I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1182 The New Two Capitals and Five Municipalities

Distance has always been the primary factor restricting the rule of a regime.

Today, Su Yao has conquered a vast territory stretching from Japan to Europe with his unreasonable power.

However, he was well aware that all of this was built upon the absolute superiority of military conquest and his unparalleled personal prestige. While the empire's framework was massive, its flesh and blood—namely, effective administration, cultural integration, and economic ties—were far from robust.

If this vast territory cannot be truly forged into a unified whole as soon as possible, then after him, this seemingly invincible giant may very well fall apart due to internal imbalances in development and sluggish communication, just like the once glorious Alexander the Great and the Mongol Empire.

Therefore, Su Yao set his sights on the ocean.

As we all know, 71% of the Earth is covered by seawater. It was the Age of Exploration that shortened the distance between civilizations around the world, making global empires possible. Su Yao knew that he could not rely on Griffin's miraculous power to maintain the empire's operation forever.

To truly integrate the vast territory stretching from the Sea of ​​Japan to the Mediterranean, or to delay its collapse as much as possible, leaving a sufficient legacy for Han civilization to transcend the constraints of the times, he needed to establish an efficient and enduring network of connections independent of his personal involvement. And the ocean was the ideal medium for this network.

"Land power has its limits, but sea power is boundless."

Lu Bu and the others pondered Su Yao's words and fell into deep thought.

Frankly speaking, while the generals from inland areas were deeply moved, they might not have fully grasped the profound meaning behind it. They were already accustomed to galloping freely on horseback, and their understanding of the vast ocean was mostly limited to the benefits of fishing and salt production and the dangers of its waves.

However, they were extremely supportive of Su Yao's ambitions, and soon after Su Yao left, they launched a large-scale military operation to relentlessly pursue and attack the severely damaged Baicheng Dynasty.

Having lost 80,000 elite troops, the Baicheng Dynasty was already teetering on the brink of collapse under the fierce pursuit of Han generals such as Lü Bu and Zhang He.

The death of Commander Swaraj and the annihilation of his main forces not only destroyed his military strength but also plunged him into unprecedented chaos. Seeing that all was lost, local princes and chieftains either surrendered or established their own independent kingdoms, and the once mighty kingdom that dominated the Deccan Plateau disintegrated in an instant.

Lü Bu personally led his iron cavalry from Guanzhong, galloping south along the Ganges Plain. Cities and towns he passed through were often pacified with a single proclamation. Any stubborn resistance was quickly crushed by the fierce attacks of the Han army's elite forces and the bombardment of their "thunderous cannons."

King Baicheng had no choice but to submit a memorial of surrender, sealing his pure gold crown, a symbol of royal power, and his jewel-encrusted scepter in a sandalwood box and sending them to the Han camp, bowing his head in submission.

In response, Lü Bu followed Su Yao's orders and did not press further by leading his army deep into the Deccan Plateau. Instead, he temporarily halted the military advance and shifted his focus to "pacification instead of suppression." As the first Protector-General of India, he took charge of Huashi City and began to digest this vast and prosperous new territory.

When the Baicheng Dynasty collapsed, Su Yao had already returned to Luoyang.

The grand triumphant celebrations have come to an end, and the empire's central command is once again operating at high speed.

His return this time was certainly not merely to flaunt his martial prowess, but to establish a new order befitting the vast territory. In the Hall of State Affairs, Su Yao and the other ministers held a late-night discussion, and under his strong impetus, a maritime strategy ahead of its time was systematically put into practice:

Firstly, it established a new "two capitals and five cities" system and a complete set of "maritime post stations" to support the Maritime Silk Road.

Undoubtedly, for the current territory, relying solely on Luoyang as a political center is insufficient to effectively radiate influence throughout the entire empire.

Therefore, Su Yao officially issued an edict establishing Luoyang as the Eastern Capital and Byzantium (renamed New Chang'an) as the Western Capital. At the same time, he designated five core capital cities to form the "ruling framework" of the empire together with the two capitals.

In the East, Su Yao ordered the construction of buildings in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to connect the Central Plains and extend to the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago.

In the south, Guangzhou (Panyu) was also elevated to a city directly under the imperial government, becoming the outpost for the empire's expansion into Southeast Asia.

In India, Pataliputra was established as the southern capital, governing the Indian peninsula and the Indian Ocean coast, and overseeing the supply of provisions and shipbuilding for the South Seas navy; in Africa, Alexandria was established as the western capital, controlling the shipping hub of the Mediterranean and Red Seas, connecting the North African garrison with the Western navy; in Central Asia, Ctesiphon (the former capital of Parthia) was established as the capital, guarding the Persian Gulf and Central Asian trade routes, and pacifying the former Parthian and Kushan forces.

Thus, Jianye, Guangzhou, Huashi City, Alexander, and Ctesiphon, the five capitals, served as regional economic, military, commercial, and administrative hubs. Together with the two capitals in the east and west, they formed a vast network, like the seven pillars of the empire supporting the expansive territory spanning thousands of miles from east to west.

Between these cities, dozens of important "sea stations" (such as Keelung in Taiwan, Manila in Luzon, Malacca in Southeast Asia, Ceylon in India, Hormuz in Persia, and Cyprus in Europe) were established, equipped with ports, warehouses, shipyards, and garrisons to provide supplies, repairs, and protection for official and merchant ships.

Secondly, the nation should be founded on science and education.

As a transmigrator, Su Yao understood very well that productivity was the foundation of everything, and the economic base determined the superstructure. Military conquest and administrative networks alone could not sustain this vast empire in the long run. It was essential to fundamentally improve the productivity and technological level of the entire society to support intercontinental rule.

Therefore, Su Yao overruled the objections of many and merged the Imperial Academy in the capital with the previously established Luoyang Institute of Technology, naming it "Imperial University" and personally serving as its honorary president. In addition to the traditional classics, history and literature, more than ten colleges were established, including engineering, commerce, physics, navigation, mathematics, agriculture, medicine and law, to recruit talents from all over the country, regardless of social status, and to select only those with talent.

At the same time, primary and secondary schools were established in the capitals of various governorates and important port cities. While teaching Chinese and certain knowledge, they also recruited the world's best talents and sent them to Luoyang.

Among these, Su Yao particularly valued the two academies of navigation and physics. He entrusted the university with the collection of books, charts, and technical data (such as Greek fire, screw press, Indian numerals, and Arabic triangular sails) from Rome, Parthia, India, and even more distant countries collected during the westward expedition. He also offered high rewards to encourage innovation in fields such as shipbuilding, navigation, surveying, clockmaking, and gunpowder.

Thirdly, in the economic sphere, Su Yao vigorously promoted the "gold and silver standard" and the policy of using the Great Han Treasure Note, which was anchored to the gold standard, and the state-run maritime trade.

Whether it was Su Yao or the officials in the court, they all knew very well that in order to maintain the vast empire, money was always the most important thing, and for this reason, a unified and stable financial system had to be established.

During the great conquest, Su Yao amassed countless gold and silver treasures for the Han Dynasty. Not content with these meager reserves, and considering the rich experience gained from the effective operation of the "Chinese Money Bank," Su Yao decided to take it a step further. He transformed the "Chinese Money Bank" into the "Imperial Bank," expanding its network and implementing paper currency throughout the conquered territories.
(End of this chapter)