The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 162 Things Are Always So Bad in Europe
On April 1787, 4, a grand liberation celebration ceremony was held in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia.

After more than four months of fighting, the Habsburg army had occupied most of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the northern half of Serbia.

Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor and ruler of the Habsburg dynasty, came to Belgrade specifically to participate in the grand parade.

This was the third time that the Habsburgs "recovered" Belgrade as the saviors of the Catholic Church.

The previous two times were from 1688 to 1690 and from 1717 to 1739. Both times, the Ottomans failed to gain complete control and eventually took it back.

Amid the cheers of the Serbs, Joseph II swore in his heart with a smile on his face.

This time we must defend Belgrade.

If the Habsburgs succeeded in capturing it for the third time but were still recaptured by the Ottomans, they might lose the trust of the Serbs.

Even if they could be occupied again in the future, the Serbs might not support the Habsburgs as much as they do now.

Joseph II rode in his own royal luxury carriage and took a tour around the main streets of the city.

At noon that day, Joseph II returned to the castle room prepared for him and just sat down to rest for a while.

A royal intelligence officer rushed in.

Joseph II looked at the other person's nervous expression and suddenly became worried:

"Calm down and tell me what happened?"

The intelligence officer presented the paper report in his hand and explained the general situation to his monarch with great sorrow:
“Your Majesty, the German Alliance led by Prussia has approached the Bavarian border and sent us a note.

“They demanded that Bavaria become a free and independent country, otherwise they would use force to help Bavaria gain independence.

“Meanwhile, Prussia had allied itself with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire on behalf of the German Confederation.

“Poland, with the support of Prussia, could implement a new kingdom constitution and carry out comprehensive reforms.

"And there may be attempts to take back their land..."

Joseph II read a few lines in the report and suddenly felt dizzy.

I had just sworn to defend Belgrade, but now I received bad news that there might be a surprise attack from the rear.

Those damned Poles are nothing.

However, if the German alliance led by Prussia really launched an attack, he would have to return to Bavaria with all his strength.

For the Habsburgs, Bavaria was much more important than Serbia.

Bavaria could become the core of the Habsburg's German territory, but Serbia itself could only be regarded as an ordinary fiefdom property.

Maybe I shouldn't have made such a vow and promise.

Prussia may not really want to liberate Bavaria, but they certainly don't want to see the Habsburgs continue to devour the Balkans.

That's why they sent notes and warnings to themselves instead of actually sending troops directly.

Joseph II was familiar with the political situation in Europe. When a country is concentrating on its own affairs, if bad news comes out, there will probably not be just one.

Joseph II took the report and looked at it for a while, then waved his hand without any expression:

"I need to think about it, you should go and have a rest..."

Joseph II's guess was not wrong. Just two days after the bad news from Prussia arrived, new bad news came from Russia.

Sweden also allied with the Ottomans and declared war on Russia.

Russia believed that the offensive should be suspended and it should concentrate its forces to push back Sweden first and then continue to deal with the Ottoman Empire.

Russia now doesn't take Sweden too seriously and believes that the trouble can be resolved quickly.

So this isn’t the worst news.

Three days later, the Russian army began to retreat, withdrawing at least half of its soldiers.

The soldiers who stayed behind also went into a completely defensive posture, trying to continue to hold the occupied land and not wanting to give it up without any conditions.

The Russians did remember to send someone to explain the reason to the Habsburgs.

The Torghut Mongols who remained in the lower reaches of the Volga River, with the support of their succumbent Torghut Khan Ubashi, suddenly launched a rebellion and attacked towns in southwestern Russia.

Wabashi was once the leader of the Torghut tribe. More than ten years ago, he fled to Shun State with some of his people.

Now it is obvious that it has seen an opportunity and is trying to use the Mongolian tribal forces of Shun State in Central Asia to win back the members of the Torghut tribe who remain in Russia, and at the same time seize the land currently occupied by this part of the tribe.

Wubashi's grandfather, Aqiyu Khan, was Galdan's nephew.

Li Celing, the Emperor and Khan of Shun State, was the grandson of Galdan's grandson.

So Wubashi and Li Celing are distant cousins.

According to the original history, Wabacsi ran all the way back to the Qing Dynasty and died shortly after meeting Emperor Qianlong. He was only 33 years old.

This time he didn't run that far and stopped when he entered the territory of Shun State.

He was named Torghut Khan by the Emperor and Khan of Shun State, and was responsible for guarding the border areas between Shun State and Russia.

Now the Emperor of Shunguo’s main target is India in the south, and the affairs of the northern grasslands are basically left to the various Mongolian tribes.

In this life, Wabaasi seems to be luckier. He has lived to this day and is 44 years old this year. He is still agile and strong, and can lead his people to fight.

Wabashi's grandfather, Aqiyu Khan, was a guest of Peter the Great and also a guest in the Ottoman court.

He once promised Peter the Great that he would send 10,000 troops to assist Russia in attacking the Ottoman Empire.

He also told the Ottoman Sultan that the Crimean Khan was a descendant of Genghis Khan and that he would definitely support the Crimean Khan.

For more than a hundred years, the Torghut tribe has been playing both sides between Russia and the Ottoman Empire.

They also didn't want the Ottoman Empire to be defeated by the Russians.

The Shun Kingdom had a similar attitude and was also willing to support the Torghut tribe in their rebellion in Russia.

Shun State also did not want the Ming Dynasty to expand on a large scale in Persia, the Arab Empire, and the Ottoman Empire, as these places were all Shun State's targets.

If this operation succeeds, the lower reaches of the Volga River, the lower reaches of the Ural River, and the land between the Caucasus Mountains and the Caspian Sea may all be annexed by Shun State.

For Russia, the Russian mainland and the land east of the Urals would be separated by Shun State.

In recent years, the Shun Emperor's main target has been India in the south, so that the Russian Tsar has neglected the defense of the southwest.

This was a real surprise attack on Russia from behind.

They had to quickly transfer troops from the closer southern battlefield to resist.

The Russian envoy also stated that if the Habsburgs could accept it and the Ming Dynasty had no objection, they could start discussing a ceasefire with the Ottoman Empire.

When Joseph II looked at the news, he instinctively wanted to overturn the table in anger, but he had no strength at all.

Joseph II was silent for a long time, then he sighed and complained loudly with a rather painful expression:
"Things in Europe are always so bad..."

After Joseph II cursed, he thought of the Ming Dynasty's war in the south:

"What is the situation and war situation in Ming Dynasty? Will there be a rebellion in Egypt? Will the pirates in North Africa receive inexplicable support?"

After saying this, Joseph II shook his head weakly and replanned his next course of action.

Like the Russians, leave half of the troops to defend the land now occupied and hold Belgrade as long as possible.

He led half of his troops back to Austria to confront the German coalition army led by Prussia. At the same time, he arranged for his representatives to go to Egypt with the Russian envoys to discuss armistice and peace talks with the frontline commanders of the Ming Dynasty.

The goal is to keep the currently occupied land and to cease fire with the current battle line as the national boundary.

The envoys from Russia and the Habsburgs first went to Venice and then took a merchant ship of Venetian merchants to the port of Alexandria in Egypt.

However, they were informed by the garrison in Alexandria that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wu of the Ming Dynasty and His Royal Highness the King of America had arranged special envoys to go to Algiers to preside over a commemorative ceremony for the eradication of pirates.

The officers of the legion suggested that the envoys of the two countries go directly to discuss with the special envoy of King Wu.

In recent days, the Suez temporary railway has finally been completed, and a large amount of materials stockpiled in the Gulf of Suez are being transported to the Mediterranean and North Africa.

A large number of Ming and Spanish merchant ships transported these supplies back and forth in North Africa.

So he took the envoys of the two countries to Algiers and met Fei Chun, the special envoy of the King of Wu of the Ming Dynasty and the secretary of the Wu State Secretariat.

After the three parties met and greeted each other, the Habsburg envoy first asked about the battle situation on the Ming side.

Fei Chun had already received reports from officers from all walks of life, so he said directly:

“Everything is going well at the moment. The main pirate strongholds in Egypt and North Africa have been captured and controlled by the Ming Wu Kingdom Expeditionary Force.

“A rebellion broke out in the Egyptian region a few days ago, but it has been suppressed now.

“The European Jewish merchants who encouraged North African pirates to hijack the merchant ships of our prince’s subjects have also been captured.

"I came here on the orders of the King, mainly to deal with the pirates in North Africa, and also to maintain communication and cooperation with your two countries.

"Now I can tell you that the attack direction of the Ming Wu Kingdom expeditionary force will soon turn to the Ottoman mainland.

"For example, the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, the Mesopotamian Basin, and the Greek peninsula."

The envoys from both countries were a little confused after hearing this. They all came with the mentality that the Ming side was also in a lot of trouble, but in the end everything went smoothly on the Ming side?
Is it that the chaotic situation has not yet emerged?

Was the Egyptian rebellion, which was downplayed by Ming officials, really a small-scale rebellion, or was it forcibly suppressed by the Ming Dynasty?
The envoys of the two countries explained the situation behind the scenes of the two countries with very complicated mentality.

It expressed the intention of the two monarchs to negotiate peace.

Fei Chun was a little surprised after hearing this, and at the same time a little unhappy, he said:

"The Ming Dynasty is about to launch a full-scale offensive, but you all want to cease fire? How can the Ming Dynasty trust you in the future?"

The envoys of the two countries hastened to explain that they also wanted to completely dismember the entire Ottoman Empire in one fell swoop, but they themselves had no choice.

The Habsburgs were attacked and pressured by the German Alliance led by Prussia.

Russia was attacked from behind by Sweden, Shun State and the Torghut Mongol tribe.

There is also a possibility that Poland will take the opportunity to stir up trouble behind the two countries' lines.

The monarchs of the two countries had to go back to deal with matters in the rear.

After listening to the detailed explanation, Fei Chun subconsciously thought that this might be the reason why the king asked for a quick victory.

The relationships behind European countries are complex and intricate. If a war cannot be ended quickly, it may be directly or indirectly interfered with by stakeholders.

The real purpose of Prussia, Sweden, Poland and Shunde was definitely not to rescue the Ottoman Empire.

They definitely have their own ideas and goals.

Shun State should have taken advantage of the fierce battle between Russia and the Ottoman Empire to prepare for its own interests in the rear.

At the same time, France, Britain, and Prussia certainly did not want the Habsburgs to continue to grow stronger.

If the Habsburgs had really liberated the entire Balkans, Joseph II would have truly become a living saint of the Catholic Church.

He was able to use this high reputation to further integrate the various ethnic groups in the Habsburg territories.

It can make the title of Roman emperor, which is only a nominal title, more practical.

The targets targeted by Prussia and the Shunde were too important for both the Habsburgs and Russia.

Russia would not allow Shunde to occupy the lower Volga River, and the Habsburgs would never give up Bavaria again.

So Russia and the Habsburgs had to come to the rescue.

Naturally, the war with the Ottomans could not continue.

The Ming Dynasty's wars in Egypt and North Africa actually encountered a series of troubles and constraints.

However, the rapidly industrializing Wu army used force to overcome clever tactics and held on.

Now the main strategic goal of the Ming Dynasty has actually been achieved, and it has completely controlled Egypt, Palestine, Jordan and other places.

Now we can start building the official canal.

The pirate countries in North Africa have been conquered by the Ming Dynasty. The next step is to eliminate the remaining pirate forces and maintain the safety and stability of the entire Mediterranean shipping route.

It is indeed time to start discussing a ceasefire with the Ottomans.

The king arranged for himself to come to North Africa, and in addition to dealing with pirate issues, he was also authorized to negotiate peace.

The King demanded that the war in North Africa be ended before the autumn of the 41st year of Xianning.

Because there were other plans for the 42nd year of Xianning.

Before the arrival of this winter, the old soldiers who had fought in the battlefield must be brought back to Wu and reorganized with the new soldiers organized in Wu's native land.

Form a larger combat force.

After carefully considering the current situation, Fei Chun reminded and warned the Habsburg and Russian representatives:

"Your difficulties are understandable, but you have indeed betrayed the Ming Dynasty and intended to unilaterally withdraw from the war that is beneficial to the Ming Dynasty.

"Now that the Ming Dynasty has enough strength, we will launch an offensive in the Mediterranean and seize the Greek peninsula and other places.

"It's no big deal for Ming to continue to fight the Ottoman Empire unilaterally. Involving your two countries is just a matter of course.

“If the Ottomans want to end the war, they should send someone to Cairo to negotiate with me.

"When their envoy arrives, the Ming attack will stop.

"But even if they arrive immediately, they must cede Crete to Ming on the basis of the existing battle line in order to end this war."

The envoys from both countries felt a little melancholy and envious after hearing this.

The Ming Dynasty now has no restraining forces behind it and can fight the Ottoman Empire with all its might, so it can naturally adopt such a tough attitude.

At the same time, the envoys of both countries were also somewhat delighted.

The Ming ally now has the power to continue its offensive, which could force the Ottomans and other intervening forces to back down.

The Habsburgs and Russia would have the opportunity to retain the lands they currently occupied.

The two countries expressed that they understood Ming's intentions and prepared to say goodbye and leave.

Fei Chun invited them to stay in Algiers for two days to attend the public trial and execution of the pirate leader.

The representatives of both countries were embarrassed to refuse, as Ming was now the main force of the entire alliance.

Anyway, it would only be a two-day stay and would not affect the overall situation of the negotiations and armistice, so the representatives of the two countries agreed directly.

(End of this chapter)