Zhu Cixuan felt that the topic should have ended almost. Unexpectedly, Chongzhen spoke again.

"Yan'er, do you know? Sometimes... I feel that I can't understand your thoughts anymore."

Zhu Cilang stopped and thought to himself that if you are an "ancient person", if you can keep up with my modern views, it is not that I have a problem, but that you have a problem.

Zhu Cilang said sincerely: "Father, son minister's idea is actually very simple, just to make the Ming Dynasty stronger and stronger."

If it was normal, such an answer was actually enough to deal with Chongzhen, but today Chongzhen was obviously not satisfied and continued to ask: "Then in your opinion, how can we be considered a truly powerful Ming Dynasty?"

After hearing Chongzhen's words, Zhu Cixuan gradually put away his smile and became serious.

On the left wall of the Imperial Study Room was a complete map of the Ming Dynasty territory. Zhu Cixuan stood up and walked to the side of the complete map of the Ming Dynasty territory.

"Father, what is the territory of the Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Cixuan asked.

Chongzhen said: "The Ming Dynasty has a vast territory and a vast territory of thousands of miles, and it is the strongest country in the world!"

Chongzhen's voice was obviously filled with pride.

Zhu Cixuan said: "Then I want to ask my father again, is the current Ming Dynasty the strongest Ming Dynasty?"

This question changed Chongzhen's face, and it took a while to say: "No."

The answer is still quite obvious. If we look at the territory, the Ming Dynasty, when Zhu Di conquered Annan and attacked Mongolia, was the most vast territory, and the land controlled by nominally reached 9.97 million square kilometers.

But now, even if Qinghai and Tibet are included, the land that the Ming Dynasty could nominally control was only more than 56 million square kilometers.

If we only count the two capitals and thirteen provinces, how much land was truly controlled by the Ming Dynasty? More than three million square kilometers were about the same as that of Qin Shihuang's Qin Dynasty.

In other words, from the establishment of the Qin Dynasty to the present nearly 1,700 years, the core area of ​​the Chinese rule has always been so large, with almost no changes!

Zhu Cilang said calmly: "The Ming Dynasty is too small now. Father and son often feel a sense of embarrassment when looking at this map. How can I live in such a little place without exploring the outside world!"

Chongzhen was a little unhappy: "What does it mean to be too small? The territory of the Ming Dynasty is so vast. Where can I find a country in the world that is more powerful than the Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Cilang shook his head and said, "In fact, there are. In the West, an empire called Ottoman Turkey has a territory that is exactly the same as that of the Ming Dynasty."

Chongzhen snorted and said, "I have naturally heard of the name of Ottoman Türkiye, but it is just a rumor that the barbarians boast about themselves."

Zhu Cixuan said sincerely: "If the son-in-law told his father, it would not be a rumor?"

Chongzhen looked disbelief.

Zhu Cilang did not hesitate and took out a piece of paper from his sleeve and spread it out in front of Emperor Chongzhen.

Chongzhen was stunned for a moment, and then he found that what Zhu Cilang took out was actually a map.

The top of the map reads "The World Situation Map of the 18th Year of Chongzhen".

This is a very standard modern map, but the one marked on it is not modern national boundaries, but the world situation map from the 18th year of Chongzhen (1645 AD).

Chongzhen looked at the map in front of him, and after only a few seconds, he was shocked.

After a while, Chongzhen said, "The Ottoman Kingdom is so vast?"

It can be clearly seen from the map that the territory of the Ottoman Turkish Empire is actually almost the same as the two capitals and thirteen provinces of the Central Plains of the Ming Dynasty.

Zhu Cilang nodded and said, "It is true, but the Ottoman is not the most urgent opponent of the Ming Dynasty today."

Chongzhen's eyes moved northward, and after a moment, he suddenly said: "This Russian Tsarist Kingdom is actually bigger than the Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Cilang said seriously: "That's true. Please take a look at it. Now the Russians are constantly advancing eastward. Now they are located in the north of the Junggar tribe. However, although Junggar Mongolia can prevent Russia from moving south, it cannot prevent Russia from moving eastward. If Russia continues to move eastward, they will sooner or later arrive at the location of Buryat Mongolia, that is, north of the north of the desert."

Chongzhen lost his voice for a while.

In the contemporary worldview of the Ming Dynasty, the north of the desert occupied by the Mongols was already the northernmost place in the world. Chongzhen never expected that there was such a vast land north of the desert?

After calming down, Chongzhen couldn't help but say, "I know Mobei. It's an extremely barren and desolate place. Even if Russia occupies that place, what's the use?"

Zhu Ciyang said: "Father's words are wrong. The north of Mobei is indeed desolate, but don't the Russians know? As long as they can gain a foothold in these places, what they have to do next is of course - go south! They will go south to attack the north of the Mongolian Mobei, and after occupying the north of Mobei, they will continue to go south to attack the south of Mobei. After occupying the south of Mobei, it is time to attack the Ming Dynasty!"

What Zhu Ciyang said is not a conjecture, but the "Yellow Russia" plan that the Russian Empire has planned for many years in history and has been constantly advancing.

In that plan, Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, Gansu, Hebei and all provinces in the northeast should be included in the territory of the Russian Empire!

If it weren't for the internal strife of the imperialist powers, if Japan hadn't won the Russo-Japanese War that broke out in the Northeast, if World War I hadn't caused the Russian Tsar to collapse, then this plan might have really come true.

Chongzhen's face began to look ugly, and he said after a long time: "Is this what you think?"

Zhu Cilang said sincerely: "Yes. The child always believes that the Ming Dynasty cannot be passively beaten, and cannot wait for these enemy troops to suppress hundreds of miles outside the capital of the Ming Dynasty to consider a solution. The Ming Dynasty should actively expand and fight out, obtain more territory, and defend the enemy outside the country. The Ming Dynasty should be more proactive in eliminating and conquering other countries, so that the best way to truly make the Ming Dynasty strong!"

Chongzhen shook his head and said, "Your idea is very good, but you have to know that if the territory is too far from the Ming Dynasty, it will be very difficult for the Ming Dynasty to maintain its rule in the local area."

Not to mention anything else, it is like Annan (north Vietnam). Why did the Ming Dynasty give up this place after occupying Annan for decades was because the cost of maintaining the system in the local area was too high and it was too unprofitable, so it took the initiative to give up.

Now that Zhu Cilang's meaning is what he wants to conquer the barren lands of Qinghai-Tibet and Mobei, Chongzhen feels that it is completely unrealistic!

Zhu Cilang smiled immediately when he heard this.

"Father, the world is no longer the world before. You will soon know what the child is relying on to express such ambition in front of you!"
Chapter completed!