Seven Seas Beacon Fire

Li Renchi was at a loss for words because of this stubborn girl in front of him. He had tried to reason with her and used all the examples he could, but she was clearly unmoved.

So he turned his slightly pleading gaze to his son. This kid had been eloquent since he was a child, and in Li Renzhi's mistaken belief, Zheng Guanyin should also be having an affair with his son. Brat, why don't you come out and say a few words for me now?

Li Che put down the soup spoon in his hand, straightened his collar, but did not face Zheng Guanyin. Instead, he looked at his father and said, "Father, I think the Fourth Princess is right about at least one thing."

"what?"

"That means the Eastern Capital is already awash in blood, so this war can only end when the Washington Field is also awash in blood." Li Che completely baffled his father—are you here to help me out, or to contradict me?

Faced with the puzzled look in Li Renzhi's eyes, Li Che waved his hand, indicating that Zheng Guanyin could sit down first. Zheng Guanyin also looked at Li Che with some surprise. She did not expect that this grandson would speak up for her as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Maintaining such a determination to fight when facing a powerful enemy invasion is extremely valuable. It is a golden belief that we should carefully protect and not let the flame of this belief be easily extinguished."

Li Che rested his elbows on the table and crossed his hands: "Put yourself in their shoes. If I were in a weak country, being invaded by a powerful enemy, when the invaders were slaughtering my compatriots, when my relatives and friends died in front of me, what would I be thinking? Would I still be able to remain rational at that time?"

I think I probably couldn't do it. I consider myself a relatively emotional person, so if that day ever comes, I will fight the enemy in the forest, I will fight the enemy in the snowfield, I will fight the enemy in the city, I will fight the enemy in the tunnel, and I will fight to the last man.

Even without reinforcements or supplies, I will fight the enemy with any weapon I can find. If I have a gun, I'll use a gun; if not, I'll use a knife. Even if I have to eat chaff and wild vegetables, or even just gnaw on tree bark and cotton, I will never surrender! Even if I fight to the last moment and have no weapons left, I'll grab a stick and smash it over their heads!

Li Renchi stared blankly at his son. Although the boy spoke in plain language and it was a hypothetical situation, for some reason, everyone at the dinner table could feel an indescribable emotion and infectiousness in Li Che's words.

Only Zhu Miaoyun could understand the source of this emotion and its infectiousness. She was the one who could best understand the meaning behind Li Che's words. Zhu Miaoyun's mind was filled with many thoughts, her nose felt a little sore, and her eyes were a little red. Fortunately, everyone's attention was focused on Li Che, and no one noticed Princess Yongning's strange micro-expression.

"Of course, I haven't experienced any of that right now, so I'm able to remain calm and restrained. Fourth Princess, I can make a promise to you here in my own name: it's not just empty talk to make Washington bleed, but the time to make that promise come true is not now!"

Sometimes, pulling back your fist is to better build up power before unleashing it. Temporary peace is for recuperation and for us to better seek revenge in the future. Our ceasefire agreement with the Colombians, and indeed all the ceasefire agreements in this world war, do not mean that this war has come to a complete end. This is just a halftime break, a ceasefire that will last no more than 20 years.

I am 19 years old this year, and you, Fourth Princess, are only in your early twenties. Do you not have the confidence that in 20 years, you can take revenge on your enemies with more thorough preparation, a stronger army, and better equipment?

Goujian endured hardship and humiliation for ten years before conquering Wu; the Qin state annexed the six other states, building upon the legacy of six generations. Twenty years is not a long time for our nation, Your Highness? Can't you and your people truly endure even a moment longer?

Zheng Guanyin paused for a moment: "It's not that I'm unwilling to believe the Crown Prince, but I've always liked to learn from history. Qin Hui was once a proponent of war, and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang was once a wise and benevolent ruler. Twenty years is not a long time, but it's not short either. How do I know that your ambition and the oaths you made won't be worn down within twenty years? After all, even if you make such an oath to me here, you would never make it public."

“It’s true that we can’t make it public, but I really don’t have any other way to gain your trust. We can’t exactly go to the Luo River and swear an oath by the Luo River, can we?” Li Che shrugged. “If you think the Luo River has a bad reputation, you can swear an oath by the Yangtze River.”

“This kind of joke is not funny.” Zheng Guanyin shook her head: “How can I believe what you say? When the Northern Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty signed the Treaty of Chanyuan, were they thinking of a temporary compromise, or that there would be no more war on the northern frontier from then on?”

“That’s why I’m growing to hate the Sima family more and more. Nobody is willing to believe their political promises anymore. Well, if that’s the case, then I’ll analyze it for the Fourth Princess from the perspective of interests.” Li Che shrugged and said, “First of all, before this world war broke out, Europe only had the Balkans as a powder keg, but now Europe is full of powder kegs that have been buried.”

For the Leitanians, their army remained in Gaul throughout the war until the final ceasefire. To the east, they even seized large swathes of Ursus territory. Ursus, which even Napoleon couldn't defeat, was defeated by the Leitanians. Although they have now withdrawn from the war due to various practical reasons, such as food shortages at home, do you think Britain and France, who paid such a heavy price in this war, wouldn't they try to take a cut from the Leitanians?

The collapse of the Leitanian mark was foreseeable. Leitania, having lost all its overseas colonies, was not like Gaul after the Franco-Prussian War, able to raise all the reparations in a short time. Under the enormous claims of the treaty, Leitania could only over-issue currency. When the people of Leitania found that they had to spend 50 marks to buy a loaf of bread, what do you think would happen?

Leaving aside Ursus, our northern neighbor, the old Ursus has fallen, but a new Ursus Federation has been established on the foundation of the former Ursus. The main ruling party of this Ursus Federation now shares similar ideals with our utopian faction. They have an efficient group and an enlightened leader willing to cooperate extensively with other factions. The current leader of the Ursus Federation is far more astute than that fool Nicholas II. He even predicted the defeat of Letania and took the opportunity to reclaim most of the territories that had been ceded to Letania, except for Polania.

A major power needs living space to develop. Do you think Ursus will continue to compete with us for those rotten lands in Siberia in the future, or will it focus its main efforts on the west?

This is only Europe, Your Highness.

Chapter 131 This Child is Like Me

"Was that really the kid's assertion?"

After listening to Li Renzhi's account of what happened at the dinner table yesterday, Li Zongdi was quite surprised, though not entirely incredulous.

Li Che has been clever since he was a child. Although Li Zongdi liked this in the past and was quite proud of having such a smart grandson, he understood one thing very well. While it is good for a child to be smart, the vast amount of history records show that there is no shortage of smart people in the world. However, among these smart people, those who can truly achieve great things have a quality that is not intelligence.

Just like Zhuge Liang in the Three Kingdoms, who was known for his almost supernatural wisdom, people have admired him for thousands of years. Is it really just because of Zhuge Liang's intelligence and talent?

Of course not! If we're just talking about intelligence, people like Guo Jia and Jia Xu wouldn't be much less intelligent than Prime Minister Zhuge Liang.

When the railway plan required passing through Zhaolie Temple, and discussions were underway about whether to demolish Zhaolie Temple, someone casually asked, "If Zhaolie Temple is demolished, what will happen to Wuhou Temple?" This led to the railway being rerouted. What was the reason for this?

Of course, it is out of admiration for Prime Minister Zhuge Liang's dedication to the cause until his dying breath.

This is not blind loyalty, but a matter of morality and a broad perspective.

Intelligent people are not necessarily broad-minded. After all, the most intelligent race in the world over the past 3000 years may have some cleverness, but they have never had a broad vision.

The word "格局" (geju, meaning pattern or scope) has been used too much by some former leaders, livestreamers, and internet celebrities in the 21st century. As a result, although the word has not been stigmatized like words such as "comrade," its meaning has been overused, causing people to become "desensitized" to the word.

In Li Zongdi's view, the original meaning of the word "格局" (geju, meaning pattern or scope) is "the degree and scope of one's understanding of things." He believes that a person's pattern determines his height, and it is clear that Li Che's understanding of the current world pattern exceeds Li Zongdi's preconceived notions about Li Che.

The ongoing or completed armistice negotiations between the University of Tokyo and Columbia, the University of Tokyo and Victoria, or the Allied and Central Powers in Europe do not signify the complete end of this world-shaking war.

Essentially, this war was a sudden war fought without any preparation from any of the world's nations. Neither the victorious Allied Powers nor the defeated Central Powers were satisfied with the war.

The side that lost the war did not believe it was due to a lack of strength, but rather that it had fallen victim to a despicable ambush. The side that won the war did not believe it had gained an unfair advantage, because they felt that they had also paid too high a price in the war, but had not achieved the desired benefits.

“Father, the child was just joking…” Li Renchi couldn’t read his father’s thoughts from his face, so after honestly recounting the whole story, he cautiously added to his son’s words, “Children this age often like to make outrageous statements, but they’re not to be taken seriously. His assertion…”

“I think his assertion is absolutely correct.” Li Zongdi raised his eyelids: “Although it may not be 20 years, it may be 10 years later, or it may be 30 or 40 years later, but in any case, there will definitely be a world war of a larger scale, higher intensity, and more brutal nature in the future, that is beyond doubt.”

Li Renchi did not refute it. In fact, after reflecting on what his son had said, he also deeply agreed with it.

"Especially after that kid finished commenting on Europe, his assessment of the current situation between us and the Federation." Li Zongdi sighed softly, repeating in his own voice Li Che's assessment of the current situation between Dongda and Colombia after Li Che's comments on Europe in front of Zheng Guanyin at the dinner party yesterday:

"We are living in an era of the most rapid development of human technology and industry. Humans today are able to change the world with a power that was unimaginable to people in ancient times. Steam engines and steel ships have made cross-border journeys that were once full of risks readily available. The world that was once divided is moving towards commonality like never before."

But precisely because of this, the world's largest ocean cannot simultaneously accommodate two powerful nations. Between us and the country across the ocean, only one can ultimately prevail. "When I was 19, my understanding of the world situation in China was nothing more than this: you, the second brother, and the third brother—none of you are like me. But you gave me a fine grandson! This son is just like me!"

After speaking, Li Zongdi turned his gaze to Li Renzhi: "Do you think we will be the country that has the last laugh?"

"Zheng Guanyin asked Zhi'er about this issue yesterday when they were present."

"What did that kid answer?"

"It was not Zhi'er who answered."

"Oh?" Li Zongdi genuinely felt that things were becoming more interesting.

"It was Princess Yongning who answered."

"Is it Yongning?" Li Zongdi still remembered this princess. She was a beauty from childhood and became famous for her beauty both inside and outside the palace as she grew up. She was cherished by Emperor Yongning. Li Zongdi couldn't immediately connect such a "pretty face" with someone who could "answer".

"Yes, Princess Yongning's answer felt to me like she had just written a section of a grand essay on the spot..."

"Oh?" Li Zongdi's tone rose a few decibels.

"Her Highness spoke a series of parallel sentences, roughly saying... We are now the only nation in the world that still systematically uses hieroglyphics."

The mountain path we walked along was the one where Xu Xiake once stayed overnight.

The passes we have traversed were places that six states once hesitated to advance upon.

The city tower we stand on and gaze into the distance is the one that Yu Qian once steadfastly defended.

The northwestern grasslands where we can now roam freely are the very places Huo Qubing once fought for...

On the chessboard, we've faced one opponent after another; our opponents have changed constantly, but the only constants are the chessboard and ourselves... That's roughly the idea.

Li Zongdi pondered what Princess Yongning had said to his son, and after a long while, he nodded: "That was quite interesting. Your Highness has excellent eloquence. The glorious history is indeed our precious wealth and valuable spiritual nourishment. What do you think, eldest son?"

“This is an era that emphasizes steel, gunpowder, and chemistry.” Li Renzhi said frankly, “I am now in charge of almost the entire country’s economic and industrial systems, so I am clearer than ever about how big the gap is between us and the Federation across the ocean. To be honest, Father, before yesterday, I was actually quite pessimistic about the war between us and the Federation.”

"Could it be that you were moved by Princess Yongning's words yesterday and changed your attitude?"

“No.” Li Renchi shook his head: “What changed my attitude was what Zhi’er said later. To put it simply, he did a simple calculation problem in front of everyone.”

"A math problem?"

"It's a very simple math problem. Even if we don't include the surrounding areas like Silla, Yeonpyeong, and Luzon, and only count the mainland, our total population has already exceeded 500 million, which is more than five times that of the Federation across the ocean."

In this day and age, the size of a country's industrial population and its industrial output can be roughly equated with its urbanization rate. The higher the degree of urbanization, the higher the proportion of industrial output and the more industrial workers serve the industry.

So, we only need to do a simple calculation: if our country's urbanization rate can reach 33%, or one-third, then our country's industrial population will be almost equivalent to the current population of the Federation. Even after this world war, there will inevitably be a large influx of European immigrants to the Federation, causing the Federation's population to grow rapidly in the next one or two decades. But no matter how much they grow, as long as our urbanization rate can reach more than 33%, even disregarding the calculation errors caused by other factors, our industrial scale can reach at least 1.5 times that of the Federation.

It was from Zhi'er's words that I realized the Federation's current advantage in industrial production was not unshakeable; on the contrary, it was even within our grasp.

The "calculation problem" that Li Renzhi mentioned also caught Li Zongdi's eye—sometimes, seemingly very simple principles can be like a thin layer of paper separating most people from a window in a certain historical context; the clues are only revealed after the paper is broken through.

An example of this actually occurred in another world at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. At that time, most Western scholars could not predict our economic boom in the 21st century. It was based on the conclusions of these think tanks that the Federal People began a war on terror that lasted for more than 10 years.

However, a Western economist also did a simple calculation: he multiplied South Korea's GDP per capita at the time by our population at the time, and then he got a very surprising number. Therefore, he also came to an obvious conclusion: as long as we can develop to the point where our per capita GDP is equivalent to that of South Korea, an unprecedentedly powerful behemoth will emerge in the world.

Is such a simple calculation problem really that complicated? But sometimes, people just need a flash of inspiration.

"Why does that tone of voice sound so much like Mr. Fifth?" Li Zongdi muttered to himself. Then he looked deeply at his eldest son and said the same words he had said earlier that evening.

“You have a good son,” Li Zongdi sighed. “At my age, I don’t know if I will live to see us take revenge on Angsa, reclaim Yingzhou, and then have him attack the Federation’s homeland. But you should be able to see it. If that time comes, and you become the emperor of the empire, you can just focus on managing the economy and logistics in the rear. Ask your son about the navy and your second brother about the army. Eldest brother, you are different from them. Don’t waste your energy on military matters.”

Li Renchi was so disgusted by his father's evaluation of him that he almost wanted to flip the table. The old man really didn't give him any face at all! If it weren't for the fact that it was just the two of them in the study today, Li Renchi would have really wanted to slam his fist on the table and reason with his father.

"Is the attitude of the Song Prince's Mansion really as firm as Zheng Guanyin's?" Li Zongdi continued to ask. If they wanted to ensure the peace negotiations could continue, they couldn't ignore the opinions of the Song Prince's Mansion and the entire Yanping leadership.

"They're not as extreme as the Fourth Princess, but the people of Yanping are currently among the most steadfast in their opposition to the ceasefire."

Li Zongdi was silent for a moment: "You know what? Boss, I can really understand the people of Yanping. If our Prince Jin's Mansion were on that island, I wouldn't want to stop the war either. I understand that with the two great victories we have achieved at sea, we can take back some places through negotiations and save many lives, but I just don't want to."

Because I'm a little scared now. I'm already 60 years old. How many more years do you think I have left to live in this world? When I first started the uprising, I harbored the ideal of an old man with youthful vigor, hoping to sweep away those scourges and drive out those foreign enemies for the country.

But now I don't even have the chance to play. I once hoped to avenge my country, but that opportunity might not come for another ten or even twenty years. Even if I do live to that age, do you think an old man like me could still charge into battle with a saber?

Li Renchi also sighed: "Father put the greater good first and endured hardship for the sake of the country. I admire you."

"Alright, stop flattering me!" Li Zongdi chuckled. "Let's put these issues aside for now. We'll discuss the details after our first round of negotiations with the Federation. Let's talk about something else, boss. Did you know that two national titles were chosen?"

“I know,” Li Renchi said, cupping his hands in greeting. “One is ‘Jin’ and the other is ‘Tang’.”

-------------------------------------

Chapter 132 Stubborn as Teacher Da Ye

A good national name is of paramount importance to a country, especially in a land with over 5000 years of history, where the choice of a national name must be made with utmost care.

After discussion, two names for the country were put forward: one was "Jin," which originated from the title of the Prince of Jin, and the other was "Tang," which was chosen based on the surname "Li" of the Prince of Jin.

While his grandfather and father were discussing the country's name, Li Che was having a long phone conversation with Zhu Miaoyun in his room at that very moment.

Since they recognized each other, they have had almost endless things to talk about. Before that, whenever they encountered something, they would always consider whether their words were appropriate for the times and their identities.

Sometimes, when I encounter something funny or come up with an interesting joke, even if I say it out loud, the people around me can't understand it. That feeling of loneliness is really hard to describe in words.

But the situation is completely different now. Li Che and Zhu Miaoyun are eager to tell each other everything they have seen and witnessed during this period.

"Now that these two names have been chosen, it basically means that the suggestion that some people had previously made to continue using 'Ming' as the name of the country, and to change it to 'The Third Great Ming Empire' like some Western countries have, has been abandoned. I just don't know which one my grandfather will choose." Li Che and Zhu Miaoyun were also talking about the name of the country: "I hope it won't be Jin. Otherwise, I would rather accept the Third Great Ming Empire."

“But this ‘Third Great Ming Empire’ sounds a bit like something to chant a wooden fish.” Zhu Miaoyun suppressed a laugh: “It feels like this country’s name suggests that its chemical industry will be very strong in the future.”

"Where did you, a girl, get so many hellish jokes from?" Li Che couldn't help but ask.

"Of course, it's reading books. Books aren't just about riches and beautiful women; they also contain plenty of hellish jokes."

“Girls shouldn’t read those kinds of rubbish books.” Li Che offered a slightly chauvinistic critique, but Zhu Miaoyun chuckled and said, “I don’t read any rubbish books. I only read officially published works by world-renowned authors.”

"Can legitimate published books contain such regional jokes?"

"Of course! Do you know why Haruki Murakami has never won the Nobel Prize in Literature?"

"why?"

"You know, you don't read much formal literature. Back then, you just used my phone and computer to flip through electronic versions of the Green Book (The History of Federation Battleship Design) and the like. Let me tell you, Haruki Murakami wrote a joke in one of his works about four Leitanians and eight Jews. Do you know how to get four Leitanians and eight Jews to fit into an ordinary sedan?"

"Shove the Jews into the trunk?"

"No, it's two Latanians sitting in the front, two Latanians sitting in the back, and eight Jews in the ashtray in the middle."

"Grass."

As Li Che uttered the name of a plant, both people on the other end of the phone burst into laughter.

Of course, both of them knew that abandoning this suggestion was not because "Third XX Empire" sounded like a ridiculous joke to Li Che and Zhu Miaoyun. The reason was that such a Western-style country name would probably not be accepted by most of the people. Of the remaining two country names, Li Che was naturally unwilling to accept "Jin", even though "Jin" was a very prestigious title in ancient Chinese tradition.

As one of the most important vassal states during the Spring and Autumn Period, Jin was consistently a powerful state. Even after the "Quwo replacing Yi" incident in 678 BC, Jin, still bearing the surname Ji, saw its overall strength increase rather than decrease. During the reigns of Duke Wu and Duke Xian, Jin was a major power, not to mention Duke Wen of Jin, Chong'er, who dominated the world. From Duke Wen onwards, Duke Xiang, Duke Jing, and Duke Dao maintained Jin at the level of a first-tier power. Jin's strength, coupled with the illustrious reputation of Duke Wen, made the name "Jin" a highly sought-after title for the state.

In terms of titles, Princes of Jin such as Yang Guang (Emperor Yang of Sui), Li Zhi (Emperor Gaozong of Tang), Chai Rong (Emperor Shizong of Zhou), Zhao Guangyi (Emperor Taizong of Song), and Yesun Temur (Emperor Taiding of Yuan) ascended the throne.

However, as far as the name of the state was concerned, it was doomed. The name Jin was unfortunate enough to first encounter the "trustworthy Sima family". You could have just said something like "farting while drowning" and that would have been fine, but then Cheng Ji even murdered the emperor in the street. Your subordinates did the dirty work for you and that would have been fine, but the Sima family wanted to silence them. As a result, Cheng Ji and his brother stripped naked and ran to the rooftop to tell the whole city about the Sima family's shameful deeds. Emperors like this have done things before and after, but everyone kept it in the dark!

If the Jin Dynasty could at least be considered a unified empire, then the Later Jin Dynasty established by Shi Jingtang completely ruined that name. Back then, Shi Jingtang sold out the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun south of the Yanshan Mountains in exchange for the Khitans launching an attack to overthrow Li Congke, the last emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty. Shi Jingtang left behind an infamy throughout history.

The betrayal of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun left the Northern Song Dynasty defenseless. He then recognized Yelü Deguang, the Khitan emperor 11 years his junior, as his godfather. The Song scholar Ouyang Xiu was so enraged that he wrote a scathing critique in his *New History of the Five Dynasties*: "The affairs of the Jin Dynasty are shameful!"

(Of course, it's a bit ridiculous to blame Shi Jingtang for the fact that our Great Song Dynasty couldn't conquer the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun on its own. There's no necessary connection between Shi Jingtang's shameful treason and the disgrace of your Song Dynasty.)

"If the country's name is Tang, then the capital should still be Yingtianfu, right? So this should be considered Eastern Tang?"

"The historical records might refer to him that way to distinguish him," Li Che said, his mind not on the directions. "To be honest, I'm still a little unprepared. It seems like I'm about to become the Crown Prince all of a sudden."

"Your grandfather hasn't even become emperor yet, and you're already thinking about becoming the crown prince? Why don't you think further ahead and what you'll do when you become emperor?"

"The point isn't what will happen to me in the future. The point is that as the Crown Prince who has come of age, I will definitely have to choose a consort after the war ends. Are you ready to be my Crown Prince's consort?"

"ah???????"