The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 668: Successor

"Nephew, you are quite amazing. You dare to cause trouble as soon as you enter the country." In the Forbidden City in Nanjing, Mo Zibu looked at Mo Gongze who had just arrived in Nanjing and said speechlessly.

"Have you ever thought about how I would explain to your father if anything happened to you?"

It's really hard to explain, because according to European rules, Mo Gongze is the only legal heir of his third brother Mo Zirong. If he is gone, the foundation that Mo Zirong has worked hard to build all his life will be handed over to others.

Even Mo Zibu's plans over the years will be ruined.

"My nephew was reckless and made Your Majesty worried." When Mo Gongze saw that Mo Zibu was not very angry, the big stone in his heart was immediately put down.

If such a great emperor had a bad temper, he would be really scary.

"But when we went there, my nephew had four hundred elite cavalrymen protecting him, ready to evacuate at any time if there was any danger. Thanks to your majesty's divine power, the strength of the empire, and the dedication of the officers and soldiers, the Piao people were almost powerless to fight back."

"You're quite good at talking. Who was your Confucian teacher back then?"

Mo Zibu laughed for a moment. This boy, who was born and raised in Europe and had half European ancestry, spoke in a very typical Confucian tone.

Who is so powerful that he can make the people taught by Mo Gongze in Europe no different from those who grew up in China, or even make them look more like Chinese?

"My nephew's teacher is Wang Gongniansun from Gaoyou Prefecture." Mo Gongze replied.

Wang Niansun was a famous Confucian scholar at that time. Both father and son were famous for their literary talent and were particularly fond of studying ancient teachings.

He made significant contributions to the collection, compilation, verification and proofreading of ancient texts such as "Strategies of the Warring States", "Records of the Grand Historian", "Book of Han", "Spring and Autumn Annals of Yan Zi" and "Mozi".

Mo Zibu laughed heartily. This was no surprise. "So it's Wang Niansun. Well, only he could teach such a person with an ancient style."

After chatting for a few more sentences, Mo Zibu began to think about it. His third brother had backed down at the critical moment, and he wondered if his nephew could take on the responsibility.

Moreover, Mo Zibu had a clue of his third brother Mo Zirong's thoughts. He sent such an important son back to show that he admitted his mistake.

I have sent my only heir back to beg for food and show my sincerity. You, Emperor, cannot refuse to support me just because I did not stay in Hungary.

The second was to ask Mo Zibu to help look after Mo Gongze. If he could be supported, then this fifteen-year-old boy might be able to help the emperor complete his original plan, which was to insert a fortress for Chinese influence in Europe in central Europe.

"What do you think of Hanchuan Province? What are your opinions?" Mo Zibu asked softly after asking the palace servants to bring some cakes over.

“The Hanchuan Plain is vast and has no shortage of water resources, and there are large rivers and streams to provide transportation, but it will still take some time to develop it.

This kind of place requires a lot of manpower and material resources to become a land of fish and rice. It is a good place if there are people with money and a strong government to lead the development.

Otherwise, the crocodiles, pythons and large numbers of mosquitoes that lay eggs in the swamps could easily defeat humans.

But fortunately, China has no shortage of people, and has sufficient manpower and material resources, and even a wise emperor to develop Hanchuan Province."

Mo Zibu nodded in agreement. Not to mention the present, Myanmar's agriculture will not be able to develop in the future. Apart from the lack of fertilizers, these are the biggest obstacles.

Without efficient and large-scale water conservancy investment, the Yiluo River Plain may appear to be a land of fish and rice, but floods and droughts are frequent.

A dense water network is a good thing, but the bad thing is that mosquitoes hatched in the water can spread malaria, and the water contains schistosomiasis and cholera bacteria.

Even as late as 2024, there were still cases of large-scale outbreaks of schistosomiasis in this area, infecting hundreds or even thousands of people at a time.

All of this requires a strong government that is truly responsible, has plans, and can mobilize resources to implement it.

Although Dayu today does not have the ability to mobilize the entire country to fight the schistosomiasis eradication war as it did during the Republic period, it is still possible to control the disease to a relatively less frequent state.

As for water conservancy projects and other aspects, China is now in a state of discontinuity.

"Well said. Your mentor, Wang Niansun, will soon go to Hanchuan Province to take up the post of governor." Mo Zibu said with a smile.

Mo Gongze's teacher Wang Niansun was not only a master of Confucian classics, but also a master of water conservancy. He happened to be appointed governor of Hanchuan Province, mainly responsible for the planning and construction of water conservancy projects.

"Then tell me, what is Hanchuan Province still lacking?" He just asked whether Hanchuan was good or bad. Now it depends on whether Mo Gongze's observation is meticulous and his sensitivity to politics.

Mo Gongze looked at the emperor's questioning eyes and said without hesitation, "Hanchuan is in need of a vassal king!"

Quite clever, Hanchuan Province really needs a vassal king to take charge. Mo Zibu raised his hand and motioned Mo Gongze to continue.

"There are many Pyu people in Hanchuan, and they have always been a powerful force in Southeast Asia. They are also too far away from the imperial court to be influenced by the emperor. If you stay in such a place for a long time, not only the Pyu people, but even the Tang people who have crossed the border will easily lose sight of the imperial court.

Especially this time, Governor Chen personally led the Han people of Hanchuan and the vassal soldiers to defeat the Pyu people and eliminate the greatest danger, but the court did not put in much effort. I think they were already quite proud that the Hanchuan people solved the problem themselves.

If this atmosphere continues to spread, within ten years at most, the people of Hanchuan will resist the imperial court’s immigration and taxation, because they feel that this is all the result of their own hard work.”

"Well, don't they think that the Yiluo Plain is governed by the imperial court? Isn't your teacher Wang Niansun about to go there?" Mo Zibu disagreed with this statement.

“The prince will indeed go, and the court will send even more people, but to whom should the people place their gratitude? To the prince and other officials?
Unless Your Majesty is willing to let an official like the prince stay in Hanchuan for a long time as a garrison commander, you must also ensure that this official always flaunts his identity as an official appointed by the court and downplays his personal attributes.

Moreover, there was always a layer of separation, and officials were far less flexible than the princes in dealing with the complex situation in Hanchuan.

For example, if the emperor's nephew's brothers were stationed there, they could have just submitted a petition to His Majesty. He could have legitimately mobilized the vassal states in Hanchuan without taking such a risk."

As Mo Gongze spoke, he couldn't help swallowing his saliva. What a wonderful place it was, with rich resources, more than six million people, and an area two-thirds the size of France.

Such a country is a big country in Europe. The Lower Netherlands, which the father and son carefully selected, worked hard for several years to obtain, but it cannot be compared with Hanchuan.

And his cousins in China were born with such a big country to inherit at will, which is really enviable.

Mo Zibu didn't notice Mo Gongze's envy and jealousy, but nodded.

What my nephew said seemed to make some sense. Although Mo Gongze was born in Europe and was used to seeing European people become traitors when they went abroad, his analysis of the problem was a bit extreme, but the general direction was correct.

The relationship between the Chinese people and the imperial court was not as bad as that between the European people and the imperial court, and their cultures were also different, so their material and spiritual dependence on their motherland would not be greatly reduced once they went abroad.

However, it is indeed necessary to establish a vassal king in Hanchuan as a tower of gratitude to radiate the favor of the emperor and the court.

Then, perhaps the second son, Prince Axu of Lelang, could be transferred to Hanchuan.

The docility of the Korean people was beyond Mo Zibu's imagination. Even if they were divided into two, there would be basically no one to resist.

On the contrary, due to the arrival of abundant supplies from the Shenzhou Continent and the reduction in population over time, their lives have become much better and they are therefore quite content.

The present Lelang Prefecture, which is North Korea in later generations, has a population of only more than 700,000 people, and they have all adapted to the life of Chinese people. It is no different from Fushun, Shenyang and other prefectures in Liaoning Province.

In this case, there is not much point in becoming a vassal in Lelang Prefecture.

Ah Xu is fifteen years old this year. If he is taken care of a little longer, he can try to go to Hanchuan to be a vassal when he is around eighteen years old. He is just the right age.

As for Mo Gongze, the boy is quite smart, but his views on Hanchuan Province do not make Mo Zibu particularly satisfied.

Because what he needs is not an ordinary smart person, but a talented person who can control the situation and cooperate with him to influence Europe.

"As for Europe, when you left, France was already in turmoil. How do you think they will end?"

It was a little difficult for Mo Gongze to analyze the things in the East, after all, he had just returned, but when it came to analyzing Europe, he was very knowledgeable.

"This is a bit strange in France. I think it is completely different from the changes in England during the reign of Charles I.

Because the promoters of the Bishops' War in England and the subsequent constitutional monarchy were actually the English aristocracy and Protestant fanatics, while in France, the promoters were the third class, such as small and medium-sized merchants, workers, and scholars.

They had endured a great deal of oppression and injustice, and had accumulated too much resentment towards the king, nobles, and senior clergy. Once it erupted, it would be very intense and even destructive.

Most importantly, these people have revolutionary enthusiasm, but they have no experience in governing the country.

After they gained power, they found that they could not change the situation in the country in a short period of time. In order to reverse the phenomenon that society had not changed much compared to before the revolution, they also wanted to shut up the people.

They are likely to go to extremes, magnifying and radicalizing their hatred of the king, the nobles, and the high priests, using hatred to rally the people.”

This is quite professional, and can even be called a keen eye.

"The revolution of Tang and Wu followed the will of Heaven and responded to the will of the people." Mo Zibu recited softly.

At that time, the word "revolution" had not yet been widely used, so Mo Zibu accurately grasped this word from Mo Gongze's words.

"Do you think what's happening in France right now can be called a revolution?"

"Uncle, I think it's worthy of the title!" Mo Gongze said affirmatively, "The people of France have suffered so much. They have been squeezed dry by the first and second classes, and their lives are extremely difficult.

The vast overseas colonies had basically nothing to do with them and did not bring them any benefits at all.

The king of the upper class is stupid and closed-minded, the queen is addicted to luxury and lacks the most basic compassion, and the nobles and high priests are even worse than the king and queen. They are simply the embodiment of the devil of greed.

Compared with the people of Dayu, the people of France are living in hell!

His Majesty Louis XVI may not be a tyrant like Jie and Zhou, but the people lived a more miserable life under his rule than under theirs.

At least Jie and Zhou knew how to suppress the nobles and prevent them from using the most cruel means to exploit the people unscrupulously.

That's why my nephew used the word revolution. The French Bourbon dynasty missed too many critical windows for reform, and now it's time for its demise. What the French people are carrying out is a revolution to overthrow tyranny and change their destiny."

This tone sounds like a summary of later generations. This child must have been influenced by the Enlightenment thought and his thoughts are quite open-minded and progressive.

Well, this is quite reassuring, because the mainstream monarchs in Europe will definitely move towards a more enlightened direction, at least when it comes to their own European people.

Then Mo Gongze undoubtedly took the position of a pioneer in this line. His sympathy for the French Revolution would enable him to gain higher prestige and make his rule more stable.

However, Mo Zibu remained calm, but smiled bitterly and said, “King Louis XVI and Queen Antoinette are your uncle and aunt, and they are really so unbearable in your heart.

And right from the start, you used Charles I, who was beheaded, to compare Louis XVI. Do you think he will be the same as Charles I?"

Mo Gongze sighed when he heard this, "I would rather such uncles and aunts were not my relatives.

They were so blindly self-confident that they refused to listen to any opinions. My father, Emperor Joseph, and even my mother had to issue warnings many times, reminding them to be nicer to their people.

But King Louis was so engrossed in his handicrafts that he didn't care about anything else, while Aunt Antoinette was only concerned with luxurious enjoyment and how to maintain her beauty, turning a blind eye to the suffering of the people.

As for why the nephew used Charles I as an analogy, it was because His Majesty Louis XVI was far less capable than Charles I, but the situation he faced was more dangerous than that of Charles I.

Even before my nephew left Europe, he had already lost the support of many people. If this continues, a king who has lost all power and still gives people the impression of being weak and easily bullied will very likely end up like Charles I under the impact of this revolutionary wave.

Holy shit, you can even see this. Are teenagers as young as sixteen or seventeen years old so amazing nowadays?
Now it seems that Cao Zhenyong's evaluation was correct. This kid is a useful talent. His description of the situation in Hanchuan was not particularly accurate. It seems that it was because he did not understand the situation well enough.

Well, it’s worth cultivating!
"So, if King Louis XVI is imprisoned, the other European kings will definitely not give up.

And any move they make will only add fuel to the fire in France, making the people even more angry.”

Mo Zibu paused and sighed, feeling rather disappointed, "If that's the case, Brussels, which is closest to France and at the crossroads, will be in danger.

Your father didn't trust me and didn't want to take any risks in Hungary, and now things are going wrong."

Mo Gongze also sighed. He actually supported abandoning Hungary and moving to the Lower Netherlands.

But when we got there, we realized that the situation in France had become so bad. It was like leaving a small fire pit and jumping into a big fire pit.

However, he was a little confused. Why could his uncle, the emperor, be so convinced that the Netherlands was inferior to Hungary?
After all, he was in Europe and had only recently discovered that the situation in France was unstable and that the Lower Netherlands was very dangerous.

However, Mo Gongze didn't ask, but instead explained on behalf of his father, Mo Zirong: "My father is old and has worked hard in Europe for half his life. He really hopes to live a more leisurely life in his later years, so he has set his sights on the wealth of the Netherlands."

Hearing his nephew say this, Mo Zibu also reacted.

Third brother is already in his fifties. It is impossible for him to maintain the same drive as he had twenty years ago. It is understandable that he wants to live a stable life.

Moreover, Mo Zirong had not only made contributions but also worked hard for Dayu, so he should not be criticized harshly. Therefore, Mo Zibu immediately changed the subject.

"I don't know if your father is in danger in Brussels. I'm afraid it would be best if you leave early."

“Don’t worry, uncle. When my nephew left, my father had already set off for Vienna.

My uncle, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, has contracted cholera in Belgrade, and I'm afraid there might be trouble.

My father needs to go to Vienna to calm the Hungarians so that they won't cause trouble when the emperor is critically ill. It's my mother who stays in Brussels."

"That's good!" Mo Zibu let out a long sigh, then handed Mo Gongze an encrypted file.

"Your uncle, Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II, died in Vienna six months ago.

Your third uncle Leopold has succeeded to the throne as Holy Roman Emperor.

I think the Hungarians in the Holy Roman Empire didn't cause any trouble, it must be your father's efforts to appease them."

Upon hearing this, Mo Gongze was stunned for a long time, and tears began to flow down his face.

Joseph II had no children. Although he hated Mo Zirong, he was particularly fond of his nephew Mo Gongze and treated him almost as his own son.

The reason why Mo Gongze was able to receive such a good education was partly because Mo Zibu sent people from the East, and partly because the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II arranged the best teachers to teach him.

Mo Zibu patted Mo Gongze's shoulder comfortingly. After shedding tears for a while, Mo Gongze suddenly said bitterly:
"My uncle, the emperor, must have been murdered. There's no reason why soldiers infected with cholera could suddenly pass through the generals and infect the emperor.

And cholera can only be contracted through food and water. My uncle was murdered!"

real or fake?

Of course, Mo Zibu didn't know that in history, Joseph II was widely suspected of being murdered, so he was quite shocked to hear this.

But what was even more shocking was that after Mo Gongze shed tears for a while, he wiped away his tears and said, "But Uncle Leopold's succession to the throne is a good thing for the Holy Roman Empire.

He was an enlightened monarch, but not as extreme as his uncle Joseph. On the contrary, the empire would be stabilized by the change of emperors.

I guess we'll be signing a peace treaty with the Ottoman Empire soon. I wonder if it will have an impact on the Emperor's uncle's strategy."

Mo Zibu looked at him differently. This kind of calm control and the attitude of putting the country before the individual are the basic qualities of an excellent king.

Mo Zibu lifted Mo Gongze's hands and patted them. "I'll have the eunuch take you to wash up. You can meet your brothers and sisters later and have a real Chinese meal together to welcome you back."

With the change of leadership in Shinra, the westward expedition will have to be accelerated. Without the assistance of Shinra, Sharra will not be able to defeat the Ottomans independently and take over Eastern Europe. They are likely to cease fire and try to send reinforcements east of the Ural Mountains.

(End of this chapter)