There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 325

Nie Yu laughed and said, "I just like talking to smart people. There's no need for any financial assistance. I don't need that little bit of money. What I want is for the Han Dynasty and Britain to officially form an alliance from this day forward. Our two countries will trade with each other on an equal footing and form a strategic military alliance."

The earlier part was fine, as trade was Henry's original idea, but the formation of a strategic military alliance changed everything.

The East India Company declined entirely because it struggled to reverse its trade deficit with China in the Far East tea trade, leading to continuous losses on its stock. This even culminated in the Boston Tea Party, which directly triggered the American Revolutionary War, permanently freeing the thirteen North American colonies from British control.

The East India Company also lacked the funds to continue bribing members of the new government, and was thus abandoned by the new government and the royal family.

As a businessman, Henry naturally considered saving his company from bankruptcy, not out of corporate sentiment. It was simply that without the company's protection, the merchants under it would be unable to continue free trade in the Far East, bringing back ship after ship of tea and porcelain.

Now the Great Han wants to form an alliance with the United Kingdom. An alliance is a good thing!
The alliance would first benefit the Han Dynasty's long-term strategy, as it could draw the British Empire (which it is not yet) into the conflict.

Secondly, it also benefits the United Kingdom, allowing its influence to truly reach the Far East.

Finally, it also benefited the waning East India Company behind Henry, which could take advantage of the alliance to monopolize the tea trade in the Far East and evenly distribute its trade deficit to European countries.

A win-win-win situation.

Henry didn't care about the trade deficit; he only cared about whether he could profit and whether his company could continue to survive: "Your Majesty, the Great King of Han, you are truly a wise monarch. Regarding your wishes, Henry will certainly convey them to the United Kingdom East India Company and His Excellency the Governor-General of India!"

Although Henry didn't like the Governor-General of India, the Governor-General would eventually have to find out about this matter. Otherwise, the company would have no power or way to lead the signing of the alliance with the Han Dynasty.

Fortunately, this alliance is a win-win-win situation: the company can profit, the kingdom can profit, and the Han Dynasty can profit.

Such a favorable situation is rare. Unless he has lost his mind, the Governor-General of India would definitely strongly support and promote the alliance with the Great Han Kingdom.

Nie Yu had achieved his goal; he had dragged the British into the mess, and a strategic ally was now in his grasp. He then moved on to other matters: "Since you're returning to India, then buy me some more Marvar warhorses from India. No castrated ones, I need strong enough breeds, both stallions and mares. Money is no problem!"

(Heart-shaped horse)

Although Nie Yu wanted to avoid the issue, the problem of horse breeds still needed to be solved. Right now, the Han Dynasty was fighting in the south, and cavalry was not very useful for the time being.

But when it comes to the Northern Expedition and the sweeping of Mongolia, the Western Regions, and Central Asia, if the cavalry is not up to par, we will suffer a great loss in the battle.

Before the Maxim gun was invented, cavalry remained an irreplaceable weapon on the battlefield. However, the Han Dynasty lacked sufficient horse breeds; their best possessions were only a few captured Mongolian horses, which were castrated.

As for why not buy it from the online store?

The store does not sell warhorses, especially top-tier warhorses like Marvar, which are prohibited from sale and are practically extinct.

(Diegejia: In fact, there are no warhorses in the wild now. Warhorses are completely extinct. The ones we see now are all artificially bred. The wild horses of ancient times are long gone. This is because the evolution of warhorses was too absurd. Zoologists call it a failed evolution.)

"Your Majesty, I have a new imported item here that I have recently purchased from overseas. I would like to offer it to Your Majesty free of charge!" Seeing that the two sides seemed to have finished their discussion, Wang Qiaosheng quickly stepped forward and said.

"Oh? What is it?" Nie Yu asked, showing a rare hint of interest after recounting the important matter.

Henry, standing nearby, was not surprised; he knew what Wang Qiaosheng was going to bring out.

Before long, Wang Qiaosheng brought over a box, which was then received by Yuan Mingyao and presented to the Prince of Han for inspection.

Nie Yu opened the box, and a strong smell of stale urine hit him, along with a peculiar, foul odor.

Looking again at the black, sticky substance, a long-dormant memory was awakened in Nie Yu's mind, and he immediately had a guess. Nie Yu didn't immediately draw a conclusion, but casually asked, "What is this? Why does it smell so bad?"

Wang Qiaosheng immediately began to enthusiastically introduce it: "Your Majesty, this is an elegant product imported from Southeast Asia, called **, also known as Fushou Gao. When mixed with tobacco, ** can clear the mind, eliminate fatigue, and bring joy to the body and mind."

Nie Yu nodded slightly: "So, you **?"

“Since it is offered to Your Majesty, I have already tried it, and it is indeed as you say.” Wang Qiaosheng thought Nie Yu was tempted, so he explained, “This opium is not only an imported product, but it is also cultivated in Fujian and Zhejiang. Local scholars consider it a refined and elegant item. Whenever I am tired, I drink this opium, and I feel relaxed and refreshed. Moreover, this elegant item is inexpensive. Not only are opium poppies widely grown in Fujian, but even ordinary people can afford it.”

Nie Yu continued, "Is it only found in Fujian and Zhejiang?"

Wang Qiaosheng replied, "I heard that last year some people from Anhui brought poppy seedlings to Fujian and are trying to plant them. There are also poppy promotions in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan."

Nie Yu nodded slightly, then summoned two guards: "Men! Seize this fellow and throw him in jail. Make sure you find out who else is behind him in this drug trafficking ring. If you can't get the information, you are permitted to use torture on him without hesitation. After you've finished, make them quit drugs in the jail right here. If they can't quit, they are not to be released, and they are absolutely forbidden from using drugs."

Good heavens! Upon hearing this, Wang Qiaosheng was completely dumbfounded and hurriedly protested, "Your Majesty, I'm innocent! This humble subject did not lie. This is truly a rare and exquisite item, even the common people and officials of Fujian have it! If you don't believe me, you can try a bite; it will definitely invigorate you and make you feel incredibly refreshed!"

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Two Han army guards, their faces cold, grabbed Wang Qiaosheng's arms and dragged him outside.

Wang Qiaosheng didn't even dare to struggle, he just kept shouting "I'm innocent!"

Wang Qiaosheng was dragged away, and Nie Yu looked at Henry again.

Nie Yu asked, "Did you sell this to him?"

Henry looked terrified and stammered, "No...no, but the one who sold it to him was a friend of mine."

Nie Yu nodded: "Okay, take him away. There's no need to torture him. Let him explain who he is and where the sales channels are."

Henry didn't understand what was happening until he was taken away.

They were just having a good talk, how did they suddenly turn on each other? And the reason for the falling out was something as ordinary as a product: "**".

After the two were taken away, Nie Yu thought for a moment and then summoned Zhou Xueting from the Imperial Hospital.

This Imperial Medical Academy is not the same as the traditional Imperial Medical Academy, which had a dedicated team of private doctors to treat the royal family.

Although the Imperial Medical Academy of the Han Dynasty was also responsible for treating the sick and saving lives, it was not limited to the royal family and nobility. Ordinary people could also receive treatment from the physicians of the Imperial Medical Academy. Even many military doctors in the Han army were affiliated with the Imperial Medical Academy.

Physicians in the Imperial Medical Academy were paid a stipend by the Han Dynasty and could be promoted according to their merits. After being promoted, physicians naturally enjoyed some privileges that were usually reserved for officials and gentry.

This was also Nie Yu's way of encouraging the Imperial Medical Academy to pool their wisdom and expertise in medical research. Just two months ago, he had sent a number of Taoist priests from Longhu Mountain to the Imperial Medical Academy to study the principles of illness.

The head of the Imperial Medical Academy is Zhou Xueting. This guy was one of the first to join the Han Dynasty's uprising, and now he's busy with all sorts of projects every day, so busy he barely has time to rest.

"You've worked hard, Zhou Qing. I have something here that I'd like you to take a look at and see if you recognize it." Nie Yu handed over the box of black, foul-smelling ginseng.

Zhou Xueting took it, smelled it briefly, and nodded, saying, "This is **, also known as Fushou Gao (福寿膏). I've heard it's widely cultivated in Fujian, Zhejiang, Yunnan, and Guizhou. However, it's poisonous, depletes one's essence and blood, and damages one's vital energy. It shouldn't be used lightly."

(End of this chapter)