Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 711 The Underlying Logic of Peace and Friendship
The Chinese people are the most peace-loving people, Jia Quan reiterated this point.

When you say that, people have to believe you.

Hastings certainly didn't believe it. The Ansar had their own underlying logic; they believed you would do the same things they did.

People tend to apply their own logic to others, and Hastings was no exception.

An urgent report was sent back to London by the fastest ship.

When the fleet arrived in Cape Town, South Africa, the British were on high alert. The local governor had only one thought: to get these Chinese away as soon as possible. So he tried his best to satisfy their every need and didn't charge them any money.

Hastings' messenger arrived in London first and learned that the British cabinet was in chaos upon learning that the Central Empire Navy had once again organized a fleet to go to the Ottoman Empire for long-term friendly military cooperation.

What happened to the promise of non-interference in European affairs? What happened to the promise of peace?
Looking around, Europe is indeed at peace now, but one country is not quiet. Taking advantage of the momentum of defeating Napoleon, it is showing its presence to the west and further coveting Türkiye.

In fact, it wasn't just Tsarist Russia that coveted Turkey; Britain and France were also eyeing it, but they were targeting North Africa.

Neither of them were good people, and on top of that, Tsarist Russia and Türkiye couldn't resolve their conflict, so they went to Central Asia to provoke the central empire.

It's fair to say the British cabinet is having a tough time. They finally managed to suppress Napoleon, and before they could even enjoy a few days of peace, they're now facing an even bigger potential threat.

Fortunately, the fleet that came this time was not large. After an emergency cabinet meeting, the Mediterranean authorities were notified to absolutely avoid any friction with the Chinese fleet.

As the fleet passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, the British eagerly sent ships to greet and guide the pilot, while firing salutes from the gun emplacements.

Jia Quan ordered the fleet to fire a salute in return!

It was a truly harmonious and friendly scene. The last time we crossed this strait, both sides were aiming their cannons at each other.

Actually, this time wasn't much better. Jia Quan was very cautious and ordered the fleet to cross the strait in three batches, just in case the British went crazy.

In fact, Jia Quan's worries were completely unnecessary. The British had a pirate mentality; if they could win, they would have fought long ago, and if they couldn't, they would be friendly on the surface but resort to underhanded tricks in private.

Because of the British's underhanded tactics, Tsarist Russia is now in a state of panic.

Tsarist Russia harbored a deep-seated attachment to Constantinople, a history dating back to when the Tsar married a princess from the Eastern Roman Empire. In the Western world, Rome was considered the legitimate civilization, and people from all walks of life—including the Ansar, Germanic tribes, and Slavs—claimed themselves to be the rightful heirs of Rome.

The reason why Sumerian civilization is so highly praised by the West lies in a passage in the Old Testament. Some Chinese scholars, through ancient maps, have deduced that the birthplace of a certain sage, as described in the scriptures, was at that time a vast ocean. This has led a group of orthodox archaeological experts in China to jump up and down, telling those who question Western history to shut up, arguing that they are jeopardizing their livelihoods.

There's something quite interesting: the claim that the Qin Dynasty was equivalent to ancient Rome was actually based on research by a scholar during the Republic of China era. By the way, there were many great figures during the Republic of China period, and some of them even advocated for the abolition of Chinese characters.

Let’s digress and get back to the topic.

The British Mediterranean Fleet was very "enthusiastic" towards the Chinese fleet's targeted friendly visit, and consistently dispatched fleets to "escort" it.

In fact, the commander of this escort fleet was in despair because he could clearly see that the Chinese warships had undergone a fundamental change in form.

The more knowledgeable a person is, the clearer they will be: if naval guns had not undergone a fundamental evolution, how could turrets be installed at the bow and stern of a ship?

The extensive use of guns on both sides of British battleships was a direct consequence of the guns' performance.

During the last friendly visit by the fleet, the British had already thoroughly studied the situation, but there was no solution. The only thing the British government could do was increase its investment in Armstrong under pressure from all sides.

They were determined to develop artillery of equivalent quality as quickly as possible. The British even expressed their intention to purchase it, but this was explicitly rejected on the grounds that they did not want to undermine European policy.

In fact, after the British purchased a large number of revolvers, they discovered the function of the percussion cap. The entire European military industry discovered this, but it was useless, and no one was able to develop a percussion cap.

Just as Europe had long discovered the benefits of rifling, but was unable to achieve mass production due to unresolved manufacturing processes.

Recently, good news has come from the British side: they have finally solved the process of rifling in machines, but the technology of percussion caps is still not being broken through, and smokeless powder is still nowhere to be seen.

The Ottoman Turkish navy was overjoyed at the arrival of the Chinese fleet. Previously, just three new cruisers were enough to roam freely in the Black Sea; now, with ten, wouldn't they be blocked in port by the Tsarist Russian fleet?
By blockading the ports, all of Tsarist Russia's actions around the Black Sea would be severely restricted.

The Ottomans regretted their defeat last time, blaming the French for their incompetence, which resulted in a contract that neither side gained.

However, contracts are meant to be torn up. With the resumption of friendly military cooperation between China and Turkey, Türkiye, having suffered losses at the hands of Europeans, has fully aligned itself with China militarily.

The Ottoman Empire, situated on the Eurasian land bridge, possessed unique and significant geostrategic value, which was the reason Jia Lian strongly advocated for supporting the Ottoman Empire.

Using the Ottoman Empire to divert Europe's attention is an open and unsolvable strategy.

European countries all know what China is up to, but they are powerless to stop its overt scheme.

All countries hated Napoleon, that unfortunate boy. If it weren't for his meddling, how could Europe have allowed China to collude with the Ottoman Turks?
They want to oppose it now, but they can no longer do so openly. They can only try to influence the situation within the Ottoman state, bribing opposition forces to overthrow the current regime. And you know what? European countries are really good at subversion.

Of course, this was not entirely a problem for Europeans; the Ottoman Empire itself also had significant problems.

The Ottoman Empire's rule in Europe was marked by numerous acts of inhumanity. They not only committed massacres but were also the largest sellers of white slaves.

When the fleet arrived in Constantinople, a large, enthusiastic crowd gathered on the docks. The Central Empire's policy of asking for nothing but money was far too friendly to the Ottoman Pasha. What? What did you say? The Persian Gulf? The Arabian Peninsula desert? How many gold coins could those peripheral areas fetch?
The Ottoman Turks had accumulated considerable wealth over centuries of rule, and with the wealth they had seized, they could afford to pay for their military supplies by squeezing resources domestically and exporting manpower and minerals abroad. Unfortunately, while the Central Empire was friendly, it remained rather "conservative" on the sale of army equipment, refusing to sell the latest equipment despite repeated pleas.

The Ottoman Turks were well aware that their value had reached its limit; if the Black Sea hadn't been so important, the Central Empire wouldn't have sold them new warships.

It's important to understand that the number of naval guns on ten new warships is not small. These naval guns can be moved to land. Having witnessed the power of the new naval guns, how could the Ottoman Turkish military not know the power of the same artillery on land? You can tell how to use this new type of artillery just by looking at it, but you just can't build it.

As the fleet commander, Jia Quan received the highest level of hospitality, and he was well aware that this treatment was due to his status.

As the eldest son of the Grand Secretary of the Central Empire and the current Duke of Rong, he was a distinguished guest wherever he went, especially in the Ottoman Empire, a country ruled by nobles.

Jia Quan was able to come to the Pasha's palace to attend a grand welcoming banquet. One after another, beautiful young women with thin clothes and veils passed by Jia Quan carrying plates. If he glanced at them, they would come up to him and tell him that if he wanted, they could take him away right now to a secluded corner to remove their veils.

Jia Quan later learned that all the women at the banquet came from noble families and were virgins.

As an old friend of the Central Empire, Ibrahim spoke warmly with Jia Quan and made it clear to him: "You can take any woman you want, and there is no limit to the number."

Jia Quan remained unmoved, smiling subtly as she said, "I was taught from a young age to treat people as human beings, even if he (or she) is a servant who serves me."

Ibrahim was not surprised by this answer. This young man, as one of the highest-ranking nobles in the Central Empire, possessed unparalleled wealth and power; even the most outstanding women were never a scarce resource for him. Therefore, Ibrahim stated directly and plainly: "The Pasha wishes to form a marriage alliance with your country. If you are willing, you can take back a princess, not necessarily as a principal wife, and also a substantial dowry. You know, the Ottoman Empire feels extremely insecure on this land, surrounded by enemies."

Jia Quan, familiar with the history of the Ottoman Empire, smiled silently while inwardly raging: "When you were powerful, you not only cut off the land routes for trade between Central Europe and levied exorbitant tolls, but you also launched a relentless invasion of Europe, even reaching the gates of Vienna and ruling Spain for a time. Why didn't you say that back then?"

“In the Empire, only His Majesty and his clansmen are qualified to marry foreign monarchs. For anyone else to marry a foreign monarch is a grave crime of usurpation,” Jia Quan calmly stated, offering an unsolvable reason.

Ibrahim was stunned; he truly hadn't expected such a thing to happen. But he quickly smiled again, leaned closer to Jia Quan, and whispered, "I have several unmarried daughters... Don't go, wait for me." Jia Quan walked quickly, and Ibrahim chased after him relentlessly.

Jia Quan has one redeeming quality: he really dislikes the smell of white women. He can accept casual encounters while traveling, but arranged marriages are out of the question.

"Your Excellency, Duke Rongguo, I also keep some dancers at home, and I hope to have the honor of inviting you to a banquet." After Ibrahim gave up the idea of ​​a marriage alliance, Jia Quan's smile became more sincere.

After the banquet, Jia Quan didn't linger, feigning fatigue, and left early. Upon returning to his lodging, the guards at the gate reported that someone had brought over a pair of dancing girls.

Jia Quan nodded calmly. This was expected. The Ottomans had gone to great lengths to curry favor with the Central Empire. What did women matter?
Let alone the Ottoman Empire at the time, even in some countries in modern society, the trade in female slaves still exists, doesn't it?
When Jia Quan arrived in Ottoman, Jia Shi led his troops to Alimtu and soon received bad news.

Instigated by Tsarist Russia, a rebellion is taking place among the local natives. They have occupied Astana and are carrying out massacres and annexations of those who have sided with the central empire.

Initially, out of consideration for the local tribes that had come to surrender, the garrison withdrew from Astana. Who could have imagined that traitors would emerge from within several of these tribes and collude with outsiders to cause trouble?
This incident gave Jia Shi a new understanding of the local culture. The underlying logic of the local culture is nomadic, and it has a unique characteristic: even if something is destroyed, it cannot be left to outsiders. Currently, the local military command is in Bishkek, and there have been no clear instructions from there yet, only a request to increase vigilance.

In Central Asia, although both regions speak Turkic languages, the ethnic characteristics of the two groups differ greatly. The indigenous people of Astana are very resistant to the invasion of foreign cultures and refuse intermarriage with outsiders.

In Bishkek and even further afield in Dushanbe, there is no such thing as refusing intermarriage; in fact, local women are actively encouraged to marry foreign soldiers.

In Almaty, because Prince Teng killed too many people back then, most of the local natives were later arrivals, so they are relatively more docile.

Jia Shi's destination was Bishkek. In Alimutu, the two sons of the former King of Anxi were nominally in charge, but in reality, it was under the jurisdiction of Dihua.

Jia Shi's troops, having traveled a long distance, were exhausted and had no interest in immediately launching an attack. He ordered his troops to rest and await orders, and sent someone to report to Bishkek.

Bishkek is also facing a major headache due to several clashes with local tribes near the Caspian Sea.

The root of this incident lies with the White Lotus Sect. These people went too far by proselytizing among the immigrants. While they were relatively well-behaved during the reign of the Prince of Anxi, the White Lotus Sect became exceptionally active after he was demoted to Duke of Anxi. This was partly due to the Duke of Anxi needing their help to stabilize the immigrant base, but also partly due to the desire to expand their influence through the White Lotus Sect.

After gaining official status, the White Lotus Sect developed very rapidly. When the Anxi Army marched westward to the Caspian Sea, members of the White Lotus Sect followed along the way.

As a result, conflict was almost inevitable, since the White Lotus sect preached the Eternal Mother, which the locals naturally did not accept.

Duke Anxi would not tolerate the locals, especially after being stripped of his title, he felt even more insecure, knowing all too well the power of the Grace Decree.

It would be perfectly logical for them to secretly support the White Lotus Sect in causing trouble.

Bishkek is now facing a headache. The root cause of this indigenous riot lies in the fact that the White Lotus Sect has expanded too quickly and too brutally, just like Prince Teng back then.

(End of this chapter)