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Chapter 863 Strong Measures
Could it be that the Ming emperor was so kindhearted that he couldn't bear to see the people of Annan suffer and was determined to help them? There was discussion about this matter from Ming to Annan. Some said he cared about the people of the world, some said he was seeking fame, and some said he had too much money to spend.

But there is a rule: the closer one's class is to the ruler, the less one agrees that Emperor Jingyang is a good man. On the contrary, most people in the middle and lower classes believe that the emperor is kind-hearted and wants to save not only the people of the Ming Dynasty, but also the people in their neighborhood.

So did the emperor's behavior save people or harm them? In fact, this matter cannot be simply evaluated by positive and negative, black and white, right and wrong.

Feeling from different classes, observing from different angles, and thinking with different ideas will lead to different or even opposite conclusions.

Specifically, from the perspective of the ordinary people of Annan, they definitely benefited. As the saying goes, it is good to be under a big tree. If Annan was only a vassal state, it would have been sucked dry by the Ming Dynasty. The ruling class didn't care, and the middle and lower class people were all victims.

Now, as citizens of the Ming Dynasty, we are just like ordinary Mexicans in later generations. We can obtain American citizenship and receive the same treatment as Americans without having to drill tunnels or climb fences. Who can say that is not good?
The ruling class and the big landowners would certainly not agree, because without power, even if they were given a cabinet position, it would not be as comfortable and satisfying as being the king in Annan. As the ancients said, it is better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. This is the truth.

But faced with the might of the Ming dynasty, the ruling class and the big landowners of Annan had no power to refuse. If they agreed, they could keep their property and continue to live a prosperous life. If they disagreed, they would lose everything, including their money and their people. It was clear where they would go.

From the perspective of the Ming Emperor, it was also a win. Annan’s strategic location was very important. If you wanted to attack the Indochina Peninsula, you must first have a forward base, and the easiest place to get it was Annan.

Annan's agriculture is relatively developed, and it has natural advantages whether it is growing rice or rubber trees or cocoa trees.

As long as enough resources are invested, it won’t take many years for it to become a large granary together with Luzon Island, greatly alleviating the food shortage in the north.

From the perspective of Ming officials, it is hard to say. Some people do not like or are not used to the current policies, and will feel that they are useless. When faced with the extra jobs, they will also regard them as exiles.

Some officials are willing to integrate into the new policy and will not care too much about the distance of their appointment. Instead, they will see it as an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities.

From the perspective of the people of the Ming Dynasty... it is impossible to do so, because 90% of the people of the Ming Dynasty do not know where Annan is, and they do not care what happened there. They only say that because the court won a victory and others say it is good, they will follow suit, but they do not know what is good about it.

Only some businessmen would think it is really good, just like the rich people in Annan. They have one more channel to invest and make money, one more area to do business, and the tax on transactions is reduced. Why wouldn’t it be good?

In addition, the Ming military would also feel good, as they would have tens of thousands of young and strong soldiers familiar with the tropical jungle for no reason, saving a lot of trouble. Moreover, they would be able to provide thousands of soldiers every year, which would be a large barracks with an endless supply of soldiers.

With the addition of these soldiers, whether we are entering Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan to fight in the future, or expeditioning to the coastal areas of Southeast Asia and the West, the difficulty will be greatly reduced. There is no need to worry about rebellion, because they are all our own people!

Are there people who have no benefit at all and firmly oppose Annan's submission to the Ming Empire? Of course there are, and there must be. For example, the rulers of Annan's neighboring countries Nanchang (northern Thailand), Ayutthaya (southern Thailand), Cambodia, and even Myanmar.

For small countries, the stronger the big countries around them, the more uncomfortable they feel. If the Ming Empire weakened, they would clap their hands and cheer, and then suddenly take a bite. Now that the Ming Empire has annexed Annan, they will feel like they are looking in the mirror and unable to sleep or eat. However, their voices cannot reach the ears of the Ming Emperor, and their opinions cannot affect the expansion of the Ming Dynasty. The only way is to lie dormant and not attract the attention of the Ming Empire.

The usual fate of a great empire is not to last too long. As long as it can endure until the day of its collapse, the clouds will be cleared and the emancipated serfs will sing.

But there were also people who were more vocal and capable of expressing their dissatisfaction and opinions to the Ming court. Just as early summer began, a delegation from the plateau arrived in the capital.

"I don't have time to discuss scriptures and doctrines with them, so you can just go and receive them. By the way, please tell me that it is not their place to tell whether the Ming Empire believes in Buddhism or Taoism. Don't interfere in Mongolian affairs, otherwise you will face the same fate as the Western Tumed tribe.

If my army can reach Qinghai, it can also reach U-Tsang. Don't just talk about where to go, just watch the action. By the way, give them this map and give them written approval as soon as possible. No need to discuss, the line I draw is the boundary. There is no territory for them in the north, give up!"

A few days later, the Minister of Rites Yang Sichang submitted a petition for a meeting and brought with him the request of the U-Tsang delegation and a personal letter from the Fifth Living Buddha.

Hong Tao only read the beginning of the letter before crumpling up the original letter and the translation, throwing them into the bowl of noodles he had just finished eating, and left, then dictated his reply.

What a joke! The monks of U-Tsang actually accused the Ming Empire of cracking down on Buddhism as an unfriendly act, and described the Qinghai War as a massacre of herdsmen and believers. They demanded that the emperor severely punish ministers and generals who advocated the destruction of Buddhism and started the war. There was a certain threat in their words.

This is really not treating bean buns as dry food. Do you really think that the higher the altitude at home, the higher the combat effectiveness?
Hong Tao never treats this kind of fool with a good face. In addition to slapping him in the face with actual actions, he also sprays him back with more contemptuous and vicious words. A double blow from the mental to the physical is indispensable.

The map was a slap in the face. A line was drawn from the southern coast of the West Sea, running from east to west and reaching the Western Regions, as the new border. From then on, the north side of the line was under the jurisdiction of the Ming Dynasty, and anyone who entered without permission would be considered an invader.

It was not enough to just see the line, it had to be acknowledged in writing. To achieve this goal, the unfortunate Xiong Sanba led his road-building army southward from Shaanxi Xingdusi and began to build cement kilns and quarry stones on the southern coast of the West Sea.

According to Hong Tao's plan, at least six cities would be built along this line, and even their names were chosen. From east to west, they were Hainan City, Haixi City, Delingha City, Xiteshan City, Xitai City, and Mangya City.

Each castle is within 200 to 400 miles of each other, has a water source or a river nearby, and can accommodate a permanent garrison of 300 to 500 people.

After all the construction is completed, the army will also add a Qinghai Dusi, which will be under the jurisdiction of 2 to 3 guards, specifically stationed on the plateau and keep a close eye on the Tuogan and U-Tsang areas in the south.

(End of this chapter)