Earl Roche had never been to Ryukyu, nor did he know about Ryukyu. All his knowledge of Ryukyu was learned from a missionary's notebook last night. But that didn't prevent him from showing off or testing in front of Tokugawa's house today.

"I heard that Ryukyu in your country has good sugar? French people also like sugar."

"Sugar?" Tokugawa Jiading was slightly taken aback.

If you want to talk about granulated sugar, then I am quite familiar with it, and basically I use it every day, and eat it every day. But why is it called Ryukyu sugar? Sanbon sugar in Shikoku and sugar in Nishikoku are now being produced. Moreover, the Shimadzu's sugar has become a habit for so many years. How can it be bound with Ryukyu?

"Didn't your younger brother also set up a sugar factory in Satsuma together with Her Majesty's father." Roche gestured to Madam Atsushi.

It was Chuemon who wanted Shimadzu to learn modern sugar-making techniques from the French first, and turn their brown sugar into white sugar. Once they have mastered the entire process and trained Japan's own technicians and skilled workers, they will be able to build sugar factories in Katashima and Ezo.

At present, the development level of Ezo and Huatai is still low. Beets have not yet been planted on a large scale, and the land has not been fully reclaimed. It will take at least two or three years.

It was Chuemon and Mrs. Atsuhime who helped Satsuma set up a modernized sugar factory, and Mrs. Atsuhime was very happy that her hometown was changing with each passing day and she was getting rid of poverty. So I am very attentive to this matter, and I have also paid attention to the progress of this matter.

At present, the sugar factory in Satsuma has been completed and put into operation, and white sugar has also become an important product of Satsuma. Didn't I say it before, Chuemon sent a message to Shimadzu Chukao's elder brother to go to the Qing Kingdom to buy the kind of soil sugar with poor production technology, and then process it into white sugar in Satsuma.

Not only does the profit double, but also it is convenient to go back and forth. Kyushu in Japan and the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions on the other side of the mainland have a history of trade for thousands of years. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the trade ships between Kyushu and Ningbo were constantly connected.

Therefore, in the Japanese concept, for example, Toyotomi Hideyoshi believed that the most prosperous place in the entire Qing Dynasty was Ningbo. He even imagined that the Ming Dynasty would be conquered in the future, and he would move the capital of the city to Ningbo.

The Shimadzu family originally relied on the name of Ryukyu to master the tributary trade to the Qing to make money, and to carry out large-scale smuggling, and now they do not need it at all. Because the shogunate no longer cares about the trade between the vassals and foreign countries, and the construction of large ships. You can go directly to the Qing Dynasty to trade directly, without having to play smuggling.

Of course, there are only a few that can build or buy merchant ships to trade with the Qing Kingdom, and other small vassal states also take free boats.

"So that's what happened..." The Tokugawa family subconsciously thought that Roche wanted to expand investment in Japan.

After all, Chuemon had told him before that foreigners would build churches, build roads or railways, and send troops to a place. Then drive the indigenous people to develop local resources. In addition to minerals and forest trees, such as using local resources, the establishment of primary processing plants is also one of the common ways.

It was estimated that Roche might be preparing to expand his investment in the West Country, so he came to test his words. Since it is such a common business, the Tokugawa family will definitely have no interest in understanding it. He looked at Mrs. Atsushi. Anyway, he wants you to build a sugar factory in the Kagoshima domain. You can talk to him, I will take a break. Son.

"Is France going to increase its investment in Satsuma?" Mrs. Atsushi understood.

One thing to say, one can suspect that Mrs. Atsuhime is also the kind of person who I use you first, and use yours, and when I know it myself, I will turn against you when I get stronger. After all, most of the founding factions in Japan actually have such a mind. This was the case with Naobi Ii and Qixuan Matsudaira, and it was also the case with Tadashi Shimazu.

"Businessmen in our country want to investigate the sugar industry in Ryukyu, hoping to get His Majesty's permission." Count Roche had already thought of a reason.

"Ryukyu has its own king, you should go to Shuri and discuss with King Shang." The Tokugawa family said subconsciously.

good guy!

What you've been waiting for!

Count Roche nodded with a calm smile, thanking you for your guidance. On the other hand, Madam Atsuhi felt a little uneasy in her heart, and she always felt that there was something in what Count Roche said.

After all, on the surface, the Ryukyu Kingdom was still a tributary state of the Qing Dynasty, but in fact its state affairs had gradually fallen under the control of Satsuma Domain. Every year, the Satsuma clan can plunder more than eight thousand stones of rice from Ryukyu, as well as various other properties. For the Shimadzu family, Ryukyu is a piece of fragrant meat.

Besides, Amami Oshima, where the Shimadzu family grows sugar cane and builds the "sugar hell", was actually taken over from the Ryukyu Kingdom. Although the King of Ryukyu has been forced to agree to the cession, this is only their private agreement, and there is no written approval from the shogunate, or official approval from the Qing court on the other side of the mainland.

Do the French really just want to invest in sugar to make money?

Looking at the Count of Roche who was slowly leaving~lightnovelpub.net~ Mrs. Atsuhime immediately sent someone to inform Shimadzu and the definition of Shimadzu, do not happen in Ryukyu and the French

conflict. Avoid giving the French an excuse to interfere in Ryukyu affairs.

If the French are really just trying to plunder the resources of the Ryukyu, that's all, let him go. If the French have other intentions, they should report to Edo immediately.

At least the relationship between the French and the Shimadzu family is pretty good right now, and the Shimadzu family has something to do with the French. In this place in Ryukyu, if you insist on how important it is, it may not be. The so-called tasteless food, a pity to abandon, is exactly what it means.

Some people may ask why Mrs. Atsushi didn't tell the French directly that the current Ryukyu Kingdom is actually the puppet regime of the Shimadzu family. In fact, it is very understandable, wow, you have done many things, and it has become an established fact, but you cannot admit it.

Either for diplomatic reasons, or for economic reasons, all kinds, and so on.

Speaking out publicly may not only be of no benefit to yourself, but may also give the other party some kind of excuse. Why don't the French people come to protect the independence of the Ryukyu Kingdom? This kind of thing French people do quite smoothly, in Africa, in Asia, they have done it.

As a result, Count Roche no longer informed the foreign shogunate to pursue Wakisaka Yasaka, or Chuyouemon. Taking advantage of the temporary ceasefire between the French army and the Qing court, and the army had withdrawn to Shanghai for repair, he hurriedly left Yokohama.

Chuemon heard that Count Roche left happily, and inquired about his conversation with the Tokugawa family. He breathed a sigh of relief. For the United Kingdom, which is committed to establishing global maritime hegemony, Ryukyu is also a piece of meat.