"That's true. It's just that the language is not very similar." Li Luoyou recalled Liu San's strange Mandarin, and suddenly his heart moved - Liu San's Mandarin pronunciation was somewhat similar to the Han accent in Liaodong. He frowned and said, "Since
If you want to colonize and colonize, shouldn't you be afraid of the imperial court's encirclement and suppression? I don't know what kind of loser is in charge of the Lingao County Yamen," he said, patting the table.
"Mr. Li, please don't get excited." Quack said, "The Australians should not be hostile. So far, I have not heard of them doing anything to endanger maritime trade - you must know that with their iron ships, they want to rob coastal areas.
Merchant shipping is easy."
"That's true."
"Look, you also bought their medicines - Australians don't have any ill intentions. They follow the rules and order in this area, and they are a good group of businessmen." Quark said with great interest, "I would like to talk to you.
They do business."
"You definitely have enough opportunities to do business with them." Li Luoyou had no doubt about this.
"But, I still don't know what they like." Kua Keqiong was a little regretful, "They like medicinal materials, but they have already signed a contract with Shopkeeper Yang. If I can know what they need most, I will tell them directly when I go to Lingao next month.
Went with a shipment of cargo."
"You are really a shrewd businessman." Li Luoyou smiled, "I think they need iron and coal, especially coal."
"Why?" Quark asked.
"My man reported to me that the craftsmen they recruited are mainly engaged in porcelain firing and casting of utensils. Both of these require coal - I remember that coal was not available in the high altitude."
"Coal?" Quark shook his head regretfully, "It's too dirty, and I have nowhere to buy it." He thought for a moment, "How about pig iron? Since they hired foundry workers."
"This is okay." Li Luoyou thought the British man's reaction was quick enough.
"I think they still need cloth." Quark thought again about the Indian cotton cloth that he had brought from Surat and was still piled in Li Luoyou's warehouse without selling much... He suddenly remembered something:
"Mr. Li," Quark asked, "do you really want to open a foundry?"
"Yes." Li Luoyou felt strange. Wasn't this what they were talking about a few days ago?
"But in my opinion, making firearms is not a very profitable business."
"Not bad." Li Luoyou was thinking in his mind. From the perspective of making money from business alone, cannon casting is not a good business. It is troublesome and energy-consuming, and you have to deal with the government. The cost of dealing with the government may be high.
Far more than the investment in the project itself. And the Ming government has always been extremely stingy in paying for "state-use" purchases. It is basically no different from robbing businessmen.
The Ming Dynasty used the "shopkeepers as compradors" system in government procurement, which stipulated that shops in each trade must take turns to serve as errands to purchase goods for the government. On the surface, the money for the goods was provided by the government, but in fact it was often not enough.
How much to give depends on the character of the official. The flexibility is very large, which is an opportunity for officials to make a profit. As usual, the shortfall will be made up by the shopkeepers on duty themselves.
Moreover, after the middle period, the prices for goods purchased by the government were often set during the Zhu Baba era. They had not changed for a hundred or two hundred years. Even if the government paid the full price of the goods for a penny, the shops would suffer huge losses.
Shopkeepers feared the power of the government and had no choice but to bear the losses themselves. This system has been in place for many years, forcing merchants and merchants to complain endlessly. Rich businessmen who had the means would try to bribe officials to avoid serving; small and medium-sized businessmen who had no means were often bankrupted.
, the family was ruined.
The imperial court saw that there were too many accumulated shortcomings, so it had to make some changes and changed "comprador in business" to "comprador in business". But that said, in fact, local officials still did whatever they wanted.
Li Luoyou knew that the recent cannon castings in Foshan were generally regarded as "investors and compradors." However, it was quite worrying how much the merchants and compradors could pay. He was also considered a quite powerful businessman in Guangdong and Guangxi, and in the imperial court
There are also a few officials who can talk to support them. The local government will not blatantly force the purchase at a low price. It is very possible that the debt will not be paid for a long time.
"Quark," Li Luoyou sighed, "you know what? If I just wanted to make money, doing any business here would be easier and more profitable than making firearms for the imperial court. However, the imperial court relies on these firearms to suppress
The local rebellion, to deal with the barbarians outside the pass - these barbarians are no less ferocious than the Mongols, and now they have moved south step by step, approaching the last line of defense of the imperial court. I can't imagine," Li Luoyou supported
In his head - the chaos when Guangning withdrew from the town came back to his mind, and he felt dizzy, "The scene of this group of barbarians entering the Central Plains - that will be the destruction of Chinese civilization..."
He glanced at Quark, whose gray-blue eyes were staring at him - Quark had never seen the big businessman so excited. But he compared the barbarians to the Mongols, and the British man was
Totally understandable: the Mongols - the destroyers of civilization.
"...At that time, China will degenerate into a barbaric country that is ridiculed by others like Russia is now." Luo You said in a low voice, "I will do my best to prevent this day from coming."
Kua Keqiong had no perceptual knowledge of Hou Jin, but when he saw Li Luoyou's love for his motherland, he couldn't help but be moved.
"I understand." Quark nodded, "This is more than just a business." He continued, "Mr. Li, how do you plan to start this cannon foundry?"
"Of course we hire the foreman locally, and then he recruits local craftsmen." Li Luoyou said, "I don't know the technology of casting and smelting."
"Mr. Li, have you ever thought about hiring craftsmen from Britain and building a foundry exactly according to the British model?"
"The British model?"
"Yes." Quark nodded, "Although I have never seen a local foundry, but since the imperial court recognized the naval guns on the East India Company ships as sharp weapons, it is obvious that firearms technology is still inferior to that of Europe.
big difference."
"Yes, our technology is indeed relatively backward in this regard." In Li Luoyou's view, China is rich in products, but technologically it seems to be falling behind day by day, especially when he is doing business in Guangdong and often goes to Southeast Asia on ships.
.I saw the large European ships with full sail, with towering bulwarks and numerous gun ports. Although they seemed clumsy and difficult to maneuver when sailing offshore, once they reached the sea, they were more maneuverable and faster than the traditional Guangzhou ships. Fu
The boat needs to be good.
This gap has always made Li Luoyou sleepless and sleepless. He is not a person who belittles himself, but he can feel that the Ming Dynasty is gradually showing signs of stagnation and decadence in many aspects. Now Kuaikeqiong proposes to use European craftsmanship to manufacture
Cannon, Loyulu is in good spirits.
"What do you mean by the foundries in Europe?"
"There are special iron heating furnaces, boring machines, drilling machines, blast furnaces, all driven by water wheels..." He added, "We can also use hollow casting methods to make explosive bombs. And your court's most popular
Even a good musket cannot compare to a matchlock gun."
"These..." Li Luoyou was taken aback, "Do these machines you mentioned have to be purchased from the UK? And the craftsmen must also be recruited from Europe."
"Except for a few specialized machines, most of them can be replaced in Ming Dynasty. If they are not available, it is not too difficult to make them locally. As long as there is guidance from a few European craftsmen. I heard Father Ma say that on the
When it comes to the craftsmanship of cast iron, Chinese workers are no worse than European craftsmen. They will only do better if there is someone to guide them..."
Li Luoyou hesitated for a moment, it was a very tempting idea. Once such a cannon casting field is formed, all the current factories that imitate Western cannons will be dwarfed. And according to Quark, the production efficiency will be very high.
It's just that the investment in such a factory is more expensive than the general local foundry, and it also involves foreigners coming to China. I'm afraid the government won't be easy to talk to. Finally, if the imperial court orders limited orders or the price is insufficient,
Wouldn't it be possible for such a huge investment in a cannon foundry to lose all its money?
He expressed his doubts.
"Sales don't matter." Quack said. "In the entire East and Southeast Asia, only Macao and Goa can cast European-style artillery. The output is very small. But there are many places that need firearms. Not only you, Siam and Li Dynasty
They are also setting up a foundry to manufacture arms. Even if the Chinese court does not buy the firearms from the cannon foundry, selling them to them is enough to keep the factory running."
This is the idea of repairing losses within the embankment and externally, which can be regarded as a way out.
"But the British craftsmen still have the equipment." Li Luoyou said, "It will take at least a year and a half to go back and forth."
"To be fair, it will take two years. But if you want to manufacture firearms on a large scale, I don't think this time will be long." Quark shrugged, "Once a factory is started, it can run for many years."
Quark volunteered, saying that if the matter could be settled, he would write immediately to his friends in the British Embassy in Surat, asking him to return to England and prepare everything.
Li Luoyou thought about it again and again and thought it was feasible.
"However, I will not pay you any fees until you have completed the matter - or before your equipment and craftsmen have landed on Chinese soil." Li Luoyou said, "You can do the calculation first.
Let me know your costs and profits from this trade, and then give me a quote."
This is a great opportunity for Quark, but it is also a great risk. Needless to say, if the equipment he purchased sank on the way to China, all the funds he invested in the early stage will be completely lost.
After careful consideration, the British man nodded: "Okay! I will give you a price in a few days." (7.12)