Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 484 From London to Portsmouth
London
The British Royal Autumn Polo Championships is being held on the outdoor polo field of Kensington Palace. It is an elegant sport in the traditional British royal family and a grand event for the top aristocratic circles.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu was wearing a knight's uniform and heard a sweaty purebred BMW coming towards him. The Chu State also organized a polo team to participate in this polo match.

The results are not important, what matters is participation.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu handed the reins to his attendant, took the warm tea from Li Jingxi's hand and drank a few sips, then picked up a towel to wipe the sweat from his face and hands, and saw the noble-dressed Duchess of Kent coming over.

She performed a standard curtsy before the King of Chu and said with a flattering smile, "Your Majesty, it is a real pleasure to watch you gallop so gracefully across the court. I never thought you were such a good polo player."

"Thank you, Duchess. Your praise made me a little lost. I really thought I had won the game."

"Oh, that doesn't mean anything. Prince Arthur and his companions are veterans who have played polo for more than ten years. It's normal for them to lose this game. I think Your Majesty is the best of all."

"Thank you for your compliment, Duchess." King Chu Zheng Guohui felt his palm being gently scratched, and the Duchess of Kent looked at him with a tearful look in her eyes.

Over the past ten days

King Zheng Guohui of Chu was harassed by many noble ladies while participating in various balls and activities held by high-ranking British nobles, but he never wavered.

The Duchess of Kent was very beautiful, about 30 years old. The top of her gorgeous court-style dress was very open, revealing a large area of ​​her snow-white chest and deep cleavage in this cold late September.

Even so, King Zheng Guohui of Chu was not impressed.

He didn't like playing in the wild, and he didn't want to become the talk of the London aristocracy because of his momentary indulgence and lose the reputation of the Chu State.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu was convinced

These ladies in the top British aristocratic circle must be betting on who will climb into his bed first and win a huge bet. This is a little trick that bored ladies are very interested in.

The British Crown Prince Edward has a rather notorious reputation in this regard, known for his extravagant and promiscuous ways. His Royal Highness has mistresses throughout the London aristocracy, and it is likely that the Duchess of Kent is one of them.

During his conversation with the Duchess of Kent, King Zheng Guohui of Chu always maintained a gentlemanly and elegant demeanor and ignored all kinds of provocations.

As the supreme ruler of a country, could he be short of such a small amount of money?

King Zheng Guohui of Chu glanced casually at his opponent on the other side of the field, Prince Arthur, who was standing with the Duke of Albany, holding a polo club in his hand and chatting, his eyes glancing over here from time to time.

From his eyes, one can see a strong sense of enjoyment.

This European aristocratic circle is so fucking troublesome. King Zheng Guohui of Chu is very obsessed with mysophobia in this regard. He is unwilling to touch other people's second-hand goods, even if it is the beautiful Duchess of Kent.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu felt a headache when he thought about the even more decadent upper class society in Paris that he was about to visit.

During this period, he was surrounded by British duchesses, countesses and baronesses, as well as some exotic princesses, and was really busy dealing with all kinds of teasing and temptations.

Perhaps, this is the difference between Chinese and Western cultures.

Prince Arthur was the commander-in-chief of the British Army in Egypt. He was the third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. He entered the Royal Military Academy Woolwich at the age of 16 and was a talented young officer.

His elder brother was Crown Prince Edward, a fat man with a bloated brain and a bloated belly. He lived a luxurious and dissolute life, spending his days at aristocratic balls and in beds, but had no interest in state affairs.

The Duke of Albany was the eighth child of Queen Victoria. He had a pale face and a thin body. The symptoms of hemophilia inherited from the British royal family were very obvious in him, and he was likely to die young.

After getting rid of the Duchess of Kent, the King of Chu came before Prince Arthur, and Prince Arthur and the Duke of Albany took the initiative to perform a chivalric ceremony.

In European court interactions, those with lower ranks would be the first to salute those with higher ranks. This was common court etiquette.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu smiled and raised the knight's hat on his head, nodded slightly in return, and said in a relaxed manner:
"Congratulations, Your Highness, on winning the polo match. It must be said that polo is an intense sport that requires excellent coordination between the rider and the horse, as well as tacit understanding with teammates. In this regard, you have done better."

"Your Majesty, I've been playing polo since I was nine, and it's been over twenty years now. Even with all my might, I could only win two goals. Your exceptional athletic talent truly amazes me."

"But I still lost, Your Highness. I think it is a very beneficial sport. Oh, by the way, the Duke of Albany doesn't look well. Is it due to lack of exercise?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I have always been weak and cannot engage in strenuous exercise. I am really sorry."

King Zheng Guohui of Chu chatted with the two men about all sorts of things, saying some meaningless nonsense, which was the norm in the London aristocratic circles.

When we meet, we can talk about the weather for half an hour.

There were a lot of hypocritical clichés and empty speeches, and they couldn't get to the point after talking for a long time. No one talked about serious business in such a top royal social occasion.

It's just a channel to promote the relationship between the two parties. This kind of socializing in the top aristocratic circle is really tiring.

Fortunately, the gains were great. King Zheng Guohui of Chu showed his kingly demeanor to the fullest, and he earned a well-deserved reputation in the top aristocratic circles in London. He also established personal friendships with some extremely powerful top aristocrats and politicians.

Then establishing closer economic ties, such as equity investment, became a natural process.

In addition to normal channels of communication, kingdoms also need some deeper connections.

The King of Chu achieved this intended purpose through this trip.

Prince Arthur warmly invited King Zheng Guohui of Chu to his private castle to participate in the autumn fox hunting activity, which is also a popular activity among the British upper class aristocracy.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu declined with some regret. He was leaving London tomorrow to visit Portsmouth, an important home port of the British Royal Navy.

There, there are the British Royal Naval Dockyard and dozens of other large shipyards, where hundreds of thousands of British shipbuilders work tirelessly day and night to build an invincible ironclad battleship and a merchant fleet that rushes to the world for the powerful British Empire.

Judging from the accurate information King Chu has received now,
The British Royal Navy is now simultaneously building three levels of 11 ironclad battleships totaling more than tons, as well as numerous other ironclad cruisers and auxiliary ships to replace the few remaining sailing warships.

This historical process of large-scale shipbuilding has lasted for more than 20 years. The ironclad ships built in the early days have begun to be retired one after another, and a new level of ironclad battleships is under intensive construction.

The British Royal Navy is the most powerful navy in the world. You can only know its power by seeing it with your own eyes.

The Chu Navy learned from the United States and Britain. Nowadays, more young officers go to study in Britain and pursue further studies at several Royal Naval Colleges. They stopped going to the United States more than a decade ago.

At that time, due to the twists and turns in the relationship between the two sides caused by the Hawaii incident, the Chu State interrupted sensitive military exchanges, which have never been resumed since then.

Compared to the US Navy, the Royal Navy is a better choice.

it's here

You can also see many naval officers who have studied abroad in Japan. They eat steak and drink coffee like the British, and their manners are imitated very well, even the arrogance of the British is learned.

I have to admit that Fuso is the best student.

Born in a poor country like Fuso, these young Fuso naval officers who were fortunate enough to be able to study at the British Naval Academy all had profound backgrounds and belonged to the Chinese aristocracy of Fuso.

They cherish this learning opportunity very much and imitate the British almost all the time.

early october

The cold current from the North Atlantic continued to invade the British Isles. In the chilly wind, the King of Chu's convoy left London and headed south under the escort of the British Royal Cavalry.

Head to Portsmouth Port in Hampshire, 103 kilometers away, which is the home port of the British Home Fleet, the world's maritime hegemon.

The Royal Mail Ship Ocean Shuttle and the immigrant ship Dongting Lake were already anchored in Portsmouth Harbor, as were the ironclad ships Manila and Shangri-La and the naval coal carrier, ready to pick up His Majesty the King of Chu and his entourage to continue their visit to Paris.

At the British Royal Naval Dockyard here, the King of Chu and his entourage, accompanied by the British Foreign Secretary Lord Henry, learned in detail about this famous shipyard.

More than 40 outstanding international students from the State of Chu interned at the shipyard after graduation, learning new ship design theories, participating in practical work, and gaining a deep understanding of all aspects of construction and operation at advanced British shipyards. Here, the King of Chu witnessed a shocking scene.

On the slipway, heavy ironclad ships and large merchant ships under construction are lined up like small hills. Among them is a 1.65-ton refrigerated ship being built for Porto Blanca in the Viceroyalty of Patagonia. There are a total of 6 orders for this class of ships.

Meat products exported from Patagonia are slaughtered and cut at the local meat processing plant in Bahia Blanca, then frozen and shipped to Europe.

The high-quality beef and mutton produced locally are very popular bulk products in the European market, with stable prices and promising market prospects.

Europe is now in the stage of in-depth development of steam industrial civilization. With the rapid improvement of productivity and rapid population growth, the demand for meat and grain products is increasing.

In today's era when there are no fertilizers to increase production, importing large quantities of meat and grain products has become one of the most feasible ways.

The State of Chu had good relations with Britain and other European countries, and had signed reciprocal tariff and trade treaties with them.

Agricultural products and grains, in particular, can enjoy ultra-low tariffs in the UK and other European countries. Almost as much as they produce can be sold, and there is no need to worry about sales at all.

The Viceroyalty of Patagonia thus ushered in a golden age of development, with shiploads of meat, soybean oil, wheat flour and animal hides shipped to Europe, generating considerable export revenue.

Today, more and more sheep flocks are developing on the Patagonian plains. The high-quality wool harvested regularly is processed into coarse and combed wool tops in Blanca and exported to the European market.

The European market has an astonishing appetite, especially in the cold and wealthy northwestern European countries. The demand for high-quality wool products is simply staggering, and almost everything is accepted.

From Puerto Blanca, the capital of the Viceroyalty of Patagonia, large cargo ships and refrigerated vessels can reach major ports in the UK and France after a 17-18 day voyage, making sea transportation costs low.

Compared with Australian wool, the cost advantage is more obvious, and the profits in the producing areas are naturally greater.

In the Viceroyalty of Patagonia, Chinese ranches are now everywhere, with a total of more than 33700. In addition to vigorously developing cattle herds, the rapid expansion of sheep herds is the top priority.

Backed by the huge European market with almost endless demand, these high-quality agricultural products have no trouble selling.

King Zheng Guohui of Chu walked along the docks and looked at the 1 docks lined up in a row at the British Royal Naval Dockyard. Thirteen of them were building ships, and the remaining four were preparing to build new ships.

The shipyard workers are densely packed with ants, and there are countless steam pipes leading to the dock, which can drive people with trypophobia crazy.

The white steam leaking from the pipes filled the air, creating a sense of steam industrial punk.

The sound of clanging filled the air as British workers were riveting long anchor rods. Sparks were flying and the round hammers were hammering down hard. The beauty of industrial production was everywhere.

See this scene
King Zheng Guohui of Chu could not help but sigh that Britain was really strong at the end of the 19th century. It was not only strong in light and heavy industries, but also its scale and production efficiency far exceeded Tongji.

Listening to the introduction by Sir Henry, the Foreign Secretary
A 16000-ton large ironclad battleship can be built and launched in just 7 months, and after another two and a half months of commissioning, it can enter service in the British Royal Navy.

Such production efficiency is unparalleled in the world.

compare with

The construction period of the Chu State's "Manila" class ironclad battleship in the dock alone lasted about 15 to 17 months, and it took another four to five months to be launched into the water. It took nearly two years to complete the construction of a large battleship.

This is the gap, we have to admit.

As the world economy recovered, Britain's steel production exploded in 1883, producing 607 million tons of steel a year and achieving a capacity utilization rate of 85%.

In this year

The Chu State's steel production also exceeded 200 million tons for the first time. The construction of reinforced concrete buildings over five stories high in cities, the booming shipbuilding industry, large-scale bridge projects and the continuous extension of railways consumed a large amount of steel production capacity.

While the State of Chu was developing rapidly, other European powers were also busy.

The speed of Germany's industrial development even exceeded that of Chu. In terms of production capacity and scale, it was catching up with Britain, showing an increasingly powerful scene. This inevitably caused concern in Britain.

After all, Germany's geographical location is right next to the Wow, while the other two industrial powers, the United States and the Chu State, are far away on the other side of the world, and the threats they pose are incomparable.

From a European perspective
The State of Chu was at the end of the world, so it was called the "Far East". The South Pacific and Australia were also included in this geographical concept and were extremely far away.

The United States is separated from the vast Atlantic Ocean by the strict defenses of European countries, and its presence is almost non-existent.

The most typical example

U.S. Secretary of State Woodrow Wilson followed in the footsteps of the King of Chu and visited European countries. Except for receiving an official reception in France, he encountered obstacles everywhere in other European countries.

As for London, they didn't even send out an invitation to visit. Isn't that embarrassing?

mid-to-late 19th century

Europe was generally in the late feudal kingdom stage, with dozens of European kingdoms. They regarded the concepts of democracy, freedom and equality promoted by France and the United States as a scourge and were strictly guarded against them everywhere.

When the American delegation visited Berlin, every member of the delegation was followed by secret police when they went out, so their defensive attitude should not be too obvious.

The conservative Habsburg-ruled Austro-Hungarian Empire flatly rejected the American delegation's request to visit Vienna. They were terrified by the workers' revolution at home and remained suspicious.

As for the source of the virus, that is naturally not welcome.

At the end of the visit

King Zheng Guohui of Chu met with engineering students from his country who were studying abroad. He kindly encouraged them to "absorb advanced European science and technology like a sponge, be brave in innovation, be good at research, serve the kingdom after returning to their country after completing their studies, and pioneer Western learning."

Anyway, it is easy to instill some spiritual chicken soup nowadays without any worldly air.

This made the Chinese students extremely excited. With tears in their eyes, they said, "We will follow His Majesty's instructions and work a hundred times harder to live up to His Majesty's high expectations, even if it means death!"

The King of Chu also cordially met with senior British engineers at the shipyard, who were mentors to the Chinese students.

He simply waved his hand and said, "Generous reward."

Each senior British engineer received a big red envelope of 100 pounds. This made these white British people very happy. It was equivalent to half a year's salary!

In today's Europe, scientific and technological talents are generally not valued highly, and the vast majority of them are in a wild state.

These talented and hard-working British engineers have mediocre incomes, which are only slightly higher than those of ordinary British civil servants, and are far from being wealthy.

The big red envelope of 100 pounds was received and the effect was immediate.

Immediately, many white British engineers patted their chests and expressed that they would teach these students carefully and let them learn the real good things without hiding anything from them.

After hearing this, King Zheng Guohui of Chu was speechless.

It seems that the same principle applies throughout history, both in China and abroad. Most teaching is done to get the job done. In any case, one learns as much as one can, depending on one's intelligence and understanding.

There aren't many hands-on teachings that can really bring out the best in someone.

It seems that a special mentor fund should be set up. It doesn't cost much money, and just a small subsidy will be enough for these British engineers.

In this way, at least the teaching can be more attentive and more useful knowledge can be learned.

It's just a small amount of money, but it can make a big difference.

(End of this chapter)