Iron Dynasty

Chapter 1113

“Is it possible for us to buy the steel warships?”

“His Majesty has agreed to open up some of the patents, but steel warships represent the current Empire’s highest level of technology, so that is probably not possible.”

After explaining the terms of the agreement one by one, Victoria’s sudden question caught Hu Chuan a little off guard.

“That is truly regrettable. You should know that if we can obtain steel warships, we, Britain, will pay any price.” Victoria deliberately showed a look of sadness, but this did not cause Hu Chuan’s expression to change.

Sighing, she continued, “We have already admitted our defeat on the seas, but at the very least, we want to maintain our advantage on the seas of Europe.”

Hu Chuan understood. This Victoria was indirectly asking if the Empire might sell steel warships to other countries to contain Britain.

He knew that even though Britain had been defeated in India, its fleet had not yet been fatally damaged, because most of Britain’s warships were concentrated around Europe, South America, and Africa.

With a cold sneer, Hu Chuan’s expression did not change. He said, “We are only employees of the Empire in Britain. We do not care about the affairs of Europe. And important decisions can only be made by the Emperor.”

Victoria was truly disappointed this time. If that were the case, she would be even more cautious about being sloppy when it came to carrying out the agreement.

If the Eastern Empire were to sell steel warships to other European countries, Britain’s status would become unstable.

But she could not show her thoughts. With a diplomatic smile, Victoria said, “It is time for the banquet to begin. Two envoys, please.”

As her voice fell, melodious music suddenly rang out on the lawn. The parliamentarians and nobles on the lawn began to dance with their female partners.

Victoria personally arranged for two beautiful dance partners for Hu Chuan and Kang Ming, which made the two of them a little awkward.

“The sugar-coated bullet has arrived. Stay strong.”

Hu Chuan said to Kang Ming with a wry smile. When they were leaving, the Emperor had already warned them about this.

Being in a foreign country and representing the Empire’s interests, it was easy for them to be attacked with sugar-coated bullets. And this was the time to test their will.

“The Emperor is truly a divine strategist.” Kang Ming also felt a little helpless.

But they could not just disrespect the Queen of England, so they could only reluctantly join the dancing crowd.

After the two of them entered the dance floor, Murphy came to Victoria’s side. In recent years, Britain’s failures in Asia had not weakened her power. On the contrary, more and more parliamentarians chose to support her in ruling Britain.

The rise of the Eastern Empire made them see the advantages of imperial power. Only a stable and powerful Britain could contend with the Eastern Empire, not a bickering and voting parliament.

“We have no bargaining chips to talk with the Eastern Empire. This puts us in a very passive position. If this continues, we will not be able to obtain the Eastern Empire’s core technology through trade.” Victoria said.

“That is indeed the case. But we will have a bargaining chip soon. The friction between the Ottoman Empire and Persia is getting bigger and bigger. We can use our position as a mediator to discuss this matter with the Eastern Empire.”

After a pause, Murphy continued, “And there is also Tsarist Russia. Tsarist Russia is now contending with the Eastern Empire for Siberia, and the war is still ongoing. The most important thing is that we have just received news that there are imperial troops in Alaska. It seems they are also very interested in the land in North America.”

Victoria nodded slightly. A country had just been born on this land, and its relationship with Britain was basically at rock bottom.

“If the news is true, this is not bad news. Perhaps we can cooperate with the Eastern Empire. This way, we can not only gain some benefits by providing them with supplies but also teach America a good lesson.” Victoria’s eyes showed a dangerous look.

The loss of India certainly made her feel regretful, but the loss of North America, a traditional colony, was the real pain in Britain’s heart.

After America gained its independence, the British still contained it everywhere, because in the eyes of the British, it was a shameless betrayal. After all, the people who lived on this land were descendants of the British, and were also Anglo-Saxons.

“I have the same idea. The Eastern Empire is too far from North America, and supplies are a problem. Cooperating with us can save them a lot of effort.” Murphy said.

“Hmm, that is indeed a bargaining chip.” Victoria’s eyes flickered. Whether it was causing trouble in secret or cooperating on the surface.

The only thing she hoped for now was to obtain the necessary technology by using these methods.

The banquet ended after two hours. Hu Chuan and Kang Ming were sent back to the guesthouse. When they returned to their rooms, both of them were surprised.

This was because a box had been added to each of their rooms.

Kang Ming cautiously opened this unfamiliar box. A golden light shone into his eyes. Inside this box were gold bricks, but there was also a dagger placed on top of the gold bricks.

There was also a note on the gold bricks, with the words “Do you like it? We have more. And besides gold bricks, we also have daggers.” written on it in English.

After glancing at the note, Kang Ming crumpled it up and threw it into the trash can. At this time, Hu Chuan came in from the next room and said, “These British people are truly sparing no effort to bribe us.”

“And it’s a mix of bribery and intimidation.” Kang Ming took out the dagger and plunged it into the table. “It seems it is necessary for our warships to take a trip to Britain to let them know what position they should be in.”

Hu Chuan was also quite angry. It was clear that the British had not yet understood the meaning of an ambassador. If anything were to happen to them in Britain, it would be tantamount to declaring war on the Empire.

“I will have someone send the news back now.” Hu Chuan said coldly.

…

Qingzhou.

Xiao Ming was discussing colonial policies with Pang Yukun. Since the negotiation ended, he had once again immersed himself in government affairs.

And among these government affairs, how to make the colonies a small treasury for the Empire was the most important thing.

“Since the war in Southeast Asia began, the Ministry of Minerals has discovered more than three hundred mines in the Southeast Asian region. But the transportation in the colonies is backward, and the efficiency of mining is very low. It might be difficult to provide cheap ore.” Pang Yukun analyzed to Xiao Ming.

Although many merchants of the Empire had now poured into the colonies, they were used to the high-efficiency life in the Empire and found it difficult to adapt to the slow pace of the colonies.

Therefore, there were constant calls for the construction of railways in the colonies.

“In that case, let’s first put Australia on the plan. We’ll wait on the other regions for now. After all, Australia has the most abundant mineral resources.” Xiao Ming said.

Pang Yukun nodded. He then said, “Also, according to the news from the exploration team, Persia seems to be at war with the Ottoman Empire now, and our oil field might be in danger.”