Chương 712: categorizes management into three types, addressing the root cause.

The ministers in the hall were stunned, and a chill ran down their spines.

They used to think that doing business was a lowly thing, something only businessmen could do, and not respectable.

I never imagined that His Majesty would turn business into a powerful weapon for governing the country, even more ruthless than a thousand troops.

Wars cost lives and money, but economic colonization quietly drains a country's coffers, and the country still has to thank you for investing.

It's too cruel.

Minister of Rites Guan Ning muttered under his breath, "Isn't this just the kind of speculation and profiteering that merchants do... It's disgraceful for the Celestial Empire to act like this... After all, we are the Celestial Empire, and we must uphold the principles of benevolent rule..."

"Dignity?" Liu Ce raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"The greatest dignity is when the people have food to eat, the national treasury has silver, the navy can win battles, and the people's lives get better and better."

If we were to engage in tributary relations, where someone sends us a few pieces of coral and a few elephants, and we were to reciprocate with tens of thousands of taels of gold and thousands of bolts of silk, it might seem respectable, but we'd be losing all our money. Only a fool would do that.

What I want are tangible benefits, not those superficial gestures. Real money in my pocket is better than anything else.

Guan Ning opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything... Thinking about it carefully, it did seem to make sense.

A strong nation and prosperous people are the true measure of dignity.

Being obsessed with saving face and suffering for it is foolish.

After discussing the economy, we moved on to the most troublesome issue: governance.

Fang Xuanling stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Your Majesty, if we really occupy so many overseas territories, where will the court get so many officials to send there? There are only so many officials to be transferred to. The provinces in the interior and the eight border provinces are not enough. If we send more to overseas territories thousands of miles away, the official system will be in chaos, and no one will be willing to go...

After all, no one wants to leave their homeland and become an official in barbarian lands."

This is a very real problem.

Officials are human too, with families to support. Who would want to serve as an official tens of thousands of miles away?

Language barriers, different customs, and the risk of illness mean that no amount of money can deter people from going.

Going there would be almost like being exiled.

"Who said we're going to send officials from other provinces?" Liu Ce had anticipated his question, and slowly held up three fingers.

"We manage them in three categories, addressing the specific problems without wasting any official time. We differentiate between them based on the importance, wealth, and population of each region, and we cannot treat them all the same."

Everyone stared at his three fingers, waiting to hear what he would say next.

"The first type is direct rule." Liu Ce pointed to places like 'Northern India,' 'Mesopotamia,' and 'Malacca' on the map.

"Places like 'India,' 'Mesopotamia,' and 'The Middle East,' which are populous, rich in resources, and strategically located, are our money bags, and we must hold onto them tightly."

We'll appoint a governor-general and establish a complete government office. Laws, taxes, and the military will all be under our control, much like inland provinces. These are core colonies, so we need to appoint the most capable officials there, and they will generate the most tax revenue. We can't afford to be careless.

But we don't need to use only Han officials. Local, obedient nobles and scholars can also be recruited as minor officials to help us manage the grassroots. They are familiar with the local situation and are more effective than our own officials.

Fang Xuanling nodded... Directly managing the core and important areas is no problem. After all, the returns are high, so spending some manpower and resources is worthwhile.

"The second type is indirect rule," Liu Ce added.

"Those tribes in Africa, the small princely states in Southeast Asia, and the small kingdoms inland are extremely poor. Their land is full of forests and deserts. Managing them is expensive and laborious, and the tax revenue is not even as high as the cost."

We should support the local chieftains, headmen, and kings, grant them titles such as "Marquis of Guihua" or "Earl of Shunhua," and reward them with silk, porcelain, and weapons, so that they can govern the people and collect taxes themselves.

We only handle two things: diplomacy must be conducted according to our authority, and we must provide manpower and funding for wars. As for the petty problems at the grassroots level, let them deal with them themselves. As long as they acknowledge us as their leader, send annual tributes, and don't cause us trouble, that's all that matters.

Fang Xuanling was taken aback: "Is it that simple? What if they rebel? After all, they're not our own officials, they're unreliable."

"So there's a third strategy... divide and conquer." Liu Ce smiled meaningfully, a hint of malice in his eyes.

"Don't let them band together. For example, in India, there are Hindus, Muslims, and a bunch of princely states, big and small, who are already at odds with each other."

Let's give a hand to both sides, offer some benefits to the Hindu princes and some sweet treats to the Islamic sultans, and deliberately leave some territorial disputes and water disputes, so that they fight each other and are wary of each other every day.

They're too busy fighting amongst themselves to have time to unite against us. We'll act as the referee, and if anyone disobeys, we'll help the other side beat them up. It's a sure thing."

"And then there are those tribes in Africa, hundreds of ethnic groups, who already have grudges and fight every day. We sell weapons to both sides, helping one fight the other today, and pulling one in to suppress the other tomorrow, so that neither of them can grow big and neither can destroy the other."

In the end, they all depend on us to survive, and they dare to rebel? If they rebel against us, their neighbor will wipe them out tomorrow.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Qian, an imperial censor from the Censorate, stood up abruptly, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and exclaimed excitedly:

"Your Majesty! This is a conspiracy, an act of treachery, not the conduct of a gentleman! It violates the principles of our Celestial Empire! We are a superior nation, and should govern with virtue. How can we sow discord and incite infighting? This... this is contrary to the teachings of the Sages!"

Zhang Qian was an old censor, a man of strong principles, stubborn and inflexible, and a staunch advocate of righteousness and justice.

He felt that His Majesty's move was too underhanded and not something a dignified celestial dynasty should do.

"Zhang Qian, I have a question for you." Liu Ce's smile faded, and his tone became more serious.

"Sending troops to conquer the land will result in the deaths of a thousand soldiers and ten thousand civilians. Even if the land is occupied, it cannot be well managed. Rebellions will break out every year, and the land will be suppressed every year, resulting in even more deaths. Is this what is meant by the way of the king?"

Let's use our brains and some methods to reduce their fighting and deaths, so we can spend less money and the people can live in peace. That's the way of the king.

If we're really talking about benevolence and righteousness, once we've made enough money, we should build some roads, hospitals, and schools for them so they can have enough to eat and access to medical care. That's much better than any empty talk about "the way of the king."

What I want is real peace, not that self-deceiving sense of moral superiority.

Zhang Qian opened his mouth, his face turning red, but he couldn't say a word.

He wanted to refute it, but upon closer reflection, what His Majesty said seemed to make sense.

If a real fight breaks out, with corpses strewn across the fields, that would be truly inhumane.

Using a little strategy to reduce deaths doesn't seem wrong.

But he felt something was off, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it, and finally just sat down sullenly.

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, exchanged a glance with Pang Tong, and both saw admiration in each other's eyes.

Your Majesty's move may seem insidious, but it is actually a strategic move... achieving maximum stability with minimal cost.

They are a hundred times better than those pedantic scholars who spout benevolence and morality but actually waste people's money and resources.

Jia Xu nodded in approval... This is how a person who achieves great things should be. He combines the ways of kings and hegemons, and cannot rely solely on benevolence and righteousness, nor can he rely solely on force.

When it comes to governance, one cannot avoid the topic of education.

Minister of Rites Guan Ning finally perked up, stroking his beard as he said:

"Your Majesty is wise! Educating all people is the foundation of the kingly way! I think we should establish more Confucian temples and send great Confucian scholars overseas to teach and spread the teachings of Confucius and Mencius, so that even the barbarians know etiquette, integrity, and righteousness, and understand loyalty, filial piety, and chastity, which will help the court to govern."

In time, they will naturally side with the Han Dynasty and will not rebel.