My Realistic Simulation Game

Chapter 266 Killing Foreigners, Exterminating Indigenous Peoples, and Colonizing the Seas

On the ancient road of Xianxia Ridge, the mountain wind whistles, fluttering the somewhat tattered banners of the Taiping Army.

Qin Yuan stood at a narrow pass, looking down at the winding path leading south.

He was thinking about strategies for reorganizing the army.

To reorganize the army, there is no doubt that we must start with money, food, and frontline soldiers.

Establishing Party branches at the company level is an absolutely correct approach.

Therefore, the most urgent task is not to strip these fierce generals of their power.

Instead, it quickly established a foothold, united people, and allowed new ideas to begin to take root.

The militia training manual comes in handy at this moment.

He plans to select about 500 promising young officers and soldiers from various military units with simple backgrounds to be personally led by him.

The core curriculum of the first training team was to study in depth the practical techniques in "Friends of Dual-Use Military and Civilian Talents" and the battlefield first aid in "The Barefoot Doctor's Manual".

The goal is to quickly cultivate the first batch of grassroots backbone personnel who agree with his ideas and master new skills.

These people were then distributed to the grassroots level of various armies, cultivating genuine loyalty from the lowest-ranking soldiers.

Let these soldiers know whether they should be loyal to their general or to the respected Prince Yi.

Only when these people have grown up can he gradually take control of the entire army as if it were his own arm.

When that time comes, if any general tries to break away with his troops, the most likely outcome is that they will be captured by their own soldiers and officers and brought before them.

However, all of this takes time.

Right now, what he lacks most is time.

"I wonder what Yang Fuqing is doing now?"

Qin Yuan gazed into the distance and blurted it out involuntarily.

Zhang Suimou was riding alongside Qin Yuan at that moment. Upon hearing this, he smiled and said, "Your Highness seems to be very worried about Yang Guozong?"

"Guozong" was a title of nobility within the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom system.

First-class, first-level: Chief Military Advisor and Assistant Chief Military Advisor (Eastern King and Western King)
Level Two: Deputy and Secondary Deputy Military Advisor (Southern King and Northern King)
Tier 3: Commander (Wing King)

Second Rank, Fourth Level: Tianyan, Tianyu (King Yan, King Yu) National Clan (Members of the royal families, fluctuating between these two ranks)
Level 5: Weather.

Strict hierarchy.

For Qin Yuan, these were all dregs that were destined to be discarded.

"I have received news that the Heavenly King is preparing to invite Yang Fuqing back to the capital."

Qin Yuan turned to look at Zhang Suimou and bluntly revealed the information that only he knew.

"Heavenly King...Heavenly King, please invite Yang Guozong back to court?" Zhang Suimou stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

The Eastern King died mysteriously at the hands of Wei Changhui, and all of the Eastern King's relatives and generals were killed.

If Yang Fuqing hadn't run fast, he would have been beheaded long ago.

As for how much of the Heavenly King's influence was behind Wei Changhui's actions, no one can say for sure.

Based on this point alone, would Yang Fuqing dare to return when summoned by the Heavenly King?
"What if the Heavenly King exonerates the Eastern King and grants him the honor and status that I, Shi Dakai, cannot give Yang Fuqing?"

Qin Yuan's gaze was deep and thoughtful. Since he had already spoken, he might as well make it clear.

Zhang Suimou was no fool. As Shi Dakai's chief strategist, he was well aware of the power struggles within the Taiping Army.

Although Shi Dakai's situation garnered considerable sympathy after the Tianjing Incident.

In addition, there was the myth of Shi Dakai's invincible general before the Tianjing Incident.

This attracted many former subordinates and opportunists to join him.

However, the true purpose of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was to ensure that power remained in the hands of its leader, Hong Xiuquan.

Even when Shi Dakai went solo, he still outwardly claimed to be under the banner of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

This is the greater good.

The Heavenly King used his authority and power to win over Yang Fuqing.

Thinking of this, Zhang Suimou broke out in a cold sweat.

"Your Highness, is this true? If Yang Guozong accepts the Heavenly King's decree to return to the capital, what will happen to Fujian?"

"He led 30,000 troops and captured Pucheng, Songxi, Zhenghe, Jianyang and other counties in Fujian. It can be said that the entire Jianning Prefecture, except for the large city of Jian'an, fell into the hands of our Taiping Army."

Zhang Suimou exclaimed in surprise, "If he escapes and returns to Tianjing, won't these cities be occupied by the Qing demons again?"

"I've heard that Yang Guozong treats Fujian as his own territory. After taking over the four cities of Pucheng, he reinforced them. If these cities fall into the hands of the Qing devils, it will be extremely difficult for us to take them back."

The two people's voices were neither loud nor soft.

Shi Zhenchang, who had been following Qin Yuan since rejoining the team, also had a sudden change in expression.

If all four cities in Fujian are lost, and they are pursued by troops from Zhejiang.

That was truly a situation of being attacked from both sides, with wolves in front and tigers behind.

"Brother, is this true? Is Yang Fuqing really so disloyal as to run away?"

He asked urgently.

"The Heavenly King's decree is real, but whether Yang Fuqing will run away or not depends on whether we can get to Fujian as soon as possible."

Qin Yuan directly shifted the blame, saying, "That's why, given the unfavorable situation in Quzhou, I ordered you to immediately retreat from Jinhua Prefecture and Chuzhou Prefecture."

"Otherwise, if we are still locked in a tug-of-war in Zhejiang, and the Qing forces in Fujian, now without any restraint, come over, we will truly be attacked from both sides."

He directly shifted the blame onto Hong Xiuquan and Yang Fuqing.

Otherwise, Shi Da will have to take the blame.

Shi Dakai's back is Qin Yuan's back.

To win the support of your subordinates and gain their trust, you must not allow them to harbor resentment.

We need to redirect the conflict outwards.

"Damn it, damn it."

Shi Zhenchang gritted his teeth, not knowing whether he was referring to Heavenly King Hong Xiuquan or Yang Fuqing as someone who deserved to die.

"Your Highness, is it possible for us to make it in time?"

Zhang Suimou remained calm and went straight to asking the most crucial question.

If they can manage to get there in time, even if they can't persuade Yang Fuqing to come back, they can still take over Pucheng and Songxi from him, and then the entire Jianning Prefecture will still be in their hands.

With Jianning Prefecture as a buffer, as long as Xianxia Ridge is held, the Qing troops in Zhejiang will have a hard time posing a threat to them for the time being.

At that time, the only threats they can pose will come from Fuzhou and Shaowu in Fujian.

After all, Chong'an is right next to Wuyi Mountain, which isolates it from the threat from Jiangxi.

As far as Shi Zhenji knew, Shaowu Prefecture was not much of a threat, as the Heaven and Earth Society and the Taiping Army in Jiangxi had occupied many cities there.

Therefore, Yang Fuqing's decision at this moment is extremely crucial.

After Zhang Suimou finished asking the question, Shi Zhenchang immediately realized what was going on and looked at Qin Yuan.

"To be honest, I don't know."

Qin Yuan raised his head, looked at the towering mountains in front of him, and slowly said, "All I know is that every minute we get to Pucheng faster will tip the scales in our favor."

Historically, Shi Dakai was in Fujian when Yang Fuqing was recruited by Hong Xiuquan, which suddenly put him in a passive position, causing the entire strategy of entering Fujian to fail. He was forced to move west and eventually met his end.

Time is the most precious resource at this moment!
He had to complete the strategic shift and initial planning with lightning speed before Hong Xiuquan's conspiracy could take hold.

Taking Jianning Prefecture would not only provide a respite, but also allow them to take advantage of the rugged mountains of northern Fujian to launch a decisive attack on the Qing army that might pursue them from Zhejiang, thus demonstrating their strength and stabilizing morale.

Historically, Shi Dakai failed to establish a foothold in Fujian. Besides the Yang Fuqing incident, his strategy of mobile warfare and lack of a solid base was also a fatal flaw.

Perhaps it was at that time that he realized that he was very unlikely to be able to establish himself in Fujian, so he thought about returning to Guangxi from Jiangxi and Hunan, and then going to Sichuan.

But his intentions were too obvious, and the taxes and salt revenues from Sichuan were far too important for the Qing court, which was already in decline.

Therefore, with pursuers everywhere along the way, it was impossible for Shi Dakai to enter Sichuan.

After thinking these things through, Qin Yuan's heart gradually calmed down a little.

During his journey, he finally had a moment to open the system.

It's not that he hadn't checked it before, but rather that a lot of system content hadn't loaded. He had World Coins, which allowed him to skip the waiting time, essentially giving him a day's more development time than other players.

This day is equivalent to a year in this game world.

However, the system seemed to have finished loading as he officially entered the "game." Upon opening it, sure enough, the interface was completely refreshed.

The familiar wealth rankings of the last century are nowhere to be seen; instead, a dynamic global map has been displayed!

The map is dotted with the names and colors of various factions.

For example, right now, on the land of China.

The areas controlled by the Qing government were mostly marked with the characters "Xianfeng" on a bright yellow background, covering the vast majority of the territory.

Meanwhile, Hong Xiuquan's white sphere of influence occupied Nanjing and parts of Anhui and Jiangxi provinces.

In addition, there are other points of interest representing the Nian Rebellion and other separatist forces, making the situation complex.

However, the influence of Qin Yuan's name, also known as "Shi Dakai," was much weaker and scattered, requiring magnification to see the details clearly.
His main force, which he personally led, was moving along the Xianxia Ancient Road.

The icons show that He Mingbiao's naval and land forces are still within the territory of Chuzhou Prefecture, but the arrows are pointing towards Xianxia Ridge.

The Flower Flag Army (Heaven and Earth Society troops), led by Lin Caixin, with its logo in Jinyun, is retreating towards Chuzhou Prefecture to regroup.

Most importantly, the troops of the Yang brothers, Fuqing and Yiqing, who are the only remaining strongholds in Fujian, are still stationed in counties such as Pucheng, Songxi, Zhenghe, and Jianyang, and there has been no sign of them being withdrawn.

In other words, Hong Xiuquan's edict had not yet reached Fujian.

Or perhaps Yang Fuqing hasn't made a final decision yet and is still weighing the options.

But in either case, it's good news for Qin Yuan.

"We absolutely cannot let Yang Fuqing lose these cities to the Qing army, otherwise the current situation will become even more dire."

"Hong Xiuquan was really ruthless. If he had really stabbed me in the back properly, I would have been half dead if not dead."

Qin Yuan pondered this in his heart. Just as he was about to put away the map, an inconspicuous dot on the map caught his attention—Ruizhou (Gao'an), Jiangxi, was also marked with its color!

He subconsciously clicked on it, and a line of information appeared: "Lai Yuxin's Department".

"Lai Yuxin!" Qin Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and memories of Shi Dakai flooded back.

This is an old brother who has followed him since the Jintian Uprising, a true valiant general!

In 1855, Shi Dakai led a western expedition, with Lai Yuxin as the vanguard. They captured Ruizhou and fought a bloody battle with Zeng Guofan's Xiang Army for two years, even killing the famous Xiang Army general Liu Tenghong!

This is a core member whose loyalty and ability are beyond doubt, and his troops are an important piece in the heart of Jiangxi.

"Wait a minute..." Qin Yuan suddenly realized an even more astonishing question: "Why are Hong Xiuquan, Xianfeng... these names 'lit up' on the map?"

Only the player's character can be highlighted on the system map.

He clearly remembered that these were all roles in the unselectable queue, and he had no right to choose them.

Could it be that other players with higher privileges have already chosen them?

He immediately zoomed the map to a global view.

Sure enough, scattered points of light lit up in the Americas, Europe, and even Southeast Asia, each marked with the name of a different faction!
"Multiple instances within a single map? Or... is this 'game world' essentially a borderless, global sandbox without a single main storyline?"

Qin Yuan was shocked like never before. "This test is not just about the struggle for supremacy in China, but... a global struggle for territory, agricultural management, and strategic competition?"

This discovery completely overturned Qin Yuan's previous plans!
His gaze was fixed intently on the Southeast Asian region.

Borneo, Luzon, the Indonesian archipelago, Vietnam... some points of light are already flashing, indicating that players or local forces are already active.

"If the goal is to seize territory..."

Qin Yuan's brain started working at an unprecedented speed, and combined with his broad perspective from the future, he came to a conclusion: "Fighting to the death and pushing the competition to its extreme in China may not be the optimal solution!"

The nineteenth century was the end of the colonial era, and also its peak.

When European powers opened the doors to China, they had already established vast colonies in the islands of Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America.

Qin Yuan looked at the world map, at the land and islands surrounding the South China Sea, and at the scattered dots on it.

Firstly, Borneo and Malacca, as well as Burma and India, were all within the British sphere of influence.

The British Empire is currently at its peak and cannot be directly challenged.

If Qin Yuan remembered correctly, France had already taken action against Vietnam this year.

One could choose to form alliances with local forces to resist the law, but this carries risks.

Therefore, the only available loophole is Luzon Philippines.

Qin Yuan's gaze was fixed on this island, a land where many coastal immigrants had already taken root and flourished as early as the Ming Dynasty.

If the Spanish hadn't come here, Luzon, or later the Philippines, would most likely have been a country within the Confucian civilization sphere, similar to Vietnam.

Spain, however, has long passed its golden age and is now in decline.

They were already struggling to survive in Europe, let alone in their colonies thousands of miles away.

"Taking Luzon is absolutely feasible." The more Qin Yuan thought about it, the more certain he became.

In its previous life, the United States experienced a significant increase in industrial strength after the Civil War.

There was a reason why Spain was chosen as the first target in the search for overseas colonies.

It was precisely because of Cuba, which was conquered during the Spanish-American War, and the Pacific islands such as the Philippines, Guam, and Hawaii that it was able to achieve this.

This allowed the United States to put its "sea power theory" into practice.

Only then could they become the biggest winners in both World War I and World War II.

The Spanish-American War took place thirty or forty years later, which was too early for him.

And Luzon right now.

There is no doubt that it has the foundation of Chinese civilization as its ruling force.

Not only are there many Chinese families in the area, but there are also quite a few indigenous groups that oppose Spain.

During the Spanish-American War at the end of the 19th century, the Americans even encouraged the local Filipinos and Chinese to mix and rebel against Spanish colonial rule.

If Americans can do this, how could a true Chinese person not be able to do it?
His gaze slowly settled on the region encompassing Fujian, Taiwan, and Luzon.

As long as you travel from Fujian to Southeast Asia, you can take a boat and follow the ocean currents across the Bashi Channel to reach the Philippines in just a few days.

What's more, there's Taiwan Island lying in the middle, which not only shortens the distance but is also a damn unsinkable aircraft carrier.

By occupying this place, we are qualified to negotiate and do business with those great powers.

He could have easily taken over Fujian as his base in the mainland, then conquered Taiwan and managed the legacy left by Zheng Chenggong.

Then they crossed the Philippines, conquered Luzon, and set their sights on even larger overseas territories.

Compared to the few thousand Spanish troops on Luzon Island and some weak native troops, he himself commanded 100,000 elite Taiping Army soldiers who had fought to the death against the Qing Dynasty.

At this time, the Qing army's fighting strength was far superior to that of the Spanish colonial army.

Qin Yuan searched his mind for information about the 19th century and the current situation in Southeast Asia. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this path had great potential.

Most importantly, there is the current war.

Too many people have died.

According to the population statistics he saw in his later years.

In the short span of just over a decade during the Taiping Rebellion, at least 100 million people died in China. (Some sources say 35 million, 70 million, or even 120 million.)

The most devastating areas, Jiangxi and Anhui, together saw 30 million deaths.

Such horrific events highlight the need to establish a peaceful and stable Chinese nation overseas, offering a choice to those living in war-torn regions and at least preventing fratricide.

A brand new and more ambitious strategic blueprint became clear in his mind.

They quickly entered Fujian, integrated the base established by Yang Fuqing, consolidated Jianning Prefecture as their base, and repelled the pursuers.

Then, using Fujian as a base, they took Taiwan as a springboard for advancement and a naval base, developed industry, and traded with the British, French, and Dutch.

After recuperating and rebuilding, they launched a direct expedition to Luzon, expelled the Spanish, and established an overseas Chinese nation!
At the same time, taking advantage of the huge population loss and displacement caused by the Taiping Rebellion, they attracted people from the mainland who could not bear the war and oppressive government to immigrate to Southeast Asia, develop the land, and accumulate strength.

"If millions or even tens of millions of our compatriots could migrate to Southeast Asia and turn the South China Sea into China's inland sea, would it still be just a dream?"

Qin Yuan's heart surged with pride, "This is far more exhilarating than fighting bloody battles with the Hunan Army in Hunan and Jiangxi, and killing one's own people!"

“Killing foreigners and exterminating natives, I have absolutely no psychological barriers to it.”

He pulled hard on the reins, and the warhorse reared up.

Qin Yuan turned to look north, his eyes no longer filled with confusion, but with the determination to conquer the distant horizon.

"Order the entire army to accelerate their advance!"

"Destination: Xianxia Pass, enter Fujian!"

He couldn't wait to go out to sea and colonize.

(End of this chapter)