Anti-Qing: Starting from the Jintian Uprising

Chapter 497 Reopening the Silk Road?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhidong immediately nodded to show that he understood.

Then he continued.

"Your Majesty, there is one more thing."

"This is a report from the Railway Bureau under the Ministry of Transport. The Beijing-Guangzhou Line and the Liangjing Line were completed almost at the same time, and the acceptance work is being done now."

"The main transportation artery connecting the north and south of Datang will soon be open to traffic and put into operation..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi couldn't help but smile from the bottom of his heart.

The completion of the railway artery connecting the north and the south is really a good thing for the Tang Dynasty.

After the railway is completed, the travel time from south to north in the Tang Dynasty will be shortened to just days.

If the train runs at full speed and does not stop for rest, it can travel from south to north in just two or three days.

Whether it is used for military or economic purposes, this is a revolutionary thing.

Especially in terms of economy, the completion of the railway will inevitably play a decisive role in promoting the economic development of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Yi knew that the Tang Dynasty’s economy was really going to take off!
A smile appeared on his face involuntarily, and his depressed mood, which had just been caused by being fooled by the American South, instantly relaxed.

Then he continued to ask.

"What about the Jingxi Line that connects the east and west? How is the construction progress now?"

The Tang Dynasty is now carrying out large-scale infrastructure construction in full swing.

Among them, the most important are the north-south and east-west railway lines.

Among them, the Beijing-Guangzhou line runs from Beijing to Guangzhou.

The Beijing West Line runs from the capital to Xining.

As for the remaining railways, such as the Beijing-Beijing Line connecting Beijing and Beihai, and the Liangjing Line connecting the two capitals in the north and south, most of them are contracted by private individuals.

Therefore, after learning that the Beijing-Guangzhou line was opened to traffic, Li Yi's first reaction was to care about the construction progress of the Beijing West Line.

After hearing this, Zhang Zhidong pondered for a moment and then spoke.

"To reply to your majesty, the Jingxi Line is also approaching."

"Currently, the Beijing West Line has been built to Dingxi, not far from Lanzhou."

"The Beijing West Line will be fully open to traffic by next year at the latest."

Li Yi nodded slightly, and then asked about other things.

"What about the Beijing-North Line? How far have the Shanxi merchants built it so far?"

The Beijing-North Line concerns the Tang Dynasty's control over the grassland and whether the Tang Dynasty can completely resolve the threat from the north. Li Yi is naturally concerned about it.

Zhang Zhidong sorted out the memories in his mind for a while and then said.

"In reply to your Majesty, the Beijing-North Line has been built to Kulun and is continuing to the North Sea in the north."

"Because the temperature there is too low in winter, it is impossible to start construction. If we want to start construction, we can only do it in spring, summer and autumn, so the construction progress may be slow."

"It will probably take another two to three years to completely complete the Beijing-North Line..."

What Zhang Zhidong said about the spring, summer and autumn seasons here is actually an optimistic view.

The best time to work at full capacity is actually in summer. It is definitely impossible to do it in early spring and late autumn.

The climate is what it is, and it cannot be changed by human power.

Having said this, Zhang Zhidong continued to report.

"Your Majesty, the Governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, Mr. Guo, has reported that he wants to petition the court to increase investment in Shaanxi and Gansu and plan a railway section connecting Shaanxi, Gansu, and XJ..."

"Lord Guo wants to promote the economic and industrial development of Shaanxi and Gansu by reopening the Silk Road..."

Unlike the coastal areas, which want to develop, they only need to open up to the outside world to obtain the markets they urgently need to develop their economy and industry.

Inland areas are actually more difficult in this regard.

As the governor-general of Shaanxi and Gansu, Guo Songtao was eager to achieve political achievements and then be promoted to the cabinet.

So he came up with the idea of ​​reopening the Silk Road.

Historically, Xi'an was able to serve as the capital of dynasties such as the Han and Tang dynasties for hundreds of years.

On the one hand, it is because Guanzhong has a strategic location and is easy to defend but difficult to attack.

In addition, the Guanzhong Plain has well-developed water conservancy and high grain production, and Guanzhong has always been known to produce strong soldiers.

If the imperial court could control Guanzhong, it could use the power of Guanzhong to suppress the entire world.

On the other hand, it is because Xi'an is the starting point of the Silk Road.

By establishing its capital in Xi'an, the imperial court could control the Silk Road nearby and reap huge profits from trade along the Silk Road.

To put it bluntly, the fact that Xi'an became the capital of the Han and Tang dynasties was partly due to the fact that establishing the capital in Xi'an enabled better control of the Silk Road.

But now, due to climate change, the Guanzhong region is gradually becoming unsuitable to be the capital of a unified dynasty.

Naturally, successive dynasties in the Central Plains reduced their investment in the Western Regions.

The Silk Road was cut off.

But if the Silk Road can be reopened, it will definitely promote economic development.

Hearing this, Li Yi couldn't help but touch his chin and fell into deep thought.

"What is the current situation in the Western Region?"

Li Yi has no objection to reopening the Silk Road.

On the one hand, it can promote the economic development of the central and western parts of the Tang Dynasty. On the other hand, after the opening of the Silk Road, it can increase the influence of the Tang Dynasty on the Eurasian continent.

This is a good thing!

But now Li Yi’s only concern is that there is unrest in the Western Regions.

Although the Tang Dynasty successfully suppressed the Northwest Rebellion with the help of Shi Dakai, it was unable to station too many troops in the northwest due to limited transportation conditions.

Otherwise logistics cannot be guaranteed!

Just like the Qing Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty now just put up a flag there to demonstrate its sovereignty.

Although there is a certain degree of control over the northwest direction, it cannot be said to be very strong.

What can actually be controlled are actually a few important cities located on major transportation routes, such as Hami, Urumqi and so on.

In other places, the Tang Dynasty basically only collected taxes but was unable to carry out effective governance.

In many places, the influence of a certain religion is still very great.

Zhang Zhidong heard this and responded.

"In reply to your Majesty, the situation in the northwest is relatively stable now. All tribes are very honest. Although there are occasional twists and turns in the local area, they are not a big deal."

Thanks to the military threat from the Tang Dynasty and the iron-blooded means used by Shi Dakai to suppress the H Rebellion, in which he killed a large number of brainwashed fanatics, the situation in the Western Regions is now generally stable.

Although some ambitious people had fantasies, they ultimately did not dare to show up.

"I think the court may support the reopening of the Silk Road..."

Seeing that Li Yi looked calm, Zhang Zhidong made a suggestion.

The reason why he spoke up was not because he accepted benefits from Guo Songtao, but because he also believed that reopening the surrounding roads would be a good thing for the Tang Dynasty.

Li Yi had a thoughtful expression on his face and said with a smile.

“Reopen the Silk Road?”

“That’s a really good idea!”

"The cabinet should start making relevant plans..."

In Li Yi's view, reopening the Silk Road will not only promote the development of central and western China, but also strengthen the Tang Dynasty's influence on the Eurasian continent.

More importantly, if the Silk Road is reopened, it means that the Tang Dynasty's control over the Western Regions will be strengthened.

To put it bluntly, the essence of this world is ultimately the word "interest".

If the Silk Road is reopened, it will not only benefit Shaanxi and Gansu, but also the Western Regions.

If the Silk Road is to be reopened, the Western Regions will be an unavoidable juncture.

With the reopening of the Silk Road, a large number of merchants and goods will pass through the Western Regions, which will inevitably greatly boost the economic development of the Western Regions.

Only when the economy develops well can local people live a better life.

If life could get better and better, no one would rebel!

Compared with normal people, those who have been brainwashed by religion and become fools must be a minority.

As long as the vast majority of normal people are willing to support the rule of the Tang Dynasty, the Western Regions will be stable.

And more importantly, with the opening of the Silk Road, cultural exchanges between the Central Plains and the Western Regions will increase.

At that time, as exchanges increase, religion will inevitably develop towards secularization.

This is for sure!

Of course, it is not easy to reopen the Silk Road.

The first and most important point is the traffic problem.

As I said before, after the Han and Tang Dynasties, the Central Plains dynasties no longer used Xi'an as their capital. The main reason was climate change.

The impact of climate change in the Western Regions is even greater than that in Guanzhong.

Unlike the Western Regions during the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties which were a vast desert, the Western Regions during the Han and Tang dynasties were rich in water and grass.

The caravans set out from Guanzhong and traveled through the Western Regions to Central Asia and West Asia, with many places for replenishment and rest along the way.

Therefore, the Silk Road was able to develop.

And what about the Western Regions now?
That is a big desert.

There are only a few oases occasionally where people can survive.

It may be possible for small-scale caravans to pass through, but it would be very difficult to supply large-scale caravans.

Therefore, the Silk Road has been disconnected since the Han and Tang Dynasties.

It’s not because of anything else, it’s just that natural conditions don’t allow it.

Now that the Tang Dynasty wants to reopen the Silk Road, the biggest problem is transportation conditions.

This depends on the railway.

If the railway can be built, it will be able to minimize the freight cost and time cost of crossing the desert.

Naturally, the Silk Road can be reopened!
……

Beijing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs!

Zhang Jinglin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tang Dynasty, was meeting with a fat foreigner.

"Ambassador Brooke, long time no see, please take a seat!"

Zhang Jinglin raised his hand and invited Brooke, the special envoy sent by the Northern United States to the Tang Dynasty, to sit down.

Today, although the Tang Dynasty openly recognizes the Confederacy of the Southern United States, it seems that it is acting as the left and right protector of the Confederacy together with Britain.

However, this does not mean that the Tang Dynasty has broken off relations with the North.

The Northern United States still stationed personnel in the capital of the Tang Dynasty to be responsible for the Tang Dynasty's diplomatic activities.

Upon hearing this, Brooke sat down on the sofa opposite Zhang Jinglin.

The sofa creaked under the pressure of his fat body.

Zhang Jinglin raised his hand and ordered the servant to bring them tea, then asked.

"Ambassador Brooke, I wonder what you want to talk to me about?" Zhang Jinglin asked with a smile. The expression on his face made it impossible to tell his true thoughts.

Although he knew the purpose of Brook's visit, it did not stop him from chatting with Brook.

Brooke heard this and said with a forced smile on his face.

"Minister Zhang, I came to visit you today. You should know the purpose..."

The expression on Zhang Jinglin's face remained the same, making it hard to tell what he was like.

He raised his hand, glanced at the watch on his wrist, and said with a smile.

"Haha, maybe!"

"But Mr. Brooke, if you have something to say, please speak up. I have an appointment with British Ambassador Bruce for afternoon tea later."

Undoubtedly, he was using Britain to put pressure on Brooke.

Because at this moment, if the Tang Dynasty and Britain get together, there is a high probability that they will discuss the specific matters of intervening in the American Civil War.

Brooke heard this and opened his mouth and said.

"Minister Zhang, as you know, the relationship between the Federation and the Tang Dynasty has always been very harmonious."

"I came here this time to persuade the Tang Dynasty to stop aiding the southern rebels."

"The rebellion in the South is a great betrayal of the Federation. It is undoubtedly a wrong decision for the Tang Dynasty to assist the South. This is not in line with morality."

"I think that as the Celestial Empire, the Tang Dynasty should not do such immoral things."

Zhang Jinglin just smiled when he heard this.

"No, no, no, in my opinion, it's quite the opposite."

"The Tang Dynasty's assistance to the South is actually in line with morality, because the Tang Dynasty is safeguarding democracy."

Well, it’s actually quite ridiculous for a feudal monarchy to say it wants to uphold democracy.

But that's diplomacy!

Zhang Jinglin continued.

"Your country calls itself a democratic country. If it is a democratic country, it should respect democracy."

"The southern states seceded from the Union, which was the result of a democratic vote. Why doesn't your country recognize it?"

“The North forcefully opposed the results of a democratic vote and even sent troops to fight the South. Isn’t this destroying democracy?”

"What? Only democracy that is in line with your country's interests is democracy? If it is not, then it is not democracy?"

"May I ask what the word democracy means to your country?"

Brooke looked very unhappy when he heard this, but he still started to argue.

"Under federal law, the actions of the Southern states were undoubtedly treasonous."

"Only democracy that complies with federal law is true democracy!"

"The federal government has the authority to impose military penalties for treason, consistent with federal law."

Zhang Jinglin just shook his head when he heard this.

"maybe!"

"But doesn't your country's constitution stipulate that private property is sacred and inviolable?"

"Then if the federal government wants to abolish slavery, is that an infringement on the private property of slave owners?"

"Excuse me, is abolition of slavery legal?"

"Since the federal government itself does not follow the law and does not even respect the Constitution, why do you ask the southern states to follow your laws?"

Brooke said quickly.

"Minister, so far, abolition is only a proposal."

"Congress didn't actually pass the abolition bill!"

In fact, this is indeed the case.

Although the Civil War had begun, abolition was still not actually implemented.

Well, although Lincoln ran for office under the banner of abolition, he was extremely flexible politically after taking office.

Because he was worried that complete abolition would lead neutral slave states to join the South, he kept suppressing the passage of the abolition bill.

Zhang Jinglin continued to argue with Brooke.

"Why then did you introduce an abolition bill in Congress?"

“Since private property is sacred and inviolable, doesn’t proposing this bill violate the Constitution?”

"Isn't this robbing the slave owners of their property?"

Brooke continued to retort.

“Dear sir, you may not know what those cruel slave owners did.”

"Under their control, slaves lived in poverty and hunger, were forced to work, and were even violated... These things were great violations of human rights."

"As a democratic country, the United States must not sit idly by and allow something like this to happen."

"Besides, didn't the Tang Dynasty also prohibit slavery? Didn't the Tang Dynasty investigate and punish a group of slave owners who secretly owned slaves some time ago, and it was reported in the newspapers?"

The expression on Zhang Jinglin's face remained unchanged.

"But our Tang Dynasty is not a democratic country."

Zhang Jinglin’s subtext is very clear. As a feudal imperial country, what’s wrong with the Tang Dynasty violating private property?
What's your business with me?

In fact, this is just a comparison of the worst.

As long as I have no morals, you can't use morality to blackmail me!
"Also, if your country really cares about human rights, then don't just care about the slaves in the South, but also care about the workers in the North."

"Why not learn from the Tang Dynasty and enact some laws to protect the rights of workers."

"As far as I know, the living conditions of industrial workers in the North are worse than those of slaves in the South. Is this as it should be?"

"Can your congressmen only see the misery of slaves in the South and not the misery of workers in the North?"

That’s right, although Datang’s industry is just in its infancy, it has laws to protect the legal rights and interests of workers.

This labor law stipulates workers' working hours, minimum wages, labor protection, work-related injury compensation and other related matters.

Although Li Yi is not a good person, he is trying his best to take care of the interests of the grassroots.

Because he always understood that those who could overthrow the regime were never the wealthy businessmen and landlords, but the common people at the bottom of society.

Brooke opened his mouth when he heard this, not knowing how to refute.

After all, he couldn't say that black slaves were human beings but workers were not, right?
But you have to know that the reason why the northern United States wanted to abolish slavery was to liberate the slaves and turn the black slaves of the southern slave owners into their industrial workers.

And, it’s the kind that doesn’t require any money!
Otherwise, if the North was willing to pay money to redeem the slaves from the Southern slave owners and use this method to liberate the black slaves, the Southern states might not necessarily be so resistant to liberating the black slaves.

Or even just go against it!
To put it bluntly, the reason why the North liberated the black slaves was to obtain more cheap labor at low cost or even no cost in order to promote industrial development and earn enough profits for the capitalists.

Under such circumstances, how could they take the initiative to improve workers' treatment?
This goes against the original intention!
Brooke had no way to refute Zhang Jinglin and could only change the subject.

"Mr. Minister, let's not talk about this anymore. It's meaningless."

"I just want to know, what exactly does it take for the Tang Dynasty to stop supporting the rebellion in the southern states?"

After hearing this, Zhang Jinglin stopped arguing with the other party and just said.

"First, the Federation must completely open its market to the Tang Dynasty."

"Second, the Federation will lease ports such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York to the Tang Dynasty, allowing Tang merchant ships and warships to dock and establish concessions."

"Third, Tang wants to obtain the right of passage to the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River allows Tang merchant ships and warships to sail in and out..."

"Fourth, Datang must obtain the right to develop minerals in the United States and can legally mine all kinds of minerals."

Zhang Jinglin put forward several conditions in one breath.

Although the Tang Dynasty had no intention of supporting the North, this did not prevent Zhang Jinglin from making exorbitant demands.

As soon as Zhang Jinglin finished stating a few conditions, Brooke couldn't help but jump up and down.

"impossible!"

"This is absolutely impossible!"

"The Federation will never agree to these humiliating conditions!"

Brooke reacted violently, but Zhang Jinglin was very calm.

"Well, if that's the case, then there's no need to talk about it..."

Soon, the two sides parted ways unhappily.

However, the next day's newspaper reported that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tang Dynasty personally met with the Ambassador of the Federation, and the two sides had a pleasant conversation and exchanged in-depth opinions...

……

The Confederate Embassy!
Wales, the ambassador of the Allied Powers to the Tang Dynasty, looked at the newspaper in front of him with a very ugly expression.

"The Tang Kingdom is actually in contact with the North, York, what do you think they mean by this?"

Wales closed the newspaper, picked up the coffee cup and took a sip, then asked his secretary York.

York heard this and thought for a while before speaking.

"Your Excellency, I think it may be because the Tang Kingdom wanted to lease the Port of New Orleans, but we rejected it..."

Wales couldn't help but be shocked and secretly cursed the local parliamentary masters as a bunch of idiots.

The Allied Powers still rely on Tang Dynasty's arms, so how could they offend Tang Dynasty at this time?
It's so stupid!
What if the Tang Dynasty blocks their supply of arms?
Just at this moment, a servant hurried in from outside and came to Wales and said.

"Your Excellency the Ambassador, something has happened."

"Specialist Smith, who we sent to the Tang Kingdom Arsenal to hand over the weapons, sent someone to report that the person in charge of the Tang Kingdom Arsenal said that there was a fire in the warehouse of the arsenal some time ago."

"I'm afraid, I'm afraid the delivery date will have to be postponed..."

When Wales heard this, the expression on his face froze for a moment, and he couldn't help but curse himself for being a jinx.

"Shit, how could this happen?"

"An ammunition warehouse caught fire? Do the Tang people dare to come up with a slightly more reliable reason?"

The Tang Dynasty’s arsenal is currently located on Jingshan Mountain outside the capital.

If there really was a fire in the arsenal, it would be impossible for the people in the capital not to hear the noise.

This is fucking ridiculous!
"Your Excellency, Ambassador, what should we do?"

York on the side couldn't help but ask.

Wales took a deep breath.

"York, go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Tang Dynasty right now and help me make an appointment with Minister Zhang..."

Upon hearing this, York nodded immediately to show that he understood.

Soon, a response came from the Tang Dynasty Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Zhang Jinglin agreed to meet with Wales.

After receiving the news, Wales immediately set out from the embassy and headed towards the office of the Tang Dynasty Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After arriving at the Tang Dynasty Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wales was taken to a conference room.

Wales had just pushed the door open when he saw Zhang Jinglin close the document in his hand, then looked up and said to Wales in front of him.

"Mr. Wales, I have some bad news for you."

"The Federal Navy moved south, and your country lost the Port of New Orleans..."

(End of this chapter)