Chapter 41: The Continental Alliance and the Benefits of Membership

Chapter 41: The Continental Alliance and the Benefits of Membership

The autumn months of September and October are the most intoxicating time of year, truly a magnificent season for traveling by horse or carriage. As the harvest season drew to a close, every face was lit with the joy of fulfillment. It had been another bumper year, and with the Empire’s policies proving remarkably benevolent toward the common people, confidence in the state was high. Everyone believed that under the leadership of the Great Qin, life would only improve, free from the agony of war.

Guided by the suggestions of Yang Zimo, Ying Zheng had instructed the Ministry of Propaganda to vigorously promote the idea that all subjects of the Great Qin were descendants of Yan and Huang—the people of Huaxia. There should be no distinction between the people of Qin, Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Wei, or Han; they all shared the same blood, members of one loving, interconnected family.

This concept of a unified Huaxia ancestry gained widespread acceptance. To recognize a shared ethnicity, a shared heritage, and a unified belief—this is the foundation for the rise and prosperity of any nation or people.

Yang Zimo walked to the center of the Qilin Hall, where a massive map of Asia had been hoisted. He had gifted a world map to the First Emperor long ago, but for the sake of this crucial summit, he had tasked the Ministry of Science and Technology with creating a simplified map of Asia. It displayed only the Great Qin and its surrounding nations, along with major rivers and mountain ranges, ensuring that sensitive intelligence remained secure.

The delegations gazed up at the colossal map in the hall, their eyes filled with wonder. They possessed maps of their own, but the artistry and cartography of the Great Qin were incomparable; compared to this, their own maps looked like discarded scraps.

Yang Zimo realized that many struggled to read the map, primarily because most of the delegates were illiterate in the script of the Great Qin.

"Distinguished guests, I am Yang Zimo, the Imperial Preceptor of the Great Qin. This 'Pan-Asian Continental Sustainable Development Conference' was initiated by me, primarily to secure peace among our various peoples," Yang Zimo announced to the assembly.

"Great Qin Imperial Preceptor, what does this 'Pan-Asia' mean?" someone asked suspiciously, having their words relayed by an interpreter.

"Do not be impatient; I shall explain," Yang Zimo replied.

"You are all high-ranking officials or leaders of your respective tribes, and you surely know more than the common folk. Look here—this is the Great Qin," Yang Zimo said, pointing to a vast red outline labeled 'Great Qin.'

"Look further: here are the former steppes of the Xiongnu, now territory of the Great Qin, and further north lie the frozen reaches of the Far North. To the northeast are the lands of the Donghu tribes, as well as the smaller tribes like the Dingling and Qushe. Beyond them lie the great rivers and the endless ocean.

"Look here again, to the northwest of the Great Qin: the Western Regions reside here. The Wusun are to the west of the Great Qin, and further west are the Dayuezhi. Beyond them, crossing the vast Gobi deserts and mountains, lies the Parthian Empire." When he mentioned Parthia, Yang Zimo paused to glance at Shahar, the deputy envoy of Parthia, leaving the man—who had been studying the map intently—puzzled as to why he was being singled out.

"Now, look here," Yang Zimo continued. "To the west of the Great Qin’s mountains are the Qiang and the Baidi tribes, though they seem unwilling to attend this time, so we shall set them aside for now. To the south lie the Baiyue tribes; they also did not attend, so we shall overlook them as well. Further south lies the endless ocean."

"Oh!" "Wow!" "Amazing!"

The envoys from the various tribes, having listened to Yang Zimo’s introduction, immediately gained a clear understanding of their own geographical positions. As they observed the outlines denoting the spheres of influence for each group, they began calculating the strength of their own tribes against the power of others.

Yet, as they looked at the Great Qin—stretching from south to north and west to east, spanning frozen lands, steppes, plains, deserts, mountains, and dense forests, possessing two great rivers and bordering the endless ocean—the sheer scale of the land struck terror into their hearts. If these were the lands of their own tribes, they could not imagine how powerful they would become.

But when they recalled the Great Qin’s population of thirty million, their hearts turned cold. It was fortunate that the Great Qin’s grain yields were not high; if they had enough food, there was no telling how many more people they could produce.

It must be said that these envoys' concerns were well-founded, and unfortunately for them, they were right. The Great Qin had already learned of the sweet potato from the Princess of Parthia, and the Empire’s population was on the verge of an era of explosive growth.

"Now that you know the positions of your respective tribes, allow me to continue. The 'Pan-Asian Continent' refers to the land on this map, which I have termed the Asian continent. This land has birthed many civilizations and established many nations. Our Great Qin is of the Huaxia people; we have existed on this land for nearly three thousand years. Throughout this time, endless wars have brought misery to the people and severely hindered world peace.

"It is for this reason that the Great Qin has convened this meeting: we hope to ensure the sustainable development of this land, and we have invited all tribes to discuss it," Yang Zimo stated, summarizing the core of the conference in one breath.

"Isn't this just re-dividing the territory? Why be so mysterious about it?" one envoy blurted out bluntly. The others stared at him in silence, cursing him as a fool. Those who could make it to the Great Qin were no idiots; they all knew exactly what this meant.

"I reiterate: this is about the sustainable development of the Pan-Asian continent, not about dividing territory. The two are quite different," Yang Zimo corrected.

"May I ask, Imperial Preceptor, what this 'development' is? How is it to be carried out?" someone asked, raising their own perspective.

"A good question from the envoy," Yang Zimo said, looking at the man with an expression of approval. "Since it is 'sustainable development,' we cannot rely on fighting and killing to solve problems. That is what I am about to explain: the Pan-Asian Continental Alliance."

"To ensure the sustainable development of the Pan-Asian continent, the Great Qin proposes the establishment of the Pan-Asian Continental Alliance. Every tribe present today may join this alliance. Once joined, you shall be an ally of the Great Qin. As members of the Pan-Asian Continental Alliance, you will enjoy the following benefits," Yang Zimo said, pausing for effect.

"First, members may trade goods among themselves at more favorable prices.

"Second, member states may trade with the Great Qin for a certain quantity of strategic materials, including salt, iron, and weaponry.

"Third, member states may pay for corresponding supplies in exchange for the Great Qin's military assistance, including but not limited to military provisions and troops.

"Fourth, members of the Pan-Asian Continental Alliance shall not attack one another; any violator will be subject to joint punitive action by all other member states.

"Fifth..."

*Hiss!*

Hearing these terms, the envoys from the various tribes gasped in unison. The Great Qin was clearly positioning itself as the King of All Nations. They must not let the Great Qin succeed.

If the Great Qin managed to establish this 'Alliance,' given the cunning and changeable nature of the Central Plains people, this would be far from simple.

The Great Qin was truly harboring wolf-like ambitions! This was the unanimous thought of every tribe present.