The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 711 Zhengguo Canal in the New Era

"This is a real railway. I was so sure of it when the roar of the steam locomotive sounded from my ears and the vibration of the steam engine that drove the locomotive was transmitted to me through the wooden planks under my feet."

When Earl Macartney wrote this, he stopped and looked outside. Outside the car window was a city under massive construction.

The emperor named it Shanghai, and it was said that it would soon become the capital of Songjiang Prefecture, one of the richest prefectures in the empire.

The emergence of this city was due to the extremely prosperous maritime trade of the Chinese Empire.

Under such circumstances, Guangzhou, relying solely on the prosperous Pearl River Plain, can no longer shoulder the heavy responsibility of being the national economic center.

Therefore, the focus of maritime trade inevitably converges on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, the magnificent mother river.

Here, all kinds of materials from the vast upper reaches of the Yangtze River can be transported here in the most convenient and cheapest way, and then processed and exported.

Good things from overseas can also go upstream along the Yangtze River and reach various provinces. This is the Eastern trade center destined by God.

Similarly, since Huating County, the capital of Songjiang Prefecture, was too close to the inland and could not bear this responsibility, after the court dredged and widened the Huangpu River, the capital was inevitably moved further downstream.

The train was running with a clanging sound. Macartney used his pocket watch to calculate that it was going at about 40 kilometers per hour and was running very steadily.

Although the noise is still very loud and the vibration of the steam engine makes the first few carriages so noisy that normal conversations cannot be heard, these are not worth mentioning compared to the benefits brought by the train.

Macartney looked at his deputy, Baron Staunton, and said with admiration: "It can pull twelve carriages and still reach a speed of forty kilometers per hour.

If troops need to be mobilized, even if the distance is a thousand kilometers, it will only take a day or two to arrive.

When used in commerce, it can save a lot of shipping costs and enhance timeliness. Many commodities that were originally not suitable for long-distance transportation can now be traded.

All of this will greatly enhance the circulation of goods within the empire, making the empire more closely connected invisibly, and the saved manpower and material resources can invisibly flow into the people and continue to stimulate the economy.

Most importantly, wherever the railway is built, the emperor and the central government can reach out, making it very convenient to fight rebellions or attack enemies."

Baron Staunton nodded. "But from this perspective, Seris isn't as perfect as we Europeans claim. He may be morally superior to us, but in science and technology, he lags behind."

"It's just a little bit." Macartney pinched the tip of his right index finger, indicating that the gap was very small.

"Besides, they have already surpassed us to some extent, and our steam locomotives are still pumping water."

But don’t think that because the First Industrial Revolution took place in England, England is an open, inclusive country that is willing to accept new things.

In fact, it's the opposite. England has always been very conservative, except for things that can make money.

The fact that this conservative England was able to develop into the first world empire was due to the terrifying all-round competition throughout Europe at that time.

This advanced science and technology, produced under the terrifying competition where the strong become stronger and the weak perish, was voluntarily or forced to move to the relatively safe England due to the constant wars on the European continent.

In addition, England's vast colonies could provide a vast amount of raw materials and consumer markets, and new technologies constantly prompted England to find larger colonial markets for them.

These parties worked together to almost push England, which was originally conservative and already very corrupt internally, to continue to move forward, which was quite strange.

It can be said that the Kingdom of England in history did not actively pursue advanced science and technology, but passively accepted and digested it. Advanced science and technology came to them.

So when Prussia, a new European upstart that beat France, and America, the chosen country without enemies, came into being, England immediately lost its competitive advantage.

At this point in time, the Chinese Empire is playing the role of Prussia and America in history.

"This is perhaps the biggest difference between the two countries. The Seris Empire is equivalent to the entire Europe, and they urgently need to closely connect the country.

As for England, which is a much smaller place, the need is not as urgent, so we are naturally a step behind."

Macartney attributed this to the size of the country. Without overseas colonies, England was just a broken island country and had no need for so many new technologies.

So over the years, even though Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger governed the country well, England still seemed somewhat lifeless.

England must have one of India and New England to absorb the many new technologies and talents it has accepted, otherwise it will explode and die.

But in fact, what Macartney did not know was that the more than 200-kilometer section of railway that he thought represented the Chinese Empire Railway was actually an experimental project, mainly used to experiment and improve generations of steam engines and steam locomotives.

This is because the demand for trains is not that strong in Jiangnan.

After all, no train can compare with the natural railway given by nature like the Yangtze River, nor can it compare with the dense and convenient water transport network in the Jiangnan region. The most common thing in the Jiangnan region is the inland river ship equipped with a small steam engine.

It’s just that due to the profound cultural heritage of the Jiangnan region, a large number of high-tech technologies and high-quality universities are concentrated here. Building this railway can help discover and solve problems nearby.

When the train arrived in Zhenjiang, the official from the Ministry of Rites who had been accompanying them from Hanchuan Daguang (Yangon) came to inform them.

The second son of Emperor Dayu of the Chinese Empire, Prince of Hanchuan, Mo Zhouxu, came to greet them and would accompany them for the rest of the journey.

Earl Macartney exclaimed and quickly stood up and walked out of the train. He was just a Scottish earl, not even a member of the old London Union Jack. He did not dare to let the prince of a great empire come into the carriage to find him, but had to go to greet him.

After getting off the train, the delegation members noticed that the station had been blocked by guards wearing red brocade uniforms and vermilion lacquered helmets with the word "Yong" on them.

"Sister Charlotte, we deeply sympathize with your Majesty and the Queen for what they've gone through. The mob will definitely pay the price they deserve. I believe this is the common oath of the kings of Europe and the Emperor of China.

My biological mother, Consort Wu, has already prepared a welcome ceremony for my sister at Xiaguan Railway Station. Now that you have arrived in China, please treat this place as your home."

At that time, bed politics was popular in Europe, and men and women were not conservative. Of course, Dayu was similar, and the folk customs were quite open. Even princesses and daughters of nobles were not uncommon to go shopping in the streets or even participate in sports activities.

The reason is that in this era, women's productivity began to make great progress, which led to an improvement in their status.

Whoever can bring benefits to the group and create more surplus value will have a higher status. This is the unchanging principle of human society.

At this time, in many places, most women in Dayu were still social vassals who could only rely on men for their livelihood, because the income from farming was not enough to support their families, and it was even difficult to support themselves. Once they lost their men, they would starve, so naturally their social status was very low.

But in other developed areas, especially in textile paradises like Jiangnan, the value created by a skillful adult woman can not only support herself, but also make her the backbone of the entire family, so her status is naturally high.

Not only can they sit at the table to eat, but they can also participate in all social activities openly, just like men.

Therefore, in Jiangnan, it is very common for the wife to control the family finances, or even for the capable eldest daughter in the family to control the family finances.

Therefore, Princess Charlotte, who had been traveling all the way, met her brother-in-law Mo Zhouxu very openly, and there was no awkwardness between the two sides.

Ah Xu even took a sneak peek. He'd heard that this French princess was average looking, but now she looked quite pretty. He had no idea that the original Princess Charlotte was not only arrogant but also had a lot of fat. The weight ruined everything, so of course she could only be described as average looking.

However, in the past few years, the hellish experiences have worn away Princess Charlotte's arrogance and arrogance, reduced her excess fat, and with the good foundation inherited from her mother Antoinette, she has naturally become much more beautiful.

"Thank you for the welcome, Your Highness. Charlotte, who has lost her country and parents, will be a member of the Chinese Empire from now on."

Princess Charlotte spoke softly, in stark contrast to Mo Zhouxu's loud voice.

Macartney, who had already gotten off the train, was stunned when he heard this. The second prince of the Chinese Empire expressed his condemnation and indignation towards the French riots so clearly. It seemed that what he thought was right. The emperor of the Chinese Empire must also hate such things.

In order to suppress the great riots in France, the Chinese Empire would most likely make concessions in other areas.

"Count, I have long heard of your great name. Welcome to the Chinese Empire!" After receiving Princess Charlotte, Mo Zhouxu hurried towards Macartney.

Macartney hesitated for a moment, but was still prepared to kneel on one knee to meet the emperor. If the other party was a Tatar prince, he would definitely not choose to meet him.

Ever since the Age of Discovery conquered the world, Europeans, at least the people of Britain, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal have become arrogant. They look down on the princes of the barbarians, consider themselves civilized and superior, and have a very proud mentality.

However, the Chinese Empire was not a barbaric civilization, but a civilized country that even Europeans had to look up to.

Moreover, Prince Mo Zhouxu of Hanchuan was a real king with a fiefdom. In Europe, his status was much higher than that of the Elector of Pulpfalz, almost equivalent to that of a king of a great country. Naturally, Macartney had to meet him.

However, Mo Zhouxu walked very fast and supported Macartney when he was about to bow.

"The Earl is your elder, and this isn't a formal occasion, so don't bow!"

Mo Zhouxu spoke fluent French, which was a compulsory second language for princes and princesses at that time. Macartney was 58 years old, so there was nothing wrong with calling him an elder.

Macartney immediately took the opportunity to stand up and began to introduce the members of the delegation to Mo Zhouxu, including more than a dozen famous writers and painters, including three members of the Royal Society of London.

Martin Heinrich Klaproth, a Prussian chemist, was a leader in analytical chemistry and the discoverer of several elements, including uranium and zirconium.

Charles Wilkins, an Orientalist and leading researcher on ancient Indian cultural institutions, was nearly captured by the Sino-French forces led by Chen Lian in 1783.

The physician, William Blizard, is proficient in surgery and anatomy, and is a leading English surgeon currently developing rapidly.

This person served as a lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons and the Institute of Anatomy for more than ten years, and trained a large number of talents in this field for England.

When Mo Zhouxu saw these three people, he immediately looked at Macartney with a different eye, because these three people were what China needed most at the moment.

The chemist Klaproth was a perfect complement to Lavoisier. Although this person could not be compared with Lavoisier, the areas in which he excelled were exactly what Lavoisier was not very good at.

Orientalist Wilkins is also very important because European Oriental studies does not refer to the study of China, but the study of the Near East, the Middle East and India, which they believe are not within the scope of civilized countries.

Although Dayu is powerful, its foundation is still shallow. It is still catching up step by step in many fields. For example, in Oriental studies, it is completely a primary school student and desperately needs people like Wilkins to bring research results.

In addition, stimulating traditional Chinese medicine to move towards modern medicine such as anatomy and surgery is also what my father values most. Therefore, Dr. Wilkins is the best teacher for Chinese people to learn surgery and anatomy.

"Count, Baron, Academicians, and all representatives of the diplomatic corps, please get on board. When you arrive in the imperial capital, there will be an even grander reception waiting for you."

Mo Zhouxu made a gesture of invitation and was the first to get on the train. Since Macartney was so tactful, Mo Zhouxu didn't mind revealing a few more things to him.

After two years as the supervisor of the Hexi Railway and spending two years in the harsh northwest and on the construction site, Mo Zhouxu had matured and gained a deeper understanding of railways. He looked at Earl Macartney and asked, "Earl, do you know the story of Zhengguo Canal?"

Although Malgarni claimed to be an expert in China, he was not that knowledgeable. He could only answer that he did not know. So Mo Zhouxu explained it and then said with emotion:
"You English are really too clever. The steam engine and steam locomotive were your inventions, but in the end, it was us, the Seres, who were held hostage.

Count, it is such an exciting thing to connect such a vast territory with railways!
This is a great feat that no emperor in history of China could have accomplished, and it has deeply trapped my father.

Moreover, the reason why the Chinese Empire was conquered by barbarians twice was because the situation in the north was not handled properly. Therefore, after possessing the steam locomotive, almost all the focus of the empire was invested in this aspect.

The Empire will permanently resolve the issue of the northern Tatars, ensuring that China, the beacon of civilization in the world, will never again be conquered by barbarians!

Macartney's heart was pounding as he suddenly realized that the Chinese Empire might have fallen into a sweet trap.

Yes, railways do play an incomparable and important role in the Chinese Empire and even in the world. However, with the current price of pig iron, every kilometer of railway is astronomical, an absolutely astronomical price. Even with the size of the Chinese Empire, it is impossible to accomplish such a feat.

Well, if they really fell into it, this huge empire would fill all their wealth into this bottomless pit, which would be enough to drain them dry!

Macartney thought so and had already made up his mind.

"Your Highness, may I ask how much investment His Majesty the Emperor is prepared to make in this regard?" Macartney cautiously probed.

"I can only tell you, Count, that I am currently serving as the supervisor of the Hexi Railway, which is planned to run from Lanzhou in Gansu Province to Yili City in the Seven Rivers Region, a distance of more than 2,500 kilometers.

"We have to cross mountains and deserts, and we have to consider the damage that winter snow and ice can cause to the railway. The project is enormous and requires a huge investment," Mo Zhouxu said, a look of anxiety on his face.

And this was his true feelings, because the Hexi Railway was intended to be built to Yili, so that Dayu could truly control the Kazakh steppe and the Zunghar tribe.

But the difficulty is also quite high, which is why Mo Zhouxu came back. He wants to find a solution to increase steel production in the place where Dayu Taixue is most concentrated.

"So, Count, if possible, I'd like to ask you to help me recruit some talent in steam engines and steelmaking. As long as they're willing to come to the East, the Empire can offer triple their salary and even a title!"

What a great determination!
While Macartney was shocked, he tried hard to suppress the joy on his face.

That would be great!
As long as the Chinese Empire concentrates all its strength on land, England can maintain its advantage at sea.

Even if their fleet tonnage could be equal to that of England, they would not have enough energy to conquer the whole world from the sea. This is the drawback of this ancient country.

It is difficult for them to break away from tradition. Even if they realize the huge role of the ocean, they will be tied down by many things on land.

"Just looking at your desire for talent, I know you are a wise king. Macartney is very willing to work for you.

It's just that I came here in a hurry because the war in Europe is already very tense. I really want to meet His Majesty the Emperor as soon as possible to confirm the long-term friendship between the Kingdom of England and the Chinese Empire."

Mo Zhouxu looked at Macartney deeply. This was an open conspiracy, a conspiracy by his father and the empire against the whole world.

Next, it depends on whether technology develops faster or England rises faster.

"Don't worry, Earl. Father will see you soon, as he also has many matters to discuss with you."

(End of this chapter)