[Ming Dynasty 1805] [] Shen Fu once told Zhu Jingyuan about the Ming Dynasty's basic strategy in the West.
The Ming Dynasty had no allies, or no equal allies, only vassal states, tributary states, and non-signing partners.
Ming's most ideal partner on the western continent is a central country that has no overseas colonies and is powerful enough at home.
It can attack Lucia and Ottoman together with the Ming Dynasty, and can help the Ming Dynasty take the retreat of Britain and France. At the same time, the two sides have no direct interests or territorial conflicts.
The ideal goal is to have a complete HRE after internal integration. The next best thing is to
"Greater Germany" refers to Germany before World War I, plus the Austrian mainland.
Taking another step back are the two countries of Prussia and Austria. The choice of taking two steps back is certainly not ideal.
The Ming Dynasty had no way to communicate directly with Prussia at sea. The North Atlantic was the sphere of influence of the British and French navies.
Austria can communicate directly with the Ming Dynasty in the Mediterranean, but the ethnic composition within Austria is complex and its own homeland is not stable enough.
If Ming Dynasty wants to communicate with Prussia, it can only go through Austria for the time being, and Austria has conflicts with Prussia.
Ming Dynasty wants both countries to become Ming Dynasty's partners at the same time, and it also needs to mediate the conflicts between the two sides. Zhu Jingyuan and Shen Fu communicated for a while, and both felt helpless at this reality.
When the two staff nearby heard these troubles, they also started thinking about it. Niu Jian stood up first and said, "Your Highness, Shen Shaoqing, have we ever considered trying to dismantle the 'stitch monster' of Austria.
“Prussia integrated the German-speaking Austrian mainland, obtained the outlet along the Great Qin Sea, and communicated directly with us.
"Let the Ottomans gain territory from a dismembered Austria and thus give up Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Palestine, etc."
The term "stitch monster" was apparently also coined by Emperor Shizu, specifically referring to those tissues that were forcibly pinched together.
The current Austrian Empire is a typical suture monster country. There are more than a dozen major ethnic groups in the country, including Germans, Hungarians, Italians, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians, Romanians, and Croatians, and there are more than 20 major languages.
Germans and Hungarians are the most populous ethnic groups in the country, but the combined population of these two ethnic groups is less than half of the total population.
The Habsburg dynasty learned from China's experience and tried the reform of writing with the same text and cars with the same track. Compared with the historical Austrian Empire, the cohesion has been improved to a certain extent.
However, because Austria does not have an absolute dominant nation, the implementation of these reforms was also full of compromises.
In the eyes of today's Ming Dynasty, Austria is still a seam monster. Lin Zexu immediately stood up and expressed his opposition to his colleagues: "I think it is inappropriate to directly dismember Austria. The benefits that Ming can get are minimal, but it may benefit Lucia.
“A complete Austria that can maintain its existence is still relatively beneficial to Ming Dynasty.
"It is better to unite with Lucia and Austria to dismember the Ottomans. This has been our Ming Dynasty's consistent strategy.
“Dismantle the Ottomans, promise the Balkans to Austria, and Constantinople to Lucia.
“The Ming Dynasty acquired all the land outside the Anatolian Plateau and claimed more land in the east of Lucia.
"Austria is a seam monster. Even if it gets Ottoman land, it will be difficult to digest it quickly, and it will not actually increase its strength much.
“For Lucia, Castle is also out of reach, and the gimmick outweighs the reality.
"This can also intensify the conflict between Austria and Lucia. No matter what, it will always be beneficial to the Ming Dynasty." After hearing this, Zhu Jingyuan nodded lightly and said: "Yes, we still have to help Austria maintain it for the time being. After Austria is dismembered, no matter what, it will be beneficial to the Ming Dynasty." May be completely annexed by Prussia.
“There will definitely be several small states that will become the buffer states between Prussia and the Ottomans and Lucia.
“That’s a good thing for Osman and Lucia, but not necessarily a good thing for Ming Dynasty.
“We can participate in the dismemberment of the Ottomans, but we should not completely destroy the Ottomans.
“After being dismembered, the Ottomans should be given a status similar to Persia and become a buffer state between us and the West.
“If the Ottomans can accept it and voluntarily give up the Dashi territory outside the Anatolian Plateau, we can provide all-round support.
“Including but not limited to investment, building factories, shipbuilding, selling weapons and equipment, and even capital ships.
“We support them to challenge Austria again and support the partition of Austria between the Ottomans and Prussia.
"Because we won't need Austria at that time." Shen Fu listened and smiled and nodded: "His Highness has thought very carefully. It is best to first support Austria and Lucia to dismember the Ottomans, and then support the Ottomans and Prussia to dismember Austria. Operations that are in the interests of Ming Dynasty.
“So, our next strategy, which is our public attitude at the beginning of formal negotiations, is still to forcefully coerce Osman.
"But we can contact Osman alone in private first..." Zhu Jingyuan nodded again and said, "Yes, please arrange for Shen Shaoqing to arrange for someone to go there..." Shen Fu nodded lightly and said, "I'd better go in person. Let's do it." Shen Fu took the initiative to communicate with the Ottoman Grand Vizier, mainly to reveal a little bit about Ming Dynasty's intentions and goals.
After the communication between the two ended, Shen Fu went to Ali in Egypt to exchange their ideas.
More than two hours later, at five o'clock in the afternoon, the banquet of the day finally came to an end.
Zhu Jingyuan came to the front hall again, said a few words briefly, and announced that the banquet was officially over. Formal peace talks officially began two days later.
Two days after the banquet, various Ming dynasties had several official communications with representatives from various countries, and the content of the first negotiation was determined on matters surrounding the Great Qin Sea.
On the morning of February 27, the thirty-fourth year of Taiping. Major representatives from all parties once again gathered at the Wenhua Hall of Huangzhuang Palace in the southwest corner of the country.
After sitting down at the previously agreed position, Zhu Jingyuan announced the official start of the meeting from above and handed the topic over to Shen Fu.
"Primary Evolution" Shen Fu sat in his seat, looked up at the Taixi people opposite him expressionlessly, and spoke as if he was reading out a document: "In accordance with the decree of His Majesty the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and in accordance with the Ming Dynasty peace talks, His Highness the Plenipotentiary Representative Dashi Prince In order to achieve long-term peace and development in the Dashi region, Ming Dynasty is willing to sign an armistice agreement with the European and Western countries and the Ottoman Empire.
"The prerequisite for the signing of a comprehensive armistice agreement between the Ming Dynasty and the Western countries, and for the complete armistice between the Ming Dynasty and the Ottoman Empire and the maintenance of long-term peace, is to acquire all the land in the food region south of the Anatolian Plateau, including Egypt." These areas. Including later Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Yinlaq, Saudi Arabia and other places.
The British Prime Minister Pitt on the other side immediately objected: "It is impossible for us to accept this request. The prerequisite for a ceasefire between our two sides in the Mediterranean is that except for the agreement before the ceasefire, all other areas will return to the pre-war pattern. And the Ming Dynasty will continue to abide by the pre-war situation." This requirement means that the Ming Dynasty can only occupy the Sinai Peninsula, Yinlak, and an area between the two. Other lands requested by the Ming Dynasty will still be owned by the Ottomans, and Egypt will still maintain semi-independent state.
Peter felt that Daming was asking for a high price and he was paying back the money on the spot. After saying this, he subconsciously waited for Daming's representative to continue bargaining.
As a result, Shen Fu didn't bother with Pete at all: "Okay, let's sign the contract like this." Pete was in a daze, and Taixi's representatives didn't respond. What did Daming's attitude mean?
Isn’t the contrast between before and after too great? The lion in front of you opened his mouth wide and lowered himself to the bottom without wanting anything else?
Representatives from various countries in Thailand and the West looked at me and I looked at you, but neither of them spoke immediately. Shen Fu continued to urge with an expressionless face: "If you have no objections, the negotiations in the Daqin region will end here. Let the documents prepare the relevant agreement text." When the representatives were at a loss, Ottoman Vizier Zayadin realized something. : "If the armistice is just like this, how long is the armistice period of the peace treaty?" Shen Fu thought for a moment and said, "One year." There was an uproar at the scene, and the Prince of Wales directly visited loudly: "There is only one year's armistice period, you guys What exactly does Ming want to do?" Shen Fu seemed to be very surprised and asked: "What does our Ming want to do? Isn't this obvious?
“We are using a ceasefire along the front lines to allow countries that do not want to continue fighting to withdraw from the war.
"Since you don't want Osman to make concessions at the negotiation table, let Ming go directly to the battlefield to get it." So the representative reacted immediately.
If the agreement is signed in this way, then Ming will sign the contract on the front foot and redeploy its troops on the back foot. A year later he went on to attack the Ottomans and Egypt.
By then, the countries in Europe and the West may not join this war again. Because now the anti-Ming alliance can no longer hold on, and Ming's state is slowly improving.
Shen Fu's underlying meaning is that since you European and Western countries don't want to fight, then don't make the decision for the Ottomans.
British Prime Minister Peter immediately said: "Shen Shaoqing, don't be angry. It's not that we have no sincerity in peace talks, we are just negotiating with the Ming Dynasty." Shen Fu completely ignored Peter. Peter couldn't make the decision in this matter at all. Talk to him Just a waste of time.
The Ottoman Grand Vizier Zayadin took the initiative to speak again: "Shen Shaoqing, what are the conditions for true peace between the Ming Dynasty and the Ottoman Empire?" Shen Fu said directly: "I have already said that if Osman accepts it, then the Ming Dynasty promises to make peace with Osman Everlasting peace.
"And it can provide protection to the Ottomans, prevent the Ottomans from being invaded by the Tessie motherland, and help the Ottomans suppress the rebellion.
"The Ming Dynasty can join the war between the Ottomans and the Western countries." After Shen Fu said these words, the Western countries immediately widened their eyes. What do you mean by these words!
While forcing the Ottomans, they also sow discord between the Ottomans and the European and Western countries. Can these two goals really be achieved at the same time?
Then everyone heard that the Ottoman Grand Vizier Zayadin said in a very deep tone: "If the Ming Dynasty wants to make the Ottomans a buffer state with the European and American countries, it cannot force the Ottomans in this way.
"Ottoman can give up the Palestinian area in exchange for permanent peace with the Ming Dynasty." As soon as this statement came out, there was no reaction from the Ming Dynasty. Instead, there was a commotion among the representatives of the Thai and Western countries.
The Palestinian area at this time included Palestine and Jordan in later generations. At the same time, the Ming Dynasty has occupied the Mesopotamia and Yinlaq, and together with Jordan and Palestine, it can be completely connected to the Sinai Peninsula.
Since then, the entire Arabian Peninsula has been in the hands of the Ming Dynasty. At the same time, the Ottomans continued to retain Syria and Lebanon without giving up too much important land.
The key is that in the ongoing war in Palestine, some indigenous warlords have emerged.
Even if the Ottomans could remain after the armistice, it would be difficult to implement effective rule. Giving it to Ming Dynasty in exchange for peace is an acceptable choice.
At the same time, this is also a warning to the countries in Europe and the West, and it also serves to sow discord between Ming Dynasty and the countries in the West.
Because there is a Christian holy city in Palestine - Jerusalem. Now the countries in Thailand and Spain are unable to stop this, because this is a decision supported by the Ottomans themselves.
The key is that the countries in Europe and the West no longer have the power to continue fighting the Ottoman war. In such a complicated atmosphere, Shen Fu did not directly respond to this question, but made another request: "We need to consider this matter. We also request that Egypt become a foreign vassal of the Ming Dynasty." Zayadin was silent for a few seconds: "If the Ming Dynasty can accept the previous conditions, Ali will decide whether to stay or leave Egypt, and Osman will not interfere." This is equivalent to recognizing Egypt's independence. Whether it can be accepted as a vassal state is a matter for the Ming Dynasty and Egypt to negotiate.
Egypt was already de facto independent, and there was no need for the Ottomans to insist on it. However, as the nominal sovereign state, this commitment can be used as a condition and the Ming Dynasty is required to accept its other conditions.
Shen Fu turned to look at the Egyptian governor beside Zayadin, Muhammad Ali. Ali said in a serious tone: "If the Ming court can make a promise not to directly interfere in Egypt's internal affairs, and to never withdraw its vassal, refuse favors, or change its establishment, Egypt can become a foreign vassal of the Ming Dynasty." Shen Fu In fact, I have already been in contact with Ali, and Ali has no objection to becoming a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty.
The vassal states of the Ming Dynasty were divided into three types according to the status of the king: close vassal, xun vassal, and external vassal. Kin-fan is a vassal state where a descendant of the Ming Dynasty royal family is the king, and Xun-fan is a vassal state where a hero with his surname is the king.
A foreign vassal state is a vassal state that retains surrendered indigenous kings. The title and status of the vassal is the highest, and the title of the monarch is the lowest, the prince. However, the independence is also the lowest, and they are subject to various supervision and management by the Ming Dynasty court.
The status of a foreign vassal is the lowest, and the highest status of a monarch is only a duke, but it also has the highest independence. The Ming court may not care about the domestic affairs of the foreign vassals at all, and only requires the king of the vassal state to attend court regularly and pay taxes on time.
At the same time, a portion of land was set aside in suitable places for the Ming Dynasty to garrison troops and establish ports. For Ali, from a nominal vassal of the Ottomans and an actual vassal of the British to a real vassal of the Ming Dynasty, his international status has increased significantly.
He was just worried that the Ming Dynasty would withdraw from the vassal state, or eradicate his family, and replace the Ming Dynasty royal family as the vassal king.
If the Ming court could promise not to do that, Ali could accept the conditions of becoming a foreign vassal of the Ming Dynasty.
But the UK and other Thai and Western countries do not want to accept this outcome. The Ming Dynasty's annexation of Egypt can be regarded as the trigger of the war.
As a result, they fought for more than ten years without losing on the battlefield, and allowed the Ming Dynasty to annex Egypt at the negotiation table. Isn't this battle in vain?
