Lord of Ming Dynasty

Temporarily giving up support for Russia is because if you support it again, the Chinese Empire may not be able to recover the loans without overthrowing the Russian nobles, princes, and emperors, because their expenses are too extravagant and wasteful, and a lot of money is lost every year. They hid it and bought it into gold. The jewelry was scattered to each person's home, or it was hidden in a place. This is not circulated every year, and it is not invested every year. How can Russia be better?

The first thousand and 120 chapters of the Dutch are coming

Although Russia has been realized and colonized, the Russians are happy instead. Only the royal family and princes and nobles are not happy, because they have lost too much rights. In many places, the Chinese Han people do business, and the Russians see the Chinese Han people as slaves. When they saw their masters, they had to stay away, because the Qing Dynasty driven by the Chinese Empire defeated them.

However, although it has been colonized to such an extent, Russia's national sovereignty has not changed, but it has been damaged economically and in dignity. However, in the palace, there is one person who is very happy, and that is Peter I, the Russian tsar.

Although a lot is lost, more can be obtained. The factories of the Chinese Empire, the technology of the Chinese Empire, the knowledge and education of the Chinese Empire are all arranged by the Chinese Empire, and with the development of industry, Russia needs a large number of people and workers. , so Peter I directly announced the abolition of the serf system under the guise of the Chinese Empire. There were a few twists and turns, but the serf system was basically abolished, and these serfs were turned into free people and people who could collect taxes.

Compared with the lack of money in the country, the emperor and princes have earned a lot of money and profits from the cooperation of the Chinese Empire. A lot of money has been spent on luxury goods brought by the Chinese Empire, but there is still a lot of money in Russia. The princes and royal families accumulated.

With the launch of five hundred steam engine paddle steamers decommissioned by the Chinese Empire in the Caspian Sea and the Baltic Sea, Russia has entered the era of industrial ship transportation. It does not need wind and can sail anywhere against the wind and water. With the arrival of steam engine parts , A number of ships in the Russian Empire have been built on the seaside, the Caspian Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Black Sea.

Russia's income has sprung up as these factories have sprung up, and it has gone up to a higher level. Three Chinese Empire shipyards were established on three seasides. This is the shipyard built by the Chinese Empire to control the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, and Baltic Sea. A batch of five A huge fleet of [-] sailing warships and [-] experimental steam engine warships is encircling the coast of Africa, sailing towards the Aegean Sea, passing through the Turkish Sea, entering the Mediterranean Sea, and finally entering the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea, and the Caspian Sea.

These ships carried a quarter of the goods of the Chinese Empire, a quarter of the steam engine parts and steam engine prototypes, and a quarter of the fuel, coal, charcoal, and food and wood required for the voyage. , paint, cables, nails, and a series of shipbuilding supplies, as well as some cannons, guns and ammunition, and a group of shipbuilding craftsmen.

Yes, the overseas garrisons and naval garrisons of the Chinese Empire have established bases and naval bases along the coast of Russia to ensure the safety of the trading ships of the Chinese Empire on the sea here, or along the Russian coast, and the merchants of the Chinese Empire. The cargo is safe. In the future, the Chinese Empire will deal with more Western countries, so it has to send a fleet to escort it.

The general person in charge of this task is Zhao Hui. Zhao Hui has been sitting as the director of the navy for a while, neither sitting nor standing. The days of dealing with official duties in the hall, coupled with the crowding out of many old naval officials, he, the former Penglai Prefecture Navy Superintendent, the head of the First Fleet, and the commander who has not learned how to be an official in his 40s, It took half a year to be kicked out by members of Ruan Jin's department in the Navy to serve as a nominal principal in the Navy Military Academy.

In the Naval Military Academy, he didn’t feel like a duck to water, and his culture was too poor. If he was talking about fighting, he could talk for three days and three nights. Sail warships, steam warships, even he can't play with them. After studying hard for a year and a half, he caught up with the title reform. After the title reform, he was made a marquis. People who joined the Council of Advisors.

The navy has Xiao Fei's team, Ruan Jin's team, and He Jin's team. There are factions everywhere in Huaxia, and the old team left by Zhang Ying has retired one after another. , or the emergence of a new generation, the Zhang family is still the most manned faction in the navy.

The warships broke through the huge waves of three to four meters and advanced in a column. In front were three British sailing warships of [-] tons leading the voyage, and behind them were the leading Spanish warships guaranteeing this voyage. They were all small warships of [-] tons. They guarded both sides, about ten ships.

These thirteen warships were hired by the Chinese Empire through the Governor of England and the Governor of the Spanish Colonies. They will lead the fleet of the Chinese Empire to the Caspian Sea, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and the Baltic Sea.

Some of the warships brought were sailing warships to be sold to Russia, some were sailing warships to be sold to the Arshaf Dynasty, and the other part was needed by Turkey. The Chinese Empire presented [-] experimental steam warships. There will only be thirty merchant ships of [-] tons, ten experimental steam warships, ten sail warships, and twenty inland steam paddle wheel transport boats of several hundred tons left in the port.

The huge fleet flying the red dragon flags of the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Chinese Empire is very dazzling on the sea, because it is too large, even if there are more than 100 ships that are too small, it is impossible to catch up with the Chinese Imperial Navy and the British Navigating Navy. Steam paddle steamer ships, most of these transport ships are transported on merchant ships of 380 tons, and the total number of remaining warships and merchant ships is as many as [-], all of which are more than [-] tons.

The sails of the entire fleet covered the sun, black smoke billowed, and their activity tracks could be seen thirty or forty nautical miles below the horizon.When the fleet sailed to the Strait of Gibraltar, thirty sailing warships sailed head-on, and the flags of the Netherlands were hoisted on the warships.

Facing the huge fleet, the Dutch were still very arrogant, and they did not evade at all, and rushed up obliquely. The British went up to negotiate, and Zhao Hui watched from his flagship, which was [-] tons high. Generally, [-] horsepower steam generators are used, the speed is not inferior to the speed of the warships of the Chinese Empire, and the protection is also very good. Under the [-] mm iron plate, there is a one-foot-thick camphor wood board, and the keel is made of the Chinese Empire. The latest fine steel is forged by a water press weighing [-] tons, with a length of [-] meters and a width of [-] meters.

There is a 128mm cannon made of refined steel from the Chinese Empire on the bow. The turret rotates. Five meters behind, there is an open-air 34-pound old-style cannon with a half-open door. There are 75mm turret guns, and there are a total of sixteen twelve-pounder old-style guns on both sides of the hull.

There are forty guns below the deck in the cabin, and eight guns on the lower deck, all of which are 8-pound guns.

The central bottom warehouse and the middle warehouse of the cabin house ammunition depots, grain storage depots, and various boiler groups. The protection there is also the highest, with double-layer 25mm iron plate protection and half-foot-thick interlayer camphor wood board protection. The cabin column is an arm-thick steel bracket riveted to the ribs on both sides.

Watertight compartments are also used everywhere, and the doors of the watertight compartments are sealed with rubber pads.

The first thousand and 120 chapters three Dutch business hall

The Dutch warships headed towards the British warships. The entire fleet was on alert. Under the protection of armed merchant ships, the merchant ships retreated collectively. The combat-capable ships dispersed to form small fleets, preparing to fight the Dutch.

At this time, Europe is in chaos. The royalist revolution in the United Kingdom, the liberal revolution in France, the Netherlands and Belgium are fighting for independence, the Dutch Chamber of Commerce has its own plans, and Russia is continuing to advance to the west. Romania, Mosul, Hungary, On the territories of later generations like Serbia, Russia is at war with the local Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria is at war with Prussia, Spain is also at war with the Royalist and Parliamentary parties, and is at war with the independent parties in Portugal.

On the whole, the Dutch and the British are still competing for island colonies in the Caribbean Sea, and the two sides are fighting hard at sea. It is really not very lucky to meet the Dutch fleet at this time.

The fleet is huge, and there are only fifty experimental warships with combat effectiveness, ten Spanish sailing warships, and three British sailing warships. It seems that there are many, but there is no force to protect hundreds of ships, or force equipment compared to the Netherlands Any warship on a human warship is a very low-level armed merchant ship, and it is almost impossible to have no losses. The victory must be the victory of this side, but the loss after the victory is not what anyone wants.

If it was just a fleet battle, it would be very easy. Facing the old Dutch sailing warships, even the three British sailing warships with a tonnage of [-] tons can easily escape, or destroy a few Dutch warships and leave the battle. , Because of speed and protection, the British have always been at the forefront of Europe. If you add the ten thousand-ton to two-thousand-ton sailing warships of the Spaniards, there is almost a possibility of a war.

After the Spanish warships have been remodeled, each ship has a [-]-horsepower steam engine sample. The Spanish warships, which have always paid attention to protection, can defeat the Dutch fleet by virtue of their speed advantage, at least not too much. , Cooperate with the words of the British, maybe it will hit the Dutch hard.

What's more, there are fifty experimental steam warships of the Chinese Empire next to them. That is a crushing battle. The Dutch will have no possibility of fighting back, but if you want the Dutch to find something wrong, they will definitely rush to those ships. Merchant ships, armed merchant ships, and steam paddle wheeled inland river transport ships that have no power to fight back can cause some damage to the Dutch, but once they are drawn close, they will be besieged and attacked directly, and most of these ships will be lost.

However, the battle did not start in the end. The Dutch negotiated with the British very friendly, and then the fleets of both sides passed by. Two months later, the Dutch fleet appeared in the Indian Ocean and passed through the Strait of Malacca. Escorted by twenty steam warships and ten undecommissioned sailing warships of more than 3000 tons, they landed at the port of Guangzhoufu.

Because of the consent of the Chinese Empire's entourage in the fleet, the Dutch can land here and rest, but they are not allowed to leave the port. Only when the person representing the Dutch fleet submits a trade application and residence application from the capital can they enter the territory of the Chinese Empire. Doing business, and warships are not allowed to enter other sea areas, they can only go back home, or seal the cannon at the port of Guangzhou Prefecture. When the Dutch leave, they will be allowed to lift the blockade and escorted by the coast guard out of the hundred-mile sea area , and then the local fleet will send the fleet to escort the fleet out of the Strait of Malacca and into the Indian Ocean.

Because that is the sphere of influence of the United Kingdom, which belongs to the sphere of influence of the public. Now there is no such thing as the high seas. The Dutch can go wherever the British influence cannot reach, even the ports of the British, but in the Strait of Malacca , as well as the Indonesian waters, the Australian waters, and the waters from Hawaii to the Chinese Empire are all patrolled by the Chinese Imperial Fleet. Any armed ships and fleets must be inspected and detained.

If it is a definite enemy fleet, sink it immediately with fire, or make them surrender.

The Huaxia Empire has an absolute right to speak in this sea area. As the sailing warships are continuously handed over to the coast guard, the Huaxia Empire's sailing warships are only 650 ships in service, and more than 80 ships have been sold. The profit is more than one billion Chinese yuan, which also includes nearly a thousand steam paddle steamer inland/offshore transport boats and patrol boats sold, and then more than 400 of these boats were allocated to develop ports, and nearly Dozens of experimental steam warships and thousands of steam engine samples prove that the Chinese Empire has once again turned ships into a growth point for the Chinese Empire's profits.

There will be more profits in the future. Zhao Hui’s mission to Turkey, Russia, Sweden, and the Qing Dynasty this time will have greater market demand in the sea on the other side of the land. It will generate too much profit for the Chinese Empire, because they still owe the Chinese Empire nearly tens of billions of money. If the economic momentum is not optimistic, the Chinese Empire may lose money.

However, Sweden is an economic growth point. Sweden does not owe the Chinese Empire much money, at most [-] to [-] million Chinese dollars. It is because they need to cooperate with the Chinese Empire, buy a lot of weapons from the Chinese Empire, and fight against their neighbors on the island. , To fight against Russia, and to fight against those small princes and small countries of Germany, we need weapons, so we bought a lot.

But Zhang Qiang knows that Sweden is a mining country, which can receive a lot of iron ore in the future. It is also a fishing country, and can receive a lot of fish. In the future, a port will be established on the coast of West Siberia. This time, Zhao Hui Where will it go in the end, where the fleet will eventually arrive to establish a Baltic Fleet, and a small merchant fleet will be established to do business on several seas there, including Russia, Sweden, Norway, and Finland along the Baltic Sea, You can also do business with Spain, Portugal, German princes, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire.

Of course, there is also Norway, the famous exporter of iron ore factories during World War II, but the Chinese Empire and them, in Zhang Qiang's impression, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Denmark and other small Nordic countries are notoriously indifferent, rigid, and mean. How should I put it, they are impersonal, they won’t pick you up when you fall, and they won’t deal with you much if you live near them, and if you live near them, if they are not satisfied, they can join forces to drive you away Go, let the house you bought become public property, causing you heavy losses, and you have to find another place to buy a house. In short, it is impossible for you to live in peace of mind. You can’t be low-key or high-key. They, in short, have to give them benefits. If they give less, some people are dissatisfied, so they get entangled and use various means to trouble you. Their means are all conspiracy, and you still have no way to refuse.

Unlike China, people may not like you very much, but they will never take the initiative to trouble you. If you don’t want to harm others, others will not take the initiative to harm you. The panicked people always want to pretend to be themselves, and those who show off will step on you, but after all, there are a small number of them, and they don't know how to vote, and they elect you out of this village or community, just because they don't like you being so low-key Harmless people.

So when you think about their people and laws, it’s frightening. They are the kind of human beings between the village and the town. They have a friendly side to you, and they don’t care much about you. On the one hand, if you are in trouble in the Chinese countryside, everyone helps each other. If you have a grudge, it is only between you and a neighbor, and some people in the village will take the initiative to mediate. No, I have to show my fairness, I have to make trouble for you, so that you can't live here.

People in Chinese cities are also indifferent, but they will not be confused. Close the door, and you will make trouble across the street, and they will not care about you. It is very clear, otherwise the government will make trouble for you, and the neighbors will make trouble for you. I'm sick of you.

So for these small Nordic countries, the Chinese Empire can do business, but they don’t need to communicate. Although Sweden has made serious contacts with the Chinese Empire many times, the Chinese Empire has seen their indifference and their attitude of not wanting to get close to others, so they don’t pay much attention to them. , it’s just a matter of business, and we do some weapons and equipment transactions with them, and sometimes we also do some grain transactions. The scale of the transaction is not very large, but it has been slightly expanded. Including the scale of grain, there are more than three billion Chinese yuan trade volume.

Compared with the small Nordic countries, the Dutch who dealt with the Chinese Ming Dynasty in the seventeenth century returned to Asia and the Far East 40 years later. They were real businessmen.

At least in the 18th century now, they will not become a dispensable small country in Western Europe like the later generations. The era of great exploration ended and the colonial era began, and their strength has not fallen to the point of unbearable, although they were in the era of great exploration. In the Far East, they were defeated by the Chinese Empire. Together with Britain, Spain, Italy, France, etc., they fled Asia, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Later, they could only colonize the Indian Ocean and Africa.

It is inextricable with Spain, Britain, and France on the African continent, and it still has a certain advantage in the Caribbean.

However, the size of the fleet they came this time was not enough, and it was a military fleet. Zhang Qiang just arranged for Ruan Tian and the governor of Guangdong Province to receive them, and then they set up their own shops there and started doing business, just like the Spaniards. This is a fleet to explore the way, not a caravan for big business. According to the intelligence of the Military Intelligence Department, they are just here to explore the way, so Zhang Qiang doesn't care about them.

However, the Ministry of Commerce below put a lot of thought into dealing with them, and sold them 150 warships and merchant ships from [-] to [-] tons decommissioned by the Coastal Navy Guard at one go, and captured [-] ships in the initial stage. Use the goods on their ships to add some Huaxia Yuan currency transactions they exchanged from Europe this time, and when they come back from Europe again, they will buy the remaining [-] ships.

The first thousand and 120 chapters and four general agents of the Huaxia Empire

The guests from the Netherlands stayed in the Huaxia Empire for three months and spent all their money and the goods they brought. Most of the money was used to buy the decommissioned sailing warships of the Huaxia Empire. Amazing, their hulls are still made of wood with iron skins, they are just rudimentary sailing and iron-clad warships, with a tonnage of about [-] tons, but these warships of the Chinese Empire are very thick in iron skin, and they are wrapped in thick camphor wood. It is a battleship of hundreds of tons, and it is also very powerful.

I have suffered from this kind of warship before, and I saw an upgraded version of this kind of warship, and it is a warship that has been upgraded several levels. It has a tall mast, slanted sails, and upper sails. There is no such keel, and there is no such technology. Even the keels of Western Britain and Spain are made of wood keels with iron hoops to tighten the reinforcements, and the iron bones are connected to supporting pillars that are at least as thick as an arm. The arm is made of thick steel, and many places have been equipped with fine steel armor. Where can I find such an advanced warship?

So they bought more than 200 ships, ranging from a few hundred tons to more than 3000 tons, but the Huaxia Empire did not provide their turrets and artillery, which looked very powerful.

It's not that the Dutch don't understand the European market, the development of European ships and warships, but that no country in Europe except Spain and the United Kingdom is willing to spend so much money to build iron-clad warships, especially large-tonnage iron-clad warships. Sorry, there are wars everywhere now, and the battle on land is forcing the battle on the sea to be more fierce.

At sea, only the Netherlands is still struggling desperately. Spain is slowly recovering its strength, and it is getting stronger and stronger. The United Kingdom has suffered too much damage before, and the country is noisy, so there is no peace of mind. Therefore, the sea power is only catching up with Spain. The quality is There is, but not in Spanish quantities.

Spain was defeated once, and it wanted to catch up with Britain, so it built a lot of giant ships, which were beautiful and strong, but they were too old, so they spent a lot of money, but the number looked scary, and at the same time After the failure of the Chinese Empire in the Far East, Spanish warships improved a lot. The second and third tier warships were all iron-clad warships, as well as iron bones and iron-clad warships. After the Spaniards returned this time, they bought a lot of steam engine samples from the Chinese Empire, and Many steam engine experimental warships, the strength of the fleet has been further improved, and they have begun to imitate, improve, and rebuild their own warships. The thousands of steam engine samples ordered by the Chinese Empire are magic weapons to improve the speed and performance of their warships.

Some of these things are known to the Netherlands, and some are not, but even if they know, for the budget-conscious merchant kingdom, they still don’t want to buy such a large, high-tonnage, and strong-protected Spanish warship. Not much money can buy so many warships. Looking at it now, the West is very advanced warships, and they are very happy.

For businessmen, it is the nature of businessmen not to build what they can buy, and they have to study it to build it themselves, and they don't want to invest so much research costs in vain.

They are very capable in business, but when it comes to their home country, Dutch businessmen are still very short-sighted, at least they have not seen the development of the steam engine, and now they have entered the steam age, at least one foot has stepped in .

The huge fleet, what they thought was a powerful fleet stayed in the Chinese Empire for three months, and returned home with fifty advanced warships they thought. It took three months to return to the Netherlands along the monsoon, and then They began to buy Dutch goods, so many caravans began to prepare, assembled a huge [-] merchant ships, and followed the [-] escorting warships to return to the Chinese Empire. They were going to open the ancient market again.