Chapter 311 Determining the future and meeting the future! (Please order and vote)
"Do we really don't need him?"
Prince Albert thought for a while and asked his wife in a low voice: "My dear, don't you really want to know something that may happen in the future?"
The Queen of England had already coaxed the child. The monarch of the world's most powerful country, who was only a little over 1.5 meters tall, was holding his son who was just a few months old and looking at her husband. There was no trace of confusion on his chubby and delicate face. Or worry, some are just powerful auras to dominate the world.
The Queen's tone was very majestic, full of confidence, and very arrogant: "Dear Albert, I know very well what will happen in the future! But it is not through that prophet, but I can decide the future!
The Britain I rule is the most powerful empire in history, and this empire is at its most glorious and prosperous era. Her fleet dominates the oceans, and her colonies are spread all over the world. The combined area of ​​all British territories is larger than that of Russia. The combined territory of the Empire, the Qing Dynasty and the United States was even larger!
More importantly, Britain also has the most powerful industry in the world. Britain produces more steel, ships, textiles, and coal than the rest of the world combined! This gives the British Empire endless power and also It ensures that the hegemony of the British Empire can continue forever, at least for another thousand years!"
Obviously, Luo Yaoguo underestimated the confidence and arrogance of the rulers of the British Empire in this era!
Today, the British Empire is probably as powerful as the United States that just won the Cold War. It is number one in the world in industry, science and technology, and military! It even ranks number one in the world in terms of territories (including colonies)! All kinds of things. Needless to say, our natural resources are number one in the world!
Moreover, Britain's industry and technology leadership in the world today is even better than that of the United States in the 1990s.
In the foreseeable future, no country is likely to challenge British hegemony.
The Queen of England said proudly: "So, the devil can at most predict the future. And I, the Queen of England, and the gentlemen in the British Parliament can decide the future."
For example, the future of Tsarist Russia is decided by us. Their future is not good!
And the future of China is also in our hands. If we want the Tatar dynasty to exist, then it can exist. If we are willing to support the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, then the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom has a future."
The tone of Hong Xiuquan's "Five Daughters of God" suddenly dropped sharply to below freezing point: "Now that the Tatar Dynasty's mission has come to Britain, I don't intend to give the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom a future. I want to see, then What can a prophet do to save his kingdom?"
When snow began to fall on the Thames River, Sushun, Yuanbao, Bai Siwen, Li Hongzhang, Wang Libin and others finally arrived by boat in London, the world capital of the British Empire.
Large paddle-wheel sailing ships, rare to see on the oceans of East Asia, are everywhere on the Thames. There are both merchant ships transporting cargo and warships equipped with large-caliber artillery. They almost form a long queue on the water.
On the port pier, there are cargo warehouses everywhere, and various steam-driven cranes are densely arranged. Dock workers come and go, as busy as worker bees, either operating machines or moving small pieces of goods back and forth.
The docks can build "large ships" with a displacement of several thousand tons. The slipways are lined up next to each other on the bank of the Thames River, with the highest density in the world. The docks and slipways are all busy and bustling with the sound of rivets being hammered. It can be heard from far away.
The industrial area of ​​London is also near the Thames River. There are countless tall chimneys standing there, filled with black smoke, soot and dust flying everywhere, making the air extremely polluted. The sewage from factories and the wastewater generated by urban residents Sewage is constantly being discharged into the Thames River. Day after day, without any purification measures, the originally clear river water has been dyed black. There is always garbage floating on the river, exuding an unpleasant smell, and a variety of plants growing on it. Germs.
This was London in the mid-19th century, the industrial and financial center of the world, the heart of the British Empire, and the home of as many as 2.4 million British people.
Of course, most of the 2.4 million British people live in slums with poor conditions, so London now has the largest slums in the world!
If the "Great Qing Traitors" led by Sushun had come a few years earlier and caught up with the climax of the Chartist movement and the "revolutionary year" of 1848, the London slums would have been bustling at that time.
However, as sea-going ships powered by steam engines are getting bigger and bigger, their number is increasing, and the cost of transoceanic voyages is getting lower and lower. The low-class people in the London slums who can never make it in their own country can at least " Come out and become an adventurer.
There are 40 million square kilometers of colonies outside, and the United States, the "chosen traitor", can accommodate them. There are also many backward countries and semi-colonies who admire the British Empire. If they change places, they might become masters!
As a result, British society gradually stabilized after the "Revolutionary Year" of 1848, the living standards of the poor began to slowly improve, and the security in London also greatly improved.
So now Li Hongzhang and Wang Libin dared to carry a large bag of white pounds each, and several Qing entourage with pigtails, followed by a secretary of the British Foreign Office who was always smiling, and walked confidently and boldly in the bustling city. of Charing Cross Street.
"Mr. Li, Mr. Wang, Hatchards Bookstore is here. This is the oldest and most famous bookstore in London. It was opened in 1797 and has been certified by the Wang family. All books that have been published in Europe in the past few decades, you have You can find it in this bookstore."
The person who spoke was the British civil servant with a polite smile. His name was Jim Humphrey. He had briefly served in the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong. He could speak Chinese, but not fluently.
Fortunately, Wang Libin's English is very good, and Li Hongzhang has already mastered English after learning English from Wang Libin for several months, and can have simple conversations with British people - he is a top 13 student at the age of 24. Genius, any liberal arts subject will never be a problem for him!
Therefore, there is absolutely no problem with the communication between Li Hongzhang, Wang Libin and Mr. Humphrey.
After breakfast today, Li Hongzhang, Wang Libin and Humphrey proposed to buy books, many, many books!
So Humphrey brought them to Hatchards Bookstore.
Perhaps because it was still early, when Li Hongzhang and Wang Libin followed Humphrey into this small bookstore, there were not many customers inside. There were only a short, fat, bearded middle-aged man and a tall man. , some handsome young men with short beards were looking for books inside.
The two customers were facing the store door, so they both saw Li Hongzhang and Wang Libin wearing fancy Qing Dynasty official uniforms from the corner of their eyes. They looked very surprised, and turned their heads to stare at Li Hongzhang and Wang Libin, while still whispering in German. What are they talking about.
A clerk who was sorting out the bookshelf was also attracted by the two Chinese visitors. He immediately put down his work and greeted them: "Can you two gentlemen understand English?"
"Of course I can understand."
Wang Libin answered in English.
"Please speak slower."
Li Hongzhang smiled and answered in English.
And Jim Humphrey introduced with a smile: "They are guests of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. One is the senior secretary of the Chinese emperor, and the other is the secretary's secretary. They want to buy some books to take back to China."
The two customers in the store and the clerk all showed extremely surprised expressions.
The clerk calmed down and asked, "What books do you want to buy?"
"Textbooks," Wang Libin said, "We want to buy English versions of Prussian elementary school, middle school, and university textbooks. If it is difficult to buy a complete set, we want to buy English versions of Prussian elementary school, middle school, and mathematics textbooks for each grade of middle school. Physics and chemistry textbooks."
Education in the British Empire was very chaotic these days. There was no national education system, and there were only private and church schools of varying quality. Naturally, there were no unified textbooks to purchase.
Although the education quality of some grammar schools and public schools exclusive to the nobility and elites is very high, the courses in these schools are too high-end, and the textbooks are compiled and printed by themselves, which may not be available outside.
So Luo Yaoguo instructed Wang Libin to give priority to purchasing Prussian textbooks in English. Prussian national education is public, and the textbooks for primary and secondary schools are all compiled in a unified manner. They focus on science and practicality, and are suitable for most people to learn. It is relatively easy. Self-study.
The reason why he wanted to buy the English version was because Luo Yaoguo didn’t have anyone who knew German, and he didn’t understand it himself, so he couldn’t “copy” it when he bought it!
However, when the clerk heard Wang Libin's request, he frowned and said, "The German version of Prussian elementary and middle school textbooks is available in our store, but there is no English version of Prussian elementary and middle school textbooks."
No?
Wang Libin thought to himself: "Then we can only settle for the next best thing and look for the British's own textbooks."
Just as he thought of this, the short fat man among the two customers in the store suddenly said: "Mr. China, do you want to buy the English version of the textbook on the Kingdom of Prussia?"
Wang Libin turned to look at the man and found that he was a man in his thirties with a short, fat beard. He smiled and cupped his hands: "Please call me Mr. Wang," and then pointed at Li Hongzhang, "He is Li Sir, my boss." Then Wang Libin asked: "I wonder what your name is, sir?"
The bearded man smiled and said: "Mr. Wang, my name is Moore, and I come from the Rhine Province of the Kingdom of Prussia." He pointed to the tall man next to him, "His name is Friedrich, and he also comes from the Rhine Province of Prussia.
If you want to buy English textbooks on the Kingdom of Prussia, Friedrich and I would be more than willing to help."
The young man named Friedrich smiled and answered: "We can help you translate it. If you are in urgent need, we can also find some friends to help.
In return, we would like to know something about what is happening in China."
Moore added with a smile: "The two of us are editors of a newspaper. We really hope that what is happening in China can be published in British newspapers so that more people can know about it."
Chapter completed!