The Black Continent refers to the African continent, a continent that has been discovered for a long time, but there are still a large number of unknown areas.

It is not even clear that in the far south of the African continent, there are shipping lanes that can be detoured. It is also not known that the southern part of the African continent has rich land suitable for human habitation and reclamation.

In fact, Europeans, Indians, and Arabs in the 12th century also believed that the further south you go, the hotter it gets. Therefore, the temperature south of the equator is unimaginable, and it is very likely that people will die of heat.

As a result, very few people sail along the coastline of Africa to explore the south.

However, with the discovery of the New World and the confirmation of the theory of the circle of the earth, this problem seems to have ceased to exist.

According to the Greek historian Herodotus, about 1,800 years ago, the Egyptian pharaoh sent a fleet of ships on the Phoenician water to sail south along the eastern shore of the Black Continent, circumnavigating the entire Black Continent, and finally entering the Mediterranean Sea through the Strait of Gibraltar and returning to Egypt.

In the past, no one believed in the authenticity of this record, even Herodotus himself doubted it. But now it seems that this record is most likely true. ”

Murray said an account that was almost fantastical. In her Bright Dome Holy See, there is a huge library with countless "secret books", including almost all the books of the Eastern and Western countries that can be found.

Among them is Herodotus's "Muse", also known as "History" and "History of the Greco-Persian Wars". In the first half of the book, a large number of Eastern countries are recorded in history and culture, many of which belong to Egypt and Persia.

Because Murly is a Persian, she is very yearning for the glorious civilization created by her ancestors, so she turned over this "History of the Greco-Persian Wars" and ate it thoroughly. Of course, we also know Herodotus' description of the route around Africa organized by the ancient Egyptian pharaohs.

Originally, Mo Niangzi did not believe this record (nor did Herodotus himself), but when she learned that the exploration of the New World organized by the Northern Zhou Dynasty and the Eastern Song Dynasty had been successful, especially the Eastern Song Dynasty's exploration of the seas south of the South Sea, she immediately thought that the ancient Egyptian exploration of the coastline of the African continent recorded by Herodotus was likely to be true!

According to Herodotus, it took the Phoenicians three years to complete this epic voyage. And in order to obtain food for the voyage, Phoenician sailors also sowed and harvested along the coast of Africa.

If all these accounts are true, it means that the African continent should be a rich and vast continent!

Yelu Dashi stroked his beard and thought for a while with a frown, "Holy Maiden, even if the southern part of the Black Continent can be navigated, what good will it do to my Great Liao?"

At present, the east-west trade road is shared by the four countries of China: Daliao, Egypt, Dashi, and Rome. If merchant ships can go around the Black Continent, can Nanjing Ahvaz Mansion and Xijing Tabriz Mansion still have today's prosperity? ”

Of course, Yelu Dashi understands economics, and he spent his youth and youth in Jiehe Trading City. He also studied at the Yuntai Academy and the Knight Academy, how could he not know the importance of the trade route between the East and the West to his Great Liao-Persian Empire?

If the East-West trade route were to be rerouted to the African continent, his country would be impoverished.

"Your Majesty," Mo Li said, "if we don't explore the Black Continent, the navigators of the Zhou and Song Kingdoms will explore the routes of the Black Continent sooner or later."

At that time, with the power of Da Liao and my Mani Heavenly Principles, will they be able to stop them from bypassing the Black Continent and heading to Europe? ”

It's impossible......

The sea power of the Eastern Song Dynasty and the Northern Zhou Dynasty could simply beat the Great Liao and Manichaeism.

Oishi's brow furrowed deeply, as if he was lost in thought.

"Rather than letting them occupy the shipping routes of the Black Continent, it's better to strike first." Mo Niangzi said, "We can turn all the ports along the Black Continent into the territory of Da Liao by exploring the Black Continent and spreading the Bright Heavenly Principles!"

Even if there is a route around the Black Continent in the future, you will have to pay money to Da Liao. ”

The purpose of Mo Niangzi's proposal to explore the Black Continent is, of course, to spread her Manichaean Principles in the Black Continent - Manichaeism and Heavenly Principles have been merged by Mo Li. In a sense, she was the last Confucianist to complete the religiosification of Confucianism.

Because the two schools of Rigaku and Tianli only have Tianli education, and there is no evil intimidation.

Manichaeism, on the other hand, is a dualistic religion with a god of light and a demon lord of darkness below. They also have the habit of blending with other religions. Therefore, it is natural to equate the principles of heaven with light, and to link darkness with human desires - that is, the evil thoughts in people's hearts arise from the temptation of the dark demon king.

In this way, the religious line of the light and heaven to fight against the evil desires of darkness was completed.

After completely merging Manichaeism with the doctrine of Celestial Principles, Murly changed the name of Manichaeism to "Bright Heavens" and developed an ambitious missionary plan.

But preaching cannot be done blindly, not to the east, but only to the west.

Because the two Song and Northern Zhou dynasties in the east were basically the territory of Tianli and Lixue, if the "Guangming Tianli" wanted to squeeze in and expand its power, it would easily lead to conflicts.

So Morley put her mission to the West. However, there are three strong religions in the West: Tianfang, Christianity and Brahmanism, and even if the Bright Heavenly Principle is blessed by the Great Stone of Yelu, it has only made a breakthrough in the homeland of Persia.

And in the central and southern parts of the obscurantist Black Continent, there should be no strong religion, just let Bright Tianli occupy the territory.

In addition, by exploring and colonizing the Black Continent, the status of the Persians under Western Liao could also be significantly improved.

Because the Han and Khitan people brought by Yelu Dashi from the east could not sail. The Persians, on the other hand, had a long history of seafaring and a wealth of seafaring experience.

The Guangtian Doctrine itself also absorbed much of its seafaring experience from the Eastern Song Dynasty and the Northern Zhou Dynasty. There were also channels for ordering merchant ships and warships produced in the Eastern Song Dynasty and Northern Zhou Dynasty.

Yelu Dashi pondered for a moment and nodded, "Holy Maiden, I can support the exploration of the Black Continent.

If necessary, a navy could also be formed in Avaz Province in Nanjing. But you'll have to do me a favor, too! ”

Mo Li smiled: "Your Majesty has a place to get slaves, just give an order." ”

"Do you know that the Jurchens have migrated to the Volga River valley in the north?"

"The Jurchens arrived on the Volga? How many? ”

"There are hundreds of thousands of people," said Yelu Dashi, "who have migrated." ”

"The Volga is far from Tabriz," asked the Mo lady, "and it probably won't be carried out again, right?" ”

Yelu Dashi smiled and said: "It will not be possible to fight in twenty years, and it is difficult to say in the future...... However, the saint should know that on the western side, it is very important to believe in what gods. If the Jurchens are allowed to enter the Heavenly Religion or Catholicism, they will definitely be the enemies of the Great Liao in the future. ”

"Your Majesty means to let the Bright Peak send envoys to preach on both sides of the Volga?"

Dashi nodded: "The Jurchen delegation is on the way to Tabriz, and the leader of the team is our old acquaintance Wang Zongbi. The Holy Maiden can meet him in Tabriz...... If Zong Bi was willing to convert to the Bright Heavenly Principles, then the Great Liao and the Jurchens would be able to form an alliance. ”

The national policy of Jerodashi was not to go north, but to go west, and become the master of Anatolia. If it were possible, he would even invade the Balkans and make Constantinople his capital - of course, this national policy existed only in Oshi's heart and was not made public.

However, the policy of avoiding war with the Jurchens had long been a consensus among the Liao nobles in Tabriz.

"To be able to spread the principles of light to the banks of the Volga River is what Molly wants." Mo Niangzi said with a smile, "Mo Li is waiting to meet Zong Bi in Tabriz, and by the way, she can also handle the exploration of the Black Continent for Your Majesty." ”

"Good!" Yelu Dashi smiled and nodded, "This matter is entrusted to you with carte blanche, how much it will cost, just talk to me." ”

……

When Mo Niangzi was busy between Tabriz and Ahvaz and was organizing the exploration of the Black Continent, Wanyan Zongbi, who was sent to the West in the name of Wang Zongbi, the prince of Peach Blossom Stone, had already arrived in Constantinople, the capital of the Roman Empire, on a merchant ship provided by the Venetians.

Yes, Wanyan Zongbi called himself the Prince of Taohuashan, that is, the Prince of China, when he visited abroad. At the same time, he called his monarch Wu Qimai the Golden Horde of Peach Blossom Stone, that is, the Golden Horde of China.

That is, the Jurchens of the Golden Horde did not regard themselves as a barbarian state at all, but regarded themselves as civilized and advanced Chinese.

This allows them to gain a condescending sense of superiority when dealing with Western countries.

Because in the past 20 years, with the deepening of exchanges between the East and the West, many countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa have a good understanding of the Chinese civilization in the East.

The history of the westward expansion of the New Zhou, Eastern Song Dynasty, Western Xia, and Western Liao also let Westerners know the strength of the Taohuashan civilization in the East.

For the Jurchens who fled thousands of miles, there was absolutely no harm in emphasizing their Chinese identity.

Therefore, according to the official caliber of the Golden Horde, their group of exiles who have traveled more than 20,000 miles are not Jurchens, but Han people from the Central Plains, born in the noble Langya Wang clan, and their bloodline is quite noble!

It was only in the last years of the Western Jin Dynasty that he moved to Liaodong to escape the war in the Central Plains.

Later, they established their own kingdom in Liaodong and became vassals of the Great Liao Emperor and the Great Song Emperor.

Later, because of their defeat in the civil war in China, they had to move their tribes to the banks of the Volga River, more than 20,000 miles from the Central Plains......

Of course, Wang Zongbi does not say that he is a Chinese prince, but looks like a real Chinese prince no matter how he looks at it.

He was dressed in a sumptuous silk robe, wearing a Dongpo scarf on his head, and a sword that was standard for Confucian scholars in Tianli hanging from his belt. Enter Constantinople of the Romans under the protection of a group of mounted infantry dressed in shiny cold-forged armor and carrying heavy muskets.