Chapter 747: The Way of Governing a State

A nationwide discussion began just like that.

First, abolish the Western Regions Protectorate!

This was the biggest matter of all!

How to persuade Loulan? This became the biggest problem! After all, this concerned the sovereignty of a country. Although Loulan respected the Longyan Dynasty as its Sovereign State, that was a Sovereign State, not your province!

Therefore.

Things were a bit awkward.

At this moment, it was no longer a question of whether Loulan wanted to or not.

Looking at the map, Ling Chen's three hundred thousand troops had already reached the true Central Asia. It was estimated that soon, all the territory previously held by the Mughal would be colonized by Ling Chen—this would be true colonization, not a protectorate.

The Mughal royal family was already gone; not to colonize would be to fail such a great opportunity.

Only the Mughal, that is, the Indian Continent, Ling Chen had said, must be taken entirely into his hands.

Especially Mumbai Port.

Original website: rg

Ling Chen also sent back news from Central Asia.

Consultations with the four Central Asian countries were nearing an end. Regarding this Central Asian war situation, the Putu Kingdom had gained many benefits, having obtained quite a bit of territory in Bukhara to its north; the Kokand Khanate was the same, and the Savi Dynasty went without saying.

In other words, the entire Indian Continent would become a colony of Longyan, and the people of Longyan were even more jubilant now. Never mind the heavy snow and the exceptionally cold winter this year, everywhere was filled with joy and the atmosphere of the New Year.

When the country is strong and the nation is prosperous, who isn't happy?

This was Liu Zheng's order: Mumbai Port and Putu Port, these two ports, were the most important priorities for the arrival of the Great Age of Discovery. Omar of the Putu Kingdom had no objections to this; after all, in this division of the cake, because they were close to Longyan, they had received more tangible benefits in Bukhara, as well as water sources.

They hit it off immediately.

You ask from which direction, east, west, south, or north, to attack?

Suit yourself.

From top to bottom, it was all like this.

Under these circumstances, these small countries in the Western Regions, whether in terms of location or status, were somewhat awkward. Just like that, caught in the middle, where could they go? It was simply too easy for Longyan to attack Loulan and Qiuci now. Frontlines, provisions—none of these were problems.

He suddenly laughed in spite of himself.

"Approved?"

Xie Tianyao received Liu Zheng's reply.

He knew that Xie Tianyao was not truly angry.

Nowadays, the Emperor was becoming increasingly tolerant of this Vice Minister Liu. There was no helping it; where else could one find a person who could bring Xie Tianyao so many and such great surprises?

A flash of helpless anger crossed his eyes, and slapping his thigh, he laughed aloud: "This brat, am I begging for his approval? Approved? Approved? Approved? Hahahaha, Lao Zhou, you tell me, is he teaching Me how to do things? Hmm?"

Grand Eunuch Zhou stood by, offering a sycophantic smile.

It let people know Liu Zheng's attitude.

Don't worry about my face, just deal with it however you want.

Liu Zheng was very busy. With the New Year approaching, he was still rushing about in Liaodong for the sake of the people's livelihood. From this perspective, Xie Tianyao could not truly blame him.

A single word: Approved.

The Pacification Edict was issued at this time, shocking the world.

It was long-winded and extensive.

Therefore, Xie Tianyao was very satisfied. At least in terms of political stance, Liu Zheng was very clear. Longyan was his motherland, and although his Liangzhou had made its fortune relying on the Western Regions, he had never wavered on matters of great principle.

Xie Tianyao waved his hand, and an Imperial Edict was written.

"Pacification" refers to summoning to surrender and causing to submit. "Pacifying the desolate and scattered" comes from ancient Chinese texts.

Therefore, in this Pacification Edict, the two characters for "Pacification" alone displayed the confidence and soaring ambition of the Longyan Dynasty at this time.

The wording was stern, the scope grand.

It was evident that Xie Tianyao's writing style was not a whit inferior to those great literary masters.

"A state is a small vessel; it can be possessed by a petty person, obtained by petty methods, and maintained by petty strength. The world is a great vessel; it cannot be possessed by a petty person, cannot be obtained by petty methods, and cannot be maintained by petty strength. A state can be possessed by a petty person, yet it is not necessarily immune to destruction; the world is the greatest thing, and none but a sage can possess it."

"Heaven gives birth to the masses, and there is a way to govern them: to refine one's will, to thicken one's virtue, and to clarify one's wisdom—this is how the Son of Heaven governs the world. To have orderly government and laws, to act at the right time, to judge impartially—above, one can follow the command of the Son of Heaven, and below, one can protect the common people; this is how a Feudatory King governs a state, how a scholar-official governs his fief, how officials and clerks govern their salaries and duties, how the common people obtain warm clothing and full bellies, long life and enduring vision, to avoid punishment and execution, and how the treacherous obtain danger, humiliation, and the death penalty."

"The great should flow downward; it is the female of the world, the intersection of the world. The female always overcomes the male with stillness, using stillness to place herself below. Therefore, if a great state places itself below a small state, it wins over the small state; if a small state places itself below a great state, it wins over the great state. Thus, some win by placing themselves below, and some win because they are below. A great state only wishes to gather and nourish people, and a small state only wishes to enter and serve others. Since both obtain what they desire, the great one should place itself below."

"The way to govern a state lies in the Mandate of Heaven."

In other words, what kind of person one is determines what kind of things one deserves to possess or obtain. The highest class of people have "refined will, thickened virtue, and clarified wisdom"; only the "Son of Heaven" possesses such talent and virtue, and thus can govern the world. The second class of people have "orderly government and laws, act at the right time, and judge impartially"—these are the Feudatory Kings, and thus they govern states.

This was from a moral standpoint, explaining that he possessed the qualifications to unify the Western Regions.

In this Pacification Edict, Xie Tianyao expressed why the Son of Heaven governs the world, why Feudatory Kings govern states, why scholar-officials govern fiefs, why officials and clerks govern their salaries and duties, why the common people obtain warm clothing and full bellies, and why the treacherous obtain danger, humiliation, and the death penalty.

These were all ordained by the Mandate of Heaven.

In this Pacification Edict, he specifically emphasized the relationship between the world and the state.

He also specifically emphasized: what difference is there between these small countries of the Western Regions and the other Feudatory Kingdoms of Longyan?

Secondly.

"A state is the utility of the world; a ruler is the power of the world. If one obtains the Dao to maintain it, there is great peace and great glory, the source of accumulated beauty; if one does not obtain the Dao to maintain it, there is great danger and great burden; having it is worse than not having it. Therefore, those who use a state to establish righteousness will be kings, those who establish trust will be hegemons, and those who establish schemes and plots will perish. These three are what a wise ruler must carefully choose and what a benevolent person must strive to clarify."

In the eyes of the Emperor of our Celestial Empire, you are all just a bunch of nobles relying on Me for your livelihood.

That is all.

What difference is there between you so-called kings and those Feudatory Kings and nobles?

In the eyes of our Longyan Dynasty, you are all just Feudatory Kings.

Do you agree or not?

Finally.

That is all.

Now, I wish to expand the world, to broaden the territory of this land, to have ten thousand nations pay homage, and to have Longyan Culture civilize the barbarians; I specially grant you all permission to integrate into Huaxia civilization.

"Heaven gives birth to the people, not for the sake of the ruler. Heaven establishes the ruler, for the sake of the people."

I am the Son of Heaven of Longyan.

That is the most brilliant part of this Pacification Edict.

That is.

To take the world is the return of Heaven's mandate; take the world with benevolence and virtue, not with violence.

If you do not agree, I will not resort to force.

But, the will of the people will beat you.