sc

ipt""s

c="http:

.

?placeid=3274"

"Do you mean one hundred taels of silver?" James and Lillian looked at each other, and the flash of surprise in their eyes did not escape Kong Lin's eyes.

"Yes, you heard it right, it's one hundred taels of silver."

"Sir, please wait a moment while I discuss it with James!"

Lilian on the side quickly pulled Zamus aside, and the two walked to a remote corner together.

"James, one hundred taels of silver, which is equivalent to three hundred and thirty Dutch guilders. Don't miss this good opportunity. Where can you find such a generous boss these days?"

Lilian's pretty face turned red with excitement, and the cute little freckles on her nose seemed to be glowing. In her opinion, such favorable conditions were simply a treasure given to them by God. With such favorable conditions, it would only take one year.

Not only would they be able to raise money for the wedding, but they would also be able to live a comfortable life in Amsterdam. Even God would not forgive themselves if they did not seize this opportunity quickly.

"Well...but old Roy treats me well. He just promoted me to first mate two days ago. I'm afraid it wouldn't be good for me to change jobs now!" James hesitated.

"I admit that Old Roy treats you well. If this damn tulip incident hadn't happened before, I probably wouldn't have encouraged you to change jobs. But now that the economy is so sluggish, even if you become the first mate, Old Roy

The salary I pay you every month is only fifty guilders. With this meager salary, you can only survive, let alone save money to prepare for the wedding."

Lillian's reason was very strong, and James was silent. He had to admit that his girlfriend's words made sense. It was only those damn tulips that turned the bustling Amsterdam into this horrible state.

The tulip incident that Lillian mentioned is actually also called the tulip bubble, also known as the tulip effect.

Tulip is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Liliaceae family. Tulip is native to Asia Minor, where it is very common. It usually only grows three or four pink-white broad lanceolate leaves, with scaly bulbs at the roots. It blooms in early spring when it is warm.

When it's cold, tulips are in bud and their flowers bloom in a cup shape. They are very beautiful.

In the seventeenth century, the Netherlands earned a lot of money from all over the world, so Dutch society became a breeding ground for speculators. Since the tulips were introduced to the Netherlands in the sixteenth century, they quickly became loved by the entire society.

People liked it so much that it soon became a favorite flower variety in Dutch gardens, and its price was very expensive. Generally, a few wealthy dignitaries had tulips in their homes. They were shown off to outsiders as ornamental items and luxury goods.

People's desire for gambling and speculation is innate. The beautiful, charming and rare tulips will inevitably become the objects of their hunting. Astute speculators began to hoard tulip bulbs in large quantities to wait for the price to rise. Under the encouragement of public opinion, people

The admiration for tulips grew stronger and stronger, and finally showed a kind of morbid admiration and enthusiasm for them, so that owning and planting this flower gradually became a symbol of high prestige. People began to follow suit and frantically bought tulip bulbs.

At first, bulb merchants just hoarded a large amount of bulbs and sold them in the hope that prices would rise. As speculation developed, a large number of speculators took the opportunity to speculate on tulips. For a time, tulips quickly expanded into illusory symbols of value, driving millions of people crazy.

People were so crazy that in 1636, a tulip, which seemed worthless in the past, was worth as much as a carriage and several horses. It even grew in the ground.

The bulbs, which are invisible to the naked eye, change hands several times.

Many Dutch people became rich overnight by relying on tulips, but all speculative fanaticism has a common rule, that is, the rise in prices prompted many speculators to intervene, and the long-term high price prompted many speculators to be cautious.

Engaged in. At this time, any disturbance may lead to the collapse of the entire market.

However, everything that goes up must also come down. In October 1938, cautious speculators began to reflect on this strange phenomenon. The result of the reflection was without exception, they had fundamental doubts about the value of tulip bulbs. A very small number of them began to reflect on this strange phenomenon.

People felt that something was not good and began to sell bulbs at low prices. Some sensitive people immediately began to follow suit. Then more and more people were involved in the wave of panic selling, and the storm finally came.

One week later, the price of a tulip was almost worthless - it was selling for the same price as an ordinary onion.

Thousands of people wept. Overnight, many people became penniless paupers, wealthy businessmen became beggars, and some great nobles also fell into irreparable bankruptcy. The founders of the Dutch speculation frenzy paid a huge amount for their fanaticism.

The price was too great, and the Dutch economy's prosperity was short-lived and has since declined.

When Kong Lin and the others came, it was less than a month after the end of the tulip bubble. At this time, Amsterdam was immersed in pain. The occurrence of the tulip bubble led to the bankruptcy of countless people, and James' salary also dropped from the original level.

The hundred guilders had shrunk by half, and only then did Lillian say what she just said.

The salary James earns now is not enough for him to spend alone. If he wants to organize a wedding with this salary, he will not be able to do it in a hundred years.

"Okay, I promise you!" James sighed, and he said to Lillian: "But I still have to see if these Orientals are sincere."

The two of them quickly returned to Kong Lin and sat down. James cleared his throat and said, "Sir, are you really willing to hire me with a salary of three hundred and thirty guilders, which is a salary of one hundred taels of silver?"

?"

Kong Lin nodded after listening to the translated words, "Yes, I can tell you for sure that if you are willing to work here, the salary I will give you will be more, not less."

James suppressed his inner excitement, "Okay, if that's the case, I'll quit my job later, and I'll come to work tomorrow, but where should I find you?"

"You can come to the Guest House tomorrow to find me. My name is Kong Lin." Kong Lin stood up, raised his hands and arched towards James, "Don't worry, I can guarantee that you will never do anything for me."

You regret your decision today. Come to me early tomorrow, I still have a batch of goods that I want you to help find some big buyers."

After saying that, Kong Lin led a group of people and walked out... As soon as Kong Lin went out, a group of sailors behind James started making noise with a bang.

"Boss, you are going to get rich. Three hundred and thirty guilders a month. This salary is higher than that of the captain!"

"No. Boss, you must help us this time. Help us ask if this Eastern businessman wants to hire sailors. I also want to work on their ship. Oh God, if I can get to that huge battleship

Just go to work. As long as you can go back and forth from the Netherlands to the East, I will probably be able to earn back your pension money in this life."

Everyone was buzzing about smelling James. Envy appeared on their faces.

James, who was in a much more cheerful mood, said to Lillian: "Okay, okay, don't ask any more questions. Let's talk about these things after I return to the "Old Man" and resign with Roy. Lillian, I'll give it to everyone.

If you want a glass of wine, I'll treat you!"

"Thank you James for your generosity, cheers!" Everyone raised their glasses and started drinking... The sixth day of February in the 11th year of Chongzhen

De'an Mansion is the closest state capital in Hubei to Hunan, and it is also the only way from Henan to Hubei. After Li Zicheng captured Hubei, he stationed 30,000 soldiers in De'an Mansion, led by his general Liu Fangliang.

The chief of the magistrate's office in De'an Prefecture, Liu Fangliang, the newly appointed general of the Zuoying system, was currently hugging a pretty woman and a group of officers drinking wine and eating meat from large bowls. Next to each officer was a woman who had been snatched away.

, they were drinking and groping and kissing the women around them, looking very happy.

"General, when King Chuang ordered us to guard the De'an Mansion, he repeatedly told us to be careful of the officers and soldiers, and Mr. Li also said that we would not be allowed to drink. Isn't it bad for us to do this?"

The man who said this was about 20 years old, with a square mouth and a broad nose, and he looked very heroic. This man was Zhang Nai, Li Zicheng's adopted son. After Li Zicheng captured Hubei, he divided his troops into

Five battalions, these five battalions are respectively Zhongji, left spoke, right wing, forward, and back force; the flags of the front camp are black, the rear camp is yellow, the left camp is white, the right camp is red, and the middle camp is cyan. The military positions include the general, the system

General, General Guoyi, General Mighty, Captain, Brigade Commander, Headquarters Commander, Sentry Commander and other officers.

The change in the military system also means that Li Yan intends to transform the intruder army from rogue bandits to a regular army.

For example, after the military system was changed, Liu Fangliang was appointed as the general in Zuoying. Ma Shiyao was appointed as General Zuo Guoyi, Liu Rukui was appointed as General Weiwei on the right, and Zhang Nai was appointed as General Weiwei.

Although these leaders who were born as bandits have now become generals, their inner bandit habits have not changed at all. They still live a drunken life every day. Drinking and playing with women are still their main daily routines, especially

After the Spring Festival, Liu Zongmin and Li Zicheng led the main forces to attack Hunan and Shaanxi respectively. Feeling that the sky was high and the emperor was far away, Liu Fangliang and others became even more unscrupulous.

For example, the woman in Liu Fangliang's arms now was the concubine of the former magistrate of De'an Prefecture, and she was snatched away by Liu Fangliang for his pleasure.

Liu Fangliang, who was drinking vigorously at this moment, was a little unhappy when he heard Zhang Nai's words. He placed the wine glass in his hand heavily on the table and shouted: "Zhang Nai, you are usually afraid of things. Now you are intruding."

What are you afraid of now that the king is gone? You can eat and drink with confidence, and if King Chuang blames you, I will bear the blame."

Zhang Nai smiled bitterly and said: "Master Liu, you don't know that Mr. Li once told us when he left to enforce military discipline and not to go too far, but as soon as they left we...

.This is not good after all."

"Bah...Liu Fangliang spitted sticky saliva on the ground and then said disdainfully: "They know nothing. I only call him Mr. Li when I am in a good mood to give him face. If one day I am in a bad mood, I will give him a shit."

No, King Chuang was trying to save his face for them, so he gave him the military system of the Henan Battalion and asked him to lead it. He really thought he was a person, bah!

You say, the new atmosphere that our rebel army has now is not something we old brothers put together with swords and guns. How can a new poor scholar become the general of the first battalion as soon as he comes? Why?"

Okay, the few people next to me can tell that Liu Fangliang is dissatisfied with Li Yan's high position when he first arrived.

Zhang Nai and Ma Shiyao, Liu Rukui and others next to him looked at each other, opened their mouths to say something, and then shut up again. In fact, these days, Li Zicheng, Li Yan, Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance and others have also valued Li Yan so much.

It was dissatisfaction, but I was too worried about Li Zicheng to say it out. Now that I saw Liu Fangliang brought it up first, I was secretly happy and stopped talking at the same time.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Liu Fangliang became even more proud. He raised his wine glass and drank all the wine in the bowl. From time to time, wine flowed into his clothes without noticing.

"Hahaha...so happy. Brothers have all finished the bowl of wine."

The unbridled laughter of Liu Fangliang and the generals soon rang out in Dali, mixed with the painful moans of some women... Just when Liu Fangliang and others were having fun, a hundred miles away from De'an Mansion, a

A mighty army of soldiers and horses is heading towards De'an Mansion.

This team started from Shandong, passed through Kaifeng, Runing Prefecture in Henan and other places, and marched all the way to De'an Prefecture, an army of more than 20,000 people led by Pang Gang himself.

This time, Pang Gang led a total of 25,000 troops, including three infantry battalions, one cavalry battalion, one artillery battalion and two supply battalions, striving to regain the entire territory of Hubei in the shortest possible time.

"Sir, the general can finally go on an expedition with you again. It's really nice to think about it."

Li Yuan, a guerrilla from the Third Battalion who was riding on a horse, had a gleeful smile on his face, which made Pang Gang sigh secretly.

Pang Gang stared at Li Yuan and said seriously: "You have become a guerrilla general, and you are also going to be a father when you get married. Why are you still so frivolous? To be a general, you know the generals, the soldiers, and the people.

, it is human nature. Weather, geography, and human nature. If you combine these three, you will win. If you only know how to be brave and fight ruthlessly, then the most you can do in this life is to be a general, and you will have no greater success.

pursuit?"

"Yes, I will thank you for your teachings." Li Yuan lowered his head and said nothing. He also knew the shortcomings of his character, but sometimes he just couldn't control it. He was the type who would get excited when he heard the sound of swords, guns and cannons.

My master, his aggressive and aggressive character has not changed with his increase in official position and age. On the contrary, it has become more and more intense. Now that Pang Gang said this, he could only lower his head and accept it obediently.

Pang Gang turned to Wang Zhi beside him and said: "Gou Sheng, if you have time, please advise this kid. We will soon expand our army. The current military system is no longer suitable for us. I guess after this battle, we will

There needs to be an adjustment. You need to be mentally prepared."
To be continued...