Chapter 149 Preemptive Strike
Yang Chen’s speculations all came from a modern legend.

‘The Yin people crossed the sea to the east’

A human origin geneticist once investigated the data in modern human DNA and was surprised to find that some American Indians had similar ancestry data chains with Asians.

In this era of information explosion, Yang Chen had also read relevant information out of curiosity.

The story of the Yin people’s eastward migration comes from some domestic historical materials. Legend has it that at that time, an expeditionary force of the Shang Dynasty disappeared in the north. Coincidentally, at this time, a brand new civilization unexpectedly appeared in the American continent, the Olmec civilization. This civilization appeared in North America without any records, and defeated the surrounding tribes with its powerful force and gained absolute rule.

This was something that had never existed in the Americas, and even the Mayan civilization did not dare to provoke this tribe.

Historical nodes alone are certainly not enough to be convincing. Later, many scholars, through archaeological excavations, unexpectedly discovered that the individual cultural traditions of these tribes were actually very similar to the Chinese entity.

For example, “solar eclipse”, “Lingtai culture” and “jade burial”, the most special thing is that they use the dragon as a cultural totem. This dragon is not the evil lizard dragon in the Western world with wings, covered with hard scales, and spitting fire and venom.

Instead, it is more similar to the dragon symbolized by Chinese deer horns, cow ears, camel heads, etc.

In addition to culture, many people also make judgments based on excavated pottery jars, oracle bones and other tangible cultural relics, and believe that some of the ancient people of Shangdu migrated to America and entered the American continent by walking across the Bering Strait.

Of course, Yang Chen just made a suggestion casually. How to do it specifically depends on Lao Zhu’s decision.

If these tribal peoples on the American continent were not only disobedient but also did not have the genetic appearance of the Han people, but were instead like the Kunlun slaves, he might still choose to wipe them out in the end.

There is no way. The genes of Kunlun slaves are too powerful. If some powerful person likes to hunt for novelty and gives birth to a new generation of Kunlun slaves, based on their reproductive ability, they will definitely form a large human race in a short period of time.

“Brother! Father! I am willing to serve as the pioneer of the Ming Dynasty and go out to the ocean to find this piece of North American continent. Give me soldiers and horses, and give me enough food and grass. I will build this place into the first colony of the Ming Dynasty outside the ocean!”

Yang Chen had just finished speaking and paused for less than two seconds when Zhu Gang volunteered.

Ever since the blueprint of America appeared before him, he knew that he must take over this land.

A territory almost as large as that of the Central Plains is much more comfortable than his fourth brother going north to kill the Jurchens.

To achieve great things is what many people dream of, not to mention that this is an unprecedented feat!

Zhu Biao glanced at his brothers. How could he not know what they were really thinking?

However, the American continent was not close, and he felt it was his duty to give a reminder.

“Third brother, don’t be anxious. Ming Dynasty has a lot of things to do right now, and the American continent is at least tens of thousands of miles away from Ming Dynasty. Even if everything goes smoothly, it will take several months to arrive, not to mention that it will take half a year to transport a large number of people and horses back and forth.”

Originally he was full of confidence and wanted to accomplish something big, but he was poured a bucket of cold water before he even started. Zhu Gang almost fainted from anger.

“But third brother, don’t worry too much.” Knowing his brother’s temper, Zhu Biao added:
“Two months ago, I sent people to travel westward from the South Sea. If everything goes well, they will reach the American continent in a month. This time, I sent people to look for special crops on the American continent. Corn, potatoes, and cocoa beans are all coarse grains that can be stored for a long time.

When you sail abroad in the future, food will be essential. Rice cannot be kept for too long, so these are enough for you.”

“Your Highness is truly foresighted. If all goes well, the fleet should be able to return by the end of the year, right?

I don’t know who is in charge of this fleet? Does the Ming Navy have anyone familiar with the distant seas?”

Yang Siyi didn’t expect Zhu Biao to be so decisive. He took action when it was time to do so without any hesitation.

“Indeed, I have assigned Wang Chengxi as the fleet manager for this ship.

His father was Wang Dayuan, who passed away shortly after the founding of the Ming Dynasty. It took me a lot of effort to find his descendants. After interrogation, I learned that Wang Dayuan was fond of adventure and went to sea many times. He recorded what he saw and heard in a self-made book called “A Brief Account of the Island Barbarians”.

This book is a family heirloom of the Wang family. Wang Chengxi inherited his father’s ambitions. With my promise, there will be no problem in his actions on the sea.”

Yang Chen knew about this matter. Wang Dayuan was a navigator in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty.

He was from Nanchang. Taking advantage of the war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, he set out from Quanzhou Port and traveled all the way from Nanyang to Southeast Asia. The people of these small countries treated him with courtesy because they saw that he was a “Tang person”.

According to records in books, he received special treatment from the monarchs of some small countries in Southeast Asia, and they did not need to pay with their lives even if they killed local civilians by mistake.

During his two seafaring adventures, he crossed the Strait of Malacca and entered the vast Indian Ocean, where he witnessed the slave trade by caravans from European countries such as Italy.

It can be said that his life was very exciting. He was one of the few Han people born and raised in ancient Central Plains who was the first to open his eyes and see the world.

After the adventure, Wang Dayuan did not take the imperial examination, but returned to his hometown of Nanchang and ran a trade-related business relying on the gold, silver and jewelry he had accumulated over the years.

At the same time, he was compiling “A Brief Account of the Island Barbarians” so that his experiences would not disappear from this world.

Before Zhu Biao wanted to form a caravan and look for a manager, Wang Dayuan’s son Wang Chengxi took the initiative to recommend himself. Zhu Biao also found out about this after investigation.

Then, without hesitation, he chose Wang Chengxi to be the manager of this fleet exploring the American continent.

“Brother! My fourth brother is now busy with the Northern Expedition against the three tribes of Jurchens, and he is the center of attention among all the brothers. As an older brother, I cannot be outshined by my younger brother.

When we are sure where the American continent is, I hope that my elder brother will give the opportunity to be a pioneer to my younger brother!”

Zhu Gang could no longer wait. He had to fight for something for himself, so he walked carefully to Zhu Biao and told him his true thoughts.

Glancing at his younger brother, Zhu Biao smiled and said:
“Don’t worry, it’s your share.”

Then he looked at Yang Chen and said:
“Brother Yang, your best strategy is indeed a good way to fight against the Little Ice Age, but it is too energy-consuming for the current Ming Dynasty. It will take at least 20 years to see initial results. This is the result of the concerted efforts of the court and the people and officials.

My father allowed it, and I allowed it too, but I was afraid that something might happen to Xiongying’s offspring in the future, and the policies from above wouldn’t be conveyed. I was worried that this matter would end up in nothing, or even change its nature and become a tool for the grassroots to make profits.

The trouble caused by the death of the leader and the collapse of the government is not only for us, but also for the people. “

Zhu Biao expressed his subsequent concerns, and Yang Siyi couldn’t help but sigh:
“Indeed, if we carry out large-scale immigration as Young Friend Yang said, the danger we will face is not that of the Pathfinder, nor the various troubles of the previous immigrants.

I believe that with your majesty’s iron-blooded hand, anyone who dares to obstruct will be severely tortured. The only thing I worry about is that future emperors will not support the actions of the previous emperor. If they give up halfway, it will be a loss to the entire Ming Dynasty. If we are not careful, it will affect the fate of the country. This matter has very good benefits, but it is also accompanied by a very terrible crisis!”

“Minister Yang is right.”

Zhu Yuanzhang supported his chin with both hands, his eyes sank, and he responded in a rough voice:
“Since ancient times, the bravest will win when two meet on a narrow road. To become stronger, the Ming Dynasty must take a road that no one has ever taken. In the past, the emperor only thought about defending the Central Plains and maintaining the current situation. However, now we know the crisis of the Ming Dynasty in the future. If we do not take timely measures to save it, it will be a cruel abuse to the people. Opportunities are often accompanied by crises. The bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish.

If you want to reduce the risk of this matter, you need to make a perfect plan. Where is the Minister of Revenue? “

“The old minister is here!”

“I order you to go back today and take time to sort out all the sea maps since the Central Plains went to sea. Later, I will give you a magical item to summarize it, and then compile a complete and accurate sea map. This sea map will become the eyes of the Ming Dynasty at sea.”

Zhu Yuanzhang did not hesitate at all. The magical thing he was talking about was exactly the globe made by Yang Chen.

Originally, he had not intended to let his subordinates know so quickly that the place where they now lived was a planet, but time waits for no one, and the situation forced him to draw up a world map belonging to the current Ming Dynasty as soon as possible.

“I understand! After I return, I will gather my subordinates to collect all the nautical charts and compile an updated nautical chart!”

Knowing the importance of this task, Yang Siyi did not dare to slack off in the slightest.

“As for the issue of ships, when we have time, I will personally summon the Minister of Works and have him come over.

Building a navy requires a lot of money, which is a problem.”

Zhu Yuanzhang knew the simple truth that if you want to attack a target, you must first sharpen your weapons.

“Once the ships are built, we can have the fleet led by the Third Brother advance along Nanyang. Every time we arrive at a place, we will draw a map of the place. The follow-up personnel can also follow up to provide supplies so that they will not be without food or water. When the pace is stable, we will continue to advance deeper. Every time we arrive at an island, we can send personnel to stay there. As long as the follow-up supplies continue, sooner or later we will be able to establish a complete route.”

Zhu Biao had a clear idea. He knew that his father would order the Ministry of Works to build a new shipyard and establish the Ming expeditionary navy. Each of these personnel was extremely valuable and should not be wasted. They must all play their part.

Their mission is to garrison on the island and provide direction for subsequent ships from the Ming Dynasty.

Yang Chen looked at Zhu Biao with surprise. According to what the other party said, isn’t this the island-hopping tactic of five-star critic MacArthur?
This once again proves that the ancients were just ancient, which doesn’t mean they were stupid.

“Brother, Father, I have a suggestion, I don’t know if it can be used!”

“Third brother, just speak frankly.” Zhu Biao nodded and let Zhu Gang express his opinion.

Zhu Gang smiled and continued his speech using the method Zhu Biao had mentioned above:

“My father just said that building a navy is a very costly matter. Since we are going to open up a new path, why can’t we use some of the prisoners to explore those unknown islands?

If they set foot on these islands, station garrisons in the established garrisons, and are willing to become part of the world conquest, then their crimes can be pardoned, and we can also give them partial rewards if they make meritorious contributions afterwards.

In this way, wouldn’t it be possible to greatly reduce the unnecessary losses of the Ming Navy?”

Yang Chen looked at Zhu Gang in astonishment.

‘My goodness, what kind of Australian thing is this?’

According to the historical time node, in more than a hundred years, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will send thousands of prisoners to Australia, an isolated island far away from disputes.

It was said that they were imprisoning criminals, but in fact they were exiled to a resource-rich area. Then Great Britain forgot about this group of people and allowed them to develop with the local indigenous people until they became a powerful country.

The only person present who agreed with Zhu Gang’s statement was Old Zhu.

The look he gave Zhu Gang was full of admiration.

These criminals are neither regular employees nor have any household registration. According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, criminals imprisoned in prisons basically have no human rights.

It is not that a person does not need to be held responsible for what happens after his death.

If they have a conscience in the future, they can give him a martyr’s medal.

When Yang Chen proposed the Daming Mass Service Center earlier, he mentioned that he wanted to give retired soldiers a resounding reputation, and the medal is the actual embodiment of reputation.

Zhu Biao thought about it for a moment, and felt that his brother was right, but he just expressed his concerns.

“It does work if we do as the Third Brother says, but this operation will be across tens of thousands of miles of sea. If we send too many criminals there, I’m worried that it will be difficult to manage. There are countless cases where the monkey claims to be king when the tiger is not around.

No one knows whether throwing these guys onto an uninhabited island is a good thing or a bad thing. At present, it seems that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. “

“I have already told you the best strategy.” Yang Chen took over the conversation and continued, “As for the rest of the process, that is up to you. If we take over the American continent, we can ensure the stability of the Ming Dynasty for the next hundred or even a thousand years.

No matter what rebellion happened in the Central Plains, the Ming Dynasty would not end up like Emperor Huaizong of Song who had nowhere to turn and committed suicide by jumping off a cliff.”

When mentioning the poor Emperor Song Huaizong Zhao Bing, everyone present couldn’t help but tremble in their hearts.

At that time, the generals of the Yuan army led two groups to besiege Song Huaizong, and the Battle of Yashan broke out. Lu Xiufu jumped off the cliff carrying the eight-year-old emperor of the last Southern Song Dynasty. One hundred thousand soldiers and civilians died together, marking the end of the Southern Song Dynasty’s rule over the Central Plains. From then on, the Han people could never raise their heads again.

This is true despair and true desperation, but as long as there is a chance, we can survive and start over again.

Unfortunately, the Southern Song Dynasty was already at the end of its rope and there was no chance of restoring the country.

“Little Ice River is really troublesome. He has been playing tricks on me. Now that we have discussed the best strategy, it is time for the middle strategy. Yang Chen, tell me what the middle strategy is.”

Yang Chen didn’t say much nonsense and said directly:

“The middle strategy requires two approaches.

First of all, to promote chemical fertilizers, I have compiled all the traditional methods of making chemical fertilizers into a set of books. These books will be disseminated to the people with the help of the Daming Mass Service Center.

The first is to let people know the role of fertilizers, and the second is to “change the farming method.”

“Brother Yang, what is the alternate farming method?”

Zhu Biao was confused. It was the first time he heard such a name and it felt very unfamiliar.

“The so-called exchange literally means exchanging the same farming mode and making the same farming mode work to its limit under different conditions.

For example, if rice is more productive in this season, then we should plant rice. If other crops are more productive in this climate and environment, then we should plant other crops, thus achieving the effect of stockpiling food.”

(End of this chapter)