Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 274, "The Order of Overseas Nobility," ushered in a new era of Chinese maritime exploration!

In November 1236, the leaders of thirteen sects in Tibet, including the Sakya, Nyingma, Gongga, and Gadam, arrived in Liangzhou with household registers and population records of the major sects to pay homage to Zhao Yan, the second prince of the Zhao Shuo Khanate.

According to Zhao Shuo's plan, Zhao Yan, as a prince, will be stationed in Tibet for five years to pave the way for the complete integration of Tibet into the Chinese territory.

Zhao Shuo hasn't actually figured out how to govern the empire in the future.

In the past, he would have undoubtedly granted Tibet to one of his sons without hesitation. The geographical environment of this place is too harsh; the land is barren, and the population is sparse. As long as stability can be maintained and it doesn't cause trouble for the Central Plains, that's good enough.

If one of Zhao Shuo's descendants could transform Tibet into a fertile land of China, it would already be considered a great achievement.

However, this is not a wired telegraph; is there any hope of completing it in Zhao Shuo's lifetime?
Should Tibet maintain a unified global empire, or should it implement a system of enfeoffment? If so, which regions should be enfeoffed? Should Tibet have implemented such an enfeoffment system?
Zhao Shuo was somewhat undecided.

Besides, Zhao Shuo only has five sons who have come of age. How many of them will eventually become capable of governing a region? Who is suitable to be enfeoffed in which place? It is too early to say now.

Therefore, Zhao Shuo only temporarily decided that Zhao Yan would guard Tibet for five years.

The thirteen leaders of the Tibetan Empire had, of course, already known about Zhao Yan's garrison in Tibet. Inside the Liangzhou prefectural government office, they paid their respects to Zhao Yan with great ceremony.

To express their loyalty to Zhao Shuo's Khanate, they took the initiative to propose that Zhao Shuo be given the honorific title of Manjushri Bodhisattva, claiming that Zhao Shuo was the reincarnation of Manjushri Bodhisattva and should rightfully rule the entire Tibetan Empire.

Zhao Yan would certainly not agree with this.

Guyuk is known as "the God of Heaven, Guyuk Khan on Earth, and the Emperor of all mankind," so Zhao Shuo calling himself "Manjushri Bodhisattva" is just too beneath him.

Besides, this is too easy for those Tibetan lamas.

Of course, if they claimed to the people on the plateau that it was Manjushri Bodhisattva reincarnated as Zhao Shuo Khan and had shown great compassion by allocating land to them, Zhao Yan would not care.

Then, Zhao Yan announced further orders to Tibet.

First, all the private soldiers of the Tibetan Empire must be surrendered. Some will become ordinary citizens and be given land. Others, the more valiant ones, will be transferred to the military forces of the Zhao Shuo Khanate.

The five thousand bravest men, together with the five thousand soldiers Zhao Yan brought to the grasslands, will form a new ten thousand households.

This commander was not included in the Eight Banners; his designation was the Gaoyuan Commander of the Zhao Shuo Khanate.

Although the leaders of the Thirteen factions had anticipated this outcome, they were still deeply disheartened. After the reorganization, they would have no military force left and could only exert influence on the Tibetans through psychological means.

The news that Zhao Yan announced next was all good news for the Tibetans as a whole.

Firstly, after the military and political personnel of the Zhao Shuo Khanate entered Tibet, they not only carried out land redistribution but also distributed iron farm tools to the people. These farm tools were interest-free, with the principal to be repaid over ten years.

Tibet originally possessed a certain number of iron agricultural tools. Princess Wencheng's arrival in Tibet brought with her various advanced technologies from the Central Plains.

Otherwise, during the Tang Dynasty, how could Tibet have fielded hundreds of thousands of troops to fight against the Tang army and even have victories and defeats on both sides?
However, since the late Tang Dynasty, the climate has cooled, making the Tibetan lands increasingly unsuitable for human habitation. Furthermore, the fragmentation of Tibet and the ensuing infighting among various powers further damaged productivity.

By now, even iron plows have become rare items in Tibet, let alone other agricultural tools. Coupled with the exploitative practices of these religious leaders, the lives of the Tibetan people are extremely impoverished. It's only because of Tibet's strong religious atmosphere; in other regions, they would likely have already risen up in rebellion.

When Zhao Shuo entered Tibet, the produce of this region should at least be enough to support his officials and army stationed in Tibet.
Improving the productivity level of Tibet is necessary.

However, Zhao Shuo did not intend to import technology to Tibet like Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, but instead directly provided finished products.

Iron farm tools, various daily necessities, tea, sugar, liquor... can all be sold to Tibet.

The various goods that Tibet could sell, such as Tibetan horses, yak hides, musk, cordyceps, and gold, were of some benefit to Zhao Shuo's Khanate.

Only after everything is on track will Zhao Shuo attempt to immigrate to Tibet.

Given the level of productivity at that time, Tibet could easily support two million people. However, present-day Tibet has only about 500,000 people.

Zhao Shuo felt that it wouldn't be a big problem to immigrate two or three hundred thousand Han people there.

Secondly, the Zhao Shuo Khanate court funded the construction of twenty-three iron chain bridges for Tibet.

Since the late Tang Dynasty, Tibet has been divided into more than a dozen forces. Why has it been unable to unify?

Natural geographical environment is one of the important factors.

Rivers and cliffs divided Tibet into thirteen regions of varying sizes, making transportation extremely difficult, let alone launching a war of unification.

If Zhao Shuo wanted to maintain the rule of Tibet and be able to mobilize a large army to suppress rebellions at any time, he had to solve the problem of transportation.

Of course, building proper bridges would be too costly, not to mention in this era, even hundreds of years from now.

The most suitable option for Tibet was to build an iron chain bridge.

A series of iron chain bridges united the Tibetan people into a single entity.

This was also a good thing for the Tibetans themselves. The various specialties from these thirteen regions could be transported out more easily, facilitating trade with the interior and improving their lives.

Thirdly, three schools were established in Lhasa, Shigatse, and Sakya, the three largest cities in Tibet, to teach not only Chinese but also all the knowledge required for the imperial examinations.

In Tibet, anyone willing to pay tuition can enroll. Those with excellent grades receive academic rewards, relieving students of any financial worries.

Five years later, a separate imperial examination system was implemented in Tibet, with fifty people selected each year.

However, these fifty people were not allowed to serve as officials in Tibet for twenty years, but were instead reassigned to other regions by the imperial court.

Their promotions and benefits were, of course, the same as those of other officials in the Zhao Shuo Khanate.

Upon hearing this news, the leader of the Thirteenth Faction felt both joy and worry.

Fortunately, overall, Zhao Shuo's conditions weren't excessive. They not only preserved their property, but their sons also gained opportunities to serve as officials in Zhao Shuo's Khanate through the imperial examinations, allowing them to showcase their talents on a larger stage. Who can say that Zhao Shuo's Khanate wouldn't produce a Tibetan prime minister or general in the future?
It should be noted that the Tibetan general Lun Qinling was completely unfazed by the famous Tang general Xue Rengui and even won a great victory at Dafeichuan.

Needless to say, the Tibetan people will experience a qualitative leap in their lives, with the land they've been given, iron farming tools with a ten-year repayment period, and more convenient transportation.

These are the very things that worry me.

Zhao Shuo's actions were indeed aimed at ensuring the long-term stability of Tibet. Afterwards, it would be completely impossible for them to maintain their previous wealth and power, or even for Tibet to gain independence from Zhao Shuo's Khanate, for at least the next century.

But then again, what can they do even if they're unwilling? Circumstances dictate their fate!
The thirteen leaders, led by Sakya Pandita, could only kowtow to Zhao Yan in gratitude.

Some clever faction leaders had already started planning whether there were any beautiful, eligible women in their clans to offer as concubines to Zhao Yan.

After all, with this relationship, their lives should be much easier, right?

The fact that Zhao Yan took a Tibetan concubine also shows that the Zhao Shuo Khanate did not discriminate against the Tibetans!

Anyway, half a month later, Zhao Yan and the leaders of the thirteen factions set off from Liangzhou, passed through Qinghai, crossed the Tanggula Mountains, and entered the Tubo region.

Accompanying Zhao Yan on his journey into Tibet were five thousand regular soldiers of a thousand households, and five thousand officials of various ranks.

These five commanders of a thousand were not from the same commander of ten thousand. The first commander of a thousand was a Mongol commander led by Hairige. Hairige was Zhao Shuo's sworn brother and would serve as the deputy commander of these five thousand troops, assisting Zhao Yan in governing Tibet.

The second commander was drawn from the 10,000th commander of the Plain Red Banner of the Han Army. The commander of this commander was Guo Baoyu's second son, Guo Deshan. Guo Baoyu had two sons, the eldest Guo Dehai and the second Guo Deshan.

The third commander of a thousand-household unit is Zhang Rou's second son, Zhang Hongji. Zhang Rou now has five sons. However, his eldest son, Zhang Fushou, went on a western expedition with Zhao He, while his second son, Zhang Hongji, will lead a thousand-household unit to accompany Zhao Yan into Tibet.

The fourth commander of a thousand households was Dong Jun's eldest son, Dong Wenbing, the one historically addressed as "Brother Dong" by Kublai Khan. Dong Wenbing was only nineteen years old, actually two years younger than Kublai Khan. The title "Brother Dong" was indeed just an honorific, not a factual one. Because of his young age, he missed Zhao He's eldest son's western expedition and was instead transferred to Tibet by Zhao Shuo.

The fifth commander of a thousand households was Wang Jian, a general who had previously served under Meng Gong.

Of these five commanders, the oldest is Hai Rige, who is fifty years old this year. The youngest is Dong Wenbing, who is nineteen years old this year.

The combination of veteran, middle-aged, and young officers formed a relatively complete military team. This facilitated both the suppression of the Tibetan Empire and allowed Zhao Yan to accumulate experience in commanding generals.

The civil service arrangements were also made, and Zhao Yan's deputy in political affairs was Du Shu.

Du Shu was the son of Du Gao, the military commissioner of Huaidong during the Song Dynasty. He was skilled in both civil and military affairs and was recorded in history as one of the famous generals who resisted the Mongols during the Southern Song Dynasty.

Before surrendering to Zhao Shuo, Du Shu served as the "Minister of Agriculture" in the Southern Song Dynasty, just one step away from becoming a high-ranking official.

Most of the other civil officials were drawn from the north.

Tibet is one of the poorest places in the world, and the effects of altitude sickness on the human body are obvious.

Therefore, Zhao Shuo promoted all these people by one rank and promised that after serving in Tibet for five years, they could be transferred back to the Central Plains and promoted again.

All Eight Banner soldiers and officials serving in Tibet received double the treatment of Han soldiers in the interior.

Such favorable conditions are quite attractive.

In reality, Tibet's population was too small to require five thousand officials of various ranks. If the system were arranged like that of the interior, five hundred officials would be sufficient.

However, this place is too vast and sparsely populated, and since the establishment of rule has just begun, significant initial investments are necessary. Later, Zhao Shuo estimates that the number of officials at all levels will gradually decrease to around two thousand.

In conclusion, the Zhao Shuo Khanate has made ample preparations, both militarily and politically. The assimilation of Tibet into Chinese territory is only a matter of time.

While Zhao Yan and others were fighting in Tibet, Zhao Shuo issued three important decrees in Zhongdu.

First, the "Imperial Edict Seeking Talented Individuals Throughout the Land".

Zhao Shuo was struggling to find skilled water conservancy professionals for his project to open the Egyptian canal. It was only after three prime ministers of the Southern Song Dynasty recommended Hu Ju and Qin Jiushao that Zhao Shuo's urgent problem was solved.

However, are Hu Ju and Qin Jiushao the only water conservancy talents in the world?
In Harkagui, Sun Wei recommended Guo Xun to Zhao Shuo, mentioning that Guo Xun's father, Guo Rong, was not only well-versed in the Five Classics and mathematics, but also an expert in water conservancy.

Come to think of it, Guo Shoujing's knowledge was mostly taught by Guo Rong.

Guo Shoujing oversaw the construction of the Tonghui River; how could Guo Rong's knowledge of water conservancy be lacking?
How many talented people like Guo Rong are there in the world that Zhao Shuo doesn't know about?
What about other talents?

Therefore, Zhao Shuo issued this "Edict Seeking Talented Individuals Throughout the Land," with no age, gender, or social status restrictions. Anyone with expertise in mathematics, agriculture, water conservancy, astronomy, or any other field could recommend themselves to the court.

After passing the examination, they will be immediately granted an official position based on their abilities and given important responsibilities.

Secondly, the "Imperial Edict for Immigration to Jiangnan".

For fifteen years, people from northern China have been migrating westward. Although Zhao Shuo encouraged childbirth, the northern region has not seen population growth for fifteen years due to such a large influx of immigrants.

Zhao Shuo decided to take a break. After all, China was his homeland, and it wasn't good for the north to have too few people. It was time for the south to contribute.

Furthermore, Zhao Shuo's campaign against the Southern Song Dynasty was largely due to the influence of the "Northern Zhao Emperor," meaning that after the battle of Xiangyang, the rest of the country was pacified by a simple proclamation.

With a population of over 80 million, the Southern Song Dynasty faced a significant conflict between population and land, and should alleviate some of the population pressure through immigration.

Zhao Shuo decided that the first batch of immigrants to the south would number 300,000, with 50,000 each from Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Zhejiang.

The destinations for these 300,000 migrants are Egypt, Syria, and Yemen.

Now, Zhao He has not only conquered all of Egypt, but has also captured Sana'a in Yemen. To avenge Mu'atugan, he massacred the entire city of Sana'a. Only the young women survived.

Zhao He will also need to build the Egyptian canal in the future, and the exploitation of Egypt, Syria, and the Arabian Peninsula will definitely not be lightened.

A large influx of Chinese immigrants is exactly what Zhao He needs to stabilize the situation.

This wave of immigration from Jiangnan is different from previous waves.

Zhao Shuo's naval vessel, the Plain Red Flag, has already made three successful voyages from Minnesota to the port of Qusay in Egypt.

These 300,000 people will not travel by long land journey, but will be transported by navy in batches to their destination.

Thirdly, the "Decree on Granting Titles to Overseas Residents".

Zhao Shuo ordered the creation of the map we know today and announced it to the world. He encouraged ordinary people to go to sea and search for other unknown lands in the world.

Whoever discovers an area exceeding ten thousand li will be directly granted the title of Duke.

Anyone who discovers an area of ​​five thousand to ten thousand li or more will be directly granted the title of Marquis.

Anyone who discovers land ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 li will be directly granted the title of Earl.

Whoever discovers land exceeding 500 to 1000 li will be granted the title of viscount.

Whoever discovers land ranging from 100 to 500 li will be granted the title of baron.

Discovering an island less than a hundred li away does not grant a noble title, but one can name the island after oneself or give it another name, and will receive one-tenth of the island's land.

In fact, everyone knew that Zhao Shuo would be granted a noble title sooner or later, but no one knew when it would happen.

After all, the civil and military officials who followed Zhao Shuo in establishing the new dynasty needed titles to reward their merits.

Unexpectedly, before the bestowal of titles upon civil and military officials had even begun, Zhao Shuo announced the bestowal of titles upon those who had discovered overseas lands.

Although Zhao Shuo did not announce the specific treatment for these noble titles, those below the rank of King are Dukes, so how could their treatment be bad?

You might not be able to join the Eight Banners in martial arts, nor pass the imperial examinations in literature, but you can discover new lands by sea! This isn't just about martial or literary skills, but also about luck. Discovering a new piece of land can make you rich for life.

Let's go sailing!

There is not only endless wealth there, but also the bestowal of Chinese noble titles!
Wealth and glory are right before your eyes!

The imperial edict was issued, and the whole country was shaken!
(End of this chapter)