Chapter 1080: Everyone, Come Be Nanjing People (Please Subscribe)

The ones who delivered Duoni's family to Tianjin were Oboi and Yue Le.

Well, it wasn't the whole family neatly together — just Duoni himself and his three sons, four very fine lacquerware boxes, all packed up and express-delivered to Tianjin.

As for Duoni's several consorts, according to Manchu custom, they were inherited by Chani. So Duoni could leave with his mind at ease, with nothing to tie him down.

And the reason Oboi and Yue Le were put in charge of the delivery was not because they had experience in that line of work, but because Zhu Cilang had specifically asked to see the two of them — after Duoni and Nikan had died one after the other, and Dorgon's adopted son was arrested and awaiting trial, the two of them were the ones with real power left in the Manchu faction.

Oboi was the founder of the Manchu Vanguard Camp, and he had many old friends and former students in the Heilongjiang region — his strength was considerable.

Yue Le, for his part, had been one of the two great prince-generals under Duoni in the original Manchu faction. With Nikan dead, he was now the prince whose military authority was second only to Duoni's.

If Zhu Cilang wanted to completely bring the Manchu faction to heel and firmly control the two military governorships of Heilongjiang and Jianzhou, he naturally had to deal with these two first.

Inside the Tianjin traveling palace, on a table, several stinking heads were laid out in a row — some of adults, some of children. This was the extermination of an entire family, the cruelest punishment for the defeated!

Seen through later eyes, it was of course very incorrect, but feudal dynasties were just that cruel. And as Zhu Cilang's Celestial Empire grew ever larger, with more and more internal dependencies and external vassals, if potential rebels were not made to understand what price they would pay for failure, then the Celestial Empire's civil wars would never end.

And every war would cause countless common people to lose everything — including their lives!

"Your Majesty, it is indeed Duoni's head!"

The speaker was He Luohui, Chief State Councillor of Joseon. He had come to Tianjin together with Duoni's head — the head had first gone to Joseon, then crossed the sea to reach the Ming, and He Luohui happened to have been summoned to Tianjin by Jin Dongzhu, so he had come along.

"Your Majesty, it is indeed Duoni."

The one confirming it a second time was Duo'erbo, the former King of Joseon, who was awaiting trial. Duo'erbo and Duoni were full brothers, so of course he would not mistake him. Now, seeing his elder brother, he truly thanked his sister, Princess Donggu, from the bottom of his heart. He still had a Commandery Prince title, could still eat, drink, and amuse himself — he was actually quite happy, far better off than Duoni.

"Take it away!" Zhu Cilang said flatly. "Bury it together with Bakdu!"

Duoni's third brother Bakdu had also already died! Died by a sharp blade cutting his neck — that is, by beheading!

The heads were taken away, and the people who had identified the heads also left. Emperor Zhu, his gaze cold and grim, looked at Oboi and Yue Le kneeling below, and the sight made the two men's hearts pound with terror. Surely the Ming Emperor wouldn't feel he hadn't chopped enough and grab the two of them to make up the number?

"Oboi, Yue Le — Wei Zheng once said: 'The barbarians are not of our race; their hearts must differ. When strong, they plunder and raid; when weak, they cower and submit. They disregard grace and righteousness — such is their nature!' What do you two think?"

The moment Zhu Cilang opened his mouth, he startled the two men!

He really hadn't killed enough!

What was to be done now! Was he going to slaughter us all?

Help!

Just as the two were so frightened they were about to cry for help, Zhu Cilang smiled and spoke: "We think that although Wei Zheng's words have some reason, they lack benevolence. To be brave and yet loving is benevolence. We swept the north and pacified Liao — We are a brave sovereign, and in Our heart there is also universal love, so We are a benevolent sovereign. Therefore We are unwilling to open wide the slaughter, and even more unwilling to regard barbarians as beasts.

We think that among the words of the ancient sages, as altered by Yuan-dynasty Confucians, there is also something worth taking — for example, what Xu Heng said: 'Enter the barbarians and become barbarian; enter the Xia and become Xia' has some truth to it. Oboi, Yue Le — are you willing to enter the barbarians, or enter the Xia?"

"Enter the Xia, of course we are willing to enter the Xia!" Oboi said loudly. "We Manchus have long admired the Huaxia, and in bloodline we are half barbarian, half Xia. It was only because we long dwelt in a bitter, cold land and could not obtain the culture of Huaxia that we gradually became barbarians. Now that the Great Emperor's grace extends to the four seas, his virtue matches Heaven and Earth, and wherever the sun and moon reach is Ming soil, we shall naturally be people of the Central Land for generations to come!"

Yue Le also said: "This subject too has read the Confucian books, studied the learning of the Central Land, admired the Way of the Sages, and even in dress and appearance is no different from a person of the Central Land — in truth, I am a person of the Central Land!"

Zhu Cilang smiled and nodded: "We see that you two are also people of the Central Land. But north of the passes and beyond the frontier is rather bitter and cold. For you to dwell there long is truly not conducive to entering the Xia, nor is it good for the prospects and learning of your descendants. Since We are a benevolent sovereign, We naturally must help you."

Help?

What did he mean?

Oboi and Yue Le were both utterly baffled.

Zhu Cilang said: "How about this — from now on, the lords of the two garrisons of Jianzhou and Heilongjiang, as well as hereditary native officials governing more than 2,500 households, shall all establish princely residences in Nanjing. Their families shall live in those residences, their sons and younger brothers shall study in Jinling, and the garrison lords and native officials shall render attendance service in Jinling, traveling regularly between the northern frontier and Jinling."

After all that, Emperor Zhu had learned the Tokugawa shogunate's sankin-kotai attendance system — on the problem of controlling feudal domains, the Tokugawa house had racked its brains, and could well serve as the Great Ming's teacher.

And Zhu Cilang did not mind learning from Japan's strengths, so he took this system and applied it to the various domains. And because the two domains of Jianzhou and Heilongjiang had a prior record of rebellion, they would be the first batch to implement the attendance system.

Not only would the domain lords have to render attendance, but those below them governing more than 2,500 households would also have to enter the capital for attendance service!

From now on, the domain lords and senior native officials of Jianzhou and Heilongjiang would all be Nanjing people — and their territories in the north would be nothing more than places where they held office and made money.

"Your Majesty, when you say native officials of 2,500 households, you mean—" Oboi did not quite understand, so he asked another question.

Zhu Cilang smiled: "Jianzhou and Heilongjiang are vast in territory, stretching thousands of li in every direction, while the population is especially sparse. It is a land of broad territory and few people, so a single layer of enfeoffment is not enough. We intend to count the populations of the two domains, then divide the land into districts, establish fixed settlement cities, and appoint city lords. One city shall be established for every 2,500 households, and the city lordship may be hereditary. For some of the cities, no city lord will be appointed, and they will be directly governed by the domain lord.

Furthermore, after the division into districts, all land not under the jurisdiction of any city shall also be directly governed by the domain lord, so that cities may be added in the future."

Emperor Zhu's methods were, of course, brilliant!

He had created a two-tier feudal system. At first glance it seemed to enfeoff a bunch of city lords, which appeared conducive to fragmentation. But in fact it also gathered together the various tribes scattered across the lands of Jianzhou and Heilongjiang, redistributed their dwellings and land, and made them better integrated into the great Huaxia family.

Moreover, the lands of Jianzhou and Heilongjiang were extremely empty. If the tribes were concentrated and the land divided into districts, large amounts of vacant land would inevitably appear.

And this vacant land could later be used for colonization.

Although at present it was the Little Ice Age, and it was not likely anyone would be willing to go live in Jianzhou or Heilongjiang, the cold season would eventually pass, and the population of the interior would eventually reach saturation. At that point, the lands of Jianzhou and Heilongjiang would become attractive.

In addition, the city lord positions in Jianzhou and Heilongjiang could also be sold or given as rewards.

Zhu Cilang smiled and said to Oboi and Yue Le: "You two are both heroes of the land beyond the passes — one city lordship for each of you! In addition, Oboi shall be Vice Military Governor of Heilongjiang, and Yue Le shall be Vice Military Governor of Jianzhou. Before the lords of the two domains of Heilongjiang and Jianzhou take up their posts, the routine affairs of the domains shall be managed by you two. We will dispatch a Resident Minister in Heilongjiang and a Resident Minister in Jianzhou, stationed permanently in Haishenwai and Nurgan City respectively."

The geographical position of Haishenwai needs no explanation — far too important!

And Nurgan City was equally critical! This city was located at the mouth of the Heilongjiang River — the area later known as Miaojie.

If the Great Ming controlled these two cities, it could project military force into Jianzhou and Heilongjiang by sea.

Oboi and Yue Le were delighted at these words — the domain lords of Jianzhou and Heilongjiang were still young. No, not still young — they hadn't even been born yet!

Xuanye's Heilongjiang Military Governorship was merely nominal and would sooner or later be taken away — the two domains of Jianzhou and Heilongjiang were not rebel garrisons, so the power to appoint military governors lay with the court.

Once Dongzhu bore another son for Zhu Cilang, the Heilongjiang Military Governorship would change hands.

As for the Jianzhou Military Governorship, it likewise had no incumbent yet — Ajige had not yet given birth, and no one knew whether it would be a boy or a girl.

So Oboi and Yue Le could enjoy themselves freely in Heilongjiang and Jianzhou for many years to come!

(End of Chapter)