Rise of the 1630s South America

Chapter 2019 Upheaval ([-])

On September 1687, 9, a merchant ship had just left the port in Dinghai Port, Ningbo.

This is a merchant ship bound for Qinzhou Port, belonging to the Third Fleet of the Navy, and it is a "Yaksa" class armed transport ship ordered at the Heishui Shipyard.It departed from Jeju Island, which is under the jurisdiction of the Denglai Pioneering Team, and loaded hundreds of war horses and some horse feed to supplement the high loss of war horses and draft animals caused by the long-term combat in the southern region.

The Blackwater Horse has always been the most reliable partner of the cavalry on the east coast, and has played a great role in many wars.Especially in the southern region where there is a shortage of horses, the cavalry on tall horses is more powerful, and can play a decisive role in many battles.This time, the cavalry company of the third mixed battalion defeated the infantry of the Ming army once outside the city of Teng County. At that time, they only had a few hundred cavalry, but they broke through the defense line composed of more than 1000 infantry of the Ming army in one charge. It reminds me of the scene of Di Qingping, Nong Zhigao's rebellion in the Northern Song Dynasty, when the originally invincible Nong tribe in Guangxi was swept away by the Han cavalry under the Western Army, just like a child's play.

Cavalry, in the era of cold weapons, is indeed a strategic force!Although the people on the east bank had entered the era of hot weapons, the Ming army in Guangxi did not understand modern firearms tactics, their equipment was simple, and their morale was even weaker.Therefore, people on the east coast attach great importance to the great role of cavalry in the south. Even if the death rate of horses is high due to climate reasons, they will spend a lot of money to replenish them continuously to maintain this advantage.

Speaking of this, I have to mention the "12-year plan for Ma Zheng" established by Marshal Mo when he was in charge of Denglai.Through this systematic breeding and cultivation of excellent war horses (mainly from Andalusian horses, Turkmen horses and Mongolian horses) by the people on the east bank to adapt to the Chinese climate, after continuous selection and elimination, the horse administration plan has been completed. The genetic inheritance of horses has been very stable, and it has become the main breed of horses in the Far East. There are not only war horses for soldiers to charge into battle, but also riding horses for daily use by officials.

Even in the past few years, Denglai spent a huge amount of money to transport some British-origin Sharmas from the mainland, intending to breed large-drawn draft horses in the Far East so that some heavy artillery can be better used in the future. Equip it in the army.There is no doubt that this is an ambitious plan, and it is also an investment plan that can produce huge output. If it is successful in the future, street car companies, transportation companies and even the army will place massive orders, and the money scene will naturally be bright.

"Horses have become the flagship products of Denglai's exports. I am quite envious when I think about it. It was Chief of the General Staff Mo who was far-sighted and set up such a family business for them. Now a year, I am afraid that there are 40 to [-] yuan. Trade volume?" In the office building of Dinghai Customs, Liu Houfei, the leader of the Southern Exploration Team, looked at the sail shadow going away outside the window, and asked with a smile: "Old Jiang, you have worked in Denglai for many years, should you be familiar with this?"

"I'm afraid there are not 40 now." Jiang Yunfan shook his head and said, "After the deal with Shunguo was cut off, the export volume dropped sharply. Now Denglai is actively exploring the Japanese and North Korean markets, and even Vietnam, they are also I am willing to give it a try. Our East Coast Japan Company exported 1200 war horses to Japan in the first half of this year, setting a historical record, but this is far from enough, far from being able to fill the gap of losing the Shunguo market.”

Interested people may notice that in the dialogue between Liu Houfei and Jiang Yunfan, Qingguo, the largest country in China at this time, was intentionally or unintentionally omitted.The Qing Dynasty, which is dominated by northern provinces and has a larger cavalry, is undoubtedly a larger export market for war horses. Unfortunately, due to political factors, Denglai has been implementing export controls on them for many years. Except for some civilian goods that can be exported to Qing Dynasty, All military materials are under embargo, even though the relationship between the two countries has been greatly improved in the past few years. This makes Deng Lai a little bit dissatisfied, thinking that the local "elder politics" muddle-headed policy has repeatedly affected them. business interests.

Of course, the above is only the dissatisfaction of a small number of people. In fact, the vast majority of people are still clear-headed.After decades of uninterrupted propaganda, neither Denglai nor Ningshao have a good impression of the Qing Dynasty.People generally believe that this country is autocratic, corrupt, and unequal among ethnic groups, and they covet the rich east coast control area. Once they are ruled by them, everyone's happy life will be over. The policy of imposing an embargo on sensitive materials is more supportive in order to weaken the Qing's efforts in military advancement.

"Shunguo committed suicide by himself. It's a natural disaster. There's nothing to do about it." Speaking of Shunguo, Liu Houfei also had a sad expression on his face. Obviously, this country has brought him great troubles in recent months, so that the white hair on his head A few hairs have grown out.

"Actually, if you think about it in another way, people are also fighting for survival and their own future. This country is sandwiched between the Qing Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty. Want to annex Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong, and Guangxi, and add a little strategic rear to your country. This is a big strategy and a big interest that is related to the survival of the country. No wonder they would rather do it despite our sanctions. The civil strife in Ming Dynasty means to them It is indeed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Jiang Yunfan lit a cigarette for Liu Houfei, and then said: "Actually, it is time to think about what to do now? Shunguo doesn't seem to dare to fight directly with us, so what about us? Are you really willing to pay the price and start a full-scale war with Shunguo? Is that really in the interest of our country?"

"But it's outrageous not to punish Shunguo! This time, the three provinces of Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi have been seized, and the thickness of the country has almost doubled, and the increase in population and wealth has also been quite large. Although it may be necessary to subsidize it in the short term, But in the long run, this is a big pill, which can make Shun country's economic and military strength jump to a higher level. Maybe it can't be compared with Qing country for the time being, but the gap is not as big as before, not to mention Qing country in the northwest region They are also facing great military pressure, and these are all factors that are beneficial to the Shun Kingdom." Liu Houfei took a deep puff of a cigarette, and said unwillingly: "What annoys me the most is that this time, the Shun Kingdom completely ignored our warning and brazenly Launching the Conquering War is provoking our authority. If we don’t give them some substantive punishment this time, I’m afraid everyone will follow suit in the future, and our layout in China for decades may collapse overnight. This serious No one can afford the consequences."

Indeed, just like what Liu Houfei said just now, the Zhengming war launched by Shunguo this time is really too disrespectful to the people on the east coast.People on the east coast wanted to keep Nanming—even a weak Nanming—but Shunguo seized the opportunity when the Qing army confronted Galdan in the desert and northwest, and directly launched a war to destroy Ming. In the eyes of the main officials in the Far East, Liao Degong, Lan Fei, etc., they were naturally very bad behaviors, so they directly took measures such as withdrawing economic aid, arms embargo, and interrupting political and cultural exchanges. China's further attempts to capture Guangdong minimize their gains.

However, based on these alone, it seems that it is still difficult for the people on the east coast to swallow that breath.They were thinking about how to further restrict Shun Guo and make him suffer more serious injuries so as to save more face.It's just that the facts may be a bit embarrassing. After counting the number of people on the east coast, it is really difficult to have further sanctions.You can't just improve the relationship with the Qing Dynasty in an all-round way and provide assistance to them, right?That would not be able to obtain the consent of some political forces in the country, and it would not be in line with the overall strategic intention, because it seems that the Qing Dynasty is still stronger than Dashun, and such chaos will only be self-defeating, and eventually the Dashun regime will collapse. .

So, it's really difficult, maybe this dumb guy can only pinch his nose and admit it!Li Laiheng of Changsha may seem arrogant and irritable, but he is actually a shrewd monarch. He has seen through the strategic intentions of the Dong'an people in mainland China, and made good use of this point to grab vital benefits for Shun Kingdom.Swallowing the three southwestern provinces this time, it only takes five or six years to rectify and digest it. In the future, it may be even more difficult for the people on the east coast to check and balance Shunguo, although the country is not currently monolithic.

"Captain Liu, this is the end of the matter, it's useless to worry about it. Let's think about how to deal with the aftermath. Lianzhou and Wuzhou don't seem to be a big problem. Should we stick to it for a long time? My suggestion is to hold on to it." , Wuzhou guards the hub of Guangdong and Guangxi, Lianzhou controls the estuary, can also communicate with Vietnam, and expand its influence to the Indochina Peninsula. It is very important. There was no plan in this regard before. Now that it has been won, there is absolutely no reason Give up. Captain Liu, I think you can contact Commander Liao in Denglai. It is best to bring Director Lan from Heishui and Captain Lu from Manmeng to report to the local area and apply for the establishment of a new one in Lianwu area. Administer districts and provide a support point for future strategies." Jiang Yunfan suggested: "Actually, I think winning Lianzhou and Wuzhou is already a slap in the face for Shunguo, enough to make them feel heartbroken. Maybe we will take this The control of the country will be greatly reduced, but so what? We have absorbed about 200 million immigrants in the past few decades through the manipulation in mainland China? Well, even if not, it is not far away. Apart from this In addition, there is a large amount of trade income, which in fact greatly subsidizes the huge deficit caused by immigration. We have also established a solid base in Denglai, Ningshao, Manchuria, and Heishui, and more than 300 million people in the four places support We on the east coast are very supportive. The finances of Denglai and Ningshao can even achieve a balance of payments. What a benefit! China has had a tradition since ancient times that the long-term must be divided, and the long-term must be united. Human will is shifted, and I think we may not be able to stop this trend unless the mainland loosens restrictions on the Far East. But under the current circumstances, we can only delay the time of this unification as much as possible. The destruction of Nanming by Shun Kingdom will Let’s get rid of them. Actually, they only solved the problem of survival, and their overall strength is still not as good as that of the Qing Dynasty. We might as well relax and try to loosen policy control in the local area, while seeing what will happen next. Denglai and Ningshao have so many Local investment, will the members of the Founders Council really sit back and watch this large investment depreciate or even go to waste?"

What Jiang Yunfan said was actually quite true.There are indeed a lot of local investments in Ningshao and Denglai. Among them are the railways built by the South Railway Company, a series of trade nodes established by the Bank of Taiwan, and many factories established by private investors, and even banks and insurance companies. Every year, it enters in a large scale and develops a series of financial services.Such a level of investment actually shows that the colors of the places where immigrants were exported by the Far Eastern vassals are gradually fading, and the colors of emerging markets and investment hotspots are becoming more and more vivid.In short, places like Denglai and Ningshao are already two high-quality assets that can provide a lot of profits. It is indeed not in the interests of the East Coast Republic of China to allow them to decline or even be taken away by others.So based on this consideration, it seems to be a matter of course to appropriately relax various controls on the Far East colonies.

This point has been recognized by more and more people in recent years, and the Battle of Zhengming launched by Shun Country just provided a good opportunity for this policy to be loosened.

(End of this chapter)