I traveled with them to the Northern Song Dynasty

...

When news of the great victory reached Chang'an, Zhao Yu was overjoyed. He immediately promoted and rewarded those who had made contributions, in accordance with the merits approved by the Ministry of War.

At the same time, Zhao Yu issued an imperial edict to the front lines, ordering them to immediately bring the captured Mehmed II and others to Chang'an to submit their surrender documents.

Although there were still many resistance forces in the Western Karakhanid Khanate, Zhao Yu decisively announced that the Western Karakhanid Khanate would be divided into six vassal states: Samarkand, Bukhara, Fergana, Khwarazm, Keshi, and Talas.

The core territory of the Western Karakhanid Khanate was the Transoxiana region (the middle reaches of the Syr Darya and Amu Darya rivers), plus parts of the Fergana Basin. If too many areas were divided, it would easily lead to division and internal strife; if too few were divided, it would not achieve the desired balance.

Therefore, six is ​​just right.

These are respectively the core of the royal court, a major granary town, an eastern barrier, a western gateway, a flank buffer, and a reinforced check and balance.

Zhao Yu divided these six vassal states among his six sons who had made the greatest contributions in these wars: Zhao Yu, Zhao Jin, Zhao Dao, Zhao Dan, Zhao Wei, and Zhao Ming.

In reality, Zhao Yu intended to grant one of these fiefdoms to Zhao Ji. Although Zhao Ji's achievements might not have been as great as those of Zhao Yu's six sons, he was Zhao Yu's elder brother, had won the first battle, and had successfully instigated a war between the Song Dynasty and the Western Karakhanid Khanate, and even Central Asia. However, Zhao Ji did not favor these six vassal states, so Zhao Yu proceeded with the official business.

As for who won which vassal state?

Those who have made great contributions will be selected first, while those who have made lesser contributions will be placed in line later and will choose from the remaining fiefdoms.

Dissatisfied? Don't want it?
no problem.

Like Zhao Ji, they gave up this qualification and let the next person come up to choose.

Ultimately, the six sons of Zhao Yu, including Zhao Yu, were chosen. Zhao Yu renamed the kingdom of Samarkand as "Yu Kingdom", the kingdom of Bukhara as "Jin Kingdom", the kingdom of Fergana as "Dao Kingdom", the kingdom of Khwarazm as "Dan Kingdom", the kingdom of Keshig as "Wei Kingdom", and the kingdom of Talas as "Ming Kingdom".

Zhao Yu didn't waste any time and immediately ordered Zhao Yu and others to take up their posts with the people they had recruited to govern their own country.

Are there still resistance forces in their own country?

Then let them go and wipe them out themselves.

Of course, if the resistance forces in their country were too strong for them to defeat, Zhao Yu would still send a large army to help them suppress them.

Although Zhao Yu had enfeoffed these six major vassal states to his sons and put them in charge, this did not mean that Zhao Yu would leave them to their own devices and let them develop as they pleased.

First of all, no matter which vassal state it is, it must not delay the construction of railways and highways in the Song Dynasty.

Without railways and highways, how could Zhao Yu have connected the world and become its ruler?

Secondly, regardless of which vassal state it was, it had to use the currency of the Song Dynasty, and this was non-negotiable, at least while Zhao Yu was still alive.

Furthermore, regardless of which vassal state it was, it was required to use only Chinese characters. All books and inscriptions with other scripts had to be handed over to the Song Dynasty for compilation into the "Hongwu Encyclopedia".

As for the order to keep one's hair long, and to change to the clothes and attire of the Song Dynasty, those certainly existed.

However, in order to reduce conflict, Zhao Yu's requirements were not so strict. He only required that all officials must wear the official robes of the Song Dynasty, and that everyone must wear Song Dynasty clothing on formal occasions.

As for the rest, Zhao Yu stopped caring about them; he simply couldn't manage them all.

Instead of wasting time, Zhao Yu would have been better off discussing East-West exchange with his newly acquired Queen Terken Hattun and other Central Asian beauties…

……

After the Seljuk Turks withdrew from Transoxiana, the three Song armies and Zhao Yu's private troops launched separate attacks to quickly quell the rebellious forces within the Western Karakhanid Khanate. At the same time, Zhao Yu and others hurriedly established a new order in their respective vassal states.

It is worth mentioning that Zhao Yu and others did not follow the predatory rule of the past nomadic regimes, nor did they replicate the loose governance of the Western Regions Protectorate. Instead, they developed a governance system that integrated the essence of the Central Plains system with the characteristics of the Central Asian region, with long-term stability as the core.

—They used the prefecture-county system as the main body, with the students of the Imperial Academy recruited from the Song Dynasty as the management framework, and absorbed the locals who served them as branches and leaves, to establish new management systems in their respective vassal states, and gradually incorporated this diverse and complex land into the governance map of the Song Dynasty.

It must be said that this prefecture-county system was not a complete copy of the prefecture-county system of the Central Plains dynasties, but rather took into account the geographical pattern and ethnic distribution of Central Asia, as well as some local ethnic characteristics.

After Zhao Yu ascended the throne, he also carried out major reforms in education, and the Three-Tier System was promoted nationwide by Zhao Yu and his minister Cai Jing.

Over the course of two or three decades, the Three-Study System cultivated millions of intellectuals for the Song Dynasty.

It is said that the smooth and rapid industrial revolution in the Song Dynasty was inseparable from the Song Dynasty's reforms in education.

However, everything has its advantages and disadvantages.

The Song Dynasty produced millions of intellectuals in a short period of time, but only had tens of thousands of official positions, which was clearly a case of supply falling short of demand.

Those scholars who could "take off Kong Yiji's long gown" were fine; whether they went into education, business, or scientific research, they were able to live well.

The problem is that some scholars study only to acquire "literary and martial skills to serve the emperor," and are single-mindedly focused on becoming officials.

This is troublesome.

—If one or two scholars like Huang Chao were to emerge, the Song Dynasty might be in danger.

fine--

Over the years, Zhao Yu has consistently encouraged his son to expand his business outwards.

As a result, those scholars who were "unappreciated" were recruited by Zhao Yu's son to help them govern their territory.

The princes who were going on the western expedition with Zhao Yu and who aspired to become feudal lords naturally recruited a lot of scholars, namely, students of the Imperial Academy.

These students from the Imperial Academy brought with them advanced governance experience from the Central Plains. They established a household registration system in various prefectures and counties, surveyed land, and determined taxes. They adopted a modified version of the Song Dynasty's tax law for agricultural areas, adjusting tax rates according to irrigation conditions in Central Asia.
For nomadic tribes, their traditional right to use pastures was retained, but a livestock tax was levied instead, calculated in the form of silk and livestock, to avoid forcibly changing their mode of production.

Below the county level, townships and villages were established. Local people with prestige who were willing to submit to the Song Dynasty were selected to serve as township officials and village heads to assist in handling civil disputes and conveying the imperial decrees. This ensured the penetrating power of governance and reduced the resistance of local ethnic groups.

To strengthen grassroots control, each prefecture and county established post stations and patrol offices. The post stations were responsible for document delivery and material transfer, while the patrol offices commanded local militia to prevent tribal rebellions and banditry, forming a governance network of "prefecture and county control, village-level coordination, and military and police protection".

These scholars from the Central Plains were not only administrative officials, but also disseminators of culture and technology.

They established official schools in various prefectures and counties, implemented the three-tiered system and a simplified version of the imperial examination system, and used Confucian classics, Song Dynasty laws, arithmetic, and agricultural science as teaching materials. They encouraged children from various ethnic groups in Central Asia to enroll, and those who achieved excellent results could go to the Song Dynasty for further studies or directly enter local government positions.

At the same time, they brought many advanced technologies from the Central Plains to Central Asia.

For example, the high-yield crops developed by Yuan Qingcheng.

For example, Ma Xiaojiao invented some light industrial products with low technological content.

For example, they brought the "Ye Shiyun Medical Canon" to Central Asia.

More importantly, they spearheaded the revision of local governance regulations, combining the Central Plains' legal philosophy of "virtue as the primary principle and punishment as the secondary principle" with the customary law of Central Asia. Local customs that did not violate the fundamental system of the Song Dynasty or touch upon ethical bottom lines were preserved. For example, the marriage rituals of nomadic tribes and the religious sacrificial traditions of agricultural areas were respected. Through the flexible adaptation of the system, cultural barriers were resolved.

In governing religion, Zhao Yu upheld the principle of "freedom of belief," but also drew clear boundaries.

—Zhao Yu and his fellow time travelers knew that religion was deeply rooted in Central Asia and that forcibly banning it would only trigger continuous rebellions. Therefore, they established the policy of "neither suppressing nor praising, and governing religion according to law": that is, any religious force that acknowledges the rule of the Song Dynasty and abides by the "Regulations on Religious Affairs" promulgated by the court can freely preach, build religious sites, and hold religious ceremonies.

In addition, Zhao Yu and Zhang Chun also drew on the methods used in later Chinese governance of religion to formulate a system: establish religious affairs officials in each prefecture and county, composed of officials familiar with the local religious situation and representatives of the religious community, responsible for registering religious groups, supervising the finances and activities of religious sites, and mediating conflicts and disputes between religions.

The Regulations on Religious Affairs also clearly stipulate that religious activities must not obstruct local administration and justice, incite ethnic conflict, resist taxes and corvée labor, or privately form armed forces; religious extremism is prohibited, and anyone who uses religion to harm others, disrupt production, or resist the government shall be severely punished according to law.

The system established by Zhao Yu and his people respected the religious needs of the various ethnic groups in Central Asia—whether it was Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, or local religions—allowing them to continue within the framework of the rule of law, while also firmly controlling the dominant power of governance and preventing religious forces from becoming a hidden danger of regional separatism.

To further eliminate the breeding ground for religious conflict, Zhao Yu also encouraged different religious communities to participate in public affairs, such as jointly repairing water conservancy facilities and participating in disaster relief and poverty alleviation, so as to promote religious tolerance through cooperation in people's livelihood.

In addition, Zhao Yu suggested that his sons, who had become princes, should dredge the waterways of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya as soon as possible to connect them with the railways and highways that the Song Dynasty was vigorously building, and establish border markets and maritime trade offices in various prefectures and counties to promote trade between the Central Plains and Central Asia.

In this way, the Song Dynasty's silk, porcelain, tea, and paper could be continuously imported into every corner of their various vassal states, while their spices, gems, livestock, and cotton could be sold far and wide to the Central Plains, forming a two-way economic pattern.

In view of the multi-ethnic nature of Central Asia, Zhao Yu also suggested that his sons, who had become feudal lords, encourage economic cooperation between ethnic groups. For example, they should support trade between agricultural and nomadic groups and foster cross-ethnic commercial alliances to enhance regional cohesion through the binding of economic interests.

In short, Zhao Yu's approach to governing his sons, who had become feudal lords, was to base their respective territories on the mature prefecture-county system of the Central Plains dynasties, implement a policy of religious freedom and inclusiveness, and ensure tangible economic benefits, using a tolerant and inclusive governance system to manage their respective countries.

This process will certainly not be smooth sailing, and may even be full of obstacles.

The local forces were the first to be affected.

For example, the Karluks who helped the Song Dynasty conquer the Western Karakhanid Khanate.

The reason why the Karluks helped the Song Dynasty was not only because they had the genes of traitors in their bones and they had a clear understanding of the situation, but also because they had their own calculations.

That is, the Karluks originally thought that the Song army would just plunder in Central Asia and then withdraw, just like the Tang army before.

In this situation, if the Karluks help the Song Dynasty conquer Central Asia, they might reap the greatest benefits from the war, just as the Karluks jumped from the Tang Dynasty to the Abbasid Caliphate and became the biggest beneficiaries of the Battle of Talas.

Unexpectedly, after the Song Dynasty entered Central Asia, it only publicly tried the local high-ranking officials, nobles, gentry, and powerful families, without harming the common people in the slightest.

Moreover, the Song Dynasty liberated all slaves and demanded that small countries, tribes, and forces that submitted to it also comply, clearly indicating its intention to gain a foothold for rule in their localities.

Crucially, Zhao Yu divided the Western Karakhanid Khanate into six parts and distributed them among his sons, showing no intention of giving any of them to the Karluks.

Furthermore, as soon as Zhao Yu and others took office, they immediately sent people to govern their respective countries.

Those like Zhao Dao and Zhao Dan even took direct action against the Karluks within their own vassal states, seemingly intending to expel them all from their states, or even to wipe out all the Karluks within their own vassal states to eliminate any future troubles.

How could the Karluks not see that the Song Dynasty had no intention of leaving, but rather intended to completely turn the Western Karakhanid Khanate into its vassal state?
Moreover, with the fall of the Western Karakhanid Khanate, the Karluks had become a thorn in the side of the Song Dynasty.

This is not the outcome the Karluks wanted.

The Karluks sent beautiful women to Zhao Yu and "invited wolves into the house" to help the Song Dynasty fight against the Western Karakhanid Khanate, all in order to gain benefits and protection from the Song Dynasty.

Unexpectedly, the Song Dynasty came all the way to Central Asia and never left.

The Karluks were unwilling to have worked for nothing, and even less willing to leave the Western Karakhanid Khanate.

So the Karluks first presented Zhao Yu with a hundred beauties, asking him to grant them the Kingdom of Jin, in exchange for paying "protection fees" to the Song Dynasty like other vassal states.

Zhao Yu accepted all the gifts, but said that he had already enfeoffed these places to his sons, and that they could consult with them if they had any issues.

As for the Karluks wanting fiefdoms, it's simple: as long as they make great contributions in the upcoming war, he will definitely reward them generously, including giving them a fiefdom.

The Karluks were very dissatisfied with Zhao Yu's "excuses," and they secretly joined forces with the Kangli to seize the territory of the former Western Karakhanid Khanate and even the former Eastern Karakhanid Khanate, which had already belonged to the Song Dynasty.

The Karluks' fickle nature pleased Zhao Yu, who was preparing to deal with them.

On the imperial edict that Zhao Yu and others received, there were only four characters: "Strike first to gain the upper hand..."

...(End of this chapter)