The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 711 How could industrialization lose to serfdom?
26 Broadway, New York, United States (North) Provisional Presidential Palace.

"Give every poor man 160 acres?" Morgan's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "Mr. President, go to the textile mills in New York and take a look. Now even a twelve-year-old child can find a job with a weekly salary of three dollars. If the land is distributed to the workers, the steel mills in Pennsylvania and the textile mills in New York will have to close down because there is no workers!"

Secretary of State Seward took off his gold-rimmed glasses, exhaled slowly, and wiped the lenses with a silk handkerchief. The former governor of New York always maintained an annoying calmness: "There are plenty of Chinese coolies in the three states on the west coast to fill the mines! But our white youth want to go to the factories."

He paused for a moment. "Besides, the self-sufficiency rate of wheat in the north has already quadrupled. If we open up wasteland for farming, the price of grain will probably plummet. And the workers who have been allocated land will lose everything they put in!"

New York Governor Morgan, who represented the interests of the big bourgeoisie, immediately took over Seward's words and continued: "Mr. President, the real advantage of the North is not in the agriculture of the Midwest, but in the factories of the Northeast. The Ninth Russo-Turkish War has proved that no matter how strong a serfdom country is, it is no match for an industrial country! Now, we in the North have the second largest industry in the world, and even if the South practices 'advanced' serfdom, what does it matter? No matter how 'advanced' it is, can it compare to Russia?"

Lincoln did not respond immediately. His eyes fell on the draft of the Homestead Act on the table - it was drafted in imitation of the "United Farm" system implemented by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom on the West Coast. The corners of the draft were curled, indicating that it had been read over and over again.

Of course, he also knew that distributing land to workers in the North made no economic sense - it was just a means to win people's hearts and minds and attract European immigrants. He had to paint a sweet and delicious pie for the poor white people in the North and Europe, right?

Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the door, and Assistant Secretary of State Frederick Seward hurriedly pushed the door open, with unmelted snow still on his tweed coat. "Urgent letter from British Consul Paxton!" His voice was a little breathless due to running.

Lincoln took the letter sealed with wax, tore off the wax, took out the letter inside and began to read.

Vice President Hannibal Hamlin came over, and as Lincoln unfolded the letter, his face became uglier and uglier: "Establish an Alaska Chartered Trade Company, and employ veterans of the Ninth Russo-Turkish War in the name of the company." Halfway through his speech, he had already smashed his fist on the map of Pennsylvania and Maryland spread out on the desk, "Damn Russians! They're actually going to send veterans of the Ninth Russo-Turkish War to help the South!"

Sherman took the telegram copy, and a frightening gleam flashed in his eyes. The leader of the Northern Army almost squeezed out a few words from his teeth: "President, I suggest that we go to war with the South immediately. Go to war now!"

"Start a war? Now?" Morgan shook his head. "But we are not ready yet! New York and Pennsylvania have only recruited less than 10 militiamen so far. Only 5 Springfield rifles have been delivered, and only 12 100-pound cannons have been assembled."

Sherman ignored Morgan's reminder. He took out two red and blue pencils and scribbled a schematic diagram of the defense line on the map: "The area south of the Blue Mountains and west of the Susquehanna River - including Harrisburg, Yorktown, and Gettysburg - belongs to Pennsylvania and is also our forward base for moving south to Baltimore and the District of Columbia.

If this area is lost, then the Blue Mountains and the Susquehanna River will become a natural barrier to our southward advance. So I estimate that once the Russian mercenaries arrive, Robert Lee will definitely launch the Harrisburg-Yorktown-Gettysburg Campaign. We cannot lose, otherwise the United States may really be divided for a long time!"

"Give me three months, and I can turn Harrisburg into an iron barrel." Sherman poked the tip of his pencil heavily into the empty space between the Susquehanna River and the Blue Mountains. "Build a defense line here, and train while fighting, and try to bring out new soldiers in the shortest time possible."

Lincoln's eyes moved across the map, and finally stopped at a corn icon - that was the location of Gettysburg. "You will be the commander of this corps." The president's voice was very soft, but with unquestionable determination, "You must hold it!"

The Oval Office of the White House in Washington.

President Davis' eyes fell on the Serfdom Act that had just been passed, staring at the words "Ten Years of Free Tenancy".

In the White House garden outside the window, a team of black slaves were clearing the snow from the previous night. The sound of shovels scraping the ground could be faintly heard through the thick curtains.

Secretary of War Breckenridge almost broke down the door of his office: "President, good news! The Tsar is sending troops!" His voice became shrill with excitement.

Secretary of State Hammond followed closely behind, flicking out the secret telegram from St. Petersburg: "Our ambassador to St. Petersburg has just signed a contract with an organization called Alaska Security Company. This company plans to hire 5,000 veterans who participated in the Russian-Turkish War. Nominally, they are contracting for the security of our southern railways and ports." There was a meaningful smile on his lips.

The coffee cup in Davis's hand slammed onto the silver tray with a clang, and the dark brown liquid splashed onto the snow-white tablecloth. "How could such a thing happen? His Majesty the Tsar is too, too..."

Davis did instruct the Secretary of State to order the federal agencies abroad to seek help from the governments of the United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and other powers. However, he did not expect that the powers would send troops to support without hesitation. He did not expect that the first to send troops would be Russia!

Is it because the United States wants to learn from Russia and adopt advanced serfdom? But in this case, will Britain and France think that the United States has become Russia's little brother?
"What if Britain and France find out?" Davis frowned, "We can't afford to offend them!"

"The Russians are very smart!" Hammond took out a handkerchief to wipe the coffee stains on his cuffs. "The Alaska Company is nominally an agency of the Grand Duchy of Alaska. The mercenaries all wear company uniforms, and the guns are transported by French freighters. The documents clearly state that they are commercial security personnel."

At this time, the clacking sound of hard-soled boots came from the porch. Xianfeng, a senior White House adviser, strode in with a letter: "The Countess of the Temple Mount sent a secret telegram from Paris! Prince Napoleon said that we can sell the "Glorious" class ironclad warships to the United States! Moreover, Napoleon III understands our behavior of hiring Russians to fight the northern rebels!"

Davis took the letter and found that his hands were shaking slightly: "The British side..."

"By the way, the London Bank of Barings has just lent three million pounds to the Alaska Company." Secretary of State Hammond suddenly smiled meaningfully, "It seems that the British really can't live without our cotton!"

Thinking of America's "God of Defending the Nation", President Davis' confidence suddenly rose: "Great! When the Russian mercenaries arrive, we will march to Harrisburg!"

China, Shaanxi.

When the hooves of the Don River horse under Li Hongzhang's crotch stepped over the bluestone slabs of Zhuque Street in Chang'an City, the whole city was immersed in a strange hustle and bustle. The streets were crowded with famous scholars and gentry who had fled from the counties east of Chang'an. They were wrapped in dirty brocade, holding the Four Books and Five Classics passed down from their ancestors in their arms, but their eyes were empty and there was no hope. Several children squatted in the corner and shared half a moldy Hu cake, eating it so voraciously.

"Li Zhongtang, look at this scene." Yao Chongjin, the "royal merchant" of the Anxi Protectorate, reined in his horse and approached, the abacus beads hanging on his silk belt clattering, "Tongguan has actually been breached, but the Taiping Army is not in a hurry to enter the pass, which gives us time to escape. As a result, all the gentry east of Chang'an have fled here."

Li Hongzhang did not answer, but glanced at a dilapidated memorial archway on the street. The four characters "loyalty, filial piety, chastity and righteousness" on the memorial archway were cut in half by a shell during the "Xi'an Palace Incident" a few years ago, and have not been repaired to this day. There were several corpses lying under the memorial archway, and their attire looked like desperate scholars, with purple and black marks on their necks.

Yao Baiwan followed Li Hongzhang's gaze and suddenly lowered his voice: "The Taiping Army has said that the land and wealth will be divided. There is no room for negotiation! They also said that the gentry in Guanzhong are all dogs of Zeng Zhou, and it is considered benevolence to spare their lives." He paused and added, "By the way, the emperor coughed up blood this morning."

The strong smell of medicine in the east warm room of the Purple Palace in Chang'an Palace was choking. Zeng Guofan was half-leaning on the dragon couch, his skinny figure revealed under the bright yellow brocade quilt covering him. Li Hongzhang knelt at the bottom of the steps and caught a glimpse of the blood-stained handkerchief in the spittoon.

"Shaoquan..." Zeng Guofan's voice sounded weak, "Tongguan... can't we really defend it?"

The Western chime clock in the corner of the hall rang. Li Hongzhang's voice was calm and rational: "The Taiping Army's breech-loading cannon has a range of five miles, and the shrapnel can overturn the entire city wall. Our hand-held flintlock rifles and smoothbore cannons can't reach them at all. The Hunan Army and Huaiyong can only stand and die, which is meaningless." He paused, "The only way now is to move west to Lanzhou and use the natural barrier of the Yellow River to regroup."

"Migrate west?" Zeng Guofan suddenly coughed violently, and his attendants hurriedly brought him ginseng soup. After his breath calmed down, he smiled bitterly and said, "Lanzhou is deserted, how can it support hundreds of thousands of gentry and common people who are accompanying us?"

Yao Baiwan shouted outside the East Warm Pavilion at this time: "Your Majesty! My Yao family has stored 3 million dan of grain in Gansu, and the Anxi Protectorate has also opened up 2 million mu of wheat fields in Yili and Suiye." He crawled in on his knees, resting his forehead on the floor tiles, "The gentry in Gansu and Shaanxi all have some surplus grain. As long as the emperor is willing to move west, everyone will bring their own food and grass."

Suddenly, a eunuch's hoarse voice was heard from outside the eastern warm room of the Purple Palace: "Your Majesty, the army in the front reported that the Taiping Army's vanguard has arrived in Weinan!"

Zeng Guofan closed his eyes for a long time, and finally waved his hand: "Draft an edict...Move the capital to Lanzhou."

(End of this chapter)