Chapter 752: The King's Ambition

The next day, the court assembly in the Qianyuan Hall version of Yingtai Province proceeded as usual, with steaming hot, fresh-out-of-the-oven news about Munan and Yundu Commanderies.

Upon hearing this, the King was first delighted, thinking the household registration census had been completed, but then he realized he seemed to have forgotten to send Lord Zhetian to ask…

Munan sent the latest news: when the King attacked the Xiongnu royal city, the Third Prince Lianxi was not in the city and escaped disaster; now many tribes have slipped out of Munan Commandery, following Lianxi farther north to flee.

The King unfolded his map of Asia and looked; further north beyond Gudulun Mountain, his map ran out… Good grief, Bai Ge didn't give him one! This isn't even part of Asia anymore!

The officials' current view is that these tribes, now having Lianxi as their backbone, will soon rally and return.

The King isn't overly worried; let them run if they want. He currently has no leisure to manage the barren steppe affairs with little profit, nor does he really want to raise steppe peoples.

That Lianxi is a disciple of Lanhe; compared to his other brothers, he actually has some talent. But Da Jin is not unified, and the King can't even collect taxes from the south, his cavalry can barely get fed, and the Xiongnu have run off—what mood does he have to chase them?

The King didn't care either, and the other officials could do nothing about it.

"I have another matter concerning the Xiongnu and Xianbei prisoners of war. Over the years, several wars have accumulated, and their numbers are now enormous. Since Munan and Yundu Commanderies have been established, they are henceforth subjects of Da Jin. In this new era with a new atmosphere, I want to give the prisoners a hope of life. Minister Xie, how about we issue a new regulation? For example, after ten years of forced labor, prisoners may regain their freedom." The King began to lay out his plan.

Xie Yuan gave no clear opinion, and the officials debated heatedly.

Some objected, saying non‑our‑race hearts must differ; others agreed, noting that Munan Commandery is already Da Jin land, so treating everyone equally in the future is fine.

The two sides could not reach a resolution.

Midsummer blazed, cicadas sang nonstop, and on top of that, the noisy lullaby below made faces red and necks thick; the King quickly grew drowsy.

Xie Yuan felt that if he didn't state his position now, the King would surely fall completely asleep.

This fellow wouldn't raise such a matter out of the blue; surely there's something else he doesn't know brewing behind it. Xie Yuan proposed that everyone go back and weigh it carefully, to discuss it again tomorrow.

Upon hearing that court was about to adjourn, the dazed King instantly woke up!

This fellow abruptly changed his listless demeanor, swooping down from the throne and naming a few generals and Grand Commander Dong to stay behind.

"…You few stay; I have matters to discuss."

Xie Yuan: …

Just say there's still something.

"I've heard the Xiongnu are descendants of the Xia; although they fled to the Central Plains and have lived on the steppe for many years, essentially we are all one family nurtured from the same land!"

Preposterous!

The few people he had kept stared at each other, wondering what kind of farce this was!

"What medicine is the King selling from his gourd? Even Dong Fu couldn't guess; he gave a look to let everyone calm down."

"I feel that since Munan and Yundu Commanderies have been incorporated into Da Jin's territory, we should treat them just like Qingyu Commandery—equally!"

"The King, having laid bare his intentions, said: "People fear fame, pigs fear fat; the grassland iron cavalry's reputation has spread abroad for a hundred years, and even in the south it exceeds that of our northern border Xuanjia cavalry. I know how great their difference is, but in the stubborn, self‑righteous eyes of the south, some impressions are hard to change quickly.""

The people below all wore the same question‑mark face: So what?

"The King loudly declared: "I won't let them just reclaim wasteland to farm! I intend to form a Munan iron cavalry, making the Xiongnu people charge forward for me!""

"Everyone was still confused: Why go to all this trouble? Do they lack troops? Don't they lack money and grain?"

"The King certainly knows he's not short of troops—Chang'an still has two hundred thousand forbidden army! But as an emperor, some big truths he himself cannot utter, for saying them would harm ethnic unity."

"He can say that sending the Xuanjia cavalry into battle poorly fed would weigh on his conscience, but he would feel no such guilt toward the Xiongnu."

"Moreover, letting these lifelong nomadic Xiongnu strongmen reclaim wasteland to farm is somewhat wasteful; he heard they don't know how to farm at all, and they've become a drag on large farms. They'd need feeding but wouldn't work."

"Recently the King caused a sensation in Youzhou City for several days as headline news; taking into account various reactions, he finally realized that Xiongnu cavalry would be an excellent deterrent against rebel kings lurking in every corner. He told the prisoners to redeem themselves through merit, and once they earned military achievements they would truly be one family."

"As the Son of Heaven, I hold all the people of the world in my heart. Northern border folk, Luoyang folk, Chang'an folk—here they are all the same, all my subjects. Now that the lands south of Gudulun Mountain are my Munan Commandery, I can also accommodate the Munan people."

"Among these people, Dong Fu was the first to understand; he hadn't not seen it before. Therefore the Grand Commander took the lead in praising the King's imperial magnanimity."

"This matter, Zhang Tu, you handle it personally. From the prisoners and the select ten thousand of Munan and Yundu Commanderies, bring them back to the old king's residence to train for half a month, then eliminate half; I only need five thousand elites."

"Your servant will obey the edict."

"The formerly vacant old king's residence has now completely become a place for cavalry to station and drill; once the capital relocation is formally announced, the King intends to turn it into the headquarters of the Feathered Forest Guard."

"The Grand Steward's real estate may not have sold much, but his undertakings have grown greatly; finding such a large empty plot within Youzhou City is no easy task."

"The old residence occupies a broad area; stationing twenty‑ to thirty‑thousand troops there is still no problem."

"First withdraw the originally stationed garrison troops, then send five thousand elite cavalry from the East Great Camp over to serve as a control group." The clever King's quick thought was a good idea~

"With five thousand elite cavalry holding them down, not even ten, twenty, or thirty thousand could stir up a wave. Let them eat the same, wear the same, let them see the life of my cavalry, and then let them see the standing of capable men in our Da Jin. The Xiongnu are destroyed; people, after all, must look forward."

"Dong Fu has already been convinced by this clever fellow; in his past life he had only seen the illustrious bright ruler of the previous dynasty who seized heaven on horseback dare to make foreign peoples work for him, but this lad, barely in his teens, dares to do so and has the guts!"

"Afterward, Wei Shen questioned the King, who spoke without restraint: "Just a bunch of simple‑minded barbarians. If you don't understand other reasoning, surely you can grasp the law of the jungle? I just don't believe that if we treat them as humans, they'd still have much loyalty to their fallen capital."

"Turning around, he eagerly arranged it: "Have the Bureau of Military Armaments come over to forge five thousand sets of new armor for the Munan cavalry!"

"What about importing that John Pu?"

"How expensive that is!"

Can those wearing leather and vine armor even appreciate and understand?!