Chapter 1012: A Capitalist Nation

The Grand Manager of the United States of America.

Zhu Cilang frowned. Something sounded off — not exactly grand or elevated. Would it henceforth be "Grand Manager So-and-so of the United States of America addresses Congress"?

"It can't be called the United States of America," Zhu Cilang said at once, shaking his head. "It needs a name everyone can understand, or it'll be hard to attract investment."

Grand Manager was fine, but the name United States of America wouldn't do. "America" sounded too strange; it had to be changed.

"Then what should it be called?" Mary asked.

"Call it — call it the United States of New Continent!" Zhu Cilang said. "Our Tang dynasty called the present-day Americas the New Continent, and even established protectorates there. It's recorded in both the New Book of Tang and the Old Book of Tang."

The old editions of the New Book of Tang and the Old Book of Tang naturally contained no such records, but the new editions of the New Book of Tang and the Old Book of Tang would very soon have them.

Ruan Dacheng was just the man for the job! He was now a Hanlin Academician and Director-General of the National History Office, specifically responsible for writing history — and he had a fine literary style, a celebrated master of drama! Revising the New Book of Tang and the Old Book of Tang to insert the discovery of the Americas was child's play for him.

In any case, the Tang had so many messy protectorates that adding one more, the New Continent Protectorate, was nothing. It was simply that in such-and-such a year of the Zhenguan era, a certain king descended from the Shang remnants sent envoys from the New Continent to pay court to Taizong at the Jade-Green Palace, and was enfeoffed as Grand Protector of the New Continent. And thus it had been so since antiquity — absolute truth, beyond doubt!

Zheng Zhilong nodded. "United States of New Continent does sound better than United States of America. But how is one to invest in this country? And where does the profit lie? Are we to wait until the United States of New Continent runs a fiscal surplus and then pay dividends to the major and minor shareholders?"

"Investing in a country is certainly not for the sake of a paltry dividend!" Zhu Cilang's expression had turned serious. "Since We have put up the largest share, We are naturally the sovereign of the United States, and We shall also hold corresponding voting power in the United States' assembly."

Zheng Zhilong grew more and more bewildered — Zhu Cilang was already sovereign of the Celestial Empire! Since the country of New Continent was part of the Celestial Empire, it naturally had Zhu Cilang as its sovereign. What did that have to do with whether he put up capital or not?

Did your Zhu family hold the realm of the Great Ming because Zhu Yuanzhang put up capital?

Zhu Cilang went on: "Since the United States has a sovereign, then below him there should be ennobled houses. They are all founding meritorious nobles! The founding nobles of the Great Ming won their titles blade by blade and spear by spear; the meritorious nobles of Kenan earned theirs through bitter campaigns and the price of their lives. But the founding nobles of this United States of New Continent need only put up money as investment to become nobles!"

Ah! So it could be done that way! Pay money and buy a meritorious noble title? How much would that cost?

"Venerable Father-in-law," Zhu Cilang said, looking at Zheng Zhilong with a smile, "you have so many sons, yet only Zheng Sen and Zheng Jiangong are meritorious nobles of Kenan. The rest hold no titles at all, and in the future they will be mere commoners! As their father, are you not the least bit anxious about their prospects?"

Anxious? How could he not be anxious! Zheng Zhilong sighed. He did have many sons, but the only promising ones were Zheng Sen and Zheng Jiangong. The rest were either wastrels or dullards, none of them amounting to anything. In the old days, even the stupidest son of a Duke could inherit some military post.

But that rule no longer existed. Military officers now had to come either from battlefield merit or from the military academy — and neither path was easy!

It wasn't that there was no way into the military academy, but that they couldn't endure the hardship! And Old Zheng was rather indulgent with his children, unlike Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang, who were hard-hearted. So apart from Zheng Sen and Zheng Jiangong, who had suffered in their early years, none of his sons had amounted to much.

Seeing Zheng Zhilong sigh, Zhu Cilang smiled. "Venerable Father-in-law, now the opportunity has come! You can invest in the United States! Put in ten-odd million, and in exchange get a dozen or so marquises of the United States — one for each of your sons. They may not compare to marquises of the Great Ming, but it's better than nothing. And this United States of New Continent of ours is actually quite large. Run it well, and it has a great future!"

The western part of North America was certainly large. Alaska alone was over 1.7 million square kilometers; New British Columbia plus the Yukon Territory was another 1.4 million-odd square kilometers; and the western states of the United States added together were estimated at another two million square kilometers. Those alone came to over five million square kilometers. Of that, the plains and river valleys suitable for farming and grazing, with a fairly temperate climate and convenient transport, could not compare in area with the central and eastern United States, but they would be no less than the North China region.

Hearing Zhu Cilang put it that way, Zheng Zhilong was truly convinced, heart and soul — so business could be done like this! Take a New Continent territory not yet in hand, set up a joint-stock United States, then use this still-on-paper republic to raise capital and fleece money, and on top of that use United States titles of nobility to hoodwink people!

And the capital of the country wasn't even located anywhere yet, and they were already selling titles — could that work? Could such a country last?

"Your Majesty, isn't over ten million taels a bit too much? Though this subject's family is wealthy, still — still I cannot produce that much money all at once!"

Zheng Zhilong had begun pleading poverty too!

Ten-odd million taels! Even Zheng Zhilong, the richest man, would need several years without eating or drinking to save up that much.

Zhu Cilang smiled and waved his hand. "No rush, no rush. We are not asking you to pay immediately — even if you did, there would be nowhere to spend it! We have made a rough calculation: one hundred million will suffice to establish the country of New Continent.

We shall put up thirty million, and allot you a quota of fifteen million. You need only pay five percent as a deposit for now; the rest of the quota will be held for you. You must hold on to it well, and by no means transfer it to anyone else, understood?"

What? This thing was actually valuable? Zheng Zhilong thought to himself: Is this reliable? Is it or isn't it?

As if reading his mind, Zhu Cilang added: "As to whether the founding of New Continent is reliable, send your own people to see. Once you've seen it, you'll know. We dote on the Imperial Noble Consort so much — would We let your family take a loss?"

That was true enough!

This son-in-law Zhu Cilang had never let the Zheng family take a loss. Whether it was the Maritime Merchant Bank, the Eastern Ning Command, the Minister for the Southern Seas, the Jin'ou Development, or even tricking Zheng Zhilong into becoming Minister of Revenue, every one had greatly advanced the Zheng family's enterprises.

This New Continent founding venture should not be a loss either, should it?

Zheng Zhilong thought: Perhaps I should just follow along and invest. After all, five percent of fifteen million was only seven hundred fifty thousand — not too much.

"Emperor Brother, thirty million! Does our family really have that much money?"

At dinner, when Zhu Cilang told the women of the inner palace about his plan to invest in the United States of New Continent, Ajige, who had only just consummated her marriage with Zhu Cilang, was startled and blurted out an extra question.

At her question, Noble Consort Ning Xiangyu immediately put on a stern face and rebuked her: "Ajige, is it your place to speak here?"

Ajige knew she had misspoken. She stuck out her tongue and cast a pitiful look at Emperor Zhu.

Zhu Cilang gave a mischievous smile and said to Ning Xiangyu: "Xiangyu, according to palace rules, how should she be punished?"

A family has its family rules, and the palace naturally had its rules too. Ajige was only of the rank of Selected Attendant. When alone with Zhu Cilang, she could of course presume on his favor and be a little unrestrained, but now Empress Wu Sanmei, Imperial Noble Consort Zheng Chagu, Noble Consort Ning Xiangyu, Fei Zhen'e, Virtuous Concubine Dong'e, and Worthy Concubine Xu Erlin were all present. By the rules, Ajige as a Selected Attendant did not even have a seat (Zhu Cilang had granted her one) — how could she still speak out of turn?

"She should be beaten!" Although Ning Xiangyu was a Noble Consort, she was the earliest "elder sister" to follow Zhu Cilang and had always assisted the Empress in managing the inner palace. When palace women and consorts broke the rules, she was the one who played the villain.

"Then beat her," Zhu Cilang nodded, then added with a smile, "Ajige, We can still answer your question. Thirty million is a huge sum, and our family cannot easily produce it. But the money need not be paid all at once — even if it were, there would be nowhere to spend it all. Ten years to gather it is enough. For now We are only paying the initial installment, just over a million, no great effort."

"Oh, this concubine understands." Ajige pouted and answered meekly, then cast a timid glance at the stern-faced Ning Xiangyu. From the day she entered the palace until now, she had done nothing but suffer bullying from her. And the Emperor was wicked too, never once speaking up for her. What a bitter fate!

(End of Chapter)