Wild North America 1846

Chapter 536 Sense of Smell

Author: Portuguese toothless

South America

Glory City, where the Andean Governor's Palace is located, is a bustling scene with busy traffic.

Glory Province is a newly established province located south of Buenos Aires. Glory City is the capital of the province. It borders the beautiful San Matías Bay to the east. From the bay, you can enter the Atlantic Ocean by driving eastward. This is an excellent place.

's seaport.

More than 20 kilometers south of Glory City is the wide mouth of the Rio de la Plata. There are nearly 400 kilometers of waterways along the mouth of the river, making inland navigation extremely convenient.

The Atlantic Circum-Atlantic Railway passes through Glory City, and there is a westward railway branch connecting to the Central Railway, thus connecting all the central and northern provinces together. Glory City is the hub of these railway trunk lines, and its geographical location is very important.

After more than 8 years of development

Glory City has built a world-class coastal port, with a Royal Navy base and large coastal warehouses. In the southern suburbs, there are more than 10 inland river terminals and numerous food processing plants, large flour mills, oil pressing plants, woolen textile mills, and meat slaughterhouses.

Processing plants and other enterprises have formed a large factory area.

As of 1870

Glory City has a population of 357,000 residents and is the largest city under the Andean Governor's Office. It is dominated by food and grain and oil processing companies. About 62% of the grain re-export trade to Europe is concentrated in Port Glory, with an annual throughput of up to 2.1 million tons.

The entire Antis Governorate has 12 provinces under its jurisdiction, with a total population of more than 2.44 million people. Glory Province accounts for 1/3, with a total population of more than 836,000. It is the most developed and wealthy province.

Railways, roads, and shipping are very developed here. It is a major export channel for the northern and central provinces to Europe. Transportation is convenient, and there are many large and small towns, a scene of prosperity and development.

Baron Wu Erbao, wearing an elegant woolen coat, stood on the empty train platform, looking at the cowboy in his hand driving a large group of cattle and sheep off the train, with a look of satisfaction on his face.

This train from Cordoba Province was loaded with agricultural products produced in Wujia Town, including 1,500 beef cattle, 11,000 sheep, 4,000 barrels of wine and 230 tons of wool, with a value of more than 200,000 Tangyuan.

And this is only a small part of Wujia Town's annual output. During the wheat harvest season, Wujia Town's wheat needs at least 6 to 7 trains to haul it all.

Baron Wu Erbao's large ranch grazes 17,000 cattle and more than 200,000 sheep, as well as vast wheat fields. It employs more than 440 farm workers, many of whom are residents of the town.

In South America, there are at least 70 large ranches like Wujia Town. In Cordoba Province alone, there are six large ranches that are not inferior to Wujia Town. However, the location may be a little more remote and transportation is not so convenient.

.

"Hahaha... Sir Wu, you are a rare visitor. Your visit will make our Fushunda Trading House shine!"

A black car drove into the platform, and a wealthy middle-aged Chinese businessman with a prosperous look got out of the car. Behind him were several business office employees, who laughed and said hello from a distance.

This person is Zhu Fu, the head of Fushunda Trading House, which is also a very powerful trading house in Glory City. It has its own dock warehouse, flour mill and large livestock slaughterhouse, as well as a fleet and more than a dozen grain and oil business shops.

The business is quite big.

Baron Wu Erbao himself is an imperial aristocrat who runs large ranches. He is very influential in the Governor's Mansion, and his business partners who have cooperated with him all year round are naturally very powerful.

Fu Shunda Trading Company owns a shipping company, which is run by his second brother Zhu Shun. It has a total of eleven ocean-going cargo ships and operates regular cargo flights to Europe.

Among them, there is a newly launched 4,200-ton ocean-going refrigerated ship, and there are two orders for refrigerated ships under construction. The transportation tasks of the refrigerated ships have been scheduled for four months, and the business is booming.

The cattle and sheep from the Wu family farm are sent to the slaughterhouse owned by Fushunda Trading Company to be slaughtered and cut into pieces, packaged cold and then shipped.

After three weeks of sailing, you can reach the port of Liverpool and enter the British table.

Europe's huge market has almost endless demand, and no amount of agricultural products can be digested.

"Boss Zhu, you are too polite. This batch of goods is relatively large. If I don't come with you to take a look, my gang of guys will be careless and I will always feel uneasy!" Baron Wu Erbao held the hand extended by the other party with a reserved expression and smiled.

He said pleasantly.

Zhu Fu responded with a hearty smile, "Since it's rare to come here, I'll stay a few more days. It just so happens that the old guys from the volunteer corps are getting together. I'll be your host. Lord Sir Wu won't be disrespectful, right?"

"That's a good relationship. It's better to obey orders than to be respectful!"

The two of them walked and laughed and chatted, watching the cowboys skillfully driving the cattle and sheep into the distance, which was exactly the direction of the slaughterhouse.

We have been working together for many years, and the next procedure is to weigh and record, and then drive them into the cattle pen and sheep shed of the slaughterhouse to be temporarily raised, waiting to be slaughtered and divided according to the production plan. This has formed a fixed procedure.

In a European-style building on the edge of the bay

When old friends met, Zhu Fu brought out the fine tea from his collection to entertain them. They sat across from each other with a cup of fragrant tea, with the wide San Matias Bay in sight. The giant ships moored in the bay were dotted with stars, adding to the beauty of this azure bay.

Intangible vitality.

"It's been 17 years, and now I think about immigrating to Paradise Island, and later participating in the North American War with the army. I have traveled half of the world unknowingly over the years. It still feels a bit unreal!" Wu Erbao picked up the tea and took a sip.

, put down his eyes and stared at the bay and murmured.

Think back to the beginning

He was just a penniless peasant boy. In the blink of an eye, more than ten years later, he was now a prominent member of the imperial aristocracy, owning a large farm of hundreds of thousands hectares. Everything was as mysterious as a dream.

Zhu Fu could understand his feelings very well, because his three brothers also started as small vendors walking across the street. Following the expansion of the empire, they took advantage of the situation and extended their business tentacles to the other side of the Atlantic. Isn't this a legendary experience?

?

So he interfaced and said;

“This is thanks to the fact that we were born in a good era, thanks to the guidance of the Holy Emperor of the Tang Dynasty, who seized the opportunity and created an industry that can be passed down to future generations.

Sir Wu, I heard that you are planning to run for high-ranking officials in Cordoba in the next term, is the news confirmed?"

"Hahaha... That's right." Baron Wu Erbao did not deny that he now lived a well-rounded life. After being promoted to the imperial nobility due to his military exploits, he longed to be on a bigger stage.

He sighed softly and continued with some regret;

“I ran in the election too hastily last year, without experience and preparation, so it is understandable that I failed in the election.

Today is different from the past

I personally serve as the convener of the Córdoba provincial caucus of the "National Power Party", a member of the Provincial Council, and the commander of the Córdoba Volunteer Militia Division. I have convenient conditions to start preparations in advance.

The first is the mid-term election in two years' time. The "National Power Party" must do its best to win this battle and increase the strength of our representatives in the provincial assembly.

Not only do we have to compete for provincial council seats, but we also have to compete for the mayor and prosecutor of Córdoba to win more say, for which we are bound to win."

"Then I would like to wish Sir Wu immediate success. Let's drink tea instead of wine and propose a toast first." Zhu Fu smiled and picked up the teacup in his hand and took a sip first.

In his mind, the weight of this big customer added a heavy weight.

Baron Wu Erbao laughed "haha" and also picked up the tea cup and took a sip.

He is very confident in his election. As an imperial noble, he now serves as the commander of the Cordoba Provincial Militia Volunteer Division, which is a great advantage.

There are more than 330 officers in the militia division, including regimental commanders, battalion commanders, company commanders, and platoon commanders. They are all farmers or ranchers, large and small. After carefully recruiting them, why don't they still give the division commander face?

Through the farmer and rancher groups, more Chinese voters can be influenced.

Wu Erbao's eyes caught sight of a stack of newspapers beside the table, and he took it over and flipped through it. When he saw that the stack of newspapers contained not only the main newspapers of the empire, but also English newspapers, he said with appreciation: "Lao Zhu, your business

People’s enthusiasm for learning is really admirable. Are you proficient in English now?”

"Where... Sir Wu is just laughing, he only has a rough understanding of it." Zhu Fu said humbly, then picked up the teapot and filled it with hot water, and said while busy; "We businessmen are engaged in international trade.

You have to learn the language of Gui Lao. Portuguese has no market in Europe, but you must learn English. My third brother Judal has even learned German, oh, by the way..."

Zhu Fu had a flash of inspiration in his heart, put down the teapot and said seriously;

"Sir Wu, do you have any cattle or sheep for sale in your pasture? Send me two more trains in the near future. The prices are quite good. This is what the Germans want. The new cannery in our business has been put into operation.

The short-term demand is quite large.”

"Oh... made into cans?" Baron Wu Erbao asked with a rather surprised expression.

Canned food is widely used in military supplies. In Europe, only middle-class families can afford it. Generally, working-class families still buy frozen meat. After all, it is cheap and high-quality.

Baron Wu Erbao has a long service experience. After coming to South America for armed colonization, he almost never stopped killing in the early years. Canned meat is a must-have item for armed militias.

These things are usually not used and are kept in horse bags. Every armed militiaman will prepare a few.

Only when you have nothing to eat or drink can you be willing to open a can of meat and mix it with fresh wild vegetables and cook it in a pot with salt and oil. It is the best way to replenish your physical strength.

Tin cans can be burned directly on the fire and thrown away after eating, which is very convenient.

With these canned meat as a base, you can survive in the wilderness for an extra week.

So when Boss Zhu mentioned canned meat, Wu Erbao immediately became sensitive to the military use, and then asked one more question.

Zhu Fu hesitated and replied;

"It's to be made into cans, and the Prussian order is quite large. It's urgent, and the price is right.

Although they didn't say it explicitly, I guess something will happen?

This is not...

This is the British "Sunday Times" last month, saying that the relationship between the French and the Prussians is now very tense, and there are also conflicts over the Spanish throne?

I don’t know the details, but if you have a large number of beef cattle in your pasture, it might be a good opportunity to hurry up and process a batch.”

"Thank you, Boss Zhu, for your thoughtfulness. When I get back, I will immediately start preparing livestock for two trains. Now I just need to eliminate some beef cattle of poor breeds."

Faced with boss Zhu Fu's deliberate overtures, Wu Erbao knew as clearly as a mirror. This was the main reason why he decided to run for office even though he had no intention of doing so.

Since ancient times, power and money have not separated families. If you want to be deeply rooted in South America and become a powerful family, developing into the political arena is the only way.

The emperor once said; Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared.

Think back to the beginning

If Wu Erbao indulges himself in the comfortable and comfortable life of Paradise Island and manages his own small farm of more than 90 acres, he can live a comfortable life as a small rich man.

Then you will be like your friends who immigrated to Paradise Island, still digging in the soil and not having much future.

It was precisely because he was unwilling to settle for mediocrity and actively participated in the militia training organized by the town and performed relatively well that he was able to enter the army during the mobilization expansion and became a second lieutenant officer after three months of rotation training.

Precisely because he was unwilling to settle for mediocrity, after the empire launched the "Desert Expedition", he resolutely sold his property to raise funds, organized a small expeditionary armed militia team, and pioneered in South America...

Wu Erbao put down the tea cup in his hand, picked up the "British Sunday Times" and read it carefully, with a very serious look on his face.

Opposite the tea table

Zhu Fu patiently sipped the fragrant tea and waited. He had read the newspapers on the table over and over again. He wondered what new ideas the nobleman from the Province of Cordoba could see in front of him.

a moment later

Wu Erbao put down the newspaper and thought for a while, then said in a more positive tone: "It seems that the French want to fight this battle, and the Prussians are fully prepared. From the lines of the report, I seem to be able to smell the smoke of gunpowder."

"Do you really know how to fight?"

"It's just a hunch. What's so strange about war? The British and French fought one after another outside Europe, almost without stopping. But Europe has been relatively calm. Since the Crimean War that ended in 1856, that is,

The war between France and the Kingdom of Aden against Austria in 1858. Oh... By the way, there were also the Prussian-Danish War in 1864 and the Prussian-Austrosian War in 1866..."

Speaking of which

Baron Wu Erbao couldn't help but stop talking and looked at Zhu Fu. The two of them suddenly laughed at the same time, and then the laughter got louder and louder... they couldn't hold it back.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……"

across the ocean

They always thought that the situation in Europe was relatively calm, but when they pinched their fingers, they were shocked to find that there has been a war in Europe for almost two to three years and it has never stopped.

If you include the wars in the Balkans and the internal rebellions in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Europe is really in chaos!

After finally suppressing his laughter, businessman Zhu Fu's mind began to work at high speed, and he said thoughtfully: "If there is to be a war, the war between France and the Brussels will probably be huge, so cowhide, flour, black beans, oil and tents

These things are indispensable, and the demand is very high!"

"Yes, tobacco and spirits are also popular items. We don't have tobacco, but there are still many in the distillery in the town of spirits. We also have a lot of cowhide." Wu Erbao's eyes also lit up, this is a business opportunity to make money.

ah!

Needless to say, cowhide is needed to make high leather boots, cowhide saddles, belts, cowhide armed belts, bullet magazines, backpacks and other military items, and almost every officer and soldier must equip them.

Even though there are a lot of reserves before the war, how can we count them during the war?

If both sides mobilize millions of troops to fight, the usage will be overwhelming. You can really get as much as you need, and the price is reasonable.

There is no shortage of cowhide makers in Europe, but they certainly won’t reserve such a large amount of cowhide. This is a good opportunity!

The same is true for military supplies such as flour, spirits, and black beans. Once a large-scale war breaks out in Europe, it means huge business opportunities.

If you hoard a little but don't protect everything, you can make a war fortune.

Just do it

After Baron Wu Erbao completed this business, he received a large sum of cash. While returning to the pasture to prepare cattle and sheep, he also sent people to purchase a large amount of cowhide and spirits, and transported them to Glory City one after another.

Fushunda Trading Company was even more generous, taking in a large amount of inventory from many farmers and ranchers, and gradually shipped it to Europe.

It is very risky to carry such a large amount of goods without an order.

And this just reflects the keen business acumen and bold style of the Chinese businessmen. To put it another way, the European market is so big, at least they can make a little profit, but can they still lose money?

In May and June of 1870

There was an atmosphere of nervousness and uneasiness over the whole of Europe. The accumulation of conflicts caused by the vacant Spanish throne, coupled with the French's dissatisfaction with the newly rising Prussia and the British, plunged Europe into an inexplicable restlessness.

Just like the gloomy weather before a summer thunderstorm, people feel worried but also look forward to a full-blown outbreak.

Discovered by the French;

In the past few months, there has been a significant increase in the number of cargo ships from North America, loaded with cargo and sailing to the ports of the North German Confederation and the Kingdom of Prussia. The cargoes piled up on the docks, which further intensified the suspicion of the French.

The news spread through various channels proved that the French's suspicion was not groundless, and it could not be concealed in the first place.

The Tang Empire was sending various military supplies to the Kingdom of Prussia on a large scale, including high explosives and bullets, which undoubtedly angered the French.

Luo Zhaohui, the Tang ambassador to France, was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the French Foreign Minister, Duke Grammont, angrily accused;

"Please tell your emperor that the actions of the Tang Dynasty have seriously hurt the feelings of the French people. The French Empire would like to solemnly warn your country; never underestimate the strong belief and ability of the French people to safeguard their own interests."

"The French Empire will never ignore it and will definitely make a powerful counterattack."

"Datang should be cautious in its words and deeds in European disputes. As a traditional European continental country, France has extensive influence. I hope Datang can clearly realize this."

"Tell your emperor, this is not North America..."

Regarding the strong protest from the French Empire, Ambassador Luo Zhaohui could only express regret, and any other words were redundant.

these years

Although the Tang Empire tried its best to develop trade with Europe, France was still a trade area with many barriers and made little progress.

France itself is a major agricultural producer in Europe, dominated by small and medium-sized family farms. It is also a country that has just entered industrialization. It uses high tariffs to protect its industrial and agricultural development and avoid being impacted by more competitive North American industrial and agricultural products.

In comparison

The North German countries, led by the Kingdom of Prussia, have a huge shortage of agricultural products. Compared with France, the land is poorer and not suitable for large-scale farming.

Faced with the surge in the domestic population and the sharp contradiction in food supply, it has given up its efforts to rely on self-reliance and implemented a Corn Law similar to the British, that is, opening up the import of bulk agricultural products at a lower tax rate to meet strong domestic demand.

Countries such as Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Italy are the main markets for North American agricultural exports. France and the Austrian Empire are not, and their importance is much lower.

Relations with Britain and relations with Germany were the two pillars of the Tang Empire's European diplomacy. Transatlantic trade was quite close and contained significant economic interests.

From a benefit standpoint alone, it's obvious which side to support.