Chapter 2, The Glorious Era

Beginning in the early 17th century, a European coalition led by Portugal, Spain, and the Netherlands launched aggressive attacks on the Ming Empire's forces in Africa and the New World in a bid to seize colonies and alter the completely unequal trade output relationship with the Ming Empire, marking the outbreak of the first global war

The Ming Empire seized Luzon Island, which possessed the Golden Mountain and fertile land, and soon established its first overseas territory there. From the moment Luzon Island was taken, the tribute system that had lasted for a thousand years in Huaxia was completely shattered. The inherent conservative forces retreated in the face of the bright gold and vast fertile land. The Ming Empire embarked on a path of colonial expansion.

Snap

The second one

At this moment, he felt an intense hatred for the bastards at the Milan Governor's Office who had deceived him, a naive and innocent young man. No wonder they offered such a high salary of 2 silver dollars a day; those on the opposite side were not mere rabble, but clearly elite troops

In the early stages, both parties were able to exercise restraint, primarily engaging in trade and information exchange. However, the adventurous spirit and piratical tendencies of the colonizers would not be easily altered. It was not long before war broke out

It was a purely instinctive reaction. The moment the muzzle of the Mauser was turned towards him, Zhang Cheng suddenly shrank back, pulling his entire body into the trench.

Although the rapid industrialization in Europe during this period led to a complete retreat of the Ming Empire's influence from the American continent, the Ming Empire soon entered the industrial age. Moreover, leveraging its vast foundation, it quickly surpassed various European countries.

This prolonged war, which lasted for over a hundred years, ultimately concluded with the victory of the Ming Empire. The Spaniards lost the strategically significant Gibraltar, where the Ming Empire established its first colony on the European continent. The Portuguese lost the Madeira Islands and the Cape Verde Islands, and thereafter fell into a state of decline. The Dutch lost all their colonies in the New World and became completely marginalized in Europe. The Portuguese lost the Madeira Islands and the Cape Verde Islands, and thereafter fell into a state of decline. The Dutch lost all their colonies in the New World and became completely marginalized in Europe

By the mid-18th century, various emerging industrial nations in Europe began to unite in their quest to compete with the Ming Empire for dominance over the maritime world. The Second Global War commenced

... ...

The captain of the company was also injured

Thanks to the trials of the Hundred Years' War, the Ming Empire has also established a powerful army. With support from overseas territories, it overwhelmed the barbaric tribes in the northeast through an immense amount of resources and military strength, thereby eliminating internal threats

As Zhang Cheng's gaze just drifted past, he saw a mercenary who was desperately pulling the trigger instantly shot through the neck. The ruptured neck sprayed warm blood, immediately staining the area around the heavy machine gun position a deep crimson.

The Ming Empire was entangled with the indigenous people of Luzon Island for nearly ten years. It was only after the Yongle Emperor, in urgent need of a large amount of precious metals for military expenses to campaign against the Mongols, dispatched a great army to completely sweep through the entire archipelago that this matter came to an end

The fleet of the Ming Empire, led by the eunuch Zheng He, continuously opened up new maritime routes and territories. An increasing variety of local specialties were discovered, and ships laden with these goods were sent back to the homeland, transforming into endless wealth. However, after the discovery of gold mines on Luzon Island, the originally exploratory fleet inevitably began to head in a different direction.

Having evaded the greeting of death, Zhang Cheng gritted his teeth and looked towards the machine gun nest not far away in the trench. He wanted to see what his side's heavy machine gunners were doing, allowing the enemy to smoothly set up the Maxim machine gun.

The fourth one

"There is a sharpshooter on the opposite side, go take him out!" The fierce captain completely ignored the injuries on his face, while pulling a person towards the machine gun position, he shouted angrily at Zhang Cheng, who was dazed not far away.

The person who was killed, Zhang Cheng knew him; his name was Luo An, and he was from Zaozhuang, Shandong. When he first joined the mercenary group, he was not convinced of Zhang Cheng's marksmanship and challenged him to a duel, ultimately giving Zhang Cheng fifteen silver dollars before he settled down. The crux of the matter is that this person was not a machine gunner

In the more than one month since Zhang Cheng arrived in this world, he has learned through various means such as researching materials and conversing with people that the history of this world is largely the same as what he knows. The divergence point occurred over five hundred years ago, in the third year of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, specifically in the year 1405, when the eunuch Zheng He set sail to the South Seas.

The main force of the mercenary group has been deployed near the manor, which is one kilometer away. Zhang Cheng's company is merely an inconspicuous flank. After the fierce battle commenced, the artillery of the mercenaries and the naval fire support were all concentrated on the manor side

At that time, the Ming Empire was expelling the Mongol Yuan invaders and restoring the legitimate rule of China. The Ming Chengzu, Zhu Di, was an accomplished sovereign. During that period, the conservative forces in the country were at their lowest ebb after being suppressed by Zhu Yuanzhang and his son. With the strong support of Zhu Di and driven by tangible benefits, the Ming Empire embarked on a grand maritime era.

Zhang Cheng, tightly pursing the corners of his lips, squinted his eyes, skillfully pulled the bolt, aimed, and fired

Zhang Cheng is also afraid of death. However, he knows that the ones who are most likely to die on the battlefield are the cowards. Panic is the greatest enemy of soldiers. To survive, one must force oneself to remain calm

Regardless of the initial intentions of the three eunuchs in venturing to the South Seas, upon discovering such a vast treasure trove, history inevitably took a different turn.

The first to die on the battlefield are the panicked fools! If you don't want to die, calm down! Do you understand?" Zhang Cheng forcefully tapped Guan Kuo's helmet, pressing him down in the trench to catch his breath. He picked up his rifle and returned to his position.

After Zhang Cheng quickly finished firing four rounds, he had already achieved eleven victories. This is undoubtedly an extraordinary accomplishment

More than eighty years later, an expedition fleet from the Ming Empire arrived at the southernmost tip of Africa and named it the Cape of Good Hope, subsequently entering the Atlantic Ocean. There, they encountered a fellow expedition fleet led by the Portuguese explorer Dias. The Age of Exploration between the East and the West began to converge.

At this moment, the situation of the war was urgent, and the naval artillery support, which had been intermittent, had completely vanished. After changing his position, Zhang Cheng quietly looked towards the magnificent and enormous estate upstream on the river. The sound of gunfire there was deafening, and the smoke filled the sky, obscuring the sun. That was the main battlefield.

Zhang Cheng's gaze fell downward, and he immediately saw that both the primary and secondary machine gunners, as well as the ammunition bearer, had all collapsed in a pool of blood, each struck fatally in vital areas! The most robust and fierce machine gunner in the entire company, Wu Shan, was now lying on his back in the trench. His hollow eyes stared up at the blue sky, with a blood hole opened in his forehead

Zhang Cheng! A furious roar brought Zhang Cheng's thoughts back.

The originally dark and resolute face was nearly disfigured by a stray bullet. Fresh blood gushed from the wound, almost dyeing half of his body red. The military uniform, which was usually washed to be extremely clean and tidy, was now covered in blood and mud, looking no better than the Sardinian vagrants on the outskirts of Milan.

The captain is familiar with Zhang Cheng. He is the best marksman among the entire mercenary group. When he first arrived, many people challenged his shooting skills, and the captain himself lost over thirty silver dollars betting on Zhang Cheng, which left a very deep impression on him.

Java, Sumatra, Sulu, Pahang, Jambi, Gurun, Siam, Adan, Tienfang, Zuofer, Hormuz, Mughal, and many others. One piece after another of fertile land, filled with various rare and exotic items, fell into the hands of the colonizers of the Ming Empire, and the tentacles of the Ming Empire began to expand endlessly.

Is there a sniper?! Zhang Cheng's eyes suddenly widened

The imperial fleet, whether civilian or royal, began to set sail in all directions towards the unfamiliar overseas. A single voyage could lead to disaster, but the greater possibility was to return with abundant riches, thereby altering the fate of a lifetime of poverty, living freely and leaving a substantial fortune for future generations. The allure of such prospects for impoverished families is beyond imagination. Countless men from Huaxia tightened their belts, took a hearty drink of water, and then headed towards the sea. The allure of such prospects for impoverished families is beyond imagination. Countless men from Huaxia tightened their belts, took a hearty drink of water, and then headed towards the sea

Due to the great distance, messages often took as long as a year to be transmitted from the front. As a result, the war dragged on for an extended period, resembling more of an armed conflict among civilians. During this time, the Spaniards dispatched Columbus to undertake a circumnavigation, during which he discovered the continent of America. Subsequently, Magellan passed through the Isthmus of South America and, after crossing the entire Pacific Ocean, arrived at Luzon Island

The estate belongs to the Governor of Milan. The tens of thousands of acres of fertile land surrounding the estate also belong to the Governor of Milan

At this point, it is necessary to explain the historical context in which Zhang Cheng currently finds himself.

The third one

Swish swish swish... The dense bullets tore through the air, whizzing rapidly above his head, and the deadly sound made Zhang Cheng's heart pound rapidly, "thump thump." This feeling of being on the brink of life and death was terrifying. In that fleeting moment, Zhang Cheng felt a surge of adrenaline, causing his entire body to become somewhat rigid.

As Zhang Cheng once again aimed his weapon at an enemy, he was suddenly astonished to discover that the opposing heavy machine gun had already been set up. Moreover, one of the guns had its dark muzzle pointed directly at his position

According to the veterans of those mercenary groups, the reason why the Sardinian tenants on the estate have initiated this massive uprising is due to the excessive exploitation by that corpulent governor

At that time, when the fleet of the eunuch Sanbao was sailing to the South Seas, several ships deviated from their course and went missing due to a storm. Sanbao led the fleet in search of the lost ships. Unexpectedly, instead of finding the ships, they discovered an island covered with a variety of spices!

Decades later, the Ming Empire established numerous settlements along the west coast of the Americas. At the same time, it defeated the naval forces of the Ottoman Empire and entered the Red Sea, unexpectedly discovering a rapid route to connect with Europe through the Egyptian Peninsula

Looking at the manor shrouded in smoke from afar, Zhang Cheng couldn't help but curl his lips in a mix of envy and resentment

In this war, the Ming Empire did not gain many benefits. The prolonged conflict led to a sharp decline in trade, and domestic conservative forces began to counterattack. European countries, which had been observing coldly and secretly maneuvering, seized this opportunity to ignite the wave of the First Industrial Revolution, rapidly strengthening their power. Meanwhile, the barbaric tribes in the northeastern region also rose swiftly, posing a significant threat to the core areas of the Ming Empire.

The captain was able to bring Zhang Cheng into his company through his uncle, who served as the deputy commander of the regiment. Now, with the heavy machine gun being suppressed and without artillery support, they could only hope that Zhang Cheng would be able to eliminate the sharpshooter on the opposite side

The captured Magellan contributed to the theory of the spherical Earth, as well as information about the affluent New World and the European homeland. This greatly shook the already established dominance of the Ming Empire across the South Seas and the Australian continent. Subsequently, the expansion of the Ming Empire entered its second phase

After a slightly crisp gunshot, a blood flower suddenly erupted from the head of a rioter who had been caught in Zhang Cheng's crosshairs, and the person instantly fell silently into the overgrown grass.