Chapter 78 The beginning of the fall of the cherry blossoms

On the streets of Nanjing, large areas of darkness, or lit fire, the lanterns shine, are naturally at the construction site of large-scale construction.

I am used to the bright lights in Guangzhou, and walking on the streets of Nanjing, I feel inexplicably lonely.

Thousands of Yulin Guards had already put martial law in this area. There were no less than a hundred guards following Ye Zhao, and they were covered in darkness and moved with the footsteps of the Regent.

"Your Highness, I believe that in not much time, Nanjing will become as beautiful as Guangzhou." Walking side by side with Ye Zhao was the American Minister Machason, an old friend who had established a very close relationship with Ye Zhao.

America is the first country to set up an embassy in Nanjing. McChason also came to Nanjing from Guangzhou. Now the address of the US embassy has been selected, and Western buildings are being built on the ruins of the South City.

After hearing what Machason said, Ye Zhao felt a little nervous. It was very difficult, but Nanjing was not prepared to turn it into the economic center of the Southern Dynasties, right?

Now that Su Song is holding the palm of his hand, Shanghai naturally becomes the next target.

Shanghai can become what the North-South Free Trade Zone mentioned in the North. After taking Su Song, it is natural for the Northern officials to expel Shanghai. However, if Shanghai is controlled in its hands, there is a natural barrier of the Yangtze River in the north and south, if southern goods want to enter the North, they have to find another port. At that time, they will be banned and donated miscellaneous taxes. I don’t know how many. Shanghai retains the officials of the North, and after the Southern goods enter Shanghai, it will be equivalent to entering the gate. As for tax rates, it can be negotiated at the negotiating table, and the North cannot make its own decisions. Of course, Shanghai’s tariff rights in all countries must be held in its hands, and at most a little rain and dew is given to the North, which is considered to be a common benefit.

Ye Zhao laughed as he thought about it. If the Six Kings could agree to this condition, it would be strange. I was afraid that I would rather not have Shanghai than take advantage of it. Let’s talk slowly. Now the initiative is in the hands of the Southern Dynasty.

"Hey, it's still on fire." Ye Zhao pointed to the lights that oozed out of the wooden boards next to him. Nowadays, most blocks in Nanjing have implemented curfews, otherwise Ye Zhao would not have come out to disturb the public in such a big show. Moreover, he was walking around Nanjing with Machason and could not disguise himself.

I used the red gauze lanterns in the hands of the guard to look at the shop's signature, but it was a "barbecue shop". It seemed that it must be a business of merchants in the south.

Listening to someone talking inside, then a wooden board of the shop was moved from inside. As soon as the young man looked out, he saw more than a dozen cold bayonets in the fire. The young man was so scared that he was stunned and stunned.

"What are the little bastards doing? Are there any policemen outside?" It seemed like the boss's voice.

Several guards had already walked over and lifted the wooden boards very neatly. In the shop, several diners who were full of wine and food were so scared that they raised their hands. The chubby boss knelt down and kowtowed, "Jun Ye, Jun Ye, these are all my neighbors, not guests, not guests!"

Seeing this, Ye Zhao knew that it must be that he had violated the curfew and did business secretly, thinking that he had committed an official crime.

Ye Zhao smiled after seeing it, waved his hand and said, "Forget it, let them go." He said to Machasun again, "It just happened to be a few skewers of meat to eat."

Several diners ran away with their heads in their arms. Ye Zhao and Machasson entered the shop and found a table to sit down. Ulden, deputy general manager of the royal guard, told the boss to go to barbecue as soon as possible. The boss was stunned. How dare he say that he was ignorant?

Ye Zhao lit a cigarette, threw it to Machason, and smiled and said, "It seems that this curfew should be lifted."

McChason smiled and said that he was not good at expressing his opinions on Nanjing government affairs.

Smoking a cigarette, Ye Zhao looked at Machason and smiled and said, "In a few days, I will be sending Zhang Youcun to Japan." Zhang Youcun was originally the Minister of Commerce in the East and the current Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

McChason was stunned and looked at Ye Zhao.

Six years ago, the United States opened its Japan portal and signed a goodwill treaty between Japan and the United States, stipulating that American ships could sail into the two ports of Shimoda and Hakodate in Japan, where they could load coal, food and fresh water. The Japanese government shall not restrict the freedom of Americans in Japan and give preferential treatment.

At the beginning of this year, the two countries signed the "Japan-US Friendship and Trade Treaty Treaty". The treaty stipulated that Japan opened trades in five ports including Hakodate, Kanagawa, Nagasaki, Hyogo, etc., and agreed tax rates were implemented for goods imported from Japan and products exported from Japan. The United States sent diplomatic representatives in Edo, and the United States established residence areas and consular jurisdictions in Japan, including similar concessions.

At this point, the Japanese portal was officially opened. Ye Zhao was busy with the Civil War and the extermination of the Taiping Army, and had no time to take care of it. When the season stopped, he naturally had to "equality of interests". Although the Japanese silver mines gradually declined, there were still several silver mountains. Moreover, the gold exchange rate in Japan is far lower than that in the international market. Speculators from various countries have not yet discovered it and are out of reach. Of course, he has to search for some gold and come back.

Today, Japan only has a trade treaty with one country of the United States. In fact, it has placed a few gunboats over and cited the treaty signed between the United States and Japan. It can sign similar treaties with giant ships and cannons with foreign policy, but politely, you should inform the Americans.

Machason smiled bitterly and said, "I knew very early that His Highness the Prince will say this to me one day."

Japan is so close to China, how could China's ambitious regents and capitalists not regard it as a back garden to plunder raw materials and dump industrial products?

Ye Zhao smiled and raised the teacup and said, "In short, I will do my best to guarantee the interests of America in the Far East and cheer for our friendship."

After destroying the Taiping Army and occupying the ten provinces in the south of the Yangtze River, Ye Zhao's mood was different. However, in the Far East, this place with complex forces in various countries gradually came before Ye Zhao.

Madchason and Ye Zhao clinked the cup and said sincerely: "Your Highness, I cannot promise anything, but personally, I will definitely do my best to promote the relationship between our country and China led by the Regent."

After tasting the tea, Machason smiled and said, "Your Highness, if you have any questions about the World Expo, I am willing to answer it for you."

Ye Zhao smiled: "You are well-informed."

Yesterday I received a letter from British Minister Jackson, saying that I received a telegram from London in China that the World Expo will be held in London, the British Empire in 1861, and I am honored to invite the Regent, China to participate. I also said that the official letter and invitation letter will be there later.

Although China and Thailand have not yet communicated with telegrams, the sea line has been set up in Kolkata, India, and the time for information transmission from east to west has been greatly shortened. When the letter paper came from London to India, the news soon reached Guangzhou.

The World Expo will be held in the next year, but if China participates in the exhibition, it will be a little more anxious for two years. After all, the exhibits must be drifted on the ocean for half a year, and the quantity must be prepared in advance, so as not to arrive on schedule due to weather problems. Today's ships often rely on sails on the ocean. Steam-powered coal-fired energy is not very efficient, and pure coal burning is also expensive, especially for merchant ships.

At the London World Expo, a special letter was sent to invite the "Regent China" who was thousands of miles away to participate. It is impossible to say that it is worthy of southern China.

Ye Zhao was also excited. This was the best stage for Chinese people to show their oriental style. The World Expo is only the third time, the first time in London, the second time in Paris, and the third time in London. No other country except the European powers and the United States, has participated. Now, the invitation of major oriental powers to participate has truly had global significance.

When participating in this expo, you must prepare the exhibits well. You cannot win awards just like old China, relying solely on alcohol to truly showcase the achievements of China's industrial achievements in the south. However, because the start was really weak, the industrial foundation of the Southern Dynasty was not as good as that of third-rate European countries, but it was better than that of the vitality and some fields were at the forefront of the world.

Of course, Chinese people are accustomed to hiding their strength, and Ye Zhao is no exception. He will not take out some things to display, so choosing this exhibit is a big deal.

Although the World Measurement Conference is not yet obvious, it is not bad to be able to participate in the World Measurement Expo. If you can go there in two years, Ye Zhao really wants to go to Europe to take a look. In Europe now, he has only seen some historical materials. Seeing this modern Western society where black slaves exist with his own eyes will make him more inspiration for him.

After hearing McChason's question, Ye Zhao smiled and said, "I know a little about the World Expo. If you don't understand anything in the future, I'll ask you for advice."

McCashon originally thought that although the Regent had a far-sighted vision and amazing knowledge, the International Nations Fair was a small-scale exhibition in Europe after all, and it was only held twice in London and Paris. Orientals had never heard of it, but they didn't expect that the Regent seemed to be confident.

The guards brought the barbecue and put them in porcelain plates. Machasun was already very skilled with chopsticks. He picked up a piece and put it into his mouth. He immediately praised him and said, "It's a pity that there is more oil and water."

Ye Zhao smiled and said, "I heard that the Japanese cuisine is light and light. John, you must have never tasted it?"

Machason said: "I have never been to Edo and Kyoto."

Ye Zhao said: "Is your consul in Edo Mr. Jones?"

McChason nodded.

Ye Zhao smiled and said, "When I have time, I will go with you to Edo and Mr. Jones for sashimi."

McChason smiled and said yes.

Ye Zhao felt that he remembered that in the Meiji Restoration in Japan, in a few years, Mitsubishi Shipping Company defeated several ships from the United States, Britain and other companies that traveled between Shanghai and Japan, and monopolized the shipping from Shanghai to Japan. Now he has sent telegrams to Jinfeng and Huang Wenxiu, asking them to start planning and establish a shipping company.

Mitsubishi Company rose because of the support of the Japanese government. For example, when Mitsubishi was first established, the Meiji government entrusted it to operate thirteen ships and maritime military transportation businesses. A year later, the government simply gave these 13 ships to Mitsubishi, and allocated operating compensation fees every year. Since then, the government has purchased 18 ships from the US Postal Shipping Company and handed them over to Mitsubishi for operation free of charge.

This is how the Japanese government is, giving these businesses to private enterprises for development, that is, they are initially implemented by the government and then sold to gradually cultivated and mature private enterprises to continue to develop. Japan has always adopted this method of development. In this process, not only Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo and other companies have successively bought official enterprises from the government to develop.

Naturally, China cannot adopt this model, because almost all the large enterprises that are at the forefront have close ties with them. If they do this, it does not mean that they use the treasury money for themselves for personal gain. Although under the current system, the treasury money is actually no different from its own, aren’t these things that they want to change?

However, my capital development is on the right track now and I don’t even need to borrow money from the treasury. I can already become a big company. Speaking of which, the treasury still owes me a lot of gold and silver.

Ye Zhao thought about it, but he helped Machasson pick up a chopstick. Of course, the chopsticks were clean and they had never used them.

McChason kept saying thank you.

Ye Zhao would never know that a few years later, his chat with Machason today is called a secret agreement in Nanjing. Japanese radical nationalists believe that it is today that the Chinese and Americans secretly negotiated in Nanjing and discussed the crimes of how to divide Japan and how to divide the spoils. From then on, the Chinese began to show their ugly faces and launched economic and even forceful invasions against Japan again and again.

Ye Zhao didn't know that after today, Donglin Island would no longer be calm, and he could not helplessly intervened in the great changes in Japanese society.
Chapter completed!