Chapter 1019: These Are Freeloading-Type Colonists! (Seeking Subscriptions)

"The problem now is that even if people like us shamelessly stay behind, there's no good life to be had — better to go out and make something of ourselves!"

"That's right! People like us are no good at letters and no good at arms. In the eyes of those old fellows we're just wastrels — fit only to be packed off to the New Continent!"

"You can't put it that way. The New Continent may well have opportunities. What kind of judgment do His Majesty, my father, and that Luo Dagong in Shanghai have? If they're bullish on a venture, can it possibly lose money?"

"My old man has invested too!"

"That great deity in my family is also planning to put silver in."

"I hear Shen Shiwen of the Shen family has come up from Shanghai to Yingtian Prefecture — seems he's here to invest silver as well."

Several young men in close-fitting, narrow-sleeved military dress were gathered in an octagonal pavilion on the eastern side of the Old Mountain hunting grounds, eating fragrant roasted game that servants kept bringing over, and talking about going to the United States of New Continent to seek their fortunes.

These were all academic deadbeats idling away their days in the "famous schools" of Pukou and Old Mountain: Zheng Xi, son of Zheng Zhilong; Li Shaohua, son of Li Ruolian; Zhu Ruqin, son of Zhu Chunchen; Kong Yinwen, younger brother of Kong Yinzheng; Zu Yongzhong, son of Zu Kefa; Gao Yuanjue, son of Gao Jie; and Liu Guozhong, son of Liu Kongzhao. They were all about the same age, all alumni of Nanjing Middle School, all sons of the nobility — and all academic deadbeats, all a bit wastrel-like, which was why they could mix together.

When they had free time, they would hunt together at the Old Mountain hunting grounds and the Dai Mountain hunting grounds northwest of Old Mountain, or go play polo and race horses at the polo field attached to someone's mansion. Sometimes they would also slip across the Yangtze together to enjoy life along the Qinhuai River in the city of Nanjing.

In short, they were a bunch of wastrels who couldn't succeed at their studies and for the moment had no chance to join the army.

But watching their agile figures shooting arrows and firing guns from the backs of their own folded-ear horses and Arabian horses, one really felt they had been born in the wrong age.

Had they been born twenty years earlier, with their genuine skill at shooting arrows and firing guns from horseback, and the mounted charge-and-lance abilities they had trained in middle school physical education class, they could surely have made it as full-fledged vanguard officers, couldn't they?

If they could be allowed to charge on folded-ear horses and Arabian horses, even a horde of baturu would be marching to their deaths!

Unfortunately, the admission standards of the Nanjing Military Academy were getting higher and higher now — not only did they test martial skills on foot and on horseback, they also tested composition, mathematics, natural science, and even French! Wasn't that just making things difficult? What was the point of learning French in a military academy — were they supposed to issue commands in French? Could the common soldiers understand it?

So academic deadbeats like them, even if they got in through the back door, still couldn't graduate!

Of course, they were all sons of great nobles, so if they truly wanted to join the army, there were still avenues. They could enlist in the Imperial Guard cavalry regiment as knights. If they joined the army bringing their own fine horses, the starting rank was Colonel, and as long as they earned a bit of battle merit they could be guaranteed admission to the Military Academy — the guaranteed-admission class was easier, with no French course, and the three subjects of mathematics, natural science, and composition were all relatively shallow. No matter how bad these deadbeats were, they had still come up through primary and middle school, so they could always manage to graduate.

However, deadbeats who took the knight route into the guaranteed-admission class would have their military career prospects discounted!

And the Zhu Emperor, for whatever reason, was stubbornly blocking Dodo from formally dying. As long as he didn't formally die, the Manchu side beyond the pass would keep stalling and wouldn't raise the banner of rebellion.

So this bunch of deadbeats had a full set of horseback skills and nowhere to use them!

By the way, among this bunch of deadbeats there was one who wasn't a deadbeat — Shi Lang, just back from the New Continent. He had been dragged out of the house by Zheng Xi, and now, hearing these wastrels finally start discussing going to the New Continent, he glanced at Zheng Xi.

Zheng Xi said loudly: "Since the richest, the second richest, and the third richest in Great Ming have all thrown tens of millions of taels of silver into it, and the former Chief Grand Secretary Wei of Tongzhou has been enfeoffed as Duke of America specifically to manage this affair, what is there left for us to hesitate about? Just follow in! What we need to consider now is how many people to bring and how much stuff to bring across the ocean!"

"No need to bring gold or silver — you can't buy anything with it there anyway. Isn't that right, Brother Zunhou?"

"Right, right." Shi Lang quickly nodded. "Over there the land is fertile for ten thousand li and rich in produce, yet there are only a few savage natives who don't even recognize gold and silver, and there's nothing to trade for. So to go east to America Bay, you need to bring more goods, and also bring farmers skilled at clearing land and growing wheat, rye, oats, and soybeans. Best to bring more Percheron horses too — there's an enormous amount of land and very few people, so horse-drawn plowing is best for farming."

"And the climate there is rather cold, about the same as the Yan region, so you can grow wheat and beans — definitely bring more soybeans, you can sprout them for bean sprouts to eat."

Everything Shi Lang said had been discussed with Zheng Xi beforehand. This son of Zheng Zhilong, though a "deadbeat," was fairly reliable when it came to getting things done. Noble Consort Zheng's investments and finances were mostly handled through him, and he managed them all in perfect order — and he himself had followed along on a few ventures and already had a modest fortune.

"Sixth Brother, you mean we should all go together?" Kong Yinwen, Kong Yinzheng's deadbeat younger brother, was closest to Zheng Xi and still affectionately called him "Sixth Brother."

"Of course we go together!" Zheng Xi said. "At home you rely on your parents; away from home you rely on friends. People like us have no good prospects staying in the country. The titles won't fall to us to inherit, we're no good at study, and even if we wait for the chance to fight Duoni, how much merit could we earn? After fighting Duoni, after fighting the roving bandits, who do we fight next? Without great merit to our names, we'd be Chiliarchs our whole lives. If we want to be enfeoffed as marquises and appointed generals, we have to gamble on the New Continent! Since we're going, of course we should stick together."

"That Duke in my family has prepared 1,000 iron-armored death warriors for me, and given me two ten-thousand-bushel great bird ships. When you go home, ask your fathers and mothers for more too. Everything is fine at home, but away from home every single thing is hard! If you don't prepare properly, once you reach the New Continent you'll find that heaven won't answer when you call and the earth won't respond."

"Also, those whose families are from the north should all go back and recruit men — strong, sturdy fellows who know how to grow wheat, grow soybeans, and raise horses."

"Those whose families are from the south are responsible for preparing ships, farm tools, weapons and other equipment, plus gunpowder and medicinal herbs, and tea as well — quite a lot of things, really. Later Brother Zunhou and I will draw up a list together, and everyone can prepare according to the list!"

"Sixth Brother is right! We do need to prepare properly."

"We'll listen to Sixth Brother. This time we'll make our families spend properly!"

"Right, right — if we don't spend now, when will we spend?"

The bunch of deadbeats really did all listen to Zheng Xi, and one after another declared they would become "freeloading-type colonists."

In the Hall of Imperial Supremacy at Old Mountain Palace, Zhu Cilang, Emperor of Great Ming, was convening a joint meeting of the two offices to discuss the establishment and administration of the United States of New Continent.

The Zhu Emperor spoke at length: "The major shares of the United States of New Continent have all been subscribed. Very popular! Since it's popular, we should strike while the iron is hot and send people over sooner. Our intention is that the Senate of the United States of New Continent need not cross the sea for now — it will remain in Yingtian Prefecture. What should be dispatched to the far shore of the ocean is a Governor-General's Office, to be called the America Bay Governor-General's Office, with overall charge of colonization, development, and defense of America Bay. Wei Zhongcheng shall serve as Governor-General. Under the Governor-General there shall be a Naval Superintendent, an Army Superintendent, a Police Superintendent, a Judicial Superintendent, a Finance Superintendent, a Land-Reclamation Superintendent, and a Fortification Superintendent, each in charge of their respective bureau."

"In addition, every family that has subscribed shares should send people across the sea as soon as possible to manage their estates. Recruit more farming households, stockpile more grain and all kinds of supplies, and be as thorough as possible — better to over-prepare than to find yourself short when the time comes."

"Finally, the second batch of settlers must depart immediately, traveling together with Wei Zhongcheng. Has the Marshal's Office made preparations?"

Military Advisor Wu Sanfu immediately responded: "Your Majesty, the Marshal's Office has prepared five ten-thousand-bushel great bird ships and two Flying-class ships. In addition, the Dongning Army has prepared two of the newest bombardment gunboats and four ten-thousand-bushel great bird ships. As for personnel, the Marshal's Office has selected 600 households, totaling 1,200 people. The Dongning Army has prepared over 300 households and more than 500 bachelors, among whom the bachelors will need to take wives in Japan."

"In addition, some of the noble families who have invested have also prepared some of their younger sons, commoner households, and ships, and wish to go along as well."

(End of Chapter)