Chapter 319 Unparalleled National Scholars

Chapter 319 Unparalleled National Scholars

Chapter 319 Unparalleled National Scholars
Strange things happen every year, especially this year.

Kamehameha V's immediate kowtow caught Shao Quanzhong off guard. Shao Quanzhong was now confused, wondering what had gone wrong with this wise ruler today.

"Don't worry, we don't have any intention of harming the Qing Dynasty. We just want to find a strong person to support us."

Those who can become wise rulers are all masters of psychology and can see through Shao Quanzhong’s doubts at a glance.

"There are so many powerful countries in this world that there is no space for small countries to survive independently. If a weak nation wants to survive and not be slaughtered or oppressed, it must rely on a powerful country. I believe Your Highness is familiar with this principle, right?"

That's too familiar. My Chinese nation is not weak, but now we have to rely on big brother Britain to compete in the world.

It is a blessing for the people of Hawaii that the king of this small country understands this.

"But England—"

"Britain helped my ancestors establish the Kingdom of Hawaii and has always been Hawaii's backer. This will not change. Hawaii has always been a de facto vassal state of Britain. It's just that because of the existence of the Holy See, Britain can only be called the king, and we don't have the title of a vassal state."

Now Queen Victoria had not yet worn the crown of the Emperor of India. Britain was called an empire only because it was the world hegemon, ruling over 34 million square kilometers of land and 413 million people.

The British Empire is an honorific title, and the Windsor family still calls themselves the royal family rather than the imperial family.

"However, Britain can no longer protect us. The Americans have stepped up their infiltration into Hawaii and are constantly immigrating. Our small country is powerless to resist them."

"The Americans sent 16 Congregationalist missionaries to expand their influence, but they seized an average of 493 acres of land per person on the island, becoming bloodsuckers for our natives."

"The island you are standing on is called Honolulu. American merchants are cutting down large quantities of sandalwood and selling them to the Qing Dynasty for profit."

"The whaling ships you see in Pearl Harbor are all American. They have forcibly rented most of the docks in Pearl Harbor, and it is now the forward base for the American whaling fleet."

"Your Highness, have you ever thought about how to control Hawaii? Increasing immigration efforts and turning us natives into a minority without a voice is a good way to eat people without leaving any bones, don't you think?"

Cough cough, someone has guessed what I was thinking, so embarrassing.

"The Americans are doing this now, and this national policy has been implemented for more than ten years. I can see through the Americans' plot, but I am powerless to stop it. The British Empire will not go to war with the Americans just because of their immigration. When the situation becomes irreversible in the future, it will be too late."

"But we can't go to war with the Americans..."

"My Lord, please don't be modest. Your achievements and ambitions are obvious to anyone with a discerning eye. In this world, there is no empire that is forever strong. The British Empire was strong because of industrialization, but their fatal weakness was that they had too few main ethnic groups. We in Hawaii can relate to this."

"So the British Empire will eventually fall apart. France also faces the bottleneck of a small population and limited territory, and will eventually fall from the altar."

"In 1849, the French invaded Hawaii. With the support of Britain and the United States, we beat them back. As a result, the French became our enemies. Even if we put aside our past grudges, we are not optimistic about the future of the French. They can't protect us just like Britain."

"Huaxia and Meiyi have large populations, vast territories, and unlimited potential. Now that you are relying on the power of Meiyi, in the future, the two great countries with vast territories will definitely fight in the Pacific Ocean."

"I was disappointed with Hawaii's future, but you led the Qing Dynasty to rise, which gave me hope. Only you can fight against the American barbarians, and you are the best target for us to turn to."

"This benefit is two-way. Once you take over Hawaii, you will have an advantageous position in the future struggle for hegemony. Don't you agree?"

Damn, this guy is so far-sighted that he can predict what will happen decades or even hundreds of years later. He is really amazing. Even if he was born in China, he can become an unparalleled national hero. It is such a waste of talent to rule a small country like Hawaii.

"There will be no disputes between us and the American barbarians for decades, and the American barbarians' attempt to annex us will not work in the short term. You can be an independent kingdom for decades in peace, so why are you in such a hurry to declare yourself a vassal?"

"Besides, what good will it bring to you if you surrender to the Qing? Why don't you just go with the flow and surrender to the Americans?"

Shao Quanzhong really couldn't understand the other person's thoughts. This person was too dangerous. He was so far-sighted and prudent that I had never seen anyone else like him. Fortunately, he had such a bad hand in Hawaii, otherwise I might not be his opponent.

Kamehameha V sighed, "Your Highness, you are from China, so you don't understand the suffering of our weak nation. China has a long history and a large population. Even if it declines for a while, there will always be heroes like you who will lead China back to its glory."

"We Hawaiians are a small country, and we are blessed by God to have two wise men like my ancestor. I am not being modest. It will be hard for Hawaii to have another leader like me."

"If I pass away and my successors don't have my wisdom, the Kamehameha royal family will disappear. So, for the happiness of future generations, I have to pave the way for them in advance."

"The Americans have a bad record, and their policies towards the Indians are well known to the world. And their national system determines that once we are annexed, the royal family will be lost in the crowd and will never be able to rise again."

"The Qing dynasty is different. The Qing dynasty is an empire, and its policies toward vassal states are impeccable. Even for vassal states that have surrendered, the royal families can be properly settled. Isn't the King of Kokand living well in Shunyi now, receiving an annual salary of 10,000 taels of silver?"

So, ahem, has the Qing Dynasty's imperial system become an advantage here? It's hard to say which cloud will bring rain. But it's true that China treats its vassal states well. There is only one such country in the world, and it is the happiest to join the Chinese family.

"I have some doubts. Britain, France and the United States are all watching us now. It seems that this is not the right time for you to declare yourself a vassal. How about we sign a secret agreement first, slowly immigrate to resist the infiltration of the Americans, and then wait for the right time..."

Kamehameha V waved his hand, "No! Now is the best time. Let me tell you why..."

…………That evening, a dinner was held at Iolani Palace to welcome the two distinguished guests, Shao Quanzhong and Alfred.

The scale of the dinner was unprecedentedly large. All the important British and American figures in Hawaii were invited to attend, and more than a dozen reporters who followed Prince Alfred on his global interview tour also came.

For well-known reasons, the French were not invited.

After everyone gathered, Kamehameha V suddenly announced a shocking news. Hawaii officially declared itself a vassal of the Qing Dynasty, and he himself would lead a delegation, board Shao Quanzhong's fleet, to visit the capital.

Everyone was silent. Several reporters reacted quickly and wrote out reports immediately, ordering their assistants to run and send them out to grab the headlines.

After the silence, there was no unanimous opposition from Britain and the United States.

Prince Alfred smiled broadly, "Congratulations! The Qing Dynasty has expanded its sphere of influence, and Hawaii has found a good supporter. This is a model of international friendly cooperation."

Why didn't the British object? Britain had too many things to take care of. They knew that the Americans had ill intentions towards Hawaii, but they didn't have the energy to stop them.

Once Hawaii was seized by the United States, Britain's interests in Hawaii as a sovereign power would be lost.

The Qing Dynasty was willing to help Britain stop the westward expansion of the American barbarians, and Britain was happy to see it happen.

The Qing Dynasty itself was Britain's younger brother, and Britain did not need to support the Qing Dynasty like the United States and Prussia did to obtain priority in trade with the Qing Dynasty, a priority level higher than that of the United States and Prussia.

Therefore, when Hawaii was incorporated into the Qing Dynasty, the British commercial interests would not be harmed at all. Without the covetousness of the American barbarians, Britain's interests in Hawaii would be more stable and long-lasting.

The United States and Britain jointly aided the Qing Dynasty, and Britain specially sought economic experts from Oxford to make predictions on the industrialization process of the Qing Dynasty.

Experts have concluded based on economic models that, based on the Qing Dynasty's current level of industrialization, population quality, and industrial base, even with support from the United States and Prussia, if it develops normally, there is no possibility that it will surpass Britain within 80 years.

Who can predict what will happen in eighty years? How can a dynasty always be smooth? If the Qing Dynasty makes some mistakes in its governance, the process of catching up will be even longer, and it is also a high probability event that it will never catch up. Therefore, Britain is very confident in the Qing Dynasty, its younger brother.

The British have no objection, but what about the Americans?

The Americans present whispered to each other for a long time, and suddenly elected a representative to ask Shao Quanzhong a question.

"May I ask Your Highness, after Hawaii becomes a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty, will the terms of the Washington Treaty of Qing and America apply to it?"

“Of course it does.”

"Long live!"

The American bosses cheered and raised their glasses to each other, "Cheers to the health of Prince Shao!"

This - Hawaii is now a British colony, and these American businessmen have to pay high taxes on their business activities in Hawaii.

Once Hawaii became a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty, it immediately became the most favored nation in trade with the United States, and the tax rate on local investment was reduced to the lowest.

The gap between the ordinary tax rate and the most-favored-nation tax rate is as high as five times, and the tax that American businessmen have to pay will be reduced by more than 20 percent.

Large quantities of jingling US dollar silver coins will flow into people's pockets from now on. This is a carnival for American merchants.

This is the best time that Kamehameha V mentioned, the afterglow of the Qingmei Covenant.

After the banquet, everyone took a group photo with a smile on their face.

King Kamehameha V immediately ordered preparations to take out the highest quality sandalwood stored in Iolani Palace as tribute and go to the capital for a pilgrimage.

Shao Quanzhong immediately submitted an urgent memorial and called the Grand Council.

Please transfer Admiral Li Chengmou from Guam to Hawaii. The Qing Dynasty's Pacific Fleet will be stationed in Pearl Harbor in the future, and only a few sailing warships will be left in Guam for guarding, making it a rear supply point.

The Qing Dynasty’s coastal defense line extended 10,000 miles and controlled the center of the Pacific Ocean.

The next morning, the Zhendong's whistle sounded, black smoke was belched out, the sails were hoisted and the anchor was weighed, carrying a tribute delegation from the Kingdom of Hawaii and heading west.

The huge ironclad battleship cut through the waves and crossed the vast Pacific Ocean, its target: Dagukou.

Shao Quanzhong's nearly one and a half year long global tour is about to end.

(End of this chapter)