At present, the population of Shandong is about 18 million, and the area of free medical care only covers the three eastern provinces, which have reached nearly 10 million after continuous development.

More than 300,000,000 taels were spent last year on 10 million people to see a doctor and take medicine, and this year's budget is 4 million taels. In terms of scientific research, 1.5 million taels is not enough.

The main scientific research content of this year is to apply the steam engine to the production and transportation links, as long as the steam engine is launched, the gross domestic product will definitely increase.

At the same time, there is also research on gunpowder and explosives.

Research in agriculture and animal husbandry. and the study of electricity, etc.

1.5 million taels is definitely not enough, at least 3 million taels.

At the same time, in order to stimulate research in science and technology, Zhao Yan plans to set up a 'scientific research foundation' with 2 million taels and set up a 'production progress award'.

Everything improves productivity, so that one person can do the work that many people can do, and the results of scientific research that can reduce production costs. Depending on the degree of efficiency improvement and cost reduction, and the comprehensive practical surname and safety surname, the corresponding ranking and reward will be given to the R&D personnel.

This time there is a gap of 3.5 million taels.

The funds for other departments will also be nearly 2 million taels, and the budget deficit will reach 5.5 million taels. Where the deficit of 5.5 million taels will be made up is still to be decided for a while.

Since the profits of the California and Hawaiian colonies have not yet been reported, it stands to reason that the profits of these two colonies must be more than 5.5 million taels.

Sure enough, a few days later, the clipper sent by California returned to Shandong, bringing shocking news.

The profits of the California colonies, and the looting of the American fleet, amounted to 500,000 taels of gold, 30,000,000 taels of silver, and nearly 10,000,000 taels of various goods and 30,000 mink skins.

Hearing the report, Zhao Yan once thought that he had heard it wrong, or reported it wrong.

500,000 taels of gold and 30,000 pieces of sable skin, this Zhao Yan is not surprised. But the 30 million taels of silver, as well as the 10 million taels of unprocessed goods, made Zhao Yan's eyes widen.

Thirty million taels of silver!

The revenue in the Americas has almost caught up with Shandong's fiscal revenue in Asia. As long as the fleet can return to the sea smoothly, then next year will be able to spend money openly.

But at the same time, there is an even more shocking news.

Britain, France, and the Netherlands have formed a huge maritime alliance and are preparing to attack California, which is expected to attack next spring.

"More than a hundred warships, twenty-five thousand soldiers. Fuck, not prepared! Zhao Yan regretted it, the continuous raiding of the American fleet on the east coast would naturally lead to war.

I had known that I would have sent more troops to California.

After all, there were only 8,000 Marines in the Americas, and 3,000 were transferred to Alaska to open up colonies, which was dangerous.

"Gather the staff and start a meeting right away." Zhao Yan got up and commanded his soldiers.

After a while, the staff gathered to discuss countermeasures to the crisis in California.

"It should be too late for us to send reinforcements, and even if the European Maritime Coalition launches an offensive before spring, the California colonies should be able to withstand it for a few months." Deputy Chief of Staff Zhang Zhi said, "We now have 30 clippers, which are fully capable of quickly sending troops to the Americas, and 20 clippers were launched in January. ”

"If the colony is besieged, how do you land?" Mao Yuanyi asked.

"If you can't land, return to Honolulu." Zhang Zhi said, "And with the people of the California colonies leading the way, as long as you bring more small boats, the possibility of a successful landing is very large." ”

"It is necessary to support the California colony, the colony's gains are so large, there is no reason to throw it away, but how many troops and supplies are we going to send over?" Zhao Yan said, "You guys are the best match." ”

Since Zhao Yan had spoken, the General Staff Department didn't say anything else, and immediately began to calculate.

The greatest role of the general staff is to calculate how many men should be deployed, how much supplies are needed, what is the terrain in the combat area, and what needs to be paid attention to.

Those civil servants of the Ming court, when they led the army to fight, the supply would be miscalculated, which was the tragic result of not treating war as a profession.

In such an age of barbarians everywhere, the war must be carried out professionally.

Soon the General Staff gave several options.

The first plan was to stop the restructuring process of the Inland Combat Corps of the new barracks and send 5,000 soldiers to California, bringing 200,000 artillery shells and 100,000 rockets with them.

The second option is to send 10,000 Marines to California, bringing 100,000 shells and 100,000 shells.

There were only thirty clippers, and in order to ensure a certain speed, they could not be loaded with too many things. Because of the invasion of the European maritime alliance, if the clipper ship is loaded with too many things, it is easy to be surrounded by warships.

The French and Dutch warships naturally could not surround it, but the British warships were known for their small tonnage and fast speed.

Whether it is to transport more shells or more people, the General Staff gave two plans.

The 100,000 rockets are the entire stock of Shandong's arsenal, and the rockets are considered to have run out. This year, there is no saltpeter and sulfur supply to Shandong, and Shandong's gunpowder mostly relies on the local method of nitrate and the supply of saltpeter in the Jianghuai region.

Support the California colony, and the rocket inventory is completely gone. Rockets, without interference, are definitely a good thing to use and are loved by the battalions.

The rate of fire is fast and the covering fire is strong. After continuous upgrading, the rocket has been able to hit 1,500 meters away, and nearly half of the rockets produced have fuses of only 500 to 800 meters.

With such a long range, it is actually cost-effective to use artillery.

After all, the power of rockets is not as powerful as that of artillery shells, but the high rate of fire is the best choice when the artillery is too busy to stop the enemy approaching.

With more rockets, life safety is guaranteed.

Now the stocks are gone, and more rockets will be built next year.

Of the two support plans, Zhao Yan still chose the second one.

After all, it is safer for the soldiers to send a little more in the past, and the California colony has such a high profit, it is absolutely necessary to keep it.

On November 28, the huge fleet led by Wen Bangliang finally returned to Qingdao. Zhao Yan has already welcomed Wen Bangliang's arrival in Qingdao.

Snatching so many boats, an absolute hero!

The ships brought back by the Nanyang detachment are enough to solve the problem of insufficient transportation capacity at present.

The arrival of 67 large merchant ships and more than 100 offshore merchant ships will definitely not be a problem for trade transportation, and the arrival of more than 100 offshore ships will no longer be a problem for north-south trade.

Before Wen Bangliang returned, Zhao Yan also asked people to create 3,000 'Muxi River Naval Battle Medals', and prepared to notify the cabinet that Wen Bangliang would be named the fourth rank 'Dinghai General', and Wen Bangliang would be promoted to the deputy commander of the First Fleet.

Wen Bangliang's identity in the imperial court is a literati, and it is not a fitting system to seal a Dinghai general, but the system can be changed, why can't a literati be a general?

As for this Dinghai general, there is no title in the imperial court, so you can add it! Zhao Yan has the final say, and the cabinet is in his hands.

After the huge fleet landed, Wen Bangliang burst into tears under Zhao Yan's welcome.

It was really like a dream for a pirate staff member who felt that he was in this life to become the deputy commander of the First Fleet. If it weren't for the old boss Su Buheng and Zhao Yanhui's eyesight, I'm afraid there would be no today.

After Zhao Yan welcomed these heroes off the ship, he directly held a celebration banquet in Qingdao and personally awarded medals to each sailor and marine.

As for the rewards, they will be issued after the results are calculated.

At the same time in Qingdao, 10,000 marines were waiting to board the ship, and 30 clippers recalled from Yueben were already docked at the dock.

Soldiers are carrying shells and rockets, as well as food and fresh water, to the ship.

Those merchants who had been in and out of Qingdao Port for a long time knew that another army was about to go out when they saw this busy scene when they passed by the military wharf.

At this time, Qingdao Port has developed into a flourishing port.

More and more ships came to Qingdao from the south, and the sea salt and cotton cloth from Shandong, as well as all kinds of fine iron products, were the reasons for the attraction of merchants.

At the same time, the increasingly prosperous consumer demand in Denglai is also the reason for attracting businessmen from all over the world.

And more and more businessmen began to choose to take the sea route.

Throughout the ten years of Chongzhen, Yan Shiliang has been leading the offshore fleet to suppress bandits around the coastlines of Zhejiang and Jianghuai, and many water bandits have been exterminated, and the offshore transportation routes have become safer.

Some Fujian ships also went to Shandong to do business, Shandong is actually no different from Fujian, the import and export channels are pinched, Fujian is Zheng Zhilong, Shandong is Zhao Yan.

Zhao Yan's export tariffs on merchant ships from Fujian are much lower than Zheng Zhilong's.

Now Zhao Yan has not controlled the provinces of the country, the tariffs are high, and others are not coming to you. However, Zhao Yan collected import tariffs heavily, mainly to create a good environment for the development of Shandong's industry and commerce.

Therefore, there are more and more Fujian merchant ships that come to Shandong to sell seafood, although Shandong's seafood is less than that from Fujian, the quantity of some commodities is very large, and the quality is better, such as cotton cloth, which is far more cost-effective than buying Shandong cotton cloth in Fujian. The industry, which was sluggish by the disruption of maritime trade this year, has also slowly begun to recover.

The things that Shandong lacks are actually some not too bulk commodities, but as long as they are bulk sea trade commodities, they can be bought in Qingdao, and there are more special commodities produced in Shandong.

…… Three days later, 10,000 marines landed, and 30 clippers slowly sailed out of Qingdao under the watchful eyes of Zhao Yan.

These marines could not even celebrate the Spring Festival, and had to wait until three years later to return to Shandong.

Overseas, the military salary will be directly increased by 50%, and 500 acres of land can be obtained overseas or in Liaodong.

Overseas, the probability of encountering danger is very high, but fortunately, if they go to California, if they go to places like Central and South America and Cuba, they are very likely to be disturbed by the plague.

Although many soldiers were reluctant to give up their hometown, they were still mobilized and boarded the ship to embark on the journey.

(To be continued)