Memoirs of the Heavenly Khan

Chapter 535 I support you
On a clear autumn day, as the tribal khans were about to depart from Shanglin Temple, Li Shuang gathered them all in his courtyard.

"Have you all had your fun?"

Li Shuang sat under the eaves, with Zu Ting standing beside him.

The courtyard was filled with folding chairs and crowded with people.

"As the Khan said, time seems to fly by."

Upon hearing this, Li Shuang smiled and replied:
“During the Spring and Autumn Period, you would have to come from your tribes to Chang’an to pay tribute. You would spend most of your time on the road. The journey was arduous and cost a lot. I couldn’t help but feel reluctant to part with you.”

Hearing Li Shuang's words, Qibi Meicang, who was sitting near Li Shuang, suddenly perked up.

"Does Your Majesty intend to exempt us from paying tribute?"

Li Shuang looked at the burly man in front of him, whose eyes were shining with hope, and coughed slightly.

"Why do you think you should pay tribute to me?"

After Li Shuang said this, all the Khans fell silent.

These people may not say it, but they all have a standard answer in their hearts.

We can't beat you!
Seeing that everyone remained silent, Li Shuang looked at Zu Ting beside him, who gave the standard answer.

"Everything in the world is not the king's land, and the shores of the land are not the king's ministers!"

Qibi Mocang scratched his head and asked:
"What does this mean?"

Zu Ting shook his head slightly, with a hint of disdain, then announced in an even louder voice:

"From the North Sea in the north to the Yellow River in the south, from the vast ocean in the east to the shifting sands in the west, all the grasslands under heaven belong to the Heavenly Khan. The Heavenly Khan allows you to multiply and raise livestock on his grasslands, and in return, you come to Chang'an to pay tribute, to demonstrate the proper etiquette between ruler and subject."

Qibi didn't hide anything and scratched his head.

The others listened and felt that something was wrong, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it.

After Zu Ting finished speaking, Li Shuang continued:

"As your sovereign and father, I cannot bear to see you traveling back and forth. Considering the long distance and the difficulty of meeting, I have decided to leave you in Chang'an."

"Should we stay in Chang'an?"

A sense of vigilance immediately arose in everyone's hearts.

What is this going to do?
"I hereby grant you ranks and stipends, and allow you to bring your children here to Chang'an to learn archery, horsemanship, poetry, literature, and etiquette. In the future, you may also serve as officials in the court."

Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

After all these years, Ohno Sawa is actually going to give us money?

Some people, upon hearing this, touched their faces to see if they were dreaming.

Despite the pain, the people who returned to reality still found it hard to believe.

However, some who understood the situation asked:

"Heavenly Khan, we are in Chang'an, what shall become of our tribes and people?"

Obviously, Li Shuang would not bring his tribal people to Chang'an.

Those sitting in the front row, such as Huli Jin and She Digan, had already informed Li Shuang, so they appeared relatively calm. The rest of the group, however, were engaged in lively discussion.

After Li Shuang and the others had finished speaking, he slowly began to say:
"After you arrive in Chang'an, your subordinates will also be under your control. However, in order to better benefit my people on the plains of the city, I will implement the system of surrounding cities in Pingcheng, Shengle, Yunzhong, Shuofang, Baidao, Wuyuan, Lingwu, Juyan, Xiutu and other places."

"Beside the city?"

"The grasslands beside General Town will be allocated to each tribe for your people to live in. These tribes will then be located near the city." Everyone listened, feeling a little nervous.

"May I ask, Heavenly Khan, how much tax must be paid in this case?"

“Those living near the city are exempt from paying tribute. Each year, they must hand over one sheep to the local area. This shall vary depending on the locality. The poor may also be exempted.”

Upon hearing this, everyone became even more nervous.

That's too lenient on them.

"King Khan, should the area around the city be subject to the orders of the officials of the various military garrisons?"

"If there is no war, the people living near the city can rest and recuperate locally and be governed by the chieftain of the city; if there is war, the people living near the city must be conscripted, provide their own armor and horses, and go to war with the army."

Those in the courtyard had different thoughts upon hearing this.

For most people in the institute, they were weighing the pros and cons.

The prospect of not having to travel back and forth between Chang'an and their homeland every year, and instead being able to reside permanently in Chang'an, was indeed quite tempting for these Khans.

The reason is simple: the living environment and material supply in Chang'an are far superior to those in their local area; it's like comparing heaven and earth.

Furthermore, after becoming a town, they no longer needed to pay tribute, and their tax burden was reduced. As for whether the tribe would disperse and cause them to lose control, they were not worried; at worst, they would send their nephews or nieces to various towns to serve as chiefs.

As for accepting conscription, they didn't care at all. Anyway, they would be conscripted to fight alongside the army during wartime, so it was no different.

But people like Huli Jin and She Digan, who were deeply influenced by Sinicization, thought much further ahead.

The city-adjacent system dispersed the nomadic cavalry, originally under the jurisdiction of various tribes, to the vicinity of various military towns, enabling more detailed management and deployment in military affairs.

While these khans are alive, they can still maintain control over these cities, but after they die and their descendants take the throne, will they still be able to do so?

Their tribes will inevitably be divided into increasingly smaller groups, eventually coming under the complete control of military garrisons.

Moreover, there are limits on the number of towns that can be included. Those towns with fixed pastures and only need to pay light taxes will naturally be separated from the other tribes, pulling them further and further apart.

The location where the system of surrounding cities was implemented was also carefully chosen, always in Longyou and Hedong, on the borderlands of Guanzhong, under the close surveillance and strong control of Chang'an. The Northeast could have replicated this system, but none of the military garrisons in the Northeast implemented it.

Huli Jin and Shedi Gan looked at Li Shuang, gaining a deeper understanding of their king's caution.

Their willingness to cooperate stemmed from the fact that they never considered themselves the Great Khan of the North, but rather generals of Chang'an. Having come from the Rebellion of the Six Garrisons, they were acutely aware of right and wrong, and of all consequences. Even now, with ten thousand cavalrymen at their disposal, neither of them had ever harbored any intention of establishing their own independent power.

However, not everyone else in the room thought the same way.

While many people are willing, many others are opposed.

Li Shuang looked at the group of Khans who had not immediately expressed their opinions, and was very gentle.

"You need not do this. I will not force you. If you have any objections, as long as they are correct, I will listen to them."

All the khans looked at Li Shuang. Some wanted to speak, but were held back by others.

Upon seeing this, Li Shuang said:

"If there are no objections, you may raise your hand to show your agreement."

Huli Jin, She Digan, and others were the first to raise their hands.

Seeing that even the two strongest Khans in the North had done so, the others dared not remain silent and all raised their hands.

Seeing that everyone had raised their hands, Zu Ting was very excited and said:
"Your Majesty's benevolence extends across the four seas, and your grace extends to all people; this is truly a blessing for all living beings!"

……

(End of this chapter)