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Chapter 1263 Playing the piano to a cow
"There is one more thing, this should be a secret, I am not sure whether I should say it. Well, in order to prevent my hometown from being involved in war again, I would rather be deported or do hard labor in some desolate place.

One of my students told me that after graduation he chose to work in the Ministry of Construction, which was located in the far north. The Ming Empire seemed to be building a very long steel track in the north, but it was unclear whether the destination was Persia or somewhere else.

But no matter where it is, as long as it is built, it will become a new channel that can partially replace sea transportation. In the future, goods produced in the Ming Dynasty can not only be transported to Europe by sea, but also by land.

According to my guess, the end of this track may not be Persia, but Russia. You have focused too much on western and southern Europe and seem to have forgotten the north.

In recent years, the Russian Empire and the Ming Empire have had very close exchanges. The Tsar's ambassador has lived in the west of this courtyard all year round and sometimes goes to the Royal Academy to attend classes. We have met and talked several times.

Initially, the Russian Empire was not friendly to the Ming Empire and did not take it seriously. It even encouraged some nomadic tribes in the north to harass the Ming border. The result was a complete failure. The Ming army swept the nomadic tribes in the north and set the boundary between the two countries.

I once asked His Majesty the Emperor in person why he attached so much importance to the cold and desolate northern land, investing huge resources every year to build settlements and immigrating on a large scale from the inland.

His Majesty the Emperor said that the place was the future of the empire, and he could not use it in his lifetime, but he could not give it to others. This shows that the Emperor thought longer-term than ordinary people, and saw more things than ordinary people, some of which we may have never seen or thought of.

Take the indirect conflict with the Russian Empire, for example. His Majesty once again acted unexpectedly in dealing with this issue. Instead of continuing to put pressure on Russia, he provided Russia with a large amount of weapons to fight against the Polish Confederation and the Swedes.

At the same time, many groups of engineers and technicians were sent to help the Russians build steel mills, mines and shipyards. In return, the Russians no longer sent expeditions to the east, but turned their attention to the south, west and north.

According to Professor Daming in the college, many officials at that time did not understand the emperor's intentions. After all, Russia was very far away from the Ming mainland and could neither be an enemy nor an ally. Wouldn't all these investments be in vain?

I thought so at the time, but these days I suddenly realized that the emperor's choice was very wise and long-term. Compared with the wealth of the Ming Empire, the aid was very small, and at a negligible cost, it brought a new possibility to the country.

Never underestimate this possibility. At a critical moment, every additional option may lead to the final victory.

If Europe cuts off commercial ties with the Ming Empire and blocks sea routes, not allowing Ming merchant ships to enter European waters, including the Mediterranean. Let’s not discuss whether this is possible, the Russians should be the happiest at that time.”

Inspired by his two colleagues, Helmont also planned to show off in front of his European fellows. To this end, he risked violating the confidentiality regulations and revealed a new idea that no one had expected.

After hearing this speculation, the Prince of Orange had a hint of uneasiness on his calm face. He clasped his hands together and tapped the backs of his hands rhythmically. Speaker Peter frowned and kept glancing at the Prince. Governor Cohen half-raised his head and stared at the corner of the room in a daze.

"The Russians don't have the guts to challenge the whole of Europe. If they do, they will pay a heavy price!" Only Mayor Cornelis suddenly stood up, pacing back and forth, shouting loudly, as if there were Russian representatives present and this was not enough to intimidate them. "We have said what we should say and delivered what we should deliver. If it doesn't work and dispel the idea of ​​some people to intimidate the Ming Empire with force, tomorrow's visit may be more convincing than words.

Your Highness, Speaker, Mayor, and Governor, we will take our leave now. A carriage will arrive tomorrow morning. On behalf of all the professors and students of the Royal Academy, I welcome your Highness to come!"

Descartes was no longer surprised by Mayor Cornelis's behavior. From the time they met to the time they talked for just a few hours, he could tell each person's general inclinations and upbringing.

The prince's performance was only mediocre and somewhat disappointing. The speaker listened more and spoke less, and expressed even less, as if he was just a follower, lacking his own opinions.

The mayor was quite opinionated and was not afraid to speak out. But his level was too low and his position was too crooked. He was not here to seek a solution at all, but more like to issue an ultimatum.

To say one more word to such a person would be disrespectful to oneself. It seems that His Majesty the Emperor was right again. It is useless to just reason with some people. One must first beat them with a big stick before talking to them will be smoother.

See you tomorrow. There are plenty of big sticks in the Royal Academy. You don't need to take out all of them. Just showing a few of them will keep the mayor awake for days. Then when we get to the communication stage, it shouldn't be a case of talking to a cow.

The Royal Academy is busier than most streets in the city during the Spring Festival. Many students from other places do not go home for the holidays every year due to the long distance and cost. But when they are alone away from home, they tend to feel lonely during the holidays. So students and professors who do not go home begin to find ways to entertain themselves.

The first thing on the agenda is a dinner party. Chinese people never settle for less than that when it comes to food. Even if the conditions are not available, they will create them in order to eat and drink well.

The college has dormitories with shared kitchens, so there is no lack of basic conditions, but the only thing missing is cooking skills. On weekdays, everyone is busy studying and researching, and they would never cook if they can eat in the cafeteria, but during the holidays, they can take some time to show off their cooking skills.

At this time, students and professors from all over the world are an advantage. They can showcase the different food cultures of various places and learn from each other.

Even if it's not delicious or tastes weird, no one will complain. People will try it at least twice, nod politely, or at least say it's unique.

But you can't think about eating every day during the half-month holiday. What should you do after eating and drinking? In this regard, we have to thank His Majesty the Emperor, who has been committed to creating various games since the Haihu Division, such as mahjong, poker, military chess, and Monopoly chess.

These games are fun when there are many people playing, and they are focused when there are few people playing. Even if there is only one person, one can still be addicted to them for hours and temporarily forget the feeling of missing family during the holidays.

(End of this chapter)