Simultaneous travel: City, infinite evolution

Chapter 257 Showing the First Emperor a World Map (Part 1) [Requesting Recommendation Votes]

"Secondly, there is the route through Parthia to India."

They could first reach the Parthian Empire in the Persian region, which was the Parthian Kingdom at that time.

Then they traveled from Parthia to India along the trade route.

"As for other routes, we would need to take the sea route."

However, given the Qin Dynasty's naval and navigational technology at that time, traveling by sea was still too risky and insufficient for large-scale troop deployments, so I won't elaborate further.

After listening to Chen Hong's words, the group memorized the routes he mentioned and prepared to send envoys and caravans to explore the two land routes upon their return.

Chen Hong reignited the First Emperor's ambition to expand his territory.

There was no other way. Under the system of granting land based on military merit and titles, countless Qin people and soldiers from the six states, who were starving and desperate for food, longed for military merit and land.

Only a huge increase in land area can provide these people at the bottom with a channel for upward mobility and achieve class advancement.

Everyone listened attentively as Chen Hong continued to describe the beautiful world map.

As the map extends further, to the north of the Mauryan Empire lies Bactria, and to the northwest is the Parthian Empire, also known as the Anxi Empire.

The Parthian Empire was much smaller than the Mauryan Empire; it was just a tiny place.

But it's from the Persian region, which is a concentrated essence of nature.

"This is the Parthian Empire, located in the Persian region, adjacent to the Black Sea. It has fertile land and has inherited a part of the ancient Persian culture."

Further west on the map lies the long Seleucid Empire.

"This is the Seleucid Dynasty, one of the three Hellenistic kingdoms that emerged after the division of Alexander's Empire, ruling from West Asia to Central Asia."

At this time, Antiochus III launched the Fourth Xulian War to expand his territory and fiercely confronted the Ptolemaic Dynasty of Egypt.

It was also a fertile land, and a vital transportation hub, making it a strategically vital location fought over by military strategists.

The map continues to extend to the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt.

"The Ptolemaic dynasty was founded by Ptolemy I, a general under Alexander the Great, and its capital, Alexandria, was a hub for Mediterranean trade."

At this time, Egypt under Ptolemy IV was vying with the Seleucid dynasty for control of the Syrian region. Although it won the Battle of Raphael, its national strength was gradually declining.

The Ptolemaic dynasty's economy depended on Nile agriculture.

It was a major producer of wheat and papyrus, and it implemented a Hellenistic monetary and trade system.

This is also a fertile land, the birthplace of ancient Egyptian civilization.

The Nile River, with its enormous flow, has carved out vast fertile plains, much like the Yellow River in China.

The vast fields sustained countless Egyptians and gave birth to the brilliant Egyptian culture.

Like my Chinese civilization, it is an extremely ancient civilization.

Unfortunately, the ruling class of the Ptolemaic dynasty was composed of Greeks, and in the face of the impact of Greek culture, some aspects of Egyptian culture disappeared into the annals of history.

Of course, in order to win the support of native Egyptians and ensure a long reign, the Ptolemaic dynasty preserved a great deal of Egyptian culture.

A wealth of ancient Egyptian astronomical, medical, and architectural techniques have been well preserved.

The Ptolemaic dynasty implemented a "dual-track policy".

Greek elites use Greek language and Greek law, while Egyptian commoners follow local laws and customs.

Egyptian civilization has not been interrupted.

As the map continued to expand, Ying Zheng and his entourage gradually realized something was amiss.

"Huh? Why has this line become curved?"

"Could it be that the immortal was drawn incorrectly?"

Looking at the 3D map projection in the air, Ying Zheng and the other two frowned, somewhat puzzled.

Although they had doubts, they naturally couldn't point out the immortal's mistakes to his face, lest they offend him and displease him.

Chen Hong, however, continued drawing the projection map.

Europe has emerged.

"This is the Roman Republic, during the period of Roman expansion, which defeated Carthage in the three Punic Wars and gained control of the western Mediterranean."

Its political system was centered on the Senate, and its legal and engineering technologies (such as aqueducts) were highly developed.

The economy relied on a slave-based plantation economy, acquiring resources through conquest.

"This is Carthage, a maritime power in the western Mediterranean, which monopolized trade until the rise of Rome."

Carthage was about to be destroyed by Rome in the Third Punic War.

"The three kingdoms that emerged after the division of Alexander's empire were the Antigonid dynasty (Macedonia), the Ptolemaic dynasty (Egypt), and the Seleucid dynasty (West Asia), all of which pursued Hellenistic policies."

His achievements in science (such as Euclidean geometry) and art (such as sculpture incorporating Egyptian elements) are remarkable, demonstrating a rigorous logical way of thinking.

As the map continued to be drawn, the African continent beneath Europe gradually came into full view.

It looks much bigger than Europe.

"This is Africa, a vast and resource-rich land with a hot climate, where most of the people have dark skin."

The African continent, divided by the Sahara Desert, exhibits a stark polarization.

North of the Sahara, the Ptolemaic-ruled region of Egypt, the Mediterranean civilization of Carthage, and the Nubian civilization of the Kush Kingdom were all relatively advanced civilizations.

Most of these civilizations possessed bronze and iron tools and writing systems, indicating a relatively advanced level of civilization.

Sub-Saharan Africa, due to geographical isolation and lack of cultural exchange, has developed independently but slowly.

In most parts of sub-Saharan Africa, the Stone Age remains the primary mode of life, and social organization is mainly based on tribes or small kingdoms.

Terraced fields and stone buildings have appeared in the Zimbabwean highlands.

West Africa has cultivated crops such as sorghum and oil palm, and has developed terraced fields and artificial irrigation systems.

Early tribes along the East African coast engaged in sporadic trade with the Arabian Peninsula via the Indian Ocean, but on a small scale.

Overall, sub-Saharan civilization was far less developed than that of the north, and it could be considered a barbaric land.

The map continued to extend, crossing the Atlantic Ocean, and arrived at the New World. At this point, Ying Zheng and the others finally realized that Chen Hong hadn't drawn it wrong.

It was Chen Hong who deliberately drew the distorted map.

"What...what does this mean?"

Why are maps curved?

Everyone looked at Chen Hong.

Chen Hong smiled and shook his head, "Keep watching, and you'll understand naturally."

"These are the two continents of North America and South America."

"These two continents are completely isolated from the civilized world."

The people living there were mostly uncivilized and barbaric.

One of these civilizations is known as the 'Mayan civilization'.

It was still in the early stages of the nascent city-state.

Early civilizations in Mesoamerica primarily relied on slash-and-burn agriculture and constructed primitive pyramids and temples, but had not yet formed a unified nation.

"These two continents, north and south, are truly chosen lands, preserving the features of ancient times and remaining undeveloped."

It boasts abundant species, a pleasant climate, and vast resources.

South America has the largest primeval rainforest in the world, which is the lungs of this planet.

North America has vast, fertile plains that can be cultivated on a large scale, feeding countless people and making it a veritable granary of the land.

Its terrain is flat, with a vast plain area, far superior to the rugged, hilly, and narrow plains of my Great Qin.

Our Chinese ancestors pioneered and expanded beyond the Central Plains, enduring hardships and difficulties. The arable land they acquired was extremely limited, making their journey truly arduous.

Compared to the vast natural plains of North America, it is truly blessed by nature.

Ying Zheng and the other two were green with envy.

What a blessed land this is!
So, it seems like we Chinese have been playing a game on hell difficulty all along?
"If we can acquire this land, it can serve as a foundation for an everlasting dynasty. Why should we worry about the decline of the king's rule or the prosperity of the people?"

The map continues to extend, crossing the North and South American continents, to the vast Pacific Ocean.

Old Ying Zheng, young Ying Zheng, and Li Si stared in disbelief at the Pacific Ocean, which seemed to cover half of their field of vision.

As far as the eye can see, all that can be seen is the ocean; the mainland is nowhere to be seen.

"This...this is an enormous ocean!"

Why is it so huge?

"Is the ocean really that big?"

"Greater than all the continents combined?"

Chen Hong nodded firmly and pointed to the vast ocean, saying:
"This is the Pacific Ocean."

"It is enormous in scale, covering half of the world's oceans and one-third of the world's total area."

It is a truly ancient land, teeming with primordial mysteries—traces buried deep within time.

Everyone listened with fascination, exclaiming, "What a mysterious place, the ancient deep ocean!"

The map continued to expand, circled around, and returned to the continent of Qin.

The crowd finally realized what was happening, and saw that the curved surfaces were connected end to end.

"Could it be..."

Everyone had their own guesses and was shocked.

Sure enough, the curved surface began to extend downwards.

Some scattered island clusters have emerged.

"This is the Malaysian archipelago and the Indonesian archipelago."

Although the islands are fragmented and not very large, they are not comparable to the mainland.

However, because it is adrift at sea, it is a natural port for ships to dock and replenish supplies, as well as an important shipping route connecting Daqin with the rest of the world.

If our Great Qin can build ships capable of sailing the oceans, we will definitely take over this place.

It can control the entire sea route, whether it is a merchant ship or a warship. If you control this place, you control the vital passage.

This is because the area is located on the path of ocean currents, and ocean navigation inevitably relies on the power of ocean currents.

It saves time and effort, prevents you from getting lost, and is safer, avoiding most of the dangers of ocean storms.

Upon hearing Chen Hong's words, Ying Zheng and the others immediately realized the importance of this place and nodded solemnly.

"This place is indeed very important, a strategic location that military strategists must contend for. We must take this place in the future and expand our territory."

"These islands are rainy and hot, and produce a variety of fruit trees, sandalwood, spices and all kinds of other things. They are very suitable for agriculture and are fertile lands."

After discussing the Malaysian and Indonesian archipelagos, the map continues downwards.

It outlines the shape of a continent.

"This... there's actually a separate, floating continent beneath my Great Qin?"

Ying Zheng and the others were shocked. "It's not that far."

"If we could build ships to sail over those islands, wouldn't we be able to reach this continent very quickly?"

“That’s right.” Chen Hong nodded. “This place is also a gift from heaven.”

Its terrain is mostly temperate rainforest grassland, which is very suitable for grazing. Unlike the northern part of the Xiongnu, it is not as cold and prone to snow disasters, where livestock would freeze to death.

The dry climate and warm climate year-round make this area ideal for grazing sheep, harvesting wool, and spinning garments; it also provides a source of mutton, significantly increasing the meat supply for the Qin Dynasty.

Moreover, being surrounded by the ocean, it is ideal for large-scale aquaculture of marine life, providing the people of Qin with a large quantity of seafood.

(End of this chapter)