Chapter 3102 The Road to War (2)

When Scarlett first saw Rhett Butler, the other girls were taking a nap, and the men, or boys old enough to be considered adults, gathered together, smoking and talking about the war.

Rhett Butler was a man who had a different understanding of the war than other southern gentlemen. However, his views were not recognized by other gentlemen, so Rhett Butler was not interested in the topics in the smoking room, so he secretly left the smoky room. room, he didn't mean to "eavesdrop" on Scarlett's confession to Ashley.

The book introduces him as a businessman who made profits by crossing the blockade. This point refers to the proclamation issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1861, which declared that southern ports were officially blockaded, and any Confederate ships and personnel would be treated as pirates. In other words, if Rhett Butler's ship was caught by the federal government, he and his crew would be hanged and would not be able to enjoy the treatment of prisoners of war as privateers.

 Blockade of the ports means that imported weapons and supplies needed to sustain the fight cannot be obtained, but as long as the president recognizes that the southern ports are still part of the United States, the blockade is illegal.

 The difference between blockade and portclosure seems to be a literal game that only lawyers are interested in. In fact, Lincoln was indeed a lawyer, but he mainly worked in the West and rarely dealt with "international law."

The blockade was a doctrine recognized on both sides of the Atlantic, coined by Britain in its resistance to the Napoleonic Wars, and disputes arising from the blockade would be decided by the courts of capture rather than by U.S. criminal law and by juries of passionate American citizens. European ministers in Washington raised no objections, in part because they doubted the weak U.S. navy could carry out a blockade.

This kind of worry is not without reason. Didn't Captain Rhett just cross the blockade?

 As the seasons change, the wind will blow the water vapor from the sea to the mainland. When it encounters low temperatures, it will condense into fog or clouds.

In the summer of 1769, a rain that was supposed to arrive with the monsoon did not appear in Bengal. People familiar with the local climate immediately warned the head of the East India Company, which ruled the area, that drought and famine might occur and that they should act early. Prepare.

 But the British didn't care.

At that time, they had just won the Seven Years War. Not only North America, but also the French had ceded the Indian colonies to the British. The Mughal Empire was also falling apart. Originally they supported a governor, but later they found out if there was such a thing. None of the governors affected the East India Company's direct rule, or taxation, of India. At that time, Bengal implemented a dual government, that is, the East India Company was responsible for taxation, and local officials managed administration and justice.

 The East India Company outsourced taxation rights, including employees of the East India Company and officials of the princely states. These people's tax farming time is limited, so they do their best to plunder while in office.

 Fortunately, Bengal was fertile, with abundant rains and abundant grain harvests. The tax collectors plundered a lot of land, and the farmers could barely make a living. However, at this time, the East India Company promoted the planting of two cash crops, which occupied a lot of grain-producing land.

These two cash crops, one is indigo for dyeing fabrics, and the other is a "medicine" that can bloom beautiful flowers and has analgesic effects.

Every year, Bangladeshi employees send gifts totaling more than 2 million pounds to the headquarters. Some of these gifts will be given to headquarters employees and directors, and some will fall into the pockets of "relevant persons."

 At this time, the East India Company's finances were already full of loopholes. Those running errands below were quick to reap the benefits, while those holding the controlling stake above wanted high dividends. It was precisely because of the East India Company's high returns and high dividends that the banks opened by the two major shareholders of the East India Company attracted so many people to take loans, believing that the banknotes they issued were really "money".

The great drought of 1769 would not have caused so many people to starve to death, but just like when the famine broke out in Ireland, no matter what happened locally, land rent and tax revenue could not be reduced even a cent. Even during the Bengal famine, the tax revenue received was higher than usual. More to come.

Suppose that the sky is usually three feet high for no reason, but now it is nine feet high. After all, the well-fed and drunk soldiers can easily push down the hungry peasants and then take away everything they have.

It was an open robbery without any cover-up. After all, it was far away from the civilized world. Maintaining the noble and decent life of the gentlemen in London was more important than the lives of humble farmers. The so-called disaster relief measures of the East India Company were to give 30 million people 9,000 pounds. .

 Theoretically, the population will recover and farmers will always regenerate. However, although the heavy rains in 1770 temporarily alleviated the drought, the plague came again. There was a prince from a country who originally owned a large amount of land, but the land failed to harvest due to drought, and the farmers all starved to death. After paying the "must pay" taxes, he wanted to bury his father, and he could only use all the metals in his family to bury his father. After all was smelted, he was desperate and applied for a loan from the East India Company. This usury made the young prince a prisoner more than ten years later, imprisoned in his own palace. After all, his land was not productive. Diamonds—it would be too bad if they were actually produced.

If this news spread back to England, what would be the consequences?

  The increase in dividends in 1771 was like a shot in the arm, and the gifts that were usually distributed came in handy at this time. With the tacit approval of these people, the East India Company's dividend increased from 7% to 12.5%. This high dividend quickly attracted a large number of investors.

 In order to maintain such high dividends and avoid falling into a "Ponzi scheme", the East India Company needed to continuously open up new businesses.

But that was tiring and slow to produce results. In contrast, they were more inclined to use the privileges obtained by the East India Company to invade the North American tea market.

In addition, they also set up a warehouse in Macau in 1773 specifically to store "medicines" that could relieve pain. Several decades later, in 1839, these "medicines" were destroyed in Humen by an official named Lin Zexu. He had a fellow villager named Lin Yuhua. When a severe drought occurred in Fujian in 1780, the local chief envoy He actually set up Changpingcang in lean years. If this matter was really done by the chief envoy, Fujian would be another Bangladesh. As for where the food in the Changping granary went? You might want to ask He Shen. He was not the Zhongtang at that time, but the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.

 When talking about the Mughal Empire, people can easily think of the Taj Mahal. Whether it is the white Taj Mahal or the rose-colored Taj Mahal bathed in the sunset, they all look so beautiful.

The other is the diamond that is also related to Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj Mahal - the Mughal Diamond. This diamond was once seen by a French traveler, but later the diamond disappeared. Some people say that it was set in Queen Victoria. The "Mountain of Light" diamond on the crown was cut from a Mughal diamond, and another Orlov diamond was set in Queen Catherine's crown.

 But the Mughal Diamond is rose-colored, and neither the Koh-i-Noor nor Orlov matches it.

 Then there is a diamond that Georgiana recently acquired, which was given to her by Napoleon Bonaparte. As far as she knew, this diamond had once been called the "Portuguese Diamond," but now everyone called it the "Mogul Diamond," and it was not rose-colored.

In the 20th century, there were many precious gems, many of them big ones, but many people were obsessed with the "Hope" blue diamond, even though it was said to be cursed. Commodity competition always has a gimmick. Josephine also has a big diamond around her neck. Is it meaningful to compare them?

Muggle Jacob lived in a small and dilapidated apartment. If he had also plundered valuable loot during the war, he would not live in such a place.

There is also the Prussian noble who disobeyed the king's order and refused to plunder. His epitaph reads, "To obey would make me unjust, and I would rather lose favor."

There are very few people who can keep their bottom line in war, let alone when everyone is "competing" in front of the king and gaining more benefits.

Jacob still maintained his dream of opening a bakery after experiencing the cruel First World War. He was very unrealistic, as if he had made it up. How could anyone still maintain that dream after going through something?

Queenie is a "mind reader". She is Legilimency to Jacob all the time. There will always be times when people let down their guard, and Jacob cannot lie to her all the time.

Either he is really a good person, or he is deceiving himself and even believes that he is a good person.

 When false becomes true, true is also false. When it is true, it is true; when it is false, it is false.

 There is a painting of "Salvator Mundi" that was sold for 100 million US dollars. Some people say that it is not a work of Leonardo da Vinci, but a "copy" by students in his studio.

So the buyer is buying a fake that looks like an original, or an original that looks like a fake?

General Berthier loved his wife Adela very much and they had known each other since they were children. Although Adela was the daughter of a tax farmer, Berthier had to give up his studies due to his family's financial difficulties. No one expected that he would become a general after the Revolution.

Adela's surname was Laperriere. She had a brother named Augustin de Laperriere. He did not become a tax collector like his father, but was engaged in the art collection industry and financial pledge business.

In other words, he is a banker. He likes Renaissance paintings and ancient Greek sculptures very much. Except for the Egyptian Museum, his collection is almost as good as the Louvre.

“I want you to get close to him.” Georgiana stared at Matilda and said, “Do you know why?”

 “Because of Alice?” Matilda asked after thinking for a moment.

"The colonel is just one of Bedier's subordinates. I don't understand the friendship between soldiers very well, but I know that if a man loves a woman, he will want to go back alive, no matter what kind of crimes he will commit. "Sin." Georgiana said calmly, "There was a shipwreck, an orphan and a group of sailors..."

 “Stop talking,” Margaret said softly.

 Georgiana looked at Margaret, her eyes full of fear.

“The sailors said, ‘Think of your wife and your lovely children, and no one will miss this orphan.’ I think this is quite cruel. What do you think?”

 No one spoke.

Georgiana laughed at herself, it seemed that she should do less crazy things, as it would scare people.

 “Where can I see him?” asked Matilda.

"You shouldn't ask me this question, I just heard about such a person. I never interfere with children's freedom, and I don't care who you want to play with."

“I understand, ma’am.” Matilda whispered. Looking at her expression, Georgiana felt that Matilda had misunderstood.

 But no matter what, Matilda can stay away from Jim.

 Then she looked at Margaret again, and she began to worry that the blond French girl had been deceived. In fact, the safest way was to drive Jim away.

 “There will always be a use for him,” said Georgiana, looking out the window.

  She knew that Matilda and the person she was thinking of were not the same person, but there were some things that did not need to be said too openly, just like "Victoria's Secret", which should be hidden.

Rhett Butler actually knows the girl's most unspeakable secret. He is so hateful. No wonder Scarlett hates him so much after they met for the first time.

 (End of this chapter)