Chapter 461: Selecting California?

Bright Scenery Hall,

Hearing Jia Jing's idea of arranging a retreat at this time, Zhu Que's expression slightly stiffened, and she spoke low with a hint of incomprehension:

"My lord! Is it necessary to be so cautious? Now you have earned deep trust in the palace, you stand at the pinnacle of ministers, and you hold the authority to command the empire's troops;"

"In Liaodong, General Qin Qiong commands half of the 100,000 border troops; the Northwest Four Garrisons' 300,000 troops were also raised by you personally—once you raise your voice, countless will follow with grain and support;"

"The Shenjing Twelve Regiment Camps' 180,000 troops are the very army you personally trained; even the lower-ranking officers are almost all our people,"

"Adding your personal martial strength that guards the nation and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, plus now having four grand generals, such formidable strength—frankly speaking, the rise and fall of dynasties and the prosperity of the state lie merely in the flip of your palm; why prepare any retreat..."

"It's not that Zhu Que doubts Jia Jing's decision; it's simply that our side's strength is too strong—looking across the whole world, there's no one or any force that could threaten us!"

"In a word, the situation is settled, the advantage is ours!"

After Zhu Que finished speaking, Lan Yu abruptly rose to his feet, the copper studs on his armor glinting coldly in the candlelight; his face, sharpened by wind and sand, was full of valor, his brows furrowed, his voice like a great bell, and he saluted with clasped fists:

"Your Highness! This subordinate agrees with Zhu Que's view! Our troops are strong and our horses sturdy, fierce generals abound—who in the world could stand against us!"

"What the hell, that False Qing or the Jiangnan gentry—if Your Highness isn't assured of them, just give this subordinate 100,000 troops, and within half a year I guarantee I'll crush them all!"

Chang Yuchun had originally been leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed; hearing Lan Yu speak so refreshingly, he cracked a grin that spread across his rugged face, like a tiger tickled with amusement.

He raised his hand and pressed Lan Yu's shoulder, pushing him back into the chair with moderate force—Lan Yu's towering frame was actually immobilized by his single hand.

"Enough, enough, what are you shouting about? My ears are about to go deaf from your noise!"

Chang Yuchun laughed and scolded, then turned toward Jia Jing; his ringed eyes showed a rare hint of seriousness, his voice a bit lower than Lan Yu's, yet every word carried an air of looking down on the world, and he spoke in a deep tone:

"But... my lord, let me speak bluntly: under your command you have Lan Yu this blockhead, Lao Xu this tight-lipped gourd, and Lao Chang myself—if one day you truly need to resort to a retreat, then we few might as well not be alive!"

Jia Jing heard their words, smiled slightly—this fiery temperament truly befits a fierce general of the founding era.

He didn't rush to judge, but turned his gaze to Xu Da and Qi Jiguang and asked:

"What are your two opinions?"

Xu Da rose, without hesitation saluted with clasped fists and said:

"This subordinate is a rough man; I only know to follow the lord's military orders and act!"

Qi Jiguang, after pondering, saluted with clasped fists and said:

"My lord! If you wish to ascend the throne, a retreat is indeed unnecessary; we few are confident in supporting the throne and guarding it, defeating all rebel foes!"

"If you only wish to be a minister of restoration rather than a founding monarch, then you must… make preparations early!"

"Since ancient times, there cannot be two suns in heaven nor two masters on earth; no matter how the present emperor trusts you, Han Xin suffered the disaster of Weiyang Palace, Yue Fei the injustice of Fengbo Pavilion—could it be that they were unable to fight or simply lacked enough troops?"

"Speaking hypothetically, even if the current emperor's original intention never changes, what of his successor? Or put another way, after ten thousand years, will your descendants face purging?"

"After all, the reforms you are undertaking now are bound to offend everyone under heaven, leaving no retreat; if you cannot establish the state and secure the throne, you must promptly achieve success and retire, seeking another place as your base!"

"However, a retreat is not an escape route but preparation for a rainy day, giving the lord leeway to choose at any time. Only by always having an option can one truly stand in an invincible position!"

Those present heard this and were all stunned; Jia Jing's calm face also flashed a hint of satisfaction; Qi Jiguang saw the matter as far-reaching—though these words may not be exactly right, they are not far off!

Frankly speaking,

Looking at the current Emperor Jing Sheng's various performances, he actually isn't worried about later being abandoned after crossing the river or having his helpers discarded after success.

Or put another way, even now, judging solely by strength, Emperor Jing Sheng can no longer achieve this!

However, as Qi Jiguang said, a retreat is not merely a rear path; it is more about planning deeply for the future!

Emperor Jing Sheng treats him as a gentleman of the state, so he naturally cannot betray trust and abandon righteousness, nor repay kindness with enmity; later, relying on his merit and strength, he would deceive the sovereign and overthrow the dynasty!

Then the question arises! In five years' time, when the Restored Han Empire is established and the world pacified, where should he go from there?

Is it to surrender military authority and spend his life as a Prince at Leisure?

Or to lead troops overseas, expand territory, and seek another land to carve out a kingdom?

It seems there are two options, but in fact the first is fundamentally unfeasible!

Because once one reaches the position of being second only to the emperor and above ten thousand people, it is impossible to relinquish military authority and completely entrust life and death to others!

Even if he were willing, his arrogant troops and fierce generals would not allow it.

Indeed, one day he might passively find himself having an extra garment forced upon him!

This is not baseless speculation; that's how the political arena works—once one attains high office, they represent not just themselves but the interests of the entire military conglomerate behind them.

Just as Chancellor Cao Cao's situation back then—even after pacifying the world, he could not possibly choose to return power to the emperor and lay down his armor to retire!

It's not only fear of purging, but also the countless people behind him who would not allow Cao Cao to do so!

Therefore, as long as one does not relinquish military authority nor disband the Embroidered Uniform Guard, with external pacification the Han Empire's main contradiction will inevitably shift inward.

The military conglomerate he represents and the imperial authority will only see their conflict grow day by day, to the point where a fire-and-water incompatibility can be foreseen!

In short, if Jia Jing does not choose rebellion, then there is only one option: after establishing the Restored Han Empire, to lead part of the army overseas to re-expand territory and carve out another kingdom.

Actually, this might not be a bad choice at all!

After all, the world at this stage is so vast; there's no need to fixate on this tiny plot of land of the Han, letting our own people fight each other to the death!

Then why would Jia Jing choose Luzon?

This is naturally a comprehensive consideration of the strategic safety of geographic location, the abundance of resources, the potential for development, and so on!

First, Luzon is not only relatively close to the Han heartland, with mature maritime technology, facilitating early personnel and materiel transfer and later control,

plus its land is fertile, abundantly producing rice and tropical crops, with rich mineral resources, enabling rapid self-sufficiency.

Second, controlling Luzon means choking the South Sea trade route, bringing enormous economic benefit.

Finally, according to the timeline it is already the early Qing period; Spain and other Western colonizers have begun their eastward advance, and controlling Luzon can effectively check Western sea lanes in the Pacific.

However, Jia Jing's ultimate true destination is actually not Luzon; Luzon is merely a stepping stone, and if he truly goes overseas, his first choice is actually North America California.

You must know, at this time California is truly a treasure land—not only a geopolitical vacuum, with no historical baggage, its resources are unmatched.

Its Central Valley is one of the world's most fertile agricultural regions, with a pleasant climate.

More importantly, California has gold; the gold rush of the 19th century in my previous life already proved its mineral wealth, and controlling gold means controlling future wealth.

If one could launch an epic "Eastern Age of Exploration", gather a massive fleet, bring agronomists, artisans, soldiers, seeds, and tools, and cross the Pacific.

After landing, they quickly established a settlement in the Central Valley, using it as the center, gradually expanding north and south; in 20 years, they let a powerful Great Xia Republic rise on the eastern shore of the Pacific—this is truly the grand undertaking to open a foundation for myriad generations……

Of course, saying these now is actually still too early; he merely has the habit of thinking three steps ahead when taking one step, making preparations in advance!