Chapter 1017 The Emperor’s Thoughts (Third update, please subscribe)
"so what?"
Wang Youling's tone was full of contempt.
"They are just a bunch of homeless dogs, so why should we be afraid of them?"
As the iron-fisted governor of Shanxi at that time, Wang Youling was extremely arrogant when he said these words. This kind of arrogance is more of a kind of self-confidence.
It was contempt for those people. After all, it was he who drove those people away from here like lost dogs.
How could it be possible to look down upon the threat posed by those people now?
threaten?
Are you kidding me? Thank God he didn't feel scared of those homeless dogs when he arrived in Peru.
With a cold smile, Wang Youling changed the topic and said.
"The reason Wang is going to Peru this time is to find out what it is like, saltpeter..."
“Although we were the largest market for Peruvian saltpeter, among the enterprises at that time, Peruvian capital accounted for 36%, British capital accounted for 20%, German capital accounted for 17%, British immigrant capital accounted for 14%, and capital from other nationalities accounted for 13%.
Now British capital is rising rapidly, which has a lot to do with their increased investment. Although our companies have been trying to invest in this industry, they passed corresponding laws as early as 1866 - investment in important sectors such as saltpeter mines
, it must be reviewed by Congress. Even if we invest in the name of expatriates, it will be difficult to pass review because..."
A few days later, when he received Wang Youling's letter, Emperor Zhu Da chuckled and quite agreed with the content of the letter.
In the past ten years, although Latin American countries have boycotted Ming Dynasty's industrial products to varying degrees due to the demise of Chile, Argentina and Brazil, they have only verbally boycotted them. After all, for
For people in Latin American countries, they simply cannot do without the high-quality and low-price Ming Dynasty products. Now, thanks to the free trade advocated by the British Empire for half a century, the empire's products have long been sold around the world.
40 million!
This number surprised Wang Youling.
"Trivial!"
"It is said that saltpeter has supported the finances of the Peru-Bolivia Federation! It has supported their national construction over the years. I would like to see with my own eyes the local changes."
As the assistant prime minister of the empire, Wang Youling certainly knew the reason for this. He took a deep breath and said.
"That's not it. The old prime minister should have heard that the Federation purchased two battleships and multiple cruisers in the UK last year. To put it bluntly, the surge in fiscal revenue gave them the funds to strengthen their armaments, and this will have a great impact on the empire.
It can be a real threat!"
"The reason why I want to go to Peru this time is to find out the truth. If there is a chance, I will find a way to let them open the market! What they do is against the principle of free trade!"
When he said this, Wang Youling couldn't help but feel a little excited. Isn't this just an excuse?
Not an excuse to stir up trouble in Peru, but... an excuse to write to His Majesty!
You see, although we are all retired, we still care about national affairs!
On the same day, after visiting the retired veterans at the Invalides, Wang Youling took up a pen and wrote a letter to His Majesty.
"Prime Minister, there are definitely changes, but they are not as big as the outside world reports."
"But from the perspective of commercial investment, Peru used public opinion to obstruct the local investment of Ming capital and Ming expatriates. How can such behavior that harms the commercial interests of the empire be acceptable to the empire? Therefore, in my opinion, this time the king
Prime Minister, if we can make progress in this area, it will be a blessing to our Ming Dynasty."
"Qian Degong, what do you think about opening Peru's market?"
"And how many saltpeter mines do we have locally?"
Then the conversation changed and Qian Degong said again.
"This is unfounded worry. Don't worry, nothing will happen to him there."
"As we all know, the Federation was established to prevent the Ming Dynasty. Nowadays, saltpeter is the economic pillar of the Federation. This pillar is not now, but in the future... In 1870, the Federation's saltpeter exports were only 85,000 tons. That year, the Federation's exports
The tax was only over 2 million pesos. But by 1880, 10 years later, that is, last year, it had increased to 575,000 tons, with a market value exceeding 89 million pesos. The export tax alone exceeded 13 million pesos, plus
Currently, the federation can earn 20 million pesos from the saltpeter trade each year through various taxes paid on the mines. Based on the analysis of market demand and investment, its export volume will exceed 1 million tons in up to five years. By then, the federal income will be
It will exceed 40 million yuan!”
When mentioning the threat from the Federation to the Empire, Kang Chengren added.
Taking over Kang Chengren's words, Wang Youling sighed.
"40 million! That's a lot. Finance is the mother of government. With these 40 million, they can do a lot of things."
"Are you worried that something will happen to him over there?"
"Because we are a threat to them! When the empire was first established, in order to ease external relations, we did not oppose the establishment of the Peru-Bolivia Federation, even though the establishment of this federation was aimed at the Ming Dynasty,"
"And 30% of this money was contributed by the empire. Last year, the empire imported 180,000 tons of saltpeter, and as of October this year, it has exceeded 180,000 tons. It is expected that this year's import volume will exceed 220,000 tons.
After all, neither agriculture nor the chemical industry can do without soda saltpeter."
"However, in my opinion, Your Majesty should prevent the old prime minister from going to Peru."
Saltpeter is imported to make chemical fertilizers. Whether it is the plantations of the African colonies or the native farms of the Ming Dynasty, chemical fertilizers are needed, and the demand for chemical fertilizers is also increasing.
"Your Majesty, this is an open market that needs to be viewed separately. Just from the market perspective, the Peruvian market is also open. Last year, Peru imported more than 2,500 products from Daming, ranging from matches to complete sets of machinery and equipment, merchant ships and trains.
Ten thousand yuan.”
After spitting out these two words, he said again.
Saying this, Qian Degong felt quite uncomfortable in his heart. Why not? - Wang Youling is no longer an official. You can run around the country and go abroad. This is really not diplomacy.
.
Emperor Zhu Da laughed and said.
Kang Chengren, the governor of Shanxi, introduced directly.
Because most of Ming Dynasty's saltpeter fertilizer companies were in Shanxi, Kang Chengren naturally knew this industry very well.
In fact, at the beginning, Emperor Zhu Da was worried that something would happen to Wang Youling there. After all, there were hundreds of thousands of Chilean exiles living in the Peru-Bolivia Federation, although the vast majority of them had become Peruvian citizens and became
The Peruvians, but their dissatisfaction, hostility, and even hatred towards the empire are extremely normal.
And Wang Youling, in the eyes of many Chileans, is an executioner with hands stained with the blood of Chileans!
Wouldn't he have thrown himself into a trap by going to Chile?
Therefore, after receiving the letter, Emperor Zhu Da made a special deduction. Although there was only one chance left for the long-term deduction, the short-term deduction... can still be used at will.
The result of the deduction is...not to mention a near miss, not even a surprise!
"By the way, there is one more thing I want to tell you. You know that the queen is the president of the Military Family Committee. No, she received a letter two days ago. Please read it."
While talking, Emperor Zhu Da handed the letter he got from the queen to Qian Degong.
(End of chapter)
This chapter has been completed!