Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 703 Behind Reasoning

Hastings never expected to be received by Jia Lian; he thought he would at most meet Foreign Minister Fang Song.

The train gave Hastings a completely new sense of awe; the country was vast, and the railway connected it all.

On the train, thinking about the time wasted on the journey, the translator read him the latest newspaper, and the news that China had a population of 300 million made him even more desperate.

The power of this empire cannot be readily understood by simply looking at its territory and population; one can gain a deeper understanding by experiencing its speed from the comfort of a train.

The British Empire should absolutely not and cannot go to war with China. If there is any reason to go to war, it must be because the whole of Europe must unite and take unified action.

For example, the crusaders of the new era.

British politicians of this era are quite remarkable, unlike those of the 21st century.

At that moment, Hastings was thinking that India must not be lost, otherwise the British Empire would not be able to become an equal opponent to China.

It can only be a close contest; victory is out of the question.

The more I thought about it, the more distressed I felt. British society was even inseparable from Chinese tea. The huge trade deficit was suffocating.

Those who controlled finance and trade once adopted a strategy of importing opium, which was initially quite successful, but later suffered a brutal blow.

The welcome banquet held by the Navy in Beijing was a new round of gourmet feasts, a banquet model that was gradually being promoted in the military under the advocacy of Jia Lian.

Huge earthenware bowls are filled with food, and a charcoal stove underneath keeps them warm, allowing diners to choose their food according to their preferences.

Because it is very free and doesn't hold lectures, it is not popular among the general public.

This is a very normal phenomenon. After all, in the 21st century, rural people also need to pay attention to the number of banquets they attend.

Even in the military, rank is still important in daily life, but at this moment all officers can set aside their rank differences and get together to eat and drink.

Hastings, who had eaten only half a meal, communicated with Fang Song with the help of a translator. He appeared very friendly, indicating that the Chinese cabinet was indeed not very interested in European affairs.

"Feeding 300 million people is already a headache, which is why we immigrated to North America. China is not Europe; if the people don't have enough to eat, they will really revolt. Our history is full of examples of successful rebellions that led to the establishment of countries." Fang Song always had a smile on his face, and his tone was very gentle.

Hastings really didn't know how to respond to this. Should he talk about the enclosure movement, where people ate each other? Or about black bread mixed with sawdust? Or perhaps about capitalists renting out a rope for their workers to sleep on?

Hastings couldn't help but wonder if the persistent difficulty in increasing the British population was related to those capitalists.

"Recently, many provinces across the country have begun to implement a three-year compulsory education system, which puts a lot of pressure on the finances..." As he was speaking, an attendant came over and whispered in his ear.

Fang Song's expression changed slightly, and he turned his head and smiled, "Sir, please follow me."

After leaving the hall, they entered a nearby room. There were guards at the door, who opened it upon their arrival and said, "Please come in!"

After Fang Song introduced him, Hastings was stunned for a moment. This was the Prime Minister of the Empire, and he actually came here.

"The Viceroy of India of the British Empire, Hastings, pays his respects to Your Excellency!" Hastings stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

With a smile, Jia Lian said softly, "Welcome to visit, Your Excellency. I am very busy with official business, so please forgive me if there is anything I have done that is not well received."

The translator was rendered useless, and this time Jia Lian spoke English, albeit with a less pronounced London accent. This shocked Hastings even more; he never imagined that Jia Lian could speak English.

"You're too kind!"

Some things are better left unthought of. Why should the prime minister of the world's most powerful empire be fluent in English? Is that normal? There isn't a single person in the entire British cabinet who can speak Chinese.

Could it be that English is more advanced? Hastings himself couldn't believe this conclusion.

After Jia Lian gestured for him to sit down, Hastings finally came to his senses and carefully sat down to wait.

"I specifically invited you here to discuss matters concerning India. Some time ago, there were some minor frictions between our two countries, which was not good and detrimental to the development of friendly relations. Although the leaders of both countries have made some efforts to repair the situation, I personally still hope to have some private exchanges with you in order to establish a mechanism of mutual trust and avoid unnecessary conflicts."

This time, Jia Lian spoke in Chinese, and the translator was on duty again.

“Your Excellency, there is a treaty between our two countries, and the friendly relations between our governments can be guaranteed. However, disputes in private trade are difficult to prevent. According to the treaty between our two countries, the trade of your country’s merchants in India needs to be regulated to ensure that the interests of merchants from both countries are protected.” Hastings carefully chose his words to avoid any misunderstanding. He dared not say that Chinese merchants should not trade in India.

"Your Excellency need not say that. Smuggling is smuggling, and it is illegal even in our own country. Since our country recognizes your country's interests in India, our merchants must abide by your country's rules."

Jia Lian's answer left Hastings speechless. How could he be so reasonable? The prime minister of such a powerful empire was actually being so reasonable with a local governor.

That's not very cool! Oh, he's Chinese, never mind then.

"Thank you for your sincerity. May I ask, what should we do? To be honest, I have no clue at the moment." Hastings was much more relaxed; the other party's attitude was quite unexpected.

“If a trading market were established in Mumbai, merchants from all countries would be required to trade there; otherwise, it would be considered smuggling and illegal. Rules must be followed everywhere. Rules mean efficiency, stability, and longevity. I personally dislike merchants who disregard the rules, regardless of the location.”

Hastings was overjoyed. What a wonderful thing!

"I highly commend your interpretation of the rules!"

"Alright, now that we've reached an agreement, let the people below handle the details. I should take my leave; if I don't go back soon, I'll have another sleepless night. It's too hard for an older man to stay at home."

As Jia Lian spoke, he stood up to take his leave without seeking anyone's permission. It was only then that Hastings realized once again that this was the Prime Minister of the Empire, a man whose word carried immense weight.

"Respectfully seeing you off, Your Excellency!" Hastings escorted him all the way to the gate of the courtyard before stopping, and only slowly turned around after watching Jia Lian's carriage disappear.

Jia Lian smiled as he rode in the carriage. The domestic textile industry had encountered a bottleneck, and the reason was simple: a shortage of cotton.

Because grain yields are low, increasing cotton planting area is unrealistic. Otherwise, a major disaster would ensue if a natural disaster were to occur.

As for preventing smuggling, only what is caught is considered smuggling; what isn't caught is legitimate trade. Besides, India's arms trade has also been in a slump for the past two years.

After the external threats diminished, the local rulers once again demonstrated their shortsightedness, believing that they could now have a proper talk with the British on equal footing.

Let's talk then!

Domestic merchants increasing their cotton purchases from India to alleviate domestic supply shortages is undoubtedly the best option.

Cotton is not easy to grow. Cotton fields take a long time to be replanted with grain. This was the dilemma of the era before chemical fertilizers.

Who would have thought that searching for bird droppings all over the world would be such a lucrative business? Especially in Australia, where the demand for bird droppings is practically insatiable. Yes, that land is too ancient to be suitable for farming. Mass migration to the Far East is impractical; the historical record of the Dongping King isn't exactly rosy.

So, it's just a matter of the Indian people suffering. As for the Onsa people, since they can make money, it's not a big deal for Indians to starve to death.

Such a heinous act should be left to the Anssa people to do.

As for cotton from the Americas, that's way too damn far away.

India's cotton industry once had a glorious period, but with the arrival of the British, everything was lost.

Trade with Europe remained concentrated in three main categories: tea, porcelain, and silk.

Speaking of silk, it was a valuable commodity on the battlefield. Clothing lined with silk was less likely to break even when a lead bullet entered the body.

Hastings' friendly visit was a complete success.

In his report back home, Hastings emphasized his meeting with Jia Lian and pointed out that the Chinese were more concerned about threats from land, a problem they had faced for thousands of years.

How to leverage Tsarist Russia's territorial ambitions to further constrain China's external development is a question the cabinet must carefully consider.

The report's assessment is consistent with the British Cabinet's analysis and judgment of China.

Given the increasingly arrogant attitude of the Russians towards Europe after their victory in the Napoleonic Wars, there have been calls in the British Parliament to curb Tsarist Russia's westward expansion.

Although the Russian army suffered heavy casualties in the war against France, its subsequent great victory resulted in the capture of a large number of rifled guns used by the French army, which greatly increased the strength of the Russian army.

Some nobles in the upper echelons of Tsarist Russia have now shouted the slogan of marching south and killing all the people of the East.

As Hastings brought the good news back to India, a transport convoy arrived in Almaty, delivering a batch of new equipment.

After the military reform was completed, the military carried out a comprehensive re-equipment, with the army undergoing the most significant re-equipment changes, particularly in rifles.

This time, what was delivered was a new type of rifle, the Type 14 rifle, which was finalized in the fourteenth year of the Qianzheng era.

This rifle fires smokeless powder rifle cartridges, with a caliber of 7mm, and uses a stripper clip feed; it is a revolutionary weapon. Currently, only a small number of elite units are equipped with it.

Along with the Type 14 rifle, a Type 14 water-cooled repeating lightning gun was also brought in; there were only 24 of them.

After the test firing, the weapon was heavily criticized by the Army, which believed that it was simply a bullet-eating weapon.

If it weren't for Jia Lian's insistence, this weapon would not have been included in the military's procurement list.

In addition to large quantities of new rifles and lightning guns being shipped to Anxi, Donghua Kingdom also received a batch. Of course, the price was also exorbitant; after establishing his state, Li Heng could no longer receive free aid. He had to spend 100 yuan per rifle to purchase 10,000 rifles. The Central and Northern Alliances, which possessed gold mines, purchased a batch of new rifles at the same price, totaling 30,000.

The biological son, Jia Zhi, received much better treatment. He received his father's love, five thousand Type 14 rifles, and twenty-four Thunder Guns.

After these weapons were equipped to the troops, a large number of older equipment ended up in the hands of local indigenous people through a labor-based payment system.

Unlike the East Asians, Native Americans were not peace-loving; once they acquired weapons, their first thought was revenge.

After Napoleon's defeat, Mexican opposition accelerated the pace of the War of Independence, ultimately leading to victory and the establishment of a republic.

After Donghua Kingdom ceded a province, the two countries signed a friendly military alliance. The agreement stipulated that if either country was attacked, the other would take all necessary measures to support it.

This alliance was undoubtedly a major blow to the Americans.

Americans made outrageous statements at a diplomatic event in London, claiming that the Chinese had infringed upon their interests.

The minister in London did not tolerate this, but hoped that they would remain calm, after all, Donghua was just a vassal state of the central empire.

Legally speaking, if Donghua Kingdom goes to war with the United States, the Central Empire has an obligation to help Donghua Kingdom.

This statement quickly calmed the American envoy, and his bloodshot eyes cleared.

The Minister took the opportunity to give the ministers of various countries a history lesson, telling them a story from 1,800 years ago, the protagonist of which was Chen Tang.

After the story of "Those who offend the mighty Han shall be punished no matter how far away they are" was told, all the diplomatic envoys present showed fear in their eyes.

Everyone was thinking the same thing: this Eastern empire was too ancient and too vengeful.

They can still remember things that happened almost two thousand years ago, and they never forget them.

After receiving a gentle reminder from the Chinese, even though he was considered a barbaric envoy of Tsarist Russia by Europeans, he returned home and wrote to St. Petersburg overnight.

In Beijing's stock market, railways have become a thing of the past; recently, the darlings of the stock market have been military industrial groups.

This group, formed by the merger of military industrial companies from the north and south, recently released a new positive development: a national procurement list.

The list caused the stock price of the military industry group to surge from 20 yuan to 60 yuan, and it continues to rise.

One of the group's shareholders was the emperor himself, who held 10% of the shares. Unfortunately, these shares could not be traded; the only right to receive dividends was not permitted.

Another major shareholder is the newly established State Assets Committee, which holds 40 percent of the shares. This committee is directly under the Cabinet and is headed by a Minister.

The group's biggest contribution was that it had to hand over 40% of its profits to the Ministry of Revenue every year, and then distribute the profits to shareholders.

Even so, the group was the apple of the eye of the Ministry of Revenue. Anyone who dared to covet the group would be met with a fierce fight from the Ministry of Revenue.

As for His Majesty, he naturally watched coldly, waiting to see who was tired of living before letting the Ministry of Revenue, that dog, bite them to death.

Another sector that has performed relatively well in the domestic stock market is the textile industry.

After all government-run textile enterprises were sold to private companies three years ago, the industry has experienced a new boom.

Three private companies have successively obtained the qualification to go public, and it is said that hundreds of millionaires were created overnight.

This would have been unimaginable in the past, since even those who had wealth in the past would hide it and be mindful of not flaunting it.

In other words, after Jia Lian took over the cabinet, the court protected all legal income and enacted relevant laws.

(End of this chapter)