The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style

Chapter 76 Southbound ([-])

"Why do I feel so uncomfortable staying in such a luxurious box?"

Navy Imperial Martial Arts Lieutenant (Captain) Tang Yihong stood up, reached out and touched the fur on the soft chair (sofa). It was silky and soft, and felt extremely comfortable. Then he moved closer to the display window next to the box wall and saw the items inside. There are all kinds of drinks, as well as fruits, tea, milk, cocoa, coffee, etc.Looking around again, we saw tables, chairs and coffee tables made of teak, mahogany-decorated ceilings, brass-wrapped pipelines, precious Persian carpets on the floor, dressing rooms, bathrooms, etc., and I couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "I have always felt that , the command cabin of our North Sea Fleet Commander is relatively luxurious, but I never expected that compared with the conditions in the first-class compartment of the locomotive, it is definitely extremely crude!... This compartment is clearly from a luxury hotel The room!"

"Does this count as a wealthy family that smells of wine and meat and freezes bones to death on the road?" Min Zhongwen, the Army's second lieutenant, heard this and immediately blurted out: "These rich people enjoy so much in such a luxurious box, but so many people Ordinary people are crowded into a pot of porridge in the third-class carriage!"

"You're going too far. This is nothing more than a differentiated service."

Li Yanliang was startled for a moment. Let me go. Are you insinuating that the upper echelons of our country are all arrogant, extravagant and lustful people?
Then he said with a smile: "Think about it, the ticket price of an ordinary carriage is only a few dollars, and the price of this luxury box is more than ten times that of a third-class ticket! The railway company points to the profits made from these rich people. If you make a huge profit, don't you want to make the box a little more luxurious?"

"The railway company wants to make money, that's not to say. But they have made the facilities and equipment in the third-class carriage too simple." Min Zhongwen complained: "The seats are hard and the position is extremely cramped. Especially at night. , the lights were dim, there were so many people, I couldn’t read books or newspapers, and I couldn’t sleep. It was simply a hellish trip.”

"It's okay. It's much better than the conditions on the battlefield." Li Yanliang frowned and took a deep look at the young captain. He thought he had just graduated from the military academy and had not gone to school yet. The battlefield, let alone the cruel wilderness survival environment, so that he would complain like this during a long train journey, which makes people look down upon him.

"Captain Li has been on the battlefield?" Liang Guangyong, the highest-ranking officer among the officers present, looked at Li Yanliang with interest.

"I have just returned to my hometown from the Western Governorate of India." Li Yanliang responded: "Before, I accompanied the Xizhou garrison to intervene in the northwest war in India. Oh, it was during the Battle of Rajput that I was accidentally injured. He was raised for more than four months before he came back with his life. Two years ago, he participated in the Gulf War and carried out military strikes against the Sultanate of Muscat to curb their ambition to dominate the sea."

"A few months ago, our Qi State, at the invitation of the Safavid Dynasty of Persia, formed an expeditionary force to go to the Gulf, preparing to help the Persians expel the Afghan invaders. It is said that the Xizhou Garrison Army where you once served will also dispatch thousands of officers and soldiers , together with the Karat Khanate, drove directly to Kandahar to attack the Afghans’ retreat. Under such circumstances, Lieutenant Li was transferred back to the homeland, and he missed a great opportunity to make contributions!”

"It's hard to disobey military orders, so what's the point?" Li Yanliang said with a wry smile and regretfully.

"Haha..." Liang Guangyong smiled and said, "Liu Lieutenant, there is no need to worry. Our Daqi is in a period of continuous development, and there are many opportunities for us army men to make contributions!"

Tang Yihong curled his lips slightly after hearing this.Co-author, achievements are all your army's business and have nothing to do with our navy, right?

He helped the railway police subdue the gangsters who tried to rob the train, thereby ensuring the safety of people and property on the entire train. The train conductor was grateful and generously invited several soldiers to stay in two vacant first-class boxes as a sign of comfort. .

This allowed the soldiers who had never enjoyed such treatment to truly experience the luxury and comfort of a wealthy family. Not to mention the soft and warm beds, the chairs they sat on were also covered with goose down. As soon as they sat down, their whole body felt... The close contact and softness seem to wrap the whole body gently, making people relax involuntarily. The feeling is wonderful and comfortable.

"Weiguo and Luzon are quarreling again!" Tang Yihong said while reading the newspaper and shaking his head: "In order to compete for a palm-sized island, these two families actually dispatched their own warships, causing a lot of trouble on both sides. casualties."

"Really? I remember that more than 20 years ago, our Qi State had not demarcated the boundaries between the two families. How could there be an armed conflict over a small island? In this case, the Luzon Governor-General and the Ryukyu Fleet should Should we proactively intervene and make the necessary intervention?" Liang Guangyong raised his head and said, "In other words, it has been decades, and the two families have still been unable to reach a complete reconciliation. If they encounter the slightest conflict, they will fight and kill each other."

"Isn't that right? If we, the Qi State, were not there to control them, these two families would probably be in trouble!" Tang Yihong said: "However, in terms of overall strength, the Kingdom of Luzon, both in terms of population size and economic strength, They are all one step ahead of Weiguo. If this really comes to a fight, Weiguo may suffer a lot! So, Weiguo relies on our Qi State not allowing them to have large-scale annexation wars. From time to time, Weiguo launches attacks on the Kingdom of Luzon. These small actions can be used to divert some domestic conflicts."

"What are the sharp conflicts in Weiguo's country?" Li Yanliang asked curiously.

"There are many problems within Weiguo." Tang Yihong put down the newspaper in his hand, shook his head and said: "In order to enrich their manpower and develop the domestic economy, they arrested the natives as slaves and relied on extreme oppression of them. In just a few decades, many mines and plantations were opened, and many cities and public roads were built. Oh, by the way, a few years ago, a railway was built through southern Luzon. This slave exploitation If there are too many, it will naturally trigger a large-scale resistance. Oh, in the past 20 years, a native riot of varying sizes has broken out in Weiguo almost every year, making the Weiguo army exhausted. "

"Actually, if there are only native riots in Weiguo, that's fine. After all, those natives have backward weapons and are located in mountainous jungles. They do not pose a substantial threat to Weiguo. But, Weiguo's territory poses , but it is a very big worry. Except for occupying a small area in the south of Luzon Island, the remaining territories are many scattered islands. Earlier, in order to ensure the long-term rule of the Cheng family of Weiguo, the previous kings Many children of the royal family were enfeoffed to own various islands, thinking that the kingdom was protected. After so many years, those royal lords who were enfeoffed gradually became more and more powerful, and they openly and secretly opposed the central government. If it weren't for the Wei royal family still controlling a military force It is a relatively powerful navy, and it is estimated that there will be a split incident long ago."

"The way you put it, once the central government of the Patriotic Kingdom becomes weak, the powerful factions on the various islands will separate themselves and establish themselves?"

"That's not necessarily the case." Tang Yihong thought for a while, shook his head and said: "Any political force in Luzon cannot make big changes without the permission of our Qi State. You know, Luzon is adjacent to Borneo Ryukyu and Ryukyu are our maritime strategic points leading to the mainland. The cabinet and our military certainly do not want unrest here to avoid affecting the stability of the entire region. This is not in the interest of our Qi State. Therefore, our Qi State has responded to The support of the Wei royal family is still sparing no effort, hoping that they can maintain the existing unity and stability. In recent years, the Wei Kingdom has also begun to gradually reduce vassals, cleaning up a few of the most popular local forces, and preparing to consolidate local power. Bit by bit, bring it back to the center.”

"In my impression, Luzon is rich in mineral resources, especially with many gold and copper mines. Coupled with the fertile soil, both the Kingdom of Luzon and the Kingdom of Wei are relatively wealthy vassals in the entire Nanyang region. country." Liang Guangyong interjected: "Moreover, Luzon is also close to the mainland, and it attracts many immigrants from Qin every year. If it develops well, it will definitely become the most powerful help for our Qi country."

At present, the entire Luzon Islands has been divided up by the three kingdoms of Qi, the Kingdom of Luzon, and the Kingdom of Wei. Several indigenous states such as the Kingdom of Maguindanao, the Kingdom of Butuan Raja, and the Kingdom of Visayas have already existed. All were destroyed.The Luzon Kingdom of the Zheng family (descendants of Zheng Zhilong) occupies two-thirds of the big island of Luzon, as well as many nearby small islands. It can be said that it has the essence of Luzon, with the largest population of more than 120 million (excluding soil). people).

Cheng's Weiguo occupied a small part of the southernmost territory of Luzon Island, as well as Longshan Island (today's Samar Island, the third largest island in Luzon), Jiyang Island (today's Leyte Island), and Shanyi Island (today's Leyte Island). The long and narrow area in the east of present-day Mindanao, as well as the affiliated small islands around the above-mentioned large islands, were relatively scattered, with a total population of more than 80.

The Luzon Governorate of Qi occupied Luzhong Island (today’s Cebu Island), Luotian Island (today’s Bohol Island), Yongnian Island (today’s Negros Island), Pingyang Island (today’s Panay Island), Fushan Island (today's Mindoro Island), Jinsha Island (Masbate Island), and two-thirds of Sanyi Island.

If we add the Hengshan Islands (today's Batam Islands) in the north of Luzon Island and Yongji Island (today's Palawan Island) that was seized from the Sultanate of Brunei, as well as the iron-clad vassal Sulu Kingdom, the Qi State will form a hidden threat to Zheng. Surrounded by the Clan and the Wei Kingdom.However, the entire governor-general has a population of only over [-], and its industrial and economic foundation is relatively weak. It is purely a resource-exporting area.

Of course, with the rapid iterative development of Qi's local industry and technology, its spillover effects will slowly expand to the Luzon region.Presumably, when the local industrial categories that are gradually being phased out and transformed are transplanted, they will be able to greatly promote the economic development of the region.

"Is there any other important overseas news?" Li Yanliang saw that Min Zhongwen beside him had fallen asleep on the soft chair at some point, snoring slightly. Then he changed to a more comfortable position and closed his eyes. Get ready for a nap.

"Oh, the King of Shun Kingdom has personally arrived in Hanzhou with his envoy, preparing to go to Chang'an to meet with His Majesty the Emperor, and to have extensive and in-depth exchanges with the cabinet government. ... I am thinking that they must be preparing for the upcoming attack on Brunei The Sultan Kingdom is fighting a war, and he made a special trip to our Qi Kingdom to seek our full support."

"Shun Guo...are you going to attack Brunei again?" Li Yanliang felt his eyelids become heavy and his consciousness began to blur.

"Isn't that right? This Shun Kingdom has always been committed to annexing the Kingdom of Brunei in order to expand their territory. ... The entire Shun Kingdom's senior officials have repeatedly suggested to us, the Qi Kingdom and the Suru Kingdom, that the three families should work together to completely annihilate the entire Borneo. It’s been divided. Shunguo’s plan is to take advantage of the protection of our strong national power of Qi to completely disintegrate the princely states of Borneo, so that they can settle down and slowly digest and absorb it. ...Hey, What's the matter, are you all asleep?"

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The train arrived at Gangu at [-]:[-] in the morning.When the locomotive crew informed the person in charge of the station duty that the train had been robbed by a group of gangsters, the person in charge was stunned, and then immediately sent someone to report it to the local police station and gendarmerie department.

In less than two-quarters of an hour, a large number of heavily armed police and gendarmes rushed to the station and lifted the four gangsters tied up like rice dumplings from the train. As for the five gangsters who were killed, they were also wrapped in straw mats. Take them back to the city together.

The two injured soldiers were immediately taken by carriage to a hospital in the city for emergency treatment.

It was only then that all the passengers on the train learned that a group of desperadoes had boarded the train with the intention of robbing the passengers on the train.

No wonder, in the middle of the night, there will be several dull "firecrackers" coming from the first-class carriage at the back.After being awakened, some passengers complained that the rich people in the first-class carriage were idle and busy, messing around in the middle of the night, disturbing their sleep.

Hey, these gangsters were too useless. Why didn't they kill a few rich people? Instead, they all ended up in the first-class carriage.

These gangsters did not come to rob the poor people in ordinary carriages at night. Instead, they targeted the rich people in first-class carriages. They were considered a group of thieves who robbed the rich and gave to the poor, right?
Alas, what a pity!
The train stayed at the small station in Gangu for more than 40 minutes. In addition, it was stopped for more than two hours by herdsmen making trouble on the Kaiyuan section. During the rest of the journey, if it continued to travel at the original speed, it would not be able to stop the train at all. No unexpected serious timeout delays.

Although there are good reasons for the delay of the train, it is obvious that the dedicated conductor still wants to minimize the delay of the train as much as possible.Under his orders, the train increased its speed from the previous fifty to 55 kilometers per hour to more than sixty kilometers per hour.

After the train passes through Gangu, it begins to turn, enters the Gan (Gu) Guang (Ling) line, and runs towards the eastern coastal area.On this railway line with a total length of more than 500 kilometers, including 350 kilometers of straight lines, the locomotive driver does not even need to observe the topography around the railway, he can just focus on the endless railway ahead.

Along this journey, travelers can enjoy the vast landscapes and deserts, endless meadows, vast plains and the wildlife that inhabit them everywhere.

Of course, passengers with such appreciation are only those rich people who ride in luxury boxes.As for the many passengers in ordinary carriages, after several days of tiring travel, they may only feel that staying for one more minute is torture.

On July 7, at 5:[-] in the morning, the train arrived at Guangling, an important town in Northeast China (now Townsville, Australia).

(End of this chapter)