In the spring of the fourth year of Jianwu in the Song Dynasty, on the second day of the first lunar month, in the Lin'an Palace and Chongde Hall, Emperor Zhao Hong of the Song Dynasty was receiving envoys from various countries with different ideas one by one, serving dishes to each of them, and showing kindness and power.
With the current national prestige of the Song Dynasty, apart from the fact that Tatars can be equals, he really does not need to care too much.
The first person to come in was Dali envoy Gao Xiang. He looked humble and wanted to kneel down, but was stopped by Zhao Hong.
"Messenger Dali, there is no need to kneel down. What is your business?"
Zhao Hong roughly understood what the other party wanted to do.
During his reign, Emperor Duan Zhixiang of Dali promoted virtuous people and cultivated talents, and he was prosperous and prosperous. He was said to have governed the country well and well. But Duan Zhixiang, like his father and brother, believed in Buddhism and was a devout Buddhist.
As for whether he has "one yang finger", it is unknown.
"The Emperor of the Song Dynasty, the king of the Song Dynasty marched south and north, conquering the world, and under the power of the army, the foreign ministers were worried!"
Gao Xiang smiled apologetically and spoke carefully.
Even the emperor of Song Dynasty was not allowed to kneel down and worship. The attitude of the Emperor of Song Dynasty towards Dali Kingdom was obvious.
"Afraid? Are you afraid that the Song Dynasty will destroy your Dali Kingdom?"
Zhao Hong smiled slightly, with a hint of sarcasm on his face.
"Since ancient times, Dali has been the homeland of my Central Plains dynasty. However, the civil strife in the Central Plains and the southwest took the opportunity to gain momentum. I have something to say from the bottom of my heart. Please bring it to the King of Dali, Duan Zhixiang."
"Song Dynasty...the emperor please speak."
Gao Xiang was so frightened that he was sweating profusely and forgot to wipe it off.
"Dali and the Song Dynasty have the same culture and race, and the majority of the people are Han people. They are an integral part of the Song Dynasty. I don't want to use troops against Dali to avoid the loss of life and the suffering of the people. If the whole country comes to Dali, I will treat the Dali royal family and the southwest well. The people, just like the story of Xixia, will never break their promises."
Zhao Hong's words made Gao Xiang nod his head repeatedly.
"Emperor of the Song Dynasty, if the king's army goes on a northern expedition, the Dali Kingdom can send reinforcements to go north together to fight against the thieves!"
After Gao Xiang finished speaking, he quickly retreated.
Encountering such an ambitious and unwilling Song Emperor, the good life of Dali's monarchs and ministers was not easy.
"Envoy from Dongxia, go back and tell the leader of Dongxia that the Tatars are powerful, and Dongxia should join hands with Goryeo to fight against the Tatar army. Goryeo is our vassal state of the Song Dynasty, and they are like father and son. If Dongxia dares to make another mistake, the army will march northward. All jade and stone will be burned, and not even a blade of grass will grow!”
Zhao Hong scolded him sternly. The Dongxia envoy no longer had the composure he had during the court meeting. He nodded repeatedly and was sweating profusely.
"I will obey His Majesty's decree! Dongxia dare not make mistakes! Don't dare make mistakes!"
With the national and military power of the Song Dynasty at this time, if it attacked Dongxia, wouldn't it be possible for Dongxia to destroy its country?
In the face of absolute strength, it is better to be an honest person and wait for the opportunity.
The Goryeo envoy Li Kuibo knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily to express his gratitude.
"Many thanks to the Emperor of the Song Dynasty! The emperor's grace will be remembered by the people of Goryeo! Goryeo is willing to send flanking troops to accompany the king's army in the Northern Expedition."
In this way, I can finally feel at ease when I go back.
"Your envoy has taken the trouble. But there is no need to send soldiers. The King of the Song Dynasty can handle it himself."
Zhao Hong looked kindly and continued:
"Don't worry when you go back. Once Goryeo is in trouble, Goryeo's garrison will march westward. I will never stand idly by!"
In this era, Goryeo was pro-Chinese and willing to be a Chinese dog. Their writing and language were consistent, and they also wanted to help out of humanitarianism.
"Thank you, Emperor Song, for your kindness!"
Li Kui reported respectfully and left.
"Messenger from Bo Ni, if you have any questions, just speak up."
Zhao Hong's words should be more gentle when dealing with the Bo Ni envoy. After all, he had always been kind and gentle, and he was not disrespectful to the Song Dynasty.
"Your Majesty, the Boni Kingdom has always been on good terms with the Song Dynasty. The Song Dynasty suddenly stationed troops and cultivated land in the central part of Boni Kingdom, which made the people of Boni Kingdom jump with fear."
The economy of Shanni is mainly based on agriculture and is rich in dipterocarps. There are more than 100,000 people in the country who cook the sea into salt and brew rice into wine. They have had friendly exchanges with China since the Northern Song Dynasty.
"Messenger from Balni, the Balni Kingdom is only in the northern part of Borneo Island. The central part is deserted. The Balni Kingdom has no government offices and no officials are sent to govern it. It is a natural place. I, the Song Dynasty, sent people to cultivate the land for food and There is no need to embarrass the people of Boni. I promise you that the Song Dynasty will never use troops in Boni. When Boni is invaded by foreign enemies, we, the Song Dynasty, will also send officers and soldiers to help Boni resist foreign enemies. What do you think?"
The Weni Kingdom was a slave society located in northern Borneo, which was later known as Brunei. The Song people cultivated hundreds of miles to the south and had no impact on it at all.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, I will take my leave!"
The envoy of the thick mud had no choice but to retreat.
Bo Ni is a small country with only a few thousand soldiers. The Song Dynasty invaded the world, and even annexing Bo Ni was nothing more than a piece of cake.
As for Borneo, I'm afraid it was just another name given to Bali by the Song Dynasty, which was dissatisfied with its doubts.
"Envoy from the Xinheshali Kingdom, don't worry, I won't do anything to you. Bo Ni has settled in the north, our people of the Song Dynasty are pioneering in the central part of Borneo, and you are on the southern coast. The three of them do not interfere with each other and live in peace."
The Sinhasali Kingdom occupied the island of Java and the southern part of Borneo to the north of the island. The envoy from Xinheshali Kingdom seemed to be worried about the Song Dynasty's invasion from the south, so he asked this question.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
The envoy from Xinheshali Kingdom was satisfied and withdrew.
In front of the huge Song Empire, it was enough to be able to build a country with dignity and respect.
"Envoy Srivijaya, I know what you mean. We, the Song Dynasty, only have one port, and Longmen will not give up. Moreover, Longmen is originally a swamp with only one or two hundred residents. The people of our country, the Song Dynasty, have to make a difficult journey and spend all their manpower and material resources. We, the Song Dynasty, will treat these aboriginal people well. We, the Song Dynasty, will not interfere in your internal affairs of Srivijaya, nor will we invade Palembang and Jambi. You can rest assured!"
The Song Dynasty would naturally not give up the important land of Longmen, Singapore, the gateway to the Strait of Malacca in later generations, and the hub of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
"Messenger from Delhi, although our Great Song Navy has occupied several places in Bengal, Ceylon, and Bombay, they are only supply points for our Great Song Navy along the way. You know, our Great Song Navy wants to expand trade routes to Europe and the American continent, and our Great Song Navy must We will not use troops against Delhi. You can rest assured."
Bangladesh, Ceylon, and Bombay are all important seaports in the Indian Ocean. The Song Dynasty wanted to colonize these sparsely populated "no man's lands", let alone give them to others.
"The Emperor of the Song Dynasty, is there really no room for compromise? Could it be that..."
The words of the Delhi envoy were stared at by Zhao Hong's cold eyes, and they subconsciously stuck in his throat, unable to speak.
"What? Do you want me to tell you a second time?"
"Emperor of the Song Dynasty, calm down! Calm down! The foreign minister did not mean it. The foreign minister is guilty. Please forgive me!"
The Delhi envoy was sweating profusely, kowtowed repeatedly, and retreated in embarrassment.
The Delhi dynasty only occupied the northwestern interior of India. The Song people defeated the Cholas and other small countries in the southern seaport, which indeed had nothing to do with Delhi.
It seems that the Song Emperor has a clear understanding of the distribution of power in the Indian Peninsula and is not easily fooled.
"Messenger from Champa, our navy of the Song Dynasty is docked south, and we hope to continue to provide convenience. This year, our Song Dynasty still needs a lot of rice, and merchant ships from Champa are welcome to come. If the bullshit "Dayue Kingdom" in the north dares to use force against Champa, I will not stand idly by. I have some rewards, which are all fresh things from China. Take them with you when you go back."
Facing the "pawns" of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Hong spoke softly and was amiable.
"Don't worry, Emperor Song, I will definitely do it!"
The envoy who occupied the city bowed out respectfully.
As long as we have good relations with the Song Dynasty, we can rest easy in the city and no longer need to be invaded by the "Dayue Kingdom" in the north.
The Emperor of the Song Dynasty was extremely dissatisfied with the "Dayue Kingdom", and the good days of the "Dayue Kingdom" were probably coming to an end.
Except for the Dali envoy, Zhao Hong was basically approachable to others from other countries, gentle and courteous, and did not bully others because that was completely unnecessary.
Zhao Hong really couldn't do the deceitful bullying and shameless behavior that the beautiful country would do in later generations.
"Messenger Luo Hu, please go back and tell King Luo Hu not to bully Siam. The two countries will live in peace and avoid trouble."
The Kingdom of Luo Hu and the Kingdom of Siam were Thailand in later generations. The Kingdom of Luo Hu was in the south and the Kingdom of Siam was in the north. It’s just that the Luohu Kingdom was strong and powerful, and later annexed the northern Siam Kingdom, collectively known as Siam.
"I sincerely comply with His Majesty's decree! The foreign ministers resign!"
The envoy from Luo Hu State repeatedly said yes and withdrew.
The war captains of the Song Dynasty have been cruising in Southeast Asia for many years. It may not be easy for them to make any small moves.
"Best, the envoy of King Ayub, meets the Emperor of the Song Dynasty!"
Best, the envoy of the Ayyubid Dynasty of Egypt and the lord of Suez, came in and paid homage to Zhao Hong, the royal minister.
"Messenger Ayub, how are you always?"
Officials from the Ministry of Rites stepped forward to introduce him, and Zhao Hong found out that the envoy of the Ayyubid Dynasty was actually Best, the lord of Suez City, who was also an old acquaintance.
"Emperor of the Song Dynasty, your country is a land of riches and treasures. It is indeed a kingdom of heaven. It is dazzling and breathtaking."
Best respectfully bowed to Zhao Hong.
Clean and spacious streets, complete urban supporting facilities, prosperity, prosperity, and affluence are all extraordinary.
Not to mention the wolf-like and tiger-like official army of the Song Dynasty and the terrifying firearms.
Compared with Lin'an City, Cairo City, which he was proud of, was reduced to scum in seconds.
He just didn't understand why he had to dig canals in the sweltering desert of Egypt when he was guarding the heavenly mountains and rivers.
"Best, if you like it, I will give you a house in Lin'an City, and you and your descendants can come and live there. There are thousands of miles of rivers and mountains in the Song Dynasty. You can go around and have fun when you have time."
This guy is actually the lord of Suez! The digging of the canal also requires this local snake to run up and down to express goodwill, which is natural.
"Thank you so much, Emperor Song!"
Best smiled happily and talked about business with Zhao Hong.
"Your Majesty, at the current excavation speed, I am afraid that the canal will be opened in about four to five years."
"Then thank you for your help, Best."
Zhao Hong nodded and said warmly.
In history, it took French colonists 10 years to successfully dig the Suez Canal. We have been digging for two years now, and there may still be many difficulties and challenges.
In the 1860s, French colonial companies hired thousands of Egyptian migrant workers at extremely low wages and forced them to dig the Suez Canal. There was a lack of drinking water at the construction site, and a large number of migrant workers died of thirst. The food provided by the colonial company was poor and poor in quantity, and the sanitary conditions were very poor. Diseases such as bronchitis, hepatitis, lung disease, and dysentery were extremely common, especially the plague. Over six years of excavation, 120,000 Egyptian workers sacrificed their lives to build the Suez Canal, with an average of 738.5 deaths per kilometer.
In Zhao Hong's era, such a situation would certainly not occur. Thanks to a group of capable officials who strategized and ensured safe drinking water and sanitation, as well as sufficient food, this phenomenon did not happen.
Thinking about how officials and soldiers in Africa solved the problem of drinking water, Zhao Hong felt a headache.
Of course, this may be related to the fact that the project started just over three years ago, and the early exploration and preparation work took more than half a year.
"Your Majesty, the weather in Egypt is hot and the laborers have to work hard to dig. Please take good care of them and treat them well."
Although Best was a slave owner, he seemed to have some compassion for others in his heart.
"Best, you can rest assured. Food, water, and diseases will all be properly handled by our Song Dynasty. During this trip south, a new group of medical officers from our Song Dynasty will rush to Suez City. Food from the Indian Ocean and Africa will also be A steady stream of goods are being shipped here.”
Zhao Hong smiled and waved his hand, and the imperial army lifted the pendulum and came up with porcelain and several sets of crystal clear glassware.
"Best, I have prepared some gifts for you and Sultan Kamil. When the time comes, you can leave on my Da Song steamship. You should be able to reach Egypt in three months."
Digging the Suez Canal will be a long-lasting achievement and will benefit future generations. The Song Dynasty just provided money and food and sat back and watched its success. The Song Dynasty had this kind of national power.
"Pendulum! Steamer!"
Sure enough, as the officials accompanying him said, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty wanted to reward him with a set of large and small pendulums.
Best looked at the pendulum greedily. These things were more precious than gold and reflected China's national and technological strength.
"The steamship is a new invention of our Song Dynasty. It can travel automatically when there is no wind and does not require manpower. Our Song Dynasty has also equipped sea ships not long ago. Your envoy happened to catch up."
Zhen Dexiu said with a smile.
Best nodded confusedly. He came by steamboat and had already seen the power of such a ship.
In fact, he wanted a steam ship, but the steam ship was too expensive. He was very embarrassed and finally did not ask.
"Dear Muttalib, please take a seat."
Seeing the envoy of the Abbasid Dynasty, Zhao Hong smiled and was gentle and kind.
"Emperor of the Song Dynasty, the agreement between our two countries will not change, right?"
Muttalib asked anxiously.
"Your Majesty, you can rest assured. In addition to artillery reinforcements, our Song Navy is stationed in Bombay and Zufar. Once something happens to the Abbasid Dynasty, our Song Dynasty will send reinforcements as soon as possible. Your Majesty, you can rest assured."
Prime Minister Zhen Dexiu said for Zhao Hong.
"Thank you so much, Emperor Song!"
Muttalib was overjoyed and said immediately:
"The Navy of the Song Dynasty can garrison Basra Seaport and garrison troops at the port. Wouldn't it be much more convenient?"
Basra Port is located in the north of the Persian Gulf, close to the interior of the Abbasid Empire. It is a rare good port. It is much closer to Baghdad than Bombay and Zufar.
"That's fine. Muttalib, if you stay in Song Dynasty for a few more days, I will prepare some gifts. Then you can follow the warships of the Song Navy to go south."
