Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

“The second direction is, after we have gained a firm foothold in the southeastern countries, we will march westward along this important road, through Tianzhu, straight to the coast of the West Sea, open up the seaport in the Western Regions, and support the Ten Princes fighting in the Western Regions.

This will not only open up new maritime trade routes, but also allow for the transportation of personnel and materials to the Western Regions by sea, which is the most important thing! "

"We understand." Everyone nodded.

"The third direction is to sail northeast. There is another vast continent thousands of miles away. It is not inhabited by humans, except for some native savages who eat raw meat and drink blood. It is not difficult to capture it, but it is a little far away.

Of course, the east coast may also be occupied by the Western Barbarians, so we can occupy the west coast. Going south along the coast, another ten thousand miles, there is another continent, and it is estimated that the Western Barbarians have also set foot on it, so you can do whatever you want. "

Everyone stared at the map for a long time, slowly understood what was going on, and said thoughtfully: "These two continents are thousands of miles away from our country. It will not be easy to take them."

Jia Cong said with a smile: "There are barbarians in nearby places, and places without barbarians are far away. You can decide for yourself."

Everyone pondered for a long time, and suddenly someone said, "Your Majesty, I wonder how many warships and firearms we can buy, and how many troops we can raise? If we don't have enough troops to fight against the barbarians, I'm afraid it will be difficult to win."

Jia Cong said: "I will not set a limit. You can do as much as you want according to the money you have. As long as you obey the national policy, the court will never be suspicious."

Everyone was delighted, as they could now go all out. If so, even if one family could not defeat the barbarians, it would be enough to unite with a few more families. After all, the barbarians' country was thousands of miles away, so how many troops could they transport?
They all said, "I wonder how much the warships and firearms cost? We would like to form a militia to serve the court."

Wang Ziteng, Niu Jizong and others then understood what Jia Cong meant by making money from the military industry. It turned out that he meant selling weapons to merchants and letting them fight for the court.

Although there are some consequences, as long as they are controlled well, there is no need to worry about them causing trouble. Prince Jing really has the ability to turn stones into gold.

Feng Yuan was also jealous. Seeing that Jia Cong was going to make a fortune again, he hurriedly said, "My dear gentlemen, the civilian factories run by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Internal Affairs have also been established. In the future, you can come and order the uniforms, dry food, straw mats, bedding, medicines and various utensils that the militia needs. I guarantee that the price will be lower than the market price, and the larger the quantity, the better the price."

Everyone bowed and smiled, "Don't worry, Mr. Feng, we will come to bother you without any instructions."

Feng Yuan laughed so hard that his fat flesh shook. He bowed his hands everywhere and said, "It's not a bother, it's not a bother. You are also my breadwinners."

"No, no." Everyone was humble.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Now the various military industries in the country are slowly being established. I believe that within one or two years, they will reach their maximum production capacity. If you need anything, please go to the General's Mansion and order it.

Now General Wang will explain to you the prices and arrival times of various types of warships, artillery, and muskets.

During this period, you can first prepare and train your soldiers. Fighting a war is not like farming, not everyone can do it.

I'll show you a clear way. Those beggars on the Grand Canal are all tough guys, no less than a million of them. Now that the imperial court is advocating sea transportation, the business on the canal will surely gradually decline.

Why don't you take this opportunity to recruit them, and then have the General's Office send instructors to train them for a few months, so you can have a strong army, right?"

Everyone's eyes lit up and they hurriedly said, "Thank you for your advice, Your Majesty. We will do it when we get back."

Jia Cong bowed and said, "Please do as you please, everyone. I have something else to do. I will leave you later."

"My lord, walk slowly."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

On the second day after Jia Cong publicly announced the granting of military power to merchants, the Grand Council of Military Affairs could no longer sit still and reported to the Empress Dowager. Jia Cong was urgently summoned to the palace to plead his case.

Seeing the six major military officials all in the Yangxin Palace, Feng Yuan gave him a cautious look. Jia Cong smiled slightly and said, "Your Highness Jia Cong pays respects to the Empress Dowager."

The Empress Dowager gave him a deep look and said, "No need to be polite. I heard that Prince Jing hosted a banquet for the rich merchants and wealthy families in the world yesterday, saying that they would be allowed to organize their own militias, and the General's Mansion would also sell warships and firearms to them. Is this true?"

"It's true." Jia Cong said.

The Empress Dowager frowned and said, "Weapons are dangerous tools. Prince Jing is also well versed in military affairs, why did he hold the Tai'a sword upside down?"

If the merchants become powerful and claim to be kings, how can the imperial court govern them? If they are ambitious and rebel, how can we control them? "

Jia Cong bowed and said, "The Empress Dowager is right. If it were not for the situation, I would not be willing to give the country's most important weapon to a private person."

"The world is at peace now, what's the urgent situation?" said the Empress Dowager.

"Western barbarians." Jia Cong said in a deep voice: "Western barbarians have long opened the Age of Exploration, sailing across the ocean from thousands of miles away, colonizing and plundering everywhere. Now, Johor, Luzon and other Southeast Asian countries have all become places where they wreak havoc.

The court has limited military funds, and is also constrained by the two strategic directions of the Western Regions and the Northern Desert. It is difficult to spare the energy to compete with them in the South Seas. However, time is of the essence, so I have the audacity to mobilize the power of the wealthy merchants in the world, lure them with benefits, and make them serve the court. "

The Empress Dowager said, "Why does the imperial court have to fight against the Western Barbarians? They are weak in the South Seas, and the imperial court only needs to guard the sea borders. Why should we rely on the help of merchants and take the risk of going out to sea? If the merchants rebel after going out to sea, won't it be even more troublesome?"

Jia Cong said: "These are two questions. I will try to answer them one by one. First, why we must go south to compete with the Western Barbarians? In a word, 'How can I allow others to snore beside my bed?'

The countries in Southeast Asia have been vassals of the Celestial Empire since ancient times. Only the Celestial Empire has the power to govern them. How can it allow foreigners to interfere? This is the first point.

The invasion of Southeast Asia by the barbarians is like setting up guns and cannons in the backyard of the Chinese Empire. Although they have not really fired, the threat is like a thorn in the side. When they completely devour the other countries, how can they not covet the wealth of the Celestial Empire? This is the second point;

The people of the Southeast Asian countries have suffered from the abuses of the Western barbarians and have been bullied and forced to survive. They are looking forward to the royal army's punishment day and night. How can the imperial court just stand by and watch them perish?

If this is the case, where is the dignity of the Celestial Empire? It is truly like "the tears of the people have dried up in the dust of the barbarians, and they look north to the royal army for another year." This is the third point.

The Empress Dowager's face darkened, but she could not refute Jia Cong's great truth, so she said calmly: "What do you think, my Lords?"

Feng Yuan hurriedly said, "Your Highness, I think the barbarians are greedy and have the nature of tigers and wolves. If the Celestial Empire treats them with courtesy, they will become arrogant and think that the Empire is afraid of them.

Therefore, it is best to use both kindness and force to make them feel fearful and stop. If we ignore it and let it grow stronger, we may be safe for now, but it is hard to say what will happen in the future. "

Gu Tao also said: "I think it can be tried. Merchants go out to sea to compete with the Western Barbarians. Even if they become enemies, they cannot represent the court after all. The court still has room for maneuver.

Moreover, this policy can greatly alleviate the difficulties of the grain transport reform. It can both relieve difficulties and make progress, and the court can also control it, so there should be no major problems. "

This was the main reason why he supported Jia Cong. If the wealthy businessmen could send these people on the canal to serve as soldiers, the canal business would be peaceful.

Chen Ji shook his head and said, "Merchants are only interested in profit and forget about morality. If they hold a strong army, they will definitely have treacherous intentions. The danger of the barbarians lies in their limbs, while the danger of the merchants lies in their heart. We must be careful."

Duan Zhun also said, "I agree with you. Merchants should not be credulous."

Jia Cong sneered, "Merchants pursue profits, I know this very well, as it is said that people die for money and birds die for food.

But those who are greedy for money must be afraid of death. Merchants are all smart people. Their roots are in the Celestial Empire. How dare they rebel? Aren't they afraid of being killed along with their entire clan? I have three strategies that are enough to control them."

Duan Zhun bowed and said, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty."

"First, source control. Merchants must purchase warships and guns from the General's Mansion, so the court can fully control the size of their military forces and is fully capable of cutting off their weapons supply at any time."

"What if they buy from the Western barbarians after going out to sea?" Chen Ji said.

Jia Cong glanced at him and sneered, "Each family has a fixed number of ships and guns. If there are more for no apparent reason, how can you hide it from my eyes and ears?

I don't think any company would dare to take the risk of breaking the law, as businessmen want to make money, not conquer the world and rule the country.

Moreover, if they go out to sea to compete with the Western Barbarians, how could the Western Barbarians sell weapons to their competitors to attack them?"

Chen Ji was speechless and had no answer.

Jia Cong continued, "Second, it is like cutting meat with a blunt knife. Continuously consuming the financial resources of merchants makes it difficult for them to grow.

For example, after each company had made some achievements at sea, they would gradually levy customs taxes and increase the sales and maintenance prices of warships and guns.

At the same time, they drove away the wolves and devoured the tigers, and encouraged the merchants to fight with the Western barbarians to grab territory. As the saying goes, a cannon shot is worth a thousand ounces of gold.

If a war breaks out, it would be good if they don't get worn down by the consumption. How can they have the energy to rebel? Is it easier to rebel in the Celestial Empire or to fight the natives overseas and become a self-proclaimed king? Isn't this obvious? "

Jiang Feng twirled his beard and smiled, "Good idea."

"Third, the ruler is strong but the ministers are weak. Today, the General's Office is making every effort to strengthen the navy. Several shipyards have been put into use, and some civilian shipyards have been rebuilt, which can build hundreds of warships of various types every year.

With the warships ordered from the Western barbarians, in a few years, they will be able to roam the oceans. As long as the government army is strong enough, how dare the merchants have the heart to disobey? "

Guan Pu nodded and said, "Your Majesty, this is a very good idea. If you have the highest virtue of a saint inside and apply it to the outside world, it will be the policy of a king. As long as the court does its duty well, there is no need to worry about injustice in the world.

If the government is not clear, even if the merchants do not rebel, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang will rebel, what is the difference? "

The Empress Dowager saw that the situation was difficult to reverse, so she said: "In this case, the benefits of this matter outweigh the disadvantages, but it is unprecedented for merchants to take charge of the army, so we should proceed with caution.

Moreover, they are a militia, and they do not eat the imperial rations. It is not convenient for the General's Office to supervise them. The Ministry of War and the Censorate must send military supervisors to each family to ensure safety."

Chen Ji hurriedly said: "The Empress Dowager's words are very true, and I deeply agree with them."

Duan Zhun also nodded and said, "I think this method is inevitable."

Everyone thought about it and nodded in agreement, thinking that this was a great opportunity for the Empress Dowager to give civil officials control of military power.

Jia Cong frowned slightly and said, "If this happens, the merchants may be restricted, and the military supervisors may interfere at will, causing delays in military operations."

The Grand Empress Dowager said calmly, "Could it be that Prince Jing has trusted the merchants to this extent? Even the imperial army has supervisors, so could it be that the merchant militia cannot be supervised?"

Jia Cong was reluctant to say that the military supervisor in the government army was just a clay or wooden Buddha, and no noble would fall for their tricks, but merchants did not have that confidence. If they were bullied by the military supervisor, it would probably be disadvantageous for their voyage.

Yin said in a deep voice: "There are many merchants who are willing to go abroad to serve the court, and the warships are scattered, I am afraid that the court cannot send so many supervisors.

Why not ask the Ministry of War and the Censorate to send military supervisors to the General's Mansion? If merchants cause unrest, the General's Mansion will be held responsible, and I will be responsible for all matters related to the militia. Isn't this convenient?"

Chen Ji sneered, "Does Prince Jing mean that if the merchants rebel, the prince will be held responsible?"

Jia Cong laughed and glanced at him, not disguising his contempt, and said, "That's right! If the merchants rebel, please ask Chen Zhongtang to take off the head of a certain person, and I will have no complaints."

Chen Ji was stunned when he heard this, his face turned blue and red, and he didn't know how to refute.

Feng Yuan, Gu Tao and others almost couldn't help laughing when they heard this. Chen Ji was so naive. If Prince Jing hadn't rebelled against the court, he should have recited sutras and chanted Buddha's name. You still want to ask him about his crimes. Who dares to ask? Even the Empress Dowager didn't dare to do that, let alone you.

The Empress Dowager glared at her brother with a look of disappointment, sighed slightly, and said, "Let's follow Prince Jing's plan."

"Thank you, Empress Dowager. I will devote all my energy to this cause until my death." Jia Cong bowed.

"Go." The Empress Dowager waved her hand weakly.

Now that Jia Cong's power is growing, she feels more and more powerless. She doesn't know how to check and balance Jia Cong's growing power. The civil servants are unreliable, the eunuchs are even more unreliable, and the nobles have been integrated into an iron plate by him. It's difficult.

Jia Cong came out with everyone else, and he felt a slight movement in his heart. It was time to mention that matter. As long as they could win over the civil service group, no matter what tricks the Empress Dowager played, they would not be able to shake the overall situation.

Yin stopped and said with a smile, "Master, all the ministers, have you received the hairy crabs I sent from Jiangnan? How do they taste?"

Chen Ji didn't receive the crabs, and was secretly angry. He left in a hurry without saying hello.

Duan Zhun and the others all smiled and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your generous gift. We are so lucky to have this delicious meal. The Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs are indeed as delicious as their reputation says."

When Jia Cong saw Chen Ji walking away, he signaled everyone to talk as they walked, saying, "I have some superficial ideas, and I would like to ask you for your guidance."

Everyone was slightly stunned. What did Jia Cong want to do next?

Jiang Feng smiled and said, "This is not a place to talk. How about we find a quiet place to have tea after leaving the government office?"

"Good. I think we should set it at Wanmei Villa. They have the Golden Chrysanthemum Pavilion and tens of thousands of pots of chrysanthemums of various colors. I went there the other day and it was really beautiful." Feng Yuan said with a smile.

Everyone said hello.

"It's settled. I'll be waiting for you all in the Golden Chrysanthemum Pavilion." Jia Cong bowed and left first.

As the sun sets, the afterglow of the setting sun casts a layer of golden gauze over the chrysanthemums all over the mountain. Only Jia Cong and Pang Chao are inside and outside the Golden Chrysanthemum Pavilion. There are many personal soldiers guarding the foot of the mountain. Except for a few Zhongtang, no one is allowed to go up the mountain.

Pang Chao took a sip of chrysanthemum tea and asked, "Has the prince decided?"

Jia Cong nodded and said, "This is the only way to achieve long-term peace and stability."

Pang Chao nodded slowly and said, "This method is unprecedented in history, and it is hard to predict whether it will bring good or bad consequences."

Jia Cong sneered, "We can't just throw the baby out with the bathwater. Our dynasty follows the system of the previous dynasty, so naturally our fate is not much different. The previous dynasty had a good fortune of 200 to 300 years, so our dynasty shouldn't expect too much, unless we implement new policies.

I think carefully, even if there is no great benefit, it will not be worse than it is now. It is too risky to leave the fate of the country to the emperor alone. After all, most emperors in ancient and modern times are fools. A few wise rulers cannot save the fate of the country. "

"Your Highness, aren't you worried that the situation will get out of control?" Pang Chao said.

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said, "Therefore, you and the other ministers must make careful plans to lay the foundation for the dynasty's true eternal legacy."

Pang Chao's expression became solemn. He stood up, bowed deeply, and said, "I obey your order."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Sir, you are welcome. Please take a seat."

Soon, Duan Zhun and others arrived one after another.

Jia Cong invited everyone to drink a cup of tea, and gradually introduced the main topic, saying: "You are all great scholars who are well-versed in classics and history. Cong has a question to ask you."

"Your Highness, you are too polite. Please tell us clearly and we will tell you everything we know." Everyone laughed.

"Why is it that since the Qin and Han dynasties, most dynasties only lasted two or three hundred years before they could no longer sustain themselves?" Jia Cong asked.

Everyone pondered for a moment, looked at each other, and said, "Since you have experienced three dynasties, I think you must have some good ideas. We will not embarrass ourselves."

Duan Zhun smiled slightly and said, "Well, you are all modest, so I will just throw out some ideas. Since ancient times, it is common sense that the world will eventually unite after a long period of division, and will eventually divide after a long period of unity.

The reasons are similar, just like the life span of a person, who thrives at birth, becomes sick as he ages, and eventually returns to dust.

The same is true of dynasties. They have problems that are not obvious at first, but become so serious after about two or three hundred years that they are beyond redemption.

Jia Cong asked, "What are the problems with the dynasty?"

“First, the wealth gap makes people miserable. The rich and powerful are greedy and enclose land, which harms the people, causing the poor to become poorer and the rich to become richer.

Eventually, hundreds of millions of people became refugees and mobs, rising up in rebellion to survive." Duan Zhun glanced at Jia Cong.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "What the Prime Minister said is very true, but I am a loyal merchant of the country. I took the initiative to return two million silver coins to the national treasury the other day."

Duan Zhun smiled and said, "How many people in the world are like the prince? Most of the powerful people only know how to exploit people and never care about the country and the people."

Feng Yuan smiled and said, "There was a song in the previous dynasty that talked about the greed and pursuit of wealth by the rich. It goes like this: snatching the mouth of a mud swallow, sharpening the tip of an iron needle, scraping the face of a golden Buddha to search carefully: finding something in nothing. Looking for peas in a quail's crop, chopping the meat from a heron's leg, and cutting the fat from a mosquito's belly. It's all thanks to the old gentleman for doing this!"

Everyone laughed.

Jia Cong also laughed and said, "Although it is exaggerated, it does portray the appearance of some people."

Duan Zhun said: "Secondly, the government is corrupt and corruption is rampant.

Often, the more peaceful the country is in the middle and late stages of a dynasty, the more the court loses its enterprising spirit, local officials indulge in pleasure, ministry officials sell official positions and titles, corruption becomes rampant, and the court becomes corrupt, leading to growing resentment among the people, which eventually breaks out and the dynasty changes.

Third, the treasury is empty and the government is weak. The more peaceful the times, the more extravagant the court becomes. They spend money before it's too late and kill the goose that lays the golden eggs just for the sake of short-term pleasure. Once the world changes, the court will not be able to pay. Isn't this the way to destroy the country? "

"What Yuanfu said is true. All dynasties have perished because of this. If we say that we perished because of foreign invaders, it is like a person getting sick. If a person is strong and healthy, with abundant positive energy, how can you, no matter how evil you are, invade him?" Jiang Feng said.

Jia Cong sighed and said, "So the iron must be strong itself."

"Your Highness has hit the nail on the head." everyone said.

Jia Cong spoke slowly, and his words were earth-shattering: "So I think over and over again, if this dynasty wants to avoid repeating the story of the previous dynasty, it must reform."

Everyone was shocked when they heard this and looked at each other. Does Jia Cong want to change the world?
Duan Zhun said in a deep voice: "I am stupid, please explain clearly, Your Highness."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Please don't misunderstand me, I don't want to be the emperor myself, nor do I want my son to be the emperor.

If I were to become an emperor, I would most likely be a tyrant. Even if I were a good emperor, my sons and grandsons might not be the same. Then what would be the difference between this and the previous dynasty?
How wise were the ancestors of the Han and Tang dynasties, where are they now? I will not follow their old path. "

"Your Highness is wise." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; they didn't want to be traitors.

"So what the prince means is..." Guan Pu asked.

Jia Cong shook his head and said, "This matter concerns the future and destiny of the country and the well-being of the people of the world. I haven't thought of a strategy yet. For now, I can only make an iron rule."

Everyone said solemnly, "Please teach me, Your Majesty."

"The country must never be handed over to one person to rule, even if that person is the emperor!" Jia Cong said firmly.

Everyone was shocked. What’s the difference between this and rebellion?
Guan Pu stammered, "Your Majesty, the whole world belongs to the emperor. If the emperor cannot make decisions on his own, is he still the emperor? Aren't all the ministers deceiving the emperor?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Don't be surprised. The Western Yi have this system. The king is only the nominal head of state, but he 'rules but does not govern.'

There is also Japan, which I conquered. The Japanese emperor is just a vase decoration. They have been passed down for more than two thousand years and are known as the eternal dynasty, which is longer than any royal family in the Central Plains.

Of course, other countries’ methods may not be suitable for us, but we can learn from others’ experience and learn a thing or two.”

Gu Tao pondered and said, "If the emperor's words don't count, who has the final say? Wouldn't that mean the group is leaderless?"

Jia Cong pointed at the crowd and said, "Of course you have the final say. This is how the literati truly rule the world."

Duan Zhun saw the surprise on everyone's face, and immediately frowned, saying: "Your Highness, if this happens, the court will be full of powerful officials, and they will unite to attack those who are different. Who can rule? This is the way to chaos."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Mr. Zhun is right. I am worried about this, so I have been hesitating. I invited you all to come and discuss whether there is a safe way."

Everyone nodded slowly. It was the common dream of all scholars to have the world ruled by scholars. If they could get rid of the shackles of the emperor, that would be the real spring.

Duan Zhun was also slightly relieved. Jia Cong was not trying to seize power, but to delegate it. Although this was not very respectful to the emperor, it was a good thing for scholars.

He was not in a position to object, so he said, "Since ancient times, there has been a dispute between the power of the emperor and the power of the prime minister in the imperial court. From what the prince said, you want to have a 'nominal emperor and a real prime minister'?"

"Yes! It is 'virtual monarch, real figure'" Jia Cong slapped his thigh and said.

Jiang Feng said: "With the prince in charge of this dynasty, it may be possible. If there is no prince in the future, who can stop the emperor from seizing power?"

Jia Cong said: "This requires a system to guarantee it. If we use the system to manage people, even the emperor must obey the system, otherwise he will be deposed.

Officials all over the world must also change their inherent concept of "favor comes from the emperor". It is not the emperor who supports the officials, but the people who support the officials. This is the fundamental principle."

This set of "treasonous" theories was still too advanced for Duan Zhun and others. Everyone was shocked and could not accept it for a while.

Jia Cong said, "Let's stop here for today. Everyone go back and think carefully about what methods can be used to achieve it. We can discuss it again in two months. This is a great achievement that will last for generations, so there is no need to rush."

"We will take our leave now." Everyone had different looks and stood up to say goodbye.
-
Under Jia Cong's strong promotion, all government affairs in the court were carried out in an orderly manner.

Jia Yun's return brought a large number of machinery and craftsmen, and many factories were opened like mushrooms after a rain. Driven by the military industry run by the General's Mansion and the civilian industry run by the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a large number of businessmen saw business opportunities and joined the army of opening factories.

Especially places like Jiangnan, which already had a concentrated workshop culture, became even more prosperous.

The use of Western-style machinery has greatly improved production efficiency. Seeing the products gradually piling up in the warehouses, the wealthy businessmen began to understand why Prince Jing ordered them to go out to sea to compete with the Western barbarians for territory. If they didn't go out to sea, who would they sell to?
On the other hand, military factories were also working at full capacity, producing crazily, with countless guns, artillery and ammunition churned out and equipped to various troops.

"Your Highness, the files of the Qi, Zhi, and Shan families have been sorted out. Please review them."

In the General's Mansion, Jia Cong was listening to Niu Jizon, Wang Ziteng and others reporting on military affairs when Wen Youfang came in holding a tray of files.

Everyone's pupils shrank when they heard this. These three families were finished.

Jia Cong sneered, "I won't read the files. If you don't want others to know, then don't do it. These three families worked for Shui Rong in the past, and they also wanted to plot against me. Now is the right time to do what they have done.

After all, we are old friends, and I also remember our old friendship, so I will send the case file to the three judicial officials for a fair judgment."

"Yes."

Niu Jizong and the others hurriedly bowed and said, "Your Majesty is kind and benevolent. These three families have been resentful since Tu Fei's rebellion. They feel that Your Majesty has treated them unfairly, so they turned to Shui Rong.

Hey! They don’t think about what kind of people they are. No matter how hard the prince tries to help them, they are just a bunch of useless people. "

Jia Cong waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about the past. As the saying goes, if you don't seek death, you won't die. Even so, I don't want to kill anyone. Let them do what they want."

"Your Highness is kind and benevolent, which is rare in ancient and modern times." Wang Ziteng praised.

When the files of the Imperial Guard were sent to the imperial court, numerous nobles and censors immediately rose up to impeach and demand severe punishment for the three dukes. Finally, Jia Cong made the final decision.

Verdict: The three families of Qi, Zhi and Shan were stripped of their titles, their honors and privileges, their properties were confiscated, they were demoted to commoners and sent back to their hometowns.

Since then, three more wealthy families in the Ming Dynasty have disappeared in the long river of history.

Seeing that Jia Cong acted with restraint and did not cause too much damage, the generals from these three families all breathed a sigh of relief and had even more respect for Prince Jing.

They knew that Jia Cong dared to continue using them without hesitation because of his current prestige. Anyone who dared to disobey would be wiped out in an instant.

In the past, Cao Cao had to hold the emperor hostage to control the princes, but now Jia Cong doesn't need that at all. His edicts are more effective than imperial decrees.

All the money, food, military equipment, and personnel appointments in the army passed through his hands. With the all-pervasive Jinyiwei and Hydra, who would dare to disobey?

In May of the second year of the Yongkang reign, the aftermath of the destruction of the three dukedoms had just dissipated. The 50,000 elite cavalrymen with muskets of the border army were divided into seven routes. With the cooperation of the Jurchens and other tribes, they took the initiative to go out of the border, crossed the Great Wall, swept the grassland, fought more than 50 battles of varying sizes, without a single defeat, conquered countless Tatar tribes, and captured countless people, cattle, sheep, and horses.

The border troops were not in a hurry to achieve success, but followed Jia Cong's established strategy, building the city first and then advancing, eating up the entire Mobei grassland step by step. The hard work of building the city was naturally left to the captured Tartar men.

In the sixth year of the Yongkang period, the border troops captured the largest Tatar settlement on the grassland, Da Kulun, the Golden Horde was destroyed, and countless Tatar tribes and grasslands were taken over by the Celestial Empire.

In the eighth year of the Yongkang period, each border military district was responsible for a specific area. From Lake Us in the west to Hailar in the east, Lake Baikal in the north and the Great Wall in the south, more than 300 city gates had been built in places with abundant water and grass and dangerous terrain, with a total of more than 300,000 troops stationed there, firmly nailing the prairie into the territory of the Celestial Empire like a steel nail.

At the same time, the Jurchens and other aboriginal tribes in Liaodong were completely wiped out or subdued by Wang Jin.

Jia Cong issued an edict that the imperial court would not treat the barbarians differently, but would implement the policy of treating the Han and barbarians as one family, encourage intermarriage and cohabitation, and all those who obeyed the laws of the Celestial Empire would be regarded as Han people, and all those who disobeyed would be exterminated.

The various aboriginal tribes had been dealing with Jia Cong for many years and all respected his fairness. They expressed their willingness to submit to the Celestial Empire in order to obtain tariff reductions and free trade benefits.

Wang Jin also took advantage of the situation to send officials to various tribes to participate in governance, and encouraged a large number of skilled farmers and craftsmen to settle down in the Yi people's territories, greatly expanding the scope of Liaodong Town's governance.

On the ninth day of the seventh month in the eighth year of the Yongkang reign, Jia Cong established the Mobei Protectorate for the newly conquered prairie, promoted Liu Fang as the first protector, and transferred Jia Fang, who had been trained for many years and had served as an imperial inspector from Guangdong, to assist him as governor.

At this point, the first step of Jia Cong's northward strategy was successfully completed. The Celestial Empire's war machine was operating at full capacity, with warships, guns, and ammunition being produced in an endless stream, supplied not only to the official army but also to various "militia" to expand the territory of the Celestial Empire.

The progress in the Western Regions was also smooth. With the support of the imperial court, Sun Chi strictly implemented the policy of the General's Office of "using barbarians to control barbarians and using education to control education."

He built many temples in the Western Regions and made large golden statues, declaring that the true God had descended to the Eastern Celestial Empire. He claimed that he was commissioned by a general who was the reincarnation of the true God to send troops to the Western Regions to save the people. He won over countless people in the Western Regions to join him and join him in conquering cities.

After seven or eight years, he actually opened up the sea outlet along the West Sea and connected with the sea merchants who came to support him.

Jia Cong was overjoyed when he learned about this, but he no longer cared about the Western Regions, because all his energy was focused on Nanyang, and he was ready to use the accumulation of these years to do something big and settle the overall situation in Nanyang in one fell swoop. (End of this chapter)