Chapter 580： colonial

When the small meeting in the lord's office was about to end, the guards came to report that Captain Stanford of the northern exploration team had arrived.

"Has he come back?" Paul's face showed surprise. Of the three overseas exploration teams, there was no news from those going west, and only a few letters from those going east. Only the northern exploration team came back twice.

"Let him in quickly," Paul ordered the guards, and asked everyone, "Won't you welcome this outstanding adventurer with me?"

Old Ford, Hansel, Cecil and the others nodded, "It is our honor, Lord Graman!"

After a while, Stanford pushed the door open and entered. As soon as he came in, he saw many officials sitting here, and he immediately became cautious. He said: "Excuse me, my lords, are you discussing important matters? I will discuss them later. come in again."

Paul stopped him quickly: "Oh, no. The most important thing we do here is to welcome our adventurous hero. Please take a seat, Captain Stanford." He pointed to an empty chair near him.

Stanford's face flushed, and then he smiled heartily, "It's an honor to meet you, my lords." He walked to the chair and sat down.

He said in a soft voice: "Lord Graman, I heard on the way to Huxin Town that you encountered... a very dangerous thing. I hope you have not been harmed."

"Thank you for your concern, Stanford." Paul said with a relaxed face, no anger could be seen on his face, "It's just a bunch of little thieves. I'm in good health now, and I don't have any injuries. By the way, What happened to the first team that stayed with the natives?"

"Thank you for your concern, they are very good, and this time they all returned with the boat."

Among the officials present, some people were unknown to Stanford, and Paul introduced them to Stanford one by one. Everyone unanimously asked Captain Stanford to tell what he had seen and heard during the adventure.

While recalling, Stanford told them about his journey. Everyone was mainly concerned about the land. The magnificent virgin forest, the endless white ice field, and the unheard of strange animals and plants all fascinated Paul and everyone. The last time Stanford and others mainly explored at sea and on the coast, this time they set off from the Buck Tribe to advance deep into the ice sheet and obtained a lot of local information.

This time they also learned what the natives from all over the world called the land under their feet. Starting from the western end of the Rocky Mountains, they went all the way north, passing through the Tranquil Liaoyuan, the Lucky Forest, and the Blackwater River Basin in turn. To the east of these three areas is the prairie , and to the north of these three areas is the endless ice sheet.

After his narration came to an end, everyone still recalled the colorful adventures of the exploration team for a long time.

Hansel said with emotion: "This world is far more vast than we imagined. I don't know what commendable stories the other two exploration teams will encounter."

Paul said, "Stanford, I thought about your proposal to set up a trade war there last time I came back, and I thought it was very good." He looked around and asked the crowd. "What do you think?"

"We all think that a trade war is a good idea." Old Ford, the director of the State Council, expressed his views on behalf of everyone.

The Government Council attaches great importance to the development of commerce. In this case, precious wood, medicinal materials, and animal fur from the north of the Rocky Mountains are commodities that can make huge profits. There is no reason to ignore them.

Paul smiled and said to Old Ford: "In this case, there will be a unified deployment by the Government Affairs Council to send several teams of businessmen—official ones, or those who signed up from the people—next time, let's follow Stanford's fleet to the north."

The head of the Government Affairs Council nodded.

"Lord Graman, there is something you need to report first." Stanford said, "Several local tribes hope to learn from us the technology of food cultivation."

"I went to see their fields, and the agriculture there is still quite primitive, almost at the stage of slash-and-burn farming. They were very interested in the grains we brought over—wheat, rice, etc.—so they made this request. "

This was really an accident. After hearing this, Paul fell into deep thought. Is the local planting industry so backward.

After a few seconds, he raised his head and asked, "What do you think?"

Hansel rolled his eyes and said, "There is nothing wrong with teaching them, but you can't teach them for free. You should ask for some compensation, such as... land."

Stanford agrees with Hansell: "It's a great deal. The land there, especially the Blackwater Basin, is the most fertile land I've ever seen in my life, even though it's the farthest north." Land—Different from ours, the soil there is black, as if it has been blessed by the heavenly father. The plants growing on it are very large and the fruits are very full. You can squeeze out the oil."

Is it so amazing? Everyone in the room was surprised and looked at each other.

Paul's mind became hot. Last time when Stanford came back, he mentioned to him that those indigenous tribes don't value land as strongly as the human countries south of the Rocky Mountains, and they don't value land more than Emphasis on more urgent needs. A few hundred catties of iron ingots, a few large bags of salt, a few boxes of cloth, and a few pieces of exquisite porcelain can make them recognize you as the master of a large piece of land.

If God does not take, you will be blamed instead! The words popped into Paul's mind.

This... this should be regarded as overseas colonization! Ah, are you finally going to embark on this path?

Leaving aside those precious natural resources, if what Stanford said is true, then the fertile land there will establish large-scale mechanized ultra-large farms, and the food supply in the Northwest Gulf will be even more sufficient .

Wait a minute, a light flashed in Paul's head.

Overseas colonization needs people! And it takes a lot of people. Imagine that when Europeans colonized the earth in the history of the earth, many of them were criminals. If I learn from this approach, wouldn’t it solve a current problem?

He stood up suddenly and looked at everyone with solemn eyes, "I have decided! I will expand the territory of the Graeman family to the vast land outside the Rocky Mountains by sea! Spread the glory of human civilization and Aldo to the world!" Savage."

"Master Graham is wise!"

"Your ancestors were proud of you!"

"It's been a long time since the Kingdom has had a pioneering lord like you."

Old Ford led a group of officials to offer praises to Paul.

The people sitting here, except for Radi Setia, are all men, and which man can resist the temptation of exploiting the land?