Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 525 Soul Torture
At daybreak, Churchill could not wait to visit the front line, and Jia Lian had to accompany him.

Churchill said disdainfully: "This horse is no good, it looks like a mule. I will give you two good horses later."

Jia Lian didn't have a good solution for this matter. The Central Plains Empire did have big problems in horse breeding.

Not only are the horses used by cavalry not good, but the horses used by the cavalry are also not good. Compared with Western horses, Mongolian horses are indeed short, but their advantages are that they are easy to feed and have amazing endurance.

The Don horses are not bad. The King of Xining can trade with the Russians and get some horses in return. He silently made a note of this.

"Thank you in advance, Your Majesty!" Jia Lian accepted it without any hesitation.

"You're welcome! We are friends!" Churchill was secretly delighted. Being able to maintain a good relationship with Jia Lian would be of great benefit to him personally and even to the British Empire.

Not to mention the distant future, Dai Ying, who is currently managing India, will really worry about the Zhou Empire’s army in Central Asia. He may give up going north and turn south to invade India.

Churchill was confident in leading Britain at sea, but on land, he had no confidence at all, even though he was the commander of the navy and had no need to worry about the army.

Churchill could smell the disgusting stench in the air from a distance, and this was after the battlefield had been cleaned up.

When we arrived at the command post at the forefront, the strong fishy smell was unbearable. How many people had died to cause such a strong smell.

After learning about the battle last night, Churchill was stunned. How could this be possible? There were only a small number of people on guard at the front line, but a large amount of explosives were deployed.

In order to remove the fishy smell, the native soldiers vomited and sprinkled lime into the trenches.

"Sir, after this battle, the Western barbarians have lost their courage!" Cui Lu said proudly. Jia Lian had a blank expression on his face, but he was actually trying to hold back his vomiting. I really don't know how Cui Lu held it back.

In fact, Cui Lu had already vomited and was now numb.

"In another three days, we will be able to dig 300 meters below the city. By then our artillery will be able to fire up, but the enemy's artillery will not be able to hit us." When Zhang San learned that Jia Lian was coming, he put down what he was doing and hurried over.

"Don't worry. The Spaniards in the fortress area no longer have the courage to attack. It's the typhoon season, so we should be prepared for the typhoon first." Jia Lian's focus is on the overall situation, not just the battle.

"Don't worry, sir. Deputy Envoy Hai and his subordinates, in cooperation with overseas Chinese and some natives, are opening a kiln to burn bricks. The walls of the natives in this place are made of grass and mud. There are no windows, and they have to light lights in the house during the day. I have discussed with Boss Chen and decided to build more brick and tile houses. To be honest, the local natives are too lazy, and the men do less work than the women." Speaking of this, Zhang San couldn't help but complain.

Jia Lian really didn’t know how to evaluate the customs of tropical regions, at least he had seen them. (PS: The author grew up in Hainan and saw with his own eyes how lazy the local men were in the past. I don’t know if it has improved now, but it’s probably difficult.)
Churchill did not stay long. He saw what he needed to see and left immediately. After leaving this area, the smell was not so strong and he seemed to breathe more smoothly.

Jia Lian followed and walked away. After returning to the headquarters, Churchill said goodbye and left. His purpose of coming here was achieved, and it was confirmed that the relationship between Daiying and the Zhou Empire would continue to be friendly in the short term. Well, at least when the Zhou Empire's navy develops, it should not pose a threat to Daiying. After witnessing the equipment and combat effectiveness of the Zhou army with his own eyes, Churchill felt that the sphere of influence demarcated in the previously signed friendly treaty was too correct!
At the same time, Churchill also decided that after returning, he would write to his country to increase investment in the South Asian subcontinent, take over India as soon as possible and consolidate operations.

Before leaving, Churchill also specifically said to Jia Lian: "After expelling the Dutch and Spanish forces and controlling Southeast Asia, your country's development direction has changed. Please inform us in time to avoid misjudgment on both sides."

Jia Lian smiled slightly: "Your Excellency is overthinking. From the history records, for thousands of years, the empire's fatal threat can only come from the north. The future development direction of the Zhou Empire must be northwest. The Russians dealt with the empire in the Far East nearly a hundred years ago and returned in disgrace. I don't know if they have forgotten it, but we have not forgotten it. By the way, please pay attention, my lord. If any envoys from the Ottoman Empire stop in India, we must protect them well."

Churchill didn't expect to hear such a secret. This was basically a state secret of the Zhou Empire. Jia Lian just said it casually and wanted to contact the Ottoman Empire.

Could it be that in Central Asia, there has been a conflict of interest between the Rus and the Zhou Empire? This is really great. With the Zhou Empire's clamp, the development of the Rus Empire to the west is doomed to stagnate.

This information is too important and must be transmitted back to the country as soon as possible.

Jia Lian just said this casually. It is Churchill's business whether to believe it or not. In fact, in Jia Lian's strategic conception, Central Asia is indeed given a very high status. However, it is limited to Central Asia. Further west, the geographical environment is too harsh, and it is unrealistic to take the land route. The only way is to take the sea route.

The purpose of maintaining a good relationship with the Ottoman Empire was to gain a piece of territory in West Asia, such as the coastal area of ​​the Arabian Peninsula.

To be honest, even if he could get that place, Jia Lian would still have a headache, because no one would be willing to go to that barren land in the short term. There is really nothing there except sand.

As for oil and natural gas, even if they are discovered now, they are of no use. The most they can do is to build a military port under the pretext of protecting the shipping routes.

The most important thing is that the Ottoman Empire and Russia are in a stalemate, and the Ottoman Empire is at a disadvantage. If they can get help from the Zhou Empire, they will really be willing to accept the condition of drawing a piece of land from the Arabian Peninsula in exchange for the support of the Zhou Empire.

There is a problem. Since being defeated by the Spanish, the Ottoman Empire seems to have become invincible.

This may be related to the fact that after the beginning of the Age of Discovery, the East-West trade could no longer collect tolls from land.

Churchill boarded the warship, holding the railing, and looked at Jia Lian standing still on the shore. The people of the Zhou Empire seemed to attach more importance to feelings, which could be used. Thinking of this, Churchill touched his waist, where there was a revolver, which was Jia Lian's pistol, given to him as a gift.

Giving a revolver as a gift did not mean that Jia Lian was carefree and was not afraid of being imitated, but that a revolver without a percussion cap was just a toy.

Churchill decided to show off his revolver to everyone when he returned, and at the same time send an order to Jia Lian. He believed that Jia Lian would not let him down.

Churchill was a little unsure about this idea, because he knew that the revolver was already a leading self-defense weapon across the ages, and even rich people might not be willing to buy it.

Churchill returned to Mumbai and immediately wrote a letter asking the Royal Navy along the way to treat Ottoman ships visiting the Eastern Zhou Empire in a friendly manner if they were found.

It can only be said that although Daiying is very powerful at the moment, it is not strong enough and has not reached its peak. Of course, Daiying’s failure to reach its peak as soon as possible has a lot to do with the loss of the North American colonies.

This involves the issue of governance costs. The independence of the thirteen North American states was not because they could not bear the oppression of Britain, but because they felt they had grown strong enough and did not want to pay taxes to Britain.

If Louis XVI, the founding father, had not intervened, the independence of North America would have been ruined. Jia Lian had thought about obstructing the independence of North America, but it was really beyond his reach.

With the current delivery capabilities of the Great Zhou, it is difficult to reach North America, let alone Australia, let alone cross the vast Pacific Ocean to reach North America.

It was still necessary to preserve the Spanish route from South America to Asia, but Manila would be developed as a trade distribution center and transit station in the future. As for Siam and other Southeast Asian countries, Jia Lian had no interest in them at all. It was not that those places were not worth colonizing, but the cost was too high.

There is one place that must be taken, and that is Myanmar. It is so important to seize an outlet to the Indian Ocean that it cannot be overemphasized.

Unfortunately, Jia Lian suggested that Niu Jizong go to Yunnan, but the old man did not accept it and chose to stay in the Navy. This man's ambition is just like that, not as good as Wang Ziteng. Of course, after Wang Ziteng conquered Annan, his fighting spirit also quickly declined.

In fact, Jia Lian’s fighting spirit was not high at the beginning, it was all forced out.

The hot pot was steaming, and the Dutch were queuing with coconut shell bowls. They worked for a whole morning to build a prisoner-of-war camp for themselves. They had three meals a day, porridge for breakfast and lunch, and dry rice for dinner. This was not expected in advance. I thought it was good to have two meals a day. After all, this was the standard they treated the natives who were hired to work.

The soldiers of the Zhou Empire looked ferocious, but they did not do anything too cruel to hurt people. This made the prisoners feel much better. It seemed that the leaflets about surrendering without killing were true.

While working, he learned from the captured militia that Elaine and a dozen other nuns were not humiliated as he imagined, and the wounded were not killed. He just heard that the stored quinine was taken away, and when needed, he had to apply to the doctors of the Zhou Empire.

Now the nuns are still taking care of the wounded and are not being abused. In contrast, if the Spanish militia captured the women of the Zhou Empire... He Xi did not dare to think too much.

When Jia Lian saw Li Yuan coming over with a gloomy face, his heart tightened slightly. Did he encounter something unpleasant? This gentleman has been serving him carefully, so don't let anything go wrong.

"Sir, Dean Lu's men are actually cutting open the corpse and destroying the bones. This is extremely immoral." As soon as Li Yuan opened his mouth, Jia Lian knew the reason.

Chinese people believe that the dead are the greatest. After a person dies, destroying the body is excessive and immoral.

Li Yuan must have seen that Dean Lu, under the instruction of Jia Lian, organized doctors to dissect corpses to understand the structure of the human body.

"Your Highness, please don't be angry. Just listen to what I have to say slowly." Jia Lian greeted Li Yuan calmly, and they walked out together, talking as they walked.

"Bullets have no eyes on the battlefield. Once a bullet enters the human body, it must be taken out, otherwise the wounded will just wait to die." Jia Lian first gave him a concept, that is, the bullet head must be removed from a bullet wound.

"Ah, that's the truth." Li Yuan answered subconsciously, agreeing with this statement.

"Your Highness, you can't see the internal condition through the belly. Using the corpses obtained on the battlefield for dissection will help doctors understand the structure of the human body and accumulate knowledge for the future treatment of our injured soldiers. Even if it is considered immoral, I am willing to bear this reputation. As the commander-in-chief, I think the moral loss of dissecting corpses is not important at all compared to the wisdom of our soldiers. I arranged the matter. Your Highness needs someone to bear this responsibility, and I will take it."

In fact, Li Yuan did not see it personally, but his eunuch attendant saw it and ran to tell him.

So Li Yuan's first reaction was not to blame those doctors, but to come to Jia Lian to complain. However, he did not expect that Jia Lian was the instigator.

"This..." After Li Yuan understood, he fell silent. He really didn't know how to continue to hold the person accountable.

Is morality important? Yes, it is important. But it also depends on the time and place.

During this period of time following Jia Lian, Li Yuan's three views were actually greatly influenced.

Seeing that he was speechless, Jia Lian smiled and continued to walk forward. He took out a cigarette and lit it, and continued: "The morality of a superior should not be specific to the details. As a commander, winning the battle is the greatest morality. On this premise, it is to minimize casualties, which is a secondary morality. Treating captured Westerners well is also a morality, but its importance is placed last."

Li Yuan became even more silent after listening to this. He suddenly remembered his visit to Shaanxi and Gansu to inspect the relief work. At that time, Li Qing was the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu. During the relief work, he discovered many woodworms.

Those corrupt officials all talk about morality all the time.

They talk about morality, but their actual actions leave the disaster victims starving and cold. To them, the greatest morality is to provide them with a good place to live and to give them something to eat.

Going further up, the morals of the emperor should be that the country is peaceful and the people are well-fed and well-clothed. Going further down, the landlord should treat the tenants well, at least leaving them with something to eat and something to wear.

This..., I really can't think about it, Li Yuan became more and more silent. Once he looked at the problem from this angle, Li Yuan found that many of his previous concepts were simply absurd impressions.

Everyone talks about morality, but what about actual actions?
The gentry exploited their fellow villagers in the countryside, officials engaged in rampant corruption at the grassroots level, and all the burdens fell on the shoulders of the common people.

The wealthy and powerful in the capital city live in luxury all day long. They wouldn't even give a second thought to the lives of the poor people in the north of the city, let alone the villages below the county level.

Where do the power and wealth of the powerful come from?
Without the people at the bottom of society, there would be no basis for the existence of power and wealth.

Similarly, once the lower-class people no longer agree and rise up in rebellion, the basis for the existence of imperial power will be gone.

After Li Yuan understood this truth, cold sweat began to break out on his back.

While the rich wine and meat smell, the road with frozen bone.

"Sir, is there any practical significance in talking about morality all the time?" Li Yuan felt that his soul was unstable and spoke out the questions deep in his heart.

(End of this chapter)