The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 866 Weary Birds Return to the Forest
1808, October.

As the ship's horn sounded softly at the Yangwei military dock on the south bank of the Suzhou River estuary in Xingtang Shanghai Prefecture, the welcoming party, led by Mo Gongbing, a member of the Dayu imperial family, a naval admiral, and the Duke of Qiong, immediately began to raise their flags high.

At the same time, the Dayu warships docked at Yangwu Wharf fired salutes, and the lion dance team at the wharf danced joyfully.

The Queen of Portugal brought a large group of nobles to Dayu for refuge, which was quite rare, to be honest.

Since Mo Zibu established Dayu, he has not received many foreign rulers.

It's not that others don't want to come, it's that not many people are able to come.

In Nanjing today, Xu Qichuan, the son of Tokugawa Ieharu, the last shogun (tenth Shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate), continues to serve as the Prince of Langya, perfectly playing the role of the number one mascot of the Great Yu.

The remaining Ryukyu prince Mo Chongji, the Guitai Marquis (King Mengyun of Burma), the Zhongxin Earl (King of Luang Prabang), and seven or eight relatively docile princes of the southern states all became reclusive officials.

The only one who fared slightly better was Prince Yi San of Joseon, who received a fiefdom in northern Borneo, which is the Sarawak state of modern Malaysia, excluding Kuching.

Therefore, Queen Maria I of Portugal can truly be considered the only foreign monarch in recent years to have visited Dayu with the intention of seeking refuge.

Considering that Portugal is a close ally of the Great Yu, the high-level reception is understandable.

"Great! There are white flags with gold sun and moon symbols, but it's a pity there are no yellow dragon flags or yellow parasols. It must be a high-ranking member of the royal family who has arrived, but there are no ceremonial guards representing the emperor."

At the bow of the ship, Frederick Guilherme, the Governor-General of Goa who had accompanied the Queen of Portugal, shouted with a mixture of excitement and disappointment.

Queen Mary I, however, was well aware of her position. She sat in a large chair and said calmly:

“I don’t think anyone else has the status to be personally greeted by the Emperor. This is a true Roman Emperor, not one of those self-amusing fellows.”

Yes, the thinking is clear and the understanding is accurate, but Her Majesty the Queen did not understand that the procession representing the Emperor was not the Emperor himself.

However, the cuckoo prince, who had become noticeably thinner after months of being tossed about at sea, paid no attention to this; he was looking towards the shore from the bow of the ship.

Along the riverbank, rows of small buildings stood side by side, and crowds of onlookers, dressed in dignified and brightly colored clothes, surrounded the welcoming crowd.

Knowing that this was a military port, not the main port of Shanghai Prefecture, but already much more prosperous than the port of Lisbon, the Cuckoo Prince felt much more at ease.

His decision to come to Dayu with his maternal grandmother Maria I was somewhat risky, because if he wanted to control Brazil, he would normally have to go to Brazil.

Only by going to Brazilian soil and showing oneself to Brazilians can one establish prestige among the people.

At the same time, it is also necessary to win over the local white plantation owners and gain their support in order to establish a solid foundation for future rule.

Several nobles who supported Prince Cuckoo had suggested that he should quickly travel to Brazil and have Crown Prince João accompany the Queen to Seres.

But after much deliberation, Prince Cuckoo concluded that the most crucial factor in his becoming Prince of Brazil was not winning over the local Brazilians, but rather gaining the support of the Seres Empire.

So in the end, she chose to go to Dayu with her maternal grandmother, while her uncle, Prince João, went to Brazil.

If the Seris Empire wasn't as powerful as he imagined, the Cuckoo Prince would be at a huge loss.

"Prince, do you believe it now? The central dynasty in the East is far more powerful than you imagined."

We are the true nobles, descended from ancient times; compared to us, France is nothing more than a wild boy with a bit of brute force.

Gao E, the cuckoo prince's mentor in Chinese studies, his trusted advisor, and a bondservant who failed to enter the officialdom of the Great Yu Dynasty, said with great pride.

Prince Cuckoo nodded. They had sailed directly from Goa to Nanjing, only making a brief stop in Malacca (Singapore) without disembarking. They had never seen the empire before, so they were a little worried along the way. But now they were much more confident.

As the two were talking, the nobles, led by the Queen of Portugal, began to disembark, and the officials from the Great Yu who were there to greet them also gathered around.

"Your Majesty, this is the nephew of the Great Emperor of the East, the Imperial Duke, Admiral Mo Gongbing. He has come to greet you."

Introduced by an official from the Court of State Ceremonial, Mo Gongbing, who had just delivered over ten thousand troops to Prince Mo Gongze in Budapest, gave a slight bow and then greeted him in fluent French.

"Your Majesty, welcome. We have prepared a special train to Nanjing, the capital of the Empire. Please follow me."

"Thank you for your hard work, Your Grace. On behalf of the Braganza family that rules Portugal, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Emperor Seres, the people of Seres, and Your Grace yourself."

Although Queen Maria I of Portugal suffered from the neuroticism common among European monarchs, she was still a person of high moral character.

Now that she has lost the Kingdom of Portugal, she represents only her Braganza family, and not the Kingdom and people of Portugal.

Mo Gongbing naturally understood the meaning behind the words, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"There's an old saying in Serres: 'Good will always triumph over evil.' Justice is on the side of the Portuguese people, so the Kingdom of Portugal will be the victor."

The railway distance from Shanghai to Nanjing is exactly 300 kilometers. If you take a military special train from Yangwu Military Port, the train can travel at an average speed of 80 kilometers per hour and you can get there in less than four hours.

Don't underestimate this speed of 80 kilometers per hour. In an era when trains were almost exclusively produced by Dayu, it almost scared the Queen of Portugal out of her madness.

"This is terrible, terrible!" The Queen gripped the armrest of the spring seat tightly with one hand and held her grandson, Prince Cuckoo, in the other, muttering incessantly.

This is indeed terrifying, because historically, passenger transport didn't reach this speed until around 1855.

When the railway from London to Birmingham in England opened in 1838, it could travel at a maximum speed of 60 km/h, and around 1850 it could travel at 80 km/h.

In addition, the experimental vehicle can reach a maximum speed of 94 kilometers per hour, but this comes with difficulties in shock absorption and braking, as well as the most dangerous situation of vehicle derailment in rainy or snowy weather.

At this time, the steam locomotives secretly tested by the Great Yu could achieve an astonishing speed of over 100 kilometers per hour on the best roads and in the most suitable weather, but they still dared not and could not use them in reality.

"It's alright, Grandmother. Since God allowed it to appear in the world, it means it belongs to the human world. We should accept it and enjoy it."

Prince Carlos the Cuckoo spoke softly, his voice growing gentler with each word, as if it possessed a magical power to soothe and relax.

"Relax, relax, Grandma, little Carlos will always be with you."

After seven or eight minutes, Queen Maria I of Portugal finally calmed down and did not have a relapse on the spot.

She even ate an orange pudding with fresh cheese and smoked meat, which was sent by the royal chef on the special train, and then slowly fell asleep under the care of her maids.

At this moment, the Cuckoo Prince walked to the other end of the carriage and sat down opposite Mo Gongbing.

"General, I've heard of you."

More than twenty years ago, in the Indian Ocean, during the Battle of Trincomalee between the Seres Empire and the Kingdom of England, you were the first mate on the Zhang Huangyan, and together with your brave and fearless soldiers, you defeated the powerful English fleet.

Mo Gongbing was delighted to hear that the Cuckoo Prince could speak fluent Cantonese.

This branch of the Mo family considers themselves descendants of Mo Xuanqing, the top scholar from Lingnan during the Tang Dynasty, whose ancestry can be traced back to the time of Zhao Tuo.

Therefore, even though the Leizhou Peninsula is dominated by the Minnan dialect of Leizhou and Qiongzhou, there are still some members of the Mo family who insist on speaking Cantonese. And when the Cuckoo Prince mentions the Battle of Trincomalee, Mo Gongbing feels as comfortable as if he has eaten a ginseng fruit.

In 1780, the fifth year of the Guangzhong reign (28 years ago), he participated as the emperor's nephew in this decisive naval battle that determined the hegemony of the Eastern Seas.

Mo Gongbing was exceptionally brave in this battle and played a crucial role. He was wounded in eleven places, and his eyeball was almost blown out. After the battle, he was praised by his uncle, the emperor, as a "thousand-mile horse" of the Mo family, and his life took off from then on.

“We’re all brothers, Prince, you don’t need to be so polite. Just call me Boss.”

Having been tickled in a sensitive spot, Mo Gongbing didn't mind revealing a little bit of information, since the person in front of him would find out soon anyway.

The cuckoo prince's eyes lit up instantly, but he suppressed his urge to ask more questions.

Since the two major matters of recognizing one's ancestors and interfering in Brazil were decided arbitrarily by the emperor, if the other party was willing to reveal them, they would naturally do so; if they were unwilling to reveal them, it would be somewhat inappropriate for you to press them for details.

“Since the Emperor has agreed to your arrival, he must have some bias.” Mo Gongbing was also satisfied with the Cuckoo Prince’s tact and said something that reassured him before leaving.

More than three hours later, the train stopped directly at the Nanjing Qingliangshan Military Train Station. The Portuguese Queen and her entourage then boarded a convoy of cars flying the yellow dragon flag and headed to the Nanjing Imperial City.

This area is already one of the most prosperous areas in Nanjing. As the capital of the Great Yu Dynasty, Nanjing's industrial strength is much greater than it was during the Republic era.

The citizens of Nanjing also began to have a strong Beijing flavor, just like the flavor of old Beijing in later generations.

In their eyes, the emperor was nothing more than their neighbor living next door. The central ministries, which sounded so prestigious, were either staffed by someone's brother as a clerk or by someone's aunt as a cook and do laundry.

Officials of the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth ranks in the capital, and even many fifth-rank officials, could not afford to buy houses in the inner city of Nanjing and had to rent from them. Therefore, they had long since demystified these things.

The convoy, with its yellow dragon flag flying, passed by them, and these guys still dared to make comments.

"See that? The third car from the back, the guy clinging to the door is my cousin-in-law. Who is he picking up? Even an eighth-rank official from the Court of State Ceremonial doesn't get a seat?"

"You don't even know this?" Someone gave him a disdainful look, hopping on both legs to express their 'excited welcome,' while showing off.

"See the second car? That's Master Mo's car. Last month, his grandson almost drove it into the Qinhuai River. The steam engine was badly damaged, and it was our car shop that fixed it."

This guy only mentioned that it was Mo Gongbing's car, but didn't say who Mo Gongbing was going to pick up. He just wanted to see if there was anyone around who recognized its value.

Sure enough, someone with a discerning eye immediately chimed in, "Oh, if that's the case, it must be that Portuguese Queen who's arrived. Wow, she's the first Spanish king to come here, isn't she?"

"The Queen is nothing compared to that. The real problem is the Queen's grandson, who is said to be the son of Master Mo, the Imperial Clan Secretary. It's like an illegitimate child coming to claim his lineage!"

As expected of Master Jing, his information network is excellent; he knows the whole story perfectly.

Just then, I, Mo Zirong, the Third Master, declined the task of greeting him, but still wanted to see my son, whom I had never met before, up close. So I took a few guards and mingled into the crowd.

Upon hearing this, he was so angry his nose almost twisted out of shape. "Slap him in the face! Let him know the consequences of gossiping!"

Enraged, Mo Zirong threw out a handful of silver coins and waved his hand, ordering his guards to beat people.

The man who was talking about acknowledging his ancestors was about to explain his nickname, "Cuckoo Prince of the West," to others when someone suddenly put a handful of silver dollars into his pocket.

This guy is a master chef who travels with his master to cook for various noble families; he's very well-informed.

He got a handful of silver dollars, and before he knew it, five or six big men grabbed him and dragged him away. Then, as soon as they turned a corner, he was slapped hard across the face.

The gossip enthusiasts around were startled. They looked at each other in disbelief at the screams, wondering who dared to be so bold right under the emperor's nose.

Then suddenly someone pointed into the distance, and I forgot all my fear.

"Hey, isn't that the Third Prince? Last year, when the army that conquered the Pearl Islands returned to the capital, it was the Third Prince who went to the outskirts to welcome them on behalf of His Majesty. I saw him clearly when he came out of Qingliang Gate, there's no mistake!"

"I'll fucking kill you!" Mo Zirong screamed, covered his face, mounted his horse, and rode away.

He was completely helpless against these shameless Nanjing locals, and even the thought of seeing his son in person had been extinguished.

At that moment, the cuckoo prince, shocked by the prosperity of Nanjing, looked northwest with a kind of telepathy. Through the car window, he saw a disheveled figure on horseback, and felt that he was very familiar with it.

The convoy continued towards the palace, passing through the outer city where numerous factories were concentrated, and through the bustling inner city. Just before entering the imperial city, the Shendian Left Guard of the Twelve Imperial Guards guarded the Zhengyang Gate, the south gate of the imperial city.

The cuckoo prince, supporting his grandmother, the Queen of Portugal, wanted to get off the steam carriage.

But the speeding car, the sun-blocking windows, and the spring-loaded seats frightened the Queen, and she became somewhat withdrawn, locking herself inside the car and refusing to come out.

All the Portuguese were watching the Cuckoo Prince. They had witnessed the power of the Seres Empire on their journey, and now no one dared to let the legendary emperor continue to wait in the palace.

"Leave a few people to look after the Queen, and I will ask His Majesty Emperor Seris to allocate a portion of the palace for the Queen to reside in as soon as possible."

"Viscount Balmançe, you are the Minister of State. Please select a few high-ranking officials to accompany me to the palace to pay homage to His Majesty the Emperor."

At this moment, without hesitation, the cuckoo prince immediately began to issue commands.

Before long, a dozen or so Portuguese nobles, dressed in their finest clothes, headed toward Zhengyang Gate, led by the Cuckoo Prince.

On the square of Zhengyangmen, rain and snow suddenly began to fall from the sky. The crystal raindrops, which were close to zero degrees, quickly froze, like silver sleet falling down.

The officers and soldiers of Shendian Left Guard fluttered their flags, their expressions solemn. Their bodies, beneath their bright red uniforms, showed no fear of the cold rain as they trembled. Even the angle at which they held their bayonets was exactly the same.

From the perspective of the Cuckoo Prince, the three thousand imperial guards who were waiting for him at Zhengyang Gate were clearly a sea of ​​people, yet they made no sound; the only silence was the thumping of his footsteps in his heart.

Suddenly, three thousand pairs of eyes seemed to come alive, looking at the visitor with a mixture of arrogance and scrutiny, which sent a shiver down the spine of the Cuckoo Prince.

If these invincible warriors, and the forces behind them, could support him, the Prince of Brazil would be a piece of cake.

If you don't support him.

The cuckoo prince heard a clattering sound of teeth chattering, which came from Viscount Balmansé, the Minister of State.

But the cuckoo prince could not be afraid; he knew he had to move forward.

Finally, he had no idea how he got through the Seris Guard; it felt like an eternity.

"Welcome home, my brother!" A warm greeting pulled the cuckoo prince back from his cold fear.

“I am your cousin, the son of the Prince of Shangcai, Major General Mo Gongli. I have come to welcome you on the orders of His Majesty the Emperor.”

Tears instantly blurred the cuckoo prince's vision. For nearly twenty years, he had lost his mother and nominal father when he was only two years old. Yet here, he suddenly felt like he had found home.

(End of this chapter)