Chapter 510: Fat Sheep

The vassal relationship, in Zhao Jun's eyes, is the most solid relationship.

At that time, the Song Dynasty will be the suzerain state.

All the countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia should become vassal states of the Song Dynasty.

As for the Indian Peninsula, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, they are too far away and do not need actual control. As long as there is the influence of the Song Dynasty, it will be fine.

Didn't the Abbasid Dynasty pay tribute to the Song Dynasty?

In the official propaganda of the Song Dynasty, the Abbasid Dynasty was naturally included in its vassal system.

With this as a breakthrough, the rest of the Western countries can be invited to become vassal states of the Song Dynasty.

Even if it is only in name.

At that time, even if the Song Dynasty cannot intervene in the West, it can still exert influence on the West through the status of the suzerain state and the ability to export industry.

In this way, after more than ten years of operation and development, the Song Dynasty has punched the Liao Kingdom and kicked the Western Xia in the East, and has controlled most of the Eastern countries by force, forming a monopoly.

Including the entire East Asia region, Japan, Goryeo, Vietnam, Dali and other neighboring countries are actually controlled. If the Liao Kingdom is destroyed in the future, the situation in East Asia will be completely under control.

In Southeast Asia, the army is stationed in the Strait of Malacca, and the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia and other places are actively explored to the south, deepening the influence on Thailand, Myanmar and other places, and exercising indirect control over Southeast Asia.

In the West, it also takes advantage of its own industrial and handicraft manufacturing advantages to vigorously export silk, tea, porcelain, clothing, currency, paper, pencils and other handicrafts or industrial products in exchange for a large amount of raw materials.

Finally, through the nominal status of the suzerain state and the actual economic dominance, it forms a remote control of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and other places.

In addition, the Song Dynasty is currently sending ships to the Americas every year to immigrate to the Americas and gradually control the Americas.

In this way, it can be said that the vast majority of regions in the world will be affected by the Song Dynasty.

In this case, using the suzerain-vassal relationship, the Song Dynasty will establish a huge empire in the next few decades, completing the connection and control of the whole world, either directly or indirectly.

This is why the current method is more suitable for suzerain-vassal relations, rather than the United Nations in later generations.

Zhao Zhen obviously recognized Zhao Jun's strategic planning.

Therefore, in such a strategy, the Song Dynasty court will take this celebration as an opportunity to capture all the countries in the world.

On December 19, the 12th year of the Qingli calendar, the main members of the envoys of various countries were invited by His Majesty Zhao Zhen, the Emperor of the Song Dynasty, to hold a banquet in Changqing Palace in the morning, and then everyone returned to the pavilion at noon.

Then as expected, after returning to the pavilion, except for a few countries, the envoys of most countries almost left the pavilion at the same time.

Including the Western envoys who arrived in the morning.

The ones who stayed were basically from the Yue Dynasty, Dali, Goryeo, Japan, Liao Dynasty and other countries, and those who left were basically from Southeast Asia, the Indian Peninsula and the West.

Because almost all the countries in East Asia were controlled or influenced by the Song Dynasty, they had either already talked with the Song Dynasty about arms and trade needs, or the sovereignty was in the hands of the Song Dynasty, and they had no right to talk at all.

So they came here purely to participate in the event celebration.

But the countries in Southeast Asia, the Indian Peninsula, the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe were different.

First, they knew too little about the Song Dynasty and needed to quickly and comprehensively understand it.

Second, after understanding the economy, military, education, culture and other aspects of the Song Dynasty, they had to talk business with the Song Dynasty.

For example, arms sales, industrial systems, education and culture, etc., naturally they would be very busy.

In fact, the window period from December 20th to the end of the year when the celebration began was originally for them to understand and talk about things.

But most of the envoys from other countries were more pragmatic and started working after noon.

In this case.

Just after noon, the envoy of the Holy Roman Empire, Count Friedrich Otto, walked out of the embassy under the guidance of the translator and accompanying officials.

At this time, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was Henry III, the most powerful monarch of the Franconian Dynasty. In the hands of Henry III, the imperial power was rarely greater than the ecclesiastical power.

He abolished and established popes many times, appointed and dismissed bishops at will, and mediated and conquered many unruly kingdoms and duchies in the country, making the imperial power of the Holy Roman Empire reach its peak in his hands.

But at the same time, it also intensified the conflict between the Roman Emperor and the Pope. After Henry III died, Henry IV, who succeeded him, was soon retaliated by the Pope again because he was a child emperor.

The new Pope Gregory VII announced the abolition of Henry IV's church membership and throne, and called on the princes to fight against Henry IV together.

In this case, Henry IV was forced to brave the wind and snow to go to the Pope's place to plead guilty.

This historical act is called the humiliation of Canossa.

This shows how serious the conflict between the Roman Empire and the Pope was at that time.

At this time, Henry III still maintained his suppression of the Pope, and the conflict and contradiction between the two sides were already quite acute.

Count Otto was the younger brother of Frederick Lorraine, Duke of Lorraine. Because the previous Duke of Lorraine, Gotzel I, had no children, Henry III appointed his confidant as the Duke.

So Otto actually came as a confidant of Henry III to understand the current prosperity of the Eastern Empire.

As an accomplished monarch, Henry III was very worried that the future pope would use his influence to incite rebellion in the princely states and would be driven from the position of Roman emperor.

Therefore, he must understand why the Eastern Empire is strong, and he must bring the secrets of the Eastern Empire's strength back to Rome, so as to make the Roman Empire great again and suppress the growing pope and other vassal states.

to this end.

Otto was entrusted with an important task, and when he arrived at the place, he naturally had to start work immediately.

After many communications with accompanying officials, he finally obtained the qualification to visit factories, schools, shooting ranges and other places.

In the afternoon, this official from the Ministry of Rites arrived at a steel factory in Bianliang with a dozen officials from the Eastern Roman Empire's envoy, including Otto.

This is actually something Zhao Jun has authorized long ago.

It's just that the officials definitely need to pretend to be embarrassed and can't appear so direct.

Otherwise, if Westerners see it, they will think that what is being sold to them is some worthless backward technology.

certainly.

Lagging technology is definitely lagging technology.

After all, the basic industries of the Song Dynasty have been upgraded, including steel technology, weapons technology, and industrial system standards, all in their hands.

It turns out that those backward industries and technologies can be packaged and sold in exchange for a large amount of resources from the West.

And rubber is currently in the hands of Da Song.

The West has not yet explored the Americas, which means that currently only the East has established rubber planting and raw material production capacity.

In addition to war, the rapid development of science also involves competition.

World War I, World War II and the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union led to explosive technological growth in mankind.

So if the West also wants to engage in an industrial revolution, it will not be a bad thing for the East.

The first is to intensify the war in the West, while intensifying competition with the West and enhancing its own technological development.

Secondly, we can take advantage of this opportunity to get rid of backward industrial production capacity. At that time, it will cost money to buy industrial technology, patent fees, and various raw materials.

Coupled with the rest of tea, silk, porcelain, arms, ammunition, steel, etc., Zhao Jun could not imagine how much the Song Dynasty would earn from the West in the next few decades.

What the Song Dynasty has to do is to ensure that it leads the Western world in terms of overall technology.

Zhao Jun is not worried about this.

Because the Song Dynasty has completed the establishment of the education system, with the support of the education system, a large number of engineering talents will inevitably emerge in the future.

In addition, the Song Dynasty should become a destination for all international students from various countries for a long time in the future. Therefore, it is estimated that within the next hundred years, it will be sooner or later that science and technology will lead the world.

Resources from the Americas, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and even the West will continue to flow to the Song Dynasty. Under such circumstances, it would be strange if the Song Dynasty fell behind technologically in the future.

As the group walked through the bustling market, Otto finally understood that compared to the morning, the Song Dynasty at noon was the real Song Dynasty.

The scene of huge crowds of people, people rubbing shoulders with each other, and wide streets filled with water was something he would never forget.

Although the distance was less than three kilometers, they sat in a carriage for more than an hour. It was not until the end of the afternoon, that is, close to three o'clock, that they finally arrived at their destination.

"Earl, please see, this is our steel plant. It uses advanced technology. A steady stream of molten steel comes out of it, giving us a large amount of steel."

The accompanying officials from the Ministry of Rites took Otto to the hot steel factory. There were many people in the steel factory, and the workers were busy coming and going.

From high in the factory building, you can see another furnace of molten steel coming out from below, pouring it on the mold and starting to cool.

Since there is no air conditioning, many workers suffer from extreme heat. Even in the second half of this year, the School of Physics manufactured large electric fans driven by electricity.

But the wind blowing out of the steel factory is hot, and it still makes people sweat in winter.

"The Song Dynasty was so powerful that it was able to invent such powerful things. Compared with the Song Dynasty, our Roman Empire is like a backward tribal civilization."

Otto wiped his sweat while praising him. He heard from the translator that Song people always liked others to praise them, as this would make them "face".

really.

The official from the Ministry of Rites suddenly smiled and said: "These are nothing. Bianliang is not a place where iron ore or coal is produced, so it can only be transported from other places, and the output is not large. Compared with the steel plants in our coal mines and iron ore producing areas, It’s much bigger here.”

Of course, there was one more thing he didn't say.

That is, due to technological upgrading, Wu'an Iron and Steel Plant and Tangshan Iron and Steel Plant have long been renovated and their output has been greatly increased. They are no longer what Bianliang Iron and Steel Plant was.

However, the most advanced things must be kept secret. If they are shown to these foreigners, they are naturally allowed to be leaked.

"OK."

Otto nodded repeatedly and asked: "I wonder if we can buy this kind of steel-making machine from you?"

The official looked embarrassed and said: "This is the best steel production line in our Song Dynasty."

"But no matter how good things are, they all have a price, right?"

Otto smiled and said: "My friend, I hope you can help me."

As he spoke, he took off an emerald ring from his hand, held the official's hand, and put it in.

"certainly."

The official smiled happily and said: "What we like most in the Song Dynasty is making friends."

"Then this thing"

"Well, I will ask for you then, but I hope the Count can understand that this is not something I can decide."

"Okay, okay, I hope my friend can ask for me sooner."

"Of course, but Mr. Count, I can only try my best to help you. Even if I can sell it, I can't say whether I can sell it to you."

"Why is that?"

Otto was puzzled. Since he was willing to sell it, why didn't he want to sell it to them?

"Look over there."

The official pointed in a direction and said.

Over there?

Otto looked in the direction the official pointed.

He saw another platform opposite the platform, and saw from a distance that several middle-aged men on it were also looking at the production line below.

The person on the opposite side seemed to notice his gaze, and also raised his head and looked over, and their eyes collided with each other.

The two sides looked at each other, and Otto frowned immediately.

Of course he knew the other party, a bishop from the Papal States named Worm.

"I heard that it's not just you who are looking at the steel production line now. Many big countries are also looking at it, including the Papal States, Byzantium, Seljuk, Chola, Chalukya, etc."

The official said: "Even if the court wants to sell it, it must consider it carefully. The quantity will not be large, and competition is inevitable at that time."

Otto's face looked unhappy.

The steel production line is not a weapon. This kind of thing is not something that big countries can't handle.

So there are not many countries that come to the steel plant, only a few countries.

But they are all competitors.

Chola and Chalukya are far away, but it's nothing.

The key is still the Papal States and Byzantium.

It's even mainly the Papal States.

Don't look at the Papal States. It's not big, only Rome, Italy, is the ruling area.

However, they have great appeal and financial resources.

Now Europe is essentially the same as the Zhou Dynasty. In name, it is dominated by the Holy Roman Empire, but in fact, there are many kingdoms and principalities.

If the emperor of the Roman Empire wants to govern or do something, he needs the nod of each vassal state.

The Papal States is the representative of divine power and has great influence in the secular world.

The struggle in Europe is the struggle between the Roman Emperor and the Pope.

So the various vassal states became the targets of the Roman Emperor and the Pope.

Whoever can win over enough vassal states can control the power of most of Europe.

In the past, the Pope had the upper hand most of the time.

Until recent years, Henry III used various methods to form alliances and win the support of most vassal states, which was able to overwhelm the Pope.

Now even the Papal States has sent people here. They are worshipped by a large number of believers and have sufficient financial resources to support the steel production line.

If they get firearms from the Song Dynasty, I am afraid that the entire Roman Empire will be completely controlled by the Pope.

Therefore, facing the threat of the Papal States, Otto clenched his fists and whispered: "We are willing to pay any price. Anything! There is also a generous gift to give to my friend in the evening."

The official narrowed his eyes immediately.

Zhiyuan had expected that with so many envoys, some would bribe officials to obtain various information, so he summoned many officials to give instructions.

He allowed them to accept bribes from various countries, but the information disclosed must be within the scope allowed by him.

And all bribes received must be handed over to the treasury.

One tenth of them will belong to these officials, and how much they can get depends entirely on their own ability.

Now it seems.

This Holy Roman Empire is a fat sheep.