Daming 1805

Chapter 444 Suspicion and Plan

The westernmost end of the Tianshan Mountains is divided into two branches, the north and the south.

One facing northwest-southeast and one facing southwest-northeast.

Two sloping branches of the Tianshan Mountains form a bell mouth facing west.

The bell mouth catches the last traces of moisture from the Atlantic Ocean.

This is the Yili River Valley, which was once the seat of Wusun, an ancient country in the Western Regions.

To the west of the Yili River Valley, to the southeast of Balkhash Pool (Balkhash Lake), the middle area is the "Seven Rivers Region".

The southern line of the Tianshan Mountains continues to the southwest, and when it reaches the place close to Congling, the ancestor of the Wanshan Mountains, a semi-enclosed valley is formed, which is the Fergana Basin, which is also the seat of Dawan, an ancient country in the Western Regions.

The core area of ​​the Ming Dynasty can be regarded as a semi-enclosed area, surrounded by mountains, plateaus, and the sea.

If Daming is in a weak position, it is likely to use the midlines of the high points of these mountains as the boundary.

But Daming is absolutely strong now, so not only do they completely occupy these mountains, but they also use the extended foot of these mountains as the boundary.

Even continue to expand outward, establishing cities and strongholds at the foot of the mountain.

These cities are the fulcrums of local regimes that suppress and control more external areas, and they are also the bases for continued outward expansion.

The Ili River Valley and the Fergana Basin are the areas at the foot of the outer mountains of this natural mountain range, and they are the frontier bases for Ming to control and influence the more western regions.

To the west of Fergana is the region in the middle of the river, and the hinterlands of the three kingdoms of Anxi are all under the direct intervention of Ming Dynasty.

Relatively speaking, the Ili River Valley went deeper into the interior of the Ming Dynasty, because the Qihe area to the west of the Ili River Valley was also the mainland of the Ming Dynasty, so the "inland" Yili became an ideal core city in the "outer northwest".

After Zhu Jingyuan's northwest urbanization policy started, this local core city has naturally become a key construction target.

The Central Court, the Western Regions Chief Envoy, the Royal Consortium, the Daming Consortium, Daming Airlines, and Dashi Clothing Company have successively poured resources and manpower into the Yili area.

Well-informed businessmen from the mainland also saw the right opportunity to invest in Yili.

The local grassroots government offices are also simultaneously transferring the population of the surrounding remote villages to Ili.

The outside of Yili City soon became a large construction site.

On the snow-covered plateau and on the Mongolian grasslands, there are also several key cities, and similar large-scale urban construction projects have begun.

And the four principalities of Xianbei, Kazakhstan, Khiva, and Persia also started similar projects.

Several vassal states do not have the strong grass-roots management ability of Ming Dynasty, and their methods are a bit simple, rude and impatient, but things are still stumbling but moving forward unswervingly.

Under Zhu Jingyuan's central coordination and control, several vassal states maintained communication and cooperation with the northwestern provinces in the direction of construction.

Connect key construction cities into several important axes, and build high-standard railways and highways between cities.

Large and medium-sized airports of the same standard will be built on the edge of the city, and Daming Airlines will organize joint venture manufacturers from various states and government-run manufacturers from various provinces to jointly operate various continuing air transportation businesses.

More and more people believed the news that Daming developed the Northwest.

Just like many things in human society, as long as everyone believes in it, then this thing can be accomplished.

Everyone in a country or a place believes that they are the masters of this place, then they are really the masters there, and they can really exercise the power of the masters.

Conversely, if everyone doesn't believe it, then the corresponding thing will really not happen.

The key to "they help whoever wins" is not to let the bystanders take sides, but to make them believe that they can win.

Everyone believes that Daming wants to develop the Northwest, so this matter will naturally become more than half.

With more people and more projects, the money will naturally come.

It can be expected that private businessmen will invest in the Northwest, and it will be very beneficial to Zhu Jingyuan.

Zhu Jingyuan himself read reports and requests for instructions from various aspects every day.

Every now and then, he gave replies of "cautious" and "don't be impatient" to several vassal states.

On the other hand, under the reminder of Duke Xianbei, Lucia honestly submitted an explanation to Daming Honglu Temple about the development plan of the Volga-Ural Oilfield.

Lucia promised that military personnel will never be arranged to participate in the demilitarized zone stipulated in the treaty, and the local oil field development process will be entirely in the form of civilians.

And invited Daming Honglu Temple to arrange diplomatic missions to supervise the scene.

Daming Honglu Temple praised Lucia's attitude and avoided possible diplomatic problems and conflicts.

This should have ended like this.

However, after the news of Daming's development of the east, west and north spread abroad, the Lucians couldn't help but panic.

In the palace of Moscow, the capital of Lucia, Emperor Nicholas of Lucia once again summoned his important ministers.

A group of people took the summary report sent by the intelligence department, read it back and forth several times, and formed a thought that made people feel a lot of pressure:

"Da Ming is building a series of high-standard railways and roads in their northwest region..."

"There are also major cities that are building massive, universal urban airports.

"At the same time, the population and resources of the northwest region are being concentrated on a large scale.

"Is Daming accumulating all his strength to flatten Lucia..."

Nicholas sternly frowned, worried and frightened and said:
"This can't be a targeted response because we want to develop the Volga field, right?
"We've lowered our posture enough that we really just want to develop the oil there.

"We don't have any other ideas at all..."

Lucia's de facto prime minister Wedemeyer also said with concern:
"Developing oil fields also means building infrastructure...

"We are also expanding railways and roads to the Volga-Ural region.

"We're also building new residential areas and warehouses locally...

"It is, after all, a demilitarized zone under the treaty.

"From Daming's point of view, our current actions are obviously very suspicious.

"Just in case, it is a matter of course to make sufficient preparations in advance."

Nico said with a sad face:

"What should we do now? We are basically planning military operations against Da Ming, but Da Ming doesn't believe it..."

Wedemeyer considered for a moment:

"Da Ming should not be completely unconvinced, there is still no sign of any change in the cooperation between Da Ming and our navy.

"The official and private investment projects of Ming Dynasty in our territory still show no signs of loosening.

"So we can't completely rule out the possibility that Ming Dynasty simply wants to develop their inland areas.

"So I don't think you need to worry too much, can you ask His Royal Highness Alexander to help you communicate?"

Alexander is Mount Roja, the half-brother of Nicholas.

Although Nicholas didn't want to deal with Mount Roja, he couldn't think of any other way now, so he could only nod in agreement.

So Nicholas wrote an envelope letter to Rojasan, reassuring Lucia's position again and again, hoping that Rojasan would help coordinate.

After Luo Yashan read the letter, he frowned and muttered:
"My brother, how do I know you're not using me to lower Daming's vigilance?"

After thinking about it for a long time, Luo Yashan wrote a letter in his own handwriting, completely objectively describing the situation he had learned and the situation he had received the letter.

He put his own letter and Nicholas's letter together and sent them directly to Zhu Jingyuan in Xi'an.

Writing formal letters in this era can be regarded as a very serious matter.

After Zhu Jingyuan received Luo Yashan's letter, he subconsciously thought that it might be Luo Yashan's personal request.

So while he was reading the letter, someone directly called Luo Feiya to his side.

Zhu Jingyuan was also speechless after reading it. He looked up and saw that Luo Feiya was also coming, so he handed two letters to Luo Feiya:

"Your uncle Nicholas thought that our Ming Dynasty's development in the northwest was a threat to Lucia."

Raffia quickly scanned the contents of the letter, then sighed helplessly and said:
"Your Highness, the current Lucia... in your words, is in a state of excess self-awareness.

"As long as Uncle Nicholas comes to Daming and seriously understands His Highness's strategy in the northwest, he won't feel that Daming is dealing with Lucia now."

After Zhu Jingyuan finished listening, he smiled and pulled Luo Feiya to sit beside him:

"Actually, I feel now that this Nicholas reminded me.

"Our Ming Dynasty's development of the northwest provinces and vassal states really helped us continue to develop westward.

"In other words, if we want to attack Lucia, the current construction is indeed necessary."

Raffia was obviously taken aback:
"No...Your Highness, you don't really want to continue attacking Lucia, do you?"

Zhu Jingyuan continued to say with a smile:

"I really didn't have this idea at first, and I still don't have it now and in the short term in the future.

"But that doesn't stop us from really preparing and posing as what we're going to do...

"Unless the Lucians are willing to take out the Volga-Ural oil field and develop it with us.

"Connecting us with the key rail and road lines from mainland Lucia to the Volga-Ural region.

"Our two sides cooperate to build a cross-border trading company to operate cross-border trade between the two countries.

"In the demilitarized zone of the Ural region, build a large-scale free trade zone, and welcome official and private manufacturers from both sides to invest in local development and construction.

"Further link Lucia and our Ming Dynasty deeply from the economic level."

Luo Feiya has been with Zhu Jingyuan for almost ten years, and she is completely familiar with Zhu Jingyuan's character and habits.

I have long been accustomed to Zhu Jingyuan's strategy, and at the same time subconsciously asked:

"Then what does His Highness need Fei Ya to do?"

Zhu Jingyuan patted Luo Feiya's hand and said:

"You go back to your mother's house, that is, go to Xianbei City, I will contact Honglu Temple and the Royal Consortium, and ask them to arrange a few representatives to go with you.

"You asked your father to contact your uncle, and asked Lucia's diplomats and related personnel to go to Xianbei City, and you settled the matter in Xianbei City.

"This matter is not just our cooperation with Lucia, it can be further expanded.

"William and Louise of Prussia have been with me for more than four years, and they are eighteen or nineteen years old this year, so they can go back.

"We brought in Prussia and Austria...even France, Holland, Italy, Spain.

"Let's build an advanced railway line that runs through the entire Shenou continent.

"There was originally a railway on this road, but everyone built it separately, and even deliberately diverged the distance.

"Now we need to connect them and plan a new route with more reasonable roads.

"In this way, the countries along the way... the main countries on the Shenou continent will be brought in to do business together.

"Of course, the connection with Lucia is the key. If Lucia doesn't take over, it will be useless later.

"Even if other countries don't participate, our cooperation with Lucia will have good benefits."

Luo Feiya suddenly realized, and at the same time was amazed at Zhu Jingyuan's thoughts again:
"His Royal Highness's plan...is still so eye-opening, Fei Ya must fully cooperate.

"I'm going to go back and pack my things, and at the same time, I'll send a message to Dad directly...

"Oh, by the way, are you going to let Louise go back like this? Don't you think there is a way to keep her?"

Zhu Jingyuan hugged Luo Feiya and kissed:
"She hasn't had the chance to be the king of Prussia yet, nor can she become the concubine of the prince of Ming Dynasty, at most she will be the concubine of the king of Dashi.

"She is pure Thai and Western, and she is religious, unlike you, she probably cannot accept being a concubine.

"Mostly, I can only give up the title I gave, and just be a lover like Charlotte.

"She can't be a king, and how to arrange it after giving birth to an illegitimate child is also troublesome.

"So I'm not interested in her anymore."

Luo Feiya grew up with Zhu Jingyuan, and Zhu Jingyuan was very tolerant to them, so they said it more casually:

"Your Highness, don't you have any feelings for girls? Why do you completely consider interests in matters between men and women?"

Zhu Jingyuan held Luo Feiya's hands and said with a smile:
"You're not wrong, when I was young I had feelings, and I was kind.

"That's why I softened my heart and left Xiaona, Xiaofu, Irene and you behind.

"Now I really don't have any feelings, I have too many things to think about.

"A Princess Taixi who is familiar with Ming culture and has good intentions towards Ming has no real meaning in being my concubine. It is far better to go back to China to spread her influence.

"So don't worry about being so lenient, go get busy with your business, you go to Xianbei to be my personal representative."

Raffia stuck out her tongue:

"As ordered..."

Luo Feiya also kissed Zhu Jingyuan's face, and then left Zhu Jingyuan's office briskly.

Going to Xianbei to meet her parents is equivalent to going back to her natal home to play. Luo Feiya, who is not yet 20 years old, is of course happy.

Here, Zhu Jingyuan asked someone to ask the King of Prussia's son William and daughter Louise to come and see him.

At the same time, taking advantage of this time, I personally wrote a simple note and asked the secretary to send it to Honglu Temple and my father.

Tell my father and Honglusi that I have such an idea, ask their opinions, and let them arrange personnel to prepare.

Let them also consult with the railway companies and analyze the feasibility of building a railway across the continent.

Also briefly evaluate the costs and benefits of building another railroad.

This kind of thing is often done by any company, and it is only an idea and a plan before it is implemented.

This kind of company has specialized relevant personnel to do similar planning and evaluation.

It will not add too much pressure to the relevant companies, but give them a huge new project.

(End of this chapter)