Chapter 4, Secret Mission, Tasked with Pursuing Women

Zhuge Xiaoliang said: "That is indeed the case! The Zhu family has a precedent for killing meritorious officials. If the Zhu family emperor were to gain power, wouldn't the meritorious officials and the eight kings be in constant fear, unable to even act as loyal subjects?"

Guo Xiaobao said: "Indeed, it took a full ten years to thoroughly investigate and properly allocate the lands of Nanzhili, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Huguang, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, and one capital city along with nine provinces. The equal land system is linked to the military service law, which is fundamental to the stability of the realm. The soldiers from the equal land system are landowners and have occupations; although their martial skills may not be as refined as those of private soldiers and bodyguards, they are less likely to be controlled by generals as private armies. Moreover, the new army established by the court at that time was modeled after the Wu Wang Camp, relying on organized firing and artillery bombardment for victory, rather than depending on individual bravery. The conscripted soldiers from the equal land system could be trained for a few months before going into battle. Thus, private soldiers and bodyguards gradually became a burden for each household, and later, they were gradually absorbed by King Wu Zhong through the allocation method of the Martial Arts Academy. Now, each family of meritorious officials has only a very small number of household soldiers and bodyguards, which can no longer form a significant force." Therefore, private soldiers and bodyguards gradually became a burden for each household, and later, they were gradually absorbed by King Wu Zhong through the allocation method of the Martial Arts Academy. Now, each family of meritorious officials has only a very small number of household soldiers and bodyguards, which can no longer form a significant force.

Upon thinking of this, he perked up his ears and looked at his military attaché, Guo Xiaobao, waiting for him to continue speaking

Can a 15,000-ton armored ship be built by the Ming Dynasty now

Your Excellency! Guo Xiaobao pretended to be impressive and praised with a thumbs up.

No," Guo Xiaobao shook his head, "Given Brother Daozi's age and family background, he should have resolved the matter of marriage long ago. However, your father kept saying that good things should not be rushed, so it has been delayed for a long time, to the point that my aunt is getting anxious... But then your father, well, he passed away... and then you had to observe a three-year mourning period. Once the three years were up, you came to the country of Luocha, and this matter could no longer be addressed.

Guo Xiaobao smiled and said: "It is almost like an elective monarchy, but the emperor chosen by the deliberative assembly holds no real power. The main reason for selecting an emperor from among the various royal houses is the concern that if the royal family grows too powerful, they may harbor ulterior motives and rebel against the Eight Great Meritorious Officials!"

Pursuing romantic interests requires expenditure; since this is a business matter, it should naturally be reimbursed

Then I must ask..." Zhuge Xiaoliang inquired, "Was I sent to the Rakshasa Kingdom for some particularly important task?" He pointed to his own head, "It's a bit hazy here, and I can't remember everything clearly"

"Average land rights?" Zhuge Xiaoliang inquired, "Does that mean dividing the land equally among the people? This matter seems rather difficult to accomplish, doesn't it?"

Who are the competitors? Zhuge Xiaoliang asked again

Guo Xiaobao immediately stood up and said: "Daozi, you should rest well. I will go to inform Ambassador Wei on your behalf, and the matters at the Military Attaché's Office can be handled by Deputy Military Attaché Huang."

Good things should not be rushed ... ... to the land of the Rakshasa ... ... to meet Grand Duchess Natalie! Understood! Zhuge Xiaoliang immediately filled in the gaps and soon uncovered the truth.

"Isn't this just a calculated scheme? Is it some kind of cheat to manipulate things?" Zhuge Xiaoliang complained inwardly, "You, an old time traveler, are being too unreasonable. You've already unlocked all the cheats, what am I supposed to unlock? Moreover, you've distorted history beyond recognition. I'm a history teacher, and now I don't even understand history!"

"Yes, yes, of course!" Guo Xiaobao said, "The higher-ups allocated thirty thousand silver dollars, which is the secret fund for two assignments... It is all deposited in your account at the Yangtze River Bank, and the check is with me, while you carry the check stamp with you."

Guo Xiaobao helplessly glanced at the somewhat foolish Zhuge Weidao and explained: "If Brother Daozi can think of it, how could Zhuge Wuzhong, a man of extraordinary talent, not think of it?" He paused and continued, "While selecting the emperor and establishing laws, Zhuge Wuzhong also proposed the eight strategies for revitalization: equal land rights, encouragement of commerce and industry, promotion of education, organization of a new army, development of the navy, rectification of discipline, establishment of a joint court of the Eight Kings, implementation of local civil service examinations, and the appointment of officials from the flow system."

Guo Xiaobao smiled and said, "Accomplishing one task out of two is already a great achievement"

Guo Xiaobao smiled and said: "Indeed, the average distribution of land rights is not easy, but it is not beyond the capabilities of the venerable King Wu Zhong. Moreover, during the years 13 and 14 of the Yongli era, the world experienced turmoil and war, unlike today when our Ming Dynasty boasts a population of 360 million. Back then, the entire population of the world was only about 50 to 60 million, and the Ming Dynasty held only half of that, with a population of just over 30 million. With fewer people and more land, it is naturally possible to distribute more. Furthermore, the rules established by King Wu Zhong do not entail a complete equal division; rather, they allocate merit fields and noble fields based on the size of contributions and ranks. The entire population of the world was only about 50 to 60 million, and the Ming Dynasty held only half of that, with a population of just over 30 million. With fewer people and more land, it is naturally possible to distribute more. Additionally, the rules set by King Wu Zhong do not involve a complete equal division; they allocate merit fields and noble fields according to contributions and ranks. The court also retained a large amount of official land for the construction of cities and roads, and all the mountains and mines across the country belong to the state. Moreover, the law of average land rights only governs the distribution of land within the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Ming Dynasty. The distribution of land outside the two capitals and thirteen provinces is handled by the court and the Council of State on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, the interests of the meritorious officials can still be safeguarded."

Guo Xiaobao immediately displayed an expression of admiration: "Even in such circumstances, you do not forget your official duties. Truly, you are devoted to the country, and I am genuinely impressed. The higher authorities must have sent you to Luosha for important matters; otherwise, they would not have dispatched you!"

"Indeed. " Guo Xiaobao said, "Especially since the Kui royal family has its roots in the rebel camp, the first generation Kui Zhongwang was actually the nephew of the rebel leader Li Zicheng, known as the Little Rebel King. If the Zhu family emperor truly held power, Kui Zhongwang would no longer dare to call himself the Loyal King!"

"Thirty thousand silver dollars! Sounds like a lot!" Zhuge Xiaoliang thought to himself: "This Ming Dynasty is indeed quite good, even the expenses for flirting with girls are reimbursed, worth pledging loyalty! Well, I see that I can't go back now, from now on I can only survive in this strange world under the name of Zhuge Weidao... I just don't know how the other me in another world is doing. Is he dead, or has he been traversed by this Zhuge Weidao?" Well, I see that I can't go back now, from now on I can only survive in this strange world under the name of Zhuge Weidao... I just don't know how the other me in another world is doing. Is he dead, or has he been traversed by this Zhuge Weidao?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Xiaoliang felt reassured and then asked, "What is the assignment in the dark?"

Moreover, since this matter is a "task," it is undoubtedly a great service to the country and the people, and it must be resolutely accomplished

"What about the kickback?" Zhuge Xiaoliang asked again, "How much are you planning to give?"

Hearing this, Guo Xiaobao had no choice but to sit firmly in the chair and said to Zhuge Xiaoliang, "Brother Daozi, if there is anything you cannot remember, feel free to ask me. As your military officer and scribe, it is my duty to keep track of things for you"

At this point, Guo Xiaobao was somewhat displeased, "Daozi, how can you ask such a question? This battleship is certainly ours! I will send you the bidding materials later, and you will see for yourself!"

After making up his mind, Zhuge Xiaoliang, oh, it should be Zhuge Weida who nodded slightly at Guo Xiaobao and said: "Xiaobao, I may not be confident about the matter of battleship trading, but I will take care of Natalie’s affairs!"

How much funding is allocated for this ... ... ? Thinking of the paper money, Zhuge Xiaoliang immediately inquired about the matter of silver.

Zhuge Xiaoliang was still astonished by the handiwork of the old time traveler. Where did this guy come from? The Austro-Hungarian Empire? How did he manage to establish an electoral monarchy? Wouldn't this lead to chaos in the world?

This task is great, it is a mission to pursue women

Indeed, it has truly left Zhuge Xiaoliang in the dark

"Wait a moment." Seeing Guo Xiaobao getting up to leave, Zhuge Weidao hurriedly called out to him, "Baizhi, there is something I can't quite remember..."

Upon hearing this question, Guo Xiaobao thought to himself: "It seems that you have only lost a little memory at most, and have not turned into a fool; you still know to give a kickback!"

It is the United Kingdom. Guo Xiaobao said, "They have launched the latest Sovereign-class, which is also a large ship of about 15,000 tons. The lead ship, HMS Sovereign, was only put into service last year"

Zhuge Xiaoliang asked again: "However, the eight meritorious princes each command their own troops and territories, dominating their respective regions. Even without the incompetent ruler of the Zhu family, it is likely that peace would still be hard to maintain, right?"

Upon thinking of this, Zhuge said: "My head is feeling a bit dizzy again; it seems I need to take a short nap."

He is now somewhat worried about a chaotic "Holy Ming Empire". It seems that the world has already achieved industrialization ahead of time, and the distance from Europe to East Asia is no longer far. If the Ming were to split into eight parts and engage in a civil war like the Holy Roman Empire, it would provide an opportunity for imperialism to take advantage of.

It turns out that the old gentleman had already set his sights on the young girl Natalie when he came to the land of the Rakshasa to assist Alexander I in fighting Napoleon, which is why Zhuge's marriage was delayed repeatedly. Later, there was also the task of pursuing women by imperial decree. This father is a good father; I must make sure to burn more paper money for him later.

What? Elect, elect the imperial system?

"Whose is better?" Zhuge Xiaoliang asked again

Zhuge Xiaoliang began to ponder again. Although he is currently "amnesiac," it seems that he will continue to live under the name of Zhuge in this rapidly changing New China. If that is the case, he must do his best to handle his duties well. Only then can he return and achieve promotion and wealth

Guo Xiaobao said: "Ambassador Wei's name is Yuanda, courtesy name Mosheng, and he is also known as Liangtu. Deputy Military Attaché Huang's name is Shu, courtesy name Zhisheng, and his military rank is also Navy Major"

Zhuge nodded slightly and finally asked, "Bao, what are the names and courtesy names of Ambassador Wei and Deputy Military Officer Huang..."

The eight great ministers of the Ming Dynasty's revival are indeed loyal beyond words

"It is Grand Duchess Natalia Pavlovna..." Guo Xiaobao lowered his voice and leaned closer to Zhuge Xiaoliang's ear, whispering, "She is very important, we must get her to the Ming Dynasty!"

"It is to be given at five percent of the total contract price," said Guo Xiaobao, "This is an international practice... the British also adhere to this figure"

Zhuge Xiaoliang was taken aback, thinking: "This is a dreadnought! It was historically completed around 1895, right? How can the Ming Dynasty build it now? This technological acceleration is nearly 70 years ahead!"

"What? King Kui Zhong?" Zhuge Xiaoliang was taken aback, "Li Laiheng's posthumous title is Zhong?"

Thus, Guo Xiaobao said with a concerned expression: "Brother Daozi, when I arrived just now, I encountered a doctor who said that you have suffered a head injury, and there may be some residual blood inside that has not dissipated, which is pressing on the nerves. Perhaps if you rest for a while, you will recover... Once you recover, you will remember everything. Why don't you rest for now, and I will return to the embassy first."

Just now, Natalie and Mikhail mentioned that the descendants of the Zhuge family are competing for a certain strategist position... It seems quite intense, and Zhuge Xiaoliang is unwilling to give up.

Zhuge Xiaoliang nodded and said: "Indeed, one must be cautious; history has seen many examples of tyrants executing loyal ministers!"

Is it really that easy? Zhuge Xiaoliang still finds it somewhat hard to believe

Guo Xiaobao said: "Brother Daozi, you have come all the way to Petersburg, and you have two tasks, one public and one private. The public task is to promote our Ming Dynasty's latest 15,000-ton armored warship... This is the assignment given to you by the Navy Department, and it must be accomplished."

Guo Xiaobao nodded: "The posthumous titles of the Eight Kings of Merit are all 'Loyal'... because the Zhu family emperor is merely a figurehead, the Eight Kings of Merit can rest assured in being the Loyal Kings"

This business surely has competitors; otherwise, the naval office would not be so anxious, insisting that it "must be handled properly"

Upon hearing this task, Zhuge Xiaoliang felt no headache at all. Natalie is so beautiful, and she is the Grand Duchess of the Rakshasa Empire; her dowry will certainly be substantial. Moreover, it is evident that she has an interest in me (actually in Zhuge Weidao) ...! ... This is what a "female lead" is!

This skill is quite impressive! Zhuge Weidao (from now on, he will be referred to as Zhuge Weidao) thought to himself: "That Natalie clearly has an interest in me. By the way, I should be quite handsome now, right? No, I need to look in the mirror and appreciate myself properly"

Zhuge Xiaoliang nodded and said: "It's easy to talk about, but if we really want to implement the law of average land rights, it will probably take at least ten or eight years, right?"

Guo Xiaobao glanced at Zhuge Weidao, seemingly at a loss whether to laugh or cry, "Brother Daozi, surely you haven't forgotten your family's art of divination? Zhuge, the half-immortal, with his unfailing strategies and commands that none dare disobey... In the days when King Wu Zhong was alive, who in the world did not respect him? After the passing of King Zheng Cheng, King Wu Zhong's words were even more authoritative, and his commands were followed without question. With his exceptional divination skills and a blend of benevolence and authority, how could the Eight Strategies for Revival not be implemented?"

Guo Xiaobao saw that Zhuge was silent and did not want to coax him to play anymore. He still had to send a coded message to his aunt and several elders of the Zhuge family. The talented Zhuge sent to the Rakshasa Kingdom to handle important matters was shot by the chaotic soldiers of the old Russians, leaving him in a foolish predicament. What should be done about this?

"By the way, I should... not be married, right?" Zhuge Xiaoliang has already thought about marriage, with Grand Duchess Natalia Pavlovna. However, he also considered that as a young nobleman from a prestigious family, being in his twenties, it is unlikely that he is still single.