Wei School's Three Good Students

Chapter 282 The drawbacks of sea power.

On March 4th, Xuan Chong's ship was still "resting" in the northern port. The special envoy from Jianye responsible for inspecting the extent of the damage to the warship was still on his way. The broadcast outside the isolation room where Xuan Chong was located was issuing notices more frequently than usual.

As for Yandu, with the emperor setting the tone, the high-level officials stopped bickering. The Ministry of War has already sent Liu Haoxing's relevant rewards to Dongtu Island.

The smaller departments under Yandu and Jianye are vying for power over "detention and investigation" versus "rewards for getting people released"; the lowly people in charge of execution within these departments are tearing each other apart for their own future, while the bigwigs maintain a facade of fighting without breaking down.

As his imprisonment dragged on, Xuan Chong could sense that the man with the northern accent was becoming increasingly impatient, trying to provoke him into saying things he shouldn't.

However, Xuan Chong continued to drink tea and sleep as usual, occasionally asking casual questions such as, "Which department are you from?" and "How much is the department's salary?" In these casual conversations, Xuan Chong would suddenly say something that made the other person break down.

Xuan Chong's divine words 1: "Shouldn't you be promoted every three years? You've worked for so long and haven't been promoted at all. Your boss is treating you like a rag." (Being able to jump every few years is only possible for someone like Xuan Chong.)

Xuan Chong's Divine Words 2: "High blood pressure, huh? Then turn on the heating in winter and keep it at 25 degrees Celsius. That's good for the elderly. Don't be stingy with the money." (In Yandu, heating will maintain a constant indoor temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. These are all houses within the Third Ring Road, which are beyond the reach of low-ranking officials.)

Now, Xuan Chong is behaving just like Emperor Hui of Jin. He seems naive and clueless about the ways of the world, but in reality, he's deliberately trying to annoy people.

After such a long interrogation, it will ultimately end with a "misunderstanding"; and dealing with the "misunderstanding" will make these small departments take the blame. (Because these departments didn't find any results).

Xuan Chong was a fourth-rank military officer, born into a princely family. His social standing hadn't diminished, yet he directly concerned himself with the lower-ranking officials. It was like a wealthy person asking a laborer, "Are you happy?", and the laborer rolling their eyes, or, if in a bad mood, replying, "My surname is X, and you're xxx."

Xuan Chong's "buttocks" weren't immune to falling from their "high seats." At least within the navy, Xuan Chong genuinely lived on the average allowance of his classmates. His uniform was rented, he ate in the canteen, and he pooled his resources with his classmates to buy bicycles. Xuan Chong secretly paid 50% of the price upfront, then had the bicycle dealer sell them to him and his classmates for half the price, leading his classmates to remark that they had gotten a bargain.

Now, Xuan Chong was chatting casually with the interrogators in the interrogation room, asking about their salaries. This touched a nerve with these petty bureaucrats who were "carrying heavy burdens," and they immediately slammed their fists on the table and cursed at Xuan Chong: "Watch your attitude!"

Inside the interrogation room, Xuan Chong said, "Alright, alright, I'll watch my attitude." Then he muttered, "A nobody like him, yet he acts so high and mighty." This was like adding a thunderbolt from the heavens to the already raging fire.

However, just as the petty bureaucrats were preparing to make things difficult for Xuan Chong that very night, adding extra ingredients to his food, half an hour later, military commanders from Jianye came to visit the meritorious official. Xuan Chong's confinement was over.

It's such a coincidence that Xuan Chong came at the perfect moment to annoy people.

After leaving the interrogation room, Xuan Chong made a special request to thank those who had interrogated him, thanking them for their hard work in accompanying him during the days of psychological counseling. Just before leaving, Xuan Chong turned back and smiled, giving them a look of concern for the intellectually disabled.

Yandu could not bear the undignified situation of "internal strife," while Jianye dared not openly declare "separatism."

Everyone is at odds with each other regarding the existing system of rights and obligations. Poaching from each other and badmouthing one another is one thing, but no one dares to overturn the table.

...Only by enduring the harassment of the little devils could the king be bribed...

Xuan Chong received a letter and a photograph from home; the photograph showed the interior of the six-story square building decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations.

The letter stated that Liu Haoxing's cousins ​​were celebrating that "the Crown Prince's trip south will bring him great merit."

Xuan Chong then realized that meritorious service in the Han civil war could be equivalent to "merit," and for large clans, "merit" and "honor" were equally scarce, and could be used to exempt several, dozens, or even hundreds of people from taxes.

Of course, these days, duty-free groups don't congregate in unprofitable industries like "farmland"; they naturally gather in legitimate businesses like "steel" and "shipbuilding" in Hanzhong.

What? If you want to make money, why not use it on the exorbitant profits of some businesses?

The tax exemption for meritorious service and fame is limited to one generation (if the meritorious service is less than thirty years, it is counted as thirty years). In present-day Han, everyone is averse to "windfall gains"; the money amassed by local exploitation for short-term exorbitant profits will eventually be "completely wiped out" when the power is lost.

Xuan Chong pondered for a moment. In other words, if they continued down the current path of establishing merit through military force, they could still keep the profits from petrochemicals, the most profitable industry on Dongtu Island, local.

However, Xuan Chong shook his head. Although in name "military merit tax reduction" was similar to official rank, the circle of "military merit" consisted of "uneducated men" who did not control the country's industrial and economic production.

In this era of rapid industrial and technological development, Dongtu needs investment in "industrialization projects," so he still needs to pass the imperial examinations.

Xuan Chong obediently sent a letter home to report the good news, but he wasn't excited. The emperor had hastily bestowed rewards upon him, but they didn't address the issues he desired. He would remember this "favor," but Xuan Chong knew in his heart that he couldn't let it cause him to waver on the issue of choosing sides.

Guan Yu's loyalty was demonstrated by his ability to maintain his stance despite Cao Cao's numerous overtures. Lu Bu, on the other hand, was a fool who sold himself out for a small gain.

For the next month, Xuan Chong stayed where he was and dutifully accepted the review materials given to him by the south.

At this moment, the crew members on the ship had all been bribed by an "unknown" force in the harbor. They then extended an invitation to Xuan Chong through the first and second officers of the Bird's Eye Mantis Shrimp. Faced with this social nicety, Xuan Chong declined, citing "study as an excuse."

…the Han army at Pengcheng…

In April, the war ended with Eastern Shu ceding territory and paying reparations. Both sides withdrew their artillery from the Dongzhu battlefield under joint supervision. From the coastline to the hilly area, numerous shell craters tell the story of the fierce fighting that once took place.

Overall, the Eastern Shu fought quite well in this battle, reducing the Han army's 200,000 troops by a full 50,000. Furthermore, they failed to capture the heartland of Eastern Shu.

Xuan Chong: "This is absolutely not because the Han army is kind! It's because the marines in southern Han are fighting terribly."

So what exactly is the combat capability of the current Han Dynasty's amphibious landing force? Xuan Chong now strongly suspects that the naval land forces deployed by the current Han Dynasty are equivalent to the combat capability of modern mercenaries.

This force was the Southeast Han Army, recruiting impoverished youths from neighboring vassal states such as Japan, Silla, and Champa. After receiving a certain amount of resettlement allowance, they underwent military training. They were well-equipped and highly obedient, but lacked faith and initiative in summarizing tactics.

On the Japanese side, after careful study, Xuan Chong determined that such an army was unable to contend with the regular army of traditional land power.

Based on his experience from his previous time travel, Xuan Chong determined that Lu Quan's regular army had a "blood reward." This blood reward wasn't about how much money they received, but rather that every soldier had the opportunity to rise in rank.

An army whose soldiers don't aspire to be generals is not a first-rate army.

The Han Dynasty is willing to spend money on the Southeast Navy, but to turn around the Marine Corps? No way!
After consulting the Modern Chinese History, Xuan Chong discovered that this problem had already emerged in the era of pirates, or rather, the era of maritime trade.

The maritime merchants' trade was extremely profitable, so they were quite willing to pay people when recruiting. However, those they recruited had to work hard for them. If they didn't want to work hard, they could leave and go it alone, but if a lowly soldier wanted to become a big boss, that was out of the question.

This explains why hundreds of thousands of merchants from the southeastern seas gathered and clamored, but ultimately had no choice but to accept the imperial amnesty.

Because these hundreds of thousands of people have landed, we simply can't fight them!
In the early battles of the Han Dynasty, some maritime merchants, failing to grasp the situation, attempted to establish their own independent regime in the southeast. As a result, they stockpiled large quantities of cannons and muskets, only to be wiped out by a single charge from a cavalry regiment.

Logically, this kind of conscription through "maritime merchant recruitment" in the southeast should have ended there. However, because many maritime merchants in the southeast had already chosen sides early on when the Han Dynasty was founded, this outdated system of "four classes of marines" was inherited.

Furthermore, since the Han's military operations in Southeast Asia are mostly interventionist, they only require "cheap" and "obedient" soldiers.

The current powerful navy in southeastern China is most inclined to recruit people from Japan. These people are convinced that they are "vassals," and they will become completely obsessed if they are allowed to naturalize and given enough money.

…to be the first to worry about the world's troubles…

Xuan Chong, who was in Japan, did not go to Yoshiwara to seek pleasure, but instead carefully observed the local customs as if he were in a wolf's den.

In short, the Japanese are to the modern Chinese navy what the Gurkhas are to the British Empire—known for their ruthlessness and fighting spirit.

But if Xuan Chong were to evaluate the soldiers, would the Gurkhas, if they were truly brave and skilled in battle, still serve as dogs for others?

Emperor Qianlong dispatched six or seven thousand men, willing to pay a "blood reward," and the supposedly ruthless Gurkhas rebels' bravery was immediately exposed. Upon hearing his local colleagues praise the warriors as exceptionally skilled, Xuan Chong scoffed, "I don't understand naval warfare, but I do know a little about army culture. You're all complete idiots!"

Xuan Chong looked at the map and finally understood why, in the three wars with Eastern Shu, he could only seize islands but could not launch a surprise attack on the mainland.

Taking islands can be done with mercenaries as cannon fodder. But fighting across the vast landmass requires the soldiers of your own country. Want to pull a strong army from colonies or semi-colonies? Dream on.

This victory was actually a victory in terms of sea power. The Han Dynasty made a huge mistake in the land battle against Dongzhu, while the Shu Kingdom made an even bigger mistake in the naval battle.

The disastrous land campaign of Eastern Shu pales in comparison to its naval defeat. The failed surprise attack resulted in multiple interceptions, leading to the collapse of the fleet. This rendered the "Dongzhu (Kia Island)" campaign insignificant. The original objective of capturing Kia Island was to secure a springboard for an attack on the fertile eastern coast of Eastern Shu. Now, with the Eastern Shu navy destroyed, the eastern coastal gateway was wide open.

Therefore, Eastern Shu was the first to sue for peace. Meanwhile, the leaders of the Han Dynasty, seeing the disastrous state of their own land warfare, also decided to cut their losses.

…The perspective shifts to Eastern Shu…

On the island of Guinea, Qin Shen received news from his officials back home that they were negotiating peace, and he remained silent for a long time.

During the evening meeting, under the glow of a filament light bulb, Qin Shen asked the other generals who had come to attend the meeting questions.

These generals expressed their opinions: some worried that this was a delaying tactic by the Han dynasty, while others were concerned that the rear would be used as a bargaining chip in peace negotiations.

Qin Shen nodded to his soldiers, saying, "What you said is all correct," but in his heart, he felt desolate. He knew from their discussions that his men didn't want to fight anymore, didn't want to risk their lives for this island hanging over the sea.

Although the island of Gua is the last barrier for the mainland in the north, it is as crucial as the Huai River when defending the Yangtze River.

Any strategist knows this place is important, but in the process of implementation, complaints arose: "After all, it's just an 'outer island'!"

For the soldiers of Eastern Shu, fighting to the death on the outer islands was like oxen and horses working overtime in a factory, not even as hard as the secretaries who were always at the office door opening for their leaders.

If an army's efforts cannot be seen by the group holding core interests, then no matter how well that army understands the importance of the area it defends, it will be powerless!
…Let's switch the perspective back…

Xuan Chong is also doing his homework! Why were the southern forces of the Han dynasty able to take over the islands?
Xuan Chong looked at Dianlu and slowly said, "Because Dianlu is also a purely maritime power, its attitude towards the management of the islands in the north of Dianlu is different from that of land powers in the management of the border."

A mature land power will naturally win over military blocs in its border regions politically.

Because all the central dynasties knew that although the border regions were far away, the border troops could still get back in time!
Frontier crises led successive dynasties to give basic respect to their border generals. Emperors and court officials had always sent trusted confidants to the border regions or summoned high-ranking officials to return. Although this was a sign of "distrust," it could not be interpreted as "lack of importance."

But sea power is different. No matter how capable the military groups stationed on the outer islands are, once the authorities in the core area cut off shipping traffic to them, the authorities and the beneficiaries in the core area can simply say to the military forces stationed on the islands, "Out of sight, out of mind."

This has led to a very indifferent attitude of the maritime bureaucracy towards overseas non-"economic zones".

Due to the neglect of interest groups on the outer islands by the core group under the maritime power system, a "second-class citizen area" has essentially been formed.

Xuan Chong analyzed: "Therefore, when a naval power is weak, it is often impossible for its elite troops on the mainland to fight to the death for the outlying islands!" (The Japanese who hold the Pacific are mostly army dung.)
For soldiers stationed overseas, holding the fortified islands meant becoming an "indispensable" force there, but what if they ultimately remained on those islands? Wouldn't that make them "second-class citizens" of the empire? Others strive to advance to the imperial court, so why am I regressing despite my efforts? (This is the case with Pang Xun's rebellion in the late Tang Dynasty.)
In modern times, the spirit of land-based powers in "not yielding an inch of land" on their borders is because the central government recognizes this achievement.

When a high-ranking official returns to the capital, even the most arrogant local tyrant has to bow and give way with proper decorum. This sense of responsibility for defending the territory is something that the lower-class citizens recruited by maritime powers cannot match.

Xuan Chong moved his finger across the map, tracing lines of latitude and longitude, and determined that the current Han dynasty held the advantage, while the Eastern Shu, in its weaker position, would find it more efficient to prioritize capturing its surrounding islands. However, systemic issues prevented the current Han from tackling the formidable challenge of conquering the mainland in the short term.

…thousands of miles away…

On the island of Guinea, Qin Shen held a wine glass, gazing forlornly at the map. News arrived from the "peace faction" back home that his 100,000 elite troops could not be lost; if they were, Eastern Shu would be destroyed.

Qin Shen felt a chill in his heart. He knew that while these peace advocates said, "We can't lose our elite troops!" they were actually afraid that their assets on the western coast of Dianlu would be destroyed by artillery fire, and they were now hurriedly transferring those assets to Pengzhou!

If the council truly wants to give Eastern Shu a final boost, it must relocate all factories on the west coast to the southeast of Dianlu, using its strategic depth to withstand the current Han's attack, persist in fighting to the end, and demonstrate its resolve.

The current peace talks, while seemingly not a complete annihilation of the country, are actually an important step before its destruction.

Each of the Han's attacks was like a sledgehammer striking a huge rock. It seemed that each strike only broke off a small piece of the rock, but cracks were already spreading inside the huge rock of Eastern Shu.

Qin Shen had already sensed that the "tribute" relationship that Eastern Shu had established with the various smaller, fragmented forces by leveraging its status as the "cultural patriarch" had been severed, and that the current Han dynasty was the one that was inheriting it all.

Qin Shen, drunk and chuckling, said, "So this is the end result of building a country based on profit!"

Three hundred years ago, a great Confucian scholar in the Han Dynasty wrote in his book "On the Rise of the Nation": "A nation should be established on the basis of righteousness, while the system should be supported by expanding profits."

This book is currently on Qin Shen's desk. It is said that the Eastern Shu Kingdom was founded by a group of merchants. The founders were used to the huge profits from the South Seas. The second generation of the successors were already living in luxury. Why would they give up their comfortable lives and go deep into the barren land to build a new one through hardship and arduous struggle?

This is the rule of a country: the hardships that the first generation of the ruling class can endure are discounted by the second generation, who take for granted the class privileges earned through the hardships of their parents. Without the "moral" constraints left over from the founding of the country, they would quickly become unrestrained and indulgent.

It can be said that the first generation of the Eastern Shu believed that it was feasible to establish a country through commerce by relying on the huge profits of Southeast Asia; they were content to remain in the mainland instead of launching a counterattack against Zhen Han, and their fate was sealed.

The descendants of the group inherited the capital that their predecessors had earned to become maritime hegemons, but they did not develop enough responsibility to match the profits.

Now the question arises: why should the immense maritime profits of the Southeast Asia region be monopolized by Eastern Shu? Once the rivers are reunified and the Han dynasty expands its reach outwards, it will inevitably come to seize them.

If the current Han dynasty's "tribute system" is more competitive, then Eastern Shu will be relegated to the dustbin of history.

…tributary system…

Xuan Chong looked at the Japanese people who were wiping the floor for him.

He knew perfectly well that these people were "living bugs" sent by the bigwigs at the naval base here. Of course, even knowing they were traitors, he could still sense their subservience.

Xuan Chong then began to inquire about their family and social circumstances.

The lineage of the Japanese emperor still exists, but it has been reduced to a dukedom. As for the king, he is now held by four members of the Liu clan sent by the Han dynasty. And the daimyo below him, all those who have rebelled in the past few centuries, have been replaced by military commanders from Han territory.

The modern Han dynasty has a proven process for maintaining control over these overseas countries, which is similar to the "Cao Cao" process.

First, they subtly shift power, causing the old central authority to abandon its original legal system and then inherit the legal system they themselves created. Next, the powerful officials dispatched by the Han dynasty to the occupied territories, wielding military forces, seek out and eliminate any disobedient local powers, replacing them with their own.

The upper levels of all four regions in Japan have now been replaced, all centered around the current Han dynasty.

Xuan Chong, after reviewing "diplomatic" cases, couldn't help but sigh. The first step was to identify the center, and then to export culture in the name of the center. Refusing to be exported was considered "disloyal," meaning that the Liu family in the region could mobilize the power of the Han dynasty and many other vassal states to "punish the disloyal."

It can be said that "tribute" has become a unified value in the region.

Xuan Chong couldn't help but compare his own timeline: Old Europe, after the fall of Rome, was unsure whether the "center" was France or Germany; plus, a troublemaker filled the region with interference and conflict from other powers. As for the US? It's a nouveau riche; it can launch destructive cultural offensives, but export stability? Europe can't even unify its own culture, so how can it export stability?
After glancing at the Japanese, Xuan Chong secretly made a decision: the East must build a cross-sea bridge or an undersea tunnel in the future, and must not remain isolated overseas.

(End of this chapter)