The sun never sets in America

Chapter 331 Twenty Years of Longwu: The Beginning of the Arms Race

The spring wind blew across the entire land of Han, causing the land that was frozen due to the Canadian cold wave in the second half of last year to make a "sound" of melting.

This sound is like a chicken breaking its shell, crisp and full of life.

According to the latest census of Han State, as of February of the 20th year of Longwu, the total population of Han State exceeded 27 million, reaching 27.12 million.

Compared with the 23 million in the 18th year of Longwu, there was an increase of at least 4 million, of which nearly 3 million were immigrants and the rest were new people.

According to the current fertility rate and medical level of Han, it is expected that around the 1862nd year of Longwu, that is, AD, the population will exceed million and become one of the few people in the world. A country with a population of .

The huge population growth rate also forced the development of the entire Han industry.

According to current statistics in January this year, the industrial and commercial output value of Han State is approximately 3.7 billion. Compared with 3.3 billion the previous year, the economic growth of the entire Longwu Nineteen Years exceeded 10%. Between one grew nearly one Japan.

(At this time, Japan’s economy is probably in the early 400 million and less than 500 million, and the two data are consistent with Japan)

The economy of the entire Han State is described in the words of American Fortune, the largest financial newspaper in Han State:

"The Han economy has broken through its early bottleneck, and it is expected that the annual growth rate of 10% can be maintained for at least ten years!!"

To understand the concept of ten years, just thinking about it is an astronomical number.

The Han economy is like a horse that has overcome the thorns and officially entered the "fast lane."

…………

"Your Majesty, this is the latest budget, please take a look at it."

Finance Minister He Shaoan stood in a pavilion, lowered his head, secretly looking at the supreme Han Emperor, the "Emperor" Longwu.

Liu Peng flipped through it for a few times, then put it down and asked casually:

“How much is the current military expenditure??”

"Your Majesty, this year's military expenditure has exceeded 50 million, a total of 50.32 million."

As one of the first people to restrict military spending that year, He Shaoan was very clear about the specific figures of military spending.

"Fifty million??"

"Less. Starting from this year, military spending will increase by at least 30 million every year."

Liu Peng's two short words made He Shaoan change his expression, but in the end he didn't say anything. After all, Emperor Longwu didn't like others to question his decisions.

Liu Peng then lowered his head and looked carefully at the financial allocation in his hand, and finally said:

"The current cost of infrastructure construction is increasing year by year!!"

Looking at the huge number of 300 million above, even people like Liu Peng who have never taken money seriously are a little "disbelieving".

After all, this is 300 million yuan. Even if the current financial balance of Han State is 1 billion, one infrastructure will take up so much. This is a strong sense of contrast when compared with the military expenditure that has always been "deducted and searched". Coming at you.

"Your Majesty, the current infrastructure is mainly the construction of roads. We built a lot of railways in the early stage, but the supporting roads are mainly early third-class roads. According to so many years of use and natural aging, they should have been put into operation long ago. When the generation changes, this..."

He Shaoan explained to Liu Peng Datong's infrastructure problems, which he summed up in two words: "cost money."

"Infrastructure can be reduced a little for the time being, and the reduction will be added to military expenditures."

Liu Peng turned over it again and again, and finally came up with a sentence.

He Shaoan slowed down and finally agreed.

But Liu Peng’s subsequent adjustments made him even more worried:

"Why does the Ministry of Industry and Commerce's subsidies to military industrial enterprises only rank fourth? If it doesn't work, it must be changed to number one."

"From now on, all changes will be made according to my requirements."

"Also, starting from today, infrastructure construction should focus on warehousing and war-prepared roads. As for other things, stop if possible..."

"If you can't stop, put it down first."

Liu Peng said happily, completely ignoring He Shaoan whose expression changed greatly. Until the end, He Shaoan didn't say a word and just walked out of the palace silently.

As soon as he left the palace, He Shaoan became "impatient" because at this moment, he really didn't know how to deal with those "gaps".

When He Shaoan left in a carriage, the entire officialdom of Han Dynasty was shocked.

.............................................

"I said, when can this money be changed? Do we have to change it at this time??"

"Now it's changed. Aren't our many plans in vain? With so many people, we can't just stop at the drop of a hat!!"

"If I do this, do I have the nerve to go back?"

Infrastructure Minister Tao Shangen sat at the top of the cabinet and kept complaining about the so-called "redistribution". Others around him also echoed, including many "grievances".

Hu Junding sat in the first place without saying a word. After everyone had finished speaking, he said slowly: "Since Your Majesty wants to change, as a minister, you must obey. If you don't want to change, you must change..."

Listening to the first time that Prime Minister Hu, who had been sitting in the position for more than ten years, said this, everyone else looked "horrified", but in the end no one objected.

The main reason is not that they are afraid, but that these people understand something.

His Majesty asked for changes, and Prime Minister Hu also asked for changes. If there wasn't something fishy about it, they wouldn't believe it at all.

In the end, when this "short meeting" dispersed, although there was a lot of internal complaints in various ministries, it also represented that the entire Han economy was about to undergo a huge change.

"It's growing, it's growing!!"

"It's growing again..."

"It's really strange these days. How come these military stocks have risen so much faster than before? If it had been so fast, I wouldn't have sold it!!"

An old leek who took off his hands before taking off looked at the rising numbers flashing on the blackboard and felt as if he had eaten "poop". Although there was not a single curse word in his mouth, his sadness could be understood all day long.

This is a gold mine that is about to be discovered. The gold mine is under my house. I finally moved a few days before the gold mine was discovered.

Most of the people around him had the same mentality as him, besides jealousy, they were still envious.

After all, during this period, military industry stocks have indeed risen a bit too much.

"Tell me, why did the stocks of the military industry rise so ridiculously during this period? It turns out they were not like this!!"

Meng Wei was sitting in the large room, looking at the exclusive blackboard opposite and the numbers that were constantly being erased. He felt like he was watching a "science fiction movie."

Du Chaoxian, who was next to him, did not answer the question he just asked. His eyes kept scanning the numbers on the blackboard, and then he spoke:

“Once there is a decline, buy the entire position, don’t hesitate!!”

"What, you're not joking, are you??"

"You still want to buy if it falls. Are you helping the dealer ship goods?"

Meng Wei looked at the "calm" Du Chaoxian next to him, his face full of disbelief. After all, according to the experience of the two of them for so many years, once such crazy rising stocks fall, more than 90% of them will be shipped. , if they buy at this time, they are basically picking up garbage.

No matter how much Meng Wei kept nagging, Du Chaoxian was still "stubborn", and it wasn't until the moment he actually bought it that he felt relieved.

Even though the stock price fell by 3% at the final close, "happy" could still be seen on Du Chaoxian's face.

Regarding Meng Wei's incomprehension, Du Chaoxian just said lightly:

"With the sudden increase in military industry, war is not far away!!"

…………

The White House in Washington...

President Abraham Lincoln, who only took office last year, looked at the intelligence documents in his hands without saying a word. Opposite him was Jamie Redton, the new director of the FBI who had just been appointed by him.

Lincoln's hand kept scratching on the document, making "rustling" sounds from time to time, and his expression was very complicated.

Jamie Ratton just listened to the sound of friction, also without saying a word.

"Jamie, how likely do you think war is?"

Lincoln's hoarse voice came from his throat.

Jamie Ratton crossed his arms and answered with a solemn expression:

"One hundred percent possibility!!"

"Pa", the pen fell on the table, and President Lincoln continued to ask:

"Is there no way to avoid it??"

"There is no difference between yes and no!!" "With it, it is a direct war, but without it, it is also a humiliating surrender!!"

After Jamie Ratton said this, he lowered his head. After all, this was the only thing he could do, and the rest of the decisions were not his.

Lincoln suddenly stood up, walked out the window, and looked at the streets of Washington without saying anything.

It wasn't until a group of passenger pigeons flew by that he spoke:

"Jamie, can we get the specific combat plan of the Han people??"

Jamie Ratton shook his head, but said: "It is impossible to obtain the specific combat plan, but according to so many years of intelligence analysis, it is most reasonable for them to launch the war four years later, that is, in 1866. "

“Why, why 1866??”

President Lincoln asked in confusion. He was indeed not as sensitive as some intelligence officers about these aspects of time.

“Because the Nicaragua Canal will be opened to navigation in 1866!!”

Jamie Ratton answered very firmly.

"So fast??"

Lincoln's first reaction when he heard this was not that the Han Congress would launch a war in 1866, but that the canal, known as the second largest project of this century, would really be completed within five years. This was really hard for him to believe.

"Yes, according to our intelligence, the Han people recruited a large number of Filipino natives to participate in the construction, and many people died..."

It was just one sentence, so cold and cruel, but neither Lincoln nor Ratton cared about it, as if it was abnormal for the Han country not to do this.

"How long can the Han people's economy support their fight??"

"At least it should be more than two years. If the casualties are huge, I am sure that the Han people will definitely withdraw from the war."

After hearing these words, Lincoln felt slightly relieved, but soon became "irritated" again, because according to what he just said, this war may last for two years. God, how many people will die? ?

Lincoln knew without even thinking that this must be an astronomical figure.

Lincoln kept "pacing" in the White House, his thin body like a bamboo pole.

"What about Europe? What is the current situation in Europe??"

Compared with the situation in the Americas, Europe was also Lincoln's target of concern.

"The current situation in Europe is also very bad. The British and French are putting pressure on the Ottomans around the Egyptian issue. One hopes to gain jurisdiction over the Suez region, but the other hopes that it will become an international port after it is opened!!"

"The friction between Prussia and Austria is also increasing. A conflict just broke out in Milan last month in Italy, and two hundred people died..."

"Although Russia has promised not to enter Central Asia, starting this year, they have re-sent a group of Cossacks into the area near the Caspian Sea..."

"The Nordic region is currently relatively safe, but due to the dual suppression by Britain and France, the risk of war in the future cannot be ruled out."

Jamie Ratton "carefully" reported to Lincoln the current situation in Europe in extremely detail, even including some of the processes and reasons behind it.

It can be seen that this "CIA" is not as useless as some people think.

Lincoln listened as long as Jamie Littleton talked.

"Bang bang!!"

Lincoln kept banging his bones on the table, making a sound like a snare drum.

"Bang bang", after knocking for the fifteenth time, he spoke: "The current global situation is very dangerous. It is difficult for us alone to deal with the ferocious Han people, so we must find allies."

“What do you think of Britain??”

Listening to President Lincoln's "innocent" words, Jamie Redton replied with a wry smile:

"Mr. President, if we have a war with the Han people, the British will be the first to declare neutrality. They will definitely use their utmost strength to keep this war going until we and the Han people are finished!!"

When Lincoln heard this, he also understood how "childish" what he had just said, and finally ended this "meaningful" conversation with the sentence "The United States of America does not need anyone."

But the next day, Lincoln held the most senior meeting in the White House. The meeting had only one theme, and that was "war"! !

"Mr. President, I think we should strengthen our navy. Our navy, except for the newly launched Apollo, does not have many more or better warships than Han Dynasty."

"We must ensure absolute suppression of the Han Navy in naval battles!!"

"Only by gaining advantage in naval warfare can we gain advantage in total war."

The Secretary of the Navy was the first to stand up and express his desire to strengthen the Navy. He euphemistically said that with the Navy, the United States of America would "sit back and relax."

But the Army obviously disagrees.

"No, I don't think the role of the navy is of any benefit to this war. They are just a burden on the battlefield. Imagine that when our army is short of food and clothing on the front line, our navy stays in the port and eats The freshest salmon, I think, it must be a devil, an American devil..."

"A betrayal of the American taxpayers!!"

The Secretary of War kept hinting at the absence of the Navy during the last Sino-American War.

"Asshole, if we didn't have the navy, how would your army rely on to defend the coast? To defend a coastal city like New York, would you rely on your poor rifles??"

"Or is it your poor courage??"

The Secretary of the Navy was "not inferior", referring directly to the collective surrender of 110,000 U.S. Army troops that year.

Soon, a good meeting turned into a "mutual scolding meeting" between the navy and the army.

Lincoln said "quiet" several times before ending this bad situation.

“Where is your Ministry of Finance??”

"Can our finances currently support this war??"

Lincoln used just two sentences to bring everyone back to reality from the turmoil just now. This is what Lincoln is best at.

"The current U.S. finances are basically normal. The debts incurred due to development problems in the past few years have also been reduced to the lowest level. They are basically the best in the past ten years..."

"If we issue national debt, someone should pay for it. At least Wall Street will definitely be willing to do so."

(implying that Wall Street owns large shares of arms companies)

After hearing what the Secretary of the Treasury said, Lincoln immediately expressed confidence:

"You immediately draft a plan for arms expansion, and I will solve the problem in Congress."

Lincoln set his sights on the Army and Navy, which made the two ecstatic, and then they heard Lincoln's next words:

"According to war estimates, there is a high probability that the main battlefield will be on land, so the main military budget should still be placed on the army!!"

The Secretary of the Navy wanted to say something, but Lincoln interrupted him by saying, "Think about the overall situation."

Then he sat in his chair glumly. At this time, he was already thinking about how to regain the trust of Congress and Lincoln.

Compared with the Navy, the Army was "jubilant" and even stood up to salute Lincoln and shouted some "America" ​​slogans.

Lincoln looked at the ulterior motives of the army and navy, and knew in his heart that it was probably impossible to truly complete the integration.

"Everyone, we should understand that we are facing a real beast, it is not some small South American country..."

"We don't expect to defeat it in a short time. Similarly, we are not a small country. It is not that easy for the other party to conquer us. Any mistakes in the war may lead to failure!!"

"Many people told me that we should move closer to the UK. I also had this idea, but I gave up!!"

"Because I think that the United States of America, which was born on the Mayflower, is not that fragile compared to kneeling at the feet of the British again. We failed once, but we will not fail a second time..."

Lincoln stood in the White House conference room, as if giving a pre-war speech again. Even the "despicable" guys below were infected by this atmosphere and loudly sang the so-called "Declaration of Independence."

A few days later, after internal negotiations and wrangling, or the threat of war, an arms improvement bill worth US$500 million in the initial stage of combat readiness improvement, and a later US$500 million supplement, with a total value of 200 million pounds, was officially passed.

When the news came, America was in an uproar. Everyone turned their attention to Han and Xijing! !

　Please give me a monthly pass, please give me a monthly pass, rush, rush, rush

　　

　

(End of this chapter)