In the ranking of the top 20 metropolises of the Tang Empire, the new Xi'an and Donggang cities on the paradise island performed dazzlingly, but after all, they were far away from the empire mainland and had little comprehensive influence.

In addition to the traditional metropolises of the West Coast and Great Lakes regions, Houston and Dallas, from Texas, are the most improved twin cities in the city rankings, in addition to the traditional West Coast and Great Lakes metropolises, respectively.

Houston, in particular, had a total population of 932,000 at the end of the period, and was just one step away from a million-dollar metropolis.

Houston is known as the "Petrochemical City", and the main pillar of the city's industrial economy is the petrochemical industry, with the capacity to refine 60 million barrels of oil per year, with 11 petroleum refineries, dozens of ethylene and other large and medium-sized petrochemical enterprises, and thousands of downstream small and medium-sized plastics and chemical fiber enterprises.

Houston is located in the northwest corner of the Gulf of Mexico, and tens of millions of barrels of kerosene, diesel and lubricants are shipped from the seaport where tens of millions of barrels of kerosene, diesel and lubricants are exported to Europe every year. Bringing back untold wealth to the Tang Empire and the imperial family, it was the largest product of export trade and the most lucrative export product.

Since 1862

After 23 years of rapid development, Houston and Dallas, the emerging metropolises with oil exploration and trade at their core, have developed much faster than other local cities, and are still strong today.

The development of these two emerging cities has led to more than a dozen small and medium-sized cities and more towns in the surrounding area, forming the most economically dynamic urban agglomeration in the Tang Empire.

The state's population has grown rapidly from less than 350,000 in 1862 to more than 5.3 million today, making it an uncompromising economic center and populous province in the empire.

In Texas, the dense road lines are mostly paved with asphalt, flat and well-connected, and the city is lined with high-rise buildings and more dozen stories rising from the ground.

There is constant traffic on the roads, and thanks to cheap oil prices and high average incomes, the affluent middle class makes up more than one-third of the population. Texas ranks second only to California in terms of car ownership per capita.

Now

Houston has developed into a regional commercial distribution center in the central and southern part of the empire, an important export center for the petrochemical industry, and a world-class production base for emerging petrochemical industries, with extremely bright prospects for future development.

After more than 20 years of construction, Texas rail transportation is also extremely developed.

Dallas City, another important city in the province, is a railway transportation hub in the south-central region of the Tang Empire, with a total of 7 railway lines converged here, making it very convenient to travel to any city in North America.

The main railroad line to the north connects Kansas City and continues north to Chicago and the major cities around the Great Lakes.

The main rail line to the northwest connects Rio Rancho, from where it turns west to Gallup and continues west to Las Vegas and the big city of Los Angeles on the West Coast.

Continuing north from Rio Rancho is Taoyuan, the core city of the central empire, which is also the main transportation hub city in the central part of the Tang Empire, and the west over the Rocky Mountains can reach Salt Lake City, Sacramento and the imperial capital of Chang'an.

Take the Northern Rail Line north over the Rocky Mountains to Portland, Salem and Seattle, and continue north for more than 170 kilometers to reach Vancouver.

With the completion of the Circum-Gulf Railway, Dallas can easily connect to Mexico City to the southwest and Orleans to the east, providing easy access to the Mississippi Republic and the Republic of Florida.

as everyone knows

Personnel can move freely throughout North America, there are almost no hard restrictions, and cross-border travel and business only need to pay twenty or thirty Tang Yuan related fees, and the procedures are extremely simple.

The only restriction of the Tang Empire; It is strictly forbidden for blacks to enter the country.

There are even dark-skinned Central Americans who have been turned away by immigration officers at the border because they could not produce documents to prove that they were not black.

This situation is not bad, if you enter the country, you may be arrested in the city at any time because of your dark skin, and then thrown directly into a forced labor camp.

Under the simple and crude policy, it is true that many people are wronged, but I have to admit that it is very effective.

In the vast territory of the Tang Empire from south to north, it is almost extremely rare to see dark-skinned people, which is a direct manifestation of the power of this policy.

There was a time

In 1869, after the end of the Second South American War, a large number of black Brazilian soldiers who were captured became the main source of labor for the construction of the Nicaragua Canal, and paid countless sweats and even lives for the construction of the Central Plains Province.

More than 10 years later, the Nicaragua Canal was officially opened to traffic, and the construction of roads, railways, cities, and farmland water conservancy in the Central Plains Province was largely completed.

This resolute policy of the Tang Empire also affected the regions after the division of the former Confederate States of America.

The Kingdom of Kentucky, the Kingdom of Oklahoma, the Republic of Mississippi, and the Republic of Florida introduced laws to gradually remove free blacks, mostly to white cotton planters in the Carolina Republic.

Nowadays, slavery has been abolished throughout the Americas, but in the Carolina Republic, the stronghold of white conservative forces, there are still more than 380~400 black hired laborers.

Nominally freed from slavery, they remained firmly attached to the white plantation owners, and were discriminated against and degraded for their hard work in exchange for a meager income.

Because of that

The Carolina Republic has also been widely criticized by European and American civilizations, and the British, who have always had a foul mouth, have also unceremoniously called it "a conservative state founded by a group of morally corrupt slave owners, who have obtained wealth by exploiting black hired labor, and have a taste of barbarism and blood everywhere." ”

The Tang Empire's "one-size-fits-all" population policy cannot be said to be very good, at least it got rid of the moral accusation of enslaving blacks, and did not need to carry so many things.

After more than 20 years of development, the province of Texas is known for its prosperity and vitality, and is attracting more and more people to come here.

The only thing that makes Texans regret;

His Majesty the Emperor has not visited this place for more than 20 years, and the last time was in the early stages of the great development of the oil industry in 1863, which is now very different.

His Majesty the Emperor went south three times before and after, and did not make a detour of the province of Moral Axis, which made Texans feel a little lost.

Just like a child who works hard outside, no matter how dazzling the results are, he can't let his father take a more look and care more, and his heart must be uncomfortable!

Speaking of which, the new Xi'an and Donggang on the paradise island feel even more lost in the star big cities.

After all, Texas is on the mainland of North America, and His Majesty the Emperor has been there once, which is already very good to him.

These two brothers seem to be difficult brothers who left their hometown to start a business, and now they have made great achievements, and they are like being forgotten, who should they tell their grievances to?

Early May 1887

Chang'an City, Daming Palace

"Staying in the palace for the past few years, it's really stuffy, and I have long wanted to go out for a walk. This time I just went a little farther......"

Emperor Richard looked at the large hand-drawn map of the world hanging not far away, stretched out his hand to draw a circle, and continued;

"From Chang'an to the north, through Salem, Seattle and Vancouver, to the Yukon Ice City, Alaska and North Sea provinces for a circle.

Then go south to Fuso, the Ryukyu Kingdom to the Luzon Islands and Paradise Island, and by the way, to Australia, from there to the provinces of South America.

After such a circle, it is estimated that it will take more than a year.

Taking advantage of the fact that I am still in good health, I ran all the mountains and rivers that I have beaten down over the years, and I have also fulfilled a long-cherished wish in my heart.

So-called; Under the whole world, it is not the king's land.

I personally went to these overseas provinces to calm the hearts of these overseas subjects, feel the compassion of the imperial family, and add a sense of belonging! ”

His Majesty the Emperor's drawing of this inspection map almost circled the Pacific Ocean, and it would take more than a year to realize it anyway.

All the ministers are willing to oppose it, but the road is too far away, the vast ocean is dangerous and unpredictable, lest the holy bow disobey the peace, and the Tang Empire will be shaken.

But looking at His Majesty the Holy Emperor's determined expression, he knew that the Holy Will had been decided, and it was really difficult to change it.

But......

The eyes of all the ministers converged on the face of the Prime Minister, Baron Tang Dezhao, hoping that he would come forward to come forward with an idea, at least to persuade His Majesty to be calm and not impatient, and wait for everything to be ready before making the trip.

How long is this preparation......

Half a year and one year is not too short, two years and three years are not too long, and it is always necessary to prepare very properly.

Prime Minister Baron Tang Dezhao was also helpless in his heart, he knew that once His Majesty made up his mind, let alone nine cows, even a hundred cows would not be able to pull them back.

He had no way to shirk, so he could only stand up and bow deeply;

"Your Majesty;

Wechen thought that this trip was thousands of miles away, and the vast ocean was unpredictable, and it was really reassuring.

Your Majesty is responsible for the well-being of hundreds of millions of subjects, and the holy bow is related to the Qiankun of our Tang Empire, and everyone expects it, and it is not allowed to be disturbed by the slightest wind and grass, so we must be cautious.

The cruise ships available for travel in the empire today are either too small in tonnage or in disrepair and in unsatisfactory condition.

Wechen thought;

His Majesty must build a super-large cruise ship that can withstand the worst winds and waves, and treat the waves of the ocean as nothing, enough to ensure the safety of the Holy Bow, and enough to reassure the subjects of the Empire.

Otherwise, billions of subjects can't sleep!

Wechen risked death to admonish and pray that His Majesty would be as good as a stream, otherwise it would be difficult for us to obey our lives even if we were sick of our livers and brains. ”

"The ministers pray that Your Majesty will be as good as a stream, otherwise it will be difficult for us to obey our fate, even if we are ruined." The ministers immediately lined up and echoed in unison.

Everyone was happy in their hearts, Prime Minister Baron Tang Dezhao's "delaying strategy" was really wonderful!

It will take two or three years to build a 10,000-ton luxury cruise ship, and at that time, whether His Majesty the Emperor still wants to go around the Pacific Ocean to inspect it is a matter of two words?

His Majesty the Emperor used to travel by train, at least the safety was guaranteed.

But now I suddenly want to visit the overseas provinces, the stormy waves in the Pacific Ocean are not fun, how many freighters sink every year? How many migrant ships have died in the belly of the fish?

Even in 1886, as many as 30 or 40 ships sank due to bad sea conditions.

Among them, there are not only small and medium-sized coastal cargo ships of one or two thousand tons, but also large ocean-going ships of tens of millions of tons.

Limited by the development of science and technology in the times, people cannot predict bad sea conditions and typhoons, and once they are deeply involved, they can only carry it, so ocean voyages are extremely risky.

Emperor Richard saw that all the ministers were exhorting in unison, hesitated for a moment, then nodded and agreed, and said;

"All Aiqing, please get up, that's it...... Then, according to the secretary's play, the Royal Home Office will allocate funds to build a new ship, prepare for the voyage, and then make a decision when everything is ready. ”

"Your Majesty Shengming!" The ministers replied in unison.

(End of chapter)