Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 634 Old Zhu's Victorious Return to Court: Questioning and Shock!

Old Zhu felt quite uneasy. How come, as the grandfather, he seemed unable to win against his grandson in any matter?

However, this feeling of frustration only lingered in his chest for a moment before he forcibly shook it off.

Enough! The nation's well-being and the affairs of state come first. Conquering the entirety of Europe is the most pressing matter at hand!

Upon receiving Emperor Zhu's decree, the main force of the Ming Dynasty's western expedition marched forward at full speed without further hesitation.

Soon, the vanguard of the army reached the borders of the European countries.

Along the way, the newly established states that had recently disintegrated from the former Golden Horde all showed great respect.

They strictly adhered to the treaty signed with the Ming Dynasty, not only keeping the border crossings open throughout but also voluntarily providing logistical supplies, daring not to be negligent in the slightest.

Zhu Di and his son Zhu Gaochi had already purchased several large estates at this crucial juncture.

At this moment, these manors have been transformed into secret military supply depots, stockpiling mountains of grain, fodder, and various other supplies.

The Ming Dynasty expeditionary force, with the help of this father and son, entered the heart of Europe almost without bloodshed.

With this truly powerful and invincible army as their solid backing, Zhu Di and his son suddenly became stronger than ever before.

They immediately adopted a two-pronged approach.

Firstly, it involves wielding the vast media apparatus at its disposal.

The major newspapers under the Zhu family's control intensified their propaganda offensive throughout Europe, sparing no effort to tout the enormous benefits that an alliance with the Ming Dynasty could bring.

At the same time, it also makes no attempt to conceal the devastating consequences of being an enemy of this Eastern empire.

This will allow people in all countries to begin to accept this "new order" from the bottom of their hearts.

Secondly, they bribed important princes and nobles in various countries with large sums of money.

As the saying goes, money can make the world go round.

In the countries of Europe, there are quite a few powerful ministers who are greedy for money.

In the past, seeing that Zhu Di was weak and alone, they were always insatiable and tried to exploit him to the fullest extent.

Now that the situation has reversed and a large army is pressing in, they naturally dare not extort money anymore.

However, Zhu Di and his son changed their usual practice and "generously" sent them lavish gifts.

They were tasked with persuading their respective monarchs and influential figures within the ruling class to expedite the signing of an alliance and friendship treaty with the Ming Dynasty, with promises of even greater rewards upon successful completion.

Almost at the same time, a Ming Dynasty naval fleet also sailed across the sea and arrived in Europe.

This is a massive fleet composed of three thousand elite naval personnel.

The number of people was only six times that of the previous private expedition fleet.

However, the ships and cannons they were equipped with were all the best active-duty weapons of the Imperial Navy, and their ammunition reserves were incomparable.

In terms of actual combat strength, these three thousand naval troops were dozens of times stronger than the former.

More importantly, the arrival of this fleet perfectly made up for the biggest shortcoming of Zhu De's land-based western expeditionary force: ammunition supply.

After all, the carrying capacity of a giant ship at sea is far superior to that of land transport.

The amount of ammunition it carries at one time is more than ten times that transported by land.

Although the Western Expeditionary Army numbered in the tens of thousands, transporting military supplies from the Ming Dynasty's mainland along a supply line that stretched for 30,000 to 40,000 li (approximately 15,000 to 20,000 kilometers) was extremely difficult, and the amount of ammunition was naturally very limited.

Now that the army and navy have successfully joined forces, the logistical constraints have been lifted, and the situation has changed dramatically.

Taking advantage of their unparalleled influence, Zhu Di and his son sent out invitations to monarchs, powerful nobles, and privy councilors from various European countries in the name of the Ming Dynasty's Western Expeditionary Army, inviting them to observe a "Joint Live-Fire Exercise of the Ming Royal Army and Navy."

On the day of the exercise, artillery fire from both land and sea roared, the sound echoing for miles around, shaking the heavens and the earth.

When those European monarchs and ministers witnessed firsthand how distant hills were being gnawed away by a dense hail of bullets, and how sturdy bastions were reduced to dust by the bombardment of giant cannons, they finally understood what "divine might" truly meant.

Everyone's face was drained of color, and only one thought remained in their minds: to fight against such a godlike army was tantamount to suicide!
Before the smoke of the exercise had even cleared, delegations from various countries were already rushing to the Ming camp.

Soon, drafted "Treaty of Alliance and Friendship" documents were delivered to Zhu Di and Zhu Yuanzhang's desks one after another.

The treaties were largely similar, with the core provisions being: to recognize the Ming Dynasty's paper money as their legal tender and to henceforth submit to the Ming Dynasty and pay tribute; to fully open their domestic markets, including banks, newspapers, factories, farms, and all minerals, allowing Ming Dynasty merchants to freely invest and operate; and to reduce tariffs between the two sides to zero.

In return, the Ming Dynasty promised to provide a package of "aid": assisting in the exploration and development of domestic resources, building railways for it (but the railway operating rights must be permanently leased to the Ming Dynasty), providing huge low-interest paper money loans, and even a complete set of educational textbooks to "help" its education development, and the Ming army would provide "military protection".

In addition, military advisors will be dispatched to help them train the new army.

With the treaty concluded, everyone was naturally happy.

The Ming Dynasty then declared to the countries of Europa that the signatory states of the treaty were now under the divine protection of the Ming Empire, and any act of aggression against them would be tantamount to a declaration of war against the Ming Dynasty.

At the same time, the promised huge loans were quickly disbursed, and Ming Dynasty banknotes poured in like a tidal wave to "help" its economic development.

The unprecedented sense of security and tangible benefits brought by this "protection" immediately made other European countries, who were still observing, extremely envious.

They were completely smitten.

A wave of signing agreements swept across Europe, with countries vying to be left behind and sending envoys to request alliance treaties with the Ming Dynasty.

Within a year or two, all the countries on the European continent, regardless of size, had become "allies" of the Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty's western expeditionary force also broke into smaller units, forming dozens of elite troops, which legitimately stationed themselves in the heart of various countries.

Only then did Zhu Di truly secure his throne as "Prince of Europe," becoming a veritable "Retired Emperor" who stood above all other monarchs and officials.

Old Zhu was happy to have some free time, so he took the opportunity to travel around the European countries and experience their exotic customs.

However, a trace of unspeakable regret remained in his heart.

We clearly led a large army on a western expedition to expand our territory and once again demonstrate the might of the "Great Ming Military God," but what was the result?
They didn't even manage to fight a single decent, tough battle!

They marched on and on, and wherever they went, the enemy surrendered without resistance, advancing with unstoppable momentum.

Nearly a hundred countries were "pacified" in a muddled way.

It's just... way too easy.

It was truly like cutting melons and vegetables, posing absolutely no challenge.

In the past year or two, the telegraph cable that had been laid across the continent from the Ming Dynasty was finally extended to Europe.

Zhu Yunwen then sent a telegram to all nations, announcing to the world that the first "Universal Conference" would be held in Nanjing to discuss the future of the world.

Upon receiving the imperial edict, monarchs or princes of various countries, or those who sent high-ranking officials as their representatives, set off to cross the sea eastward to rush to the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Yuanzhang's western expedition had been "successful," and he immediately embarked on his long journey home. At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang was traveling in Lontinium, the capital of Great Britain.

The return journey could have been much more convenient by sea.

However, the sea is rough and the weather is unpredictable, and dangers lurk in the distance.

To ensure everything went smoothly, Zhu Yunwen had already sent a telegram, repeatedly instructing the Emperor to return to the capital by land.

Therefore, after crossing the strait, Zhu abandoned the seagoing vessel and embarked on his return journey towards the Ming Dynasty along the ancient road he had taken when he set out on his expedition.

From here to Jinling, the straight-line distance is already as high as 20,000 to 30,000 li.

The road is winding, and the actual journey is nearly 50,000 li!
Even the most hurried travelers will inevitably experience fatigue.

Old Zhu was quite old, so he could only travel at a leisurely pace, stopping frequently along the way. It took him nearly two years before he finally caught a glimpse of the majestic outline of Jiayuguan once again.

Looking back on the journey that began, and now, like a weary bird returning to its nest, seven years have passed.

As Old Zhu's carriage slowly entered the pass, he could hardly believe his eyes.

Inside the city gate, the streets were clean, and buildings were everywhere.

What shocked him even more was the flow of people coming and going.

As far as the eye could see, not a single person was dressed in rags; everyone was wearing brand-new clothes, with rosy complexions and full of energy.

This "grand scene" not only failed to please Emperor Zhu, but instead enraged him.

He pointed at the Jiayuguan magistrate who had come to kneel in greeting and sternly rebuked him:
"You are so brave!"

"Back then, Emperor Yang of Sui, in order to show off the country's power to foreign countries, drove out the poor people in the city and wrapped trees in silk to create a false impression of peace and prosperity! He wanted to flaunt his wealth!"

"You, a mere seventh-rank county magistrate, dare to imitate that fallen king and force the people to put on makeup and dress in fine silks?"

"How much of the people's hard-earned money has been wasted on such extravagance?"

"You deserve to die!"

The magistrate of Jiayuguan County trembled from the scolding and immediately kowtowed heavily, shouting his innocence: "Your Majesty, I am innocent!"

He said urgently, "You have been on a western expedition for seven years and have not returned. You are unaware of the changes in the Central Plains, let alone the current prosperity of the Ming Dynasty."

"What you see before you is not an embellishment, but simply the ordinary clothing of the people of our Great Ming Dynasty!"

"Thanks to His Majesty's great blessings, it is now common for the people of our Great Ming Dynasty to have several, or even more than a dozen, new clothes in their wardrobes."

“Those women who love beauty probably have countless clothes and skirts piled up in their closets.”

Old Zhu was dumbfounded, his weathered face filled with disbelief.

Immediately, his anger flared up again: "Outrageous! How dare an ordinary woman live such a life of extravagance?!"

He demanded sternly, "In such a vast world, are there no poor people who are not clothed and have not enough to eat?"

"Clothing is enough to keep warm and cover the body!"

"Back in our day, if it weren't for the sacrificial ceremony, our everyday clothes would all be patched up!"

Upon hearing this, the magistrate of Jiayuguan County was truly at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He mustered his courage and kowtowed again, replying, "Supreme Emperor... times have truly changed."

"To be honest, Jiayuguan is located on the frontier and is considered one of the most remote and impoverished prefectures and counties in the Ming Dynasty."

"If Your Excellency were to grace Jinling with Your presence, the people of the capital would be ten or even a hundred times more prosperous than those here!"

"As for the hungry and cold people you are worried about, this..."

"In today's Ming Dynasty, there are no longer any destitute people who are cold and hungry and have no warm clothes!"

Old Zhu still harbored doubts.

He immediately ordered that the imperial carriage need not stop at the county government office, but should go straight through the city and even deeper into the alleys where ordinary people live.

He lifted the carriage curtain as he drove, his aged but still sharp eyes scanning both sides of the street like a hawk.

He was trying to find the traces of poverty that he was familiar with, that were etched into his very bones.

However, the scenery along the way was exactly the same.

He really couldn't find another person who was ragged and looked malnourished!
You have to understand, that was the norm for ordinary people in the Ming Dynasty back then!
Let alone ordinary people, even wealthy landlords would never dare to be so extravagant.

The few nice clothes in the house are only worn on special occasions such as festivals, weddings, and funerals, as they are considered "decent".

Normally, it has to be carefully kept at the bottom of a trunk and not taken out to wear casually.

A single garment passed down through three generations, patched upon patched – that was the "daily life of ordinary people" he was familiar with!
Even after Zhu Yunwen's reforms, when people were able to have enough to eat, clothing was still in short supply.

But right now, it's not a festival, nor is there any joyous occasion, yet everyone in the city is dressed in brand-new clothes without a single patch, looking relaxed and bustling about...

Is this really the Ming Dynasty that we built with our own hands?
Is this still the Ming Dynasty we know and love?

Just as he was filled with excitement and mixed emotions, a sharp, long howl that seemed to pierce through the clouds and split rocks suddenly ripped through the sky above Jiayuguan!
Immediately following were heavy, rhythmic clanging sounds, accompanied by billowing black smoke that sent the earth trembling slightly.

Following the sound, Old Zhu looked up and saw a "steel dragon" he had never heard of or seen before, spewing thick smoke as it raced toward him from the distant horizon!

Old Zhu's pupils suddenly contracted, and he blurted out, "And what is that?!"

The magistrate of Jiayuguan County was already used to such things and respectfully replied, "Your Majesty, this object is called a 'fire train,' a divine creation made by Your Majesty using scientific methods."

Seeing the Emperor's puzzled expression, he quickly explained, "Seven years ago, when Your Majesty went on your expedition, this item was still being tested in the Academy of Sciences, and the Empire's first railway was still under exploration and construction and had not yet been opened to traffic. Therefore, you did not get to see it."

"Now, the steel rails of our Great Ming Dynasty have been laid for tens of thousands of miles!" The magistrate's voice rose slightly with excitement. "From here, one can board a train and travel at lightning speed, reaching the capital, Jinling, within a few days!"

"At present, the imperial court is also building a main road to the Western Regions."

"His Majesty's grand ambition is to lay these railway tracks all the way to Europe!"

"At that time, it will not only provide a continuous supply for my western expeditionary army, but also allow the industrial products of my Great Ming Dynasty to be sold to all countries, and then transport the resources of all countries back to China!"

The magistrate pointed to the slowly coming to a stop, "This thing moves with unparalleled smoothness, far surpassing the arduous journey of a horse-drawn carriage."

"His Majesty knew that the Supreme Emperor was about to return, so he specially ordered a 'special carriage' to be prepared here, which has been waiting for a long time!"

……

(End of this chapter)