Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 600 A Delicate Attitude! A Storm is Coming!
Before officially setting off, Zhu sent messengers on horseback to deliver messages to the countries that had signed the treaty.

Tell them that the Supreme Emperor of the Ming Dynasty will lead his troops to the West, and ask them to receive him.

The countries that had just signed treaties with the Ming Dynasty reacted quickly, sending a large number of people to welcome and escort Zhu's entourage.

Under the might of the Ming Dynasty, all nations thought of how to please this supreme emperor and dared not offend him in the slightest.

Many monarchs even personally led their troops to Zhu Yuanzhang under the guise of escorting him, hoping to cultivate a closer relationship with him.

Ingratiating oneself with the supreme emperor of the Ming Dynasty is definitely a worthwhile deal.

The Ming Dynasty was very generous, and most importantly, it possessed a large amount of paper money.

They did the work, and the Ming Dynasty wouldn't let them work for nothing; they would be given Ming Dynasty banknotes as payment.

Old Zhu traveled around handing out money, which naturally made him very popular.

Zhu Yuanzhang was also very happy to do so. Having already acquired a great deal of economic knowledge, he knew how much benefit it would bring to the Ming Dynasty to have these countries use large amounts of paper money.

With these countries providing escort, Zhu's entourage proceeded extremely smoothly.

However, the journey from the western border of the Turan Empire to the westernmost part of the former Golden Horde was extremely long and could not be completed in a short time.

After leaving the army's camp, the Western countries, having not laid cables, could no longer communicate with the rear using telegraph machines.

Fortunately, all the countries along the route had signed treaties with the Ming Dynasty and would provide convenience. Sending fast horses to send messages back and forth was still feasible, only the communication would not be as close as before.

……

On the other side, after Zhu De left, Huo Liancheng intensified his military deployments.

Although the decision has been made to hold off for the time being, the related construction projects can be started ahead of schedule.

Wherever the Ming army was to pass through, roads had to be built first and cables had to be laid in advance.

After all, it would be a bit too late to do these things after the troops have been deployed.

Thanks to the developed commercial environment of the Ming Dynasty, after Zhu Yuanzhang led his army on an expedition, many merchants started doing business related to the expeditionary force.

For tasks such as building roads and laying cables, these are mostly done by contractors rather than by the military directly.

The contractors involved included state-owned enterprises of the Ming Dynasty and private merchants, who also brought a large number of laborers.

Within the present-day Turan Empire, in addition to the more than 10,000 regular Ming soldiers, there are also tens of thousands of Ming merchants and laborers.

These people were a powerful guarantee for the expeditionary force!

Because of their presence, the expeditionary force could focus its energy on training and fighting without having to worry about anything else.

Of course, the contractors had to report the specific plans and construction methods to the generals of the expeditionary force.

After all, what they were doing was serving the expeditionary force.

In the Ming Dynasty, large enterprises contracted the main projects, and merchants took on different levels of contracting. The laborers from the Ming Dynasty mainly provided engineering and technical guidance. The workers who actually excavated the mountains, built roads, and laid cables were mainly local natives.

A migrant worker from the Ming Dynasty earns dozens of times more than the local natives.

If a company were to actually use migrant workers from the Ming Dynasty to do ordinary jobs, it would be insane.

The natives lacked the necessary technology and couldn't even understand blueprints, so they needed guidance from the "technical workers" of the Ming Dynasty.

In reality, these "technical staff" of the Ming Dynasty were not highly educated. Many of them had only attended the "literacy" schools run by the court in recent years, learned a few characters, and then, under the guidance of professionals, learned to read blueprints and acquire basic related skills, and so on.

But even though these technologies seem insignificant to people in later generations, they were still a game-changer for people in the less developed regions of this world.

At least, from Beshbaliq to the Turan Empire, and then to the newly established states, these workers of the Ming Dynasty were all extremely rare talents.

Even if someone in later generations earns a doctorate, they might not be considered a talent.

But in today's world, receiving even the most basic training for a few months in the Ming Dynasty would make one a "high-level talent."

Of course, in the Ming Dynasty, they could only make a living by doing "technical work." Although the Ming Dynasty was short of talent, it was not to this extent.

But once they arrive here, they can command hundreds or even thousands of natives to work, making them rare elite technical talents or managing "officials".

To ensure that technology does not easily leak out, companies also take many "secrecy" measures.

For example, all the drawings and documents were written and described in the Ming Dynasty's script. If you don't understand Chinese characters, it's impossible for you to understand them.

Because these areas are far from Han territory, very few people can read Chinese characters.

In addition, the key parts must be done by the workers of the Ming Dynasty themselves, and outsiders are not allowed to participate, in order to prevent the technology from being leaked.

Of course, in reality, many things need to be done by locals, and technology will inevitably be transferred.

The company uses these measures simply to ensure that Da Ming remains ahead.

By the time the local natives learned it, the technology of the Ming Dynasty had already been replaced and updated.

In fact, due to Zhu Yunwen's existence, the Ming Dynasty formulated a series of policies and had a good scientific research environment. Even if the technology were opened up for them to learn, they would still be far behind.

These measures only further widened the Ming Dynasty's lead.

With the injection of a large amount of Ming Dynasty banknotes, coupled with the Ming Dynasty's strong organizational capabilities, the construction of roads was very rapid and smooth.

It must be said that although the local natives are not very educated, they are still very hardworking.

Especially after the local nobles were given a large amount of Ming Dynasty banknotes and were put in charge of supervising the construction, the project progressed even faster.

After all, the reward offered by the Ming Dynasty was extremely tempting.

Driven by the allure of money, local nobles flocked to the industry, constantly sending their lower-class laborers over using various methods.

The newly built cement road was not only a lifeline for the expeditionary force.

In the future, it will also become a "land bridge" connecting the Ming Dynasty and Europe.

It closely connected the Ming Dynasty with the countries along the route.

A large amount of mineral resources and various materials will be transported through this route.

This area will be a vital economic artery in the future, so its construction cannot be taken lightly.

In addition to the cement road, a railway has also been planned.

Of course, this is just a plan, leaving room for future construction, and construction has not yet officially started.

The railways being built in the Ming Dynasty haven't even officially opened to traffic yet.

Construction here naturally couldn't have started so early.

According to the friendly treaties signed between the Ming Dynasty and various countries, a certain area on both sides of this road will be permanently leased to the Ming Dynasty for management to ensure the safety and permanent smooth flow of traffic.

In other words, this is also part of the Ming Dynasty's territory, so of course it needs to be developed properly. In addition to roads, a new city will be planned at regular intervals.

One can imagine that with this "major artery" connecting the East and the West, prosperous cities will surely emerge along the route in the future.

The communication cables were also supported by sturdy wooden poles to ensure they wouldn't easily break or malfunction.

Electricity generation, of course, relies on small steam engines, a technology that is already largely mature.

The power required for communication cables is not large and can be easily met.

However, all the necessary machinery had to be transported from the Ming Dynasty.

In this way, wherever the Ming army went, civilization also arrived.

A vast corridor of civilization, connecting the Ming Dynasty, is quietly taking shape under construction.

Meanwhile, Lao Zhu's team went further and further away.

Despite Huo Liancheng's constant urging of contractors at all levels to speed up construction, it was impossible for him to keep up with Lao Zhu's pace.

Old Zhu had long since moved away from the places with newly built cement roads and cable connections for communication, and had gone to the far west, where he could only rely on fast horses to deliver a letter every day or every few days.

Huo Liancheng was very nervous about this and kept sending people to find out about the Emperor's situation in order to prevent any possible accidents.

At the same time, they also continuously sent telegrams and messages to the Political Affairs Department and the Military Affairs Department to report on the situation of the expeditionary force.

However, what puzzled Huo Liancheng was that the Military Affairs Department was very concerned about the Emperor's situation and kept asking questions.

However, the attitude of the administrative office is somewhat subtle.

In a vague way, Huo Liancheng even sensed that some of the calls from the government affairs office seemed to contain the intention of wishing the emperor would leave.

Of course, most of the telegrams were still normal expressions of concern, and only occasionally did one or two telegrams give Huo Liancheng a strange feeling.

But he quickly dismissed the idea, thinking it might just be a telegram written by a staff member in the administrative office, with slightly incorrect wording.

However, the other party did not make any mistakes. It is normal for everyone to write this type of document differently.

Furthermore, he and Dajun were both under the jurisdiction of the Military Affairs Department, and had nothing to do with the Political Affairs Department.

At the same time, it should be reported to the Administrative Office that, in the case of the Supreme Emperor, it is necessary to inform the Administrative Office.

And matters such as signing treaties with various countries are things that cannot be bypassed by the Administrative Office.

The Military Affairs Department cannot make decisions on its own.

Furthermore, the construction of the "Civilization Corridor" in the rear is not only to ensure the transportation of troops, but also for the long-term plan for the next century. How to plan and construct it should be discussed with the Political Affairs Department.

Many construction-related expenditures could not be accounted for from military funds, but rather had to be coordinated by the Political Affairs Department, with the Ministry of Works providing consultation and the Ministry of Revenue allocating funds.

However, in any case, his relationship with the Administrative Office was a matter of negotiation, and the matter was under the jurisdiction of the Administrative Office.

He needs to be very attentive to matters of money, but not to anything else.

Unbeknownst to Huo Liancheng, a new storm was quietly brewing in the heart of the Ming Dynasty.

……

Qufu, Shandong.

Preparations for the sacrificial ceremony are in full swing.

The situation on the western front was reported to Zhu Yunwen via telegram, and he was fully aware of it.

The smooth progress of the campaign was not only due to the "hard power" of the Ming Dynasty's new army, but also undoubtedly due to the "soft power" of the Ming Dynasty's culture and economy.

It can be said that those countries knew that the Ming Dynasty was not to be trifled with, and "surrendered at the mere sight of it"!
Of course, this was also inseparable from the "bribery" of the Ming Dynasty's precious paper money.

The very act of acquiring these things with precious paper money is itself a manifestation of "soft power."

Although Zhu Yunwen was somewhat worried about Zhu leading his troops away from the expeditionary force's base and embarking on a more distant western tour, he could only let him have his way for the time being.

When Old Zhu gets stubborn, there's really no one who can persuade him.

Furthermore, with several hundred people protecting him, Old Zhu's safety should be assured.

The countries along the way were well aware of the Ming Dynasty's strength, and probably none of them would dare to attack Zhu Yuanzhang's army.

However, Zhu Yunwen found it somewhat strange that he learned that Zhu Yunwen had left the expeditionary camp and led his troops away first because he had overheard information about Zhu Di.

Did Zhu Di actually gain a foothold in Europe and even become the richest man in Europe?
The message was actually transmitted back in this way?

Zhu Yunwen felt that this matter seemed somewhat coincidental, but he didn't think too much about it.

After all, such a coincidence is not outrageous and is still within the normal range.

Although the sea route between the Ming Dynasty and Europe had been opened after Zheng He returned to China.

However, since they had already made enough profit from Southeast Asia, Oceania, India, Persia, and even Kunlun, the fleets of various wealthy gentry and nobles were too lazy to go to the more distant Europe.

In this era, the Suez Canal, which would later become famous, did not exist. To travel to Europe by sea, one had to not only cross the ocean south of India, but also travel south, around the Cape of Good Hope in Kunlun, and then north before finally arriving.

Its voyage was far beyond Oceania, and even further than the New World, the fiefdom of the Prince of Jin.

Merchants felt it wasn't worth the long journey, which meant that despite the opening of sea routes, there were actually few merchant fleets heading to Europe.

Old Zhu's expeditionary force had gone far enough that it was not surprising that they had obtained information from the land route.

Zhu Yunwen quickly refocused his attention on the war.

The expeditionary force has already gone too far, and it is likely that more troops will need to be dispatched.

This is not because there are not enough troops fighting at the front, but because troops need to be stationed along the rear to defend against unforeseen circumstances and ensure smooth logistical supply.

After all, it was about fighting a war tens of thousands of miles away. Not to mention in this era, even in later times, ensuring the logistical support of the army at the front over such a long distance would be an enormous challenge.

After some deliberation, Zhu Yunwen decided to send several new brigades westward, bringing the total number of expeditionary forces to ten.

Five brigades were stationed along the Long Corridor of Civilization in the rear to deter the countries behind and ensure the smooth flow of traffic, while the other five brigades were used for frontline combat.

In addition, Zhu Yunwen specifically ordered the government affairs office to select capable officials from the court to go to the corridor of the western expedition to conduct more scientific planning and management of the various construction projects under development, and to be responsible for maintaining the daily operation of the line.

While the military is certainly more professional at fighting wars, maintaining, managing, and constructing the long corridor that sustained the life of the expeditionary force was not their forte.

The military's deployment of troops is primarily intended to deter potentially ambitious nations and, if necessary, to suppress bandits who might invade the routes.

However, the army was not good at routine construction and management, and Zhu Yunwen did not want the military to do it.

……

(End of this chapter)