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Volume 1: Fierce Battle in Changsha Chapter 471: The Right Time

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    Xiao Yungui was not surprised by Bao Ling's diplomatic rhetoric. The naval plan was not something he could decide alone. The last warship exchange and shipbuilding plan had been discussed in the British Parliament for a long time, and finally the Rothschild family  It was only through the secret efforts that the Western King's appetite was even greater this time. He was not satisfied with the three civilian shipbuilding factories and docks in Shanghai. What he wanted was a navy that could sail far away. What he wanted was a navy that could build larger ships.  Warship shipyards and docks.

    But Bao Ling's next words made Xiao Yungui feel unhappy, "But if His Excellency the King of the West can consider handing over the railway construction rights from Shanghai to Nanjing, Wuhu to Nanchang and the mineral mining rights along the road to us in the UK, perhaps the Prime Minister and Parliament will not fail to do so."  Rethink your country¡¯s naval plans.¡±

    Xiao Yungui frowned after hearing this. He found that the British seemed to have never given up on plundering China's raw material market, and at the same time they had not given up on their original intention of turning China into a dumping ground for goods. However, when he thought about it, China seemed to have only  These two points attracted the great powers. In the situation of overall backwardness in industry and science and technology, China had only these two points of interests that could attract them.

    "Does the negotiation of tariffs and the legalization of the opium trade constitute all the conditions for Britain?" Xiao Yungui's tone became a little colder. Bao Ling seemed to have sensed the displeasure of the Western King, and said with a slight smile: "It is undeniable that Shanghai and Jiangning  The customs tariff policy has been greatly improved compared to that of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties. Many confusing miscellaneous taxes have been removed. However, His Excellency the King of the West must also know that the tariff rate set by your country is very unfair to us foreign merchants. Your country¡¯s policy seems  We are more inclined to protect the interests of domestic merchants. Therefore, after discussions with the British General Chamber of Commerce in China, we unanimously hope that your country can lower tariffs. Especially the tax rates on gauze, kerosene and other goods with large import volumes. We in the UK hope that your country can make fun of this  Trade barriers make the market more open."

    Bao Ling paused and then said: "As for the legalization of the opium trade, that is what we hope. After all, there is still a market for opium in China. Although the Taiping Rebellion banned smoking in the mainland, it has not restricted the import of this product, right?"

    Xiao Yungui said with a faint smile: "Although we have not restricted imports, the opium trade volume at the four ports in Shanghai, Ningbo, Xiamen, and Fuzhou this year hit the lowest record in history, while the port under the Manchu rule in Guangzhou had both last year and this year.  There is millions of pounds of opium trade. But now you are at war with the Manchus, which has led to the closure of the Guangzhou port. The opium merchants have suffered huge losses, so you are thinking of finding new sales here again, right?"

    Bao Ling was slightly embarrassed.  As King Xi said, the ban on smoking under the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom did indeed lead to a sharp drop in opium sales at the treaty ports under the control of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, but in turn, it caused a surge in sales in Guangzhou.  The Manchu and Qing Dynasties transported opium inland through Guangdong and Hunan.  The Hunan Army who was stuck among them naturally made a lot of money.  Moreover, the narrow sales market caused the price of opium to rise, and opium merchants in various countries were also happy to do so. Therefore, even if the Taiping Army banned smoking in the mainland, it did not greatly affect the opium trade.

    But the situation is different now. Due to the declaration of war with the Qing Dynasty, the Pearl River Estuary in Guangzhou was blocked by the British Far East Navy, resulting in the closure of the only profitable port for opium. Opium merchants from various countries suffered great losses.  The British and French governments that provoked the war were both under considerable pressure.  Originally, the two countries imagined that the war against the Manchu Qing could end within half a year or ten months, but now due to the failure of Dagukou and the impact of the Indian Uprising.  The military operation was postponed indefinitely, and God knows when the Indian uprising will be suppressed.

    Under such circumstances, the British had the intention to renegotiate with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Some British MPs even proposed to provide guns and ammunition to the Taiping Army, and the British sent the navy and Taiping Army to form a coalition to jointly crusade against the Manchu Qing Dynasty. This would not only keep the war going  If this continues, it will be able to solve the dilemma of Britain being unable to send a large-scale army to the war, and at the same time, it can also minimize Britain's losses.

    Sure enough, Bao Ling then proposed the idea of ??jointly sending troops, and also put forward many favorable conditions. It can be said that in addition to the naval plan, everything Xiao Yungui could think of that Britain could provide, whether it was technology, investment or diplomatic support,  Bao Ling mentioned it. At first glance, it seemed that Britain was going to form an alliance with the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.  Moreover, the alliance between Britain and the Taiping Rebellion also has the meaning of containing Russia's eastward development in the Far East, so this all seems very reasonable.

    After Xiao Yungui quietly listened to Bao Ling's words, he pondered for a moment and said: "If we become allies with Britain, will all actions of the coalition forces ultimately depend on the interests of the two countries?"

    Bao Ling smiled and said: "This is natural. Since we are allies, we must take into account each other's interests, and we cannot harm the interests of our allies because of our own interests." Bao Ling's words were very strong, seeming to remind the Western King of the last time the coalition forces fought against each other.  The unpleasant experience after the Russo-Russian War was a typical example of the Taiping Rebellion pursuing its own interests without taking into account the interests of Britain and France.At that time, the Taiping Army and Britain and France were not true treaty allies, but temporary mercenaries, so Bao Ling reminded the King of the West to pay attention to the difference.

    Xiao Yungui said nonchalantly: "Then if after the alliance is formed, the Allied Forces Expedition to the North, and Britain suddenly feels that the existence of the Manchu Qing Dynasty can maximize her interests, will Britain stop us from continuing the Northern Expedition?"

    Bao Ling was stunned for a moment and then said: "There is no need for a barbaric and backward regime to exist. In my personal opinion, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom will definitely replace the Manchu Qing Dynasty and unify China, but the future is really unpredictable. I never like to assume that there will be no  Based on things.¡±

    Xiao Yungui touched his nose and smiled and said: "Mr. Minister, I need to think about re-signing the treaty and forming an alliance. Let's meet again in a few days. Mr. Minister can take a good look at the scenery of Tianjing City in the past few days.  "

    Bao Ling also knew that diplomatic negotiations were the most time-consuming game, so he nodded in agreement. The two chatted for a while about the international situation. Xiao Yungui seemed to be very interested in the Indian Uprising and expressed regret that the British could not put down the rebellion quickly.  .  Bao Ling didn't notice the gloating hidden in King Xi's eyes. After thanking him for a few times, he stood up and left.

    Then Xiao Yungui met Hu Xueyan, who had returned from the United States.  During the Battle of Taizhou last year, Wang Youling and Hu Xueyan were sent back to Suzhou along with a group of Manchu and Qing officials who had surrendered in Taizhou.  Xiao Yungui and Hong Yun'er both met this famous red-top businessman in history.  After talking with each other, it turned out that Hu Xueyan was indeed very business-savvy, so he asked Hu Xueyan to work under Zhu Changling.

    Zhu Changling also has a lot of errands.  In addition to dealing with business affairs in Shanghai, he also had to deal with Guiyun business errands. Although Wei Helin was still helping him, with the increase in customs affairs, Wei Helin was also a little overwhelmed.  So Hu Xueyan took over the affairs of the Guiyun company and concentrated on being the boss of his company, but in fact he was managing Xiwang's private property.

    At the beginning of the year.  Xiao Yungui received a letter from Field in the United States. The laying of the Atlantic submarine cable was progressing smoothly, and the third phase of the project was about to begin.  He hoped that Dongfang, the partner, could send someone to attend a phased completion celebration.  Xiao Yungui also knew that it would take several years to complete the laying of the entire submarine cable. He also thought that the domestic investment projects of Guiyun Company had begun to generate profits, and the small commodities such as cigarettes, soaps, and perfumes they produced could be promoted to a wider market, so  Xiao Yungui asked Hu Xueyan to take some of the capable people of Guiyun Company to the United States.  Their mission is to open up the US market.  Established a Guiyun branch in the United States.

    More than half a year passed before Hu Xueyan returned to China. Xiao Yungui couldn't wait to meet Hu Xueyan.  At this time, Hu Xueyan was wearing a Western-style tuxedo with a bow on the collar, holding a civilized staff in his hand. His hair had been braided, and he did not comb his long hair like the Taiping Army, but cut it into a very energetic short hair.  The whole person looks much younger.

    Xiao Yungui laughed out loud when he saw Hu Xueyan dressed like this: "I thought it was another minister from another country who came."

    Hu Xueyan¡¯s face turned slightly red and he said, ¡°Your Highness, everyone in the United States wears this. I didn¡¯t get used to it soon after I returned home.¡±

    Xiao Yungui waved his hand and said with a smile: "It's not a big deal. It's normal to wear suitable clothes in suitable situations. But we are always Han people and we can't forget Hanfu. Although we are learning from the West now, it doesn't mean that we have to dress and eat in the same way.  And go and learn, be careful that in the future you will become a toddler in Handan, failing to learn the essence of others and forgetting your own things."

    Hu Xueyan¡¯s face turned even redder, and Xiao Yungui didn¡¯t feel comfortable blaming him. Then he changed the subject and asked, ¡°How are things going in the United States?¡±

    Hu Xueyan said: "We visited Mr. Field's company and took a boat to see the cable laying situation. The Canadian section of the cable has been laid, and the only thing left is to cross Greenland and continue eastward."

    It turns out that Field's cable was laid along the eastern coastline of North America, rather than directly across the Atlantic Ocean. Think about it, the current technical conditions are still unable to meet the deep sea laying. The offshore laying along the coastline is more in line with the current technical conditions. This is why  The reason why it took thirteen years to complete.

    Seeing that King Xi didn't interrupt, Hu Xueyan continued: "The cable laying will still take several years to complete. Then with the help of Mr. Field, we registered a company in New York, USA, called Guiyun Investment and Trading Company. Recently, the company invested in the Western Railway of the United States.  Investments were made in the construction of the Missouri Pacific Railroad from St. Louis to Kansas, the first investment being approximately half a million silver dollars.¡±

    Xiao Yungui touched his chin and said: "I also asked Field to make similar investments for me in the early stage. Have those investments been transferred to the name of Guiyun Company?"

    Hu Xueyan said: "The formalities have been completed, and it will be directly under the name of Field Company."What comes next is investment in the railway construction project from Hannibal to St. Joseph.  Including those, our total investment in American railroads is 1.5 million silver dollars.  "

    Xiao Yungui hummed and said: "Increase investment in American railways. The investment of 1.5 million silver dollars is still too little. From now on, all profits of the American branch will be invested in railways. At the same time, you must pay attention to some matters in the United States."  Factories, let¡¯s see what can be acquired and acquire them.¡±

    Hu Xueyan agreed, but there seemed to be some doubts on his face. Xiao Yungui understood what he was thinking and said with a smile: "Are you wondering why I want to use the money to invest in American railways instead of investing in our own railways?"

    Hu Xueyan nodded honestly, Xiao Yungui smiled faintly, and said with a sigh: "Railway is still a new thing in this country, investment is slow to bear fruit, and the cost is more than in the United States. The cost of a Jiangsu-Shanghai railway is quite huge, and there are many things involved.  People's livelihood disputes, domestic railway construction workers and technology are not yet mature. However, my investment in American railways will see benefits in the next few years. After a few years, our country's railways will gradually be accepted by the Chinese people, and the technology will  When the time comes and the workers have matured, we can use the money back to support our country¡¯s railways and achieve twice the result with half the effort, do you understand?¡±

    Hu Xueyan seems to understand but doesn¡¯t seem to understand. How does Xi Wang know that American railways will be able to recover their investment in the next few years and will definitely make a profit?  But Xiao Yungui knew that once the railway across the North American continent was built, investors would earn ten times or more profits over a long period of time!  What about domestic railways?  In addition to a small amount of private passenger and cargo transportation, the current Jiangsu-Shanghai Railway is mostly occupied by the military. Moreover, the people's acceptance of trains is still based on the understanding of myths, so there is still a long way for the maturity of railway transportation.  Way to go.

    Domestic railways need to be built, but they cannot be spread too far all at once, otherwise they will trigger civil unrest. However, investing in the United States does not have such worries. As Xiao Yungui said, the money invested can not only be recovered after a few years  , and there are still huge profits. At that time, it is the most appropriate time to invest in domestic railways.  (To be continued)
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