Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 735 The Era of Globalization

Society is made up of people, and many things ultimately come down to people. There are many aspects to evaluating a country's comprehensive strength, among which organizational capacity is the most important.

A nation that loses its organizational capacity and is unable to unite society will lose many things, most notably its capacity for large-scale engineering projects, infrastructure development, and large-scale war mobilization.

If a country encounters internal problems, loses its organizational capacity, and is unable to form a social cohesion, its national strength will fall into an endless spiral of decline due to internal strife, ultimately leading to its demise and having to start all over again.

The terrifying thing about sustainable civilizations is that no matter how many times a nation perishes, it can rebuild itself from the ruins and make adjustments to address past mistakes.

With the widespread use of telegraphs and railways, the position of governor-general became increasingly redundant. Meanwhile, many new government agencies were established in the capital.

After several discussions with the cabinet, Li Wan decided to abolish the position of governor-general. Each province would still have a governor and three provincial officials.

Li Wan gained a new understanding of officialdom. His attitude towards members of the royal family also changed. The fiefdom system implemented during the reign of Emperor Chenghui officially came to an end.

In the future, wherever the territory expands, provinces will be established, directly under the central government, and the feudal system will be abolished. For nobles, rewards will be given in the form of money and social status.

Just as this system was introduced, an internal strife broke out in Central Asia. The eldest son of the Duke of Anxi was worried that the existence of the Edict of Grace would prevent his son from continuing to be a duke or even a marquis after his father's death. Unable to save his father from becoming the ruler, he killed his father and rebelled to establish himself as the ruler.

The rebel forces of An were entrenched in Dushanbe and Kuzan. Jia Shi urgently reported to the capital, and the court ordered him to send troops to quell the rebellion.

Before sending out his troops, Jia Shi met with Zhen Yaoyao to discuss the matter and see what her attitude was.

Zhen Yaoyao said she could help Jia Shi quell the rebellion on the condition that some of the Zhen family members be allowed to return to the capital to settle down, and that they be given certain rewards.

Jia Shi telegraphed back home, and after receiving permission, agreed to Zhen Yaoyao's request. However, he also made it clear beforehand that from this incident onward, any activity of the White Lotus Sect must obtain official permission; otherwise, he would rather not provide assistance.

The two sides argued for three more days over this matter. By comparing the model of religious management in the Central Plains, they recognized the White Lotus Sect as a legal religion, but prohibited it from possessing armed forces.

Zhen Yaoyao, representing Zhen Huan, agreed, stating that it was not appropriate to wait until after the An Lushan Rebellion was resolved.

Both sides reached an agreement, and Jia Shi sent troops to Dushanbe. With the help of the White Lotus Sect, Jia Shi's two divisions arrived silently outside Dushanbe. An inside agent opened the gates, and the army poured in.

Caught off guard, the rebels collapsed instantly, and the Anxi rebels were captured. The Kujan rebels surrendered without a fight, and Anxi was thus pacified.

The imperial court established three provinces: Anxi (left, central, and right), with their respective capitals in Dushanbe, Bishkek, and Almaty.

Some high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect were incorporated into the official system, while those who refused were expelled or captured and killed by members of the White Lotus Sect.

With the provinces of Anxi largely pacified, the imperial court dispatched officials to Anxi to serve as governors and other positions, thus bringing the former Anxi territory under the jurisdiction of the central government. The former King of Anxi's second and third sons then appeared as officials, but no longer held fiefdoms.

Jia Shi was appointed Lieutenant General Commander of the Anxi Military Region, which consisted of three armies and nine divisions (three regiments). The imperial court mandated the use of an official language and incorporated it into the government system; those who could not speak the official language were ineligible to serve as public officials.

The situation in the former Anxi region is more complicated due to historical reasons, and with Tsarist Russia watching from the sidelines, it is even more difficult to govern.

Fortunately, the White Lotus sect carried out a purge, and the situation has improved a lot.

Within the provinces of Anxi, the White Lotus sect prohibited the existence of other religions, which objectively helped local governance.

After the imperial officials arrived in Anxi, the reception went relatively smoothly, thanks to the immigration policy of the former King of Anxi.

Among the former immigrants were prominent figures, and some of their sons returned to the capital to receive rewards and settled there.

Li Wan's understanding of the three provinces of Anxi was quite accurate. Although there was no benefit at present, and they even had to pay out of pocket, the existence of Anxi was the foundation for stability in the northwest.

If Anxi falls into chaos, then Xinjiang Province will be in turmoil; if Xinjiang Province falls into chaos, then Hexi will inevitably fall into chaos; and if Hexi falls into chaos, it will threaten Shaanxi, Gansu, and even the inland areas.

After the Anxi Incident, the restless Tsarist Russia was somewhat calmed down and had to turn its attention to the West again, where it was blocked by the Ottoman Turks who occupied Southern Europe.

Tsarist Russia funded and supported nobles throughout Southern Europe in preparation for the next Russo-Turkish War.

The Five Powers alliance discussed dividing up Ottoman interests in Southern Europe, but Prussia and Austria were excluded and angrily withdrew from the alliance. Britain, France, and Russia continued negotiations and finally clarified their interests: Tsarist Russia received the Slavic settlements, while Britain and France received interests in Greece, Egypt, Syria, Iran, and other territories.

After the three countries reached an agreement, Tsarist Russia took the initiative and launched the Tenth Russo-Turkish War.

In the early stages of the war, the Ottoman army, relying on its strong fortifications, halted the advance of the Russian army in Southern Europe. As the two sides reached a stalemate, various Southern European countries raised the banner of independence and sent troops to aid the Russian army. The Ottoman Turkish army was thrown into disarray and suffered a complete defeat. After three months of fierce fighting, its forces essentially withdrew from Southern Europe, becoming trapped in Istanbul.

The British army seized the opportunity to invade Egypt, while the French army occupied Syria, each supporting a puppet regime for colonization.

Seeing the Ottoman Empire suffer heavy losses, its Pasha urgently appealed to the Central Empire for help. Our minister, adhering to the principle of non-interference in European internal affairs, issued a note to Britain, France, and Russia, stating that the current conflict was no longer confined to Europe. We hope that all warring parties will exercise restraint and prioritize peace.

Faced with China's note, Britain and France, seeing that they had secured their respective interests, halted their efforts to prevent Chinese intervention. Tsarist Russia, however, ignored the advice and insisted on recapturing Constantinople and restoring the glory of the Eastern Roman Empire.

European and American nations considered themselves successors to Rome, so Britain and France, seeing Russia's insistence, issued a declaration of truce. The two countries deployed relatively few troops, totaling only tens of thousands, which seemed to have little impact on the overall situation. However, with the truce, the Ottoman Empire was able to catch its breath and redeploy its forces to Istanbul for a prolonged siege.

After a month-long offensive, the Russian army failed to capture the target. Having lost access to British and French weaponry, their fighting capacity was severely diminished. At this point, both sides primarily relied on muzzle-loading rifled percussion muskets, with artillery also mainly muzzle-loading.

The Ottoman Empire possessed a small number of breech-loading artillery pieces, but it lacked ammunition and could not manufacture it itself, so it urgently purchased them from China.

Unable to pass up opportunities to make money, China urgently dispatched a batch of weapons and ammunition from the Persian Gulf region to Istanbul.

Having received supplies, the Ottoman Turks regained some of their fighting strength, while the Russian army besieging the city was caught in heavy artillery fire, making further siege pointless. News also came that a portion of the Anxi Military District's troops had crossed the Caspian Sea and were sweeping the surrounding area from Central Asia. Tsarist Russia then announced a ceasefire and withdrew thirty kilometers. All parties then began negotiations in the presence of our minister.

Because of differing opinions, the negotiations were held at our base in the Persian Gulf. As the mediator, we maintained a neutral stance as much as possible. After a month of talks, the fighting ultimately stalled, and a ceasefire agreement was signed. Another ceasefire agreement.

Russia made exorbitant demands regarding Crimea, which were opposed by Britain and France and subsequently abandoned. Russia then demanded reparations, which were opposed by China, which also issued strong threats.

After the agreement was signed, Türkiye lost the territories of the Southern European countries and barely retained the Crimean Peninsula. Due to opposition from Britain and France, Tsarist Russia withdrew from the Triple Alliance.

After the Five-Power Alliance collapsed, the Three-Power Alliance also failed.

The power struggles among the European powers, once they reached China, taught Emperor Li Wan a harsh lesson.

The era of globalization has begun, and the competition between nations has escalated from political maneuvering to war. Domestic leaders must clearly recognize that failing to actively participate will result in more than just a loss of influence; it could mean losing much more. Simultaneously, technological advancements in various countries are progressing rapidly. Railways have become a key area of ​​development for many nations, and European countries, under the influence of the Central Empire, are also rapidly developing new weapons, especially after obtaining samples of new rifles, which they have begun to specifically imitate.

It can truly be described as crossing the river by feeling one's way across the river.

The Ottoman Turks, after reiterating their demand for an alliance with the Central Empire and being rejected, instead proposed a new military procurement contract.

There was no other way; without the military aid of the Central Empire, this war was indeed unwinnable. Realizing this came at a great cost.

The world operates on a dynamic of ebb and flow. After the Western powers tasted the benefits of a united partition, they remained wary of each other. France, which had always considered itself the hegemon of Europe, once again made a request for an alliance. Britain was the first to accept the invitation, but was directly rejected. France then tried to win over Prussia, only to receive the devastating news that Britain and Prussia had formed an alliance. France subsequently made an alliance request to Austria-Hungary. However, Austria also had its own demands, namely, the conflict with Tsarist Russia over the Balkans and Yugoslavia.

France did not want to antagonize Tsarist Russia, and since negotiations were unsuccessful, it had no choice but to give up. After all, offending Tsarist Russia was simply not a wise move for the sake of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Tsarist Russia extended an olive branch to France, but France refused. The reason was simple: the contradictions between the Central Empire and Tsarist Russia were too deep.

Prussia, allied with Britain, began the process of unifying Greater Germany. While Austria-Hungary was forced to fight back, the Italian peninsula took the initiative, with the Kingdom of Sardinia calling for the unification of the peninsula.

France, having received a warning from Britain, stood by and watched as Austria-Hungary became embroiled in a two-front war. Tsarist Russia, weakened by its protracted siege of Istanbul and still recovering, was merely observing.

The small country of Denmark got involved, hoping to profit from the chaos, but was dealt a heavy blow by Prussia. Denmark lost the German-speaking regions, while Austria-Hungary lost northern Italy.

After all the commotion, both Prussia and Austria were exhausted and declared a ceasefire. Seeing the situation was turning against them, the Low Countries, particularly the Netherlands, proactively allied with Great Britain.

While Europe was in chaos, the Donghua Kingdom emerged from the shadow of Li Heng's death. The succeeding King Li Ge continued his father's policies, expanding eastward. However, instead of sending troops, Li Ge engaged in covert operations, aiding large numbers of natives in their infiltration and encouraging the escape or rebellion of southern slaves.

Southern states across the United States appealed to Philadelphia for help, and the U.S. government sent envoys to inquire whether the Eastern China Kingdom intended to launch another war.

Li Ge angrily berated the other side, saying, "If you want to start a war, just say so. Don't make up such lame excuses."

The American envoy left in disgrace and headed north to Kaiyuan City to seek an audience with Jia Zhi.

In fact, the Americans also discovered that the north and south of Donghua were not the same thing, and each did its own thing. It was similar to the federal system in the United States.

There are still differences. After integrating the central region, Jia Zhi in the northern part of Donghua Kingdom still uses the county system and does not have the so-called Central Federation.

The dialogue between the US envoy and Jazhi went relatively smoothly. Jazhi assured that he had no intention of sending troops at this stage, but that it depended on the US attitude.

The American envoy solemnly pointed to the cross and swore that he had no intention of waging war.

On the surface, Jia Zhi seemed to have no problem, but in reality, he was pointing at the Luo River.

At this time, Jagi was indeed not in the mood to wage war, mainly because internal development was entering a phase of rapid growth. The eastern São Paulo region also needed time to be consolidated.

After all, the last war expanded the territory eastward by hundreds of kilometers, which is no joke, and the local people are all religious. Integrating them will indeed be quite a challenge.

Assimilation of these people is less easy than assimilation by the indigenous people. The indigenous people have primitive beliefs, and after learning Chinese, it was assimilated within two generations.

These religious people are incredibly stubborn. Jia Zhi is also having a headache. If she treats them well, her core supporters won't agree, so she can only treat them like the natives.

In principle, all citizens of Tung Wah University are equal, but in reality, an internal hierarchy of discrimination has always existed.

Immigrants from the local area discriminate against Japanese and Korean immigrants, Japanese and Korean immigrants discriminate against the natives, and the natives discriminate against those who believe in religion.

The solution remains the same: we must learn Chinese. We can't worry about religion for now; let's focus on economic development first, otherwise the areas we expand eastward will go hungry.

There was no other way. They hadn't initially planned to take actual territory; during the war, they were engaged in rampant destruction. Later, after actually capturing São Paulo, the Americans didn't react much, and Jacques was once again grappling with feeding the people. Fortunately, they could implement work relief programs. After winter, they launched large-scale work relief initiatives, undertaking massive infrastructure projects, including road and rail repairs.

After winter ended, the railway was extended to Moorhead, and spring planting began, marking the start of the recovery period.

Therefore, at this time, Jazhi would not launch a war. Unlike Lee Heng, who would seize a piece of land and drive away the religious people, Lee Heng's policy was clear: he preferred Mexicans to Americans. He absolutely rejected all Black people, refusing them entry.

From the perspective of the Eastern China, the countries of the Americas are practically begging for food while holding a golden rice bowl. Peru, for example, became rich simply by exporting copper ingots and saltpeter after independence.

They won't have it. They'll just sell copper ore and saltpeter. What can you do about it?
There was really nothing that could be done, especially after Li Ge and Jia Zhi held a meeting and decided to join forces to invest in Peru, build a factory, and produce copper ingots.

They joined forces to acquire a large number of mines in Peru, built factories to produce copper ingots and saltpeter, and then sold them back to their home country.

A similar situation exists in Australia, where the country's largest export is now pig iron and its largest import is saltpeter.

(End of this chapter)