Although there was a hiccup in the middle, the negotiations with the Americans were generally quite pleasant, mainly because Li Yongji's sincerity was too high.

There is no doubt that if what Li Yongji said is really realized, then the status of the Americans in China, at least in southern Jiangsu, will be greatly improved, and they will definitely surpass Britain and France, and the profits they will obtain will be even higher.

You know, not to mention the disguised Sino-US Free Trade Zone, it is simply a disguised new concession, and more importantly, up to now, the Americans are the only ones who can build railways in China, and Britain and France have not even dared to mention it.

Moreover, Li Yongji also talked to Howard about other additional terms, such as wanting to recruit a large number of American civil engineers with high salaries, and to build a large number of civil engineers in China, mainly to build bridges and roads, but also to build houses and docks, engineers can bring their families when they come, women and children can be, and Li Yongji provides housing and carriages.

In addition, in order to facilitate the study of the families of these engineers and for the cultural exchanges between China and the United States, Li Yongji also hopes to recruit a large number of American doctors and American primary and secondary school teachers to live in the free trade zone here.

According to Li Yongji's words, he hopes to build that privately owned small oriental world into a port town with an American pastoral style, attract more Americans to settle here, and allow China and the United States to have more direct contacts and exchanges.

As for why it was made into a private territory, this is also very understandable, and under the current circumstances, it is not appropriate to clash head-on with the imperial court. Moreover, most of the Qing people were still very disgusted with foreigners, so they made it a private territory, so that the Americans who went to the free trade zone were the guests invited by Li Yongji, which naturally had nothing to do with the imperial court system.

Of course, this is an excuse, the main purpose of Li Yongji to become a private territory is to raise the goose that lays golden eggs in the free trade zone in his own home, and monopolize the high profits in it, after all, this is just the beginning, and after Li Yongji completely controls the rule of the entire country. It is inevitable to separate private property from state property, so if you don't make a clear distinction at this time, there will be trouble at that time.

Moreover, it is more flexible and convenient for private territories to change policies or something, and there are fewer constraints, after all, it doesn't matter whether you are the General Affairs Office, any court, or even tax exemption policies, in the final analysis, it is Li Yongji, the owner, who has the final say, and what is essentially practiced in the territory is a kind of family law. It's just for his personal prestige. He can't change the policy so willfully, but that's just that he doesn't want to, not that he can't, this is the essential difference.

If a private free trade zone is considered mutually beneficial. Then the agreement with a few Americans to exchange weapons for food was purely malicious.

Quite simply, the two businessmen who signed a contract with Li Yongji for weapons for food were both businessmen from Virginia and Arkansas. They were all merchants from the southern slave states.

These men used to be slave traders with bloody hands on their hands, and they used to travel mainly on the African and Atlantic routes, but later they became less profitable. The competitiveness was too great, so they switched to Asia to pan for gold. Now their route has changed to bring cotton from the United States to England, then buy industrial products from Britain to India, buy opium in India and then China, buy tea and silk in China, and then go directly back to the United States.

This time, they originally wanted to buy high-end tea and silk as usual, but after hearing that Li Yongji could sell cheap breech-loading rifles Sharps, after trying them out, they were all amazed, and after hearing that the price was only a measly $20, and the Colt revolver was only $15, they were immediately tempted.

As former slave traders and now opium dealers, these American businessmen are well aware of the world's advanced weapons market, and the Sharps rifle and the Colt revolver naturally have a lot of contact. Even if the factory price of the original factory in the United States, the Sharps rifle will not be less than $30, and the Colt pistol will not be less than $25, even if the freight is added, if a large number of shipments are shipped to the United States, it will only add one to two dollars of freight on the basis of the original price, so the difference is still a lot.

Although this difference was not as profitable as the voyage between Britain and India and China, it had already dropped markedly after Li Yongji had made it clear that he would impose a high transaction tax on the opium trade in his control zone.

Moreover, Li Yongji also proposed that he could buy gold, grain, and livestock at a high price, so that if he could sell weapons and luxury goods such as silk, porcelain, and Alimei clay from China back to the United States, and then buy gold, grain, and livestock from the United States, the profits would be considerable, no worse than sailing through Britain and India, and even higher.

The most important thing is that the sailing distance in the Pacific Ocean is shorter, and it takes less than three months to go back and forth with flying clippers, but if you take the voyage of Britain, India and China, it will take more than half a year, plus China can already produce higher value-added things here, such as Alimei mud (aluminum products), such as Mithril products (stainless steel) such as opal and other gemstones, it is much more cost-effective to sail through China and the United States.

In addition, these people are also more aware of the current conflict between the North and the South in the United States, and know that the southern states are stockpiling weapons, so the arms market in the south is quite easy to sell, and even the merchants of these southern states themselves have a large number of farms and slaves in the south, so they also need to buy more weapons. In this way, buying cheap weapons here in Li Yongji is not just as simple as making money.

In fact, Li Yongji is not very short of grain and livestock in the United States, and the gold problem is not very urgent, because Japan's gold is very cheap, and it is not difficult to find an opportunity to go to Japan to exchange for gold.

Li Yongji compared history and knew that in fact, as early as 1857, when President Buchanan came to power, the contradictions between the abolitionists in the north and the slave holders in the south were already irreconcilable, and the two sides had strict differences in economic level, political concepts, values, and other aspects. can detect the danger.

The current Democratic President Buchanan represented the interests of the Southern slave holders, but the vast majority of the Northerners, especially the industrial bourgeoisie, were abolitionists, and President Buchanan only swayed on both sides and tried to maintain it, but this compromise was already coming to an end, because in the end he did not please either side.

In other words, whether the next president is in power or not with the Republican Lincoln, even if the Democrats win again, then war will break out. Because the southerners have long had enough of the northerners, and the northerners have had enough of the southerners, and whoever comes to power is the president, and as long as the differences still exist, war will break out sooner or later.

Under the circumstances of the United States at that time, there was no second way out except to fight a war and use fists to decide the winner.

Then, Li Yongji will take the opportunity to buy the agricultural products of the southerners now. Selling weapons to southerners is actually giving blood to southerners and strengthening the strength of southerners in the United States, which was done a year in advance. If you can provide tens of thousands of castrated Sharps and thousands of castrated Napoleon cannons to the southerners of the United States, hehe, let's not talk about how much money you make. Then there will be a good show.

You know, although this world has opened the era of the steam engine, due to other problems such as craftsmanship. The real era of big industry has not yet arrived, even the strongest industry in Britain, in fact, is mainly handicrafts, to put it bluntly, it is a larger handicraft workshop.

Therefore, purely in terms of weapons production, if Li Yongji is ruthless and asks Zhang Xinda to go all out to produce Sharps and Napoleon cannons, the output of one month over there can completely destroy the annual weapons production of Britain.

In the American Civil War, the Sharps rifle has long appeared, and both the North and the South are no strangers to this rifle, and the reason why there is no large-scale equipment is that there are two main problems, one is production, and the second is price.

Historically, the Sharps rifle was still a handmade rifle with a complex mechanism and a handmade rifle, which was completely different from the later generations that used molds and production lines to produce them. Precisely because of the complexity of the mechanism and the limited production volume, it is expensive, a Sharps rifle can be sold for more than $30 in the United States, and a Springfield-style front-loading rifle costs only $12, the gap is too big.

However, as long as Li Yongji keeps lowering the price of this Sharps rifle to the point that it can be sold to southerners for $12 a piece, then the southern part of the United States will taste the sweetness and will buy this rifle on a large scale.

When they are equipped with 10,000 or 20,000 troops all equipped with Sharps rifles, and buy a few thousand 12-pounder Napoleonic guns, then the scale of the battle will be even larger, and the war will be more brutal, even if the South loses in the end, it will be greatly damaged.

What's more, when the time really comes for them to start fighting, Li Yongji will definitely continue to interfere, and it is imperative that the vitality of the United States be greatly damaged, and it is best to split into two countries.

In fact, by doing so, Li Yongji is determined to trap the United States and do his best to split the United States into two countries. Because in his opinion, in the future, I am afraid that only the United States is China's biggest enemy, as for Soviet Russia, because of the land border, it is easier to clean up, he believes that it is not a big problem, only the United States, across the Pacific Ocean, is really too difficult to do.

If we want the United States, which has a large land and a good geographical location, not to become a threat to China in the future, we must make this country less big, and it is the best idea to divide it into two countries.

Although objectively speaking, the North of the United States has a considerable advantage in terms of population, industry, economy, and morality, but in this era, this advantage is not so absolute, and as long as the South can succeed in strategy and tactics, and the North that can fight cannot afford to continue fighting, then division is inevitable.

"Selling weapons, submarine warfare, gas warfare, plus British and French support...... Well? It seems that the Panama Canal has not been opened yet, which is a bit difficult to do, why don't I try to open the Panama Canal now? Li Yongji stared at the American part of the world map and shook his head, "Forget it, where is the Panama Canal so easy to open, if it is for shipping, there is actually no big problem to take Cape Horn, it seems that even if the Panama Canal is opened, it will not have much impact on Cape Horn for a long time." What's more, I haven't done anything about it right now, so it's a bit too much. But in this way, I have to speed up the progress on my side, at least to unify Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui, and we can't drag it out like this. ”

Speaking of this, Li Yongji looked at the map of China again: "Well, business is no problem for the time being, but Jiangsu lacks resources." Especially the lack of steel, to develop heavy industry, we still have to take down Anhui first. At least like the Ma'anshan piece, you always have to get it, and when the time comes, the iron of Ma'anshan, plus the coal of Guangde County, won't a coal-iron complex become?

Speaking of which, Li Xiucheng is so insincere, and he still dominates Changzhou and doesn't give it to me, so I'm really good to talk to? And the British and the French, huh. At that time, they said that as long as I didn't fight the Taiping Army and everyone lived in peace, they would give benefits as much as they wanted, but they still didn't give me an official answer, and secretly passed me to deliver weapons to the Taiping Army! In terms of this virtue, it is far worse than that of the Americans, and it seems that they still want to steal chickens. ”

As soon as he said this, a pleasant bell suddenly rang. Immediately afterwards, Li Yongji took out a mobile phone, and when he looked at the number, it was the phone number of Yu Hongrui, the first principal of Qingpu Military Academy.

This kind of phone is actually a little different from the digital cellular phone of modern society. It is a military radio system, which is actually an FM radio, but with the addition of a relay amplifier station and a higher transmission and reception antenna. It is just that the communication distance can be farther away.

That is, such a radio system can only talk over long distances, and can also send text messages. But there is no other Internet function, and it is not the same thing as the digital cellular phone in modern society, but it is the same type as the FM radio.

"Hongrui, what's so urgent, you want to use a direct phone to find me?" Li Yongji said with a smile.

"My lord, that's right, there's something I need to report to you." Yu Hongrui didn't talk nonsense, and quickly told Li Yongji on the phone about Xue Huan, Zhao Buqun and others visiting the military academy, and also told the content of the holy decree.

When the call ended, Li Yongji touched his chin and smiled slightly: "Interesting, this Xue Huan will not take the usual path, but it's a pity that he found the wrong person, I really think that finding a former elementary school teacher can make me change my mind?" Is he too naïve, or is there really no way but to be a dead horse and a live horse doctor?

But it's a good thing, the British, the French, and the Taiping have not been very obedient lately, and if they want to play delaying tactics with me, I have long wanted to teach them a lesson. Now that the court has issued a decree to me, rewarding me with dazzling eyes and a yellow coat, then I will reluctantly move, just right, and test the power of the new troops. ”

After making a decision, Li Yongji felt a little sleepy, and when he just wanted to go back to take a nap, he heard Wang Tao asking to see him outside, and after thinking about it, he still let him in.

As soon as he entered the door, Wang Tao hurriedly said, "Proprietor, how are you talking?" What were you talking about? ”

Although his question was a bit abrupt, Li Yongji knew that he didn't mean it, he was just a little angry, and then he was thinking about his own lord by the standards of this era.

After getting along for a while, Li Yongji thinks that he can understand him, in Wang Tao's mind, as long as he is wholeheartedly for the good of his own lord, Shi Du is dead for his confidant, and he doesn't need to care about the subtleties or anything, and he may even deliberately be very unceremonious, in order to show his own existence.

Therefore, from a certain Cheng dù to say, Wang Tao is not very proficient in Western affairs, how much he looks down on the imperial examination, he is one of the few people in the Qing Dynasty who can be the first to open his eyes to see the world, but his inner moral standard is still the standard of a scholar, and he is also a nationalist, or an imperial Han ist, if you want to count, it should be the angry youth of this era.

Thinking of this, Li Yongji simply asked someone to serve him a cup of iced tea, and at the same time told him the agreement he had negotiated with Howard.

"Proprietor, it's not appropriate to do this." After listening, Wang Tao frowned and said, "It's just a matter of doing business with foreigners, but you can enclose a large piece of land by yourself, and then engage in this free trade zone, not to mention the taxes of foreigners, and allow foreigners to be local officials, this ...... What's the difference between this and a concession? Proprietor, if you really want to do this, the charges of these two devils will really be confirmed! ”

"Two devils are two devils." Li Yongji said indifferently, "It doesn't hurt or itch to shout a few times, what are you afraid of." ”

"You can't say that." Wang Tao continued, "The proprietor will win the world in the future, and reputation is also very important. What's more, the Americans are not at ease, we have suffered too much by doing this, and we will be criticized in the future. ”

"I have my own idea about this, so don't worry about it." Li Yongji waved his hand, and suddenly remembered something, "By the way, the so-called coming without being rude, we may have to send a business delegation to the United States to promote our various products on a larger scale, and recruit more talented Americans to come to our side...... Are you interested in being the head of this delegation to the United States for this kind of business negotiation activity? ”

"This ......" Wang Tao was actually not happy psychologically, because he felt that he could give full play to his greater talents by Li Yongji's side, so he said, "Proprietor, don't look at me, I can also speak foreign languages, but I have never been abroad, nor have I been to the United States, so I am afraid that if I am the head of this delegation, there will be problems." ”

"Well, that's right." Li Yongji nodded, "So you don't want to go?" ”

"If you have to let me go, of course I will not let me, I am just afraid that if I don't do well, I will disappoint the proprietor, after all, it is thousands of miles away, and a little bad is a huge loss." Wang Tao continued, "But don't worry, I can recommend you a person, this person has lived in the United States for a long time, and once got a diploma from Yale University in the United States, if he led the team, he should not be cheated by the Americans." ”

"Oh, who is it?"

"This person's name is Rong Hong, a friend I met in Shanghai before, and he is currently working as a comprador in Baoshun Foreign Company, if you are interested, I am confident that I will bring him over to work for adults."

"Rong Hong?" Li Yongji blinked, "Damn, why didn't you think of it earlier!" Are you sure he's Yung Hong? A graduate of Yale University? ”

"Yes, sure, of course." Wang Tao nodded, "What, is there any problem?" ”

"No problem, no problem at all!" Li Yongji snapped his fingers, "Then it's decided, you hurry up and find this Rong Hong, and count you as making another contribution." Well, yes, I said Lao Wang, if you want any friends who know foreign affairs and the like, please come together, don't hide it like this, the more talents you invite, the more stable your position with me, how do you look at it, they are coming, and it should be your help. Therefore, for others and for yourself, you have to find a way to recruit a large number of talents who understand foreign affairs for me. In this way, I will appoint you as my foreign minister later, and your next specific work, in addition to dealing with foreigners, is to think of pulling people for me and pulling all kinds of Chinese who understand foreign affairs to work with me. Every time you pull someone I think is useful, I will give you a reward, and the more people you pull, the higher the reward I will give you, and the same way, the higher your status with me in the future, do you understand? (To be continued......)