For the Ming Empire.

Gain control of the Isthmus of Suez and garrison rights in the Mediterranean.

The temptation is immense.

And the price they have to pay is minimal: just no more arms sales to Russia.

However, in fact, with the research of "reverse engineering" of Ming-style equipment in European countries.

The Ming Army's rifled guns, mortars, grenades, and barbed wire four-piece sets actually do not have much technical barriers.

Even a serf country like Tsarist Russia had the ability to produce some useful equipment.

Although the quality is far worse than the weapons produced in the Ming factory.

But at least there is no "generational difference".

Therefore, even if the Ming Dynasty refuses to sell weapons to Russia, the Ottoman Empire may not be able to recover its decline from the battlefield.

But if the Ming Empire got a military port in the Ottomans, then the Russian army would not dare to continue south.

Britain, as an ally of the Ottomans, failed to give strong support to the Ottomans in the Russo-Turkish war.

Osman chose to hug his thigh, which is understandable.

"What about the messengers of the Americans? What do they say? ”

"The Americans are concerned about our stronghold in the New World, but now the Americans only have a small area on the east coast of the New World, and they have come up with a plan to jointly carve up North America."

"Carving up North America?"

Emperor Zhu was a little surprised.

But if you think about it, you can understand it.

How could the Americans of today have imagined that they would be able to dominate the world later?

The United States of America today is a loose federation of the east coast of the New World and the south of Lake Wudalian.

The total area is about one million square kilometers.

It is far from the large country of more than 9 million square kilometers in later generations.

They don't have the ambition to monopolize most of North America's warm territory right now.

Even.

The British army in the British Canadian colonies in the north could move south at any time and destroy the "weak" United States of America.

Compared to the Ming in the west of the Andes.

The British Empire, which is right next door, is a big threat to the Americans.

People are looking at what is in front of them

Moreover, the United States, which did not experience the Civil War between the North and the South, did not in fact have a strong central government.

There are more times when the states are on their own.

Some Americans hoped to form an alliance with Spain and Britain against the Ming Dynasty.

Some Americans hoped to unite with the Ming Dynasty and bring in the strength of the Ming Dynasty to maintain the balance in the New World.

It's all understandable.

"Yes, this envoy is the special envoy of the United States of America to Washington, and is said to have a very close relationship with Washington, combined with the information received from various places. U.S. Commander Washington still believes that the greatest threat to the United States is the Canadian colony of Britain, and even the newly acquired colony of Louisiana. ”

Emperor Zhu nodded slightly.

If he's not mistaken.

Washington retired after serving only two terms as Commander-in-Chief of the United States.

In this way, this year should be the time for him to step down.

But.

Who is the next U.S. president?

Emperor Zhu shook his head.

He learned history well, though.

However, American history has not been written much in later Chinese textbooks.

Therefore, Emperor Zhu only remembered the name of the first great commander of the United States.

As for the rest..

I really don't remember it.

However, he also knows that in a national system like the United States, partisanship is inevitable, so even Washington's special envoy estimates that it is difficult to guarantee that the agreement reached with the Ming Dynasty can be implemented by the United States of America - because the current United States is too loose.

Policies are subject to change at any time.

"The deal with the United States doesn't make much sense, and they can't agree on it themselves right now." Emperor Zhu pouted and said.

Lin Dagong nodded.

"The so-called federalism is probably going to break up in the end." Lin Dagong said.

American Breakup?

Will it really break up?

Emperor Zhu had some vague expectations in his heart.

"By the way, what's the name of that American envoy?"

"Back to the emperor, his name is James. Madison. ”

"James. Madison? It's a familiar name. ”

Emperor Zhu muttered in a low voice.

On the train to the northern capital.

U.S. Special Envoy James. Madison was burying his head in writing something.

He looked up and saw the Russian emissary Muragev opposite.

I really didn't expect it.

In this day and age.

The United States and Russia are actually very close.

Historically, the United States and Russia had little contact at this time.

But because of the rise of the Ming Empire.

The United States and Russia have some common interests.

First of all, they are all countries on the periphery of European civilization.

The Slavs were regarded as barbarians by the countries of Western Europe, on the same footing as the Mongols and Tatars.

Other than that.

Russia and the United States suffered a similar fate when facing the Ming Empire.

Eastern Siberia in Russia was occupied by the Ming Dynasty.

The United States, on the other hand, was about to face the pressure of the Ming Empire's landing from the western part of the New World, even though the territory in the western part of the New World had little to do with the United States. However, in the eyes of many American politicians, those territories that now belong to some indigenous tribes will sooner or later be occupied, and the United States, which is a country in the New World, is the ironclad future hegemon of the Americas.

James. Jefferson's expression was a little dazed.

This time.

He saw the strength of the Ming Empire.

The country has a huge population, a huge territory, a well-developed industrial system, and an extremely strong central government – all things that the United States lacks.

And really let James. Jefferson was a little frightened by the hostility of the Ming Emperor to the United States of America when he was in the capital.

Yes.

Even if the emperor did not receive him.

But he from some of the emperor's words and deeds.

But the emperor's jealousy and hostility towards the United States can be clearly felt.

This shouldn't be!

Two countries across the Pacific Ocean, and the United States of America has no world interest, they are just small regional countries.

Why was the emperor of the Ming Empire hostile to the United States?

This is ridiculous.

It stands to reason that there should not be a big conflict of interest between the two countries?

Most politicians in the United States did not even object to the Ming Empire's seizure of land in the western part of the New World, because it did not belong to the United States in the first place.

They only hope to reach an agreement with the Ming Empire to ensure the security of the western United States by means of a treaty.

Failed to get an audience from the Emperor of the Ming Empire.

Jean James. Jefferson was a little disappointed.

He was taking an investment group of American businessmen to the Northern Capital for an inspection.

By the way, together with the envoys of Tsarist Russia, they went to Moscow to visit Russia through Irkutsk, the river port that has now been renamed Beihai Prefecture.

The United States and Russia, two countries on the periphery of European civilization, now also have the need to huddle together for warmth.

Right now.

The train slowly stopped at a railway station called "Shijiazhuang".

This place was originally a small town, but because of this railway station, this town has gradually become an important transportation node in the Central Plains.

Especially.

Many immigrants recruited from the Central Plains.

From here, head to the Tohoku region.

James Jefferson stood by the window, looking at the immigrants who were on the railway station, helping the old and the young, and taking the train to the northeast region of the Ming Empire, with a little emotion on his face.

"It's really a huge country, isn't it?"

Mulagev said.

"Of course, they also have a lot of people."

James. Jefferson said.

"It's just that, now it seems that the reign of the Great Emperor has not brought much benefit to the appointment of this country."

"The benefits? Isn't that a benefit? As far as I know, the Central Plains of the Ming Empire was so densely populated that if there was no migration to the surrounding areas, within a few years there would be a rebellion of hungry peasants, as in every dynastic change in Chinese history. These hungry peasants will devour everything, land, resources, and most importantly, population! ”

Mulagev said.

When the war ended and a new dynasty was established, China's land contradictions were alleviated by the drastic decline in population, and a so-called prosperous era began. A few hundred years later, this dynasty will be swallowed up by hungry peasants, and the cycle will be repeated. ”

"That's why the emperor cares so much about the agricultural land that can house a large number of people, he occupies Manchuria, that is, the northeast region of the Ming Dynasty, this huge area has a plain and arable land larger than the Central Plains, in addition to the South Seas, and Australia, of course, he is now eyeing the New World."

Mulagev said, spreading his hands.

"It's really true to be neighbors with an empire like this. It's scary. It's good that Western Siberia is all some permafrost, otherwise."

James. Jefferson glanced at Muragev sympathetically.

"This emperor is too young, his empire is so powerful, the future world needs to learn how to deal with this emperor."

Great.

It is the name of Zhu Daohua by Westerners.

His deeds do indeed deserve this title.

Right now.

On the platform ahead, a group of migrants were huddled together, as if something was happening.

"Go see what's going on?"

James. Jefferson had his attendants get off the train to inquire about the situation.

Soon.

The attendant returned: "There is an immigrant who is sick, and the official in charge of escorting him has refused his request to get on the train, and many immigrants are very dissatisfied with this, and the two sides are facing off."

James Jefferson and Muragev looked at each other.

"This kind of thing happens very often, right?"

"Maybe."

"There will be. Revolution? ”

"There won't be, there won't be, there is too much territory in this country to accommodate an overpopulation. The United States and Russia should unite, and we all have to face pressure from Europe and the Ming Dynasty. ”

"Alas, another one died."

"Isn't it?"

"It's too bitter."

Outside the train.

Many immigrants are complaining.

The establishment of the new dynasty did not give the peasants any comfortable life.

Instead, it became even more frustrating.

As the migrants grumbled as they prepared to leave for the unknown, they were urged to board the train by the officials who escorted them.

Sichuan.

Luojiang County.

A group of farmers also gathered together to chat.

Looking at their shabby appearances, it is obvious that they are not doing well.

"Think about it, it's better to be a tenant for Lao Li's family as a tenant for a long time, although I can't save any money, but I'm not as tired as I am now! At that time, there were still busy farmers and idle farmers, where did they do it in a year like now? ”

"yes, it's better to be early. Rent ten acres of watered land, pay the rent is enough for the family to eat for ten months, and then plant some sweet potatoes can deal with it for a year, and the wife and daughter can also spin and weave cloth, and there are two or three hanging money when they are sold! Where it is like now, it is all the world of foreign cloth, and no one wants the homespun cloth woven by women. ”

Speaking of homespun cloth, everyone sighed, the life of male ploughing and female weaving, Chinese farmers have lived for thousands of years.

But since Emperor Zhu called, such days have gradually come to an end.

In Guangdong and Jiangnan, machine weaving factories have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain!

The machine-woven cloth is cheap and good, and it is not at all something that homespun cloth can resist.

Now a large number of dumps have been dumped into Sichuan!

It has made life more and more difficult for small and poor families.

What made the peasants even more miserable was the gradual collapse of the feudal land ownership system!

According to later generations, the replacement of feudal land ownership by capitalist agriculture was a great increase in productivity.

But for the peasants at the bottom.

The replacement of landlords by capitalists is not necessarily a good thing.

After all.

The exploitation of the landlords is nothing more than that of the capitalists.

The so-called feudal land ownership system is not the private ownership and rental of land in everyone's imagination - otherwise buying and renting can now be called feudal house ownership.

In fact, feudal ownership is embodied in the unity of the right to rule over people and the ownership of land.

The scholar class was the de facto ruler of the countryside and at the same time the landowners, they were feudal lords in disguise.

And the basis of the rule of these disguised lords is not the force of knights and samurai, but the imperial examination system!

Therefore, after a series of reforms in the imperial examination system, a considerable number of landlords who lost their qualifications for examinations and had no merit ceased to be gentry.

Lost his status as a gentry, the right to rule over the countryside and the ability to control the tenant peasants personally.

Then they would not be feudal lords, but agricultural capitalists.

And the hired peasants exploited by these new agricultural capitalists are the proletariat of the countryside!

"It's hard now, carrying long-term work for Li Papi's family, not only can I not rest in spring and autumn, but I also have to work in the Li family's field in summer, and I have to repair dams and water wheels in winter, and I don't have a head for a year!"

"It is said that now the country is famous overseas and expands thousands of miles, but the life of our people is not as good as the previous dynasty......"

This topic seems to be a little sensitive, and as soon as this word came out, no one dared to answer.

It was a long time before someone sighed.

"It's not like there's no way out...... The town's yamen for recruiting collective farm tenants was open. I heard that there are more ways to go to Nanyang, and it is the rubber company of Emperor Laozi who recruits people to go to Borneo to pioneer and plant rubber trees and palm trees. On average, each person has 100 acres of land to plant trees, as long as they pay 30% of the harvest to the company for local rent. It seems to be a very good deal......"

"Hair is hair, but you have to have a life flower! That collective farm is a place where human lives are spent! The land in Borneo has long been exploited by rubber companies. Now it's time to go to the territory of the indigenous people...... It is said to be a farm, but it is actually a military household! Every family shoots guns, and every day fights wars! Otherwise, why would people build collective farms? 100 households are organized into a village, this is the army! ”

"Alas, there is no benefit in the world for nothing! Staying in your hometown is hardship, and going out is exchanging your life for wealth! After all, the people will not be comfortable......"

(End of chapter)