Red Mansion: Seizing Jiangdong, starting with pirates

Chapter 344, Rocket Scientist

Two days after the banquet, the imperial examination ended and the examination papers were reviewed.

Dae Hee has indeed a lot of talented people.

Sometimes you really can't judge a person by their background.

Even among those seemingly wealthy and powerful families, there are many talented individuals.

The review of the case files will take some time.

During this period, Fang Yong ordered Zhai Xun of Shanxi to lead 80,000 troops to Shaanxi, and Ma Laohei of Henan to lead 80,000 troops to Nanyang.

The supplies of the Huaiyin Army were managed entirely by Xue Da Quezi, and were separate from the management of the imperial court. Therefore, Fang Yong would not reveal much information to the outside world when issuing orders to the army.

Most officials in the capital were unaware that a new war was about to begin immediately after the war on the grasslands had just ended.

After the grasslands were recovered, the troops that had been assembled for the sweep retreated along the same route.

Since Wu Xiejun was in charge of the main offensive, Fang Yong's side did not suffer many losses in this massive sweep that covered the entire grassland.

On the contrary, these newly recruited soldiers shed their naivety and improved their combat effectiveness through the trials of blood and fire.

Fang Yong's decision to send Zhai Xun to Shaanxi was not intended to attack Liu Xiang, who had established a separatist regime in the Sichuan region.

Liu Xiang controlled the Sichuan region and, together with the surrounding chieftains, seized Hanzhong, which was isolated in the vast mountains. Its location was advantageous, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Unless Fang Yong's side developed fighter jets, it would be difficult to penetrate it in a short period of time.

This will be a protracted battle, and the outcome will not be decided in a short period of time.

Therefore, Fang Yong does not want to go to war with Liu Xiang in the short term.

He sent Zhai Xun there simply to establish a military presence in Xi'an in advance, as a precaution against Liu Xiang.

There are basically only a few routes for those from the Sichuan region to launch a northern expedition. Blocking these routes is like suffocating them inside a tortoise shell.

The population and economy of Sichuan were insufficient to support Liu Xiang's long-term war. Given the huge disparity in size, as long as Fang Yong controlled the rest of the Central Plains, he could crush Liu Xiang simply by overwhelming him with economic power, without needing any fierce battles.

Shanxi and Shaanxi were closely connected, and border towns such as Datong and Yulin maintained close ties. Therefore, Zhai Xun faced virtually no obstacles in his journey from Shanxi to Shaanxi.

After occupying the Shaanxi region, in addition to approaching the Sichuan region, a medium-sized army can also be dispatched to travel along the Languan Ancient Road, enter Danjiang, and step into Hubei.

Ma Laohei's troops are gathering in Nanyang. If they launch a southward war, they will directly attack Xiangyang. Zhai Xun can send a force at this time as a surprise attack to cut off the enemy's retreat.

Of course, all of this occurred under the circumstances of the outbreak of the southward war.

Currently, there is no obvious resistance from the powerful families in Hubei and Hunan provinces. Fang Yong plans to recruit officials from these families after the results of the imperial examinations are announced.

If the recruitment goes smoothly, the rule of the two regions can be peacefully transferred.

If things don't go smoothly... the battle plan is already prepared.

No matter what happens, nothing can stop Fang Yong's unification of the country.

Meanwhile, the replica jade Buddha has also been completed.

This jade Buddha is made of Xiuyan jade and dyed marble, and with the exquisite carving of royal craftsmen, the effect is in no way inferior to the original. Unless you touch the Buddha statue, you will never be able to see the traces of the splicing with the naked eye.

As for the gold clothing that accompanies the Buddha statue.

Fang Yong said, "You bought Buddha statues, what does that have to do with clothes?"
The fourteenth prince's envoy couldn't care less about anything else.

If you don't have clothes, you don't have clothes.

Bringing the national treasure jade Buddha back would be a great achievement.

In any case, what they value is not the national treasure itself, but the political influence it brings.

Both parties agreed to hand over the treasure the following day. The handover of the treasure also required a solemn ceremony, to spread the news and let others know that it was the Fourteenth Prince's people who sent people to redeem the national treasure.

Otherwise, what's the difference between secretly taking a national treasure back and buying a broken rock?
And just as this matter was about to end.

A man came to visit Fang Yong.

It is Earl Sweet.

The purpose of their visit is self-evident.

It must be for Siam's national treasure.

The current internal strife in Siam is a contest between the British Empire and the July Dynasty.

Among the many small countries in Southeast Asia, Siam was considered relatively wealthy, and had long been coveted by two major colonial empires. Previously, Siam had the diplomatic monarch Rama III mediating between them, which allowed Siam to remain uninvolved this time.

However, the July Dynasty used Siam to test Fang Yong, and the British Empire also fueled the flames. Under these circumstances, Siam had no choice but to offend Fang Yong.

If it were the China of the past, a country that was never at peace, then perhaps things would have just passed by.

However, the Central Plains controlled by Fang Yong possessed immense strength, and they directly invaded Siamese territory, capturing Rama III.

Without Rama III's mediation, Siam became the site for the division between the two great empires.

The so-called fourteenth prince and General Hanuman were both puppets. Today's Siam is no different from any other region that has been colonized, except for the name.

The people of Siam are all Buddhists, and the national treasure, the Emerald Buddha, has enormous political influence. Whoever possesses the Emerald Buddha can seize more land. Faced with such enormous benefits, the British Empire could not possibly back down so easily.

That was why Count Sweet came.

Although the British Empire had secretly plotted against Fang Yong, it wasn't Earl Sweet who did it; it was other families within the British Empire. Earl Sweet only found out about it later.

Of course, he didn't remind Fang Yong after he found out.

On the contrary, they made a fortune from the warships.

Earl Sweet had come prepared to be ridiculed by Fang Yong; in the face of enormous profits, face was nothing to worry about.

To Count Sweet's surprise, Fang Yong did not act sarcasticly or show any anger.

He simply and calmly invited Earl Sweet to sit down and inquired about the reason for his visit.

Count Sweet noticed the change in Fang Yong's expression and thought to himself:
"The rumors that the Xia people are the same whether they are angry or polite are true!"

Count Sweet then revealed the purpose of his visit.

After hearing this, Fang Yong resolutely refused:

"In the land of Central China, sincerity is the way of Heaven! I have already promised the Jade Buddha, how could I promise it to anyone else?"

Earl Sweet said:

"Your Majesty, please don't be in a hurry. We don't need you to give us that jade Buddha. Siam has more than one national treasure. You can take another representative treasure, such as the crown and scepter passed down through generations of the royal family."

The price remains the same, and I've also brought you a talented individual! He's a top student from Cambridge University named Rick Congreve, specializing in rocket research. His father is the renowned inventor William Congreve, whose rockets on the Nemesis were his masterpiece!

"Oh?"

Fang Yong became interested.

"You're willing to give someone like that to me?"

(End of this chapter)