Chapter 673: The Complex Situation in Asia

Liaodong Economic Special Zone.

A file.

Placed in an antique-style study.

Xie Chengqian, with his sword-like eyebrows and star-bright eyes, looked at it quietly, his brows locked tight.

As the contemporary Emperor of Great Tang, he knew what kind of impact this Economic Special Zone would bring to the entire Nanyang once successfully developed.

It was too great.

The influence was too great.

This branch of the Xie Clan, known as the "Sheng Tang Remnants," had grown from nothing to something, and from something to greatness. What they relied on was maritime trade. Rubber, oil palm, coconuts, abaca, agarwood—all kinds of assets were sold to Longyan in exchange for the military funds of Great Tang. Step by step, their family had developed their territory in Nanyang to be larger and larger.

All of this.

Naturally, it could not be separated from their cooperation with the Scholar-Official Group within the Dragon Flame Nation and those regional military governors.

At least for now.

Longyan was still the main consumer nation for these Nanyang goods.

Xie Chengqian was also a heroic ruler of a governing age.

His gaze had once been set on the West. It was just that the development of Nanyang's ships had encountered a bottleneck. The lower social productivity of Nanyang could not produce Warships capable of crossing several continents. Of course, Nanyang's commodities could also reach Putu Port via sea transport to earn some first-hand profits.

But this...

Was clearly not what Xie Chengqian wanted.

He wanted more.

Previously, he had wanted to obtain more benefits and had circled around with those scholar-officials and regional military governors of Longyan.

But now the problem he faced was that he was afraid he would not even be able to get the remaining shares.

Once Longyan opened up its maritime trade.

For smuggling groups like them, the blow would undoubtedly be significant.

Although...

At this moment, it seemed that the probability of this crying land of Liaodong being developed was minimal.

But it still received Xie Chengqian's attention.

"Your Majesty, you are still looking..."

A thin woman appeared by Xie Chengqian's side and asked softly.

"Hahahaha, Guanyinbi, you have come at just the right time. Come, come, take a look."

Xie Chengqian laughed heartily and stood up to welcome her.

The woman was Xie Chengqian's first wife, Changsun Qingrong. Although the Great Tang of Nanyang could not compare to Longyan in size, the internal competition was equally fierce. If it were not for the all-out support of Changsun Qingrong's brother, Xie Chengqian would have long since been killed by his own brothers. Therefore, he still respected Changsun Qingrong very much.

"Liaodong?"

As soon as Changsun Qingrong saw this file, her delicate brows immediately furrowed.

"What does Guanyinbi think?"

Changsun Qingrong pondered for a moment: "Your Majesty, we should strike first to gain the advantage!"

"What does Guanyinbi mean?"

Xie Chengqian was shocked: "We currently cannot defeat Longyan!"

"What this concubine means is..."

"Seize the ports of the Great Wa Nation!"

"What?"

Xie Chengqian's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

"I am so angry!"

"I am so angry!"

Along the way, Mizuno Masashige did not know how many women he had ruined, nor how many subordinates he had killed!

This trip to Longyan had been full of various frustrations and various instances of being crushed!

Everything he wanted to obtain, he had obtained nothing!

He even had to pay out a Top-grade Dragon Saliva Incense!

A disgrace!

This was absolutely a disgrace to their Great Wa Nation!

"General, General..."

"General, please calm your anger!"

Mizuno Masashige was so angry that he raged: "How can I calm my anger? Come, come, tell me, how can I calm my anger! Hmm?"

"General, the Longyan Dynasty, after all, has a whip that cannot reach far... We should just attack the Li Dynasty if we want to attack... As for the land of Liaodong, hehe, I am afraid they cannot even overcome the weather there. How can they manage us?"

"Exactly! General, furthermore, we can also send people to secretly participate in the land of Liaodong..."

"You are suffering such great anger all because of that Liu Zheng!"

"Kill him!"

"Do you mean that we should also go to Liaodong to play around?"

Mizuno Masashige's expression turned gloomy upon hearing this.

"Exactly so!"

"Hahahaha, good idea! By the way, send the news about Longyan back to the country immediately!"

"Yes!"

……

"You... are also going?"

Zou Sheng found it incredible.

Zhai Shiqing smiled lightly: "Yes, as a military clerk, it is by General Qin's special permission!"

"That's awesome!"

Zou Sheng almost jumped up.

"Then... shall we see each other tomorrow?"

"Good, see you tomorrow!"

Watching Zou Sheng, he skipped away.

Zhai Shiqing's smile could not fade away.

"Young..."

"Hm?"

"No, Young Master, the Master is furious about you going to the battlefield, this..."

Zhai Shiqing smiled faintly: "Why, in this territory of Liangzhou, does the old gentleman think his authority is greater than General Qin's?"

"This..."

The servant broke into a cold sweat.

Zhai Shiqing laughed: "It was by General Qin's special permission, understand? Special permission!"

After saying this, Zhai Shiqing jumped off the Horse Carriage and, imitating Zou Sheng, skipped away.

The servant had a face full of black lines.

What special permission...

Wasn't it you who took the initiative to request to join the army as a clerk?

Sigh, this whole affair...

The next day.

Fifty thousand Liangzhou Army troops finished gathering.

Led personally by Qin Zhangfeng, three hundred reserve generals from the Liangzhou Military Training set off with the troops.

The momentum was grand, and the commoners saw them off.

They swore to rescue General Zheng!

Even if they could not rescue him, they would give that Putu Kingdom a taste of their power.

……

"It's over, it's over..."

"It's over, it's over!"

Omar had dark circles under his eyes.

He had not been able to sleep for several days, and he rebuked the ministers before him: "Did you hear that? Liangzhou has dispatched troops! Liangzhou has dispatched troops! And you, after so many days, haven't even found a shred of clothing! Trash, a bunch of trash!"

One person gritted their teeth and said: "Sultan, this Liangzhou Army is too much! Isn't this bullying our Putu Dynasty? A mere fifty thousand, let's fight them back!"

"Exactly!"

"Fight them back!"

"Our Putu has an army of three hundred thousand, are we afraid of them?"

"Shut up!"

Omar's face turned dark: "Is this a matter of fighting back? Hm? If we could fight, would I be afraid of them?"

A bunch of blockheads!

Fighting a war, they could certainly fight; Putu was not afraid of these fifty thousand men from the Liangzhou Army.

But...

What happens after fighting?

Would the Silk Road still exist?

What if it didn't exist?

For Liangzhou, it wouldn't have much impact; they could completely bypass Loulan, but his own kingdom would be finished!

There would be no money!

Don't look at the Putu Kingdom claiming to be powerful to the outside world. Only they understood that without the Silk Road, they would starve to death! How could they talk about extravagance and debauchery, how could they talk about enjoyment!

In this region of West Asia, besides the Ottoman Empire and the Putu Kingdom.

There was another formidable enemy of the Putu Kingdom, and that was the Mughal Empire!

At the height of the Mughal Empire, even the Putu Kingdom belonged to their territory. Fortunately, the top-level structure of the Mughal was Islam, but the base population was Hinduism. Later, the Putu Dynasty utilized the ambition of the Maratha within the Mughal Empire and began to struggle for independence.

Although the current Mughal emperor was incompetent, the internal governors held power for themselves, and the Maratha were ambitious, it was still a powerful Empire.

If the Silk Road were to be rerouted through the Mughal, then the Putu Kingdom, with their blood feud with the Mughal, would likely never have another chance to stand in West Asia.

This...

Is this a matter of fighting a war!

Trash!

A bunch of trash!

"Then..."

"What should we do?"

"Sultan!"

The group of ministers had also lost their sense of direction.

Omar took a deep breath: "Do not set up any defenses, do you hear me? Do not set up any defenses, come with me to welcome the Liangzhou army and beg for forgiveness!"

"What?"