Ling Tianfang also intentionally defeated the government and the army. The price of spices in the empire has soared in the past year, which made the people in the empire very dissatisfied, especially some of the wealthy classes. They originally thought that they could fully enjoy the benefits by controlling the Meili area. Unexpectedly, the price of spices has even risen a lot than before. The reason is that the demand in the Western Continent has increased sharply. Businessmen are driven by profits and naturally will not take care of the empire's domestic needs.
Xiao Tang and Su Qin were also annoyed. As the area of the empire continued to expand, the population in the territory also increased sharply. The empire's economy continued to grow rapidly in the past few years, and the number of emerging wealthy classes also increased significantly. On the one hand, they increased investment to expand reproduction. , but on the one hand, it has also begun to pay attention to the quality of life and continuously improve the taste and standard of life, which has also resulted in a substantial increase in demand for various luxury goods. Spices are undoubtedly a necessity for the wealthy people to improve their taste and quality of life. However, the spices in the central and northern Meili region are obviously difficult to satisfy the huge wealthy people in the empire. Moreover, the number of this type of wealthy people is still growing rapidly, and they need and The gap between supply will become larger and larger. The discovery of Lilac Island has undoubtedly pointed out a way for the needs of the middle and upper classes of the empire. If Lilac Island can be developed, it can greatly reduce the pressure on the empire's demand for these spices, and at the same time, it can also create considerable wealth for the empire.
"How long does it take to sail from Lilac Island to Sikkim?" Both Wu Feng and others in the palace were very sensitive to this issue. This was the most important issue, involving the cost of transporting spices.
"If we sail according to the current route, it will take at least one and a half months, and there can be no mistakes and delays in the meantime." Ling Tianfang replied: "The Naval Intelligence Bureau and the Bureau of Surveying and Mapping are working hard to open a route directly across the Eastern Latin Ocean from Dingxiang Island , it is estimated that if this route can be opened, the sailing time from Lilac Island to Sikkim can be shortened to about 25 days, but this is only a preliminary idea, everything still needs to be truly opened and detailed and reliable charts made We won’t know for sure until later.”
Let out a breath. Wu Feng fell into deep thought. There is no doubt about the importance of Dingxiang Island to the empire. Even he felt the rising prices of spices. Many representatives in the Citizens' Council questioned the price of spices after the empire took control of the central and northern Meili region. The demand for spices in the Western Continent continues to grow. From the perspective of psychological distance and physical distance, it is much more cost-effective to export spices to the Western Continent than to the Eastern Continent. Boarding a ship at Luxor will take you right to the Baltic and Aegean coasts, even if pirates are rampant. As long as you pay the fee, you will be safe. If you cannot go by land, you will enter the Hansen Alliance through Binhai County and West Indian County, and then transfer to the countries in the Western Continent. The transportation cost is also much more cost-effective than traveling by land across the Central Continent or by sea via the Adriatic Gulf, into the Latin Ocean, through the Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean and the Empire. This has also led to an increase in the price of spices in disguise.
"Lord Ling, what are the natural conditions in the Great Lakes area?" The one who broke the silence was Zhan Huacai, the trusted minister of agriculture and water resources. He was the only one among the central ministries of the empire who was neither brought from Western Xinjiang following Wu Feng nor retained by the original Tanghe Empire. official, he was originally just a senior scholar at the Imperial University. He was quite accomplished in agricultural and water conservancy. He was later jointly recommended to the DPRK by representatives of the People's Council, and he was directly appointed as Minister of Agriculture and Water Conservancy without any hesitation. Once again, he set a precedent for the appointment and removal of officials, which also earned Wu Feng widespread praise among scholars.
"The Great Lakes area is thousands of miles in diameter, with abundant water resources and good water and heat conditions. Half of it is covered by forest and is extremely rich in timber resources. The rest is a savanna area. If it can be reclaimed, it will definitely become fertile farmland. And according to the conditions of this area, Climate and environmental conditions. Commercial crops such as gum trees, cocoa, palm, and sugar cane should be widely planted, and irrigation conditions are good. However, the basic conditions in this area are now poor, from Mountbatten to Lake Tanganyika, and from Assab To reach Lake Malawi, there are only some small roads that we have explored by ourselves. Logistics support is very difficult, so the construction of colonial sites has been stalled. There are also a large number of indigenous black people in the forest, and most of them rely on fishing, hunting and collecting. They make a living from plant fruits and seeds. If the empire needs it, with some good planning, they can become a cheap labor force for the empire. Because this area is located in the hinterland of the New World, whether it is the Kingdom of Leeds, the Famini Empire or the Barotse Kingdom , their power has not yet extended here. They have focused more on the coastal areas of the mainland. Our empire is only exploring and mapping around the great lake with its own expedition team. But according to my judgment, if we leave it alone, , within ten years, the Leeds and Famini people will set foot here. At that time, it will be very difficult for the empire to monopolize this fertile area." Ling Tianfang licked his lips, obviously interested in the Great Lakes Region We yearn for the fertile land so much that it is simply a crime that such a large piece of fertile land is left unattended.
Ling Tianfang's description made many people in the palace swallow their saliva. Fertile land is the best wealth for everyone. As long as there are people, it can be produced without any worries. Although it is far less profitable than the industrial and commercial industry, it is the most stable income. This is why many imperial gentry and nobles still like to purchase large amounts of land as a means of investment even if they make a fortune in the industrial and commercial industry. .
"Well, what are the plans for letting you go that day?" Wu Feng asked directly without giving Xiao Tang and Su Qin a chance.
"My idea is very simple. Control this land as quickly as possible in the shortest time and make the empire the legal owner of it. By the time Leeds and others come here, this is already the actual control area of the empire, and they can only watch helplessly. They are looking at us, just like we can only watch helplessly as they control the northern and western parts of the New World. This is called preconception." Ling Tianfang's words were crisp and clear.
"Lord Ling, have you considered the problem too simply? How much investment does the empire need to control this area? In terms of military, immigration, infrastructure, opening of shipping routes, and logistical support, you should know that the current international diplomacy Recognition does not mean that you send two teams of soldiers to build a few sentries and put in a few grass road signs to prove that this land belongs to you. If you want the other party to admit that this is your actual control area, then you have to prove to them that this land belongs to you. The residents on the land are subject to your rule, and the government is indeed implementing effective administrative management. I think we all need to understand this." Su Qin couldn't hold it back anymore, although he was also very excited about the prospects outlined by Ling Tianfang. I'm tempted, but it's really unrealistic to hear that the other party can turn a large piece of land into an empire-controlled area and let the powers of the Western Continent recognize it in such an understatement.
"Of course I know that the investment will not be small and the difficulties will be great, but I think it is a piece of land worthy of our efforts. No matter how much we invest, the output will be ten times or even a hundred times. This I know this better than anyone else!" Facing the ridicule from his colleagues in the Government Affairs Council, Ling Tianfang responded tit for tat without any mercy.
Su Qin was choked by the opponent's tough posture and was speechless for a moment. For the first time, Su Qin realized that the number one figure in the Privy Council, who was usually not very talkative, was not bad at eloquence. It was just that everyone was used to his silence and conciseness. This Once it broke out, everyone was immediately impressed.
With a dry cough, Wu Feng had to interrupt the quarrel that was about to break out. He didn't want to see this scene. He wanted everything to proceed according to the process he led. "Tian Fang, so far, have you figured out the outline of the entire new continent? This How big is the continent and how many islands are there around it, especially in the east and south? Do the indigenous people living in the New World know? Have we completed the voyage around the New World?"
"Unfortunately, Your Majesty, our navy's power is quite limited and we have not yet been able to do this. The indigenous people in the New World know nothing about it. Their level of civilization is still at the primitive level. But fortunately, the people of Leeds and The Barotse have not done this either, but we and they are still working hard. We have to be aware of our advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that we control the entire eastern part of the New World, and other countries cannot get involved for the time being. The disadvantage is that we are quite weak in the north and west, and since we control a large area in the east, other countries are somewhat hostile to the Empire."
"We have established two small settlements on the western coast of the New World. A thirty-mile radius is within our control. This has been recognized by the actual controllers of this area, the Leeds people, through negotiations with the diplomatic department. These two These two small colonies are 240 nautical miles apart, but are surrounded by the Leeds people's sphere of influence. We hope that by establishing these two colonies, we can cooperate with our current efforts to explore southward along the east coast of the New World. First of all, Complete the circumnavigation of the New World. Now that the naval power of the Leeds, Barots, and Faminis in the New World continues to increase, I believe that this has seriously endangered the interests of the Empire in the New World, so I sincerely request your Majesty to agree to form a new continent. Latin Ocean Fleet to truly protect the empire's rights and interests in the New World from infringement." Ling Tianfang glanced at the resentful Su and Qin, and said righteously.