The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 859 Western Xia and Western Liao are now together

March 15, 1807. The 32nd year of the Guangzhong reign of the Great Yu Dynasty in China, which was originally the 12th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, the 7th day of the second month in the lunar calendar.

An auspicious day according to the Chinese calendar, suitable for weddings, funerals, and other important events.

Emperor Franz I of Austria watched as the magnificent motorcade approached Schönbrunn Palace, where his very intelligent daughter, Maria Ludovica Lucia, would soon be taken away.

“My daughter, you will soon be leaving me. It’s my fault for being useless. For the sake of the empire, I have to make you suffer so much and go to a place like the Caucasus.”

The saying "He knows to turn when the car falls into a ditch, and he knows to shake his snot when it gets into his mouth" perfectly describes Emperor Franz I.

At this moment, he put on a regretful act as an 'incompetent father,' unaware that he should have properly managed the empire when he was in a dominant position in the past.

Franz was playing the role of a grieving father, but to his surprise, his daughter, Princess Maria, didn't feel anything bad at all; on the contrary, she was quite excited.

She gave her father, Franz, a strange look, then took his hand, and the two sat down together.

“Father, you don’t need to be sad about this, because I married quite well. Which princess in Europe these days can easily marry a king with real power?”

Moreover, my husband is not only a powerful king, but also the son of the great Emperor Seres, and he is in excellent health without any illness.

Princess Maria's face truly showed a very happy smile, which left Emperor Franz II stunned.

"Of course, it would be even more perfect if my husband were as handsome as Uncle Prince Ferdinand!"

Upon hearing her daughter's words, her mother, Princess Naples, and the two Sicilian princesses, Empress Theresa of Austria, came over.

“Maria, this is too perfect. I have never seen many royal families or even noble families in Europe who are as handsome as the Prince of Belgium and his son.”

"Your Majesty," Queen Theresa said to Franz, "Elder John's Kingdom is not bad. I heard that Emperor Seres has given it a lot of support, and at least 400,000 Seres people will migrate there to settle down."

The other Armenians and others also came from the East; they were very docile, thus the kingdom's foundation was very stable.

The Kingdom of John refers to the Liao vassal state established by Mo Zhouqian in the Caucasus. It was because someone somehow connected the Liao vassal state of Dayu with the Liao state of Yelü Dashi.

Then, because the Western Liao had once brutally defeated the Seljuk Turks, it indirectly slowed down the Seljuk Turks' advance into Europe and gave Europe, which was afraid of the Turks, hope.

They spread the misinformation, translating Yelü Dashi's Juerhan as John, and claiming that Yelü Dashi was a Christian and the legendary Elder John who came from the east to save them.

Therefore, when another Liao Dynasty appeared, it immediately became the Presbyterian Kingdom in Europe.

"Yes, I received oranges and gems sent by the prince. He said that the farmland on the southern shore of the Caspian Sea is very fertile, and the rice, wheat, vegetables and fruits produced each year are more than we can eat."

Princess Maria squinted as she spoke, seemingly quite content with the marriage.

At least she wasn't arranged to marry a mentally ill, mentally challenged, or physically disabled person, which is quite common in European royal families.

"Damn Napoleon, he ruined everything, otherwise we should have prepared a more magnificent wedding for Maria."

We should also send at least ten thousand immigrants to the Elder Kingdom to become Maria's subjects, and then bestow one of the many titles upon Maria, instead of the ridiculous title of Princess of Bohemia.

Empress Theresa cursed Napoleon viciously because his horrific exploitation of Austria left her with very little money for her daughter's wedding, and she even had to rely on her daughter's dowry to get through the empire's most difficult period.

Therefore, compared to the past when daughters were married off with large dowries, such as a Habsburg family title and territory, when Princess Maria married Napoleon, she was given the title of Grand Duchess of Parma.

At this point, the only appropriate title to give her is the inappropriate title of Bohemian Princess.

It's important to know that while the Habsburg family held the title of King of Bohemia, they generally did not hold the title of Princess of Bohemia.

This was entirely due to Franz II's desire to save face, as he didn't have much territory left.

As for the dowry, it was even more meager. The money was barely enough to cover the cost. According to the principle of reciprocity, at least 10,000 immigrants should have been given, but due to the reduction of land and population, they could not afford much and only gave more than 500.

Hearing the Empress's curses, Franz I felt somewhat ashamed.

The Habsburg family was once so powerful, with bloodlines in most of Europe's royal families and territories spread across the continent. Now, they've been humiliated by a nouveau riche.

"I will never forget that deep-seated hatred, and one day I will settle accounts with that damned usurper," Emperor Franz I said through gritted teeth.

“Father, you’d better not have such thoughts for a while.” It was his daughter Maria who comforted Franz I.

"After the Kingdom of Prussia and the Tsarist Rus' Empire both succumbed to Napoleon, we are now completely surrounded. You should take Uncle Ferdinand's advice seriously and not act rashly."

Before the wedding, inspired by Reinstein, Mo Gongze went to Vienna and talked with Franz I all night, opening his heart to his cousin for the first time.

Mogonze made his promise that even if he became King of Hungary, he would not divide the empire, and that all the land he would seize from the Ottoman Empire in the future would be open to the Germans, because he was also half German.

If Franz I wished, the future empire would form a dual-core ruling model, with Caesar in Vienna and Augustus in Constantinople.

This is a bit of a hoax. No country in the world can maintain this model. Division is inevitable, but Mo Gongze can take his time and accomplish this over two or three decades.

Franz I was probably aware of this, but he didn't have many options. If Moggenze turned against him now, the Austrian Empire would lose half its population and 60% of its territory, and then it would be unable to continue operating.

If things go as Mogölze says, there will be peace for at least the next twenty or thirty years. As for what will happen after that, Franz I estimated that he might not live to see that time, so he simply stopped thinking about it.

That's how Franz I was; he was always going around in this vicious cycle, but every decision he made was ultimately aimed at making himself feel good.

He was powerless to prevent the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg family, and even powerless to restrain himself.

Faced with his daughter Maria's persuasion, Emperor Franz I nodded.

Agreeing to Mo Gongze's proposal is the best option at present, even though the consequences will be severe, but he won't have to bear them.

Princess Maria was quite intelligent. Historically, she quickly gained Napoleon's favor and the love of the French people after marrying into the French, so she knew what kind of person her father, Franz, was.

Of course, there is another very important point: his brother Ferdinand was mentally challenged and deformed, and according to European succession law, it was impossible to bypass Ferdinand to pass the throne to him.

Therefore, his brother had a nickname, Ferdinand the Destroyer. Behind this "destroyer" was not only Ferdinand himself, but also implied that the Austrian Empire was also doomed.

A foolish monarch, a mentally challenged heir—the Austrian Empire was doomed. Perhaps even her father, Franz, had lost faith in the empire. Princess Maria turned to look at her mother, who was seven months pregnant.

“Mom, I’m about to leave you, but I will send you letters often. If my Uncle Ferdinand, the Prince of Belgium, succeeds in his plan, I think I will have many opportunities to return to Austria later.”

Princess Maria could never have imagined that her mother would pass away next month due to amniotic fluid embolism caused by premature birth, and that this would be the last time they would see each other.

After bidding farewell to her parents and siblings, Princess Maria boarded a luxurious carriage and was escorted to the Caucasus by her maternal uncle, Mogongze, who was probably her cousin but was addressed as "uncle" in European languages.

After arriving in the Caucasus and meeting with King Mo Zhou of Liao, the imperial physicians from Nanjing assessed their physical condition, and finally they went to Nanjing to hold a grand wedding.

. . . .

In March, the weather in the Caucasus is still quite cold, but fortunately, the Caucasus Mountains provide some shelter, making it less cold than the north.

Princess Maria's wedding procession landed in Batumi on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, then traversed the entire Caucasus region to reach Baku on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, a journey of about 800 kilometers that would connect the Caspian and Black Seas.

In March, the eastern coast of the Black Sea is humid and foggy, with frequent drizzles. It's the season for planting crops, and many farmers are busy in the fields, enjoying the work. For these Armenians and Georgians, being able to peacefully focus on spring planting in March is a joy in itself.

Before the Liao vassal arrived, the region was in a tug-of-war between the Rus' Empire and the Ottoman Empire, and the local nobles often sided with the two powers for their own interests, so there was little peace.

Upon seeing the wedding procession pass by, many local nobles rushed home, donned clothes specially made of silk, carried various family banners associated with the sun, moon, and stars, and brought large quantities of vegetables, fruits, and fresh meat to greet them on both sides of the road.

Princess Maria looked at the family banners from the carriage and noticed that they were very similar to the sun and moon banners of the Seres Empire, but also somewhat strange.

Their silk clothes were even stranger; they were not European fitted long gowns or double-breasted formal dresses, but rather cross-collar robes and trousers in a very Seresian style.

"These people are all new nobles. They have all received great favors from His Majesty the Emperor, which has enabled them to change their fate. Therefore, they have all chosen to use the sun and moon emblem as their family banner. However, they dare not use the sun and moon emblem of the Great Yu directly, so it has become like this."

Liao King Mo Zhouzhan personally came to Batumi to welcome his bride, as he had many things to explain to Princess Maria of the Austrian Empire.

Mo Zhouzhan is nine years older than Princess Maria and is already twenty-five years old this year. Naturally, it is impossible for him to be a monk while waiting for her. In fact, Mo Zhouzhan already has four concubines with official titles.

When the Austrian Empire was still powerful and Mo Zhouzhao's rule over the Liaodong Peninsula was not so stable, he was willing to follow the Catholic doctrine of monogamy. But now, he was not prepared to follow it.

Moreover, two of his four concubines were from the family of Queen Dorothy Dalyan, the Queen Mother of the Kingdom of Kartli-Kakhti in Georgia.

Another source of support came from the Armenian Apostolic Church, ostensibly to take care of his daily needs, but in reality, it was a disguised marriage alliance with the church.

The remaining two were Han Chinese women he had taken in from within China, and neither of them could be his lovers, either practically or emotionally.

Even if it weren't for the fact that it posed no threat to the Great Yu and could instead be used to intervene in the European Austrian Empire and the Habsburg family, Princess Maria's value would be less than these four, and she would have no chance of becoming queen.

Princess Maria was very introverted and a little timid and shy in front of strangers, even if the stranger in front of her was her husband.

However, the rosy-cheeked sixteen-year-old girl was very satisfied with her husband. He was tall, fair-skinned, strong, and very elegant and gentle in his speech and manners.

Although he wasn't as handsome as Mo Gongze, he was definitely good-looking.

"According to the Habsburg family's practice, for such nobles, we usually select a few with greater influence and bestow upon them family crests, so that they can surround the royal family."

“Yes, Princess,” Mo Zhouqian replied in standard Viennese German, “but in Dayu, this great empire that you call the Eastern Rome, such a favor can only be granted by His Majesty the Emperor, who is my father.”

"Now that we're back in the capital for our wedding, it'll be a perfect opportunity to request some authorization from the Emperor."

As they were talking, a man dressed in a blue flying tiger robe, a low-ranking military officer's robe, hurriedly ran over from a distance and then bowed in greeting.

"Your subject Xiang Tai pays his respects to Your Majesty and congratulates Your Majesty." Xiang Tai, who once had some assets in Xi'an (Bukhara), has now transformed into a count who rules Batumi.

Of course, such earls in Da Yu belonged to the king's subjects and could not compare with the vassal lords. Therefore, Xiang Tai's most important position in the Da Yu meritorious officials and bureaucrats was the governor of Bazhou.

Brazil is the same as Batumi. The prefectural governor was specifically for the use of the vassal state. It was a modification of the Qin Dynasty's prefecture-county system, implementing a two-tiered system of prefectures and counties, which corresponded to the small feudal system of the vassal states.

Mo Zhouzhao, with his sharp eyes, noticed the bloodstains on the edge of Xiang Tai's boots. Looking at the local minor nobles kneeling around him, who were clearly keeping their tails between their legs after Xiang Tai arrived, he immediately understood what was going on.

Xiang Tai chuckled, “Your Majesty, some Armenians are not honest. They are doing big business in Istanbul, secretly tipping off the Turks, and openly resisting the new policies here. Not killing them will not appease public anger.”

Armenians are a very chaotic people, or rather, the Caucasus region at that time was very chaotic.

Even the later notion that Armenians primarily lived in Armenia and Georgians primarily lived in Georgia was not true at that time.

The only factual one is that the identities of Armenian and Georgian are not yet fixed, while many people are willing to use the identity of Azerbaijani because of their strong ties with Persia.

At this time in the Caucasus region, these three races could actually be divided into a dozen or even dozens of different ethnic groups, which also appeared in a way of large-scale intermingling and small-scale clustering.

Unlike the other two ethnic groups, the Armenians were primarily engaged in farming and warfare. Many of the Armenian nobles were actually wealthy merchants, and some even wielded considerable power in Istanbul, reaching the highest levels of the Ottoman Empire.

Therefore, the current policy of the Liao Dynasty in the Caucasus is to drive out the Georgians and make them follow the Russians, while those who are willing to stay will be officially enfeoffed.

They converted to Azerbaijanis and Dreymus, making them believe in Zoroastrianism, which was infused with a great deal of Chinese thought.

The Armenians have fully implemented the new law and carried out reforms.

In the past two years, more than a dozen Armenian noble families have been destroyed, not to mention countless minor noble families.

Anyone who had connections with the Ottomans, or even those who had served as high-ranking officials in the Ottomans, was basically eliminated unless they immediately came to beg for mercy.

Their land and property were divided into three parts. One part was used to settle meritorious Han Chinese officials, such as Xiang Tai, and the land there was the most fertile and was located in key strategic locations.

A portion was distributed to the Armenians kneeling on the ground, waving all sorts of strange flags with sun, moon, and stars.

They were descendants of fallen minor noble families. After being enfeoffed, they were all very minor nobles, basically governing a village with a population of two or three hundred, land of three or four thousand acres, plus some forests and waterways.

The last part was used to equalize land ownership. After eliminating the powerful nobles, it was necessary to win over the hearts of the people, otherwise King Mo Zhouzhan would be completely blind and deaf at the bottom.

"Get down, get down! Blood's splattering everywhere! I was planning to have a meal here, but I'm not eating here anymore. I'm getting married!"

Mo Zhouzhao outwardly expressed his disdain, but inwardly he was quite satisfied. His Han Chinese vassals were his foundation, and failing to control the local areas would lead to serious problems.

Having said that, the carriage continued westward toward Tbilisi without stopping. Princess Maria, inside the carriage, felt that everything she saw along the way was orderly and beautiful, like a paradise on earth.

But the envoy Mo Gongze discerned that the Liao Kingdom was undergoing a tremendous transformation, and in just over two years, it had given this foreign land a sense of Chinese influence.

"Adapt to local conditions, adapt to the times, differentiate treatment, and combine kindness with severity." Mo Gongze couldn't help but want to applaud.

"Tenth Brother is truly a great talent. In terms of religion, there are the Apostles and the Zoroastrians; in terms of local affairs, there are eighty-two Han Chinese officials of varying ranks; more than five hundred local nobles have been promoted from the streets and mountains; and there are also five hundred thousand self-cultivating farmers at his disposal."

With these people, plus the 400,000 Han Chinese who arrived within five years, the foundation of the Liaodong vassal state is now solid and as stable as Mount Tai. As its elder brother, I am truly envious.”

Liao King Mo Zhou laughed heartily, “Brother flatters me. I don’t have such great abilities. This was all designed by my Prime Minister Lin Zexu.”

"Once we arrive in Tbilisi, I will arrange for Lin Yuanfu to meet with me. My brother can have a good talk with him."

As he spoke, Mo Zhouzhan spurred his horse closer to Mo Gongze, "I have to go back to the capital to prepare for my wedding. I won't be able to come back for at least two years."

However, due to the urgent war situation around the Black Sea, the military power of the Liao Kingdom will be commanded by Li Xingtai, the heir apparent of the Xia Kingdom and his second cousin.

However, all other affairs of the Liaodong region were handled by Lin Yuanfu. If his elder brother had any requests, he could simply contact him.

Mo Gongze was overjoyed. It seemed that the Anxi army had basically completed its assembly. As for the benefits to the Liao vassal state, he needed to discuss them with Lin Zexu, the prime minister of Liao.

If the negotiations go well, he will be able to directly utilize all the forces of the Liaodong vassal state within the next two years.

"Tenth Brother, please rest assured. With His Highness the Crown Prince showing such favor, I know what to do." Because of the matter in the west, the Crown Prince, Lao Sen, has continued to stay in Anxi, so Mo Gongze naturally knows what to do.

The eldest son, Mo Guangqi, the second son, who is also the crown prince, Mo Guangkun, and the fourth son, Mo Guangzhi, born to Princess Charlotte, are all still unmarried.

He had a host of European claims and a vast network of connections, which made him a perfect match for the crown prince's sons.

(End of this chapter)