If Great Xia wanted to maintain its hegemony through war, it had to choose the right target.
Right now, the war between Great Xia and the Jin Kingdom had just begun, and the confrontation with Luzon in the south had never stopped. They were already fighting on two fronts, so they couldn't be too impatient.
Du Ruhui even suggested, "The war with the Jin Kingdom has just begun. Our army has only crossed the border, so we can still retreat. Should we stop the war with the Jin Kingdom and wait until we quell the external threats?"
Ouyang Shuo shook his head resolutely. "We can't stop the war with the Jin Kingdom. We have to fight to the end. Since the war has started, there is no turning back. Otherwise, our deterrence in the Huaxia region will be greatly reduced. "
"But the Great Zhou Army has already set up defenses at the border. I am worried that they will take the opportunity to break into the Northern Borderline Province and disrupt our rear." It was because of this concern that Du Ruhui suggested a temporary ceasefire.
Ouyang Shuo's view was different from Du Ruhui's. "The Great Zhou Army is bluffing. Order the Tiger Troop, Leopard Troop, and Soaring Eagle Troop to move along the border. Once the Great Zhou Army enters the war in the north, we will not hesitate to go to war with them and let them know why the flowers are so red. "
In order to wipe out the Jin Kingdom, Great Xia had stationed a guard division in the Northern Borderline Province without a single soldier. They were practically defenseless against the Great Zhou Army.
Ouyang Shuo did this because he knew that Di Chen wouldn't dare to send troops.
If Di Chen really had the guts, Ouyang Shuo would be happy. He could use this opportunity to completely eliminate this internal threat so that he could focus on the international competition with Jack.
Du Ruhui nodded after hearing this.
Ouyang Shuo thought for a moment and said, "Keming, I appoint you as the imperial envoy to the Northern Borderline Province to supervise the war on behalf of me. Announce the imperial court's determination to fight and cheer on the frontline soldiers."
"Yes!" Du Ruhui nodded again, very resolute.
"Help me pass a message to Commander Yue Fei. Tell him not to have any misgivings. Great Xia is not like the Southern Song Dynasty in history. We don't need to play the game of Ji He. Tell him to go all out and help me destroy the Jin Kingdom." Ouyang Shuo instructed.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I will definitely pass on the message!"
Du Ruhui was very moved and no longer had a trace of worry. This was the majestic power of Great Xia.
…
Because the following discussion was all about military matters, Ouyang Shuo had Jiang Shang and Fan Li leave first. At the same time, he had the Finance Department draw up a plan to deal with the impact of the ocean trade.
After sitting down again, Ouyang Shuo looked at Zhang Liang and asked, "Zi Fang, which move do you think we should take to deter them and reap practical benefits at the same time?"
Naturally, Zhang Liang had the most say when it came to the strategy of the dynasty.
Hearing this, Zhang Liang stood up and walked to the world map hanging on the wall of the imperial study. He slowly said, "The core of Fate is the Dawson Dynasty, which will be the greatest enemy of the Grand Xia in the future."
"Hit the snake where it hurts. If we want to intimidate them, the best way is to teach the Dawson Dynasty a lesson. Let all the lords of the world realize that even the rapidly rising Dawson Dynasty is no match for the Grand Xia."
Ouyang Shuo's eyes lit up when he heard this. Zhang Liang was indeed Zhang Liang. He really dared to think. He wanted to touch the hardest bone of the Silver Hands. It could be said that he was going in the opposite direction.
"It seems that Zi Fang already has a specific target?" Ouyang Shuo asked with a smile.
Zhang Liang nodded and pointed. "This humble subject suggests that we seize this place."
"Hawaiian Islands?"
"That's right." Zhang Liang explained, "Right now, we are evenly dividing Hawaii with the Dawson Dynasty. No one can gain the upper hand. As long as we expel the Dawson Dynasty from the Hawaiian Islands, we can display the strength of the Grand Xia Navy and obtain absolute control over the Pacific Ocean. It can be said to be killing two birds with one stone. "
Ouyang Shuo didn't immediately express his opinion.
The battle over the Hawaiian Islands could be seen as a battle between the Pacific Fleet of the Grand Xia and the freedom fleet of the Dawson Dynasty. Be it in terms of scale, equipment, or combat level, the two fleets were on par.
It wouldn't be easy to monopolize Hawaii.
But as Zhang Liang said, it wouldn't be easy. Once the Grand Xia succeeded, they would be able to give the Dawson Dynasty a heavy blow, dampening their ambitions of rising up in the sea and intimidating the entire world.
Ouyang Shuo didn't immediately express his opinion. His fingers unconsciously tapped on the table. If they were to start a war with the freedom fleet in Hawaii, apart from the tactical impact, Ouyang Shuo also had to consider the strategic impact.
Once the war started, it would be equivalent to facing the Dawson Dynasty head-on.
After offending the Di Family, if they were to provoke the Dawson Clan, it would mean that the Grand Xia and the Silver Hands would have no leeway. They would have to fight to the end.
"Fine!"
Ouyang Shuo finally made up his mind. Clasping his hands together, he looked at Zhang Liang and said, "The Council of Ministers will cooperate with the Navy Command to draw up a detailed battle plan before we discuss this matter."
"Understood!" Zhang Liang nodded.
War was a major event for a country. It was a place of life and death. Since they were going to war, they had to make sufficient preparations. Otherwise, they would fail miserably.
Zhang Liang continued, "Apart from attacking Hawaii, your humble servant has also noticed something. This time, they are coming with ferocious momentum, and almost all the major dynasties in the world are involved. However, there is a dynasty that isn't participating. "
"Are you referring to the Indian Empire in South America?"
"Yes." Zhang Liang nodded. "Your humble servant believes that the Indian Empire is a worthy target. The imperial court should officially put the expansion of trade in South America on the agenda. It would be best if they could send a diplomatic mission to visit the Indian Empire."
In the early days, Ouyang Shuo had arranged for the Pacific Fleet to try to open up a trade route with South America. However, the Pacific Ocean was too vast and filled with pirates. To completely open up a trade route wasn't something that could be done overnight.
The sea trade route between the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Dawson Dynasty was jointly opened by both sides. Even so, the merchant ships coming and going were still attacked by pirates from time to time. It wasn't really peaceful.
Moreover, the sea route between the Great Xia Dynasty and South America was too far away. Apart from the Hawaiian Islands, there was no other place for supplies. This was also a major obstacle to ocean trade.
On the premise that there was a route to the Mediterranean Sea, the Great Xia caravan was not very enthusiastic about expanding trade in South America.
With the establishment of the Treaty, the ocean trade of the Great Xia was bound to suffer a setback in the short term. Completely opening up the South American trade route could indeed become a new growth point for ocean trade.
The vast and boundless South American continent contained an endless amount of wealth.
Ouyang Shuo, however, had a plan. "The diplomatic mission to the Indian Empire will be postponed for the time being. We will talk about it after we take down the Hawaiian Islands. Without a greeting gift, the Chamberlain of Dependencies will not be able to show off. "
"Your Majesty is wise!" Zhang Liang nodded in agreement.
Seeing that the King and Zhang Liang had finished discussing the matter of Hawaii, Du Ruhui took the opportunity to say, "Your Majesty, should we also put some pressure on the Lion Kingdom to submit to the Peacock Dynasty?"
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