"Ah! Boss Zhao actually wants to take action himself?"
At noon two days later, Lu Qi, who had just returned to Kinmen Town, was overjoyed after seeing the telegram. Boss Zhao came to help him solve his problems. Since the leader was coming, he had to do something to save face, such as asking the Indian girl to send flowers.
Or lay out a red carpet at the entrance of the fortress?
"Chief, that guy named Baranov is here again. Do you want to see him?"
Lu Qi's random thoughts were interrupted by the report of his guard. He pondered for a moment and said: "See you. Please come in."
Not long after, the door opened, and a tall, fat guy with a red face and a dark face walked in followed by the guard. This man looked to be in his forties, with a pair of triangular eyes and high brows. He
He walked to a place about two meters away from Lucci and stood there, taking off the top hat made of beaver felt on his head, revealing a Mediterranean-style bald head surrounded by a ring of light yellow and sparse hair.
"Hello, my dear Governor, I'm here to disturb you again." The visitor spoke in English, but because he was afraid that Lu Qi couldn't hear clearly, he spoke very slowly.
"Please take a seat, Mr. Baranov." Rucci stood up to greet him and also asked him to sit down in English.
The full name of Mr. Baranov is Alexander Andreevich Baranov, and he is the general manager of the Russian "Northeast American Company" in Alaska. This company is actually the company in another time and space.
The predecessor of the "Russian-American Trading Company", it is currently mainly engaged in the fur business and maritime whaling business from Alaska.
Twenty years ago, a Russian merchant fleet set out from Okhotsk for a commercial trade voyage to the Kuril Islands and the Aleutian Islands. Five years later, in 1783, the year when Zhao Xin first met the Liji couple,
The fleet eventually made an expedition to Alaska and established its first base on Kodiak Island in the northwest Gulf of Alaska the following year.
In the spring of 1790, the 41-year-old company leader Shelikhov returned to Irkutsk due to health reasons. Before leaving, he appointed Baranov as the general manager of the company.
In August of the same year, the "Battle of Usolye" broke out between the town of Beihai and the Tsarist Russian Empire. After the battle, Okhotsk was completely lost, which cut off all land and water transportation from Tsarist Russia to Eastern Siberia. Shelikhov heard that
After hearing the news, he fell ill due to desperation.
We must know that the Tsarist Russian Empire has formed a world strategy including the "Six Seas and Three Oceans" since Peter the Great established its navy, and all subsequent monarchs followed it as a model. The loss of the eastern seaport forced Russian merchant ships to use the Baltic Sea, or
It is a route from Crimea to the Black Sea, and then from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.
At this time, the Russians have not yet opened up the Arctic Ocean shipping lanes. Unless there is an accident, it will not be realized until at least a hundred years later. And even if it is opened, it will be useless. The harsh natural environment will prevent the east and west shipping lanes from being used until the 21st century.
Be commercially viable.
Therefore, in the previous negotiations between Tsarist Russia and Beihai Town, the return of Okhotsk was one of the main conditions. As a result, it was ruthlessly rejected by Zhao Xin every time.
In order to completely make Okhotsk a sphere of influence in the Chinese territory, the Civil Affairs Committee renamed it "Shaohai Town" based on the records in the "Tongdian" of the Tang Dynasty; the Northern Navy Staff also dispatched a company of land troops there.
The team rotates personnel every summer when the supply ship arrives. Every winter in the past three years, Zhao Xin will spend a few days traveling back from another time and space to deliver a large amount of fresh vegetables to the local garrison.
and rice, flour, grain and oil to ensure the health of the soldiers and avoid scurvy.
In addition, in order to naturalize the local Evenki and Yakut people, the Education Committee also specially allocated funds to build a Chinese school in the local area. Compared with the Russian missionary schools, the school in Beihai Town not only provides food, clothing and housing, but also provides
They were given clothes, shoes and hats, and scholarships. The teachers who were sent there were also paid double their salaries, and various subsidies were also provided.
While waiting for the tea, Rucci chatted for a while. Although Baranov was anxious, he could only respond with a smile. When the guard brought the tea, the two finally got back to business.
"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting for several days. I just came back from Lushui Town. Please understand that as the governor of a newly developed area, there are too many things that need to be handled personally." After Lu Qi finished speaking, he made a statement
He shrugged his shoulders helplessly.
"Sir, I know you are busy with work. However, this year's beaver hunting season is about to arrive in one month, and many things need to be prepared in advance. If you can allow me, I hope to come back next spring to discuss cooperation between the two parties."
After hearing this, Lu Qi thought for a while, Zhao Xin will come next month, and that person's Russian is much better than his own, so he said: "Mr. Baranov, I fully understand your idea of forming a joint venture."
However, I very much hope you can stay, because in a few days, a big shot will come to the Golden Gate Fortress. In addition to presiding over our negotiations with Spain, he will also be able to resolve your matter."
"Really?! May I ask how many days it is exactly?" Baranov's eyes lit up and he stared at Lucci intently.
"Well, no more than ten days."
Baranov frowned and considered for a moment, and then said decisively: "I can wait for ten days. But your Excellency, Governor, I have a small request."
"Please say."
"Can you be accommodating and allow my crew to go ashore during the day to go to the market? They have been on the ship for many days. Don't worry, I guarantee that they will not cause you any trouble."
This man has been in Kinmen Town for a week and lives on a dhow anchored in the port. Except for himself, who can bring one attendant ashore to ask for an audience, the other crew members are not allowed to disembark and wander around. Although there are freshwater tea leaves, radish and other things for the fortress every day
They would send people to the ship, but the rule of not being allowed to go ashore made them all stifled. They could only drink and fish on the deck every day, or wash the deck to pass the time. They watched as people became more and more impetuous.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Well..." Lu Qi thought for a while and said: "It's not impossible to go ashore, but you have to promise me two things. Once
If someone violates this, not only will they be arrested for hard labor, but others will also be driven back to the ship."
Baranov hurriedly said: "Please tell me."
"First, you are not allowed to force or molest Indian women after landing." Rucci stretched out his fingers in turn and continued: "Second, doing business with Indians must be fair and there must be no fraud."
Baranov could ignore the British, Spaniards and Americans, but he would never dare to offend Kinmen Town. The Spanish army's disastrous defeat made the overseas corps like a scourge along the entire northeastern Pacific coast, not to mention that Beihai Town had already been occupied.
They invaded the entire Siberia and cut off their way back to Europe. So he immediately swore to the sky: "Please rest assured, I promise in the name of the Holy Mother that we will definitely abide by your requirements and local laws."
Well, he came to North America thousands of miles away from home to seek wealth. He also hoped to establish a joint venture trading company with Beihai Town. How could he dare to make Governor Lu unhappy?
It is said that in the early Qing Dynasty, China had always been the world's largest trade surplus country, and a large amount of silver poured in. As a result, most European countries were short of precious metals. At the same time, they also wanted Chinese tea and silk fabrics. So starting from the 1850s,
Many commercial companies specializing in the Pacific fur trade sprung up; such as the Russian Trading Company of Constantinople, the Persian Trading Company, the Bukhara and Khiva Commercial Company, and the Lebedev-Las
Tochkin Company", and the "Northeast American Company" founded by Shelikhov and Ivan Golikov.
Each company wanted to monopolize the fur trade in the Pacific, so fierce competition began. In the past few years, the Tsarist Russian government had intended to establish a unified company to avoid the involution of fur resources, and at the same time strengthen the management of the colonies to cope with the British
and Spanish penetration.
Originally, this matter had been included in the agenda of the Council of State. Unexpectedly, the appearance of Beihai Town completely aborted the plan of the Tsarist Russian government.
Even though Siberia was wrested from Tsarist Russia by the Northern Navy, the huge profits from the fur trade still attracted Tsarist Russian merchants, especially guys like Shelikhov who were the first to conduct commercial expeditions and make a lot of money.
give up easily.
In the history of another time and space, the Russians relied on large-scale fur sales in the Pacific to obtain sufficient goods and funds from the Guangzhou and Kyakhta trade, so that by the beginning of the 19th century, Russia already had
The strength to compete with the European powers at that time, otherwise Alexander I would not have the confidence to go to war with Napoleon.
In the more than forty years from 1747 to 1791 alone, Russian merchants shipped furs worth more than six million rubles from the Aleutian Islands, most of which flowed into China and then turned into tea, rhubarb
, silk and porcelain were sold to Europe and made a lot of profits. For example, Zhao Yi once received a seal fur as a gift. He once recorded: "The fur came out of the Russian country in the north of the Great Wall. It was black in color and densely hairy, and the name of the Chinese people was
It is called Haihu, but I don’t know the name of that country.”
In the past two years, the northwest coast of North America seems to be calm and calm, but in fact, the waves are undercurrent, and sometimes it even develops into fights between hunting teams. Especially now that Beihai Town has added a table-turner to disrupt the situation, and it is even more chaotic.
Got a set.
You must know that Britain lost a considerable area of the colony after the Revolutionary War, so it stepped up its expansion into western Canada. Five years ago, Britain and Spain almost declared war over the small Nucat Sound. This policy was the reason
Directly reflected.
Fortunately, after intense talks, Britain and Spain finally signed the first "Treaty of Nootka" four years ago in October 1790, eliminating the risk of war. Otherwise, both Tsarist Russia and the United States would be forced to
end.
By this year, as the British obtained Nucat Sound and occupied Vancouver Island through the fulfillment of the contract, the Hudson's Bay Company expanded its scope of activities to around Alaska; businessmen in the New England region of the United States also through Robert Gray's exploration activities,
The tentacles stretched out, and a melee over the possession of fur resources and the acquisition of indigenous fur franchises was about to begin.
In the spring of this year, Shelikhov, who was lying on his hospital bed, learned from Baranov's letter that Beihai Town had actually seized the Golden Gate Strait from the Spanish. He was keenly aware that there was a rare opportunity in this crisis.
.
The British, Americans, and Spanish are all scum! Only by clinging to the thick leg of Beihai Town and monopolizing the fur trade from Alaska to Guangzhou will it be possible.
In order to reach cooperation with Beihai Town, Shelikhov sent his confidants to Okhotsk, took a fast boat to Kodiak Island, and sent a secret letter to Baranov, ordering him to immediately go to Kinmen and
The Chinese discuss cooperation.
Thinking of being able to dominate the fur trade in Alaska and Guangzhou in the future, Shelikhov, who was far away in St. Petersburg, would laugh out of his dreams...forget it, he woke up with a cough.
Although this guy is not even fifty yet, his days are numbered due to the damage done to his body in the Aleutian Islands and Alaska. According to the historical trajectory of another time and space, if there is no accident, this person will die next year and will have a huge fortune.
and company shares will be inherited by his 14-year-old daughter.
Lu Qi listened to Baranov's promise with a smile on his face and said to himself that I didn't let you go ashore just because I was worried. If I hadn't received the telegram from Boss Zhao, I would have told you to get out now.
It makes sense for him to think so. The life of sailors at sea in these days was very boring. Once they docked, they would definitely go ashore to find women to have fun, get drunk, and even fight and cause trouble.
There are no brothels in Kinmen Town, not even bars. The only entertainment facilities that can be considered are a basketball court and a library that is not open to the public. In addition, every Saturday night, as long as there is nothing, Lu Qi will be in the fortress.
There was an outdoor movie on, which the officers and soldiers loved to watch.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! Movies usually start with a news documentary about the construction achievements of Beihai Town and the appearance of the countryside, followed by a drama film about Peking Opera or Henan Opera, and the content has been cut out in advance.
Processing, hiding the content of the producer and actors. For example, Peking Opera's "Wild Boar Forest", "Lin Chong Runs at Night", Henan Opera's "Mulan", "Back to the Boots to Visit the Commander", "Mu Guiying Takes Command", etc.
Although there are currently no women in Kinmen Town, many officers and soldiers of the overseas corps have families. The reason why they were not sent over before was because their families were in Liaodong. Now that the Shengjing area has been captured, it is time for them to reunite. As for the one from Lu Qi
With his fiancée Hu Yingying, he plans to wait until next year's Spring Festival when he returns to Beihai Town to visit her and get married, and then come over together.
Time passed like this day by day, and in a blink of an eye it was the eighth day after Lu Qi received Zhao Xin's telegram.
In the early morning, when the sun had just risen from the horizon, white smoke had already risen over the tribe where Katata was located, and the busyness of a new day had begun again.
Katata also woke up. She stood up and rubbed her eyes. When she realized that her mother was not in the room, she started to put on clothes. Before leaving the room, she hesitated, turned around and took out a pair of shiny black shoes from her bed next to the wooden wall.
little leather boots.
These boots were given to her by a young officer in the Golden Gate Fortress, and they were of the right number. Katata liked them very much and was reluctant to wear them. She wiped them every night before going to bed. All the young men and women in the tribe were envious of her.
Thinking that I was going to see my father on the other side of the strait today, I was more likely to meet that officer, so I decided to put it on. This way, when the two of them stand together, I can look taller.
After her father Bai Bai and more than a dozen tribesmen participated in the "Battle of San Bruno Mountain" a few months ago, they were recruited as the "militia" of Kinmen Town and are currently receiving military training there.
The Miwok people were very curious about the combat methods and weapons of the overseas corps, believing that this was a magic weapon to defeat the white devil. When the militia was first recruited, young men from various tribes signed up very enthusiastically. But after two days of training, many people couldn't stand it.
He turned around, stood at attention, turned left, right and back, etc., which made them all stunned. They thought, what does this have to do with fighting?!
If it weren't for the good treatment, many people would have been unable to persist. They were given four sets of clothes, shoes and hats a year, and food was not counted during training. They were given thirty pounds of wheat flour every week. After the training, they had to go back to the tribe, so every day
One month is one hundred and twenty pounds of flour.
The Miwok Indians don't need money. Their transactions with various tribes are barter, and they have no place to spend the money. Since many people have eaten steamed buns made of flour, they think it is the best food in the world.
.
In the past, the Miwok people often migrated due to food shortages in winter. Since the barter market was opened in Kinmen Town, coupled with the food provided to the militia, many families no longer have to worry about insufficient food.
As for the chiefs of each tribe, they now wear "golden blankets" exchanged for furs, wear protective shoes on their feet, stew food in iron pots exchanged for them, smoke cigarettes produced in Beihai Town, and drink a few sorghums.
Brewed Shaodaozi, hehe, my little life is so beautiful!
Seeing Katata emerge from her house, the nearby men, women, and children all greeted her with a smile. Ever since the Thor came to the Golden Gate Strait and defeated the Spaniards, no one laughed at her anymore. At the same time, many people began to
I remember the late "Soaring Eagle" and believe that he is really the messenger of "Wolf God Kaknu".
When Katata got on the canoe and paddled with her friends, her heart was filled with indescribable expectations. At this moment, the boat was a red rope connecting the two sides of the Kinmen Strait. As the wooden oars continued to stir the water,
The distance between you and that person is getting closer and closer.