It is true that the Russians have not had a good time in these years, as Greystone said. Since the widespread use of chemical fertilizers, the advantages of Ukraine's black soil have been significantly neutralized. In the past, relying on the fertile black soil, Ukraine's grain exports were able to buy back a lot of valuable money for Russia, whose industrial level was significantly lagging behind that of Central and Western Europe. Now, however, because of the widespread use of chemical fertilizers, both France and Germany and the United Kingdom have seen a massive increase in their agricultural production, not to mention the damned Yankees. As a result, the price of grain on the international market naturally fell, and the result was that the Russians' income in agriculture was constantly decreasing.

The decline in agricultural incomes has weighed down the entire Russian economy. And the industrial level of the Russians is not very good in the first place, and it is difficult for their industrial products to defeat foreign ones, let alone on the world market, even at their own home. In short, the markets of Central and Western Europe should not be thought about, and the Far East must be close to the means of closure to keep it, because although the industrial level of the Russians is higher than that of Japan, but considering the damn transportation costs, it is really necessary to open up the market to compete, not to mention compared with Europe and the United States, even with Japanese goods.

As a result, the Russians could only defend their base in Eastern Europe, and then try to get hold of the Balkans by virtue of their status as Slavs and defenders of the Orthodox Church.

It's just that the Germans, who also lack a market, are eyeing the Balkans, and if you want to get to those Balkans, you have to invest more forces, and more power is more money, and more power is more money. However, Russia is short of money.

However, there is still hope for Russia, and that is in the East. As long as the Trans-Siberian Railway is completed, the transportation cost of various commodities can be greatly reduced. The fresh market can bring him much more income than he does now......

……

Takahashi Kiyoshi slowly walked down the ramp of the Alberto with an entourage, he raised his head and squinted at the New York Tower not far from the New York dock. It was the first time he had returned to North America since he left the United States in 1869, and it was the first time he had seen the world's tallest building.

To be honest, Takahashi didn't want to come to the United States at all. Because when he was young, the country did not make a good impression on him. In 1867, when he was 13 years old, Takahashi, who was working as a helper at Osaki Shojuji Temple, met Otoshi, a resident of the Sendai clan stationed in Edo, who had come to sweep the grave. Otoshi found Takahashi smart and clever, and thought that the Sendai domain was lacking in English talents, so he recommended him to study English in Yokohama, and soon after, he was arranged to study in the United States.

Takahashi and a child named Rokunosuke Suzuki were entrusted to the care of one of his business partners, Eugene, an American merchant who sold arms, and who knew that the Yankee had resold the two children to a man named Brian in Oakland as slaves not long after he brought them to the United States. Although slavery had been abolished in the United States, Eugene used deception to get his two children, who had not yet learned English, to sign a three-year employment contract.

Takahashi, who was only thirteen years old, was so knowledgeable that he actually ran to the Japanese consul for help. However, at that time, this kind of contract that was the same as the overlord clause and was absolutely illegal today was actually legal at the time. In addition, the Americans at that time did not take Japan seriously, so although the consul also tried his best to negotiate, the result was still very unsatisfactory, poor Takahashi, who wanted to study, could only be a small servant in the American family for three years.

With such an experience, Takahashi's sense of America is of course very poor. However, it must be admitted that Takahashi is indeed a very smart and studious person, and even under such conditions, Takahashi still learned English and many other cultural knowledge by self-study. So although I didn't have a formal American school, let alone a diploma from Claydon University (in "The Siege", Fang Hongji's pheasant university. But when he returned to Japan, at the age of 17, Takahashi found a job as an English teacher at a school in Edo, and used it as a www.biquge.info, and decades later, in 1899, he finally became vice president of the Bank of Japan.

Now, he has been entrusted by the Meiji government with the task of raising funds for the coming war as the treasurer in the United Kingdom. This is extremely important work, and it is also a very test of ability. Considering that until the 21st century, Japan was a country that was very particular about birth and liked to play the "hereditary system of parliamentarians". Takahashi is Kiyoshi, who was born in a humble background and was just the son of a small boy (later Takahashi's mother bought him the identity of an adopted son of the Ashigaru family and gave him the surname Takahashi), and he was able to climb to this position, and even in the original history, he also received the title of baron, served as the prime minister and finance minister of Japan. That alone is enough to show how good Takahashi's ability is. (Of course, even so, Takahashi's background still made him looked down on by the bigwigs in the government, and it is said that Yamaguni Youtomo was such a personless guy, and even mocked him to his face for being sold to the Americans as a servant, saying that "the son of a small servant is not very deserved" or something.) ）

Takahashi doesn't like the United States, but Takahashi is a very smart person, and he knows that in Japan, where he pays attention to his background, the reason why the son of a small guy like him can climb up is not because he has two major advantages: first, he is good at dealing with crooked nuts, especially those in Europe and the United States, and second, he is good at dealing with financial problems. And these two points are actually closely related to his suffering experience in the United States. Nowadays, Japan is in great need of money, and Takahashi knows that if he can help the government solve this very difficult problem, then maybe he can also become a Chinese (meaning Japanese aristocracy), and at that time, although he is still the "son of the little guy", his son will no longer be called the "son of the little guy".

"Mr. Takahashi, Mr. Kawaguchi, let us greet you!" A short-haired young man in his twenties greeted him with a few people, "The car is over there." ”

"Ah, it's the dragon." Takahashi Shiqing's memory is quite good, almost as long as he has met someone, a person who has heard the name once, even after several years, he can remember it at once, "Speaking of which, your uncle and I haven't seen each other for seven or eight years, and the last time I saw you, you were still a student." Now working in the consulate with your uncle? ”

"Yes, Uncle Takahashi. Uncle has been missing you, too. The young man said with a smile, and at this time, another attendant who followed him reached out and took the big box from Takahashi Isaki's entourage. Then they took Takahashi out of the harbor and got into a MacDonald limousine with diplomatic plates.

……

"Kawaguchi-kun, how was your contact with the Americans before?" As soon as he sat down in the Japanese consulate in New York, before he could wash away the dust or anything, Takahashi asked Consul Kawaguchi about it.

"Takahashi-kun, why are you in such a hurry? Isn't the situation so good on the British side? Kawaguchi was about to pour Takahashi a glass of wine, and when he heard his question, he asked rhetorically.

Kawaguchi has been a friend of Takahashi for many years, and he knows that Takahashi is a playboy in life. Or rather, he deliberately made himself a playboy. Of their generation, Takahashi is the most playful and fun-loving. When he was an English teacher in Edo, he even took the students in his class out to experience the customs and industries of Edo. Takahashi was able to get up, and an important reason was that he got to know a large group of second-generation people in the process of playing.

Nowadays, such a person has started to ask about work before he has done it, and Kawaguchi thinks that this may mean that this fundraising thing is not going well in Europe.

"It's not particularly good on the European side." Takahashi sat down on the sofa, sighed and replied, "The British are ready to subscribe some, but there is still a gap between the total amount and the domestic expectations." On the French side, the most I can do is interfere with their aid to the Russians. And the Germans, also very hateful. The Germans probably wanted the Russians to go to Manchuria, so for all this time they were cheering up the Russians, both openly and covertly. However, at least for the time being, they will not lend money to the Russians, otherwise, the Russians will get the money and spend it in the Balkans. Therefore, although I worked hard and signed a lot of papers, my hands were swollen, but each amount was not large, so I was still far from the goal. Kawaguchi: How are you doing here? ”

Kawaguchi poured two glasses of wine, then walked over, handed Takahashi one of them, and sat down on the sofa opposite.

"Takahashi-kun, I've been in contact with both Macdonald and Morgan. They all have some interest in it, but the asking price is higher. Because they feel that it is very risky to put the treasure on our side. So there has to be a high enough rate of return. ”

"What rate of return are they asking for?" Takahashi Shiqing frowned and asked.

Morgan said they needed more than 6 percent interest, or 3.5 percent plus the opening of the Japanese banking market. Full national treatment was granted to Morgan Bank. Kawaguchi replied.

"Greedy Yankee!" Takahashi shook the goblet and watched the ruby red wine swirl in the glass, and said with a sneer, "If we agree to such conditions, won't the benefits of our battle be all theirs." ”

And although Takahashi hasn't been to the United States for a long time, he is still very attentive to the changes in the United States over the years, the economic power in the United States, and so on. He knew that if Morgan's banking system were allowed to enter Japan, it would be like putting a big black fish in a shrimp pond. Moreover, if you open an opening to Morgan, then immediately after that, any HSBC or some British bank will definitely ask for the same treatment. If that's the case, it's better not to fight this battle.

"MacDonald, what about their reaction?" Takahashi then asked.