Thursday, April 2o, 1645.

"The Most Absurd Country" - The French Crown once again rejects the claim of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the sovereignty of the South Peninsula in North America!"

In view of the deterioration of the situation in England and southwestern France, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce issued a joint circular to issue a safety warning to Chinese merchant ships heading to Europe!"

"Pride and Prejudice - The bureaucracy and local ** of the Ming Empire are burying their only hope!"

In the gentle spring breeze, on the bustling streets of Manchester City, young men in newsstands roared propaganda stunts to attract passers-by to buy newspapers.

In a gazebo in a green belt on the side of the road, three young people wearing the uniforms of Manchester Metropolitan National University are gathering together, silently reading the newspaper in their hands.

"Xiping, the national disaster is at the head, the big husband should do his best for the country, and the study tour is already a small section. I have discussed with Brother Nong, and I intend to return to Daming in the near future, I don't know what you think? ”

Gu Jikun's face was solemn, and he continued to persuade his roommates, while Wang Fuzhi on the side clenched his fists, hoping that Luo Jian would give the final attitude.

In fact, as early as half a year ago, Gu Jikun and Wang Fuzhi repeatedly proposed the idea of returning to China to the school, but the school has always persuaded them to study with peace of mind. As the newspapers continued to disclose, Gu Jikun and Wang Fuzhi's feelings became more and more intense, and they even wrote to the "Observer" newspaper to talk freely about the various necessities of Huamei's military rescue of the Ming Dynasty, which is said to have alarmed the Cabinet Department of Culture and Education for a time.

What are the stage arrangements of the Huamei Cabinet, ordinary people can naturally only know about it, and it is even more impossible for the Ministry of Culture and Education to give Gu Jikun and Wang Fuzhi any specific reply opinions. Seeing that they were still far away from their homeland when the country was in danger, Gu Jikun and Wang Fuzhi finally chose to drop out of school, and after explaining their wishes to An Shaoqing, a member of the Huamei Senate who came to inquire after hearing the news, insisted on returning to Daming.

Luo Jian seemed a little hesitant, because from his personal point of view. His enthusiasm and devotion to family and national politics are far inferior to Gu Jikun and Wang Fuzhi, and even because his studies have reached the most critical junior graduation period, it is even more difficult for him to choose. As a result, in the past six months, Luo Jian, who wanted to study as a graduate student in the Department of Physics next year, has been restless, and he has not even started writing his junior graduation examination thesis in the last half semester.

Looking at his companion's serious expression, Luo Jian's face twitched slightly, and he waited until Wang Fuzhi turned his back with a disappointed expression, then he lowered his head and sighed and nodded slightly: "Okay, I'll say goodbye to Mr. An in a few days." Let's go home together. ”

Seeing that Luo Jian had to express his position under the persecution of Wang Fuzhi, Gu Jikun was also very unbearable. He has always believed that what Luo Jian has learned is very important, and the burden in the future is no less than protecting his family and defending the country, but it is not good to target Wang Fuzhi's position, so he can only choose to have the same attitude.

……

In the large conference room of the central cabinet of the cabinet, another emergency meeting of the National Security Council is being held.

"This group of fools who are dead, half of the country is almost unsaved, they are still making a fool, that Zheng Zhilong is really a gambler. It's good now. Congress is considering terminating military operations in the Far East. Foreign Minister Shi Wenbo, who had just returned from Europe, smiled wryly and pointed to the final vote of the morning congress, shaking his head helplessly.

"If they don't care about our existence, then why should we lick their butts? I don't care about them. We can do it ourselves! All the troops of the Foreign Legion's Brown Bear Brigade arrived in Hong Kong last week, and we have two brigades of 6 Corps in the Far East, plus the cover and support of the Asian Fleet, so it will not be difficult to carry out the second set of operations and start a 6th operation in the north. Should be able to stop the Manchus from going south! ”

Zheng Quan's temper was still so stiff, he directly broke the pencil in his hand, and snorted coldly in his nose.

"Lao Zheng. Are you so enthusiastic to stand up to the Manchus, and then protect a bunch of Ming bureaucrats to continue tossing around at home? Or is it that when the Manchu Qing Dynasty is defeated, they will start a war with Nanming and Zheng Zhilong, and settle the old accounts together? The Oriental Union Group is now in a state of gloomy ashes, and perhaps it is hoped that the Congress will use troops against Nanming. Fan Li, the new secretary of homeland security, smiled and lit a cigarette.

"Prioritize, huh...... If they have any moths, I don't believe that they can't be sober......" Zheng Quan smiled coldly and slapped the table, "I have been preparing for more than two years, and I have spent so much effort to deploy troops and generals, and I have played such a famous game!" ”

As soon as you say it, I say it, Guan Ruzhong, who has been the prime minister of the cabinet for a year, is frowning, and his eyes have been wandering the map.

After a lot of talk, in the end, there was still no certainty, and many people turned their attention to Yan Xiaosong, the minister who is in charge of the Far East strategy, and Fan Li, the minister of homeland security. Since more than ten years ago, the tone of the Far East strategy has been shaped by the two of them, especially Fan Li, who has been in the Far East for the longest time, and has personally experienced many Ming Dynasty affairs.

"In fact, we have all prepared for the worst, the situation in the Ming Dynasty has unfolded to the present, and it is doomed as early as the day Zhu Youxiang ascended the throne. No matter which Emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty, the entire Southern Ming regime was in a state of extremely chaotic infighting. Our choice to intervene at this time, regardless of our position, is completely thankless. ”

"More crucially, we will keep a large number of people we hate the most, and use the lives of our soldiers and huge sums of money to protect a regime that is unsightly, hostile to us, and may even be used as gunmen to root out dissidents. Zheng Zhilong's overreaction is a bit out of line, but it also shows their basic attitude towards us. ”

"In other words, we have all fallen into a misunderstanding, a fundamental misreading of the affairs of the Ming Dynasty, and thus a misjudgment of the reactions of Nan Ming and Zheng Zhilong!"

Glancing at Yan Xiaosong, who was speechless, Fan Li knew that the other party was also undecided, so he could only smile slightly, planning to solve the siege for his friend.

"Misreading?" All the members present, including Prime Minister Guan Ruzhong and Yan Xiaosong, were puzzled.

"Putting aside the real course of history, the pattern of the war in the Ming and Qing dynasties is actually not fundamentally different from that of the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Northern and Southern Dynasties more than a thousand years ago. The Yangtze River is still the most solid military and geographical defense line in the history of ancient Chinese warfare. The Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Northern and Southern Dynasties, the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and the Southern Song Dynasty, all military confrontations with the Yangtze River as the boundary in history will last for at least a few decades or hundreds of years. ”

"In the eyes of almost all Nan Mingshi doctors in this era, the current shape shì is no exception. Who would believe the bizarre story that Nanming's Yangtze River defense line would collapse in a matter of months, except that we know it by heart? Ma Shiying doesn't believe it, Wang Duo doesn't believe it, and Zheng Zhilong, who has the strongest water power in Nanming, won't believe it. If this historical understanding is erased, it is estimated that it will be difficult for us to understand. ”

"So, we deduced a qiē. It's purely our preconceived 'foreknowledge', not their 'realistic and correct' strategy. If Zheng Zhilong knew that we were going to force him to death, it is estimated that this time it would not be as simple as Zhao Youheng's dismissal and the bullying of Nanhai Firm. From their point of view, we, like the Portuguese and Spaniards, are a bunch of cheap and ambitious businessmen, and there is no possibility for them to be submissive on such a 'big question of right and wrong'. ”

"The Southern Ming Dynasty has chosen the position of the Celestial Empire as always, Zheng Zhilong seems to be a little more slippery, and he uses the method of attacking Zhao Youheng and the South China Sea merchants to seek a living space for bargaining, he will not think that he has done a bad job, and it is really a bit of our style. We can laugh at them for being stupid. But it cannot be denied that they have made a choice that ignores the direction of history. ”

"The Manchu Qing Dynasty, or us, anyone can knock Nanming down the abyss, but everyone here won't rush to be the first thug to be the downfall of Nanming, right?"

After finishing speaking, Fan Li leisurely picked up the teacup. Regarding the words of Fan Li, who has been in contact with the Ming Dynasty for the longest time in China, everyone present was thoughtful.

"Do you mean just looking at it?" Zheng Quan's face was a little ugly, and his palms couldn't help but clench into fists.

Of course, this may face a contradiction: if the Manchus are not prevented from crossing the river, they will not be able to prevent the greatest humanitarian disaster and historical regret of the late Ming Dynasty. Countless Ming people will die under the butcher's knife. Fan Li suddenly lowered his voice, and the smile on his face gradually faded, "However, so many years have passed. The Ming Dynasty has already had too many tragedies, and if one or two are really selected, they will not necessarily be inferior to Yangzhou and Jiading...... History will always only record the righteous position of the victors: for us, the fate of Nan Ming and Zheng Zhilong is predestined. It's the results that matter. ”

"History is still in the middle of inertia, and there will be many more valuable opportunities to take advantage of in the coming years, rather than making choices now. You're welcome to put it mildly. The more time drags on, the clearer the situation will be, and the more room and accuracy we will have. ”

"The icing on the cake is better than sending charcoal in the snow. Only when they see is believing, life is worse than death, and they are desperate, can we truly grasp the initiative. Until then, any forcible intervention will not only lead to more chaotic divisions within Nanming, but will also create huge problems for our strategic preparations. ”

Fan Li said, and gestured a scale with his hand, pointing to the map: "At present, whether it is Hongguang, Longwu, Yongli or even Shaowu, they are not qualified to continue to lead the Ming Dynasty, and the old bureaucracy around them is not in our interests." ”

Fan Li's meaning was too straightforward and cold, which immediately caused everyone to ponder. Especially Yan Xiaosong, his brows furrowed even tighter.

"With the opinions of the National Assembly arguing for so many days, in this situation, it is already benevolent and righteous not to stab Nanming in the back. We don't have the ability to deal with the worse mess after the forced intervention, and we don't intend to be Nanming's enemies. I agree with Lao Fan's opinion to abandon military action and reformulate the response plan. ”

In the middle of the ring, seeing that everyone was unwilling to take a stand, Prime Minister Guan Ruzhong finally let out a breath and stood up and expressed his opinion. No matter how difficult the decision was, Kwan felt that he had to step up and shoulder the greatest responsibility.

……

Two days later, on Saturday, Yan Xiaosong, who had finished a busy week's work, hosted a banquet for his friend Su Zining in his manor. At the meeting the day before yesterday, Su Zining, who served as the secretary general of the National Security Council, missed the meeting because he was doing social research and inspection in the town of New Rochelle.

“…… It is rare for Fan Li to put forward this kind of opinion, and it seems that his view of the Ming Dynasty is more in-depth than ours. ”

After listening to his friend's story, Su Zining touched his chin and fell into deep thought.

In his impression, Fan Li belonged to the more hardcore pro-Oriental faction, and he was able to stay in the Far East for ten years and only return to the mainland a few times in the middle, which is not something that ordinary people can persevere. The situation opened up by Huamei in Southeast Asia and Guangzhou, and Fan Li, as the former head of foreign affairs in the Far East, has almost no one to compare.

"Indeed, there is no worst outcome, only worse. Zheng Zhilong probably got enough support to dare to have a showdown with us more than ten years later, but judging from the fact that he only targeted Zhao Youheng and Qiongzhou Nanhai Firm. There is still room for manoeuvre. It's just that for us, it's no longer a fault that he can make up for with a bargain. ”

Yan Xiaosong carefully pondered the details of the information at hand, and was a little unhappy about Zheng Zhilong and Nanjing's choice until now.

"The point is not in Nanjing or what dangerous political tricks Zheng Zhilong is playing, but Fan Li himself has been disappointed in this set of oriental bureaucratic behavior, and Zheng Zhilong must also come to the time when it should be eliminated, otherwise there will be endless troubles." Su Zining covered the minutes of the meeting with a smile, and suddenly pointed to the drawer in front of the other party, "Yan Xiaosong, how much loss do you say we will suffer if we follow Fan Li's point of view?" ”

Yan Xiaosong hurriedly took out another document from the drawer: "Take the latest opinion of the Congress." Even if force is used, the worst-case scenario will not allow us to abandon the two Guangzhous. In other words, if we stay on the sidelines, the three provinces of Fujian, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi will all be occupied by the Manchus. According to the analysis of the trade figures of previous years, once the above-mentioned provinces fell, if there were no rescue measures, the import volume of raw silk, tea, silk, porcelain, and raw medicinal materials in the Ming Dynasty would drop by 8o%, and the import volume of raw lacquer, pine resin, and cotton and linen would decrease by 5o%. The decline in imports of other industrial and agricultural raw materials is also about 3o% to 4o%. In addition, merchandise exports to the Ming Dynasty would have fallen by 6o%. Other words. The total loss of import and export trade volume of OUCC in the Far East is estimated to be about 3oo yuan a year, and the local enterprises associated with it will also lose a lot, affecting thousands of domestic jobs. ”

"Hehe, most of them are estimated to fall on the head of the Oriental Union Group. Ren Changle, it's strange that they can sit still. Su Zining seemed to see Ren Changle and the others jumping like thunder, and smiled and gestured, "I'm thinking, how shocking the new ideas in Fan Li's mind are." In order to make OUCC Group willing to accept these losses! ”

"Huh? Do you think Fan Li already has a plan? Yan Xiaosong was stunned for a long time before he came back to his senses.

"The state, or the OUCC Group. In fact, the plate in the Far East is far from the real scale. Last year, the Oriental Union Group exported 90,000 standard pieces of cloth to the Ming Dynasty through Hong Kong, which was about 450,000 horses according to the size of the Ming Dynasty's small horses. You must know that at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the hand-weaving output in Songjiang and Suzhou alone was 2ooo million small horses a year. Theoretically, the volume of our cloth exports can be easily digested by just the two markets, not to mention even less when it is spread to a few coastal provinces. ”

"According to our rough statistics, the total population of Liangguang is now about 12oo to 14oo thousand, and even if each person only buys 5o cents of Chinese civilian goods per year, the import market of civilian goods alone is at least 6oo0,000. At present, the annual report of the stock exchange of the Oriental Union Group shows that together with the arms and bulk grain transactions, all the import and export trade of the Oriental Union Group to the Daming region last year was only a little more than 5oo, and the industrial and agricultural raw materials transported back to the mainland from the entire Far East were only worth 90,000 yuan. ”

"Due to the backward commodity logistics and self-sufficient rural small-scale peasant economy of the Ming Dynasty, even one-third of the Liangguang market was dissatisfied with the production and export of civilian goods in the Ming Dynasty. The majority of OUCC's profitability is still in India, Southeast Asia, Europe and even the domestic market. ”

"According to the calculations of the Ministry of Commerce, after the loss of Fujian and Zhejiang, our import and export trade volume in the Ming Dynasty will drop by more than half. The pillar industries such as hardware, salt and sugar, tobacco, textiles, oils, and building materials in the overseas territory of Pearl Island will be hit harder, but it is also the impact of local economic development, which is quite bearable compared with the national impact of the war in Europe. However, how much damage can be recovered is ultimately our primary concern, so Fan Li must create a branch or later income that is as lucrative as possible, and it must also be a big cake that can convince Congress and the OUCC group. ”

After speaking, Su Zining picked up the teacup and drank it carefully with an unprecedented serious attitude, as if after this cup, he would no longer be able to drink authentic Daming green tea.

"According to what you say, if we stop our current military preparations, we will be tantamount to giving up Hongguang, Longwu, and even Shaowu and Yongli have all been removed from the list......" Yan Xiaosong frowned, carefully recalling Fan Li's words yesterday.

"He's going to re-bake a cake that hasn't been made in history, instead of us looking for a cake all the way to the rhythm of history." Su Zining showed a mysterious smile and nodded at the text in Yan Xiaosong's hand, "After the impact of this Ming Dynasty diplomatic incident, the current Hongguang, the future Longwu, Shaowu or Yongli are not qualified in Fan Li's eyes. From scratch, the idea of supporting the establishment of a Ming Dynasty government that we like is probably formed in Fan Li's mind many years ago. ”

"We always thought that it was best to follow the historical context, but our Ming Dynasty commercial agents were too fragile, and our dealings with the Ming Dynasty officials have always been at a substantial passive level, all of which are multiple-choice questions on the chessboard where others have placed chess pieces, and have never really grasped the initiative. If such a new Ming Dynasty government really comes out, it is estimated that the Congress and the Oriental Union Group will be ecstatic. ”

"As for the Manchus, from the very beginning, they were probably not the object of real concern for Fan Li, the former intelligence chief in the Far East, and in the military's Far East military operation plan, there were already countless sets of plans that could make the Manchus shed their last drop of blood."

Speaking of this, Su Zining swallowed all the remaining tea in one go, and chewed the tea leaves with great satisfaction.

After listening to Su Zining's slow speech, Yan Xiaosong's expression gradually became strict. (To be continued......)

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