Chương 695: The ocean is as wide as the Han Dynasty's maritime power.

If you want the Han army to win forever, you have to adapt and not stick to the old ways.

"The fourth project is the contiguous colony and global shipping lane control project." Upon hearing this, another low commotion arose in the hall.

Overseas colonization has been going on for several years, but the formal establishment of a province is a first.

Throughout history, when has a province ever been established on an island thousands of miles away?

"Scattered outposts can't amount to much, they can't be held, and they can't make big money; they're just like street vendors. Within five years, we will integrate the outposts in Luzon, Java, Borneo, and Malacca, and formally establish the Nanyang Province, with the same structure as the inland provinces, governed by appointed officials."

"Immigrants of 300, 000 will establish plantations, mines, and ports, completely controlling the Strait of Malacca, turning Southeast Asia into our backyard, our raw material warehouse and commodity market, and our meat on our plates."

"The shipping routes also need to be expanded outwards. In the direction of the Indian Ocean, we will build four more outposts in the Persian Gulf and East Africa, and reach the entrance to the Red Sea... In the Americas, we will expand inland, open gold and silver mines, log timber, and grow food... In Australia, we will expand southwards, build ranches, mine gold, and form a stable output."

Five years from now, the number of permanent overseas immigrants will exceed 250, 000, and colonial revenue will account for 10% of the imperial court's annual income. From now on, our money will not only come from the land, but also from the sea, and from thousands of miles away.

He looked at Zhou Yu, his tone expectant, and smiled:

"Gongjin, you are young, you can take bigger steps. The ocean is as wide as the sea power of the Han Dynasty must be. Don't be afraid of trouble, I will cover for you, I will hold up the sky if it falls."

"Your Majesty, I will not fail you! I will ensure that the dragon flag of the Han Dynasty flies along the shores of every ocean!"

Zhou Yu stood tall with his hands clasped in front of him, his brows furrowed with the spirit of riding the wind and waves, his eyes filled with the vastness of the universe.

The officials inside the hall were filled with turmoil.

The Central Plains dynasties have always valued land over sea, content to live off their small plots of land.

In this dynasty, the idea of establishing a province and a country thousands of miles away is unheard of, yet it stirs the blood and makes one eager to immediately join the fleet and set sail to expand the territory.

"The fifth project is the homogenization and in-depth development of the frontier." Liu Ce's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable resolve:

"The unification of provinces is not simply a matter of changing names. The eight provinces of Anxi, Beiting, Hanhai, Songmo, Yingzhou, Rinan, Yongchang, and Lancang must move from institutional unification to complete economic, cultural, and governance unification, becoming the heartland of the Han Dynasty, indistinguishable from the provinces of the Central Plains."

In the future, railway branch lines will be built to the provincial capitals of eight provinces, high-yield crops and farming techniques will be promoted to every county, and the self-sufficiency rate of grain in the border areas will reach 85%, so that they can feed themselves without having to transport grain from the interior.

Hanhai focuses on wool textiles and animal husbandry, Anxi on mining and cotton textiles, Yingzhou on shipping and shipbuilding, and Rinan on sugarcane cultivation... By adapting to local conditions and leveraging their strengths, the people in the border regions can also become prosperous and live the same lives as those in the interior.

"We need to go a step further in governance. Elementary schools should be built in villages, and the enrollment rate of school-age children should reach 60%. In government offices, markets, and schools, only Chinese should be spoken and written, and tribal languages should no longer be used for official business, so as to prevent subordinates from engaging in underhanded activities behind the back of the court."

The last remaining tribal landholdings and privileges were completely eradicated; the village-level baojia system was fully implemented, and grassroots governance was exactly the same as in the interior. Anyone who obstructed the reform was going against the imperial court, against the people of the Han Dynasty, and against the general trend of the world.

"Xun Yu will oversee the administration and Lu Bing will be in charge of supervision and rectification. I will repeat myself: anyone who obstructs the reform, whether a tribal noble or a local strongman, will be treated as a traitor. There will be no leniency; those who should be killed will be killed, those who should be exiled will be exiled, and those who should be confiscated will be punished."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Xun Yu bowed and accepted the order, his voice steady.

Lu Bing stepped forward and acknowledged the order. His black flying fish robe remained as cold and aloof as he swept his gaze across the hall, and no one dared to meet his eyes.

Everyone knows that once this step is taken, the frontier will no longer be a "place of submission," but will be the very heartland of the Han Dynasty, inseparable for generations to come.

At this point, Liu Ce's tone softened slightly as he looked at the ranks of officials from the Ministry of Rites:

"The sixth project is the Science and Education Benefits and Basic Science Breakthrough Project."

"The key to industrial upgrading, military modernization, and naval expansion lies in talent. Without people, nothing can be accomplished; even the best machines are useless without operators."

Within five years, six-year compulsory education schools will be built in villages, achieving a 90% coverage rate for village-level primary schools. The enrollment rate for school-age children in the Central Plains will reach 95%, and in the border regions, it will reach 60%. Adult literacy classes will also be opened to provide literacy education for craftsmen, soldiers, and farmers, enabling those who do manual labor to read, write, learn new technologies, and understand machine manuals.

Five years from now, we aim to achieve a national literacy rate exceeding 40%. With more educated people, our path will broaden, and our strides will become larger.

"Scientific research cannot only focus on practical applications; basic knowledge must also be pursued... Don't think these are useless. What seems useless today may be tomorrow's deadliest weapon or tomorrow's new technology. Major theoretical breakthroughs will be rewarded with up to ten million coins, the same reward as fighting on the border."

Minister of Rites Guan Ning stepped forward, his voice trembling with excitement: "Your Majesty's promotion of education and cultivation of talent will benefit generations to come! I will risk my life to ensure that every child in the land has access to education, and to live up to Your Majesty's trust!"

Liu Ce nodded slightly.

He knew in his heart that only when more people were literate could industry have a continuous supply of workers and scientific research have a continuous supply of promising talents. This was the foundation for the dynasty's enduring prosperity and the strongest source of confidence for the Han Dynasty.

The officials, all from humble backgrounds, were deeply moved... They themselves changed their fate through the imperial examinations, and now more children from poor families will leave the mountains and fields through early education, leading different lives and different futures.

After the six major projects were announced, the atmosphere inside the hall became slightly tense.

Everyone knows that after these five years, the Han Dynasty has truly become an unprecedented hegemon of the world, a true celestial empire, with all nations paying tribute, and who dares to disobey?

Liu Ce stood up, slowly walked down the steps, and stood before the Nine Dragon Steps, his gaze sweeping over every face:

"I still uphold those three ironclad rules, and I reiterate them today. Everyone, please remember them well:" First, merit will be rewarded and demerit will be punished. Those who complete projects on time or exceed targets will be promoted and rewarded with millions in cash; those who shirk responsibility, delay the project, or cause problems will be dismissed and investigated without leniency. Those who make contributions to border expansion and scientific research will receive double the reward.

Secondly, the government's orders are unified, and the whole country works together. All ministries, provinces, navies, and colonial departments are subject to the command of the National Planning Commission. Anyone who dares to disobey or obstruct the plan, no matter how high their rank or how senior they are, will be severely punished by me.

Thirdly, the people are the foundation, and excessive labor will not be tolerated. Laborers will be paid in full... The people are the root of the nation; if the root is damaged, even the most flourishing branches and leaves cannot stand. Whoever harms the people, I will take their head."

His voice echoed throughout the entire Taiji Hall:

"My lords, sixteen years ago, no one imagined that we could build a steam engine and sail ships thousands of miles away. Today, we have a clear view of the road ahead."