Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 532 The Final Recovery of Liaodong
"Your subject, Geng Ming, the Liaodong Pacification Commissioner, respectfully reports... In this battle, our army decisively defeated the forces of Li Juzheng, the General Commander of Liaodong of the Bohai Kingdom, outside Liaodong City, beheading 9,757 people and capturing tens of thousands of armor and weapons."

"On the second day, Bohai sent Pei Ting to Luoyang to sue for peace; I have already led my troops to continue the siege of Liaodong City, and humbly request Your Majesty to decide on the appropriate course of attack and defense..."

On the ninth day of the fifth month of the seventh year of Hongwu, as news of the great victory of the Han army came from Liaodong, the officials in the imperial court, who had been somewhat worried, were all overjoyed.

The Bohai Kingdom suffered a severe blow, and the news of Da Xuanxi sending envoys prompted many officials to secretly plot to demand more territory.

Liu Jilong, however, maintained his original stance: south of the Dongliao River, west of the Pae River, and south of Changling Prefecture.

Although this only included a few more cities like Pyongyang than Liaodong during the Ming Dynasty, it was enough for the Han Dynasty to digest. Going any further would make it impossible to control and might even disrupt the already stable situation in the Northeast.

Moreover, since the Bohai Kingdom has already declared its submission, the Han Dynasty can gradually and steadily control Liaodong by first immigrating people to establish a foothold there, and then continuously interfere in Bohai's internal affairs by focusing on its economy.

It's always better to maintain a weak opponent than to cultivate a stronger one.

History has proven that the ethnic minorities in Northeast China have sufficient strength to form new powers.

It would be far more convenient to unite with the weakened Bohai to crush the powerful rival, and then annex Bohai, whose economic lifeline was controlled by the Han Dynasty, once the country was strong enough.

For this reason, Liu Jilong did not intend to escalate the conflict in the Bohai Kingdom, but instead planned to keep the Bohai Kingdom hanging in the air.

As long as the war continues, the more than 100,000 people who were relocated from Liaodong and the more than 20,000 soldiers on the front lines of the Balhae Kingdom will not be able to settle down and will have to rely on the rear to continuously supply them with supplies.

For the Han Dynasty, maintaining the food and military pay for hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians for a few months was nothing, but for the Bohai Kingdom, it was enough to bring its domestic economy to the brink of collapse and exacerbate its internal conflicts.

What Liu Jilong needed was a weakened Bohai Kingdom, not a dead one. Maintaining the status quo was enough, so he ordered Geng Ming to continue besieging cities such as Liaodong, waiting for the court to negotiate peace with the Bohai Kingdom before taking over the entire Liaodong territory.

Time passed to early June. Pei Ting, who had left with a heavy heart, met Liu Jilong again as an envoy, but this time his posture was very humble.

"Your Majesty, I, the envoy from our humble kingdom, pay my respects. Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty!"

In the Zhenguan Hall, Pei Ting danced three times according to etiquette, and then bowed repeatedly to Liu Jilong.

Liu Jilong sat in the main seat of the Jintai, watching him, who looked travel-worn, with great interest.

"I did not expect to see Ambassador Pei again so soon. I wonder what the Prince of Bohai intends to do by sending Ambassador Pei here?"

Faced with Liu Jilong's knowing yet deliberately teasing behavior, Pei Ting, though somewhat helpless, still respectfully replied:
"Your Majesty is wise and martial, and your power extends to the ends of the earth. Previously, a small state did not know the Mandate of Heaven and recklessly resisted the royal army, which led to the conflict in Liaodong. This was truly the fault of the subject and the ruler."

"Our King bestows the Great Xuanxi, and we are awestruck by the might of Heaven. We wish to permanently subjugate the Liaodong region to the Great Han, and offer annual tribute of sable fur and gyrfalcons, to remain the eastern vassal state forever."

"If the royal army recovers Liaodong, I beg Your Majesty to grant me the favor of opening border markets to my vassal state and allowing me to send students to the Imperial Academy to learn rites and music and study poetry and books."

"Bohai is a remote place, but if it were to be blessed with the grace of the Chinese people, it would never forget Your Majesty's virtuous teachings for generations to come..."

Compared to last time when Pei Ting had his own little schemes, this time Pei Ting was completely focused on completing the mission and didn't dare to have any ulterior motives at all.

Seeing his submissive demeanor, Liu Jilong abandoned his intention to tease him and spoke in a deep voice:

"I have received the Mandate of Heaven, and sit in China to govern the four barbarians. All the four barbarians are my children."

"Bohai's actions are like a child throwing a tantrum; how could I possibly compare myself to him?"

"I am very pleased that the Prince of Bohai has been able to repent and reform."

"Once the court recovers Liaodong, a border market should be established, and Bohai youths should be allowed to study at the official schools in Liaodong."

"Among them, those who are exceptionally talented can be admitted to the Imperial Academy and then study at the National Academy..."

Pei Ting was surprised that Liu Jilong was so easy to talk to. He almost immediately forgave Bohai's crimes and agreed to open the border market. However, he changed the Bohai envoys' training in etiquette to a system where students would gradually enter the Imperial Academy from Liaodong through official schools.

For Pei Ting, who was already thoroughly familiar with the official school system of the Han Dynasty, this move was already quite good, even though it did not achieve what he wanted.

Thinking of this, Pei Ting respectfully bowed and said, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness."

"Now that this matter has been settled, you shall return to your country soon and inform the Prince of Bohai of this matter. Before the autumn harvest, withdraw the troops and civilians and return to Bohai."

Liu Jilong set a deadline, which made Pei Ting feel difficult, but he had no choice but to agree.

"Your Majesty's teachings will be remembered by your humble servant. Long live Your Majesty!"

"Go back!"

"Your subject respectfully withdraws..."

At Liu Jilong's signal, Pei Ting carefully withdrew from the Zhenguan Hall.

After he left, Liu Lie, Jing Xiang, Xie Tong, and other Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet emerged from the side hall.

They returned to their positions and bowed to Liu Jilong.

After bowing, Xie Tong explained the current controversy among the officials of the Southern Court.

"Your Majesty, the ministers of the Southern Court are all urging us to take advantage of the victory, advance our troops, destroy the Bohai Kingdom, and take its subjects under our control."

"I believe that we should only stop at Dongliaoshui and Changling Prefecture. Should we then advance and recover Changling, Nanhai and other prefectures in Bohai?"

Xie Tong's main concern was the safety of Liaodong. After all, Liaodong's strategic depth was still too short, as it had only recovered the area south of Dongliaoshui and Changlingfu.

In his view, to firmly control Liaodong, it was necessary to seek a larger territory.

This is where Xie Tong's theoretical knowledge was somewhat lacking, since he had only read about the terrain of Liaodong in writing and had never actually seen it. Therefore, Liu Jilong did not blame him, but instead gestured to Ximen Junsui beside him, "Bring the sand table of Liaodong and other places."

"This servant obeys the decree..."

Ximen Jun bowed and agreed, and then ordered more than ten eunuchs to bring sand tables from Liaodong and other places.

The sand table, about ten feet in length and width, encompasses the entire Northeast, Korea, Japan, and other areas, and is roughly depicted according to the topography recorded by Liu Jilong in his previous life.

While it may not be 100% accurate, it is enough for everyone to get a sense of the situation in Northeast China.

Liu Lie was amazed by the detail of the sand table, while Jing Xiang, Xie Tong, Zhang Ying and other Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet immediately understood why Liu Jilong had not chosen to go deeper into the area after seeing the Liaodong terrain on the sand table.

South of Changling Prefecture is all mountainous terrain. Even though it is less than two hundred li from Xuantu to the border, it is enough for the Bohai army to travel for several days. And those mountain cities, combined with the Han army's artillery, are simply a nightmare for the Bohai army.

"It is my humble opinion, Your Majesty is wise..."

Xie Tong readily admitted his rashness, and Liu Jilong explained:

"Liaodong is vast. The imperial court ordered that the mudflats in places such as Xuantu, Liaodong City, and Pyongyang be filled with soil and embankments, which would create millions of acres of arable land."

"With the strength of the imperial court, it would take more than a million men to firmly occupy Liaodong."

“Currently, the earth filling and road construction in western Liaoning will take more than ten years to complete, and the only way to relocate the people is by sea.”

"Issue an imperial edict to the Southern Court, primarily concerning the people of Hebei and Henan provinces. All those who migrate to Liaodong will be exempt from land tax for three years, each person will be given twenty mu of land, and each household will be given one ox for plowing."

“Those who commit crimes in Hebei, Hedong, and Henan provinces shall be exiled to Liaodong along with their families and incorporated into the military agricultural settlement.”

With the entire Liaodong region about to be recovered, the relocation of people naturally had to be put on the agenda.

According to Geng Ming's memorial, there were as many as one million mu of cultivated land left in Liaodong.

Although the local output was only seven dou, seven or eight mu of land was enough to feed one person. Based on the principle of allocating twenty mu of land per person, it would be enough to relocate two hundred thousand people.

Exempting land tax is not a big deal, after all, what the imperial court needs is grain in Liaodong.

As long as there is grain in Liaodong, it will be fine even if no taxes are levied.

One shi (a unit of dry measure) of grain purchased in Liaodong is equivalent to three shi of grain purchased in Hebei or Henan.

The more grain there is, the more people the imperial court can relocate, and the more Liaodong can be developed in the long term.

"Your subject obeys the decree..."

Jing Xiang and the others bowed in agreement, while Liu Jilong continued to focus his attention on the sand table.
"An imperial edict was issued to the Southern Office to establish Liaodong Circuit and three offices. Kaizhou (Siping) was established south of the Dongliao River, and Shenzhou was established in Xuantu and other cities. Xuantu was renamed Shenyang."

"Liaozhou was established in Liaodong and Zhucheng, with its capital in Liaodong; five prefectures were established in southern Liaodong, namely Panzhou (Panjin), Lianzhou (Dalian), Danzhou (Dandong), Anzhou (Pyongyang), and Jianzhou (Xinbin), totaling eight prefectures, with the capital in Liaodong."

"The Liaodong Military Governor's Office shall temporarily establish two army corps with a total of 30,000 troops, and the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner shall approve the establishment of 10,000 troops in the prefecture for the military affairs of the Circuit Intendant."

The establishment of three departments and eight prefectures to govern Liaodong was a rather ambitious step, but it was the result of Liu Jilong's careful consideration.

The lessons of the Ming Dynasty are right before our eyes. Liaodong was relatively stable during the Hongwu and Yongle reigns of the Ming Dynasty, but due to its small population, a military command was established to govern it, which was a military-controlled area that relied on military households to maintain its economy.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di shared the same idea: to develop Liaodong using military households from the garrison system, and then convert them into civilian households once the situation in Liaodong was satisfactory, thereby restoring Liaodong's prosperity.

However, things took a completely different turn from what the two had imagined. The subsequent emperors not only failed to allow the people of Liaodong to multiply and thrive, but also abandoned the Jilin Shipyard and allowed the Uriyangkhai Three Guards (Doyan Three Guards) to move south.

This move dealt a blow to the Haixi Jurchens, who were subjects of the Ming Dynasty and had a relatively high level of civilization. The six cities, which had been developed into a prosperous and wealthy area by the Hongwu and Yongle emperors, were plundered and ruined by the Mongols. The Ming Dynasty lost its prestige among the Jurchens, which in turn led to Liaodong having to endure invasions from both the Jurchens and the Mongols.

With military instability, people's livelihoods could not be guaranteed, and the southward flight of military households became inevitable. Insufficient population made it impossible to establish provincial administration commissions and provincial judicial commissions.

Without its own three offices, Liaodong would always be administratively inferior, and there would be no way to talk about governing people's livelihoods. After all, it was impossible to expect the Shandong Provincial Administration Commission to put a lot of effort into governing Liaodong.

For this reason, even though Liaodong is sparsely populated today, Liu Jilong is still determined to establish the Three Offices.

Even though the initial expenses were high, as people continued to move in and the wasteland in Liaodong was continuously developed, the imperial court was always able to recover its costs from Liaodong.

Even though the current climate is much worse than that of the Tang Dynasty, it is still much better than that of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

During the Qing Dynasty, tens of millions of people migrated to Northeast China and were able to cultivate hundreds of millions of acres of farmland using human and animal power in the mid-to-late 19th century. Even if the Han Dynasty did not have that many people developing Liaodong, it would not have been much worse.

After all, the population of the Han Dynasty was mainly in the north, and the production areas were also mainly in the north, which was different from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong's thoughts drifted away. Pei Ting, who had left Ziwei City, did not rest for long. He set off to return to Bohai the day after receiving Liu Jilong's order.

In mid-July, Pei Ting returned to the capital, and Da Xuanxi began to withdraw his troops as agreed.

Of the 30,000 soldiers stationed along the Bohai Sea coast, nearly 10,000 died outside Liaodong City, and more than 1,000 were wounded and died inside the city.

With 30% of its 30,000 troops lost, the morale of the entire army had already plummeted. When they learned that the peace talks had been successful and that they would be withdrawing to Changling Prefecture, the Bohai soldiers in Liaodong City cheered with joy.

Li Juzheng eventually led his remaining troops of less than 20,000 and more than 30,000 people from Liaodong City back to Changling Prefecture, while leaving the thousands of Han Chinese who refused to relocate in the city to their fate.

At the end of August, the Han army took full control of the eight major cities and nine mountain fortresses in Liaodong, and captured more than 14,000 people. Bohai was renamed the Great Han Bohai Kingdom, and could no longer be addressed as Your Majesty.

Their country follows the reign titles of the Han Dynasty. If their king dies, the posthumous title bestowed by the Han Dynasty shall prevail, and they shall not usurp the title.

The outcome of this battle drew attention from surrounding countries and tribes. Silla and Japan immediately dispatched envoys, requesting the court to allow them to send students to study the Han Chinese system.

In response, Liu Jilong said that the students from Silla would go to Liaodong to study, while the Japanese students would go to Jiangnan East Province to study.

"Your Majesty, I thank you! Long live the Emperor!"

In mid-October, in the Qian Yuan Hall, a short official, barely five feet tall and dressed in an incongruous round-necked robe, danced three times in the hall and bowed three times to the golden platform, forming a stark contrast with the officials on either side, all of whom were over five feet tall.

While this head might not qualify as dwarf, it would certainly be considered the worst in this context.

Fortunately, although he was not tall, he was still decent-looking and not at all ugly.

Liu Jilong, standing on the platform, looked at the Japanese envoy before him, but his heart was not stirred.

Since the cessation of the missions to Tang China during the Kaicheng era of the Tang Dynasty, Japan has not sent a formal envoy for forty years.

If the Han Dynasty had not defeated the Bohai Kingdom, Japan would probably have completely abolished its missions to Tang China a little over a decade later.

With that thought in mind, he continued to look at the Japanese envoy in front of him.

Although it is now two hundred years after Japan enacted the "Law Against Killing," the Fujiwara Hirosada before us, as a member of the noble Fujiwara clan, was not as short as the Japanese nobles of the Ming and Qing dynasties; he was still about five feet three inches (≈164cm).

However, Japan has always preferred to send envoys who are tall and handsome.

This means that the man before him, Fujiwara Hirosada, was among the tallest and most handsome members of the Japanese nobility.

Even the tallest nobles were only about five feet two or three inches tall, and the common people in Japan were probably only about four feet seven or eight or five inches tall.

"I intend to send ships to the far east to explore all directions. Now that you have come, I will send you back to your country with the navy and then search for islands to explore eastward."

Liu Jilong suddenly spoke, which startled Fujiwara Hirosada, who was originally overjoyed.

He was somewhat worried that the Hongwu Emperor might try to attack Japan, but then he thought of the wealth and prosperity of the Han Dynasty and immediately abandoned the idea.

Although Japan is a populous country, even its most prosperous city, Heian-kyo, could not compare to any prefecture in the Tang Dynasty.

Sending a navy to escort them could mean either a genuine exploration of the Far East or a way to project military power.

Thinking of this, Fujiwara Hirosada quickly bowed and said, "Thank you for your great favor, Your Majesty! Long live the Emperor!"

"In that case, the Ministry of Rites and the Five Military Commissions shall handle this matter. If you have nothing else to report, you may leave."

Liu Jilong nodded in acknowledgment, and Fujiwara Hirosada then withdrew from the Qianyuan Hall, leaving it to the hundreds of Han Dynasty officials.

Watching his departing figure, Liu Jilong wanted to use this opportunity of escorting him to let Geng Ming learn about the East China Sea route, and at the same time demonstrate military strength to deter Japan.

Only by demonstrating sufficient military strength can the Han Dynasty control the gold and silver mines in places like Iwami and Sado in the future, and facilitate the monetization of silver.

Furthermore, if the Han Dynasty were to explore the Americas to the east in the future, it would inevitably need Japan to provide sufficient supplies. Without a strong military deterrent, the plan could very well fail.

With these problems looming before him, Liu Jilong naturally needed to resolve them one by one.

For Japan, a country that reveres military force and tends to elevate the powerful while belittling the weak, military force is undoubtedly the most effective tool.

The massive fleet of 20,000 men in the East China Sea Navy was enough to shake the entire nation of Japan.

However, for the Han Dynasty, mobilizing 20,000 naval troops to Japan, while costing a considerable amount, was not considered a major event.

All that's needed is for Geng Ming to handle the affairs in Liaodong; Liu Jilong doesn't need to expend much effort.

With that thought in mind, he turned his gaze to the court officials dressed in their court robes inside the hall.

Sensing Liu Jilong's gaze, Li Shangyin, the head of the three prime ministers, slowly stepped forward, held his official tablet, and bowed, saying:
"Your Majesty, I have something to report..."

"allow!"

Liu Jilong agreed without hesitation, while Li Shangyin looked at the contents of the tablet and spoke:
"In that year, there were 8,624,053 households and 42,572,065 people in the country."

"The total cultivated land in the country is 2,878,872,530 hectares, of which 57,476,500 shi of land tax can be levied according to the law."

"However, each region has accumulated arrears, and the tax revenue collected from various prefectures and counties due to disaster relief amounted to 45.57 million shi of grain, and the tax revenue from tea, salt, iron ore and various other miscellaneous taxes was converted into 9.76 million guan of silver."

Li Shangyin clearly explained the strength of the Han Dynasty in just a few words, which made the ministers nod in agreement. Liu Jilong, on the other hand, already knew about this year's household registration and arable land situation.

From the first year of the Hongwu reign to the present, the Han Dynasty has seen its population increase by nearly four million in seven years, while cultivated land has only increased by 45 million mu in the six years from the second year of the Hongwu reign to the present.

This growth is certainly commendable, but the taxes levied by the imperial court are also a heavy burden on the people.

If the land tax were levied at a fixed rate, each person would have to pay 1.3 shi of grain and more than 200 coins.

Looking at the taxes levied alone, the taxes of the Han Dynasty were undoubtedly heavy. However, since the Han Dynasty abolished corvée labor, the burden on the people was greatly reduced compared to the Xiantong era.

In addition, most of the taxes collected were returned to the people through employment.

Even though many corrupt officials embezzle funds from this, most of the money still ends up in the hands of ordinary people.

Although dispatching officials and clerks was costly, it also saved the local powerful families from becoming intermediaries.

However, if Liu Jilong hadn't used the Doulu Zhuo case to expand his influence and purge most of the powerful and influential families in the country, it wouldn't have been easy for local officials to collect taxes.

The system is still functioning mainly because many powerful local families have been purged, and local forces are no longer able to exert pressure on the central government.

However, as time went on and new powerful local figures emerged, it became more difficult for the imperial court to collect taxes.

For example, during the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty, a total of 50 million shi of land tax and military farm grain could be collected, but by the Xuande reign, the total of military farm grain and land tax was less than 30 million shi.

The local governments had serious arrears, and in the end, the only option was to waive them.

This situation undoubtedly stems from the weakening of the central government's control over local areas, the rise of local powerful clans, the reluctance of government offices to collect taxes, and even the fact that officials themselves are often from powerful clans and therefore do not collect taxes at all.

The Han Dynasty will face the same situation in the future, but by then, he will probably have turned to dust. Liu Jilong didn't dwell on it too much; after all, each generation has its own responsibilities.

He has already implemented the imperial examination system, official schools, the Three Departments, and the Five Armies. All he needs to do now is consolidate these systems, recover the areas that need to be recovered, and relocate the populations that need to be relocated. Once he has done so, his mission will be complete.

If they could obtain American crops, that would be a pleasant surprise. Even if they couldn't, as long as they left a direction, someone with the will could still find them.

"How much has the Ministry of Revenue and its relevant departments accumulated?"

Liu Jilong inquired about Feng Bangyan, the Vice Minister of Revenue. Upon hearing this, Feng Bangyan respectfully bowed and said, "This year, the accumulated reserves in the two capital regions amounted to 26 million shi (a unit of dry measure), and the exchange of money, silk, and miscellaneous items amounted to more than 17.65 million guan (another unit of dry measure)."

"The official granaries of various provinces have accumulated more than 8 million shi of grain, the Ever-Normal Granaries have accumulated more than 35 million shi of grain, and the cash and miscellaneous items have been converted into more than 5 million guan of cash."

"Today, the world is at peace, and a bushel of rice costs only thirty or forty coins. Therefore, the tax revenue is equivalent to about 28 million strings of cash, and the imperial court has accumulated more than 55 million strings of cash."

"The court's annual expenditure is over 22 million strings of cash, and the current reserves can sustain the court for several years even in years of major disasters."

After the world is at peace, grain prices will naturally decrease. Therefore, based on the current grain prices, the Han Dynasty's fiscal revenue is 28 million strings of cash, with savings of over 55 million strings, and annual expenditures of over 22 million strings of cash.

With the current reserves, even if taxes are not collected for two years, it would be enough to keep the court running. In the event of a major disaster like the past few years, it could last for several years or even ten years.

In Liu Jilong's view, the current savings are already sufficient, so it is necessary to find a way to distribute money to the people.

The best way to distribute money to the people has always been through infrastructure development, which includes building roads, bridges, dams, and cities.

These matters are being handled by various departments, but the scale is still too small. Therefore, after thinking for a moment, Liu Jilong took the initiative to speak:

“Every night when I read the historical records and think about what will happen a hundred years from now, I am always vigilant and alert.”

"Upon examining the current census registers, it is found that the population increases by hundreds of thousands every year. If this trend continues, the population will reach trillions in a hundred years."

"Having reviewed the historical records of the Han and Tang dynasties, I have found that whenever a dynasty lasted more than a decade, powerful and wealthy families would seize land, and land taxes would decrease daily. This was an inevitable trend."

"If at that time the prefectures and counties were impoverished, the city walls were dilapidated, and the dikes and dams were all abandoned, where would the common people entrust their lives?"

"Although the annual revenue of the Taicang granary is abundant, it all comes from the blood and sweat of the common people and is not something that I or you can use for your own purposes."

"He ordered the provincial administration offices to supervise the officials of prefectures, counties and districts to assess the terrain and replace the earthen dikes with stone structures at all important river and canal locations, and to expand the foundations of cities and towns accordingly."

“The county officials should consider the population a hundred years from now, draw up a map and submit it to the emperor, and make every effort to protect the villages with bricks and stones.”

"The assigned tasks shall be paid by each county with a daily wage of thirty to recruit people for construction."

"The Censorate dispatched censors to patrol the area, and anyone who dared to reduce the amount of materials or workmanship was to be arrested and sent to the capital for questioning."

"Any corrupt official, once verified, shall be exiled along with his entire clan to Liaodong, Anxi, Beiting and other administrative regions in accordance with the laws of the Great Han Dynasty, and his property shall be confiscated and sent to the military agricultural settlements where he served."

"You shall post this throughout the land, so that all may know!"

Faced with Liu Jilong's decree, even though many officials knew that their emperor would distribute money and grain as wages after realizing that the national treasury was full, they did not expect that Liu Jilong's ambition was so great.

Encasing the river embankments and city walls in brick and having stonemasons use "stone tenons and mortises" to reinforce the embankments and city walls was quite costly.

Although the Han Dynasty has made it easier to mine rocks thanks to gunpowder, there are only a few hundred cities that can be clad in bricks, while the Han Dynasty has a total of 1,692 cities.

According to Liu Jilong, most of these cities need to be expanded and have rammed earth and bricks used for construction.

This alone would require the labor of millions of people, not to mention that Liu Jilong also raised the wage to thirty coins.

You should know that a laborer in Luoyang City earns only thirty coins a day, and other easier jobs earn no more than twenty coins a day.

If Luoyang is like this, one can only imagine how it is in the local prefectures and counties.

If people in remote areas heard that the wage was thirty coins, they probably wouldn't even want to farm anymore; they'd only want to work for the imperial court.

Although the imperial court has accumulated 55 million strings of cash, it is estimated that it will not last long.

Thinking of this, Li Shangyin stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty's wisdom is profound and your benevolence extends to all people. However, if you hastily order the officials to post notices to recruit workers, I fear that the people will be drawn by the prospect of profit and abandon their fields, leading to a decrease in annual taxes and ultimately harming the foundation of the nation."

"In my humble opinion, it is advisable to order all counties to submit their reports to the central government first, and then, after the central government has reviewed and approved them, recruit people to perform corvée labor during the off-season of farming in each county."

“Each year, two or three months are allocated for farming, which neither interferes with the farming season nor prevents ordinary people from making a living.”

"In this way, officials will not have to worry about a shortage of personnel, and the people will benefit from both, which is truly a win-win situation."

Li Shangyin's words resonated with the assembled officials, who all nodded in agreement. Liu Jilong, sensing something amiss, and seeing the logic in Li Shangyin's words, nodded in agreement as well.
"This matter will be handled by you gentlemen; I await good news from the various departments."

"Your Majesty, we obey..."

Li Shangyin, Cui Shu, and Xiao Gou bowed in greeting, and Liu Jilong, seeing this, continued:
"Now that Liaodong is pacified, once the troops under the jurisdiction of Liaodong are fully trained and the troops under the jurisdiction of each region are proficient in firearms, the three military commands of Hedong, Hebei, and Liaodong can send troops to besiege the Khitan and Xi tribes."

"In addition, since the Xiantong era, the southern barbarians You Shilong has been harassing the southwest. He ordered the officials of Jiannan, Qianzhong, Shannan and Lingnan to allocate grain and fodder, and recruited 30,000 new soldiers from Lingnan and trained them strictly."

"Once the northern barbarians are defeated, we must send troops to annihilate the southern barbarians in order to recover the Han dynasty's Yizhou, Jianwei, Yongchang and other prefectures!"

This is the first time since the first year of the Hongwu reign that Liu Jilong has uttered the words "to destroy Dali."

Prior to this, Liu Jilong had only revealed his ambitions in the northeast and northwest, while his attitude toward the south seemed to be one of stability and security.

However, as time has passed, the population of Jiannan, Shannan, Qianzhong, Lingnan and other places is now close to ten million, which is enough to supply an army of more than 100,000 to conquer the great army.

In addition, the unruly barbarian tribes in western Hunan, central Guizhou, western Lingnan, and Annam were all wiped out. Although there were still more than twenty tributary prefectures remaining, the local officials were all obedient and could not influence the court's military campaigns in the southwest.

Under these circumstances, if he did not prepare for war and recover Yunnan, Liu Jilong worried that he would not have time to completely transform Yunnan in the future.

Although he looks to be only in his early thirties, with thick, black hair and a strong physique, he is actually forty-eight years old.

He himself had no idea how long God had given him his body, so he had to work steadily and diligently while making the most of every minute to complete everything he could.

Because he wants to live longer, he has not abolished the system of ministers in the Three Departments and Six Ministries. He needs someone to share the burden with him, rather than doing everything himself and exhausting himself.

The system of group phases needs to be abolished, but for now he still needs this system to share his burdens, so it can continue to exist.

Once he no longer needs this system, he will divide the power of the prime ministers among himself, so that even if they have the title of prime minister, they will not have the real power.

With these thoughts in mind, Liu Jilong then discussed with his ministers the disaster situation in various regions and the local rebellions.

Although the Han Dynasty had been established for seven years and the country was generally at peace, there were still differences between regions due to its vast territory.

In many remote areas, the martial spirit of the late Tang Dynasty still prevailed, and there were many instances of gathering crowds to disrupt the law and rebelling. However, due to the well-established Three Offices system, these rebellions could not grow large, which was also the reason why Liu Jilong chose the Three Offices system.

This system was, after all, established by Zhu Yuanzhang. Although Liu Jilong eliminated many drawbacks, he still generally favored this system.

For Zhu Yuanzhang, who rose from peasant uprisings, no one knew better than him how to quell local rebellions and uprisings.

This is why, despite internal and external troubles and constant natural disasters at the end of the Ming Dynasty, there were never any major uprisings.

If it weren't for the opening of military manuals to the Northwest during the Jiajing era to fight against the Northern barbarians, coupled with the Qing Dynasty's continuous invasions from the Northeast at the end of the Ming Dynasty to draw firepower and force Emperor Chongzhen to change his orders frequently, figures like Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong would have been completely wiped out by the Ming army long ago.

With ample funds and provisions available to the imperial court, these small-scale rebellions in the localities could be quickly suppressed by the military circuits under the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office without even Liu Jilong needing to pay attention.

Even if the military commissioner cannot handle it, as long as they request assistance from the Governor-General's Office, the Governor-General's regular troops will quickly quell these rebellions.

Even so, local rebellions continued to erupt one after another.

It should be noted that Liu Jilong had already curbed the local martial spirit in the late Tang Dynasty. If the local martial spirit had developed into the Five Dynasties period, there would probably have been even more local rebellions.

Whenever Liu Jilong saw the memorials reporting local rebellions, he would lament the situation Zhao Da faced and be glad that he had ended the chaotic world ahead of time.

Although the Han Dynasty was relatively anti-military, it did not develop to the point of fear of martial arts that existed in the Song Dynasty, and the martial spirit of the Han people continued.

Under these circumstances, Liu Jilong discussed matters with his ministers for two hours, and only announced the end of the court session at noon.

"Your Majesty, an urgent report from the Hebei Provincial Military Commission..."

After Liu Jilong returned to Zhenguan Hall after the court session, Zhang Ying presented an urgent report from Hebei.

Liu Jilong took the document and looked through it; it was indeed news of the failed invasion by the Khitan and Xi tribes.

With the Hebei border troops equipped with cannons and matchlock guns, the belated raid by the Khitan and Xi tribes, apart from burning down several beacon towers in the Yanshan Mountains, did not have any significant impact on the Han Dynasty. On the contrary, Husi Guang's proper arrangements resulted in the killing and wounding of more than 4,000 Khitan and Xi invaders.

"The Five Military Commands shall be ordered to commend and promote the generals who have made meritorious contributions in this battle. In addition, an additional corps of 15,000 men shall be added to each of Hebei and Hedong."

"I obey the decree..."

Liu Jilong put down his memorial and stared intently at the huge map hanging behind the golden platform in Zhenguan Hall.

Since he was going to take action against the Khitan and Xi tribes, he naturally had to make thorough preparations in advance.

The combined forces of the three regional military commands of Hedong, Hebei, and Liaodong numbered no more than 90,000, but with the addition of two corps, the total reached just 120,000.

Once the vast territory south of the Yanshan Mountains and the Liao River is recovered, it will be the perfect time to establish a three-level administrative division here, and 30,000 newly recruited soldiers can be stationed here to gradually develop and manage this land.

Even if they are dismantled in the future, the stone forts and artillery emplacements set up in the Yanshan Mountains can still deter the southward advance of the nomadic tribes.

However, this increased the number of Han troops from 420,000 to 510,000.

Fortunately, taxes have increased, and maintaining an army of 510,000 is no longer as difficult for the Han Dynasty as it was seven years ago.

As Liu Jilong was thinking this, he saw Liu Lie following closely behind, and upon seeing Liu Jilong, Liu Lie bowed and said:

"Father, now that the Liao affair is over, can I go to Jiaozhou to serve as an official?"

Twenty-year-old Liu Lie's eyes shone brightly. His skin had become fairer due to the past year of governing in the palace, and his features were even more handsome.

With such looks, he could have been selected as a top scholar in the imperial examinations in the past, but at this moment he has no intention of staying in Luoyang.

Liu Jilong understood this fellow quite well. He didn't actually want to become a government official; he just felt that a year of governing in the capital had created too much stress, and he wanted to go to a local government to slack off.

“It’s one thing to be a minor official, but you’ve been constantly mentioning Jiaozhou all year, making it known both inside and outside the palace.”

"I am preparing to send you to serve as the Registrar of Puning County (Anshun), Guizhou Province, under the Qianzhong Circuit. He has a few underlings, which will make it convenient for you to stay out of work."

Liu Jilong said with a smile, and Liu Lie was overjoyed upon hearing this, and quickly bowed: "When shall I depart?"

Seeing his delight, Liu Jilong continued with a smile, "The journey to Guizhou is long. We'll set off after the Lantern Festival next year and should arrive in April."

"Your subject obeys!" Liu Lie was very excited, while Liu Jilong smiled and said, "Go back and govern."

"Your subject takes his leave!" Liu Lie's joy was evident, completely unaware that Zhang Ying and the others beside him looked strange.

After he left, Liu Jilong turned to look at Jing Xiang, Zhang Ying, and the others, and Jing Xiang frowned and bowed, saying:
"Your Majesty, is it not a bit too much to ask of Your Highness to be appointed as a ninth-rank official in the remote southwest region?"

After the reforms of the Han Dynasty, a county government normally had nine chief officials with official ranks, as well as fifty to two hundred clerks depending on the population under its jurisdiction.

Puning County was under the jurisdiction of Guizhou Province, which was governed by the Qianzhong Circuit. Jingxiang remembered that the population should be around 10,000 and the number of officials should be around 60.

As one of the nine chief officials, the Household Affairs Officer was responsible not only for land surveying, population registration, and house inventory, but also for collecting taxes. He had about twelve or thirteen subordinate officials under him.

With twelve or thirteen people, he was responsible for collecting taxes from more than two thousand households in the county. Moreover, each of these twelve or thirteen people had a distinct personality, so this was no easy task.

If one is merely a clerk, then it is enough to simply do one's duty. However, if one is a principal official such as a county magistrate or county assistant, then it is because one's power is so great that the clerks dare not contradict one.

The largest and smallest locations are easy to manage, but the middle ones are the most difficult.

Liu Lie is happy now because everyone in the palace knows he is the crown prince, and no one dares to disobey him.

When he arrived in Puning County, the officials there would tell him about the importance of authority.

"How difficult is it?"

Faced with Jingxiang and the others' concerns, Liu Jilong said, "You don't need to worry about his safety. If anyone dares to leak this matter, I will personally punish them."

"Let him be happy for now. When he goes to Puning, just make sure he doesn't get so angry that he asks me for help."

After speaking, Liu Jilong looked at Ximen Junsui standing beside him: "Instruct Zhao Ying to keep a close eye on things. Even if the officials in charge know about this, if they dare to open the door to convenience, don't blame me for punishing them."

"Yes……"

Ximen Jun quickly agreed, while Jing Xiang and the others all looked helpless.

Everyone in the government knows what Zhao Ying did.

Supporting the crown prince is certainly meritorious, but if it displeases the emperor, then even if you want to gain that merit, you will have to suffer some hardship.

Moreover, the position of the crown prince of the founding emperor of every dynasty has never been stable, and now the emperor is still in good health. Who knows if this crown prince can hold on until the end?

Thinking of this, Jing Xiang and the others could only suppress their thoughts, while Liu Jilong instructed them:

"The Crown Prince has already gone to the East Pavilion. You should all go with him to perform your duties."

"Your subject respectfully withdraws..."

Jing Xiang and the others bowed and left, but after leaving Zhenguan Hall, everyone seemed to be deep in thought.

After they left, Liu Jilong sat back on the Golden Terrace, but he did not immediately begin to govern. Instead, he wrote a document and handed it to Ximen Junsui.

"Give this letter to Geng Ming. The matter of Japan concerns the future of the court and cannot be neglected."

"This servant obeys the order."

Ximen Jun agreed and sent someone to deliver the letter to Liaodong. Just as he was about to return to Jintai, footsteps were heard outside the palace gate.

Ximen Jun then looked over and saw that it was Grand Commander Cao Mao who had arrived. He quickly bowed to the people inside the hall and said, "Your Majesty, Grand Commander Cao Mao of the Central Army requests an audience."

"Come in!" Liu Jilong saw Cao Mao and a smile appeared on his face.

"Long live the Emperor!"

"No need for that, let's get down to business."

Cao Mao stepped into the hall, but before he could bow, Liu Jilong interrupted him. Seeing this, Cao Mao took the opportunity to report:

"Your Majesty, the 70,000 troops in the two capital regions are already proficient in firearms. The change of equipment will be completed in March of the eighth year of Hongwu. The force consists of 10,000 elite cavalry, 20,000 cavalry and infantry, and 40,000 infantry."

"After the change of equipment, the army will have 21,000 musketeers, 7,000 artillerymen, 125 light cannons weighing 800 jin each, and 75 heavy cannons weighing 2,000 jin each."

The two capital regions had 30,000 troops from the Six Armies of the Northern Army, 10,000 troops from the Golden Guard, and 30,000 regular soldiers stationed in local prefectures and counties.

In addition, there were 20,000 troops under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office, but they were under the Ministry of War and had nothing to do with the Five Military Commissions.

The 800-pound light cannon and the 2,000-pound heavy cannon, as well as the later Western six-pound and twelve-pound cannons, weighed 2,000 and 4,000 pounds respectively if the gun carriage is included.

Apart from the navy, which was equipped with heavy artillery, only the two regional armies in the army were equipped with heavy artillery, and the range of the heavy artillery could reach three miles, which was one mile longer than that of the light artillery.

After Cao Mao's report, Liu Jilong didn't try to hide anything, but nodded and said:
"It will take at least two years for Liaodong to recover and recuperate. In the tenth year of Hongwu, I prepared to wage war against the Khitan and Xi tribes."

"At that time, the three military commands of Hebei, Hedong, and Liaodong will send 80,000 troops, and you will lead 40,000 troops from the two capital regions to the north to participate in the battle."

Liu Jilong's decree made Cao Mao's eyes light up. He thought he would retire in Luoyang, but he never expected that he would have the opportunity to go back to the battlefield.

Upon realizing this, he quickly bowed and said, "Your subject obeys the decree!"

"Go down and train your troops well, lest you tarnish the reputation of the elite troops of the two capitals."

After giving his instructions, Liu Jilong signaled that he could leave.

"Your subject respectfully withdraws..."

Cao Mao suppressed his excitement and carefully withdrew from the Zhenguan Hall, his mind filled with thoughts of how to achieve merit on the battlefield three years later.

After he left, Liu Jilong breathed a sigh of relief and turned his gaze to the map behind him.

"Once we complete this part of Yanshan, we can focus all our efforts on recovering the southwest..."

(End of this chapter)