At the end of Qin, I became a son of the plane

Chapter 536: Global Vision and Reforming Prime Minister
The relationship between Liu Bang and the Xiongnu was not only not relatives, but could even be said to be enemies. Not counting the affairs of Liu Bang and his people during the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty also had a hostile relationship with the Xiongnu for almost ten years after its establishment. The reason why Liu Bang helped the Parthians was also related to the fact that this concept had not been changed.

Liu Bang and his people were hostile to the Huns for almost 10 years. Even after the Huns surrendered to the Han Dynasty, the relationship between the two sides was not very close. However, the King of Parthia hosted him for two years. In addition, Liu Bang himself was a chivalrous man. He would be good to whoever was good to him. That is why Liu Bang chose to help the Parthians without thinking too much.

Xu Fan continued: "If the conflict was difficult to resolve, how did the King of Zhou solve it at that time?"

Chen Ping said: "Both sides sent armies to fight. The winner was justified and the loser was not. However, the war had to be conducted under the Zhou rituals. This could control the intensity of the war and prevent the contradictions between the two sides from accumulating. The Zhou royal family was the guarantee of Zhou rituals. By the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, the Zhou royal family was weak and it was difficult to maintain Zhou rituals. The major hegemonic countries were more willing to annex small vassal states rather than maintain Zhou rituals. This led to the collapse of rituals and music, and the emergence of unscrupulous military strategists such as Sun Wu, Sun Bin, and Wu Qi, and the creation of "The Art of War", "The Art of War by Wu Qi", and "The Art of War by Sun Bin."

Xu Fan nodded in understanding. The power of the Zhou royal family was the core that ensured the kind of wars that were like sports games during the Spring and Autumn Period. This could minimize internal friction and allow the princes of the Zhou royal family to expand in all directions.

This conflict is also a warning that conflicts between princes are beginning to appear within the Han Dynasty, and will become more and more numerous in the future. If the Han Dynasty does not prepare early, the consequences will be even more serious.

The first batch of princes of the Han Dynasty were basically comrades-in-arms. Their comradeship was not inferior to their blood relationship. As long as these people were still there, the conflicts between the princes would not be too intense.

But by the second generation of princes, the friendship between them will decrease a lot, and the conflicts between the princes will increase. By the third generation of princes, I am afraid they will only talk about interests. After all, in history, the Rebellion of the Seven Kings broke out in the Han Dynasty about 60 years after its founding, and even the blood ties between the same clans were severed, let alone the friendship between comrades-in-arms.

If the Han Dynasty does not formulate a good system to restrain these princes at this time, I am afraid that there will be more such conflicts in the future.

Thinking of the sports meeting, Xu Fan said, "Let them each send out warriors to compete. If the Huns win, Liu Bang will apologize in the Han Monthly Report. If Liu Bang and his men win, then they can give the Huns some compensation as appropriate. No matter what, it is Liu Bang and his men who are at fault."

After all, Xu Fan could not deal with it as impartially as the way of heaven, and he still unconsciously leaned towards Liu Bang. However, he also tended to give money to settle the dispute, after all, Pei State had money.

On the other side, at the Mozi Academy, Xu Aimin and Zhang Pijiang were also discussing the conflict between Liu Bang and the Huns.

Xu Aimin was a little dissatisfied and said: "Father is always so soft-hearted. He can never take action against meritorious officials. No matter how big the trouble they cause, at most they will be exiled overseas to establish vassal states, but can this be considered a punishment?

The old Marquis of Pei's behavior is causing divisions among the princes of the Han Dynasty. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is betraying his own people."

In this era when all the people recognized that spreading civilization was the Manifest Destiny of the Han Dynasty, Xu Aimin was extremely disgusted with Liu Bang's behavior. In his opinion, this was not a small mistake that deserved three cups of wine as punishment, but an extremely serious mistake of principle, enough to get the Pei State expelled from the country.

But Zhang Pijiang said, "I think that the old Marquis of Pei has hit the jackpot. In recent years, I have studied the global situation and found that there are two places that can pose a threat to our Han Dynasty. One is the Indian civilization. They are too close to our Han Dynasty and are in the core area of ​​the Shenzhou Continent (the Shenzhou Continent mentioned by Chen Ping refers to the Asian part of the Eurasian Continent). The rise of Indian civilization will directly threaten our Han Dynasty."

"The second is the civilization in the western part of Shenzhou. This place has fertile land, many powerful countries and a large population. The total population is close to that of the Han Dynasty. If the Xiongnu Kingdom really unifies this area, there will be a powerful country in the western part of Shenzhou with a land area and population comparable to that of the Han Dynasty. Then the Xiongnu will be unstoppable and will definitely break away from the control of the Han Dynasty. I think we should weaken the power of the Xiongnu Kingdom. Even if we really want to occupy this area, we cannot let the Xiongnu occupy it. Instead, we should enfeoff other princes of the Han Dynasty to guard this place."

Xu Aimin was surprised and asked, "Is the potential of this area really that great?"

Zhang Pijiang said: "Its potential is even greater than that of India. Under the suppression of monks, the Indian civilization is extremely corrupt and vulnerable to any invasion by outsiders. They will even become accomplices of outsiders and oppress the Indians together. This is the main reason why the Indians have been weak in military strength for thousands of years.

But the civilization in this area is full of vitality, comparable to the Hundred Schools of Thought during the Spring and Autumn Period of the Han Dynasty. If the Xiongnu really occupied this area, they would make up for the cultural weakness. In addition, they would learn from the industrial advantages of the Han Dynasty. Although it would be difficult for them to catch up with the Han Dynasty in the short term, they have enough potential to catch up with the Han Dynasty. "

In order to let Xu Aimin have a more intuitive understanding of the potential of this area, Zhang Pijiang simply dipped his hands in tea and roughly drew the location of Egypt and the Mediterranean countries.

"This is Egypt in Yanzhou. There is a river called the Nile River. Regular flooding can bring fertile soil. Even if the local people do not build water conservancy projects, the grain yield per mu is extremely high, reaching 6 shi per mu. They rely on a small delta along the river to feed tens of millions of people across the country and export a large amount of grain. This piece of land alone is better than the countless water conservancy facilities of our Han Dynasty. If a powerful country can emerge to the west of Shenzhou, this area will be the Zhengguo Canal of that powerful country.

Segurius, which is close to the Mediterranean Sea behind the Parthian Empire, is the real overlord of this area. Although it has declined in recent years, its strength cannot be underestimated. It has a population of tens of millions and an army of hundreds of thousands. To the east of Segurius is the Parthian Empire, which has a population of about 10 million. It was originally a vassal state under Segurius, but it broke away from Segurius' control decades ago. In addition, the Xiongnu Kingdom in the western region also has a population of several million. "

Finally, Zhang Pijiang drew this area including the Xiongnu Kingdom together and said, "You see, Prince, this area has a population of about 4000 to 5000 million, which is several times larger than the Central Plains. The land is fertile, the civilization is splendid, and various handicrafts are advanced. In addition, the Xiongnu have learned the industries of our Han Dynasty, which can be said to be a combination of the strengths of hundreds of schools. If such a large area is controlled by the Xiongnu, it is possible that they will catch up with our Han Dynasty in a few decades. By then, the Xiongnu will become a major concern for our Han Dynasty, and may even compete with our Han Dynasty for global hegemony."

Xu Aimin was shocked when he saw this map. When this area was divided, Xu Aimin didn't think there was anything wrong with it, but it was too terrifying to unify it all under one force.

He said helplessly: "Within a hundred years, the New World will be the focus of the court. The land west of Shenzhou is really beyond the reach of the court."

Zhang Pijiang said: "So for the imperial court, it is better for this area to be divided than to be unified. Although the Xiongnu are vassal states of the Han Dynasty, sometimes in order to balance the power of the imperial court, they have to be restricted from developing."

As expected, many things are not subject to human will. Xu Fan wanted the Huns to continue to migrate westward, and he didn't care whether the Huns' power expanded. But many people in the Han Dynasty probably felt that the Huns were too powerful to be stopped.

The size of the Xiongnu and Kushans was extremely large within the Han Dynasty. Whether in terms of area or population, they were equivalent to the size of more than a dozen vassal states.

The Kushans were better off. After rushing into India, they were infected by the weak Indians and their combat effectiveness dropped rapidly. Now they can't even defeat a trading company. Within the Han Dynasty, although everyone despised the Kushans' weakness, they also let down their guard against them.

But the Xiongnu Kingdom was different. This country had a large land area and a large population. Although they were defeated by the Han Dynasty many times, they had never been defeated except by the Han Dynasty. The Xiongnu Chanyu Jizhou was also a rare leader. When the Xiongnu power was at its lowest, he led less than 10,000 defeated soldiers and fought all the way to conquer the Xiongnu Kingdom. Such a hero was rare in the thousands of years of history of the Han Dynasty.

In order to allow the Xiongnu Kingdom to obtain a blast furnace, the Xiongnu prince Junchen was willing to work as a blacksmith in the Han Dynasty and forge iron for several years. Isn't this just the second generation of Goujian?

The Xiongnu had two generations of wise rulers, so how could this not make the wise men in the Han Dynasty wary? You have to know that the Xiongnu were not vassal states granted by the meritorious officials of the Han Dynasty, but were driven away by the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty naturally did not trust them.

So Xu Aimin immediately realized the threat of the Huns after hearing Zhang Pijiang's words. If the Huns annexed the Parthian Empire, their land area would be about 15% of that of the Han Dynasty, and their population would be close to 20% of that of the Han Dynasty. If they continued to annex Segura, Egypt, and other small countries, a huge empire spanning the three continents of Shenzhou, Yanzhou, and Qinzhou, with a population close to that of the Han Dynasty, would rise.

If Xu Fan saw this kind of map, he would definitely be surprised. Isn't this the Persian Empire that rose hundreds of years earlier? Even the prosperous Tang Dynasty was defeated by the Persian Empire.

But for Xu Aimin, such an empire was too scary. How could such a Xiongnu Empire be willing to be inferior to a powerful empire in the world? Even if he was willing to be the second, the Han Dynasty would probably do its best to suppress the Xiongnu Empire. Xu Aimin thought for a while and said, "The court must have influence in this area, and it is best to station troops here."

Zhang Pijiang said: "There are a large number of students from Parthia and Segurius studying in Chang'an now. The court may be able to use them to check and balance the Xiongnu."

Any civilization will try to survive when faced with a life-and-death situation, not to mention that the Parthians are still on the rise of their civilization. Faced with the invincible Huns, they will naturally try to learn from the Huns' advanced experience.

The Parthians were learning from the Huns' blast furnaces, and they were secretly learning about the artillery made by the Huns. They even knew that the artillery came from the Han Dynasty. The Parthian king bought the artillery from the Han Dynasty merchants at 20 times the price.

Didn’t the ancients say that as long as there was three times the profit, merchants would dare to risk being hanged? Now there is a 20-fold profit, and a cannon is almost sold for the price of gold. What reason do they have not to make this money? The Parthians could defeat the Huns, but it was not just the cannons on Liu Bang’s ship that could help them defeat the Huns.

At the same time, when the nobles of Parthia learned that the Huns were just a vassal state under the Han Empire in the East, Parthia and its neighboring powers sent students to study in Chang'an. Some of them believed that even though they were far away in Chang'an, they still had the spirit of seeking knowledge.

Xu Aimin took Zhang Pijiang's hand and said, "Come and help me. There are not many people in the entire Han Dynasty who understand the world situation as well as you do. I really need your help."

Xu Fan has already informed Xu Aimin of his upcoming succession. After more than ten years of training under Xu Fan, Xu Aimin is confident in how to handle the internal affairs of the Han Dynasty and will not let his father down.

But how to establish the hegemony of the Han Dynasty on a global scale? How to suppress those potential threats? He needs someone with a global vision to help him deal with these things, and there is no better person than Zhang Pijiang.

Zhang Pijiang smiled and said, "I can take a place in your Prince's Mansion."

Peihou Mansion

Zhou Bo said to Liu Ying, "This matter is Liu Ji's fault. If you can solve it by paying some compensation, why bother with the Xiongnu? Some things are just fine, and if they are really a big deal, even if your father pays with his life, it won't be solved."

Liu Bang smiled and said, "Ying'er has no experience, but he is a good and filial child."

Zhou Bo said angrily, "You are old and confused. Why did the emperor strengthen the Xiongnu Kingdom in recent years? Don't you know that the Xiongnu are the sword in the hands of the Han Dynasty? After a few glasses of wine, you even forgot your identity. Your actions are, at the very least, not distinguishing between the inside and the outside. At the most, you have hindered the strategy of the court. If you were to do this 600 years ago, you would be like Shen Gong who introduced dog fur. You will be infamous in history forever."

Liu Fei said worriedly: "Will the emperor really punish my father? My father is old, so let me, his son, bear any punishment."

Liu Heng and Liu Chang also looked worried.

Liu Bang said: "Everyone has his own faults. At most, you have to pay for your life with the Xiongnu. You are already 80 years old. You have lived enough. If you go to the underworld, it will be a good opportunity for you to accompany Xiao He, Cao Shen and others."

Zhou Bo said angrily: "It doesn't matter if you die, but don't drag down your descendants."

Liu Ying immediately said: "If you want to apologize, let me apologize. I will give whatever compensation the Xiongnu ask for."

Liu Bang said: "You, the Marquis of Pei, still have some dignity, but your father has always been a scoundrel. Your father is already 80 years old, so what's the point of losing face?"

At this time, Xu Fan's attendant came here and said, "Your Majesty has ordered that the Marquis of Pei and the Xiongnu Kingdom will have a duel to decide this dispute. If the Marquis of Pei wins, he does not need to apologize, but he must compensate the Xiongnu Kingdom for its losses. If the Xiongnu Kingdom wins, the old Marquis of Pei will not only have to compensate for the losses, but also publish an apology statement in the mainstream monthly newspaper of the Han Dynasty."

Liu Bang and others bowed and said, "The emperor is wise and wise!"

After the attendant left, Zhou Bo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Your Majesty, you have taken up a heavy responsibility and put it down lightly. With this lesson, you should not mess around anymore. You should just go back to your hometown to retire. You are 80 years old and you still have a few years to live."

Liu Bang said: "It's hard to say. Judging from how hard you work, even if you die, Nai Gong may not die."

Liu Bang also sighed in his heart. The prime minister of the Han Dynasty was really not a human being. Xiao He and Cao Shen had exhausted their efforts for this. Zhou Bo was a warrior. He was the best among them in terms of physique and was also the youngest among them, but now he looked older than him.

Zhou Bo was very satisfied with his life as prime minister in the past few years. The emperor hardly interfered with his administration. He made decisions on the government of the Han Dynasty. The emperor also strongly supported his various reform measures. His ideas could run through the entire Han Dynasty. It can be said that the prime minister of the Han Dynasty was the one who truly used the world as a painting. It was rare for a monarch to be as open-minded as Your Majesty in ancient and modern times. He was lucky to meet one. What else could he be dissatisfied with?

He said, "I can rule the country for 10 years, even if I die in office, so what? In these 10 years, I can reform the tax system of the court, handle government affairs smoothly, and plan the development of the Han Dynasty for years. Only famous ministers such as Guan Zhong, Yue Yi, and Shang Yang can be compared with such great power. Moreover, since ancient times, how many reformers have a good ending and a good reputation? I have obtained it all, so what else can I be dissatisfied with?"

Speaking of Zhou Bo's reputation, Liu Bang was also envious. The Han Dynasty had been founded for nearly 30 years and had experienced four prime ministers, but Zhou Bo had the highest reputation in the Han Dynasty, even surpassing the reputation of Zhou Zhang, the founding prime minister of the Han Dynasty.

The reason is very simple. He promoted the land tax reform, which greatly reduced the amount of tax paid by farmers in the Han Dynasty. Now the border counties of the Han Dynasty only need to collect 10% of the land tax, and tens of millions of farmers in the Han Dynasty benefited from it. The farmers in the Han Dynasty naturally remembered Zhou Bo's kindness.

In addition, during his tenure, he vigorously built industrial parks. The changes brought about by the steam engine, from light industry to heavy industry, the industrial population of the Han Dynasty almost doubled in these 10 years. These new craftsmen were not only the source of wealth of the Han Dynasty, but also the new high consumers of the Han Dynasty. These high-income craftsmen once again promoted the prosperity of the market, just like the economic prosperity period in later generations, achieving a positive cycle of mutual support.

During the past decade, the fiscal revenue of the Han Dynasty has doubled to over 800 billion. Railways, ports, bridges, asphalt roads, and canals have been built all over the Han Dynasty, greatly strengthening the various infrastructures of the Han Dynasty and accelerating the development of the Han Dynasty's logistics.

The first ten years of the Han Dynasty were the fastest-growing since its founding. All classes grew and developed rapidly during these golden ten years. Although this was due to the favorable conditions of time, place and people, it was after all the prosperity achieved during Zhou Bo's tenure, which naturally greatly boosted Zhou Bo's prestige.

Even among the officials, Zhou Bo was highly regarded, being called the Prime Minister of Reform and the Prime Minister of Prosperity. They all believed that the prosperity of the Han Dynasty could be further enhanced, which was closely related to Zhou Bo's continuous reforms.

(End of this chapter)