Chaos of the Three Kingdoms Summons

Chapter 2684 Father and Son's Decision: Raising an Army to Conquer the South

"Father, I believe that the remnants of Zhu Wu's faction are nothing more than a minor threat!"

"When can't this be quelled!"

The Crown Prince didn't actually take the remnants of Zhu Wu's faction on that island seriously, or rather, no one in the entire Great Jin Dynasty took them seriously either.

Zhu Yuanzhang once controlled the entire southern region, which was indeed a formidable enemy that required all efforts to deal with.

But how many civilians and soldiers remain in Zhu and Wu's remnants' faction?
By this time, the Great Jin Dynasty, which already possessed the entire world, had no reason to take them seriously.

Does anyone really think they can launch a counterattack against the mainland with just this small island?
It's simply a matter of when to deal with them!
"The Yuan Mongols are the greatest threat to our Great Jin Dynasty!"

"If our Great Jin were to sit idly by and watch the Yuan Mongols seize all of Kushan's lands for the sake of a mere remnant of Zhu Wu's faction, I fear that one day, when our Great Jin were to contend with the Yuan Mongols, we would lose half the battle before it even begins!" The Crown Prince thought of the consequences when all of Kushan's lands were covered with wolf flags made of logs, and his heart sank as he spoke.

“Then, Your Highness,” Li Xiang said in a low voice.

"If our Great Jin Dynasty remains inactive and watches those wolves on the grasslands devour the Kushan Empire, what will be the consequences? Tell me."

Li Xiang's question was a test of the Crown Prince's insight into the worst-case scenario.

“Father! The Indus Plain of the Kushan Empire is one of the most fertile lands in the world! Its rice is harvested three times a year, piling up like mountains! If such a granary falls into the hands of the steppes, the consequences will be unimaginable!”

"The Mongol people of the grasslands were originally nomadic, and when they raided southward, they were often constrained by a lack of food and fodder. Although they acquired cultivated land in the west, the yield was ultimately limited."

"If we were to acquire the vast fertile lands of the Kushan Empire and have the people they plundered enslave to cultivate them, their grain reserves would increase several times over in just a few years! Enough to support their million-strong cavalry in constant warfare, without any logistical worries!"

Until productivity advances to a certain level, food will always be the dominant factor, a headache.

Why did Li Xiang travel to Southeast Asia?
Is it simply for more land?
What's the use of having a lot of land? What's needed is land that's useful!

The land in Southeast Asia is usable land. Land that can produce large quantities of food is usable land.

Why did he want to build a canal on a grand scale after conquering Southeast Asia, not only to connect Beijing and Hangzhou, but also to connect the Yangtze River to Jiaozhou?

Firstly, it was for the development of the south and the rule of Southeast Asia.

Secondly, it was for the purpose of transporting grain from the south to the north!
If a disaster were to occur in the north and food supplies were disrupted, provisions from Southeast Asia could be transported by waterway in the shortest possible time.

His conquest of Southeast Asia was primarily intended to establish it as a base for food production.

Why did Yang Su, a man with such a ruthless personality, not resort to the same brutal methods as Chang Yuchun, despite the constant unrest in the occupied territories? Did he change his mind and start practicing Buddhism?
He knew very well that the population of this region could not be reduced any further! If it decreased any more, how could they farm the land and reclaim wasteland?
Could it be that they migrated all the way from Siyong?
As for why it was chosen from Siyong, rather than the relatively nearby south or even the Central Plains, was it because the Central Plains hadn't been ravaged enough in recent years? Or was it because the large-scale development of the south no longer needed population? On the other hand, the Kushan Empire had stronger basic conditions for agricultural production than Southeast Asia.

Under the same climatic conditions, rice can be harvested three times a year.

But are the development levels of South Asia and Southeast Asia the same now?
Furthermore, how much arable land is there in South Asia? And how big is Southeast Asia?
The four ancient civilizations all developed based on major river basins, which in turn provided abundant agricultural production conditions, namely vast tracts of arable land.

Therefore, if this granary falls into the hands of the grasslands, it will directly make up for their biggest deficiency.

From this point of view alone, compared to the Kushan Empire, what are the remnants of the Zhu Wu regime, clinging to life on our small island?
That small island isn't even big enough to guarantee they can maintain a basic military force!

When they first arrived on the island, they brought 50,000 to 60,000 troops, but now they only have 30,000 to 40,000 troops left. Where did the rest go?
"Furthermore, the Mongol Empire of the steppes now controls Liangxi and the Western Regions, blocking our westward expansion. If we were to acquire the entire territory of the Kushan Empire, their territory would be connected into one, forming an arc-shaped encirclement of nearly ten thousand miles around our Great Jin Dynasty, stretching from the northeast to the northwest and then from the northwest to the southwest!"

"Their million iron cavalry can choose any direction at will, whether they attack the Liang and Yong regions of our Great Jin from the Western Regions, or rush straight to our Qiongzhou and Shu regions from the former territory of the Kushan Empire! They can also raid our Youyan region from the northeast."

"Our Great Jin's vast northern border defense line will be forced to double in length, with defenses everywhere, which means it will be weak everywhere! If their main force is concentrated at any point, it could create an overwhelming force that could completely collapse our defense line!"

"At that time, our Great Han will be caught in a desperate situation of fighting on multiple fronts and being unable to attend to both ends!"

"Besides, Father, although the grasslands are barbaric, their learning ability is truly terrifying!"

"Father! The Kushan Empire possesses a long coastline along the Indian Ocean! If the Kushan Empire falls into the hands of the Yuan Mongols, these wolves, who have only ever roamed on horseback, will for the first time gain access to the warm seas!"

"If they only need to control a few key ports in southern Kushan, given their plundering nature and exceptional learning ability, they will surely be able to build a formidable naval force within ten years!"

"They will surely coordinate with their northern land cavalry! When the war in the north becomes critical, their southern navy will launch a fierce attack on our sea frontier, forcing us to divide our forces! This will form a true 'two-headed serpent' of land and sea, strangling us to death! Our Great Jin will never have a true rear area again!"

Li Xiang nodded in satisfaction at the Crown Prince's analysis.

The Crown Prince had considered the learning abilities of the grasslands, something even some cabinet ministers hadn't anticipated. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the Crown Prince's years of training.

The Yuan Mongols' learning ability was truly terrifying. Relying solely on a small population plundered from the Central Plains, they learned how to prospect for and mine minerals, how to forge iron, and even how to learn the culture and systems of the Central Plains.

Later, when they began to come into contact with Central Asia and West Asia, they absorbed some of the technologies and cultures from Central Asia and West Asia. Even though they are still not as good as the Great Jin Dynasty in this respect, compared with twenty or thirty years ago, they have undergone a complete transformation!

Apart from the Crown Prince, very few people actually thought that if the Yuan Mongols got this land, they would build up a navy!

However, in history, the Yuan and Mongol dynasties actually did achieve this!

Don't assume that the nomadic people of the grasslands were truly barbarians. In fact, the Mongols of history were better equipped than the Song Dynasty, and their use of artillery far surpassed that of the Song Dynasty. As for their navy, it was a piece of cake for them.