Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 582 Opening Ceremony
An auspicious day, ribbon-cutting ceremony.

It was also the first time for Emperor Chenghui. He felt it was very novel. He cut the red ribbon with scissors and hung the big red flower on the front of the car with his own hands.

Among the crowd watching the ceremony, a large group of officials of the second rank and above surrounded the emperor and walked on the platform for a while to see the appearance of the entire train.

There were soldiers standing guard along the way. When the emperor passed by, they stood at attention with their guns and saluted, shouting in a sonorous voice: "Salute!"

The first time, Emperor Chenghui was stunned for a moment, then nodded with satisfaction, looked at the soldiers standing solemnly along the way, and turned back to say: "This is good! It reminds me of the time when I was in the army."

Yue Qi's face looked a little ugly, but he still took over the conversation with a smile: "These are all the elite troops of Shenji Town!" He complained silently in his heart that he could not mobilize this army without an imperial edict. Jia Lian only needed to report to the emperor in advance to mobilize this army.

Emperor Chenghui certainly knew about the background of the Shenji Camp, and he also knew that today's security was the responsibility of the Shenji Town.

Back at the center of the platform, Jia Lian was talking with the foreign ministers. When Emperor Chenghui came over, everyone stopped and took a few steps to greet him.

Emperor Chenghui said to Jia Lian, "Let's get started!"

Jia Lian insisted on calling the Western envoy, of course, he had his own intentions, Westerners would buy into this. You have to tell him that you can't afford to offend the people here, then they will behave themselves.

In comparison, the Russians are more bizarre. If you dare to kick the door of a shabby house, dozens of big men will rush out and beat you up.

In Jia Lian's mind, once the Russians dare not go south to covet Central Asia, they will definitely continue to go west and fight to the death with European countries. In a sense, the Russians are the only country in Europe that can threaten the Great Zhou, and the Russians' military adventures must be stopped. The key is not the King of Xining in Central Asia, but whether the court can show enough deterrence.

The Russian envoy Vladimir's eyes were not honest, he kept looking at the equipment in the soldiers' hands. It would not matter if he did not look at it, but the more he looked, the more jealous he became, and he wanted to take it and open it to appreciate it.

In comparison, the ministers of other countries were much better. They would look a few more times but would not stare.

The troops who could be deployed as guards were naturally equipped with the latest rifles. The obvious difference in appearance naturally attracted everyone's attention.

The bolt-action mechanism was completely unfamiliar to them. Currently, only the Shenji Town was equipped with new rifles, while other troops were still using flintlock rifles. The Nanyang New Army was better than them and could be equipped with percussion cap rifles. It was not that Jia Lian was partial, but that the Ministry of Revenue was reluctant to spend money, and the Ministry of War had no sense of urgency.

Before Europe could master the technology of machine rifling, it could only continue to use smoothbore rifles. When breech-loading rifles first appeared, generals in European countries looked down on them, especially Britain and Russia.

It was only after the Russians were beaten badly by the British and French that they realized the power of rifled guns.

What can we say about the country of Tsarist Russia? Because the geographical conditions are not suitable for agricultural production, every time the country stagnates for a period of time, it will launch a war against foreign countries. The internal contradictions of this country are difficult to resolve, and it can only be diverted through foreign wars. To put it bluntly, when it comes to governing the country, Western countries are all younger brothers. If you don’t believe it, please look at the period when Western countries were leading. All of them were periods of rapid development through external plunder. They have never experienced great unification, and have never experienced the cycle of order and chaos. After having nuclear bombs, they have no experience in governing the country and are destined to decline.

The rise of the East and the decline of the West is an inevitable trend. It is not only a reflection of the inevitable decline of prosperity, but more of a reflection of the level of governance.

It is not to say that there are no great people in Europe and America, there are, but they are destined not to be tolerated by the West. Roosevelt is such a great figure, but he is not highly regarded by the official US government, and is even deliberately belittled.

Just as humans don’t thank Luo Ji, Americans don’t thank Roosevelt, and even deliberately forget about him.

In fact, at this moment Vladimir was not only jealous of the new rifle, but also trembling with fear, not because of surprise, but because of fear.

Especially the process of the locomotive making a sharp sound, slowly starting, puffing out smoke, and gradually accelerating, which made Vladimir even more frightened.

It makes my scalp tingle just thinking about how many people and equipment this train can carry. Once the railway is built to East Asia, what will Tsarist Russia use to fight against East Asia with only the limited carrying capacity of horse-drawn carriages?

"During the trial operation, one locomotive pulled ten carriages, each of which could carry 20,000 kilograms. It could carry 200,000 kilograms at a time and reach Tianjin in five hours. With the train, steel from Shijingshan and coal from Kailuan could be shipped from Tianjin to all parts of the country. However, there are not many trains at present, so we are not considering opening it to the outside world for the time being. The official industry will absorb this little transportation capacity internally. From a long-term perspective, we still need to slowly gain experience, form a complete system, and then open it to the outside world and accept private commercial transportation business. Otherwise, the maintenance cost alone will make it difficult to sustain."

Jia Lian stood beside the emperor, speaking in a steady, low voice, and introducing the development of trains at a leisurely pace.

Emperor Chenghui was very knowledgeable about costs. When he heard this word, he frowned and whispered, "My dear minister, you are good at business. You can figure these things out slowly. I support you."

Emperor Chenghui understood the importance of the railway almost immediately after seeing it. It was not so easy to manage. An army of thousands of people could take a train from Tianjin to the capital in five hours. After getting off the train, they would go into battle. Foreigners and grassland tribes would have to kneel down and sing the song of conquest.

This is not just a railway, this is control, control over the entire country.

If Jia Lian had built the railway a few years earlier, all the way to Jiangnan, and then to Guangzhou, Chang'an, and Wuhan, the gentry of Emperor Chenghui would have paid taxes together and the railway would not have stopped at all.

Anyone who dares to disobey and raise the flag of rebellion, I will see if I can deal with him quickly.

What I have not done, I must instruct the next emperor to do. Otherwise, this country will sooner or later be destroyed by the insatiable desires of the gentry.

"My plan is to first build it to the other side of Nanjing and strive to complete it within five years. With the experience accumulated from the Beijing-Tianjin Highway, the subsequent progress will be much faster. The most troublesome thing now is the bridge, how to build a bridge over the Yellow River. The R&D Department has a special road and bridge research institute, and I have asked them to go to the Yellow River for research. Let them think of a way to build a bridge over the Yellow River with steel."

As Jia Lian's grand plan unfolded, Emperor Chenghui listened with fascination: "Is it feasible?"

Jia Lian smiled and said, "Your Majesty, let's put it aside for now and study it first. If you have to make sure everything is foolproof, then don't do anything. The next step is to repair it to Jinan."

Emperor Chenghui nodded solemnly: "The construction of the railway has greatly boosted steel production. A mere Shijingshan Steel Plant can produce one million kilograms of steel per month. This was something that we would never have dared to think about in the past."

Jia Lian couldn't help feeling bitter in his heart. This was just the beginning. Wait until you change the unit of jin at the end into ton.

"Steel is the backbone of a country! When these foreign ministers heard that the Shijingshan Steel Plant produced one million kilograms of steel per month, they naturally felt fear and warned their country not to underestimate my country."

"Yes, in recent years, warnings from the sea have basically disappeared. The beacon towers built by Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty are destined to continue to fall into disrepair." Emperor Chenghui couldn't help but feel secretly proud.

For many years, the main threat to the Central Plains dynasty came from the north, and the threat from the sea was regarded as a minor problem, but it was also quite annoying.

Now that the sea borders have been opened up, similar problems have naturally disappeared. As for various conflicts overseas, they are really not a big deal.

After the ceremony, the envoys of various countries were all in heavy moods. This ancient civilization that has continued in the world for thousands of years is so damn scary.

The British were the first to popularize and apply the steam engine. They could come up with something better just by looking at it. Their technological accumulation was too terrifying.

This country is so rich, who wouldn't be envious? But there is no way, we really can't defeat it. Not only can we not defeat it, but now we have to worry about him attacking us.

Fortunately, the Eastern Empire is relatively easy to satisfy and currently has no intention of entering the Indian Ocean, otherwise the British would be frightened awake in their dreams.

Wayne looked back at the train station with mixed feelings, wondering whether he should apply for a trip with the train to see the situation along the railway and write a detailed report. The British Empire had already lost the thirteen colonies in North America, and the most important colony for the empire at the moment was India. No matter what, the Eastern Empire must be prevented from intervening in India's affairs.

What made Wayne even more sad was that the pace of the British world empire was forced to stop in the East. What we need to consider now is not the issue of world hegemony, but how the two hegemons of the East and the West can coexist.

Now the two countries have a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship, but we cannot pin our future on the kindness of the other party. You know, the Eastern Empire has established relations with more than just Britain.

In the past year, Austria-Hungary, Prussia, the Netherlands, Spain, and even Sweden in Northern Europe have sent envoys to the Eastern Empire. Although the British Navy is invincible, it intercepted a ship on the sea. If someone came to visit the Eastern Empire, the British Navy would have to escort them to the nearest supply dock first. Typing with both hands to prove innocence.

Otherwise, it would not be as simple as offending a country. An armed merchant ship docked at the Tianjin wharf, and Xue Pan cursed as he got off the ship.

After boarding the carriage, he was taken to the train station and boarded a coal train with a passenger carriage attached to the back.

Although there are not many businessmen traveling back and forth now, after the passenger train started selling tickets, there are still many wealthy people who are willing to try it out and take the train to Tianjin and then back.

If you don't sit here once, you won't be able to lift your head when walking in the capital, and you won't be able to follow the conversation when you go out for tea.

The passenger cars are all private rooms, and the ticket prices are so low that you can't see your hand in front of your face. For such a short distance, they dare to charge one hundred silver dollars per person. Don't be unhappy, even if you have money, you have to queue up to experience it.

Even though Xue Pan was wealthy, he only bought tickets for a private box, which allowed him to bring four people with him.

Xue Pan didn't feel wronged after spending four hundred dollars to bring only three people on the bus. He even felt very proud. After all, it was not easy to buy a box ticket.

Xue Pan can only buy the ticket if he has connections!

After the train started, Xue Pan felt it. Needless to say, it was much more comfortable than taking a boat. Although it was shaking and noisy, it was much better than being on the sea and worrying about a typhoon.

As for why only one passenger carriage was hung, it was naturally at the instruction of Jia Lian. This was an exclusive business, and they had to take advantage of the novelty and reap a wave of wealthy people.

As for those who are powerful and wealthy, no matter who they are, even if it is the Prime Minister, they have to queue up to buy tickets.

In short, a broken train, a steam-powered one at that, was turned into a luxury property by Jia Lian.

The coal and iron trains run twice a day, each time with a passenger car attached, and forty tickets are sold in each car.

If you want to take the train, you have to wait. The queue is as long as half a year.

The wealthy people in the capital all cursed Jia Lian for being cruel and money-minded, but they all flocked to experience train travel.

This thing is not a boat ride. The sea is rough and the risk is high. A son of a wealthy family cannot sit in the hall. No one is willing to take risks because of their powerful background.

There is no such problem with trains, they are very safe.

When the train arrived in the capital, it was already evening. Although we could not enter the city, we could stay overnight in a high-end inn nearby and go into the city early.

The tricks targeting the rich are really a one-stop scam. Why do these people still enjoy doing this? For face!
As for the curfew in the capital, Jia Lian had thought about changing it, but he decided not to do so for the time being and wait until Emperor Chenghui left.

When I checked into the inn, I could hear the noise coming from the yard next door. They were all people who had experienced taking the train back to Beijing, and they were loudly boasting about their experiences.

This one saw some beautiful scenery on the bus, and that one traveled hundreds of miles on the bus. Fortunately, they were going to Tianjin, so they could travel a thousand miles a day to Jinan.

We will continue to sell tickets to the rich in the future, but we need to increase the experience, for example, add a passenger car for ordinary people. The rich can enter the station in advance through a special channel and sit in a compartment, while ordinary tickets can only sit in the green-skinned car seats. We will differentiate the grades and attract those who are willing to take the bait.

Beijing has a population of one million, so there is no shortage of people willing to spend money to take the train.

Xue Pan got up early and went into the city immediately, heading straight for Jia's house. He caught up with Jia Lian who had not yet left the house, so he was the first to see him.

"The Ottomans are such bastards!" The first thing Xue Pan did when he met them was to complain.

Jia Lian was slightly stunned when he heard this: "Tell me slowly, don't be anxious, it's not worth it for such a small matter."

Xue Pan then took a sip of tea from the teacup to moisten his throat, and then he spoke slowly and clearly.

The Xue family caravan's armed merchant ships specially sent two ships to conduct an on-site inspection of the supply base that Jia Lian had designated on the Arabian Peninsula.

When we arrived there, we realized that it was actually a vassal state. The local natives only obeyed Osman Pasha and had a high degree of autonomy.

If we have to make a comparison, China would be the chieftains of the southwest and other places, and Europe would be Hungary.

This shows that the other person is playing tricks on you.

Jia Lian understood. Last year, there were two fleets sent out. One was the fleet of the Xue Family Company, which went to the Arabian Peninsula. They went back with the Ottoman delegation under the banner of the Eastern Navy. The other two fleets, one took the South Pacific route, followed the Spanish ships to South America to try to get some rubber seedlings back, and the other was an adventure fleet, which took the North Pacific route to see if it could successfully reach the west coast of North America. Anyway, it was an adventure. Thirty percent of the sailors were employed by Europeans.

The thirteen states in North America have already become independent. Jia Lian can't wait any longer. If the United States starts to develop the west, it will be too late to regret. Let's go over there first and occupy the place first.

One hundred years later, as long as the empire does not fall, I don't believe that the thirteen states of North America dare to go to war to the east. Speaking of which, the United States first set its sights on Canada, but ended up with the White House burned down.

The United States is very weak at this stage, but its ambitions are really big.

The world is like this now, first come first served, provided you can keep it. Don't learn from Mexico.

In general, just do it now. Who knows what will happen in the future?

After understanding the root of the matter, Jia Lian was not too angry. This kind of thing was normal.

"How did you deal with your people?" Jia Lian asked the key question. That place was too far away, and it would take more than half a year to go there once.

"What else can we do? We are all old businessmen. After we got in touch with the local chieftain, we took a batch of goods and exchanged them for a piece of land by the sea, leaving 200 people to build a place for people to live. When the chieftains saw our goods, they went crazy. Some of the brave ones even came on camels to rob them. They were taught a lesson by the guards with cannons and rifles, and they were completely honest after leaving more than 100 corpses. My people are open to doing business. Those chieftains don't have any good goods. They only have a few pearls to show for it. My people are unwilling to exchange, and they also competed for a hundred women. The caravan owner picked two of the best ones to bring back, and the rest were left in the local area to be wives for the garrison. They are all a group of poor bachelors, and now they have foreign wives."

After listening to him, Jia Lian understood the basic situation.

"The locals are all Tusi tribes. That place is very important and must be occupied and expanded little by little. Don't always think about solving the local population problem by immigrants from the country. You can also buy some people from Japan and Korea and send them over. The people in these two places are relatively obedient and won't cause too much trouble. Right now the court's main focus is on Southeast Asia, where there is a shortage of people everywhere. If we send a few thousand people over every year, at most in ten years, there will be tens of thousands of people. By then, they will naturally clash with the local Tusi. We should find a way to let them take action first, and then we will fight back and eat away at their territory little by little."

After Jia Lian's reminder, Xue Pan nodded: "I understand, but don't let those Ottomans off easily."

To be honest, Xue Pan really thought he was evil enough before, but he didn't expect Jia Lian to be the evilest one. But it's not surprising, if Jia Lian was pure and innocent, he would have been eaten by others without leaving any bones.

"You don't need to tell me about this. I know how to deal with it. But you, now you have two places, one in Arabia and one in Australia, both of which need development and population. Is there any problem with financial resources?"

Xue Pan shook his head: "What's the problem? Xue's company has too much money to spend. People are important, but they are the least valuable. Especially when there is a famine, they are so cheap. Xue's company now has fifty large ships, forty of which sail to Southeast Asia and ten to the Ottoman Empire. We are not afraid of anything else but the wind and waves at sea. However, as long as a ship can return safely, it can bring five times the profit. In comparison, there are shipyards everywhere now, the price of ships has dropped a lot, but the price of cannons has gone up."

Jia Lian could see that Xue Pan was really wild at heart.

(End of this chapter)