"There are tens of thousands of officials and scholars, and they stay in the villages to provide military equipment. They use the fields to grow the valleys, and they are both mighty and virtuous." [Hanshu·Zhao Chongguo Biography]
In the autumn of the twelfth year of Jian'an.
Western Region, Yanqi County.
The Protector of the Western Regions, Xia Houyuan, the Marquis of Gumoting, was discussing the governance of the Western Regions with the Chief Historian of the Western Regions, Jiang Qian, the Literary Governor of the Western Regions, and Ma Chao, the Commander-in-Chief of Wuji School. After receiving the imperial edict, they carefully studied the imperial edict.
God, only then did I feel confident. Xia Houyuan carefully put away the copy of the imperial edict, handed it to the servant and put it back in the case, and then said: "The imperial court's intention is clear, and the pavilion barrier is used as a protection to open up the main road.
Protect the key points, and then open up fields near the pavilion barrier to provide food and fodder and resettle immigrants. It will take decades to easing efforts like this, but the Western Region can be captured without a single battle."
In the name of smoothing the Silk Road, roads were built from Jiuquan County to various countries in the Western Regions. Pavilions and barriers were built every ten miles on the road, and townships were built every thirty miles. The pavilions and barriers were mainly responsible for certain military functions, and the guards were garrisoned by troops from nearby townships.
Responsible for protecting the security of commercial roads and nearby farms and immigrants, and transmitting information to the Protectorate at any time. Pavilions and military camps are assigned to the Protectorate of the Western Regions, rural gatherings and civilian settlements are assigned to the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and road construction is planned by the Protectorate Organization.
, the countries in the Western Regions respectively undertake the construction. After all, opening the road is conducive to the countries entering the DPRK to worship, develop trade, and strengthen exchanges. The countries have no reason to refuse this request.
"Use the pavilions as the bones and muscles, the village gatherings as the flesh and blood, the farming as the essence, and then supplement it with Xuanhua." Jiang Qian said slowly, and a different scene seemed to appear in front of him. The foreign city-state of the desert and yellow sand disappeared.
They disappeared and were replaced by naturalized people who were bathed in Confucian moral education: "Wherever the roads in the Western Regions are built, the pavilions and barriers of the Han Dynasty will be built. The Han people in the interior will also gather there, and the officials of the imperial court will govern them. Even
Within the countries of the Western Regions, as long as there are our imperial courts, pavilions, and village gatherings, that is also the territory of the Han Dynasty, and the people of the Han Dynasty..."
This method actually restored Emperor Xiaowu's experience in managing the Western Regions, and referred to the colonial practices of later generations, extending the power of the imperial court to the interior of the countries through roads and pavilions, using farming and rural settlements as colonies, setting up chiefs, and directly
Under the jurisdiction of the Protectorate, the countries were gradually divided, and the sand penetrated layer by layer, gradually establishing military, political, and economic advantages, and then racial and cultural assimilation became a matter of course.
"This is a long-term solution, but will so many Han people be willing to come to the Western Regions?"
, is not an attractive place: "If we force prisoners and soldiers to garrison, there is no guarantee that it will not cause resentment. Emperor Xiaowu's expedition to Shi Luntai in the past can serve as a lesson for Yin."
You Chu held a piece of melon in his hand. He took half a mouthful first and said to Yin Mo with a smile: "It is stated in the edict that the people should be moved to garrison. Except for the prisoners who are exiled here, the rest are recruited. Li Shu from the mainland are willing to come here."
In the Western Regions, each household is given three thousand dollars and allocated land, and the next three generations are exempted from rent and labor. After that, if the land does not exceed 100 acres, the rent and tax will be only forty and one. If the land exceeds 100 acres, there will be another calculation. There is also this
The children of the family can be helped by Xuanhua Ke to study. If they get good grades in the future, they can go to the Imperial College to study, or they can become officials locally."
"But what about the cost of doing this?" Jiang Gan asked doubtfully, as these were not mentioned in the edict: "Isn't it worth it to spend so much manpower and material resources and get a useless thing?"
You Chu swallowed the melon in his mouth and said with a smile: "Money and land do not need to be sent by the court. The Protectorate Palace was originally built to stop the wars between the countries in the Western Regions and to smooth the way for the countries to worship and pay tribute. The court sent troops
In order to prevent them from being destroyed by powerful countries and bullied by neighboring countries, what if they contribute money and provide some wealth and land? Even if a powerful family recruits tribes, they still have to give money and food. Is there anything in the world that they don't want?
Something in return?”
Yin Mo was speechless and said: "The metaphor of long history is too..." If this is explained openly, what is the so-called benevolence and righteousness they preach?
"So these words are only discussed between us, and they have not been mentioned even in the imperial edict. All we need to do is be familiar with them." You Chu understood the court's thinking from the few words in the imperial edict. This idea also
It suited his taste very much. To govern the countries in the Western Regions, one should not only use upright methods, but also sometimes have to learn to be cunning and calculating.
Xia Houyuan cleared his throat at this time, coughed and said: "Okay, now that we have discussed it, you must have understood the main meaning of the edict. The Protectorate is newly built, and all the systems are very different from those of the previous generation, and the situation will be very different in the future.
In the past, the imperial court had issued another edict. At the end of this year, all countries were ordered to recruit people to build or rename the old city. The city was named after Dingyuan Marquis, Bowang Marquis, and the surnames of the Western Regions Protectors and Changshi. The ancestors
He is a hero who has made extraordinary achievements. The country respects him so much that his name is engraved on the city head and will be immortalized in the Western Region. I also hope that all the kings will work hard and successfully manage the Western Region in the future. I don’t know that your surnames and my surnames cannot be used for one county or one county.
Name?"
When the imperial court ordered the Duhufu to compile the atlas of the Western Regions, it also changed the names of Yanqi, Qiuci and other cities. For example, Chao County and Qian County were established after Ban Chao and Zhang Qian, and they were used as county governments. Since ancient times, there have been few names for generals.
As the name of the city, this move by the emperor will undoubtedly inspire the people in the Western Regions to explore their aspirations, and will also strengthen the memories of the countries in the Western Regions that they were once dominated by the Han Dynasty.
Ma Chao was not very interested in governing the people. He was very satisfied with the destruction of two kingdoms this time. When he heard what Xia Houyuan said, he joked: "What will happen to people like me? When I came, I heard from the Kucha people
He said that this Chaoxian County does not seem to have contributed to the discipline of the class, but it is recorded on my head..."
Everyone laughed when they remembered that Ma Chao and Ban Chao were famous for being overweight.
Meng Da, the captain of Yihe who was in charge of military garrison and logistics, also said at the right time: "Who in the Western Regions doesn't know the reputation of Ban Dingyuan who has conquered all the countries? 'General Tian' needs to be encouraged more. In the future, a certain city will be awarded 'Meng Qi'."
It’s impossible.”
Meng Da's foundation was not very strong, and he wasted his years in the army before he was assigned to the army in the Western Regions. Fortunately, Fazheng had a close friendship with him, and he would not suffer any disadvantages when encountering problems.
After many events, Ma Chao became much more restrained and did not want to care about Meng Da's little joke.
After this episode, Xia Houyuan and You Chu discussed specific policies on the basis of the imperial edict, such as forcing the countries in the Western Regions to fight against Ban Chao, Zhang Qian recording his merits in stone, mobilizing the princes and elite nobles of the princes to enter Chang'an, or for
Attendants, or entering the Imperial Academy, gradually become independent and weaken the power of various countries.
They had planned a strategy and planned to make great achievements in the Western Regions after the first batch of imperial students, "Maocai" and "Nengli" recommended by the prefectures and counties, and immigrants arrived at the end of the year.
Of course, You Chu also did not forget to remind Xia Houyuan to contact the neighboring Wusun, and the more distant Guishang, Anxi and other countries. With his eyesight far beyond that of everyone in the Western Regions, how could he not know that the emperor's thoughts were not limited to the Western Regions?