Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 373 If happiness and stability could be attained, who would willingly choose a life of wandering and hardship?

Fan Jingwen seemed to be standing on the highest heavens, with the emperor's eyes, looking down at the vast southern grasslands.

Each imperial decree transformed into an invisible thread that traveled between heaven and earth, subtly weaving a vast net that covered the entire universe.

Fan Jingwen almost involuntarily followed the emperor's vast thoughts and continued to deduce the next steps.

His mind was in turmoil, and terrifying visions of the next few years, or even decades, were already appearing in his eyes.

Within three to five years, thanks to this combination of high quality and reasonable prices, along with bundled profit-sharing, the lives of herders in the Mongolian tribes will be improved like never before.

In the past, people wore tattered clothes and ate coarse food; a single fur coat was passed down through three generations, and an iron pot was passed down throughout the entire clan.

Now, they only need to trade their best cattle and horses with the Ming Dynasty to get tea, salt, cloth, and iron that are several times more valuable than before.

When an ordinary herdsman discovers that his hard-earned income for a year is less than what he could earn in a month of trade with the Ming Dynasty in Guihua City, would he still follow Ligdan Khan to plunder or answer the call of the Jurchens to wage war, living a dangerous life where he could risk his life and not know whether he would live or die tomorrow?
No, he won't!

In the past, they risked their lives to charge into battle, hoping to obtain only a few sheep and a few bushels of grain, or even return empty-handed, left with only scars.

Now, all he needs to do is carefully raise fatter sheep and stronger horses, and safely deliver them to Guihua City, in exchange for enough cloth, salt, tea, and even ironware and fine wine to ensure his family's livelihood for several years.

On one side is the life-or-death struggle of swords and shadows, and on the other side is the readily available, stable, and secure abundance.

Even the most dull-witted person can figure this out.

When a stable life brings more wealth than adventurous conquests, how can the sharpness of a scimitar compare to the allure of silver?
"Make their people hold abacuses and abandon scimitars, value commerce and despise war. Make them accustomed to comfort and forget their archery and horsemanship; make them attached to wealth and neglect their conquests!"

Such a thought involuntarily surfaced in Fan Jingwen's mind.

This is a complete transformation from the very foundation of life and from the hearts and minds of the people. Its power and its effects far surpass what weapons can achieve!

And what about the upper echelons of the grasslands, Ligdan Khan and all the Mongol princes, big and small?
They will be the first to become intoxicated and fall into depravity at this feast.

Fan Jingwen could almost clearly see that inside Ligdan Khan's tent, beneath the nine-legged white banner that originally symbolized power, would be piles of silk brocade from Jiangnan; those nobles who once only knew how to bend bows and shoot eagles would sit around low tables made of rosewood, tasting Wuyi tea from Fujian in porcelain bowls from Jingdezhen; they would fight each other endlessly to mortgage more pastures to the Ming Dynasty's banks in exchange for silver to buy a jewel-encrusted waist knife and a luxurious mansion in the capital.

The enormous profits gained from the border trade, along with the convenient lending provided by "United Baoyuan Money Shop," will become the sweetest poison.

They will quickly get used to this extravagant lifestyle, and their prestige will no longer be based on the tribe's population and livestock, but on how much wealth they can obtain from the Ming Dynasty.

Their power is being quietly replaced.

"To exchange silver for their golden sword is to remove their claws and teeth; to exchange silk for their leather armor is to strip them of their strong armor. This will make their desires insatiable, so that they will depend on me; this will make them heavily indebted, so that they will be at my beck and call."

When a nation, from top to bottom, from nobles to commoners, has its food, clothing, shelter, transportation, joys, sorrows, and happiness all closely linked to another vast empire, its backbone is broken!
Fan Jingwen could even deduce an even deeper layer.

Once the Mongol tribes become dependent on the cheap grains and goods from the Ming Dynasty, their original production models, such as small-scale farming in fertile lands and the crude felt and leather handicrafts, will rapidly shrink and eventually disappear under the impact of the massive and cheap goods from the Ming Dynasty.

The means of survival for the grasslands will become increasingly strained, relying solely on animal husbandry. At that time, the vast grasslands will be nothing more than a pasture for raising livestock for the Ming Dynasty.

In good times, they are the source of cattle and sheep for the Ming Dynasty; in times of disaster, they can only beg for food from the Ming Dynasty and have no power to save themselves!

"Mengbo, if trade routes are blocked, goods cannot flow, and the people will not be loyal." The emperor's voice rang out leisurely. "I intend to use the pretext of facilitating trade and facilitating the exchange of goods to fund and construct several trade routes for Ligdan Khan, directly connecting his main pastures to Guihua City. Once the roads are built, the journeys will be faster, making it easier for their cattle and sheep to be transported out, and for our goods to be transported in. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

Fan Jingwen's heart was gripped tightly once again!

Business ethics?

Is this not a smooth road paved for the Ming cavalry? Is this not a strategic passage that allows artillery and supplies to advance unimpeded?
Once the road is completed, the Ming army will be able to travel a hundred li a day and reach its core territory in no time.

However, the Mongol cavalry had long since lost the stamina and courage for long-distance raids due to their comfortable lives.

One retreats, the other advances—the difference is like heaven and earth!

"Furthermore," the emperor said, as if referring to a trivial matter, "with trade now open, the inconsistencies in weights and measures have caused many inconveniences. From now on, all transactions with my Great Ming should be based on the stone, dou, jin, and liang of our dynasty. The joint banknotes issued by the money shops can also circulate freely between my Great Ming and the Mongol tribes. In this way, there will be no deception of the young or old, which is the way to ensure long-term stability."

A fine layer of cold sweat seeped from Fan Jingwen's forehead.

This is a complete assimilation of the rules!
When the people of the grasslands became accustomed to using jin (斤) to measure cattle and sheep, chi (尺) to measure cloth, Ming Dynasty silver notes as a symbol of wealth, and even the Ming Dynasty calendar to arrange their production and life, what would be left of the concept of "Mongol"?
I fear that only blood ties and reputation remain.

Thinking this, Fan Jingwen finally couldn't help but bow deeply, voicing his last remaining doubt: "Your Majesty, your divine strategies are as clear as the heavens, unfathomable even to gods and ghosts; I bow in utter submission. However, I have a question… That Ligdan Khan, though fond of pleasure, is not a foolish ruler. Will he… truly be willing to let Your Majesty act in this way, putting this noose around his own neck?"

The moment this question was posed, the air seemed to freeze.

However, to Fan Jingyan's surprise, the emperor did not answer directly.

He simply turned around and quietly looked at Fan Jingwen.

A sudden chill ran through Fan Jingwen as the emperor's deep gaze fell upon him. Yes… the answer…

The answer has actually been right in front of us all along!
Lin Danhan... dares not refuse?

Several thoughts flashed through Fan Jingwen's mind in an instant, like lightning, illuminating the final blind spot of this chess game.

The foundation upon which this strategy was implemented lies in the concept of "momentum".

Today, the Ming Dynasty is thriving, and the mighty armies of Xuanfu and Datong are within reach; on the other hand, Ligdan Khan has been repeatedly defeated by Huang Taiji and has long been severely weakened.

At this moment, he desperately needs the support of the Ming Dynasty to resist the Jurchens.

Faced with Huang Taiji's sharp blade, even if the cup of honey offered by the Ming Dynasty was poison, he could only close his eyes and drink it!
If he dares to overturn this table, before the Ming Dynasty can even make a move, Huang Taiji will be the first to turn around and devour him alive!
However, if the overwhelming pressure left him with no other choice, then the true ruthlessness of the emperor's strategy lay in the pursuit of profit.

The word "profit" is like an invisible knife, killing without drawing blood, yet capable of dismantling people's hearts.

Ligdan Khan might be able to see through this open scheme, but what about the princes and nobles under his command?

What about the ordinary herders who are starving and hungry?

What they see is only the real money and tangible benefits right in front of them!
When the benefits offered by the Ming Dynasty far exceed the rewards that Ligdan Khan can bestow, the people's hearts will naturally fall apart.

At that time, if Ligdan Khan wanted to break with the Ming Dynasty, the first to jump out and oppose him would probably be the Mongol tribes that were feasting on him!

The emperor's move was not a radical solution, but rather a way of filling Ligdan Khan's royal tent with countless powder kegs that could explode at any moment!
However, both the pressure from the general trend and the differentiation of interests are merely the outward manifestations of a conspiracy.

The most profound, fundamental, and crucial step in this strategy lies in…

Fan Jingwen suddenly remembered the Xuanda border army that Zhang Weixian and Man Gui had praised highly.

He remembered that the emperor had instructed that no fewer than 20,000 Mongol soldiers had been incorporated into the border troops!
Your Majesty's greatest brilliance lies in the fact that these Mongol soldiers were not formed as a separate army, but were dispersed and lived, trained, received pay, and fought alongside the Han soldiers!
They witnessed firsthand the strict military discipline of the Ming army, personally experienced the dignity of being well-fed, well-clothed, and receiving monthly pay, and heard firsthand about the dazzling and prosperous world of the South.

These people are 20,000 seeds carefully cultivated by the Ming Dynasty!
When they told their relatives on the grassland what they had seen and heard, their persuasiveness was greater than that of ten thousand books or a thousand imperial edicts!

"Father, the Ming army's meals always include meat!"

"Mother, look at my armor, it's even better than the chieftain's!"

"As long as we fight bravely and make meritorious contributions, His Majesty will reward us with land and houses, and we can also live the good life of city dwellers!"

These simple words were a deadly temptation for the herders who were still struggling in the wind and snow.

What they found even more irresistible was the emperor's grand promise of divine favor behind this temptation:
From then on, there was no distinction between Mongols and Han Chinese; all were subjects of the Great Ming.

As long as they submit to the Ming Dynasty and serve loyally, they will receive the same fame and rewards as Han soldiers; they will also enjoy the same peace and prosperity as Han men.

This is the real reason why the hearts of the people on the grasslands are being eroded!
Subtle influence and winning hearts and minds are paramount!
Fan Jingwen felt a surge of hot blood coursing through his chest, making his blood boil!
At that time, people will yearn for enlightenment, and the trend of the times will be inevitable.

Perhaps Your Majesty can gain control of the southern desert without bloodshed, without even needing to resort to arms!

At that time, the tribes on the grasslands will rush to submit to the Chinese!
Fan Jingwen took a long breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

This time, he bent even lower, his voice filled with both probing and anticipation.

"Your Majesty... I dare to ask a question." He raised his head, his gaze intense, "Once the control over money and grain is firmly established and the people's hearts are won over, should we then promote the reform of politics, customs, and writing from top to bottom, and implement the policy of replacing native chieftains with centrally appointed officials?"

Upon hearing this, even the emperor's face showed a hint of surprise.

He originally thought that Fan Jingwen was able to see through the open schemes in the economic sphere and was already one of the world's top sages.

Unexpectedly, he was able to draw inferences from one instance to another and touch upon the ultimate goal of this entire strategy: the complete integration of politics and culture!

The emperor stared at Fan Jingwen for a long while, then suddenly burst into laughter. The laughter echoed across the empty watchtower, filled with indescribable joy and appreciation.

He stepped forward and patted Fan Jingwen on the shoulder heavily.

"Good! Well done, Fan Mengbo! I underestimated you!"

Upon being patted so intimately by the emperor, Fan Jingwen felt a surge of warmth coursing through his body, and he was so moved that he almost burst into tears.

He suppressed his excitement and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, I dare not. But if I do not strive for progress and do not learn or read while serving Your Majesty, then I would be disloyal."

"Well said!" The emperor's praise was evident. "That's exactly right! We can't be conservative and stuck in the past! Meng Bo, remember this: times change, and people's hearts change too. This world, this future, will always belong to those who are willing to learn and to change!"

(End of this chapter)