After a little preparation

Li Fushou immediately set off for Edinburgh with a group of retinues waiting in Windsortown, for whom the grand ball held at Windsor Castle had no meaning except to waste time.

Showing humility to Readingburgh is the most important thing to do right now.

According to the latest news from Australia;

More than £670,000 has been spent to expand the territory of the Red River Valley Ranch from 44,700 square kilometres to 88,000 square kilometres, mainly from the coast to the interior, from east to west from more than 200 li to about 380 li wide, from south to north from more than 800 li to more than 1,300 li.

Red River Valley has spent more than twice as much money on pastures, which has cost a lot of money and achieved remarkable results.

At this point, the Red River Valley's large-scale purchase of pastures came to an end.

The Red River Valley Ranch extends south to about 170 miles from Sydney, and the coastal area is about 407 miles, or more than 1,300 miles, and occupies almost one-quarter of the coastal territory of New South Wales (excluding the outback).

These large estates, registered in the name of the Earl of Queensland, were officially divided by Her Majesty the Queen of the British Empire and officially became the fiefs of the Earl of Queensland, which were passed down from generation to generation like the title of nobility.

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The prices of inland ranches, which were far less abundant than those of coastal ranches, led to cheers from many white ranchers, and a wave of opposition from Melbourne and Sydney, accusing the Red River Valley of inflating prices and distorting the original market.

These disturbing noises are not heard in England at all, and no one cares.

For British high society;

Even if the territory of the Red River Valley Ranch expands tenfold, it is still a deserted place for exiled prisoners thousands of miles away, and the right eye does not want to look at it.

Li Fushou is still a rancher with cow dung on his feet, and even if he is granted a noble title, he is also a hillbilly nobleman.

What can make them pay attention to it is the invitation from Readingburgh, which is far more important than the pasture in the countryside, the key is to see if the new Earl of Queensland can be accepted by the Duke?

In the traditional British mind

In England, no 10 acres will be exchanged for 10 acres in mainland Europe, 100 acres in Slavic territory, 1,000 acres in Asia or the Americas, and 10,000 acres in Africa, Australia, Canada, or South Africa.

If it weren't for the fact that they were too poor in Britain or the children of the aristocracy, who would want to go to those colonies where birds don't?

Any Englishman, as long as he is willing to go to the Americas, Asia, Africa or Australia, these vast colonies, can occupy as much land as he wants, as long as you can plant.

Britain was the first country in the world to achieve heavy industrialization, and it was also the birthplace of the modern steam revolution, with a small proportion of the agricultural population and economic contribution in the country, only Scotland and Ireland still had large farms, and almost all the land in the countryside of England was occupied by the aristocracy.

It would be easier to change the entrenched notion of the old-fashioned British than to start a world war.

At dusk

After a seven-hour journey, Li Fushou and his entourage of 46 people finally arrived in Readingburgh and were warmly welcomed by Lord and Ayton and his wife.

Lord Ayton is the second son of Lord Victor, and he is destined to inherit the dukedom and castle estate, so he entered politics in Oxfordshire, and is now the county magistrate.

Reading is under the jurisdiction of Oxfordshire, the seat of the county, with a population of less than 60,000, is a traditional English city, the city and countryside are a strong British style.

Edinburgh is built on a hill and occupies half of the city.

The whole of Nottingburgh is built in the Norman style, and on the sturdy stone bridge of the castle, Lord and Mrs. Ayton led a group of nobles and celebrities to welcome guests from afar.

The Earl of Queensland wore a traditional English dress for formal occasions, a crimson velvet coat trimmed with white fur, a soft hat with three ermine sewn sewn to indicate the rank of the earl, and a crown with a gold-plated silver ring and eight silver balls on the upper rim.

He let the carriage stop under the stone bridge from a distance, and then walked up the stone bridge with the countess Gu Liuyan and a retinue to show respect for the master and the humility of the duke's family.

"Welcome, my friend, His Excellency the Earl of Queensland, who has come from afar." Lord Ayton was less than 30 years old and had a sincere smile on his face, which is the basic skill of a politician.

"Thank you, Your Excellency Lord Ayton, I am very honored to receive an invitation, this is the most important moment of my life......" Li Fushou said with a solemn face, the two pairs of big hands clasped tightly together and shook each other, each of them had the feeling of being an opponent.

The two sides exchanged pleasantries, introduced the people around them one by one, and then entered Readingburg together to settle down.

Tonight, Lord Ayton will host a welcome dinner to welcome the Earl of Queensland and his party.

In the pre-dinner margin

Li Fushou met with Lord Ayton alone, and presented a stack of documents with respectful hands, including a 10% stake in the Red River Woolen Mill with an estimated value of 6.1169 million pounds, a 15% stake in the Hongshan Coking Coal Plant with an estimated value of more than 4 million pounds, a 15% stake in the Hongshan Iron and Steel Plant with an estimated value of 1.27 million pounds, and a 15% stake in the 19th Century Australian United Shipping Company with an estimated value of 700,000 pounds, with a total equity value of 1.55 million pounds, and an annual income of 16~180,000 pounds. Definitely a big deal.

Lord Ayton turned over it briefly and then turned his face serious, and said in a deep voice; "Your Excellency the Earl of Queensland, this matter is too important, please forgive me for not being able to give you an answer for the time being, originally when the welcome dinner officially began, the Duchess of Victor would be present in person, but now I have to report to the Duchess in person, I can only ask you to wait a moment."

"I come with a humble and pious heart, like a helpless lamb wandering in the moor, and convey my sincerest greetings to the Duchess, and may God bless you for the mercy of the Duchess." Li Fushou's posture was very low.

Lord Ayton looked deeply into his face and paused as he spoke; "I will."

Then he hurried away with a stack of papers, which felt a bit like his ass was on fire, and he lost the calm and calm demeanor of the nobles of his past.

Li Fushou looked at his departing back, and finally had a toothache, like cutting a piece of meat.

Even with his current wealth, all of them add up to less than 10 million pounds, and giving away 1.55 million pounds worth of equity at once is enough to break his muscles and bones.

What does £1.55 million mean?

In the Imperial Royal Navy, 4 10,000-ton ironclad battleships can be built, plus 4 10,000-ton fast coal carriers, which can rank 13th in the world in naval combat effectiveness, slightly weaker than the overall strength of the Chilean Navy, the top three South American powers.

Saying goes; I can't bear to let the child catch the wolf.

Li Fushou can be said to have really made a bloody investment, and his purpose is not limited to the towering tree of Duke Victor, but to bind the two sides together with tangible benefits, which are inseparable.

Such a major event, Li Fushou will not be able to tell Sir Hills and Pan, and the Duke of Victor's family will not publicize it everywhere, and the two sides will keep a certain distance on the surface, which is in line with the public's perception.

Privately, that's another story.

Once the Duke of Victor accepted the Earl's petition, all the encroachments on the interests of the Red River Valley were a provocation to the majesty of the Duke, and the perpetrators were probably destroyed by the thunderous fury from London before they understood what was happening.

As long as there is no public rebellion, Duke Victor can guarantee the trade interests of the Red River Valley within the British Commonwealth, which is the greatest significance of this heavy bet.

More than 30 minutes have passed

The old wall clock in the room showed that it was nearly seven o'clock in the evening, and there was not much time left before the dinner scheduled to start at 7:40, and there was still no sound in the hallway.

In the face of such a major decision, Li Fushou couldn't calm down anymore, and walked around the room with an anxious expression, repeatedly weighing the pros and cons.

He didn't have to wait long when footsteps were heard in the hallway.

Li Fushou exhaled deeply, and did not hide the look of gain and loss on his face, but tried hard to calm himself down.

The door opened

Lord Ayton walked in first, nodded lightly at Li Fushou and said; "Your Excellency, Duchess Victor has arrived."

Behind him appeared a majestic aristocratic old woman, with white temples and delicate makeup, her chin raised high to look repulsive, but when she saw Li Fushou, her eyes softened, this is the magic of the pound.

"Honorable Duchess Victor, your demeanor is truly unforgettable, may I kiss your hand?" Li Fushou bent down and bowed.

"Yes, Your Excellency the Earl of Queensland."

Duchess Victor elegantly stretched out her right hand, her fingers naturally drooped, and Li Fushou held her hands with a respectful look and kissed the hand salute, which made Lord Ayton, who was beside the Duchess, very satisfied.

Because Li Fushou holds his hands and kisses the hand, this is the best way to show respect for high-status female nobles, which is very decent.

Duchess Victor also did not ignore the details of etiquette, and said with a hint of gentle warmth in the corner of her eyes; "I can see that you are very worried, child, I have obtained the authorization of the Duke to accept your kindness, this is a memorable gift, Duke Victor will reciprocate the same, what can you ask for?"

"Honorable Duchess, can you sit down and listen to me?"

"Absolutely." The Duchess nodded blandly, as if nonchalantly; "Ayton, my boy, can you help me see if all the guests are there for the dinner?"

"I'd love to hear from you." Lord Ayton gave Li Fushou an apologetic look, turned and left lightly, and closed the door casually.

The Duchess walked to the upper court sofa in the room and sat down, Li Fushou sat on the side, and there were only two people in the huge room who participated in the secret conversation.

Li Fushou took another deep breath, he knew that there were some words that could be said clearly in front of the hostess, and these words would be conveyed to Duke Victor with the Duchess's impression of Li Fushou.

"Honorable Duchess Victor, allow me once again to express my deep respect for you, for your kindness to the Duke is like the sun shining into my heart, I am a lost lamb from distant Australia, I pray for your love and protection, and I am willing to offer my loyal ...... for this."

Li Fushou got through the initial uneasiness, and the following words became more and more fluent, and there was no lack of flattery, which was obviously very much in line with the Duchess's appetite, and a rare smile appeared on his face.

Compared with the treacherous and cunning Duke Victor, the Duchess is obviously easier to deal with, as long as you ignore the dazzling aristocratic light of the Duchess, she is just an old woman who loves to listen to flattery, she may be a little old-fashioned, some arrogant, some high-minded, but by no means very deep city government and excellent insight into world affairs.

Such an outstanding old woman, in the history of Britain for more than 800 years (since William the Conqueror established the British feudal dynasty), there is only one Queen Victoria, and there is no one in the whole of Europe.

"Lee, I feel very sympathetic to these words of yours, God testifies, apart from the royal family, the oldest nobles in England are not more than 500 years old, and your family has been inherited for 1,300 years, which is really amazing, especially the precious thing is that you have the ancient royal blood of the East flowing in your body, which can explain why you are so young but so good, you can call me Lady Emily Victor, and from now on I will be like my child."

The Duchess had a kind smile on her face, which was the combined effect of 1.55 million pounds and Li Fushou's sincere performance, which made the Duchess feel more and more fond of him, and looked more and more cordial.

The Duchess's gossip heart was raised, and she asked curiously; "I just got Ayton's report, and the Duke's Mansion checked the information in the Red River Valley, and I heard that you once exterminated a group of bandits, what is going on?"

Hearing this, Li Fushou was suddenly shocked in his heart, he had checked his bottom in such a short period of time, and he really couldn't be underestimated.

His face did not show any expression, but began to recount the cruelty of the "wild wolf" Bilken gang, which ravaged the land of Australia for thousands of miles, killed hundreds of white ranchers, and committed massacres at every turn.

This person even mutilated the priest, and legend has it that even children in their 10s were spared, which was really full of evil and inhumane.

The look on the Duchess's face followed his narration, one moment gritting her teeth and hating, the other worrying, and the other secretly weeping, no different from the old lady in the teahouse who listened to the commentary.

By the time Li Fushou said that he had been tracking the encirclement and suppression team for more than 6 months, and was mercilessly slaughtered by the gang's machine gun killing array, it was like a purgatory on earth, and the Duchess was already pale and clutched her chest, and couldn't listen anymore.

"Mrs. Emily Victor...... Oh my God, what have I done. Li Fushou hurriedly got up and went to call someone, and soon the castle steward and Lord Ayton and his wife arrived, and the room was full of people with concerned expressions.

"Everybody, please give way, Dr. Robert Fisher is here, please leave the necessary space for the doctor."

"No, no...... I'm fine. After a few sips of hot coffee, the Duchess, who had been a little pale, turned rosy.

Dr. Robert Fisher examined it carefully and said with a long sigh of relief; "God forbid, Duchess Victor's health looks very good, Fang Cai's situation seems to be caused by short-term mood swings, it is recommended to keep her mood calm and not be stimulated for the time being."

After listening to the doctor's explanation, everyone looked at the initiator Li Fushou with blame, which made him feel embarrassed;

Heaven and earth conscience, how do I know that this old woman has cardiovascular disease?