The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Chapter 1058 Expanding Territory

Kuang Ye looked south with a sorrowful expression, while his deputy general led his soldiers running up excitedly and asked, "General, shall we continue north?"

Kuang Ye glanced at them and asked, "Have the east and west routes stopped?"

"We stopped. They said it's almost Chinese New Year and they need to wait for supplies. If we continue forward, the supplies might not keep up."

Kuang Ye said expressionlessly, "They've finally remembered about the supplies?"

The lieutenant chuckled and continued, "General, we've already requisitioned some supplies locally. Shall we continue forward?"

“No!” Kuang Ye pointed to the vast grassland to the south and asked, “What’s the point of going further north? How to manage this vast grassland is a problem.”

The deputy general frowned and said, "If we establish prefectures and counties, can't we govern them the same way we govern the Central Plains?"

“No,” Kuang Ye said. “This place is different from the Central Plains. The herders on the grasslands have their own way of life and their own wisdom in management. Suddenly imposing the Central Plains etiquette on them would be an extreme pain for them, and under such pain, rebellion is likely to arise. There is no foolproof way. Rashly ceding this land as territory will leave behind endless troubles.”

The lieutenant glared: "Is it wrong for us to expand our territory?"

Kuang Ye glanced at him and said, "A useful territory is a benefit. Before the court figures out how to govern this region, it is a powder keg."

The deputy general was a military officer. He didn't understand Kuang Ye's concerns. He felt that once the territory was conquered, troops should be sent to guard it.

"By establishing garrisons and expanding military farms, and by spreading our Ming soldiers across the grasslands, what can't we govern?"

"How much of this vast grassland is suitable for cultivation?" Kuang Ye said, "The people here have made a living by herding for generations. When they are short of money, they go south to forage for grass and grain. They are unruly and establish garrisons in this way. When the army retreats, the soldiers left behind become their targets."

Kuang Ye said in a deep voice, "Expanding territory is not something to boast about. The real glory lies in defending it and making it truly the territory of the Ming Dynasty."

The lieutenant remained silent.

In the capital, the imperial court was also discussing this matter.

Yu Qian drew a winding line on the map that encompassed most of the Oirat territory.

He said, "Your Majesty, stop the army and inform the Oirat that peace talks are possible."

Zhu Qiyu was also very satisfied, feeling that even if he died now, he could face his ancestors in the afterlife.

Cao Nai glanced at the emperor, as if knowing what he was thinking, and said, "Your Majesty, only the land that can be defended is true territory."

So, what should be done with this newly conquered land?
The court officials discussed the matter for an hour, and everyone came up with many ideas. After the emperor waited for them to finish their brainstorming and gather enough solutions, he adjourned the grand court assembly and then summoned the cabinet and several important civil and military officials to hold a smaller court assembly.

It was actually a small meeting of less than twenty people to discuss and finalize the methods collected today.

The Ming Dynasty's policy towards ethnic minorities was primarily based on autonomy, with the imperial court providing auxiliary governance.

In places like Guangxi and Yunnan, the autonomous system was based on tribes and chieftains, and the imperial court's policies for governing these tributary states followed the same principle. The situation on the grasslands was similar to that of Guangxi and Yunnan, but with a slight difference: they were sparsely populated and had a pastoral mindset, making them more difficult to control.

However, abandoning this conquered territory was something that not only the emperor was unwilling to do, but also a group of civil officials, including Cao Nai and Chen Xun, who had foreseen the difficulties of governing it.

Yu Qian insisted on designating this territory as a tributary state and re-inserted boundary markers along the borders.

He said, “Esen was cruel and tyrannical. He not only betrayed our Great Ming Dynasty, but also the grassland herders. In order to fight against the court, he swept the grasslands and killed many herders. His execution was due to the herders’ denunciation.”

The emperor's heart skipped a beat; "What does Minister Yu mean?"

"This disaster is Esen's fault. Your Majesty can issue an edict to appease the various tribes of the grasslands and forgive past transgressions. The Oirat Mongols were originally vassals of our Great Ming Dynasty. Now, we will merely establish a tributary state in this territory to prevent the rebellion of Esen from happening again. At that time, the court will send officials to govern, station troops, cultivate farmland, send animal veterinarians to help the various tribes of the grasslands herd cattle and sheep, and establish mobile schools on the grasslands to teach them to recognize Chinese characters and Mongolian script, enlighten their minds and cultivate their manners, so that the war between the grasslands and the Central Plains can be eliminated and peace can be forever established."

Everyone stared blankly at Yu Qian. The emperor, regaining his composure, said, "Your suggestion is excellent, but..."

He said somewhat uncertainly, "But the territory we've conquered is too large, sparsely populated. What if the various Oirat tribes rebel after the army retreats?"

Cao Nai: "Your Majesty, since the Oirat are willing to surrender, let them send Esen's head here. Order the leaders of all the major tribes to come to the capital to accept the surrender and meet with you. Then, based on their petitions, grant them official positions. The newly established government offices in the tributary states can be governed by two levels: the tribal leaders govern their respective tribes, and the officials govern the tribal leaders."

Everyone agreed that the method was feasible and nodded in approval, refining it in a few details.

Xue Shao, who had been silent all along, said, "That's not enough."

Everyone looked at him.

Xue Shao said, "If we only use political and military means to restrain the newly established tributary states, the Oirat tribes will not be able to tolerate it for long. Esen is still an Oirat and was once the Grand Tutor. It is only because he is not from the Golden Family that the tribes are not convinced. Even if the Great Ming Dynasty is renowned and Your Majesty is powerful, how many years can we suppress them?"

Hu Ying, Minister of Rites, said: "Winning over the hearts of the people lies in education, so mobile community schools are of utmost importance."

Chen Xun: "But education is not something that can be accomplished in a day. The grassland herders live by the water and migrate with the water and grass every year. How many years will it take to educate them? In my opinion, it would be better to open up the market and set up trade markets in various parts of the grassland, so that the grassland's cattle, sheep, horses, animal hides, medicinal herbs, gems, etc. can be traded with the Central Plains' grain, cloth, tea and porcelain. If the grassland economy depends on the Central Plains, then we can counter it."

“No!” Yu Qian said in a deep voice, “The border trade can be opened, but the market cannot be opened up. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be like using the Central Plains’ resources to nourish the grasslands? Once the various tribes of the grasslands become too powerful, the so-called economic countermeasures will be a joke. With their brains, they won’t weigh the pros and cons. They will just ride their horses, brandish their whips, and drag all the visible treasures back to their lair.”

Chen Xun: "Plunder can only bring temporary gains. Only through cooperation can we create more and become increasingly wealthy. They are not that foolish..."

Yu Qian sneered: "Won't they? If they weren't stupid, why would they invade the border? Minister Chen, if everyone in the world were wise, there would be no strife in the world."

Hu Ying: "That is not true. The conflicts in the world do not arise from stupidity, but from greed. How could Esen not know that going to the border at this time would result in a greater chance of losing? He just wanted to use the Ming Dynasty to transfer the pressure on the various tribes of the grasslands. It was driven by greed. So what Grand Secretary Yu said is wrong, but his idea is right. We can trade with the Oirat-controlled areas, but we cannot let them go and nurture them. We must be vigilant."

Xue Shao said, "If what they gain is less than what they can steal from the border, how long can they endure it?"

Yu Qian admired Xue Shao's talent and character, so he humbly asked, "What is your opinion?"

(End of this chapter)