Great Qing Dynasty talker

Before he finished his words, four plainclothes officers emerged from the street.

bang~
A gunshot rang out and the thief fell to the street.

A plainclothes officer fished out the wallet from the warm corpse, trotted over and handed it over with both hands.

"My Lord, I am sorry to have frightened you."

"Ah."

Jia Xiaozhen nodded modestly, took back the lost property and left the scene.

The plainclothes officers from the gendarmerie watched Lord Jia leave, and then whispered:
"It's so unlucky. I hope I won't be blamed by the higher-ups. Paris is really getting worse and worse~"

……

"Sir, it seems they have been following us secretly."

Jia Xiaozhen smiled and explained:
"This is called covert protection. It's an international practice and is understandable."

"Let's go back."

The attendant stopped a carriage.

When the carriage drove onto the Champs-Elysées, Jia Xiaozhen, who had been very calm all the way, suddenly lost his composure.

He stared at the roadside with wide eyes.

Yihongyuan? ?

The attendants were equally surprised.

"Sir?"

"parking."

……

The carriage stopped in front of Yihong Courtyard.

Jia Xiaozhen saw a scene that he would never forget in his life.

Under the eaves with a row of red lanterns hanging, a foreign horse wearing a simple bellyband lay on the terrace, waving a handkerchief and shouting in Chinese in a strange voice:

"Uncle, come and play."

Looking down, I saw that the wall was covered with calligraphy works!
The contents include:
The highest good is like water~
The friendship between gentlemen is as pure as water.
It is a great pleasure to have friends coming from afar~
There are great scholars talking and laughing, and there are no unlearned people around.
The regular script has no sharp edges and corners, and the letters are even rounded. It is obvious that it was written by a serious foreign scholar.

……

The funniest thing was that there was a dwarf tortoise man dressed in Qing Dynasty clothes standing at the door, running back and forth, very attentive.

Jia Xiaozhen took a deep breath and pointed at the French sign at the door~
"What does it say?"

The attendant whispered:

"The first all-Chinese brothel in Paris, originated from the Qinhuai River in the East. Please abide by the rules of this brothel when you enter and always remember the gentlemanly manners."

"What about the one next to it?"

"Friendly reminder: poor people and Saxons are not allowed in."

As he was speaking, firecrackers popped.

An open sedan was carried out of Yihong Courtyard.

A fat man with a ruddy face sat in the sedan chair, with a red flower hanging on his chest and a Chinese top scholar hat on his head. He was in high spirits all the way and kept bowing to the onlookers.

There were four foreign women leading the way in front of the sedan chair.

Passersby on the Champs-Elysées cast envious glances at him.

……

Jia Xiaozhen's eyes were dull.

The third place winner in the imperial examination is paraded through the streets?
The attendant went down to inquire about the matter and then slipped back.

"My Lord, the guy sitting in the sedan chair has passed three tests in Yihong Courtyard and has a chance to enter the palace tonight. According to their rules, he will be paraded through the streets first and then become the bridegroom."

"Where did they learn that?"

"Sir, you can't blame anyone else for this. It was our own people who taught us."

"Have it?"

"The Eiffel Newspaper has an issue on brothel culture and another on marriage customs. The Parisians have mixed them together."

Jia Xiaozhen let out a long sigh.

"Understood, let's go."

The entire journey was speechless.

When we arrived at the embassy gate, the attaché gave us 1 franc more.

The driver jumped off the carriage quickly, kowtowed, and tried to straighten his tongue, saying in Chinese:
"Thank you, sir."

……

Jia Xiaozhen didn't sleep all night.

He suddenly understood a truth: culture is vital. Only when it is vital can it be called culture.

The so-called dregs and essence may be only a fine line apart.

In any case, Your Majesty will probably be satisfied.

From physical goods to consumer culture, the next step is text (books).

The way is:
"Words" were printed on handkerchiefs and clothes, and a printing factory was opened to print Chinese comic strips in batches.

Jia Xiaozhen, who was still not satisfied, thought of an even more radical idea - recruiting bards.

Bard, a special breed in the Middle Ages.

It can be understood as a tramp or a storyteller.

These people are very eloquent, with polarized appearances. They wander around, have no fixed place to live, perform to make a living, and live from hunger to fullness.

……

Slowly~
Some dirty bards appeared in taverns everywhere, telling oriental fairy tales, reciting "Song of the Wine" in Chinese in downtown areas, and carving "People First" on the ownerless collapsed walls.

The bards had no reason to refuse the earl's funding.

The so-called proud and learned bard died long ago in the Dark Ages.

Now is the 18th century, the century of pure money.

Citizens were particularly interested in stories such as the oil seller marrying the courtesan, the love story between the poet and the prime minister's daughter, and the number one scholar giving up his fame and marrying a singing girl.

The routines are not complicated, there are only two types: "A rich girl falls in love with a poor boy" and "Cinderella is loved to death by the prince."

Good stories are always based on human nature.

At this point, for the European middle class, the once illusory Eastern civilization had become concrete.

……

The wild year of 1783 was over.

The hopeful year of 1784 slowly began.

Several major events happened in the world this year.

1. Citibank declared independence.

The Saxons, Franks and Americans, who had once fought each other to the death, shook hands and made peace in Paris. The impoverished United States of America was born, and Washington became the president.

Because of the indirect intervention of the Wu State, the intensity and duration of the War of Independence changed.

Historically~
After the Battle of York in 1781, there were no major battles between the two sides, only occasional small-scale fighting, until the two sides signed the Treaty of Paris in 1783, and George III was forced to recognize the independence of Citigroup.

And this time and space~
The intense fighting continued until early 1783.

The Saxons hired 3 European mercenaries and 2 Native Americans as cannon fodder. The intensity of the war was unprecedented. Many white people and a lot of wealth were reduced to ashes in this war.

For European countries, this is a war with no winners.

(The hidden winner is Wu)

The Americans successfully established a country on an area of ​​100 million square kilometers between the Atlantic Ocean in the east and the Appalachian Mountains in the west, and have since coexisted with the Saxons and Franks on the North American continent.

The New York Times commented:

The end of the War of Independence was the beginning of the next war.

……

Second, the Wu State and European countries reached the "Memorandum of Understanding on the Opening of Global Colonies", also known as the "Treaty of Suzhou".

The essence is: compromise, concession, and sharing.

The principle is: I am in you and you are in me.

The content generally includes:

All countries recognized and assisted the Wu State in establishing no less than two permanent colonial outposts in the northern part of Luzon Island, the west coast of North America, and the South Asian subcontinent.

All countries recognized the entire Indochina Peninsula, as well as Fuso, Goryeo, Ryukyu and Sulu as protectorates of the Wu Kingdom.

Wu no longer monopolized Borneo and Java, and promised to share at least a quarter of its undeveloped areas with other countries. The same applies to other islands, such as Sumatra and Sulawesi.

All signatory countries pledged to maintain the existing South China Sea pattern unchanged, implement freedom of navigation, free trade, sharing of independent islands, and maintain peace in the South China Sea region (wars against indigenous peoples or pirates in the region are not included).

The total tonnage of naval warships of various countries east of the Strait of Malacca shall not exceed half of Wu's South China Sea Fleet.

The remaining vacant land in the world is implemented on a "first come, first served" principle, and latecomers are not allowed to seize it by force (but can purchase it with money).

……

3. The Treaty of London.

Count Jia Xiaozhen signed the treaty in the name of Wu's plenipotentiary envoy to Europe with Saxony, Frank, Iberia, the Netherlands, France, Germanic states, Austria and Sweden.

The content mainly includes 3 points.

1. Free movement of people.

The people had equal rights to migrate, travel, do business, study, work, intermarry and preach between the Wu State and European countries.

2. Reduce tariff barriers.

Establish an international trade committee composed of capitalists from various countries to reduce tariffs on major trade commodities, maintain consistency and reduce customs clearance procedures.

3. Control the trade surplus.

The State of Wu promised to use no less than one-fifth of its annual trade surplus to purchase goods from the corresponding kingdom or to invest (industry, agriculture, education, charity).

……

1784, there is no war in the world.

The signing of the three major treaties made countless people excited. Mainstream newspapers in various countries boasted that a new, prosperous and civilized era had finally arrived.

The favorable impression of many European classes on the Wu State reached its peak.

the reason is simple,
Now that the war was over, there was no reason for the crown to continue levying war taxes.

Free trade can bring more job opportunities and higher incomes.

Everyone benefits.

The bottom line~
A person's position is based on himself.

……

The attitudes of European royal families towards the State of Wu were very complex and subtle, and can be summarized as: 4 points of friendliness, 4 points of fear, and 2 points of envy.

The future pattern is unclear, but the consensus is that challenges and opportunities coexist.

In the past few years,
The major European kingdoms were all directly or indirectly involved in the North American War, and were exhausted, financially distressed, and had huge internal conflicts.

At present, all countries are in urgent need of recuperation.

Therefore, there was no reason for the European powers to turn against the State of Wu at this time.

They need money to flow in to appease angry citizens and dissatisfied capitalists.

The three major treaties are what everyone wants.

George III regarded himself as the leader. After all, it was the Saxons who led the various countries to "put pressure" on the Wu State and won benefits for everyone.

……

However, the European royal families would never have imagined this.

It wasn’t that they succeeded in exerting pressure, but that Emperor Wu had already had this intention.

Li Yu is eager to create an international situation where "you are in me and I am in you". When everyone is mixed together, it is difficult to distinguish each other and difficult to separate them.

Li Yu's mind is not filled with fighting thinking, but win-win thinking. Of course, although it is a win-win situation, in fact, I win big and you win small.

Colonial sharing, free immigration~
This is nothing.

You come with 50 immigrants, and I go with 100 immigrants.

You come with 500 million immigrants, and I go with 1000 immigrants.

You want 5000 million immigrants?
Game over!
……

Throughout history, there have been countless madmen who wanted to conquer the world, and their conquest = killing.

Li Yu's conquest also involves "killing", but not much. It is more about establishing an orderly environment that is most beneficial to us and making others submit, rather than causing mass extinction of species.

The land of the empire produces tea, silk and porcelain every year, which are continuously exchanged for real gold and silver from other countries.

Our resources are unlimited.

The enemy has limited gold coins.

As long as we maintain our status as the only country, we can continuously absorb the enemy's resources. What a wonderful "sustainable development model"!
If managed properly, the empire will remain the center of the world for 300 years.

……

For other countries, there are roughly three types.

First, you are useful but you refuse to cooperate with me. I will beat you up until you admit defeat.

Second, you are of no use and are not in my way, so I am too lazy to bother with you.

Third, you are of no use but insist on blocking my way, so I will kill you.

European countries basically belong to the first category.

You can talk, you can fight, you can sign contracts, you can do business.

Rakshasas belong to the third category.

He is always pushing his nose to the ground. If you hit him lightly, he won't accept it. If you hit him too hard, he will bear a grudge. We can only beat him back to the principality of the 16th century.

……

After the signing of the Treaty of Suzhou and the Treaty of London, the State of Wu launched a new round of overseas expansion.

The immigration slogans were particularly loud.

Want to earn money to support your family?

Get on board the court's ship to wealth.

Go to North America, the salary will be 5 times, and you will be promoted to the next level every 2 years.

Go to South Asia, the salary will be 4 times higher and you will be promoted to the next level every 2 years.

Go to Luzon, the salary will be tripled, and you will be promoted every 3 years.

Go out to sea and become a superior person.

……

An unprecedented immigration movement swept across the empire.

The recruitment plan targets the following groups: civil servants, military officers, soldiers, workers, scholars, and small traders, regardless of their region or background.

The requirements are simple:
Have a family (large family is preferred), under 30 years old, strong and healthy.

Li Yu knew very well that the first generation in the colonies were loyal, the second generation were rebellious, and the third generation turned their backs on their friends.

The sky is high and the emperor is far away.

The family behind them is a thin kite string, which keeps a weak bond to the kite across thousands of mountains and rivers.

future,

The personnel configuration of the Wu colony will be divided into three categories: floating officials, settled residents, and garrisons.

Officials are replaced every five years.

The garrison is replaced every three years.

The empire wanted to limit the upward path of colonial residents, restricting them from becoming administrators and instead developing them into technicians, farmers and traders.

When it comes to checks and balances, Li Yu is professional.

These methods are just ordinary ones, and the unusual ones are temporarily hidden in the toolbox.

……

In addition, Wu Ting did a few small things.

the first,

There were more than 5000 vassal troops from the protectorate participating in the war, and the 2000 survivors were each rewarded with 50 gold coins, 50 silver coins, and a set of military uniforms and weapons.

400 of them were selected and sent to the Kunming branch of the Non-commissioned Officers School for one and a half years to study Chinese and military affairs.

Upon graduation, he was awarded a sword and a rifle, and was appointed as a warrant officer in the Imperial Army. He was escorted back to his country by envoys from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was personally recommended to monarchs of various countries, requesting that he be given an important position.

Add sand.

Bury the seeds.

Li Yu asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pay close attention to the development of this batch of seeds and keep in touch~
……

second,

When troops are stationed in a protectorate, all expenses must be paid by the host country.

The debts owed for the “protected” history must be repaid regularly. Can’t pay cash? No problem. You can pay with minerals, specialties, livestock, or women.

Anyway,

It’s okay to be poor, but you must have an attitude.

If the attitude is not correct, the throne will be lost immediately. Although the child emperor is not nice, there are countless people who want to do it~
This plan is good.

The Goryeo Kingdom repaid 2000 young girls and 500 horses every year.

The Kingdom of Fuso repaid 2000 maidens and 500 wandering samurai every year.

Annan is coal, iron and timber.

Siam is tin and lead.

Myanmar is rich in copper, jade, gemstones and wood.

The rest of the countries are rice and seafood.

……

third,

Each protectorate was required to send no less than 20 young noblemen from their country to Wu for further studies. These people would rotate between the civil service school and the non-commissioned officer school.

Create a colonial elite that can exert influence.

Like the above two points, they are all open conspiracies.

The emperor should make an open plan and play chess in an upright manner. No matter how you support him, it is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

……

fourth,

Army youth academies were established in some border provinces, such as Yunnan, Guangxi and the Western Regions.

The school enrolls 7 to 9-year-old children from poor farming families, providing them with food, accommodation, tuition and clothing.

Upon admission, students will be awarded the rank of non-commissioned officer and enjoy the corresponding level of military pay. The course lasts 6 years, 4 years on campus and 2 years rotating in military camps. Students will major in military affairs and minor in culture.

Dongshan Military Academy was the Whampoa Military Academy of the empire, but Li Yu was not satisfied.

When they entered the school, they were all adult students. They had been immersed in society for too long and had been stained with many indelible marks of the times.

It is different with the Junior Military Academy.

A kid from a frontier farming family, with pure thoughts.

7 to 9 years old is a good age, when children begin to understand things but have not yet formed. The contrast between the difficult life before entering school and the dignified life after entering school will produce the purest loyalty.

After graduation, he injected fresh blood into the Imperial Army.

……

fifth,

The army and navy were expanded.

The army added 50 independent infantry regiments (2500 men each) and recruited soldiers from the northern provinces.

The Navy will increase the number of local sailors by 10000, recruiting from the coastal areas of Fujian and Guangdong. It will increase the number of foreign regular sailors by 1000, recruiting from all over the world. (End of this chapter)