Chapter 1059

Xue Shao: "Humans have greed, and it is inherited, but what makes them human is their ability to think and improve. There is a folk saying: hearts are made of flesh. Once they belong to Great Ming, if their lives grow better and more peaceful, how could they rebel?"

Hu Ying: "Naive. Does Lord Xue truly believe the herders benefit most from Great Ming's aid? The tribal nobles will grow fat on it. Human greed is boundless; once they gain advantages, they will crave more, and then they will incite the herders to rebel, just as Yexian did."

Xue Shao: "Only by ensuring the herders benefit directly, and their interests are realized, can they truly align with Great Ming. As for the tribal nobles, they are but a tiny minority. Even if they rebel, they cannot succeed."

Cao Nai: "Hah. The herders obey the tribal nobles. You think they can't succeed? Lord Xue is far too confident."

Xue Shao: "Then we must drive a wedge between the herders and the tribal nobles, so the herders pledge loyalty to Your Majesty and serve Great Ming."

The ministers: …

They exchanged glances and found the idea not bad—but a faint unease lingered in their hearts.

Chen Xun: "How much must the imperial court invest to ensure everyone benefits, and that the gains exceed raiding? Isn't this merely arming the enemy?"

Xue Shao: "If we simply export grain and money, it is improper. Whether they are the grassland people, or the folk of the Central Plains, Jiangnan, or Lingnan—all are subjects of Great Ming. We fear not scarcity, but inequality. If this continues, discontent will grow, and chaos will follow."

Cao Nai frowned: "Just say plainly what you intend to do."

Xue Shao: "The State Preceptor once mentioned that vast regions north of the Great Wall, now held by the Oirats, contain enormous coal, iron, copper, fluorite, and rare earth deposits—especially coal, iron, and copper. Since the Ministry of Works developed coal briquettes and improved the technology, the capital region now relies primarily on coal briquettes for winter heating. Since this winter began, deaths from cold have dropped by eighty-seven percent compared to previous years. Clearly, if we properly promote the safety of coal briquettes, this method can be extended across the north. North of the Qinling Mountains and the Huai River, winters are as icy as death. If all these regions used coal briquettes for heating, how much coal would be consumed annually? Moreover, coal is not just for warmth—it can smelt iron and steel, refine various metals, and even be used daily for cooking…"

"The same applies to copper and iron. The Ministry of Works now produces countless devices, consuming vast quantities of copper and iron. Thus, not only are we vital to the grasslands—supplying them with grain, cloth, and tea—but the grasslands can supply the imperial court with abundant resources."

Chen Xun looked skeptical: "The grasslands have iron mines? Then why do they keep smuggling ironware from Great Ming? We've never heard of them mining iron."

Xue Shao replied calmly: "They simply haven't found them—not because they don't exist. They cannot smelt iron, not because they don't want to, but because they lack the technology."

The others: …

The Emperor spoke with deep meaning: "So the grasslands have so many valuable resources…"

The ministers exchanged glances, filled with boundless enthusiasm for the newly proposed tributary prefectures. They overturned many details and began refining the governance plan anew.

Managing a region rich in resources is different from managing a region with resources.

This time, the imperial court decided to commit far greater manpower and material to developing the grasslands.

Immediately after the morning court session ended, officials from the Ministry of Works set out for the grasslands, and Yu Qian's orders were also transmitted via telegraph to the three armies.

He ordered the three armies to re-survey the borders, establish garrisons, and deliver a message to the Oirats.

The Oirat army, driven into the desert, heard the court had accepted their plea for peace—and immediately stopped running.

When told the court demanded Yexian's head, they did not hesitate. They dragged out Yexian's corpse, severed his head, and sent it across, along with a peace delegation.

Kuang Ye received Yexian's head and the delegation. After reporting via telegraph to Jingcheng and receiving approval, he finally sent envoys to negotiate.

The delegation: "Negotiate here? Won't you go to Jingcheng?"