Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Wang Jin looked at the map and said thoughtfully, "Your Majesty, the Far East is too vast. Even if we deploy 500,000 troops, we may not be able to defend it completely."

Jia Cong said: "That is indeed the case. I want to implement the strategy of fortifying the city and clearing the countryside.

Starting from Irkutsk on the shore of Lake Baikal, along the Angara River to the north for about 1,500 miles, you can choose key locations along the way and build a strong city every 300 miles.

Heavy troops and immigrants were sent to cultivate land and guard the area, and forts were set up between the two cities to construct a chain that completely separated the Far East from the Rakshasa Kingdom.

To the east of this central defense line, nearly 3,000 miles of open space were left uninhabited, and all the local people were driven to live in areas east or south of the Lena River, close to the Celestial Empire.

In this way, even if the central defense line was breached, it would be difficult for the Russians to advance. The boundless Siberian wilderness was enough to make them despair.

They want to make an expedition of 3,000 miles after breaking through the government army's defense line, but I don't think they have the ability to do so, and our army can cut off their food supply at any time."

"Your Highness has great talent and vision, and we admire him." Everyone stood up and praised.

Jia Cong said: "In addition to the central defense line, we will also set up a Far East defense line to protect the sea borders.

Establish naval ports in Sakhalin Island, Kamchatka, near the Bering Strait and other places, and send government troops to garrison. The number of people does not need to be too large, it is just a symbol. It is expected that in the next few decades, no one will dare to touch the tiger's whiskers.

At the same time, we strongly encourage childbirth and gradually immigrate to the Far East to enrich the area. After several generations, it will become Han territory forever. "

Li Meng said, "Your Highness is right. I think this place is so vast that it should be cultivated by Han people. As long as the court issues a decree, all voluntary immigrants will be given 100 acres of land and all taxes will be exempted. Are you still worried that no one will go?"

Wang Jin frowned and said, "Liaodong is already extremely cold, and the Luosha Desert is in the north. I'm afraid it will be difficult to station there for a long time, and the frozen soil may make it difficult to cultivate."

Everyone was silent, and only Wang Jin, who was once Jia Cong's teacher, dared to say this.

Jia Cong nodded and said, "That's true. The place where Su Wu grazed sheep is just the starting point of our conquest. However, as long as the locals can survive, we can also survive by following their example.

What's more, these defenders are not isolated and helpless, they have a powerful motherland behind them.

Therefore, I have already stated in the first step of the plan that we must build cities step by step and advance, and must not march alone into deep territory, where we might be destroyed by the harsh climate.

The key to whether the central defense line can last is whether the passage from Irkutsk to the Mobei steppe can be opened. As long as this passage is opened, the cattle, sheep and horses on the grassland, the population, food, cloth, salt, iron and equipment in the pass can be continuously transported there. As long as it is managed for a few decades, the Russians will never have hope of regaining it. "

Everyone nodded and said, "Your Highness is right. As long as we are willing to put in the effort, we will definitely be able to get through!"

Wang Jin said, "Your Majesty, I am a little confused. Why would the imperial court spend so much money to occupy this barren land that the Russians seem to have abandoned?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "If you want to say what the benefits of this place are, even I can't explain it clearly, but I can be sure that the benefits must be very great. We are planting trees now, and as for enjoying the shade, let's leave it to future generations."

Wang Jin bowed and said, "Since Your Majesty has made up his mind, I am willing to be the one who plants the trees for the great cause of our country for generations to come."

"We are willing to be the ones who plant trees." Everyone said in unison.

Jia Cong nodded, glanced at the Nine Border Governors, and said, "The key to this strategy lies in the first step. Although you are allowed to fight as much as you want, the imperial court has limited money and food. You must learn to fight to support the war. Otherwise, no matter how strong the imperial court is, it will not be able to withstand your fighting for ten years."

Yang Xiong hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, you know that the Nine Borders are poor. If we don't have the money and food support from the court, we will probably make mistakes if we rashly go abroad to fight."

Jia Cong waved his hand and said, "You have never seen the power of firearms, so you don't understand. This battle is different from the past. It is not about numbers. Each of your towns can gather 10,000 elite cavalry, and with guns and cannons, it will be enough to defeat anyone. If you don't know how to fight, Wang Jiedu will teach you a lesson."

Wang Jin said: "I obey your order."

Yang Xiong did not dare to say anything more and said hurriedly, "I obey your order."

"As for money and grain, in addition to the regular military expenses, you will be given an additional 500,000 silver coins and 100,000 shi of grain each year. You can decide for yourself.

If others can achieve merit, but you cannot, you should take off your official hat and apologize to the court." Jia Cong glanced at the governors.

Everyone's heart tightened, and they said sternly: "We swear not to fail your mission." They knew that Jia Cong understood military affairs and was not as easy to deceive as ordinary emperors.

"Those who know how to fight will become richer the more they fight, while those who don't know how to fight will become poorer the more they fight. Do you understand?" Jia Cong said.

"Yes, we understand. We will follow the prince's teachings, fight to support the war, obtain food from the enemy, turn the enemy into civilians, and use them for our own purposes." Yang Xiong said.

"Yes, that's what I meant. Don't worry about the ammunition. The court will ensure the supply."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Generals, you are not young anymore. The next ten years will be the twilight of your military career. You will make the best of yourselves to make your name known to future generations or to lose your integrity in your later years. I will leave the pen to you to decide how to write the history of the future."

All the military governors shouted in unison: "Please rest assured, Your Highness. An old horse in the stable still has ambitions to run a thousand miles!"

"Okay! I will hold a banquet tonight and have a drink for the old horses of the country." Jia Cong said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

That night, several banquet tables were set up in Prince Jing's mansion to entertain high-ranking generals in the capital and nine military governors.

After three rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the table gradually became warmer, and everyone slowly relaxed, chatting and laughing, clinking glasses, and toasting everywhere.

Who else but His Royal Highness Prince Jing could have assembled such a top military honor? If he didn't seize the opportunity to develop some personal connections now, when would he?

Everyone was worldly-wise, and soon people from different factions became friends, with each other in a friendly and polite manner, and each trying to find out information they didn't know.

Jizhou Jiedushi Qingchuan asked in a low voice: "Old Prince, I still can't quite understand the deep meaning of your highness's plan to advance north. Can you enlighten me a little?"

Wang Jin said, "Hasn't His Highness made it clear today? What is there that is unclear to Brother Qing?"

Qingchuan smiled and said, "Aren't you worried that I might have misunderstood your Highness's intention? So I would like to ask your elder brother, who doesn't know that your Highness was once a student of yours?"

Wang Jin said sternly, "Brother Qing is wrong. Your Highness is a man of extraordinary talent and wisdom. His military strategy was taught to him by the Duke Rong in his dreams, and everyone knows it.

I just gave some pointers on how to use a spear or a stick, which is not worthy of being presented in a high-class hall."

Qingchuan knew that he was trying to avoid suspicion, so he waved his hand and said with a smile: "I see, I just heard it from others, so I don't believe it. What do you think about this matter?"

Wang Jin pondered and said, "As a general, you just follow orders and serve your country with loyalty."

Qingchuan still did not give up, and said: "Brother, you are of good family background, so you are naturally open-minded and fearless. We... Alas, if the war goes well, we will be worried, and if it goes badly, we will be even more worried. It's difficult."

Upon hearing this, Wang Jin immediately understood what Qingchuan meant. He was a person who was promoted by the Qi State Mansion. Now, among the eight founding dukes, the three families of Qi, Zhi and Shan had been neglected and alienated by Jia Cong. This was well known in the circle of nobles. He was obviously worried that sooner or later Jia Cong would find an excuse to take him down.

"Brother, you worry too much. Your Highness is open-minded and has a heart as vast as the ocean. He can even control the vast land of the Far East with a flick of his finger. Can't he have room for a few more people?

In my humble opinion, if you have any sincere words, you should report them directly to Your Highness. Isn't it better to be so sincere and open-minded?" Wang Jin said.

Qingchuan was overjoyed and asked hurriedly, "Brother Wang, are you serious?"

Wang Jin said, "Brother Qing, His Highness is so bold and decisive in his actions. He really has a prejudice against you. Why did he allow you to continue until now? Look at where the King of Liao, Nan'an, and Beijing are now? The royal palace is like this, let alone a mere military governorship?"

"That's right, I'll offer you a drink." Qingchuan felt relieved and poured wine for Wang Jin, saying, "Listening to your words is better than reading for ten years."

"No, no, please." Wang Jin raised his glass with a smile.

Jia Cong sat at the head of the group, discussing the issue of royal titles with the other generals.

Wang Ziteng said, "When the country was founded, Taizu set the number of four kings, eight dukes and thirty-two marquises. It was enough at the time, but now the country has expanded its territory by thousands of miles under your leadership. In the future, we will move north to the desert, which is thousands of miles away. I don't know how many brave warriors and generals will be born here who will make great contributions to the country. It's difficult to arrange the titles."

Everyone knew that Wang Ziteng was just a supporting role. He wanted to build a new team of nobles composed of his trusted generals with Jia Cong as the core.

However, no one would miss this opportunity to please Jia Cong, and they all nodded in agreement.

Li Meng was the first to express his opinion, saying: "General Wang is right, Taizu once said that no one can be conferred an honorary title unless he has made military contributions to the country.

Now, Your Highness has been making plans and recovering the Western Regions and pacifying Shannan. He has also led the royal army to personally conquer Japan and pacify the sea borders. During this period, countless generals have made great contributions, but they are limited by the rules of the imperial dynasty and cannot be promoted. It is a pity. "

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I think the same as you heroes. The rules of nobility are like this round table. Now it is just right for eight of us to sit on it. If the diameter of the table is doubled, more people should sit on it to make it more beautiful and appropriate. Do you agree with me?"

Everyone hurriedly said, "Your Highness is right."

Jia Cong said again: "As warriors, we should understand the principle of adapting to changing circumstances, rather than being complacent. Otherwise, we would still have to fight in chariots today. Isn't this ridiculous?"

"Your Highness has hit the nail on the head," everyone said.

"So, although the methods of our ancestors are good, they must be changed according to the times and circumstances in order to maintain their prosperity. This is also the will of Emperor Shizu, and we should stick to it." Jia Cong said.

Everyone said, "Your Highness is wise." But they were laughing in their hearts. The Emperor Taizu is gone, so it's up to you to decide what his legacy is.

As he was speaking, Niu Jizong winked at Jia Cong, indicating that someone was going to toast him.

Jia Cong raised his eyes and saw two people coming over with wine glasses. They were Jizhou Jiedushi Qingchuan and Shanxi Jiedushi Hu Liang. He already knew what was going on.

"My two brothers offer a toast to Your Highness, and congratulate His Majesty on his expedition to Japan, his victory, and his unprecedented achievement."

Jia Cong smiled and clinked his glass with theirs, saying, "This should be my last battle in person. The future depends on you generals."

"I am willing to die for you, Your Majesty." The two men said hurriedly.

Jia Cong brought up the topic and said, "You two don't have to worry about anything. I know that you are where you are today because of your contributions. I will not treat my meritorious officials badly."

The two were overjoyed, and Qingchuan hurriedly said, "I have never had the opportunity to make achievements under the prince's command. Today, I have been given a good opportunity. I am willing to obey the prince's orders. In the last stage of my military career, I do not seek glory and wealth, but only hope to die on the battlefield."

Hu Liang said hurriedly: "This is what I mean. I am willing to follow Your Highness's lead, even if I die nine times without regret."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Great! This is my great general of Wu!"

Seeing that everyone had stopped drinking and looked over, he continued, "I was just discussing with the Duke about the military titles of the dynasty. The nine of you governors each command a region, and you have made great military achievements, but your titles are not high.

It's not that the court was reluctant to reward meritorious service, but it was limited by the established laws. Unless one was born into a noble family, it would be difficult to be granted a hereditary title. This was also Taizu's intention to prevent too many hereditary titles from becoming too powerful.

Look at Liu Duhu, who recovered thousands of miles of territory in the Western Regions, but was only given the title of Earl. "

Everyone hurriedly said: "We understand that our military achievements after the founding of the country are not prominent. We have no complaints and we dare not compare ourselves with the founding heroes."

Li Meng, Niu Jizong, Liu Fang, Hou Xiaokang and others all smiled somewhat reservedly, with a look of superiority in their eyes. A wealthy family is a wealthy family.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "If there is no war, it would be extremely difficult to get promoted. Isn't there a war now?

In the Western Regions, the Tenth Prince was commanding his powerful army to capture cities and expand the territory by thousands of miles.

In the east, I have conquered Korea and Japan, and established two provinces, Shannan and Donghai. There are countless generals who have made great contributions, and they should be promoted.

From now on, we will head north and completely wipe out the grassland barbarians who have coveted the Central Plains for thousands of years, and cut off one arm of the Rakshasa people. What a great feat this will be. Why worry about not having anywhere to gain fame?"

These words made everyone's hearts itch and their blood boiled. They all said generously: "We will be at your disposal, Your Majesty."

Jia Cong nodded, then changed the subject and said, "Even if you have made great contributions, there are only so many titles in the imperial court, so it is still difficult."

Everyone nodded silently.

"Therefore, I am considering perfecting the ancestral law and increasing the number of titles appropriately to ensure that the regrettable incident of 'Feng Tang grows old easily, while Li Guang is hard to be granted a title' will not happen." Jia Cong said.

Everyone was overjoyed and hurriedly stood up and said, "We thank the prince for his grace."

Jia Cong raised his hand to signal everyone to sit down, and said: "This is not a grace, it is just going with the flow and keeping pace with the times. The country is bigger, and there should be more nobles.

For example, one duke and two marquises can be added to Shannan; one duke and three marquises can be added to Donghai; the Western Region is a vast area, so one king, two dukes and four marquises can be added;
As for the desert grassland and the Far East, they are several times larger than the Western Regions, so the same is true."

"Your Highness is wise." All the military governors bowed and praised him.

"As there are increases, there are decreases. Those black sheep who have failed to live up to the emperor's grace, are disloyal and unfilial, and who only know how to rest on their ancestors' merits and indulge in pleasure, causing trouble for the government, should be cleared out.

Let's leave the position vacant and let people with virtue and merit take it. Do you agree?" Jia Cong said.

The eyes of the governors lit up, and they knew who was being referred to. They all said in unison, "Your Highness, your words are very insightful, and we all agree with you."

If we could clean up some of the old noble families, it would naturally be of great benefit to future generations.

Li Meng, Niu Jizong, Wang Ziteng and others were also shocked, knowing that Jia Cong wanted to eliminate all dissidents and establish supreme authority. They hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Highness is right. Only by constantly getting rid of the old and establishing the new can the nobles of the country avoid corruption and degeneration."

Jia Cong smiled and nodded, saying, "It's a rare coincidence that you all meet me. Let's have some drinks. Tonight we will only talk about our friendship as old friends and not about the politics of the court."

Everyone laughed and said, "That's right, I'll fill it up for you, sir."

"I offer a toast to His Majesty."

"The biggest regret in my life is that I can't fight with you, Your Majesty. I will do it. Your Majesty, please do as you wish."

As expected, Jia Cong was drunk again by this group of drunkards. Seeing that the situation was not good, the maid hurried in to report to Ruyi.

Soon, a female official came out and said, "Her Royal Highness has ordered that the prince cannot drink much, so she ordered Zhang Yuanba to drink for him."

"Okay, help the prince go in and take a rest. I'll accompany you to have two cups of wine. Change to a big bowl." Zhang Yuanba smiled and walked in rubbing his hands. He had been craving for it for a long time. Everyone looked at each other, and no one dared to offend Ruyi, so they had to smile and obey.

Jia Cong took the opportunity to say, "I am not very generous and can't hold on any longer. I will go in and rest for a while. You can do as you please. When I sober up, I will have a couple of drinks with you. Yuanba will keep me company."

"Yes." Zhang Yuanba waved his hand and called two personal soldiers to carry Jia Cong back to the upper room of the inner house.

"How did he get so drunk? Help him lie down quickly." Ru saw Jia Cong staggering and drunken as he was helped in, and she couldn't help but stamp her feet and said angrily.

"No, you can't lie down. Let me lean on the... recliner." Jia Cong said.

"Yes. Your Excellency will take your leave." Seeing that the mistresses looked unhappy, the two personal soldiers were afraid of being taken out on, so they hurriedly followed Jia Cong's instructions, carried him to a reclining chair, and then slipped away.

Baochai frowned and said, "Although it is a social event, you should also take care of your health. Even a strong body cannot withstand such heavy drinking. Please invite Mr. Ye to come."

Daiyu said unhappily, "You used to be moderate, why did you eat so much today?"

Jia Cong smiled bitterly and said, "I can't help it. They all came to toast me. It's not good for me to eat whose toast I eat and whose I don't eat. Isn't this the way to get drunk?"

Ruyi spat, "How can you be so stupid? From now on, the wine that the prince uses for social events will be replaced with water. Do you understand?"

"Yes." The female officials bowed and agreed.

Jia Cong hesitated and said, "This... is not good. If someone finds out, where will I put my face? These people are all cunning people."

"If they find out, just say I was the one who replaced it. Let's see what they dare to say," Ruyi said.

All the women covered their mouths and chuckled, saying, "This is a good idea. It will make us invincible."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Yan'er is really resourceful. I think we don't need to change it right away. It would be safer to wait until everyone is about 50% drunk before changing it."

Ruyi laughed and scolded: "I knew you were this kind of person."

"I have always been an honest man, and you have led me astray...hmm." Jia Cong suddenly felt drunk, his chest and abdomen were churning, and he quickly covered his mouth.

"Quickly bring the bucket!" Baochai ordered hurriedly.

Wow! Jia Cong vomited violently, and Ruyi patted his back and chest, complaining: "Look at you, you still drink so much, but in the end you still feel uncomfortable."

Jia Cong took the tea and rinsed his mouth. After spitting, he felt refreshed. He leaned back on the recliner and said, "It's okay. Invite these people back in a few days. Use your method. It won't be over until they are drunk. I want revenge."

"Brother Cong is indeed a man who enjoys taking revenge and is not afraid of being laughed at." Daiyu said with a smile.

Jia Cong drank two bowls of ginseng tea served by Liu Wuer and Lingguan, and said with a smile: "That's right, but there's no rush. There's another game tomorrow..."

Baochai said hurriedly, "You are drunk today, let's postpone it to the day after tomorrow."

"What game?" Ruyi asked.

Baochai said, "He has settled down in Jiangnan and is going to invite the most wealthy merchants and noble families in the world to a banquet in the capital."

Ruyi glared at him and asked, "What's the matter?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Of course it's business. Hehe, if this deal is successful, we'll make a fortune again."

Ruyi didn't care about the business, she just said: "If you continue to drink like this, I won't agree."

Jia Cong said hurriedly: "Don't worry, I won't drink a drop of alcohol this time."

"That's pretty much it."

Hearing that Jia Cong was going to invite merchants to a banquet again, the Shanxi merchants were very sensible and eagerly expressed their hope to hold it at Wanmei Villa. They even ordered tens of thousands of pots of various autumn chrysanthemums in advance and specially designed a Golden Chrysanthemum Pavilion to entertain wealthy merchants from all over the world.

The last time Jia Cong hosted a banquet, he opened up the trade route to the Western Regions. All the families who spent money to support the court in the war at that time benefited from it. In the past one or two years, they made countless silvers by relying on the trade route to the Western Regions.

If those who did not have the court's permission wanted to take this trade route, they would have to pay 30% tariffs, both for the round trip and the high cost. They had no choice but to depend on the big guys for survival, and when they were at the bottom, they really could not afford to take this route.

Even if they can afford it, they cannot compete with businesses with special licenses.

On this day, Jia Cong brought Niu Jizong, Wang Ziteng, Feng Yuan and others to the banquet. Looking at the rich merchants in gorgeous clothes, he smiled and said, "How are you?"

"Thanks to His Majesty, we are all fine." Everyone bowed and smiled.

"Well, seeing how happy everyone is, the trade route to the Western Regions is not a bad one, right?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty for your grace."

"Your Majesty is truly a genius in business. Just give us some pointers and we will have no worries about food and clothing."

"It's all thanks to the grace of the prince."

Jia Cong waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. You have contributed to the country, so the court will not treat you unfairly. I invited you all here today for another business, and I want to hear your opinions."

Everyone's eyes lit up and they hurriedly said, "Please enlighten us, Your Majesty. We are all ears."

Jia Cong said casually: "The other day the imperial court conquered Japan. I think you all know about it."

Everyone hurriedly said, "We know. Congratulations to His Majesty for his unparalleled achievements, unprecedented in history."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Let's not talk about that. Do you know why the imperial court was able to defeat Goryeo and Japan?"

The merchants looked at each other in confusion. What did these military and national affairs have to do with them?
Jiang Chuan, a big salt merchant from Yangzhou, said: "I heard that the prince has built a new navy, so he can sail across the ocean and be invincible."

"That's right." Jia Cong said, "Merchants who cooperate with the Wanguo should understand that maritime trade is profitable and the overseas world is vast.

Most people only know that the west of the ocean is the West Sea Coast and the east is Dongying. This is really like looking at the world from a well. I can tell you clearly that there is a bigger world west of the West Sea Coast and east of Dongying. "

As he said this, he waved his hand, and a personal soldier came up with a map and hung it on the wall.

"Please look, everyone. This is the map of the world that the Western Barbarians have surveyed."

Everyone gathered around, looked at the huge map on the wall, and asked, "Your Majesty, why are there two circles drawn on the map? Does it mean that the sky is round and the earth is square?"

"These represent the eastern and western hemispheres respectively."

"Eastern and Western Hemispheres? What does that mean?"

Jia Cong picked up an apple and said, "Western scholars have discovered that the entire world we live in is like this apple, a sphere. There are oceans, continents, mountains, rivers and lakes on the surface of the sphere. These two circular diagrams represent the geography of the eastern and western hemispheres respectively."

Everyone looked at the apple in confusion and bewilderment, unable to imagine that they were actually living on a ball.

"If the earth is a sphere, how can people stand on it? If people stand below, won't they fall off?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Because this ball is like a magnet, it will firmly attract all people to its surface, so no matter where you are, you will be safe."

Everyone couldn't believe it and thought it was ridiculous. The ground was obviously flat, but they insisted on saying it was a sphere. The barbarians were misleading the people with their lies.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Don't be surprised. The navigators from the Western Regions have already tried it. If you drive a ship, no matter which direction it goes, you will eventually return to the original place. Isn't this a proof?"

"Your Highness is very knowledgeable. We have never heard of such knowledge before." Although everyone did not believe it, they did not dare to question it anymore and said it with conviction.

"We've gone off topic. Let's look at the map. This is the Celestial Empire, this is the Western Barbarian Kingdom, and this is the countries in the Western Regions..." Jia Cong held the pointer and gave a brief introduction to everyone.

This map has been processed by the imperial cartographer. All the places in the country are marked, and the names of foreign places are also translated, so everyone can understand it clearly.

"Found it. This is Yumen Pass. Further west is Dihua. Oh, there is such a big place further west. It really is true that there are mountains beyond mountains and there are heavens beyond heavens."

"Look, that's Liaodong Town, that's Shannan, and there's so much land to the north."

"That's the territory of the Rakshasa people."

"Look at Japan here. It is indeed a small country, like a small insect that is broken into several pieces."

"Look over there. There is such a big island hanging out in the sea."

"Look, there is such a large continent to the south of the Western Yi countries."

"I saw it a long time ago. There are two big ones in the circle on the left. I wonder what country they are from."

Jia Cong let everyone discuss it for a while, then said with a smile: "Can you see what's going on?"

Everyone said, "The world is so big, and we are ignorant."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "The world is indeed very big, and I can tell you that many places are still ownerless.

Some of these places have fertile soil, some are rich in coal, iron, gold, silver and other minerals, and some have a pleasant climate with spring-like weather all year round. They are truly places of great treasure, and the Western Yi fleets are now attacking everywhere and occupying important places. "

Everyone secretly swallowed their saliva and hurriedly said, "These places are suitable for the prince to take. This is a gift from heaven to His Highness."

"Yes, it is in line with what the country has gained. If you don't take what God has given you, you will suffer the consequences."

"You mean the barbarians are worthy of occupying that place? If one's virtue is not worthy of his position, there will be disaster."

Jia Cong sighed, "The power of the imperial court is limited after all. It is not easy to swallow up Goryeo and Japan. It will take time to digest them slowly. In the short term, we cannot spare the time to compete with the Western Barbarians."

"Your Highness, are we going to let the barbarians occupy all these good places for nothing? Since it's an unowned land, it's first come first served. We will be at a great disadvantage if we don't go." Everyone sighed and looked regretful.

"What you wise men said is very true. As the saying goes, the quick hand gets the advantage while the slow hand gets the loss. It is also said that the first to strike is the strongest. If we don't strike, the Western Barbarians will strike. Therefore, it is very important to seize the initiative."

Jia Cong paused and said, "So I have decided to follow the example of the Western Barbarians and fully mobilize the enthusiasm of the people to expand the territory. Anyone who expands the territory for the court will be granted an official title and a permanent fiefdom, which will be inherited by his descendants.

"As for the specific rules, those who expand their territory by 100 miles will be given the title of Baron, those who expand their territory by 300 miles will be given the title of Viscount, those who expand their territory by 500 miles will be given the title of Earl, those who expand their territory by 1,000 miles will be given the title of Marquis, and those who expand their territory by 3,000 miles will be given the title of Duke."

The merchants' blood boiled, their eyes turned red with excitement. As long as merchants occupied a piece of land, they could be granted a title? And it could be inherited from generation to generation?
"Does your Majesty really mean this?"

"I never joke."

"But since the founding of the country, the number of titles has been fixed..."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Are you talking about the four kings, eight dukes and thirty-two marquises? That is based on the territory when the country was founded, not including the newly opened territories now."

Everyone was overjoyed, and then smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, even if we are willing to serve the court, what can we do with the few merchant ships at home?"

Jia Cong nodded and said, "What if I sell you some warships, muskets, and cannons, and send generals to train your soldiers?"

Everyone was shocked and stammered, "What the prince means is... how dare we... lead an army and take charge of it? Absolutely not."

Jia Cong waved his hand and said with a smile: "Why not? In the future, you will also be officials of the court. Without soldiers and horses, how can you govern the territory and resist foreign enemies?

Of course, warships and weapons can only be purchased from the General’s Mansion. Anyone who dares to purchase and build them privately will be executed along with his entire clan.

You can recruit soldiers on your own, but the generals who lead and train the troops must be selected by the General's Office, and all battles will be under your command.

In the future, when you conquer a place, you can be appointed as governors or military governors, but the people-friendly officials must be officials sent by the court, and the court will also station troops to show the sovereignty of the country."

After thinking for a long time, they slowly nodded their heads, thinking that the conditions were acceptable. After all, this was the only opportunity for merchants to legally own an army in thousands of years. They all bowed and said, "We are willing to serve the court. Wherever the prince's flag leads, we will not refuse even if it means death."

Jia Cong said: "This is entirely voluntary, and I have no intention of forcing you. If you have great ambitions and a family with some spare money, you might as well give it a try."

Jiang Chuan said in a clear voice: "The Jiang family is entirely at the mercy of the prince. We will fight wherever you point us. As long as we serve the court, our family will never lag behind."

"It's the same in our family." Everyone said hurriedly.

"Okay. There are several directions for you to explore. One is to go south, through Ryukyu, and take Luzon, Jiaozhi, Siam, Java, Johor and other small countries and this unowned southern island.

I can tell you clearly that the Western Barbarians have already set foot in some places. If you want to take them, you will inevitably conflict with them. You must be aware of this."

"Your Highness, what should we do if the Western Barbarians don't allow us to intervene?" someone asked.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Could it be that what I sold to you was a firewood stick? What can we do? We'll have to fight to see if we can win. I won't monopolize it, but at least I'll have a share."

Everyone suddenly understood and laughed, "Your Highness, this is a good idea. We are too pedantic."

"Although it is said that harmony brings wealth, you can't hesitate when it's time to take action, otherwise you won't even have a chance to be harmonious."

"We will follow the prince's instructions."

"In this direction, the most important thing is to control this sea route - the Strait of Malacca!" Jia Cong pointed with the indicator rod.

"This is the throat that connects the two oceans. It is a place that must be fought for by military strategists! If you can't take it, the court will also take action. You must take this place."

Everyone was smart and understood immediately. They nodded and said, "This place is indeed dangerous and belongs to the Celestial Empire. How can barbarians occupy it?" (End of this chapter)