Bringing the Railway to Daming

"It is true that many Native Americans died of smallpox in the United States, but it was not a natural infection."

"In 1763, Geoffrey Amherst, the British commander-in-chief in North America, publicly stated that sending blankets containing smallpox to indigenous tribes was a commendable initiative."

"At that time, many Native Americans in North America also owned guns, making them difficult to kill. However, by using medical knowledge to distribute large quantities of items carrying viruses and germs, and using artificial plagues to quietly exterminate the entire Native American community, it became much simpler."

"This is simply a model of biological warfare!"

Since they already knew that the United States had issued the "Skinning Order" against Native Americans, when they learned that white people had used viruses and germs to create plagues in an attempt to exterminate Native Americans, Old Zhu and the others didn't feel anything special.

After all, poisoning, though a violent act, was a tactic frequently used in tribal conflicts throughout Chinese history.

However, once people are aware of and take precautions against such methods, they become less effective.

The following content in the video demonstrates that Native Americans are not stupid.

"When the Native Americans learned how to prevent infectious diseases, Washington and others could only use barbaric methods, such as the army and the 'Skinning Order,' to exterminate the Native Americans."

"After reading this, some people might think: were the Native Americans killed so badly because they resisted so fiercely and had no intention of reconciling with or becoming dependent on the white people?"

"In fact, there have always been a large number of surrender factions among the Native Americans who are close to the European colonists, while the pro-war factions among the Native Americans are very fierce fighters, which has caused them a lot of trouble."

"The whites did initially win over and exploit the surrender faction, but even so, it took them three centuries to nearly exterminate the Native Americans."

"Because the white population in North America was growing, and they were becoming increasingly greedy for land and wealth, even those who had signed agreements with the whites and surrendered ultimately could not escape death."

"Perhaps the surrenderers only lived in worse conditions in the first few decades after they surrendered to the whites. But the fact is that three centuries later, all the pro-war faction was wiped out, while only 25 of the descendants of the surrenderers survived."

"It doesn't matter how few surrender-protesting Native Americans there are—just listen to the official reasons from the United States; only a fool would believe them."

"Another fact is that the white population in the United States has now grown to over one hundred million. Clearly, the history of the United States' expansion is a history of blood and tears for the Native Americans!"

The video ends here.

This time, the crowd didn't hesitate and immediately started discussing it.

Li Wenzhong sighed, “I never imagined that European whites in history would treat the natives of the Americas in this way—when they were developing the Americas, didn’t they feel the same way we in the Ming Dynasty at this time, that they lacked manpower and that the natives could be recruited for their own use?”

Liu Kuan explained, "From the time Columbus first discovered the Americas in 1492, even until the establishment of the United States, it was still two or three hundred years."

"If we include the more than one hundred years of expansion by the Bald Eagle, this period is even longer, spanning three or four hundred years."

"Such a long time is enough for the white people of North America to reproduce a large number of offspring. In addition, they have brought in black slaves from Africa on a large scale and even brought in cheap laborers from China. So why do they need native Americans?"

"Furthermore, the land conflict between Native Americans and white people was real. If Native Americans were unwilling to give up their land, they would inevitably be treated as enemies and eliminated by white people."

As for the Ming Dynasty's policies toward the natives in the Americas, Liu Kuan didn't mention it, because Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Biao, Li Wenzhong, and others already knew about it.

First of all, unlike the European colonists of that time, the Ming Dynasty expanded into the Americas with the strength of a vast empire, and the garrison troops it sent there were far more powerful than the white colonists of that time.

Therefore, if the land that the Ming Dynasty coveted was occupied by local people, it would often send envoys first to intimidate them and force them to submit and submit to the Ming Dynasty.

Military force will only be used if the natives are unwilling to submit.

Even if military force is used, large-scale massacres will not be carried out. At most, the high-ranking members of the tribe will be killed after the battle, and the rest will be taken prisoner for hard labor. They will then be gradually assimilated through labor, education, and other means.

This is actually a form of cultural confidence.

The Ming Dynasty believed that its culture could eventually assimilate the native people of the Americas into the new Han Chinese, or into ethnic minorities such as the Mongols, Miao, Yi, and Tibetans who submitted to the Ming court.

As for European colonizers, such as the British Empire at the time, although it was known as the "empire on which the sun never sets" and its national strength was indeed very powerful, it was clearly lacking in cultural confidence. Moreover, it had always acted as a thief in the process of national expansion, so it would not and could not adopt the same policy as the Ming Dynasty in treating the natives of the Americas.

After a few words of discussion, Prince Zhu Bai of Xiang asked, "Teacher, since the natives of the Americas belong to the American branch of the Mongoloid race, and may even be descendants of the Shang Dynasty..."

"Wouldn't that provide a basis for us to naturalize Native Americans, making the naturalization process much easier?"

Liu Kuan smiled and nodded, "Regardless of whether this is true or not, since we now need to naturalize those Native Americans who are willing to submit, we might as well publicize this matter to make the naturalization of Native Americans more legitimate."

Zhu Bai showed a delighted expression and said, "Actually, in recent years, I have done some research on the natives of Southeast Asia, Australia, Africa, and the Americas."

"It can be said with certainty that Native Americans are our best target for assimilation—even if we can't completely assimilate them in the future, we don't need to resort to the massacres and exterminations that European whites did in history. We can simply relocate the excess Native Americans to Southeast Asia, Australia, and Africa!" Upon hearing this, everyone from Old Zhu to Zhu Biao, Zhu Xiong Ying, and Liu Kuan showed slight changes in their expressions, thinking that it was indeed a good idea.

Zhu Biao immediately said, "If that's the case, then when our Great Ming Dynasty expands into the Americas, we need to be more lenient in our policies toward the local natives, in order to minimize the bloodshed."

Even Zhu Xiong Ying, who was young and impetuous and had always acted in a rather ruthless manner, nodded and said, "Hasn't Sixth Uncle been thinking about seeking people from overseas tribes to improve the bloodline of the people of Chu? In my opinion, besides European whites, native Americans are also a good source of people."

"Although the Americas are far from the South Seas, Europe is not far from the South Seas either."

Liu Kuan said, "If we can open up the South Pacific shipping route, the distance from South America to Southeast Asia is not that far, at least it is closer than the distance from Europe to Southeast Asia."

Zhu Biao nodded, "The ocean exploration fleet has been exploring and opening up new routes. I believe that the exploration of the South Pacific route will yield results in the next few years."

Afterwards, the group discussed the Native Americans for a while, and then Zhu Yuanzhang signaled Liu Kuan to play the next video.

Liu Kuan brought up the third video and played it on the touchscreen.

This time, however, no introduction was given.

He felt that the video content was relatively easy for most people to understand.

The title appears on the tablet screen as soon as the video begins.

How is the deep-rooted sense of national and familial responsibility in the Chinese people forged?

Beneath the backdrop of a battlefield animation depicting clashing swords and galloping horses, a man speaks with considerable passion:

What are some of the most regrettable and tragic moments in Chinese history?

"Thirteen soldiers, who swore to defend the isolated city to the death, refusing to bring shame upon the Han Dynasty, returned to Yumen Pass. 'Han banners fill the Yin Mountains, not a single barbarian will return. We wish to dedicate our lives to serving our country; why should we need to enter Yumen Pass alive?'"

"It is the loyal minister of the Tang Dynasty who shed blood during the An Lushan Rebellion, whose integrity was revealed in times of adversity, who was like Zhang Suiyang's teeth and Yan Changshan's tongue."

"It was Li Dingguo, the Prince of Jin, who, despite the Southern Ming dynasty being reduced to ashes and having nowhere else to retreat, managed to defeat two famous princes and whose reputation resounded throughout the land! 'Most pitiful is the Prince of Jin, Li, who, even in his darkest hour and most desperate situation, still wields his spear!'"

"It was Deng Shichang, the captain of the Zhiyuan warship, who bravely went straight for the Japanese flagship during the Sino-Japanese War and died heroically, vowing to live and die with the navy! 'On this day, tears flow across the land, for your deeds have greatly strengthened the navy's prestige!'"

"Civilizations always experience low points, but it is precisely because of their integrity and courage, and their unwavering defense during those low points, that a nation has the possibility of breaking through again..."

Accompanying this narration are war scenes in various films and documentaries from later generations.

What particularly caught the attention of Xu Da, Tang He, and others was the description of Prince Li Dingguo's words and imagery—both of them were well aware that the Ming Dynasty had an unspoken rule against granting titles to non-royal princes while they were still alive. The fact that Li Dingguo was able to be granted a title while still alive meant that he must be a pillar of the Southern Ming Dynasty.

It's just unknown which military or military family in later generations could have produced such a loyal and capable minister. Since the surname is Li, it certainly isn't the Xu or Tang families.

Next, the video flashed over some footage of military exercises and border patrols by Chinese soldiers, showcasing China's military strength in later generations, once again captivating the audience.

Unfortunately, this scene was brief, lasting only a few seconds.

The video then began to tell the story of the fall of the Anxi Army, the white-haired soldiers, the silence of the people in Hexi, the Guiyi Army in Dunhuang, the mountains and rivers of the six prefectures, the full text recitation, and history and people, mainly focusing on the history of the end of the Tang Dynasty and the regrets of its decline.

Meanwhile, the video also interspersed with many scenes and narrations from the game "Yan Yun Sixteen Sounds".

Liu Kuan could tell at a glance that this video creator made it mostly to promote "Sixteen Sounds of Yanyun," or even possibly to make a living.

However, because the content of the "Sixteen Sounds of Yanyun" that was incorporated, such as the white-haired army of Anxi and the digging of karez wells by several generations, was so wonderful, he did not cut it.

As for Old Zhu's family, along with Xu Da, Tang He, Li Wenzhong, and others, they watched intently, completely absorbed.

Although they knew some of the things involved, and Lao Zhu and the others had even heard Liu Kuan tell the story of the Anxi White-Haired Army, they were still shocked and deeply moved when they learned about that period of history and the later history of the Guiyi Army through the edited video.

"So many fans have been enthusiastically praising the Western Regions storyline of 'Sixteen Voices of Yan Yun'. I've also noticed that the game particularly likes to break away from the formula of heroic narratives and choose to reconstruct historical memories from the perspective of ordinary people."

What do seemingly insignificant figures in history mean to history itself?

"Think about it, what do we rely on to understand history today? Oracle bones, bronzes, bamboo slips, murals."

"The oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty were carved stroke by stroke by unknown diviners; the bronze ware of the Zhou Dynasty was cast piece by piece by nameless craftsmen; the Qin bamboo slips from Shuihudi are the result of a lifetime of silent dedication by a low-ranking official of the Qin Dynasty; the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang are a miracle left behind by countless craftsmen working day and night..." (End of this chapter)