Wang Dafu wore a gorgeous brocade robe and held a gold pipe made of gold in his hand.
He stepped into Hongyun Restaurant and shouted: "Dagui, your brother and I have returned home in fine clothes."
Wang Dagui, the waiter of Hongyun Restaurant, is serving the freshly prepared dishes from the kitchen.
When he heard the familiar voice, he was very excited. He quickly put the dishes on the guest's table and immediately came out of the restaurant to welcome him.
When Wang Dagui saw how his eldest brother was dressed, he couldn't believe it and felt ashamed of himself.
Their family was poor, and the eldest brother went out to work when he was a teenager. At first he sent money and letters home, but later there was no news.
Everyone in the family thought that something had happened to the eldest brother, but now that he is back, he is obviously prosperous.
Wang Dafu saw his younger brother's reserved look, so he tried to relieve his depressed mood.
He immediately ordered a sumptuous meal in the lobby and accompanied his brother to eat.
"Dagui, you have been working as a waiter in a restaurant for so long and you have never tasted the restaurant's signature dishes. Today, I will let you eat as much as you like."
The shopkeeper of Hongyan Restaurant saw Wang Dafu dressed in gorgeous clothes, looking like a rich man.
The shopkeeper immediately smiled and asked Wang Dagui to accompany his brother to enjoy the meal.
Wang Dagui looked at the big lobster on the dinner plate. This lobster cost more than 20 taels of silver coins, which was his two months' salary.
He asked curiously: "Brother, our family has nothing. You are wearing luxurious clothes now. How on earth do you become prosperous? Is it because you are prosperous in business?"
Hongyun Restaurant is located near the Beijing Railway Station, and Wang Dagui often receives businessmen who travel all over the country.
He could hear these businessmen talking loudly, and their fortune histories were legendary.
When Wang Dafu heard his brother's inquiry, he said with a smile: "To do business, you need capital, at least dozens of taels of capital at home.
I couldn't even afford a tael of silver at that time. It had only been a few years, and I couldn't even buy this outfit if I wanted to start a business.
I have been building railways in the past few years and have mastered the technology of railway construction.
When I was building the railway west of the Ural Mountains, I also had exchanges with the Duke of Yue.
This time when the Duke of Yue returned to Beijing, the main route he took was the railway I had built to Moscow.
You don’t know where Moscow is, it’s very, very far away, on the other side of the world.
The Duke of Yue valued my ability and directly invited me to build a railway in his future country. He gave me three thousand taels of silver coins as a settlement fee, and I could also get a knighthood for outstanding performance."
Wang Dafu said it very easily, but he was not an expert and had no idea what kind of price he had to pay for his growth from a railway worker to a chief engineer in charge of railway construction.
When Wang Dagui heard the settlement fee of three thousand taels of silver coins, he opened his mouth wide and couldn't believe it.
He couldn't even dream of such a huge amount of money.
The other guests in the restaurant come from all over the world and have rich experiences.
After hearing Wang Dafu's self-report, they started talking about it under the influence of alcohol.
"If you can lead the construction of a railway, you can pay him three thousand taels of silver coins as a settlement fee. This is a relatively fair price."
"The settlement fee of three thousand taels of silver coins is just a small amount of money.
The real big money is salary and project completion bonuses.
The construction of railways often costs tens of millions of taels of silver coins. If you can afford to build railways, you are definitely not a poor country, and the bonuses for the project are also extremely generous."
“Those of us businessmen without much talent can only make some small money by buying and selling.
I envy these people who use technology to make money.”
"Who is the Duke of Yue? Another person in the empire has been crowned king and is going to build a country overseas."
As soon as these words came out, they immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
"Brother, what is your business? You don't even know the news that is causing a stir in the empire."
"Brother, if you don't read other newspapers, you should always read Yanhuang Daily and Commercial Daily.
If you miss the major events in the empire and the latest policies issued by the imperial court, no matter how big your business is, it may disappear in the blink of an eye."
The businessman who just said this sentence scratched his head in shame and said helplessly: "I just got off the train and followed the freight train, and there was no newspaper on the train at all.
Freight trains ran according to timetables and were not equipped with telegraphs.
I am going to the Northern Mongolia area to do copper mining business.
The news there was limited, and I was just a small steward, obeying my boss's orders. There was no need to keep up with the latest news, and I didn't have the habit of reading newspapers.
The most important thing is that I can’t read a newspaper, so how can I read it?”
When everyone heard his answer, they were not surprised at all.
The imperial court has done statistics and found that the literacy rate of people living in big cities is less than one thousandth.
The imperial court attached great importance to education as never before, but illiterate people were everywhere.
There are indeed only a small number of people who have studied and are literate.
"This brother is illiterate, so I will talk about the current rumors. If there are any omissions, please fill in them in time."
An elegant-looking man wearing a long gown, with his hands clasped in fists, said to everyone.
"Everyone should know the important news that the imperial court sent naval and land forces to attack Europe and achieved great victory.
In this war, outstanding figures include Duke Lu Chenyang of Chu, Duke Bai Yuangui of Yue, Duke Zhan Tie of Song, Marquis Wu Ming of Lu, Marquis Liang Feng of Pingling and others.
The above-mentioned people, except Luhou Wuming, have all been recalled to the capital by His Majesty the Emperor.
Although they were called back at this time of year, the court did not say why.
But there are rumors that these people will be allowed by His Majesty the Emperor to establish their country overseas."
After the elegant man in long gown finished speaking, others immediately checked and filled in the gaps.
"The Dukes of Chu, Yue, and Song all made big moves.
They are raising funds, absorbing talents, and preparing to go overseas to build a country.
Such a big move cannot be done without the permission of the imperial court.
If ordinary people do these things, the court will definitely be alerted and check to see if anyone wants to rebel.
This wealthy man was recruited by the Yue government, and he was just one of the many talents recruited.
Never underestimate the power of a government palace."
"I heard that not only the meritorious officials and princes of the royal family have returned to the capital, they should also be able to receive enfeoffments."
Someone was talking about the gossip about the royal family, and everyone started talking enthusiastically.
The Royal Family of Dahua is relatively tolerant of public opinion. As long as it is not spreading rumors or malicious smearing, people who discuss the Royal Family will not be arrested.
"Brothers, you have traveled all over the country and are well-informed. Please tell me what you know."
A square-faced man sighed and said: "The dragon gave birth to nine sons, each of whom is different.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is wise and powerful, but the other princes are mediocre.
Especially Rui Wang Sulei, his record is hard to describe.
The empire fought against the Ottoman Turks, and the only army that was defeated was King Rui's command.
The performance of various armies in the empire was publicized by the imperial court.
Luhou Wuming was unstoppable and defeated the Ottoman Turks, the Holy Roman Empire, and the German Confederation in a row.
However, due to lack of merit, he did not get the chance to be crowned king.
King Su Lei of Rui fought behind Luhou Wuming, but his performance was far inferior to that of Luhou Wuming.
He just has royal status.
There is a proverb circulating in Europe: Some people are born in Rome, and some people are born as mules."
After the man said this, the middle-aged man who was tasting wine immediately stood up and said angrily: "This proverb does not exist in Europe at all. It is completely made up.
King Sule was responsible for stabilizing the rear of Ottoman Turkey and ensuring the safety of supplies entering Europe.
The empire's army has outstanding combat power, but it consumes a lot of money.
Without strong logistical support, it would be impossible to support it.
Pingling Hou Liang Feng stood out in the army because of his excellent logistics support for the army."
"Guang Zhong, no need to say any more, let's go!"
Su Lei returned to the capital by train. He liked to stay near the train station.
People from all over the world and from all walks of life gather here.
By observing the performance of these people, he can understand the situation in various parts of the empire.
Su Lei came to this hotel today. Just as he was about to leave, Wang Dafu appeared.
The knowledge he gained made him realize that railways are extremely important.
If the imperial court did not have a railway extending to Western Xinjiang, especially the Persian Gulf.
Relying solely on the long route from the eastern part of the empire to Europe was too slow.
The Royal Army's unexpected progress has put great pressure on the supply of logistical weapons and ammunition.
The train was extremely fast and could transport ammunition to the Persian coast, and then transported it to the European battlefield through the remaining canals.
Using this method of transshipment, the transportation cost does not increase much, but the effectiveness of the materials increases a lot.
The group of them walked out of the restaurant, and Wang Guangzhong whispered: "Your Highness, I saw the person in the restaurant, he said that on purpose.
The prince was afraid of His Highness's rise, so he used public opinion to suppress it, hoping to undermine His Highness's confidence.
Your Highness must cheer up and let Your Majesty see His Highness’ abilities.”
When King Su Lei of Rui heard this, his expression immediately changed and he angrily scolded: "You are so bold, how dare you alienate the feelings of our royal children.
My relationship with the prince brother is very good, how could the prince brother do something to harm me?"
Su Lei turned around and ordered: "Da Zhuang, send Wang Guangzhong to the prison of the Criminal Department so that the people from the Criminal Department can investigate him carefully."
After hearing this, Wang Guangzhong's face changed drastically and he immediately begged: "Your Highness, I am thinking about your future.
Your Highness, your advice may be offensive to your ears, so don’t be a foolish master.”
"Towed away."
Su Lei ordered with a cold tone.
When he saw Wang Guangzhong being dragged away, he was deeply moved. He still missed the mark.
He actually let the meticulous work arranged by the prince enter the core circle.
If Su Lei hadn't discovered it in time, he would have suffered greater losses.
Wang Guangzhong is indeed well hidden. Under normal circumstances, there is no trace of him at all.
But Su Lei's most core subordinates were either arranged by his mother or the talents sent by his uncle, King Cao Li Dazhuang.
The talents sent by the queen mother and uncle are worthy of trust.
When Su Lei realized that something he had done was leaked, the first person he suspected was Wang Guangzhong.
After repeated tests, he was finally able to confirm that Wang Guangzhong was the prince Su Shu's son.
Wang Guangzhong suggested at this moment that he should be prepared to show off.
When he thought Su Lei was depressed, he gave corresponding advice.
At this time, Su Lei's chances of adopting the suggestion greatly increase.
Wang Guangzhong has repeatedly provided similar advice on different occasions.
If Su Lei is not vigilant about this suggestion, he will definitely fall into a trap.
He will probably not be able to detect the trap in this for the rest of his life.
But Su Lei was already vigilant, and he would carefully consider whether any advice given by Wang Guangzhong contained a trap.
Su Lei sat in the car and looked at the bustling capital. He didn't know if he would have the opportunity to return to the capital again in the future.
The trap made by Wang Guangzhong should be the trick of his brother, the prince.
The trap looks very ordinary, but if it falls into it, it will be difficult to climb out again in this lifetime.
His father was not completely disappointed with him. This time the empire won Europe, and his father gave him a chance.
Su Lei did get the quota for overseas nation-building.
But there is still a key issue that has not yet been resolved.
That is the country he belongs to. What is his specific position?
Not all places in Europe can be considered excellent territory.
In the Nordic regions close to Russia, winter is very long, and in some places, there are nearly twenty hours of darkness a day.
If a country is founded in a place like this, even if it involves a world-famous talent, the most it can do is keep the people fed and clothed.
Eastern Europe is densely covered with mountains and hills, there are no large plains, and there is also a lack of large rivers that are extremely important for agriculture and industry.
This place is much better than Northern Europe, but it cannot be compared with Western Europe, the essence of European civilization.
The development potential of the two places is simply incomparable.
Sule was enfeoffed in Western Europe, and he was still confident of building a strong country.
If we are enfeoffed in Eastern Europe, we can count on our descendants to help us.
Unfortunately, he was enfeoffed in the Nordic region and could only rely on the power of the empire to survive.
After all, Su Lei has a special status. He cannot openly recruit people and raise resources to prepare for the founding of the country like Qi Gangyi, Lu Chenyang, Bai Yuangui and others.
He must not act too extravagantly, causing his father to have bad feelings towards him.
Su Lei leaned on the car seat and looked at the crowd rushing in front of him. His mind could not calm down for a long time.
He wants to rely on his own abilities to control his own destiny.
After struggling to reach this stage, he found that his fate had always been in the hands of his father.
Su Lei let out a long sigh, hoping that his future country would have greater potential and that its surrounding neighbors would not be too powerful.
He was very sure in his heart that when his father was still alive, the vassal states would definitely not fight.
But with the departure of his father, the first generation ruler of the vassal country also left.
The emotional ties between vassal states will be broken immediately.
The vassal states will definitely attack each other for their own benefit.
No one could figure out the attitude of his prince brother towards the vassal country at that time.
Su Lei wants his country to continue to survive.
The only way is to find ways to enhance your own strength.
All the troubles in the world are because you are not strong enough.
As the car drove out of the train station, both sides of the streets in the capital were filled with festive atmosphere.
The New Year is coming, and my father will also ennoble the princes during the New Year.
This is definitely the last large-scale enfeoffment of princes by the empire.
According to Su Lei's perception, the number of countries to be entrusted this time is likely to exceed ten places.
It was also the largest number of feudal princes in the history of the founding of the empire.
At this important moment for Su Lei, he wanted to go to the palace to seek advice from his mother and get her guidance.
His understanding of certain situations is indeed not as good as his mother's long-term perspective.