The three people following Tatehara Shanchuan also seemed to notice that the master was in a daze. They had walked along the pier for several kilometers but never said a word. This was not the sign of the master when he was in a happy mood.
"Moori-kun, is there still no news about our exploration team?" He asked suddenly. If it were someone else, he would not know what the other party was asking, but Centaur Mouri, who had been following behind him, understood the master's words. meaning in.
"Well, Lord, there is still no news. Several of our expedition teams have searched quite far east and south along the Great Pearl Islands. Except for some worthless islands and reefs, we have not found any islands or land that are enough to establish our new base. , it seems that only the islands in the Great Pearl Islands are valuable in that sea area."
Centaur Maori also had some regrets. In order to find a channel that could go straight down to the Southern Ocean, he had spent a lot of energy, but he had never been able to make a breakthrough. The navy of the Three Kingdoms Alliance is now patrolling and inspecting the waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Southern Ocean more closely. However, one's own navy is still unable to directly conflict with the navy of the Three Kingdoms Alliance, which forces one's own side to want to bypass the Three Kingdoms. The Great Pearl Islands controlled by the Alliance entered the Mawen Islands in the Atlantic Ocean and then entered the port of the Nanyang Alliance. However, it is obviously unrealistic to not have a supply port in the middle of such a long journey, and finding such a supply place has become a problem. Several expeditions searched eastward along the fringes of the Great Pearl Islands, but found nothing. Of course, this is not easy. If they could be found casually, the Three Kingdoms Alliance, which has a good location, would have discovered and occupied these islands long ago.
The Lord's idea is very clear. When there are no reliable allies in the surrounding area, only the Nanyang Alliance can join forces with itself through the sea. However, the Three Kingdoms Alliance was instructed by Li Wufeng to consciously strengthen its precautions in this regard. This has also greatly restricted the connection with the Nanyang Alliance, and military supplies have become a key focus of the Navy of the Three Kingdoms Alliance. As the Tang people on the mainland were unified by Li Wufeng, even the channels for capital flow were gradually controlled. The network he had established in the coastal areas of the mainland had suffered huge losses. Li Wufeng's security department was frantically pursuing every clue. Many of his collaborators were thrown into prison, which was a huge blow to him.
"Don't be discouraged. I believe that there cannot be only the Pearl Islands in such a vast sea area. However, our efforts are not enough. We must redouble our efforts. This is related to the survival of our nation and we have to continue to explore." Tachihara Yamakawa With a cold face, he said, "Now Li Wufeng has listed us as the primary enemy. Look at his behavior, he is all targeting us. The Three Kingdoms Alliance is also colluding with him, so we must break this cage. The Tang people are also in an encirclement. , from the Liberians in the north to the Macchi Khans and the Nanyang Alliance in the south, plus us in the Atlantic, they will not be easy. This is a wrestling, whoever can persist to the end will be the winner. Three Kingdoms The alliance is not a natural ally of the Tang people. As long as the situation changes, they will still adapt to the wind, and it depends on the outcome of the competition between the parties."
"Mr. Maori, it seems that we still need to conduct some transactions with the Doton people. Many of the things we need still need to be transported from Nomenkan. We might as well put the issue of Crescent Peninsula and Cook Islands into a solution. Negotiation posture. By luring them into the trap, we can delay some time and let them continue to maintain trade relations with us. Although Situ Tai is finished, the relationship between us is not over. Smuggling important materials from the territory of the Tang Dynasty Continuing to maintain the current situation, the Tang people don't have much maritime power to restrain us, but they will definitely tighten restrictions from within, but as long as there are high profits, there will always be people willing to do this kind of business."
"But Lord, our strength has reached its limit now. The navy consumes a lot of our funds, and now the continuous expansion of the army has overburdened the people. A large number of strong labor forces have become soldiers, and now our foreign trade has also We have been greatly restricted, and now we can no longer afford it financially." The person at the end spoke with some hesitation, but in the end he mustered up the courage to speak out what was in his heart.
Tachihara Shanchuan's cold eyes suddenly glanced back, passing over the man's face like a wind and frost sword. The man couldn't help but shudder and quickly lowered his head.
"Okuda-kun, if every job is not challenging, then what do I need you as a financial director to do? Which job is not difficult, and which job can be completed easily? Your mentality makes me Very disappointed!" Although Tachihara Shankawa's words were very concise, they made the other party's head and face drip with sweat.
"My lord, Okuda made a mistake. Okuda will work hard and live up to your kindness." The man bowed repeatedly to apologize.
Tachihara Yamakawa also knew that these words alone could not solve the actual difficulties. He was also aware of the financial constraints. The doubling of military expenditures had made the finances stretched. Although Tachihara Yamakawa had ordered officials at all levels to reduce their salaries and the people to increase their salaries again. Taxation is a response, but it cannot fundamentally change the situation. It will take some time for the occupation of large tracts of land to be converted into actual benefits, but Tatehara Yamakawa believes that as long as this situation continues, it will not be long before the iron ore on the Crescent Peninsula, the silver mine on the treasure island, the fertile land, and survey Coupled with the forest resources on the island, once these things are developed and transported, the situation will change drastically. But before that, I had to find a way to deal with this problem.
It is no longer possible to implement tax increase measures, and the people's patience cannot be challenged anymore. Since the beginning of the war, I have raised various tax burdens several times, and the people have not yet seen the benefits of the war. This can easily cause public resentment. Especially those families that are not very docile are more likely to take the lead in causing trouble. For overseas trade, it seems that they have to have some contact with the Three Kingdoms Alliance and find a way to open a back door here.
"Okuda-kun, I am donating 500,000 silver coins. Go and tell the heads of each family the news, and then spread the news to the people and call on the people to donate. As long as we get through this difficult period, the light will belong to us. "Tatehara Shankawa said word by word: "Mouri-kun, you go and strengthen the surveillance of those families. If you find any abnormality in them, take decisive action immediately, arrest them for treason, and confiscate all their property. "
"Kono-kun, the plan to develop large transport ships cannot be stopped. We must have an advantage on the Eastern Continent. Large transport ships will be our most important means of transportation. In the future, we will compete with places like Crescent Peninsula, Treasure Island, and Kamchatka Island. All material exchanges must rely on large transport ships. If we want to go further, we must take the lead in shipbuilding technology. The people we sent to the Western Continent should be back soon. I hope they will stay in this part of the Western Continent. Time has not been wasted, the shipbuilding technology of the Western Continent is different from that of the Tang people, and it is superior in ocean-going ships. If we can obtain the secret, then we can be invincible."
"Kono understands, my lord!" The man who had been silent until now bowed in a standard manner and said with his legs tightly closed.
"Everyone, now is the most critical and difficult time for us and people. As long as we can survive this period, we will surely usher in a better future. For the survival and prosperity of our nation, we can do anything else. Under our feet, no matter who it is, as long as it blocks the progress of our nation, we will eradicate him without hesitation! No one can stop the rise of our nation. God has given us such an opportunity, and we must not lose it. ! So we can only move forward without retreating and move towards victory!"
Tachihara Shankawa's hands suddenly waved wildly as if he wanted to embrace the setting sun. Under the dim sunset light, Xun Xun's flying ribbons on his clothes combined with his ferocious face made him look like a ghost, as if he wanted to choose people to devour.
Wu Feng, who stayed in Tianshui, had to deal with the welcome meeting held by people from all walks of life in Tianshui Prefecture. The people of Tianshui were very excited that His Highness the King of Qin chose the land route instead of the water route. You must know that once His Highness the King of Qin enters Beijing, it will be very difficult to leave the capital in the future. Very few. When you become the emperor, of course you can only sit in the center and control the overall situation. You can't move around as you like when you were the prince. Tianshui cannot miss this opportunity, especially since he is accompanied by the future. and the concubines, this is a rare opportunity for a thousand years, enough for Tian Shui to make a mark in the history of the empire in the future.
As an important town connecting Kansai and the imperial capital, Tianshui also plays an important role in Heshuo County. The dyes and lacquers produced by Tianshui also occupy a very important position in the entire empire, and most of the industry and commerce developed based on these two specialties are also related to these two specialties. The two raw materials are related, and the dye merchants and lacquer merchants are important members of the Heshuo Chamber of Commerce.
As the first governor of Heshuo, He Jing had already been waiting for the arrival of Wu Feng and his party in Tianshui. The enthusiasm of the people in Tianshui made him feel proud and proud as the governor of a county. The people of Heshuo had experienced the Taiping War and Kaman After the invasion, he was extremely tired of the war, and the desire for peace, stability and economic development became the mainstream in Heshuo. With this trend, although he had just taken office not long ago, He Jing already had a grand plan in mind to build Heshuo into a worthy place. Of course, the plan to compete with the three southeastern counties will require the support of the central government of the empire to succeed. This is also one of the purposes of his coming to Tianshui to meet with His Highness the King of Qin.