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

Chapter 704: A Real Man Cannot Live Without Power for a Day and the Inevitability of Ruling by Inaction

June 60, 10th year of the Han calendar, Chang'an City.

"Brother Zhou Er, how have you been lately?" asked Zhang Gao, a young master of the Han State, hesitantly.

Zhou Erge was their former partner Zhou Jianyi. Zhang Gao and other second-generations knew that Zhou Jianyi, Peng Hai, Mei Shao and others dared to join the brutal Seleucid battlefield in order to return to the Han Dynasty, which made Zhang Gao and others admire them. They originally thought that Zhou Jianyi would come back after making military achievements on the battlefield, but to their surprise, Zhou Jianyi and others actually stayed in the Seleucid Kingdom.

But today, when they saw Zhou Jianyi and the others, each of them had the aura of being in a superior position, which they had seen among their fathers, so much so that they could not believe that these were the partners who had eaten, drunk and had fun with them in the past.

Zhou Jianyi said: "Of course it is. During these years in Seleucus, Big Brother finally realized how absurd what he did was. Thanks to the Emperor's generosity, he gave us a chance to redeem ourselves and make meritorious contributions. That is why we have achieved what we have today."

Ying Ming looked at the unfamiliar Zhou Jianyi hesitantly and asked, "Second brother, are you okay?"

This tone is so familiar. Isn't this what their fathers often said? They are dismissive of it. It is too hypocritical. The emperor is not here, so who are they speaking such flattering words to?
Peng Hai said: "The biggest feeling we have had in the Seleucid Empire over the past few years is that a real man cannot live without power for a day. The pleasure gained from eating, drinking, whoring and gambling is simply not on the same level as changing a country. No wonder the emperor guards a vast territory but has only one queen, and doesn't care about eating, drinking and having fun. Changing the Han Dynasty is the emperor's greatest pleasure."

Then he looked at Zhang Gao and the others and said, "You have never really done anything, and you don't know the joy of power. A real man should make achievements and establish a career."

Zhang Gao said unhappily, "Brother, we know that you have become governor of Seleucus, but there is no need to show off like this. It is just a small and poor country. What is there to show off about?"

Although they said so, Ying Ming and others still looked at Zhou Jianyi and others with envy. A county magistrate with a salary of 2000 dan was someone that even the sons of princes like them had to look up to. This was the real high-level position in the Han Dynasty.

The allied forces defeated the Hun army, beheaded Junchen Chanyu, and completely liberated the Seleucid Empire. The new Seleucid regime fully learned the political system of the Han Dynasty.

The national system was modeled after the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system of the Han Dynasty, except that there was no emperor. Instead, consuls replaced the positions of prime minister and emperor. The Seleucid feudal system also fully learned the county system from the Han Dynasty. The Seleucid country was divided into 24 counties.

Zhou Jianyi and others were originally just consultants in the Seleucid Empire, but because they grew up in their own vassal state and were princes, they were influenced by their surroundings and had certain insights into how to build a vassal state. This insight might have been only at the level of an ordinary clerk in the Han Dynasty, but in the Seleucid Empire that had just been liberated, they were unparalleled talents.

The talents of the Seleucid Empire always made many mistakes in managing the army and the people, causing a lot of jokes or paying tuition fees. However, the area governed by Zhou Jianyi and his colleagues was politically stable and the people were harmonious, and all industries were prosperous, which made them stand out from the crowd.

As a result, their official positions became higher and higher, from consultants at the beginning, they became county magistrates of the Seleucid Empire. Later, the elders of the Seleucid Empire simply negotiated with them to stay in the Seleucid Empire. They were willing to let Zhou Jianyi and others become county governors of the Seleucid Empire. If they did a good job, they could also become elders of the Seleucid Empire and become part of the ruling class.

After Zhou Jianyi and his colleagues discussed, they felt that if they returned to the Han Dynasty, they would be just second-generation princes, but if they stayed in the Seleucid Empire, they would be high-ranking ministers. They sent a telegram to their families and also informed the court of this matter through the Consulate General of Daqinzhou, asking the court whether this could be done.

For Marquis Jiang and others, some were overjoyed that their sons had made progress. It just so happened that in recent years, the Han Dynasty had repeatedly extended its favor to the emperor. Although it was only aimed at Jiangnan, the atmosphere among the princes and the court was indeed much more tense than in previous years. Who could say for sure whether the extension of favor would affect the princes in Southeast Asia?

If Zhou Jianyi and his men stayed in the Seleucid Empire, they could not only reduce the risk of extending the favor, but also leave a base for the family in Daqinzhou, which was killing two birds with one stone. So Marquis Jiang sent some retainers and gave Zhou Jianyi 300 million coins, asking him to work hard in the Seleucid Empire.

For the Han Dynasty court, Zhou Jianyi and others became high-ranking officials of the Seleucid Empire and even became a elder family, which was very beneficial for the Han Dynasty to maintain its influence in the Seleucid Empire. Therefore, the Han Dynasty court also agreed with their actions and even formulated a nationality law. Citizens of the Han Dynasty could obtain nationality of other countries, but it would not affect their own nationality. This is the so-called "Dual Nationality Law."

Of course, this decree was not entirely formulated for Zhou Jianyi and his men, but was based on practical needs. The Han Dynasty had a huge system of vassal states, and the vast majority of the people in the vassal states considered themselves to be citizens of both the vassal states and the Han Dynasty, and they also enjoyed the rights of citizens in the Han Dynasty.

In order to rule the world, the Han Dynasty could not refuse to recognize that the citizens of the vassal states were not Han citizens, so the "Dual Nationality Law" was inevitable. With Zhou Jianyi's case, the court simply recognized this matter through a decree.

Therefore, Zhou Jianyi and others acquired the citizenship of the Seleucid Empire, became one of the top leaders of the Seleucid Empire, and were also the first batch of dual citizens identified by the Han Dynasty.

Zhou Jianyi smiled and said, "I have a good thing to do with you brothers this time. The Seleucid Empire owed a large debt due to the invasion of the Huns. After several years of hard work, most of the debt has been repaid, but it is also because there is no money to develop industry. The Seleucid Empire is still an agricultural country. The Senate intends to change this situation, so it has formulated a plan to develop industry. The conditions are very favorable. We will help you build a factory. The first three years are tax-free, and the next three years are half the tax. If you are interested, you can go to the Seleucid Empire to build a factory. My second brother will watch over you and will not let you suffer any loss."

"Open a factory?" Ying Ming was a little surprised. He still remembered what happened back then. Each of them was severely punished.

Zhang Gao was surprised and said, "We can only rely on our parents to make a living in Dahan. If we really open a factory, second brother, do you think too highly of us?"

Zhou Jianyi said: "The current Seleucid Empire is like the founding of the Han Dynasty. It has achieved equal distribution of land and has no external enemies, but it can hardly produce anything except agricultural products. Han cloth and machinery have to be imported. Brothers can make money even if they open a textile factory."

Mei Shao said: "My brothers, you are not as good as the wealthy merchants of our Han Dynasty. Are you not even as good as the natives of Seleucid? Then your study in the academy is in vain."

Ying Ming said: "I am not waiting because I am worried that it will ruin your business, second brother."

Peng Hai said: "What can go wrong? Seleucid Empire is short of fertilizers now. You can make money by investing in a fertilizer plant. It is short of machines. You can also make money by investing in a machine factory."

However, Zhang Gao and the others were still a little hesitant, so Peng Hai used provocation to ask, "Are you planning to just eat, drink and have fun your whole life and accomplish nothing?"

Zhou Jianyi was even more critical, saying, "Even Chen Wu, who lives off his wife, has become a famous shipping tycoon in the Han Dynasty with the support of Liu Shaofu. His fleet sails in the various routes of the four oceans. One-tenth of the goods in the Seleucid Kingdom are transported by Chen Wu's fleet. He has made a lot of money over the years and has become a famous entrepreneur in the Han Dynasty. I saw in the newspaper that he was even received and rewarded by the emperor."

Chen Wu's shipping company now has more than 30 large transport ships with a total tonnage of more than 40 tons, making it one of the largest shipping companies in the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty's accelerated pace of globalization has also led to the prosperity of global trade, creating a greater demand for shipping. Shipping entrepreneurs like Chen Wu have taken advantage of this favorable situation to rapidly increase their wealth.

Chen Wu's shipping company has always hired retired veterans from the four major fleets of the Han Dynasty. As long as they join his company, the minimum salary can reach tens of thousands of coins. Experienced captains can not only earn more than 30 coins a year, but also have the right to dividends. Therefore, Chen Wu's shipping company has always been a high-quality unit, solving the resettlement problem of tens of thousands of soldiers for the Han Navy. He has therefore become a representative of outstanding entrepreneurs and was received and commended by the emperor last year.

Yingming and his friends looked unhappy when they heard this. Not having a career was indeed a pain for them, but their father had warned them because of the last incident. They could have fun, but if they dared to break the law again, he would sever their father-son relationship. They had always looked down on Chen Wu, who relied on his father-in-law for a living, but the reality was that they were not as good as Chen Wu, which was also one of their pain points.

So Zhang Gao asked, "Second brother, what are your rules for attracting investment in the Seleucid Kingdom? What industry is suitable for us?"

Zhou Jianyi happily introduced to Zhang Gao and the others the industries that the Seleucid Empire needed now. On the other hand, Shaofu Ling Liu Heng went home after a rare normal workday.

As soon as he returned home, he saw the burly Liu Ruyi talking with his younger brother Liu Jian and eldest son Liu Qi. Liu Ruyi's face looked a little haggard at this time, which made Liu Heng dazed and thought that it was his father who came back.

Liu Ruyi saw Liu Heng and excitedly hugged him and said, "Fourth brother."

"Third brother, you are finally back." Liu Heng said excitedly.

The two sat down, and Liu Ruyi sighed, "It feels like a lifetime ago. I haven't been back to Chang'an City for more than ten years. My third brother didn't even recognize Chang'an City anymore. I almost couldn't find my home. Fortunately, I met Qi'er, and he took me home."

Liu Heng smiled and said, "Chang'an changes a little every three years and a lot every ten years. It's normal that Third Brother doesn't recognize it. Even I would get lost if I went to an unfamiliar street in Chang'an."

Liu Ruyi said, "There are so many new things in Chang'an now, such as cars, trams, radios, and electric lights all over the streets. It seems that Third Brother has fallen behind the times."

Liu Qi smiled and said, "Uncle San, these appliances are very simple. You will be familiar with them after using them for a few days."

Liu Jian smiled and said, "I have a lot of free time. I will take you around Chang'an City these days. You grew up in Chang'an City, so you will get familiar with it quickly."

Liu Heng asked, "Did Third Brother stay in Chang'an this time?"

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Liu Ruyi nodded and said, "I have finished my government affairs in the Seleucid Empire and am now waiting for the court to give me a new appointment."

Liu Heng was surprised and asked, "Brother, you are not going to be the Archon of the Seleucid Empire anymore?"

Liu Ruyi said: "After three years of being the boss, even a dog would be dissatisfied, not to mention that my third brother has been the archon of Seleucus for six years. It's time for him to come back."

Liu Ruyi has not had a very comfortable time in the Seleucid Empire in recent years. Most of the Seleucid high-ranking officials were of commoner origin. When they became the top leaders of the country, they set the goal of building an industrial Seleucid Empire based on the Han Dynasty. That is why they invited Liu Ruyi to be the consul and hired a large number of talents from the Han Dynasty as officials and consultants.

In theory, there was nothing wrong with the goal they set. Since the Han Dynasty opened the industrial era, any country that wanted to survive in the fierce competition had to become an industrial country, not to mention the Seleucid Empire, which had just experienced a war that almost destroyed the country. They had the strongest sense of crisis and the strongest desire to industrialize.

But the mistake of the Seleucid high-ranking officials was that they were too impatient. They always wanted to complete industrialization quickly and build their country into a powerful industrial country, at least to prevent the Huns from invading their country.

When Liu Ruyi was in power, he decided to first distribute land equally, complete rural transformation, and repay debts. Once there was no foreign debt and a certain amount of talent had been trained, he would then gradually improve industrial development from light industries such as the textile industry.

However, the development strategy formulated by Liu Ruyi did not suit the wishes of the Seleucid high-ranking officials. It was too conservative and too slow. The recovery period alone was 10 years. Moreover, they believed that agricultural profits were too poor and that agriculture could not help them defend their country. What they needed was steel, and military factories that could turn steel into muskets and cannons.

So, under the persuasion of these Seleucid high-ranking officials, they also planned to build a military factory with an annual output of 5 tons of steel and 300 muskets and cannons.

But Liu Ruyi disagreed. Such a heavy industrial zone would cost more than 50 billion, which was simply beyond the Seleucid Empire's ability to afford. The Seleucid Empire also lacked sufficient industrial talents. They were a latecomer, and the cost of making steel would certainly be higher than other industrial countries. The steel produced could only be used in the country, but the Seleucid Empire could not digest the annual production capacity of tons and lacked a sufficient market. Launching such a large project from the beginning would easily cause huge waste. Moreover, after the division of the Xiongnu, the Seleucid Empire's military pressure was not so great, and there was no need to be so radical.

It’s a pity that Liu Ruyi’s opinion was not recognized by the elders of the Seleucid Empire. They still found a way to borrow money from global banks and began to build a steel plant according to their own plan.

The result was as Liu Ruyi had expected. The industrial history of the Seleucid Empire was too short, only a dozen years. Moreover, the industrial talents trained by Antiochus IV either died or fled, and only a few remained in their homeland. They almost had to train talents from scratch, but the Seleucid high-level officials were at the hell level of difficulty from the start.

The steel mill had been hit by various accidents since its inception. The construction period was repeatedly delayed and the cost became increasingly high. They had originally intended to build a military factory, but in the end, all the funds were spent on this steel mill. For three years, the steel mill could not produce.

It was at this time that the top leaders of the Seleucid Empire realized that they had underestimated industrial production, but they had no other choice. The money had already been spent, but the steel plant had not yet been built. If the project was left unfinished, the 3 billion yuan that the Seleucid Empire had spent would become their tuition fees.

At this time, they could only look to Liu Ruyi again and ask him to find a way to save the factory. Liu Ruyi had no choice but to take over this mess. He reduced the scale of the steel plant, made a sum of money to hire a master craftsman from the Han Dynasty as the chief engineer, and at the same time, he retired a group of soldiers from the army as craftsmen and trained them. A year later, the steel plant was finally able to produce iron. The production capacity was much smaller than what they had designed, with an annual iron production of only 100,000 tons, and the quality was not satisfactory. It could only make farm tools for its own use.

The steel plant incident was just one of the troubles that Liu Ruyi had to solve in the Seleucid Empire. The top leaders of the Seleucid Empire did not have much political experience, and they liked to govern the country with assumptions and seek perfection. However, haste makes waste, and they paid the price for doing bad things with good intentions.

Just as cotton was the most important export item of the Seleucid Empire, in order to repay the debt as soon as possible, the Seleucid Empire's top leaders ordered local officials to expand the cotton planting area on a large scale, thereby increasing cotton income and foreign exchange.

But for many farmers in the Seleucid Empire, they had never seen cotton, and naturally did not know its habits. Seleucid officials forced farmers to grow cotton and did not provide agricultural technical personnel to guide them. The production capacity of these cottons was low, which instead affected the country's grain planting, causing large-scale food shortages in the local area and even incidents of starvation.

It was Liu Ruyi who discovered the problem early. He purchased a batch of grain through the relationship between Yanzhou Governor's Office and the Great Tonghui of Greece, which alleviated the large-scale famine in Seleucus. However, because of this, the debt of Seleucus did not decrease much. Instead, the debt increased due to the purchase of high-priced grain.

After several political movements that were not worth the cost, the top leaders of the Seleucid Empire paid their dues. For the next two years, they listened to Liu Ruyi, and their debts slowly decreased.

When Liu Ruyi saw his comrades' poor performance, he suddenly realized why the emperor chose the political philosophy of Huang Lao's laissez-faire in the first 20 years after the founding of the Han Dynasty. He also repeatedly ordered that Han officials were strictly prohibited from taking any action. Anyone who dared to violate the order would be severely punished by the emperor, no matter if he was a veteran meritorious official.

It turned out that the retired emperor had long known that these meritorious elders of the Han Dynasty did not have much experience in governing the country. As long as they did not govern recklessly, the people would be able to recover on their own. But if they were allowed to govern the place according to their own ideas, the current situation in the Seleucid Empire would occur.

Twenty years later, when Han Li of Dahan had gained some experience in handling government affairs, Dahan changed its policies and promoted industrialization in an all-round way.

(End of this chapter)