Chương 627: Management System for Newly Expanded Territories

The first day of the first month of the eighth year of the Han calendar, the eighth year of Shenwu.

A light snow had just fallen in Luoyang, leaving a thin layer of white on the red walls and glazed tiles, which made the palace lanterns appear even redder.

The snow wasn't heavy, but it fell finely, like a layer of icing sugar sprinkled by God, enveloping the entire imperial city in the sweetness of the New Year.

The red carpet outside the Liangyi Hall was swept clean, and the imperial guards on duty had all changed into brand-new armor, each with a small red flower pinned to their chest. This was because Liu Ce's daughters had wandered over here yesterday and insisted that their uncles were working hard on guard duty, so they each pinned one to their chests.

The Imperial Guards all wore stern faces, but the corners of their mouths couldn't help but curl upwards...

The officials, dressed in brand-new court robes, walked in in twos and threes, with candies and melon seeds tucked into their sleeves. They greeted each other with clasped hands and New Year's greetings, and even the sounds of "Happy New Year" and "Wishing you prosperity" drifted into the hall.

This year, the imperial court issued double New Year's gifts, so officials had more money and their complexions were rosier than in previous years.

Cheng Yaojin was the most exaggerated; his arms were bulging, and he walked along eating melon seeds while stuffing them into Yuchi Gong's hands.

"Try it, my wife roasted pumpkin seeds, they're so fragrant! It's a new recipe she came up with this year, with five-spice powder and Sichuan peppercorns, the more you chew, the more flavorful they become! The morning meeting will probably last for half a day, so have something to eat first, lest you get so hungry."

Yuchi Gong took the weapon, kowtowed once, and his eyes lit up:

"Mmm! It really smells delicious! I'll have your wife copy the recipe for her later."

He lowered his voice and leaned closer to ask, "Hey, what do you think is the purpose of today's grand assembly? It can't just be a banquet, can it? Didn't you have enough of the New Year's Eve feast yesterday?"

"No way!" Cheng Yaojin chewed loudly, spitting sunflower seed shells all over the ground.

"I heard they're discussing how to govern those new territories in the Western Regions and the grasslands. Sigh, how else can we govern them? We'll just govern them the way our ancestors governed them. Just set up a protectorate and that's it, no hassle! Old Cheng has been fighting for over a decade, he just wants a rest, he doesn't want to deal with those troublesome things anymore."

The two chatted as they entered the hall and stood in their respective ranks.

Civil and military officials took their places, forming a large, bustling crowd. The heat in the hall mingled with the scent of people, making it warm and cozy.

The embers inside the palace were burning brightly, making it warm and cozy, and many of the older officials were secretly yawning...

Some of the older people could barely keep their eyes open; they could even doze off while standing.

Minister of Revenue Shen Wansan once again secretly hid his abacus in his sleeve, occasionally fiddling with it to calculate this year's New Year expenses.

He meticulously recorded every expense: how much was spent on the palace's New Year's banquet, how much on rewards for officials, and how much on New Year's goods distributed to various military regions.

He frowned as he calculated, as if someone owed him money, muttering to himself, "Too much, too much. I'll have to be more careful next year."

"His Majesty has arrived!"

Li Dequan's high-pitched voice rang out, and the hall fell silent instantly.

The officials quickly straightened their clothes and bowed in unison:

"Your Majesty, we pay our respects! We wish Your Majesty a Happy New Year, and that the Han Dynasty prospers and the world is at peace!"

Liu Ce, dressed in a bright red robe embroidered with a golden dragon, sat on the dragon throne, smiling and waving his hand.

He wasn't wearing a crown, only a gold hairpin, and looked much more approachable than usual.

"No need for formalities. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, let's skip the pleasantries. To make a long story short, let's discuss one thing today: how should we govern this vast territory we've just conquered—the Western Regions, the Northern Grasslands, the Japanese islands, and the Indochina Peninsula?"

He gave Li Dequan a wink, and Li Dequan stepped forward and cleared his throat:

"My lords, today's topic of court meeting is: the administrative system for the newly expanded territories. Please feel free to speak your minds, and we will not blame you for any mistakes. His Majesty has said that during the New Year, salaries will not be deducted."

A low chuckle rippled through the hall, lightening the atmosphere somewhat.

As soon as he finished speaking, Prince Liu Chong of Chen was the first to step forward.

He was one of the more senior members of the royal family, with a white beard but a very loud voice.

"Your Majesty! What's there to discuss or ponder? Just copy Emperor Xiaoxuan's work!"

In the Western Regions, a Protectorate of the Western Regions was established, and a reliable minister was appointed as the Protector-General to take charge of both military and political power. A Commandant of the Wuji School was also appointed to lead 18, 000 soldiers to cultivate land and grow grain to support themselves.

The kings of those small oasis kingdoms can still hold their titles as kings. The court issues an imperial edict of investiture and carves a golden seal. As long as they pay tribute on time and obey orders to mobilize troops, that's all that matters—how convenient! This method has been used for hundreds of years and is very reliable!

He paused, took a breath, and continued:

"The northern grasslands are even simpler! For the surrendered Xianbei and Xiongnu tribes, just set aside a piece of border pasture for them to continue grazing their sheep, and appoint a Xiongnu general and a Wuhuan colonel to keep an eye on them."

We appease them with small rewards in normal times, but if they dare to cause trouble, we send troops to beat them up. Our Han Dynasty has used this method for hundreds of years; it's very reliable, and you can't go wrong by copying it!

After Liu Chong finished speaking, he patted his chest and stood back, with an expression that said, "You can't go wrong by listening to me," and his chin was held high.

Many of the veteran officials below nodded in agreement, stroking their beards and whispering their support.

"What King Chen said is true; the old method is the safest."

"Yes, the rules set by Emperor Xiaoxuan have been in use for hundreds of years without any problems."

"Trying new methods might cause trouble, and it would be a losing proposition! Let's not create problems during the New Year."

Before he could finish speaking, Fang Xuanling took a step forward, bowed to Liu Ce, and turned to look at Liu Chong, his tone neither too firm nor too soft:

"Your Majesty, you are using the sword of the previous dynasty to execute officials of this dynasty! The old system was convenient, but it was far too lax in its management!"

"Just sending a protector-general with a few thousand men to stand there, and those small countries surrender one day and rebel the next—aren't there enough stories in history of 'the protector-general of the Western Regions being besieged' and 'the various countries rebelling again'? In the past, the Western Regions were cut off from trade three times and opened up again three times; the troops and supplies spent on suppressing rebellions—that's money!

You're only calculating the immediate short-term gains, not the long-term long-term benefits. How can you calculate like that!"

He took two steps forward, tapping his fingers on the map.

"In my opinion, the Western Regions are so vast, spanning thousands of miles from east to west, that they cannot be contained by just one Protectorate. They should be divided into two Protectorates, Anxi and Beiting, to govern them separately."

The oasis city-states south of the Tianshan Mountains are mostly under the jurisdiction of the Anxi Protectorate; the grasslands north of the Tianshan Mountains are mostly under the jurisdiction of the Beiting Protectorate. Military garrisons are established at key crossroads and major city-states, heavily guarded—let's see who dares to rebel!

"Those city-states and tribes below should not be allowed to be ruled by the king either. They should all be converted into tributary governorates and prefectures, allowing them to elect their own leaders as governors and prefects, with hereditary titles permitted. However, their household registration and military records must be reported to the imperial court, and troop deployment requires a fish tally from the central government. They cannot simply attack whomever they want!"

"The same principle applies to the grasslands! Establish the Shanyu Protectorate in the south of the Gobi Desert and the Anbei Protectorate in the north of the Gobi Desert. Break up all the Xianbei and Xiongnu tribes into small tributary states, the more dispersed the better, so that they can govern themselves, but they must all be subject to the control of the protectorates."

"Isn't that better than just sending a lieutenant general as a military supervisor? Can a military supervisor really control someone secretly amassing troops? They've already raised tens of thousands of soldiers and are forging weapons, and you're only just realizing it when they rebel—too late!"