Chapter 1132: The New Emperor Ascends the Throne

First Island Chain?

What the hell is this?

This concept, indeed, even the Prince of Qin and Zhu Zhen and the others had never heard of.

The two looked at each other.

This Liu Zheng, he has a bit too much stuff, doesn't he?

Those troublemakers were no different; just a moment ago they were baring fangs and brandishing claws, making a racket, but all of a sudden, they were captivated by Liu Zheng. They stared blankly at this massive World Map.

First Island Chain?

Maritime hegemony?

They seemed to know what this was, but they certainly couldn't know it so clearly and in such detail... They could vaguely sense something, but it certainly wasn't that clear.

Liu Zheng continued with a chuckle: "From Kuye Island to Nanyang, that will be our First Island Chain! Within this First Island Chain, all shipping lanes must be ours! Whether it is military or trade! On the First Island Chain, we will station at least thirty Yinzhou ships to ensure our absolute control over the First Island Chain!"

"In this way, we have already begun to contain the Tsarist Russia navy in Asia!"

"And starting from India, that is our Second Island Chain!"

He pointed again.

The crowd was shocked once more.

From the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal, to the Mediterranean Sea, and then extending eastward to Australia... the various straits along this route were connected into a line on the map.

"We expect that in the next ten years, we will set out from Australia again, to America, North America, South America, and then to the Atlantic Ocean, to form the Third Island Chain!"

Liu Zheng's voice grew louder, and the sharp glint in his eyes grew more intense.

By now...

The entire scene was deathly silent!

He's crazy!

This Vice Minister Liu is truly crazy!

His ambition is too great!

You must know, if Longyan is truly the size shown on this map, then one can imagine how large the entire world must be! And if Liu Zheng could really take hold of these island chains... that would be too terrifying, too terrifying! The sea power of the entire world, as well as the power of trade, would all fall into his hands...

All nations would have to hang on his every breath!

By then, what France, what Britain, what Ottoman, and even what Tsarist Russia... especially Tsarist Russia!

If Longyan can build up these three island chains, Tsarist Russia would be a sick bear locked up near the North Pole!

Yes!

Completely and utterly a sick bear!

It would be very difficult for the entire world's trade to enter Tsarist Russia, and very difficult for grain to get through. This means that if these three island chains are formed! The entire Tsarist Russia will be isolated!

Everyone looked at one another, their faces filled with expressions of terror.

This Liu Zheng is truly too ruthless!

This is to slowly torture Tsarist Russia and put it to death!

Yet the nobles and Scholar-officials present were concerned about... how much economic benefit these three island chains would bring them!

Silence.

Outside this Imperial Palace, there was no longer the clamor from before.

Only silence remained.

Everyone was thinking about their own affairs...

And so.

A strange scene appeared.

Liu Zheng sat alone on the steps, surrounded by this group of people.

Furthermore...

This scene was happening at the gate of the Imperial Palace!

In the past Longyan, this was simply unimaginable. In the past Longyan, the Imperial Palace was the most sacred place, the place most worthy of reverence, and likewise, the place most feared; generally, if an ordinary person got even slightly close to the Imperial Palace, they were easily killed... how could there be such freedom as now?

Liu Zheng chuckled and asked loudly: "Fellow countrymen, are there any more questions?"

He felt that today was like a press conference after he had taken office as Chief Minister.

"Vice Minister Liu!"

"What about the matter of Simplified Chinese?"

Someone else brought up this issue.

Liu Zheng chuckled: "Very simple, Simplified Chinese is easy to promote and easy to use to eradicate illiteracy; the general public can all read books, what is wrong with that? As for your so-called Sage Books, we will use them simultaneously just the same! They do not interfere with each other!"

"What about the redistribution of territories?"

"Why, do you feel that our Liangzhou has benefited, or has it suffered a loss?"

"This..."

"Vice Minister Liu, the Cabinet and the Upper House have already been elected, why is there still no movement from the Lower House!"

Liu Zheng looked composed and answered fluently: "Because the members of the Lower House will be more complex, more inclusive, and more diverse. Starting from the Lower House, people from all walks of life in our Longyan society will have the right to participate in politics! Including you, including you, and including you!"

The whole crowd was in an uproar.

People became excited.

"Vice Minister Liu, the Constitution will place too many restrictions on imperial power. The Cabinet believes that the Constitution will become the primary standard for Longyan's future laws. Does this mean that, to a certain extent, we no longer need to fear the Emperor? Is that so?"

Liu Zheng nodded with a smile.

This press conference lasted for two hours.

Liu Zheng was in no hurry.

He answered with great patience.

Almost every question, no matter how sharp it sounded, was perfectly handled by him.

Only at this moment did people realize that what they had considered to be the strange and baffling maneuvers of Vice Minister Liu were actually Liu Zheng's step-by-step strategic process; none of them were useless, and each was linked to the next.

The people in the Cabinet and the Upper House were also stunned by what they heard.

This is Liu Zheng...

This is Vice Minister Liu...

This first performance after becoming Chief Minister almost received a perfect score.

People were satisfied with his plan for Longyan.

Xie Fang, Qin Zhangfeng, Pei Yanran, and Su Qi were also dumbfounded at this moment.

Good heavens!

The First Island Chain!

The Second Island Chain!

The Third Island Chain!

By this calculation, Australia was completely the central area of these three island chains, the absolute hub!

The most important of the important!

Xie Fang was excited, because if Australia became the center of these three island chains, it meant he would become the very center of trade for these three shipping lanes! The development of Australia was just around the corner!

Amazing!

He took a deep breath, his admiration for Liu Zheng now reaching the point of total prostration.

If, a few years ago, when he first met Liu Zheng, he was just a young man who had only achieved some initial results in managing Yinzhou and Liangzhou... then his growth speed was simply too astonishing.

He had gone from a single Liangzhou to the entire Longyan, and now he had reached the entire world...

This speed...

Who could compare?

"Sir has great talent, Vice Minister Liu... has great talent!"

Xie Fang did not hesitate in the slightest.

He decided on the spot to stop being timid; previously, he felt that managing the household was difficult, and he was reluctant to use the money and resources in his hands, even thinking of accelerating the extraction of resources from Australia for his own use... but now, his thinking had undergone a fundamental change.

Build Australia!

Whether it was the resources harvested locally in Australia, those supported by Liu Zheng, or those brought from Java Island, all were to be invested in the construction of Australia.

On one hand, build defensive fortifications.

On the other hand, begin large-scale infrastructure construction.

He believed that in just a few years, Australia would become a true paradise, a true sanctuary for humanity.

He also believed that Liu Zheng had this strength, at least for now.

He already possessed the strength to initiate a global war.

When the day of the real outbreak of the great war arrives...

He could already imagine that countless people from all over the world would run to his Australia to take refuge...

That would be the time when Australia truly takes flight.

Following Liu Zheng's "press Q&A session," at least the number of troublemakers in Jinghua had decreased significantly.

The simplified versions of the "Three Character Classic" and the "Thousand Character Classic" had already begun to be distributed on a large scale; this was already an unstoppable trend. The eradication of illiteracy among the entire population had officially begun. Liu Zheng's approach—one side iron-fisted and the other patiently explaining, showing his blueprint to others—could be considered giving them a candy.

With the demand for Simplified Chinese from the grassroots population, the entire Longyan also began to tacitly accept Vernacular Chinese and Simplified Chinese.

Although they would still stand on the moral high ground of academia and occasionally write an article criticizing the vulgarity of Simplified Chinese, at least no one would risk their lives to defend their so-called sophistication anymore.

Especially in the Northwest theater, after the Tsarist Russia army continued to advance into the Western Regions, people discovered that the Northwest Allied Forces led by Zou Sheng did not let them advance even an inch further. The war situation began to turn tragic, but on Longyan's own home turf, Rumyantsev, who had repeatedly performed meritorious deeds on the European battlefield, was also out of options.

A bitter struggle.

This caused the political climate in Longyan to begin to stabilize.

Liu Zheng still had no time to return to Liangzhou to see his own younger brother.

Because in a few more days, the new emperor would ascend the throne.

This was a major event in Longyan. Although it was already a constitutional monarchy, the emperor remained a kind of faith in people's hearts, a beacon that could lead them forward. Therefore, the public sentiment was very high, and lanterns and decorations were everywhere; time flows like a river, and the impact of Xie Tianyao's passing on Longyan was no longer that great. What people were starting to look forward to was the ascension of the new emperor. This habit of thousands of years would not change with a constitutional monarchy.

On the eighth day of the seventh lunar month.

An auspicious day.

The Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites, responsible for the new emperor's ascension, had been preparing for over a month.

How much money does it cost for a new emperor to ascend the throne in ancient times? That goes without saying.

The entire Jinghua was magnificent and grand.

The Imperial Palace was already overcrowded.

Xie Ming was extremely excited early in the morning; he had already put on the dragon robe tailored for him.

Although there were eunuchs and palace maids around helping him prepare these messy things, Dong Shuyu was also excitedly helping by his side.

"Mother, Mother..."

Xie Ming's breathing had already begun to become rapid.

Dong Shuyu, while tidying his clothes, whispered: "Endure a little longer, endure a little longer..."

Xie Ming's voice had also begun to tremble.

I can't endure it anymore!

He really could not endure it anymore!

He was actually discussing state affairs with that bunch of lowly commoners on the steps of the Imperial Palace! He felt this was the greatest contempt for the imperial family, and the greatest contempt for their Xie Family!

Today!

Just today!

He must completely eradicate this malignant tumor, Liu Zheng!

"Everything is prepared..."

Dong Shuyu said softly and calmly in his ear. Pop-ups are severe recently, you may click to download to avoid pop-ups.