Selling arms to Western powers? Wu Changqing couldn't react for a while, how could this be possible? The technology of Western firearms manufacturing is much more advanced than theirs, and the muskets and artillery made by the Qing Dynasty are not of the same grade as those of the West.

He didn't know where Yi Zhi's confidence came from, and after a little hesitation, he still couldn't help but say: "The firearms made in Western countries have excellent performance, how can they purchase arms from us?" ”

"Changqing, do you believe that we can make better firearms than the West?" Yi Zhizhi smiled: "Then wait and see, in a few years, we will be able to catch up with and surpass the West." ”

Really? Wu Changqing was a little skeptical, it would be good to be able to catch up with the level of Western firearms, and it would surpass the West! Also, a large-scale war will break out in Europe? What is the basis for this? However, he really has a limited understanding of the pattern of Europe, and he is not too embarrassed to ask more.

Seeing his half-believing expression, Yi Zhizhi smiled, lazy to explain, if you want to talk about the industrial revolution, it is naturally led by Britain, but to say that in the development of individual light weapons in these years, no country can catch up with France, and England can't do it.

He knew that the first country to invent and equip the flintlock pistol was France, the first country to invent and use the rifle spur was also France, the first country to use the cone-head bullet was France, the first country to invent the integral bullet was also France, the first country to invent and use smokeless gunpowder, the first country to adopt mature rear-loading weapons, all of them were France, and the first steam ironclad battleship was also from France!

If he joins forces with France, he will definitely be able to greatly speed up the research and development of individual light weapons, which is enough to throw Britain, the United States, and Germany out of a few streets!

Wujia Garden, Baimei Xuan.

In a large hall. Millers chatted with Oliphon and Wittmore in English, although English was not yet the world's lingua franca these days, but France and England were across the sea, and they were a pair of enemies for hundreds of years, and it was not uncommon for French people to speak English, and Millers had long-term dealings with American businessmen. Able to speak fluent English.

The three of them chatted about a wide range of topics, most of which revolved around the Guangzhou Trade, the Thirteen Banks, the Industrial Revolution, Yuanqi Bank and Yi Zhifen, and Oliphon also mentioned the friendship between France and the United States during the American Revolutionary War and the Anglo-American War from time to time.

Listening to the sound of footsteps in the courtyard, Olifin turned around and looked, then got up and smiled: "Mr. Yi, Mr. Wu are here." ”

Listen to this. Werthmore and Millers hurriedly got up, and the three of them went out together, seeing Oliphon and Wittmore were also there, Yi Zhicontent was not surprised, and walked up quickly with a smile on his face, and after greeting Oliphon warmly, he looked at Millers, stretched out his hand and said, "Welcome France back to Guangzhou." I hope that the French flag will be raised again in the sky above the Thirteen Merchants. ”

"Thank you." Millers shook Yi Zhi's hand and said excitedly: "Thank you, Mr. Yi, for giving France the opportunity to return to Guangzhou." ”

Oliphon smiled and said, "This is Captain Milleth Mott. An old friend of the United States. ”

"Just call me Millers." Millers said and shook hands with Wu Changqing again.

After a slight greeting, Yi Zhishu stretched out his hand and politely said, "Everyone, please come to the house." ”

When everyone entered the room and sat down, Yi Zhishu asked directly: "I wonder what goods did the Millers students bring with them when they came to Guangzhou this time?" ”

"Except for the silk reeling machine, everything else is a small commodity." Millers said and quickly took out the list and handed it over respectfully, and Yi Zhifen quickly glanced at it. I secretly thought that this guy had a brain, and the list was full of goods - brandy, wine, cigars, candy, coffee, hand towels, needlework, lamps, paper, nails, toothbrushes, soap, matches, glassware, and so on.

Handing the list to Wu Changqing, Yi Zhizhi said with a smile: "Mr. Millers seems to have put a lot of effort into it, these goods are very popular in Guangzhou, and Jardine and Futai have eaten them all." I hope that Mr. Millers will draw up a list of purchases as soon as possible, so that we can buy them for you, whether it is tea or raw silk. ”

"Thank you, Mr. Yi, for your generosity." Milles hurriedly said: "However, we don't need tea, the French like to drink, brandy, wine, for tea, not as much as the English people." ”

The French don't like tea? Yi Zhishu was quite surprised, and then he reacted, no wonder France withdrew from the trade in Guangzhou, in recent decades, the main commodity of Guangzhou's foreign trade is tea, and the French actually don't like to drink tea, smiled, he said: "Not drinking tea is not a good habit, especially for those who sail in the ocean, tea, especially green tea, can effectively prevent scurvy, you sail in the ocean, you must develop the habit of drinking green tea, it is best to eat tea together." ”

Green tea is effective in preventing scurvy! Everyone was stunned, scurvy is a nautical disease, in ocean voyages, scurvy is quite common among crew members and sailors, Olifin hurriedly asked: "Can green tea really prevent scurvy?" ”

Yi Zhizu said in an unquestionable tone: "I vouch for Yuanqi's reputation. ”

Hearing him use Yuan Qi's reputation as a guarantee, where would a few people still doubt, Olifen said happily: "This is really a magical leaf!" I must tell all the sea-going merchants and missionaries this news. ”

"Nope." Wetermo laughed, "The most important thing to tell is the Naval Commission." ”

Millers said with his own cleverness: "No wonder the officers and men of the English Navy rarely suffer from scurvy, they should have discovered this secret a long time ago, so they are so fond of tea, damn it." ”

Listening to the words of a few people, Yi Zhixin secretly wondered in his heart, didn't the British have long discovered that eating lemons can prevent and treat scurvy, didn't they promote it? Instead blocked the discovery? Quite possibly, otherwise the idea would have spread long ago, and Americans and French would not have been so happy that tea could prevent and cure bad school diseases.

Of course, he would not be so stupid as to order lemons to prevent and cure scurvy, and there is no doubt that green tea can indeed prevent scurvy, since the British want to keep lemons secret, he just took this opportunity to advertise green tea.

His guess was right, the British did keep the secret that lemons could prevent and cure scurvy, and only forced soldiers in the navy to eat lemons or drink lemon juice, and even British merchant ships did not know about this secret, until 1865, when the British Ministry of Commerce stipulated that sailors and sailors on merchant ships must drink lemon juice every day. (To be continued.) )