The sky is as clear as the sky is, and the ocean is as far as the eye can see.

Standing on the deck of the Regent, Ye Zhao twisted a huge cigar in his hand, and when he came to the Americas, he naturally tasted the local cigars.

The breeze was blowing, the weather was warm, and the majestic admiral standing beside Ye Zhao was Li Chengmou, the captain of the Regent, and at this moment he was also holding a cigar in his hand, which Ye Zhao had just thrown to him.

"Tell me, the U.S. Navy and U.S. [***] officers." Ye Zhao looked at the white water behind the ship, and asked lightly.

However, the US Navy is weak, and most of it is deployed on the east coast, which is busy with trade with Europe, and there are not many ports in the west.

Li Chengmou said: "The mind is more active than that of the Europa, and the subordinates on the side have little experience. ”

Ye Zhao nodded slightly, and said with a smile: "What do you think of the newly signed contract?" ”

Three days ago, Foreign Minister Zou Kaizhi and the Chief Secretary of the U.S. Department of State (Secretary of State) William ? Henry? Seward signed the Sino-American Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

Seward belongs to the hard-line expansionist wing of the diplomatic line in American history and is one of the most influential secretaries of state in American history.

He advocated the establishment of a Pacific empire, and was also actively mediating with the Russians to buy Alaska, but these two affairs because of Ye Zhao's intervention caused history to deviate, just when Seward advocated the US Navy to go west into the Pacific Ocean and declare sovereignty over the Pacific islands, there was news that the Chinese fleet was the first to land, preemptively claiming that a series of islands such as Midway Island belonged to Chinese territory, and at the same time, the Chinese navy forcefully expelled the French forces in Honolulu and took the lead in gaining influence in the Kingdom of Hawaii.

And the negotiation with the Russians to buy Alaska, which he was directly responsible for, was also frustrated, not only because of the relationship between the United States and China, but also because the Russian imperial family, who was originally firmly in favor of the sale of Alaska, changed his attitude, because he received a loan from a British bank, which made his willingness to sell Alaska less strong, Grand Duke Nikolayevich was the younger brother of the Tsar, and he had a pivotal position in the sale of Alaska.

In this way, two of the most important initiatives of the Pacific route advocated by Seward suffered major setbacks, which led to widespread criticism from conservatives in the party, and isolationism was on the rise in the Republican Party.

Seward was wary of the Chinese, and even resisted and rejected them, but under pressure from the president and General Grant and others, he had to sign this cooperation treaty with Zou Kaizhi.

According to the treaty, China will send 150,000 laborers to the United States within four years, and the current Chinese laborers in the United States, the Americans will conduct detailed statistics, issue special labor certificates, and create the safest working conditions for Chinese laborers.

In the treaty, China and the United States each promised to provide necessary assistance such as supplies for each other's merchant ships in their ports, the Americans supported the trade of Chinese merchant ships in the Americas, and China was willing to promote trade relations between the Southeast Bloc countries and the United States.

In the case of labor, the United States has repeatedly insisted on the figure of 150,000 because of the shortage of labor, and Ye Zhao instructed Zou Kaizhi to agree, saying in his heart that you have created problems for yourself, and you can't complain about me, and after two or three years, if you want to break the contract, you will have to compensate a huge amount of money according to the contract.

At this time, when asked about the rear admiral's views on the Sino-US treaty, Ye Zhao wanted to know whether the generals of the young Zhuang faction in China would think that this treaty was too friendly to the United States? Especially for labor, because of the expansion of the empire's territory and the gradual formation of absolute control over the border areas, there was a first-class immigration boom in the country, the lack of arable land was alleviated, and the construction of railways, highways and other infrastructure across the country was in full swing, so there was really no need to export labor.

Hearing Li Chengmou answer as he thought: "My subordinates don't know anything about foreign affairs, so they don't dare to speak up." Ye Zhao didn't say anything more and lit his cigar.

After a while, Ye Zhao said: "There are some things that need to be looked at in the long run. ”

It was very hard to chat with the emperor, but now the emperor seems to be very interested, and he has been talking to him, Li Chengmou felt the hot air rising from the hair under the military hat, itching very much, and wanted to scratch it a few times, but he didn't dare, he wanted to maintain the prestige of the royal general, bowed down and said: "The emperor is a Buddha in the present world, he can see the past and the future, and his subordinates can listen to the emperor's words and do errands, that is no more wrong." ”

Ye Zhao smiled and said, "You, you have also learned this set." ”

Li Chengmou hesitated for a moment, and finally had the courage to ask: "Your Majesty, your subordinates are bold, I heard that Nagasaki said that he has a proposal to join the empire......

Ye Zhao nodded slightly, and said: "It's just the idea of a few businessmen, it can't be true, it's said that the barren land of the four islands, what do you want it to do?" ”

The reason for Li Chengmou's question was a telegram from China, saying that Hosokawa Shaobang, the commander of the Hondai, had made a complaint and asked the emperor to visit Edo when he returned home.

As for the so-called Nagasaki himself's proposal, because the Nagasaki Free Port implements the council system of the city hall, several businessmen put forward a bill in the parliament a few days ago, hoping that Nagasaki would be attached to China and that all Nagasaki people would become Chinese nationals, but although the Nagasaki City Council was all controlled by pro-China factions, this proposal was only barely passed by half of the people, and it had no legal effect, it was only a symbolic statement, which needed the approval of the city hall, and of course, the Chinese agreed.

Obviously, although the members of the Nagasaki City Council are pro-China, if they want to say that they agree with Nagasaki becoming a Chinese city, many people naturally dare not bear this black cauldron, which is to bear the historical infamy, and it is completely different from serving in the puppet regime.

However, even if Nagasaki said that he was pleading, Ye Zhao was not so idle.

Ye Zhao has no interest in the territory of his own country, and the densely populated areas with a relatively high degree of civilization development have nothing to occupy, so he indirectly rules and loots some wealth through unequal trade.

To talk about territorial expansion, Ye Zhaozi still thinks that it is far from enough, first of all, Central Asia can be expanded again, especially Kazakhstan, the resources are sea, uranium reserves are the first in the world, tungsten reserves are the first in the world, and the extremely poor chromium reserves in the country are the second in the world, South Africa is the first, and the rest of the natural gas, oil, etc. do not need to be mentioned, and now, although Tsarist Russia occupies most of its area, the important surname of this region is far from being recognized.

China, on the other hand, has driven a wedge in South Kazakhstan, but naturally it will expand northward.

To the western and Central Asian regions, it is also necessary to extend its influence, and the ultimate goal is naturally that strategic forces can be directly projected to West Asia, which can directly affect the political situation of West Asian countries, among which the spread of the Muslim new sect of the White Imam will also play an immeasurable role.

These strategic goals complement each other, and in today's world, Ye Zhao is clear that others are just looking at flowers in the fog, but they don't know that Ye Zhao has been sowing seeds, and there are all kinds of mysteries in it.

The Northern Regions, not to mention, Ye Zhao's ambition to seize the Siberian region has not subsided for a moment, this deserted region but containing the richest resources in the world, is the most sure place for China's territorial expansion to absorb.

However, these strategic goals, in the end, will break out into an all-out war with polar bears.

Especially in Siberia, the ambitious Ye Zhao's goal was to completely annex Central Siberia and Eastern Siberia into the empire's territory with the Yenisei River as the boundary, so that the northern part of the empire was bordered by the Arctic Ocean, and for later generations, it could even make territorial claims to the Arctic.

The seizure of all the area east of the Yenisei River would be to occupy most of Tsarist Russia, and the empire's territorial area would be directly expanded from the current more than 14 million square kilometers to a large empire with an area of more than 26 million square kilometers, which was quite inferior even in the heyday of the Soviet Union.

Unlike the Soviet Union, the Reich was not a policy of national oppression that had been planted from the very beginning of the country; Second, they will not enter the vicious cycle of subsidizing heavy industry by the whole people; Third, the collapse of the Soviet Union has a rather accidental surname. Moreover, most of these lands are uninhabited but contain unlimited resources, and China is completely digestible, and there is basically no danger of secession.

But there was only one way to achieve the monstrous goal of occupying east of the Yenisei River, to defeat the Russians and surrender them, even to capture Moscow, so that they could sign a treaty ceding large tracts of land.

The complete defeat of Tsarist Russia on the signing of the surrender treaty, since the seventeenth century after Tsarist Russia entered the Romanov Dynasty, no matter how powerful the country, there is no way to do this, although Tsarist Russia has also lost the war, but for more than 200 years, the pace of its territorial expansion has not stopped, countless European powers have fallen under its feet.

Just a few decades ago, the Russians were known as the gendarmes of Europe, and many of Europe's royal families were not overthrown by the revolutionary parties, thanks to the intervention of the Russians, which made the bourgeois revolution contained, and eventually many countries embarked on the road of reform.

Although in the middle of the nineteenth century, there was a big explosion in science and technology, and the Russians gradually fell behind the advanced countries, but it was only at the technical level, and from the perspective of war and war mobilization, any European country would tremble in the face of polar bears.

As for the expedition to Russia and the occupation of Moscow, no European country can do it, including the British.

Of course, this is also because Britain is far away from Tsarist Russia, and the British Army's mobilization ability is indeed its shortcoming.

And Ye Zhao, it can be said that since he commanded the third battalion of the divine artillery, the polar bear has become his imaginary enemy, and it is an imaginary enemy that must be completely defeated. Make a weakest polar bear neighbor for future generations, and no longer have to live in the shadow of polar bears for generations.

It's just that such a war, how tragic will the price be? In the event of defeat, what will be the consequences? Will European countries participate? Ye Zhao could only judge the situation and slowly look for opportunities. I don't know if this goal can be achieved in my lifetime.

And Ye Zhao didn't pay much attention to the land and resources, and with such a dense population, a relatively developed degree of civilization, and a relatively sound national concept, what is the benefit of occupying it?

Even if the whole citizen voted to join the empire, Ye Zhao would inevitably refuse.

It's just that these words can't be said to Li Chengmou.

…… By the time the Regent's fleet arrived in La Paz, Juárez had already conquered Mexico City, and Massimiliano I led the remnants of the Royalist army to flee to the California Peninsula.

This has long been expected by Ye Zhao, unless there is a major deviation in history, and the royalists in Mexico can defeat the republicans with divine help.

When the Regent docked in La Paz, the Mexicans throughout La Paz were in a panic.

Long before the Regent's departure, the Americans had sent telegrams to the Mexican republicans and royalists, saying that the Chinese emperor was willing to mediate between the two sides, which Massimiliano I welcomed, while the republican leader Juárez explicitly refused.

Obviously, in Juarez's eyes, both the Eastern emperor and the Western royal family will eventually support the imperial system, which can be seen from the attitude of royal states such as France, Spain, and England.

And, in fact, Juarez is also wary of the Americans.

The Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 occurred more than 20 years ago, which can be said to be the aggression of the United States against Mexico, and the 40-year-old Juarez was the most unswerving hardliner against the United States, and finally Mexico lost the war, ceding more than 2.3 million square kilometers of land in the three major regions of Texas, New Mexico, and Alta California in one fell swoop.

This is a shame that patriots like Juarez will never forget, and he has no affection for Americans. Therefore, it was normal for him to refuse the mediation of the Chinese emperor.

However, Sanford, a senior senator of the U.S. Senate who accompanied Ye Zhao to La Paz, was a close friend of Juarez, and soon after he arrived in La Paz, he wrote a handwritten letter to Culiacán, the stronghold of the Republican army across the sea from the California Peninsula.

On the third day, Massimiliano came to La Paz in embarrassment, the so-called emperor of Mexico, now like a frightened bird, the French have completely abandoned him, the Spaniards can not count on him, and he originally wanted to flee to the east coast, escape back to Europe by boat, but was cut off by the republican army, he took only a few hundred attendants to the eastern hiding province, several times almost caught by the republican forces, and finally had to flee to the California Peninsula, with only twenty or thirty of the most loyal guards by his side.

And the republicans have long declared that they will shoot him.

On the west coast of Mexico, there were no merchant ships from Europe at all, so it seemed that his fate was already sealed, and it was only a matter of time before he was hunted down by the republican forces.

He even gave his hat to his general, Thomas? Messira said to him, "Give this to my mother." Please tell her that I still miss her on my deathbed. ”

In fact, the decision of the Habsburg family to agree to accept the Mexican throne was opposed by most of the family, depriving him and his descendants of the right to inherit the Austrian throne. But even when he was in danger, some European royal families with inextricable ties to the Habsburgs issued statements of support for him.

And when meeting with Ye Zhao, Massimiliano still showed quite a demeanor, he was not a few years older than Ye Zhao, he was a beautiful man with a good demeanor, and Ye Zhao also met the famous Belgian princess, the madman queen Carlotta, it is said that this is a woman who wants to be a queen and wants to go crazy, and it is also a woman who is really crazy after becoming a queen, when she went to Europe to ask for help everywhere and then came the news that her husband was shot, she went insane, lived in seclusion in a castle, and died more than 60 years later.

In fact, later generations of Mexicans reflected that they still gave considerable sympathy to the emperor and his wife, rather than the aggressors and executioners that the fanatical republicans are now clamoring for. For example, in "Anecdotes of the Empire" written by a Mexican diplomat and writer, Massimiliano and Carlotta are royal couples with truly aristocratic missions and ideals who truly love Mexico, caught between national reading and colonial ambitions, as well as the hegemonic interests of the United States, and have become victims of politics.

White seagulls hover low altitude, with crisp chirping from time to time.

Ye Zhao and Massimiliano stood on the second deck of the Regent, chatting in the sea breeze.

This is the tenth day of Massimiliano's aboard the Regent, Juárez is said to have arrived in the California Peninsula, and the Chinese Navy has issued an ultimatum yesterday that if the representatives of the Mexican republican faction are not seen within three days, Massimiliano I will leave with the Regent to return to China.

Moreover, the Chinese government will send an investigation team to investigate whether the Mexican republicans have killed royalists, because Massimiliano I is still the supreme head of state in Mexico, and if Massimiliano I asks for it, China will seriously consider the possibility of intervening in the situation in Mexico.

In fact, Massimiliano I did not ask for help from the Chinese, he only wanted to leave Mexico on a Chinese ship and return to Europe.

If it had been a year ago, he might have been overjoyed to have the support of the Chinese, but now that the defeat has been achieved, he clearly does not want foreign forces to intervene and cause further suffering to the Mexican people.

At this time, with Ye Zhao on the second deck of the Regent, the sea breeze was blowing, and Massimiliano said with a heavy expression: "I just want to say a final goodbye to Mexico, and I hope to give a final speech to the children of the republicans." ”

Ye Zhao nodded slightly.

A few miles away, a few small black dots, armed ships of the Mexican Republicans, and the Regent had long since flown a flag prohibiting it from approaching.

Several armed wooden steamers wandered far away for a while, and then went away, and the steel giants of the Chinese were obviously not something they could easily provoke.

(To be continued)