The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 811 The Longitudinal Line of Controlling Europe

On the gloomy sea, the sky was so dark it looked like it was about to fall.

Amidst the undulating waves, more than ten warships and merchant ships, separated by distances of several hundred meters to half a nautical mile, communicated by the flickering light of their enormous whale oil lamps, sailing back and forth toward the northeast of the English Channel.

"Your Highness, an unidentified fleet is approaching!"

On the Cambridge, a third-class sailing battleship with eighty cannons and a displacement of 1,579 tons, the third officer in charge of lookout shouted loudly.

Upon hearing the shouts, Mo Gongze, the Crown Prince of Lu of the Dayu Dynasty of the Seres Empire, the Prince of Belgium of the Holy Roman Empire, and the Duke of Cambridge of the Kingdom of England, immediately pulled out his telescope and quickly climbed to the fortress to observe for himself.

Three days ago, Princess Mary spent the entire day crying and making a scene at her father, King George III, and resolutely refused the title of Duchess of Cambridge that was to be bestowed upon her.

Finally, before the two even held a wedding ceremony, her fiancé, Mo Gongze, was granted the title of Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy and Duke of Cambridge.

Mo Gongze was also quite grateful to Princess Mary, because although he came from a distinguished background, the Duke of Cambridge was actually the first title he ever received.

Through the telescope, a crimson sail appeared in the distance, looking as if it were rising from the seabed. A few minutes later, the entire warship came into Mo Gongze's view.

The warship didn't look very big, maybe five or six hundred tons at most, but its sails were a bit strange, unlike the soft sails of other warships. It also trailed a long trail of black smoke, so it should be a sail-powered steam fast cruiser serving as a reconnaissance ship at the front of the fleet.

"A blue flag with a gold sun and moon, it's a blue flag with a gold sun and moon!" Before Mo Gongze could even see it clearly, people below were already cheering in Chinese.

"His Highness the Prince of Han and his entourage have arrived! His Highness the Prince of Han and his entourage have arrived!" In an instant, all the Chinese officers and soldiers on the Cambridge cheered, their heartfelt joy and jubilation impossible to conceal.

Mo Gongze looked at the cheering soldiers of Lu Fan. These people were different from him. Most of them were not of mixed race, but came directly from their motherland. They were soldiers of Lu Fan, and even more so, the most loyal and brave warriors of the Chinese Empire.

"Raise our sun and moon flag too!" Mo Gongze's face also revealed barely suppressed joy.

He knew that Prince Mo Zhouzhe of Han might be trying to trip him up, but as long as Mo Zhouzhe came, that would be the greatest help to him.

After this series of accidents, Mo Gongze became more mature. He realized that there was only one person in the world like his uncle, the Great Emperor, who was willing to help him unconditionally.

He also understood that it was he who needed the strong support of his homeland, not the other way around.

Without Mo Gongze, the Chinese Empire would at most have lost a useful thorn in Europe, but it wouldn't have fundamentally damaged its foundation.

But if Mo Gongze didn't have the help of the Chinese Empire, his life would be over.

"Send a small boat over there to confirm if it is indeed His Highness the Prince of Han who has arrived, lest some merchant overstep his bounds."

Mo Gongze was still very careful. There were many examples of merchant ships in Europe illegally flying the blue flag with a gold sun and moon, representing the Chinese Navy, to swindle and gain benefits. He didn't want to make a fool of himself.

As the order was given, the white flag with a gold sun and moon symbolizing the vassal king was slowly raised, along with a huge white flag with the character "鲁" (Lu) on a black background, representing the Lu vassal state.

HMS Cambridge is an English battleship, and it was only there for escort duties, so the flag of the Maurice Lacquer was not flown.

A short while later, the small boat ahead brought back a naval officer wearing a blue and white short-sleeved shirt, white shorts, and a belt around his waist with a revolver and a long dagger attached to it.

At this time, the navy uniforms of the Great Yu Dynasty were rapidly resembling those of later generations, all designed by Mo Zibu. It's hard to tell whether history influenced the time traveler or the time traveler influenced history.

Mo Gongze had also changed into similar attire, except it was the army's summer uniform.

When Mo Gongze returned last time, he was granted the honorary rank of Major General in the Army because he had gone with Chen Qiuzhe to quell a possible rebellion in the Konbaung Dynasty of Burma. Therefore, he was given a set of Major General uniform.

The arriving naval officer hesitated slightly, but still gave a standard military salute.

"Lieutenant Commander Nie Shijun, captain and adjutant of the fast cruiser Feng Changqing of the Zhenwu Ocean Fleet, pays his respects to Your Highness!"

Mo Gongze returned the salute, "It really is you. Has His Highness the Prince of Han arrived?"

"Your Highness and the fleet are at the rear, preparing to visit the Kingdom of England," Nie Shijun replied.

"Could you please ask Lieutenant Colonel Nie to report to His Highness the Prince of Han that Prince Lu's heir, Mo Gongze, has extended a sincere invitation to him to visit the port of Antwerp, Belgium, to demonstrate our military might?"

Mo Gongze immediately realized that this was a perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate the power of the Chinese Empire to all Europeans, and also an opportunity for him to use the power of the Chinese empire to his advantage.

An hour later, Mo Zhouzhe, aboard the Zhenwu Fleet's Suzhuang official account, waved his hand and ordered, "Notify the fleet to change course and continue north towards Antwerp!"

Previously, King Mo Zhouzhe of Han would not have been willing to give his mixed-race cousin such a big face, as this was practically an open secret.

But now, Mo Zhouzhe is willing to give him face because after careful research, he realized that his cousin had also had a tough time. If an ordinary person were in his position, they might not be able to do as well as him.

Moreover, even with setbacks along the way, things always seemed to develop in a direction favorable to Mo Gongze, which suggests he had some luck.

Sunlight pierced through the haze in the sky, shining like holy divine light onto the sea.

More than ten warships of the Chinese Empire appeared before the soldiers of Lu, bathed in golden sunlight.

The roar of the steam engines and the thick black smoke were like the powerful beating heart of the empire.

. . . .

The area where the Duke of York was besieged, Castrickham, is in the Upper Netherlands, specifically about forty kilometers north of Amsterdam.

Antwerp, on the other hand, belongs to the Lower Netherlands, which is Belgium.

After the French took control of the Belgian princely kingdom of the Maurice family, they directly incorporated it into mainland France, establishing nine provinces there.

Mo Gongze did not send the Da Yu fleet that was visiting Europe directly to the Upper Netherlands to help him rescue people. Instead, he went to Antwerp. Besides the fact that the voyage was shorter and it would be easier to meet sooner, he obviously had some ulterior motives.

But it doesn't matter. Since Mo Zhouzhe has decided to follow, he is prepared to turn against France.

Moreover, his father, Mo Zibu, had instructed him before he arrived that Da Yu would not side with the French revolutionary government and that he could turn against them if necessary.

After all, the Great Yu Dynasty was a feudal dynasty, not a republic.

It was already quite remarkable that Mo Zibu expressed emotional sympathy and, to some extent, understood the actions of the people during the Great Revolution. If he were to also express the idea of ​​standing with the Great Revolution, it would be a betrayal of his class.

Not only would his meritorious officials and nobles be dissatisfied, but it would also inevitably lead to a surge in revolutionary sentiment, which would not be a good thing for China.

If you don't have the disease of the French, but take the same medicine as the French, that would be hilarious.

In the port of Antwerp, the garrison soldiers at the fort scurried around like rats, as the cannon fire rushing in from the sea kept them pinned down.

In terms of the navy, France was already weak, and the Battle of Abu Kil Gulf in Egypt resulted in the loss of more than a third of its elite forces.

Unfortunately, the English navy was a strong point of their rivals, which left France's coastal defenses vulnerable at the time. If the English had had 100,000 elite troops, France would have been unable to withstand them long ago.

Therefore, at this time, the French warships and coastal defense guns were mainly used in their important ports and naval bases where battleships were being built.

As for the Lower Netherlands, sorry, they can't even defend their own homeland, let alone the Lower Netherlands.

As a result, the coastal defense guns in Antwerp harbor were outdated pieces salvaged from old warships, with slow rates of fire, immobility, small ammunition capacity, and even the worst gunpowder.

Many of the artillerymen were even trained by the Mo family when they were in Belgium.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty the King has returned!" Suddenly, someone on the gun emplacement spotted the white flag with a gold sun and moon on the distant sea and cheered.

"You scum, that's not your king anymore, you're French now!"

The fort's commander, a French colonel, was sweating nervously, but still habitually cursed.

But after he finished cursing, he found that the Belgian soldiers around him were looking at him with some resentment, and even the Belgian officers mostly looked at him with hostility.

The colonel was sweating profusely. Just then, a nearby gun emplacement was hit and made a loud noise. The colonel's confidant immediately pulled him to the other side.

As soon as the colonel left, cheers erupted again, and a group of Belgian soldiers climbed up to a high place and raised a white flag.

Encouraged by them, within half an hour, almost all the forts near the port of Antwerp had raised white flags, and the news that His Majesty the King had returned began to spread wildly throughout Antwerp.

. . . .

At Antwerp City Hall, Mogungze never expected that the Belgians would be so eager for their return.

So much so that Mo Gongze didn't even have time to wait for Han King Mo Zhouzhe at the port before rushing to the city hall.

Meanwhile, a grievance rally is underway in the city hall.

A large group of people from all walks of life in Antwerp went to Mogonze to denounce the brutality of the French government in Lowland and Germanic languages. There were even many French speakers among the crowd.

It can be said that the Lower Netherlands was originally a fragmented place, filled with noble territories, free cities, and ecclesiastical territories. However, the French invasion and the brutal incorporation of the Lower Netherlands into France actually fostered nationalism in the Lower Netherlands.

Of course, France did not do nothing wrong; the ideas of the French Revolution and the progress made in overthrowing the corrupt aristocracy did benefit Belgium.

For example, France eliminated nobles and high-ranking clergy here, auctioned off their land to the petty bourgeoisie and peasants, abolished cruel feudal laws, and implemented a progressive legal code.

However, one problem is that such a large-scale and profound social transformation requires a large number of excellent grassroots officials and a clear-headed leader to control it, so as to rebuild new social systems and economic relations as quickly as possible after breaking down the old ones.

Unfortunately, France has neither of these.

As a result of the land reform, farmers lost the collective farming system led by feudal lords, and their ability to withstand risks rapidly declined. Many farmers' harvests were even less than what they had left after paying exorbitant taxes to feudal lords. At the same time, since there were no feudal lords, the French army was stationed in Belgium, and the expenses for recruiting soldiers in Belgium had to be shared by the farmers.

The instability of food supplies in France, in turn, forced the French authorities to semi-forcefully purchase large quantities of grain from the Belgians, who were not actually considered French by them.

In addition, France also unified the currency in Belgium, which initially strengthened commercial circulation and made things more convenient for the people.

But soon, inflation in France, through this unified currency, swept across Belgium, causing many Belgians to go bankrupt.

Moreover, they built schools everywhere and forcibly promoted French; speaking Lowland or Germanic languages ​​in public was considered a crime.

Finally, Belgium's small textile and coal and iron industries were also forced into the French production system.

Due to the needs of the French War, these basic industries were confiscated and nationalized, serving the French war machine and causing significant losses to the interests of Belgian textile and coal and iron workers.

It’s really hard to compare people to death, and you have to throw away goods when comparing goods!

Although Mo Zirong and his son Mo Gongze were feudal monarchs, they carried the shadow of Eastern-style benevolent ruler politics, and were even better to the people than the progressive French Revolutionary rulers.

These Belgian citizens, recalling the harmonious political climate and thriving businesses that Moriarty and his son had enjoyed during their five years in Belgium, were so moved that they broke down in tears.

Mo Gongze didn't actually pay much attention to Belgium, because his ambitions lay elsewhere. He only saw Belgium as a bargaining chip, so he was genuinely unaware of these things.

But now, seeing a large group of men, women, and children surrounding him and weeping, seeing these people starving and naked, looking at him like children looking up at their parents.

Even though he knew that many people were actually pretending to be so miserable, Mo Gongze couldn't help but burst into tears, feeling sorrowful.

"Your Highness, since you left, the Belgians have suffered too many hardships. When will you and His Majesty the King be able to lead the army back to fight? We are all willing to fight alongside you!"

The speaker was Jan Frans Funke, who had rushed over. He was a member of the Jacobins, a representative of the Belgian petty bourgeoisie, and deeply influenced by Enlightenment thought.

When Mo Zirong entered Brussels, Funk was one of his main opponents.

But after he went into exile in France, he witnessed a series of chaotic events.

As his stance changed, he even helped Da Yu rescue a large number of scholars, including Lavoisier, who were imprisoned, and traveled with them to the Chinese Empire for two years.

Today, this former member of the Belgian Jacobins has overturned his original political views.

He now advocates establishing a centralized political system in Belgium modeled after the Chinese Empire, based on civil service governance, implementing the imperial examination system, and characterized by a balance of power between the monarch and civil service leaders, characterized by competition without conflict and harmony despite their differences.

“Mr. Funke, it’s a pleasure to meet you, but I may have to disappoint you. His Majesty the King and I are not able to return to Belgium for the time being.”

Because the French invaders remained powerful, Belgium needed the strength of the anti-French coalition to restore its independence.

Mo Gongze comforted the people at the city hall, and after they left, he said to Feng Ke in a somewhat helpless low voice.

Feng Ke sighed deeply. He knew that what Mo Gongze said was true. Even with the support of the Seres Empire, Belgium was no match for France.

"Your Highness, do you want the whole Netherlands?"
"The people from the north have contacted me. They also want to establish a powerful, wealthy, and free Kingdom of the Netherlands from foreign enslavement." After a moment of silence, Feng Ke suddenly said to Mo Gongze.

Mo Gongze was taken aback. He really had no interest in the Upper Netherlands. It was too difficult, involved too many people, and more importantly, it wasn't his ambition.

"Did the Upper Netherlands also have a hard time under the rule of the Batavian Republic?"

"It was quite difficult. This so-called Republic of Batavia was only slightly better off than Belgium being directly annexed."

Mo Gongze nodded, but before he could think of a reply, the sound of names being called rang out from outside the door. Han King Mo Zhouzhe, accompanied by Shen Yao, the Chief Secretary of Lu State and Military Commander of the Three Guards of Lu King, walked in.

Mo Gongze quickly walked over and, upon seeing Mo Zhouzhe in his python robe, immediately bowed and addressed him as "Your Majesty, Thousand Years."

"Your Majesty, please forgive me. I intended to come to the ship to see you as soon as I finished my business, but I did not expect to be delayed for so long, which made Your Majesty come down from the ship in person."

Mo Zhouzhe glanced at Mo Gongze. The two brothers had met once in Nanjing five years ago, but at that time Mo Zhouzhe was only sixteen or seventeen years old and had many brothers and sisters in Beijing, so they didn't have much of a relationship and hadn't even exchanged a few words.

“Brother, we are blood brothers, why speak so formally? Please stop calling me ‘Your Majesty’ and it’s too much for me.”

Mo Zhouzhe was very satisfied with Mo Gongze's words. It was said that his cousin was arrogant and conceited, but now it seemed that this was not the case at all.

In fact, Mo Zhouzhe dared to delay on the road, unafraid of being scolded by his father, Emperor Mo Zibu, because he had his eye on one thing.

That is, the benefactor, especially the superior who bestows great favors, does not place too much importance on the recipient's repayment, but certainly on whether the recipient is grateful.

The government's investment in Mo Gongze is seen by Mo Zhouzhe and many others as a favor.

Therefore, they were most afraid that the imperial court would send them millions of silver dollars and tens of thousands of soldiers every year, only to end up feeding ungrateful wretches.

Mo Zhouzhe deliberately missed Mo Gongze's wedding date so that Mo Gongze would know who couldn't live without whom and understand that this was purely a favor from the emperor.

Now that Mo Gongze had taken the initiative to lower his stance and addressed his cousin as "Your Majesty," it immediately dispelled many of Mo Zhouzhe's doubts.

"What a wonderful place! The people are all here. This is truly a foundation that can be passed down for generations!" Mo Zhouzhe exclaimed, as if he had just suddenly seen it.

"Mr. Yang is here too. It's been many years since I last saw him. He looks a little haggard!"

The French scientists who visited China back then were received by Mo Zhouzhe, and their accommodations and meals in Xinhang were also personally arranged by Mo Zhouzhe. Therefore, he knew Feng Ke, and according to the pronunciation of Feng Ke's name, he called him Mr. Yang.

"Greetings, Your Highness. For the sake of the country and the people, it is only right to devote oneself wholeheartedly." Feng Ke replied in strangely pronounced Mandarin. He had been in Dayu for more than two years and had long since overcome the language barrier.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Feng Ke glanced at Mo Gongze and then left, assuming that Mo Gongze had tacitly approved of his contact with the North.

"Fourth Brother, it seems that the people of Belgium have won over the country. Are you really going to give up? It's such a pity!" Mo Zhouzhe said with great regret. "If this Feng Ke could bring you to the Upper Netherlands, it would truly be a foundation for generations to come."

Mo Gongze pulled Mo Zhouzhe to the backyard and ordered his men to direct the clearing out of the remaining French troops. At this time, the French troops in Belgium had all been transferred to fight the Anglo-Saudi coalition, so even in an important city like Antwerp, there were not many people stationed there.

Hearing Mo Zhouzhe say this, Mo Gongze assumed he didn't understand the situation in Europe, so he shook his head and explained, "The Upper and Lower Netherlands can't be connected, otherwise they would have become one country long ago."

They're trying to band together for mutual support now because they've all been invaded by the French, but once the threat is gone, things will quickly return to normal.

Moreover, the Netherlands is poorly positioned, situated at the crossroads of land and sea routes in Europe. Its neighboring countries are mostly established European powers, and whoever wants to rise to power will first attack the Netherlands.

Just like the state of Zheng during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, its strength was fleeting, while weakness was its eternal existence.

Mo Zhouzhe stroked his chin and nodded. "In other words, a carefree prince can exist in a place like this, but a powerful monarch is impossible. So, Fourth Brother, what about your Rhineland?"

Mo Gongze glanced at the younger brother of the Prince of Han, whom he had just become acquainted with. So you had done your research!
“I only recently realized that this was also a trap.” Mo Gongze sighed and said, “If we take the Rhineland, then whenever France rises, it will definitely attack us first. After losing the territory, we can only rely on other major European powers to restore our country.”

What has this become? It's like someone who guards the door for others while also bringing their own dog food, getting beaten up, and having to beg for medicine.
Moreover, Austria had lost control of the Rhineland, didn't want Prussia to take it, and didn't want to offend Prussia either, so they threw me over there as a scapegoat—a complete annihilation!

Mo Zhouzhe couldn't help but laugh. Sure enough, his cousin was quite capable.

"Fourth Brother, it seems that your destiny is to be Constantinople, which is exactly what Father Emperor expects and the interests of the court."

As they spoke, the two walked to a secluded spot, and Mo Zhouzhe asked in a low voice, "Fourth Brother, don't you want to give those who plotted against you an unforgettable memory?"

"How should one give a memory that will last a lifetime?" Mo Gongze replied in a low voice.

"Sixth brother Ahuan is the grandson of Tushetu Khan of the northern desert, and he commands a powerful light cavalry force."

His father-in-law was Earl Huo Daike of Hongxi, who had served as Assistant Minister of the Southern Seas Mission and Minister of Revenue.

Hodek's ancestor was Frederick IV, Elector Palatine of the Wittelsbach family, whose spouse was Countess Louise Juliana, daughter of William the Silent.

Therefore, the Ahuan not only had several thousand Mongol light cavalry, but could also mobilize several thousand naturalized Dutchmen, many of whom intended to return to Europe and become nobles.

Mo Gongze thought for a moment before remembering who this Earl of Hongxi, Huo Daike, was.

It was the secretary Holdek, who had actively cooperated with the Dutch East India Company when his fifth uncle, the emperor, was rising to power. Holdek was one of the very few European meritorious officials in the Seres Empire.

Meanwhile, in the Seres Empire's Dayu Dynasty, there were already 20,000 to 30,000 Dutch people who had left behind the Dutch East Indies. Over the decades, they had multiplied and formed a huge population of more than 150,000.

Willem-Denis the Silent was the father of the Netherlands and the first permanent ruler of the United Provinces Republic.

"Your Majesty, do you wish to secure a fiefdom in Europe for your sixth brother, making him the Prince of Orange?"

Originally, Mo Gongze would definitely not have been willing, because while he claimed he had been cheated, he was actually planning to leave Belgium and a bunch of small Rhineland states to his sons.

Even if one cannot become a grand duke or a marquis, one should still strive to be a representative of the local nobility who wields influence.

But now, reality has taught Mo Gongze how to choose: "I have no objection. The more of my brothers come to Europe, the better."

Even in the future, if we can take over Belgium and the Rhineland, having another younger brother wouldn't be bad.

"Congratulations, Fourth Brother. You will receive an additional grant of ten million silver dollars. This money will be given to you in installments over five years, in the form of various supplies or real money each year."

Mo Zhouzhe used the money promised by his father, Emperor Mo Zibu, as his bargaining chip.

For the Seres Empire, the vulnerable states at key crossroads like Belgium, the Netherlands, and the Rhineland were precisely the key to controlling Europe, making it a win-win situation.

(End of this chapter)