The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 862 My Pioneering Ancestors

Your subject, Tan Congde, the Chief Craftsman of the Prince of Yan's Palace, pays homage to Your Highness the Prince of Yan.

At Your Majesty's behest, I, your humble servant, and a group of forty-seven people, have been traveling eastward across the Yanshan Plateau (Colorado Plateau). We have been on the road for thirty-seven days and have covered a distance of two thousand and seventy-one li.

However, the high plateau is treacherous and cannot be traversed by human power. Its blazing sun and scorching heat are like the vast desert of the Western Regions (Taklamakan Desert), which is inaccessible to humans.

In areas exposed to the scorching sun, the earth cracked, and pebbles littered the ground like knife blades and arrowheads, sharp enough to split a cow's hoof; they were unbearable for humans. Within this area lay a vast, unfathomably deep canyon; my small team of fifteen explored it, and not a single one survived.

Below it lies the Yi River (Colorado River), surging and turbulent, its current as swift as quicksand, extremely difficult to cross. The ravines carved by the river are like knife edges, with a drop of up to a thousand meters, making it very dangerous.

Forty-seven of us, your subjects, were ordered by the king to complete our mission for the sake of future generations, and we were determined to reach Texas, which is known to the Westerners.

However, twenty-one people perished while crossing the Yanshan Plateau, seven died while crossing the Yi River, and eleven more perished while traversing the Daofeng Ravine. The remaining eight continued eastward, relying primarily on stargazing and secondarily on a compass, but ultimately could not find the Grand River.

At this critical moment, with food and water exhausted and life hanging by a thread, and with no way to return west, I have decided to turn east in desperation, hoping that by measuring every inch of land with my own blood and sweat, I can save one life for those who come after me.

I bow my head a hundred times, wishing my Chinese nation prosperity and strength, long live Your Majesty, long live the King. The map is buried beneath my withered bones, hoping it will see the light of day again.

On the eleventh day of the sixth month of the thirtieth year of the Guangzhong reign (1805), your subject, Tan Congde, penned this final piece on the road.

In Yuyang City (Los Angeles), Prince Yan, Mo Zhouzhen, touched the farewell letter brought back by the fourth expedition, and tears rolled down his cheeks.

"When we found Qin Gongzheng, we discovered that his remains were chained to a large tree." Ye Mingyue, the Left Chief Secretary of the Yan Kingdom and Duke of Jiaoyang, presented a thin, rusty iron chain to Prince Mo Zhou of Yan.

"This chain passes through the collarbone and wraps around it three times. It is because of this that after the remains were all taken away and eaten by wild animals, only these few collarbones are still hanging on the chain and dancing in the wind, as if guiding us to the place where Qin Gongzheng sacrificed his life."

It's a sad and lamentable situation; we're less than thirty miles from the Rio Grande now.

“They are truly brave warriors of China. With them around, what great things cannot be accomplished? Tomorrow, I will definitely build a temple there to commemorate these warriors.” Mo Zhouzhen took the thin chain soaked in blood and handed it to the eunuch behind him.

"Give this item to the Queen and tell her to keep it safe. When we return to Warmwater Harbor (Vancouver), we will place it in the ancestral temple of my Yan Kingdom for worship."

After the eunuch left, Ye Mingyue continued, "Although this expedition successfully crossed the Yanshan Plateau and reached the Grand River, it was extremely dangerous. They were able to avoid the same misfortune as Qin Gongzheng's expedition team largely because of luck."

Furthermore, they have proven that directly crossing the Yanshan Plateau is impractical. If we want to reach the heart of Texas, we still have to take the route from the south: Yuyang-Gyeongnam (south of Phoenix)-Benson-Albuquerque.

Reaching the Gulf Coast from the west coast of North America at this time was extremely difficult. The Colorado Plateau was not only rugged, but also had various ravines with drops of one or two thousand meters.

Summer temperatures can reach as high as 50 degrees Celsius, and there is extreme water shortage. In Death Valley, the surface temperature can even exceed 80 degrees Celsius.

In winter, blizzards and low temperatures make it almost impossible for humans to pass through.

Meanwhile, the Colorado River, the main water source along the way, is also very difficult to cross. This river flows through towering mountains and has a stronger flow and speed than the Jinsha River. Many times, even boats cannot cross it.

The Colorado River appears quite gentle in later generations because the Americans built more than a dozen dams along its course to regulate it.

The only way to get from the west coast of North America to Texas at that time was to go south to what would later become the US-Mexico border, relying on the twenty-one supply points established by the Spanish along the way for food and water.

This route, as Ye Mingyue mentioned, runs from Yuyang (Los Angeles) to Qingnan (south of Phoenix) to Benson, then turns north to Albuquerque, and finally flows down the Rio Grande to the heart of Texas, the coastal plains of the Gulf of Mexico.

However, this road not only passes through many stubborn indigenous settlements, but it also has no wide main roads, only narrow, winding paths.

At the same time, the supply depots were originally built for trade and the acquisition of furs, not for the army. At most, a few hundred or a thousand people could move at a time, because any more would exceed the capacity of the supply depots.

"Let's prepare for both possibilities. Issue conscription orders to all the fortified villages. Each military command should send at least three hundred men, each fortified village garrison should send at least one hundred men, and each manor lord should send twenty men to wipe out the Jurchen Yuma tribe in the southern part of the Yanshan Plateau!"

The Prince of Yan's attitude towards the Jurchens of Beihezhou was primarily one of appeasement and education, and this approach was indeed very successful.

Among them, more than a dozen tribes, large and small, such as the Yokut, Yurok, and Morara, located north of San Francisco, have basically accepted the fact that they are Jurchens who migrated from across the sea.

The west coast of North America was too barren at that time, and there was no problem of overpopulation. So the Han people taught them to farm, build irrigation systems, and construct Chinese-style houses. Over a period of more than ten years, the language of these Jurchens quickly became closer to that of Chinese.

Moreover, whether they were Han Chinese, Japanese Han Chinese, or Jurchens from Northeast China, their appearances were not significantly different from those of the Jurchens from Beihezhou.

The difference may seem significant to later generations, but in reality, there are very few pure-blooded Native Americans left in North America. Over 80% to 90% of the existing Native Americans have some degree of Caucasian ancestry.

Even those who did not have white ancestry were forced to intermarry within the reserve due to the small population, resulting in a bunch of strange and unusual things.

The relatively minor differences in appearance have allowed many mixed-race children to grow up in a more relaxed environment, which in turn has brought the two races closer together.

However, what's truly horrifying is that Mo Zhouzhen's strategy of assimilation and education actually led to a massive extinction of Native Americans, even faster than the westward expansion of the United States.

Because after the initial arrival of the Spanish, Native Americans strongly resisted living with white people. At the same time, North American Native Americans did not live in large-scale communities, so they were not infected with many unfamiliar viruses. This led white people to use strategies such as selling blankets containing smallpox to harm Native Americans.

However, this very primitive biological weapon was not very effective and was far less powerful than imagined. In fact, the decline of Native Americans in North America was mostly due to hunting and massacre.

But things were different now. Native Americans and Chinese lived together, and various viruses from Asia spread rapidly among them. Every time smallpox, cholera, or other diseases broke out, the Native Americans were the first to die, and the ones who died the most were the Native Americans.

As a result, the number of Native Americans north of the west coast of North America plummeted from about 330,000 ten years ago to less than 200,000.

"Furthermore, I have decided to return to China, since..."

Before Prince Yan, Mo Zhouzhen, could finish speaking, a guard outside the door brought an urgent report from Nanhezhou (South America).

Mo Zhouzhen opened the package and sighed heavily. "News has come from Fishing Harbor: Charlie Mark's naval exploration team encountered a flood, and all thirty-one exploration team members perished."

The Ministry of Railways' exploration team was struck by yellow fever, and even the team leader, Wang Qian, the younger brother of Wang Changshi, succumbed to the disease.

After reading the urgent report, Prince Mo Zhouzhen of Yan, who had suffered a series of blows, finally could not hold on any longer.

He swayed twice, then suddenly fell backward onto the chair with a thud. The assembled officials and soldiers, terrified, rushed over, some fanning him, others calling for the imperial physician.

Several minutes passed, and even a high-ranking official like Ye Mingyue, the Duke of Jiaoyang, was on the verge of tears before Mo Zhouzhen finally woke up.

At this moment, Wang Ding, the chief secretary of the Yan Fan shogunate, who had received the news, also rushed over, and everyone hurriedly asked him to come forward.

According to the official configuration of the Da Yu vassal king at that time, the prime minister was just a symbol, and was generally a high-ranking official of the court who came to the vassal state to serve and was also responsible for other affairs.

For example, Cao Zhenyong, who was the prime minister of Lu but actually the plenipotentiary ambassador to Europe, and Wu Wenchun, who was nominally the prime minister of Yan but actually the grand protector of the Beihezhou Protectorate.

After the prime minister stopped managing affairs, the chief secretary became the one who truly managed things within the kingdom.

Wang Ding, the chief secretary of the Yan vassal state, was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) in the 21st year of Guangzhong (1796) and was from Pucheng County, Tongzhou Prefecture (Weinan City), Shaanxi Province.

Historically, Wang Ding was on good terms with Lin Zexu, reorganized the salt administration, participated in suppressing the Zhang Ge'er Rebellion, and strongly advocated for war during the Opium War. Upon learning of the humiliating Treaty of Nanjing, he hanged himself at home, a testament to his loyalty and integrity. Seeing Mo Zhouzhen's pale face on the seat, Wang Ding burst into tears. He knelt down, holding a stack of letters, and said in a hoarse voice:

"The lives and deaths of the millions of Chinese in Beihezhou depend on Your Majesty. I implore Your Majesty to take care of your health, so that Beihezhou may have a future."

My brother's sacrifice was due to his loyalty to duty, and he deserves to be commended, but it is not something Your Majesty should grieve over.

These documents represent a year and a half of painstaking work by the exploration team. They describe the challenges facing the fishing port, highlighting the difficulties ahead, but also noting that hope has not been lost.

Fishing Port is Panama, and the word Panama means "fishing place" in the local Jurchen (Indian) language. Therefore, Dayu did not directly use the transliteration to call it Panama, but instead translated it as Fishing Port.

Two years ago, together with engineer Qin Congde, Mo Zhouzhen sent two teams to explore the Panama region, hoping to see if a canal could be dug from there to the Atlantic Ocean.

This is the most economical and practical way. Historically, even after the United States had the East-West Railroad, 70% of its goods still traveled through the Panama Canal.

"My brother and his team have discovered through exploration that they currently lack the capability to excavate the Fishing Port Canal. It may take up to twenty years before they can complete it, until new explosives and excavation machinery are available."

As for the train, it can be repaired, but it will cost lives. A hundred or two hundred people would die per kilometer, and the entire line would likely lose at least 15,000 to 20,000 people.

Furthermore, major floods occur every rainy season, rendering the roads virtually impassable. Even after the rainy season, repairs are necessary, making annual maintenance extremely difficult and economically unfeasible.

A glimmer of light appeared in Mo Zhouzhen's eyes at this moment. He nodded and had the eunuch beside him take the document.

"It has no economic value, but its political and military value is considerable. However, we simply cannot afford the loss of personnel. Does the Chief Secretary have a solution?"

Even with the help of Mozibu, technological progress at this time was only about thirty to forty years faster than in history.

However, in chemistry and mechanical engineering, where these are used everywhere, development is better, roughly equivalent to the level of around 1860 in history.

However, nitroglycerin explosives, a powerful tool for digging wells and opening mountains, have not yet been fully developed. The efficiency of steam excavators is only about five times that of human labor. Small, high-efficiency steam engines for transporting materials and slag have not yet been put into practical use. Relying solely on animal power is too inefficient.

"If only the imperial court hadn't pursued this westward expansion strategy, His Highness Prince Wei's railway engineering team could have been transferred here, and the railway at Buyur Port could have been completed much sooner."

The speaker was the younger brother of Consort Wu, a concubine of Prince Yan Mozhouzhen, and also the youngest son of Wu Wenchu, the Grand Protector of the Northern Hezhou Protectorate.

Although the seventeen-year-old Lieutenant Wu noticed the unfriendly look in his brother-in-law Wang's eyes, he was still young and felt he had to say something. He forced himself to speak, and defiantly continued:

“What’s so great about this river? It’s all grasslands and deserts. Even if we conquer the territory of the Rakshasa Kingdom, we won’t be able to hold it. Why waste so much money on it?”

I don't think even the Western Regions are worth investing in. Just leave them there to collect taxes, and if anyone dares to rebel, just send a large army to quell the rebellion.

Not many people inside immediately came out to stop the youngest son of the Grand Protector from talking nonsense, because for many people here, they really felt that there was nothing good about the Northwest.

Most of these people are from the South, specifically from the Southeast and South China. With today's communication conditions, many of them have never met a Northwesterner in their entire lives, and have no concept of the Northwest at all, often complaining about it.

"How dare you! How can a mere child like you comment on matters of state!" Mo Zhouzhen observed for a moment and, seeing that the eunuchs and personal guards around him were all present, he immediately stood up and roared.

"Without the emperor and the support of the court, how could Beihezhou have a million people and occupy such a large territory in just fifteen years?"

Your Majesty has the entire nation on your mind, and you devote yourself to this cause day and night. Such a vast country, doesn't it need a sense of priorities?

Mo Zhouzhen asked two rhetorical questions in a row, appearing righteous and awe-inspiring: "Both thunder and rain are the Emperor's grace. From now on, if I hear anyone daring to question the major policies of the country, I will punish them severely according to the law!"

After saying that, he pointed at his brother-in-law, "You, get back to Vancouver right now. I will personally write a letter to the Grand Protector to confine you. You are not allowed to come out until you get a score of 90 on your Chinese studies exam!"

Wu's brother-in-law's face turned as pale as his brother-in-law, the Prince of Yan. "National Studies" refers to the stuff used in the imperial examinations for the Jinshi degree, the kind of essays written in the eight-legged essay style. If you could score 90 points on those, you'd be more than qualified to pass the county-level examinations in the Qing Dynasty.

If Wu's brother-in-law doesn't behave well, he probably won't be able to get out of confinement for at least three to five years.

"Chief Secretary, please continue. How should we solve this manpower problem?" After drinking a large bowl of the herbal soup prescribed by the imperial physician to clear heat and nourish the body, Mo Zhouzhen felt that he had recovered almost completely, so he continued to ask.

"The price of black slaves has recently skyrocketed due to the embargo, and those people are stupid and useless. They can pick cotton and cabbages, but they can't do this kind of engineering work. The Jurchens of Hezhou are even more stupid, difficult to use, and unruly, and are equally unmanageable."

If we're talking about who's best suited for this kind of work, it would be us Chinese. But if we were to use the lives of Chinese to fill the gaps, Your Majesty and your subjects would absolutely not be able to escape the will of Heaven, the will of the people, and the law, and there simply aren't that many.

Therefore, after much deliberation, I have concluded that the only group whose hard work and endurance are slightly less than that of the Chinese, and who can be produced in large quantities, are the Indian laborers.

"Indian laborers?" Mo Zhouzhen stroked his chin. It was indeed a very good choice. Indian laborers were indeed hardworking and, more importantly, easy to manage, even easier to manage than Chinese.

Their only problem was that the Da Yu system did not allow for the large-scale recruitment of Indian laborers.

Chief Secretary Wang Ding was certainly aware of these things, and he wouldn't have brought them up rashly if there wasn't a solution.

"Your Majesty need not worry. His Majesty forbids recruitment because he fears that laborers will flow into Southeast Asia and become the dominant force. But this is Nanhezhou. Indian laborers cannot easily find a place to settle down here. There are also military supervisors in the mines, so they cannot run away."

“What Chief Secretary Wang said makes sense. Moreover, the construction of the railway at Buyur Port is not as simple as farming on the manor. It is still unknown how many of the recruited laborers will be left.” Duke Ye Mingyue of Jiaoyang County also chimed in.

Mo Zhouzhen thought it made sense. This was a life-threatening job. Half of them would die before the project could be completed, and the Indian laborers couldn't escape either. Once the railway was finished, they could be paid and sent back the way they came.

Mo Zhouzhen even shuddered and quickly buried the entire railway after it was completed, suppressing the thought of not even paying the workers. That would be too inhuman.

"My ministers, please perform your duties. I will return to the Central Plains in a few days to meet with Your Majesty. I will leave all matters to Your Majesty's decision."

Mo Zhouzhen finished the meeting; he had to return to China.

Because the only option is the impassable route from San Francisco straight into the heart of Texas.

And the route from Los Angeles to Albuquerque is feasible, but the capacity is too small and the detour is too long.

Besides the three projects—the Port of Fisheries Railway (Panama Railway) and the other one—there is another road.

That would mean directly taking over the New Spanish colonial government in Mexico, controlling Mexico, and then naturally being able to travel through the Mexican Plateau to safely and conveniently connect to the Texas heartland of the Gulf of Mexico.

Mo Zhouzhen's main purpose in returning this time was to obtain permission from his father, Emperor Mo Zibu, to attack the New Spanish colonial government. The railway could not be built, but the powerful navy of the Great Yu Dynasty could still be used to conquer New Spain.

Mo Zhouzhen didn't expect that Mo Zibu had already prepared for him to attack New Spain. The messenger was already on his way, and it was very likely that the messenger would arrive as soon as he left.

However, it was necessary for him to go back, because Mo Zibu had realized that if he were to entrust the entire development of Beihezhou to Mo Zhouzhen, it would be impossible unless he was willing to grant the entire Beihezhou to the Yan vassal state.

This is clearly inappropriate, so a plan to send more feudal lords to Kitagazu and launch a multi-pronged expansion campaign with Moshu Zhen as the main force is already in the works.

(End of this chapter)