148: Commerce with the West strengthens the country's foundation

Chapter Eleven: Trading with the Western Seas, the National Foundation Grows Stronger

The monsoons of Nanyang smoothed the shipping lanes, making the waters of Fuxing Island Port ripple with light. Merchant ships flying various foreign flags were moored stem to stern, filling the trading anchorages designated by red alert. In the sixth month of sustained steady management, Lin Zhou’s strategy of 'proceeding slowly' moved another piece—officially opening the Strait of Malacca and establishing an ocean trade route leading directly to the Indian Ocean. Without carrying weapons or expanding territory, he stabilized his overseas foundation through trade alone, while allowing the chaos in the Central Plains to evolve naturally in silence, firmly building both the national foundation and the people's hearts.

On the holographic sand table of the Intercontinental Command Center, the sphere of influence in the West Pacific was covered in deep green, and the routes in the eastern Indian Ocean were marked in bright yellow. Unmanned reconnaissance drones had completed the mapping of the shipping lanes in advance, making the distribution of city-states, tribes, and ports in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal crystal clear. Lin Zhou’s fingertip brushed across the narrow waterway of the Strait of Malacca, the throat connecting the eastern and western oceans and the first step for red alert forces toward global expansion. He still strictly adhered to the bottom line of not initiating war and not colonizing indigenous people, using trade as a bridge to spread his global layout.

[Ding—Receiving command: Open official trade routes from Nanyang to the Indian Ocean, enable Indian Ocean security route markers, and deploy 4 high-speed patrol boats for the entire escort]

[Trade Rules: No colonial outposts, no interference in the internal affairs of coastal city-states, equal exchange of materials, neutrality toward warring factions, only ensuring the safety of merchant ships and Han merchants]

[Resource Exchange List: Export Nanyang grain, refined steel, and improved agricultural tools; import Indian Ocean spices, gems, saltpeter, and tropical hardwoods; all to be included in the system conversion reserves]

[Livelihood Additional Instruction: Build Huaxia Cultural Heritage Halls on various islands in Nanyang to collect rare ancient books carried by exiled Scholars from the Central Plains, continuing the Huaxia cultural lineage]

The day after the instruction was issued, the first fleet of Han merchants escorted by red alert patrol boats sailed out of the Strait of Malacca and into the Bay of Bengal. When the coastal Tianzhu states and Dashi caravans first saw the sail-less, silver-gray escort boats, they were initially terrified and wary. However, upon seeing that the fleet only traded and did not seize land or harass the people, and that the transactions were fair and honest, they immediately opened their ports to welcome them. The high-yield seeds and refined iron tools brought by the Han merchants became hard currency along the Western Seas. The rare resources exchanged were continuously transported back to the Nanyang sub-bases by unmanned transport boats, converted into ship materials and technological reserves, making the closed loop of using trade to nurture power increasingly perfect.

Outside the barrier, Lu Xiufu led several exiled veteran Scholars who had crossed the sea from the Central Plains, bowing as they requested an audience while holding salvaged Song dynasty ancient books. These Scholars were all unable to endure the chaos and harassment of the Yuan Court. Hearing that the Huaxia cultural lineage survived in the South Sea, they had crossed the sea with their books. Although they were not soul-branded, they spontaneously turned their hearts toward Lin Zhou and were willing to serve him because of his benevolent policy of protecting the han chinese people and inheriting the cultural lineage. Lu Xiufu’s expression was earnest, his eyes filled with the joy of continuing the cultural lineage as well as sorrow for the loss of culture in his homeland: 'Your Majesty, more and more Scholars are migrating south from the Central Plains, bringing over three thousand volumes of ancient books. The Cultural Heritage Hall has been completed and opened. The Huaxia academic tradition will henceforth take root in Nanyang and will not be severed due to the war in the Central Plains.'

Several veteran Scholars also bowed deeply toward the Intercontinental Command Center, their words sincere: 'Your Majesty protects our han chinese people and continues our cultural lineage. Even the Sage Kings of old were no better than this. We are willing to do our utmost to educate the younger generation and spread the Huaxia Orthodoxy.'

Nearby, the controlled guards and soldiers gathered outside the Cultural Heritage Hall, listening to the Scholars' lectures with eyes full of reverence. They still retained a simple patriotism, their eyes welling up with tears for the preservation of ancient books and their hearts rejoicing at the southern migration of the Scholars. In their spare time, they would go to the hall to listen to stories and learn to read. The blood of Yamen and the cultural lineage of Huaxia merged within them, while their absolute loyalty to Lin Zhou remained the underlying color of everything.

Lin Zhou used the system to open up the supply of energy and materials for the Cultural Heritage Hall and allocated red alert medical and living modules to ensure the Scholars' daily needs. He made the inheritance of the Huaxia cultural lineage a core part of the Nanyang national foundation. Weapons can seize territory, but only a cultural lineage can stabilize it for a thousand years. This was his deeper plan for 'proceeding slowly'—not just to rule the territory, but to unite the roots and soul of the Huaxia people.

Meanwhile, the chaos in the Central Plains had reached a fever pitch.

Kublai Khan died in the palace of Dadu. The Mongol princes immediately broke out into a divisive civil war between the Northern Yuan and the Central Plains factions. Prince Zhenjin was besieged in Dadu, the Northwest princes declared independence with their armies, the Jiangnan Yuan Army defected to protect themselves, and displaced people rose up everywhere in the Yellow River basin. Yet, no faction dared to easily slaughter the han chinese people or touch the bottom line of the South Sea red alert. Real-time satellite images showed Han gentry in various prefectures organizing local militias to protect their borders. In the former Song lands of Jiangnan, some even raised the flag of the Great Song, yet no one dared to proclaim themselves emperor; all were watching the movements of the South Sea.

Gentry from Jiangnan jointly sent envoys across the sea, presenting a petition to take the throne and imploring Lin Zhou to lead the Northern Expedition and rule the Central Plains. Defecting Han generals of the Yuan Army also secretly sent letters of surrender, willing to be the vanguard of the Northern Expedition. When the news reached Nanyang, the han chinese people's settlement areas erupted in joy. The soldiers were eager for action, and even Lu Xiufu tactfully advised, saying, 'The Mandate of Heaven has returned to the people's hearts; the Central Plains can be settled.'

But Lin Zhou still made no move.

He sent back a command with only one sentence: 'Protect the borders and the people, and wait for the Royal Army.'

A Northern Expedition now could easily sweep away the remnants of the Yuan Court, but it would inevitably cause the cities of the Central Plains to be affected by the flames of war, making the newly settled people suffer from conflict once again. What he was waiting for was the optimal moment when the internal strife of the Yuan Court ended completely, all factions were disintegrated, and the people of the Central Plains were free from the danger of war. He would take over the entire territory through absolute deterrence without shedding blood, rather than seizing the throne through conquest.

The trade routes in the Indian Ocean progressed triumphantly.

The fame of the red alert patrol boats spread along the coasts of the Western Seas. Pirates vanished, and the shipping lanes became peaceful. Even Venice merchants from as far as the Mediterranean Sea bypassed the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean to trade with the red alert fleet. The city-state monarchs of the various countries in the Western Seas sent envoys one after another, carrying state letters and tributes to Fuxing Island to seek an audience with this Eastern Emperor who wielded divine sea weapons, requesting trade and alliances. Lin Zhou only ordered the shipborne AI to receive them, granting trade but declining alliances, always maintaining a transcendent and neutral posture. He did not involve himself in any overseas power struggles, only taking resources and consolidating maritime power.

The national foundation of Nanyang, under the dual nourishment of trade and the cultural lineage, became increasingly indestructible:

Grain reserves exceeded two million dan, enough to support the military and civilians of the entire territory for five years;

Rare metal and fuel reserves filled the underground warehouses, sufficient to support the mass production of military equipment for the entire region;

The preliminary research for electromagnetic naval guns and strategic bombers was 70% complete, with all blueprints and core components archived;

The number of han chinese people settling in Nanyang exceeded one hundred thousand households, the Cultural Heritage Hall held over ten thousand volumes of books, and village schools and private academies were spread across the islands. Han clothing and rituals were being revived overseas;

Maritime power in the West Pacific and the eastern Indian Ocean was completely stabilized, and no force dared to challenge the maritime order of red alert.

Lin Zhou stepped onto the deck of the revitalization aircraft carrier, watching the merchant fleet returning from the Western Seas enter the port. He saw the smoke from the Cultural Heritage Halls on the islands of Nanyang intertwining with the mechanical sounds of the base, the chaos in the Central Plains reaching its end on the holographic sand table, and the trade routes in the Indian Ocean continuously extending. The sea breeze ruffled his robes; the young emperor’s expression remained calm, without the anxiety of rushing a Northern Expedition or the arrogance of dominating the four seas.

Lu Xiufu stood by his side, gazing at the grand sight of trade across the four seas and the happiness of the people. Looking toward the Central Plains in the north, he now fully understood the emperor's composure. He bowed and said in a steady voice, 'Your Majesty, with trade through the Western Seas and the cultural lineage continuing forever, the national foundation is solid. the Central Plains only awaits the right timing.'

Lin Zhou looked at the distant horizon, his gaze sweeping across the Indian Ocean toward the more distant Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. His tone was calm yet held a vision that could sweep the world:

'Trade to gather the world's resources, culture to unite the heart of Huaxia, and maintain the stance to wait for changes in the Central Plains.'

'Expand the Western Seas trade routes further, finalize military research, and upgrade the Ryukyu outpost. Let everything else take its natural course.'

'When the time is right, the Royal Army will head north to unify the Nine Provinces; then, the fleet will sail into the oceans, and the whole world will follow the same track.'

The setting sun dyed the carrier deck golden-red. The sirens of the Western Seas merchant ships intertwined with the sound of reading from the Nanyang village schools. The red alert fleet cruised in silence, and the chaos in the Central Plains awaited its end. The chess game of proceeding slowly had reached the mid-game; every step was as steady as Mount Tai, and every move held hidden depth.