Sun Yuanrang
Twelve years have passed.
Standing in the spacious hall, Sun Yuanrang put his hands behind his back and sighed deeply.
After twelve years of campaigning and enduring hardships, he finally reached the moment of supremacy. How could he express his feelings to outsiders? Those who had mocked his humble origins and scolded him for his wishful thinking were now reduced to dust. This was destiny.
He will also be the emperor in the world who understands the sufferings of the people and the corruption of officials the most. After all, he has experienced it personally and has been bullied and exploited.
When he ascends the throne, he will certainly reduce corvee labor, ban corruption, and ensure that the people under his rule can live and work in peace and contentment, achieving eternal peace.
Countless thoughts and emotions surged in his heart. Da Gan was already dead, and even the last deposed crown prince had been driven out of the capital, and his head would be presented soon.
All that remained was the enthronement ceremony and the establishment of the capital. He was only one step away from the most honorable position in the world.
However, this step is not so easy.
Sun Yuanrang turned his head and looked south. The small fleet of the past had become a behemoth. From the North Sea to the straits in the South China Sea, the vastness of the four seas was probably no less than the territory he controlled.
Just as Mr. Fang said back then, that woman had no intention of fighting for the world, but if he allowed half of the country to fall into her hands, could he still be considered a king who unified the world?
More importantly, there are powerful enemies nearby, and even the capital is difficult to choose.
If they were to move north to contain the barbarians, who knows whether the people in the south will be surnamed Sun or Fu in a hundred years?
Could it be that they were to move to the Central Plains, or even to an ancient capital further west? Would they then abandon the Four Seas and hand over billions of dollars in maritime trade to others?
This is the most troublesome problem. In fact, Sun Yuanrang knows in his heart that he should have dealt with the Red Flag Gang earlier.
But with enemies on all sides and relying on others for salt and grain, how could they easily start a war? Furthermore, the Red Flag Gang had little intention of expanding; they simply stayed by the sea, slowly amassing wealth and goods, without attempting to stir up trouble.
They didn't attack him when he was in the most difficult time, nor did they tear up the agreement and ruin the good situation. It was precisely because of this that Sun Yuanrang never went to war with the Red Flag Gang. Perhaps she was happy to see him ascend to the throne.
Something seemed to pluck his heartstrings, and Sun Yuanrang recalled the woman's appearance.
She wasn't actually beautiful, only elegant, and she didn't bother with makeup or cosmetics. But what made her unforgettable was not her face, but her demeanor, the kind of heart and courage that could rival the heroes of the world.
Such a remarkable woman, and also the orphan of General Qiu, he would not be willing to fight with her unless he had no choice.
But now the South has long been independent. Giving up Guangdong, Guangxi, and even the farther Shiwan Mountains is still something he can consider, but giving up Jiangdong, the richest and most prosperous province in the world, is out of the question.
You have to know that on land, Jiangdong is not easy to defend. A large army can take it in a moment. But facing the sea, Jiangdong is also not easy to defend. Even the artillery batteries are in the hands of others. How can he deal with the enemy's counterattack?
Perhaps only by training a large navy in the inland rivers would he have a chance of defeating the Red Flag Gang. However, his kingdom was still in ruins, with so many starving people, and the Rongdi tribes who were eyeing him covetously in the northwest and repeatedly invading the border. How could he start another national war?
No, maybe there is another way.
"Li Xuan!"
"I am here."
The ministers standing by stepped forward and bowed respectfully. He was the nephew of Li Xiao, a prominent official under his command. He was a gifted writer, holding the title of Zhongshu Sheren, and had always been responsible for drafting imperial edicts. Since the Red Banner Gang had become a nation, it was only right that they wrote a well-balanced letter.
However, after Li Xuan responded, he still did not receive the Lord's order.
After an unknown amount of time, Sun Yuanrang sighed and said, "Well, I'll just write it myself."
How could he let someone else write such an important letter? He wanted to show not only magnanimity but also sincerity.
When two tigers fight, the only ones who suffer are the people of the world. Now that his wife died early and she is still unmarried, why not arrange a marriage and achieve the unification of the world?
Sun Yuanrang was not a man of great literary talent, and writing a letter that resembled a marriage proposal took him a lot of effort and he revised the manuscript several times before he finished it.
Not only did he talk about his ideas on governing the country in the future and the benefits that would come from their union, he also personally promised to treat her offspring well and to only appoint their child as the crown prince.
In this way, the fleet at sea would not be lost, and she could enter the Central Plains and become the supreme ruler, second only to the emperor and above all others. Moreover, he was much older than her. If the mausoleum collapsed one day, the position of empress dowager would surely be hers, and then wouldn't she be able to command the whole world?
This was the highest position a woman could achieve. Since she hadn't claimed the title of emperor, and had allowed the South Sea to adopt a "virtual monarch" system for so many years, she must have been somewhat hesitant about the position. He would give her the authority to leave no one in the world in awe.
All that remained was what Fang Tianxi had said back then: she didn't want to be imprisoned in the palace. When she was young, she might have been impatient, but as she grew older and shouldered more responsibilities, she would surely still want a stable life. At worst, when Bai Longyu surrendered, they could go out of the palace together. Both were founding emperors and empresses, so why would anyone stop them?
This long letter was neither serious nor insincere. After sending it, Sun Yuanrang made all the necessary preparations and even considered the reasons for rejection.
For example, if she wanted a male lover, should he agree? In fact, as long as it did not disrupt the royal bloodline, he did not care.
Such generosity, such sincerity, yet the reply he received was still beyond Sun Yuanrang's expectations. It wasn't a letter, but a long scroll. Was it a painting? Was it meant to humiliate him and dissuade him from his wishful thinking?
With a gloomy face, Sun Yuanrang dismissed the ministers serving him and asked his trusted eunuch to hold the scroll and slowly unfold it.
However, when he saw the contents of the scroll clearly, his expression changed, and he rushed forward to take a closer look.
It was a map, not the Kyushu map treasured in the palace, nor the marching map he ordered drawn, but a map that was broader and more magnificent than anything he had seen before.
China still existed within the painting, but it was much smaller, occupying only a corner of the picture. Outside of China, above, below, left, and right, there were continents, all of which were foreign countries with names marked on them.
How is this possible? Isn't China the center of the world? Isn't it surrounded by seas on three sides and barbarians on all sides? How can there be so many countries and so much land?
At that moment, Sun Yuanrang felt dazed, thinking that this was a trick used by Cheng Xi, a method of attacking his mind.
However, when he looked over slowly, he found that there were many countries that he was familiar with, such as the Rongdi who occupied the grassland, and the foreign countries recorded in history books. However, the ones he recognized were only one of ten thousand. How could he have imagined that there were countless other countries besides these foreign countries?
If the world is so big, all he can occupy is a small corner. Wouldn't it be like trying to catch fish in a tree to unify the world?
He stared blankly for an unknown amount of time before he shifted his gaze to the line of words at the end of the scroll.
"This is the seventh edition of the Map of All Nations. It took ten years to create this map, and I want to share it with you, Brother Sun. The world is so vast, and even the ruler of a single country cannot rule it, let alone a mere vassal. My ambition lies not in the mountains and rivers, but in the hearts of the people. China's greatest danger lies not at its borders, but thousands of miles away, in the vast seas. Now that you cannot defend it, I will. I hope you will look at this map more often and imagine how the world will be transformed a hundred years from now."
The pen strokes were still extremely fine, and each character had distinct structure. Many simplified characters that were only used in cursive script were used. However, seeing the words was like seeing the person, as if the woman had spoken to him in person and thrown these words in his face.
It turns out that she was not unambitious or uninterested in imperial power, but the world she saw was different from her own.
Human hearts, human hearts… In a flash, Sun Yuanrang thought of something: "the teaching of justice and kindness." Something he had never understood, but now it seemed as if it were revealed before him. It was the weapon she would use to win the hearts of the people, using justice and kindness to win over the millions of ordinary people.
What did he have? Was it just light labor service and low taxes? Was it just strict punishment of corrupt officials and clean governance? Was it just fighting against the barbarians and protecting the country and the people? Were these enough to compete with her, for the world's dominance, for the prosperity of all people?
At this moment, Sun Yuanrang suddenly began to waver. What if the whole world got used to the "virtual monarch" and believed in "public welfare", could the world of his family still be passed down?
However, he quickly dispelled that hesitation. Looking at the enormous scroll and the exquisitely detailed "Map of All Nations," Sun Yuanrang slowly closed his eyes.
He couldn't let the world remain like this, he also wanted to raise a navy and rally the people's hearts. The two of them would eventually face off, but not now, not at this moment.
Since he was still unable to control the sea, there was no need to fight her head-on, as it would only benefit others. The battlefield between them was not just in Jiangdong and Guangdong, but also in the hearts of millions of people.
After making the decision, Sun Yuanrang immediately shouted, "Announce the ministers of the cabinet."
He would establish his capital in the Central Plains. He would also ban Gongshan Religion, preventing the spread of those evil rumors. He would also ask those most intelligent people to come up with a method that would be no less effective than Gongshan Religion to educate the people.
He will not lose this battle. At least now he is the emperor, and she is just a woman who cannot become an emperor.
However, when his gaze turned back to the picture, Sun Yuanrang felt panic again.
What if she was truly mad enough to publish this picture? What if she truly didn't care about the laws and moral principles that had been passed down for thousands of years? If China was no longer "the center of the world," how would those learned people describe the world and explain everything?
The next moment, he suppressed his fear, walked forward himself, and rolled up the scroll again.
He was still young and strong, and surrounded by capable ministers and generals who could conquer the world. He was about to ascend the throne and achieve great things, so why would he be afraid of such a mere map?
Pressing the scroll firmly on the table, Sun Yuanrang took a deep breath.
He won't lose.
I will not lose.
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