The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 187 The bottom line of the Kingdom of England

The speed of the train became slower and slower, and the clanking sound also became slower. With a huge "sigh" from the front of the train, the 12-car train finally stopped.

The car door opened, and impatient passengers poured out instantly. Adults carrying luggage bags crowded towards the station entrance. Children ran around excitedly despite their parents' loud scoldings, while pedestrians passing by were in a hurry. Stopped and looked at this vigorous scene.

Thick smoke filled the air inside and outside the station, and a choking smell of pulverized coal permeated the air.

Those passengers who took the train for the first time did not rush out of the platform with the turbulent flow of people, but looked at everything around them curiously, feeling that it was so novel and wonderful. This was an exciting change brought by the train. and the direction of the times.

Baron Spencer Compton and other members of the English mission, led by several Qi foreign affairs officials, came to the VIP room on the second floor of Guangling (now Townsville, Australia) station to rest.

Guangling is the intersection of the Coastal Railway and the Northwest Railway and is the most important transportation hub in the country. The train will stop here for 40 minutes to facilitate passengers going north or south to change trains.

Baron Compton stood in front of the window of the VIP room on the second floor. Looking around, he could see tracks extending criss-crossing, and more than twenty steam locomotives parked inside and outside the garage.

Further away, trains loaded with goods were parked all over the railway line. Timber, ore, grain, industrial products, coal, cloth, livestock, etc. were filled with them. Countless railway workers were busy, whistling and calling. The sound of noise rang out from time to time. A series of overhead cranes and cranes hooked up the packages of goods, and groups of coolies worked hard to load (unload) them into the carriages. The entire unloading efficiency was quite fast. Baron Compton watched with fascination. , I couldn't help myself for a while.

Qi is really a magical and "magnificent" country!

"Woo-" A steam locomotive painted in red suddenly honked its whistle, bringing Baron Compton back to reality. He silently watched the car slowly drive to a train, preparing to dock with it, and sighed inaudibly.

Oh, God, this is the legendary steam locomotive!

Along the way, there were bustling cities, vibrant villages, flat farmland, vast pastures, cattle and sheep everywhere, and groups of happy Qi people. Everything made the English delegation feel a sense of joy. Deep frustration.

This is the power of industry, and of course, this is also the power of big countries.

……

If you ignore the clanking noise and the smell of soot that floats from time to time when the train is running, this is simply the best travel tool that the Creator has contributed to mankind.

What's even more amazing is that the train is much smoother than the horse-drawn carriage, and there are no bumps at all.

On the first night he spent on the train, Baron Compton suffered from insomnia. He tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

Turning his head to look at the hotels and commercial buildings in the distance, Baron Compton shook his head and sat down on a soft leather chair.

Sometimes, I light an oil lamp and read a torn-up copy of "Gulliver's Travels".

Even their soldiers did not show any anxiety or restlessness about the war situation, and continued to enhance their military skills in accordance with the existing military regulations.

The officials of Qi State still conveyed and issued the decrees of their emperor and cabinet in an orderly manner. The businessmen maintained their usual shrewdness and continued to pursue any possible business opportunities and interests, while the workers rushed to factories and families day after day. During this time, farmers are also more concerned about the harvest of crops in their fields.

Like all those who take a train for the first time, Baron Compton has been in a state of extreme excitement since he boarded the carriage at Jianye Railway Station.

It wasn't until the morning light showed that Baron Compton leaned on a leather chair with a blanket and fell into a deep sleep.

Occasionally, I take out my diary and start recording what I saw and heard that day and my deepest thoughts.

It's amazing. This train is more than ten times faster than a horse-drawn carriage, and it can travel day and night. It can be said to be the greatest innovation in the history of transportation development.

Baron Compton declined the cup of tea that the attendant made for him, closed his eyes slightly, and prepared to take a nap.

Sometimes I stand in front of the carriage window, looking at the dark wilderness outside and feeling the speed of the train.

Sometimes I drink a glass of wine, sit back on a soft leather chair, and think about how to face the negotiations with the Qi people.

This war is still going on, but the entire Qi State does not seem to be affected at all. To them, it seems to be an insignificant regional conflict.

Qi State is so powerful!

We in the Kingdom of England should never have been engaged in this war with them, it was a complete disaster for the whole Kingdom.

As a diplomatic mission, the people of Qi specially installed a special carriage for them, so that more than 30 people in their group could take the train very comfortably and rush to Chang'an at high speed.

As head of government and First Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Robert Walpole must bear all responsibility for this. It was his blind optimism, his misjudgment of the situation, and it was he who plunged the Kingdom of England into a situation that was beyond redemption.

When he arrived, His Majesty the King and many parliamentarians told him that as long as he could get a decent armistice contract from Qi, the position of head of the government would be reserved for him, and his title would even be promoted.

The gentlemen in the Parliament have already conducted more than ten rounds of debates and consultations on what price the Kingdom of England will have to pay to end this war. They also know that if they do not make substantial concessions and meet some of Qi's harsh conditions, it may not be possible. reached a peace agreement.

Market opening, tariff reduction, reparations, and the cession of overseas colonial territories are all conditions that can be compromised to a certain extent.

Withdrawing from Ireland and allowing it to establish an independent country may stimulate the sensitive and fragile self-esteem of the people. At the same time, it will also subject the kingdom to external constraints and restrictions, making it difficult for the government to accept and should do its best to prevent it.

If it is exhausted and unavoidable, it will strive to obtain special rights in Ireland and reserve certain territories to accommodate English and Scottish immigrants.

As for allowing the "old tyrant" James III to restore the Stuart dynasty in Scotland and obtain self-governing powers, that was something the Royal Government of England could never agree to.

Without Ireland, there is only one less colonial territory to suppress claims, but if the Kingdom of Scotland is separated, it will definitely be a cruel dismemberment of the United Kingdom of Great Britain that they have just established for 20 years, thus completely throwing them into a world that they will never recover from. situation.

England and Scotland are on the same island, but the two kingdoms have been fighting against forced marriages since seven hundred years ago.

The hundreds of years of history between Scotland and England is almost like a bloody Korean drama that has been played over and over again: England, the bully, wants to take Scotland as his wife, but Scotland refuses to obey, so all kinds of conspiracies, all kinds of entanglements, all kinds of wars , all kinds of flesh and blood flying around, endlessly staged over and over again. It is really difficult for the Scots to think about it. England has used both soft and hard tactics to entangle Scotland for hundreds of years. During this period, there were many overlords who took advantage of it, but Scotland managed to survive the crisis time and time again and maintain its independence.

Until later, due to the marriage of the two royal families, the two countries had the same king. Scotland still lived separate lives from England and maintained a "separated" life.

So, how did the stubborn Scotland leave England in tears?

As the old saying goes: poor people have short ambitions.

Well, let me add another sentence: There is no medicine!

First of all, God is blind. More than thirty years ago, Scotland suffered an unexpected famine. From 1695 to 1699, climatic abnormalities caused Scotland's food production to plummet, food prices soared, and starvation spread across the land. Scotland's population has dropped by a full 15%, leaving just over one million people.

Due to large amounts of imported grain, Scotland experienced massive outflows of hard currency, seriously damaging the domestic credit system and causing a severe economic recession.

Unlike England, which has vast colonies that can send domestic "poor people" and hungry people overseas to beg for work, Scotland has no place overseas at all.

Being poor means wanting to change. In order to get rid of the economic difficulties, the Scots embarked on a huge gamble. At that time, Spain, England, France, Portugal and other countries made a fortune by developing American colonies, and the Scots wanted to follow suit.

If you can do it, so can I!

In 1695, the Scots devoted all their efforts to raise 40 pounds to establish the "Scottish Trading Company to Africa and the East and West Indies". The company began to implement an ambitious "Darién Project" - Darien is now the Panama Canal area and is the narrowest point on the American continent.

The Scots planned to capture Darien, establish colonial rule and create a passage between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Once this channel is opened, Scotland can collect tolls all day long, which means it will be extremely rich.

In July 1698, the Scottish Company's colonial fleet set sail with the hope of the entire kingdom and arrived at its destination the following year.

However, the ideal is full, and the reality is very skinny.

If the Scots want to realize their dream, they need to defeat four enemies: malaria, yellow fever, the Spanish, the English, and the Qi people.

The English were counted as half, because they did not directly attack the Scottish colonial troops, but they were ordered not to give any aid to the Scots, not even a bucket of water.

The people of Qi are also considered half. Although their Haizhou Viceroyalty in Panama (which includes Coiba Island, the Pearl Islands, and the Azuero Peninsula near the isthmus) in Panama did not directly take action, they secretly instigated it. and support the Kingdom of Spain in resolutely safeguarding the integrity of its territorial sovereignty.

Yellow fever is already bad, but it is not the worst. Most yellow fever patients have mild disease, and only about 15% have severe disease. Patients generally have no sequelae after recovery and gain long-term immunity.

The biggest enemy in conquering tropical jungle areas is tropical epidemics represented by malaria. Patients with malaria suffer from hot and cold temperatures all over the body and are in extreme pain. Not only do they lose their ability to work and fight, they also have to be cared for by dedicated personnel.

In a battle in the tropics, a thousand people infected with malaria are worse than a thousand killed in action, because the sick people basically lose their ability to fight and take care of themselves, and they need special care.

The Scottish colonists, who were left defenseless by malaria, were attacked by the Spanish army.

Although Darien was a virgin land at that time, it had already been regarded as a piece of land by Spain and was not allowed to be touched by others. During the War of Succession, the State of Qi captured Panama City. The Kingdom of Spain was like a mourning concubine. It had organized many crazy counterattacks by the army and was bound to take it back. After the war, Spain made significant concessions to the US in other aspects, but insisted on taking back the Isthmus of Panama, which shows the importance of the region.

Unexpectedly, a small Scottish Kingdom dared to come here and try to colonize this area. It really doesn’t take our Spanish Kingdom into consideration.

As a result, the Kingdom of Spain gathered more than 700 soldiers and launched an attack on the unestablished Scottish invaders.

Faced with Spanish attacks, many Scots were so sick that they could hardly stand up and surrender due to myrrh (powdered cinchona bark).

In 1700, the "Darien Plan" declared a complete failure and became a complete "slap plan." Scotland lost more than 2000 people and 16 pounds of capital, accounting for about 1/4 of Scotland's total circulating capital. This was a devastating blow to the Scottish economy, pushing them further to the bottom of the abyss.

Seeing that Scotland was on the verge of bankruptcy, England took the opportunity to add insult to injury and promulgated the Alien Act in 1705, classifying Scots as foreigners and prohibiting the import of all goods from Scotland. This has hit Scotland particularly hard.

You know, at that time, Scotland imported 40000 pounds of flax to England every year, accounting for more than 1/2 of total exports. Together with the export ban, it will inevitably hurt the vitality, and even the stuttering will be gone.

At this time, Scotland was faced with two choices. The first is to once again ask for help from France to confront England, which will reignite the war and will also face sanctions and containment from England for a long time. Scotland at that time could not afford such a price. The second is to surrender to England or directly merge with it.

In order to force Scotland to completely surrender, after exerting extreme pressure, England threw cakes to Scotland, opening its trade, shipping, market and other resources to Scotland, sharing the wealth of England's colonial trade, and paying 40 pounds in cash and subsidies. Scotland's economy on the verge of bankruptcy, including £21 compensation to shareholders of "Darien Scheme".

Little girl, obey me obediently, and you can enjoy the hot and spicy food in the future!

The hungry Scotland finally could not resist such temptation and finally sold herself in tears.

In 1707, the two parties signed an agreement and formally merged into the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Since then, Scotland has ceased to exist as an independent country.

Although Scotland is mountainous, its altitude is not high, and it has a temperate maritime climate. Affected by the North Atlantic Warm Current, the climate is relatively mild, which makes Scotland's agriculture and animal husbandry relatively developed. The main crops in Scotland are wheat and barley, and the livestock industry is mainly raising cattle and sheep. Due to the relatively small population (at this time, Scotland's population was approximately one million), local agricultural and animal products were mainly supplied to England and exported.

In addition, Scotland is also very rich in resources. There are abundant coal and iron resources on the land, which are urgently needed materials for the development of industry in England.

The North Sea area adjacent to Scotland has one of the four largest fishing grounds in the world. Thanks to the intersection of the warm North Atlantic current and the cold water from the Arctic Ocean, the fish here are rich in a wide variety of species, mainly herring, mackerel, cod, etc. etc., is the most important fishing base in England.

In addition, you can also pass through the northern North Sea. Scotland owns Shetland, Orkney and other islands and many small islands in the northern North Sea. It is the only shipping channel for the North Sea and Baltic Sea countries to enter the Atlantic Ocean and is of great strategic value.

After more than seven hundred years of hard work, the Kingdom of England finally "went over" to Scotland and incorporated it into the United Kingdom. But if the "beautiful lady" you obtained is allowed to go away because of the failure of the Qi-British War, how can you live up to the "infatuated" English people!

"Scotland is the bottom line of our kingdom and must not be trampled upon."

Under the guidance of the Qi State's foreign affairs staff, the English delegation left the VIP lounge at the station and prepared to board the southbound train and continue to the capital of Qi State.

As the whistle sounded, the train moved slowly. Looking at the wooden poles and pedestrians passing by outside the window, Baron Compton murmured.

(End of this chapter)