The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 867 The First Step in Intervening in Europe

"When the First Emperor arrived, he built upon the accumulated achievements of six generations, wielded his long-term strategies to govern the world, swallowed up the two Zhou dynasties and destroyed the feudal lords, ascended to the supreme position and controlled the six directions, wielded the whip and lashed the world, and his power shook the four seas."

He conquered the lands of the Baiyue in the south, establishing Guilin and Xiangjun; the rulers of the Baiyue bowed their heads in submission, entrusting their lives to his officials. He then ordered Meng Tian to build the Great Wall in the north to defend the borders, pushing the Xiongnu back more than seven hundred li. The Hu people dared not move south to graze their horses, and the soldiers dared not draw their bows to voice their grievances.

In the Wuying Hall of the Forbidden City in Nanjing, Prince Carlos the Cuckoo is putting on a great show.

He spoke fluently and with great intonation, reciting with great fluency. He even recited Jia Yi's "On the Faults of Qin," a passage praising the First Emperor, with great expression and emotion.

Moreover, the text he memorized was not the common first part of the "On the Faults of Qin" which is over a thousand characters long, but a version consisting of three parts totaling nearly three thousand characters.

It must be said that the Cuckoo Prince was quite talented, especially in recitation, which was simply perfect. The royal nobles and a few important officials in the Wuying Hall closed their eyes and swayed their heads along, completely captivated.

"His Majesty the Emperor established an unprecedented empire, and there is no one else who could have expanded the territory of China. Such merit is something that even the First Emperor could hardly match. If Jia Yi had been born at this time, he would have written thirty poems to praise His Majesty's achievements!" After reciting the poem, the Cuckoo Prince did not forget to flatter him.

"Hahaha, if Jia Sheng were here, he would never let him go to Changsha Kingdom." Although it was flattery, Mo Zibu was still very happy. As people get older, they seem to be very willing to hear some pleasant words and are particularly concerned about other people's evaluation of their lives.

"Although Emperor Wen of Han was the most virtuous ruler after the Three Dynasties, he was not the founder of the dynasty. On the contrary, Your Majesty drove out the Tartars and gained the world, and created such a prosperous era. Everyone in the world is convinced of your virtue. What difficulty is there in making good use of Jia Yi?" Li Xianwen, whose hair and beard were already white, also flattered him.

Emperor Wen of Han was not unaware of Jia Yi's talent, but although Jia Yi's suggestions to weaken the feudal lords and meritorious officials were beneficial to the country and the people, they were not something Emperor Wen of Han could do at the time.

Therefore, instead of giving him an important position, Jia Yi was expelled to Changsha, the southernmost state at the time, to show the meritorious officials that there was no intention to diminish their power.

Li Xianwen's flattery was clearly more sophisticated than that of the Cuckoo Prince. Emperor Wen of Han wanted to use Jia Yi but couldn't, while Mo Zibu only regretted not having enough Jia Yi. The two men's control over the court was on completely different levels.

Mo Zibu was overjoyed and pointed at the cuckoo prince, saying, "This boy resembles a Chinese person, is well-versed in Chinese classics, and has a yearning for them. I intend to adopt him as my son, bestow upon him the surname Mo, and include him in the family genealogy. What do you gentlemen think?"

"Your Majesty, we congratulate you on the birth of such a celestial being!" The imperial family members, nobles, and trusted ministers naturally knew what was going on, and no one was foolish enough to object at this time.

"My son, quickly step forward to receive your conferment!" Mo Zibu stood up with satisfaction and summoned the cuckoo prince forward.

The cuckoo prince tried hard to suppress his excitement, but his face was already as excited as a boiled shrimp. He knew very well what this meant. After being recognized as a member of his ancestors, he would have the strongest backing in the world.

France, haha, Prince Cuckoo has now seen it clearly. France can't compete with the Seres Empire, let alone even with parts of the Seres Empire, such as Lingnan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, or the Jiangnan region. Any one of these two places would be at least twice as powerful as France in every aspect.

"Today I adopt you as my son, bestow upon you the imperial surname, and adopt the generation name of my sons, Zhou. You also have great ambitions, intending to expand the territory of my China from thousands of miles away, so I bestow upon you the name Yao."

"Yao means great tree, and its pronunciation is similar to 'distant.' May you take root in distant Brazil and become a towering tree for our people!"

"Your subject, Mo Zhouyao, kowtows to thank Your Majesty!" The cuckoo prince finally had his own Chinese name, and in his great joy, he kowtowed repeatedly on the ground.

"Gao E, come forward."

Upon hearing the summons, Gao E, the teacher of the Cuckoo Prince, made an exception and allowed Gao E to appear in the Wuying Hall. He quickly stepped forward and knelt on the ground with a thud.

"You've done a good job. Mo Zhouyao's ability to learn Chinese so well in Lisbon is thanks to you. Now, tell me, what kind of reward do you want?"

Gao E knelt on the ground. Everything about him was tied to Prince Mo Zhouyao, so he didn't ask for any reward. Instead, he pleaded, "Your Majesty, I, Gao E, am of limited talent and learning and cannot teach the prince the true Chinese culture. Portugal has also been in decline for many years, and the art of war has almost disappeared."

Therefore, this humble subject does not desire any reward, but humbly requests Your Majesty's permission for the prince to study in Dayu, so that he may go to Brazil only after truly learning the essence of Chinese civilization and the art of military strategy.

As he spoke, Gao E gave a wink to the cuckoo prince Mo Zhouyao, who then knelt on the ground and pleaded with Mo Zibu, “Your Majesty Queen Maria raised me. Without her, I might not have been able to grow up.”

Today, my grandmother has lost her kingdom and is now battling illness. I must stay with her no matter what. We will go to Brazil once she has recovered.

“Well said!” Zheng Miao, the Prince of Dacheng, also known as Zheng Xin’s son, A Shui, stepped forward and exclaimed, “Our Great Yu is founded on loyalty and filial piety, and spreads benevolence and righteousness throughout the world. A Yao’s words are in line with the Chinese way of loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness. Your Majesty, I congratulate you again!”

Mo Zibu glanced at the old man Li Xianwen and the young man Zheng Miao, the Prince of Dacheng, a few times. The reason why the two of them were so active today was that they also had their own needs.

Today's meeting appears to be taking place in the Wuying Hall, with several court officials present, but it should actually be classified as a meeting of the Imperial Clan Court, which is a gathering of members of the imperial clan and meritorious officials.

The Imperial Clan Court meetings generally only discuss matters between members of the imperial clan and their relatives, which is consistent with the atmosphere surrounding Mo Zibu's adoption of the cuckoo prince.

Li Xianwen repeatedly came out to show his support and echo Mo Zibu because he wanted to pass the title of King of Xia to his second son, Li Xingtai, bypassing his eldest son, Li Xingyang.

Mo Zibu's elder sister, Princess Mo Jiong of Yue, gave birth to three sons for Li Xianwen: the eldest son Li Xingyang, the second son Li Xingtai, and the third son Li Xingzong.

Of the three sons, Li Xingyang was honest and filial, but he was a bit stubborn and inflexible. He probably couldn't even do a good job as a county magistrate, let alone manage the Dayuan Basin (Fergana Basin), where the imperial court, local forces, the power of the imperial relatives and nobles, and the Xia vassal's base were intertwined.

If Li Xianwen's title of King of Xia were an honorary title that did not require him to go to the border thousands of miles away to defend the country, it would be very appropriate to pass it on to Li Xingyang. Unfortunately, the Xia vassal state not only had to defend the border, but also had to be the main force.

Although the third son, Li Xingzong, was intelligent, he was a physicist and had no interest in becoming king in Ha Trung province.

The only option was the second son, Li Xingtai. Although he was a bit rough and lacked political acumen, Li Xingtai was a capable fighter and one of the most valiant generals in the Anxi army. His subordinates, both large and small, also trusted him.

However, the primogeniture system was established by the Great Yu Dynasty, especially for the lower-ranking vassals. If this principle were not followed, the more than four hundred vassals would be in complete chaos.

The only way was to obtain the approval of the Council of Elders of the Imperial Clan Court, who would then submit a petition to the emperor requesting his approval.

The demands of Zheng Miao, the Prince of Dacheng, were exactly the opposite of those of Li Xianwen, the Prince of Xia.

His father, Pudu Cihang Zunfo Zhengxin, was already seventy-four years old and his health was deteriorating. He sent someone with a message, saying that he hoped his son, Zheng Miao, could go and provoke the Sadang Resident Minister in Tibet.

He also demanded that Zheng Miao immediately take several concubines to prepare for pregnancy, and that after Zheng Xin passed away, one of his unborn grandsons be chosen as the spirit pearl.

This really worried Zheng Miao. He was living a very comfortable life as a prince in the misty Jiangnan region, and he must have been out of his mind to agree to go to Rasa to become the Resident Minister in Tibet.

He felt that his father, Zheng Xin, was somewhat blind to the situation. The Zheng family was already so conspicuous, yet they still wanted to make the position of Cihang Pudu Zunfo hereditary. Were they crazy?

This was a key position established by the emperor with great effort to control Tantric Buddhism; it was a position that the Great Yu Dynasty itself elevated.

If the Zheng family really wants to carry on this kind of succession, even if the current emperor doesn't kill them, once the crown prince, Da Laosen, ascends the throne, he will send their whole family to the execution ground.

Looking at the yearning eyes of Li Xianwen and Zheng Miao, Mo Zibu knew their wishes. The reason why they made such a big fuss was partly to solve their problems.

However, Mo Zibu waited a little while, because the Minister of Rites, Du Qin, who was also the historical King Rama II of Thailand, was meeting with Viscount Balmançe, the Portuguese Minister of State, outside the palace.

Mo Zibu could agree to the Cuckoo Prince's return to his ancestral home, as it would benefit the Great Yu. However, expanding the Portuguese territory of Goa would depend on the performance of these people.

In a side hall outside the Wuying Hall, Viscount Balmançe, the Minister of State of the Kingdom of Portugal, and several nobles from branches of the Braganza family were having a tense discussion.

Opposite them were Duqin (Rama II), Minister of Rites; Heshen, President of the Revival Company; and Li Luan, Grand Secretary of the Inner Court.

Behind these high-ranking officials of the Great Yu Dynasty stood thirty or forty people who were clearly foreigners, but dressed in various Chinese-style official robes.

These people were not officials, but rather Portuguese merchants who were very well-connected in Dayu.

Among them were officials from the Portuguese Self-Government Association of Macau, wealthy merchants who had purchased official titles, and a few vassals of the Great Yu in the South Seas who had been granted official robes. These people were even more excited than Du Qin, He Shen, and Li Luan, because they knew all too well the benefits of aligning themselves with the Great Yu, and now they wished they could become Han Chinese directly, so they naturally worked very hard.

Viscount Balmanse looked at these guys who claimed to be his compatriots, but were actually Seres at heart. He had encountered such a group of people in Goa, only they were not as radical as these guys in front of him.

"Viscount, reaching this agreement will not only not harm the Kingdom of Portugal, but will even bring benefits."

"You certainly can't take back your homeland without external support, and the vast Brazilian colony will eventually fall to the English without the support of the Seres Empire."

Duchin said in fluent Portuguese that this guy has never been on the same page as his father, either historically or in the present.

At this point, he felt that he had been spared from being implicated by his father's rebellion because of the Emperor's extraordinary mercy. Therefore, he not only did not hold a grudge, but was also a very capable official under Mo Zibu.

"Inside the main hall, His Majesty the Emperor is holding a ceremony to adopt Prince Carlos Pedro as his godson, but it is impossible to wait indefinitely. Viscount, please give us your opinion on whether this is acceptable or not."

Du Qin thoughtfully translated "adopted son" as "teached son" for easier understanding, but his words were still aggressive.

Viscount Balmançe picked up the draft of the secret agreement once more, read it carefully, and then slowly nodded, representing the government of the Kingdom of Portugal, agreeing to the terms.

"We are willing to sign this secret agreement as long as it ensures the continued existence of the Kingdom of Portugal, which is favored by our God, and prevents it from falling into the hands of treacherous enemies."

The news was quickly reported to Mo Zibu by the eunuch. Our great Emperor Mo was not surprised, because the four words "independence and autonomy" are very normal in the eyes of the Chinese, and even the most basic power of the country. In fact, they are very precious.

In this world, there are not many countries that truly deserve these four words.

Portugal, as a small country, even though it is a small country in Europe and much better off than other countries and regions in the world, still does not deserve to enjoy these four words.

Previously, it was England's junior partner; now, it has officially become Da Yu's junior partner.

“My son, since you wish to fulfill your filial duty to your maternal grandmother in Dayu, I shall grant your wish. I have heard that you do not yet have a formal title, so I hereby bestow upon you the title of Prince of Guoa.”

It also allows Goa to expand its territory southeastward, and you can use your status as a prince to recruit mercenaries within the Great Yu Kingdom to fight in India.

Mozibu's promise meant that in addition to agreeing to allow the Kingdom of England to control most of India, England would share India's wealth with the Great Yu through seemingly normal channels, and would also establish a Portuguese Goa government in India.

"Fellow relatives and nobles, the Xia King has long intended to abdicate in favor of his second son. Meanwhile, the Hungarians under the rule of the Lu Kingdom in Europe have begun to call themselves Western Xia people. Let's discuss these two matters together."

The Imperial Clan Court of Dayu was a very large and powerful institution, somewhat similar to a noble council controlled by the emperor.

This is determined by the special national conditions of Dayu. Currently, including the lowest-ranking vassal garrison commanders, Dayu has a total of 437 vassals.

Such a large number requires a large organization to coordinate and manage it; the workload alone is considerable, especially issues such as the inheritance of titles.

At the same time, the Great Yu court and the emperor himself wanted these people to go out and expand the territory, so it was impossible not to make concessions on political rights. The Imperial Clan Court Assembly was the product of this compromise.

According to the rules of the Imperial Clan Court, the emperor had to first discuss and approve the decision on whether to strip a vassal state of its title or reclaim its fiefdom before submitting the proposal to the emperor. Only then could the emperor decide whether to strip the title or reclaim the fiefdom.

But even so, in front of Mo Zibu, the founding emperor, it was just a formality. It could only restrain Mo Zibu's descendants, not Mo Zibu himself.

Even when Crown Prince Dashen ascended the throne, the Imperial Clan Court was unable to restrain him on these issues.

Therefore, less than half an hour after Mo Zibu proposed that the Imperial Clan Court Assembly discuss these issues, the Imperial Clan Court Assembly reached a resolution.

The request of Li Xianwen to pass the title to his second son, bypassing his eldest son, was approved.

Given the need for the Lu Fan to establish a Western Xia state, the Lu Fan was renamed the Xia Fan, and in the future it will be called the Western Xia State.

The current Xia vassal state will change its name to Liang after it is passed down to Li Xingtai, and will then be known as the Liang vassal state.

Li Xianwen had no objection. The Xia vassal state was changed to the Liang vassal state, which was definitely a downgrade in status. After all, Xia was an ancient state with a more prestigious reputation than the great states of Qi, Chu, and Jin that were enfeoffed by the Zhou emperor, while the Liang state only appeared later.

But that's the price to pay. Even if the reasons for changing the heir are perfectly valid, it still violates the current social norms and ethics, and it's impossible to do so without paying a price.

"As for your father, I will handle things properly, don't overthink it." After dealing with Li Xianwen's matter, Mo Zibu reassured Zheng Miao beside him.

The transmission of the Cihang Pudu Zunfo (Buddha of Compassionate Salvation) is of great importance. Mo Zibu has already asked Empress Zheng Shishi to write a letter to persuade her father-in-law, Zheng Xin.

Although this man is prone to making mistakes on important matters, he shouldn't be so confused as to want to oppose Mo Zibu.

Zheng Miao's title of Prince of Dacheng was used to exchange for the inheritance of the Cihang Pudu Zunfo (Buddha of Compassion and Salvation). Otherwise, given Zheng Miao's merits, he would never have been granted the title of Prince. It should be noted that Mo Zibu's two elder brothers were posthumously granted the title of Prince.

March 12, 1808. The 33rd year of the Guangzhong reign of the Great Yu Dynasty in China, which was originally the 13th year of the Jiaqing reign of the Qing Dynasty, the 16th day of the second month in the lunar calendar.

Mo Zibu personally held a formal meeting with Queen Maria I of Portugal, who had come to seek refuge. Mo Zibu allocated the Enshi Hall of the Tangshan Hot Spring Palace in Nanjing, which originally belonged to Princess Charlotte of the French Bourbon Dynasty, to the Queen as her temporary palace in Dayu.

Then, the two sides signed the Sino-Portuguese Nanjing Secret Agreement in the Hot Spring Palace.

The secret agreement stipulated:

The Seres Empire recognized Queen Maria I of Portugal and her government as the sole legitimate government of Portugal, and was determined to mobilize all its resources to support the restoration of the Kingdom of Portugal.

Except for the major provinces of China, the Seres Empire implemented a special open policy towards the Portuguese, granting them temporary citizenship and allowing them to enjoy all the rights that Seres citizens should have on their own land.

The Portuguese Macau Autonomous Association was officially dissolved, and the Emperor granted Serres special nationality to all Portuguese who had previously held Macau residency.

The Seres Empire agreed to the Portuguese Goa government's participation in the Kingdom of England's plan to conquer India, and provided 5,000 army soldiers and a seven-ship fleet as the armed forces of the Portuguese Goa government, to be used as the army for the future restoration of Portugal.

As a reciprocal condition:
The Kingdom of Portugal acknowledges that the Queen of Portugal is inferior to Emperor Seres in status, but for the time being, it does not place the Queen of Portugal directly under the rule of Emperor Seres.

All of Portugal’s overseas colonies, including Portuguese Brazil, Portuguese Angola, Portuguese Mozambique, Portuguese Guinea (Guinea-Bissau), and Portuguese São Tomé and Príncipe, will be fully open to the people of the Seres Empire, who will receive the same treatment as the white people of mainland Portugal.

The Kingdom of Portugal pledged to lease the port of Sebatour, south of Lisbon, to the Seres Empire's navy after its restoration, until the Seres Empire did not renew the lease.

This secret agreement seems to have involved a lot of sacrifices from the Great Yu, since it opened up a large number of colonies to the Portuguese. However, in reality, the Great Yu was the biggest beneficiary.

Because Dayu currently has a population of over 600 million, accounting for half of the world's population, while the Kingdom of Portugal has only about 2.6 million people, which is equivalent to only two densely populated counties in Dayu.

In this situation, reciprocal opening by both sides is practically the same as Portugal unilaterally opening up.

With this secret agreement in place, Brazil opened up to Dayu, and the only remaining question was how many immigrants to take advantage of the opportunity.

Of course, Portugal didn't lose out either. Without the Great Yu, Portugal simply couldn't have held onto these colonies. With this secret agreement, no government in the world would dare to covet Portugal's colonies.

(End of this chapter)