A few days later, Zhu Qizhen issued an edict encouraging interracial marriages.
Whether a Han man marries an Ottoman woman or a Han woman marries an Ottoman man, after intermarriage, their descendants can attend schools, and these schools are free of charge.
Of course, judging from the current actual situation, all Han men marry Ottoman women.
If an Ottoman man wanted to marry a Han woman, he had to travel thousands of miles across mountains and rivers, and then he had to have someone willing to marry him.
In addition, there are many benefits, such as free medical treatment at medical clinics run by the imperial court, and those who are sixty and childless can enter nursing homes, etc., which are closely related to the daily lives of the people.
If you are unwilling to intermarry and still stick to your obsession, no one will force you, but you will not be able to enjoy some benefits.
Erhu was the first to marry a foreign wife. On the day the edict was issued, a grand wedding was held.
King Zhu Qiyu personally presided over the ceremony, and most of the civil servants and generals who accompanied the army came to support the event. The ceremony was very grand.
Once you open this beginning, there will be a second one, a third one...
After the war, the situation began to become stable, countless houses destroyed by the war were repaired, and prosperity gradually returned to the streets.
Seeing that the situation was excellent, Zhu Qizhen finally decided that it was time to return to the court.
However, there are still some things to take care of before going home.
In Topkapi Palace, the two brothers are studying the map carefully.
"Where is the Franco machine that the emperor always talks about?"
As the war continues to advance and the territory of the Ming Dynasty expands, Zhu Qiyu is becoming more and more interested in maps.
"France is not a country, it is roughly here..."
Zhu Qizhen pointed to the west coast of the Mediterranean Sea and said: "Portugal, Spain, France...also called France, are all concentrated in this area."
"Then...where is this island?"
"This island is called Anglia, also called England... Why, are you interested?"
Zhu Qiyu nodded, then realized what he was doing, shook his head again, and smiled sheepishly.
"It's just... I feel how big the world is. I originally thought that the Ming Dynasty was the center of the world and God blessed China. As my horizons gradually broadened, I realized that my previous thoughts were really naive. Haha, it's simply ridiculous."
"Actually, it's okay if you think about it!"
Zhu Qizhen said with a smile: "There is a saying that goes well, no matter how bold a person is, how productive the land is, we cannot be restricted by the thinking in front of us, otherwise, how can we talk about development?"
After hearing this, Zhu Qiyu was stunned for a moment, and then suddenly realized.
"How bold a person is, how productive the land is, this is really a wise saying, my brother has learned from it!"
"Ottoman is located at the intersection of three continents. Its geographical location is very important. After I go back, this place will be left to you. You must run it well and don't disappoint my expectations."
When Zhu Qiyu heard this, he immediately bowed down and said, "I will do my best to help the emperor defend this country of thousands of miles!"
"This country is not my own, it belongs to the descendants of the Zhu family, and even more so to the millions and millions of people in the world. You and I are just the stewards. The country is so beautiful that it has caused countless heroes to bend their waists, and they are all gone. Count the romantics.
Characters, let’s look at today!”
After hearing this, Zhu Qiyu thought for a long time and said: "This poem is majestic and majestic. Was it written by the emperor's brother?"
"Written by a great man."
Zhu Qizhen smiled faintly and said: "I have been out for too long. It's time to go back. My trip to the capital is thousands of miles away. It is inevitable that the message will be delayed. Therefore, I give you arbitrary power. You can handle all matters by yourself without asking.
.”
"My brother obeys the order!"
"It's just about the trip back to Beijing..."
Zhu Qizhen pointed to the map and said: "Look, if you want to return from the sea, you need to march to Baghdad, then enter the Persian Gulf, and go all the way back from Nanyang."
"Exactly!"
"If you go by land, you can also reach it all the way east, but this road has to pass through the desert, and there are thirty-six countries in the Western Regions, which is the Silk Road during the Han and Tang Dynasties. Over the hundreds of years, there have been very few caravans
Tongxing, I don’t know what the situation is like now.”
Zhu Qiyu was a little puzzled and said: "I know that the Silk Road was once glorious, but I don't know why it declined?"
Zhu Qizhen said: "There are many reasons, the most important of which are two. One is the rise of sea transportation. The cost of bulk goods traveling by sea is low. The other is the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. They have controlled the entire Western Region. Look at you again.
The geographical location of Constantinople is well-connected and is very suitable for sea trade. Gradually, no one will go to the deserts of the Western Regions anymore. Not only is it time-consuming and labor-intensive, but safety issues are also not guaranteed."
Zhu Qiyu said thoughtfully: "Now that the Ottoman territory has been merged into the Ming Dynasty, my brother believes that the Silk Road must be reopened, so that the Ottoman and Ming Dynasty can truly be integrated into one."
"That's what I meant. I originally planned to send someone to walk this way. But then I thought about it. I have to go back anyway, so I might as well just walk this way!"
"Brother Emperor, are you planning to...personally connect the Silk Road?"
"This road has been in decline for too long. If we send envoys to visit, it may not be effective. Why don't I go there myself and guarantee immediate results."
"But……"
Zhu Qiyu looked worried and said: "This road is not under our control, my brother is worried..."
"You don't have to worry. As long as you have enough firepower, you will have friends all over the world."
"This... seems to be the truth..."
Zhu Qizhen smiled lightly and said: "If the firepower is insufficient, you will encounter people who are good at fighting. If there is enough firepower, you will find that in fact, everyone is not warlike, but good at singing and dancing, and extremely friendly.
.”
"What the emperor said...makes sense!"
Zhu Qiyu smiled knowingly and said: "With three major battalions in charge, how can an ordinary small country with a vassal town be an enemy?"
"I have thought about this problem. I will only take three thousand battalions. The Shenji Battalion and the Fifth Army Battalion will go by sea."
"Why?"
Zhu Qiyu was greatly puzzled. The Three Thousand Battalion had never been expanded and only had 3,000 people.
Although the Shenji Battalion has a small number of people, it carries heavy firepower. The Fifth Army Battalion has more than 20,000 people and is the main combat force. Why only choose the 3,000 battalion?
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! Zhu Qizhen said: "It is time-consuming and labor-intensive to walk on land. It is inconvenient for the Shenji Battalion to carry heavy baggage, and the Fifth Army Camp is mainly infantry.
, not as fast as the march of a battalion of three thousand uniform cavalry."
"There is another reason. This road is sparsely populated. If tens of thousands of troops go on an expedition, the supply of food and grass along the way will be a problem. After comprehensive consideration, I will lead three thousand battalions."
Zhu Qiyu was still worried and said: "My brother is worried that if there is a crisis along the way, the emperor only leads three thousand people, I am afraid..."
"Don't worry, the weapons and equipment of the Three Thousand Battalion are not comparable to those of ordinary people. Also, that Duke..."
"The Duke of Damman."
"Yes, that's the Duke!"
Zhu Qizhen thought for a while and said: "He still has 200,000 troops in his hands, which should not be underestimated. Except for the three major battalions, the rest of the troops are left to you. If you fight head-on, you are not afraid. Just be afraid of these people."
Those who are playing dirty tricks, after all, we are outsiders, and we cannot take advantage of the right time, place, and people, so you have to be careful."
"Brother, please rest assured, I will fulfill my mission!"
"Actually, there is another possibility..."
At this point, Zhu Qizhen suddenly smiled and continued: "I have already prepared a backup plan. If everything goes well, I will let him collapse without a fight!"
Zhu Qiyu was a little confused and asked: "The backhand that the emperor mentioned..."
"You'll know then!"
After Zhu Qizhen finished explaining everything, he began to organize his troops.
Li Zhen led a battalion of three thousand soldiers, and Bei Lin led a hundred students from the Academy of Sciences to accompany them and embarked on the road east.
Unconsciously, this battle has been going on for ten months. I wonder if everything is okay at home?
According to calculations by the Academy of Sciences, the distance from Constantinople to the capital of the Ming Dynasty is approximately 18,000 miles. The distance traveled by the cavalry every day is approximately 200 to 300 miles, and it takes two to three months just to travel.
Including visits to various countries in the Western Region, as well as rain and snow weather, this time will be doubled.
In other words, it will take at least half a year to get to the capital.
Zhu Qizhen made up his mind and embarked on the road back to Beijing. At the same time, the Shenji Camp and the Fifth Army Camp also began to evacuate.
Since then, all routes have been connected from the mainland of the Ming Dynasty to Jiaozhi, Ceylon Island, and then to the Persian Gulf.
There were constant ships coming and going, a steady stream of weapons, ammunition and goods being delivered. There were also many merchants who heard the news, and the people of the Ming Dynasty who followed.
In the past, there were refugees everywhere and there was no place to settle them.
The situation is very different now. The Ming Dynasty was expanding its territory everywhere, and there were not enough refugees for a long time. Zhu Qizhen even granted amnesty several times, and except for the death row prisoners who had committed the most heinous crimes, all others were sent out to sea to open up wasteland.
Many people went out for a trip and came back extremely rich and returned to their hometowns with great honors. Even ordinary people had the idea of going to sea.
These days, if I don’t go out and try my luck, I would be embarrassed to say that I am Han Chinese!
What is the future of farming? Go to sea. There is gold and silver overseas. You can just pick it up with a sack.
As for the risks of going to sea... How can a high-return thing be without risks? If you die in the storm, it is your own life. You can't blame others.
However, as long as he can come back safely, his worth will skyrocket by more than a hundred times!
As the army withdrew and more and more Eastern faces landed, the Duke of Damen finally couldn't sit still.
Nowadays, the city of Zigat has been isolated. The Ming army neither attacked nor persuaded them to surrender. They even tried to do business with the Ottomans around Zgat City.
Exquisite porcelain, tea, silk and other valuables from the East slowly flowed in, and even became a popular luxury among the Ottoman nobles.
The Duke of Damen is going crazy. If this continues, he will be beaten and surrendered.
In fact, he knew in his heart that the strength of the two sides was not equal, and this was not the best time to start a war.
However, if we don't fight again, the people's hearts will fly away, and even the army will not be able to stay.
"His Royal Highness King Yi, His Highness King Yi... I pay my respects to His Highness King Yi..."
At Topkapi Palace, Kale trotted over, panting, kneeling down and saluting.
Zhu Qiyu asked: "Why are you so alarmed?"
"It's Duke Damman, he, he..."
Zhu Qiyu immediately became nervous and asked: "What? Is he prepared to fight to the death with us?"
"No...no!"
Kalai swallowed and said: "The Duke of Daman promised to surrender unconditionally!"
Zhu Qiyu said excitedly: "Really?"
"It's true, but he said..."
Zhu Qiyu said impatiently: "Can you finish what you have to say in one go?"
"Yes Yes……"
Kalai hurriedly said: "He said... he has a small request."
"This man is really naughty. Instead of talking about conditions, he becomes a request!"
Zhu Qiyu laughed and continued: "Let's talk about it. If it's not too much, I can consider it."
Kalai said: "Duke Daman said that when soldiers eat food, everyone is their own master. Now that the war is over, please His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness King Xi not to blame these soldiers and let them live."
Zhu Qiyu thought for a while and said: "This person is very knowledgeable. Go back and tell him that the emperor is not a murderous person. If the soldiers of Zigat City are willing to continue to serve the emperor, they can stay. Of course, they can also disarm and return to the field. I, the king
Allocate fields to them."
Kalai said: "Duke Daman has another request, that is..."
"Just what?"
"What he means is that he is worried that His Highness is not sincerely recruiting him to surrender, but is taking the opportunity to get rid of him. Therefore, he wants His Highness to go and greet him in person to show his sincerity."
Zhu Qiyu was stunned and asked me to go to Zigat City to accept your surrender. I think you are not sincere?
Even a fool can understand that this guy is clearly trying to lure him over and kill him with one blow.
Is this how the Ottomans played the Thirty-Six Strategies?
Can it be a little more high-end, at least a bit conspiratorial, rather than so straightforward?
"Your Highness, look..."
"Well, I agree, but I also have a request."
"Your Highness, please speak."
"Ask him to wait twenty miles outside the city with his people. No weapons are allowed. If he agrees, I will personally go to greet him. If he doesn't agree, it doesn't matter. Just have a good fight!"
After hearing this, Kalai nodded in agreement and turned to leave.
He now has a heavy task. Not only does he have to serve as an instructor, but he is also responsible for being a messenger, passing messages between the two sides.
The Duke of Damen received the reply, weighed it again and again, and finally agreed.
The other party agreed to go outside the city to receive it, which was already a great sign of sincerity.
Just set up an ambush in advance...
Three days later, both parties arrived at the designated location as agreed.
As expected, Zhu Qiyu came to accept the surrender in person, and he did not bring a large group of troops, but only twenty personal guards.
A smile appeared on Duke Damman's lips. It seems that the minds of Easterners are not very bright!
Maybe it started to swell because of the victory?
In short, today is a good opportunity to fight back.
The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty has already left. As long as he captures the King of Yin in front of him, the Ming army will inevitably be in chaos. By then, he will reorganize his army and recapture Constantinople.
One problem is that King Muhad has been buried under the sea.
A country cannot live without a king for a day. If we take Constantinople by ourselves, wouldn’t it be...
Thinking of this, the smile on his lips became even bigger, and he ordered his subordinates: "Choose twenty people, follow the Duke to present the letter of surrender, hide the weapons, do not expose them, wait for the Duke's order, and we will take action together!"