The United States of America, which is said to have a manifest destiny, is now facing the greatest crisis since the founding of the People's Republic of China, which has risen almost without any success by virtue of its vast land, abundant resources, and a steady stream of European population and capital. All along, the country and its people have been developing too smoothly, although they have also experienced the crisis of Washington being occupied by the British, but after all, there is no danger. The ensuing expansion was so light that the Americans could get their hands on fertile land that could not be obtained with much effort in continental Europe or in Asia. The Americans of this era are like the rich second generation born with a golden key, squandering their national fortunes without any scruples, and no one seems to realize that once the United States is really divided into two, what a brilliant and beautiful future they will lose - because there will be no two American empires in this world!

By 1860, the conflict between the North and the South, which had been triggered by the "black question," the "tariff question," the "economic crisis," and the "question of industrial and agricultural development," had reached an irreconcilable point. The crisis caused by the railway investment bubble has been alleviated worldwide by the huge demand generated by China's industrialization.

But there is no sign of economic recovery in the industrial regions of the American North! As a result of the negative effects of the low tariffs and free trade policies brought about by accession to the "Five-Power Agreement," the American market was flooded with cheap industrial goods from Britain and France. As a result, it has also pushed up the wages of American workers (not paying high wages. The workers went to farming! ）。 In the middle of the 19th century, American workers were paid almost 3 times as much as British workers! And the introduction of high wages is naturally the high cost of manufacturing. How can the American industry, which started late and has a thin foundation, compete with the old industrial country Britain on the basis of bearing three times the labor cost?

Therefore, since the beginning of industrialization in the United States in the 19th and 20s of the century, the tariff issue has always been the real focus of the contention between the North and the South in the United States. In 1828, the U.S. Congress, which was accused by the Northern delegates, passed a strict tariff bill, causing a crisis of secession. At that time, South Carolina passed the guò bill, declaring the federal tariff bill invalid in the state, and also passed some decrees to prepare for the organization of the army and the purchase of weapons in response to a possible war! As a result, then-President Jackson deployed the Navy to blockade South Carolina, forcing the Southern states to accept high tariffs by force. Then came the rapid development of American industry, and the farmers in the South could only afford it.

In 1844, the representatives of the pro-local tariffs took charge of the U.S. Congress, and in 1846 a new tariff system was introduced. It has been lowered several times until it is now 15%. Such a tariff rate naturally means a good life for the farmers. However, before the bursting of the railroad investment bubble in the United States, the factory owners in the north of the United States were not having a hard time, so during this time, although the North and the South were in constant conflict, they finally managed to make do with it, and during this period, they actually defeated the vulnerable Mexico and seized 2.44 million square kilometers of territory! Success is so effortless!

However, the ensuing economic crisis put an end to the good days of harmony and win-win between the North and the South of the United States, and the free trade policy of the Cambunan administration, which pinned its hopes for resolving the economic crisis on the Chinese market, further deepened the contradictions between the North and the South in the United States. There is no market for American industrial products in the Greater China Free Trade Zone, but because of low tariffs and free trade, British and French industrial products are rampant in the United States, and waves of bankruptcy have swept across the northern part of the United States one after another. But in 1860, the Republican Party, representing the interests of the northern factory owners of the United States, took control of the U.S. Congress, and under the pretext of "saving the blacks" and passed a "Morrill Tariff Act" aimed at significantly increasing tariff rates, despite the constraints of the Five-Power Agreement, and even violated the U.S. Constitution (Article I.8) of the U.S. Constitution, which stipulates that all kinds of taxes levied by the federal government through legislation are used to pay off the national debt, pay for national defense, and provide public welfare. And blacks in the Texas Black Free Zone are not federal or state citizens of the United States, but de jure foreigners), unilaterally increased the import tariff rate of the United States to 45%, and also greatly expanded the import items of tariffs receivable!

Such a move would inevitably provoke a backlash from all of America's trading partners, and the southern farmers who lived on export markets would suffer heavy losses – but the United States is a country full of armed mobs, and the southern farmers will certainly not sit idly by.

On December 20, 1860, the U.S. State Legislature passed a decree announcing its withdrawal from the United States of America!

For this day, Zhu Jishi has actually been looking forward to it for a long time. However, since the transpacific telegraph line had not yet been launched, it was not until he woke up two weeks later, on the morning of January 4, 1861, that he received the good news of the telegram that had just been transmitted to Japan (there was a telegraph line between Daming and Japan, and the news from the western United States had reached Yokohama first, and then to Nanking through the telegraph line controlled by the Daming Telecommunications Company).

Just got up and was in Maria. Clementina personally served Zhu Jishi, who was getting dressed, jumped up and shouted loudly: "Great! It's finally here! Sanako Chiba, who delivered the news, was taken aback by his actions. Zhu Jishi also discovered his gaffe, smiled, got dressed himself, washed hastily, and walked to the Jinshen Hall without breakfast. Chiba Sanako hurriedly followed, and heard Zhu Jishi order repeatedly: "Inform Zuo Zongtang and Luo Zenan, Guo Songtao, the secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Zeng Guoquan, the waiter, will also be notified, so that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will pay close attention to the news from Europe, and the telegraph room must be guarded 24 hours a day." Luo Junqi (Minister of the Army), Liu Jiong (Chief of the General Staff), Wang Dehu (Minister of the Navy), and Xue Dingyue (Chief of Staff of the Navy) all came to the palace. I am going to convene a joint meeting of the Generalissimo's Office. In addition, the Industry Promotion Association will also go to say hello, no, let Zheng Hong and Liu Peng also come to the meeting. Oh, and Scorpel called......" He frowned, thinking about what he had left unexplained, before finally ordering, "That's all, go and let the Imperial Study handle it." ”

Chiba Sanako carried a notebook with him, hurriedly recorded Zhu Jishi's order, asked him to check it again, and then ran to the side hall of the Imperial Study Office. She is really capable of working hard, not only responsible for accompanying the bed, but also serving as a bodyguard and herald, fortunately, she is also the No. 1 "martial arts master", naturally has the physique of an athlete, if you change to someone else, you have to be tired.

Maria. Clementina also changed her clothes at this time, and followed in three steps and two steps, the ban on "women interfering in politics" seemed to be an exception to her, and Zhu Jishi was still accustomed to listening to this woman's opinion on all matters of diplomacy.

"Your Majesty, the Americans have lost their future!" Maria's voice was also a little excited, "The future belongs to the Ming Empire and the French Empire!" ”

This is certainly her good wish! However, Zhu Jishi still focused his head: "It must be like this!" ”

The Ming needs an ally, and this ally can only be France! Because France is an amphibious world empire on land and sea. The French army was strong enough to withstand the British attack, and the French navy was able to contain the power of the British navy. If it were Prussia - this country would not develop a sea power that could rival the British Navy in 30 years! Although their army may be very strong, what is the significance of it to the Ming? And Germany to carve up Russia? In the event of an alliance between Britain and France, the Ming Dynasty would not have the strength to defeat the navies of their two countries! (To be continued......)