The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 926 This is going to wreck Europe!

The capital of the Anxi Envoyage Office was Yili.

After being ordered to go on the mission, Tao Shu, under the pretext of conducting an on-site assessment of the war against Russia, sent most of the delegation to Europe by sea, while he himself, with a few dozen confidants, took a train to Yili.

His reason for going to Yili was, of course, to meet with Crown Prince Da Laosen.

Meanwhile, in the Ying'en Palace in Yili.

Lin Zexu, Governor of Gaoliang Prefecture and Chief Secretary of the Liaodong Region.

Li Yumei, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner of Anxi (Amu Darya and Syr Darya).

Gong Zizhen, Minister of Academic Affairs of Anxi.

Young officials, including Yao Ying, the Deputy Ambassador of Dayu to Europe and Ambassador to the UK, Spain, and Portugal, were already waiting for him here.

Tao Shu was the first high-ranking official from the central government to arrive in Anxi. Before he took office as the Assistant Minister of the Anxi Envoy Office, he was already the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. Therefore, he was the head of the officials around Crown Prince Lao Sen.

"Zilin is here. We've been discussing this for ages, just waiting for your decision." Boss Sen was very happy to see Tao Shu, which at least proved that Tao Shu was still somewhat loyal to him.

Tao Shu glanced at the officials in the room and knew he had made the right choice. Although the Crown Prince was filial, he never hesitated when it came to recruiting talent.

That's how power works. From the moment His Majesty the Emperor decided to abdicate, the scales began to tip in favor of the Crown Prince.

Moreover, as the emperor gets older, this imbalance will gradually accelerate.

Now, after winning the wars against Russia and France, the Crown Prince has reached the point where the Emperor is giving the Prince of Yan a large amount of resources, which the Prince of Yan would agree to even without the Crown Prince's involvement, and the Prince of Yan dares not accept them.

"Is Father still in good health? I have been gone for more than ten years, and in the blink of an eye Father has reached the age of seventy. Yet I cannot go to his side to fulfill my filial duty. It is truly a sin."

After more than 20 years of training, the forty-something boss, Sen, has fully matured.

He was no longer the little boy who looked at Mo Zibu with adoring eyes, but a true ruler of the world.

"His Majesty has enjoyed good health for over a decade, but he seems to miss His Highness when he speaks of him. His affection for His Highness is genuine and deeply ingrained, a rare quality in the world," Tao Shu replied with considerable emotion.

The reason for such感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep feelings) is that the two of them were speaking entirely in coded language.

The big boss wasn't asking about Mo Zibu's health; he wanted to know if Mo Zibu was senile.

This is not because the emperor was unfilial, but because there are countless examples in Chinese history of emperors becoming senile in their old age, doing many outrageous things, and even deposing the crown prince and replacing him with a young son for the sake of power.

Tao Shu's answer was not about whether the emperor was in good health, but rather that the emperor was not senile, had no intention of changing the crown prince, and was not particularly unwilling to relinquish power.

Of course, Tao Shu was also a little uncomfortable with the last two sentences.

He was, after all, a minister promoted by the emperor. Although he sided with the crown prince for his future, it was with the emperor's approval.

Seeing that the Crown Prince was too focused on power, he subtly revealed some of his thoughts.

Upon hearing Tao Shu's words, Boss Sen was slightly taken aback, then sighed and pulled Tao Shu's hand to sit down together.

"Deng Hanyi, a scholar at the end of the Ming Dynasty, once said, 'The only hardship throughout the ages is death.'"

He grew up in the era of the Jia Shen year (1644), and witnessed too many heroes and valiant men sacrifice their lives for the Han dynasty.

Having witnessed firsthand the Manchu rule over the Central Plains, including the forced shaving of heads and changing of clothing, as well as the oppression and bullying, he uttered the ancient lament that death is the only way out of all hardships.

Because once a person understands this, they no longer care about life or death. When their time comes, they simply close their eyes and have nothing to worry about.

There's no need to struggle and exhaust yourself like Zhang Zhonggong, Guo Xingcheng, or the Three Loyalists of Lingnan, risking death in the process. But if you're not afraid to die, nothing is truly difficult.

When the Jia Shen year (1644) brought about the collapse of the Qing dynasty, Deng Hanyi was 28 years old, her thinking was mature, and she was still a member of the Fushe Society.

He had neither the courage to die for his country nor the will and ability to resist the Manchu Qing dynasty. He could only watch the land turn into a bloody mess every day, which naturally caused him immense pain.

When the Crown Prince said this, the officials present all nodded in empathy. Putting themselves in his shoes, they realized that in that situation, simply dying would indeed have been a much easier option.

“However, this is more the hardship of a subject. The hardship of being a crown prince since ancient times lies in the word ‘wait’.” As he spoke, the elder brother Sen stood up and slowly paced around the room.

"I remember when I was young, my mother often forced me to study hard. I had to get up at the beginning of the morning, and seven or eight teachers took turns teaching me. I also had to find time to practice martial arts and horseback riding. Life was unbearably hard."

I often cried and asked my mother why she had to do this, why I couldn't enjoy my childhood like my younger brothers.

My mother told me that because I was the eldest son, I had to endure hardships that ordinary people couldn't bear in order to successfully succeed to the throne in the future.

Even on her deathbed, her only solace was that I had lived up to her expectations; her life had not been in vain.

Da Laosen's mother passed away four years ago. Due to the wars against Russia and France, Mo Zibu only allowed him to observe mourning for thirty-three days, which made Da Laosen feel somewhat sorry for his mother.

"Thirty years ago, I finally realized that I was going to become the crown prince. Since then, I have always taken the world as my responsibility and have been even more strict with myself."

For the past thirty years, regardless of the cold or heat, I have traveled east and west, fought north and south for the Great Yu, and now the date promised by my father is getting closer and closer.

Whether my ambitions and the efforts of my more than forty years of life can be realized depends on these next few years. Gentlemen, how can I not be nervous?

Throughout history, there have been countless crown princes like myself, such as Liu Ju, Li Chengqian, and even Yinreng of the Manchu Qing dynasty. None of them lived to see the day when they would inherit the throne.

Furthermore, in all the great unified dynasties throughout history, none of the emperors, including Taizong, ascended the throne through a legitimate succession. How could people not be worried?

These words were a genuine attempt to win him over from the bottom of his heart; no one other than his closest ministers would have said such things.

Tao Shu put himself in the Crown Prince's shoes and realized that the pressure on the Crown Prince was indeed immense. It would be strange if he didn't worry about gains and losses. Therefore, his displeasure vanished in an instant.

"His Majesty has no attachment to power, and his lifestyle remains unchanged. Apart from enjoying gourmet food in the city outside the palace, he dislikes fine clothes, extravagance, and does not believe in gods or Buddhas. He is truly a wise and thrifty ruler. Your Highness, do not worry!"

Tao Shu wasn't exaggerating. As for why Mo Zibu disliked the extravagance and fine clothes of the time, people at the time only felt admiration, but transmigrators could understand it to some extent.

Compared to later generations, this era was far inferior in terms of enjoyment.

Aside from being able to play live-action Europa Universalis and Crusader Kings series games and certainly not lacking in women, nothing compares to later generations.

It's the same old stuff over and over again, what's there to be crazy about?

Upon hearing Tao Shu's words, Da Laosen knew that his father was as steadfast as ever, and he felt much relieved. He knelt down and bowed three times to the east before discussing the Paris Peace Conference with the assembled ministers.

"Your Highness, I have something else to tell you." Tao Shu finished speaking and paused for a moment.

Of course, what he meant was not that Mo Zibu already had a general framework for how to plant mines in Europe, because this framework had already been sent to the big boss Sen by express courier when it was given to Tao Shu.

"It must be related to my fifth brother, but you may speak freely." Boss Sen waved his hand, indicating that Tao Shu could speak.

Because he basically guessed what Tao Shu was going to say, which was nothing more than the emperor wanting to create a competitor for Dayu, so that the surrounding officials could discuss it together.

These are all outstanding young people of Dayu. One person's plan is short-lived, but many people's plans are long-lasting. It is much better for everyone to work together than for him to rack his brains alone.

Sure enough, the question Tao Shu was about to raise was exactly what Boss Sen had guessed.

However, while the two of them knew, the others in the room were completely unaware, and they were so shocked by this bombshell that they were speechless for a long time. It wasn't until Boss Sen looked at them with a questioning gaze that they came to their senses.

"Zilin, you were the first to know the news, and you must have been thinking about it the whole way. So tell us first," Boss Sen said with a smile, starting to select his men.

Tao Shu pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "I suspect that the biggest reason Your Majesty is taking this action is because the United States of America in the eastern part of Beihe Continent has reached a certain level of influence. Your Highness, please take a look."

Tao Shu unfolded a world map and circled the locations of the thirteen North American states with his finger. "The fertile lands of Beihe Continent are located in these thirteen states."

Other areas, such as the Central Lowlands Plain, the Meixi River Plain, and the Coastal Plain, which are traversed by the Meixi River (Mississippi River), are also fertile and fertile places that can be developed.

However, there are no high mountains in the north and south, and the region is often affected by cold waves in spring and winter, and by hurricanes in summer and autumn. If people are not careful, they can lose a year's work. It is far inferior to the thirteen states that are protected by high mountains and are not affected by hurricanes.

Needless to say, the western part of Northern Hezhou that we currently occupy is a decent place, but compared to the thirteen states, the gap is too great. Only the small area of ​​Vancouver can be considered a land of plenty.

The elder brother Sen nodded. "Zilin means that Father Emperor wants to provide strong support to the fifth prince, even at the cost of cultivating him into a replica of the Divine Land. This is not only to leave a competitor for our descendants, so that we will not slack off."

"Furthermore, if we don't focus on cultivating them in this way, our influence in Northern Hezhou will be no match for that of the United States."

"Yes, Beihezhou is a fragmented place, with the Protectorate General, the feudal lords, and the vassals checking and balancing each other. Apart from planting and mining, it has almost no industry. How could it possibly be a match for the United States?"

This is the reality of the Great Yu North America: to counter or even eliminate the newly emerging United States, a strong leader is needed to lead everyone together; a disorganized group cannot accomplish anything.

Previously, the Northern Hezhou Protectorate of the Great Yu was planned entirely as if it were a future homeland, and not only was there no unified leader, but the vassal kings of North America were even under surveillance.

This is also why the progress of Dayu's colonization in North America has been relatively slow over the past twenty years.

The officials of the Beihezhou Protectorate are considered to have accomplished a great feat if they don't make any mistakes.

For Prince Yan, Mo Zhouzhen, there were many things he wanted to do but couldn't, because to do them he would have to command the Protectorate and other vassal states, which he didn't have the authority to do.

Conquering Mexico was the greatest achievement he could accomplish, as he had grasped the needs of the empire and the colonized people of Northern Hezhou.

The elder brother Sen expressed his understanding, saying, "The fifth prince has it tough too. He conquered Mexico, but most of the fiefdoms went to the thirteenth prince and Guangzhi. He himself didn't gain much, yet he still did his best. No wonder the emperor loves him."

The others also agreed with this analysis, but Gong Zizhen sighed, "Rebuilding China is indeed a good thing, but if it is not done well, it will lead to the division of China."

There can be only one sun in the sky, and only one ruler for one subject. The Divine Continent is the chosen land, and the Northern Continent is also qualified. If the two are in a competitive relationship, and a struggle for the orthodox lineage arises in the future, it could very well lead to rivers of blood!

This caused even the big bosses Sen and Tao Shu to frown, as this was exactly what they were worried about.

Competition turned into war, and descendants slaughtered each other, rivers of blood flowing.
However, just as everyone was filled with worry, Lin Zexu walked over, moved the map, and after examining it carefully for a moment, an expression of "I knew it" appeared on his face. He then cupped his hands in greeting to the bigwig Sen.

"A war won't break out, at least it's unlikely to escalate to a large scale!"

"Your Highness, Prefect Tao's analysis is extremely accurate. It is precisely what His Majesty is anxious about, and the important reason why Your Highness agreed to this plan."

However, I believe there is another very important factor.

As everyone carefully examined the map, they discovered that Lin Zexu had actually moved Europe to the center, while the Central Plains and the Northern Continent were placed at opposite ends.

"It's settled, Prefect Tao, gentlemen, come and see." Lin Zexu pointed to the map, his face full of excitement at discovering the emperor's brilliant plan.

"The core area of ​​North Hezhou in the future will definitely be in the current United States, that is, the thirteen eastern states."

So, the distance from Boston, one of the largest ports in the region, to Shanghai is a full 60,000 li.

Given the speed of sailing warships at that time, it would take about four months to arrive, depending on wind direction and ocean currents; they could not set off at any time.

Even if the Panama Canal can be built in the future, it will only reduce the voyage to about 30,000 to 40,000 miles, and it will still take nearly three months to reach Shanghai.

At such a distance, the army is basically useless, even if steamships that don't need to be resupplyed at the Pearl Islands can be invented in the future.

The Divine Continent has tens of millions of people. How many armies would it take to defeat them? Two million, three million, or even five million?
If either China or Hezhou could send such a large army across tens of thousands of miles to the other side of the strait.

This only proves that the gap between the two sides has reached the level of the gap between equipment in the Han and Tang dynasties and equipment today, or even greater.

By then, both East and West will be part of China, and unification will be exactly what Heaven desires.

Mist grass!

Big Brother Sen's eyes widened. It was indeed true. If there were two Chinas like that, a war would never break out.

At the very least, it's unlikely to escalate into a bloodbath. At most, it'll just be a naval clash on the high seas, a power struggle over the ownership of the Pearl Islands (Hawaii).

The civil officials inside the room also felt their eyes light up, and their previous worries vanished instantly. The more they thought about it, the more convinced they became.

Gong Zizhen willingly bowed to Lin Zexu, which startled Lin Zexu so much that he quickly went to help him up.

"Lin Yuanfu's talent far surpasses ours; perhaps only Prefect Tao can compare with him. I am completely convinced."

Tao Shu wasn't jealous at all; instead, he burst into laughter, because no matter how outstanding Lin Zexu was, he was still his junior in terms of age and seniority.

The two are unlikely to be competitors in the future; they are more likely to be former and current partners. Therefore, there is absolutely no need to offend them; on the contrary, they should be on good terms.

“Gong Xuetai is flattering me. I think Lin Yuanfu’s talent is above mine.”

Lin Zexu quickly declined, and everyone laughed for a while. When the elder Sen saw that Lin Zexu seemed to have more to say, he raised his hand to signal him to continue.

"Your Highness, Your Excellency, gentlemen, please look again," Lin Zexu said, pointing to the map.

"The journey from Liverpool, one of England's largest ports, to Boston, one of North America's largest ports, is only about 10,000 li, which is only one-sixth the distance from Boston to Shanghai."

Even at the current speed of sailing warships, it would take at most thirty days to reach the destination. With a slight improvement in steam engines, direct sailing would be possible, reducing the time to around twenty-five days.

At such a close distance, the navy can easily project a large number of troops. More importantly, China cannot maintain tight control over Europe.

Because of its distance, its connection with Europe is not as close as that with Kitagawa.

"Hiss~~!" Boss Sen gasped, instantly becoming excited.

"Father, this is... this is going to turn the entire continent of Europe into a battlefield and destroy it!"

"If that is indeed the case, then in a few decades, whoever controls Europe will be able to rule the world."

In this way, not only can the two Chinas grow through competition, but it also means that both sides must expend great effort to control Europe, ensuring that Europe will never have a peaceful day.

"His Majesty's vision is far beyond our comprehension; this is simply the most brilliant move in the world."

"That's right, in the whole world, only the Europeans can compete with us."

Originally, I feared my descendants might become lazy, but this way, future generations will be forced to control this land due to competition, and anyone advocating for shrinking will be opposed by everyone.

"In this way, we will not have to worry about Europa slipping out of our control."

(End of this chapter)