November 22, Taichu Palace.

Yang Shengping, the special envoy of the Great Qin Mission, the second assistant of the cabinet and the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, and the scholar of the Jinshen Palace, got out of the carriage, and after tidying up his official uniform a little, he did not immediately follow the janissary officer who led the way into the palace gate, but looked back at the huge bronze statue of Emperor Taizu on the square, stared intently, and was silent for a long time.

The whole statue is 16.20 meters high and weighs 65 tons, Emperor Taizu of Great Qi stands sideways, his eyes are deep and looking into the distance, his right hand is raised high, and it seems to continue to lead the people of Qi to move forward towards a solid and lofty goal in the distance.

"This is a great and wise emperor."

Yang Shengping was full of sincere respect for the founding emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty, who almost single-handedly founded this powerful and rich empire, and spread the prestige of the empire far and wide, becoming the master of this vast ocean.

Although, our Great Qin is a powerful country in the East, with hundreds of millions of people and millions of soldiers.

However, the enlightened officials of the Great Qin, mainly Yang Shengping, knew very well that in terms of comprehensive national strength, the Great Qin was far inferior to the Qi State, not to mention the financial disparity, even with military strength alone, the millions of Great Qin officers and soldiers may not be the opponent of the Qi army.

After returning to China, the generals of the Qin Army, who had been trained in the Qi Navy and Army School, were all shocked by the Qi army's powerful firepower, adequate logistical support, advanced weapon systems, and professional combat command skills. Although the size of the Qi army is only more than 40,000, and it is also stationed in the mainland and many overseas territories, it seems that the military strength is thin and not large.

However, the generals of the Qin army, who were familiar with the command and mobilization system of the Qi army, did not dare to show the slightest contempt for the small number of Qi troops. Because, Qi implements a universal military service system, and all citizens of appropriate age are obliged to serve in the army. Moreover, Qi also has what is probably the largest and most effective wartime mobilization mechanism in the world.

It is said that once the Qi state enters a state of war, the size of their army can quickly expand from 40,000 to 80,000 within a month, and after three months, this number will become 15 to 200,000, and after half a year, it will reach 500,000.

In addition, the Qi State also has a large number of vassal states and overseas territories, and in the event of a large-scale war, it is presumable that they will also undertake the obligation to send troops without hesitation and follow the Qi army to fight on the battlefield.

Of course, in this calculation of the military strength of the Qi State, my Great Qin did not mean to use them as imaginary enemies and adopt a radical anti-Qi policy. As two Han countries of the same ancestry, the Great Qin Dynasty and the outside are actually unwilling to have a bad relationship with the Qi State, let alone a war with the Qi State, even if they continue to support the Northern Ming puppet dynasty for many years, even if they dig into the wall and make small moves within the traditional influence of our Great Qin, even if they often accuse our Great Qin of implementing a conservative and harsh trade policy.

The current strategic focus of our Great Qin is in the north and northwest, and it is on those Tartars and barbarians who are eyeing the Central Plains. Throughout the dynasties, the northern Hulu border troubles have always been the life-and-death enemy of the Central Plains Dynasty, and if you are not careful, you will be taken advantage of by it, seize Shenzhou, and serve hundreds of millions of Chinese people.

And the country of Qi, what it is trying to do, is nothing more than the benefit of the trade of goods.

Moreover, trade with Qi also correspondingly promoted the market prosperity of Daqin. Tea, porcelain, silk, medicinal herbs, raw silk, cotton, tung oil, pig bristles, mineral products, etc., were exported in large quantities through Qi merchants, in exchange for countless gold and silver, and also contributed millions of taels of silver to the imperial court.

This time he came to the Qi State, in addition to asking the Qi State to restrain the Northern Ming to stop invading the territory of Great Qin, but also to obtain their corresponding financial support. To this end, in addition to continuing to maintain several foreign trade ports such as Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Shanghai, Penglai, and Qinzhou, which were previously open to Qi State, Daqin also added three cities along the Yangtze River, Yangzhou, Anqing, and Wuhan, as well as two coastal cities of Ningbo and Jimo (now Jimo District, Qingdao), which were open to Qi merchants and allowed import and export trade in the above areas to meet the needs of Qi trade expansion.

With the frequent economic and trade exchanges with Qi and Qin, the ties between the two sides have become increasingly close, and the government and the opposition have also been deeply influenced by the Qi State. Some maritime trade merchants, enlightened scholars, and many officials who studied in Qi have suggested to the imperial court that they should reform and change the law, follow the Qi country, emphasize science and technology, promote practical learning, and set up factories, so as to carry out a vigorous "industrial revolution" in the territory of Daqin, so as to get rid of the current ignorant and backward production relations and production methods, and achieve the goal of enriching the country and strengthening the army.

However, this move was fiercely opposed by many old-fashioned forces in the court. They believe that the law of their ancestors is immutable, and resolutely advocate the maintenance of traditional culture and the existing education system, and oppose borrowing from the culture and system of the Qi country. The Chinese civilization has been inherited for thousands of years and has its own adjustment mechanism, as long as the benevolent government and the courtesy and righteousness are practiced, it is enough to maintain the unity inside and outside the court, and the upper and lower levels are integrated.

As for the so-called science and technology, utensils, and even the railways and steam locomotives of Qi Kingdom, they are just "ancient and modern wonders, peerless ingenuity".

Moreover, some "people with lofty ideals" also looked at the essence through the phenomenon, studied the logic of the establishment, development, and operation of the Qi country, and concluded, "The merchants of the Qi people are the ones who are informed of the government, the officials and businessmen defend each other, and the capital and business strength are used to raise the army." ”

And my Chinese tradition of thousands of years is "China is the world as a family, has been more thousands of years, government decrees are unified in one person, wealth belongs to one person, the dignity and lowly etiquette system is very strict, the flow of scholars, peasants, workers and commodities is different, how can the last person participate in the country in vain?" ”

The old school believes that it is also undesirable to set up factories, advocate industry, and expand foreign trade, saying that "building agriculture and suppressing commerce is the reason for teaching diligence and simplicity, and the source of wealth is extensive, and the emphasis on scholars and merchants is more to persuade virtue and establish the foundation of governance, but in fact, the right to suppress the interests of merchants is to extend the title of the imperial court." ”

Well, to put it bluntly, it is a social order in which officials respect business and are inferior, and even the authority of the imperial court is based on suppressing commerce, but it can't be like the Qi State, where officials and businessmen are integrated, subverting the "noble" status of officials and gentry, and losing their dignity.

As a three-year study tour of the Qi country, Yang Shengping, who is deeply aware of the huge gap between the two countries of Qin and Qi, is an out-and-out enlightened faction in the Great Qin Dynasty. On different occasions, he strongly advocated that the imperial court should carry out a thorough reform of the law, imitate the government of the Qi State, and carry out strict reforms, so as to become rich and powerful like the Qi State.

The people of the mainland are outstanding and the treasures of the world, and the resource endowment is even stronger than that of Hanzhou, and the Qi State can rise rapidly in just a few decades, as the Great Qin of the same kind of text, if it can change the law a little and innovate, and then introduce some advanced experience and technology of the Qi State, there is no reason to continue to lag behind the Qi State.

However, in the ancient land of China, the strength of the old stubborn forces exceeded everyone's imagination, and they insisted that "the way to build a country is still etiquette rather than power schemes, and the fundamental plan is not in the hearts of the people."

If "righteousness is not extended, after a few years, it will drive all the people of China to return to Yi (Qi)." ”

In the court, the old guards launched a frenzied suppression and attack on those enlightened factions who advocated reform and reform. During Yang Shengping's thirty years of eunuchs, there were several ups and downs. Just before he served as the special envoy for this visit to Qi, he was still demoted to the post of governor of Qinghai, and he was depressed and depressed all day long with a cold wind, looking at the cattle and sheep everywhere.

If it weren't for the fact that Emperor Qianyuan of the Great Qin Dynasty needed an official who was familiar with foreign affairs and was familiar with the domestic situation of Qi to visit Hanzhou, Yang Shengping would not have been summoned to the court, and he was also promoted to the post of deputy assistant of the cabinet and secretary of the Ministry of Rites.

"In order to make good friends with Qin and Qi and continue to maintain the friendship of the century-old alliance between the two sides, I have ordered the Cabinet Department of Etiquette and Education to increase the number of students studying in Qin to 800 from next year."

After Yang Shengpingli met with Emperor Taiping in the Yongchang Hall of Taichu Palace, he greeted Emperor Taiping courtesically on behalf of Emperor Qianyuan of Great Qin, and briefly described the recent situation of the Great Qin Dynasty, the livelihood of the people in China, and the war in the northwest and Mobei. At the same time, he expressed his sincere gratitude to Qi for its financial and military support to Great Qin.

In addition to greeting Emperor Qianyuan, Emperor Taiping also expressed serious concern about the dispute between the old and new factions within Great Qin, hoping that the friendly relations currently maintained between Qi and Qin would not be damaged by the obsession and likes and dislikes of "individual people", let alone affect the merchants and traveling citizens of Qi because of this.

In the end, Emperor Taiping said that in order to enhance mutual understanding between the people of Qi and Qin and eliminate the estrangement, the cabinet government of Qi would allocate some education funds to subsidize those Daqin students who were interested in studying in Qi.

"Thank you very much Your Majesty for your kindness." Yang Shengping bowed his hand and said: "After the envoy returns to Nanjing, he will definitely invite my emperor to select smart and resourceful people from the Guozijian and the local prefectures and counties to study in your country." ”

Emperor Taiping smiled slightly and nodded.

Since more than 30 years ago, during the reign of Emperor Taizu, he began to subsidize Qin students to study abroad, and over the years, thousands of Qin students have been trained. Although many people ended up staying in Qi and became the talent reserve of Qi State. But those Qin students who returned to the mainland, after several years of study and life, subtly, more or less had a sense of closeness to Qi Guo and a sense of awe.

These people either entered the Great Qin court and became pro-Qi enlightened factions, or they were engaged in industry and commerce and became potential comprador merchants. Through them, Qi indirectly expanded its influence in Qin, and also had a huge influence on Qin's politics, military, and economy.

"Your Majesty, my Great Qin Imperial Family has previously requested a marriage with the Great Qi Imperial Family to maintain the close and friendly momentum between the two countries, but so far, your domestic cabinet has not responded." At the end of this visit, Yang Shengping suddenly asked: "This envoy is quite puzzled by this, so he will play a special performance for His Majesty and listen to the holy judgment." ”

"Oh." When Emperor Taiping heard this, he was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said softly: "The cabinet has submitted this matter to Yu Zhen. However, I did not agree to the marriage. ”

"Your Majesty, dare to hear the reason for this?" Yang Shengping felt a trace of unhappiness in his heart.

What do you mean, do you Qi royal family look down on my Great Qin royal family?

"Close relatives are not married." Emperor Taiping said: "Your envoy needs to know that I and the emperor of your country are cousins, for the sake of children and grandchildren, and it is not appropriate to marry. For this reason, I personally wrote a letter to the emperor of your country to explain it. ”

"Inbred unmarried?" Yang Shengping looked at Emperor Taiping in surprise.

"Well, the medical community of my Qi country has proven that if close relatives marry, the offspring will have many hidden diseases." Emperor Taiping smiled and said: "If you want to strengthen the closeness of the royal families of the two countries, marriage is not indispensable, but you need to find another family child in addition to the three generations, thinking that it is an intermarriage." ”

I remember when I was a child, Emperor Taizu once laughed at the two Habsburg dynasties in Europe, saying that the two royal families were all relatives who married and married, and the offspring born were either fools, or neurotics, or people with serious physical defects.

For the sake of future generations, and for the health of the royal family, it is best to strictly prohibit the marriage of close relatives within three generations.

Although the current marriageable royal children of the two countries are no longer close relatives within three generations, Emperor Taiping still subconsciously refused to marry his direct children (grandchildren) with the Qin royal family when he thought of Emperor Taizu's warning.

"Your Majesty, the Chang'an Royal Medical College reported that the situation of the eldest princess Le'an is already not good, I am afraid that ...... Time is running out. The envoy of the State of Qin had just left, and a royal secretary said with a solemn expression.

"Get ready to drive." Emperor Taiping immediately got up and sighed slightly, "Summoning the queen, come with me to see my aunt on her last journey." ”