Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 305 Double Happiness: The Era of Maritime Land Conquest Has Arrived!
Half a month later, on the main street outside Chunming Tower in Zhongdu City.

"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale! The new continent in the south has been confirmed by the imperial court, covering an area of ​​thousands of miles!"

"By imperial decree, the new continent shall be named Australia!"

"Chen Youming, who discovered Australia, is granted the title of Duke of Yinghai and a plot of land in Australia with a circumference of eight hundred li, which shall be inherited in perpetuity!"

"Chen Youming will arrive in the capital in a month and a half, presenting rare and exotic animals he has obtained from Australia. The King has ordered Yuan Haowen, the Minister of Rites, to go out and welcome him. Soldiers, civilians, and the general public are all welcome to witness the ceremony!"

"Enjoy the culture and customs of Australia in the Zhongdu Business Daily! They even have an exclusive interview with Mr. Yinghai!"

……

Newspaper boys were shouting loudly on the street, selling newspapers.

The biggest news today is that the imperial court has confirmed the situation in Australia and has bestowed rewards upon Chen Youming for discovering Australia.

In fact, as early as six months ago, when Chen Youming's fleet returned, he reported the good news of the discovery of the New World to the imperial court.

It was also published in major newspapers.

However, whether it is truly a new continent, and how large it actually is, cannot be determined solely by what they say.

The imperial court still had to send officials and fleets to sail to that continent according to the sea route they provided, and to survey and confirm its size, so it has only been settled today.

In fact, given the navigation technology of that era, let alone Zhao Shuo providing Dutch-style ocean-going vessels, discovering Australia would not have been difficult even with China's own technology.

According to historical records, Wang Dayuan, a navigator in the Yuan Dynasty, set sail from Quanzhou Port on a merchant ship. When he was sailing to Southeast Asia, he deviated from the course due to the monsoon and unexpectedly arrived at the northern coast of Australia.

In Wang Dayuan's book "A Brief Account of the Island Barbarians", he recorded in detail the geographical and cultural characteristics of the northern region of Australia, with continuous red soil, dense swamps, and the indigenous people "wearing bird feathers, living in caves, and eating raw animal meat".

In his notes, Wang Dayuan recorded a breathtaking scene at a place he called "Mana" (later Darwin Harbour): a six-foot-tall "crane" heard the clapping and spread its wings to dance on the spot. This bird, later known as the Australian crane, exhibited the exact same behavior.

It wasn't until three hundred years later that the Dutch East India Company's "Dafokeng" sailed along the west coast of the Cape York Peninsula in northeastern Australia.

Seventy years later, James Cook officially named the east coast of Australia "New South Wales" and declared it part of the United Kingdom.

Therefore, later Chinese scholars generally believe that Wang Dayuan was the first person to discover Australia, while mainstream Western textbooks still take James Cook as the standard.

Some Westerners have even arrogantly claimed that "the Chinese did not make a discovery if they did not colonize."

Regardless of the circumstances, in the history that Zhao Shuo altered, it was still the Chinese who first discovered Australia and were about to immigrate there!

Australia can absolutely be described as "since ancient times".

In a private room on the third floor of Chunming Tower, Lu Zibu looked out the window as if gazing at the unknown new continent. Then he slowly spoke, his voice steady and powerful: "The new continent, I wonder how many immigrants can be moved there? This is a blessing for the people of China. Just this new continent alone will provide enough land to cultivate for decades to come."

Nine years after the fall of the Jin Dynasty, Lu Zibu returned to the grasslands to teach Mongolian children to read and write.

Now that Guyuk has transferred the young men of the grasslands to fight in the west, Lu Zibu finally has the opportunity to travel south again to return to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors. When he passes through Zhongdu, he makes a special trip to visit his old friend Xin You.

However, as the master of the Black Ice Platform, Xin You was in charge of the intelligence network of the entire Zhao Shuo Khanate and was too busy with official duties to spare any time for other matters.

Only today have I managed to find the time to come to Chunminglou for drinks with Lu Zibu.

Xin You knew far more about Australia than Lu Zibu, and shook his head slightly, saying, "Actually, we can't be too happy yet. According to preliminary surveys, Australia is indeed vast, but the locals are just savages who eat raw meat and drink blood."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zibu remained unmoved, but asked in a deep voice, "Isn't this a good thing? At least, it can spare our soldiers the suffering of bloodshed."

Xin You explained carefully, “That’s not entirely true. Those savages live by nomadic herding and hunting, and they don’t have any ready-made farmland. When we immigrate to other regions, we can use existing farmland to cultivate. But when we arrive in Australia, we have to clear and cultivate the land first, which is really difficult. Nowadays, there are many places with ready-made farmland available for immigration, so who would want to go all the way to Australia?”

Lu Zibu nodded slightly and said slowly, "So, not only are few people willing to immigrate to Australia, but even if they do, they will be unable to make ends meet for a long time and will need continuous support from China?"

Xin You said in a deep voice, "That's exactly right."

"What are the court's plans?"

"The court's first consideration is to grant fiefdoms. The Australian lands will be granted to some nobles who have both financial and human resources, and are also willing to build a foundation for their descendants. Secondly, there is the exile of criminals. The court will soon issue a decree to exile all criminals except for the most heinous criminals to Australia. But even so, the number will be difficult to increase. It will take at least a hundred years to turn Australia into fertile land for China."

Lu Zibu's expression was calm and composed as he slowly said, "This kind of project is indeed not easy."

However, he quickly composed himself, smiled again, and shook his head, saying, "Human greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant; we truly are insatiable. Immigration to Australia may be difficult, but compared to the Zhou Dynasty's enfeoffment of feudal lords and the arduous pioneering work that laid the foundation for China, what is it? Besides, more than thirty years ago, when you and I went to the Hulunbuir Grassland to meet His Majesty, could we have foreseen the glory of China today?"

Xin You poured himself a cup of wine, his expression complex, and said, "At the time, we only hoped to subtly influence the king and persuade him to return to the Song state. If that didn't work, we would persuade him to establish himself and preserve the Song state as the last foundation of China. Now that I think about it, if the king had really listened to us, we would have become sinners against China."

Lu Zibu said, "Indeed, who could have imagined that His Majesty could turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist and propose the idea of ​​Han and Mongol people sharing the world? Now, although the Song Dynasty is gone, China has reached an unprecedented level of prosperity. The Han people in the south and north have once again united as one. From Japan and Korea in the east to Byzantium and Romania in the west; from the Mongolian grasslands in the north to Australia in the south, the footprints of the Chinese people can be found everywhere."

Xin You continued, "Furthermore, His Majesty has only been encouraging seafaring for a few years, yet Australia has already been discovered. In the future, we will surely discover even more land. We Chinese will eventually spread across every corner of the world."

……

The two became increasingly happy as they talked, emptying their glasses and soon becoming slightly tipsy.

Lu Zibu's face flushed, but his eyes became even clearer. He said, "Over the years, I have read through many historical books and have gained some insights. Generally speaking, when a dynasty is first established, it is full of vigor, the officials are honest and upright, and the people live in peace and contentment. However, as time goes by, it will gradually decline until the dynasty collapses and is replaced by a new dynasty or even a barbarian. There are three main reasons for this."

Xin You's eyes lit up. She put down her wine cup and said seriously, "I would like to hear the details."

Lu Zibu picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and said with a solemn expression, "Firstly, there is the problem of a money shortage. As peace lasts for a long time, resources become more abundant, but gold and silver become increasingly scarce, and a money shortage ensues. The once prosperous era will be affected by this and will find it difficult to continue to develop, instead heading towards decline."

Xin You smiled slightly and said, "His Majesty has already resolved this matter. Although China has little gold and silver, other places may not have the same problem. For example, Japan can contribute four or five hundred million taels of gold and silver. Moreover, bills of exchange are gradually replacing gold and silver in circulation among the people. Bills of exchange are based on paper and will never be scarce, so the problem of money shortage will naturally be solved."

Lu Zibu continued, "Secondly, there were major disasters. Although the Jin Dynasty was destroyed by the Mongols, the Yellow River breached its banks three times, causing widespread suffering and straining the Jin court's resources. This was also a significant reason for its downfall. However, this problem was also resolved by His Majesty. The great disaster in Jiangnan two years ago was easily quelled by His Majesty." Xin You's eyes gleamed as she pressed, "And the third one?"

Lu Zibu's expression turned solemn, and he said, "Thirdly, and most importantly, the world has been at peace for a long time, and the population has grown, making it difficult for the land to support more people. The people have no choice but to rise up in rebellion to seek a way to survive. The so-called equal-field system is merely a temporary solution and cannot address the root cause. It can even be said that throughout history, apart from Your Majesty, no one has been able to come up with a solution."

Xin You nodded slightly and said, "On the one hand, Your Majesty has conquered the four seas, and the vast land can be used for the court to immigrate people and solve the problem of too many people and too little land. On the other hand, it is about developing navigation technology and discovering new continents to expand living space."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zibu's eyes flashed with excitement, and he nodded, saying, "Yes! The three problems that led to the downfall of the dynasty have all been resolved by His Majesty. My only concern now is whether His Majesty's various strategies can be successfully implemented."

Xin You asked, "Are you referring to the matter of Annam?"

Lu Zibu looked grave and said, “It is indeed Annam. I have heard that our army and the Annamite army have been facing off across the Phu Luong River for more than half a year. Although our army is invincible, Annam is mountainous and densely forested, and plagued by miasma. This cannot be resolved by force alone, and I am indeed somewhat worried.”

At this moment——

"A great victory! The Crown Prince has achieved a great victory at the Fulang River!"

"A million heads were cut off, corpses littered nine hundred miles, and the Fulang River turned red with blood!"

"The main force of Annam has been annihilated by our army!"

……

Loud shouts echoed faintly from afar, growing louder and louder.

What? The victory at Furaye?
Xin You and Lu Zibu exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

They hurriedly opened the windows and looked down. There they saw sixty-four Han soldiers on tall horses, escorting eight large white banners with red characters, slowly making their way down the street, loudly proclaiming the news. Even if some didn't hear clearly, it didn't matter; the red characters on the eight banners clearly stated what they wanted to announce.

This has a name: Lubfeijie!

Despite Xin You's control of the Black Ice Platform, she was genuinely unaware of this news. This was because the "Lubu Swift Strike" team, while tasked with spreading news of the victory, required extremely high speed—an urgent 800-li (approximately 400 km) delivery. They only began to slow down after reaching their destination, Zhongdu City.

The 800-li urgent dispatch was already the fastest message transmission speed of that era. No matter how powerful Xin You's Black Ice Guard was, it could not surpass that speed in transmitting messages.

"How about it? Are you still worried, Brother Lu?" Xin You looked at Lu Zibu with a smile: "What are the high mountains and dense forests of Annam? They still can't stop the imperial army. In the great victory at Fu Liang River, our army beheaded a million and the corpses stretched for nine hundred miles."

Upon hearing this, Lu Zibu picked up a glass of wine from the table, his eyes gleaming with excitement and relief, and said, "No more worries, not at all. Today, our China has not only confirmed the existence of the Australian continent, but also achieved a great victory at the Fuliang River. It's a double celebration, let's raise three large glasses! Cheers!"

"Cheers!" Xin You, also filled with heroic spirit, raised his cup and drank with Lu Zibu.

In fact, it wasn't just Xin You and Lu Zibu.
The arrival of Lubu Feijie brought jubilation to the capital city.

Who doesn't know now that the fate of the nation is closely linked to their personal destiny?
The saturated relief efforts during the major disaster in southern China two years ago are clear evidence of this.

Not to mention, after the imperial court took Annam, Annam's various specialties became cheaper, the workshops' goods gained a wider market, and merchants were able to make a fortune.

Moreover, Annam had been part of Chinese territory since the Qin and Han dynasties. It only separated from China at the end of the Tang dynasty.

Now that Annam's main force has been annihilated, it is a foregone conclusion that the entire Annam region has been brought under Chinese control, which can be considered as the recovery of lost territory.

"Oh? Not only did He'er behead a million, but he also built nine enormous mounds of skulls? Very good! This is quite similar to Ma Yuan erecting bronze pillars in Jiaozhi!"

Zhao Shuo, inside the palace, was also very pleased after reading the detailed military report.

At the beginning of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the "Two Trung Rebellion" led by the Trung sisters, Trung Ce and Trung Nye, broke out in the Jiaozhi region. They received support from the Yue and Li people in Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, Rinan, and Hepu counties, defeated the Han garrison, and captured 65 cities.

The Eastern Han court was furious and appointed Ma Yuan as General Fubo, ordering him to lead a large army to suppress the rebellion.

After suppressing the rebellion of the Zheng clan in Jiaozhi, Ma Yuan erected a bronze pillar with the inscription "When the bronze pillar breaks, Jiaozhi will perish," symbolizing the southern border of the Han Dynasty.

The exact location of this bronze pillar is no longer known, and it has become impossible to verify in later generations.

The exact number of bronze pillars that Ma Yuan erected is impossible to verify.

Regardless, Ma Yuan erected a bronze pillar and made the prophecy that "if the bronze pillar breaks, Jiaozhi will perish."

The bronze pillars are no longer found, and Annam, which rose to prominence after Jiaozhi, was also destroyed by the Han army.

With such a large loss of population, Annam has no chance of recovery.

Zhao He's nine mounds of skulls will replace Ma Yuan's bronze pillar as clear evidence of the Han people's occupation of this area.

Of course, although the main force of Annam was destroyed, there were still many southern counties under Annamite control, and there was still a lot of cleanup work to be done.

Pu Shougeng, a member of a foreign tribe who rebelled in both historical records and the history altered by Zhao Shuo, needed to be eliminated.

In fact, not only Pu Shougeng, but all the Semu people who followed them were to be exterminated.

Historical records indicate that at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Pu Shougeng's grandson-in-law seized power in Quanzhou, attempting to lead the Semu people of Quanzhou to occupy the entire Fujian province and establish independence from the Yuan Dynasty. During his rule over Quanzhou, he plundered property, abducted women, and massacred local Han people, committing countless atrocities, an event known in history as the Yisiba Xi Rebellion.

Even if these Semu people submit temporarily, there is absolutely no need to keep them alive.

"He'er, I am very pleased to hear of your great victory at the Fuliang River. However, I am deeply saddened that the Annam royal family and the Semu Pu clan are still alive. You should lead your army to pursue them and annihilate the Annam royal family and the Pu clan, leaving no rebellious Semu people alive, and bring Annam completely under your control, so as to have no worries for future generations."

Zhao Shuo wrote a letter to Zhao He in his own hand.

(End of this chapter)