People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 458: King and Tyrant
Beneath the sound of laughter and chatter, there are flashes of swords and sabers.

When the request for garrisoning was put forward, all the envoys present were shocked. They all felt that beneath the gentle and graceful appearance of the Prime Minister of the Celestial Empire, there was actually a toughness that could not be refused.

For a moment, the conference hall fell silent, and many envoys were obviously hesitant.

Xu Chen was not in a hurry either. He just drank tea calmly and waited for their response. However, even such an attitude made the envoys feel a tremendous pressure.

The matter of garrisoning is of no trivial matter. The combat capability displayed by Xuan Xia is really too strong. The iron army composed of standard armor equipment is undoubtedly a monster in the eyes of these envoys. Perhaps only a few thousand troops are needed to pose a great threat to their homeland.

They also realized that although Xuan Xia showed goodwill and did not use force, he was always domineering.

The first question that many envoys thought about was whether they had the possibility of refusing.

Those who can come here as envoys have considerable status in their home country. Only in this way can they represent the existence behind them and decide some matters.

The tribute treaty was in their interest and not difficult to sign, but accepting Xuanxia's garrison was another matter.

They are also worried that this might lead to trouble.

"It doesn't matter if you can't make a decision for now. You can think about it after the meeting. If you agree to this, my Xuanxia officials will discuss the details with you later."

Xu Chen also knew that this was not an easy decision for them to make, so he took the initiative to give them time to consider it.

Stationing troops is something Xuanxia must do. In the foreseeable future, Xuanxia will expand toward the coastal areas, and the Han people will also spread outward as the expansion progresses. This is a necessary step to assimilate the surrounding areas.

Population is the root of all problems, and only the army can protect the interests of these Han groups.

After several decades or even a hundred years, the Han people will spread their culture and blood throughout the surrounding areas. In this ancient era when national consciousness has not yet awakened, the surrounding small countries and tribes will naturally become part of China.

Violent oppression will inevitably lead to violent resistance. The long process of assimilation and integration will be more silent, which can avoid Xuanxia paying too much governance costs. Even the cost of garrisoning can be borne by various places after negotiation.

Although this road takes a long time, it has few side effects and is cost-effective. It just requires the planner to have a long-term vision and make necessary arrangements in advance.

This is exactly what the garrison does. A small number of troops can deter various places without launching armed attacks on the local areas, nor will it involve the energy of Xuanxia's own country to suppress the rebellion for a long time.

Economic interests are used as a bond to maintain the long-term existence of the system, and the spread of the Han population is used as the basis for future assimilation and integration.

Perhaps by the end of Xu Chen's life, he can see Fuso, Ryukyu Islands, Indochina Peninsula and Luzon Island all become part of China.

The requirement for garrison is one part of the deployment, and now Xu Chen has to make another part.

"In addition, I believe that since we are establishing an alliance, all matters should be handled in a professional and standardized manner. Therefore, the Xuanxia court will send ambassadors to various countries to represent Xuanxia's will and handle relevant matters with various countries and tribes."

Xu Chen stood up, looked around at everyone, and spoke with a smile on his face: "Of course, all countries and tribes can also establish ambassadors to stay in Xuanxia."

Everyone looked much more relaxed after hearing this. This was much easier to accept than the garrison, and was relatively fair.

Having said this, Xu Chen stopped talking with the envoys. What remained was for the envoys to discuss details with Xuanxia officials, such as the number of garrisons, garrison funding, ambassador's powers and responsibilities, etc., all of which needed to be discussed in detail.

Watching Xu Chen leave the meeting hall, many envoys were all feeling uneasy. They were both looking forward to and worried about the tribute treaty.

They coveted Xuanxia's technology and culture, hoping that Xuanxia would bring them factories and goods to create wealth for them, but they also had a natural resistance and vigilance towards the behemoth, not to mention that this behemoth intended to extend its tentacles directly into their homes.

By signing a treaty and joining the system, they can directly enjoy the various benefits brought by Xuanxia, ​​but they are also firmly bound to Xuanxia in terms of politics, economy and culture.

Although signing the treaty does not seem to be a bad thing at the moment, what it will look like in the long run is not something they can foresee now.

Xu Chen didn’t really care what these envoys were thinking now, because it didn’t matter what they thought.

When a small country thinks, a big country laughs.

In the face of absolute strength, small countries actually have no room for choice, not to mention that Yamatai and Funan can only be barely considered a country, and the other tribes are even worse.

If the geographical distance was not too far, Xuan Xia would not have had to go to so much trouble.

I was present at the meeting hall today just to show my importance to this matter as the prime minister. There would be no surprises in the end. They would definitely agree to Xuan Xia's request. The Celestial Empire has already shown goodwill. If you don't accept it, you will be ungrateful. After walking out of the meeting hall and returning to his public housing, Xu Chen saw someone waiting outside the door.

"Student Zhou Liang, nice to meet the Prime Minister!" Seeing Xu Chen coming back, Zhou Liang hurriedly stepped forward to salute. He looked a little excited and a little restrained. After all, the man standing in front of him was the man he respected the most.

Xu Chen glanced at him. The young man in front of him had a special temperament. Although his appearance was not outstanding, his eyes were steady and stable, and there was a kind of purity and concentration of an intellectual.

What is more special is that this young man has very dark and rough skin, and his hands are covered with calluses, but he does not look as delicate as a scholar.

But the more this happened, the more Xu Chen liked him. This showed that this guy was a down-to-earth intellectual. Such people were more likely to produce results on the technical side, and this was exactly what Xuan Xia needed most in the short term.

Basic natural science is certainly the foundation, but in order to rapidly improve technical levels and increase productivity, applied science can have a greater effect.

"Come in with me."

Xu Chen smiled and nodded at him, then pushed the door open and walked in. When he entered the public housing, he pointed to the soft chair beside him and motioned Zhou Liang to sit down.

Although Zhou Liang was nervous, he did not lose his composure and sat down in silence.

I took the opportunity to look around here. It is a simple and clean environment. It is hard to imagine that the people working here would be the ones who dominate the destiny of China.

The chair under my butt is extremely comfortable, as if I were sitting on clouds, but it is not actually a luxury.

This kind of chair made of leather and springs, then filled with cotton, is finally made into a soft chair. It is just a slightly more expensive commercial furniture on the market. It is already a rare item in this public housing.

Not long after, he saw Xu Chen holding a pot of hot tea and sitting on the soft chair next to him. There was a small square table between the two of them. After sitting down like this, it didn't look like a boss meeting a subordinate, but rather like a meeting between a host and a guest. The atmosphere was very casual.

Zhou Liang even saw that Xu Chen actually poured him tea.

Zhou Liang couldn't sit still anymore after seeing this, he immediately stood up and said: "Student doesn't dare!"

Xu Chen was unmoved, still smiling and continued to pour tea, until it was full and steam rose up, he put down the teapot and said with a smile: "Why dare we? You and I are both working for the people, there is no difference in status, only the difference in position."

Having said that, Xu Chen's actions still shocked Zhou Liang, and he stood there in a daze for a moment.

Xu Chen had no choice but to stand up and push him back to his seat: "You don't have to be so serious. You are my naturalist, and you are also half of my student. Today is just a private chat."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Liang could only nod his head, but he didn't dare to touch the tea on the table.

Xu Chen smiled and shook his head: "Do you know why I summoned you today?"

Zhou Liang thought for a moment and said, "Is the Prime Minister planning to go to sea?"

Xu Chen nodded: "The researchers who accompanied the fleet on the last voyage have recently published papers one after another. I have read them carefully and found that your research is the most comprehensive and solid. Not only has your research delved into geography, climate and species, but what surprised me even more is that you have also made good achievements in navigation."

Even though Zhou Liang had a pure personality, he found it difficult to remain calm because of Xu Chen's praise. He couldn't help but let out a silly laugh.

"Prime Minister, you are too kind. I am not a smart person. I am just a fool. These achievements are nothing."

"Don't be too modest. Perseverance is the most important thing in this world. I have read your resume. The success of Xuanxia in cultivating grain and livestock species is also due to your contribution. Now that we are going out to sea, your achievements are the most outstanding, just like brushing away the wind and sand to reveal the golden light."

Xu Chen's words made Zhou Liang blush a little, but of course he couldn't help but feel a little complacent.

These words are not actually exaggerated. Zhou Liang is hard-working enough and pure enough, and the many achievements he made during this sea voyage are quite impressive, otherwise Xu Chen would not have specially summoned him over.

"The climates and geographies of the various places we travel to this time are all different. They are all places that Xuan Xia will develop in the future. If we want to develop the products of each place, how should we do it?" Xu Chen looked at him half testing and half asking.

Zhou Liang did not dare to be negligent upon hearing this, and did not answer casually. Instead, he was silent for a while before he spoke carefully.

"Fusang and Ryukyu are poor and have few resources. In the future, they may be used to explore for minerals and develop aquatic products. Luzon and Indochina have a hot climate, lush vegetation and fertile land. However, the natives are lazy by nature. If they can be educated and organized to strengthen production, spices, grains and sugarcane can be the main business direction."

(End of this chapter)