Daming Yuanfu

Chapter 2303: Three Triumphant Returns (XV) Development Plan for the Western Region (Part )

After the discussion on industry and commerce was over, Zhu Yijun recalled the eight aspects Gao Youshi had mentioned before and said thoughtfully, "Now we are going to talk about culture, right? What does the Prime Minister have to teach me?"

"I dare not." Gao Youshi said: "In terms of culture, I think it all comes down to two words: Sinicization."

"Minister, the people in the Western Regions have complex customs, and the matter of sinicization is of no trivial importance... What good ideas do you have, my dear minister?" Zhu Yijun's voice seemed calm, but it was actually full of expectations.

Gao Youshi responded calmly: "Your Majesty, although the Western Regions are far away, their strategic position is of great importance. I have discussed this matter in detail before. In short, I believe that the matter of sinicization is the top priority for consolidating the border and will never change."

Zhu Yijun nodded slightly, signaling Gao Youshi to continue.

Gao Guoshi continued, "Your Majesty, the Western Regions are strategically located and have been the meeting point of Eastern and Western civilizations since ancient times. However, due to the large number of ethnic groups and different beliefs, there are often disturbances. If we can promote sinicization, not only can the local people learn Chinese etiquette, but they can also connect with the Central Plains in culture, thereby reducing misunderstandings and barriers and enhancing border stability.

Furthermore, after the sinicization, the Western Regions will become the foundation for our dynasty to show its power in foreign lands and educate all nations. Trade and cultural exchanges will become more frequent, which will be conducive to the circulation of our dynasty's materials and the spread of technology. In the long run, this will not only enhance national strength, but also restore the glory of the Han and Tang dynasties, and make the Western Regions once again the scene of all nations coming to pay tribute."

After hearing this, Zhu Yijun's eyes flashed with admiration: "What the Prime Minister said is far-sighted. The Western Regions are indeed an important part of our dynasty that cannot be ignored. The sinicization of the region is not only the revival of local culture, but also the return of the glory of China. It is truly something that must be done."

After a pause, he asked again: "So, how should we proceed now?"

Gao Shishi said: "Your Majesty, I have already made a general plan for the sinicization plan. First, the court will set up official schools in the cities of the Western Regions, and hire or send Confucian scholars from various provinces in the Han area to teach together with local wise men, teaching both Chinese and Chinese characters, as well as Chinese classics and ritual and music books. This move is intended to allow the children of the Western Regions to understand the culture of the Central Plains and enhance their sense of identity.

Secondly, they specially compiled or selected some teaching materials that were adapted to the characteristics of the Western Regions, simplified the difficulty of learning Chinese characters, made them close to local reality, and facilitated students' understanding and mastery. At the same time, the court also regularly selected a group of local youths to study in the Han provinces, and served as teachers after returning home, so as to cultivate local talents.

Thirdly, in order to encourage families in the Western Regions to send their children to school, I suggest that preferential policies such as tax reduction and exemption be given to families and clans that participate in Sinicization education, and that they be given appropriate preference in official promotions as an incentive. Of course, the official promotions I am referring to here refer specifically to promotions in the local area, and do not involve other provinces or the central government of the imperial court.

In addition, we also need to hold various cultural exchange activities, such as calligraphy, painting, and poetry competitions, and invite local wise men and even the general public to participate, so that they can experience the charm of Chinese culture firsthand and accelerate the realization of the sinicization cause.

Finally, I need to emphasize that Sinicization education should be carried out step by step, and local culture and religious beliefs must be fully respected to avoid forced assimilation. Through equal exchanges, cultural integration can be promoted, and the long-term trend can be achieved with the power of dripping water wearing away a stone. Only in this way can it last forever. "

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "I know that the Western Regions have been lost for six hundred years and are only now recovering. Some things cannot be achieved in a hurry, and we must take our time.

Yuanfu, don't worry about me being too hasty. I have the patience. Even if you and I can't do it in this lifetime, there will be a prince in the future, and the prince will have a prince... One day, the Western Region will be the same as the Central Plains."

Gao Youshi suddenly stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. With your words, I have nothing else to worry about."

Zhu Yijun quickly asked Gao Youshi to sit down, and then asked, "Then it's military support, right? Speaking of which, haven't we already discussed military issues before?"

Gao Shishi said: "No, what we have discussed before is only the Ili First Army, which is the most important. However, the Western Region is vast, equivalent to several provinces in the Central Plains. How can it have only one army? Therefore, the Western Region should also have the Ili Second Army, and the army needs to be divided into four towns, each of which is stationed in the jurisdiction of a military preparation road.

As for the Ordos tribe that moved to the Seven Rivers, since they have been given a deputy governor, their duties must be clearly defined. They cannot be allowed to come and go as they please. They must obey orders and follow discipline.”

Zhu Yijun was quick to follow suit and immediately said, "In that case, please explain in detail, I am all ears."

Gao Shishi said: "Your Majesty, I think the key to the Western Regions lies in Yili. That is why I said that the First Ili Army should be specially established, led by the Western Regions General, and stationed in the Yili area. The Western Regions Protectorate will take it as the core and coordinate the overall situation of the Western Regions.

As one of the Type A armies, the Ili First Army will be our dynasty's strong shield and sharp sword in the Western Regions, able to both keep the enemy out of the country and deter the four directions, so that the rogue dare not act rashly. Therefore, the Ili First Army will be equipped with sophisticated firearms and protective gear, and will gather well-trained infantry, cavalry and artillery, as well as complete logistical support forces to ensure both combat effectiveness and mobility. "

Zhu Yijun had long been aware of the Type A Army. As the core force of the Western Region Ming Army, the Ili First Army must be built with all its strength. Therefore, he nodded and said, "Ili is indeed the heart of the Western Region. This arrangement is very appropriate."

Gao Youshi continued, "In addition, the Fuyuan Military Preparation Road is located in the Wala Basin (later called the Junggar Basin), which is rich in water and grass and a treasure land for raising war horses. I suggest that the First Town of the Second Ili Army be stationed here to guard the pasture and ensure a steady supply of war horses for our Western Regions official army.

At the same time, the imperial court will also establish a horse temple in the local area to be responsible for the selection, breeding, training and management of horses, so that they can become a strong backing for our army. If there is still a shortage, I believe that there will be private horse farms such as Jinghua Horse Farm to provide supplements, so that there will be no shortage of war horses. "

Zhu Yijun nodded and smiled: "War horses are the soul of the army. This move is very much in line with my wishes."

Gao Youshi continued, "Hami Military Road is the throat connecting the Western Regions and the Central Plains, and its position is crucial. I propose to station the Second Town of the Second Army of Ili here to ensure that the Silk Road is unobstructed and the connection between our dynasty and the Western Regions is indestructible.

To this end, as mentioned earlier when discussing infrastructure, the court will also build post stations along the way to ensure the safety of the army, caravans, and various messengers. Of course, a material transfer station will also be established in Hami in case of emergency. "

The so-called "untimely need" naturally means that if there is any change in the Western Regions, the imperial army will definitely be sent from Hami to suppress or recapture it. Zhu Yijun understood it immediately, so he nodded repeatedly and said: "Hami is the throat, I know how important it is, the prime minister's strategy is very good, I also think so."

Gao Youshi added: "Kashgar Military Preparation Road faces the Central Asian countries directly, and the situation is complicated. I think the Third Town of the Second Army of Ili should be stationed here to guard against and deter the Central Asian countries and ensure the stability of our western border.

In addition, I suggest setting up an important Jinyiwei station here to closely monitor the movements of the Western Regions, such as the remnants of Bukhara or Chahar, and other forces. In addition, we can establish good relations with the surrounding plateau tribes and bribe them to serve as spies with a little money and property. "

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "I also know that Kashgar is a strategically important place. What Yuan Fu said is absolutely right. As for the Jinyiwei... I will let Chen Ju discuss with them in detail later to see how to deploy them. But Yuan Fu, don't worry, since you can personally propose it, they must be aware of the importance of it and dare not take it lightly."

Gao Youshi could only touch upon the questions of the Imperial Guards and would certainly not say more. Therefore, since he had the emperor's assurance, he nodded without hesitation and finally said: "As for the Hotan Military Preparation Road, although it is located in a remote area, it is rich in resources, especially the jade is well-known.

I suggest that the 4th Town of the 2nd Army be stationed in Yili to guard the southern western region alone, which can not only ensure peace in the area, but also supervise the exploitation of local resources. The court can set up a jade store in Khotan to regulate mining and prevent indiscriminate mining and destruction. At the same time, it can open a craft workshop to improve the jade processing technology and make it a source of wealth for our dynasty. "

Zhu Yijun was no longer sleepy when he heard this, and immediately said: "The jade of Khotan is famous all over the world. Your plan not only protects the border, but also enriches the country. It is really a brilliant idea! Your plan is so detailed, and I am very pleased. I hope you can implement it as soon as possible to consolidate the border of our Ming Dynasty and enhance the prestige of our country."

Gao Fusi thought to himself: Of course you care about consolidating the border and enhancing our strength, but I think you care more about the Khotan Jade and Stone Depot.

Gao Yuanfu, who knew Zhu Yijun's intentions, smiled and said, "I think that the Khotan Jade and Stone Market can be jointly operated by the government and businessmen, and the court can achieve long-term profits without spending a single copper coin."

Zhu Yijun's eyes lit up, and then he hesitated for a moment before asking, "You mean, the court will hand over the mining rights to the private sector, and the court will not care about the rest, but will only collect a certain amount of royalties every year?"

"We can't be so simplistic and crude, otherwise there will be indiscriminate mining, which will be detrimental to the long-term output of Khotan jade." Gao Youshi said: "We say it is a joint venture between government and business, but it should be more accurately called government supervision and business operation, or government supervision and business operation."

Zhu Yijun was surprised and asked, "What does this mean?"

"The mining rights are still in the hands of the private sector, but the court will exercise supervisory power, including but not limited to supervising the mining scope and the tonnage of raw stones mined, and the court will collect different royalties based on these circumstances. In addition, the court must ensure that the mining volume is not too large, so as not to cause a sharp drop in jade prices and affect long-term income." "I see, the prime minister is still thoughtful." Zhu Yijun was relieved immediately, but immediately tried: "Although the court has benefited from this, the treasury is now empty..."

Ah? You are not ashamed to say that the treasury is empty now?

Having said that, Gao Youshi still smiled and said, "Of course, we need to agree in advance on how to divide the equity. Your Majesty, how do you think the equity should be divided between the Taicang and the inner treasury?"

Zhu Yijun certainly thought the more the better, but he couldn't say it, and he knew Gao Youshi would definitely disagree if he said too much, so he laughed dryly and said, "For things like this, Yuan Fu is still the best... How about Yuan Fu make the suggestion first, and then let me think about it?"

Gao Youshi didn't care, nodded and said: "Then the Taicang will take 70%, and the inner treasury will take 30%."

Zhu Yijun coughed lightly and said, "Isn't 30% a little too little?"

Gao Youshi said: "The 30% of the treasury is something you can get without doing anything. The 70% of the court may seem a lot more, but there are more things to do.

Not to mention that Khotan needed to be garrisoned by the imperial court, just to say that the imperial court needed to be responsible for the operation of the jade bureau, which would incur a lot of costs. After all, although Khotan jade is good, Khotan is far away from the Central Plains. If the imperial court does not allow a large sum of money, where can it find people who understand both mining and accounting to work in the jade bureau?

Your Majesty, these people have to patrol the snow mountain mining area, do accounting, and even prevent them from accepting bribes from merchants because their income is too low. It is conceivable that the court needs to spend a lot of money. Not to mention that there may be disputes and many troubles... The 30% of the treasury only needs to collect money, and these troubles are all covered by the court. "

Although Zhu Yijun still felt that 30% was a little too little, he had to admit that Gao Youshi's words made sense. In the end, he could only say, "For the sake of the prime minister, 30% is 30%. However, I have handed this matter over to you, so you must implement it as soon as possible."

Gao Youshi bowed and said, "Khotan is too far away after all, and it was recently recovered. It will take several months for people to travel back and forth. It is clear that it is too late to complete the jade and stone house this year... maybe next year. No matter when it can be completed next year, I expect that some income will be able to enter the treasury next year to ease the pressure on the treasury's expenditure."

This was quite good. The progress that Gao Youshi had guaranteed was even faster than Zhu Yijun had expected, so the emperor immediately confirmed it and said, "Since Yuanfu has guaranteed it, what else do I have to worry about? Then it is settled."

After a pause, he asked again: "How many aspects are left?"

Gao Youshi said: "There are still three aspects that have not been discussed: the introduction of science and technology, soil and sand control, and medical and health care."

Zhu Yijun nodded and said, "Let's talk about it all at once."

Gao Youshi said, "In terms of technology introduction, as long as the plans for agriculture, industry, and commerce are implemented smoothly, it will be a piece of cake. Because this aspect originally meant to introduce technology and craftsmen from the Han provinces to improve the local technology level. As long as the above three plans are successfully implemented, both the court-run and private businesses will have to bring these technical craftsmen. Therefore, as long as the court can provide assistance in policies such as household registration, this matter will not be too difficult."

Zhu Yijun was very satisfied. He was used to being a hands-off manager. When he heard that it was easy to handle, he immediately said, "It's okay. The Prime Minister is also the local official. This is the matter that he should be in charge of. Just let it go."

He paused, remembering that the military households and artisan households were related to the Five Military Governors' Office and the Ministry of Works, and added: "Just make arrangements for the Five Military Governors' Office, and I will order them to cooperate. As for the Ministry of Works... Yuan Fu first brings a charter to the Ministry of Works for discussion. If there is no problem, then just follow it. If the Ministry of Works has any objections, ask the Ministry of Works to come to the emperor to explain."

What Gao Youshi wanted was to delegate power, so he immediately said, "I obey your order."

Ministry of Industry? Now the Ministry of Industry's office funding depends on the Ministry of Revenue. Now if we just transfer some craftsmen, will the Ministry of Industry object? Why don't you object and see?

Gao Youshi added: "The issue of soil control and sand prevention is mainly related to the desert. The court needs to prevent the desert from expanding..."

"Ah?" Zhu Yijun was a little dumbfounded, wondering: "How can human power reverse such a thing that has changed the world?"

This matter is a bit difficult to explain, and Gao Youshi does not have the ability to do what the Red Dynasty did in later generations to control desertification. What he can do now is actually limited. Therefore, he said: "Your Majesty is overthinking. I am not saying that I want to change the world. I just want to say that since the court wants to repair the road, then the Gobi area along the Silk Road must be dealt with.

For example, we can plant some trees along the road that can grow locally and stabilize the soil and prevent sand. This does not need to be limited to a certain time. If it fails in one generation, we can expect it in the next generation. As long as we do not stop for other things, we will succeed sooner or later and make the road smooth and not damaged by quicksand.

Zhu Yijun pondered and said, "I understand what the Prime Minister means. However, planting trees requires labor, and trees do not grow out of thin air. If they are transplanted from somewhere else, there will be expenses... Where will the money come from?"

Gao Shishi said: "Of course, we will add a sum to the trade tariff. This amount does not need to be much, for example, one eleventh (one tenth) of the tariff itself, or even less."

Zhu Yijun was relieved by this and nodded, "I understand. It's a long-term plan." After a pause, he asked, "Is this a government-run or private enterprise?"

"It's a government-run operation." Gao Youshi said, "This is related to the people's support, so it can't be run by the people. However, I still say that since it's a government-run operation, it must be strictly supervised."

"Okay, Yuan Fu, please go back and draw up detailed rules. I agree to this." Zhu Yijun made the decision, and then said, "There is only one thing left, medical care? What's the point of this?"

Gao Youshi said: "This matter is not complicated. We just need to extend the military's requirements to the civilian population, and it will be fine for the time being."

Zhu Yijun was not clear about what the army wanted, so he was startled and asked, "What are the army's requirements?"

"Build more toilets, wash hands after using the toilet, boil drinking water, collect garbage in a centralized location... and so on." Gao Youshi casually gave a few examples.

Zhu Yijun suddenly felt bored and waved his hand, saying, "I thought it was something serious. The Prime Minister can handle these matters by himself. There is no need to tell me one by one."

These are big things... Never mind, I'm too lazy to explain them to you. Since you're willing to delegate power, I'll just do some of the hard work.

"I obey your order." Gao Youshi stood up and said, "If Your Majesty has nothing else to tell me, I will take my leave."

"Thank you, Yuan Fu." Zhu Yijun stood up and walked to Gao Youshi, patted his shoulder affectionately, and said, "Don't be too tired. Now that the victory in the Western Regions has been determined, the journey south will not be far away. When the time comes, you will be the number one hero who will accompany the emperor."

Gao Youshi was no longer sad or happy about this, but he still wanted to show his gratitude. He bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty's grace is so great that I am deeply grateful and shed tears..."

Zhu Yijun laughed and turned to Chen Ju and said, "Chen Ju, go and see how much tribute tea is left and pick out a few kilograms of the best to bring to the Prime Minister."

  Chen Ju hurriedly said, "I obey your order." After that, he quickly went out of the door and went to choose tea.
-

Thanks to the book friend "Wo Haha Hehe" for the reward and support, thank you!

Thanks to the book friend "Book Friends 33021210934350" for your support with 9 monthly tickets, thank you!

Thanks to the book friends "o尚书令", "doni", "云覆月雨", "任性的肉甲馍", and "燃然在八月" for their monthly ticket support, thank you!