Chapter 1051 A China Different From ‘China’

Nanjing, the top of the glazed tower of the Da Baoen Temple. Chen Ming looked at the western sky, his mind was a little dazed.

Chen Ding should have reached the front line by now, right?

Although he, the prince, had some contact with the army, this was the first time he went to the front line alone to "take charge".

Even Chen Ming knew that if possible, Chen Ding would not want to go to the northwest. He was very cautious now, and would never contact the army if he could. Chen Ding didn't know that his father was ready to give up the throne to him.

He was just wearing the hat of the prince now, and there were too many abandoned princes in Chinese history.

Chen Ding was not an arrogant person, how could he forget himself.

It was just that the previous domestic situation was not suitable for Chen Ding to stay any longer. The villain, Chen Ming would do it. And to be honest, if Russia had not been seriously injured and there was no challenge, Chen Ming really wanted to go to the front line in person.

Since he took the throne, Chen Ming has not been involved in the war. Back then, he was also a famous general who was feared by China.

If the war mode did not change, and it was still the same as the anti-Qing period, history would have to give Chen Ming the title of a military strategist. But the war has changed dramatically now. If the Chen Family Army/Fu Han Army had the powerful combat power of today's National Defense Army, Chen Ming would only need one brigade to sweep all the Qing troops who dared to come to the field.

And the more important reason is that Chen Ming did not die. If Chen Ming died, he could still be regarded as a famous general of the last era, but he did not die, and there was no specific military work like Archduke Karl that was passed down to explain his military thoughts. Then the aura of a famous general on him would have been weakened to the extreme.

Due to the macroclimatic factors, Chen Han has been disparaging the Qing Dynasty since its founding, from the political system to the military system, from the quality of officials to the military quality, and the latter was described as vulnerable. In fact, Chen Ming was able to overthrow the Eight Banners from a powerful county in the past when the Qing Dynasty was prosperous. This is the best evidence that the military strength of the Qing Dynasty was rotten.

So does this also prove that Chen Ming's "halo of a famous general" was only created when he was bullying the weak? Just like the big data brushes in the NBA in later generations, they either brushed in garbage time or brushed against weak teams, and their actual ability was seriously inconsistent with their personal data.

Chen Ming is now facing such an embarrassment.

He also wants to brush his reputation back. His "qi-watching technique" is very useful on the battlefield. Not only can you know yourself, but also know the enemy. You can see the opponent's morale and fighting spirit at a glance, and ignore day and night, which is extremely beneficial in today's positional hard battles.

But Chen Ming thought about it, but it was difficult for him to really put this idea into practice. Because he is the emperor!

And in any powerful empire, there has never been an emperor who personally led the army to fight.

Don't take those Western countries as examples. The so-called Alexander Empire and Napoleon Empire were all founded and destroyed by people. How can such an empire be called a real empire?

As for the tradition of the Ottoman Sultan leading troops to fight in person, people can smell the smell of nomadic people from a distance.

Look at China. There are so many emperors who can fight in history. After they really established their foundation, how many of them led the army to fight in person?

Li Shimin can fight, right? He only conquered Goguryeo at the last moment, and he never personally commanded the battle like Napoleon and Alexander.

Chen Ming's current situation is quite similar to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in history. The Han army attacked the Huns several times, and it was Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty who led it. Or he is very similar to the later Red Dynasty Taizu. He did not touch the gun, but millions of troops were working hard to realize his strategic layout.

Therefore, Chen Ming's title of "famous general" is becoming more and more dim, just like no one would say that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was a famous general/military strategist.

When people get old, they will inevitably think about their afterlife.

Chen Ming does not expect immortality. When people reach his current point, what they want is a good reputation after death. But he can't go to the northwest in person for a good reputation after death.

When he abdicates, Chen Ming will go to the northwest, not only the northwest, but also the northeast, Mongolia, Southeast Asia, South Mingzhou, America, and even Europe and India. Chen Ming wants to travel around the world. But that is after he abdicates!

Now, Chen Ming can only come to the glazed tower of the Great Baoen Temple to look at the western sky. On the Volga River thousands of miles away, hundreds of thousands of troops on both sides are fighting hard, and the victory or defeat will be decided in a few days.

As long as the Russian reinforcements cannot break through the defense line of the National Defense Army outside New Astrakhan, the Russians will only have one way to go, which is defeat.

It is already winter, and Chen Ming, standing on the top of the glazed tower, has put on a fleece coat, and the Volga River at this time must still be a season of dripping water and freezing.

…

Lingnan, outside Guangzhou.

Green fields, straight railways, rotating windmills standing in the countryside, and those four-wheeled carriages walking on the country roads..., there is no doubt that this is a countryside, and it is a countryside full of European scenery, but in fact this is China, a Chinese countryside.

It’s just that Guangzhou has been too greatly influenced by Western culture, and many Westerners who came to China have settled in Guangdong Province.

At this moment, this place is not far from Guangzhou, the largest city in southern China. This railway that passes through the fields goes directly to Guangzhou City.

On the railway, there is a beautiful locomotive that looks quite different from the one Chen Han built. The neat carriages, the lively colors of red, blue and white, and the appearance that is one circle larger than the self-made locomotive all show an exotic style. In fact, this is a locomotive from Britain. It was donated to the Guangzhou government by the British last year, not Nanjing, because this locomotive represents the long-term friendship between Britain and Guangzhou. At the same time, the confidence of the Kingdom of Great Britain is undoubtedly demonstrated through this locomotive with good performance.

Europe is not backward in applied science. Europe can also produce locomotives, and they are locomotives with very good performance. Then naturally, Europe can also produce steamships with very good performance.

Now, George Gordon Charles, the new British Consul in Guangzhou, is sitting by the window, smoking his fine Cuban cigar while carefully studying everything he can see.

This is his first time in China, although he can speak fluent Chinese; it is also his first time to take this "English" train, which is one of the many trains in the Guangzhou railway network.

Charles knew this locomotive. It was the best train in Britain so far. Some parts of this locomotive were even made by skilled craftsmen.

But this only gave the performance of the "English" a "good" evaluation in China. It was still a little short of "excellent".

Charles was not surprised by this gap. He was a China expert who had never been to China. Many Eight Banners people in London were his friends. He also had close contacts with Chen Han's staff in the European Office.

In terms of new things such as trains and ships, there was still a certain gap between Britain and China.

Charles was now more surprised by the furnishings in the carriage of this train.

This was a thoroughly British-style train.

Although only a locomotive was shipped from Britain to Guangzhou, the carriage and the decoration inside the carriage were completely pure and rich European. Many Chinese manufacturers can produce authentic European items, and some factories even hired Europeans who came to China as designers.

Look at the hook on the edge of the curtain, a small copper gadget, with exquisite turmeric patterns, branches and leaves rolling, cleverly forming a faint cross, as if it is an ornament in the home of an old noble. But the manufacturer's characteristic inscriptions can be clearly seen above and below the hook, and this kind of inscription can be found on most industrial products in China.

The Chinese even came up with a special "Trademark Law" for this, as if it is a patent that will never expire.

In China, there is a very famous business term in this regard - brand effect. All big businesses have started to operate brands.

There are also many small factories in China that do not pay much attention to brands. Compared with brands, they pay more attention to cost control rather than pursuing these details.

This is a question of economic strength.

When the granaries are full, people know etiquette, and when they have enough food and clothing, they know honor and disgrace. Only when you have enough food and drink can you think about a higher level, just like those small factory owners, they can only consider brands when they have money and the factories are growing and developing.

In contrast, the British business community is the same. Countless small factories also ignore this "brand effect", even though this term was introduced to Europe from China more than a decade ago and is easy to understand. But after all, it is a small factory, and cost control is the most important thing, which is related to the survival of the enterprise.

In order to control costs, many small factory owners, even their entire family, directly participate in production.

Simply comparing the soft and hard power of China and Britain, Charles does not think that Britain is a weaker country.

Yes, Britain's comprehensive strength is indeed much weaker than China, but how big is China and how big is Britain? Especially after losing North America, the entire population of England, the mainland and the colonies, added together, is only 60 to 70 million, which is only one-fifth/one-sixth of China itself.

China's mainland is much larger than Britain's mainland.

Such a rich country, when they vigorously develop industry and commerce, everything they need can be obtained from the mainland, including the most important market for the development of industry and commerce.

Compared with China, Great Britain, which has developed from the small British Isles to the present, is truly "outstanding". But unfortunately, the lonely and barbaric Eastern world actually gave birth to this monster called China.

As long as you understand Chinese history and culture, you can clearly know how different Chen Han is from the previous dynasties of China.

This is more like a European country with a Chinese skin, and the gap with the previous China is too huge...

...

Survival of the fittest.

A ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex appeared in the brutal world jungle!