The Moon in the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 801 East Asia Planning (Part )

From south to north, they are Yingzhou County (the entire Kyushu Island and surrounding small islands, such as Iki, Tsushima, and the Ryukyu Islands), Fuso County (the western part of Honshu Island and Shikoku Island), Torai County (the eastern part of Honshu Island, Kanto and Tohoku regions), and Xuantu County (Hokkaido Island and surrounding islands, which was called the "Land of the North Sea" by Daqin at that time).

The Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Archipelago are each divided into two kingdoms, the North and the South.

Even if they are biological sons, checks and balances are necessary, and they can help each other to some extent.

At present, Ying Zheng is preparing to divide the royal titles into three levels, namely, Prince, Duke, and County Prince.

Princes are usually given independent fiefdoms, which are the hardest at the beginning. They are usually sent to wild places far away from the Central Plains, with harsh environments and in urgent need of development, such as the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese Archipelago overseas.

But on the other hand, in order to encourage them to expand their territory, Ying Zheng also delegated all power within the fiefdom to them, including military affairs, personnel appointments and dismissals, financial tax collection and use, and laws, granting them great autonomy.

Ying Zheng did not have many requirements for the fiefdom, the core was the unification of culture and system.

As long as the vassal states implemented the empire's laws and systems (as long as they were roughly the same), spoke the same language, used the same writing, and had the same regulations on all kinds of utensils as those in the Central Plains.

To ensure cultural cohesion, all other powers were given to the princes, allowing them to freely engage in construction.

They were allowed to establish their own independent administrative system, and the palaces and officials of the kingdom were allowed to have the same system as the capital. Except that their titles were slightly lower than those of the central officials, all other systems were almost completely copied from the central system, giving them sufficient dignity and power.

As for the responsibility requirements for the vassal kings themselves, they are relatively relaxed but must be observed.

They were required to participate in imperial sacrifices, observe the patriarchal system, obey their direct descendants, respect the emperor, obey the central government's orders (limited to decisions on the general direction of the empire), and pay homage and report on their duties on schedule (unless there are special circumstances, they do not have to go in person but can send representatives).

They paid symbolic tribute (in the early days, in order to help the construction of the feudal state, the resources given back by the central government were often more than tribute), provided a small amount of labor when needed (basically not used), and the most important responsibility was to protect the royal family and follow the expedition (symbolic troops).

In order to motivate the princes to the maximum and ensure that they devote themselves sincerely to the construction and expansion of their fiefdoms, a system of hereditary succession and uninterrupted title reduction was temporarily implemented so that their descendants could enjoy this glory and wealth.

As for whether to implement the Han Dynasty-like policy of extending favors and gradually weakening the power of the vassal kings, that is the business of future generations, and they will decide based on the situation at the time.

In this way, within three generations, these royal bloodlines and their fiefs would be enough to completely absorb the newly acquired territories and firmly integrate them into the imperial system.

In any case, the meat has ended up rotting in our own pot.

As for the princes, they did not have independent fiefdoms. Basically, they were granted a county. Or, it could be said that they were not fiefdoms at all, but were simply the highest supervisory chief and emergency chief in the local area.

The places they went to were relatively wild and in urgent need of development, but usually in the vicinity of the Central Plains or in remote counties in the interior.

The power of a prince was much smaller. Although he held military and political power over a county, the taxation, finance, and personnel appointments were all managed and decided by the central government and were under strict control of the central government.

They have a certain degree of administrative autonomy, the right to impeach and supervise officials within their fiefdoms, and can recommend to the central government the appointment and removal of local officials, but they do not have the power to appoint and remove them directly.

It has the power to control local military forces and can control local troops, but it needs central authorization to mobilize troops or go into battle.

For the time being, the title will be hereditary and will not be reduced from generation to generation, giving them a stable status and benefits.

As for the county king, it is the lowest rank of kingship. It is basically used to settle sons whose mothers are of humble origin, have poor character, lack ability, or have committed minor mistakes.

They only enjoy salaries, without any actual fiefdoms or power. They are like parasites, and all that matters is just letting them live a life of wealth and luxury.

As for what they want to do, whether it is politics or business, they are up to it, but the level of their achievements depends solely on their own abilities, and the court will not provide any additional help.

Even if they were granted fiefdoms, they would only be one or several counties, and their power would not be great. They would mainly serve as emergency and supervisory functions. Their titles would generally decrease with each generation, gradually declining to marquis, earl, etc.

If the county kings who were idle and idle were not granted fiefdoms, the imperial court would not prohibit them from doing other things.

If one wants to be an official, he has to take the imperial examination. If he wants to do business, it depends on his ability. However, he cannot use his title of king, and he has to pay business taxes normally, the same as ordinary people.

The feudal system was inevitable, especially when the empire was just beginning and the territory was vast. In a situation where the land was vast and the population was sparse, the feudal system was objectively progressive.

The empire was too big. From the Central Plains to the border areas, the saying "the emperor is far away" was never an empty statement, and it was difficult for centralized power to reach every corner.

Now that Ying Zheng himself is strong, he can naturally control everything. Everything is new now, and the development of various places is healthy, vigorous and full of vitality.

But soon, within twenty years at most, the peaceful days will give rise to countless strange things, and the drawbacks of the bureaucratic system will become apparent.

The unified and centralized bureaucratic system has the natural instincts of "being eager for quick success and instant benefits", "reporting good news but not bad news", and "pursuing stability". They tend to maintain the status quo and cover up problems.

They often lack motivation and efficiency in the development and governance of remote frontiers.

Soon, those places far away from the capital will be essentially out of the central government's control, or become pure "negative assets", requiring constant transfusions from the central government but unable to generate any income.

The corruption of the bureaucratic system cannot be solved, and it is difficult for it to be self-purified. It all depends on the "strongman politics" of the supreme ruler.

In this context, in order to better absorb and reform these barbarians in the border areas, as well as gradually expand outward and incorporate more land into the territory of the empire, it is more reliable to rely on his son who has real power.

For the sake of his own wealth and inheritance for future generations, the son who holds real power will also work hard to build up the local area and regard it as his own territory. This is inevitable and is due to human nature.

The enthusiasm, initiative and level of commitment when doing things for others and when doing things for yourself are completely different.

Anyway, as long as the central dynasty is strong and can intimidate all directions, it doesn’t matter even if the local princes have some small thoughts, they can be completely controlled.

And if the central dynasty failed and fell into weakness or chaos, there would be even more chaos.

At that time, relying on the blood-related local princes scattered across the country, perhaps the situation could be stabilized and the bloodline and rule of the empire could be continued.

Ying Zheng still had a clear idea of ​​the importance and priority of these things.

It doesn't matter whether they are direct descendants or not. It's a joke. Your own children and grandchildren are your own children and grandchildren. What's the difference?

As long as I still have my own bloodline, it doesn’t matter.

No matter what, it is better to keep the fat water in the family and keep the meat in the family pot. It is easy to arrange the princes and county kings, but the most difficult one is the enfeoffment of the princes.

The places we go to are too difficult, and we must provide huge human, material and financial support in the early stages.

Material and financial resources are easy to talk about, the court has money.

But manpower can only be attracted by generous rewards and policies.

Otherwise, now that we live in a peaceful and prosperous era, social conflicts are alleviated, and there is not much pressure to survive, how many people are willing to give up their current comfortable life and go to a remote and risky place?

Even if there are knowledgeable people who are willing to risk everything to gain wealth for generations, how many people are willing to go?

As for the exiled prisoners, there were not enough of them and they were unreliable.

It also requires a large number of high-end talents to manage and build it. In this case, it can only rely on the strategy of "there will always be brave men under great rewards".

It would be too costly to attract talent with extremely high salaries and promises.

But this is the only way. When it comes to immigration, force won't work.

The only way was to adopt immigration policy support, provide more land, reduce taxes and exemptions, increase titles, conquer and distribute slaves, and other preferential policies, as well as provide resources in the hinterland of China to help them take root.

Thinking of this, Ying Zheng felt a headache again.

Finally, the most crucial question is: which sons should be given fiefs?

The act of enfeoffment seems to be a supremely good thing, but the prerequisite is that the enfeoffment is to be in a place that has already been developed and has people living in it. That is a good thing.

The current enfeoffment of land in a barren and desolate place is really not a good thing. The benefits will not be seen until at least two or three generations later. It is a typical hard job of planting trees for future generations to enjoy the shade.

Moreover, this is not only a hard job that requires long-term investment, but also an extremely dangerous thing.

There are too many unknowns and dangers in opening up wild lands. There are so many difficulties and obstacles that if you are not careful, people may die, or even all of them may die.

The environment in the wilderness is harsh and completely primitive, not suitable for human habitation at all. What's more, these places are not fertile lands.

The weather and environment are changeable and the climate is harsh, often accompanied by miasma and various deadly epidemics. There are also ferocious beasts and poisonous insects lurking in the jungle and wilderness that threaten life safety.

What is even more fatal is that material shortages are the norm. Whether it is tools used in production and life, or the most basic food and medicine, it is difficult to get adequate supplies.

The history of land reclamation has always been a history full of hardships, blood, tears and sacrifices.

A piece of pristine land, even if it is fertile land that looks suitable for farming, in order to cultivate it and turn it into good land that can be cultivated stably and feed a large population, it requires endless effort, sweat and even the cost of life.

This is not something that can be easily accomplished by just sitting in the capital, opening your mouth, and issuing a few decrees.

Even in more extreme cases, a sudden large-scale epidemic could lead to the annihilation of an entire immigration and reclamation team.

Compared with the prosperous, wealthy, comfortable and peaceful life in the capital, running to a remote and desolate wilderness, living a hard and simple life like a savage, and building from scratch is too cruel, especially for the princes who are used to a rich life.

In comparison, even being a county prince with no real power and only receiving a salary is better than being a prince with real power. At least your life safety is guaranteed.

After all, in the early stages of construction, even if you are a king, you still can't show off your power. Even if you are a king, everything is primitive and wild, and you don't have many people under you, so every laborer is precious.

If one wants to build his own fiefdom, he must do it himself, work hard, and work together with all the subjects who follow him, sharing weal and woe, in order to barely maintain it.

In addition, educating the indigenous people and integrating them into the Qin Dynasty is not an easy task.

We cannot kill them all. If we kill them all and rely solely on the natural development of immigrants from China, the population growth will be too slow, which is not conducive to the rapid development and rule of the fiefdom.

It sounds good to be the king of an overseas fiefdom, with glory and wealth, but if the early days are worse than being a stray dog ​​on the streets of the capital, then it is really a big question how many princes are willing to risk their lives to become the so-called "king".

After all, this is essentially a disguised form of exile, which means suffering and taking risks for the empire.

After all, this is actually exile and banishment.

It was even more miserable than being exiled to the relatively familiar places in the Western Regions where there were already cities.

Ying Zheng considered his sons who were now adults. Those who were too mediocre or incompetent would not be suitable, those who were of noble birth would not be suitable, and those who were qualified to compete for the throne would not be suitable for the time being.

And although checks and balances are needed, neighboring regions also need to pick princes with good personal relationships. The conditions for early development are difficult, and they need to be able to work together, help each other, and not hold each other back.

After thinking it over and over again, Ying Zheng was also conflicted. After all, he was his own son, and he had both the considerations of the emperor and the concerns of a father in his heart.

And he also has to think about their respective mothers - those his beloved concubines. After this matter gets out, I don't know how many of them will come to him and cry, either by acting like a spoiled child or by shedding tears. It's enough to give him a headache just thinking about it.

If you force a cow to drink water by pressing its head down, it probably won't do anything good.

In the end, Ying Zheng sighed in his heart and decided to let the rumor out first, let it blow for a while, and see the reactions of the concubines and children in the harem, so that they could be mentally prepared.

After destroying the Gojoseon and successfully demonstrating to the world the power of the Qin Dynasty and the majesty of the emperor once again, the main purpose of this northern tour was basically achieved.

Immediately afterwards, Ying Zheng ended his journey in the north and began his journey back to the capital.

On the way back, he passed through Liaodong County, Liaoxi County, Youbeiping County, Guangyang County, Hengshan County, Julu County, Handan County, Shangdang County, and Hedong County, touring the entire Zhao area, and then entered the pass and returned to the capital.

This parade has been going on for nearly a year, but it is a necessary move to reassure people and deter wrongdoing.

During the parade, in addition to the two "old actors" the Black Dragon and the White Dragon, who still traveled together and often displayed their divine power to show the majesty of the emperor, there were also unexpected surprises this time, and a real goddess came to the world and occasionally performed miracles.

(End of this chapter)