After some preparation

Li Fushou took a group of followers waiting in Windsor Town and immediately set off for Readingburg. For him, the grand dance held in Windsor Castle had no meaning except wasting time.

Showing a humble attitude to Readingburg is the most important thing at the moment.

According to the latest news from Australia;

More than 670,000 pounds have been spent in recent times, expanding the territory of the Red River Valley Ranch from 44,700 square kilometers to 88,000 square kilometers, mainly from coastal to inland, from east to west from more than 200 miles to about 380 miles wide, from south to north from more than 800 miles to more than 1,300 miles.

Red River Valley spent more than twice the price to buy ranches, so it consumed a lot of money and achieved remarkable results.

At this point, the purchase of the Red River Valley large-scale ranch came to an end.

The territory of the Red River Valley Ranch reaches south and reaches about 170 miles from Sydney. The coastal area is about 407 miles long, totaling more than 1,300 miles, occupying almost a quarter of the coastal territory of New South Wales (excluding inland areas).

These large-scale ranches registered under the name of the Earl of Queensland were officially voted by Her Majesty the Queen of the British Empire and were officially federations of the Earl of Queensland, and were inherited by descendants like noble titles.

The inland ranches purchased later were far less abundant than coastal ranches, but the prices were raised a lot, which led to cheering many white ranchers, and opposition from cities in Melbourne and Sydney were clamoring the Red River Valley to raise prices and distort the original market.

These disturbing noises are not heard in the British land and no one cares about them.

for the British upper class;

Even if the territory of the Red River Valley Ranch expands 10 times, it is still a remote place for exiled prisoners thousands of miles away, and I don’t want to look at it at the right moment.

Li Fushou was still a rancher with cow dung on his feet. Even if he was awarded the title of aristocrat, he was also a country bumpkin aristocrat.

What they can value is the invitation from Readingburg, which is far 10,000 times more important than the ranch in a countryside. The key is whether the new Earl of Queensland can be accepted by the Duke?

In the traditional British concept

In the UK, one acre of land is not exchanged for ten acres on the European continent, the Slavic region is not exchanged for 100 acres, and the Asia or the Americas are not exchanged for 1,000 acres. As for Africa, Australia, Canada or South Africa, 10,000 acres are not exchanged for 10,000 acres.

If it weren't for the fact that they were really bad or the children of the down-and-out nobles in the UK, who would have been willing to develop in those colonies where birds do not shit?

Any British man, as long as he is willing to go to vast colonies such as America, Asia, Africa or Australia, and occupy any land, he will really need as much as he wants, as long as you can plant it.

The first country in the world to achieve heavy industrialization in the UK is also the birthplace of the modern steam revolution. The proportion of agricultural population and economic contributions in the local area is very small. Only Scotland and Ireland still have large areas of farmland. Almost all the rural land in England was occupied by nobles.

It is easier to change the deeply rooted concept of the always conservative British man.

At dusk

After a 7-hour journey, Li Fushou and his 46-member group finally arrived in Readingburg and were warmly welcomed by Lord Aiton and his wife.

Lord Ayton was the second son of Duke Victor, and was destined to fail to inherit the Duke and the Castle fief, so he was in politics in Oxford County and is now the governor of the county.

Reading is under the jurisdiction of Oxfordshire and is the seat of the county seat with a population of less than 60,000. It is a traditional British city with a rich British style in the city and countryside.

Readingburg is built on the mountain, occupying half of the city.

The entire Nottingburg is in a heavy Norman style. On the sturdy stone bridge of the castle full of historical vicissitudes, Lord Ayton and his wife lead a group of nobles and celebrities to welcome guests from afar.

The Earl of Queensland was wearing traditional British clothes for formal occasions, wearing a crimson velvet jacket with white fur on her body, and three marten fur sewn on the soft hat to indicate the Count's level. The crown was covered with a layer of gold-plated silver ring and 8 silver balls were adorned with the upper edge.

He stopped the carriage under the stone bridge from a distance, and then walked up to the stone bridge with Countess Gu Liuyan and a group of followers to show respect for the master and the humble attitude of the duke family.

"Welcome to you, my friend, the Earl of Queensland who has come from afar." Lord Ayton, who is less than 30 years old, had a sincere smile on his face. This is the basic skill of a politician.

"Thank you, dear Lord Ayton, I am very honored to receive the invitation. This is the most important moment in my life..." Li Fushou said stingy words with a serious face, and his two big hands were tightly held together and shook them, and they felt like they met each other's opponents.

The two sides exchanged a greeting, introduced the people around them one by one, and then entered Readingburg together to settle down.

Tonight, Lord Ayton will hold a welcome dinner to welcome the arrival of the Earl of Queensland and his party.

During the gap before the dinner

Li Fushou met Lord Ayton alone, and presented a stack of documents with respectful expressions, which included 10% of the shares of the Honghe Wool Miller with an estimated price of 6.1169 million pounds, 15% of the shares of the Hongshan Coking Coal Factory with an estimated price of more than 4 million pounds, 15% of the shares of the Hongshan Iron and Steel Factory with an estimated price of 1.27 million pounds, and 15% of the shares of the 19th Century Australia United Shipping Company. The total value of the shares reached 1.55 million pounds, and can obtain 160,000 to 180,000 pounds per year, which is definitely a big deal.

Lord Ayton briefly looked serious and said in a deep voice: "His Honorable Earl of Queensland, this matter is too important. Please forgive me for not being able to answer you for the time being. Originally, when the welcome dinner officially began, the Duchess of Victor would be present in person. Now I have to report to the Duchess in person, and I can only ask you to stay for a while."

"I come with a humble and pious heart, like a helpless lamb wandering in the wasteland. Please convey my most sincere greetings to the Duchess. May God bless you and get the mercy of the Duchess." Li Fushou's posture was very low.

Lord Ayton looked at his face deeply and paused for a moment and said, "I will."

Then he hurried away with a stack of documents, which felt a bit like a fire on his butt, losing the calm and composed demeanor of the former nobles.

Li Fushou looked at his departure back and finally felt a little tooth pain, like cutting a piece of meat.

Even with his current wealth, all of which are less than 10 million pounds, he will give out 1.55 million pounds of equity at once, which is enough to cause trouble.

What does £1.55 million mean?

The Royal Navy can build 4 10,000-ton armored battleships, plus 4 10,000-ton fast coal transport ships, which can rank 13th in the world in the navy's combat effectiveness, slightly weaker than the overall strength of the Chilean Navy, the three strongest South American champions.

As the saying goes: I can’t bear to leave my child and can’t get a wolf.

Li Fushou can be said to have really invested a lot. His purpose is not limited to being close to Duke Victor, the towering tree, but to tie the two sides together with real interests and are inseparable.

Li Fushou could not tell Sir Hills about such a major event, nor would the Duke of Victor family publicize it everywhere. The two sides openly maintain a certain distance, which is in line with the public's perception.

Privately, that's another matter.

Once Duke Victor accepted the vocation of the Earl of Queensland, all violations against the interests of the Red River Valley were provocations to the majestic Duke. The initiator might have been destroyed by the thunder rage from London before he understood what was going on.

As long as the rebellion is not made public, Duke Victor can guarantee the trade interests of the Red River Valley within the Commonwealth, which is the greatest significance of this heavy bet.

More than 30 minutes have passed

The ancient wall clock in the room showed that it was close to 7 p.m., and there was not much time before the dinner scheduled for 7:40. The corridor was still quiet and soundless.

In the face of such a major decision, Li Fushou could no longer calm down, and walked around the room with an anxious expression, repeatedly weighing the pros and cons.

He didn't let him wait for a long time, and the sound of footsteps quickly came from the corridor.

Li Fushou let out a deep breath, not hiding his fear of gains and losses on his face, but tried hard to calm himself down.

Push the door open

Lord Ayton walked in first, nodded slightly to Li Fushou and said, "Your Excellency Earl, Duchess of Victor is here."

Behind him, an old noble woman with a majestic expression appeared. Her hair was gray and she still had exquisite makeup. Her chin was raised high, which made her look thousands of miles away. However, when she saw Li Fushou, her eyes softened. This was the magic of pound.

"Dignity Duchess of Victor, your style is really unforgettable. Can I kiss your hand?" Li Fushou bent down and bowed.

"Yes, Lord Earl of Queensland."

Duchess Victor stretched out his right hand gracefully, his fingers drooped naturally, and Li Fushou held the kissing hand with respect in his hands, which made Lord Aiton next to the Duchess very satisfied.

Because Li Fushou held the kiss and greeting in both hands, this is the best way to show respect to the high-ranking female nobles, and it is very decent.

The Duchess of Victor also did not ignore the details of etiquette, and said with a gentle warmth from the corners of his eyes. "You can see that you are very worried, child, I have obtained the authorization of the Duke to accept your kindness. This is a memorable gift. The Duke of Victor will make the same reward. What requests do you have to make?"

"Great Duchess, can you sit down and listen to me?"

"Of course." The Duchess nodded calmly, as if he was casually speaking. "Ayton, my child, can you help me see that all the guests attending the dinner are here?"

"I'm happy to obey your orders." Lord Aiton cast an apologetic look at Li Fushou, turned around and left quietly, and closed the door casually.

The duchess walked to the Shangshou court-style sofa in the room and sat down. Li Fushou sat next to him. There were only two people in the huge room participating in the secret talk.

Li Fushou took a deep breath again. He knew that there were some words in front of the hostess who could be clearly stated in person. These words would be conveyed to Duke Victor's impression of Li Fushou.

"Dignity Duchess Victor, please allow me to express my deep respect for you again. Your kindness and the Duke are like the sun shining into my heart. I am a lost lamb from far away Australia. I pray for your care and blessing, and I am willing to offer my loyalty for this..."

Li Fushou passed through his initial uneasiness, and the following words became more and more fluent, with many flattering words, which was obviously very suitable for the Duchess's appetite, and a rare smile appeared on his face.

Compared with the cunning Duke Victor, the Duchess is obviously better to deal with. As long as she ignores the dazzling aristocratic light on the Duchess, she is just an old woman who loves to listen to flattery. She may be a bit old-fashioned, a bit arrogant, and aloof, but she has no deep cunning and outstanding vision of the world.

Such an outstanding old woman has only appeared in the history of Britain for more than 800 years (the Conqueror William established the British feudal dynasty) and there is only one Queen Victoria, and there is not a single one in Europe.

"Lee, I feel very sympathetic after hearing your words. God testified that, besides the royal family, the oldest nobles in Britain have not been more than 500 years, and your family has been passed down for 1,300 years. This is really amazing. What is particularly commendable is that the ancient royal blood of the East flows. This can explain why you are so young but so outstanding. You can call me Mrs. Emily Victor, and will be like my child in the future."

A kind smile appeared on the Duchess's face. This was the combined effect of £1.55 million and Li Fushou's sincere performance, which greatly increased the Duchess's favorability towards him and looked more and more intimate.

The Duchess was so eccentric that she asked curiously; "Just just got Ayton's report, the Duke's Mansion searched for information about the Red River Valley. I heard that you had wiped out a group of bandits. What's going on?"

After hearing this, Li Fushou was suddenly shocked. He checked his details in such a short time, and he really couldn't underestimate them.

His face was not revealed at all, but instead he began to talk about the cruelty of the "wild wolf" Bilken gang, which ravaged thousands of miles across Australia, killed hundreds of white ranchers, and committed massacres at every turn.

This man even harmed the priest. Legend has it that even a child in his 10s did not let go. He was really full of evil and inhumane.

The look on the Duchess's face followed his narration, sometimes he felt toothless, sometimes he was worried, sometimes he was crying secretly, no different from the old lady who listened to storytelling in a teahouse.

After Li Fushou said that he had been following the encirclement team for more than 6 months, he was trapped in the machine gun killing formation of the bandits and was ruthlessly massacred like a purgatory on earth. The duchess was covered with her chest and could not listen.

"Mrs. Emily Victor... Oh my God, what did I do." Li Fushou quickly got up and called for someone. Soon the castle housekeeper and Lord Ayton and his wife arrived, and the room was filled with people with people with concern.

"Please give it to you. Dr. Robert Fisher is here, please leave the necessary space for the doctor."

"No, no...I'm fine." After the Duchess took a few sips of hot coffee, the originally pale color became rosy.

Dr. Robert Fisher carefully examined it and said in a breath of relief. "God bless, Duchess Victor's body looks good. The situation just now seems to be caused by a short period of emotional fluctuations. It is recommended to keep a calm mood and not be stimulated again for the time being."

After listening to the doctor's explanation, everyone looked at the initiator Li Fushou, which made him feel very embarrassed;
Chapter completed!