Ryukyu, Naha! After the public memorial meeting, when the public's mood had not completely calmed down, another ladle of hot oil was poured on public opinion, and the flames were raging again.
First, the Chinese Times was the first to disclose this shocking news. Ryukyu King Shang Tai officially announced his dedication to the Chinese Parliament.
Everyone was confused, except for the big shots who had known the inside story for a long time. As for the ordinary people, it was the first time they heard the word "dedicated government".
There was an uproar in the public opinion for a while, and people were talking about it and they really didn't know what they were offering to offer their government.
Newspapers began to print extra pages in an intensive manner to provide a detailed explanation of the donation.
What is a country? A collection of land, people, culture, and government is called a country. The Ryukyu Islands have their own land, millions of people, and a unique culture that has absorbed the civilization of the mainland. Of course, there is also a feudal society with the Sho family as the main body. government.
In ancient times, the Ryukyu Islands had been in a state of division. The tribes fought against each other and the people's lives could not even be guaranteed. It was not until the early Ming Dynasty that the Zhongshan Kingdom led by the Shang family rose up strongly and unified other tribes. Only then did the Ryukyu Kingdom come into being. territory.
After five hundred years of ups and downs, the canonization decree of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty is still hidden in the palace in the inner city, but the world has become strange.
The sea is no longer a dangerous route. Europeans have turned the sea into a land of wealth. The concept of the world is extremely clear. War has changed from regional exchanges in the past to global warfare.
Britain and France have been able to deploy their forces around the world, which was completely unimaginable in ancient times, and more and more countries have entered this club of great powers. I believe that in the not-too-distant future, there will be more than just Britain and France on the oceans of Asia. The navy has appeared, and more powers will enter the era of deploying force all over the world.
The world is armed! This is a dream that any ancient king would be passionate about but unable to fulfill.
Alexander's Eastern Expedition continued all the way to India, but his dreams of death were over. Genghis Khan's cavalry craze swept across Europe and Asia and even reached the doorstep of Egypt, but he did not see the snow of Kilimanjaro or the city in the Andes.
Only in today's world, Western civilization, riding on the strong east wind of the technological explosion in the era of rationality, has truly achieved a world-wide military deployment that the ancients could not even imagine.
The navy of the Empire of the Sun Never Sets gallops on all the world's oceans. In theory, all coastlines are areas they can attack. Africa, Oceania, and North and South America have become the back garden for the British navy to come and go at will.
Large pieces of land became their colonies, and an ordinary governor already had the authority of a king. Strong ships and cannons opened the country's doors, and all those who disobeyed were massacred.
This is an extremely cruel era. Powers do not believe in tears, and capital will not accept the ancient tradition of tribute. When capitalism upgrades to more cruel imperialism, those backward countries are destined to become the fuel of powerful countries.
King Shangtai had no choice. In the process of spreading Western learning to the East, he really learned a lot from Xiao Letian, especially in his judgment of the future world pattern.
In the future, small and weak countries will have limited territory, sparse population, lack of resources, and weak military... Such countries will not be able to climb the technological tree on their own, and they will not even be able to establish a large industrial system.
There are only three final consequences for a country like this. One is that it is located in a remote area with few resources and inconvenient geographical transportation. No country is willing to invade you. You can just hold on to that little bit of land and be slowly forgotten by the times. In the future, your country may become a living fossil praised by anthropologists.
The second type of country has resources and is valuable but weak, so annexation is inevitable. There was no international order before World War I, and power was the only way to resolve disputes.
A small country like Ryukyu will either be annexed by Japan or the United States. Even Britain and France can easily destroy the country if they are interested.
The third type of countries is very special, such as Switzerland, Belgium and some countries in Central Asia, or some small countries in Southeast Asia. Their geographical location is very important, so important that all the great powers covet it.
Precisely because all hungry wolves want to occupy it, this creates a delicate balance. These countries can protect their own country through careful diplomatic means, and even some special countries can even live a very, very good life by improving the quality of their people. Well, you can even lead the world in a certain industry.
It's a pity that Ryukyu does not belong to the third type, let alone the first type. Ryukyu's fate is only the second type!
Wan Guo Jin Liang, the first island chain in mainland China, has a better geographical location than anyone else. And the country itself is still poor and weak, with no industrial base at all, and its talent pool is completely medieval, so Ryukyu's future is nothing but death.
Now it seems that being annexed by the Chinese is inevitable, and the Chinese are not absolutely safe and peaceful. There are still many dangers waiting for him in the future. If Xiao Letian makes any mistakes, everything about the Chinese may become Western. Food in the mouths of the great powers.
After long thought and careful analysis, King Shangtai finally made a decision that shocked the world.
"The Shang royal family can no longer lead millions of Ryukyu people towards new hope. In the face of this changing era, with a true heart of seeking welfare for all people, King Shangtai announced his official dedication to the Chinese people. Parliament, the Kingdom of Ryukyu has officially become the first franchising country under the Chinese flag!”
The power of the kingdom in the Chinese era was basically covered by the six divisions.
The Ministry of Household Affairs is in charge of national household registration, finance, treasury and other responsibilities, while the Ministry of Personnel is in charge of personnel, appointing and removing officials across the country and conducting assessments.
The Ministry of Rites is responsible for sacrifices, ceremonies, culture and education, and even includes some diplomatic powers.
The Ministry of War is in charge of war, the Ministry of Criminal Justice is in charge of the judicial system, and the Ministry of Industry is in charge of the construction of major national projects and infrastructure.
As the head of a country, the king and emperor directly command the six ministries to run the entire country. He enjoys the financial support of the entire country and has absolute centralized power, but he also bears the responsibility of the entire country.
If any department fails to do well, the king must bear the responsibility first. This was the basic operating model of Asian countries in the Middle Ages.
Now King Shang Tai has finally figured it out. This world is too complicated and he can no longer handle it. He can't deal with any of the hungry wolves.
How to do it? I don’t want to end up with the tragic end of ruining my country and my family!
Then there is only one final outcome, and that is to give away the power in his hands and integrate the six ministries and powers into the Chinese management system. Anyway, the prime minister still makes the decision in this country now, so Xiao Letian might as well be promoted to the Chinese prime minister and take full control of it. Just get it.
When he gave away his power, he also gave up his responsibility on behalf of King Shangtai. From now on, whether the Ryukyu Islands can be managed well or not, this responsibility does not rest on his shoulders.
