The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 878 The Big One is Coming

Let's go back about a year.

Bucharest, the capital of the Principality of Wallachia.

A deafening roar, like a tsunami, came from the Dembovica River in the southwest of the city.

Wearing Ottoman-style red cylindrical hats and red shirts, Turkish soldiers, carrying flintlock muskets with bayonets fixed, surged like a tide towards a large area of ​​high ground on the west bank of the river.

On the high ground, the troops dressed in blue and gray Chinese-style uniforms, as well as some with rather strange uniforms, stood like towering reefs on the coast.

No matter how the Turkish soldiers attacked, they were always able to repel them and stand firm.

Under a white banner with a gold sun and moon, King Mo Gongze of the Seris Empire stood tall.

Beside Mo Gongze, some nobles who clearly looked like Westerners were wearing rather peculiar military uniforms.

This military uniform looks like a combination of traditional Hungarian clothing and the sleeves worn by military officers during the Tang Dynasty in China. The color scheme has Western characteristics, mostly black and white or blue and white.

The patterns on the military uniforms were Chinese-style taotie patterns and cloud patterns, and the hats were changed from Western-style tall hats with white bird feathers in the front to Chinese-style black hats with white feathers in the middle.

In short, it's all about stitching. Based on traditional Hungarian clothing, it's a blend of Eastern and Western styles, and you can find every kind of stitching you can imagine on this military uniform.

Overall, well, there's a strange, harmonious beauty to it.

Among the remaining troops in full Chinese military uniforms with belts, the gray ones were the Xia army, which was originally the Lu army; the gray ones with red silk wrapped around their left arms were the Liao army that came to provide support; and the blue ones were the Anxi army.

Amidst the intense gunfire, a bearded Ottoman cavalry officer with a turban led several hundred cavalrymen to the flank, finding an opening to break through the Anxi army's artillery positions.

The bearded man howled a few times, and his personal guards began to assemble their troops using a small, piercing megaphone, preparing to break through the gap.

By capturing the artillery positions of the Anxi army, the pressure on the Ottoman infantry in the center of the front line can be greatly reduced.

Unfortunately, this flaw is fake.

Or rather, it is indeed possible to rush up to the Anxi army's artillery positions from here, but Li Xingtai, the commander of the Anxi army, has already arranged countermeasures.

Li Xingtai was well-versed in military strategy. In order to bombard as many Ottoman infantry as possible, the artillery could not hide too far behind, and coming to the front would certainly be risky.

It would be better to create an opening and lure the Ottoman army to attack, thus preventing other vulnerable areas from being attacked.

The bearded cavalry officer was unaware that several cavalry units had already found this weakness before him, but all of them had suffered heavy casualties.

Sure enough, while the Ottoman cavalry of several hundred men were still gathering, a six-pound field gun on the hillside aimed at them.

When the cavalry charged forward shouting, they were met with a hail of shrapnel, instantly turning men and horses to pieces.

A company of javelin soldiers guarding the artillery position also took advantage of the high ground to accurately pick off the enemy. The bearded soldier who had narrowly escaped the cannon fire was hit by seven or eight bullets and fell into the flesh and blood of his cavalrymen, no longer able to move.

Time ticked by, and the Ottoman infantry could no longer withstand the fierce artillery fire of the Anxi army. Some began to disobey orders and retreat on their own, which immediately triggered a chain reaction.

Those in front fled as soon as they engaged in battle, while those behind who received orders dragged their feet and were unwilling to come forward, which soon led to the entire army's rout.

The Ottoman Empire was in a period of rapid decline at this time, and such things often happened in its army, which was why they often lost to the Tsarist Rus' Empire despite having a numerical advantage.

They will be hesitant to fight, but their soldiers will not be willing to die.

“Let’s go. We’ll retreat to Varna on the western shore of the Black Sea and have Mustafa go to the King of Hungary’s camp to request a ceasefire.”

Seeing that his vanguard was on the verge of collapse, the Ottoman commander-in-chief, Cavusbasi Memish, governor of Moria (Peloponnese), decisively ordered a retreat.

The Ottomans had long since lost control of most of the Principality of Wallachia, and had even lost most of the wealthy towns at the Danube estuary that did not belong to the Principality of Wallachia.

They came here just to see if there was anything they could take advantage of, but now that they've discovered someone even more ruthless than the Russians, they naturally have to turn around and run.

However, during the retreat, Governor Memish specially arranged for his trusted confidants to rush to Istanbul overnight to secretly bring his family out of the city.

This Romanian is a supporter of the current Grand Vizier, Alemdar Pasha, who is undertaking reforms in Istanbul—a reform that severely weakens the Praetorian Guard.

Such reforms, in the Ottoman Empire with its tradition of electing guards, were often something that required risking one's life.

Relying on his role in supporting the Ottoman Empire, Alemdar disregarded his personal safety to implement reforms in order to become a hero who would save the Ottoman Empire.

But Governor Memish wasn't that great; he just wanted to take care of his own family first.

The governor had already foreseen that when the reconquest of the Principality of Wallachia failed and the prestige of Grand Vizier Alemdar Pasha was weakened, the long-discontented Janissaries would seize the opportunity to launch an attack in Istanbul.

“I am first a son, a husband, and a father, and then a governor of the empire, so there is nothing wrong with this choice,” Governor Memish muttered, constantly trying to reassure himself.

Because news of his failed attempt to seize the Principality of Wallachia will only be released tomorrow, he can take advantage of the time difference and secretly bring his family away.

On the other hand, King Mogongze of the Western Xia Kingdom did not order a full-scale pursuit, because the Western Xia Kingdom's opponent in the Principality of Wallachia was not the Ottoman Empire, which had little fighting power, but the Rus' Empire.

More than 40 kilometers away, north of Bucharest, somewhere in the middle and upper reaches of the Dönboviča River.

Upon receiving news that 60,000 Ottoman troops had been defeated by more than 10,000 Hungarian troops, Russian commander Kutuzov looked into the distance with resentment and finally ordered a retreat.

Although many officers requested to join forces with the Ottoman army to attack the Hungarians from both sides, Kutuzov rejected this tempting idea because he sensed something was amiss from subtle clues.

Moreover, the Rus' Empire is about to fight a fierce war, so there is no need to waste its limited military strength on the Principality of Wallachia.

Kutuzov's caution was justified, because the 13,000 cavalrymen led by the banner general Paulin were operating around the Russian army.

Of these cavalrymen, half were from Anxi, and the other half were handpicked by Mogongze from among the Hungarians and Romanians.

They were not only well-trained and resilient in battle, but also equipped with advanced carbines and revolvers, as well as a cavalry artillery regiment with fifteen field guns that could be pulled by horses.

If the Rus' army dares to move out, it will be difficult for them to return once they leave their camp, because this elite cavalry will block their retreat.

Two hours later, while receiving the peace envoys sent by the Ottoman Empire, King Mogongze of Xia received a letter from Vienna.

Mo Gongze glanced at the letter from Vienna, written to him personally by Emperor Franz I, and immediately agreed to the Ottoman Empire's request for peace.

"Please tell the Governor that my army will only enter Bucharest, and I will not occupy the rest of the territory on the western Black Sea coast, including the mouth of the Danube River."

Of course, this concession is in exchange for your country opening the Dardanelles and Bosphorus Straits at an appropriate time.

Mo Gongze was truly cunning. He realized that France and the Rus' Empire wanted to win over the Ottomans, so he deliberately ceded the land on the western coast of the Black Sea.

Because the current territory of the Principality of Wallachia does not include the mouth of the Danube River, which is the large area on the western coast of the Black Sea.

This area belongs to Kuruino (Balkci) and Bessarabia, formerly Ottoman territory, and is currently occupied by the Rus' Empire.

An expression of disbelief appeared in the eyes of the Ottoman envoy, Mustafa.

After the Hungarians won this three-way contest, as long as they did not continue eastward, the western shore of the Black Sea would fall to the Ottomans, since the Rus' had already withdrawn.

“I also have an envoy to meet with His Majesty Sultan Mahmud I in Istanbul. Please send the envoy back to inform him that as long as you do not ally with your greatest enemy, everything is still negotiable.”

Upon hearing Mogölze's words, the Ottoman envoy suddenly realized that the King of Hungary was afraid that the Ottoman Empire, after being won over by France and the Tsarist Rus' Empire, would launch a pincer attack on the Austrian Empire from three directions.

Now we can confidently accept the territory east of Bucharest.

"Lord Reinstein, I would like to request that you take charge of Bucharest." After the Ottoman envoy left, Mo Gongze cupped his hands in greeting to Reinstein beside him and said:

"The fleet I borrowed from the Kingdom of England and the fleet I recruited from Da Yu will soon be back in service."

Therefore, in order to ensure that the Ottomans could keep the Bosphorus and Dardanelles open, a highly respected and battle-hardened person was needed to oversee the situation.

"Looking around, I see no one who can compare to Duke Rui."

The fleet that Mo Gongze most desired had not yet entered the Black Sea, because he could not alert the enemy.

This fleet, currently consisting of more than 15 warships and over 6,000 officers and men, is still hidden within the English fleet and is joining them in besieging the remaining French navy.

However, with the war against the Tsarist Rus' Empire, these fleets had to immediately return to their positions to annihilate the Rus' Empire's Black Sea Fleet.

Therefore, the key issue became whether or not they could successfully pass through the Ottoman Empire's Black Sea straits into the Black Sea.

"Those who praise me are seeking something from me!" Seventy-one-year-old Ryan Stein squinted. Although the shrewd old man also felt that he was the only one who was highly respected and experienced, he still knew that Mo Gongze's words were a deliberate attempt to flatter him.

"Does Your Majesty not intend for me to leave many people in Bucharest?" Ryanstein waved his hand.

“That won’t do. We don’t have much of a foothold in the Principality of Wallachia. If we leave too few people, it won’t be easy to hold on, let alone influence the Ottoman Empire’s decisions.”

"I can leave a maximum of five thousand men for the Duke of Rui, of which four thousand can only be militia from Hungary."

Mo Gongze really dared to say that; in reality, he only gave Ryanstein a thousand men and expected him to defend most of the Principality of Wallachia.

Upon hearing this, Ryanstein's face darkened, but before he could utter a curse, Mo Gongze continued:

"As long as I hold Bucharest, and the fleet reaches the Black Sea, the army can sail down the Danube and immediately capture a naval port for the fleet."

"As long as this goal can be achieved, I don't care what means Rui Gong uses."

"At the same time, I will write to Emperor Franz and ask him to appoint you as Grand Duke of Bessarabia, and then concurrently as Grand Duke of Wallachia in your capacity as Grand Duke of Bessarabia."

After completing the task, one of the most outstanding contributors can be recommended to be promoted to a noble title.

Ryanstein was stunned; Mo Gongze's two moves had precisely hit his weaknesses.

The Grand Duke of Bessarabia was no ordinary duke; he was a monarch-level grand duke, on par with the Grand Duke of Wallachia.

As an old soldier, what regret could he possibly have if he could experience the power of his monarch before he died?

At the same time, although the Principality of Wallachia is a principality, its core has actually been completely destroyed.

The Boyars (the noble class within the principality) who were originally the actual rulers had long since disintegrated, and the succession to the Grand Duke of Wallachia was not based on bloodline but was directly appointed by the Ottoman Empire.

The Grand Princes of Wallachia appointed by the Ottoman Empire were often chosen from among the Fanar people.

The so-called Fanars are Greeks who live in Istanbul and the surrounding area.

They belong to the remnants of the Romans and still adhere to Greek Orthodoxy, but they have become collaborators with the Ottomans and are the biggest helpers and beneficiaries of Ottoman rule over Europe. Historically, the Fanars were vehemently opposed to the Greek independence movement.

Therefore, according to the now-broken succession system of the Principality of Wallachia, it is entirely in accordance with law and tradition for Reinstein to concurrently serve as Grand Prince of Wallachia while holding the title of Grand Prince of Bessarabia.

So when the war ends and rewards are distributed, Ryanstein will be entitled to recommend his illegitimate son, who has become a commoner, to Morgenthau to become a nobleman.

Of course, nobles who obtained their status through such connections, without fiefdoms or inheritances, still did not gain the approval of most people.

But Ryanstein has land; he could easily carve out a piece of land in Bessarabia as a fief for his illegitimate son, thus completing the noble lineage.

This was also the only feasible method Napoleon used to bestow titles upon nobles in the French Empire at that time.

Of course, Reinstein's title of Grand Duke of Bessarabia could not be passed down. It was just a shell that Mogongze set up for him to use as a shell for his illegitimate son to go public. After his death, the duchy would be abolished.

But that's enough.

"The King of Western Xia is indeed a member of the Mo family. He has the demeanor of your fifth uncle, the Great Emperor. This time, I will risk my life to fight him."

Ryanstein couldn't refuse, because this was his last and best chance. Didn't you see his eldest grandson, who was serving as his adjutant, had red eyes from excitement?

"Then I entrust everything to Lord Rui." Mo Gongze solemnly cupped his hands in greeting, then said to Li Xingtai:

“Brother Liang, please come with me to Vienna. His Majesty Franz is going to fight the French to the death this time.”

. . . .

Franz II was indeed desperate, because if he didn't fight, the Austrian Empire would perish.

Just a month earlier, on September 27, 1808, Emperor Napoleon I and Tsar Alexander I held another meeting in Erfurt.

The meeting strengthened the agreements between France and Russia under the Treaty of Tilsit, further solidifying their alliance.

There were even rumors that, in order to deal with the Seres Empire, the French Empire and Napoleon himself had reached a new agreement with the Tsar and the Rus' Empire.

A new agreement aimed at partitioning the Austrian Empire.

“Ferdinand, my cousin, I heard you turned the Hungarians into Seres. Are you doing this to leave the Empire?”

In Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Emperor Franz I looks much older than he has in history.

After all, in this timeline, not only did he not have a daughter marry Napoleon to ease relations, but he was also targeted by Napoleon and Tsar Alexander as the representative of the Seres Empire in Europe.

"Your Majesty, I will not leave the Empire, nor will the Hungarians." Mo Gongze reassured Franz I first, then continued his explanation with practiced ease:
"The ancestors of the Xiongnu people came from the ancient Xia Empire in the East, and belonged to the ancient Seres people."

After migrating westward to Europe, they were, according to custom, called the Western Xia people, that is, people of the Xia Empire who migrated to the west.

Therefore, we now refer to ourselves as Western Xia people according to our ancestors' rules, but this is merely following tradition. The Western Xia people were simply the westward-migrating Xiongnu people; in essence, nothing has changed.

After hearing this, Franz I slowly nodded, as if accepting the statement. "Ferdinand, are you going to restore Constantinople in the future?"
If this great undertaking could truly be accomplished, Hungary would be so vast, practically the next Ottoman Empire.

Mogongze certainly understood what Franz I meant. It seemed that neither his uncle, the Great Emperor, in the East, nor his cousin, the Emperor, in the West, could accept Mogongze establishing a one-to-one replica of the Ottoman Empire.

"Historically, the Kingdom of Hungary never possessed Constantinople, and even the Hunnic king Attila was a significant factor in the fall of the Roman Empire."

The Huns came from the East and had no claim to the Roman Empire, so I have no intention of going to Constantinople.

Mo Gongze had second thoughts; it was a choice made out of sheer desperation.

According to the original plan, he was not replicating the Eastern Roman Empire, but the Ottoman Empire at its peak.

This is not in the interest of the Seris Empire, so it is very likely that it will not be realized in the end.

Even Anxi's Crown Prince, Da Laosen, subtly warned Mo Gongze that if he asked for too much, he might lose even what he already had in his bowl in the future.

“Your Majesty, my brother, I hope to establish a Great Western Xia Kingdom that includes the Kingdom of Hungary, Transylvania, Wallachia, Moldavia, and Bessarabia, and then let one of my sons become the King of the Netherlands.”

At this moment, only Emperor Franz I and his two brothers, Archduke Karl and Archduke John, were in the room. Next to Mo Gongze was Li Xingtai, the Prince of Liang of Dayu. So Mo Gongze decided to tell the truth.

"And Constantinople, I intend for Your Majesty, your son-in-law, and also my brother, His Highness the King of the Liao Dynasty of the Seres Empire, to obtain it."

The Liao Kingdom, with Constantinople as its capital, encompassed most of Asia Minor and Bulgaria.

This is Mo Gongze's final trump card, and also his most achievable dream.

He himself established the Western Xia state in the territories of later Hungary, Romania, Moldova, and parts of Croatia and Serbia.

Let another son become King of the Netherlands, or if that doesn't work, he can become King of Belgium.

Then, let King Mozhou of Liao conquer Greece and most of Asia Minor, and establish the Liao vassal state with Constantinople as its capital. In this way, this most crucial location between East and West will be in the hands of the Great Yu court.

Finally, it is even quite possible that the Liang vassal state of Li Xianwen and his son Li Xingtai will move from the Fergana Basin to the Caucasus region.

Crown Prince Dashen already had this idea. The Dayuan Basin is becoming increasingly important, and it can be said to be the stabilizing force of Anxi. It is difficult to continue to let a vassal state control it.

Franz I's face lit up with delight, as long as Mogongze didn't establish a new Ottoman Empire with the support of the Seres Empire.

Given Austria's current situation, if a new Ottoman regime were to emerge in the southeast, Austrians would truly be doomed.

"Your Majesty Franz, His Highness the Crown Prince of the Seris Empire already told me this before I came."

Provided His Majesty does not yield to the French usurpers, the Seres Empire will forge an even closer alliance with the Austrian Empire.

Li Xingtai also spoke, his words full of temptation, "Moreover, His Majesty the Emperor of the Seris Empire and His Highness the Crown Prince both hope that you will once again become the Emperor of the Germans."

The Germans were really out of favor back then; their two big brothers, Austria and Prussia, were in even worse shape.

"Alright, then let's fight the French, let's fight this usurper Napoleon. This time, most of his army is tied up in Spain, which is the best opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to him."

Upon hearing that he might still be able to reclaim the lost title of Emperor of the German Empire, Franz I was thrilled.

He finally made up his mind to take advantage of Napoleon's predicament in Spain and launch a major attack on the French in the east.

(End of this chapter)