My Pen Pal Zhu Yuanzhang

Chapter 28 Sea power or land power? China wants both!

“Once you understand overseas trade, sea power becomes easy to understand.

Sea power is generated around overseas trade. It is the right of a country to use its military and non-military forces to safeguard its overseas trade and maritime interests.

In more detail, sea power mainly includes: controlling trade routes, protecting trade ships, controlling colonies, and defeating challenging opponents.

For example, controlling the Strait of Malacca means controlling the trade routes between Europe, the Arab world, India and other countries and Siam, Jiaozhi and even the Ming Dynasty!

Seeing this, Lao Zhu, do you have the urge to immediately launch an industrial revolution and make Ming a maritime power? "

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded unconsciously, then reacted, "Okay, Old Li, I really can't hide my thoughts from you!"
"Don't be impatient yet. When discussing whether Ming Dynasty should become a maritime power, we still have to understand a concept in advance: land power!"

Is land power a concept opposite to sea power?
Zhu Yuanzhang thought about it and thought that land power should be the power to occupy important places, control important roads, and thus achieve regional control, right?
It's just like the battle for supremacy in the Central Plains.

“The concept of land power is not much different from sea power, but its expression is very different from that of sea power.

The biggest difference between the two is that land power is first concentrated and then dispersed, while sea power is first dispersed and then concentrated. "

Concentrate first and then disperse, or disperse first and then concentrate?
What does it mean?
Zhu Yuanzhang continued to be confused.

Mr. Li likes to make up sentences that we can’t understand. Let’s see how he gives examples to explain.

But I, Old Zhu, really enjoy watching Old Li give examples. They are vivid and interesting, clear at a glance and very impressive.

"For example, since ancient times, there has been a saying in China that whoever controls the Central Plains controls the world. Why?
Because the Central Plains is the core area of ​​China, if you control the Central Plains, you can march south, north, east, and west.

For example, Lao Zhu, you, in the crucial battle with Chen Youliang in Poyang Lake, defeated the Chen Han regime and controlled Longxing. You can use Longxing as the core to project power to Huguang and even Jiangnan!"

Seeing Li Han using his most proud battle as an example, Zhu Yuanzhang felt honored and even a little flattered.

“Therefore, the essence of land power is to project power around key points.

Just like playing Go, if you control one key point, you can control one side!
This is what it means to concentrate first and then disperse. First, concentrate on controlling one point, and then disperse the influence to the surrounding areas. "

Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands and said, "Old Li, now that you have given me this example, I, Old Zhu, understand now!"

“This is also why the Han Dynasty had to fight against the Xiongnu in the north and the Tang Dynasty had to control Tibet.

Huo Qubing conquered the Xiongnu and there was no longer any Xiongnu royal court south of the desert. The Han Dynasty was then able to use the desert as a key point to project its power to the Western Regions, thus establishing the Western Regions Protectorate.

By controlling the Western Regions, one can influence India, Persia, and the Arab Empire. More importantly, the land trade routes with Europe will be under control.

The Tang Dynasty went a step further and established the Anxi Protectorate, which completely controlled the Western Regions within the Tang Dynasty's territory and allowed the power of the Tang Dynasty to penetrate westward more thoroughly.

This was also the main reason why there was a spectacular scene of all nations coming to pay tribute during the heyday of the Tang Dynasty.

Not only that, the Tang Dynasty also controlled Tubo, so that it could use the Himalayas, like a natural barrier, to look down on India. "

We understand!

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly realized.

Without the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, the Song Dynasty had always been suppressed by the north because it had lost the land power to control the north!

We, the Ming Dynasty, have controlled Juyongguan. We can attack when we advance and defend when we retreat, because we control the land power in the Juyongguan area!

After many years of fighting, although I knew where to capture and where to control, I had never studied the principles behind it.

Now after Li Han's explanation, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly understood. In this way, the desert must be conquered. To the west, we can project our power to the Western Regions. Maybe our Zhu can bring the Western Regions back into the territory of the Ming Dynasty!

And heading eastward, it can form an eastward momentum towards the Liaodong area, thus further squeezing the living space of the Jurchens!

"As for sea power, the most important thing is to control trade routes with warships as the core and merchant ships as the foundation. These trade routes crisscross each other, like blood vessels, transporting the interests of various places to the country that controls sea power.

Therefore, trade routes are like spider webs, and maritime powers are the spiders lying at the center of the web.

All the bugs that get stuck on the spider web will become food for the spider!

This is what it means to disperse first and then concentrate. "

Land power is important, and sea power is also important.

So how should the Ming Dynasty choose?
Zhu Yuanzhang fell into deep thought for a moment.

"China has a vast territory, and every inch of land was acquired through countless wars. Therefore, China is a typical land-based country!"

That’s right, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in agreement.

"However, China not only has a vast territory, but also has countless excellent seaports from Quanzhou to Jiaozhou. At the same time, there is boundless ocean on both the southeast and east sides. It would be unjust if we did not develop marine trade!

Therefore, China is actually the only and unique country in the world with both land and sea powers!
We Chinese, when together, are a ball of fire; when apart, we are a sky full of stars!

Land power, sea power, we want them all!"

Wonderful, wonderful!
When the water floats, it will be all white. When the water floats, it will be all white!
Land power and sea power are all ours!

Zhu Yuanzhang felt as if his eyes were suddenly opened. He seemed to see that whether in southern Xinjiang or northern desert, the flags of the Ming Dynasty were flying, and on the vast ocean, the Ming Dynasty's ships were galloping!
“Therefore, not developing maritime power is equivalent to cutting off a hard leg of China’s development.

Lao Zhu, can you help Zhonghua get this hard leg fixed? "

The last sentence in the letter made Zhu Yuanzhang silent for a long time.

He had a lot of thoughts and mixed feelings, and suddenly he understood the significance of his founding the Ming Dynasty.

Every emperor has the dream of becoming the greatest emperor of all time, and Zhu Yuanzhang is no exception.

But now, he doesn't seem to care so much about the title of the greatest emperor of all time.

During this period of time, every communication with Li Han overturned his original ideas time and time again.

Why did I establish the Ming Dynasty?
No, at first, he just wanted to have a full meal!

Found a new dynasty and become emperor?

That's something I wouldn't even dare to dream of.

But now he understood that God chose him, Zhu Yuanzhang, to be the emperor and establish the Ming Dynasty because he, Zhu Yuanzhang, shouldered the mission of leading China to the ocean!
After clarifying the goal, Zhu Yuanzhang began to take action.

He has never been a dreamer, but a man of action.

Ask the eunuch to summon Mao Xiang and prepare to use troops in the desert and Liaodong. The specific situation in the two places, such as the distribution of troops, the supply of food and fodder, etc., must be clarified in advance.

While waiting for Mao Xiang to arrive, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly realized a serious problem!
It seems that Mao Xiang is still investigating Lao Li with all his strength!

However, what is our relationship with Lao Li? He won’t blame us...I think so, right?
Well, let’s stop it immediately, and we must not let Mao Xiang and the Jinyiwei mention this matter!
Whether we can succeed in the PK during the new book period depends on you masters!
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(End of this chapter)