Chinese New Year

Chapter 1487 The Third Year of Longhua
The New Year's Day Grand Court Assembly had long been established with established procedures. Everyone had practiced the timing of the assembly, where to wait, who stood on which side, and how to line up to enter. They were all very familiar with the process.

After entering in batches, there was a lengthy process of congratulations and blessings, with the interpreters calling out names outside the hall. High-ranking officials entered alone, middle-ranking officials entered in groups of several, and lower-ranking officials and clerks from other prefectures entered in batches.

Oh, and we can't forget the representatives of vassal states and dependent states. It's rare for the king to come in person; usually, the crown prince or prime minister would do it on his behalf.

The number of people involved was very large, and the process took a very long time.

In his youth, Shao Xun developed an impressive ability to hold his urine, but now he has to get up three times in one morning. Time waits for no one.

When Yuchi Jingde, the heir apparent of the King of Khotan, presented the gift list, Shao Xun kindly inquired about his family affairs. Because his wife had likely succumbed to illness in Luoyang, possibly due to the change in environment, Shao Xun asked if he had remarried.

Yuchi Jingde was very grateful and said, "I married last month; she is from a distinguished family."

"But I don't know which family it belongs to," Shao Xun asked, feigning ignorance.

“She is to be the daughter of Junior Supervisor Yu,” Yuchi Jingde replied.

Shao Xun nodded; she was actually Yu Min's granddaughter.

“You are still young. If you have children, you should raise them well so that they may inherit the throne in the future,” he said.

Yuchi Jingde was secretly delighted. The emperor said that his son would become the King of Khotan in the future. Wasn't that guaranteeing his throne?
He was somewhat anxious about this matter.

He had been a hostage in the Central Plains for a long time, while his younger brothers were always by his father's side. Their relationship was extraordinary, and they posed a considerable threat.

But the Emperor of Liang spoke up, promising to guarantee his throne, so the matter was settled. Even if the current emperor were to pass away, any successor who wasn't foolish would push for him to inherit the throne of Khotan, not to mention that his new wife came from the Yu clan of Yingchuan.

"You may step down, sir." Shao Xun nodded with a smile.

This young man has rendered meritorious service, most notably by pointing out which wastelands within the territory of Khotan could be irrigated, ensuring that the court's establishment of the Khotan garrison was not without purpose, nor was it deceived by the people of Khotan.

Of course, Shao Xun was also very considerate. This matter was extremely confidential, known only to key officials such as the prime ministers, vice ministers of the Chancellery, and vice ministers of the Imperial Secretariat. He would not reveal a word to the outside world, so as not to embarrass Yuchi Jingde.

The first batch of 1,000 soldiers from Yutian Town, once fully recruited, will be sent to the former territory of Jingjue Kingdom to begin land reclamation. There is a city in the area called "Nirang," with a circumference of three or four li, the foundation of which still exists. It is being used as a fortified garrison—this garrison is one of the military garrisons under Yutian Town.

Shao Xun also inquired about the Jingjue Kingdom with Yuchi Jingde. They didn't actually know much about it either, only that they had heard rumors that the kingdom had submitted to Shanshan at the end of the Han Dynasty, and that it seemed to have been attacked by some southern tribes a few decades ago, with no one escaping.

The account from the Kingdom of Shanshan is similar. As the suzerain state, they only played the role of collecting the corpses afterward; they didn't find a single living person, but they did find a lot of remains.

After a careful inspection, it was discovered that the documents of the Jingjue Kingdom's government offices had not been completely destroyed, but were scattered all over the ground, and some underground granaries were still full of grain...

They believed that the tribes in the southern mountains had launched a surprise attack, surrounded the Jingjue Kingdom, slaughtered its inhabitants, and abducted the survivors.

Shao Xun believed them because Shanshan and Jingjue both used Kharosthi, and they could read the remaining official documents. If there were any anomalies, they would definitely be able to identify them.

Moreover, the local environment did not completely deteriorate, the Niya River did not dry up, and the marshes around Nirang City did not disappear—until the early Tang Dynasty, the ruins of Nirang City were still in the "Great Marsh," where the Tang army settled and established a military city.

Therefore, the Liang Dynasty decided to make Nirang City the first military garrison.

The second military town will be located in the oasis at the end of the Jiandeli River (the current extension of the Cele River, which has dried up) (the site of the present-day Dandan-Ulik ruins), with 500 soldiers stationed there.

Both of these locations are quite important, guarding the passageways. Once a military garrison system is established, it can effectively maintain the security of the southern route of the Silk Road, while also facilitating the transmission of intelligence and official correspondence.

The purpose of establishing the town of Yutian was military, for no other reason. Therefore, the military garrison system was mostly located on major transportation routes, not in prosperous areas. Later, military cities guarding the passes of the Kunlun Mountains were also established, all for this reason.

After the establishment of Khotan Garrison, the Protectorate of the Western Regions will appoint a deputy protector-general to be stationed there. The protector-general will be stationed in Kucha to oversee the overall situation, while the deputy protector-general will be stationed in Khotan to manage Khotan Garrison.

Shao Xun anticipated the difficulties of establishing a town in Khotan, so he would recruit people from all over the world, arresting as many as possible, and even exiling prisoners there to improve the entire system as quickly as possible.

After Yuchi Jingde withdrew, King Che Luo of the Later Cheshi Kingdom entered to pay his respects—he was an unlucky fellow. He had originally wanted his younger brother to do it for him, but the Court of State Ceremonial refused and insisted that he come in person.

Shao Xun greeted him warmly, smiling and asking, "Did you receive the package at the mansion?"

After listening to the translation, Che Luo's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to say, "Received. The magnificence of this residence far surpasses that of the royal palace. Your Majesty, I thank you for your great favor."

"If you receive it, stay longer and bring your family over. I will reward you with something else," Shao Xun said.

"Yes," Che Luo replied with a bitter face.

Actually, he had expected this.

Wasn't that the case with the former king of Cheshi? He lived in Luoyang for a while, and then the kingdom disappeared, becoming Jiaohe County...

The former Cheshi was a small state with only three thousand people, while the latter Cheshi had several times the territory and population. Although it sounded like a lot, it was still easy to turn it into a prefecture. Before the New Year's Day court assembly, Che Luo consulted with his trusted ministers, but they were at a loss for what to do.

Finally, someone suggested fleeing back to their homeland, but this was rejected because someone cited the example of the Kingdom of Weixu. Before the arrival of the Liang army, this country hastily prepared for war, taking its people into the city, only to be wiped out in one fell swoop. The Liang people ravaged the city for a long time before letting go, resulting in huge population losses.

After the war, the descendants of the King of Weixu wanted to return to their homeland, but they died mysteriously, and the suzerain state of Yanqi dared not speak out on the matter. Last year, the Liang people exiled more than three thousand people to Weixu, took over the local fields and houses, and began to cultivate the land openly.

Many people have speculated that once Yanqi Town is established, the former site of the Weixu Kingdom will be one of the ready-made military garrisons, and may even be the residence of the Yanqi Town General.

The stark examples are right here, leaving no room for doubt.

So, even today, Che Luo still doesn't know what to do, can't make up his mind, and passively accepts everything step by step.

The Later Kingdom of Cheshi was likely to disappear, becoming the legendary Beiting Commandery.

After Che Luo stepped down, the man who entered was Ningzhou Chief, a gangster with a thick gold chain, large earrings, and tattoos, exuding the air of a powerful figure.

Governing such a large country is no easy task; you encounter all sorts of people...

******
Before the ceremony in the main hall of Tai Chi was even finished, the side halls of the east and west halls were already preparing to serve the dishes.

The officials split into groups and whispered among themselves.

Society is realistic. Taibao Fan Yi and Situ Liu Runzhong have few people around them anymore, and when they do, it's just perfunctory greetings. Now, the most sought-after people are Wen Qiao and Wang Feng.

The latter, in particular, was grinning from ear to ear, as he had been officially appointed as the Chamberlain of the Secretariat, surpassing another Chamberlain, Liu Mi, to become the Grand Councilor and one of the four prime ministers of the Council of State Affairs.

He was surrounded by members of the major Wuhuan clans such as Wang, Qi, Su, and Ku (formerly the Ku Nuguan clan), as well as various Tuoba clans, a few Gaoche clans from the northern desert such as Kuhe and Huli, and the Qibi clan, which surrendered after the Rouran fled west.

This is a massive force, distributed over ten thousand miles from east to west, spanning the north and south of the desert.

No matter how much you despise or hate them, these people are real. They cannot be eradicated or exterminated. Even if you defeat them temporarily, they will come back again. They are like spring breezes that bring forth new life. This has been the case for thousands of years.

They are still willing to eat together in the same pot in the Great Liang Dynasty now, but that may not be the case in the future—perhaps some will stay and eventually integrate into the Central Plains, but some will definitely leave.

Compared to the Wuhuan and Tuoba Xianbei, the Yuwen Xianbei and the remnants of the Murong Xianbei were less willing to approach.

Some nobles from the Yuwen Xianbei went over to greet them politely, but none of the Murong Xianbei went over; the distinction between them was clear.

Wang Feng didn't take it seriously.

He knew his own limitations all too well, and he didn't think it was a bad thing.

It's already enough for the emperor to grant him high-ranking positions and generous salaries by winning over the people in the former territory of the Tuoba Xianbei. What are you planning to do by further rallying the Yuwen, Murong, and even the scattered tribes in Henan and the Western Regions?
Don't overthink things; it's not only exhausting but also likely to bring trouble.

Just as the banquet was about to officially begin, Shan Qian, the military advisor of the Tokugawa Shogunate and the envoy to promote agriculture, came over and bowed, saying, "Your Highness."

Wang Feng was taken aback for a moment, but quickly helped Shan Qian up and said with a smile, "Military Advisor Shan is increasingly trusted by the Crown Prince. In the future, we will need your kind words."

"You flatter me, Your Excellency," Shan Qian said with a smile. "You are an elder, so it is only right that I come to pay my respects."

Wang Feng smiled so much that his eyes narrowed into slits, and whispered, "I heard that the Shan family has conscripted a hundred cavalrymen?"

“Exactly,” Shan Qian said. “We will depart in May, with five hundred horses.”

"I will keep an eye on it." Wang Feng nodded, his meaning clear without words.

The Shan clan were Di people, mainly distributed in Diaoyin in Yongzhou and Shang and Yanchuan counties in Shuozhou. They engaged in both farming and animal husbandry and were once one of the core tribes of the Liu Han dynasty. However, due to the events involving Empress Shan and the King of Beihai, they became estranged from the five Xiongnu tribes and eventually surrendered to the emperor before the complete collapse of the Liu Han dynasty.

The fact that a hundred cavalrymen have been conscripted means they are clearly going to participate in the war against the Lin-yi Kingdom this autumn.

As the Grand Councilor, Wang Feng had the right to speak on this matter.

Furthermore, he suspected that Shan Qian's visit was at the behest of the Crown Prince, otherwise he wouldn't have been so enthusiastic.

At this moment, Wang Feng also felt quite satisfied—satisfied with the improvement in his status.

Who would be so foolish as to go to the grasslands to raise an army if they could be the Grand Councilor of the Liang Dynasty? Those who want to rebel are all the disillusioned, the losers who have not received any benefits under the existing system.

The Emperor's magnanimity is evident in the presence of Liu Runzhong and now Wang Feng, who entered the Council of State as Jie and Wuhuan respectively. Everyone has witnessed this, and he should carefully consider how to fulfill his role as the Chancellor.

(End of this chapter)