As Tsar Russia intended to completely abandon East Siberia, the people of Great Ming once again found themselves facing a difficult choice.
They could stay put, with workshops to work in, their own land to till, and wives, children, and warm hearths.
Migrating to the Nurgan Military Governor-General's Office or further north would also provide wives, children, and warm hearths, workshops to earn money, more land, and an additional relocation bonus – a multitude of benefits. Even visiting their old homes would merely require a three-to-five-day train journey.
What? Where would these new territories find so many workshops?
There was nothing strange about that. Great Ming paid no attention to environmental protection, and the small-scale industries in various regions were booming. Workshops everywhere were short-handed, and no one had ever heard of anyone unable to find work in a workshop or on a construction site.
The only issue was the unknown timeline for the railway construction. In the minds of the Great Ming populace, with railways being built everywhere in Great Ming, there had to be a queue. Newly acquired territories would surely have to wait.
However, what the common people didn't anticipate was that while the Five Military Governor-General's Office was reorganizing the existing army and dispatching garrisons to East Siberia, the Ministry of Works had already sent personnel to survey the terrain in the Nurgan Military Governor-General's Office.
The reason was simple.
The railways between the eighteen provinces of Han could wait, but the train line from the capital to the three provinces of Liaodong and then to the Nurgan Commander-in-Chief's Office had to be prioritized.
This was also why the terrain from U-Tsang to Gurkha was so incredibly difficult; otherwise, the line from U-Tsang to Gurkha would also have been prioritized.
It had to be admitted that many gentry families in Great Ming who voluntarily surrendered their land played an excellent leading role.
These gentry families were typically the wealthy ones. Although they could also earn money by following the court's lead in industry and commerce, their attachment to land was deeply ingrained.
Or rather, the people of Great Ming had a deep attachment to land.
When the Great Ming court announced that every person who voluntarily migrated to the Nurgan Military Governor-General's Office and East Siberia would receive two hundred mu of land, the gentry and the land-loving commoners of Great Ming became excited.
How much land did each person receive during previous migrations to Jiaozhi and Burma? One hundred mu! Now it had doubled!
What else was there to say?
Off to the Nurgan Military Governor-General's Office!
Although the weather there was harsh, only allowing for one or two harvests at most, land did not deceive people. With diligent care, a good harvest might still be possible!
This was especially true for some gentry who had made their fortunes through industry and commerce.
In Great Ming's existing territories, the court never exempted taxes on industry or commerce. However, in the newly occupied territories, preferential policies such as "three years of exemption and five years of half tax" were extremely tempting.
Moreover, the court had the backing of the government.
The years of effort by Zhu Jinsong and the Great Ming court were finally paying off. Both the gentry and the common people of Great Ming were willing to trust the government, which was the opposite of the mutual suspicion between the people and the government during the Qing Dynasty.
...
Compared to the deliberation and subsequent joy of the Great Ming people, Gustav IV, who had recently ascended the Swedish throne, was truly in a dilemma.
Following Sweden's traditional closeness to France, Gustav should have responded to Louis XVI's call and sent Swedish troops to fight the Habsburg coalition.
But!
Napoleon had directly killed the Swedish nobleman Axel von Fersen on the border of Luxembourg!
What was this supposed to mean?
Even if Axel had a vague past with the "Queen of the Deficit," that was all in the past. Now, Napoleon had directly killed the heir of the Fersen family. What should Sweden do?
However, leaning towards the Habsburg family...
Regent Duke Charles was unwilling.
Although the regent, later known as Charles XIII, was married to his cousin Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte, making him one of the targets of ridicule from France and England, Duke Charles knew very well that France, England, and Tsarist Russia were now colluding. There was no opponent in Europe that could balance them. Even if Sweden did not seek their favor, it should not stand in opposition to them at this time.
"What should we do?"
Gustav IV, who was only sixteen and about to come of age, was troubled by the current situation. "Either we lean towards the Habsburg family or we lean towards France and England. Is there no third way for us?"
Duke Charles said meaningfully, "Of course, there is no third way. Unless we are stronger than England, France, and Tsarist Russia combined, then small countries like ours can only choose one of the two options. We can never be the ones who set the questions."
Gustav IV scratched his head and said, "Then let's lean towards the Habsburg family. After all, Napoleon of France killed Axel. If we lean towards France, the Fersen family will definitely not agree."
Charles shook his head and said, "Sweden is too far from the Habsburgs and too close to France. This is definitely not a good choice."
Gustav asked, "Then we ignore the Fersen family and directly lean towards France and England?"
Charles still shook his head. "As you just said, the Fersen family will not agree. Once we lean towards England and France, I fear that Sweden will fall into chaos itself."
Gustav IV looked at Duke Charles, utterly bewildered, and asked, "This won't work, and that won't work. Should we declare neutrality and not participate in their war?"
After saying this, Gustav IV felt his idea was very sound. He couldn't afford to offend the Habsburg family, nor could he afford to offend France and England, so why not not provoke either side?
However, to Gustav IV's surprise, not only did his idea not receive the praise of Duke Charles, but it was met with a roll of Charles's eyes.
"You declare neutrality and it's neutral?"
"Will the Habsburg family believe it?"
"Will England and France believe it?"
"Even if they believe it for the time being, how could the victorious side after the war let Sweden go?"
"Don't be silly. So-called neutrality is just fooling yourself. In the end, you still need to choose a reliable patron."
Gustav immediately got angry. "Then tell me, who should we lean towards?"
Duke Charles said, "We should, of course, declare neutrality and secretly lean towards France. We don't even need to do anything else. As long as we declare that we will join the little pot that France and England are talking about, England and France will guarantee our safety."
Gustav IV remained bewildered.
You take my idea, turn it into your idea, and then these ministers still think you're right and I'm wrong?
Are you even human?