Chapter 256: Universe Situation
Great Han Calendar Year 2103, the Beginning of Spring, fireworks for the New Year Festival sounded across the lands of Xian Han. And in Europe, the Alliance of Banners also rang the bells.
On this day, Xuan Chong was listening to the scholar expound on the current universe pattern.
In the steaming heating room, coats hung on the rack at the door.
And in the classroom, this scholar wearing a square scarf had glasses on the bridge of his nose. This old scholar, in front of a very exquisite large map, was lecturing to Xuan Chong and the other accompanying students. In the world now, besides the orthodox Xian Han, there are also four other major groups.
Europe Group, Arabia Group, Oceanic Group, and Yin Continent Group.
According to contemporary Confucian saying: such a under heaven pattern is all the mess left to later generations after the collapse of Zhen Han.
Back then, after the iron hooves of Zhen Han trampled the entire landmass, they adopted the feudal system, thus leaving governors in Arabia and Europe.
When Zhen Han perished, although astronomy had already discovered heliocentrism, and calculations had confirmed that the Earth is round.
But the Industrial Revolution had not yet erupted, transcontinental railways and telegraphs had not appeared. So the empire at that time had only accomplished the spread of the Imperial Way, without real control. The governor, this “temporary official,” could not fill the gap left by the absence of the local feudal system group.
After Zhen Han collapsed. The old continent that had originally submitted all declared independence one after another, re-establishing kings.
When Xian Han regained the majesty of the Son of Heaven, it did not receive tribute from the European Banners.
Even though Xian Han made compromises to the Taixi forces in the religious system, the Taixi nations were still unwilling to submit as vassals.
Human affairs affected the celestial phenomena. When the European Banners feared authority but not virtue, Emperor Yeshi’s honorable title was thoroughly downgraded, from originally standing as equals to now merely being an elder watching the North Heavenly Gate.
At this point, the great scholar felt indignant about “the barbarians not submitting.”
Xuan Chong silently recited in his heart: “Oh, this is imprinting thought imprints on me. For the education of the vassal kings’ system heirs, reinforce the concept of under heaven as one, prevent rebellion.”
After all, current telegraph information capacity is inferior to the future internet, and railway transportation costs cannot penetrate all lands. Only by twisting the upper class thoughts into one strand can ensure no division, that is, achieving unity ideologically.
Amid the old scholar’s incessant lecturing, Xuan Chong appeared serious but was actually thinking independently about Xian Han’s current ruling logic.
Xuan Chong recalled the situation of his previous life: Speaking of which, Xian Han’s approach seems truly correct. In his previous life, those superpowers, such as White Eagle and North Polar Bear, all relied on reinforcing a certain “consensus of thought” of their own to maintain territorial control. This is the key to traditional powers like Eagle, Bear, Europe, etc., where “liberal arts lawyers and other elites occupy dominant positions.”
In contrast, our side’s “liberal arts” is useless, incompetent, even traitorous.
To the point that the science and engineering rulers began physical reinforcement, pushing industry to the extreme, using power grids and roads to physically connect the borderlands.
That situation, he was accustomed to, but placed in the world at that time, it was instead an anomaly!
Clearly possessing “old empire’s cultural heritage” that all parties in the world envy, yet insisting on “equal respect,” abandoning the sword of cultural offense abroad. Choosing to defend the territory with high-cost powerful military forces.
The country of Xuan Chong’s previous life always maintained such a force: that is, able to assemble and deploy two corps of 20,000 within twenty-four hours at any point on the land border; able to deploy firepower in the ocean territory that could destroy a strong enemy’s fleet.
According to the current spacetime, Xian Han does not maintain such “high-density national defense” on the borders. The Great Empire’s military main task is outward projection.
If a problem arises in Xian Han’s borderlands, what to do? It has to rely on vassal states to hold it, dragging “one hour twenty-two minutes” into three years, giving Xian Han enough time to complete military preparations.
Xuan Chong focused on the map, carefully searching the surroundings for any superpower that could “speedrun” to Dian Continent.
Xuan Chong glanced: Oh, none.
No Jurchen causing chaos, no troublemaking villains hiding thirteen sets of armor. That thing is now a forest ranger in the primeval jungle. Xuan Chong: It means my old home has no value to be united.
Xuan Chong looked at the guard downstairs holding a repeating water-connected firearm on sentry duty.
…Drew his sword and looked around in bewilderment…
After confirming that Dian Continent’s strategic position is very safe, Xuan Chong: Damn no wonder he (my predecessor) could be bullied.
The scholar opened the current situation map for explanation. The current “under heaven” is also five continents and five oceans. The “Alliance of Banners” on the Europe side is currently the number one force besides Xian Han.
Four hundred years ago, when Xian Han was just established, when the founding emperor ascended as “Son of Heaven,” he demanded of Europe’s “Banners” that they were not allowed to use the title Son of Heaven, and whoever dared to call themselves “Son of Heaven” would be sanctioned.
Through beating one faction and pulling another, he accomplished the recognition of Xian Han’s legitimacy in the Europe region at that time. In fact, it also acquiesced to the fact that these nations had established themselves as kings.
At that time, Xian Han treated Europe with the Imperial Way, but a hundred years ago, Xian Han’s Son of Heaven overly emphasized the “Hegemonic Way.”
In Europe, adopting the strategy of distant alliances and attacking neighbors, vertical alliances, as a result was seen through by the Europe kings, who began to unite and counter the then ally of Xian Han, “Yue King” (approximately the Gaul region). Ultimately, the Europe allied forces defeated the old Yue King.
After the new Yue King ascended, the Europe region began to form an alliance and completely broke with Xian Han.
Of course, as the Europe “Alliance of Banners” wanted to compete with Xian Han and attempted colonial expansion, it conflicted with the Arabia forces in the Mediterranean region.
The political pattern of the Arabia region was similarly caused by the mess from the governors left by “Zhen Han.” After Zhen Han collapsed, the various governors could not suppress the local strongmen and ultimately established themselves as kings.
Before Han Calendar 1838, the Arabia region initially leaned towards the Europe Banners Alliance, especially during the Europe wars. “Tu King” (Asia Minor, Constantinople) cooperated with the northern nations to blockade the “old Yue King” loyal to Xian Han.
As a result, after driving away Xian Han’s direct agent in Europe, when the Europe nations formed an alliance needing a new opponent, they turned around and, under the pretext of striking heretics, under the call of the cross banner, rose against “Tu King.”
The Europe nations’ fleets not only bombarded the prosperous cities on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, but crossed the Red Sea, established footholds on the lands of Arabia kings, and incited rebellion.
After Han Calendar 1933, “Tu King” understood what ingratitude meant, then turned the bow and began annual tribute to the East, exchanging for weapon support. Xian Han, through westward trade, established Sinicized city areas, and in recent years gradually expanded back to the Mediterranean.
In the past few decades, the Arabia region has in substance become Xian Han’s quasi-ally.
Scholar: Although they still have some petty thoughts, their industry, technology, and various domains are too weak to allow much scheming.
And Xian Han’s current strategy in Arabia leans towards the Imperial Way’s “governance.”
Building seawater treatment stations, helping them cultivate specialized forage and grain crops, forming solid economic binding.
In return, the Arabia side began to debate scriptures for Xian Han in their canon, acknowledging that under their doctrine’s “succession of sages” system, the Son of Heaven of Xian Han inherits the virtue of the Zhen Han Son of Heaven.
The entire Arabia cultural system was stuffed with the concept that “the Son of Heaven mandated by Heaven is the Supreme Heaven God’s holy embodiment in the human world,” this is the heritage of “Zhen Han.”
…Modern cultural history that gives headaches…
Xuan Chong rubbed his head, forced to re-evaluate the local religious affairs now. Zhen Han indeed promoted great world fusion back then.
“Zhen Han” was established from horseback. After they entered the Central Plains, this group of steppe barbarian tribes held sabres to the necks of court historians, forcibly linking their founding ancestor’s lineage to a branch under Liu Xiu. That is, “Zhen Han” these steppe people claimed to be a branch of Liu Xiu.
Then “Zhen Han” went to Arabia, inserting the “Son of Heaven” concept into their doctrine, proclaiming the “Eastern Son of Heaven” as the greatest sage.
In other words, “Zhen Han” back then used sabres everywhere to rewrite culture and education. Xuan Chong complained: This “emphasis on culture and education” style is really Han.
Xuan Chong no longer dared to imagine how much the existing Europe and Arabia canons had been altered.
…Of course “Zhen Han’s” sabres had limits…
Oceanic Alliance, that is, the forces of Southern Kurils and “Dian Continent” (Australia). They claim to inherit the legitimacy of “Li Han.” This is obviously a force that slipped through “Zhen Han’s” sabres.
Xian Han officially calls it Eastern Shu.
This traces back to the end of Li Han, when large numbers of southern people, to avoid “Zhen Han’s” sabres, had to cross the sea southward. And all the way south, establishing dynasties along the way.
Southern Kurils goes without saying, as for “Dian Continent,” that is, the kangaroo’s territory.
The reason it is called “Dian Continent” is because the first batch of Han Chinese who migrated south here at that time discovered that the climate here, that is, “winter and summer,” is reversed.
To the point that the southern people who migrated here then had to recompile the calendar brought from the Central Plains. Later, Central Plains people discovered that the so-called “recompilation” was merely inverting the Central Plains’ twenty-four solar terms, hence naming this place Dian Continent.
Note: Central Plains compiling astronomical calendars requires visiting various places, a ten-year cycle of observing stars and phenology. Eastern Shu in its early years focused on sea merchant activities, no time to invest such talents on land. Later had funds, but the name was fixed.
Southeast Asia Han descendants twice defeated the fleets sent by Zhen Han, stabilizing here since.
And since these Han descendants established “Eastern Shu,” they have fought Xian Han’s Southeast Asia forces three times, the most recent being ten years ago.
Eastern Shu and the fifty-seven nations of Southern Kurils have always not acknowledged the legitimacy of “Zhen Han,” independently inheriting to this day.
Their placation to Xian Han is also perfunctory, not following regulations and systems for tribute.
…Division means war is destined to occur…
Two hundred years ago, still in the age of sail warships, due to monsoon reasons, large-scale expeditions southward had enormous risks.
Xian Han’s monarch and cabinet were unwilling to take this risk. But in the past century, steam engines replaced sails for power, ironclad ships appeared, and several southward wars achieved victory.
Xian Han has gradually controlled eight island nations in Southeast Asia, forming a springboard to Dian Continent. But Eastern Shu is a skinny camel bigger than a horse; when Xian Han had ironclad ships, Eastern Shu followed; when rifled gun technological revolution came, Eastern Shu still followed.
The Oceanic Alliance has already fallen apart; Eastern Shu without external aid is destined to perish, but Eastern Shu’s health bar is very thick.
As early as the sail warship era, Dian Continent people used monsoon effects to sail further east, not only discovering the South Ice Continent, but further east discovering “Pengzhou” (South America), confirming vast grasslands there, as well as expansive forests, with land area not inferior to Divine Land and Dian Continent.
In the late Zhen Han and early Xian Han periods, that is, Han Calendar 1400 to 1700, these three hundred years, Eastern Shu merely used this place as a place for exile and banishment.
With the Industrial Revolution starting, Eastern Shu built large batches of shipyards on the eastern part of Dian Continent, strengthening ties between the two places, and here became Eastern Shu’s most important colony, even fighting three wars with the northern Europe Banners over it. Indirectly inciting Dragon State independence.
Although Europe Banners also have grudges with Xian Han, Eastern Shu has no concept of “the enemy’s enemy is my friend.”
Eastern Shu: Pengzhou is our core interest zone, absolutely not to be touched by others. You Europe people, possessing “Dragon Continent” is enough, do not covet beyond.
…Unknowingly, on Liu Haoxing’s universe map, he found the last puzzle piece, that is, North America in memory…
The naming of Dragon State in North America comes from the mid-Zhen Han period, that is, around 1200, when sea merchants had already gone east, crossing the ocean via a series of island chains to then North America, exchanging silk and porcelain for local specialties, and later the most important was still ironware trade.
Subsequently, even rarer things were exchanged, such as nugget gold. What truly drew special attention from Zhen Han scholars was the “giant dragon bones” sent by Eastern Yin people from the North American land.
And this triggered the “classics controversy” on the Zhen Han late court.
Because Zuo Qiuming recorded: Wu attacked Yue, captured Kuaiji, and obtained bones there, joints filling a cart. The king of Wu sent envoys with gifts to hire, and also asked Confucius about it, saying: “No need to mention my order.” The guest presented gifts to the grandees and to Confucius, and Confucius rewarded him. After removing the sacrificial vessels and feasting, the guest held the bone and asked: “May I ask why the bone is so large?” Confucius said: “I inquired: In ancient times, Yu gathered the group of spirits at Kuaiji Mountain, the Hou of Fengfeng arrived late, Yu killed and exposed him, his bones and joints filling a cart. This is large.” The guest said: “May I ask who guards as spirit?” Confucius said: “Spirits of mountains and rivers sufficient to govern under heaven, those guards are spirits; guards of state altars are dukes and marquises. All belong to the king.” The guest said: “What did Fengfeng guard?” Confucius said: “He was the lord of Wangmang Clan, guarding the Fengyu Mountains, of the Qi surname. In Yu, Xia, Shang as Wangmang Clan, in Zhou as Changdi, now as Great Man.” The guest said: “What is the extreme height of humans?” Confucius said: “Jiaoyao Clan is three feet tall, the shortest extreme. The tall ones no more than ten times that, the numerical extreme.”
In short, the state of Wu obtained a giant bone from Yue, inquired of Confucius, who fabricated the legend of Fengfeng Clan in front of the real object.
And the reason the dragon bones sent during Zhen Han period caused uproar was that the Confucian noble families had solidified, these solidified noble family disciples had little ability, starting fundamentalism.
Traditional corrupt Confucian disciples, the incompetent and virtueless lot monopolizing high positions, caused dissatisfaction from all sides.
Coinciding with this dragon bone appearing, it could prove “even Confucius is not entirely correct,” could refute the classics faction, returning discourse power to the practical faction.
This great debate directly changed Confucius from unquestionable to human, even downgrading the level of the Confucius Temple in Lu.
Xuan Chong’s evaluation: This historical event is similar to Galileo questioning Aristotle in his previous life. The subsequent great discoveries broke the monopoly of Confucianism and Legalism, reopening the Hundred Schools of Thought, with historical significance equivalent to the “Renaissance” of his previous life.
Due to Xian Han upholding a “with ourselves as center” historical view, the world named this continent north of “Pengzhou” as “Dragon State,” so deeply rooted.
…So debating scriptures behind closed doors is far inferior to traveling ten thousand li…
The overall great development of Dragon State was in the late Zhen Han period, when global navigation technology had great progress, and Europe also discovered this new continent.
Because Dragon State’s west has many steep cliffs, after landing need to cross mountains and deserts, while the east is fertile.
Theoretically in this great development, Taixi held advantage, having geographical superiority over Xian Han. After Europe landed in Dragon State, they had extremely severe conflicts with the native Eastern Yin people, the you-die-I-live kind, Europe even transported large numbers of Kunlun slaves from Africa, further intensifying the contradictions.
Coinciding with exchanges between Central Plains and Eastern Yin people in late Zhen Han, both sides shared ideas on ancestor worship and heaven and earth.
In Europe Banners’ colonization, they adopted “exterminate descendants,” then transported people over. In the early expansion of Europe people in Dragon State, Eastern Yin people first lost most of the land east of the river (Mississippi River).
With large-scale westward migration of Eastern Yin people, they surged into Xian Han’s colonial areas in the region. Xian Han sent many military nobles to Dragon State; those who had lost out in the old continent supported Eastern Yin’s eastward war.
Subsequently in Hexi, an Eastern Yin tribe, with assistance from talents sent by Xian Han, completed reform, absorbing various tribe populations, changing their original tribe to surnames and completing national cohesion.
After national cohesion, Eastern Yin people introduced Qin laws, established state-run artisan factories, self-producing cannons and firearms, producing ammunition; fifty years after the reform, they recaptured the land east of the river.
In late Zhen Han, the “Hegemonic Way” against Europe Banners backfired. But a hundred years after Xian Han was established, using the Imperial Way in Arabia and Dragon State, they were won over.
Later, that is, in Han Calendar 1999, after the eastward movement completed clearing the last European outpost, Eastern Yin began to become an independent force.
…But that was the world a hundred years ago…
Eastern Yin now makes Xian Han uncomfortable because Eastern Yin wants to transgress, calling themselves “Eastern Son of Heaven,” to the point that Xian Han’s internal “Hegemonic Way” faction scholars criticize it! (Scholars: Fear authority but not virtue! You, this ethnic group on the verge of extinction, pulled up by us to survive, also want to wear the crown as a monkey?)
The scholars all started muttering: Why didn’t we send a Liu clansman there to be king when supporting them back then?
Speaking of which, in the eyes of current scholar-officials, the Liu Clan is a good thing; wherever it’s bitterly cold and needs a town holder, stuff them there.
Xuan Chong couldn’t help paying more attention to Dragon State. Not because Eastern Yin is aggressive internationally now. But between his own Dongtu and Dragon State West Coast, there is a North Ocean air route directly to Dragon State West Coast.
This air route follows the Alaska island chain, that is, the series of volcanic islands in the northern Pacific plate as shipping lane landmarks.
A hundred years ago when West Coast fur trade boomed, Dongtu as a maritime hub station reaped a fortune of era dividends; now fur trade is gone, gold mine transshipment also to the south. Dongtu now becomes a forgotten corner of the world.
Xuan Chong: If I were more literary youth, One Hundred Years of Solitude should be written by me this down-and-out prince.
In the classroom, the great scholar was still chattering endlessly in Xuan Chong’s ear.
Scholar: “Dragon State people now have a trend of thought. They believe themselves to be Roman seed, not Yin-Shang seed. Their character comes from their terrain, great winds from north piercing straight to southern bays, the folk character here is grass on the wall bending with the wind.”
