Wu Hong is the eldest son of Qingji. He has been a benevolent and righteous gentleman since he was a child. Now he has become a "sage", famous all over the world, and convinced by all his brothers.

If nothing else, Wu Fan was Wu Hong's die-hard follower. Wu Fan handed over the military power, so how could Wu Zhang dare to act rashly?

well!

Father, old ginger is still spicy!

At this time, Wu Zhang had to be convinced.

With Wu Hong's character, once he takes over the 500,000-600,000 people of the Western Expeditionary Army, I believe that the next step will be, under Qingji's instructions, to help the brothers establish a country here, and then dismember the Western Expeditionary Army, so as to

Avoid causing a situation where someone is holding his own troops.

As a last resort, Wu Zhang and Wu Fan could only follow the emperor's grandson Wu Ji to cross the ocean and embark on the road back to the mainland of Wu.

…

When they returned to the imperial capital Jinling, it was already the forty-ninth year of Wu Shihuang, that is, 465 BC, the second month of the lunar calendar.

At this time, there were only three father and son, Qing Ji, Wu Zhang, and Wu Fan in the huge Zide Hall.

"Wu Zhang, I heard that you complained a lot on your way back to Jinling."

Qing Ji glanced at Wu Zhang and said slowly: "Tell me, why is it that the prince is the eldest son and has not made any achievements yet, so he can inherit the throne in the future, but he is the second son, who has made great contributions to the empire, but he has gained everything."

Not yet?"

"Have you ever said that?"

Hearing this, Wu Zhang couldn't help but swallowed, and with a "plop", he knelt on the floor, lowered his head and said: "Father, I have said this. However, it was just a drunken gaffe, so it should not be taken seriously.

"

In front of Qingji, Wu Zhang did not dare to lie. He also knew that there was always a spy planted by Qingji around him. How could he dare to hide it?

"Haha, get up."

Qingji folded his hands in his sleeves, closed his eyes, and said calmly: "I make a mistake after drinking, but I often speak the truth after drinking. Wu Zhang, I don't blame you for having such thoughts."

"Of course, you overestimate yourself and underestimate Wu Heng too much."

"Why do you think you and Wu Fan were able to conquer Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Western Europe, and North Africa, and conquer the vast territory around the Mediterranean?"

"Only relying on your military prowess and the bravery of your soldiers and generals? Wrong, big mistake!"

Qingji stared at Wu Zhang and Wu Fan who dared not speak, and said sternly: "The prince has helped you with everything you have done in the West these years!"

"How many cities have you looted and how many cities have you massacred? I don't need to tell you. You know it in your heart."

"Killing too much will ultimately violate the harmony of heaven and earth."

"How much food, troops and horses has the prince supported you in the past few years as regent?"

"If not, even if I give you another ten or twenty years, you may not be able to achieve this!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhang and Wu Fan both lowered their heads and said, "Father, I am guilty."

In fact, Qing Ji would not blame Wu Zhang and Wu Fan for the massacre and looting of enemy cities.

However, if we don't give them a blow at this time, wouldn't their tails be raised to the sky?

"Zhang'er, Fan'er, my father is old."

Qing Ji let out a long sigh and said, "I am ninety-nine years old this year. I wonder how long I can live."

"What I'm most worried about now is that my body can't hold on. After I pass away, this huge empire will fall apart and fall into pieces with my departure."

"The Wu family must not fall into the hands of outsiders."

"So, I hope that all of you brothers can live in harmony and help each other."

"There must be no fratricide or fighting between brothers..."

Wu Fan said sternly: "Father, you will definitely not do it. Whoever dares to rebel against the crown prince or the Emperor of Wu, I will be the first to send troops to kill the nine tribes!"

"The same goes for my son!"

Wu Zhang assured him.

Qingji took a deep look at Wu Fan and Wu Zhang, and could only secretly say that he hoped so.

"You can rest in Jinling for a few days, and after reminiscing with your mother-in-law and concubines, return to your respective vassal kingdoms. You cannot return to the capital without an order."

"promise!"

Seeing Wu Zhang and Wu Fan walking away from each other, Qing Ji felt quite worried.

After his death, can Prince Heng and Emperor Wu Ji control these two people?

…

The day after Wu Zhang and Wu Fan returned to Jinling, Qingji held a court meeting in Fengtian Hall.

As usual, Qingji decided to establish twenty vassal kingdoms in Carthage, the Balkan Peninsula, Rome, Gaul, Celts, Iberia Peninsula and other vast territories around the Mediterranean, and let his sons serve as vassal kings.

Go to the Mediterranean to establish a feudal state.

As a result, the Wu Empire now has eighty vassal kingdoms.

How big is the territory?

Qingji himself didn’t know much about it.

Half of the American continent was occupied by the Wu Empire, and the entire Australian continent was occupied, plus North Africa, the area around the Mediterranean, and the Far East and Central Plains of the Wu Empire...

Judging from the map, the Wu Empire's huge territory spanned five continents: Asia, Africa, Europe, the United States, and Australia.

The total area of ​​land and ocean on the earth is about 100 million square kilometers.

The ocean area is approximately 6.1 billion square kilometers, accounting for 71% of the global total area, and the land area is approximately 4.9 billion square kilometers, accounting for 29% of the global total area.

If you look at it from a map, the territory where the Wu Empire established its vassal kingdom was vast, probably occupying more than one-third of the earth.

What concept?

In other words, the territory under the rule of the Wu Empire reached a staggering 50 million square kilometers!

There are not many people under the rule, but they are all densely populated areas in the world, with about 85 million people, of which the native Chinese population accounts for about half.

The population was still too small, and Qingji felt it was unsatisfactory.

Of course, there were many barbarians who did not accept the king's rule, as well as slaves who were not registered, so they were not included.

Qing Ji had conquered such a vast territory during his lifetime, and he was very satisfied.

Historically, what was the territory of the Chinese dynasties?

Qin Dynasty, about 3.54 million square kilometers.

Western Han Dynasty, approximately 6.65 million square kilometers.

The Tang Dynasty covers approximately 6.15 million square kilometers.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, it was about 2.83 million square kilometers.

In the Yuan Dynasty, it was approximately 21.22 million square kilometers.

In the Ming Dynasty, it was approximately 12.33 million square kilometers.

In the Qing Dynasty, it was about 12.84 million square kilometers.

This was the territory of the unified dynasty in its heyday.

It is not as vast as the Wu Dynasty's 50 million square kilometers.

Maintaining such a vast territory is extremely difficult.

This can be seen from the rebellions that often broke out in various vassal kingdoms, especially in Europe, West Asia, and the Mediterranean.

It is true that he was suppressed every time, but it also made Wu Empire a little exhausted mentally and physically, and he couldn't bear to be disturbed.

In the future, if the Wu Empire's national power weakens, or the relationship between the emperor and the vassals falls out, many vassal kingdoms will inevitably be destroyed, and then the Wu Empire's vassal system established by Qingji will also fall apart...

This is a predictable thing.

However, Qing Ji did accomplish great achievements that were unprecedented and unprecedented.

Historically, Alexander conquered about 5 million square kilometers of territory in thirteen years and established a large empire that stretched from Greece and Macedonia in the west to the Indus River Basin in the east, the first waterfall of the Nile in the south, and the Syr Darya River in the north, making Macedonia

It became the country with the largest territory in the world at that time.

Qingji takes even less time.

He conquered almost the entire world, and truly achieved that wherever rivers go and where the sun and moon shine, everything is Wu soil.

What you need to know is that Alexander only conquered, not occupied, but the Wu Empire actually occupied and ruled.

The Kingdom of Macedonia that Alexander relied on was just a small country worth mentioning in Qingji's eyes, while Qingji relied on the strong national power of the Wu Empire.

Therefore, the Macedonian Kingdom and the Wu Empire are not the same.

This can be seen from the fact that the Chinese population accounts for half of the total population of the Wu Empire.

It was not impossible for the Wu people to assimilate the thousands of ethnic groups under their rule.
To be continued...