Chapter 199: An Unexpected Visitor in the Desert

In the northwest of Australia, the ruins of the "Song City", the "capital of the old Australian Song Empire".

If you look around, you will be surrounded by a hot, dry desert: hot yellow sand beneath your feet, bright fireballs in the sky, sun-scorched reddish-brown rocky mountains in the distance, rugged rocks covered in gravel, and undulating blue seas. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

-- Despite being close to the ocean, the air is so dry that there is hardly a trace of moisture.

The scorching sunlight that seems to melt metal casts on the endless Gobi Desert, and the sand and gravel that is hot to a terrifying temperature bakes the air into a churning heat wave, and the scenery in the field of vision shakes and distorts as a result, and even the horizon in the distance seems to become an undulating river.

In the distant field of vision, strong winds swept across the barren land from time to time, setting off bursts of brilliant golden waves that never stopped. On the horizon, slightly distorted by the scorching heat, a lifeless white salt lake could be faintly seen, reflecting dazzling light in the scorching sun.

It is clear that this is a harsh world ruled by heat and dryness - desolate, barren and with nothing.

Only in the shadow of rocks, sand dunes or the remains of buildings can you occasionally see a few tenacious drought-tolerant plants, deeply rooted in the sand and swaying in the wind, punctuating a precious green for this monotonous and dead desolate world.

Under such a harsh natural background, although the ruins of this "Song City" located on the edge of the desert are actually less than a year before completion, which is equivalent to a state of "paint not dry". But in the eyes of outsiders who don't know the inside story, it is particularly rich in historical vicissitudes.

“…… An ancient city buried in the desert...... Is this the home of Australians? It looks like a relic of the ancient Roman Empire in North Africa! ”

Dutch East India Company emissary, Anthony? Fan? Admiral Dimen, wearing a light straw hat and a pair of sturdy and wearable boots, slowly walked on the empty streets of the ruins of "Song City", looking at the surrounding ruins and broken walls, stone pillars and steps, as well as the giant statue of Yue Fei that was artificially carved out on the bare rock mountain in the distance, and couldn't help but sigh with heartfelt emotion.

- It is a pity that although I gladly accepted the invitation to join the trip, and had the intention of taking the opportunity to peek into more Australians during the trip. But Anthony? Fan? Admiral Dimmen still failed to make his wish. Because the Australians arranged for him to board a steamship at the port dock of the capital, and then sailed directly to this "ruins of the old capital of the Australian Song Empire" in the desert by the sea, without stopping once along the way. So along the way, in addition to the blue sky and the sea, Anthony? Fan? Admiral Dimon failed to catch any glimpse of this mysterious country.

However, to be able to witness such a spectacular "ancient ruin" on the other side of the world, in Anthony? Fan? Admiral Dimmen seemed to have made the trip worthwhile. Not to mention that he also found several interesting souvenirs in this vast ruined street...... The Admiral rubbed a rusty bronze Transformer doll that had just been pulled out of a crack in the wall and carefully surveyed the streets and rubble beneath his feet, poking the scabbard of his saber a few times from time to time, as if trying to dig through more knick-knacks.

“…… This place is indeed imposing, but it is only a ruin that records the glory of the past. It's a pity that the splendor and greatness of this empire have passed away in the wind in the dust, but the glory of the Australians has just begun to ......"

Standing not far behind the admiral, the senior merchant of the Dutch East India Company, also wearing a large straw hat and learning from the Arabs who wrapped themselves in face bandans to protect themselves from sand and dust. Drantiron said, licking his chapped lips, as he looked at the beautiful mausoleum in front of him. Let's Van . Derlantron was amazed by the fact that the mausoleum had distinctly Christian features – marble statues of Christian angels, a holy relief plate of the Virgin Mary, bronze crosses and delicate stone shrines...... Especially in the very center of the cemetery, there stands a majestic marble statue of a Western European knight in military costume! And on the cloak of the stone statue, there is a very familiar pattern - the octagonal cross badge of the Knights Hospitaller!

“…… The most devout Christian, the tomb of the paladin Levy from France? Could it be the Knights Hospitaller who spread the gospel of the Lord to Australia?! This is truly a saint. "Fan. Transtron touched the inscription on the tombstone and exclaimed, but there was no reverence in his actions, and he immediately rummaged around the mausoleum, trying to find some valuable knick-knacks, but found nothing.

“…… Ahem, don't bother, this tomb has obviously been stolen! Look at the big hole over there! ”

Anthony? Fan? Admiral Dimen deliberately coughed dryly, and reminded, "...... And, please be decent, and don't forget that we're on Australian soil! If you rashly offend the owner of this place, it will not do us or the company any good! ”

“…… You're right, General. It's me who was so reckless. But...... Should we go back and rest for a while and have something to drink? ”

The senior merchant replied stupidly, giving up the intention of knocking a small relief plate down from the mausoleum, and at the same time wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked back at the end of the field of vision behind him, the verdant green, "...... It's really hot in the damn weather......"

“…… It's okay, I've seen almost everything I need to see. The admiral was silent for a moment, looked up at the increasingly scorching sun, and finally nodded in agreement, and at the same time reluctantly looked around the ruins one last time, as if he had seen countless ancient people living here, hustling and fighting...... Then all the glory and splendor were gradually buried by the yellow sand, and the endless years began a new cycle.

-- Although, all these imaginary scenes of prosperity are purely imaginary and have never appeared in this ancient desolate desert......

In short, in this era before archaeology was born, this "fake historical site" created by the time-traveling and painstaking workers has indeed succeeded in confusing the eyes of foreign visitors and creating a huge historical deception......

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Just like most scenic tourist areas, there will be hotels and dining areas that serve tourists. When building this "ruins of Song City", the travelers also thought in advance about the needs of receiving visitors from all walks of life in the future. For this purpose, a deep well was dug near the man-made ruins to draw water from underground springs, and a large number of drought-tolerant plants were planted to create a desert oasis of considerable size.

The sweaty Dutch turned and walked out of the "ruins of Songcheng", and soon their feet changed from a hot yellow sand with rocks and thorns to dense grass and clusters of bright green shrubs in the east and west, and then proud, leafy palms and poplars.

Behind this dense forest, you can faintly see a pool of clear spring water, which looks clear and transparent, full of blue eyes, shimmering in the scorching sun, making people feel cool and relaxed...... What a paradise in the Gobi Desert!

Behind the clear waterhole is a colorful checkerboard field planted with drought-tolerant crops such as barley, corn, and alfalfa, as well as fruits and vegetables such as grapes, watermelons, pomegranates, walnuts, and turnips. Beside the neatly planned ridges, gurgling springs from deep underground flow happily in countless small ditches, nourishing this dry and barren land, allowing all kinds of crops to grow and harvest here.

On the other side of this pool of clear springs is a miniature European-style palace with white marble floors and Romanesque columns, hidden in the shade of palm groves.

-- This desert oasis and the palace manor in the oasis are the supporting service areas of the "Song City Ruins", which were designed and built at the same time as this fake ruins. On the other side of the oasis, there is also a small cement pier for boats to dock directly.

After everything was completed, the authorities managed to relocate several families of trusted veterans from the East Coast Republic of South America to settle in this desert oasis. The Government gives them full tax exemption and a small monthly allowance. In normal times, they are responsible for maintaining the palace and maintaining the oasis, while cultivating crops and providing for themselves. When guests come in, you can let these people take care of the hospitality.

At this time, all the officials of the Huameng who came to "pay homage to the relics of the ancestors", as well as the foreign envoys who came with them, all stayed in this small palace. When the Dutch trekked all the way back from the desert, they saw Xu Xiake excitedly holding a basket of freshly picked bright red fruits, inviting everyone who were drinking tea and chatting on the lawn in front of the house to try it...... Ladies and gentlemen! Ladies and gentlemen, the fruits of this desert are so delicious, come and try them! ”

“…… Well...... It's really sweet, and there is a fragrance overflowing. ”

Seeing this, Fang Yizhi, the envoy of the Yonghe Imperial Court in Shanghai, Nanming, took the lead in picking up a fruit curiously, and according to Xu Xiake's guidance, he took out a knife and peeled off the skin, and then dug a piece with a spoon and put it in his mouth, "...... I don't know what this is. Is it easy to grow? ”

“…… This fruit is called dragon fruit, and it is said that it is easy to plant tightly, and the seeds are planted to take root, and the cuttings are alive. Xu Xiake explained with great interest, "...... This thing grows red, the flavor is sweet, the name is auspicious, and the flesh has many children, which is the thing that marries the scenery. Huh? You're just coming back from the desert now, huh? You must be thirsty, come and eat some! When he saw the Dutchmen walking into the courtyard, he greeted them so warmly.

-- Dragon fruit, a tropical fruit that is popular with modern people, is actually a cactus, native to the Mexican wilderness of Central America, but it was not artificially cultivated into a fruit in the 17th century. Because this thing is a cactus, so it is drought-tolerant and easy to live, under the promotion of the traverser, farmers in some coastal sand barren dry lands in the area controlled by the Chinese League, especially in Western Australia, where the climate is dry and suitable for the growth of cacti, have gradually learned to propagate this dragon fruit by cuttings as their own fence yard walls. Although the thorns of this thing are not too big compared to other cacti, if you want to pass through the densely planted dragon fruit bushes unscathed, it is still not something that ordinary humans can do.

However, since it has only been less than two years since the promotion of planting has just begun, the scale of dragon fruit cultivation in various parts of the time and space is not large, and the output is very limited. So after seeing it in this desert oasis, Xu Xiake and others will feel quite fresh.

On the other side, seeing Xu Xiake coming out with a basket of dragon fruit, these hot and thirsty Dutchmen also couldn't care about being polite, and hugged them indiscriminately, you and me, blinking their eyes and scrambling for nothing, and then couldn't wait to peel off the skin and moisten their throats with sweet juice.

When they had finished eating the fruits, and had poured several cups of herbal tea each, and had been lying or sitting in the shade of the trees for a long time, they had lazily stood up, or chatted with the envoys of the East Asian countries on the lawn through an interpreter; Or take out an inkwell, a quill and a notebook, and concentrate on writing and recording what he has seen; Others set up easels to try to paint a distant picture of the "ruins of Song City" from this perspective...... Because of the Western painting technique that is different from Oriental ink painting, it also attracted the curiosity of envoys from East Asian countries to watch and point fingers......

In short, the atmosphere of this "visit to the ancients" tour seems to be harmonious and leisurely.

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“…… It seems that the forged ruins in this desert do seem to have fooled these ancients. ”

On the edge of a desert oasis, next to a tall palm tree, Wang Qiu, Li Wei and Wen Desi, wearing sunglasses and sun hats, are sitting around a small round table under a sun umbrella, sipping cold drinks and chatting casually.

“…… Of course, I didn't see that I was peeled by the sun several times in order to do this project in the desert! ”

The French paladin who built himself a tomb of the living dead in the desert, "Comrade Levi, Director of Songcheng Ruins Project," muttered, "...... But it's really strange to say, the Jiangnan scholars of the Ming Dynasty mission are also celebrities with good evaluations in history, so it stands to reason that they won't be too stupid! How come we have already fallen into such a field, and we have seen our strength with our own eyes, and dare to put on an arrogant display of the Heavenly Empire? Even those guys in the late Qing Dynasty who had braided hair and experienced the literary prison knew that they wanted to 'master the long skills to control the country'? ”

Listening to Li Wei's words, Wang Qiu was also deeply puzzled, according to the description of modern Chinese history, even if he was as stubborn as the Manchu Qing Dynasty, after being beaten by foreigners, and understanding that the archery of his ancestors was outdated, he still knew that he wanted to engage in Westernization. But the Chinese cultural circles at the end of the Ming Dynasty were claimed to be active and open in the history books, and it is said that there was the germ of primitive democratic thought.

However, on this issue, Chairman Wen Dehei, who has dealt with the Ming Dynasty for many years, has a rather unique opinion.

“…… What's this...... To put it bluntly, it's actually very simple, their brains are no more stupid than the scholars of the late Qing Dynasty, the problem is that the world is changing too quickly for them, and the time to adapt to changes is too short, and their thoughts can't be reversed at once. ”

“…… Is the world changing too fast for them? Wang Qiu blinked, "...... Can you elaborate on that? ”

“…… Quite simply, you do the math, leave aside the two groups of people who crossed over to North and South America. On the mainland side of the Ming Dynasty, it has only been seven years since we landed on Hainan Island and had the first large-scale group of traversers to come into contact with the Ming Dynasty. Considering the speed of information circulation and the amount of information that can be disseminated in ancient times, as well as our previous low-key policy of pretending to be pigs and eating tigers, in this time and space, until three years ago, the vast majority of Ming Dynasty intellectuals had only vaguely heard the rumors of the 'South China Sea Thief', and almost did not really feel our existence. ”

Wen Deji said eloquently, "...... The understanding of society in our human minds has always lagged behind for a long time relative to the real social reality. In China's modern history, from the outbreak of the Opium War to the launch of the Westernization Movement in the Manchu Qing Dynasty, there was a gap of twenty or thirty years! In this way, when the first batch of Manchu envoys abroad were ordered to go abroad, there were still countless conservatives in the court who obstructed them in every way. The Westernists did not even get involved in political reform, but only arranged for some young people to learn foreign languages, and they were all attacked all over the city. If it is counted as the Wuxu Reform, it has been half a century since the Opium War, but the Manchu court's knowledge of overseas is still full of errors. Even when the Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing, there were still many witches in the countryside of North China who claimed that foreigners were demons and monsters, and many people would believe it! ”

“…… Belch...... It seems that this is really the case! Hearing these words, Wang Qiu couldn't help but slap his palms suddenly, and suddenly realized: he always felt that he had been in the late Ming Dynasty for a long time. But I didn't expect that in fact, it was only more than three years since the traverser began to interfere in the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty on a large scale and had close contact with the Ming Dynasty scholars!

In contrast, what was the situation of the Manchu and Qing dynasties three years after the end of the Opium War? I'm afraid I don't have any deep feelings at all, right?

“…… Compared with the modern Manchu court, the scholars of the Ming Dynasty were willing to leave the country and go overseas after just a few years of contact with us, which can be called open-minded! But it's useless......" With that, Bundeji shook his head and took another big sip of beer, "...... Ahem, this place is really, and the sand has run into the wine! He frowned and muttered.

When Wang Qiu heard this, he couldn't help but look down and observe his cup, and suddenly saw many unknown suspended objects in the cup.

-- At this time, the wind began to blow in the oasis. But under the scorching sun of the desert, the wind is like the heat of a furnace, and it does not reduce the pressing heat in the slightest. And the sand and dust carried by the wind covered everything around with a thin layer of orange-yellow sand.

He sighed, pushed away the cup that had fallen into the dust, and looked out of the oasis, where it was time for the sun to set, and on the endless desert, undulating sand dunes were endless, reflecting a faint golden light under the last rays of the setting sun......

Well? Behind the sand dunes in the distance, something seems to be moving?

A moment later, in the stunned eyes of Wang Qiu and the others, a large off-road vehicle roared from behind the sand dunes, jumping all the way around the undulating and rugged Gobi Desert, and then honked a few horns, and galloped straight towards this oasis.

Then, the off-road vehicle made an emergency stop not far from Wang Qiu and them, and jumped out of the passenger seat, a young girl wearing sportswear with a hearty expression, greeted with a smile in a very standard Mandarin:

“…… Sorry, excuse me, we are Beijing college students who drove to Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring for a self-driving tour, and we accidentally got lost just now. Where is this? How do I get to Crescent Spring? By the way, what's your spot? There are also costumes for rent to take pictures? ”

She stretched out her hand and pointed to the "ruins of Song City" not far away, and asked Wang Qiu and the others, while also curiously looking at Xu Xiake and other Ming Dynasty people in the oasis.

Facing this group of unexpected visitors who seemed to fall from the sky, Wang Qiu and the others looked at each other for a while, and then exchanged a meaningful look.

-- Isn't this ...... Another newcomer accidentally crossed over without the approval of the state?!

Then, to their horror, they watched a jet Boeing roar through the sky and crash into the distant sea......

Now, it seems that the trouble has become even bigger...... The insight is still riddled with errors. Even when the Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing, there were still many witches in the countryside of North China who claimed that foreigners were demons and monsters, and many people would believe it! ”

“…… Belch...... It seems that this is really the case! Hearing these words, Wang Qiu couldn't help but slap his palms suddenly, and suddenly realized: he always felt that he had been in the late Ming Dynasty for a long time. But I didn't expect that in fact, it was only more than three years since the traverser began to interfere in the hinterland of the Ming Dynasty on a large scale and had close contact with the Ming Dynasty scholars!

In contrast, what was the situation of the Manchu and Qing dynasties three years after the end of the Opium War? I'm afraid I don't have any deep feelings at all, right?

“…… Compared with the modern Manchu court, the scholars of the Ming Dynasty were willing to leave the country and go overseas after just a few years of contact with us, which can be called open-minded! But it's useless......" With that, Bundeji shook his head and took another big sip of beer, "...... Ahem, this place is really, and the sand has run into the wine! He frowned and muttered.

When Wang Qiu heard this, he couldn't help but look down and observe his cup, and suddenly saw many unknown suspended objects in the cup.

-- At this time, the wind began to blow in the oasis. But under the scorching sun of the desert, the wind is like the heat of a furnace, and it does not reduce the pressing heat in the slightest. And the sand and dust carried by the wind covered everything around with a thin layer of orange-yellow sand.

He sighed, pushed away the cup that had fallen into the dust, and looked out of the oasis, where it was time for the sun to set, and on the endless desert, undulating sand dunes were endless, reflecting a faint golden light under the last rays of the setting sun......

Well? Behind the sand dunes in the distance, something seems to be moving?

A moment later, in the stunned eyes of Wang Qiu and the others, a large off-road vehicle roared from behind the sand dunes, jumping all the way around the undulating and rugged Gobi Desert, and then honked a few horns, and galloped straight towards this oasis.

Then, the off-road vehicle made an emergency stop not far from Wang Qiu and them, and jumped out of the passenger seat, a young girl wearing sportswear with a hearty expression, greeted with a smile in a very standard Mandarin:

“…… Sorry, excuse me, we are Beijing college students who drove to Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring for a self-driving tour, and we accidentally got lost just now. Where is this? How do I get to Crescent Spring? By the way, what's your spot? There are also costumes for rent to take pictures? ”

She stretched out her hand and pointed to the "ruins of Song City" not far away, and asked Wang Qiu and the others, while also curiously looking at Xu Xiake and other Ming Dynasty people in the oasis.

Facing this group of unexpected visitors who seemed to fall from the sky, Wang Qiu and the others looked at each other for a while, and then exchanged a meaningful look.

-- Isn't this ...... Another newcomer accidentally crossed over without the approval of the state?!

Then, to their horror, they watched a jet Boeing roar through the sky and crash into the distant sea......

Now, it seems that the trouble has become even bigger......