Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 503 Hybrid Rice
St. Petersburg.

Kremlin!
Tsar Alexander II looked at the battle report sent back from the Crimean front with an extremely gloomy expression.

"Sevastopol, Yalta, Sudak, Feodosia... all lost."

"Kerch may not be able to hold out for much longer..."

"We can't go on like this. If we don't fight back, the British army will march into the Caucasus."

"Everyone, tell me what you guys think?"

Alexander II looked around, as if asking for everyone's opinion.

Upon hearing this, the current Russian Army Minister, Prince Menshikov, spoke.

"Your Majesty, the biggest problem facing our army now is the lack of replenishment of military equipment."

"If our army had enough weapons and ammunition to consume in the Battle of Sevastopol, the British would never have been able to capture Sevastopol."

When Prince Menshikov finished speaking, Alexander II nodded slightly and asked.

"However, our empire's current industrial capacity is far inferior to that of the United Kingdom. If we want to replenish our weapons, we can only rely on foreign purchases."

"If we buy it from outside, the cost is too high."

“Second, I don’t know who to buy from…”

“It’s really embarrassing!”

Upon hearing this, Finance Minister Aaronsky spoke up.

"Your Majesty, I thought the Empire could continue to purchase military equipment from the Tang Kingdom."

"In today's world, the only country that can ignore the pressure from Britain and continue to sell arms to us is Tang."

In today's Europe, there are actually quite a few countries that have the ability to mass-produce after-loading weapons.

Traditional industrial powers such as Britain, France, Prussia and Austria all have this production capacity.

It’s a pity that under the diplomatic pressure from Britain, they did not dare to export arms to Tsarist Russia on a large scale.

Therefore, when Tsarist Russia wanted to purchase military equipment, it actually did not have many options.

Currently, the only country in the world that has the industrial production capacity to meet the needs of Tsarist Russia, does not care about the diplomatic pressure from Britain, and has the courage to export arms to Tsarist Russia on a large scale is the Tang Dynasty.

As for other countries, even if Tsarist Russia bought them, it could only smuggle them on a small scale.

We dare not make large-scale purchases!
Alexander II just nodded when he heard this.

“That’s right!”

"But where does the money to buy arms come from?"

To be honest, there was nothing wrong with the Tang Dynasty's weapons, whether in terms of quantity, quality or reliability.

With the first-mover advantage and accumulated technology, even the products for export are of world-class quality.

But all good things have one common problem: they are expensive.

The weapons of the Tang Dynasty are useful, but also really expensive.

In recent years, Tsarist Russia has purchased large quantities of arms from the Tang Dynasty almost every year to equip its army, and the memory of this is still fresh in people's minds.

You know, Tsarist Russia was in the throes of reform at that time and really couldn't come up with any money financially.

Seeing this, Aaronsky made a suggestion.

"Your Majesty, since we can't come up with the cash, maybe we can make another deal with the Tang Kingdom."

"For example, we exchange land and labor for arms."

"I heard that Japan, a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty in the East, earns a considerable amount of foreign exchange from the Tang Dynasty every year through labor dispatch."

"Perhaps the Empire could follow suit and earn foreign exchange by sending serfs to the Tang Dynasty as labor dispatch!"

Alexander looked thoughtful when he heard this.

Labor dispatch is one aspect, and land is another.

Of course labor dispatch can be done. What Tsarist Russia lacks the least is hard-working gray animals, and they are all excellent labor force.

Land transactions can naturally be done.

Land is of course important to Tsarist Russia.

But given the current situation, the land can be given up.

It is better to cede some land in the Far East to the Tang Dynasty than to be invaded by the British on the mainland.

Anyway, as Lake Baikal was taken away by the Tang Dynasty, Tsarist Russia's control over Siberia has become increasingly weak.

If this continues, it won’t be long before Siberia is lost.

Rather than waiting for Siberia to fall, Tsarist Russia would gain nothing from it.

It would be better to just use Siberia to exchange for some arms from the Tang Dynasty.

Especially East Siberia.

Anyway, there is not much output in East and West Siberia nowadays, so there is no regret in giving it away.

After thinking for a while, Tsar Alexander II nodded.

"It's indeed a good idea."

"How about this? We will send someone to contact the Tang Dynasty and ask them to purchase another batch of arms as soon as possible, especially the ammunition needed for machine guns and artillery..."

Upon hearing this, Aaronsky nodded to show that he understood.

Selling land and people is not an easy thing to do, and the Tsar certainly cannot take the blame.

At that time, he will have to bear the blame.

Afterwards, the group continued their discussion.

Prince Menshikov said.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, the Empire should perhaps send more troops to the front line."

"Since there is a gap between our weapons and the UK in the short term, using the number of troops to make up for this gap may be a good choice."

"If we can gain an absolute advantage in manpower, it will be difficult for the British to make a breakthrough."

Alexander II heard this and said, stroking his chin.

"But it's a bit difficult to recruit soldiers within the empire now..."

Tsarist Russia did not lack population, but the problem was that it was currently in the throes of reform.

There was internal confusion, the atmosphere was chaotic, and the traditional old aristocrats had many objections to the Tsar's rule. Under the current circumstances, it was not an easy task to recruit soldiers.

Suddenly, Alexander II thought.

"Gentlemen, what do you think of the Empire recruiting serfs as soldiers?"

"At the cost of freeing the serfs, organize the serfs and send them to fight in Crimea."

"If the empire told the serfs that if the war was won, they and their entire families would be exempted from serfdom, I think those serfs would be willing to fight for the empire..."

For Tsarist Russia today, abolishing serfdom can be said to kill two birds with one stone.

First, it can liberate productivity and promote capitalist reform and industrial development.

Secondly, it can solve the current problem of shortage of Russian troops on the front line.

For today's Tsarist Russia, it can be said to be beneficial rather than harmful.

The only possible problem is the old noble manor owners whose interests have been damaged...

However, it shouldn’t be a big problem!

Anyway, as the reform progressed, those old aristocratic landowners had already been offended, and now they didn't care about offending more people.

When everyone heard this, they looked at each other first, and then nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Alexander II stroked his beard with satisfaction.

……

Tang Dynasty, capital!
On the outskirts of Beijing, in an experimental field of the Tang Royal Agricultural Research Institute.

On the eve of Qingming Festival, the weather began to warm up significantly.

In the fields, there are green rice seedlings.

A breeze blew by, and Li Yi, who was planting rice with his sleeves rolled up, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a white towel.

Click!Click!
At the edge of the field, the sound of cameras clicking could be heard continuously.

Photos of the emperor personally planting rice seedlings were taken.

Nowadays, Li Yi has developed a habit of working in the fields himself in the spring every year.

Last year, he planted wheat himself, the year before that it was corn, and before that it was potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc., and this year, it is his turn to plant rice seedlings.

Of course, it was not just Li Yi. Basically all the important officials in the cabinet and the Grand Council of the Tang Dynasty were pulled over to work for him.

Even Luo Dagang, who had always been in poor health, was no exception.

As for the purpose of doing this?
One is to remind myself not to forget my original intention, never forget where I came from, and not forget who supported me in conquering the world.

The second reason was to promote his people-friendly image as an emperor.

The third is to ensure that all classes in the Tang Dynasty still pay sufficient attention to agriculture.

Even though the industrial revolution in the Tang Dynasty was in full swing, bourgeois reforms were also gradually deepening.

But in this populous country, agriculture remains a top priority.

Putting agriculture first is not just talk.

Li Yi really understands the importance of food security!

Therefore, today's Tang Dynasty not only imports huge amounts of grain from overseas every year to fill the domestic gap.

We also actively promote chemical fertilizers, agricultural seed improvement, and hybrid rice projects in order to increase domestic food production.

In the years since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, although the population has increased a lot due to peace, the total population has exceeded 400 million.

But even so, the per capita grain possession of the Tang Dynasty almost doubled compared with the Qing Dynasty, and was still increasing year by year.

It can be said that the lives of the people in the Tang Dynasty are getting better and better now.

At the very least, there are fewer and fewer people going hungry.

The morning passed quietly, and the rice planting work in this experimental field was finally completed.

Li Yi stretched his body, relaxing his waist which was tired from bending over for a long time, and then walked out of the farmland with the court officials of the Tang Dynasty.

Everyone's clothes were covered in mud, and there was a lot of mud on their hands and legs. They all looked very miserable.

These ministers in the court, who used to be in high positions and used to a life of luxury, are now no different from old farmers in the fields.

Seeing that Li Yi had finished the work at hand, Wang Zhong was very tactful and brought someone to bring over a basin of warm water.

Li Yi began to wash his hands with warm water. Soon, the water in the basin was stained with mud.

Li Yi washed his hands and spoke to the court officials who were cleaning themselves up while using a towel to weed them out.

"Everyone has worked hard today."

"How about we make a bet? Wait until the autumn harvest this year and see which of you has the best harvest."

"The one with the best harvest, I'll give him this pen that I've used for a long time as a reward!"

As he spoke, Li Yi took out a pen from his pocket.

This fountain pen is all black, with gold enamel on the pen body and a golden peony on the pen cap, which looks vivid.

The overall craftsmanship is very sophisticated and very beautiful!
However, there are obvious wear and tear on this pen, and it is obvious that it has been used.

However, no one cares about this.

Because, it was used by the emperor, and a second-hand one is much more valuable than a new one.

Is there anyone who dares to despise the emperor?
Upon hearing this, Shi Dakai burst into laughter.

"Your Majesty, before I rebelled, I was just a farmer. I will make this bet."

Wang An also said with a smile.

"Really? I don't think so!"

Luo Dagang also said with a smile.

"Speaking of farming, I, Lao Luo, used to be a good hand at it!" "..."

A group of people were talking and laughing together, and the atmosphere was very pleasant.

Seeing this, Li Yi just smiled and greeted.

"Haha, then I am looking forward to seeing which of you can take this pen from me."

"Let's go, it's getting late. I will have lunch with you all at noon today."

As they were talking, a group of people walked out together.

They arrived at a reception room, and everyone took their seats. The servants came forward to help set the tableware.

At the same time, Li Yi was listening to Ma Xiangqian, director of the Tang Royal Agricultural Research Institute, reporting on his work.

"Your Majesty, our institute has already produced some good results in its hybrid rice project."

"Under the guidance of His Majesty, we are moving forward in the right research direction."

"The latest generation of hybrid rice produced so far has a yield of 514 kilograms per mu, even without the use of chemical fertilizers."

"If we use chemical fertilizers, the yield per mu can even reach about 700 kilograms!"

"Compared with the previous rice yield per mu, it has almost doubled..."

Hearing this, Li Yi nodded with satisfaction and said with a gentle face.

"As the old saying goes, agriculture is the foundation of a country!"

"Although the development of industry is our top priority now, the importance of agriculture cannot be ignored."

“Without a developed agriculture and sufficient food, even the most advanced industry will be nothing but castles in the air.”

"So, the Qing family has a heavy burden on their shoulders!"

As he spoke, Li Yi patted Ma Xiangqian on the shoulder and said.

"Your family should continue to work hard to develop breeding products with higher yields per mu."

"If the people of our Tang Dynasty never suffer from famine again in the future, your family will have made an indelible contribution!"

Ma patted senior Li Yi on the shoulder, and instantly he felt as if he was floating up.

His face flushed with excitement and he just nodded desperately.

"Wei Chen understands!"

"Wei Chen understands!"

"I will definitely not let your Majesty down!"

Li Yi smiled and asked Ma Xiangqian to sit down and have dinner with him.

Soon, lunch was served by the imperial chefs.

Li Yi personally prepared the drink and asked all the ministers in the court to drink with him.

"My dear gentlemen, let us drink this cup together!"

Seeing this, everyone raised their glasses and drank the wine in them.

Then, everyone started to pick up their chopsticks.

It is said to be a banquet, but because it is outside the palace, the dishes for today's lunch are very simple.

These are some home-cooked dishes!
The only thing worth mentioning is that a considerable portion of the raw materials used for cooking today come from the institute's experimental fields.

The taste and flavor are very good!
At least Li Yi likes it very much.

He has eaten a lot of delicacies from land and sea over the years, and his taste has become picky, but because of this, he feels very good when eating home-cooked meals.

It is worth mentioning that Datang’s Agricultural Research Institute not only focuses on production, but also conducts research and development on taste.

The new varieties have made significant improvements in taste.

After lunch, Li Yi did not stay in the suburbs of Beijing for long. After a brief inspection of the research institute, he got in the car and prepared to return to the Old Summer Palace.

In the afternoon, the sun is shining brightly.

After finishing his meal, the car was driving smoothly and before he knew it, Li Yi fell asleep in the back seat.

When he woke up again, the car had already arrived outside the Old Summer Palace.

Li Yi got out of the car and walked towards the Old Summer Palace.

He had just returned to the Old Summer Palace when Zhang Jinglin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tang Dynasty, came to ask for a meeting.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received the latest news from North America and Tsarist Russia respectively.

"What do you mean?"

"The Allied Powers want the Tang Dynasty to intervene in the North American war?"

The first thing Li Yi read was the report sent by Huang Weiqi from North America.

Zhang Jinglin nodded and said after hearing this.

"Yes, Your Majesty. The Alliance is willing to lease the Port of New Orleans to the Tang Dynasty, but the condition is that the Tang Dynasty must take over the Port of New Orleans itself."

"The Port of New Orleans is now occupied by the Federation..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi looked thoughtful.

Although he had thought about sending troops to participate in the war when he first started to get involved in the North American war.

But later, Zuo Zongtang and his colleagues used the example of the costs and risks of fighting across the ocean to convince Li Yi to temporarily give up this idea.

That's why Li Yi is a little conflicted now.

Fight, there are risks!

Let's not fight. We don't know when the next time we want to establish a colony in the United States will be.

Even though the US Army was a waste at that time, their Navy was still quite capable.

It is too risky for the Tang Dynasty to send a fleet on an expedition to North America!
To put it bluntly, what if you fail?
Also, if the Port of New Orleans was on the west coast of the United States, Li Yi might have done it.

But the Port of New Orleans is on the Gulf of Mexico.

Before the Panama Canal was opened, if you wanted to go to the Gulf of Mexico from the Tang Dynasty, you had to cross the Pacific Ocean first, then go around South America; or go through the Indian Ocean, go around the Cape of Good Hope, and then go through the Atlantic Ocean...

No matter which of these two routes you choose, they are too far away.

This actually requires crossing half the globe.

The distance here is even longer than the distance Britain once took to send troops from its homeland to launch the Opium War against China.

How could Li Yi not hesitate?
Li Yi hesitated for a long time, then asked Zhang Jinglin in front of him.

"What does your family think about this?"

Zhang Jinglin hesitated for a while after hearing this, but finally spoke.

"In reply to your Majesty, in my humble opinion, if the Tang Dynasty alone were to use military force against America, the risk would be too great and would not be feasible."

"But if Britain is willing to get involved, then we can join forces with the Tang Dynasty and give it a try."

To be honest, Zhang Jinglin also disagrees with the team's use of troops in the Americas.

Again, it's too far.

However, even so, Li Yi did not make a rash decision, but just said with a smile.

"I will consider this matter first..."

Thinking about this, Li Yi continued to ask.

"What about Tsarist Russia?"

"What do they mean?"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Jinglin straightened his mind and replied.

"In reply to your Majesty, Tsarist Russia sent a diplomatic note to our Tang Dynasty."

"It's still the same thing. They want to purchase a batch of arms from the Tang Dynasty. However, the Russian Empire is now unable to pay the money and is preparing to use land and labor dispatch to pay off the debt."

Li Yi pondered for a moment and showed an interested expression.

"Siberia?"

Zhang Jinglin nodded and said.

"To reply to your majesty, it is indeed Siberia!"

"Tsarist Russia is preparing to use East Siberia as collateral to borrow 5000 million silver dollars from the Tang Dynasty to purchase Tang's weapons and industrial equipment."

Calling it a mortgage was actually just a rhetoric made by the Tsarist Russia to save face.

Given the current financial situation of Tsarist Russia, it was impossible to repay 5000 million silver dollars.

After all, selling land doesn't sound good, but if it is a mortgage loan, the support that Tsarist Russia will face will be less.

Li Yi heard this, chuckled, and then said.

"We can discuss the mortgage issue. Let the Tang Royal Bank send someone to talk to them."

"But East Siberia is not worth 5000 million."

To put it bluntly, East and West Siberia is currently a complete wasteland.

And it is a wasteland that is extremely difficult to develop!

Although Siberia is rich in resources, it is impossible to develop them under current technological conditions.

In addition, the Tang Dynasty is not short of resources nowadays, so in Li Yi's eyes, East and West Siberia is not worth 5000 million.

If it was 500 million, maybe he would consider it.

As for labor dispatch?
We can talk too!

Although the Tang Dynasty has no shortage of labor today, there has always been a shortage of people for jobs that require high labor intensity and high casualty rates, such as underground mining and wasteland reclamation.

Li Yi was afraid of inciting civil unrest and was unwilling to use the people of the Tang Dynasty to do this kind of work.

Therefore, if foreign countries are willing to engage in labor dispatch with Datang, Datang will naturally welcome it.

Zhang Jinglin hesitated a little when he heard this.

"Your Majesty, Britain is now at war with Tsarist Russia. If our Tang Dynasty supports Tsarist Russia, will it intensify the conflict between our Tang Dynasty and Britain?"

Li Yi was silent for a moment, then waved his hand and said.

"do not mind!"

“What if it exacerbates the conflict?”

"The Tang Dynasty has only reached a consensus with Britain on the situation in America. We are not friends. We will continue to compete in other areas."

The most typical example is the Edo War between Japan and Britain.

If the Tang Dynasty had not intervened to mediate and forced Britain to make concessions, Britain would most likely have been able to exact a heavy toll from Japan this time.

In fact, Li Yi had one more thing to say.

That means there will be a war between the Tang Dynasty and Britain sooner or later!
Whether it is Britain wanting to maintain its position as the world hegemon, or the Tang Dynasty wanting to return to its place in history.

The conflict between the two sides is almost irreconcilable.

The reason for the ceasefire now is simply that both sides need to slow down.

Everyone is waiting for the explosion of industrial capacity and accumulating strength!
When the world changes from an incremental game to a stock game, Tang Dynasty and Britain will have to fight again sooner or later.

By then, perhaps it will not just be a war between the Tang Dynasty and Britain, but a war between the East and the West.

It can also be said to be a world war!

Zhang Jinglin got a reply from Li Yi and left, while Li Yi sat there, thinking about something with a serious expression.

He pulled out a lighter, clicked it, and lit the cigarette in his mouth.

Li Yi always likes to hold a cigarette when he is thinking about something.

It's not an addiction, but a need for something to relieve stress.

He took a deep breath, the cigarette butt flickered, and the smoke from his mouth and nose rose up, making the expression on Li Yi's face changeable.

His mind kept flashing back to the gains and losses of the Tang Dynasty's involvement in the war in America...

(End of this chapter)