plumnovel Chapter 72 Biological Rivals
Chapter 72 Biological Rivals
Chapter 72 Biological Rivals
After Wu Qijun's meeting with Palmerston concluded, he went to the palace that same day to report to Liu Yulong.
Palmerston bluntly expressed the British Parliament's concerns about India's security.
Wu Qi also told Liu Yulong about his concerns: "Your Majesty, the British have long been wary of the Han Dynasty regarding the issue of India."
"Therefore, they can only accept the Han Dynasty sending 10,000 troops at most."
"Of course, nominally there can only be 10,000 people."
"It's uncertain whether the Han Dynasty will send 20,000 to 30,000 people there and whether they will clash with the Han Dynasty over it."
After listening, Liu Yulong said nonchalantly, "It's normal for them to be worried; it would be abnormal if they weren't."
"But they are unlikely to take the initiative to fight it until their fears become reality."
"Their concerns are both valid and unfounded."
"The Great Han did indeed have plans to take over India, but it was not prepared to occupy it."
"Nominally, ten thousand people would be enough. There are far too few Britons. Ten thousand people would frighten them."
"We'll send 30,000 people over then, but we'll just call them 10,000."
Upon hearing the claim of 10,000 people, Wu Qi and Zhang Lexing couldn't help but laugh.
They've always been more boastful, but now they're trying to be less so: "Your Majesty's words are absolutely right—"
In Liu Yulong's plan, the Great Han would attack and even seize Indian territory.
However, they will not occupy Indian land in the short term; they will only use it as a bargaining chip to exchange for wasteland like Australia.
At most, they would only control the land suitable for growing tea trees to prevent Britain from breaking the Han Dynasty's tea monopoly.
However, Liu Yulong still has plans to deal with India in the far future.
Like many modern people, Liu Yulong dislikes Indians, but he has deeply analyzed why he dislikes them.
On the surface, it seems that Indians are dirty, and Indian society is extremely distorted, with people living like non-humans.
The underlying reason is probably quite simple: Indians are the only biological competitors of the Han Chinese.
Liu Yulong hoped that the Han Dynasty could become the world's hegemon, and even more so that the Han people could become the hegemon among humankind.
Similar to the concept of a biological hegemon, the dominant force in human society as a whole.
To become the biological overlord, one cannot simply occupy the highest social position and then enslave or hunt other groups; that is merely one link in the biosphere.
Instead, they aim to occupy as many ecological niches as possible, or even dominate the entire food chain or industrial chain.
From emperors to soldiers, from officials to commoners, from farmers to fishermen, from miners to skilled workers, all classes and professions were occupied by their own ethnic groups.
From grasslands to islands, from deserts to rainforests, from polar regions to plains, the land in any environment on Earth should be completely controlled by its own ethnic group, leaving no room for other ethnic groups.
Once this level of development is achieved, as long as the entire world is not completely destroyed, the descendants of their race will be able to continue to multiply and thrive.
Only in that way can their own group become the true biological hegemon.
Even after becoming a dominant player, one must remain vigilant against potential competitors, especially those seemingly weaker groups.
Just like when dinosaurs dominated the biosphere, mammals were just a bunch of insignificant mice.
However, after the meteorite destroyed the ecosystem, these rats became the strongest of the new generation.
From the perspective of biological competition, India, with its largest population and highly resilient population, has the potential to threaten the dominant position of the Han Dynasty.
If the Han Dynasty were to suffer a great catastrophe and its entire society were to collapse, India would have the opportunity to replace the Han Dynasty in the world, thanks to its ability to adapt to chaotic societies.
Therefore, in Liu Yulong's view, India is the ultimate adversary, a biological adversary.
Only after destroying all the surrounding opponents will they focus on dealing with the Indians, biologically eliminating them.
Liu Yulong chatted with the two men for a few minutes before asking Wu Qi to go back and arrange the meeting.
On the morning of April 22, after bathing and changing clothes, Palmer and his party of five boarded a carriage arranged by the Honglu Temple and went to the Wanshou Palace in Xiyuan to pay their respects to Liu Yulong.
Liu Yulong, dressed in casual clothes, sat and received the greetings. After Palmerston and his party returned the greetings, he offered them seats.
Then Wu Qijun was asked to stand up and read out a very simple and straightforward imperial edict: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: 'The British are originally barbarians of Europe, uninitiated by the King's rule, and do not understand written language. Now, I hereby inform you in plain language: 'More than twenty years ago, due to the repeated requests of the overseas barbarians, my grandfather, the Emperor, was kind and compassionate and granted them grace.'"
"We allowed various foreign tribes to trade with Han, but strictly prohibited the smuggling of opium and other such activities. At that time, all the foreign tribes repeatedly promised to cooperate."
"However, the British are untrustworthy, knowingly break the law, and repeatedly and persistently engage in activities such as opium smuggling."
"Therefore, I issued an edict two years ago to arrest and deal with all smuggling criminals and destroy the dens where smuggling criminals gathered."
"And expel all Britons and prohibit Britons from trading with Han."
"The King, Chancellor, Parliament, officials, merchants, and common people of Great Britain, after deliberation, have pledged to the Great Han: 'We are willing to cooperate with the Great Han in combating and eradicating smuggling, and to lead the Great Han's heavenly army to India to destroy all opium plantations.'"
"Since you have made this promise, it shows that you already know your mistake and still have the heart to abandon evil and do good."
"I will grant the British permission to resume trade and business in the Han Dynasty."
"But the King of Britain, the Chancellor, Parliament, merchants and all people should know that this is your last chance."
"From now on, if anyone is found to be smuggling opium, the Great Han will immediately arrest them and deal with them severely."
"They may be forced into labor, or sent to the Imperial Academy of Natural Sciences as pawns, or hanged, beheaded, or subjected to slow slicing."
"If smuggling by Britons occurs again, the Great Han will completely ban trade with Britain."
"Arrest all Britons in China and send troops to conquer the lands under British control."
"Don't say I didn't warn you then."
"So be it."
Wu Qijun read a sentence, Staunton translated it, and Palmerston listened silently.
This document not only bluntly portrays the British as barbarians, but also places the Han Chinese on a moral high ground.
This means that you were the ones who originally requested trade, and the Han Dynasty allowed you to trade while setting conditions.
However, you broke the conditions after agreeing to them, so the Han Dynasty expelled you.
Now, your entire nation has pledged to cooperate in exchange for the Han Dynasty reopening trade.
The Emperor of Han is giving you one last chance. If there is a next time, then be prepared for war.
After Wu Qi and Staunton finished reading, Palmerston, following Wu Qi's instructions, said, "Palmerston, the British envoy, receives the decree."
Palmerston accepted the imperial edict with both hands, slowly stood up, and put it away.
Then he presented Wu Qijun with the promises and authorization documents from the King, Parliament, and Prime Minister of Britain.
This trade and diplomatic conflict between the Han Dynasty and Britain has now come to an end.
Theoretically speaking, once the Han Dynasty actually sends troops to India and destroys the remaining opium plantations, the matter will be considered closed.
After the two sides exchanged documents, Liu Yulong spoke a few words of reassurance and comfort: "The envoy will go back and tell the King of Britain, Parliament, Prime Minister and others that you do not need to be nervous about the Han Dynasty sending troops."
"The Han are going to destroy plantations, not to reclaim wasteland in India, nor are they going to fight a war."
Palmerston paid no attention to such verbal promises, but he couldn't neglect the outward etiquette, so he bowed very earnestly and said, "Thank you for your promise, Your Majesty."
Liu Yulong said with a stern face, "It seems you're only outwardly convinced, not inwardly."
When Palmer heard Liu Yulong's voice, it was noticeably colder than the previous two sentences, to the point that it was calm and composed without any ripples.
Compared to two years ago, this young emperor seems to have become more majestic and more dangerous.
Palmerston could only hurriedly say, "I wouldn't dare—"
Liu Yulong continued, "I ask you, what is India's most important asset to Britain?"
Palmerston paused for a moment: "Yes—population and corresponding taxes."
Liu Yulong then asked, "Do you think the Han Dynasty needs a larger population?"
Palmerston didn't know how to answer, because the British couldn't empathize.
Britain has never experienced overcrowding.
Is there any reason to think there are too many people?
Palmerston did not answer.
Liu Yulong then adopted an educational tone, saying, "Population is both a wealth and a burden, a pressure, and even a crisis."
"Your British scholar Malthus wrote about the population crisis."
"When you go back, you can go and see for yourselves, and you will understand that the Han Dynasty has no interest in India."
"The population of the Han Dynasty is already too large, and has become a huge burden."
"Of course the Han Dynasty needs land, but it needs desolate, uninhabited land suitable for cultivation."
As Liu Yulong spoke, he stood up and stepped down from the throne.
Standing next to the throne, in front of a globe as tall as a person, with South America facing directly ahead, he said, "Even if the Great Han were to traverse the entire globe to occupy and develop the lands of South America, it would never occupy the lands of India to farm."
"India is also almost overcrowded, and such land is a burden rather than a treasure for the Han people."
"But South America was too far away, so the Han Dynasty could only control the South Seas."
Fortunately, the southerners of the Han Dynasty are also accustomed to growing rice.
"Transmit these words of mine to your Prime Minister and Parliament, and they will not have any wild thoughts."
1
Palmerston was familiar with Malthus's theory of population.
The key principle is that population growth is exponential, while resource growth is linear.
When the population exceeds the supply of resources, it leads to war and famine.
Palmerston recalled this information and felt that he understood what the Han emperor meant.
The population of the Han Dynasty has reached its limit, so it is not possible to seize another place with an equally dense population.
The obvious target is fertile wasteland, such as South America.
However, since the Han dynasty could not quickly migrate to South America, they could only start from the nearby Southeast Asia.
Palmerston and Staunton both felt enlightened, as if they finally understood what the Great Han had been doing all these years.
Palmerston and Melbourne, and indeed most British MPs, felt fear and dread towards the giant.
The most crucial reason is the unknown; they cannot understand the Han Dynasty, do not know what the Han Dynasty wants to do, and do not understand the logic behind the Han Dynasty's behavior.
Now Palmerston felt he finally understood, and his fear of the big man lessened considerably.
India is safe, and even Singapore should be safe.
The Han Dynasty has no interest in fighting for India; it only wants to seize those uninhabited, desolate islands in the South Seas.
The Han dynasty did not even attack Vietnam and Siam.
Because there were at least some established states there, and they were vassal states that were subservient to the Han Dynasty.
The Han Dynasty's top priority for expansion must be the wilderness.
Of course, the premise of safety is that it cannot violate the interests of the Han Dynasty, nor can it disobey the orders of the Han emperor.
Things like smuggling opium are things that no one can touch.
Wherever there are opium traffickers or opium plantations, the burly men are likely to attack.
This should be the case at least during the reign of the current Han emperor.
From now on, Singapore will no longer be allowed to engage in opium smuggling, otherwise it may also become a target of attacks by the Han.
Palmer responded to Liu Yulong with a very serious bow: "Thank you for Your Majesty's patient analysis and guidance. I now understand the true demands of the Great Han."
"I will dedicate myself to maintaining friendly cooperation between the Han Dynasty and Britain."
"We will urge India to fully cooperate in destroying all opium plantations as soon as possible and banning all opium smuggling activities."
: