In March 1832, the people of the Holy City were discussing two things.
The first thing was that Queen Royce asked the palace steward to raise 12 pure white Bliss thoroughbred horses for her luxury carriage in order to go on an outing in the countryside. For this reason, the Queen spent 200,000 gold louis. Before that, she wanted to decorate
She spent 700,000 gold on her vacation villa in Mount St. Helens in the southeastern suburbs, and she only lived in this villa for a few days a year.
The second thing was the mutiny of the sailors in Port Mao. They detained some senior officers because they had not received military pay for six consecutive months. The mutiny lasted only three hours before it was suppressed, and 70 sailors died.
, including several low-level officers, and more than 200 people were arrested.
But putting the two things together is extremely ironic.
For a time, public opinion was fierce. People denounced the luxury and waste of the royal family and sympathized with the naval officers and soldiers. Liberal newspapers even published numerous reports, satirizing the royal family and criticizing the discrimination against the navy within the Military Command.
When the sailors mutinied, Richard Moko had been dismissed. He read the news in the newspaper in a hotel on his way back north to the Holy City.
When he arrived in Gyeonggi Province, the newspaper said that he had "reinstated his official position" and was still the commander of the navy. Admiral Moko pretended not to see it and continued to march to the Holy City as planned. He was originally from the Holy City.
, is the second son of the Marquis of Moco.
The Holy City is still as prosperous as ever. This lavish city gathers the richest people in the country and attracts countless people with dreams.
It’s just that the faces of civilians are more anxious, especially the countless short-dressed laborers wandering on the docks, who are trying to find jobs. The stagnation of maritime trade has also seriously affected the economy of the Holy City, and in the past, sea-going ships could directly pass through the wide
The Osei River reaches directly to the Holy City, and in order to prevent the fish demon from going up the river, navigation has been cut off in the lower reaches of the Osei River.
The noticeboards were covered with wanted posters, and it was clear that the security situation was deteriorating. There were people protesting and propaganda, claiming that they needed bread and equality, until a team of police officers arrived and dispersed the crowd.
A handwritten leaflet was also thrust into Moko's hand, because he looked like a foreigner who came to the Holy City to make a living. The leaflet contained a simple question:
Is the Queen's toilet made of gold?
After entering the Holy City, he read in the newspaper that some big bosses in the military command spoke highly of him. He believed that his dismissal was not because he had made a mistake, but to promote him. His Majesty the Emperor would personally honor him at the White House.
He was awarded the title of Navy Marshal in recognition of his past contributions. Therefore, the outside world's interpretation is completely a misunderstanding.
Sure enough, those who immerse themselves in work will not get good fruits, and those who make trouble will be rewarded. This is really ironic.
But the naval mutiny stuck in his throat, making him angry and sad.
The Military Command sent people to guard the door of his house and took him directly to the Military Command.
Marshal Carl Lewis personally received him. Marshal Lewis previously guarded Northern Xinjiang. At the end of last year, he was transferred back to the Holy City and served as the Minister of Military Command.
As we all know, he is one of the most trusted people of Carlos II. In his early years, he followed the emperor to fight against the Belis people and rose to prominence. He has a good resume and military exploits, and is very prestigious in the army. What is important is that he is very
There is a political strategy.
"Richard, I finally meet you. Congratulations on becoming the first marshal in the history of the navy." Marshal Lewis congratulated him in a friendly way.
"Thank you, Minister." Moko expressed his thanks, but the title of marshal did not make him feel too excited. "I want to know how the mutinous sailors in Pu Mao are doing?"
Marshal Lewis said: "Their behavior is tantamount to treason..."
Seeing Moko's face looking ugly, Lewis added: "Richard, your Majesty is very angry, but in view of the plight of the navy, your Majesty does not hesitate to express his kindness and generosity. The ten people led by these sailors will be shot, and the others will be shot."
He was dismissed after three years of hard labor. As for the arrears of military pay, the military command department had already paid it back before you arrived in the Holy City. The country is now in financial difficulty, I hope you can understand."
Most of the sailors who participated in the mutiny at least saved their lives, which made Moko feel better.
To be honest, this result surprised him a little. He was originally going to ask for his life for this. Marshal Lewis promptly blocked his mouth with this opinion. Well, he was even promoted to marshal!
"Your Excellency, Minister, I would like to know what the Military Command's opinion is on the future shipbuilding plan of the Navy?"
Marshal Lewis smiled: "This is of course considered. The empire will not let naval officers row bamboo rafts to fight the fish demon. You know, the key is money. Without money, nothing can be done."
"I wonder what the Military Command and the Cabinet think of my proposal to use next year's tea tax as collateral for a loan from the Genoa consortium? I personally think this is a better way to solve financial difficulties," Moko said.
Marshal Lewis said: "Richard, you are a real soldier. But you are not a financial expert."
"Is there any difference in this matter?" Moko was puzzled. "If the military headquarters thinks that ironclad ships are a new thing and not worth the risk, I can understand it. But there should be no doubt about armored ships, right?"
"The cabinet is worried that asking southerners to borrow money will offend the financiers of the Holy City." Lewis slightly pulled out the future marshal in civilian clothes in front of him.
Moko's expression suddenly became distorted: "Are those people running the empire?"
"In a sense, isn't it?" Lewis asked, "The empire needs money everywhere. You borrowed money from the Genoese this time and solved the immediate difficulty. Don't you need it when you need a loan in the future?"
The consortium in the Holy City? Compared with them, the Genoese are simply paupers. Of course, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance are also paupers. They are planning to issue banknotes."
"Banknotes?" Moko was shocked.
In Moko's memory, when he was a boy, he used banknotes, and it was a nightmare - they were issued indiscriminately, and eventually the banknotes were like waste paper, and many families went bankrupt.
"Yes, someone has proposed a plan, which is to issue a kind of banknote based on Genoa's tea tax and imperial salt tax. This kind of banknote will relatively maintain its value. As long as the empire controls the circulation, it can help the empire tide over the current economic crisis.
.Well, the theory is this.
"Lewis said, "Richard, financial matters are not your consideration, not even my consideration. I assure you, you can buy as many ironclads as you want, but the number must be limited to less than 10 ships. I listen.
That’s Viscount Sean Connery’s business?”
"Yes, have you heard of Viscount Connery?"
After hearing the minister's promise, Moko finally became happy. Even he himself did not dare to say that the armored ship was the best weapon to deal with the fish demon - purchasing in small quantities was a safe decision.
"Not only have I heard about him, but I personally awarded him the Grand Dragon Medal." Marshal Lewis smiled. He raised his head and looked at the ceiling, as if reminiscing, "Well, that's a good young man.
.I didn’t expect to become a noble.”
In fact, he had already forgotten what Sean looked like. When he was in Als City in northern Xinjiang, Sean was just a little sergeant.
It was only later that Marshal Lewis read Sean's name in the newspaper from time to time. First there were some funny wine incidents, then the popularity of tea and the sensation of "La Traviata", and of course the emergence of epoch-making means of preventing smallpox.
This makes it difficult for Marshal Lewis not to remember it.
"Viscount Connelly is very influential in Genoa." Moko had a very good impression of Sean, "and he is full of enthusiasm for the security of the empire's maritime borders."
"But it's still business! Originally I thought he was going to be a scholar, and then I thought he was going to be a novelist. Now I know that he is a businessman, and he seems to be very successful." Lewis was a little impatient, "Richard
, I agree in principle to your purchase of a certain number of ironclads. Tomorrow you will meet with His Majesty at the White House. After His Majesty confer upon you the title of Marshal of the Navy, I need you to rush back to Port Mao immediately. If there is another serious incident such as mutiny,
You’re the only one asking!”
"yes!"
Moko knew that after the sailors mutinied, there was also a voice that attributed the responsibility to himself, implying that it was his resistance to being dismissed from his position and that he was the instigator and instigator behind the scenes.
But everyone with a discerning eye knows that this is just a resistance of naval officers and soldiers to long-term neglect, so this voice has been suppressed. If the blame is put on Moko's head, some people may be able to shirk responsibility, but the Navy will probably continue
It continues to rot, and the situation on the ocean no longer allows for such political maneuvering.
The next thing happened naturally. Moko was promoted to Navy Marshal. Only a few naval officers from the Military Command Department congratulated him. They occupied unimportant positions in the Military Command Department and had no sense of existence.
The issue of banknotes mentioned by Lewis has also caused a spat in the Holy City, because people still remember the nightmare caused by banknotes in the past, and regard this as an inappropriate move by the empire to plunder people's wealth.
The initiative to issue banknotes failed, but the large loan secured by the tea tax was "universally" welcomed, especially by the financiers of the Holy City.
Perhaps for balance, the cabinet borrowed a total of 30 million gold louis, of which 10 million came from the Genoese consortium.
The Genoye Consortium's 10 million will be mainly used to purchase the ironclads highly recommended by the newly appointed naval marshal. The first batch is planned to be five ships. If the combat effectiveness of the ironclads is high, the Navy promises to place additional orders in the future.
This order made Sean busy again.
First, Kang's Shipbuilding issued shares, with a total of 200,000 original shares. Sean himself held 40% of the shares, the Robinson family controlled 10% of them, and Johnson, the main manager and chief engineer, personally held 5% of the shares, which ensured that he
Control over shipbuilding companies.
The other 5% are collectively held by technical staff, who have dividend rights but cannot be transferred. Once they are fired or voluntarily leave, they have nothing to do with the company's shares.
The remaining 40% of the original shares were sold to the public at a price of 100 gold louis per share, raising 8 million funds.
Also for the sake of balance, Sean issued an invitation to all the rich people in Genoa, with each person buying up to 100 shares, and almost tied all the rich people to his battleship.
Even Viscount Brandon, who has never been interested in investments other than land, bought a lot. He asked his three children, his wife and himself to register separately. With his good personal relationship with Sean, he was ranked first in the purchase.
top of the list.
As a result, within half a month after the original shares were sold, each share was sold for 400 gold louis, with a price but no market.
As Marshal Lewis said, Sean is now a businessman, but this businessman is now doing well.