Chapter 224: It Is Absolutely Necessary to Send Troops from the Northwest to Annihilate Tens of Thousands of Hunxie and False Qing Fo

Inside the Qianqing Hall, after finishing the report on the Northwestern troop consolidation.

Emperor Jing Sheng Di then turned to the third matter mentioned in the memorial.

The third matter concerns the Da Han Empire's proposed terms for peace negotiations with the False Qing and Hunxie.

After the Northern Yuan Court was destroyed, Hunxie swiftly withdrew its troops and sent envoys to Da Han for peace talks.

The envoys stated that Hunxie's deployment was incited by the Northern Yuan Court and not a genuine intent to attack Da Han.

Subsequently, False Qing, unable to sustain itself, withdrew its forces back to Liaodong.

Kangxi also sent envoys to Da Han's Shenjing, declaring that the recent mobilization was provoked by the Northern Yuan Court, and expressing willingness to make amends with Da Han and respect each other's borders.

During this period, the envoys of the two states held several rounds of consultations in Shenjing with Da Han court minister Li Guangdi, but failed to reach a consensus.

Hunxie and False Qing showed little sincerity in seeking peace and were unwilling to provide any concrete compensation for their incursion into Da Han.

Meanwhile, the Da Han court erupted in heated debate over the issue.

The majority advocated withdrawing while the situation was favorable, arguing that years of war had exhausted the populace, emptied the treasury, and further conflict was unwise.

A minority of hawks advised that the Crown Marquis should tighten control over the nine borders and launch a campaign to eradicate the two border threats of Hunxie and False Qing in one stroke.

Earlier, Emperor Jing Sheng Di had written to Jia Jing seeking his opinion on the matter.

Now Jia Jing's memorial contains his view on the issue.

He believes that False Qing and Hunxie unlawfully crossed the border, killing our civilians and soldiers in the northwestern towns of Ganzhou and Suzhou, a crime unforgivable.

He says peace can be sought, but Da Han must be granted four conditions:

First, territorial concession: False Qing must cede all lands west of the Liao River and retreat to the east of the Liao River.

Second, Hunxie must surrender Hami, Turpan, and the entire southern slopes of the Tianshan, which are the throat of the Silk Road.

Third, as hostages, False Qing must send the commanding prince Yinxiang to the Han court to study etiquette, and Hunxie must also send one legitimate son to the capital as a hostage.

Fourth, open trade between several border towns to seize the economic lifelines of both nations.

Fifth, a compensation of five million taels, payable in a lump sum or in annual installments.

Of course, Jia Jing knows that False Qing and Hunxie may not readily accept these peace terms.

After all, the two states did not suffer defeat this time; they were merely frightened by the fate of the Northern Yuan's destruction, prompting a voluntary withdrawal and peace overture.

Extracting a price from them is not easy.

Because between nations, only swords and spears are recognized, not morality.

Therefore,

Jia Jing offered a further suggestion, in a single simple sentence:

He advises the court to suspend peace talks and have the Northwest proactively dispatch troops to annihilate tens of thousands of False Qing and Hunxie soldiers; this action is absolutely necessary!

After reading this, Emperor Jing Sheng Di felt his confidence surge, and his thoughts on negotiating peace with the two states became clearer.

He lifted the vermilion brush on the imperial desk and wrote the character "Zhun" on the memorial.

Then Emperor Jing Sheng Di turned to the fourth matter mentioned in Jia Jing's memorial.

This time he spent an unusually long period reading, gradually straightening his posture from a slight recline on the cushion-backed chair.

His complexion grew solemn, and his gaze carried a sharp edge.

The matter mainly described the illegal activities of officials and aristocrats in the northwestern border towns.

These included encroaching on military fields, ineffective supervision, monopolizing salt and iron, controlling trade routes, collusion between civil and military officials to exploit the populace, and land grabs, among others.

Especially, border generals allied through marriage with wealthy merchants, not only engaging in corruption but also turning border towns into personal fiefdoms for profit.

He particularly highlighted the corruption of the Gansu Commander, the Guyuan Governor, the Inspector Censor, and the Local Judicial Office.

He also pointed out that the corruption in the northwestern border towns is no longer an isolated phenomenon but a systemic decay.

He then proposed five concrete measures: strict penalties to curb official corruption, suppression of powerful gentry to prevent annexations, investigation and redress of wrongful imprisonments to soothe the people, opening trade to benefit the populace and stabilize the frontier, and reorganizing the border army to enhance combat capability.

He said that a single family's weeping is better than an entire nation's weeping!

Harshly reforming officials, aristocrats, and military heroes is an act of benevolent care for the nation and its people.

Finally, he wrote three institutional proposals for reorganizing the border army:

First, the "No Private Command, No Personal Troops" system:

Border army commanders shall rotate every three years, prohibited from serving in their native region or remaining in the same town for more than three consecutive years.

Simultaneously, command and administration are separated: the commander-in-chief handles military command, while the governor oversees civil administration and supervision, providing mutual checks.

Second, military fields shall be nationalized under the Ministry of Revenue:

The border towns' military fields will be taken into state ownership, with the Ministry of Revenue recruiting landless peasants to cultivate them, and the harvested grain will directly fund military rations.

The military household system will be replaced by a "recruitment system", enlisting displaced persons, granting them land to settle, and allowing veterans to pass the land to their descendants, achieving a "soldier‑farmer unity".

Third, strictly forbid commanders from conscripting military households for private labor:

The court shall explicitly prohibit commanders from privately employing soldiers to till personal fields or build residences; violators will be charged with "misappropriation of military rations".

At the same time, a "soldier grievance system" will be established, allowing soldiers subjected to private service to report directly to the Inspector Censor; upon verification, the commander will be severely punished and the soldier rewarded.

Emperor Jing Sheng Di read these provisions carefully, paused thoughtfully, his gaze complex, and could not help exclaiming:

"Zi Jie has a wholly public heart; everything he thinks and does is for the great plan of the court."

"His proposals will only harm his own interests and invite countless impeachments and accusations from officials and aristocrats."

"There is no trace of arrogance from achievements, no private scheme of hoarding troops! This is the true loyal minister of the state, the very Zhongxing aide bestowed upon me by the Founding Emperor!"

"How laughable those censor officials are to impeach him for inscrutable motives, claiming unforeseen danger."

"If I were to believe these slanders, I might end up hanging myself on Coal Mountain in the future."

"Nevertheless, this matter cannot be rushed! Corrupt officials, powerful gentry, and vile aristocrats are not limited to just the Northwest."

"The Da Han Empire's ailments run deep; corruption is rampant, and true reform must begin with the court's institutions."

"Now that the frontier wars are proceeding smoothly, we should focus our main efforts on cleansing domestic administration and implementing the New Policies!"

"And to eradicate the corrupt administration, the most important thing is to have some talented people with new ideas! Enke might be able to start… just appoint Zhang Tinglu and Li Fu as chief and deputy examiners…"

Emperor Jing Sheng Di's thoughts inevitably turned to the New Policies and the cleansing of officialdom, and to strengthening the nation.

…………

Qian Qing Gong, the main hall.

It was precisely the afternoon.

It was already hot.

May sunlight slanted in through the window lattice, drawing bright white patterns on the blue‑brick floor.

There was no wind; the copper bells at the eaves hung motionless, and the copper cauldron at the foot of the hall burned with ice pieces, its wisp of blue smoke rising straight upward, turning into clouds that dissipated in mid‑air.

At this moment,

The five Grand Scholars of the Cabinet, the Right Commander Prince of Nanan Commandery, the Commander and Deputy of Prince of Beijing, and Wang Ziteng—eight people in court robes—waited silently in the hall.