered on the banks of the Grand Canal to welcome Your Majesty's triumphant return.

Military music, carpets, salutes, and girls presenting flowers.

Although it was a huge waste, the sense of ceremony was indeed great.

The feeling of being admired and loved by the people is ten thousand times greater than vulgar entertainment.

For a moment,

Li Yu even felt that he was the Jade Emperor, and perhaps he could also serve as God in the future.

……

We always praise elegance, but deep down we still like vulgarity.

Even His Majesty is no exception.

After returning to the palace, Li Yu became addicted.

The Imperial Troupe has 136 dancers, 49 musicians, and 2 halls of clothing and jewelry, all of which were donated by the troupe leader Madam Rong.

Therefore, not a penny of the treasury was spent.

It reflects your majesty's unwillingness to indulge in extravagance.

"What's the music tonight?"

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Troupe is rehearsing the new 'Emperor Wu's Battle Music'."

……

Inside the walls around the palace, ice is melting quietly, reducing temperature and noise.

In the palace,

Hundreds of candles as thick as bowls and huge mirrors embedded in the walls provided sufficient lighting.

More than a dozen musical instruments played simultaneously.

A team of "Wu army female soldiers" rushed out.

The tight military uniforms, flowing skirts, shiny combat boots, and painted wooden guns on their shoulders, all made their movements uniform, cool and refreshing.

Another group of "enemy female soldiers" came out.

Animal skins and red tasseled spears.

With disheveled hair, painted face, and a wild look.

Even the empire's first war commander - His Majesty could not tell which enemy group this was that he had fought before.

Maybe we will meet in the future.

……

Dance mainly reflects human beings' pursuit of a better life.

A real fight was out of the question, it was just a dance battle between a group of motivated girls.

The process is beautiful.

The ending is also happy.

The party wearing military boots jumped three rounds and finally defeated the party wearing animal skins.

The warrant officer put his boots together and shouted crisply:
"Your Majesty, please review it."