Although Paul I was somewhat clueless, Catherine II, the only female Tsar in Russian history to be honored with the title of "the Great," saw things very clearly—for Tsarist Russia, whose energy was mostly occupied with the Ottoman Empire, it was not suitable to go to war with Great Ming over the harsh and cold land of Eastern Siberia.
As for uniting all of Europe to contend with Great Ming, Catherine II had never even considered it.
Those damned French frogs, they were willing lapdogs of Great Ming in Europe, and that troublesome British stick, with their existence, Europe would never be united under the banner of Tsarist Russia.
Therefore, Catherine II's order to Paul I was to sell both Eastern Siberia and Alaska to Great Ming, and to discuss how to partition the Ottoman Empire.
Paul I was certainly not foolish, which was why he started with a demand of ten million taels of silver.
However, Paul I could never have imagined that Zhu Jinsong knew the price at which Tsarist Russia had sold Alaska.
Seven million US dollars plus a two-hundred-thousand-dollar transaction fee, totaling seven million two hundred thousand US dollars.
Calculated based on the gold content of one US dollar at that time, which was 1.6716g, with a fineness of 900, equivalent to 0.04837 ounces (1.5045g), this transaction was roughly equivalent to two hundred and sixteen thousand six hundred and forty-eight taels of gold. At Great Ming's current gold-silver exchange rate, converted to silver, it would be about six million five hundred thousand taels of silver.
Paul I's opening move of ten million taels of silver was nearly double the price.
More importantly, the reason Tsarist Russia sold Alaska at the time was the fear that it would be seized by England.
Now, as long as Great Ming eliminated the Eighth Prince and took possession of Eastern Siberia, they could directly sever the connection between Tsarist Russia and Alaska, leaving them no opportunity to worry.
Therefore, Zhu Jinsong quoted a price of eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight taels of silver.
If not for the fear that the "Great Bear" would fully turn eastward and drag Great Ming into a winter war in some far-off land, Zhu Jinsong would have even wanted to quote a price of one copper coin.
Giving money meant it wouldn't be free.
In the face of Zhu Jinsong's threat, Paul I, after a long silence, reluctantly agreed: "Alright, it will be at the price you stated. However, you should guarantee that Great Ming will not threaten the inherent territory and security of Tsarist Russia."
Zhu Jinsong nodded and said with a serious expression, "Of course, why else would we be among the five benevolent ones of the 'Little Broken Pot'? I will naturally guarantee the interests of your Tsarist Russia."
Paul I then breathed a sigh of relief and continued to ask, "Then, we should discuss the issue of the Ottoman Empire now."
Zhu Jinsong said, "What about the Ottoman Empire? Can't your Tsarist Russia handle those green-hued Ottoman sultans?"
This was not Zhu Jinsong slandering the Ottoman sultans, but rather based on evidence.
The evidence lay among the consorts of the Ottoman Turkish sultans.
Just as the emperors of the Central Plains had the habit of eating and occupying more, the Ottoman sultans had more than one or two consorts. With the palace maids and the like, a thousand people was not difficult.
There was only one Sultan, and many consorts. Due to the inability to distribute favor evenly and the apparent lack of professionalism in the Ottoman Turkish Harem, cases of incomplete castration were frequent, making the situation in the Ottoman Empire predictable.
To prevent themselves from being cuckolded, the Ottoman Turkish sultans came up with an unimaginable trick—all those who served those beauties were eunuchs!
Because the sultans discovered that once those beauties had an affair with the eunuchs and became pregnant, the offspring would invariably be young eunuchs. By simply looking at the born children, the sultans could know if they had been cuckolded.
Paul I was of course aware of the sultans' trick and knew that the sultans' heads were green.
But Paul I thought that since they were all rulers of their own nations, even if the Ottoman Turkish sultans' heads were green, why mock them so much?
Besides, could Tsarist Russia not deal with the mere Ottoman Empire?
Although the reason Tsarist Russia had the upper hand in the war against the Ottoman Empire was due to thorough preparation and the import of some firearms and cannons from Great Ming, this was also the strength of Tsarist Russia.
Paul I said, "Tsarist Russia can naturally deal with the Ottoman Empire, but Great Ming is also about to take action against the Ottoman Empire. Such a large territory must be divided beforehand."
Zhu Jinsong asked, "How do you want to divide it?"
With the example of Alaska before him, Paul I was now more cautious in his words, at least not demanding the sky at the outset: "With the Greater Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea as the dividing line, the territory to the north belongs to our Tsarist Russia, and the rest belongs to Great Ming, how about it?"
Zhu Jinsong could accept the proposed dividing line by Paul I—if Great Ming set its sights on the territory north of the Greater Caucasus Mountains, such as Rostov, Tsarist Russia would likely immediately join forces with the Ottoman Empire to fight Great Ming.
However, before leaving, Paul I could not help but say, "You are a devil—you have dragged the entire world into the quagmire of war."
Zhu Jinsong chuckled and said, "Thank you for the compliment. I shall take it as praise."
To be loved by one's own people and hated by other countries was indeed the greatest praise for an emperor.
After Paul I left, Zhu Jinsong quickly summoned all the important officials of the Great Ming court.
"Little Broken Ball is completely in chaos. Great Ming will next take the southern part of the Ottoman Empire. Once this is achieved, Great Ming will no longer lack oil."
Zhu Jinsong fiddled with a simple globe and said to all the officials, "In addition, Tsarist Russia will completely abandon Eastern Siberia, retaining the area from Popigay in Central Siberia to Novosibirsk as a buffer."
"Furthermore, I have purchased Alaska from Tsarist Russia for eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight taels of silver."
"This means that the Eighth Prince is completely useless now."
Speaking of this, Zhu Jinsong looked at Zhu Sanshun and said, "Third Brother, your Rear Army Governor's Office can directly deal with the Eighth Prince. There's no need to chase them towards Central Siberia anymore."
"Also, after dealing with the Eighth Prince, you will resign as Rear Army Grand Governor and start recruiting some citizens in Great Ming to go with you to Alaska. From now on, Alaska will be your fief."
Zhu Laosan's expression immediately dimmed. He opened his mouth several times, but ultimately said nothing.
As for Zeng Cheng and other officials, they looked at each other, seemingly unable to believe their ears.
Tsarist Russia had actually bundled up and sold off both Eastern Siberia and Alaska?
And at such an outrageous price of less than ninety thousand taels of silver?
The key was that Tsarist Russia's move had completely disrupted Great Ming's previously set plans!
According to Great Ming's original plan, the Right Army Governor's Office would deal with Gurkha before October of the ninth year of the Holy Emperor, forcing the Fifteenth Prince to head north along the Pamir Plateau to Kabul, and then drive him towards the Ottoman Empire.
At the same time, the Rear Army Governor's Office was to completely drive the Eighth Prince out of the Nurgan Administrative Commissioner's Office by the end of the year, meaning to drive him into Eastern Siberia, and then drive him to flee towards Central Siberia.
After the military headquarters cleared these two areas, the time would be around the summer of the tenth year of the Holy Emperor.
The two battlefronts, one after the other, were designed to give the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works enough time to recruit and train qualified officials, to recruit or prepare the migrating populace, and to plan the roads to be built.
With the arrival of Paul I, the plans made for the Fifteenth Prince were still acceptable, but the plans made for the Eighth Prince were completely in disarray.
After carefully considering, Zhu Jinsong said to Lin Shao, the Minister of Personnel, "Your Ministry of Personnel should think of a solution first. The number of vacancies created this time is too great."
Lin Shao looked at Zhu Jinsong with a headache, with a million unspoken words of deceiving the emperor in his heart.
These places combined would require at least seven or eight Provincial Governors, and these Provincial Governors could only be drawn from the existing ones, plus Prefectures, Counties, and clerks...
Even without considering the yamen runners, it would require hundreds or even thousands of officials of all sizes.
If drawn from the current officials, it was necessary to consider the situation of filling vacancies, which doubled the complexity of the problem.
However, Zhu Jinsong seemed not to see Lin Shao's resentful gaze and continued to say to Liu Huaiwen, "Your Ministry of Revenue is the same, you need to prepare for the migration of people to these places."
Liu Huaiwen's face also darkened.
He opened his mouth and said that the Ministry of Revenue had to prepare for the migration of people—which families to migrate, which not to migrate? How many to migrate? How much relocation allowance to give? How much land? How to calculate draft animals and seeds?
All of this involved money and was a headache. How did it become so simple in the mouth of Emperor Zhu?
Pah!
When Zhu Jinsong's gaze turned to Song Yucheng, the Minister of Works, Song Yucheng directly said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Ministry of Works can immediately send people to conduct on-site surveys. As long as the materials and laborers are prepared, construction can begin at any time."
Zhu Jinsong hummed and then looked at Zhu Erdan, Liu Heming, Liu Erniu, and Geng Rui and others: "How to garrison these places is the responsibility of your Five Army Governor's Offices."
Zhu Erdan replied, "Brother Emperor, rest assured, there will be no mistakes!"