The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 654 Soul, come back! Bless our Heavenly Kingdom! (Please subscribe, please vote)

Monday, January 1859, 1, 2 p.m.

The gas lamps on the dome of the Shanghai Stock Exchange illuminated the entire hall as bright as day. Nathaniel Rothschild's hand holding the pen was suspended in mid-air, his eyes fixed on the item "Vienna Bank issues 20% equity to Citigroup".

This is the condition for the Rothschild family to keep their dignity, Nathaniel not to jump off the building, and the Bank of Vienna not to become an international deadbeat - the banking industry actually sells credibility. If the Bank of Vienna becomes an international deadbeat under the protection of the Habsburg dynasty, even if it can survive, it will not have a good life. Business outside the Austrian Empire will probably have to close. Financial institutions in other countries will treat the Bank of Vienna in the same way as they treat a deadbeat.

If things go wrong, the entire Rothschild family will be dragged down!

However, handing over 20% of the bank's shares and two board seats to Citibank was definitely a heavy blow to the Rothschild family. Nathaniel now understood that Citibank, the so-called American bank, was actually Luo Yaoguo's white glove. Citibank became the second largest shareholder of the Bank of Vienna and had a seat on the board of directors, which meant that Luo Yaoguo, the Angel King, had extended his tentacles into the core of the European financial industry! At the same time, the Rothschild family was also labeled as a true covenantist and an agent of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

"My grandfather made a fortune by speculating in British government bonds during the Napoleonic Wars." The Jewish banker suddenly laughed nervously, "I never expected that I would bring shame to my family in the same gambling game involving finance and military affairs.

Maria held the gold-wrapped Spear of Langnuski in her hand and said to the Jewish banker in Latin: "The Gospel of Matthew says that whoever draws the sword will die by the sword. When you used military as the foundation of finance, you should have thought that you, the Rothschild family, are luckier than the Sassoon family, the Dent family, and the Chatton family. You still have a chance to stand on the side of the victor and God!"

The roar of steam cranes could be heard outside the window, as the grain fleet from the United States was still unloading at the Shiliupu Wharf. Bags of American flour were piled up into hills, and in full view of the public, they were hauled away by horse-drawn carriages and sent to the warehouse of the Ministry of Revenue of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

"Sign it." Luo Yaoguo patted Nathaniel on the shoulder. "If you lose, you have to admit defeat. You can stand up again in the future. If you are like Chatton and Dent, then everything is over." He smiled and said to the Jewish banker, "I'll tell you a secret. In fact, I am also ready to admit defeat. If I lose the naval battle in Nanyang, I will give up part of the shares of HSBC, Zhenyue Bank, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Beijing-Shanghai Railway, Xuzhou Iron and Steel, Shanghai Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau and Jiangnan Pharmaceutical Bureau in exchange for British support. My representative Wu Chongyao is in London now."

Nathaniel sighed softly and moved his pen over the agreement.

"I declare that the liquidation agreement is effective immediately!" Luo Yaoguo held up the agreement signed by Nathaniel Rothschild and Emanuel Lehman, and announced loudly to the red vests and yellow vests who were watching the ceremony in the exchange hall!
Tuesday, April 1859, 1.

HSBC Building.

HSBC General Manager Wu Chaoyue placed a financial statement that he had just calculated in front of Luo Yaoguo: "Your Highness, it has been calculated. After deducting a portion of the income that cannot be recovered for the time being, the total profit of HSBC, Citibank, Zhenyue Bank, and Sanxin Company in this exchange battle is as high as 2780 million Taiping silver dollars, plus 20% of the shares of Vienna Bank, and all the remaining assets of Jardine Matheson and Bowes, as well as the fixed assets of Sassoon and the Dutch East India Bank in China, Japan, Korea, Ryukyu and other countries. The value of these fixed assets and the commercial channels they have established after years of operation is preliminarily estimated to be worth at least 1000 million Taiping silver dollars. It can be said that they have won a great victory!"

"How much did Yang Xiuqing earn?" Luo Yaoguo took the financial report and looked through it while asking about the profit of Eastern King Yang Xiuqing.

"Dong Wang's Bank of Korea also opened a short position in rice at the Shanghai Stock Exchange," Wu Chaoyue immediately took out a long-prepared assessment report, "He also sold us 50 shi of rice from Nagasaki, Japan, and probably made a lot of money. Adding the two together, it should be to million Taiping silver dollars! In addition, the Nagasaki Republic seems to have a share of Dong Wang as well."

Luo Yaoguo thought for a while, then turned to Maria who was standing by and said, "Send a letter to the King of the East, telling him that he can take over the Dutch assets in Nagasaki, and ask him to mediate the conflict between the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The condition is that the Netherlands can keep Sumatra and sell their assets in other parts of the East Indies at a reasonable price. I will not pursue debts from the Dutch East India Bank for the time being."

Luo Yaoguo did not take Sumatra and did not pursue debts from the Dutch East India Bank because he was kind. He did not take Sumatra because Britain would definitely intervene - Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula formed the Malacca Strait. If the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom took Sumatra, the Malacca Strait would become a joint property of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and Britain, which would be too irritating to the British.

In addition, the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra is now "shared" by the Heavenly Kingdom and the Netherlands, but the actual control is in the hands of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. The Heavenly Kingdom has clear routes to the Indian Ocean in the west and Australia in the south, so it doesn't matter if it doesn't take Sumatra for the time being.

As for the Dutch East India Bank - temporarily not collecting debts does not mean permanently not collecting debts! According to the liquidation report of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, the losses incurred by the Dutch East India Bank after the forced liquidation of its contracts amounted to more than 2 million. Even if it used its assets in Shanghai, Nagasaki, Osaka, and Busan to pay off the debts, it still lacked more than 1 million Taiping silver dollars.

It would be a good idea to leave this bad debt hanging for now and see if the Dutch will rescue the Dutch East India Bank. If not, let it go bankrupt. Luo Yaoguo would have no choice. If the Dutch rescued their East India Bank, then he would entrust Nathaniel Rothschild to collect the debt.
On January 1859, 1, Tianjing Xiaguan. The Yangtze River flowed eastward, while six bullet-riddled "Shanghai-class" cruisers came upstream and appeared on the surface of the Yangtze River near Xiaguan under the watchful eyes of the public.

"Sound a salute!"

As the flag of the Minister of the Army, Qin Rigang, Prince of Yan, was waved, 88 red cannons roared. The smoke had not yet dissipated, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom naval officers and soldiers wearing brand new blue military caps had lined up on the side. The officers were wearing brand new woolen uniforms with brass buttons, and the sailors were also wearing blue sailor uniforms made of cotton fabric, standing in awe with guns in hand. There were many wounded among them, who appeared in the sight of the national representatives and Tianjin citizens who gathered at the Xiaguan Wharf early in the morning with the help of their comrades - today in Tianjin Xiaguan, the Navy's triumphant military parade was held!
"The soldiers of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's Nanyang Fleet." Luo Yaoguo's voice was torn apart by the river wind, "Award them honors! Award them military ranks!"

Tan Shaoguang was supported by two sailors and was the first to step onto the red carpet. Although this hero who fought a boarding battle on a steam ship saved his life, he lost an arm forever, and the sleeve of his left arm was empty.

When Luo Yaoguo pinned a "First Class Taiping Medal" on his chest, this Taiping Navy general who was a boy soldier suddenly cried out: "My thirty-eight brothers all sank with the Batavia."

"Heaven will never forget them!" Luo Yaoguo's eyes filled with tears. He patted the hero on the shoulder and put a gold star symbolizing the rank of major general on the collar of his woolen military uniform.
Luo Yaoguo paused, and then said to Tan Shaoguang: "Brother Tan, our National People's Congress has passed the "Regulations on Pensions for Heroes and Martyrs". In addition to a one-time pension and posthumous military ranks and titles, the families of all fallen soldiers can be granted 50 to 100 acres of land, and the same for severely disabled people. In addition, the tablets of all heroes and meritorious citizens in the Heavenly Kingdom can be placed in the headquarters of the God Worshipping Society in Tianjing after they ascend to heaven, and they will be respected from generation to generation!"

After Tan Shaoguang was awarded the title and medal, the soldiers who made contributions in the Battle of Sunda Strait, including Wang Yan, Zhang Bao, Zhou Wenjia, Fan Ruzeng, Huang Chengzhong, Ji Qingyuan, Chen Yongsheng, Chen Ashui, Chen Yongchang, etc., came to Luo Yaoguo one by one and accepted the military ranks and medals awarded by Luo Yaoguo himself. Later, Luo Yaoguo and other "gods" in heaven will report the merits of these heroes to the father, brother and king in heaven, and grant them hereditary titles.

As the setting sun dyed the river water golden red, Wang Yan, who had just been awarded the rank of vice admiral, suddenly drew his sword. Where the sword pointed, six scarred "Shanghai-class" cruisers lowered their flags at the same time - this was to bid farewell to the fallen soldiers.

"Prepare—release!"

Three thousand naval officers and soldiers fired Brown Bess rifles into the air, and the lead bullets drew bloody trajectories in the twilight.

The river wind was sobbing, Luo Yaoguo slowly climbed up the high platform, holding a yellow silk sacrificial text, facing the Yangtze River, his voice was like a bell: "In the winter month of the Wuwu year of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Luo Yaoguo, the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Kingdom, respectfully comforts the loyal souls on the sea with his red heart and blue blood:
You braved the waves and sacrificed your lives in the vast ocean.

They refused to retreat even when their bodies were burned by artillery fire, and they continued to fight even when their iron ships sank.

The Heavenly Father regards you as his son, and the Heavenly Brother leads you to heaven.

In the past, the Qing Dynasty closed the country and foreign barbarians were rampant; now our Heavenly Kingdom navy is breaking the waves and showing its might. The battle of Sunda made seven provinces tremble with fear; the victory of Palembang made the red-haired people fly away.

Although you are dead, your heroic spirits will live on. You will be worshipped in Tianjing and forever admired by the people. Your wives and children will be provided for, and your names will be engraved on the stone, and your achievements will be remembered forever.

Soul, come back! Look at our Celestial Empire, where warships and cannons are like a forest; Soul, come back! Protect our navy, and we will win the next battle! I hope you will enjoy it! "

After the eulogy was finished, 3,000 soldiers roared in unison: "Soul, come back! Protect our Heavenly Kingdom!" The sound shook both sides of the Yangtze River, and even the birds in Purple Mountain were startled and circled under the sky. On the newly erected monument to the martyrs there, the four golden characters "The mountains and rivers share the same sorrow" written by Hong Xiuquan stood out.

(End of this chapter)