Chapter 1470: He Who Wins the Americas Wins the World; He Who Wins the Great Plains Wins the Americas

"Your Majesty, the Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, the Military Advisor of the Grand Marshal's Office, the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of War, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of the Navy, the Navy Commissioner of the Grand Marshal's Office, and other officials request an audience."

The announcement from Sister Cao came through just as Zhu Cilang was leaning back in a round-backed armchair in the imperial study of the Eastern Warm Pavilion of the Hall of Imperial Supremacy, head lowered as he read the memorial the Imperial Clan Court had sent that morning concerning the ceremony for the Noble Consort's entry into the palace — the Noble Consort about to enter the palace being that stunningly beautiful Wu Ake.

Because she was observing mourning for Wu Sangui and completing her studies at the women's university, Ake could not enter the palace as consort until after the new year.

Although Wu Ake was only to be a Noble Consort, Zhu Cilang had issued an edict that the proceedings be conducted according to the standard for an Imperial Noble Consort's entry into the palace.

Moreover, Zhu Cilang had ordered the Hot Spring Palace, which Empress Wu Sanmei had formerly used, to be renovated, and upon completion it would serve as Wu Ake's residence.

Until the renovation of the Hot Spring Palace was finished, Wu Ake would temporarily reside together with Empress Wu Sanmei in the newly completed Palace of Earthly Tranquility.

Furthermore, Zhu Cilang was also going to have her study palace administration under Wu Sanmei — this move was effectively grooming Wu Ake as a reserve empress.

Of course, elevating Wu Ake in this way did not mean Zhu Cilang truly intended for her to succeed Wu Sanmei — Wu Sanmei was in good health and only in her early forties, showing no sign whatsoever of dropping dead... Zhu Cilang was cultivating Wu Ake merely to display favor toward the Wu family.

Because after the three feudatories of Heilongjiang, Andong, and Duogan had been either purged or relocated, the Hexi Garrison controlled by the Wu family had also received the edict changing its military governorship — Hexi Military Governor Wu Guogui would be transferred to Beiping.

Although it was only a lateral transfer to another garrison and not a reduction of the feudatory, it still weakened the Wu family's power.

In addition, the health of the Wu family's pillar, Wu Sanfu, was steadily deteriorating, and he had already taken sick leave to recuperate at home.

At the same time, every one of the Zheng family's people was bursting with vigor!

Not only were Zheng Sen and Zheng Jiangong still active, but even Zheng Zhilong grew more spirited with age, showing not the slightest sign of dying. Under the old man's management, the Zheng family's trading houses flourished more and more, giving him quite the air of a "Zheng Superman"!

As for Zheng Chagu, she was even more remarkable — an endless run of pregnancies at an advanced maternal age, now carrying her ninth child. A good half of the Zhu emperor's children had been born from her alone.

And the coming world war could not be won by a strong army alone — it would have to be fought by the navy... and within the Great Ming navy, there were no small number of old Zheng family disciples and former subordinates!

So the Zhu emperor had no choice but to elevate Wu Ake a bit, lest the Wu family, that ailing tiger, collapse too quickly and upset the balance of power at court.

The ministers began filing into the imperial study one by one. Leading them was the newly appointed Chief Grand Secretary Luo Dagong — Wei Zaode, now past seventy, had retired, and replacing him was Luo Dagong, the new leader of the Southerners' faction!

Following behind Luo Dagong were Military Advisor Qin Mingtao, Minister of Revenue Zheng Sen, Minister of War Yan Yingyuan, Minister of Foreign Affairs Wei Zhongcheng, Minister of the Navy Zheng Jiangong, Navy Commissioner Chen Shangchuan, and others.

After the ministers had paid their respects, Zhu Cilang nodded toward the chairs placed against the walls on both sides of the study, bidding them take their seats, and instructed the attending palace maids to serve tea.

"Gentlemen," Zhu Cilang said with a smile, sweeping his gaze over the assembly, "the reason We have called everyone here today is to hear your views on this great East-West contest that is about to begin. Where should we start? Where should the focus of our offensive lie? And where should we concentrate our defense? Speak freely, all of you!"

"Your Majesty, this subject believes the New Continent is the most critical place for the future, and also the hardest territory to take. From Europe to the east coast of the New Continent is only about ten thousand li of sea route, while from our Great Ming it is nearly twenty thousand li. Moreover, the eastern and southern coastlines of the northern New Continent are very long, and there are several great rivers flowing to the sea that can carry boats. On the great plains, their advantage is extremely obvious!"

The first to speak was Wei Zhongcheng, his brow tightly furrowed, clearly not believing that the coming world war would be easy to fight.

And the territory he valued was not the long strip along the west coast of the American continent, but the rich great plains of North America!

He continued: "Since ancient times, whoever has won the Central Realm of China has always had to contend for the vast lands of the Central Plains. As the saying goes, he who wins the Central Plains wins the realm! For the Central Plains are broad and flat, suited to agriculture, and convenient for mustering and maneuvering large armies. Holding the Central Plains allows one to sustain a large population and rapidly assemble great forces to campaign in all directions.

And the great plains of northern New Continent are broader, richer, and flatter than the Central Plains, with great rivers running across and through them, making not only land transport convenient but water transport as well. If the Westerners come to possess them entirely, then the New Continent of the future will surely be dominated by the Westerners. And the land of the New Continent is open and fertile, truly the finest of all the continents of the globe! Whoever holds the New Continent will be able to dominate the world!"

When Old Wei had governed the United States of the New Continent, he had not advocated a large-scale eastward advance, but that did not mean he failed to understand the value of the American great plains!

How could he possibly not understand? A chief minister of an agrarian civilization could not fail to understand the principle that "he who wins the Central Plains wins the realm"! He had not advocated eastward expansion only because the population of the United States of the New Continent was too small to sustain a large-scale eastward push. And before Zhu Hehao had taken up his fief, there had been no large-scale, organized Han armed settler groups migrating to the New Continent.

At that time, the inhabitants of the United States of the New Continent were mainly "fur traders," "gold prospectors," "stock refugees," "aristocratic academic deadbeats," a small number of people exiled to the "Green Banner households," some veterans discharged in the United States of the New Continent (before Ming troops stationed there were transferred back to China, soldiers were always encouraged to demobilize and settle locally), and Japanese who had flowed in through various channels (mainly women). Although everyone had a gun, one could hardly expect them to go open up the great plains of central North America!

"The great plains of northern New Continent are certainly important," said Minister of War Yan Yingyuan, frowning, "but we simply cannot get there. Crossing the Pacific is nearly twenty thousand li, and then one must cross the mountains and march three or four thousand li overland. How long would a three or four thousand li overland march take? At least two months, no? How would logistics be supplied? The Westerners can move troops and grain along the great rivers — what are we supposed to do?"

Indeed — what were they supposed to do?

The twenty-thousand-li sea route across the Pacific was already enough to drive a man to despair, and the three or four thousand li of overland route from the west coast to the interior of North America was simply unsolvable!

"We can only establish military agricultural colonies!" said Minister of Revenue Zheng Sen. "Didn't the King of the New Continent make military colonization the foundation of his eastward expansion? These past two years, step by step, he has opened up over a hundred farm estates and advanced more than two thousand li eastward! Although those two thousand li are only a line, at least there is now a road for eastward expansion — truly no easy feat!"

Zhu Hehao's eastward expansion had indeed been difficult. Those hundred-plus farm estates were not simply a matter of clearing land and putting up buildings — one had to fight the Indians in the mountains to the death!

One could not say every inch of territory cost a drop of blood, but every farm estate did cost eight or ten lives. A hundred-plus farm estates meant more than a thousand lives — and the casualty count was growing every day!

Along this "farm estate line," the struggle between Han military-settler migrants and the Indians never ceased.

By comparison, the French got along far better with the Indians of the great plains — after all, the French migrants there numbered fewer than twenty thousand, and so few people did not need to occupy much territory! If you did not seize land, the Indians naturally did not care.

Likewise, on the east coast of North America, the conflict between the United Kingdom of New England and the local Indians was also extremely acute. The two sides fought almost daily, with deaths every day.

Minister of the Navy Zheng Jiangong now spoke up on behalf of the wealthy lord across the Pacific: "Your Majesty, the key to contending for the New Continent is still contending for the great plains. We must send over more military households! These past few years, the United States of the New Continent has been able to expand two thousand li eastward precisely because of the tens of thousands of military households shipped over from Great Ming. But at most, these people can maintain a single transport line for eastward expansion — they are still not enough to contend for the great plains."

"But where are we to find so many more military households? The ones we caught last time have all been shipped out already!" said Navy Commissioner Chen Shangchuan, frowning. "Should we send troops to attack Yunnan and see if we can capture some more?"

(End of Chapter)