Chapter 538: Without Xia Lords Over Yi Peoples, Can He Still Be Called the Son of Heaven of Zhou?

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Murong Xinzhang had indeed guessed right — Zhang Zhao's hereditary, never-to-be-replaced noble title was not so easy to claim.

As an emperor, apart from a genuine fool like Emperor Hui of Jin, anyone would know how fearsome the four words "hereditary, never replaced" are.

Those four words usually signify the birth of a vast noble house, represent enormous pressure on the court's finances, and mean that, as the years pass, a parasite will inevitably be born that latches onto the state and sucks its blood.

Yet Zhang Zhao had still handed out more than twenty hereditary, never-to-be-replaced dukedoms, commandery dukedoms, marquisates, and earldoms in one breath.

One must remember that the realm is not yet pacified. Once the fighting is over, would the state's finances not spiral into the heavens?

So Zhang Zhao must have kept something in reserve — and this was the part Murong Xinzhang had not guessed.

By ordinary reasoning, after bestowing such lavish rewards, he might be about to take back their power.

But if that were really the case, Liu Zhiyuan would die laughing, and Li Jing might even slide to his knees in Jiangning.

So in truth, Zhang Zhao did not mean to take back their power — on the contrary, he meant to strengthen it. But that power lay not within China, but beyond it.

Hearing that Bai Congxin was going to Transoxiana to destroy the Samanid Persian emir and the ruler of the Zhenyuan Kingdom, Zhang Bingzhong, Zhang Zhao instead shook his head. He looked at the assembled men and said:

"Strike them down today, and tomorrow they rebel again. When the great army arrives they are all deference, but the moment it leaves they revert to their old ways. In the end, it is because these emirs and kings are not our own brothers. Transoxiana is thousands upon thousands of li away — we simply cannot control it!"

Ah! To trick people into going to the Western Regions to carve out new states, Sage Zhang even called them brothers so warmly. Are you moved?

The crowd fell silent. Even those among them who had returned from Transoxiana and India — though they knew those lands were not at all barbaric, but rather quite rich, lightly armed, and easy to conquer —

still, few were willing to spend the rest of their lives in Transoxiana and India. How wonderful the dazzling world of the Central Plains was!

Unfortunately for them, Zhang Zhao had his eye on exactly these men, because only these old brothers who had followed him back would not regard going to Transoxiana and India as exile.

Murong Xinzhang blinked twice. Though he felt it was somewhat early to be discussing garrisoning Transoxiana and India,

he had always believed that as long as Zhang Zhao's ideas were not too outrageous, he would generally approve of them.

"My lord, could it be that you wish to follow the old story of the Son of Heaven of Zhou, using the method of Xia lords over Yi peoples, to gradually let our own men take control of Transoxiana and India?"

The words had barely left his mouth when Murong Xinzhang felt more than a dozen scorching gazes land on him.

In particular, Wang Tongxin, the Marquis of Wucheng beside him, unconsciously raised his right hand, looking very much as though he wanted to give him a great slap across the face.

"My son is indeed clever! I do have this idea." Zhang Zhao nodded approvingly.

This sent a chill down the old brothers' spines. Even a genuine simpleton like Dunzhu blinked several times, clearly not thinking that settling down in Transoxiana was any kind of good choice.

"However, China is not yet settled, so it is not yet time for us to go as Xia lords over Yi peoples in Transoxiana and India."

The moment Zhang Zhao finished this sentence, everyone immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"But!"

At that single "but," everyone's hearts rose again.

"Although there is no need to go now, it is best to prepare for a rainy day in all things. Transoxiana and India are not only vital points on the westward trade routes, but were won by the blood of all of us.

Now we enjoy high office and rich salaries here, but many of our brothers from those years did not live to see this day. We cannot let those brothers become ghosts in foreign lands, can we?"

Yan Jin set down his wine cup and rose to his feet. He said to Zhang Zhao, "The Sage is right. Those of us who live and enjoy wealth and honor cannot forget Huosheng and the others who died in battle so early.

This subject is willing to go settle in Transoxiana. Kangju (Samarkand) is quite fine. Why not let the Sage enfeoff this subject's Jin state at the city of Kangju!"

Ma Yaozi blinked. He recalled the size of Kangju. Whoa! Good heavens, that was a great city of forty to fifty thousand people!

Counting the cities large and small and the countryside around it, there were at least three hundred thousand people in all.

Yan Jin's current worthless Duke of Jin title, with salary and rewards combined, came to only about two thousand six or seven hundred strings of cash a year.

But with four hundred thousand people, even with normal taxation, one could easily bring in seventy or eighty thousand strings a year — not to mention the transit taxes on passing merchants.

If one could harden one's heart and squeeze them, could one not get a hundred thousand strings or more a year?

Off to the side, the little loli Saifeiye, who was pouring wine and arranging dishes with the palace women, heard Yan Jin asking for Kangju. She immediately stuck out her already slightly bulging belly and swayed in front of Zhang Zhao.

The little loli believed this child of hers would certainly be a boy, who would one day become King of Persia. This was her way of reminding Zhang Zhao that Kangju could not be enfeoffed.

But before she could object, Ma Shacai snorted a puff of hot air from his nose and said in a muffled, gruff voice:

"Yan Chengjie, you certainly know how to keep accounts. You dare ask for Kangju with one move? This old Ma wants Anxi City (Bukhara)!"

This was too much! The little loli reached out and grabbed the hem of Zhang Zhao's robe, her face full of pleading. If Anxi City were gone, what kind of King of Persia would there be?

At Ma Shacai's words, the crowd burst into laughter and jeers.

Anxi City had a population of one hundred thousand and was a great city of Transoxiana. Its surroundings held at least nearly five hundred thousand people, and if one drew the boundaries wider, even a million were possible.

You, Ma Shacai, a hereditary, never-to-be-replaced Duke of Zhangye Commandery, want to be King of Anxi?

But with this, those who had seen with their own eyes the wealth of Transoxiana and India suddenly felt that perhaps going west as Xia lords over Yi peoples was not so bad after all.

Not everyone could occupy great cities like Anxi and Kangju, but to become the little king of a hundred thousand people would still be quite secure.

Zhang Zhao also laughed heartily. He raised his wine cup, and while toasting the crowd, said with a smile:

"If you wish to be Xia lords over Yi peoples, force alone will never hold for long. To gain a firm footing, economy and culture are both indispensable.

At present you do not lack for force, but in other respects you are still somewhat lacking. Only after making up these deficiencies can you govern a great state of more than a hundred thousand people."

Wang Tongxin drew a pained breath. He was thirty-four this year. Going onto the battlefield to kill men he could still manage, but as for learning to govern a state — you could not even get him to learn to read.

"Sage, this subject truly cannot learn this 'economy' and 'culture' you speak of!"

Economy, culture — Sage Zhang had invented these new words long ago, so even Wang Tongxin roughly knew what they meant.

The moment his words fell, Man Xiong, Dunzhu, Qiong Reduojin, and the others who refused to study immediately nodded in heartfelt sympathy.

Zhang Zhao looked at them with understanding. Indeed, asking them to study such things was truly making things hard for them.

"I also said, it is not that we must be Xia lords over Yi peoples now, but that we must prepare for a rainy day."

Having said this, Sage Zhang paused for a moment before continuing: "I know that you have followed me in war for more than ten years, with great toil and merit, and all of you want to enjoy yourselves once the realm is pacified.

That is no problem. But if you enjoy yourselves, your sons and grandsons cannot all just lie about enjoying themselves too, can they?

Though the titles are hereditary and never replaced, they can only be passed to one son. What will the other sons do then?

Wang Tongxin, you have six sons, but only one Marquis of Wucheng title that can be passed down hereditarily. What about the rest of your sons?"

Moreover, a hereditary title that passes undiminished can only be inherited by the legitimate son; a son of a concubine who inherits must have the rank lowered each generation. If things go badly, within two or three generations the descendants will lose the title altogether. What then?"

Zhang Zhao's words struck straight at the hearts of these men. With so many sons, the palm and the back of the hand are both flesh—how could a father bear to watch his other sons become commoners, or even lack food and clothing?

"If one can rule the Xia and govern the barbarians, even a state of only ten or fifteen thousand people could be divided among five sons, each commanding ten thousand, and each could be a king. And once you have territory, you can keep conquering and expanding.

I promise you here: for any who go beyond China to rule the Xia and govern the barbarians, not only will sons of concubines inherit titles without generational demotion, but if a man truly has no son, adopting a brother's son will also be recognized by the court."

After hearing Zhang Zhao's words, Bai Congxin was the first to step forward and declare his position, because this fellow's greatest ambition was to restore the Bai clan's royal throne of Kucha.

Now Kucha had been given to Cao Yanlu to administer, and Zhang Zhao intended to treat the Western Regions as part of China, so restoring the kingdom of Kucha was no longer possible.

But if he could go to the land of He (west of Samarkand) and restore the Bai ancestral temple there, that would also be acceptable.

"Your subject is willing to go to Transoxiana. With but one command from the Sage, I will strike down the Samanid Persians and restore the Buddhist kingdom of India. I will not shirk the duty!"

Zhang Zhao nodded with satisfaction and gestured for Bai Congxin to sit down.

"Old Bai, don't be in such a hurry. I have an idea. We rose to power from Transoxiana and India, so we naturally know that those lands are quite prosperous, and their people are easy to conquer.

Moreover, the Hexi Buddhist mission to spread the Dharma is about to begin. With this favor of heaven and advantage of terrain, if we add harmony among men, we will surely prevail wherever we go.

We have all suffered hardship, been ridden hard and ordered about by noble lords. We know well how bitter that taste is.

Do not do to others what you would not have done to yourself. The Central Plains is only so large; if too many titles are granted, the people's strength will surely be unable to bear it.

In ancient times King Wu of Zhou faced this same situation, and so he sent his sons, nephews, and brothers eastward with troops to rule the Xia and govern the barbarians. After several centuries, the land we now hold came into being.

I, this Son of Heaven of Zhou, also wish to rule the Xia and govern the barbarians. Now, while we can still fight and our martial strength is abundant, is the right time to expand westward.

Even if we do not go, our descendants will have to go.

And it is not only your descendants who must go—my descendants must go as well.

But we cannot simply throw them out there to die, so we must begin preparations now, before the rain falls.

I intend to establish a Longtao Academy, dedicated to teaching the descendants of hereditary-title families the geography, culture, and products of Transoxiana, India, and even farther west, as well as our own culture, Buddhist studies, and so on.

Of course, how to be a proper king, and how to lead troops in battle, must also be studied.

Every family must send its sons and younger brothers to study. At the same time, each family must contribute a portion of the profits from its trade routes to the west, and a portion of its talent. A portion of the annual stipends from titles and the income from granted lands must also be given.

We will pool and allocate these resources. Once the Central Plains is pacified, we will send our descendants west to spread their branches and leaves, to become kings there as well. Each of us need only keep a few sons in the Central Plains to care for us in old age and see us off at death."

Murong Xinzhang understood now. No wonder the lord had been so generous, throwing hereditary titles around as if they cost nothing—so this was what he had been waiting for. Wasn't this just making everyone pay in together?

Originally, stabilizing Transoxiana and India would certainly have required the court, the Son of Heaven, to pay. Now it had become a shared contribution from everyone.

Good heavens—the rewards and salaries hadn't even warmed their hands before a great chunk was scraped back away.

Still, there didn't seem to be anything unworkable about it.

Murong Xinzhang naturally felt there was nothing unworkable, because his Murong clan had entrenched itself in Guazhou for so many years that its wealth already rivaled a kingdom.

His wife, Princess Yongle, had also brought a large dowry, and he had no family to support. Spending some money to gain a kingdom—he didn't mind in the least.

But for the others, parting with this money was a bit painful, especially for those who were ordinarily free-spending.

Of course, Sage Zhang would not make things difficult for anyone. With considerate understanding, he looked at the assembled men, and an accountant from the Loyal Followers Army who knew his figures immediately stepped forward.

"If anyone has any difficulty with silver or coin, the money house will be glad to serve the meritorious lords."

This was determination to bind everyone onto the war chariot of going west to rule the Xia and govern the barbarians!

Seeing that Sage Zhang was this considerate, these meritorious lords who had followed him for more than ten years, from nothing to something, had no further objections.

After all, these men had long been accustomed to Zhang Zhao giving the orders while they charged forward and fought, and they usually reaped quite good returns.

"Your subject is willing to contribute thirty percent of the trade-route profits, and also thirty percent of the title stipend and the income from this land, to open up Transoxiana and rule the Xia and govern the barbarians."

Bai Congxin, who had always wanted to restore the Bai royal clan, was the first to stand.

Zhang Zhao was overjoyed. Bai Congxin's family had many Kucha (Yellow-Head Uyghur) people and held great influence in Anxi. Moreover, apart from the Zhang and Cao families, Bai Congxin's family earned the most profit on the Silk Road.

"Old Bai is indeed the most loyal and prudent. Then I, as Son of Heaven, will also contribute my two hundred thousand mu of private land in Ningyuan.

I have already notified Zhang Zhong and Song Zhongyi. For ruling the Xia and governing the barbarians, troops and provisions can all be supplied from Ningyuan.

In addition, this time we have taken in two thousand orphans, and there may be more in the future. After selection and training, they can serve as armored soldiers for the various kingdoms.

As for you, Old Bai, you must earn a bit more merit. In the future you are to inherit your ancestor Lord Bai Xiaode's title of Prince of Changhua Commandery.

As for Transoxiana, whichever territory you fancy, I will enfeoff it to you. It shall be named after Zheng, and you shall be enfeoffed as Great King of the State of Zheng."

Bai Congxin claimed to be a descendant of Bai Xiaode, and Prince of Changhua Commandery was Bai Xiaode's title.

Later, most of Bai Xiaode's descendants lived around Xinzheng, and Bai Juyi was born in Xinzheng.

However, Zhang Zhao felt that Bai Congxin's claim was highly dubious—though that was quite normal, a matter of common human sentiment.

And here was Bai Congxin, with the face of a Kucha man, actually starting to seek out a famous ancestor. What was this? This was Han culture influencing him!

Otherwise, an ordinary Kucha man would never pay any attention to such a thing.

Hearing Zhang Zhao promise him the title of Prince of Changhua Commandery and King of Zheng, Bai Congxin was beside himself with joy.

He had recently been scheming to claim Bai Juyi as his ancestor, which would instantly elevate his cultural prestige—a man both civil and martial!

The titles Prince of Changhua Commandery and King of Zheng carried even more of a sense of certification by the Sage.

Poor Bai Letian—all his life he had painstakingly sought out an ancestor, precisely because he feared people would say he was descended from Kucha people.

Yet now, Sage Zhang had overturned his entire life's work in one stroke.

With Bai Congxin taking the lead, the old brothers also came around, mainly because they were not unfamiliar with Transoxiana and India.

Spending a bit of money to let their descendants go be kings over there was always a good thing, so they all expressed their support.

And so the institution Sage Zhang used to carry out armed colonization and rule the Xia and govern the barbarians was established just like that.

The Longtao Academy could be said to have men, guns, and money. It only awaited the right moment to begin its campaign.

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