"Not long ago, we just received the news that Northern Europe has been annexed by the Ming Dynasty!"
In response to the Ming Empire's continued westward expansion, European countries, at the invitation of the French Bourbon dynasty, each sent representatives to hold talks in Normandy.
Even the Pope sent people.
Therefore, the French noble Philip mentioned the latest information at the meeting.
The representatives from European countries present all felt a little nervous after hearing this.
"Ah! So, it's getting closer and closer to the Ming army annexing us!"
"How to do this?"
"Why must the greedy Ming army rescue these serfs and not let us European nobles live?!"
…
These nobles also talked a lot.
boom!
boom!
boom!
Some European nobles even kept slamming the table, showing great indignation.
The entire conference hall seemed very noisy.
"Everyone, please be quiet!"
"Everyone, please be quiet!"
"Army, please be quiet!"
…
Phillip shouted several times before everyone became quiet.
Then, Philip began to call: "So, we must continue to unite to resist this torrent from the east, and we must protect our culture from being extinct!"
"Yes, when the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was destroyed, we ignored it. When Austria was annexed, we ignored it. Now even Sweden and the Kingdom of Denmark and Norway have been destroyed. If we continue to be indifferent, then we will really I was forced to take a shower every day!”
Monmouth, Duke of England, echoed.
"I swear that I will never let the Easterners realize their conspiracy to force us Westerners to take baths every day!"
"We have the right not to take a shower!"
Count Laimle of the Principality of Venice even raised his arms and shouted loudly because of this. It was obvious that he was disgusted with the Ming army's behavior of forcing prisoners to take baths.
"Yes, I will defend to the death the right not to take a shower!"
"We don't want to take a shower!"
"We want to be dirty ourselves, this is freedom!"
The nobles of various European countries shouted actively and enthusiastically.
Seeing this, Philip nodded with great satisfaction: "Very good, I am very willing to see this scene and see that we Westerners can be so bloody and unanimous. I believe that as long as we are brave and fearless, we can completely resist the Ming army." Go west!”
"I propose to form a grand alliance, elect a leader, and launch an active attack on the Ming army together to force them to stop their annexation of our territory!"
Monmouth called at this time.
"Agree!"
Philip nodded.
"Agree!"
"Agree!"
Nobles from other European countries also expressed their approval.
Only the Swiss representative, Marquis Senard, stood up at this time and said: "I am neutral!"
The nobles from various European countries looked at Sennard in surprise.
Senard said: "I think everyone needs a place to temporarily transfer their personal property. Once the Ming army raids a certain castle, especially the self-defense forces composed of serfs from all over the country!"
As early as a hundred years ago, Switzerland became a paradise for many European nobles to escape with their money to avoid political disasters.
Therefore, Sennard now uses this as an excuse to hope that the nobles of various countries will allow Switzerland to be neutral.
After hearing this, Philip and other European nobles unanimously expressed their understanding, and were willing to let Switzerland maintain a neutral status, and were prepared to transfer their wealth to Switzerland when the time came.
Senard expressed his gratitude and said he was willing to increase bank interest rates.
Other European countries that had not been annexed by the Ming Dynasty united again and established a new joint organization-the Grand Alliance.
…
"The Grand Alliance! It must be no better than the previous coalition forces. They don't take the initiative to give up their interests to the civilians, and just rely on a few thugs raised by themselves to stop my Hehe Wangshi? It's nothing more than a dream!"
Zhu Youxiao sneered after learning that Britain, France and other countries had established a grand alliance.
"What your Majesty said is true, but it is impossible for them to give up their interests to the civilians. In that case, they would be equivalent to killing themselves. There is no difference between surrendering to our Ming Dynasty!"
"Just like when we were carrying out internal reforms to eliminate disadvantages, the conservatives didn't know that they could stop the imperial government's strict governance by making things beneficial to the people, and they didn't know that they couldn't defeat the imperial court on their own. But they were still stubborn and stubborn, going forward one after another to fight against The imperial court did not allow it to benefit the common people because once they did so, it would be equivalent to killing themselves."
Wen Tiren said at this time.
"Yes, if the Western nobles can make their common people rich and open up the market, our Ming Dynasty will no longer have the need to use military means to unify the world. We can directly use technology monopoly to make all the benefits of the world flow into our Ming Dynasty. .”
Zhang Tongchang said.
"It's not like they haven't worked hard in this area! Such as Louis XIV and James II; it's just that those who tried hard fell into the water one after another!"
Du Yinxi suddenly interrupted at this time.
Everyone fell silent.
Zhu Youxiao laughed in the end: "That's right. I was lucky enough to survive, otherwise I would have fallen into the water long ago!"
"This, in my humble opinion, is due to your Majesty's wisdom and wisdom. From the "Huang Ming Holy Instructions" and the ideas put forward by Xingming Society, we can see that your Majesty is a person who has a thorough understanding of state governance. Although I and others The saint's disciples are not as good as Your Majesty, and His Majesty's theory of governing the country is obviously more like the science advocated by Your Majesty after he came to the throne, emphasizing factual reasoning, so that any monsters and monsters are vulnerable in front of Your Majesty."
Wen Tiren said.
The other ministers nodded accordingly.
But Zhu Youxiao only sighed: "It's a pity that I made this theory public to the world and asked the world to read it carefully, but many people in the world shelved it in the cabinet, even refused to read it in depth, and tried every means to prevent others from reading it, just like the Taizu Dynasty The "Great Edict" has also been hidden in the snow."
"Extreme luxury, comfort and enjoyment are the natural desires of human beings. Even if the teachings of the Hadith teach it, it is difficult to curb it and may even be resisted. This is normal. Fortunately, the empire can continue to take the profits of other countries to support its own lazy people. And when the world is truly unified in the future, it will be an irresistible trend for lazy people to return to poverty. Even if the warehouses are full of grain and meat, there will still be people who cannot afford rice and meat."
Wen Tiren replied at this time.
Zhu Cizhuo couldn't help but said at this time: "It's okay for lazy people to return to poverty. I'm afraid that those who return to poverty are people who are not from aristocratic families. Although they work hard all day long, they rarely have peace of mind."
"This is what the court should be wary of!"
Zhu Youxiao nodded.
"In my opinion, we must advocate frugality and not encourage extravagance, especially early consumption. Nowadays, some businessmen are vigorously advocating early consumption for profit. The people do not know the harm, only know that they are happy during it, and they are already poisoned. At a later date, it is difficult to return to the diligent style of the past. Nowadays, people in the mainland have become very particular about whether they have money or not. If this continues, the local Han people will no longer be diligent in the future! They will gradually be regarded by foreigners. It’s also catching up.”
Zhu Cizhuo replied.
"Be born in sorrow and die in happiness. The words of the sage still have some truth. After the world is unified, we must pay special attention to this issue, especially the people of the later generation!"
Zhu Youxiao said this.
…
Although Emperor Zhu Youxiao and his ministers have begun to worry that the Han people will be complacent, the younger generation of nobles in the Ming Empire are still full of vitality.
The fifth prince Zhu Cizhuo was standing on the edge of the city of Hamburg on the bank of the Elbe River. He whipped his whip and pointed forward, saying with high spirits: "Back then, the Mongols were able to reach the Rhine. Now I, the son of the Han family, should surpass them and drink the Massena." River, across the Atlantic!”
"Your Highness is right! The city of Hamburg has been captured, and the next step is Hanover. Once Hanover is captured, we can move from north to south to surround Nuremberg. Then we will not be far from the bank of the Rhine."
Li Dingguo replied at this time.
"It's a pity that Duke Caleb of Hanover is a stubborn man and refuses to surrender. He still has to work hard."
Zhu Cizhuo sighed because of this.
"Yes, the Principality of Hanover not only refused to surrender, but also repeatedly withstood the attacks of the local serf self-defense forces. Now it seems that it is best to cut off its food and grass and trap it to death. We should continue to cooperate with the local serf self-defense forces to fight back against the locals. an army of nobles.”
Li Dingguo continued to reply.
Zhu Cizhuo smiled faintly: "You are right, but what I don't know now is how exactly this European alliance will use its troops?"
"They are likely to rely on the large mountainous area southwest of the Elbe River to build a defense line, instead of taking the initiative to attack like the previous European coalition forces. Southwest of the Elbe River, all the way to the outskirts of Paris, are mountainous, which is very conducive to building a defense line. "
Li Dingguo replied.
After Zhu Cizhuo heard this, he immediately had an idea and said with a smile: "In that case, you will be in this area, mobilize the serfs, and attack in the direction of the Rhine River. Remember, the momentum must be loud. By the way, let's test this big one." What is the alliance’s strategy, and how do they want to prevent our unification plan! As soon as there is important news, report it immediately, and my highness will take the main force back to the Netherlands to rest for a while!”
"Relax?"
Li Dingguo understood not long after he asked, and he cupped his hands to Zhu Cizhuo and said, "Your Highness is brilliant!"
Zhu Cizhuo therefore led his army to the Netherlands.
The Netherlands was the area ruled by the Ming Dynasty, so Zhu Cizhuo would have no trouble going to the Netherlands.
Now, the European Grand Alliance indeed believes after discussions that it should focus on defense and rely on favorable terrain to continuously resist the Ming army, or launch mobile warfare. After the Ming army penetrates deep into the mountains behind them, they will continue to send small groups. Elite troops attacked the Ming army.
Because the rest of Europe, except for northwest and southwest France, is all mountains and plateaus.
"I propose to build a defense line based on the terrain in the Ardennes Highlands, extending all the way to the Alps. In this area, we will delay the Ming army's attack and prepare for the subsequent active attack!"
Pross, a general whom Phelps trusted very much, said to the generals of the Grand Alliance.
After hearing this, Monmouth agreed very much and said: "There is no better way than this! It is impossible to defeat the Ming army without relying on the terrain. We have to admit this, but we need to pay attention to whether the Ming army will Will come directly from the direction of Netherlands!"
"This needs to be monitored at all times. A large number of fleets will be deployed between your English and our French straits. If a large-scale corps appears in the direction of the Netherlands, we can withdraw to the central plateau in the south at any time. At that time, Paris can only first give up."
Pross said.
Monmouth nodded: "That's okay!"
Then, Pross smiled and said: "No matter how the Ming army fights next, it will not be as easy as their attacks in Eastern and Northern Europe. Once they cross the Rhine River, there are highlands to the east and south. So what if they are good at fighting?" , the Mongols who came from the east stopped here because of this.”
"That's right. We should have confidence that the next Ming army will not be able to realize its ambition to unify Europe so easily!"
Monmouth replied.
…
"The next Europe will not be as easy to fight as before. Its southern and eastern parts are mountainous, which is not conducive to the maneuverability of our army. We must change the previous method of using large armies to fight on the great plains."
Capital of the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Youxiao also talked about this matter with his ministers.
"If necessary, the army should be transferred. The armies that are good at fighting on the plains should start to be called back one after another and go to the lower reaches of the Danube to fight the Ottomans, or they can be sent to various coasts with fleets, giving more opportunities for some middle-level officers to fight independently. The armies that are good at mountainous areas should It must be increased, and more opportunities must be given to middle-level officers to fight independently, so that they can conduct continuous operations in the mountainous areas of Southern and Western Europe!”
Lu Xiangsheng put forward his own opinion.
Du Yinxi said: "On the outskirts of these mountainous areas, that is, the plains from the Elbe River to the Loire River, we still need to station enough troops. It is equivalent to setting up a fence and sending elites who are good at mountain and jungle warfare into the mountains to suppress them. Drive out the European armies hiding in these mountains, so that the European armies that are driven out can be destroyed by the surrounding armies. This is a way to deal with the fact that the European armies will use the terrain to maneuver around and attack."
Zhu Youxiao glanced at Du Yinxi in surprise and said: "What I love you said is very appropriate! Immediately pass the order to Zhu Cizhuo, Li Dingguo, Liu Zhaoji and others, telling them not to attack rashly, but to be eager for the cause of reunification, and tell them to be sure Study the countermeasures carefully and be careful not to engage in positional warfare with the European Grand Alliance in the Ardennes Highlands to avoid excessive losses of your own troops!"
"Your Majesty, His Majesty the Fifth Prince has sent a report, imploring the imperial court to change the next replenishment of ordnance to mainly replenish chariots that can move quickly, especially the recently installed tracked internal combustion engine chariots, which were taken by His Majesty. The combat vehicle named tank said that a list of the required number will be sent next.”
At this time, Li Ruolian, the left commander of the Jinyi Guards, suddenly walked in and made a report.
"What do you need a tank for?"
Zhang Tongchang couldn't help but ask.
Lu Xiangsheng suddenly realized: "Your Majesty, the Fifth Highness is planning to make a big deal!"
"Agree with him! Continue to increase tank orders for the Ordnance Manufacturing General Administration, mobilize all ships, and mobilize all the Baltic Sea to transport tanks to Hamburg! In addition, tell Lao Wu that you can spend more time, as long as you can annihilate the new forces of the European Grand Alliance in one fell swoop !”
Zhu Youxiao ordered at this time.
…
"Father agreed to my request and encouraged His Highness to do so. Therefore, after my order is issued, Mr. Liu, you will be responsible for leading the main force, mainly tanks and chariots, directly to A'a in a roundabout way. Go behind the high ground and attack Paris, France!”
After Zhu Cizhuo received the telegram from the Privy Council of the Capital of the Ming Dynasty, he immediately ran to Liu Zhaoji in person excitedly and said.
"yes!"
Liu Zhaoji responded, but couldn't help but ask: "Your Highness, do you think these Westerners also expect that we will bypass the Ardennes and attack their Paris directly?"
"Of course they will think of it, but even if they think of it, they can't stop the torrent of steel that His Highness is about to launch! Of course, it would be best if Li Dingguo could perform the trick well in the lower reaches of the Rhine River, so that these Western people really think that I am the Ming Dynasty King's Master We must fight a positional battle with them, attacking them from one line of defense to the other across the Rhine River, so as to completely cut off their connections between Britain and France and the countries in southern Europe!"
As Zhu Cizhuo spoke, he looked at Liu Zhaoji and said, "So, this is why I also want to go to Li Dingguo in person to confuse them!"
…
"We have just received news that the commander-in-chief of His Majesty the Fifth Prince of Ming Dynasty has appeared in the Netherlands. He seems to be intending to attack France from the direction of the Netherlands."
Monmouth came to Prussia that day to share his latest information.
And Prussia said: "The latest news we got is that his flag appeared on the Rhine River again. Even the scouts we sent saw him on the mountain, just because they didn't dare to get too close, otherwise, they would all You can take the opportunity to shoot him!"
"When did your people see you?"
"Three days ago."
"I was ten days ago."
When Monmouth said this, he frowned and said: "It seems that he came to the Rhine River from the Netherlands. Could it be said that he gave up attacking from the direction of the Netherlands? But why was he unwilling to directly attack from the direction of the Netherlands? March?"
"He probably wants to cut off our connection with southern Europe and isolate France."
Prussia replied.
"It makes sense! If the bread is too big, it has to be cut into several pieces before it can be eaten."
Monmouth nodded.
Prussia smiled and said, "That's right! They want to use the serfs who were bewitched by them to forcefully open up the Central Plateau and the narrow strip of the Alps at the expense of them!"
Li Dingguo was indeed following Zhu Cizhuo's order and mobilized his troops to fight for positions in the Ardennes Plateau area where the Western Yi soldiers were defending the highlands.
"If you defeat them, you will win jobs and bread for everyone in the world! They need your sacrifice!"
"Don't be afraid of bloodshed, don't be afraid of sacrifice! Die for justice and die well!"
"If you don't dare to fight a tough battle and don't dare to shed any blood, are you still a brave warrior who saves the suffering people in the world?!"
…
Li Dingguo also personally went to the front of the position to encourage the Xiyi serfs who had been rescued by the Ming Dynasty and joined the Self-Defense Forces, and encouraged them to continue to show their courage in position battles.
Therefore, these Western Yi serfs actively worked with the main force of the Ming army to attack the positions held by the European Grand Alliance Army one after another.
"Come on! Fight to the end with these selfish exploiters for our land and our jobs!"
"Rush! For not taking a shower! To atone for our sins! For our culture!"
The two sides shouted different slogans during the charge and fought fiercely.
For a time, the entire Ardennes, especially many places along the Rhine River, was filled with rivers of blood, with many casualties, like a meat grinder.
However, most of the casualties were the Xiyi people themselves.
Both sides have their own reasons for being enthusiastic.
It's just that although the Ming army seemed to be attacking fiercely, it was actually just acting on purpose.
Li Dingguo and Zhu Cizhuo even staged a bitter trick. On the campus, Zhu Cizhuo personally beat Li Dingguo with fifty army sticks because he was unable to conquer a hill.
Li Dingguo was so angry that he threatened to impeach Zhu Cizhuo, and from then on he only obeyed the seventh prince.
The Grand Alliance armies of European countries really believed it and began to desperately build defense lines in the Ardennes Plateau and the Alps. Even the garrison troops in Paris were transferred here.
At this time, the dignitaries in Paris breathed a sigh of relief.
The regent Philip was even moved and relaxed, and said to Louis XV: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, our defense line in the Ardennes is very strong and very wide in depth. Even if the Ming army uses poison gas bombs to clear the way, it will be difficult to break through! The Ming army is tough!" It is in our interest to gnaw there. When they are exhausted and do not continue to attack, my army hiding in the rear can take the opportunity to counterattack and capture the Netherlands and even the entire Holy Roman Empire. Maybe, France will be able to unify the entire European continent in the future!"
Louis XV was very pleased after hearing this: "That's good! Uncle, hard work!"
"Who told me that your uncle is also a member of the Bourbon dynasty?"
Phillip said and asked, "Where is your mother?"
"inside."
"I'll go in and talk to her. You go outside and don't come in for now, otherwise your uncle and your mother will be angry."
"OK."
The nobles from all sides who gathered in the Grand Alliance Army in France therefore took it lightly and even continued to enjoy a life of feasting and feasting.
The French newspapers also catered to their needs, reporting every day how many days their troops had defended those highlands, praising the troops who bravely defended their France.
Pruss even made a trip back to Paris, and, surrounded by many newspapers, gave a speech, threatening to fight through scorched earth to stop the invasion of the East at the Rhine River.
But what these people didn't know was that Liu Zhaoji had been ordered by Zhu Cizhuo to convene a meeting of all high-ranking Ming generals in the Netherlands, and said:
"You all know that France has become more prosperous due to trade with the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, there are many roads, bridges and ports, and the land is flat. The Netherlands has been the same since it was ruled by the Ming Dynasty. It has built a large number of roads to facilitate rapid transportation. road of travel;
Therefore, the general ordered me to secretly assemble a large number of tanks, tanks, and new aircraft, as well as ships, in Berlin. When the time comes, I will directly use these tools to suddenly send troops from the Netherlands, and make a roundabout way back to Paris, and cooperate with the general inside and outside. , annihilate the effective force of the European Grand Allied Forces in one fell swoop! As for this great roundabout battle, His Majesty personally issued an order and named it Blitzkrieg! "
When Liu Zhaoji said this, he paused, looked at the officers and generals present and ordered: "Now, I have ordered the blitzkrieg to begin. All ministries will set off immediately in accordance with the designated orders and report to me at any time on the progress of the march. If anyone falls one step behind, military law will be dealt with." !”
"As you command!"
So, while the European nobles in Paris were still intoxicated, the mechanized troops of the Ming Army, which had been prepared for a long time, suddenly pointed directly in the direction of Normandy.
On land, along the coast of northern France, iron currents rolled in, bringing endless smoke and dust along the way.
On the sea, in the Strait of Doverland and the English Channel, countless Ming steam-powered ships were pouring out billowing black smoke, constantly gathering towards the ports in northern France.
There are even new Ming-made aircrafts that have begun to appear and roar over the skies in northern Normandy, France.
History is always surprisingly similar.
It's just that the Gallic chickens in this life have to be taught a lesson by the armored convoy in advance.
