The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 715: Lincoln, the favor of the King of the East is coming!
In the Great Hall of the People on Lion Rock (Capitol Hill) in Tianjing, eighteen gas lamps illuminated the "Hall of Kings". On both sides of the long sandalwood table, the "kings" of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom took their seats one by one. Wu Wang Luo Yaoguo sat in the main seat, and Maria, the "disciple of the Virgin Mary", sat beside him, holding a stack of telegrams and maps in her hands.

Feng Yunshan and Wei Changhui arrived one after another and also sat down in a dignified manner. Then came Xiao Chaogui and Hong Xuanjiao. King Xiao Xi had rushed back from the front line in Shaanxi, and Hong Xuanjiao, the "daughter of God", had been the speaker of the National People's Congress since its inception. Although she and Maria did not have the title of king, they were both official members of the Kings' Conference.

In addition to Luo Yaoguo, Feng Yunshan, Wei Changhui, Xiao Chaogui, Hong Xuanjiao, and Maria, the members of the Kings' Conference also included Shi Dakai, Qin Rigang, Hong Rengan, and the "Goddess" Hong Xiuquan! As for Yang Xiuqing, he was expelled from the Kings' Conference, but his East King Nine Thousand Years Old was still there.

"Let me start by saying that the remnants of Zeng Zhou's army have retreated to Gansu, and the entire Shaanxi region has been liberated." The first person to speak was Xiao Chaogui, who had returned victorious. He said triumphantly, "It is said that the evil Zeng is terminally ill and will die soon!"

Luo Yaoguo nodded, his eyes sweeping across the "Shaanxi-Gansu Land Division Map" spread out on the table. On the Weihe Plain in Shaanxi, densely packed red dots marked the villages where land had been divided.

"The land reform in Shaanxi must be accelerated." Feng Yunshan said in a deep voice, "Most of the landlords and gentry in Shaanxi have joined the famous religions and organized militias. Although most of them have fled now, their roots are still there. If they are not completely eradicated, they will become a disaster in the future. And to eradicate their roots, we have to divide their land!"

"We have already sent work teams from the Datong Association and the Farmers' Association." Luo Yaoguo tapped the map with his fingertips. "Every time we occupy an area, we first set up a farmers' association, then distribute the land, and finally the county government. Moreover, we still have a foundation in Shaanxi. Chen Fucai has established many underground farmers' associations in Shaanxi in the past two years, and now they can all be formalized. Within six months, Shaanxi's grassroots political power will be stable."

"What about Gansu?" Xiao Chaogui said with a smile, "As long as we take over Gansu, the Han area will be peaceful and unified!"

"Gansu should wait a little longer. I mean to stabilize Shaanxi first and then gradually advance." Luo Yaoguo paused and looked at everyone, "I propose to set up the Shaanxi-Gansu Governor's Office, with Bage as the governor-general to coordinate military and political affairs."

Wei Changhui narrowed his eyes: "If my eighth brother is stationed in Lanzhou, then the Western Expedition Army will have to stay in the northwest for a long time, right?"

"That's right." Luo Yaoguo nodded. "The war in the northwest will not end so quickly, but our goal is not just Shaanxi and Gansu." He stood up and walked to the huge map on the wall. He ran his finger across the Hexi Corridor and reached the Western Regions. "In the next two years, we will open up the Longhai Railway so that trains can run to Lanzhou and enter the Western Regions through the Hexi Corridor. Our farmers' associations will also push westward like the railways, all the way to the Western Regions! At the same time, we will push the remnants of Zeng and Zhou and the monsters in Shaanxi, Gansu, and the Western Regions out of our territory and let them go to Kazakhstan and Hezhong Prefecture to play by themselves. At that time, they will become a buffer state between us and Russia, and can also suppress Kazakhstan and Hezhong for us. At most, we can allow them to trade with each other, and we can ensure the safety of the northwest."

Everyone was silent for a moment, and Feng Yunshan slowly spoke: "Ninth brother, building a railway is very expensive and we have to build it all the way to the Western Regions. Can our treasury afford it?"

"Third brother, this is not a matter of money, but an issue of industry." Luo Yaoguo raised his lips slightly, "As long as the second, third, and fourth five-year plans can be developed smoothly, it will not be a problem to build a railway to the Western Regions. And this industry, especially heavy industry, must be well developed. The market is also very important!"

His eyes turned to another document on the table - the American war report.

"The American Civil War has broken out. The Confederacy just defeated the Northern Army in Gettysburg, but the war is far from over." He picked up the telegram and waved it. "The South is in urgent need of arms, especially rifles, cannons, ammunition and ironclad ships. This is a rare and large market!"

"Do we really want to sell arms to the South?" Xiao Chaogui frowned.

"Of course." Luo Yaoguo smiled, "The South is rich. They can earn about 4500 million pounds a year from selling cotton and tobacco."

"But what about the North?" Feng Yunshan asked, "If we only sell the South, won't that offend Lincoln?"

Luo Yaoguo shook his head: "The industrial strength of the North is far superior to that of the South. They can make guns and cannons themselves, and they make better ones than us. The South is different - their industrial base is weak and they have to rely on imports."

He paused and added meaningfully: "Besides, what Lincoln lacks most now is not weapons, but people."

"People?" Hong Xuanjiao was puzzled.

"Immigration." Luo Yaoguo said with a smile, "Northern America needs a large number of laborers, especially those who can fight."

Feng Yunshan's eyes lit up: "You mean... we can take this opportunity to send 'immigrants' to the United States?"

"It's not easy." Luo Yaoguo shook his head. "California, Oregon, and Washington on the west coast of the United States are all ours now. But the states east of the Rocky Mountains are now anti-Chinese! What Lincoln wanted were white immigrants from Europe!"

"So, who do you think has a better chance of winning, the North or the South?" Xiao Chaogui asked. "The North!" Luo Yaoguo pointed to the battle report on the table. "In the Battle of Gettysburg, the Northern Army suffered about 2 casualties, while the Southern Army also lost to . As the Northern Army strengthens its training and updates its equipment, and the Southern Army's elite troops are gradually consumed, the exchange ratio between the two sides will definitely narrow."

"Then do we still need to support the South?" Feng Yunshan asked.

"Of course!" Luo Yaoguo said firmly, "The South can spend at least 4000 million pounds every year to purchase arms. Even if we only take 10%, it will be 1600 million silver dollars. This is military trade! A trade volume of 1600 million will have at least 800 million net profits! Our steel mills, arsenals, and shipyards can all make a lot of money. Only when they make money can they continue to invest in purchasing machines and developing technology. This is a virtuous circle!"

Feng Yunshan pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "Then do you want to do business in the north?"

Luo Yaoguo also smiled: "Of course we have to do it. No matter how thin a mosquito leg is, it is still meat, but we are not the ones who have to do it... We have to let Lincoln know that the Americans will never be able to repay the kindness of the King of the East!"

Everyone understood and there was a burst of laughter in the conference hall.

"Long live His Royal Highness the Eastern King! Long live! Long, long live!"

There was a terrible scene in Busan today. The shouts of "Long Live" in Korean were like thunder and tsunami, one wave after another, even covering up the roar of steam locomotives.

A steam locomotive covered in red and decorated with colorful ribbons was puffing and dragging several yellow carriages with flying dragons painted on them, running on the "Daebu Line", which is the Daegu-Pusan ​​railway line - the first railway in the Kingdom of Korea.

According to the 1861-1865 development plan for the Korean Heavenly Kingdom drawn up by Moore and Friedrich for Yang Xiuqing, this railway would eventually be built all the way to Pyongyang and become a major transportation artery connecting North and South Korea.

It is now only July of 1861 in the Gregorian calendar, and only seven months have passed in the first five years of the Kingdom of Korea, but the Kingdom of Korea already has 7 miles of railway (in fact, the construction of this railway started at the beginning of last year) - this speed is a miracle!
The "miracles" that King Yangdong brought to the Kingdom of Korea were more than just a railway - he eliminated the yangban class, distributed land, promoted education, opened coal mines, built steel mills, and colonized Japan! For the 1600 million Korean people, King Yangdong's kindness is something they can never repay!

Yang Xiuqing's special train passed through the increasingly prosperous Busan and slowly entered the Busan Port.

The sea breeze from Busan Port blew in my face. The dock was crowded with Korean people. They wore white cotton clothes and bamboo hats, waved the dragon flag of the Korean Heavenly Kingdom, bowed deeply to the "fire dragon" of the East King, and shouted "Long live the East King". Some people were even excited and burst into tears - today was the happiest day of their lives! They could see the father of the Korean Heavenly Kingdom, the great East King, long live.

Yang Xiuqing walked out of the "Fire Dragon Carriage", wearing a golden python robe and the crown of the Eastern King. Standing beside him were the British Minister Moore and the Minister's Assistant Friedrich. The two wore black tailcoats and had the emblem of the British Empire on their chests. The Korean people knew them all. They were the teachers of the Eastern King who had come down from heaven. One was the Heavenly Master Karl and the other was the Heavenly Master Friedrich!
The railways, shipyards, steel mills, and coal mines of the Kingdom of Korea were all planned and built by the Holy Treasury of the Kingdom of Korea.
"Your Majesty, this ironclad ship 'Dongfang' will be the first battleship of the Korean Heavenly Kingdom Navy." Bearded Moore pointed to a steam ship with a displacement of about 2000 tons and introduced it in fluent Chinese. "Its wooden hull is covered with wrought iron armor. It uses a hybrid power of wind and steam, is equipped with 24 32-pound muzzle-loading guns, and can reach a speed of 11 knots."

Yang Xiuqing nodded with satisfaction, his eyes sweeping over the dragon relief on the bow. This ironclad ship was designed by British engineers brought by Moore and Friedrich, and assembled by Japanese workers at the Busan Shipyard. The steam engine, boiler and transmission shaft were all original from Britain, the propeller, pipes and artillery were produced by the Shanghai Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, the wrought iron armor and other steel structures were products of the Xuzhou Iron and Steel Plant, and the wood came from the Kingdom of Siam in Southeast Asia. It was truly made in Korea!

"Is the Korean Heavenly Kingdom considered a great power now?" Yang Xiuqing suddenly asked.

Moore and Friedrich looked at each other, and the latter smiled slightly: "With the current industrial development speed of the Kingdom of Korea, it will become a powerful country in East Asia within ten years."

Yang Xiuqing narrowed his eyes and said, "So in the American Civil War, which side should the Korean Heavenly Kingdom, as a great power, stand on?"

"Of course it's the North," Moore said without hesitation. "The North is progressive, while the slavery and serfdom of the South are too backward."

Yang Xiuqing was silent for a moment, and suddenly ordered: "Then send the ironclad ship 'East' to escort Hong Rengan, the Prince of Gan, to New York to tell President Lincoln that our Korean Heavenly Kingdom is willing to support his abolitionist cause!"

Moore and Friedrich were both stunned: The Kingdom of Korea was the first "great power" in the world to support the Northern Confederation of the United States!

(End of this chapter)