"There is a kind of chess in the East, called Go. There is a principle in the game called Golden Horn and Silver Border Grass Belly, which means that the most marginal country has the maximum initiative. Today, the most powerful country in Europe is France, Spain, Sweden or the Netherlands. Christendom in this era is like a Warring States period in Chinese history, although there were many strife, and from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States, but in the end there will be one of the most powerful countries that dominate the whole of Europe... ”

The visiting Russian envoy was a very smart person, and when he heard Xiao Xuan's words, he seemed to feel that something was wrong, so he said: "Your Excellency means that Russia is the most dangerous enemy because it is the only flank in Europe?" In fact, the Dutch, or the British, or the Spaniards, those powers near the sea are the most powerful countries in the true sense of the word. From overseas, they can get nitrate ore of sufficient quality, all kinds of gold and silver used to buy people's hearts, all kinds of spice agricultural products that can be used to buy people's hearts, and even timber that can be used for shipbuilding. As for us, doesn't the current pattern of the two armies fighting each other show that we are not a country in an advantageous position? ”

Xiao Xuan looked outside the door of the temporary tent and said, "But this land has the maximum potential of the whole of Europe... Oh, I wonder if you're proficient in arithmetic? Do you know how to square it? It took a lot of effort for the translator to finally explain the term to the Russian envoy.

The envoy smiled, "Words are not, but arithmetic is a compulsory subject for every nobleman." But as for the square or cube, this has to consult a specialized scholar... ”

Xiao Xuan also regretted a little, feeling that these casual words were just too much, so he continued: "As long as there is enough land, and because the weather is relatively cold and there are few epidemics, the people's lives can barely survive with sufficient land, and the population will double in about forty or fifty years." Ten million people will become 40 million in 100 years, and 160 million in 200 years, until all the wasteland that can be developed into arable land is filled. A population of one million will become a large country with a population of about 10,000 in just 300 years... ”

"So in the future Britain or the Spaniards or Russia will be the most powerful country? That will not catch up with you ... The Russian envoy laughed.

"Of course, the strength of the country is not only based on the population, our Emperor once revealed that minerals are also an important aspect, and minerals can later replace manpower through the power of fire into the power of many tools and machinery. The larger the territory, the greater the potential and possibilities of various minerals... ”

Although people in this era could not understand the internal combustion engine, for those who knew a little about military affairs, they at least knew the significance of fine iron ore, steel ore and even saltpeter to war, so after hearing such words, the Russian envoy also nodded silently.

Xiao Xuan continued: "Catholicism is a branch of Christianity with no future, although I don't know what will happen in the future, but for now, it is obviously too feudal and conservative, and it is far from the spirit of Protestantism in terms of scientific and technological innovation, invention and even industrial development. In addition, tropical places are naturally lazy, and many places are not really suitable for the growth of crops, so the territory of the Spaniards cannot be developed. It was the Europeans in the lands of the northern Indians who eventually became the great powers. The vast northern New World gradually attracted many European elites, making it the most powerful country. It took advantage of the long-standing disputes in Europe to unite the entire Catholic and Protestant worlds. Although you have learned from the West in many ways, and will be even more so in the future, you should also know that you will always be like a barbarian in the face of true Christians. Of course, not to mention us Orientals. ”

After saying this, Xiao Xuan began to talk about the history of another plane: "Russia is in another plane, because it is close to the competition of Europe and Europe, so it has made faster progress in all aspects, at least compared to the East which has long been satisfied with the exploitation of a large number of people in the country, but also the East of science and technology and war readiness, so it has lost some places in the river and the Mongolian Plateau and even north of the Heilongjiang River... ”

Hearing this, the Russian envoy felt a little inexplicable: "Those places ... Those places have never heard of the existence of Han Chinese, aren't they the territory of Tatars and even barbarians? Wars and conflicts, the gains and losses of these peripheral territories should be a natural thing, as long as it doesn't involve the place where the population of the core headquarters is located, you have nothing to worry about, right? As in the area of Baikal today, it was our men who occupied it first, and this is a natural territorial basis. Of course, if you are going to go to the turf business this time, this can be negotiated or solved by compromise ... ”

Xiao Xuan continued disapprehensively at this time: "The territory between China and Russia is of course a secondary issue in the end. As long as you don't occupy a place like Liaodong, Liaoxi, and even Shandong, it will indeed not become a feud. In the face of the great Christian and even Protestant forces, China and Russia finally came together, and although there were twists and turns, they eventually continued to be quasi-allied for several generations to deal with the challenge of the Saxon Angles... ”

Of course, this was also a little relieved to the Russian envoy, after all, this time it would be best to eliminate the military scourge in the east, and first concentrate on the threat of the Poles: "Yes, we in Russia and even in your China are in fact weak countries in front of the Protestants and Catholics who have mastered the key gunpowder and ores, and even gold and silver, and we should support each other is the right way... ”

Just when the Russian envoy was a little excited, thinking that this war could be avoided temporarily, Xiao Xuan suddenly changed his words: "Two or three hundred years after that world plane, Russia and China are indeed backward and weak countries, and they are countries that will not be tolerated in the Western system. But now, at this time, the East, like you, does have many backward places. However, is the temporary military strength really in a backward state? I'm afraid, I have to fight one or two to understand. In this era, after all, there is no such thing as the illusory and powerful country on the North American continent, and we are not the country that has been sleeping on the women of the working people for many years, and it will take a war to prove whether the westward expansion strategy I intend to be correct or not. ”

(End of chapter)