I am rich in martial arts, but choose culture to win

Chapter 715

The reason why the partridge fleet of the Southern Tang Dynasty lost its way was, in the final analysis, because the wages of the sailors of the Ming Dynasty were too high.

Not to mention the high salary of the navy, even in the public-private joint venture transportation company in Xinming and Xinguang, the annual salary of an experienced sailor is close to 1200 Mingyuan, equivalent to 30 yuan.

In later generations, seafarers are high-income occupations.

But in this day and age, because of the frequent trade and personnel exchanges between Yinzhou and Shenzhou, and the lack of long-distance aircraft as an option, sea transportation is more important.

If it weren't for a behemoth like Mingyuan Shipping Holdings, which is [-]% controlled by the royal family, to drive down the market price, the shipping price in the North Pacific Ocean would skyrocket.

It was against this background that the Southern Tang could not recruit experienced sailors from the Ming Dynasty at all, and could only use some sailors from the pilot ships on the Huangpu River as sailors for the fleet.

Zhou Yushan, who was in charge of this matter, was also not at ease with these ship gangs, thinking that they lacked experience in oceangoing sailing, so he entrusted Sheng Xuanhuai to find an experienced veteran for this fleet.

As a result, they found Zheng Baoguo here.

In accordance with the "Regulations on the Administration of Retired Cadres of the Ming Dynasty" and "Several Regulations on the Prohibition of Doing Business by Active and Non-active Military Officers of the Ming Dynasty", Zheng Baoguo rejected the consulting fee of 10 taels of silver proposed by Sheng Xuanhuai.

But after retiring, he has been restless, but he very much hopes that he can do something for the journey of the empire.

After asking for instructions from the Marshal's Mansion, Zheng Baoguo joined the Partridge Fleet of the Southern Tang Dynasty as a supervisor, and finally played an important role in reverse ultimatum.

In fact, in the final analysis, this is the reason why the scissors gap inevitably appeared when Daming emerged as an industrial country and docked with the mainland of China, which is at the level of an agricultural country.

The local gentry, who originally farmed and studied in the heirloom, felt extremely wealthy, and his representative Li Hongzhang, when faced with the internal funds of the Ming Lijian Emperor, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the Ministry of Households, and the private entrepreneurs of the Ming Dynasty who had mastered the most advanced productive forces, the wealth in their hands changed. It becomes less and less valuable, just like the wool of sheep being harvested at will.

Similarly, citizens of the British Empire and citizens of countries in continental Europe whose currencies are pegged to the pound sterling are also feeling that the money in their hands is becoming less and less valuable.

Over the past year or so, loose monetary policy has led to distorted prosperity in London's financial industry.

Even when the Germans' new shrew tanks rumbled through the dawn in Brussels, and Kaiser Wilhelm I ordered the pissing smaller companies to wear clothes, it still failed to prevent house prices in central London from rising by 300% in a few months.

Not just house prices.

Stocks, bonds, options, in short, everything you can think of, all rose like crazy under the flood.

British merchants with too much money to spend began to sell in Europe.

Whether it is a French wine estate, a Dutch shipyard, or a pine log from Northern Europe or Tsarist Russia, even if they are under the threat of the Germans, they may become ruins at any time.

But the British merchants who spent a lot of money still bought them without blinking an eye.

It's just that no one knows that among this group of crazy British businessmen, there are some strange things mixed in, which are constantly fueling the flames.

……

Galicia, hereafter, is part of Ukraine.

In 1874, the country Ukraine did not exist.

Today's Da Mao, Er Mao, and San Mao are still fit.

However, Galicia does not belong to Ukraine today, but is part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, adjacent to Hungary. (map)

A luxurious handmade red flag car slowly parked outside the ancient castle of the Principality of Galicia.

A fair-skinned girl like Snow White in a fairy tale, wearing an elegant new fleece jacket, the little bourgeoisie stepped out of the car in style.

On her swan-like long neck, she wore a beautiful pearl necklace, as beautiful as the legendary Helen.

Under the refraction of the sun, a huge diamond ring shone brightly on her left middle finger.

This shows that this girly girl already has a lover and is engaged.

"Oh, my dear Julie, you are still so beautiful!"

Regardless of the cold weather, Queen Elizabeth Sissy came to the gate of the castle to meet her closest girlfriends.

Elizabeth's tone was slightly jealous.

This is also understandable.

Because the years still haven't left any traces on Julie's face, even though her actual age is 29 years old, she looks like a girl in her 20s, just like the first time I saw her.

"Da Ming must have developed a new skin care product!"

Elizabeth was eager to know the secret of Julie's beauty maintenance. She took Julie's hand and tried to formulate words while walking into the castle.

"Perhaps you should, like me, get in touch with mysterious oriental people more."

A happy smile appeared on Julie's face, "Didn't everyone say that Orientals can't tell their age and never age?"

"Already in touch..."

Elizabeth murmured.

"Yo! Hello, Concubine Fan!"

In the old castle, the firewood was crackling in the fireplace. A man with the appearance of a Tibetan fox in an apron held a half-marinated roast chicken in one hand, and waved hello to Julie with the other.

"Dr. Xiaoliang, are you actually here?"

Julie looked at her best friend in surprise, then turned her head and said to him, "I've already bought your just-published Notes on Haicuotu, it's really great!"

After discussing with Zhang Xiaoliang about the biological classification of hermit crabs, Julie sat on the sofa with her best friend.

"You and Dr. Xiaoliang?" Julie asked in a low voice.

"what?"

Elizabeth hurriedly said, "We don't have anything, but the roast turkey he made is very delicious..."

Julie naturally didn't believe her girlfriend's nonsense.

As far as she knew, the relationship between Elizabeth and the Hungarian count nicknamed "the most handsome death row prisoner" had cooled down rapidly over the years.

Although Elizabeth still likes Budapest and the Hungarian people very much, and regards herself as the Queen of Hungary, the relationship between her and the rough-haired orangutan has gradually drifted away, and there are no more scandals.

It seems that Dr. Zhang Xiaoliang played a key role in it.

As for the great Emperor Franz Joseph of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, anyway, he doesn't care about one or two green hats.

In fact, the marriage between the two parties existed in name only.

It had long been an open secret that he had a large number of mistresses.

It was witnessing such an unfortunate marriage of her best friend that made Julie say to my dear Mr. Huang He on the issue of accepting a concubine: "I would rather have the frankness of the Orientals than the hypocrisy of the Western nobles".

In short, she was happy that Elizabeth had found her happy home.

"By the way, Julie, can you guess how much Rhine Guilders a turkey costs now?" Elizabeth suddenly interrupted Julie's thoughts.

"How much? 100 rhine guilders?"

Of course, Julie is well aware of the situation in the European financial market, but at this time she still showed the natural acting skills of the best actress in "Miss San Diego".

"Haha, Julie, Your Majesty Fugui really spoiled you!"

Elizabeth looked enviously at the jewelry on Julie's neck and hands, which she felt luxurious even for herself, and the latest and most expensive winter clothes from the "Han Yun" heavy luxury store on her body.

"You really don't know anything about money. The Rhine guilders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire are equivalent to 1/2 pound. 100 guilders are 50 pounds. 50 pounds can make a poor Hungarian peasant live comfortably for two or three years. year!

Let me tell you, I heard from Xiao Liang that now a turkey for Christmas costs 2 Rhine guilders, which is really too expensive.

I can't even imagine how poor people can eat turkey this Christmas! "

"Because poor people don't eat turkey at all, and even if it's Christmas, it's just an extra potato, my little fool!"

Seeing Elizabeth's worried look, Julie couldn't help complaining in her heart.

Speaking of which, among the western aristocrats that Julie has met, Elizabeth is already the most sympathetic to the common people, but she is still far behind her fiancé.

Julie still clearly remembers that one of Mr. Huang He's hobbies is to walk around the agricultural and sideline food market in Fengdu after changing clothes, looking for inspiration for writing.

He can swallow food from any street restaurant in Fengdu almost without any problems.

Of course, this is also because Daming's food is so delicious.

And those foods have also been tested by Jin Yiwei, absolutely safe.

In contrast, those extravagant and promiscuous European nobles are simply fat parasites, parasitic on the bony commoners.

Chapter 716 A Triple-Win Deal

Of course, as a young bourgeois, Julie is good at criticizing those decadent old aristocrats.

But if she was really asked to live in the slums, she wouldn't be able to stay there for a second.

There are also some communities in Fengdu, all of which are Li Chunfa buildings, and many of the people living in them are new Daming people who have just arrived in Daming and have no savings.

However, under reasonable municipal planning and equal security management, these communities, instead of becoming slums like those in European metropolises, are neat, clean and warm.

If it weren't for helping her fiancé to accomplish a great career, Julie would really not want to set foot in the dirty and feces-smelling European continent.

Elizabeth is still complaining about how expensive things are these days.

Complaining that Franz was not at all willing to listen to her advice to stop the routine local currency swap with London.

Franz reprimanded each time that the currency swap with the British Empire was the economic foundation of the Austrian-British Alliance.

Without sufficient foreign exchange reserves, Austria could not purchase the most advanced British equipment.

And the mutual political trust between the two countries will no longer exist.

In this way, no one can stop the Prussian group of stinky beggars' Great German ambitions.

Moreover, Franz also emphasized in the letter that he had called Prime Minister Churchill of the British Empire many times.

Prime Minister Churchill respected him very much and repeatedly explained the significance of the British Empire's active monetary policy and the amount of excess currency issued.

Prime Minister Churchill swears to the Lord with the 150-year reputation of the Dukes of Marlborough that the excessive issuance of currency is controllable, benign and moderate, and it is absolutely impossible to cause and export hyperinflation.

"In short, anyway, my Hungarian people are starving. Andrahi wrote to me several times, hoping that I could return to Budapest and cheer up the people there..."

"Andrahi? Oh, that's your suitor, right? I thought he had given up. Could it be that you are still communicating... woo woo woo..."

Elizabeth quickly covered Julie's mouth, looked nervously, and found that Zhang Xiaoliang was still preparing the turkey seriously, so she was relieved.

"Oh, my God, don't talk nonsense, Andrahi is just reporting the situation to the Queen of Hungary normally, I will not reply to any private letters, but what he said, my people are starving, I But you can’t sit idly by!”

"So, what are you going to do?"

Julie crossed her slender fingers on her lap, and asked leisurely.

"That's why I've invited you, my best friend, Miss Julie Vanderbilt..."

Elizabeth said with some embarrassment, "It may be a bit abrupt to say this, but I really have no other choice. I know that your fiancé also fell into the quagmire of making ends meet because of the war, but I still beg you, the most beloved emperor of the Eastern Emperor Concubine, I can provide a loan for Hungary, as for the interest of the loan, we can discuss..."

"no problem."

"What?" Elizabeth's eyes widened in surprise.

"I said no problem."

Julie said generously, "How much loan do you need? 100 million pounds? 1000 million pounds? Or [-] million?"

"No, no, Hungary is just a weak country, we don't need so much money..."

Elizabeth said hastily, "I asked someone to calculate it, and 50 pounds is enough to make my country tide over the difficulties."

Elizabeth was really less frightened than Julie's boldness.

You know, although she is the queen of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, she is absolutely not sure of convincing her husband to come up with 10 pounds.

And Julie is only the fiancée of the emperor of Ming Dynasty, but she can promise more than 100 million pounds in cash casually.

The gap between people is really too big.

"My Sissy!"

Julie put her arms around Elizabeth's neck and said, "Nowadays is an era of soaring prices, you think 50 pounds is enough now, but maybe it won't be enough tomorrow.

Let me see it this way, on behalf of my fiancé, I will offer you a loan of 100 million pounds. Of course, as collateral, I have to collect gold, jewelry, or handicrafts and cultural relics worth at least 5 pounds.

What do you think of this? "

"Of course, my dear Julie, there is no more generous condition than this!" Elizabeth jumped up from the sofa happily.

"By the way, aren't you from the Kingdom of Bavaria? Your noble friends must have lived very poorly during the war, right?

If possible, I would like to ask you to come forward to provide them with a mortgage. Of course, I will not be so generous to them. A loan of 100 million pounds requires at least 30 collateral, and the interest must be in accordance with Jewish standards. After all , Our Ming Dynasty is still a poor developing country, we need to make money. "

Julie spread her hands, "You also know that my fiancé is not very popular in Europe. If it was in his name, no one would borrow money or pawn things."