Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 548 Returning home in glory
"In that year, there were 9,250,670 households and 46,420,759 people in the country."

"The total cultivated land in the country is 3,125,410.7 qing, and according to the law, the land tax payable is 59,527,657 shi."

"That year, the actual tax revenue collected throughout the empire amounted to 42,612,692 shi of grain and cloth..."

At the grand court assembly held on the winter solstice in October of the thirteenth year of the Hongwu reign, when Liu Jilong, dressed in imperial robes, gathered with his ministers in the Qianyuan Hall, three months had passed since the floods in the Central Plains. The Yunnan army had also orderly withdrawn 40,000 troops, leaving only 30,000 Han soldiers and 50,000 barbarian auxiliary troops.

The North, South, West, East... all regions were at peace, and the imperial court had not issued any decrees for large-scale warfare. The whole country seemed to have settled down.

Under these circumstances, the population of the Han Dynasty increased from 44.3 million to 46.42 million in nearly four years.

The cultivated land has increased from more than 295 million mu to more than 312 million mu.

In just four years, the population has increased by an average of more than 500,000 people and more than 4 million mu of arable land each year, an achievement that is nothing short of remarkable.

However, among this increase in population, a significant number of barbarians and lands in the southwest were registered, so the actual natural growth was not that rapid.

Even so, Liu Jilong still felt gratified, so he inquired about it with Feng Bangyan, the Minister of Revenue.

What are the population and arable land areas in the five provinces of Daning, Liaodong, Beiting, Yunnan, and Qianzhong?

"Your Majesty," Feng Bangyan replied, having prepared in advance, upon hearing the emperor's question.
"At present, Daning has more than 37,000 households, more than 180,000 people, and 565,000 mu of cultivated land."

"Liaodong has more than 58,000 households, more than 290,000 people, and more than 1,465,000 mu of cultivated land."

"Beiting has more than 24,000 households, more than 130,000 people, and more than 1.22 million mu of cultivated land."

“In central Guizhou, there are more than 156,000 households, 780,000 people, and more than 2.74 million mu of cultivated land. The Han people make up 60% of the population.”

"Yunnan has more than 126,000 households, more than 640,000 people, and more than 4.4 million mu of cultivated land. The population is 10% Han and 2% Han."

As Feng Bangyan revealed the population, arable land, and ethnic situation of the five provinces, the overall situation of each province was presented to the assembled officials.

Among the five regions, Daning and Qianzhong are areas with a large population and limited land. The former was developed relatively late, while the latter is limited by its terrain.

The other three areas are sparsely populated and have a considerable amount of arable land, but they are simply short of manpower.

Among these, Yunnan's population and arable land situation seem good, but the more than four million mu of arable land is not all cultivated land that is cultivated year-round, but includes a large amount of slash-and-burn land (land used for rotational farming).

Besides, the local population was predominantly Manchu with fewer Han Chinese. The ratio of Manchus to Han Chinese was only a figure that the imperial court could grasp. In reality, hundreds of thousands or even millions of Manchus lived in the vast area south of the Ailao Mountains, which had submitted to the Han Dynasty.

The Han Dynasty cannot currently count these barbarian peoples, nor is it necessary to relocate them, at least not now.

After all, if the Han Dynasty relocated them to the north, then barbarians from the south would invade their original homeland.

Instead of relocating them, it would be better to support them in transitioning from slash-and-burn agriculture to intensive farming, allowing them to develop the land themselves. In the future, the imperial court can establish government offices and dispatch officials to collect taxes.

Before that, the imperial court still needs to get the local barbarians used to this way of paying taxes.

The most suitable option for Liu Jilong was undoubtedly the Ming Dynasty's system of controlling the distribution of taxes and quotas for the Three Proclamations and Six Condolences.

In the Central Plains, corvée labor was a form of corvée service, but in the border regions, it was simply a matter of levying gold and silver, as was the case with quota levies.

However, the Ming Dynasty's levies and taxation of gold and silver on the Three Xuan and Six Wei were too harsh and the burden too heavy, which led to most of the Three Xuan and Six Wei being only nominally loyal to the Ming Dynasty but not truly loyal. This was fine when the dynasty was strong, but when the dynasty weakened, they would take the opportunity to rebel.

Therefore, for these numerous tribes west of the Ailao Mountains, a combination of kindness and severity is still necessary.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong fell into deep thought, listening to the court officials' memorials while pondering how to solve the problem.

After Feng Bangyan and others had submitted their memorials, Liu Jilong finally spoke:

"After thinking about it, I realized that the terrain of Yunnan Province is complex, especially the areas east and west of Gaoligong Mountain and north and south of Ailao Mountain."

"I believe that the chiefs of the tribes east of Gaoligong Mountain and north of Ailao Mountain should be granted official positions and ordered to learn Mandarin and Chinese characters."

“Each department was established with counties, townships and villages based on the size of its population. The imperial court organized them to leave the mountains and cultivate land on the plains, providing them with oxen, farming tools and grain for land reclamation. In the future, they would pay taxes according to one-tenth of the tax rate.”

"The chieftains, according to their circumstances, serve as county lieutenants, township officials, village chiefs, and other positions, and they are all my subjects."

“Those living west of Gaoligong Mountain and south of Ailao Mountain are granted official positions by their chiefs. Every year, the chiefs are allowed to use their salaries to exchange for goods in Kunming. However, each tribe is required to pay a tax of varying amounts depending on its size.”

"If the court needs to mobilize its troops, it will be exempted from paying taxes. If any soldiers of the tribe die in battle, officials will be dispatched by the Yunnan Governor-General's Office and the Imperial Inspector to investigate and provide relief and compensation."

"Most of them were Nanzhao, Champa, Zhenla, and Pyu, while the rest were all medium and small tribes."

As soon as Liu Jilong finished speaking, Cui Shu stepped forward and bowed, asking, "Your Majesty, may I ask if the silver levied is in silver as tax?"

“Gold, silver, and copper coins are all acceptable.” Liu Jilong nodded in response. Cui Shu then continued to inquire, “Your Majesty, how much gold and silver should be allocated to each ministry?”

"The amount required for the conversion of most gold and silver is five thousand strings of cash, the amount required for the middle part is one thousand strings of cash, and the amount required for the small part is between five hundred and one hundred strings of cash."

"The chieftains of the major tribes are granted the title of Prince, the chieftains of the central tribes are granted the title of Governor, and the chieftains of the minor tribes are granted the titles of Military Commander, Captain, or Special General, depending on the number of tribes."

“If a tribe has fewer than one hundred households, no taxes will be levied, nor will any official positions be issued.”

After Liu Jilong made these remarks, the courtiers in the hall probably all understood his meaning: to suppress the majority and win over the minority.

The small amount of silver paid by the minor officials was not even enough to cover their official salaries, while the middle officials received more silver, but they could exchange their salaries for goods at low prices, so it was considered good value for money.

Most of them had to pay 5,000 strings of cash in taxes every year, but they only received 1,000 strings of cash in salary. It was clear that the court was suppressing them.

These extra incomes were not much for the entire Han Dynasty, but for the damaged Nanzhao Kingdom and the other southern states, they were a considerable sum.

Although it's a matter of cutting off a piece of flesh, the amount isn't significant, and there's no need for any country to challenge the Han Dynasty over such a small difference. It's like boiling a frog in lukewarm water.

The officials nodded in agreement, and Liu Jilong continued, "This matter will be primarily handled by the three Yunnan provincial authorities, the supervising censors, and the patrolling censors."

"Furthermore, the provincial inspections have been held for a long time now. I wonder what the current situation of the provincial inspections is?"

Now that Liu Jilong had established the system of local officials and corvée labor, he naturally began to manage the Yunnan immigrant population.

The best candidates for immigration are undoubtedly these educated criminals and their families who are resourceful and have little sense of guilt when migrating.

"His Majesty……"

Upon seeing his father's inquiry, Liu Lie immediately stepped forward and bowed to Liu Jilong, saying:

"The inspection in the capital is still ongoing, but according to the Great Han Law, 220 corrupt officials in the eastern and western parts of Shannan, as well as those in the two parts of Qianzhong and Yunnan should be beheaded and 4,557 exiled."

"His relatives and family members numbered over 225,000, and they should all be exiled."

"I believe that those exiled from central Guizhou should be exiled to the prefectures of southern Guizhou, and the rest should be exiled to Yunnan."

As soon as Liu Lie finished speaking, the hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

More than 4,700 people were implicated, but the result was that 220,000 people were implicated. Heaven knows how many of these cases were wrongful convictions.
Although the court officials all knew that the court needed a sufficient population to relocate and settle in the countryside, they certainly did not expect that Liu Lie would implicate so many people.

"If that's the case, then let's do as the Crown Prince says."

Liu Jilong agreed without saying a word. Although 220,000 people is relatively few, when you add the more than 100,000 Han people who have already migrated and those who originally settled in Yunnan, they can almost become the main ethnic group in Yunnan.

Moreover, there is no limit to the number of times the Beijing Inspection can be carried out. My body can hold out for a long time, and I can at least carry out another Beijing Inspection in a few years, which will involve another 100,000 to 200,000 people going to Yunnan.

However, while the method of exile was good, it was still necessary to ensure that the people arrived in Yunnan unharmed. Therefore, careful arrangements had to be made along the way to prevent these people from dying from the epidemic.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong looked at Feng Bangyan of the Ministry of Revenue and couldn't help but ask, "How is the court arranging the criminals who have been exiled to Yunnan from various provinces?"

Feng Bangyan was taken aback for a moment, but quickly realized that his emperor was asking about the arrangements for the convicts along the way, so he hurriedly replied:

"Your Majesty, when traveling from Rongzhou to Yunnan, if the imperial decrees are conveyed, the officials along the way shall follow the regulations and set up soup kitchens and thatched huts every ten li along the official roads within the territory to provide food and rest for the convicts."

"The provincial judicial commissioners dispatched state soldiers to escort criminals to their places of exile, traveling thirty li each day."

After Feng Bangyan finished speaking, Liu Jilong frowned, then gave the following instructions:

"Winter is approaching. Order the relevant officials in the prefectures and counties to repair the thatched huts and houses, repair ten houses at each post station, and prepare one hundred tents."

“Yunnan is remote. If there are any rebellions by barbarian tribes in the future, we will have to send troops from other places to fight them.”

"These houses and tents can be left behind for the army to rest in the future."

"Furthermore, although the criminals are guilty, they are still my children. I hereby order the relevant officials in the prefectures and counties to provide each criminal with two catties of large-mouthed porridge and one catty of small-mouthed porridge per meal. If many criminals are killed or injured along the way, the officials in charge shall be held accountable."

Liu Jilong's words surprised the court officials, after all, he was the one who implicated so many people, and he was also the one who took care of them.

After a brief moment of surprise, they all realized why their emperor cared so much about these criminals.

Ultimately, what His Majesty needs is people, enough people to immigrate to the land.

If these criminals can all reach their places of exile safely, thus keeping Yunnan firmly in the hands of the imperial court, then His Majesty will have no need to launch a major campaign.

Officials who thought they had figured things out breathed a sigh of relief. After all, so many people were involved this time, and even if only half of them arrived, it would be enough for the Yunnan Provincial Government to handle for a long time.

"How are the performance evaluations in Henan and Huainan Circuits?"

Liu Jilong did not give the officials a chance to react and continued to question Liu Lie. Liu Lie bowed and said, "According to the Law of the Great Han Dynasty, 124 people should be beheaded and 3,392 people should be exiled."

“His relatives and family members numbered over 135,000, and they should all be exiled.”

"I believe that all these criminals should be exiled to Daning and Liaodong, especially Pyongyang and Liaobei."

As expected, the situation unfolded as it did. Although it only involved more than 135,000 people, these people were enough to push the population of Daning to over 200,000 and Liaodong to over 400,000.

“There are many Goguryeo people in Pyongyang. I think it is advisable to relocate more than 20,000 Goguryeo people from Pyongyang to Henan Province.”

Seeing that the relocation of the criminals had been settled, Choi Su took the initiative to bring up the matter of the Goguryeo refugees in Pyongyang.

Today, the Great Han has recovered the land in the northwestern part of the Korean Peninsula, but the area is mainly inhabited by descendants of Goguryeo. Of the more than 40,000 people in the area, more than 20,000 are descendants of Goguryeo, several thousand are Silla people, and the rest are Han Chinese who have adopted non-Korean culture.

If the Goguryeo people, who constitute the dominant ethnic group in the area, are relocated, and then more than 20,000 Han Chinese are relocated to Pyongyang, the Han population in Pyongyang can be restored to the level of the Western Han Dynasty.

However, Liu Jilong was far from satisfied. After all, he wanted to recover the four commanderies of Han, and according to the intelligence he obtained through Zhao Ying, the internal situation of Silla seemed to be in great chaos.

If Silla shows signs of division, then the Han Dynasty can send troops to reclaim Silla and extend its military might to the Sea of ​​Japan.

If Japan were to return after developing the Iwami silver mine, the imperial court could directly send troops from Korea to attack the Iwami region of Japan.

However, despite the good idea, the Han Dynasty still faced the problem of population.

After two hundred years of peace, Silla's population was comparable to that of Balhae. If the Han Dynasty wanted to reclaim Silla, it would have to find a way to exacerbate internal strife in Silla, causing a sharp decline in its population, while simultaneously increasing the population of Liaodong.

While pondering, Liu Jilong said, "Pyongyang has a lot of arable land. We can order the Henan and Huainan routes to transport grain and store 500,000 shi of grain in Pyongyang. We can also relocate 20,000 Goguryeo remnants to Henan and exile 50,000 criminals to Pyongyang."

"Your Majesty's decree shall be obeyed..."

Upon hearing Liu Jilong's offer to send 50,000 criminals to Pyongyang, Liu Lie instinctively thought of Silla, which bordered Pyongyang.

If what my father said about the Seokmi silver mine is true, then taking over Silla would indeed benefit the court in controlling the Seokmi silver mine in the future.

However, Silla is mountainous with limited land, and its population is as high as two to three million, making it difficult to deal with.

Moreover, Liaodong is weak, and the only way to attack Silla is to rely on the transport of grain from Henan, Huainan, and Jiangnan. It seems that now is not a good time to attack Silla.

What is the population situation in Jiangnan West Circuit, Jiangnan East Circuit, and Lingnan Circuit?

Liu Jilong suddenly asked a question, and Feng Bangyan was taken aback for a moment before stepping forward to answer:

"Your Majesty, there are more than 4.8 million people in Jiangnan West Circuit, more than 6.5 million people in Jiangnan East Circuit, and more than 2.9 million people in Lingnan Circuit."

Although the Han Dynasty has been migrating people from Jiangnan to various places in Qianzhong and Lingnan over the years, the population in the eastern and western parts of Jiangnan is still quite large.

The population of Lingnan Road is not large, at least not in Liu Jilong's eyes, because many of them are barbarians, and there are many more unregistered barbarians.

Nowadays, apart from a few prefectures in Lingdong which are predominantly Han Chinese, Lingxi, Qiongya, and Annam are mainly inhabited by various ethnic groups who are rivals to the Han Chinese.

That's why Liu Jilong left these three routes until the end, because what he needed to do was to relocate the people of Jiangnan to Yunnan and Lingnan.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong looked towards Liuli, and Liu Lie, knowing full well what was going on, said:

"Your Majesty, I believe that since all the circuits have already undergone the capital inspection, it is now appropriate to conduct the capital inspections for the Jiangnan East and West Circuits and the Lingnan Circuit."

After Liu Lie spoke, the hall was immediately agitated, but it quickly returned to calm.

"allow!"

Liu Jilong agreed without changing his expression, while Liu Lie breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that no officials jumped out from the surrounding area.

"Your Majesty, your subject, Yang Zhiwen, Minister of Rites, has something to report..."

Yang Zhiwen, Liu Jilong's former matchmaker, now over sixty years old, spoke up after Liu Lie's memorial, drawing attention to him and raising hopes that he would step forward to stop the capital inspection.

Unfortunately, they were overthinking it, because Yang Zhiwen was simply handling official business.

"Your Majesty, the Tibetan king has dispatched his son, Noru Gyatso, as an envoy to our dynasty. He has now arrived at the Luoyang State Guesthouse and requests an audience with Your Majesty."

"He is permitted to have an audience at the Zhenguan Hall three days later."

Liu Jilong spoke without hesitation, after all, he still planned to turn Tibet into a horse farm for the Han Dynasty.

In the early Ming Dynasty, there was a shortage of horses, but due to the effective implementation of the tea-horse system by Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di, Tibet became an important horse breeding ground for both the Ming and Qing Dynasties for the next few centuries.

As global temperatures drop, Tibet can only become a local regime reliant on the Central Plains, and the tea-horse trade became a powerful tool for the Han Dynasty to control Tibet.

As he was thinking this, Geng Ming of the Five Armies Commandery stepped forward, bowed to Liu Jilong, and said:

"Your Majesty, the Five Armies Command reported that the Sado Imperial Mines mined 15,457 taels of gold this year."

"In addition, King Sadamyo of Japan was forced by his uncle Mototsune to abdicate on the grounds of illness and became the retired king."

"Afterwards, despite the opposition of others, Mototsune appointed his close cousin, the 55-year-old Tokiyasu, as the King of Japan."

Geng Ming's words immediately caused a huge uproar, and Yang Zhiwen from the Ministry of Rites immediately bowed upon hearing them:

"Your Majesty, Japan is also a descendant of the Celestial Empire. How can you depose and install emperors without the Celestial Empire's permission?"

"I believe that we must send envoys to order Ki Kyung and Si Kang to return the throne to Jeongmyeong."

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal..."

Immediately, many officials stood up to express their support for Yang Zhiwen's suggestion, but Liu Jilong looked at Geng Ming.

"You have very close ties with Japan. What do you think should be done about this?"

Geng Ming was in charge of the navy, and he usually stayed at the Five Armies Commandery when he had nothing to do, so he was rarely seen on many occasions.

He wouldn't be here if it weren't for something happening in Japan and the fact that today is a major assembly.

Upon hearing Liu Jilong's inquiry, he respectfully bowed and said:

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, Shi Kangcong was the great-uncle of the former Japanese King Sadaaki. Ji Jing did not carry out the act of deposing or installing an emperor. On the contrary, he honored him as the Retired King, and the proper etiquette was not violated."

"Furthermore, Ji Jing has always respectfully agreed to the court's requests and has never refused them."

"On the contrary, Zhenming has repeatedly harbored rebellious thoughts and even dared to talk about raising troops to invade the border, which is truly disloyal."

"In my humble opinion, the court could take this opportunity to order the establishment of an official workshop on Oki Island in the northern border of Iwami. This would serve two purposes: firstly, to allow the court to stockpile goods, and secondly, to teach the techniques of refining gold and silver, such as the ash-blowing method, to the base manager, clearly demonstrating the abundance of silver reserves in the Iwami mine and stating that the new method could double the output."

"If Ji Jing is not delirious, he will surely devote all his efforts to mining. At that time, the profits from the silver mine will inevitably attract the covetousness of the surrounding powerful clans and state officials, and disputes will arise."

"Only when internal strife frequently arises can the imperial court intervene with ease. From then on, Japanese silver will flow like a spring and all of it will enter our dynasty..."

Liu Jilong hadn't expected Geng Ming to speak in such a refined manner, and couldn't help but nod and look at Yang Zhiwen and the others from the Ministry of Rites.

The previously clamoring crowd fell silent upon hearing that Zhenming intended to launch a military campaign against the imperial court.

Seeing that they had stopped shouting, Liu Jilong nodded and said, "In that case, I will leave this matter to you."

"Furthermore..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials, before continuing:

"I intend to make an inspection tour of Hexi next February. The expenses along the way should be kept simple. The Crown Prince will oversee the country from today."

Upon hearing this, the courtiers all gasped in shock. They were not worried about Liu Lie overseeing the country, nor about Liu Jilong's tour of Hexi, but rather about Liu Jilong using the tour as a pretext to continue his inspection of the Hexi and Longxi regions.

They might be able to hide many things from Liu Lie, but they certainly couldn't hide them from their own emperor.

Thinking of this, everyone felt extremely uneasy and wished they could leave the court immediately to make arrangements in advance.

"Since there are no objections, let's adjourn the court."

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Seeing that no one raised any objections, Liu Jilong stood up and prepared to step down from the golden platform. The officials in the Qianyuan Hall also rose from their seats, bowed to Liu Jilong, and then withdrew.

With less than four months to go, the veteran officials quickened their pace, preparing to make arrangements early to avoid giving themselves away.

Liu Jilong was fully aware of this, but he had no intention of stopping it.

Corrupt officials are like leeks; once harvested, they grow back. Even if transplanted to new soil, these leeks will still thrive. All he can do is harvest them after they've grown tall, using them as fertilizer to nourish the soil, instead of digging deeper into their origins.

Because the root of corruption among officials lies in human nature, which is something he cannot solve.

With these thoughts in mind, Liu Jilong and Liu Lie rode in a carriage towards Zhenguan Hall. Seeing that Liu Jilong had finished the court assembly, Liu Lie spoke to him from inside the carriage:

"Father, this inspection in the capital has uncovered more than 13 million strings of cash in various forms of money and grain, and the land area is still being measured."

"The confiscated money and grain from Jiannan, Qianzhong, Henan and other provinces were left in the local area, and the strategy was to use this to buy grain cheaply and transport it to Yunnan, Liaodong and Daning."

"Thirty percent of the money and grain from the eastern and western routes of Shannan and Huainan will be retained, and the remainder will be transported to Luoyang."

"Your subject has estimated that once the money and grain arrive, the court will have no less than 20 million strings of cash and 8 million shi of grain available in the capital."

“The local government’s warehouses and granaries can be used to raise about eight million strings of cash and thirty-six million shi of grain.”

"With the national treasury so full, we can continue the court's previous policy of recruiting laborers during the agricultural off-season, ordering all prefectures and counties to reinforce and raise the river embankments, and dredge the waterways in various places."

The scenes of the flood were still vivid in his mind; otherwise, Liu Lie would never have thought of building water conservancy projects.

Liu Jilong agreed wholeheartedly, looking at Liu Lie and saying, "This is certainly a good thing, you can handle it yourself."

"As long as it benefits the people, all money and grain can be spent. Remember that all money and grain in the national treasury comes from the people. If money and grain are used for personal gain, it will harm the country; if they are used for the people, it will benefit them."

"The people are like water; water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. This must be carefully considered."

"Yes." Liu Lie nodded in agreement, and at that moment the carriage stopped outside the Zhenguan Hall.

He got out of the car first, helped Liu Jilong out of the car and watched him walk into the hall before getting back into the car and returning to the East Pavilion.

At the same time, Liu Lie, upon returning to Zhenguan Palace, instructed Ximen Junsui: "Go and inquire among the princes whether any of them accompanied me on this tour."

Having been away from Hebei and Longxi for many years, I am finally able to go back again, which feels like returning home in glory.

Liu Jilong naturally wanted his old brothers to experience it as well, which is why he instructed Ximen Junsui.

Ximen Jun agreed upon hearing this and then sent people to inquire about the various princely residences.

Half a day had passed when the eunuch returned to Zhenguan Hall. Liu Jilong could roughly guess the reaction of the crowd from his expression.

As expected, apart from a few people such as Cao Mao, Husi Guang, and An Pohu, the rest, including Zhang Chang, Ma Cheng, Chen Ying, and Yang Xin, either couldn't get away or declined on the grounds of old age.

Liu Jilong naturally felt some regret about this, but he didn't dwell on it for long before throwing himself back into his daily governance.

There are so many things in life worth regretting, and it's impossible for him to spend a lot of time regretting everything.

He has plenty of time, but not enough, and it's not worth wasting it on these things.

Under this routine of governance, the two days passed quickly.

As the appointed day arrived, Meru Gyatso, son of Meru Danzeng, came to Zhenguan Hall as the crown prince of Tubo. He bowed three times to Liu Jilong before slowly rising.

He looked no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a Han Chinese turban and a round-necked robe. His skin was slightly dark, and his features were very regular.

"I have come to pay homage to Your Majesty the Emperor of Tianhan on the orders of my father, and to express my gratitude for Your Majesty's kindness to Tibet."

Lu Jiacuo knelt down to express his gratitude again, but Liu Jilong did not stop him. Instead, he spoke to Lu Jiacuo after he finished kowtowing, indicating that he should rise.

"Rise, and tell me what difficulties your father has in sending you here."

Liu Jilong knew that Lu Danzeng was more patient and had a longer-term vision than Shang Bibi and Shang Moyan.

Since Mulu Danzeng learned about the firearms of the Han Dynasty, almost all the noble sons of Mulu Tubo now have to go to Songzhou to study at the official Han school.

Furthermore, if a slave could learn to speak fluent Mandarin and write Chinese characters by following a Han Chinese monk who had entered Tibet, he would be granted the privilege of being freed from slavery.

Today, Tibet is divided into two factions: one is the Molu Tibet, and the other is the original Tibet of the Zanpu (Tibetan king) of the Xibuye clan.

In the two existing Tibetan regimes, Tibetan slaves of the Xibuye clan could only escape their slave status through military merit and special contributions.

However, this military merit privilege was only granted to warriors who had achieved merits such as beheading generals, capturing flags, and charging into battle among the Han people, while special contributions were reserved for craftsmen who had mastered special skills.

The problem was that the slaves had nowhere to learn, and coupled with their weak bodies and lack of sufficient armor and weapons, both ways of escaping slavery were harder than climbing to heaven.

In comparison, the Tubo Kingdom, which adopted many of Liu Jilong's policies, appeared much more enlightened.

All slaves who participate in the war and achieve victory can be freed from slavery. Furthermore, those who can learn Mandarin and Chinese characters from monks can also be freed from slavery.

Although the conditions were still harsh, it was still a significant improvement over the Tibetan dynasty of the Xibuye clan.

This is why Lu Danzeng was able to gain the upper hand in his battles against the Xibuye clan over the years.

"Your Majesty, the war between the Meilu clan and the Xibuye clan has reached a stalemate. My father heard that the war has ended and therefore sent me to inquire whether we could borrow gunpowder from our vassal state to help him defeat the Xibuye clan..."

In the past, Liu Jilong promised to help Meru Danzeng unify the entire Tubo Kingdom, but because the Han Dynasty was not yet at peace and many territories had not yet been recovered, Liu Jilong kept delaying.

Now that most of the major battles that the Han Dynasty needed to fight have come to an end, Liu Jilong naturally has no need to hide anything.

Moreover, the Han Dynasty could be an arms dealer, rather than a technology transfer agent.

Even if the Tibetans cracked the gunpowder technology, they would still be no match for the Han army, given their limited resources and technology. After all, the Han army's most crucial technologies were cannon casting and firearms.

These technologies require supporting techniques such as iron smelting and forging. Even Liu Jilong himself spent a considerable amount of time developing them after gathering the most outstanding craftsmen in the Tang Dynasty, let alone other countries.

With these thoughts in mind, Liu Jilong spoke up: "Tibet is also a subject of the Han Dynasty. The Subuye clan does not respect our teachings and should be destroyed."

“You may return to Jincheng and tell your father that after the summer of next year, you can go to the Songzhou trade market to purchase gunpowder. Every year, the imperial court can exchange 10,000 catties of gunpowder with them.”

Ten thousand catties of gunpowder was only a day's production for the Han Dynasty.

If Tibet wanted to stockpile gunpowder to deal with the Han, who knows how long it would take to do so.

However, if this gunpowder were used on the battlefield against the Shibuya clan, that would be a different story.

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace!"

Lu Jiacuo hadn't expected things to go so smoothly, and immediately knelt down and kowtowed again. Liu Jilong waited until he finished his three kowtows before speaking:

"The weather is cold now, and the court has obtained cotton for warmth. This item will also be included in next year's trade. I will have an eunuch deliver a cotton-padded coat to you later. You can take it back to Jincheng and have your father take a look."

"Your Majesty, I humbly obey your decree and thank you for your grace..."

Lu Jiacuo quickly bowed, and Liu Jilong, seeing this, looked at Ximen Junsui beside him.

Upon seeing this, Ximen Jun immediately raised his voice: "Step back..."

"Your Majesty, I respectfully withdraw. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

Upon realizing that his mission was complete, Lu Jiacuo immediately left the Zhenguan Hall and was taken back to the State Guesthouse by officials from the Ministry of Rites.

After he left, Ximen Jun bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, what is the price of gunpowder and cotton at the border trade...?"

"Their horses were priced at ten, five, and three strings of cash respectively, with gunpowder costing one string per pound and cotton costing one hundred coins per pound."

Liu Jilong spoke without hesitation, while reminding others: "The relevant officials of the Southern Court and the Five Military Commands should also discuss carefully and offer a lower price than before for all kinds of supplies."

Since the goal is to support the Tubo Kingdom, it's impossible to continue at the previous price; some benefits must be conceded.

"Yes……"

Ximen Jun agreed and then sent someone to the East Upper Pavilion to tell the cabinet ministers and Liu Lie who were handling affairs there.

"I understand. You may leave."

"Your subject takes his leave..."

Inside the East Upper Pavilion, after hearing the message, Liu Lie dismissed the eunuch who had come to deliver it, and after the eunuch left, he looked at the several Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet inside the East Upper Pavilion.

After he asked the question, the cabinet fell silent. All seven cabinet ministers lowered their heads in deep thought, weighing the pros and cons and the dangers involved.

After a long silence, Xie Tong, the older of the three, hesitated before speaking: "Your Highness, I believe this is a feasible plan."

"Ten thousand catties of gunpowder is a huge amount, but if we can use the hands of the Molu family to completely eliminate the former Tibetan ruler, the Xibuye family, and cut off their royal lineage, then the internal strife in Tibet will last a long time, and the plateau will never have a peaceful day."

"This is the best strategy of using barbarians to control barbarians. For our great Han, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks."

Before Liu Lie could speak, Zhang Ying frowned and said, "Your Highness! Those who are not of our kind are bound to have different intentions!"

"Gunpowder is a powerful weapon of the nation; how can it be lightly given to foreign countries?"

"If we don't use Lu's forces to attack Xibuye today, who knows if they won't turn their guns on our dynasty when they become powerful?"

"This matter concerns the very foundation of the nation. I must see His Majesty in person, explain the advantages and disadvantages, and persuade His Majesty to rescind his decree!"

After Zhang Ying finished speaking, the several Grand Secretaries who were about to speak all fell silent, while Liu Lie calmly surveyed them: "What do you all think?"

Upon Liu Lie's inquiry, Guo Shu, one of the Grand Secretaries, spoke up: "When I was at Linzhou University, I studied physics and geography under His Majesty's guidance."

"The world is gradually getting colder, which is due to the cycle."

"With every drop in temperature, the production of grain in the harsh highlands becomes more difficult. This is the knowledge Your Majesty imparted to us in the past."

"Therefore, even if the Lu family had unified Tibet, its land and resources would have gradually declined, making it difficult for them to compete with the Han Dynasty."

"If we help them get rid of their biggest threat today, they will only become more dependent on our dynasty for food, ironware, and trade in the future."

"I believe that Your Majesty's plan is well-thought-out and without any flaws."

Upon hearing Guo Shu bring up the emperor, Zheng Gongquan and Duan Wei nodded in support.

Seeing that everyone had expressed their opinions, Jing Xiang, who had been silent, finally made a decision: "Your colleagues have analyzed the pros and cons very thoroughly."

"In my opinion, since Your Majesty has made a decision, you must have a foolproof plan."

"Your Highness is in charge of the country and manages countless affairs every day. If we were to argue with His Majesty about these already decided policies, it would be too much of a burden on His Majesty's mind, and it would not be the proper course of a subject or a son."

"We, your subjects, should respectfully follow the imperial edict, proceed step by step, perform our duties, and do our jobs well. This is the proper course of action."

Seeing that no one supported her, Zhang Ying's face turned slightly pale. Her lips trembled a few times, as if she wanted to argue, but in the end she couldn't bring herself to say anything.

Upon seeing this, Liu Lie nodded, thinking to himself that there were quite a few factions within this cabinet, far less harmonious than his own Eastern Palace.

However, if interests become involved in the future, the harmony of the Crown Prince's palace may become a thing of the past, so we must be wary.

Thinking of this, he said, "Since everyone has reached a consensus, then let us proceed according to His Majesty's decree."

"Your Highness is wise..."

Upon hearing this, Xie Tong, Jing Xiang, and others bowed and sang, while Liu Lie instructed Xie Tong to draft an imperial edict to be sent to the Southern Office.

Before long, the imperial decree was sent to the Southern Office and then delivered to Songzhou by fast horse.

At the same time, the imperial inspection teams deployed in various circuits also began to set off for the eastern and western circuits of Jiangnan and the Lingnan circuit under Liu Lie's orders.

Winters in Jiangnan are naturally damp and cold, but compared to the sweltering heat of summer, Guo Chongtao and others can still bear it; they just need to wear thicker cotton-padded clothes.

As Guo Chongtao and others inspected Jiangnan, Cui Shu and other noble families in Longyou also repeatedly issued orders to their family members in Longyou to behave themselves.

Time passed from the depths of winter to the twelfth lunar month, until the crackling of firecrackers signaled the end of the thirteenth year of the Hongwu reign.

All the government offices across the country changed the banners and sails that had been hanging with the date "Hongwu Thirteenth Year" to "Hongwu Fourteenth Year".

In this situation, a force of nearly 10,000 men, composed of elite cavalry from the Six Armies of the Northern Army and troops from the Eastern Capital, appeared on the official road outside Luoyang.

The eight thousand Han soldiers were all elite cavalry and infantrymen, and there were also nearly a thousand accompanying imperial physicians, palace eunuchs, and female officials.

More than two thousand officials of rank from Luoyang came to see them off, watching as a jade carriage and more than ten large carriages appeared.

To the surprise of the officials, more than ten carriages also appeared from the direction of Shangyang Palace, using the emperor's entourage and escorted by more than a hundred people.

Many veteran officials lowered their heads upon seeing this, while the officials selected during the Hongwu era discussed it amongst themselves.

Before long, as the dozen or so carriages arrived, a figure stepped down from the leading jade carriage after it came to a stop.

Li Yi, who was already thirty-one years old, stepped down from the imperial carriage dressed in the robes of a prince. Facing the many officials, he was filled with emotion.

Although Liu Jilong permitted him to wear the emperor's everyday clothes, he knew which occasions he could wear them and which he could not.

Amidst the complex gazes of the assembled officials, he approached Liu Jilong's jade carriage, bowed before it, and said, "Your subject, Li Yi, Prince of Longxi, pays his respects to Your Majesty..."

As he bowed in respect, Liu Jilong stepped down from the jade carriage.

Although he was fifty-four, he looked like he was thirty-seven or thirty-eight, which made Li Yi, who had not seen him for a long time, feel dazed.

"Your Majesty's appearance remains unchanged, Your Majesty..."

Li Yi didn't know what to say, so Liu Jilong helped him up and said, "I am also your brother-in-law. The Empress is not feeling well during this trip, so Consort Li will accompany her. You can catch up with Consort Li."

“Yes…” Li Yi nodded repeatedly, and Liu Jilong also spoke up:

“Longxi is a small place, so your royal palace will be built in Xiangwu, and all your fiefs will be moved to Xiangwu. You need not worry too much.”

“Yes…” Li Yi was a little embarrassed. Although he had been granted the title of Prince of Longxi over the years, he had actually been living in Shangyang Palace.

In his early years, he was indeed worried, concerned about when Liu Jilong would deal with him.

But as time went by, he no longer had such worries.

If Liu Jilong hadn't informed him that he would be enfeoffed in Xiangwu after this tour, he would have wanted to live in Shangyang Palace for the rest of his life.

Furthermore, if anyone in the entire Han Dynasty wanted Liu Jilong to live to be a hundred years old, it would undoubtedly be him.

Liu Jilong has shown through his actions that he will not harm himself, but his descendants may not be so.

Thinking of this, Li Yi heard footsteps behind him.

When he turned around, he saw Crown Prince Liu Lie approaching, surrounded by Cao Mao, Husi Guang, An Pohu, Zhang Chang, Ma Cheng, Chen Jingchong, Cui Shu, and others.

"His Majesty……"

Liu Lie and the others bowed, but Li Yi stepped aside to avoid it, while Liu Jilong accepted the bow generously, while looking at Chen Jingchong, Zhang Chang, Ma Cheng and the others.

Facing the three of them, Liu Jilong's expression was somewhat relieved, yet also somewhat reluctant: "Aren't you coming back to Shandan with me?"

"I'm getting old, and my legs can't carry me anymore..."

Ma Cheng responded with a wry smile, while Liu Jilong looked at Chen Jingchong, Zhang Chang, and the others.

"Your Majesty, we are unable to leave..."

"So do I, your Highness."

The two responded with smiles. Liu Jilong didn't say anything after hearing this, but nodded and looked at Liu Lie.

He stepped forward and straightened Liu Lie's turban, which flattered Liu Lie.

After tidying him up, Liu Jilong patted him on the shoulders and smiled with satisfaction: "Looks better this way, more energetic. Get the things done."

"Yes!" Liu Lie nodded, knowing that his father was talking about the Imperial Examination.

Seeing that he had nothing to say to him, Liu Jilong did not linger, but looked at Cao Mao, Husi Guang, An Pohu and other people who were willing to accompany him on the tour.

"Let's go home and see..."

"Yes!"

The group responded loudly, then followed with smiles.

Liu Lie and the others followed. When they saw that Liu Jilong was about to ride a horse, Liu Lie was surprised and couldn't help but say, "Father, this journey has been tiring. You should take a carriage."

Upon hearing this, Liu Jilong turned his horse around, scanned the crowd, and couldn't help but laugh heartily:

"You are most comfortable riding in carriages, but for me, riding a horse is the most comfortable... Giddy up!!"

Before anyone could answer, he flicked the reins and rode off. Husiguang and the others, unaware of what had happened, mounted their horses one after another and followed him along the official road toward the western mountains.

Watching their retreating figures, Chen Jingchong, Zhang Chang, Ma Cheng, Cui Shu, and others remained silent, while Liu Lie's eyes held a mixture of worry and excitement.

As the procession began to head west until his father disappeared from sight, Liu Lie turned to look at the magnificent city of Luoyang.

The city of Luoyang once did not belong to him, but now it finally belongs to him, at least temporarily.

In the distant future, this city of Luoyang will belong entirely to him...

(End of this chapter)