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Xu Yongshun swallowed his saliva secretly and said, "Your Majesty, we haven't really entered Europe yet. If we intervene in America now, I'm afraid we won't be able to do so."
"Haha, Xiao Shunzi, you think too much. You have to eat one bite at a time. I know this. I just want you to explore and get a feel for the situation in America so that you can prepare for a large-scale invasion of America in the future. It is definitely impossible to go to America in a large scale now. The time is not yet ripe. I estimate that it will take at least ten years.
But some things must be done now, at least to explore America first, so that we can have a reference when we advance into America in the future. As for the exploration route, we can divide our forces into two groups. On the one hand, we can use Europe as a base and cross the Atlantic Ocean from Europe.
Another route is to reach South China from Daqin first, and then use South China as a base to explore eastward. Europeans have already traveled around the world and have confirmed that they can reach America and return to Europe via South China.
We can’t always lag behind in these matters. Ordinary sea merchants cannot do this kind of exploration, so let the ocean-going trading companies take on this kind of exploration mission.”
The Ocean Trading Company has grown into a behemoth with 232 ships, many of which are clippers with amazing speed. As long as some weapons are added, they will be perfect for exploring the ocean.
At the same time, the Ocean Trading Company has some monopoly advantages, and its annual trade profit has reached more than two million dragon coins. And it is still growing. Since it occupies so many resources, it must bear some corresponding responsibilities.
Moreover, although this kind of exploration behavior is very risky, there is actually the possibility of making huge profits.
Of the European explorers back then, many had made a fortune as long as they could return safely.
For example, when Wang Guichen and his team were exploring South China Continent, they were able to exchange a broken bowl for a handful of gems. This kind of thing is not worth making a fuss about.
Xu Yongshun certainly did not hesitate to follow Qin Mu's instructions. He thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty. This kind of expedition involves great risks. No one knows what will happen. So it is not enough to just equip the troops. I have a humble request. I would like to ask Your Majesty to allow me to recruit some retired naval soldiers. Perhaps we can send some of them to the navy for some necessary military training to increase their ability to deal with dangers."
"Yes, but the number of people cannot be too large, otherwise the ministers in the court will inevitably have concerns."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will explain the pros and cons to you and will never embarrass Your Majesty."
Qin Mu thought for a while and said, "There is another place that is now in the hands of the Ottoman Empire, here, Egypt. You should also send merchant ships to infiltrate first and find out the situation there. If Li Ding and his men can defeat the Ottoman Empire in the future, I will find a way to make the Ottoman Empire sign a surrender treaty and cede Egypt to my Qin."
"Your Majesty, what is so special about this place?"
"The First Emperor was able to build the Great Wall. Emperor Yang of Sui was able to dig the Grand Canal. Look at the map and think about it yourself."
***
After resting for several days in Lisbon, the Qin envoys, led by Zhang Haoran, set sail for the British capital of London under the escort of four warships sent by Cronwell.
Britain has just experienced a long-lasting bourgeois revolutionary war. King Charles I of Britain has been executed by Cromwell. Charles II is in exile in Europe under the protection of the Royalists. Britain is actually mainly controlled by Cromwell.
Oliver Cromwell. He can be said to be a British bourgeois revolutionary, politician, military strategist, and religious leader. In the British bourgeois revolution that began a few years ago, he was a representative of the bourgeoisie - the new aristocracy group and the leader of the independent faction.
Cromwell was born in Huntingdon and studied at Sydney Sussex College of Cambridge University. He believed in Puritanism. In the two civil wars from 1642 to 1648, he led the "Iron Cavalry" and the New Model Army successively and defeated the royalist army.
In June 1645, they won a decisive victory over the royalists in the Battle of Naseby. In 1649, under pressure from urban civilians and self-employed farmers, they executed King Charles I and declared the establishment of a republic.
Once power is obtained, people don't want to give it up. Cromway, the first person to establish the so-called republic, is no exception.
He is now planning to establish a military dictatorship, which has aroused the vigilance and opposition of the British Parliament.
Britain has been in civil war for many years. Now Charles II is still in exile, and the royalists attack him from time to time. At the same time, the internal situation is unstable, and a large number of troops need to be maintained. This has led to Britain's expenditure exceeding its income, resulting in a huge fiscal deficit.
Now, Cromway wanted to issue an edict to abolish the knightly fiefdom system and the feudal tax office, and wanted to follow the example of Charles I and establish some commodity monopolies to ease the huge financial pressure;
However, this was met with strong protests from parliament and vested interests, and these policies were not implemented.
Under such circumstances, Kweiwell was full of anticipation for the arrival of the Qin delegation.
At the speed of a clipper, it takes two days and two nights to get from Lisbon to London. London is located in the southeast of the island of England, across the lower banks of the Thames, 88 kilometers away from the estuary, and can be reached directly by ocean-going ships.
Soon after the four clippers entered the Thames, a tall bridge could be seen in the distance. This was the famous Tower Bridge of London.
The Tower Bridge is one of the landmark buildings in London. It was originally a wooden bridge. Since 1176, the construction of the London Bridge began with stone and was finally completed in 1209. The construction of the new London Bridge took a total of 33 years, during which 150 workers were said to have died.
The newly built London Bridge was perhaps the strangest bridge ever built in the Middle Ages, being completely asymmetrical, with no two of its 19 arches being exactly alike.
In addition to the 19 arches, there is also a drawbridge. Houses and shops were soon built on the bridge deck, and there was even a small church built in the middle of the bridge. There is also a gatehouse at the south end of the bridge.
The arch was narrow and the current was swift, so only the brave or the foolhardy passed under it, and many people lost their lives.
The gatehouse at the south end became London's most notorious attraction: traitors' heads were chopped off, nailed to stakes and coated with bitumen to prevent decay.
In 1305, the head of William Wallace, the famous Scottish rebel leader, was nailed to the door, starting a 355-year-long tradition.
When Zhang Haoran and his companions passed by, they could still clearly see the heads nailed to the door. After a quick count, they found that there were 30 heads nailed to the bridge.
At this time, the city of London could be said to be the largest city in the United Kingdom and even in the whole of Europe. There were the towering St. Paul's Cathedral, Torwell Castle, and Westminster Abbey in the city.
Among them, Westminster Abbey enjoys the supreme status in the UK and is known as the "Spire of Honor".
Because this is the exclusive chapel of the British royal family, almost all the kings' coronations, royal weddings, and all major ceremonies since 1066 have been held here.
This church is a representative work of medieval architecture in England, with rich decorations, and its huge fan-shaped pendants and vaulted ceilings are extremely bold and ingenious. There is a throne in the middle, sitting high on a high platform in front of the church altar;
Except for Edward V and Edward VIII, all British kings were crowned sitting on this chair. Under the throne was a holy stone called the "Stone of Destiny". It was the traditional coronation seat of the Scottish kings and a symbol of their power. In 1297, Edward I brought it to London.
Of course, this is a good view from a distance, but when you actually enter the streets of London, it is a completely different scene;
The streets were littered with human and animal excrement, and were extremely dirty and messy. The roadside sewers didn't even have covers, and sewage was flowing everywhere, stinking. Fortunately, it was winter, otherwise there would definitely be swarms of flies buzzing around.
The flow of people on the streets was the same as that in an ordinary county of the Qin Dynasty, with the same crowded scene as in Nanjing and Suzhou.
Ordinary people mostly wore linen clothes, and only the upper-class nobles and wealthy people could afford the silk fabrics imported from the Qin Dynasty.
Zhang Haoran and his party stayed in London for only one night. The next day, they were picked up by Cromwell and taken to Windsor Castle, dozens of miles west of London. Cromwell himself hosted a formal welcome dinner for the Qin delegation.
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ps: There has been no notification, and I’m not sure whether there will be a double amount this May Day. In any case, Haozi’s sixth place in the monthly ticket list is already in jeopardy. I’m only a few votes away from being beaten to death. I’m urgently begging for monthly tickets!
After uploading this chapter, Ming Yang Tian Xia will have reached 3 million words. This is my first book to reach 3 million words. It has been written for a year and seven months. I know the joys and sorrows. I sincerely thank everyone for their support, which has allowed me to get to where I am today. Thank you! (To be continued..)
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