Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 239 Readers from the East and West

Yujing City, Prince Yu's Mansion.

The small study, which belonged exclusively to Prince Yu and where no concubines or servants were allowed to enter, was filled with a dazzling array of exquisitely crafted trinkets.

In particular, on the large desk in the very center, all the "peripherals" that came with "The Influence of Sea Power" were gathered together.

There is a brass planetarium larger than a human head. Although the proportions of the continents are slightly unbalanced, it is still enough to give a very intuitive understanding of the whole world.

There is a 100:1 replica of a franc sailing ship, with a wooden hull painted with tung oil, sails, ropes, and hatches, all meticulously detailed, and even the brass cannons are complete;
There are also exquisitely crafted models of matchlock guns that can only be viewed but not used; compasses and nautical charts of major world shipping routes.
There are even models of the treasure ships used by the naval commanders of the original treasure ships. They are actually large-scale Fujian ships, so people won't unnecessarily associate them with the whereabouts of Zheng He's treasure maps.

It is obvious that this advanced marketing concept was Wang Cheng's idea.

In addition, after the bookseller Shidetang discovered the explosive popularity of "The Influence of Sea Power" (Sea Power Influence), he was even more proactive than the author himself, and selling related merchandise was much more profitable than simply selling the book.

Readers who could afford these things were naturally either rich or noble, such as Prince Yu, who was theoretically the second most noble person in the entire Great Zhao Dynasty.

Coincidentally.

That day, in the palace, taking advantage of his status as the crown prince and the celestial order established by the divine energy of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, he inadvertently heard his father's roar, which sounded like he wanted to devour someone:
"Money! They stole my money!"

Only after paying a trusted palace servant to inquire did they learn that their father was reading a book called "The Influence of Sea Power on the World" (or "The Influence of Sea Power on the World").

It was only a few days after its publication, and the word-of-mouth had barely begun to spread when it was immediately sent to the desk of the Lord of the State by the White Scale Guards who were monitoring all directions.

Although the ruler of the state has the power to move mountains and overturn seas, the range of his power is only within a thousand miles. He cannot even fully control the borders of his own dynasty, let alone beyond ten thousand miles.
Like his predecessors, Emperor Shaozhi believed that the outside world consisted of barbarian lands, and that his own Celestial Empire was self-sufficient and did not need to rely on external forces.

This understanding seems correct to a certain extent; if the northern grasslands were arable, there would have been no opportunity for nomadic peoples to rise again as early as the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.

Now, his eyes have been opened by "The Influence of Sea Power on the World," and he can clearly see that one word is written everywhere between the lines: money!

Someone has taken the money that rightfully belongs to the imperial court!
Prince Yu is 24 years old, a time when he is full of energy and curiosity.

They immediately dispatched people to purchase these items from bookstores in the capital, and subsequently saw a series of detailed data listed by the author:

"Yingzhou Ishimi Silver Mine, New Continent Potosi Silver Mine"
Even during the Hongzhi reign, when the national treasury's silver reserves were at their peak, the annual income was 4 million taels. Adding the 30 million shi of land tax, which accounted for 80% of the total, the amount was only a little over 20 million taels of silver.

With the advent of the Age of Exploration, one-third of the world's annual silver production is now flowing into China. The approximate trade data for countries such as the Franco-Prussian Peninsula, the Netherlands, and Britannia are as follows.
However, by the Shaozhi reign of our Great Zhao Dynasty, the arable land had plummeted from 8.5 million mu at the founding of the dynasty to 4.2 million mu, and the annual silver revenue from the Taicang granary had dwindled to only 130 million taels. Taxes of all kinds not only decreased but increased, while expenditures surged to 240 million taels.
So here's the question: with overall foreign trade revenue skyrocketing, yet imperial tax revenue continuing to decline, where did all the money go?

Upon seeing this, Prince Yu immediately understood why his father had been so furious.

Even someone bad at math knows that the theoretical annual income of the Great Zhao should increase year after year, or even increase faster and faster, and it is absolutely impossible for it to decrease like this.

Since the imperial court didn't take the money, someone else must have taken it.

Not to mention the ruler of the state who holds great power, even he, the heir apparent who has not yet tasted the power, couldn't help but feel his blood boil and his veins bulge.

He gritted his teeth and spat out his conclusion:
"There are treacherous officials in the imperial court! Lots and lots of them!"

Especially when he asked the group of "clean-handed" masters and the officials of the Prince's Palace about this strange phenomenon.

However, they received a series of laughable answers, such as "Frequent floods in Jiangnan have exhausted the people's strength," "The number of refugees is increasing daily, and fields are being abandoned," and "Cunning officials and clerks are embezzling and enriching themselves."

Prince Yu felt like a fool in their eyes.

Seeing the hypocritical faces of these people who claimed to be "concerned about the country and its people," he became even more convinced of a passage in "The Influence of Sea Power on the World":

"Fellow countrymen, financial power is political power! Sea power is national power!"

Even Prince Yu, without any instruction, automatically filled in the unfinished words of the author, Prince Jinghai, Wang Cheng:

"The emperor and the central government, along with the Tanka people and water collectors who were treated as pawns and expendable under the cursed mountains and seas, are the true community of interests."

One had their money stolen, the other had their life stolen!

Until today, a piece of news from the East China Sea suddenly spread like wildfire throughout the world.

Prince Jinghai led his army and navy of the East Sea Kingdom to seize 250 million stones, enough to occupy one-twelfth of the Nine Provinces Island of the Great Zhao Dynasty.

It rose to become the overlord of Saikaido, and was undoubtedly the most powerful domain in the world compared to all the daimyo in Japan.

This proves that the author not only has theoretical knowledge but also practical experience, and is taking steady steps to follow his own path.

It is said that on this day, countless temples and shrines along the East China Sea that belonged to his father, Prince Jing, shone with divine light, which lasted all night long.

Moreover, it's extremely flashy—no, it's dazzlingly iridescent.

Prince Yu sat in his small study, his mind still unsettled.

"Switch on! The Great Zhao must be switched on!"
If I were in charge, I would definitely open a port in Yuegang, a hub for maritime merchants, and establish a separate county there.

The author of "On Sea Power" is named Wang Cheng, so why not call it "Haicheng County"? This would benefit the people, giving the Tanka people a chance to breathe and make a living, and would also greatly enrich the national treasury.

He had just spoken when he suddenly realized he had misspoke and quickly covered his mouth.

He threw out a few wooden kites that could fly automatically, and only after confirming that there was no one inside or outside the study did he feel relieved.

It's really not fair to blame this prospective crown prince for being so cautious.

Emperor Shaozhi's attitude is currently ambiguous, and the position of crown prince remains undecided.

One faction, led by Grand Secretary Yan Jiexi, supported the fourth prince, Prince Jing, Han Zaizhen, to succeed as crown prince; the other faction, led by Second Grand Secretary Xu Shaohu, supported the third prince, Prince Yu, Han Zaiji, to ascend to the throne.

"My father really doesn't have much affection for me. The position of crown prince has been vacant for 14 years without appointing me, the eldest son born out of wedlock, and he clearly favors my younger brother who is only two months younger than me."

I am a Heavenly Rank [Divine Strategist Taoist], but he received a special favor and was appointed as a [Alchemy Taoist], just like his father, the Emperor.

He even said something about 'two dragons never meeting,' never seeing his children and grandchildren. What can I do?

Under these special circumstances, Prince Yu acted with extreme caution. He never casually participated in court affairs, nor did he indulge in extravagant entertainment or sensual pleasures. Even his daily words and actions were extremely careful.

He was even overly cautious. In previous years, in order to obtain the salary he deserved from the Prince's Mansion, he did not hesitate to bribe that young Grand Secretary from the Yan faction with a large sum of money, considering it a disgrace to his life.

But he had no choice but to continue to endure it.

"To say something extremely disrespectful."

My father is currently collecting the five precious ingredients for the elixir of immortality, the Five Organs Returning to Truth Pill. With my father's first-rank alchemist skills, he should be able to refine an elixir of immortality very soon.

In order to obtain the elixir of immortality, even those parasites pointed out in "The Influence of Sea Power" were temporarily set aside and ignored (in reality, the White Scale Guards had already been dispatched).

He probably thought that as long as he could live forever, all the problems of the Great Zhao Dynasty could be solved.

I fear I will never have a chance to rise in the world.

The young Prince Yu's eyes fell once again on the official report sent back by the White Scale Guard, his gaze filled with envy.

It is said that many Chinese men spend their entire lives seeking their father's approval.

Just look at the seven-colored divine light emanating from Prince Jing, and you'll know how triumphant he is today.

It is said that the Prince of Jinghai was just an eighteen-year-old young man, not yet of age.

Even the living Ghost God Old Master, the president of the Mountain and Sea Society, called him "the first person to open his eyes to see the world".

Compared to his own "caged bird" situation, Prince Yu felt a strong urge to write a letter to Wang Cheng, wanting to ask him about the various problems he encountered while reading.

Especially the story of Prince Henry the Navigator, who ushered in the Age of Exploration.

But
he can not!
He was the "prospective crown prince" who was legally entitled to inherit the throne, but in reality, he was far less favored than his younger brother, Prince Jing.

He truly understood the significance of the statement, "It's possible in principle, but not in practice; it's not possible in principle, but it is in practice."

The younger brother, Prince Jing, could replace him at any time, and the only outcome of being replaced is death!

We absolutely cannot do anything out of line now.

He took a deep breath and wrote down the 1,872nd thing he would do after gaining his freedom on the back of a screen.

The back of the screen was covered with dense writing, which shows how oppressive his life was.

Looking down at the last page of "The Influence of Sea Power on the World," the author calls upon all the people of Dazhao: "Go and find it! The eunuch Zheng He has hidden all his treasures there!"

Prince Yu couldn't help but feel his heart surge with emotion:
"He is a prince, and I am a prince. If only we could escape this prison-like capital and switch places with the Prince of Jinghai."

I want to set sail and become a Pirate King too!

At the same time, on an island nation even further west at the westernmost tip of this vast continent.

The Tudor dynasty, which inherited the legacy of the Lancaster and York families and established a new dynasty, resided for a long time at Norwich Palace.

The palace was surrounded by high city walls and a magnificent castle-style gate tower, turning the palace into a majestic fortress that was both defensive and beautiful.

Queen Elizabeth Tudor of Britannia is also sitting behind her desk, intently reading a copy of "The Influence of Sea Power" translated into Britannian.

These versions, published in the Western Continent through his mother-in-law Cassandra Paleorog, were published much later than those in the East.

Her Majesty the Queen overheard her naval generals discussing this book at a court ball, picked it up, and fell completely in love with it.

Elizabeth I is only twenty-eight years old this year, but her vision is already extraordinary.

She had long foreseen that the return of massive amounts of silver and gold to the Franco-German Empire would trigger a series of problems within the country.

The vast colonies may not have made the country stronger; on the contrary, the country's "buying spree" around the world led to domestic inflation, the destruction of handicrafts, and a decline in national strength.

Until one day, we may lose even the necessary industrial capacity to build warships and manufacture cannons.

But the resistance in the colonies will only grow stronger, and that will be the time of the empire's decline.

This book, specifically for the Western Continent version of "The Influence of Sea Power on the World," happens to contain a small section on Colonialism 2.0, which could address this issue, but it only scratches the surface and doesn't delve into it in depth.

The same applies to the "continental balance strategy" needed for the development of island nations; it was only mentioned briefly and then left undiscussed.

Elizabeth I was so captivated by it that she couldn't resist.

"The author is actually an Eastern king?"

He had never been to the Western Continent, yet he possessed keen insight, not only formulating national strategies but also clearly outlining a naval development path that perfectly suited our Britannia's national conditions.

This is exactly the kind of strategist my kingdom and my navy need. I really want to meet this author and have a long talk with him.

She didn't have a harsh father to keep her in check, so she acted on her impulses.

He took out a quill pen and a piece of parchment and quickly wrote a long letter. He then used wax and the gold seal ring on his hand to stamp it with the Tudor family's coat of arms of red and white roses.

He rang a silver bell to summon a palace attendant and gave him the following order:
"Send out the Griffin Riders to deliver the letter to our East Bharata Company in Britannia as quickly as possible."

"Have them send a special envoy as the Queen to deliver my personal letter to His Majesty the King of the Eastern Sea Kingdom."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

The young queen had too many problems to solve, and as rulers of the same island nation, she believed that she and the other must have a lot in common.

(End of this chapter)