"Uncle Shen," Zheng Yucong said with a smile and respect, "what I want to ask you is: Even if everything goes as you imagined, your majesty married the prince of Siam and gave birth to a male heir. The male heir will also be in the future. After inheriting the throne of Siam...then this new king is also from Siam first, and not from the Ming Dynasty! How can we ensure that his heart will be towards the Ming Dynasty?"
When Zheng Gongyin heard this, he immediately smiled and said:
"Yes, that's right. I am also very puzzled by this question. I would also like to ask Mr. Pavilion to clarify my doubts!"
He had always felt that although what Shen Rongxuan said was clear and logical, there were always one or two points in his truth that could not withstand scrutiny. He could not find them specifically. Now that Zheng Yucong pointed it out, he suddenly felt that what his daughter said was too much. Wonderful, let’s seize this point and “ask for advice”.
Shen Rongxuan smiled slightly, picked up the teacup, took a sip, drank gently, and then asked calmly:
"Master Marquis, Miss, let me ask you: How do you feel about the Ming Dynasty? What if you don't like the Ming Dynasty?"
Zheng Gongyin was startled and narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking about the meaning of his words. Zheng Yuqing said first:
"Of course it is best if he loves the Ming Dynasty. He will come back and become the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. It is best if he can take the initiative to annex Siam to the Ming Dynasty and add a piece of land to the Ming Dynasty. But if he loves Siam, then... then It will..."
Shen Rongxuan asked with a smile:
"What will happen then?"
"Then he will...well," Zheng Yucong thought hard, and gradually felt that something was not good, but still said bravely, "then he would...refuse to come back and become the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty."
After saying this, she blushed and didn't even believe her own words.
Shen Rongxuan still looked at her with a smile and said nothing. Zheng Gongyin was also embarrassed and glared at her daughter. Even Mrs. Li, who didn't know much about politics, frowned.
Zhu Yourong sat on the sofa, looking even more sad. She could tell immediately that her cousin had asked Shen Rongxuan to take her to the pit regarding the issue of "loving the Ming Dynasty".
Zheng Gongyin coughed twice and wanted to look back, so he said:
"Of course, it's impossible for someone who doesn't want to come back to be the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, unless he is a fool... However, we are planning to annex Siam to the Ming Dynasty, but if he values Siam above the Ming Dynasty, in turn, the Ming Dynasty will be What should I do if it is merged into Siam?”
As soon as the words came out, everyone was shocked. Zhu Yourong on the sofa held his forehead and sighed softly, completely disappointed with the level of her uncle.
This time Zheng Yuqing turned around and glanced at his father rather sarcastically.
But Zheng Gongyin did not realize it at all and continued:
"Look, what we want is for Ming Dynasty to have an additional strategic territory in the southwest. But if the new emperor feels that he is from Siam and Siam is his motherland, he may have to do the opposite and think about it for himself. The motherland will add a territory many times larger and merge the entire Ming Dynasty into Siam..."
Zhu Yourong raised his head and shouted helplessly: "Uncle!"
Shen Rongxuan smiled and said:
"Master Hou, can you tell me what the difference is?"
"Of course there is a difference!" Zheng Gongyin spoke plausibly, and became more and more excited as he spoke, "The name of our Ming Dynasty will no longer be Ming Dynasty, but will become Siam; the national surname will no longer be Zhu, but will be their Siamese surname; the Manchu Dynasty will The civil, military, and royal relatives will no longer be the same people as they are now. He may transfer those Siamese ministers from Bangkok to Nanjing to rule our Han people! Our official language will no longer be Chinese or Chinese characters, but Their Siamese language!... And our national costume will no longer be Hanfu, but Siamese national costume! By then, the tragedy of the Ming Dynasty people who were forced to shave their hair and change clothes will definitely happen again today. now!"
The more he spoke, the more outrageous he became. Even Zheng Yucong couldn't listen anymore. She frowned and softly shouted: "Dad!"
Shen Rongxuan shook his head and smiled:
"Master Marquis, whether you shave your hair and change your clothes or force a big country to change its name or writing, it must be backed by the absolute superiority of force. It cannot be done by just parachuting into another country and becoming the emperor." . If he really tried this, then from the moment he announced it, he would no longer be the Emperor of Ming Dynasty. The people of Ming Dynasty, the ministers of Ming Dynasty, the army and fleet of Ming Dynasty, as well as the garrison and People's Guard of Nanjing, They will no longer be loyal to him.
"It is no exaggeration to say that if he tried this at eight o'clock, he would be kicked off the stage at a quarter past eight. At that time, any of your Majesty's sisters, or the Marquis, you, or me, or Xiang Xiaoqiang, anyone would just be on the radio If you say a few words here, then a few palace staff can catch him without even asking for the Imperial Guard... Do you believe this, Lord Marquis?"
Zheng Gongyin was speechless by what he said. This was indeed the case. Zheng Gongyin's face was hot at the moment, like a fire. He kept complaining to himself that it would have been better if he had calmed his brain before speaking just now.
…
Shen Rongxuan continued:
"Actually, Mr. Marquis, I also understand where your worries lie. You may be worried that even after the merger of Ming and Siam, the new emperor will always feel that he is a Siamese, and will always consciously or unconsciously make mistakes in various policies. Tilt towards the original Siam area and take extra care of Siam. Is my guess correct?"
This is what Zheng Gongyin thinks in his heart, and he has to admit:
"good."
Shen Rongxuan smiled and said:
"The Marquis is overly worried. In fact, this is exactly what we want to do. If we merge Siam, then even if the new emperor does not have Siamese blood, we will vigorously develop and support the original Siam area. Because since After the merger, we will not treat this place as a colony, but as the mainland of the Ming Dynasty. The original Siamese people will also become citizens of the Ming Dynasty. They will become an ethnic minority in southwest China like the Dai, Zhuang, and Yi people. .
"More importantly, because the Ming Emperor was half-Siamese, the original Siamese people would accept his rule heartily. In their view, it was not that the Ming Dynasty annexed them, but that their king came to the Ming Dynasty and became the emperor. .Then, even if there are other Siamese nobles or political forces who want to seek Siam's independence, it will be much more difficult because it will be difficult for him to get the response of the people.
"On the other hand, compared with the Ming Dynasty, Siam is culturally and economically backward. After the merger, it will only quickly accept the Ming Dynasty's culture, immigration, and economic construction, and be influenced and assimilated by the Ming Dynasty at a very fast speed. .This is much more effective than armed aggression in defeating Siam.
"In fact, the main ethnic group in Siam now is the Tai people. Like the Dai people in our country, they are all branches of the original Baiyue people in southwest China. The Tai people and the Dai people have different cultural customs, eating habits, languages, etc. They are all very similar and can be said to have the same culture and species. The Dai people in the Ming Dynasty will become the "advance army" for assimilation into the Siam area and become an intermediate link between the Tai people and the Han people.
"Master Marquis, you have to notice that if the assimilation measures I mentioned are implemented by an emperor who has nothing to do with Siam, then no matter how good we are to Siam, the people there will think that we are invading. They. But now that the new emperor is both the son of Ming Dynasty and the son of Siam, his execution is very natural. No one can say anything about it not only in Siam but also internationally."
"Your Majesty," Shen Rongxuan turned to Zhu Yourong and said solemnly, "if the Ming Dynasty controls Siam, it can firmly or even permanently control Sumatra. And Sumatra's annual oil production can reach 10 million tons. The strategy provided by Our position enables us to influence the entire South Ocean and control the chokepoint from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific, putting us in a very advantageous position when facing Japan and the United Kingdom. Moreover, Your Majesty, Siam and The combined land area of Sumatra exceeds one million square kilometers, which is more than one-third of the existing territory of the Ming Dynasty!
"Your Majesty, now we only need one marriage, and we are very likely to master all this! If we master all this, we will leave an immeasurable wealth to future generations of China! Moreover, the national power of Ming Dynasty will also be greatly enhanced. In just one generation, we can switch from a strategic defensive to a strategic offensive against the Qing invaders, making the great ideal of recovering the northern territory no longer an empty talk!
"Your Majesty, all this can be realized with just one marriage! Your Majesty, the evaluation you left in the history textbook will be on par with Empress Changping! Your Majesty! I ask you to do your best for the people of the Ming Dynasty and the people of the northern motherland. The country, the country, and the country will last for thousands of generations, so that the Ming Dynasty can always maintain its position as a powerful country in the world!"
Shen Rongxuan rarely talks so excitedly. Especially the last few sentences are not his style. These relatives all know why he worked so hard this time.
Shen Rongxuan came to power by helping the royal family seize power from foreign ministers. Now that he has become a foreign minister, he is thinking about taking power away from the royal family again. The emperor has been away from his capital for a long time, so the national power will definitely be lost. Everything will fall into the hands of the cabinet. Ming's "virtual monarchy" will become even more "virtual", and Ming will gradually become a country where the real cabinet dominates everything.
…
But now that these words were finished, there was silence in the imperial study room. Several people from the foreign relatives' faction shut their mouths. They looked at each other, and for a while no one could think of any appropriate words to refute. Zhu Yourong lowered his head and sighed deeply. He buried his face in his hands, feeling extremely painful inside.
Zheng Yucong couldn't bear to see her cousin like this. After thinking for a while, she asked Shen Rongxuan again:
"Uncle Shen, what if the King of Siam thought of this trick and intended not to pass the throne to His Majesty's son, but to the sons of other concubines?"
Shen Rongxuan smiled slightly and said naturally:
"It's very simple, seize the throne. Your Majesty's son has our Ming Dynasty behind him, and we will support him with all our strength. If necessary, he can ask the Ming Dynasty to send troops to support him, and of course our Ming Dynasty will agree. And even if we send troops, the nature is not aggression, but It's just interference, and it's interference at the request of the Prince of Siam. Therefore, he will definitely get the throne."
There is nothing more to say now.
Zhu Yourong struggled with pain in her heart. After this incident, she discovered that her love for Xiang Xiaoqiang was so deep.
She also knew that what Shen Rongxuan said about how much benefit Ming would benefit from marrying herself was indeed an exaggeration. But even if 30 to 40% of the water was squeezed out, the benefits to Ming would be immeasurable. The worst outcome is that he will have no male heir after marrying the prince of Siam. But as long as he marries into the royal family of Siam, that will be enough, and it will have provided sufficient conditions for Ming Dynasty to intervene in Siam.
Zhu Yourong knew that she was not the kind of person who would risk everything for love or happiness. On the one hand, she shouldered the responsibility of being the king of a country, and on the other hand, in terms of personality, she did not dare to love or hate like her cousin Zheng Yucong.
For her own happiness, Zheng Yucong could wade through cold water late at night and climb over the wall to escape from her house. Zhu Yourong knew that she would never be able to do such a thing.
However, it is for love, so what if you are happy...Does it have anything to do with your love and happiness whether you marry the Prince of Siam?...Yes, as long as you don't want to, no one can force you to marry.
Prince of Siam. The question is, what I love is Xiang Xiaoqiang. Can I marry Xiang Xiaoqiang without marrying the prince of Siam? In other words, if I don’t marry the prince of Siam, I can fall in love freely like ordinary people.
Choose a lover?
...obviously impossible.
Because of their identities, their insurmountable identities, she and Xiang Xiaoqiang are destined to be inseparable... I don't know if he has feelings for me, but my feelings for him will definitely be buried deep in my heart forever... Is this related to whether he has feelings for me?
It doesn't matter if you marry a Siamese prince.
...Your Majesty, if Ming Dynasty controls Siam, it can firmly and even permanently control Sumatra...
…Your Majesty, Sumatra’s annual oil production can reach 10 million tons…
…Your Majesty, the combined land area of Siam and Sumatra is more than one-third of the Ming Dynasty’s current territory…
...Your Majesty, we will leave an immeasurable wealth to future generations of the Chinese nation...
…Your Majesty, the great ideal of recovering the northern territory is no longer an empty talk…
...Your Majesty, all this can be realized with just one marriage!!!
…
If, if your own happiness is destined not to be realized...if you are destined not to have your own love...then why not do something meaningful to the country and the nation?
If Ming Dynasty could add one-third of its land, oil fields with an annual output of tens of millions of tons, and a series of huge benefits, she would certainly not be reluctant to wear the hat of queen on her head and the power in her hands that she has barely used.
Moreover, I don’t dislike the place in Siam. The Prince of Siam has also seen it. He is handsome, elegant, and well-educated. He is not annoying. If he had never met Xiang Xiaoqiang, the Prince of Siam would also be quite ideal.
I'm getting married.
Zhu Yourong convinced himself in this way, and kept thinking about Shen Rongxuan's words, and almost blurted out "I am willing to go to Siam."
But at this moment, Xiang Xiaoqiang's face suddenly appeared in his mind. Zhu Yourong's tears fell all of a sudden.
Everyone was startled. Shen Rongxuan's mind was like lightning and he immediately asked:
"Your Majesty, do you have a sweetheart?"
Everyone was shocked when he asked this question. Zheng Gongyin, Mrs. Li, and Zheng Yucong all looked at Zhu Yourong and blurted out:
"Rongrong!"
"cousin!"
Zhu Yourong got excited, quickly wiped away his tears and said:
"No!"
Then she took a deep breath, sighed softly, sat upright, and said seriously:
"Shen Aiqing, don't talk nonsense!"
Shen Rongxuan immediately bowed his head and said in a deep voice:
"I have acted presumptuously. Your Majesty will atone for my sins!"
…
In Berlin, Xiang Xiaoqiang had a terrible birthday. The news that Zhu Yourong might marry Siam made him very sad. In addition, Zhu Yourong's departure from Ming Dynasty would mean the end of his path to power. He was like an ant on a hot pot, anxious.
I had to go around in circles, wishing that all the conditions could be negotiated in one day, wishing that the Germans would do whatever they said, or simply make Hitler hot, and pack up their bags and go back as soon as the talks collapsed... But in the morning, I made Qiu Qiu sad again.
.
Xiang Xiaoqiang regretted it so much that he really wanted to slap himself several times.
He recalled how he had racked his brains, sweet-talked, and tried his best to charm Qiu Qiu when he and Qiu Qiu were eating soup-filled steamed dumplings at "Shunde Garden" when he first arrived in the Ming Dynasty.
My life experience at that time, why I fell from the sky to someone else's periscope, such a big lie can be told without blinking an eye. This morning, there was a telegram with "Tingzhi" and "Yourong" written on it. I really couldn't figure it out.
Already?
After much deliberation, isn't it because I have already married Qiu Qiu and it feels stale and I am too lazy to spend more time on her?
He originally wanted to spend his birthday quietly, but when he went to the Chancellery to negotiate this morning, Hitler was talking loudly, and suddenly a secretary handed over a small note. Then Hitler burst into flames with passion and indignation.
His expression changed to a kind smile and he said:
"Sir, I want to wish you a happy birthday!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang was startled, and then he remembered that the Germans weren't just for a living. There must be a thick bag of information about him in the SS archives, and there might be even more secretive ones, not to mention things like birthdays that are not confidential.
.
"Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister," Xiang Xiaoqiang smiled, recalling the year of Hitler's birth. "I remember that it is also your birthday in a week. I hope that between our birthdays, a cooperation treaty between the two countries can be successfully signed.
This is a generous birthday gift for Mr. Prime Minister and myself."
Hitler smiled, nodded and said:
"The proposal is good, I agree!...Then, let's get to work!"
He paused, recalled something, and said:
"Mr. General, you just mentioned which generals you would like to meet this afternoon?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang looked into Hitler's eyes and said word by word:
"General Varner von Fritsch, General Ludwig Beck, and General Heinz Wilhelm Guderian."
Hitler frowned, shook his head, and tapped his fingers on the documents on the table... He could have dispatched some high-level military talents to the Ming Dynasty, but Xiang Xiaoqiang in front of him was so open-minded that he mentioned it all at once from the beginning.
Such three people.
One is the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, the other is the Chief of General Staff of the Army, and the other is the Director-General of Armored Forces.
Impossible, absolutely impossible. That’s not what the asking price is.