The advent of the telegraph will shorten the time for many urgent information communication in the future as much as possible, which is undoubtedly a qualitative leap for Daming.

"Not only the prefecture capital, but also the cities of Kyushu, Shikoku, Kyoto, Edo, and Osaka in the Wa Province were to set up telegraph offices."

Wang Yi was stunned.

"Your Majesty, the Wa Kingdom is hanging overseas, and it may be too far away from the Ming Dynasty...."

"Borrow some place from the Korean country and send troops to guard it."

Hiss...

"Your Majesty, borrow land from North Korea. I'm afraid it's going to be a little difficult, so let's talk to the Korean envoy after I go down."

"Difficult? What's so difficult about this? ”

Zhu Youzhen obviously deliberately ignored Wang Yisi...

The idea of building a telegraph office in the other country, after all, is not good to say.

But North Korea is a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Youzhen didn't think much about it at all.

Instead, he continued: "After the battle of Houjin was fought, I hadn't asked the king of Korea for money!" What's wrong with borrowing some space now...."

"If you have a question, let Wang Min of the Ministry of Rites ask!"

"Minister, obey!"

...

In a teahouse in the capital.

The familiar scene made Bi Ziyan couldn't help but shake his head, why did this Dutch marquis like to meet him so much in the teahouse.

After the teahouse maid has prepared the tea and snacks.

And he retreated.

Neither of them brought any entourage, and Pulit was the first to speak: "Lord Bi... The company headquarters said they were going back to the Netherlands, although I couldn't understand it. But now I probably can't say no. ”

"Oh? Are you going back to the Netherlands? If you can, you can send my best wishes to the king of the Netherlands. ”

"Thank you!" Pulit took a sip of the tea from his teacup.

Then he said: "But what I am worried about now is that once I leave the Ming Dynasty, the future trade between the Ming Dynasty and us will become uncontrollable. ”

"So, Your Excellency, do you want to get any promise from me?" Bi Ziyan's expression was unnatural, but he still opened his mouth to respond.

Pulitt, however, shook his head.

said: "I hope that the next time we meet, we will not become enemies!" ”

"Hopefully... In addition, we have known each other for such a long time, and I wish you all the best on your way back to the Netherlands, and I hope that we will meet again one day! ”

After Bi Ziyan finished speaking, he got up and left the teahouse.

The mixed scent of tobacco and perfume on Pullet's body made Bi Ziyan's nose feel a little uncomfortable.

In the teahouse, the condescending Pulit muttered, "Hopefully." ”

A few days later, the Dutch East India Company retained its Eastern Branch, but its staff was much smaller, especially since the departure of Pulit had plunged the entire Eastern Branch into a chaotic struggle for power.

It's just that this is actually a good thing for Daming.

Therefore, many people are looking at the lively situation in a lively manner, and the happiest laughing among them is many British businessmen in Tianjin.

"This group of natives of the Netherlands, the trade on the sea should also let us bring Ying to decide the rules!"

"Did you hear that? In the English Channel, these guys suffered a big loss! ”

In a restaurant, many British businessmen gathered here whispered to each other.

....

Pulit left Daming.

And within the English Channel, the war between the British and the Dutch continued.

As the Dutch misjudged the weather conditions on the sea.

As a result, hundreds of Dutch warships were blown back on the sea route of the attack, and the losses were not small.

The war is in a stalemate.

The warships with the British actually gradually gained the upper hand.

....

Spring in Daming has arrived.

As the most industrious people in the world, the farmers took up their hoes early and went down to the fields, and there were signs of drought in late autumn last year.

Seasoned farmers have already guessed that this year is expected to be a year of little water and little rain.

But when they came back to the field.

But they were surprised to find that things might have turned out more than they expected.

Ma Laojiu looked at his ground with a melancholy expression.

He said to his son beside him, "Son... You help Dad take a good look at why the soil in the field this year is not as wet as in previous years. ”

A young man of fifteen or sixteen years old is the age of strength.

"Good.. Father! I'll take a look too..."

With a hoe down, a deeper layer of dirt was turned out.

Ma Laojiu and his youngest son pinched it with their hands.

Then he tightly held the soil into a ball.

The youngest son said with a shocked face: "Dad! That's it... This soil can still form a clump last year, and this year it can still fall after pinching it tightly several times. ”

Ma Laojiu obviously saw it.

Hurriedly said: "Quick, go and tell the villagers in the village. This year, it looks like something big is going to happen in the field! ”

"Hey!"

It didn't take long.

From the village, a number of people poured out, all holding their hoes tightly in their hands.

After getting closer, they all said: "Ma Laojiu, listen to your son... You found something big in the field, and asked us to come and have a look. ”

Ma Laojiu didn't explain, but just waved his hoe again.

He turned out a piece of moist soil from his own field and said to all the villagers around him, "Let's take a look. It's only been March, and the soil in this field has already dried up."

There was little water last fall, but because it was harvesting.

No one cared, but said that the harvest would be good if there was less rain.

But in winter, there is less snow in the sky, so many people already feel that something is wrong, but now when Ma Laojiu says this, he suddenly feels bad.

Several crop men rushed up in an instant and took the soil from Ma Laojiu's hands.

Take a closer look.

After a while, someone sighed and said, "What the Lord of the Agricultural Technology Department said is really right, this year is really going to be a dry year." ”

"That's right. I heard that many drought relief points have been set up in our county, and I heard that they are here to help us cope with the possible drought this year. ”

It was only then that the villagers remembered.

When I went to the county seat earlier this year to catch a market, there were people who were talking about the possible drought this year.

Is that the so-called drought relief point?

"What can I do... If the harvest is not good this year, not to mention how much agricultural tax will be paid, I am afraid that I will not even be able to repay the money I borrowed from the Royal Bank last year."

For the people, especially for the farmers.

The harvest in the field determines what kind of life they can live...