Searching for a trade route from the west to the east was the reason why the Age of Discovery began.
But now the Ottoman Empire is occupying the Mediterranean Sea and is acting unscrupulously in Constantinople. It has greatly increased business taxes and made a lot of money, which has caused great dissatisfaction among the merchants.
As for the sea, since the Suins Canal has not yet been opened, the journey from the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa to India and then to the East takes years, which is extremely torturous.
If you go from Russia, you can directly contact the East and obtain expensive silk and porcelain. The journey will not only be safer, but also closer and more convenient.
By the way, as early as the 13th and 14th centuries, smart Italians had learned about porcelain and silk, and Florence had long become a textile center.
For these two technologies, even in the 21st century, Italy is one of the best in Europe.
But it’s not just a matter of poor technology. Westerners’ pursuit of silk and porcelain lies in the mysterious taste of the East.
After porcelain became popular in Europe, nobles did not use porcelain that was not produced in the East.
The more oriental it is, the more authentic it is.
This gave rise to one sea-going ship after another.
Compared to the Ottomans, Russia also speaks French and is barely a civilized country.
At this time in Europe, the official language of the nobles of various countries was no longer the convoluted and difficult-to-understand Latin, but the elegant French.
Obviously, when doing business with a civilized country, there are rules.
As a result, the news spread westward to the Ukrainian-Lithuanian Federation, and northward through the Baltic Sea to Sweden and Denmark. Through the Hanseatic League, it spread widely to France, England, the Netherlands and other countries.
Because of an offensive and defensive war, the mysterious East and the Silk Road full of wealth once again appeared in the mouths of Europeans.
The Hanseatic League, which was declining day by day and monopolized the Baltic trade, seemed to be having a comeback for a while.
Prussia, Austria and other vassal states all wanted to use the Hanseatic League to connect with the Russians again.
Regarding the turmoil in the West, Sun Kewang, who was far away in Myanmar, did not know and did not want to know.
After leaving Yunnan, he stayed in Mubang for more than a year and resisted several attacks by the Toungoo Kingdom. Then I wanted to take advantage of it and directly attack its capital.
But unfortunately, it failed.
However, he was not discouraged because he found out the reality of Toungoo Kingdom.
The seemingly extremely powerful Toungoo Kingdom was actually just a big lord leading a small lord to fight a war.
Relying only on the Mubang area, he directly attacked the capital and reduced the strength of King Toungoo.
As a result, the territory was devastated, King Toungoo's strength was greatly reduced, and the chieftain nobles under his command gradually became unable to command.
Sun Kewang raised his head and looked northeast.
Although the sparse drizzle in front of him kept falling, he knew that the dry season had arrived.
The troops, who have rested for a year and recuperated, are about to launch the final attack on Toungoo Kingdom.
As long as we conquer the vast plains, we no longer have to endure the mosquito bites and various diseases in the mountains and forests.
His promising country will be established again.
"Zhu Yixi, although I can't beat you, I will never give in -"
With an angry roar, Sun Kewang's voice sent many birds flying and startled everyone.
…
At the same time, in the city of Ganzi, where the state of Kang is now located.
After Li Zicheng's death, the generals elected his third brother Li Zijing as emperor, which regrouped the hearts of the people.
After arriving in Ganzi, Li Zijing recognized this place. The location was too close to Sichuan and more convenient than Qinghai.
The Kangba area has a low altitude, has grasslands and cultivated land, and also has the Tea Horse Road to trade with Sichuan. It can obtain a lot of materials and has a very strong material foundation.
So, mediocre, he had already recognized the reality, gave up the so-called title of Emperor Dashun, established the state of Kang, called himself King Kang, and surrendered to the Ming Dynasty.
As a price, the Qinghai area could only be given to the Ming army.
In the past few years, Li Zijing followed the example of the Ming Dynasty, deleting some retro-retro ministerial positions, such as prime minister and privy envoy, and established a vassal system.
And those generals were also given land, estates, power and titles, and settled down one by one, ending the hard work of running around.
After living happily like this for nearly two years, Li Zijing got seriously ill. It took him several months to recover, and he almost ascended to heaven.
At this time, he felt that the end was approaching.
For a time, the newly established Kang State became a little unstable.
Thinking that his son was only ten years old, if he was finished, the country of Kang would definitely be finished too.
Li Zijing lost all ambitions for a while and only wanted to preserve the wealth of his family.
The sacrifice of soil and surrender appeared in his mind for the first time.
"Will those domineering generals agree?"
Li Zijing thought about it and felt more and more that it was possible.
Whether it is for the consideration of his future son's succession or for the coming of Ming Dynasty, the group of arrogant soldiers and generals are obstacles.
"To kill, or not to kill?"
Looking up at the blue sky and the huge sun, Li Zijing's mood was agitated for a while, changing over and over again.
…
Beijing does not understand the situation in Central Asia, nor does it care about it. Otherwise, it is too far away.
Considering the administrative cost, many people in the court have said that the territory now exceeds that of Taizu, and it is not appropriate to move to the northwest.
Occupying an oasis in the desert was not cost-effective for the feudal dynasty, and it was even operating at a loss.
Zhu Yixi asked himself, if he hadn't been a time traveler, he would never have considered the Western Regions.
In history, the Han Dynasty was due to the need to check and balance the Xiongnu, the Tang Dynasty was due to silk trade, and the Qing Dynasty was due to the proactive provocation of the Junggars.
If the Junggar Khanate chooses to advance westward or northward and no longer attempts to unify the Mongolian tribes, the Manchu Qing Dynasty will definitely be at peace with it.
"Perhaps this is why the aboriginal stream is at a disadvantage in later novels?"
Zhu Yixi chuckled, and then sent back all the memorials. The cabinet diligently left a lot of suggestions, which was an indirect expression of his thoughts:
Your Majesty, it is enough for the imperial court to move westward...
Is it enough? Not enough, far from enough.
The army's desire for military success is also the basis for Zhu Yixi's persistence. He will not try to fight against everyone in the court alone.
Merit points can be exchanged for land, which always keeps soldiers' strong desire for war.
After losing nearly one-third of its population, the Ming Dynasty still had a lot of land. Moreover, no matter how bad it was, there was still the fertile black land in the Northeast.
"Memorial from Shenyang——"
Opening up this heavy memorial, Zhu Yixi looked directly at the small ticket drafted by the cabinet.
I thought that Liaodong was short of money and food, so although it could launch a big war, it would not be able to capture Jilin, and the effort would only end up with a few empty cities...
The cabinet does not agree for the time being.
Only then did Zhu Yixi unfold the thick memorandum, which was full of reasons for the attack.