Chapter 378 Hook up with the Whigs

Here, Feng Yunshan listened to Ma Shali's secret information, and felt a little incomprehensible about this foreigner: he actually told himself that the Yankees had plotted against Ryukyu and Mosswan Island, isn't this betraying his national interests? Could it be that this Marshali knew that he was going to be removed from the commissioner in China, so he held a grudge? It's not very complacent!

Seeing that Feng Yunshan looked at him with a little doubt, Ma Shali explained: "Your Highness the Holy King, you may think that I am crazy, but I feel that I am extremely sober!" To put it simply, I'm a Whig, and I'm no longer tolerated by the current Democratic President Benjamin Franklin? Pierce. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 infoAnd recently, we Whigs are in danger of falling apart and dying, and I, as a member of the Whigs, have an obligation to save her! ”

"The strength of the Holy Kingdom, I have seen. Your Highness, I think we in the Whigs need your support and ask for full cooperation with the Holy Kingdom, and I hope that His Highness will agree to a friend's request! ”

Feng Yunshan finally understood what was going on through Marshali's narration, combined with his own poor historical knowledge.

It turned out that the Whig Party in the United States was a new political party founded more than 20 years ago, and the original purpose of its establishment was to oppose the policies formulated by the then president and the Democratic Party he founded.

Speaking of the Whig Party, Feng Yunshan also remembered that this short but famous political party in American history finally collapsed on its own because of internal divisions.

The main reason was the political dispute within the party over the extension of slavery to new territories. The Southern Whigs, supported by Southern slave owners and others, advocated the passage of a bill to remove the restriction of slavery in the newly developed areas of the west, and to expand plantations and animal husbandry in this area, and vigorously practice slavery; The Whigs in the North, on the other hand, expressed strong opposition to slavery.

Marshali, on the other hand, belonged to the Southern Whigs, that is, was financed by the plantation slave owners in the southern states. Perhaps seeing the strength of the Holy Country, coupled with the imminent departure from the post of US Commissioner to China, Marshali revealed his identity and offered to strengthen the cooperative relationship with the Holy Kingdom on behalf of the Southern Whig Party.

Feng Yunshan remembered his own history of the United States, the most critical period of development was not the civil war between the north and the south a few years later, after the war, the slavery system was completely abolished, a large number of labor force was liberated, and the road was paved for the industrialization of the north, and the United States became a world-class power.

Since he crossed into this world, Feng Yunshan suddenly felt that it was his task to prevent this country from becoming the "world policeman" of future generations and delay its strength and development, of course, this is not Feng Yunshan's conjecture, but the world is so big, if the Chinese nation wants to rise among the nations of the world, it cannot have a jaguar eyeing it by its side, and cannot allow other countries to be too powerful.

What's more, now the man named Perry is ready to snatch his own Ryukyu and Moss Bay Island.

Feng Yunshan immediately laughed and agreed with Marshali's proposal.

"Mr. Marshali, aren't you about to return home? In order to show that this king attaches great importance to the cooperation of your party, this king has decided to send someone to the United States with you to discuss with your party about commercial and trade cooperation, and of course, military cooperation! I wonder if Mr. Marshali can help take care of the people sent by the king, etc.? ”

"Whatever the holy king says, Mashael cannot ask for! It is my honor to be able to serve the Holy King! Thinking that he would not be the U.S. commissioner to China soon, Mashali lowered his posture.

"In this case, Mr. Marshali, the king has hired you as the king's adviser to the royal palace for foreign affairs, ten thousand silver dollars a year, to assist in the affairs of the Holy Kingdom and the United States." As soon as Feng Yunshan changed his words, he turned Mashali into his subordinate. He knows that this Yankee will not do things for himself if he doesn't give him some sweetness.

After sending Ma Shali away, Feng Yunshan gathered Zeng Guanlan, Zuo Zongtang, Wu Chongyao, Wu Ruxiao, Liu Changyou, and Wang Minyun and talked about cooperation with the Whigs in the southern United States.

Wu Chongyao knew the United States the most, and he was the first to speak: "Holy King, Chongyao has also heard of the dispute between the north and the south of the United States. However, most of the American businessmen who were originally good friends with the Wu family were northern businessmen. However, there are also many wealthy people in the south, and they are powerful. It would be a great help if the Holy Kingdom could cooperate with the South. ”

Zuo Zongtang said loudly: "Holy King, Zuo has never had a good impression of these foreigners. However, if it can be pitted against the north and the south, it can be a good strategy to weaken its national strength. The Holy Kingdom can add ignition to take advantage of the opportunity to make profits. But foreigners cannot be trusted, even if they cooperate with them, they must be wary of one or two. ”

Feng Yunshan nodded, and looked at the chief butler who had been busy with the affairs of the palace since he was transferred back from Yongzhou, Zeng Guanlan, the deputy minister of the General Affairs Department.

Zeng Guanlan hurriedly said: "Holy King, Guanlan also learned about the situation of the world in detail some time ago. Although the United States was founded less than 100 years ago, it has risen rapidly and is a strong country. Especially in the recent period, the population has grown rapidly, and the military strength is far stronger than that of our holy country. And the territory is still expanding. According to Guanlan, it will become a world power in the future. Guanlan thought that there would be a war between the forces of the north and the south of his country. At that time, it will be the time for our holy kingdom to profit from the chaos. Until then, the only way to do this is to strengthen the strength of our holy kingdom. ”

Liu Changyou didn't know much about foreigners and didn't release his opinion.

It was Wang Minyun who said: "Holy King, ladies and gentlemen, Wang thinks that it is too early to discuss these things with Vice Minister Zeng. Listening to Namashali, the United States has warships with a displacement of several thousand tons, and they are even covered in iron armor and are indestructible, which shows how powerful its military strength is. And now our holy kingdom can't even build small warships of hundreds of tons, and it only bought a few by spending a huge amount of silver taels. Therefore, Wang suggested that the opportunity of cooperation with the southern forces could be used to truly establish the Cheung Chau Shipyard. However, it is too slow to wait for the shipyard to be built before manufacturing ships, and it is better to continue to buy the kind of ironclad warships of several thousand tons from the United States. ”

Wang Minyun's words made Feng Yunshan's heart move.

I remembered that the Changzhou Shipyard that I was going to build early on, but because of the lack of steel and high-quality wood, it has not been able to build thousands of tons of warships, but can only repair warships, and make some large red single warships of tens of tons and hundreds of tons.

It is far from what you really imagined a warship.

This is not something that one or two foreign technicians can solve, but also a complete series of supporting talents and facilities.

Prussia's shipbuilding industry was considered to be behind in Europe, otherwise it would have imported shipyards from Prussia long ago. However, since the shipbuilding industry in the United States is well developed, why not import talents and equipment from the United States to develop the Cheung Chau shipyard?

Thinking of this, Feng Yunshan decided: "After a while, Mashali will return to the United States." The king decided to send someone with him to the United States, to establish the consulate of our holy kingdom in Richmond, the capital of the American state of Virginia. A team led by Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Ruxiao selected a reliable person from among the English-speaking managers of Nanyang Company to serve as consul in the United States and be stationed in the United States. After that, it will be changed every three years. ”

"In addition, Ruxiao, you will select a group of reliable soldiers and soldiers of the captive army, a group of workers in machinery factories, textile factories and other factories, and a group of boys in their teens to follow you to the United States, and the boys will arrange to study in American schools for two or three years, and the rest will also study there, and then return to Guangzhou after half a year or a year."

"Yes! Holy King, what else do you have to explain? ”

"After you come to the United States, find a way to contact those large shipyards to see if you can buy large warships, preferably third-class warships or more, money is not a problem. The king will ask Mashali to help you. However, you can't count on this person, it's best to bypass him, even if it's looking for an arms dealer agent over there, and purchase warships at any cost! In two years, the navy of our holy kingdom will be able to have a certain scale and self-preservation! ”