In 1875, U.S. steel production reached 1.4 million tons, surpassing Germany and ranking third in the world.

Because of the early appearance of SCHOTT furnace in China and the popularization of the same steelmaking method in Europe, the world's steel production has also entered the era of the Great Leap Forward ahead of schedule, according to Ye Zhao's impression, the current world steel production is not much different from his own impression of the mid-eighties of the nineteenth century.

British steel production is 1.917 million tons, accounting for 21.7% of the world's steel.

Since the end of the sixties, when countries produced dozens of tons of steel a year, China has been the world's largest steel country for several consecutive years, and in the statistics of early 1876, last year's imperial steel production was 2.5 million tons, and the advantage ahead of Britain has been extremely obvious.

This can't help but make Ye Zhao sigh, this era, for the ancient empire in the East, can be the worst era, but in the same way, it can also be the best era.

In 1875, the total amount of coal mined by Chinese companies, including those from dependent countries and colonies, exceeded 10,000 tons, becoming the second member after Britain to enter the 100 million tons of coal production club, and the copper output exceeded 100,000 tons, becoming the world's largest copper producer.

In this context, Western newspapers have to exclaim that the Eastern giants are leading the arrival of the electric age.

In fact, the second industrial revolution also represents the end of the era of liberal capitalism and the beginning of the era of monopoly industrial groups.

…… After the beginning of spring, Ye Zhao came to Jiangsu Province to inspect, after nearly two years of preparation and folk publicity, Jiangsu Province's elected political envoy is about to kick off.

In the past two years, the empire's economy has developed steadily, and the benefits of Russia's reparations to the empire's infrastructure are obvious, the asphalt highway has gradually connected the provincial capitals, and Ye Zhao has rarely been stable for two years, except for dealing with political affairs in Yanjing, he only went to Dihua a few times.

At present, the political situation in the entire eastern world is still relatively stable, only the warlords in the country are numerous, small-scale conflicts often break out, and the gap between the rich and the poor is gradually widening, and the social contradictions are acute.

However, in Shanghai, Guangzhou and other places, some progressives who like to discuss current affairs have gradually formed various groups, all of which appear in the form of academic research, but in Ye Zhao's view, they are already the prototype of political parties.

Today, however, these academic groups tend to dismiss the Western constitutional system, and the general view is that parliament is good and the mouth of the people, but the voice of the people is chaotic, and if too many powers are given to parliament, it will bring disaster to a vast empire.

It was in this context that Ye Zhao and Zhu Sisi came to Suzhou, the capital of Jiangsu Province.

There is heaven above, there is Suzhou and Hangzhou below, and it is said that the Jiangnan garden is the world, and the Suzhou garden is the Jiangnan. The beauty of Suzhou's water and wood gardens does not need to be detailed.

Ye Zhao came to Suzhou, naturally lived in the Humble Administrator's Garden, in the past Li Xiucheng Zhizhong Mansion also had this garden based on the expansion, and the magnificent atmosphere of the royal garden in the capital, the Humble Administrator's Garden created a small bridge flowing water, mountains and rocks and flowers atmosphere.

Yuanxiang Hall, built facing the water, facing three rooms, the north platform of the hall is spacious, the pool water is wide and clear, the emperor and the concubine are stationed here.

The spring is bright, the goldfish swim in the lotus leaf pond, and Ye Zhao sits by the pool and reads the newspaper.

"Imperial Economic News" is analyzing the impact of the reduction in the price of kerosene for lamps on the electricity industry, which makes Ye Zhao feel that he doesn't know what year it is.

At present, the empire's oil exploitation is mainly in the South Seas, and the Oriental Petroleum Company's extraction in the South Seas reached 3 million tons last year, and its gasoline products and kerosene products packaged in 10 pounds of plastic bottles have spread all over the major cities of the empire.

With the completion of three monarch-class battleships and various types of warships in recent years, the total tonnage of armored ships of the Imperial Navy exceeded 200,000 tons, and the total tonnage of British Navy armored ships in the same period was more than 520,000 tons.

In 1875, the British Navy spent 9.5 million pounds, and the Imperial Navy spent more than 1,200,000 silver dollars, or about three million pounds.

However, the relatively centralized system of the empire and the standardization of naval scientific research institutions made the imperial [***] fee more efficient, rather than being squeezed out of a large amount of profits by arms dealers.

The current situation of oil dependence on shipping can't help but worry Ye Zhao, to say that there are several oil producing areas in the empire today, and the most terrifying is the Tyumen oil field, but Ye Zhao doesn't want to use these resources. On the contrary, the Nanyang Islands, now the exploitation is in a cost-free plunder, if the indigenous people gradually form a national consciousness and make a self-government, the exploitation of oil will not be as convenient as it is now, in fact, to say that for the resources of the Nanyang, Ye Zhao now believes in the principle of grabbing what can be grabbed, but the image created by the empire in the Nanyang is extremely positive, and it is necessary to care about the livelihood and equality requirements of these indigenous people, compared with the old colonial countries, it makes people feel friendly.

The plundering of the colonies in the South Seas and the dependence of the empire's industrial system on oil made it an urgent goal for the empire to build a navy that could withstand any challenge.

When Ye Zhao was thinking wildly, the footsteps sounded, Zhu Sisi walked from the lake corridor, Ye Zhao laughed, the matter of the elected political envoy of Jiangsu Province is much easier to deal with, without him, Sisi has become an errand runner, meeting with the dignitaries of the provincial government, and also summoned several public representatives, these things no longer need him to do it himself, from Sisi's feedback information, you can know the preparations in Jiangsu Province.

Zhu Sisi wore a pink flag jacket and silk pants, which was more dignified and generous, and her beauty was incomparable. It can also be seen from the dress that this mother of the country parliamentarian is gradually moving towards tradition, in fact, the world is like this, and the radicals who promote the reform of the empire have also calmed down from a kind of excitement that has just come into contact with new ideas, and began to systematically think about the future reform of the empire, but even Ye Zhao does not know whether this "maturity" is good or bad.

Seeing the smile on the corner of Ye Zhao's mouth, Zhu Sisi rolled her eyes, she knew what Ye Zhao was laughing at, Ye Zhao made fun of Zhu Sisi last night as his coolie.

The two little maids sent the fragrant tea and retreated to a dozen steps away, so as not to hear the conversation between the emperor and the concubine, they are all local people in Suzhou, Taihe Xing was hired when he bought a garden in Suzhou, and now he is sent to serve the emperor and the imperial concubine, they have only seen Jin Feng before, and they do not know that the mysterious master behind the scenes is today.

"Today is a summoning of public representatives, right? How, is there anything new? Ye Zhao asked Zhu Sisi with a smile.

Before Ye Zhao's words fell, a guard hurriedly came and told him that Li Shuchang, the governor of Jiangsu Province, had come to greet the emperor.

Ye Zhao bowed slightly and said, "It seems that there is still something new!" ”

Zhu Sisi couldn't hide anything from you, and said: "Yes, when I came out of the provincial council office, I encountered someone who stopped the driver and sued the royal court, and the person was arrested. ”

Ye Zhao frowned slightly: "Who is it?" Who is suing? He also said: "Jiangsu Provincial Court of Justice, the president is Sun Baozhen?" Although the House system is struggling, over the years, the separation of justice and administration Ye Zhao thinks that he has been successful, but there is still a situation of suing the royal court, no wonder Ye Zhao frowned.

Sun Baozhen, born in Jinshi, has just been released from Dali Academy, Li Jianchen has a good evaluation of him, and before leaving office, he specially recommended him to be released, and Ye Zhao also had an impression of this name.

Zhu Sisi said: "I heard that it seems that the person who complained about the grievance is the heir of Gang'an, and sued Yuan Baoheng's second son for occupying his concubine. ”

Gang'an? Ye Zhao was stunned.

Yuan Baoheng is the eldest son of Yuan Jiasan, Yuan Jiasan has already died of illness, Yuan Baoheng also knows that in the year of the Mandate of Heaven, his health is not good, and he retired from the prefect of Suzhou early, and settled in Suzhou, and never returned to his hometown in Henan.

At this time, on the corridor, Li Shuchang hurried over.

Someone stopped the noble concubine Niang Niang Feng to sue the royal court, Li Shuchang flickered in his heart after getting the letter, and then heard that it was the case that had made a lot of noise recently, Li Shuchang couldn't sit still, no matter what, he was the governor of a province, and if the prison was uneven, he always had some responsibility.

Zhu Sisi went to the backyard to enjoy the flowers, and on the shore of the lake, Ye Zhao and Li Shuchang were left.

"Long live, the ministers are ineffective, disturbing the mother and the phoenix, and the ministers are guilty of disappointing Your Majesty's grace!" Li Shuchang bowed with shame.

Ye Zhao waved his hand and said, "Sit down, what's going on with this case, you talk to me." As he spoke, he picked up the fragrant tea on the coffee table, felt a little cold, and put it down again.

The two maidservants hurriedly walked over, knelt down in front of the coffee table to change new tea for the emperor, and according to the rules, each poured a small cup for himself to drink.

"Wait!" The guard, who was standing a few steps away, suddenly stopped two maids, and one of the guards walked over quickly and said to one of the maids, "Stretch out your hand!" Another guard quickly blocked Ye Zhao's side.

The maid's face immediately turned pale, and she suddenly ran towards the lake, as if she wanted to commit suicide by throwing herself into the lake, but was immediately knocked to the ground by the guard's crotch leg, and from the maid's waist, a small packet of medicinal powder was felt.

Nowadays, the empire's chemical industry is developed, and testing drugs with silver needles has long become a thing of the past, and can only be tested for drugs, but now it is obvious that the little maid is determined to die with the emperor to poison, and the time is good, it is when Ye Zhao wants to taste tea, most of them will not wait to see her reaction, and these little maidservants can also see that many times Ye Zhao will not really wait for the drug test time of the person who tested the poison.

The little maid had already vomited quickly, this was the first time Ye Zhao had been assassinated after ascending to the position of the Ninth Five-Year Plan, and she was a little stunned for a moment, and the first thought was that there was really no micro-service safety in patrolling the place with great fanfare.

Li Shuchang's face turned green with fright, and he looked at the eyes of the guards around the emperor, but he was afraid that he was also a suspect.

At this time, the siren sounded in the guard's mouth, and there were rumbling footsteps everywhere, and countless guards poured out.

(To be continued)