Since the Accounting: A Chronicle of the Roman Khanate

Chapter 587: French Strategy for Cochinchina
After Guo Kang's brigade was officially established, he himself did not have time to rest, but became even busier. Before going out, there were many preparations to be made, and there were various tasks every day, which were either given to him directly or arranged by him.

Guo Kang sometimes wanted to learn from Zhu Wenkui and push things away. As the top leader, power and responsibility always coexist. People always have to provide something to convince others and maintain power. Zhu Wenkui can provide identity and legitimacy, which cannot be replaced by others. So even if he doesn't take care of things, everyone is happy to support him - anyway, he doesn't have much desire for power, and he doesn't even ask for much money, so it doesn't matter if others take care of him.

But Guo Kang was involved in military power, and everyone wanted him to go further. There were many things that he couldn't avoid even if he wanted to. So, he had to do things himself.

In fact, his reputation had spread since the turmoil before the Lunar New Year. During the Lunar New Year, some Ross monks and believers returned to their hometowns and spread the news of his deeds during various festivals and religious ceremonies. After the Lunar New Year, some people came to see him because of his reputation.

The first to arrive were the church people. The Kiev church had been paying close attention to this incident, and after the end of martial law in Dadu, several bishops came to visit him and express their gratitude. Some Russian nobles also came to him and tried every means to get close to him.

Of course, there are more ordinary people.

Guo Kang didn't know what the priests had spread, but one month after the incident, it seemed to have spread to the land of Ross.

At that time, the Khanate rewarded meritorious people, and those who helped him fight that day were all rewarded. Those who wanted to stay were granted household registration; those who wanted to return home were given a bounty to return. The adoptive father and mother also came forward in the name of the family and gave everyone an extra sum of money as a reward. After having some money in their pockets, many Russians chose to go home first - most of them did not have this opportunity. Not to mention going back to visit relatives and friends, it was already difficult to avoid dying outside without a sound.

He originally thought that the incident would end there. But after the New Year, these people came back one after another, calling each other and bringing more monks and believers. For a time, the area from the dock to the slums was even more lively than before the incident.

The fire that day reduced many buildings to ruins. However, under the organization of Tang Sai'er, Captain Jie Shika, Li Li and others, the supply of materials there was sufficient, and the aftermath work went smoothly. She selected people with some skills or strong bodies from the residents and formed a team of several hundred people to stay in the city to carry out the cleanup work.

After all, the Purple Tent Khanate was a normal dynasty, and Tang Sai'er and others had good management skills. After all, they were not like some feudal countries that could not even clean up the ruins after the disaster. Now, most areas had been cleaned up, which gave Guo Kang the opportunity to continue to promote urban reconstruction and realize his uncle's plan.

These newcomers soon began to build new houses in an orderly manner under their organization, and gradually settled down in and outside the city. Many of them came for Guo Kang.

After the brigade was officially established, the news that Russians could be recruited officially spread, and people flocked to join the army. Guo Kang had no plan to recruit so many people, and his staff was not enough. As a result, these Russians chased him every day and volunteered everywhere. Guo Kang wanted to hide at first, but Da Lama Wang and Father Mikhail and others came every day to urge him to show up. So, even though time was tight, he had to add this task.

That day, he took a break from his busy schedule and wrote something while sorting out documents at the Niangniang Temple. However, Tuohuan still came to ask about his recent situation.

In the morning, as soon as he entered the office, Guo Kang said, "I have to do other things today. Don't start talking about meeting someone. I'm too busy. Master Wang insisted that I go meet those guys who call themselves the leaders of the 'free men'. They are very rude. No matter what kind of banquet, they just want to get drunk. I really don't want to drink with them."

"You have to drink when you are with these people. You should practice more." Tuo Huan said bluntly: "But this is not the first thing we should do today."

"When I came, Hulubuha's maid was delivering a letter saying that she would be back from her journey this afternoon and wanted to ask if you would go to see her in the evening. But the maid didn't know where you were, so I asked for your help."

"I'm so busy, what is she going to do?" Guo Kang immediately refused: "I have to entertain those leaders tonight, so I definitely can't find her."

"what?"

Seeing that Guo Kang would rather go drink with the Cossacks than look for her, Tuohuan had no choice but to nod and say that she would let her know when she returned.

"You can do this too." Tuo Huan muttered, "Why were you so resistant before? You will definitely have to do this kind of work often in the future."

"I mainly don't want to meet those noble representatives. It's too embarrassing." Guo Kang said truthfully: "Those local nobles, more or less, were previously related to the Ross Gang that was cleared out."

"I'm not stupid. The Ross Mafia in the city is not a tree without roots. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to do this kind of human trafficking for so long and have connections with the Khanate's high-ranking officials. At the very least, if they want to 'import' people, they must get the tacit approval of the local bosses. I estimate that there will be many who will directly support them."

“Is that so…” Tuohuan didn’t seem to understand much.

"Hey, it's the same all over the world." Guo Kang shook his head: "No matter if they are Europeans, Africans or East Asians, no matter what religion they believe in. Most slaves were actually sold by their fellow villagers. So this incident is actually nothing surprising. As long as they didn't participate in the riots, I can't say anything. But in my heart, I still don't like it - just think of it as me having a mental obsession with cleanliness."

"Then you don't have to worry about it." Tuo Huan said without hesitation: "These people won't be able to jump for long, just treat it as a matter of course. There's nothing to worry about in the end."

"The church's report said that at least half of the laborers in our city come from the relatively nearby Russian noble territories - because they are close, the transportation costs are also low. We have determined that if we want to invest more energy in developing the Russian land, we need to change the chieftains into officials. When changing the chieftains into officials, the first chieftains to be eliminated are these local snakes."

"Then why should I deal with them?" Guo Kang asked.

"That's because these people are our primary targets in the next phase, so we don't need to tear our faces off with them now and make them alert." Tuo Huan explained seriously: "Because at this time, we have to use both soft and hard tactics."

"The Russians, like many other barbarians, have two sides. They are savage and cunning, and like to boast about faith and sacrifice, but they are often full of small thoughts and sometimes unexpectedly delicate. These customs are probably the result of the harsh environment of that land for a long time."

"If we suppress them forcefully, these people will unite and resist firmly, causing great trouble; but if we use tactics to appease some of them and make them lose their common enemy, they will be driven by self-interest and start fighting among themselves, creating many opportunities."

"So, in terms of overall strategy, you must remain tough, otherwise the Russians will think you are weak. When dealing with a specific matter, you cannot be too rigid, making them feel that they still have some room to maneuver. In this way, they will quickly disband."

"Now, the first stage of 'toughness' has been successful. The entire Ross land will soon know that you used thundering means to eliminate the enemy and destroyed all Ross gangs, so you are not lacking in toughness. And the next step, when you face them, you need to be more polite and tactful, so that they feel that they still have a way out."

"That's too easy to fool." Guo Kang didn't quite believe it.

"That's what I did myself," Tuohuan said. "Some time ago, some people took the opportunity of the New Year pilgrimage to come and see us. I comforted them with kind words, and they immediately relaxed. Of course, the environment may have also had an impact."

"The environment in Dadu is indeed more comfortable. Even after a major case, the conditions are definitely much better than in Ross. You can find half the world's fine wine here." He shook his head: "Those Ross local tyrants drink and have fun in the city all day long. I heard that some people quickly owed a lot of debts and fled back in a hurry. Some have already started to report each other, saying that they have obtained dirt on their neighbors and want to find us to work for them in exchange for some benefits."

"Their requirements are really low..." Guo Kang said helplessly.

"Well, this is probably the custom over there." Tuohuan couldn't really explain it clearly.

Guo Kang really didn't like these people, and didn't want to get involved in their affairs. But after thinking about it, he decided to give in. "Then I'll cooperate and deal with them a few times. Anyway, I'll just be a vase, show up and say some polite words." Guo Kang scratched his head: "After that, these things dealing with all kinds of weird people can be pushed to Theodora. Anyway, she's done with her work for the time being."

"She also said she wanted to go to the west for a tour. She may not be free to host so many banquets recently." Tuo Huan told him: "Grandma will also go back to her hometown soon, so it's a good opportunity to take her with her."

"That's good. She's finally getting down to business..." Guo Kang muttered.

"What are you writing now?" Tuo Huan asked, "You should go to the military camp more often. I heard your sister complain yesterday that you learned bad things from Xiao Zhu. You don't go to the camp every day and make all kinds of excuses to be lazy... I don't know what's going on, but you'd better not learn this kind of thing from him."

"It's not like he didn't do anything at all." Guo Kang explained for Zhu Wenkui: "They have been holding meetings every day these past two days to discuss the situation. But some things can't be known to too many people - even Lady Jeanna and Little Jeanna, it's best to keep it secret for the time being."

"Oh? What's going on? Can you tell me?" Tuohuan asked curiously.

"I was planning to tell you this because this matter is closely related to Rome. However, their ideas are still very rough and need to be carefully adjusted." Guo Kang said: "Right now, there is only a general idea that looks quite... radical."

"What kind of radical method is this?" Tuohuan asked.

"Right now, the barbarian countries are all in turmoil." Guo Kang said, "Old King Wu sent someone to deliver a message saying that the situation there is very unstable. Princess Ma wanted to persuade him to come back, but he was quite excited and said this was a rare opportunity."

"Someone from Captain Jessica's side also came to meet with him and said that the conflict between the parties is getting more and more intense. So I guess he is not just bragging this time, they really want to start a fight."

"Old King Wu feels that this scene is very familiar. You see, the people in Bohemia and other places are dissatisfied with the foreign rulers. This is already there. The secret religion among the people is spreading rapidly and has even begun to be public. This is also the next step. It should be for everyone to use this religion to establish an organization and overthrow the barbarian rulers. So, obviously, this is an opportunity for the heroes who were suppressed before to rise again. He also wrote a letter saying that the emperor's grandfather started his career in this environment, and he also hopes to emulate him. Therefore, he has been stepping up contact with various people recently, hoping to take the opportunity to start an uprising."

"Is that so?" Tuo Huan was a little surprised: "His grandfather is good, he himself..."

"Well, I don't know. Xiao Zhu was very worried. If he thought it really couldn't work, he would persuade the old King Wu to come over and send someone else to prevent him from giving orders blindly." Guo Kang couldn't say for sure: "But then again, the difficulty in Europe is much lower. Let's see if there is any chance..."

"We are not in a hurry to move west now, but if they start a rebellion, we will definitely find an opportunity to help them." Tuo Huan said, "But to be honest, I don't know how to intervene in these matters. In our era, changes are really too fast, and our dispatch can't keep up. Who would have thought that such a thing would happen before..."

"I think things will only get worse." Guo Kang continued, "There's also news from France that all parties are beginning to gather their forces again. I guess the war will continue soon."

"I heard that the parties over there are very dissatisfied with the previous treaty." Tuohuan said, "Besides, the new King Henry of England has been on the throne for less than a year, right? He even rebelled against his father in order to fight for the throne, and now he has many opponents inside and outside the court. If given the opportunity, this man will definitely find a way to start a war. After all, with military merits, everything will be easy to talk about."

"That's right." Guo Kang agreed, "The French are not willing to give up and are raising troops. I heard from Lao Qiao's sister that some royalist nobles have started to borrow money from them, and they are probably going to take some action. The impact this time is probably not small. Even the Alemanni princes want to take the opportunity to get involved."

"We can still intervene in Bohemia, but France is too far away, right?" Tuo Huan asked, "What do they think?"

"Ms. Tang San's subordinate, the man named Li Li, mentioned an idea before. Xiao Zhu thought it made sense, so he told me." Guo Kang replied: "He believes that France is very large, and there are many interested parties involved, so it is impossible to swallow it all at once. Although we have some banners in our hands to promote little Jeanne, to be honest, this is not a high priority heir, and the appeal may not be very high, so we can't be too optimistic."

"At present, the King of France cannot govern, so the great nobles are fighting each other, trying to control the court. If they succeed, with France's wealth and level of centralization, they can directly become the actual ruler of the largest country in Western Europe. But on the other hand, because the interests are too great, no one is willing to submit to anyone else, and the contradictions are becoming increasingly fierce, but there is no way to reach a conclusion."

"So, under the current circumstances, don't think about going to the French court to fight. Princess Jeanne went outside to get reinforcements, which was the right idea; but she wanted to earn fame, gain reputation, and accumulate a group of trusted people so that she could go back and fight for power, which is a problem. The Wu Palace is even less suitable for this idea now."

"His idea is to first find an opportunity to establish a foothold there, and then slowly operate and expand its influence. This is the most suitable choice for both the Wu Palace and Rome."

"That's the truth. So where does he want to choose? Is it feasible?" Tuohuan asked.

"Just find a port in the south. Wasn't Marseille a traditional Greek city back then?" Guo Kang said, "He believes that although France is large, the differences between different places are also significant. Generally speaking, it can be divided into three parts and treated separately."

"The northernmost area is called 'Northern Vietnam' by custom." Guo Kang found a map and introduced it, "This place has always been a barbarian area. Now there is a large area controlled by England, or coveted by local nobles and even the princes of the Holy Roman Empire. Don't intervene in such places for the time being, just let them manage it themselves."

"This area in southern France has a different cultural style. The language, customs, and even religious beliefs are somewhat different. This place has always been greatly influenced by Rome and Greece. Until modern times, the Cathars who rebelled there were said to be from Greece. And France's rule here is not particularly solid. It will definitely be easier to start from a place like this."

"Another force that is interested in this place is the Iberian power. The Kingdom of Aragon in the west has always wanted to control the French South Vietnam, and they happen to be our enemy. In the early years, when we were marching into Italy, a conflict broke out. Since this conflict is completely unavoidable, we don't need to hide it."

"So he thinks that the situation in southern France and southern Cochin seems to be similar. Just like whoever controls Cochin South Vietnam must fight against Cambodia and Laos, whoever occupies French Cochin South Vietnam will probably have to fight against the Kingdom of Aragon. And our current strategy of moving south, west, and developing in North Africa can be linked to this strategy. If we can distract their energy in the south, we can make them give up their intention to move east, so that we can concentrate on dealing with other enemies."

"You can make such an analogy..." Tuo Huan felt a little fresh: "This person seems to like to use his brain. We can think about it later."

"He..." Guo Kang thought for a moment and said, "Anyone who can deal with Yuan Ming must have some skills. It must be enough to deal with the European nobles."

"In addition to the nobles, there are also kings and so on." Tuohuan said: "How should we deal with the royal family better?"

"We can establish a French Central Vietnamese regime in the core area previously ruled by the royal family from Paris to Orleans, and continue to support them to become a buffer state." Guo Kang said: "Of course, the English will probably not be willing to accept this, but we can also make use of this process. Anyway, our goal for the time being is just to influence and control Cochinchina."

"They can prepare for this matter first. It just so happens that we can contact many people at the Wu Wangfu, and we can also investigate more and learn more about the situation. In addition, Le Loi is also negotiating with the Yuan people. There are many Jiaozhi people in Java who are not satisfied with their rule, but they don't want to surrender to the Ming Dynasty. Many of these people are local bosses from big families, so there are still many educated people." He told Tog Huan: "Le Loi wants to gather these people together and go to the west to try to make a career in France."

"They are still thinking about this." Tuohuan said in surprise: "Why are these Jiaozhi people so obsessed with France..."

"I don't know either. Let's just observe first." Guo Kang suggested.

(End of this chapter)