The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 284 French Intervention Proposal and the Current State of the Panama Canal
At the end of the third year of Tiangong, each department submitted its report.

The current Western Factory admiral Xu Qing, who was once the head of the Western Factory in the Mediterranean region, found an opportunity to meet Zhu Jianxuan alone.

A summary and analysis report on the situation in Europe and France was submitted, and some ideas and suggestions were put forward.

The functions of the Western Factory in the Ming Dynasty are similar to those of the CIA. The matters it is directly responsible for usually do not go through the public process of the Ministry of Public Administration, but report directly to the emperor individually.

Zhu Jianxuan asked the servant to arrange a chair for Xu Qing. He flipped through his report on the spot and said with a little surprise:

"Xu Qing's idea is... that we should support Napoleon Bonaparte in launching a coup?"

Zhu Jianxuan knew that in his previous life, Napoleon staged the Brumaire coup, became the ruler of the French Republic, and was crowned emperor a few years later.

However, Xu Qing, a native official of this world, did not know this history, and this suggestion was obviously made based on the intelligence he had learned.

All I can say is that a hero is a hero. Once he shows his potential, he can easily attract the attention of powerful people.

Xu Qing could hear Zhu Jianxuan's surprise, so he immediately explained in detail:

"Your Majesty, I believe that the present political situation in France was born out of revenge and was formed to oppose the tyranny of Robespierre.

“There are different factions within them, and there are conflicts of interest and contradictions between the factions.

“The point is that their current way of governing relies too much on conspiracy, which makes many French merchants and craftsmen very miserable. This kind of court is difficult to maintain stability in the long run.

“At the same time, the current situation in France is somewhat similar to the Huang Chao Rebellion in the late Tang Dynasty, where the aristocratic family system was completely broken.

“Although Louis Joseph, the legitimate king of France, was in the Ming Dynasty, he was the representative of an aristocratic family that had been purged.

“Even if the Ming Dynasty forcibly sent him back to France, he would not be accepted by the French top brass.

“For the sake of Ming’s interests in France and Europe, I suggest developing senior agents among the current French high-level officials to support them in launching a coup at the right time.

"I think Napoleon Bonaparte is a good candidate. He has outstanding military ability and is very popular among the troops he leads.

“The point is that this man is not a good person by nature and has tried to launch a coup in Corsica more than once.

"If the Ming Dynasty can provide support, he will have a chance to seize power in France."

After listening to this, Zhu Jianxuan remained noncommittal:
“Napoleon was indeed a great hero, but since he was a great hero, he certainly would not be willing to be controlled by others.

"The Ming Dynasty won't get any tangible benefits from supporting such people."

Zhu Jianxuan originally sent people to recruit Nelson, but he never considered conquering Napoleon.

It was because they knew that Napoleon was a conspirator, so even if they had recruited him, they could not really use him with confidence.

An ordinary general in this world that he doesn't understand is at most a blind box whose reliability is uncertain.

A tyrant like Napoleon is most likely unreliable or even uncontrollable.

However, professional intelligence officer Xu Qing has a different view:
“Your Majesty, even if the Ming Dynasty does not intervene in the current situation in France, the forces in France and other European countries will not sit idly by.

“They would probably support the French officers who supported the French, and even Napoleon himself to change the situation.

“If the Ming Dynasty intervenes, before the people we support gain sufficient power, they must at least not directly violate the interests and simple demands of the Ming Dynasty.

“For example, asking the French army and government to cooperate and help Ming acquire Sicily, Naples, and the Rhineland.

"If Your Majesty thinks Napoleon is unsuitable, we can choose other French generals.

"For example, Jourdan, commander of the French Northern Army?"

Zhu Jianxuan thought about it again:
“Places like Sicily, Naples, and the Rhineland do have value, but they are not worth investing too much in.

“We can take advantage of the situation instead of interfering forcefully.

“It seems that the Bourbon royal family is indeed useless now, but this may not always be the case in the future.

“Now, whether it is the Ming Dynasty or the Europeans, they all feel that France is now in the same boat as Huang Chao, and is slaughtering the traditional feudal families in Europe.

"If France was the only country in Europe, it would have the opportunity to complete internal changes in this way.

“But there are countless countries in Europe, most of which are feudal kingdoms ruled by monarchs and aristocratic families, and their upper classes are extremely afraid of Huang Chao.

“So the current French Republic has irreconcilable conflicts with other traditional European monarchies.

"The monarchies of Europe will certainly continue to encircle the French Republic.

“France now has great potential for war, but the French cannot regard people from other European countries as their own people. They are alien races that cannot recognize each other.

“So even if France occupied other European countries, it would be difficult to mobilize local human resources as it did in France.

"England, Prussia, Austria, Russia, and Spain will continue to fight France.

"These European countries have the opportunity to forcefully suppress the Huang Chao movement in France, which means basically wiping out this generation of young people in France.

“Coupled with the support and guarantee provided by the Ming Dynasty, their chances of success are very high.

“Then there was a chance for the Bourbons to be restored.

"The future direction of Ming's participation in European affairs will still be to support other European countries and continue to oppose the French Republic.

"Then, at the right time, we will directly join the war and destroy the last remaining French forces.

“Finally supported the Bourbon Restoration.

"In the peace talks to restore and rebuild the old order in Europe, we will take the places we want.

“The West Factory’s manpower and support should be prepared in this direction.

"From now on, use less conspiracy and more open strategy."

Xu Qing was a little panicked and quickly bowed and apologized:

"I sincerely obey your Majesty's instructions."

Zhu Jianxuan flipped through other reports on the situation in Europe:

“Now that the French have cracked the fulminate mercury cap and the picric acid grenade, let’s open these two technologies to other European countries.

"Of course, we can't just give it to them for no reason. You can ask them for some conditions based on the situation.

“Also, after the government opens next year, compile a report on the situation in South America.

"The focus in the next few years will be on South America, where we will get to know the local immigrants, garrisons, and indigenous peoples."

Xu Qing suddenly realized that the place His Majesty was really concerned about was South America.

It was obviously much easier to seize colonies in South America from Spain than to occupy land on the European continent.

Spain and Portugal are both dead bones in the grave, and the Treaty of Friendship and Alliance between the Ming Dynasty and Spain will expire in a few years.

Xu Qing bowed again and agreed:

"The minister obeys the order."

Zhu Jianxuan sent Xu Qing away and continued to deal with his own affairs.

Time slowly came to the end of the year, and the Ming Dynasty court closed its doors before the New Year.

However, on the New Year's Day, all the major officials in the capital had to go to the palace again to attend the New Year's court meeting of the fourth year of Tiangong.

Zhu Jianxuan asked Duan Yucai to read an imperial edict, once again revising and emphasizing his future governing direction.

Export trade will continue to be reduced in the future. Unless it can be exchanged for tangible benefits, such as valuable land, exports will be reduced as much as possible or even stopped completely.

At that time, only by signing a formal agreement to become a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty could they trade according to the tribute system established by the Ming Dynasty court.

The future industrial model of the Ming Dynasty will shift to industrial circulation within the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty court’s main focus in the future should be on the development and construction within Ming’s own territory.

The Ming Academy of Sciences and Engineering has accumulated too many technologies, and it takes time, resources and manpower to implement them on the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

This territory includes directly-administered provinces, overseas military officer territories and frontier areas, as well as all forms of vassal states.

After the imperial edict was read and the New Year's meeting ended, the Ming court officially went on holiday. Except for a few officials who took turns on duty, all other officials began to rest. The holiday system of the Ming Dynasty was far different from the three-day holiday throughout the year that many marketing accounts in the past had spread.

Even during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang, it was stipulated that there would be three-day holidays for the Winter Solstice and the Spring Festival, as well as the emperor's birthday.

After the Yongle Dynasty, the Spring Festival holiday was extended to five days, and the Lantern Festival holiday was extended to ten days.

There will also be holidays for traditional festivals such as Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Double Ninth Festival.

Ordinary officials usually have regular holidays on the first and fifteenth day of each month. If they are officials of the Hanlin Academy, they have five days of vacation every month.

In the middle and late period of the Chongzhen reign, Chongzhen moved the Lantern Festival holiday from the ten days from the eleventh to the twentieth of the first lunar month to the sixth to the fifteenth of the first lunar month, linking it with the Spring Festival holiday.

It is impossible to go to work on the 15th day of the first lunar month, so two more days of holiday are added, from the first day of the first lunar month to the 16th day of the first lunar month, and the government will not officially open until the 17th day of the first lunar month.

Now the seventeenth day of the first lunar month is Zhu Jianxuan's birthday. According to convention, the emperor's birthday is celebrated with three days off, and the Spring Festival holiday adds three more days.

In the current Ming Dynasty, the government office is officially opened on the 20th day of the first lunar month.

After the New Year holiday, various scientific research and engineering construction projects arranged by Zhu Jianxuan last year were successively launched and implemented under the promotion of Zhu Jianxuan and officials at all levels.

Zhu Jianxuan also ordered the organization of an army of the same size as the European garrison to go to Europe to replace the troops that had been stationed in Europe for three years and were returning home for rest.

A group of officials were dispatched to North America to serve, and then a group of officials were dispatched from North America to Beijing. Peng Yuanrui and Qin Nanxing were transferred to Beijing to serve as Grand Secretary and Privy Councilor respectively.

During the Ming Dynasty New Year, in the Spanish American colony, in the city of Bogota, the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada.

The Governor of New Granada, José Manuel de Ezpeleta Galdiano, was in the Governor's Palace, worrying over a letter.

That was news from the Panama Canal construction site.

The Isthmus of Panama was under the jurisdiction of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, and the Panama Canal project was naturally handed over to the Governor of New Granada.

Galdiano has always believed that the project was a mistake.

The experiences of the past seven years have made Galdiano confident in his judgment.

The letter he received now made Galdiano even more convinced of this.

During last year's rainy season, a large number of slaves on the construction site died from tropical diseases or hunger. Galdiano no longer wanted to see the exact number.

If the canal project was to continue, slaves could only be replenished from other colonies or Africa.

But what is more important is that in the river channel that had been excavated during the dry season last year, many landslides occurred again during the rainy season.

The soil layer of the Isthmus of Panama is relatively thick, and most of the underground is clay rather than rock, so the excavation project itself is not difficult.

However, the annual rainfall in the area exceeds 2,000 mm, mainly concentrated from May to November.

Not only is it almost impossible to work during the rainy season, but more importantly, the excavated hillsides are prone to landslides due to the rain washing down.

Once a landslide occurs, a large section of the river channel that has been dug with great effort will be scrapped and have to be dug again.

There is even more outrageous news in this report.

Surveying engineers at the construction site claim that according to their latest observations and calculations, the sea level is different on both sides of the Isthmus of Panama.

They claimed that the area was simply unsuitable for a canal.

There is a drop in sea level at both ends of the canal, similar to the drop in sea level between Qinglong Lake and Zhuque Lake.

This kind of thing is actually not a big deal at all. As long as the canal is long enough and the drop in height is evenly distributed throughout the entire canal, making it a river with a gentle slope, it will be fine.

In reality, the difference in sea level at both ends of the Panama Canal is estimated to be between 20 centimeters and 50 centimeters, depending on different measurement methods.

The width of the Isthmus of Panama is more than 60 kilometers. Even if the maximum drop is averaged, the drop of the canal is only one centimeter per kilometer.

The height difference for each meter is only 0.1 mm, which will not even cause obvious erosion and cutting effects.

Of course, it will not affect the construction of the canal at all.

However, the fact that such things were written out of context and sent to the Governor-General has some sociological basis.

The engineers at the Panama Canal construction site probably wrote this because they really didn't want to continue doing this job.

Galdiano was able to become the governor of the colony, and the highest-ranking "vice-king" level governor in the Spanish colonies, so he was certainly not a real fool.

Galdiano certainly understood the intentions of the local artisans.

So after reading the letter, Galdiano covered his face with his hands and muttered to himself in a tone that sounded almost like a curse:

"I knew this project was a huge mistake.

“There’s no way to dig a canal in a place like Panama!
“This place is totally different from the Suez Canal in Ming Dynasty!
“Even if the Ming people were to come, there would be no way this canal could be built!
"His Majesty the King must give up this wrong idea!"

Galdiano wrote a letter explaining the circumstances to the king and queen.

Not to mention ten years, even if it took twenty or thirty years, it would be impossible to complete the construction of the canal.

Even if all the income from the South American colonies was used for canal construction, it would not be able to fill this bottomless pit.

No matter how many slaves were sent in, they would eventually die on the construction site.

No matter how long the river channel is dug, it will be blocked again by the mud washed down by heavy rain.

This canal is simply not feasible.

Finally, an exceptionally harsh "cry" was issued.

He would not continue to preside over the canal project under any circumstances. If the king still demanded that the canal be continued, he would resign as governor of New Granada.

Galdiano's letter traveled over mountains and across oceans and finally arrived in Spain, where it was delivered to the King and Queen of Spain.

After watching it, both of them were extremely shocked and obviously a little angry.

"We have invested countless silver and slaves in the past eight years, and now you tell us that this canal cannot be built?"

"Then how was the Suez Canal built in the Ming Dynasty? Is it true that only the Ming Dynasty could complete such a project?"

The two complained for a while, and Prime Minister Godoy was also notified and rushed over.

The queen gave Godoy the letter from Galdiano:

"This is the canal we built ourselves that you supported! Now it has become a huge black hole of silver and slaves."

Godoy was also a little confused after reading it:
“Maybe… because the climate in Panama is completely different from that in the Isthmus of Suez next to the Mediterranean Sea.

“According to the Governor, it rains like crazy for seven months a year and there is no way to work.

“The weather is extremely humid and hot all year round, and it is impossible to operate normally like Suez.

"And the slave mortality rate is too high in the hot and humid climate..."

The Queen immediately continued:
"So what do you think we should do next? Should we just abandon this project or go find the Ming people again?

“If the Panama Canal project is really so difficult, the conditions proposed by the Ming Dynasty were not too high.

"But the question is, what if the Ming Dynasty gets the land but still can't complete the canal project?"

Godoy immediately said:

"The land can be delivered in batches. After the Ming Dynasty completes the canal project, all the land will be handed over to the Ming Dynasty."

The king then added:
"Now we still have to fight the French, we don't have extra resources and money to hire the Ming people."

The queen immediately responded:
"If we exchange it with colonial land, we don't have to pay money directly. Now the Ming Dynasty doesn't want silver anymore.

"If we hand over the canal project to Ming, we can just use the local investment to support the war in Europe."

The queen turned to Godoy and said:
"Arrange someone to go to the Ming Dynasty to discuss the canal with the Ming Emperor, and at the same time find out His Majesty's attitude towards the war in Europe."

The king hesitated for a few seconds, but he still nodded despite not having a firm opinion.
"Go and arrange the personnel."

(End of this chapter)