First, the "Ming Pao" side started to warm up in advance.
For several consecutive issues, it began to report on the situation in Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Suez region. Introducing the terrain, specialties, beauties, etc.
Later, it was revealed in advance that the future focus of the imperial court was to establish one or two new directly governed provinces there.
China Unicom is an important location connecting Europe and Asia, with unlimited business opportunities. The imperial court planned to dig a canal, which would bring in gold every day.
In order to make it attractive enough, Zhang Mingwei also exposed several metal minerals there, including those in North Africa.
After such a warm-up, the imperial court's decree came down.
The infrastructure troops, as well as state-owned groups, must send enough teams to build basic transportation in the Suez area.
Cement plants, steel plants, railway transportation groups, steam engine plants, etc. must open branches there.
On the government side, the military bureau, shipyards, government schools, etc. also need to open branches there.
As for the military, including the army and the navy, they must also be stationed in military bases.
When the canal is being dug, the land on both sides of the bank will be auctioned on a first-come, first-served basis, where hotels, shops, etc. can be built.
For those appointed by the government, the court provides subsidies. Because the journey is long, this subsidy also benefits the accompanying family members.
There has never been such a large-scale mobilization in an overseas province. Suddenly, the whole country was discussing that distant place.
"You said that the imperial court spent such a high price to establish a province in such a far place. Although it is an honor to expand the territory, it is too far, right? The price paid is really high!"
"No, look at it. We have organized so much manpower and material resources to be sent there. Not to mention anything else, the government subsidy alone is a huge amount of money, right? In contrast to earlier years, it was just selling the iron. They don’t even have that much money!”
"Let me tell you, the newly established provinces in the past few years are still too busy! The land is so vast and sparsely populated, and if we build a province so far away, we are not eating what's in the bowl, but also what's in the pot. Already?"
"..."
Some people quickly refuted these remarks. Among them, a small number of people have their own understanding, and many more people have their opinions based on reading articles in Ming Pao or listening to others reading articles in Ming Pao.
"Don't you understand this? This newly established province is definitely a very good place! If we don't grab it earlier, will we let others grab it?"
"That is, the imperial court is vigorously developing this new province. Without enough reasons, will there be such a large investment? Do you think that all the princes in the court are fools? Well, even if they are fools, isn't there still Duke Xingguo to look at it? Are you here? Could it be that you are more powerful than Duke Xingguo?"
"Let me tell you, open that canal, and then sit on the ground to collect the money. This wealth, this money, is not being treated mercilessly!"
"Isn't it true that the goods of our Ming Dynasty, as well as the spices from Nanyang, etc., are all popular goods in the Western Yi people. The cost of goods transported through there will be much lower. That canal is definitely the most expensive in the world. Money-making rice!”
"..."
Amid such arguments, the Yamen, which received the order, had already begun to mobilize personnel to head to Suez.
At the beginning, many yamen still drew lots. Whoever is drawn will go.
Later, with the in-depth propaganda of "Ming Pao" and the interpretation of the court's policies, it was still a matter of drawing lots. Whoever was drawn did not need to go, and someone would naturally take his place.
Public opinion has changed without even realizing it.
"Don't you know? It is said that many people from the families of the princes in the court have already set off to go gold mining!"
"I've also heard that people from the Seven Cabinet Departments, the Supervisor of Ceremonies, etc., all have people in their families who are leaving, and they all have chartered trains!"
"They are not the only ones. The big families all have branches, and one of them will go over there. As far as I know, there are several families!"
"Also, those who did overseas business and made a fortune ran away without a word!"
"..."
Under the demonstration effect, of course, the biggest effect is that the court has made great efforts. More and more people feel that going there is like picking up money.
Not to mention anything else, the shops and hotels opened along that canal are still making a lot of money on a first-come, first-served basis!
There has never been a new province in the Ming Dynasty that has become as popular a destination for many people as this new place.
Since ancient times, China has had a practice of big families not putting their eggs in one basket. Therefore, taking advantage of this opportunity to branch off to Suez has become the choice of many big families.
The trains from various places in the Ming Dynasty to Dongwu became popular immediately. There is also an endless stream of ships sailing along the coastline from Dongwu, which also boosts the economy of coastal supply points such as Colombo and Goa.
Most of them wanted to go to Suez, which eventually forced the court to intercept some people and go to Persia.
As a result, the most vigorous long-distance migration with the largest number of people in the population history of the Ming Dynasty came.
………………
The current ruler of the Ottoman Empire is Queen Mother Duhen Hatijie. Including the previous historical period, it was the greatest feminist period in the Ottoman Empire and the most glorious period of the Ottoman harem regency.
However, during this period, the butterfly effect brought about by Zhang Mingwei, a time traveler, has greatly affected this area, and the Ottoman Empire is naturally no exception.
Originally, the center of gravity of the Ottoman Empire was in Europe, gradually encroaching on the borders between European countries and the Ottoman Empire. In the east, a treaty of friendship was signed with the Persian Empire and the war ceased.
Therefore, whether the Persian Empire sent troops to the Mughals or whether there were bandits in Persia, the Ottoman Empire did not pay special attention to it, let alone take advantage of it.
Because of the expansion of the Ottoman Empire into Europe, it encountered serious obstacles.
This obstacle is that rifled flintlocks and rifled artillery began to spread on the European battlefield, but the Ottoman Empire did not have them at the beginning. This caused a lot of losses, and it also made Duhen Hatijie, the Queen Mother, handle government affairs. I feel increasingly powerless.
Finally, two years in advance, she promised the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, the imperial prime minister Koprulu Muhammad Pasha, that she would no longer interfere in political affairs, and that the imperial affairs would be fully entrusted to the Pasha.
This Koprulu Muhammad Pasha was a radical conservative law enforcer who sought to restore central power and the military power of the empire. To this end, he vigorously began to imitate rifled flintlock muskets and rifled artillery. He even purchased a lot of firearms from Portugal through an intermediary, so that he did not fall behind in the confrontation with European countries.
However, it was also because of the changes in the international situation that the seventy-eight-year-old Koprulu Muhammad Pasha exhausted his efforts and eventually fell ill and died prematurely.
The new Grand Vizier, his son Koprulu Faqir Ahmed, continued his line and worked for the central power of the Ottoman Empire and the imperial military.
Originally, Faqir was paying attention to the war situation in the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania, seeing that Poland and Lithuania suppressed the Cossack rebellion and launched an attack on Tsarist Russia that intervened. He felt that there was an opportunity to take advantage of it, and he wanted to get involved.
As a result, at this time, the situation in the eastern part of the Ottoman Empire suddenly changed dramatically.
First, the coalition forces of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong suddenly invaded the Ottoman Empire from Persia. Then, like locusts, no grass grew in their path. Everything they could take away was taken away, and everything that could not be taken away was burned. And the speed was so fast that Faqir had no time to react and ran towards the southwest, towards the African continent.
He was very angry about this, and while he ordered the local officials to rebuild, he was preparing to send people to Persia to have a good chat with Abbas II.
As a result, before his messenger set out, another messenger came to report that Abbas II had fled into the Ottoman Empire and asked for help from the Ottoman Empire.
Originally, although there was such a commotion in the east, those bandits were just passing through the border, so Faqir's focus was still on the European side.
But what happened to Abbas II made him realize that major changes had taken place in the east, and he had to shift his attention and focus his attention on the eastern front.
As a result, at this time, the Ming army led by Sun Chuanting entered the Ottoman Empire and was invincible, capturing Baghdad, a famous city in the Mesopotamia.
In the past, Baghdad was the capital of the Arab Empire, and together with Chang'an of the Tang Dynasty of China and Constantinople, it was known as the three most famous cities in the world.
This place was snatched by the Ottoman Empire from Persia, and now it has been snatched away by the Ming army. This is absolutely unacceptable to the Ottoman Empire.
Because if this side is lost, the Ottoman Empire will also lose control further south.
If it were true, the Ottoman Empire could also control these places through its navy in the Mediterranean. However, after the Portuguese Navy equipped forty steam paddle-wheel warships, it suddenly became the overlord of the Mediterranean. The Ottoman Empire's navy could only defend but could not sail long distances to attack.
Therefore, the Baghdad area was a place that could never be lost to the Ottoman Empire.
To this end, Faqir began to mobilize troops and horses from the east and issued a summons to his vassal state, the Crimean Khanate, requesting cavalry to assist in the battle.
In addition, Faqir also urgently summoned Abbas II to learn about the situation of enemies from the Far East through Abbas II, so as to know ourselves and the enemy.
Since Abbas II was under someone else's care, he had no choice but to rush to Istanbul when Faqir summoned him.
The former Persian emperor has now become a dog of the Ottoman Empire.
On this day, Abbas II finally arrived in Istanbul and met the rulers of the Ottoman Empire for the first time.
On the way, he had already thought about what to say.
