The Ming Dynasty did not revolutionize

Chapter 369: Situation in Central Asia and Persia
When the Ming Dynasty's eastern, western and southern armies met in the Ural Mountains, and Russian Tsar Alexander was captured and surrendered.

The Southern Corps of the Ming Dynasty's Central Asian War Zone, that is, the troops responsible for attacking the northern region of Shun State, are still continuing to fight in the desolate Central Asian region.

Part of it continued to protect the road construction team and extended the railway to the west and south.

It is easy to occupy Siberia through inland river transportation, but it is difficult to completely control the grasslands and deserts of Central Asia.

Siberia's winters are long and cold. If the army relies entirely on inland river supplies, it will not be able to fight at full strength for at least half a year.

Moreover, the efficiency of inland waterway transportation is limited by natural conditions such as seasons and river channels, and is far less flexible than railways.

Reaching the Urals by land and water via Siberia in the summer does not ensure Ming's direct control over Siberia and eastern Europe.

In order to bring Central Asia and the Ural regions under the rule of the Celestial Empire, there must be readily available and controllable railways.

Therefore, the construction of inland railways must continue, and the railways must run through the entire Central Asia and East European plains.

Details connect to existing railways in Poland to ports on the Baltic coast.

To the south, you have to cross the Caucasus region, and then continue west along the Black Sea to connect to the Crimean Peninsula, Constantinople, and the ports on the Mediterranean Sea.

This railway that runs through the entire Shen'ou continent will become the ruling center of the Ming Dynasty in these areas.

Areas along the railway can become areas directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court.

Then use these railway-connected territories to indirectly control the surrounding vassal states and obtain their resources.

Another part of the army has integrated the various tribes in Central Asia, and then, under the guidance of tribes near Afghanistan, walked through the Kabul Valley and crossed the Hindu Kush Mountains.

Together we came to the northern exit of the South Asian subcontinent, the Khyber Pass, which is very important in Indian history.

The South Asian subcontinent is a highly isolated geographical unit, surrounded by natural barriers that are insurmountable for large-scale troops in the agricultural era.

It faces the ocean to the southeast and southwest, and there are only two islands near the coast: Ceylon and Maldives.

To the northeast are the world's roof, the Himalayas and the snowy plateau.

To the east are the Jia Hills and Rongklang Mountains, which are extensions of the Hengduan Mountains, and the Rakhine Mountains with an average altitude of over 2,000 meters.

The Myanmar region across the way is still a hot and humid tropical rainforest.

To the north and northwest are the Hindu Kush Mountains, with an average altitude of over 5,000 meters, and the Sulaiman Mountains, with an average altitude of nearly 2,000 meters.

There are also vast desert areas here.

Before the maritime transport capacity reaches the standard, going to the South Asian subcontinent in any direction will be a painful experience for the generals and logistical personnel.

However, there are still many people who have succeeded in history.

At least a dozen ethnic groups have conquered India, including Persians, Macedonians, Parthians, Yuezhi, Turks, Mongols, and British.

Except for the British who came by sea, all others came from Central Asia through Afghanistan and went south into India through the Kabul Valley.

According to the typical understanding of the people of Shenzhou, places like the Kabul River Valley to the Khyber Pass, as important transportation routes that determine the fate of the dynasty, must be built into an iron wall.

However, successive dynasties in India never considered building a city gate here to guard and defend against threats from the north.

This is probably because most of the dynasties in India came from the north.

Perhaps the ruling classes of these dynasties all felt that the Central Asian steppes across the Kabul River Valley were their real home and the place where their throne arose.

Their conquest and rule of India was actually the same as their previous march south to forage for food.

The only difference is that this time the scale of the attack was larger and the robbery lasted longer, from a temporary robbery to a long-term protection racket.

As a foreign ruler, how could he build checkpoints to defend his hometown?
In fact, in the early days of these dynasties, they still had strong ties with the steppe system north of the Kabul Valley.

The dynasty's army was still powerful, and there was no need to build fortifications for defense.

By the middle and late period of the dynasty, the conquerors had become Indianized and their ties with the northern grasslands had weakened, but they may also have been unable to build fortifications.

Moreover, except for the early Persia and Macedonia, most of India's later ruling groups were of nomadic origin and were not good at building cities.

Although the Shun Kingdom was slightly different from previous Indian conquerors, their ruling group was mainly composed of peasant armies from the native Shenzhou.

If the peasant army group of Shun State occupied India alone, they would most likely build a fortress.

However, during the process of exile in the grasslands and conquest of India, the ruling group of the Shun Kingdom established cooperation and alliance with the Dzungar Mongolian tribes.

The Central Asian steppes fell into the hands of the Mongols of Shun State, and the monarch of Shun State naturally did not feel that he needed to build a fortress to guard against the north.

Building the fortress would also make the Mongols feel that the Emperor of Shun was beginning to be on guard against them, which would affect the cooperative relationship.

In addition, Shun State is now in its heyday. If it were not for the Ming Dynasty's explosive cross-era improvement, there would indeed be no sufficiently strong threats around Shun State.

Shun State did not need to specifically switch to a strategic defense phase.

The Ming army, led by cavalry from various Central Asian tribes, followed the old route their ancestors had taken and crossed the Kabul Valley again.

Still no sight of any fortified or strong fortress.

However, Shun State was not completely undefended. It had originally arranged a garrison of 30,000 troops in the river valley.

However, during the continuous bombing over the past six months, the supply routes here were often subjected to long-range air strikes, and the garrison troops collapsed after the supply was cut off.

The central government of Shun State was busy dealing with the full-scale outbreak of the plague and no longer had the ability to organize defense at the distant border.

When the Ming expeditionary force and the Central Asian tribes arrived here, most of the military camps in the valley had been abandoned and dilapidated, with only a small number of old, weak and sick people left.

Soldiers and officers who were able to escape had already fled back to their hometowns.

The Ming army officer ordered the vanguard troops to take out rocket launchers and drop several bombs on the military camp, and the few remaining soldiers surrendered directly.

The Ming army completely controlled the Kabul Valley.

Then, in accordance with the order of the Ming Emperor Zhu Jianxuan, suitable locations were selected in the river valleys, including the Khyber Pass, to build city passes.

The Ming Dynasty has not yet occupied India, but its purpose in building a fortress at the exit of India is certainly not for self-defense.

But it is to completely seal the opening of the big bag of the Indian region.

Control the entry and exit of personnel and materials.

Liu Biao is now poisoning India, and we can't let these things run to the grassland.

Zhu Jianxuan did not regard India as his homeland, but rather as a trouble that must be handled with care, but he was prepared to include Central Asia in the Shenzhou homeland.

Therefore, India cannot be allowed to affect the security of Central Asia. At about the same time, on the Persian Plateau west of the South Asian subcontinent.

Ma Weiguo, the right chancellor of the Honglu Temple of the Ming Dynasty, brought a group of Honglu Temple staff from the Ming Dynasty and once again came to Persia where he once worked.

After receiving the notice, the current monarch of Persia, Fateh, went out of the city trembling with fear to welcome and bring this Ming Dynasty man who had once served as his subject into the palace.

In the most luxurious hall of the Persian palace, Fatah and Ma Weiguo sat directly opposite him.

Put the other party on an equal footing with yourself.

Fatah greeted this person he was very familiar with with mixed feelings and then cautiously tested him:
"Mr. Ma, I haven't seen you for a long time. I didn't expect that you are a minister of the Ming Dynasty..."

When Ma Weiguo heard this, he felt that the other party might have doubts in his heart:

“When I was in Persia, I was not yet a court official.

"I went to Ming on your behalf, the king, and came into contact with officials of the Ming court. I even had the opportunity to meet the emperor.

“Because the Ming emperor learned that the Persian envoy was actually a Ming person, so he was curious.

"Then they learned that I had become a court minister in Persia and thought I was suitable for handling affairs related to Yingfan State, so they graciously allowed me to work in the Honglu Temple.

"I still have to thank the king. If I hadn't had my experience in Persia, I wouldn't have had the opportunity to become an official in the Honglu Temple."

What Ma Weiguo said can be considered true. The people from the Western Factory cannot be considered "court officials."

For monarchs and ministers of other countries, Ming court officials may refer to all people who hold official positions in the Ming Dynasty, but within the Ming Dynasty, officials usually refer to civil servants in the outer court.

Ma Weiguo was initially affiliated with the Western Factory, which was originally a government office under the inner court. Later, it became an independent intelligence agency and was a military personnel in nature.

Ma Weiguo could naturally say that he was not a court official at the time.

Moreover, Ma Weiguo's original job in the Western Factory was to be a hidden intelligence agent, which was the most covert and confidential.

Not to mention the personnel in other official institutions of the Ming Dynasty court, even the personnel within the Western Factory system, as long as they had no direct connection with Ma Weiguo's work, did not know that Ma Weiguo was their colleague.

Ma Weiguo’s past experiences will never be made public.

So in the eyes of most people in the world, Ma Weiguo was just an ordinary Ming Dynasty businessman who became a Persian court minister.

Then he was noticed by the emperor and became an official in the Honglu Temple.

The Persian King Fateh did not actually think too much about it, nor did he dare to question or ridicule the Ming envoy on such a topic.

Ma Weiguo explained the logic, and Fatah accepted it directly:
"Then I really need your help, sir. I just hope that you will consider our past friendship and say a few good words for me in front of the Honglu Temple of the Ming Dynasty and His Majesty..."

Ma Weiguo laughed dryly, then threw a stack of documents over:
"It's no use for me to just say nice things to you, you have to know when to advance and when to retreat.

"The three armies of the Ming Dynasty successfully joined forces in the Ural Mountains, and Russian King Alexander led the remaining officials and royal family to surrender.

"In addition, some Ottoman local rebels fled to the northwest border of Persia. The Ming army has gone there to pursue them."

Fatah quickly took it, opened it carefully and took a look.

There were some simple battle reports on them, all faxed documents sent directly, and a few faxed pictures.

With submarine cables and fax technology, and Zhu Jianxuan's knowledge of the dot matrix direction, practical image faxing was naturally not difficult.

Ever since Fatah came into direct contact with the Ming court and was forced to maintain strict neutrality, Fatah has frequently dealt with the Ming.

Especially after the war began, the Ming Dynasty needed to keep an eye on Persia and prevent its attitude from changing.

Fatah also wants to keep abreast of the battle situation to avoid misjudgment.

Fatah has seen all the amazing technologies that the Ming Dynasty has now, and knows that these files are transmitted directly in the original form.

The news conveyed in these documents shocked and confused Fatah.

The Ming Dynasty officially went to war with the Shun Kingdom, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire last fall, and only less than a year had passed by this summer.

The Ottoman Empire and Russia, which were once considered to be giants, have completely collapsed.

Facing the blockade by the Ming Dynasty, Shun State has now shown no ability to effectively resist and has entered a stage of waiting to die after being stuffed with poison by the Ming Dynasty.

This sudden change in the situation shocked Fatah.

Fatah has begun to regret why he did not act more decisively and why he wavered between the Three Kingdoms and the Ming Dynasty.

At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a wave of fear. If Ma Weiguo hadn't reminded him at that time, and if he had really sided with the Ottoman Empire and the other three countries, the consequences would have been disastrous.

In that case, what he would be facing would not be an envoy from the Ming Dynasty like Ma Weiguo, but the invincible Ming soldiers.

Now that the situation is like this, it is obviously impossible for Persia to waver any longer and it can only completely side with the Ming Dynasty. The problem is how to "side" in order to obtain the greatest benefit.

So Fatah carefully asked Ma Weiguo for advice:
"Please forgive my ignorance. I don't know what the small country of Persia should do. Please enlighten me, sir."

Ma Weiguo sighed helplessly and said:
"For the sake of our past offerings, I will remind Your Majesty once more.

"What Persia can do now is to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty as quickly as possible and resolutely cooperate with all the Ming Dynasty's requests and orders.

“Strike firmly against the fleeing troops and officials of the Ottoman, Russian, and Shun states.

"If we do it right now, we will most likely be able to obtain the title of a prince and retain most of the land on the Persian Plateau.

“But the coastal areas of the Persian Gulf, the northwestern border areas, and the areas along the Caspian Sea cannot be preserved.”

After hearing this, Fatah felt his heart tighten:
"Ah... Even if we take the initiative to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty now, do we have to give up so much land?"

Ma Weiguo shook his head and waved his hands, reminding him seriously:

"Do you think the Ming Dynasty is incapable of completely conquering Persia? Do you think Persia is more powerful than Russia and time combined?

“If His Majesty wishes, you can leave no land for me, and make me a landless noble, or even demote me to a commoner.

"Think about what you have done. It is a blessing from His Majesty that he allows you to continue to be king.

“Persia was hesitant at first. If I hadn’t tried my best to dissuade you, you would have allowed the Ottoman and Shun armies to cross the border.

“Even with my persuasion, the key is that it was the Ming Dynasty’s mandatory request that allowed Persia to remain neutral.

"At this point, Persia can still retain the land on the plateau. This is already the limit. You should not be ungrateful."

(End of this chapter)