Dominate the Country

It was the end of the year, and the whole of Nanjing was in a commotion, with all the government departments busy. However, as the master of the Prince's Mansion who was above the military, political, financial, and legal departments, Chen Ming had some free time.

At this time, the monarch did not need to make any work reports to his subjects, as that was the business of the ministries.

Walking in the back garden, the Mandarin Duck Pavilion was hidden among the pines and cypresses, revealing a corner of the eaves. It is said that this is the only Fangsheng Pavilion in Jiangnan. Fangsheng, also known as Shuangling, refers to two overlapping diamonds. The base of the pavilion is Fangsheng, with double tops on top. From a distance, it looks like two pavilions standing side by side, but from a close look, it is a single pavilion, small and exquisite, and quite unique.

Chen Ming thought it was very beautiful, with flying eaves and corners, like a pair of mandarin ducks about to fly, and it was very vivid under the shade of green pines, cypresses, loquats, and osmanthus trees. Chen Ming knew that there were some vivid and lifelike carvings of dragons, phoenixes, lions, and tigers in the pavilion. Walking into Fangsheng Pavilion, you can see the hexagonal pavilion on the rockery in the east and the untied boat in the pool in the west. This is a beautiful view.

Chen Ming's Prince's Mansion is very large. This place was the political center of Jiangnan in the Ming Dynasty. The Governor's Office of Liangjiang was set up here in the Qing Dynasty. During the Qianlong period, it was the palace for the southern tour. If Chen Ming had not changed China's history, it would still be the location of the Heavenly King's Mansion of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom eighty years later. After the Hunan Army conquered Tianjing, Zeng Guofan rebuilt it based on the scale and layout of the old Governor's Office three years ago, and it was still the Governor's Office of Liangjiang in the Qing Dynasty. Later, Sun Dapao took office as the interim president here, and Chiang Kai-shek's presidential palace was also here.

After Chen Han established the relocation of the capital, as the location of the Prince's Mansion, it was fully "refreshed". The green pines, cypresses, and bamboos are dotted with rocks, and evergreen plants such as pipa, osmanthus, and magnolia decorate the evergreen garden landscape.

The most outstanding craftsmen in Jiangnan have been busy and hardworking here for more than a year. The garden is full of strange stones, lush trees and unique craftsmanship. Ancient cypresses and vines, hundreds of years old, are everywhere, which embellish the garden with interest. More than a hundred ancient trees have been transplanted to this small garden, scattered throughout the garden, and various rock bonsais are placed, all kinds of strange.

Among them is a bonsai made of petrified wood. At first glance, it looks like a long-exposed rotten wood, but it makes a clanging sound when knocked. It is made of stone and is particularly precious. Chen Ming liked it very much after seeing it, and he moved the bonsai back to his study directly.

The area of ​​the garden is not large. It is 50 meters deep from north to south and 80 meters wide from east to west, but the ancient cypresses, old locust trees, exotic flowers and plants, as well as the pavilions and crisscrossing paths dotted among them, make the whole garden both quaint and quiet, and yet not lose the royal atmosphere.

The stone mountain "Duixiu" built with Taihu stones is steep and rugged, and the stone stacking technique is very novel. The Yujing Pavilion on the mountain is the place where the prince's mansion climbs on the Double Ninth Festival. Including Fangsheng Pavilion, the eight pavilions in the entire back garden are symmetrical but not rigid, stretched but not scattered, some are built against the wall and the mountain, and some stand alone, all of which are exquisite and unique, with a proper density.

Chen Ming finished his work early today. It snowed again in Nanjing, and the whole world was covered with a layer of white. The back garden covered with thin white snow must have a different view.

The style of the Fubit Pavilion in the northeast of the garden is unique in the back garden. The hard-mountain roof is covered with green glazed tiles, and the upper and lower parts are painted with bamboo patterns. The doors and windows are also made of nanmu without oil decoration. The beams, rafters, columns and frames seem to be wrapped in verdant green bamboo. The whole building gives people a sense of simplicity and elegance, thus creating a relaxed and elegant atmosphere in the southeast corner of the garden. Among the eight pavilions in the garden, Fubit Pavilion is the most favorite of Chen Ming. In the past, he would stop here when he went to the back garden to relax. But today, the maids and guards outside Fubit Pavilion are strict, but there is no one in the pavilion.

From the corner of Fubit Pavilion is the main road in the south of the back garden. Along the road, there are strange stones, beautiful trees, and green cypress vines against the thin white snow. Chen Ming walked slowly on the path with Li Xiaomei. Just walking slowly, looking at Li Xiaomei who was accompanying him with a smile on her lips and a satisfied look, a warm feeling filled his heart.

It has been a long time since they have taken such a walk alone.

As if awakened from a daze, Chen Ming looked back at Li Xiaomei, whose face was full of happiness, and couldn't help feeling a surge of pity in his heart. He put his hands around her and hugged her into his arms, "I have neglected you these days."

Li Xiaomei in his arms twisted her body unconsciously, trying to raise her head not to look at Chen Ming, but to turn behind her, as if she was still unsure that she was not accompanied.

"Hehe." With a gentle smile, Chen Ming let go of her lovingly, but held her hand tightly. "I am really busy with government affairs these days. I can't get away. But after I ascend the throne next year, I won't be so busy anymore."

At that time, he will change the system and re-establish the status of the attendant room. The cabinet's chief minister will also return to his position!

"Have there been any progress in state affairs these days? Why do I feel that you are in a much happier mood?" Li Xiaomei didn't care about state affairs. She kept her duties very well and took care of the things in the mansion carefully and carefully, just like such questions were just a slap in the face.

Chen Ming laughed loudly and did not answer, but his pride was obvious.

Just this morning, he received several reports from the Military Intelligence Bureau. There was nothing special in the report, but the intelligence from Guangnan showed that the French were getting closer to South Vietnam; the intelligence from Myanmar showed that the British compromised with Myanmar on some territorial disputes in Manipur and Bengal, and bilateral relations were warming up.

Chen Ming knew what was going on without thinking.

Although he had never expected that France would continue to "advance" into South Vietnam, and the time when the British "advanced" into Myanmar was not consistent with the history of the previous time and space, as a time traveler, he could know the plans of Britain and France without even thinking.

The British attached great importance to India and certainly did not want China to have a share;

And China's territory not only borders Myanmar in the southwest, but also Siam, which has a deep hatred for Myanmar, and its king is also of Chinese descent. The Chinese occupy an important position in the military, politics and trade of Siam. As long as the Fu Han Army clears the Qing army in the northwest and northeast, it is likely to turn back and blow the horn of war against Myanmar.

Myanmar certainly cannot withstand the attack of China and Siam, and when Myanmar is destroyed, the Chinese who occupy the outlet of the Bay of Bengal will also border the British sphere of influence. Their eyes will also see India.

It is much easier for China to communicate with India through Myanmar than through Tibet.

The British support Myanmar, nothing more than using Myanmar as a thug to block the attack of China and Siam. When the French attacked South Vietnam, Chen Ming felt that history was repeating itself. Compared with the innocent "origin" of John Bull, the intentions of the French were more ambiguous.

But Chen Ming was not worried about this at all. Because time played a big joke on Britain and France, their decision makers certainly did not expect that next year would be the outbreak period of the American War of Independence. Even if the gunshots in Lexington did not start next year, Chen Ming felt that the contradictions between the thirteen states of North America and London would reach a critical point, and the war would break out sooner or later.

Even if the time was postponed, it would not be postponed for long. Not next year, but the year after, can the Americans still endure for another ten or eight years? In the Seven Years' War, the military expenditure pressure of the London government was transferred to the Americans by them, and the degree of exploitation was to squeeze people dry.

Once the war in North America broke out, could the British continue to support Burma and China? Do they have the courage and energy?

But the Gallic rooster, who was soon persuaded by the Americans and deeply involved in the war, and also dragged in his ally Spain, and fought with John Bull in every corner of the Western world, and Louis XVI, who spent the last livre in the Bourbon Dynasty's treasury, would ignore his "blood feud" with London and focus on his colonial cause in South Vietnam because of the small country of Guangnan, and ignore Franklin's "begging"? That's impossible.

The Gallic rooster and John Bull are now sworn enemies.

Don't think that the victory of the American War of Independence was won by themselves. If it weren't for the French who contributed money and effort, and dragged their allies to fight a "volunteer war" with the British all over the world, Washington and his men would have been hanged on the platform and turned into dried meat.

Just like the British, Chen Ming didn't think that the French had the strength to continue to support the corrupt Guangnan country under the pressure of China after fighting the North American War of Independence. To be honest, Pigneau found the wrong person. He should have found the Nguyen brothers instead of South Vietnam. But there is no regret in this world!

There is a second piece of intelligence from the Guangnan Kingdom, which is about the Tây Sơn Army.

While the northern part of China is covered with ice and snow, it is the most refreshing dry season of the year in Annan. The commander of the Tây Sơn Army, Nguyen Hue, led his army to attack the Guangnan Army from Qui Nhon. The two sides fought with the Guangnan Army in the area of ​​Jinsha (around Da Nang), defeated first and then won, and destroyed more than 20,000 Guangnan Army soldiers, directly opening the way to attack Fuchun, the capital of Guangnan.

In the battle of Jinsha, except for the unsuccessful start, the Tây Sơn Army fought very well. Nguyen Hue confronted the Guangnan Army led by Nguyen Jiufa, the commander of the Hushe Camp under the command of the Nguyen Lord, and the general of the Guangnan Army, Du Qingren, also arrived at the right time with his army, and then defeated the Tây Sơn Army led by Nguyen Hue from both sides. However, the old Nguyen Hue army was good at fighting and did not lose many troops, and the main force was still there.

Nguyen Hue then retreated to Hoi An and sent an order to the navy. Nguyen Lu, the third son of the Nguyen family, led 3,000 navy soldiers to the battle. In addition, Nguyen Yue, Li Cai, Ji Ting and others led more than 5,000 people to the battle. It can be said that the Tây Sơn army put all its capital on the line. The Guangnan army did not know that the Tây Sơn army had received two reinforcements before and after, because at this time the Guangnan army was changing its generals on the battlefield. Zhang Fuluan's son Zhang Fusheng replaced Nguyen Thu Pha to control the military power. Zhang Fusheng was not a material for leading troops to fight. As soon as he arrived at the front line, he rashly let the governor Zheng Rui go first. As a result, the Guangnan army was defeated and Zheng Rui died directly in the battle.

The morale of the Tây Sơn army increased greatly. However, the morale of the Guangnan army plummeted because of the stupid move of the Nguyen Lord Nguyen Phuc Thuan. Nguyen Phuc Thuan not only transferred the veteran general Nguyen Thu Pha back to the court, but also recalled the famous general Du Qingren to Fuchun. Such military power was firmly in the hands of Zhang Fuluan and his party, and the morale of the Guangnan Army also fell to the extreme.

Zhang Fusheng was as timid as a mouse. He originally took away Nguyen Jiufa's position for merit. Seeing that Zheng Rui not only did not win, but was defeated, he was shocked on the spot. He immediately ordered the entire army to retreat to Jinsha, which completely wiped out the Guangnan Army, whose morale was already low.

The Tây Sơn Army was in high spirits. Nguyen Hue led the army to Jinsha again. The Guangnan Army was defeated and lost in the second battle of Jinsha. The loss of soldiers was close to 20,000!

After reading it, Chen Ming didn't know how to evaluate Nguyen Phuc Chun. This man is definitely an idiot.

What's even more ridiculous is that Nguyen Phuc Chun saw that the passage for the Tây Sơn Army to attack Fuchun had been opened, and he immediately learned from Song Huizong. He fled south to Jiading [Saigon] with the princes and ministers, and gave up the throne to his nephew Nguyen Phuc Duong, calling himself the Supreme King.

Although Guangnan has a lot of territory, more than 100,000 troops can be gathered from all over the country, and there are veterans and famous generals such as Du Qingren, Nguyen Jiufa, and Wu Xing, so the country still has great potential. Fuchun still has 10,000 or 20,000 troops, how can the Tây Sơn Army easily conquer it? But with the abandonment and abdication of the coward Nguyen Phuc Thun, a sense of decline arises spontaneously.

"If you say that Guangnan was still strong before the Second Battle of Jinsha, it controlled most of the territory and had great potential. After the Second Battle of Jinsha, the Tây Sơn Army went from weak to strong, and it really had the ability to destroy the Nguyen family's foundation."

In the Annan Civil War of this time and space, there was no North Vietnamese Zheng Sen who took the opportunity to send General Huang Wufu to lead a 50,000-man naval and infantry army to attack Guangnan. The Tây Sơn Army was actually fighting alone and overthrowing the Guangnan Army bit by bit. Of course, it is different from the progress of the previous life, and Chen Han is secretly making trouble.

But now the Tây Sơn Army has won enough strategic advantages. Guangnan has little chance of winning the Fuchun War. If the Tây Sơn Army seizes Fuchun, the foundation of the Southern and Northern Dynasties in Guangnan will be established.

The intervention of the Fu Han Army has turned the historical Annan Three Kingdoms into a two-way struggle, with four forces restraining each other. Chen Ming has really ruined Annan. Li Xiaomei knows Guangnan, the Tây Sơn Army, and the strange surname of the ruler of Nanguang - Nguyen Phuc. But this is too far away from her daily life.

Chen Ming also doesn't tell her about national affairs, unless he is too proud to show off to her. She doesn't think her husband's "hehe" smirk is so hateful. Although Chen Ming's smug smirk makes her think of the fox who stole the chicken, as long as Chen Ming is happy, it's fine.

"Your Highness, are you going to take back North Vietnam and then establish a country in South Vietnam?" Li Xiaomei has heard Chen Ming say more than once, "The world is big, we should look outward." She knows that Chen Ming has plans to launch wars to seize territory, and she also knows that Chen Ming wants to enfeoff his sons, each of whom will establish a vassal state.

This is a vassal state with great independence and autonomy, which is completely different from the internal vassal state, just like Korea.

Although Li Xiaomei feels that the power of the vassal king is too strong, if Chen Ding inherits the throne in the future, it will have a certain impact on the authority of the emperor. But she also knows that this will best guarantee the Chen family's rule for generations. When the world is peaceful, the suzerain state supports the vassal state; and when the Central Plains declines, the vassal state can in turn support the suzerain state. It is impossible that all vassal states will prosper and decline together with the Central Plains, right?

Li Xiaomei, who knows little, thought like this, and she only knew the calculations in Chen Ming's mind as big as a fingernail. If Chen Ming knew her thoughts, he would have to laugh out loud.

He would not establish a vassal state in Indochina, nor in Southeast Asia. The whole of East Asia must become China's back garden, including Australia. The future vassal states are in America and Central Asia...