Although history gave Lin Youde a big surprise at the beginning of 1898, in general, the historical progress of this year is still in line with Lin Youde's memory.
The progress of Kangliang's reform was a little later than in the previous time and space. In October, they were still debating with the die-hards in newspapers, and there was no sign of anything like an edict to establish the country.
Lin Youde reads the newspapers sent from Guangzhou every week and kills time by reading the gossip articles on both sides. He noticed an interesting phenomenon: in the last time and space, the main ammunition of Kangliang Zuipao was Western theory and Japan's reform practice.
, during this time and space, they began to talk about Lin Youde's Lin Ji.
Kang Liang's analysis of Lin Ji basically copied Western comments, so like Western commentators, he did not understand the essence of Lin Ji at all. This kind of pretentious analysis made Lin Youde very interesting.
It's better not to be able to analyze clearly, so that Lin Youde can seize the time to make more money.
There is nothing more enjoyable than making money.
Anyway, Lin Youde is ready to farm and develop technology. Lin Youde does not ask for industrial production capacity. The raw materials necessary for heavy industry in the Philippines are insufficient, and it is too difficult to develop modern large-scale industry.
Industrial powers either have vast territories and are rich in resources, or they control vast colonies. Lin Youde wants to industrialize now, but he really can't do it.
Originally, Lin Youde wanted to return to his old tricks and play in the entertainment industry, but almost all the wealthy local businessmen in Helangyabo were related to Lin Ji. Earning money from them was just taking back part of Lin Ji's profits, and it could not solve any practical problems.
Question. As for foreign tourists, traveling in this era is still too dangerous, shipping accidents occur frequently, and it takes too long, so even those dignitaries rarely hear about frequent trips to distant places.
Fortunately, Lin Youde was not short of money at this time, which was enough to support the operation of the only military industry in his hands. Lin Youde's military industry was not profitable at all. The products produced were directly provided to the Nanyang Army for internal digestion, with the support of the new factory in Helangyabo.
Next, the Nanyang Army is slowly but methodically replacing the imitation Mauser 98 and self-designed disposable rocket launchers, and small items such as wooden-handled grenades have also been commonly installed.
At the end of 1898, Lin Youde officially placed an order for 10,000-ton battleships with the United States. At this time, the U.S. Navy was not as powerful as later generations. The U.S. Congress was very stingy, and the money for shipbuilding for the Navy simply could not satisfy the Navy's appetite. So Lin Youde's order was
It turned out to be a timely opportunity. The U.S. Navy was happy to use Chinese money to test the shipbuilding capabilities of the shipyard and to accumulate experience for the construction of its own warships in the future.
The Germans did something similar when the Qing Dynasty ordered ironclad ships in 1880. There was no reason why the Americans couldn't help.
The design of the battleship was completed by American designers, but Lin Youde used his experience as a time traveler and ordered them to make some improvements. First, the battleship itself did not have a secondary main gun, but used a unified caliber main gun like the British dreadnought. Then
The warship adopts the concept of partial protection, focusing on protecting the core parts of the hull, and uses a fully enclosed armored bridge. Finally, the design uses a large amount of electricity as power.
American designers are very surprised because there is no electric motor in the world that can rotate such a heavy main gun turret. Lin Youde laughed and said nothing about this. You will not understand my technology tree.
After spending their free money, the Americans didn't say anything. Anyway, they just didn't design the hydraulic transmission system or the complicated things necessary for the steam turning mechanism for the turret, leaving space for installing the electric motor.
American designers told Lin Youde that the complete design blueprint would be completed around 1900, and the first battleship would be launched in 1902 and ready for delivery in 1903. Payment would be made in installments, with five payments during the five years of design and construction.
.The total amount is a bit deceptive, but at this time Lin Youde does not have the strength to pay off the entire cost of the design and construction of a battleship in one go, so he can only accept it.
Correspondingly, Lin Youde had no objection to the timetable given by the Americans. At that time, the young people in Indianapolis had already returned from their studies, and it would take another two years for the warships to become combat effective, which was more than enough.
The news of Lin Youde's order for battleships is naturally kept confidential. It's okay to have an army. After all, the army is a defensive force in places like Nanyang, and the international community turns a blind eye. But the navy is different. It has
A navy, or a navy equipped with heavy capital ships, it is difficult not to make people suspicious.
Therefore, Lin Youde established the Fishery Administration Bureau and organized the South China Sea Fish Protection Brigade in the name of combating piracy. The basic task of the brigade is to protect Chinese fishermen's fishing operations at sea and to provide escort for Lin Ji's important merchant ships.
The battleship Lin Youde ordered from the United States was rightfully named a large fishery law enforcement ship.
The name Lin Youde came up with made not only the Americans Spartans, but also the relevant personnel who knew the inside story. Lin Youde was not polite and accepted everyone's shock as praise.
This directly led to a very strange tradition in the Nanyang Navy. Whenever Lin Ji's interests need to be protected in any sea area, fishermen from Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan who are not afraid of death will rush in to catch fish in dilapidated fishing boats, and then arm the fishery administration boats.
In the name of protecting fish, they arrogantly entered the disputed waters.
You say this is an armed intervention. Neither Lam Kee nor the Chinese company that nominally controls the Philippines is considered a country. The fish guard team that came over was not the navy. In international matters, name is more important than substance.
More. You said this was not an armed intervention. The 305-caliber heavy artillery of the fish guard team was watching eagerly.
However, for Lin Youde now, these things are still in the mirror. If something goes wrong, Lin will lose his mind and take advantage of the US Navy.
**
While Lin Youdegui was farming in the Philippines, the world situation was also developing rapidly.
There are rising calls for reform in China, but in Lin Youde’s memory, around 1898, people in Shandong and other places should have started tearing down railways and cutting telegraph wires. But now, the intelligence coming back from Gyeonggi Province shows that the situation in Shandong and other places is calm and the society is harmonious.
Lin Youde didn't care much about this situation. After all, the reform seemed to be postponed to 1899, so it was understandable that the Boxer Rebellion would be postponed for a while.
Anyway, Lin Youde planned to sit in Nanyang and watch the excitement this time.
In Japan, as the leftists were purged, Japan's militarization began to accelerate. A large number of people who opposed militarism moved to Northern Luzon, and they gradually formed a Japanese community near the new shrine built by Lin Youde for Kutsuhime.
Most of the Japanese who came to Northern Luzon were intellectuals and had received modern education. Many of them were grassroots technicians that Lin Youde urgently needed. After contacting them, Lin Youde was surprised to find that these people were all related to Miyazaki Tozou and the others.
Likewise, he regards himself as half-Chinese, and still retains the respect for his former suzerain country in his bones. Lin Youde couldn't help but sigh, the Japanese nation is really weird...
Another benefit Lin Youde received from Japanese expatriates was the hundreds of doctors among them. It can be said that the life-saving nature of the doctor's profession is incompatible with the samurai doctrine promoted by militarism, so a large number of Japanese who are proficient in Western medicine have left Japan.
, came to Northern Luzon.
Relying on these people, Lin Youde finally owned a truly Western-style hospital in Langgabo. This hospital provides free external services, and all the cost of medicines is borne by Lin Ji, but the patients who see the doctor will receive a fee in the end.
There was a list of expenses, which clearly stated how much medical expenses Lin Ji had advanced for them. If the patient was illiterate, a "kind" nurse would read the list to him.
This is undoubtedly another trick played by Lin Youde. Free medical treatment is okay, but you must know whose favor it is. There will definitely be white-eyed wolves among those who accept the favor, and the number may be quite large, but the people as a whole are
A person who knows how to repay his kindness. If the people benefit from Lin Ji, they will definitely repay him in the future. As long as he has the support of the people, Lin Youde will have nothing to fear.
Unlike the relatively stable situation in Asia, the war clouds in other parts of the world are getting thicker little by little.
Britain and Russia finally reached an agreement on the Afghan issue, temporarily ending the confrontation in Afghanistan. Soon, the two countries announced an alliance. In the last time and space, Britain formed an alliance with Japan to restrain Russia. Now it seems that a British-Japanese alliance has been formed.
The possibility is very low.
The reason is simple. The unification of Germany and the Netherlands changed the main threat faced by the British Empire. It needed Russia to fight against the new German Empire.
In the Balkans, the situation deteriorated again, but this time it was no longer like the two Crimean Wars (it was fought twice in this time and space, but only once in the original time and space, author's note). It was the other countries in Europe who united to fight against Russia.
This time, Britain, France and Russia face the new German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Ottoman Empire. If they really fight, it will basically be a small-scale rehearsal of World War I.
However, at this time, Germany had just begun to integrate the resources of the Netherlands and did not want to start a war yet. Therefore, the Balkans were only in a state of possible fire at any time, but the war did not actually break out.
But no one knows whether one day a fire will really break out. In this case, an accident may lead to the outbreak of war - all countries have reasons and motives for launching wars, but they still have concerns, but the fire has already broken out.
Under such circumstances, they don't mind fighting in the Balkans to safeguard their own interests.
In Africa, all signs indicate that the British army is preparing for war. The United Kingdom already has a lot of "unhappiness" with the Netherlands in Africa, and now there is Germany, which is very unhappy for the British Empire. It is really true that the British do not take some action.
Strange.
If possible, Lin Youde really wanted to find an opportunity to add someone to this powder keg and drag the world into war in advance. Unfortunately, Lin Youde now has the heart but not the strength. And then he thought about it, with Lin Ji's current strength,
Even Beiyang may not be able to defeat it. The only ones that benefit from the war in Europe now are Japan and Russia.
According to Lin Youde's current timetable, it would be best for Europe to go to war around 1905, when Theodore Roosevelt should have been re-elected as President of the United States if nothing unexpected happened. In that case, no one could stop Lin Youde from leading the Northern Expedition to annex all of China.
Nowadays, it is more important to seize the time to farm. Only when the fields are well cultivated can we compete for hegemony. Back then, the Shu Han Dynasty faced Xiang Yu. They were defeated repeatedly but could continue to fight again. It was because they were so good at farming.
However, when Lin Youde did not want to trouble the times, the times came to trouble him.
Before the Lunar New Year in 1899, visitors from northern China visited the Lin Kee Base Camp in Horanggabo.