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Chapter 1417 Not Pursuing the Victory

The Emperor, who had also only visited Port-au-Nus and never set foot on the American continent, should logically have made the same choice as himself. However, quite the opposite occurred. When the navy, which supported the Americas, and the army, which supported Africa, were locked in a dispute, he decisively chose the Americas.

Of course, he wasn't autocratic or absolute; he explained the reasons to the officers and ministers present. The emperor said that the Americas had three advantages, while Africa had three disadvantages in comparison.

One advantage is that the Americas are richer in resources than Africa.

Besides various minerals, Africa also possesses abundant forest and water resources. Its mineral resources are comparable to those of the Americas, but many areas suffer from water scarcity, making many places unsuitable for agricultural societies, let alone industrial development.

The second advantage is that the population of the Americas is more homogeneous, making assimilation easier.

This has already been preliminarily verified by European colonists, yet they failed to establish even a single city in nearby Africa, instead focusing on capturing slaves and causing destruction.

The third advantage, and the most crucial one, is geopolitics!

The Americas are an isolated continent, bordered by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans to the east and west, respectively, completely cut off from other continents. Reaching them required ships, specifically large ocean-going sailing vessels.

In terms of navigation technology, the Ming Empire's leading position was on a completely different level. The two technological barriers of sextant and marine chronometer alone would have kept Europeans chasing for decades, and they might not have been able to catch up.

Actually, making these two instruments wasn't too difficult; the difficulty lay in the calculation formulas. Even the most brilliant European scholars in the Royal Academy, when faced with the emperor's mathematical formulas, would be humbled and eager to become his apprentices. Without a teacher, one might never have been able to solve them in their entire life.

With these advantages, the Ming Empire's navy and cargo ships could travel faster and farther than those of Europeans, making it easier to communicate and exchange goods between the Americas. This created value, making the operation of transoceanic territories no longer a losing proposition, but even profitable, thus reducing the economic burden on the imperial court.

While Africa is separated from the world by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to the east and west, its northern tip connects to West Asia and Europe, and is currently mostly occupied by Islamic countries. In comparison, the Ming Empire was relatively far away, and its reliance on sea transport was far too insecure.

Imagine if Europeans and Muslims gradually expanded southward, could they possibly border South Africa after several decades or centuries? What would happen then? Would they send troops to Africa to fight a civil war, establish a border, and then station at least tens of thousands of troops there year after year, guarding it every second?

Even without detailed calculations, a rough thought should reveal the immense human, financial, and material resources required, and whether it's worthwhile compared to the gains. Compared to the Americas, is it worthwhile?
It must be said that the emperor's persuasive skills were unparalleled. Once these three points were presented, regardless of whether support had previously been for Africa or the Americas, everyone now had to obediently switch to the Americas. There was no way around it; with reason and evidence, unless someone was deliberately opposing him, they had to be convinced.

As for how the emperor knew about the products of the Americas and Africa, no one dared to ask, only to speculate in private. Since he was already a demigod, knowing five hundred years into the past and five hundred years into the future didn't seem too much to ask.

"...Alright, we'll do as the commander says. We'll wait! Come on, Brother Chang, let's discuss how to deal with the Rakshasa!"

His Majesty's decree—these five words were not only effective with high-ranking officials, but Ma Lan and Chang Jiang also immediately quieted down upon hearing it, ceasing all mention of the western expedition and leaving the courtyard arm in arm. "Sigh... let's all use our unique abilities to succeed!"

Watching his two subordinates walk away, Huang Taiji couldn't help but sigh deeply. As for discussing how to deal with the Russians, given Ma Lan's shrewdness, she'd most likely be trying to get Chang Jiang to join the Eastern Expeditionary Force.

Too early? No, no, no. The early bird catches the worm. Even those from military families need to plan ahead and secure their positions early. Once news of the eastern expedition spreads, countless generals will vie for those positions, making it much harder to secure them later.

Would engaging in such underhanded tactics behind the emperor's back be taboo? Huang Taiji believed that if officers were willing to fight tooth and nail to go to the front lines, the army would be formidable, and the monarch who commanded it would be equally capable. As long as things didn't go too far, the emperor probably wouldn't interfere; instead, he would secretly rejoice in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

At dawn, the temperature plummeted, and a northerly wind carrying a Siberian cold front swept across the Syr Darya Valley, covering everything with a thin layer of white—frost had fallen!

Hundreds of Cossack cavalrymen led their warhorses back and forth between the city of Turkestan and the camp, carrying the bodies of their fallen comrades back to the riverside cemetery, where they bid their final farewell amidst the prayers of the accompanying chaplains.

"The Ming army has all retreated to their camps outside the city, and the Kazakh cavalry have disappeared, probably hiding in the mountains to the northeast. However, the eastern area of ​​the city is still not easy to enter. The evil Easterners will dig pits and hide underground, using the ubiquitous bushes for cover, and you never know when they will kill you with a single shot."

But the approximate losses of the Winged Hussars have been tallied: of the original four regiments, including the wounded, only about half remain. There may be some who scattered or got lost and haven't returned, but their numbers won't be too large.

At this moment, the Poles and Russians were able to temporarily set aside their hatred and stand together to bid farewell to their fallen soldiers. Tatarinov slowly rode closer to Marshal Buturin, lowering his voice to report the information his men had just gathered.

This was a very stressful night. The first half of the night was filled with worry about the Polish offensive, fearing they would achieve a major victory and overshadow the Russian army. The second half of the night was filled with anxiety about their own safety, constantly worrying that the victorious Ming army would press their advantage and attack the Russian army, which had not yet suffered any losses.

"Strange Easterners, what are they waiting for?"

When Marshal Buturlin realized that the Ming army had no intention of launching a major offensive, he fell into even deeper anxiety, unable to understand why they hadn't pressed their advantage. This rendered the Russian army's defensive preparations, which they had spent half the night building, futile, and this feeling of not knowing when the wolf might arrive was the most agonizing.

"...Are they waiting for the Crimeans?" Tatarinov was also pondering this question, and he had some insights.

Where are they now?

Marshal Buturlin had never included the few thousand Crimean Khanate cavalrymen in his eastern expeditionary force. Besides their small numbers, these particularly undisciplined herders were indeed ineffective in siege warfare. However, after the Poles suffered heavy losses, the significance of these few thousand men seemed to suddenly increase.

(End of this chapter)