Wild North America 1846

Several important matters were arranged today. After Allan Maupassant, Financial Commissioner Huang Yuanqing, Economic Commissioner Chen Cailiang and others all left, Richard still did not feel tired at all. He stood up and walked out.

Today's King Richard combines military, political and economic power. He coordinates all important domestic affairs and has many affairs.

Therefore, the Royal Secretariat was established, which was similar to the role of the internal affairs steward of the Tang Dynasty. Its importance is beyond doubt.

The first secretary-general was Gu Yan, who was originally a Jinshi. He had served as a seventh-rank official in one party, and had reached the sixth-rank inspectorate. However, he was convicted and imprisoned for offending a Manchu nobleman in the capital, and was sent to Lingnan.

This man is full of knowledge. At the age of 37, he has already seen through the darkness of the Manchu and Qing court. By chance, he came to North America to seek development...

Gu Yan, whose nickname is "Qing'an", is currently the Secretary-General of the Royal Secretariat of the Tang Dynasty.

"Brother Qing'an, you and I have nothing to do today, so how about we go out incognito and pay a private visit?" Richard waved to Gu Yan and said enthusiastically.

Gu Yan was an old bureaucrat who had been in officialdom for many years. Of course he would not dampen His Majesty's interest. He respectfully smiled and said, "Since Your Majesty is so elegant and cheerful, Qing'an should accompany you. I just dare to ask Your Majesty to cover it up a little so as not to alarm you."

It is not beautiful to attract the common people and mobilize troops and mobilize people."

"Haha...just wait a moment."

After a while

When Richard came out again, his face had changed drastically. He was followed by the royal attendant Major Tian Mantun. Both of them were dressed as ordinary people, so they didn't look out of the ordinary.

Gu Yan was not surprised by His Majesty's ingenious disguise skills, and had long been psychologically immune to it. However, when he saw it now, he still couldn't help but be amazed and couldn't help but take a few more glances.

"Don't look at it, Brother Qing'an, you won't be able to learn it no matter how you look at it. This requires a solid foundation of kung fu that you have practiced since you were a child. It's too late for you to learn now. All the muscles in your body are stiff."

"Your Majesty, your skills are amazing!"

"Hehehe... Come on, let's talk if you have anything to do."

"Qing'an will obey the holy edict."

Although Richard is the king, he is a small country with few people. The palace rules are far less hierarchical and ethical than those in the Eastern China Empire. Instead, they can be simplified as much as possible. He prefers the daily life of the European palace, but also draws on ancient oriental customs.

Fusion into one.

Nowadays, the population of the Tang Kingdom is only over 700,000, and it is beginning to take shape as a new kingdom. If it is placed in Eastern China, it will be a more prosperous and developed state capital of this size.

Richard has always disliked red tape, so naturally he kept everything simple.

Come out

Not far ahead is a lively market. The market is crowded with people and it is really lively. Because of the pleasant weather, many families go out together.

The woman holds the child in her arms, while the man walks in front with square steps, shopping along the street, or relaxing and listening to the theater. There are happy scenes everywhere.

Richard was walking on the street. Gu Qing'an was walking beside him one step behind. Major Tian Mantun led several guards officers in civilian clothes and followed him four to five to ten steps apart, trying their best to

Avoid drawing attention to yourself.

Richard looked around as he walked. There were many more shops in the market than a few months ago, and the products were also rich. They sold silk fabrics, lacquerware and porcelain, folding fan lanterns, bamboo baskets, bamboo baskets, bamboo handicrafts, wavy drums, and bacon rice dumplings.

It’s all-encompassing and really eye-opening.

Many of the commodities here are East Asian commodities that flowed into the Tang Kingdom along with the frequent North Pacific routes, which proves the depth of trade between the two sides.

For example, a bamboo basket sells for 1.5 Tang Yuan, and a bamboo basket costs 1.2 Tang Yuan. This price is more than ten times more expensive than mainland China, but the sales are still very good.

Products such as rice dumplings and bacon must be produced locally. For example, the rice dumpling leaves are made from broad-leaf reeds that are a specialty of North America. The plump rice dumplings are tied up in bunches and hung in front of the store. They look very appetizing.

There were so many people buying at the door of the store that Richard couldn't help but signal to the guards officers behind him, asking them to buy some and take them back to Jinghu Palace. This was the taste of his hometown!

Not long ago

Richard discovered that there was a newly opened Ningbo glutinous rice dumpling shop, which immediately aroused his strong interest. He extended his hand and said, "Brother Qing'an, I must try this! I wonder if there is authentic fermented sweet-scented osmanthus dumplings."

, I can’t even remember how long it’s been since I had it.”

"Shaodongjia, I think this store dares to advertise as a Ningbo dumpling shop. It must be somewhat capable. Qing'an is not talented and is willing to take the risk to find out for Shaodongjia."

"Haha... How can we have such an interesting thing alone? Let's go together, go together."

"Young Master's family invites you."

Taking advantage of their interest, the two walked into the store chatting and laughing.

Ningbo Tangtuan Shop is just a snack bar. There is no waiter from a hotel or restaurant to greet you. The shop is filled with the fragrance of dumplings.

The prepared cakes are red, green, and yellow, each one crystal clear and placed on the green lotus leaf. You can either eat in or buy it back and enjoy it slowly.

The bosses are two Chinese brothers who are working in the store with several Indian women, two of whom are pregnant.

Needless to say, it must be a woman who bought it in Taoyuan City.

It was a leisure time of the day. There were not many people in the store. Richard and Gu Yan walked in and sat down. One of them, a Chinese store owner in his 30s, put down his work and patted the rice noodles stained on his hands.

, walked over and asked with a smile on his face;

"Two gentlemen, what would you like to order?"

"Haha... Boss, where are you from?" Richard was not in a hurry to order a bowl of glutinous rice balls, but asked with interest.

The shop owner glanced at the ordinary-looking Richard and felt that the man's eyes were very bright. He also glanced at Gu Yan, who looked elegant and elegant next to him. He was a little confused about what the two of them were and hesitated without answering.

When Gu Yan saw this, he immediately spoke out and said, "Be careful what you say, this is our young master's house."

Although Gu Yan was wearing ordinary clothes, the elegant temperament revealed in his bones could not be concealed. In addition, he was nearly forty years old, so he did not look like an ordinary person.

The people who opened the door for business were somewhat discerning. Seeing that this mediocre-looking young man turned out to be the owner of the young shop, the Chinese shop owner did not dare to neglect him. He bowed respectfully and replied, "Two guests, sir."

Well, the younger brothers are from Ningbo Prefecture, their surname is Wu, I am Wu San, and the one who is busy is my younger brother, named Wu Liuer. This cake making skill is passed down from family, so it is not worth mentioning.

"

Richard didn't want to ask a question but wanted to take advantage of Gu Yan's influence. A trace of embarrassment flashed through his heart. He immediately put it down and continued to ask, "This is a good craft. In what year did you two come here?"

Yes, don’t most immigrants work as bonded workers?”

"Master, my brother and I are not bonded workers. We are self-financed immigrants who landed in North America in May last year."

"Oh, then you are very courageous!"

"If there is even the slightest possibility of returning to my young master's home, who would be willing to abandon their family and children and go overseas to make a living?"

Having said this, a look of emotion appeared on Wu San's face, and he replied seriously;

"We, the Wu family in Ningbo, have been craftsmen for generations. We have been working hard and keeping a low profile since our ancestors were born. Although we are not rich and powerful after several generations, we are still a well-off family.

It's a pity that God has unpredictable circumstances, and people have misfortunes and misfortunes.

Since the arrival of a land-grabbing magistrate to Ningbo Prefecture three years ago, the people in Yurou Township are particularly ruthless in exploiting the people. He is often accused of treason and subjugation and thrown into prison, where he does not know whether he will live or die.

Many well-to-do families were forced to sell their sons and daughters, and many wealthy and famous families had their homes confiscated and lost their property. Even craftsmen like us, who have always kept aloof from the world, were not immune to the disaster.

Those who are oppressed by corrupt officials really can no longer survive, so they can only sell their property and houses and go overseas to struggle for a way out."

When Wu San'er said these words, Wu Liu'er, who was not far away, had already stopped what he was doing. He was choking with tears and shrugging his shoulders. He must have thought of those suffering years and the family members who had lost their lives, and his emotions could not be suppressed.

When Li Cha saw this scene, he knew that the questions he just asked had aroused the pain in the hearts of the Wu brothers, and he could no longer ask further.

Among the Chinese who have been displaced overseas, who doesn’t have a stained account of blood and tears in their hearts?

He sighed and said:

"It's Li who took the liberty. I hope the store owner won't be surprised. Just look at the flames of war all over Shenzhou and you will know that the dark and decadent rule of the Manchu Qing Tatars has run out of steam and is no longer sustainable.

But the so-called centipede insect is dead but not stiff.

The Qing Dynasty's rule in China has not yet been exhausted. Even if uprisings occur one after another in various places, it will be difficult to shake the overall situation in a short period of time.

It's a blessing that you brothers have such courage to go out to sea.

The Kingdom of the Tang Dynasty is an emerging kingdom dominated by Chinese immigrants. Here, you can flex your muscles without worrying about being exploited by corrupt officials.

Wang Guoxinjin has launched a reporting system. Any business or enterprise that suffers unfair treatment can report it to the police station mailbox, and its legitimate rights and interests are protected by law.

Perhaps the kingdom's laws are not perfect yet, but given time, a fair and just market environment conducive to business will be created and citizens' property rights will not be infringed.

After the rule of law is improved..."

As Richard continued to talk, he accidentally looked up at Wu San and saw that his eyes were looking at him in confusion, with two big question marks in his eyes.

Obviously, what Richard said was too profound. Brothers Wu San and Wu Liuer, who did not know a few Chinese characters, were confused and could not fully understand the meaning.

Only then did Richard wake up. What he was facing were just two ignorant shopkeepers, not the court officials chosen from a million. This was a bit of a joke.

So, he coughed twice to cover up and said, "Don't worry, store owner, life will definitely be more and more prosperous. Uh... Do you have any authentic sweet-scented osmanthus glutinous rice dumplings made with fermented rice? Let me and this Qing'an brother have some."

bowl."

"Oh... yes, yes, thank you for your kind words, young master. Please sit down for a moment and you'll be here soon." Wu San understood now and responded with a smile, then turned around and went to work.

After a while

The Ningbo glutinous rice dumplings exuding the rich aroma of fermented osmanthus were served. Finger-sized snow-white glutinous rice balls were floating in the bowl, with sporadic sprinkles of fermented osmanthus. The thick soup thickened by the fermented osmanthus was tempting to the appetite.

Take a spoonful and put it in your mouth

The tender glutinous rice dumplings are accompanied by the slightly sweet and unique aroma of fermented osmanthus, and a strong sense of nostalgia arises spontaneously.

This tastes so authentic!

After drinking a bowl of fermented sweet-scented osmanthus dumplings, I felt a warm feeling in my belly, and I also had a little extra energy for shopping.

Out of this store

The eyes of Richard and Gu Qing'an met, and they couldn't help but smile. Gu Qing'an raised his hands and fisted in salute, and said, "My young master, Qing'an boldly recommends himself. I am willing to do my best to understand the sentiments of the people. Please accept your permission."

"Okay, you can ask later."

Richard knew that he was not good at this, so he might as well leave it to Gu Yan.

as expected

Gu Yan, who has been in officialdom for many years, is very observant. Does he know what His Majesty wants to know during his private visit incognito?

When walking along the street shops, you will encounter bars and teahouses, and you have to go in and sit for a while. Even lantern shops and coffin shops have to go in and have a chat with the shopkeepers.

What he said were all daily trivial matters, but they inadvertently reflected the kingdom's market management, taxation, operating conditions and other important issues.

Along the way, Gu Yan picked out the questions that Richard wanted to know. Moreover, he had an elegant temperament and naturally had the aura of a superior person, making it easy for him to extract the truth from the shop owner.

For example, among the store operations in Taoyuan City, the brothel and prostitution business is generally relatively light, which is very different from the coastal cities in the Kingdom's interior.

This is because there is no shortage of women in Taoyuan City. Every Chinese family has several aunts and wives, ranging from one or two to five or six. If the family's fields are not fully cultivated, who will go out to wander around?

Secondly, in the early days of starting a business, and now with the climax of official colonization and land reclamation, most of the hardworking Chinese people were focused on the farmland and pastures outside the valley. It was difficult to distract themselves from playing in the world, and it was far from time to enjoy themselves.

Even if the Chinese have some money in their pockets, there are so many concubines and children in the family who have to eat and clothe themselves, and save money to buy a house. These are top priorities, and the land of romance can only be pushed back.

There is some confusion in market management. The Kingdom's economic department is temporarily unable to set up a specialized market agency, and the police department and taxation department are not yet complete. This will lead to a situation where each department can manage, but none of them care about the matter.

Specifically, the charges are swarmed, and when merchants encounter troubles, they push them back and forth, and no one wants to get involved.

It seems that this is an important issue that needs to be solved urgently.

Nowadays, there are signs of multi-managed management, which is actually unmanaged, involving many aspects such as taxation, public security, sanitation, store regulations and urban management.

Stroll on the streets

You can often see some older Indian women sweeping the streets with brooms and dustpans, and the streets are always kept clean and tidy.

This is the biggest feature of urban management in the Tang Kingdom.

Richard hated the dirty and messy environment in the city. Every time a new town was built in the Tang Kingdom, it must build relatively complete urban sewer facilities, even if it cost more municipal funds.

A clean city, clean sanitation, dotted urban gardens and a public toilet not far away are the biggest features of the new towns in the Tang Kingdom, which are completely different from the dirty and messy environment of American towns.

Note: My father is in the hospital, and the author has been accompanying him in the hospital. The updates in the past few days have been a bit stretched, which is my fault. Now that the operation has been completed and he is recovering, updates will be resumed as soon as possible in the near future. Thank you!