The Bad Guys: Everyone, let’s revive the Tang Dynasty together!

Chapter 545 Four Seas
In early July, the emperor, accompanied by his officials, traveled in a small entourage to inspect Jurong and Qu'a counties in Nanjing.

Seeing that the equal-field system was being implemented smoothly in the newly annexed lands, with fields in good order and the people's livelihoods initially stabilized, the emperor was very pleased and issued an edict to designate Jinling as Nanjing Jiangning Prefecture, which would govern all the prefectures in Jiangnan. He also began to dredge the Grand Canal to connect the north and south water transport routes.

The decision to designate Jinling as Nanjing was entirely expected by the officials and was not unexpected. The people of Jinling, however, were initially excited upon hearing the edict, which only brought them greater peace of mind. As for the generals and officials in Jiangnan, their feelings were mixed, each harboring their own thoughts.

However, after the emperor settled in Nanjing, he did not go north to Yangzhou to experience the splendor of the famous city of Huaizuo as everyone expected. Instead, he quietly went south with his officials and concubines in a simple procession, and then went to Hangzhou.

Meanwhile, Han Yanhui remained in Bianjing to manage affairs in the north, while Li Ting continued to garrison Taiyuan. After the emperor ordered Yu Zhong to return to the capital to guard the capital, he also summoned Feng Dao, Jing Xiang, Zhang Wenwei, Yang She, Du Wenwei, Zhou Xiang, Zhang Ge, and even Zhao Siwen, Han Zhigu, and Xiao Dilu, the brother of Shuliduo, who were on their first trip south from the northern desert, to gather in Hangzhou.

After these people arrived in Hangzhou one after another, they were immediately summoned by the emperor to a meeting with Guo Chongtao, Li Cunli and other officials of the imperial court who had been there earlier, as well as Qian Liu and other advisors from Jiangnan.

This is because, apart from the Fujian region which is still stubbornly resisting, the unification of the country is imminent. However, the nine provinces have been in turmoil for decades. Under the old system of prefectures and circuits, the power of the regional military governors was too great, making it difficult for central government orders to be implemented and allowing local powers to become too powerful to control. If this problem is not eliminated, even if there is unification today, it will be difficult to guarantee peace tomorrow.

Therefore, the emperor decided to overthrow the old system of prefectures and counties, which had been inherited from the Sui dynasty, and even the local system of using "dao" (circuits) as supervisory areas, and to redefine the structure of the country.

If this was unexpected, it was actually within expectations.

Before ascending the throne, whether he was the King of Qin implementing new policies or after ascending the throne establishing the so-called North and South Pacification Offices in all directions of the world, abolishing the military governorships, and centralizing financial power, all of these were ways to concentrate power in the central government. So what is so strange about his plan to strengthen his personal rule through such reforms before unifying the world?
Or rather, no one would find it strange at all; on the contrary, most people would be secretly excited.

After all, with a powerful ruler like Xiao Yan, the former status of regional military governors was long gone. Now that the emperor wanted to overthrow the old system and reorganize the landscape, would the high-ranking local officials be chosen from among those present?

Thus, for several days in Hangzhou, the debate among the officials in private reached its climax regarding how to thoroughly integrate the vast territory and how to build a stable local system that could prevent the scourge of regional warlords.

Opinions clashed fiercely, with each side citing classical texts and weighing the pros and cons. Everyone felt that their own strategy was the most prudent, and no one was willing to yield.

However, just as everyone was eagerly anticipating a grand court debate, and even after rumors circulated that the emperor had privately summoned some ministers for a dialogue, things took an unexpected turn. A few days later, the emperor convened only a small court assembly before directly issuing the "Memorial on Establishing Provincial Administrations," thus finalizing the decision.

According to the "Memorial on Establishing Provincial Administrations," Kaifeng, the capital of the Eastern Capital, remained the political center, which was beyond doubt. Furthermore, in addition to Nanjing (Nanjing) being designated as Jiangning Prefecture, Dading Prefecture in the northern desert was also designated as Beijing (BJ) to deter the steppes; Luoyang, the capital of Henan, was designated as the western capital to control the Central Plains. This created a system of three secondary capitals protecting the capital.

Furthermore, assuming that Fujian had been pacified, the country was divided into eighteen provinces in the Central Plains and four provinces in the grasslands.

The so-called eighteen provinces of the Central Plains, specifically, were: Liaoxi and Liaodong as Pinglu Province, with Youzhou as its capital; and the former Hebei Circuit, which was divided into Zhao territory south of Youzhou as Hebei Province, with Yingzhou as its capital, and Yingzhou was upgraded to Hejian Prefecture, in order to divide the heartland of the three towns of Hebei and leave it without natural defenses.

The former Hedong region was incorporated into Shanxi Province, with its capital at Taiyuan. However, the strategically important areas of Zezhou and Luzhou, part of the Shangdang region, were assigned to Henan Province. This effectively seized the "backbone of Hedong," preventing the natural barrier of Taihang from being exclusively enjoyed by Shanxi.

Henan Province, which included Luoyang, was directly under the jurisdiction of Bianjing. Now, with the Shangdang Highlands included, it could overlook Shanxi and Hebei. The former Zibo, Qingzhou, Yanzhou, Haizhou, and Tianping, which comprised the entire Shandong Peninsula and the central and western parts of Shandong, were combined into Shandong Province, with its capital in Qingzhou.

The Guanzhong region established the Shaanxi Province, with its capital at Chang'an. However, instead of including Hanzhong as planned, it incorporated Hanzhong and the entire Jingxiang region into the newly established Hubei Province, with its capital at Xiangyang, thus creating a check and balance between Hubei, Sichuan, and Guanzhong.

Of course, some officials raised objections, arguing that Hanzhong has always been a bulwark of Guanzhong and a vital passage to Sichuan, historically inseparable from Guanzhong. They questioned whether forcibly transferring it to Hubei would cause Guanzhong to lose its southern flank, potentially leading to unrest in the long run.

Feng Dao, who was in charge of issuing edicts on behalf of the emperor, explained it this way, saying that the reason for this pattern was the four words "interlocking like teeth," which made Guanzhong, Shuzhong, and Hubei interdependent and mutually restraining.

From then on, if Sichuan wanted to use the old Chencang road to conquer the Central Plains, it needed the approval of Hubei; if Guanzhong wanted to follow the Han River down to Jingzhou and Xiangyang, it also needed to pass through Hubei. In this way, no single place could independently form a separatist regime, and the central government could command with ease.

In other words, from now on, the old sayings "whoever controls Guanzhong controls the world" and "whoever controls Shu can become king" will probably become history.

Therefore, the ministers had no further objections and all said that this change was a brilliant move by the emperor after careful consideration, a masterpiece in curbing the growing power of local areas.

In addition, the Longyou Province was established west of the Longshan Mountains and east of the Hexi Corridor, including parts of the former Fengxiang and Jingyuan areas, with its capital at Fengxiang, in order to control the eastern section of the Hexi Corridor and sever the direct connection between Guanzhong and the Northwest.

The Sichuan Province was re-established, still governed from Chengdu, but the two prefectures of Yuzhou and Kuizhou were separated and merged with Qianzhong and other areas to form the Guizhou Province, governed from Yuzhou. Thus, Sichuan first lost Hanzhong, then Yuzhou (Chongqing) and Kuizhou (Fengjie), losing all its strategic outposts and becoming completely exposed to the surrounding provinces. Despite its rich resources, Sichuan had become a battleground with no defensible terrain.

As for the prosperous southeastern region, it was divided into six provinces: Hunan, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong, with their capitals in Changsha, Hongzhou (Nanchang), Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Fuzhou, and Panyu, respectively. In other words, it forcibly broke the integrity of the Jiangnan region, separating the economic center (Hangzhou) from the political symbol (Nanjing), and creating geographical and cultural differences within the region, making it difficult to form a cohesive force.

Subsequently, Yunnan and Guangxi provinces were established in Raojiang and Lingxi respectively, with their capitals located in Kunzhou and Guizhou, respectively, in the southwestern border regions.

As for the vast grasslands, four provinces were established at the same time: Southern Mongolia, Northern Mongolia, Northern Lingnan, and Northern Liaodong. The "banner-alliance system" was strongly promoted, the tribes were broken up, and "banners" were set up as the basic units. The banner chiefs were appointed by the court and could not be inherited. The "alliance" was either selected from among the banner chiefs or appointed by dispatched officials. The alliance chiefs only had the right to supervise and coordinate, and had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of each banner.

At the same time, taxation was reformed, abolishing the previously irregular tribute system and the so-called poll tax, and establishing fixed tax systems such as "livestock tax" and "grazing land tax." All large-scale border trade was state-run and limited to designated markets in specific cities. Essential goods for the grasslands, such as tea, salt, iron, and cloth, had to be traded through state-run markets.

In other words, after the implementation of state-run border markets, whoever obeyed on the grasslands would be able to obtain sufficient supplies; conversely, the imperial court could immediately impose an economic blockade, strangling them and causing them to collapse without a fight.

However, the imperial court also encouraged and funded the establishment of permanent settlements in the winter camps of various banners to develop handicrafts such as wool spinning and leather making, in order to gradually change the purely nomadic way of life.

As for the policies that required the sons of the banner chiefs to be sent to the Imperial Academy in Bianjing or the Tibetan School in Dading Prefecture, as well as the religious guidance and encouragement of intermarriage, there is no need to elaborate further.

After the provinces were divided, within each province, the Provincial Administration Commission was established for administration, the Military Command Commission for military affairs, the Transport Commission for finance, and the Provincial Surveillance Commission for supervision. These four powers were separate and independent of each other.

The Provincial Administration Commission is in charge of civil administration, land, and education, but it may not mobilize any troops, and it must request assistance from local garrisons for security. It may not handle major taxes, and its funding is allocated by the central government. Furthermore, it may not interfere with the final judicial proceedings.

The Regional Military Commission managed the local garrison troops and was responsible for defense and security. However, the field troops were directly commanded by the Privy Council, stationed across provinces, and the army's food and pay were supplied by the Transport Commissioner's system. The Regional Military Commissioner had no right to raise funds on his own, and local senior generals also needed to be rotated regularly. This is what is meant by "troops originating from the central government."

The Transport Commissioner's Office, directly under the Ministry of Revenue, was vertically managed and responsible for the collection, storage, and transport of all taxes. Local taxes were directly deposited into the treasury, and apart from the fixed local budget, all were remitted to the central government or allocated as needed. This was known as 'central government control over finances'.

In addition to these three offices, there was a separate Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office, subordinate to the Censorate, which was assisted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard in investigating criminal cases, impeaching officials, and supervising the implementation of government orders. It possessed the power to submit direct memorials to the emperor and could bypass the Provincial Treasurer to impeach any official.

Both the Transport Commissioner's Office and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office were centrally administered departments, directly responsible to the central government. With the assistance of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they were the most crucial departments for checking and balancing local administrative and military power.

Finally, the county magistrates under the prefecture were also selected and assessed by the central government. They combined administration, preliminary judicial review, and education into one, so that the imperial power would reach the grassroots level. They were true "disciples of the emperor" and "officials close to the people." However, they also had to deal with the requirements of three systems at the same time, namely, the government did not manage the military, the military did not manage finances, and finances did not govern the government.

Below the county level, the Baojia system was implemented, with households as the unit. Ten households formed a Jia, and ten Jia formed a Bao, who supervised each other and were responsible for public security and household registration management.

Township offices were established as branches of the county government, managed by the county magistrate or the registrar, and staffed with corresponding clerks. They were responsible for directly handling tax collection, small-scale disputes, and the transmission of government affairs. They could also appropriately rely on respected retired officials or scholars to serve as "village elders" to assist in education. However, the power of administration was still in the hands of the clerks and was subject to the supervision of the township offices.

After the imperial edict was issued, while the officials were still carefully considering the intricate and comprehensive system designed to govern the twenty-two provinces, pondering which twenty-two officials would be in charge, the emperor, under the pretext of inspecting Wu and Yue and examining local affairs, entrusted all important matters to Jing Xiang and Feng Dao for joint handling. He then quietly left Hangzhou once again, his whereabouts unknown.

------

As summer intensifies, the city of Fuzhou is already unbearably hot and humid.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty, fishy smell, swept through the courtyards and corridors of the mansion. Yan Keqiu walked across the corridor, paused briefly outside the inner room door, and asked a few questions in a low voice to the servants waiting outside. After confirming that Xu Wen was temporarily out of danger and his mind was clear, he breathed a sigh of relief, straightened his clothes, and gently pushed open the door to enter.

Upon entering the inner room, one sees Xu Wen leaning against the couch, covered with a thin blanket. His cheeks are deeply sunken, his gray hair is somewhat disheveled, and his once bright and piercing eyes now appear cloudy and lifeless.

In just a few months, Xu Wen had already endured a series of crushing defeats, which he had never mentioned before. After his defeat at Poyang, he even went to Wuyi Mountain to reflect on his past, saying that he would surely make a comeback to report to the officials of Jiangnan and to the people of Jiangnan. However, the pain of losing his son, the downfall of his family, and other blows overwhelmed him instantly. After traveling from Wuyi Mountain through Jianyang and Jian'an to Fuzhou, he fell seriously ill.

Yan Keqiu stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "My lord."

Xu Wen slightly raised his eyes, pushed away the maid who was feeding him medicine, and said, "You've finally come... Sit down. What new developments are there in the north?"

Yan Keqiu was about to take the medicine bowl from the maid and feed it to Xu Wen, but seeing Xu Wen wave his hand, he sat down on the stool beside the couch, pondered for a moment, and then said, "It is indeed true. News has come from Jinling that Xiao Yan has issued a 'Memorial on Establishing Provinces,' deciding to abolish prefectures and circuits and establish provinces. The country will be divided into twenty-two provinces, eighteen in the Central Plains and four in the grasslands. And so on..."

He briefly described the provincial divisions, the separation of the four departments, and the interlocking structure.

Xu Wen listened silently. When Yan Keqiu finished speaking, a complex and enigmatic expression appeared on his face, a mixture of mockery and sighing: "Ha… Xiao Yan hasn't even fully conquered Fujian yet, and he's already eager to redraw the entire map of the world. This… arrogance, truly the air of an emperor." He shook his head, as if he couldn't even muster the energy to comment, and waved his hand listlessly, "Forget it, let him draw his pie in the sky. We're already like ghosts at the bottom of a cauldron, we can't worry about things that far ahead. Tell me, is there… any other news?"

Seeing that Xu Wen was in poor spirits, Yan Keqiu hesitated for a moment, but finally told him about Yuan Tiangang's self-immolation in the Jinling Palace, bearing all the blame for causing chaos and dividing the country; and how Li Xingyun and the fake Li were found to be of Emperor Zhaozong's bloodline and were recorded in the Imperial Clan Court's register, and their past crimes were temporarily waived...

Xu Wen was truly indifferent to what had happened before, or rather, he had become numb to it. Only when he heard that Li Xingyun and the fake Li were recognized as members of the imperial clan and were not pursued did he suddenly pause, and then let out a hoarse, intermittent laugh.

"Ha...cough cough...hahaha..."

The laughter aggravated Xu Wen's cough, causing him to cough violently. Yan Keqiu quickly stepped forward to pat his back, and a maid hurriedly brought him warm water. It took Xu Wen quite a while to catch his breath.

"What a magnificent... Li Tang Dynasty!"

Xu Wen gritted his teeth and said, "Yuan Tiangang is truly a loyal dog! After three hundred years of scheming, he used the final fire to take all the blame for everything, leaving his Li family descendants clean! Those two good-for-nothings, just because they have Li family blood in their veins, can suddenly become princes of the imperial family?! And what about us? All our struggles, plots, and battles... what are we in the end? Are we just clowns in this grand drama of the Li family's empire?!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, and suddenly a surge of blood rushed to his head. He turned his head and "whoosh!" a mouthful of blood splattered onto the footstool in front of the bed.

Yan Keqiu was shocked and rushed forward to support his swaying body.

"My lord, please don't get angry anymore! We need to consider things carefully. Taking care of your health is the most important thing! As long as we're alive, we can always make a comeback. Although the situation is difficult right now, there may still be a chance to turn things around..."

Xu Wen waved his hand to interrupt him, and after catching his breath for a while, he said, "I'm fine... I won't die..." He closed his eyes to catch his breath before opening them again, "Tell me, what other news is there? Is there any definite news from Yangzhou?"

Yan Keqiu remained silent for a moment, knowing that the matter could no longer be concealed, and said in a low voice: "After confirming through various sources, we have found out that... Young Master Zhigao did indeed take some of the treasury and... his two young masters, as well as Luo Zhixiang, some officers and servants' families, and sailed north to the East China Sea. Based on the analysis of scattered intelligence, it is most likely that they went to Japan."

To Yan Keqiu's surprise, Xu Wen sighed deeply upon hearing the news, murmuring, "It's good that he's gone...it's good that he's gone. You can't put all your eggs in one basket. Zhigao doesn't owe me anything. He did his best to take your family and my roots with him."

As he spoke, Xu Wen turned to look at Yan Keqiu, grasped his hand, and said, “Keqiu, I am old. My children are scattered, and my foundation is gone. In the future, if Heaven opens its eyes and can truly help us break through the storms and find a foothold overseas, everything there will depend on you.”

As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly and continued, "A true man roams the world, why should he worry about not having a wife or children? As long as the foundation remains and the flame is not extinguished, why should he worry about the family not continuing or the incense not being rekindled?"

Yan Keqiu's heart trembled, and he bowed deeply: "I can never repay the kindness of my lord, even if I die ten thousand times. I will do everything in my power to protect my lord and make a comeback."

Xu Wen closed his eyes, seemingly gathering some strength, before opening them again and asking, "Is there still no movement from Wang Shenzhi's side?"

Yan Keqiu's expression darkened upon hearing the name Wang Shenzhi:

"The King of Min's attitude remains ambiguous. We have urged him several times to prepare the necessary supplies for the ships and set sail as soon as possible, but he has repeatedly delayed, citing his reluctance to abandon his bases in Quanzhou and Fuzhou. According to our people who have been placed around him, he seems to have been in secret contact with envoys from the north recently. I think the King of Min is probably... waiting for a better price to sell."

He paused, then said, "Regardless of whether the King of Min is sincere or not, without his fleet and manpower, even if we have all kinds of wealth and manage to go to sea by chance, we will be no different from rootless duckweed on the vast ocean, and it will be difficult for us to gain a foothold."

Xu Wen listened quietly, his face showing no surprise whatsoever. He slowly sat up straight, and his eyes, which had just seemed cloudy and lifeless, suddenly became inexplicably sharp.

"Wang Shenzhi wants to have his cake and eat it too, clean himself up, sell us out as a stepping stone to advancement... Ha, what a pipe dream he's having."

"Then, in my lord's opinion..."

Xu Wen propped himself up on his elbow, beckoned Yan Keqiu closer, stared intently at him, and lowered his voice: "Send a group of assassins to Quanzhou."

Yan Keqiu's pupils contracted slightly, and he had already roughly understood Xu Wen's intention: "My lord means..."

"Set it on fire and burn down Quanzhou Port."

Xu Wen took a breath and continued, "Xiao Yan has great ambitions. Even I know that the overseas world is vast, so how could he not know? Quanzhou is the eye of our overseas expansion. Once this fire starts, we'll burn as many docks, warehouses, and piers as possible! I want to see if Xiao Yan will feel the pain or be furious!"

"At that time, Wang Shenzhi, as the ruler of Fujian, has been incompetent in defending the territory, causing such an important port to be destroyed. Does he still expect to surrender cleanly? Will Xiao Yan tolerate him? Besides being devoted to us and fighting for survival, what other path can he take?"

Yan Keqiu gasped.

This plan is extremely vicious! Burning Quanzhou not only cuts off Wang Shenzhi's retreat, but also eliminates Xu Wen's hope of obtaining more supplies and allies in Fujian. Furthermore, it will thoroughly enrage the Northern Dynasty, leaving no room for maneuver.

However, given the current situation, Wang Shenzhi's indecisiveness is indeed the biggest hidden danger. If we don't stop his thoughts, there's a risk of internal strife even before we set sail.

Yan Keqiu remained silent for a long time before finally raising his head and saying in a deep voice, "What you say is absolutely right, my lord. Only in this way can we force the King of Min to submit and also eliminate any thought of turning back on us. I will go and make the arrangements now."

Seeing that he had agreed, Xu Wen seemed to have exhausted his last bit of strength, slumped back onto the couch, and stared at the gloomy sky outside the window, muttering to himself, "It's not that I'm heartless, but on land... there's no place left for us to stand..."

Yan Keqiu stood silently to one side.

------

Quanzhou.

Two young men led their horses through the city gate.

Both men were of average appearance, but the one in front had a slightly more stern face, with a scar running diagonally from his left eyebrow to his temple, making him look somewhat fierce. The young man half a step behind looked much more amiable, carrying a wide, long sword box wrapped in coarse cloth on his horse, looking quite imposing, though it was unclear whether it was just for show.

The port city was built by the sea and had a prosperous scene of "people from ten continents in the market" during the Wu Zhou period. Today, it should be a magnificent scene of thousands of sails competing for sails, but it looks quite strange.

The dock was lined with masts and numerous ships of all sizes, but upon closer inspection, most were dilapidated seagoing vessels, with few in good condition. Although most of the shops along the street were open, pedestrians hurried by, their expressions showing a mixture of wariness and anxiety. In front of the warehouses, laborers gathered in twos and threes, not so much waiting for work as observing the situation.

The Tang Dynasty encompassed the four seas, and among the entire country, only the King of Min was still putting up a stubborn resistance. Even though Quanzhou had not yet been affected by the war, no one knew when the Tang Dynasty's heavenly army would be at the city gates.

So, a month or two ago, half of the city's population had already fled by sea or north, leaving only a few people who had no other options. Now, they can no longer even leave the city.

The imposter, without glancing to the side, led the way, turning into a relatively quiet alley and stopping in front of an inconspicuous house. A man who had been waiting by the door quickly stepped forward, respectfully whispering a few words to the imposter, his gaze sweeping over Li Xingyun behind him with a hint of inquiry.

Li Xingyun watched the man leave, then turned to the fake Li and said, "These local thugs you've gathered along the way have certainly made it easy for you to gather information."

He patted the baggage on his horse, "However, if I hadn't dealt with those tough guys, your skills alone probably wouldn't have made them so easily subdued."

The fake Li seemed not to hear, and pushed open the courtyard gate to go inside. The courtyard was small, but clean.

Li Xingyun followed him in, tied up the horse, carefully took down the sword case and stood it against the wall. Looking at the fake Li, this scoundrel, he finally couldn't help but say in the dialect he had just learned on the way: "I won't ask you to thank me. I left Shangrao and Yong'an at the Celestial Master's Mansion and followed you to this Fujian region. Is this how you act all day? I ask myself, have I offended you again?"

Seeing that the fake Li still didn't respond, Li Xingyun rubbed his forehead and finally stopped worrying about it. He then asked, "Also, didn't we agree to go to Raojiang? Why did you change your route halfway and insist on coming to Quanzhou first?"

After carefully inspecting the house inside and out, the fake Li turned around and sat down on the stone bench in the courtyard. He glanced at the Longquan sword by the wall and said in a flat voice, "Fuzhou is Wang Shenzhi's stronghold, an impenetrable fortress. Quanzhou is different."

"In terms of wealth, this place is bustling with merchants, and its trade far surpasses that of Fuzhou; in terms of access to the sea, the port is convenient and the waterways are well-known, making it easier to replenish supplies and find ships. For people like Xu Wen and Wang Shenzhi who are eager to find a way out and intend to sail away, Quanzhou is far more attractive than Fuzhou."

He withdrew his gaze and glanced at Li Xingyun indifferently: "In Quanzhou, we might be able to catch an unexpected big fish."

(End of this chapter)