Australian Storm 1876

  Chapter 124

At the end of the trip to the Horvatz shipyard, Li Fushou rushed to Nuremberg, where Siemens is located in Germany. The representatives of the American Fisher Import and Export Company have been waiting here for a long time, preparing to negotiate the import of the third set of 100,000 tons of steel smelting and continuous rolling. Casting equipment.

  This is a project in the Red River Valley's heavy industry development plan. It is planned to be introduced in the middle of next year and put into formal production in early 1881.

  At the same time, the option to introduce the fourth set of advanced steel smelting equipment is reserved.

  Siemens, established in 1847, was the first company to create long-distance telegraph technology. Morse code was invented by it. In 1855, it was the first to build a long-distance telegraph cable from Europe to Tsarist Russia, and soon participated in the establishment of the transatlantic submarine cable project.

  Until today, it has expanded its wireline telegraph network to major regions in the world and is the world's leading telegraph technology provider.

  At the same time, Siemens is involved in the production and manufacturing of smelting equipment for the steel industry and other fields. It is a large-scale comprehensive enterprise in Germany.

  Nuremberg

Sir Karl Heinrich von Siemens received Li Fushou and his entourage. This is a traditional German nobleman who is nearly 60 years old. He wore a neat dress and was meticulous. It was difficult to see a smile on his face. He was rigorous and rigid. Germanic.

  To be honest, Li Fushou doesn’t like to deal with this old-school European aristocracy, especially the condescending gaze, just like looking at an object.

  Fortunately, the two parties have been discussing this project for a long time. The American Phil company took the lead and facilitated the cooperation between the two parties again.

  At the celebration dinner after the cooperation is reached

  Li Fushou had a very happy conversation with Sir Siemens, discussing the possibility of deepening cooperation in the field of telegraph, and planning to send personnel to negotiate on this.

  At the same time, I also hope to get opportunities for personnel training and further study at Siemens in Germany. Red River Valley is willing to pay for relevant expenses with high-quality steel plates.

  This trick is to replicate the successful case of the German Horvatz Naval Shipyard, and Siemens agrees in principle.

  Steel plate is hard currency with constant value after all, and cooperation can only have advantages and no disadvantages.

  As a result, Red River Valley got the second order to sell steel plate products in Europe.

  This Sir Karl Heinrich von Siemens is the third-ranked younger brother of the founder of Siemens. He cannot inherit the traditional knighthood of the family. Although his personality is a bit old-fashioned, he is actually not bad.

  Li Fushou learned through small talk;

The names of Germans that contain the word "Feng" are all traditional military aristocrats. They originated from the Teutonic Knights. There is also the Junker military aristocrat who established meritorious service in the expansion of the North German Federation, Karl Heinrich. Sir von Siemens was born in a traditional German nobleman.

But the German aristocracy is worthless compared to the British aristocracy, because there are too many aristocrats in Germany, and there are hundreds of people in the earl title alone. There are many dukes and princes, and village chiefs and mayors can be both earls, so it is not surprising. .

  After the Franco-Prussian War

  In 1871, William I was crowned German emperor at the Palace of Versailles in France. This was a landmark event and a watershed in European history.

  The North German Confederation was changed to the German Empire. The German Empire is a feudal monarchy federal state. What does it mean?

The German Emperor Wilhelm I was the head of the feudal monarchs, the head of state and the centralizer of the empire. He had the most people, guns, money, and power. That's why he was able to knead all the scattered federal states together to form a new one. The German Empire has fulfilled the long-cherished wish of German national unification.

Under Emperor Wilhelm I, there are the kings of Bavaria, Württemberg and Saxony, the Grand Duke of Baden and Hesse, the Senate of Hamburg, Lübeck and Bremen, etc. They are all called princes, but they should be a group of feudal monarchs. Several bourgeois democratic federations have formed a hodgepodge.

   Therefore, William I reluctantly accepted the title of "German Emperor". He once proposed the name "German Emperor", but obviously the feudal monarchs would not accept it, because the meaning behind it was quite different.

  Germany is a nation, and Germany is a country. How can they be confused.

  William I can be crowned as emperor as the leader of the German nation, but as a country, he certainly can’t do it. The meaning is quite different.

Therefore, Her Majesty Victoria, Queen of England and Queen of India, Emperor Napoleon III of France, Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, and Emperor Joseph of Austria-Hungary appeared in Europe. The representatives were all emperors of one empire. When they arrived in Germany, they became the emperor of Germany. The representative is the emperor of the German nation, and the mystery lies in this.

  Early July 1879

  The Port of Amsterdam, Netherlands

  The fast freighter "Tarzan" docked at the pier. The Earl of Queensland, her wife and her entourage were greeting the local nobles as farewell, thanking them for their warm hospitality during their stay in Holland.

  As an important hub port in northern Europe, the Port of Amsterdam is also a destination port for Australian pure wool yarn and high-quality coking coal, from here to deep inland.

This time I experienced the trip to Italy, France, Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Netherlands. I experienced the style of the European continent in the steam industry era. I have an in-depth understanding of local social life. The living standards of ordinary European workers cannot be reconciled. Benefits a lot.

  It's always shallow on paper, and I absolutely know that I have to do it personally.

  Waving to bid farewell to the crowd, Li Fushou boarded the Taishan wheel and looked at the spires of the Amsterdam port with a Nordic style. He stretched out to the sky from afar and looked very beautiful against the blue sky and white clouds.

  In the distance, a huge windmill turns on the green fields, and the fields are blooming with beautiful flowers and green trees. This small Nordic country is full of countryside.

  From a European perspective, the Netherlands is still in an economic structure dominated by agriculture and marine transportation and fishing. It has just started the process of industrialization. The total number of factories in the country is less than 100, so it maintains a very good and beautiful environment.

  Compared with Britain, which is shrouded in the sky and haze, it is simply a paradise. The price paid for this is the weak national strength of the "sea coachman", which is no longer the courage of the past.

  Because the domestic demand is too small to support the development of modern ship manufacturing, the Netherlands today cannot even manufacture 3,000-ton light cruisers (warships rather than civilian ships), and can only be purchased from powerful countries such as Britain and France.

compare to

  The vigorous development of the ocean-going shipbuilding industry in Australia’s Red River Valley has laid a solid foundation and is rapidly surpassing the former maritime hegemon, with a bright future.

  On the Taishan wheel

There are more than 500 passengers with blond and blue eyes from various European countries, especially Germans. In addition to the 120 senior technicians of the Horvatz Naval Shipyard and the technical expert group sent by Siemens, there are also leathers from France and Italy. Product experts, clothing, education, textiles and food experts, most of these people bring their wives and daughters and accept high-paying employment from the Red River Valley to work in Australia.

  It can be as long as seven or eight years, and as short as three to five years.

In addition, there are German military advisers Konrad Adenauer Artillery Lieutenant Colonel, Major Schwartz Kopf, Captain Koch and Captain Fritz, and their fellow villagers and family members. There are more than 170 people, almost a whole family. move.

  Taishan wheel made a beautiful arc in the bay and set sail.

  The first destination is London. After a short stay here for two days, the transoceanic journey to Australia is about to begin.

  In the luxurious top-floor cabin

   "Master, I want to go back to Australia with you, wow..."

Xiang Niu'er didn't finish saying a word, she couldn't help but spit out. After a long time, the corners of her clean mouth raised her head, her originally round and beautiful face had lost a lot of weight because of her strong physiological reaction. .

  It was just found out that she was pregnant not long ago. It was originally an ecstatic thing, but facing the upcoming cross-ocean voyage, it turned into the pain of parting relatives.

  In this era, sailing across oceans is a life-threatening thing, and some strong men can’t bear it, let alone pregnant women.

  Li Fushou considered for a long time, but could only decide;

  Leave Xiang Niu'er to raise her baby in Queensland Castle, leave her housekeeper Li Xi and others to take care of her.

  "Xiang Niu should not be self-willed. The master knows what you think, but you must also consider the children in your womb. You should take care of it in the castle. After the child is born, you can naturally return to Australia."

Li Fushou grasped Xiang Niu's round hands and patiently comforted him; "Going to Australia is dangerous and dangerous. Now you can't bear the turbulence. Master, I have proper arrangements in the castle, and the environment there is very good. It is very suitable for recuperation. If there is anything you can't agree to, you can report it by telegram."

   "Master, I can't bear you to go." Xiang Niu'er pouted a little aggrievedly, leaning docilely on her large chest.

  "The short parting is for a longer time together. I know that you have a temperament that doesn't like learning. You can just calm down and learn what you like. Music and painting can be used to kill time."

"Understood, Xiang Niu'er obeyed the master's arrangement. Master, your journey is far away, and there is no Xiang Niu waiting in front of you, but you must take care of your body!" Xiang Niu'er hugged Li Fushou tightly and couldn't help it. Fragrant shoulders shrugged and wept again.

  Li Fushou lightly patted with love and compassion, hugged her tightly in his arms, and looked at the blue sky and clear blue water through the window, stretching to the endless distance.

  I went to Wanli Waves to separate relatives. Goodbye I don’t know what year and month, and I don’t feel a sense of melancholy in my heart.

  Leaving Xiang Niu'er alone in Queensland Castle is really helpless. If you want your child to be able to withstand the pain of traveling thousands of miles, no matter how old you are after four to five years old, you have to take a lot of risk.

  Let the long distance be turned into longing, and slowly fermented into old wine, the swig in the future will be especially sweet.

The Taishan wheel drew a clear white track on the azure blue sea. The huge boat was fed by the sea breeze, and the tall chimney protruded from the billowing black smoke. It drove all the way towards the southwestern skyline, quickly becoming an insignificant one. The little black spot disappeared on the distant sea.

  (End of this chapter)