The meeting was quiet for a while. The monarchs of Xianbei, Kazakhstan, Khiva, Persia, and Egypt considered the various impacts of the reform plan or request proposed by Zhu Jingyuan.
Although the princes each had their own opinions on the merits of these requests, they all chose to accept them in the end.
Luo Yashan, the Duke of Xianbei who had the closest relationship with Zhu Jingyuan, finally continued to ask:
"Your Highness, regarding the ticket and purchase restriction system being implemented in Edo, how should it be implemented in our vassals?"
Zhu Jingyuan waved his hand directly and said:
“Regarding the ticket and purchase restriction system, we are currently not considering implementing them in the feudal state.
"Of course, if the princes want to try to promote it themselves, the imperial court will not interfere."
Muyi, the Duke of Egypt, tried to ask:
"Your Highness, is it because the relevant policies are still being verified, so we are not promoting it on a larger scale for the time being?"
Zhu Jingyuan waved his hand again:
"No, I never considered promoting it in the feudal country from the beginning.
“In the future…although I can’t say that I won’t consider it at all in the future.
"But at least I haven't considered the foreseeable future."
The monarchs of several vassal states suddenly fell into thinking again.
Several princes have either considered the role of the ticket and purchase restriction system themselves or discussed it with their staff.
They are more or less able to understand the impact that these programs may have.
In the short term, it may restrict development and reduce expected benefits, but in the long run, it may contribute to social stability.
But they do not have a clear understanding of the extent to which expected returns will be reduced, the extent to which development will be limited, or the specific extent of the benefits to long-term stability.
They now actually expect Daming to make a decision for them, which saves them from thinking about it themselves.
As a result, Daming now doesn't let them make the decision and lets them decide whether to do it or not, which makes them entangled again.
A few seconds later, Xianbei Duke Luo Yashan couldn't help but continue to ask Zhu Jingyuan for his opinion:
"May I ask, Your Highness, do you think we should implement policies related to tickets and purchase restrictions?"
Zhu Jingyuan directly spread his hands and said:
"I think this matter is irrelevant to you.
“Ticket and purchase restriction policies are targeted prevention and stability maintenance policies specially formulated based on the actual situation in the core areas of Ming Dynasty and similar surrounding places.
"You are all vassals of the Ming Dynasty, and your stability is directly protected by the Ming Dynasty.
“The key is that the population sizes of your vassals are relatively limited, so the pros and cons of this policy based on fairness will not be too obvious.
"You don't need to get entangled in this kind of thing, I have more important things to leave to you.
"I have specially prepared a pilot reform plan based on the situation of your vassal countries."
The kings of several vassal states immediately stopped worrying after hearing this.
The situation in their own country is indeed very different from the cultural customs in the core areas of the Ming Dynasty.
Mu Yi, the Duke of Egypt, immediately asked:
"Whatever arrangements His Highness has, we will fully cooperate..."
Zhu Jingyuan also said very directly:
“For you vassals, what His Majesty the Emperor and the court care more about is to truly integrate you economically and culturally into the Ming Dynasty’s system.
"Based on this ultimate goal, I have prepared an integrated solution in three aspects, one is urbanization, the other is industrialization, and the third is the liberation of women."
Several monarchs listened carefully, but they were confused at the beginning and could not turn around at once.
It is relatively easy to understand that it is necessary to integrate culturally and economically into the Ming Dynasty and to engage in industrialization and urbanization, but in the end, is there any necessary relationship between liberating women and the goal?
Of course there is a connection. Women's social status and self-perception are the most basic part of traditional culture.
To maintain their original traditional culture and lifestyle, they must maintain their existing status and self-perception as women.
If we want to break the traditional culture of certain areas and let them accept foreign culture, we must do the opposite.
The situation in Xianbei and Kazakhstan is even better. The cultural atmosphere of the upper class is originally inclined towards the Ming Dynasty, while the middle and lower classes retain strong customs and habits related to the Mongolian Yellow Sect, as well as part of the culture related to the Lucian Orthodox Church.
Mongolian folk traditions and the Yellow Sect cultural system can be regarded as relatively marginal components of the culture of the Central Plains Celestial Dynasty, and can be naturally and organically integrated with the Ming culture.
Persia and Egypt have very strong Tianfang religion culture...
Afghanistan, the historical graveyard of empires, is now largely located in Persia.
After Egypt joined the Ming Dynasty, it accepted a large number of Tianfang Sect believers who had been transferred from the entire Dashi Kingdom region.
Some traditions of Tianfang Sect are in obvious conflict with the Ming Dynasty tradition.
In order to solve the cultural problems in these places and make them truly and thoroughly enlightened, the key to Zhu Jingyuan's prescription is to liberate women.
The specific means of liberating women are urbanization and industrialization.
Zhu Jingyuan could understand the doubts of several monarchs, so he basically didn't pause and continued to explain:
“Concentrate the development and construction of large cities, and move the population from scattered rural areas into large cities for centralized management.
“The process of urbanization, like the previous wars and dynasty changes, will bring about subversive changes in the living environment and lifestyle of ordinary people.
“In this process of change, it is relatively easy to get rid of the outdated parts of traditional culture, and even guide us in any more reasonable direction.
“At the same time, from Xianbei to Anxi to Persia, they are all vast, sparsely populated places with complex environments.
“Centralizing the scattered population will make it easier to manage your vassal states, and of course it will also increase the vassal state’s income.
“Develop labor-intensive industries and recruit and attract a large number of workers to work in factories.
“Enabling workers, including women, to have a stable and sustainable income so that they can escape family and traditional life.
“Only when women can become workers and gain economic independence can they truly be independent in society.
“In this process, we can eliminate the original Tianfang religious customs and complete a truly secular social transformation.
“The focus is to liberate women so that they are no longer confined to traditional families, so that they can independently accept and integrate into the Ming Dynasty’s culture and lifestyle.
“At the same time, this process is also objectively a process of modernization and industrialization of your vassals. Industry can generate economic benefits that far exceed those of the agricultural era and significantly increase the income of vassal states.
“So, for you vassal states, this process will certainly bring a lot of benefits.
"So I think that if His Majesty the Emperor of Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty court, and Ming Dynasty manufacturers are willing to invest, you should be very happy to accept it, right?"
Zhu Jingyuan explained it very straightforwardly, and several vassal monarchs quickly understood it.
For the rulers of Anxi, Persia, Egypt and other places, secular industrialization reforms were certainly beneficial to them without external violent interference.
The lives of ordinary people can become better. As kings, they can obtain more tax revenue, control more people through cities and factories, and gain higher actual power.
The disadvantages are also obvious. After concentrating the population originally scattered in harsh environments into a few large cities, the resistance will be greatly reduced when encountering violent foreign aggression.
Correspondingly, Ming's ability to control several vassal states will also increase to a higher level.
In the future, although the several vassal states in the future will still be vassal states in name, their politics, economy, culture, and military will all be firmly bound to the Ming Dynasty.
However, in the eyes of several vassal kings, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The key is also irresistible.
The four princes of Kazakhstan, Anxi, Persia, and Xianbei immediately patted their chests and promised to cooperate fully.
Only Egypt's Duke Mu Yi hesitated for a few seconds and asked an uncertain question:
"Your Highness, we know that urbanization and industrialization are beneficial to us and the people, but ordinary people and actual local managers at the grassroots level, and even middle- and high-level bureaucrats, may not be able to...may not be willing to accept this change."
Zhu Jingyuan glanced at Mu Yi. This historical figure's brain reaction was always faster than the others.
However, Zhu Jingyuan felt that historically his reforms in Egypt were relatively successful. If Britain and France had not intervened, he would have been able to defeat the Ottomans and rebuild a new Arab Empire.
Now under the management of the Ming Dynasty, if he were asked to simply carry out a local reform in Egypt, it would be impossible for him to fail to handle it.
When you say this now, do you mean that you need to take care of difficulties?
But no matter what the other party thinks, Zhu Jingyuan will not follow his train of thought:
“The Duke of Egypt might as well just say that those with vested interests will get it.
“Reform will certainly harm the interests of vested interests in the existing order, but there is no way to compromise.
“You can try to win over some vested interests who are willing to accept changes in the process of establishing a new order.
“Then make those who cannot accept change the common enemies of the new community of interests.
“If we advance according to this idea, we should be able to complete these social transformations relatively smoothly.
“If there is any problem that cannot be solved, you can ask Daming for help or simply consult.
“You are the Duke of Ming Dynasty, and Ming Dynasty can provide you with all-round support in politics, economy, culture, and management.
"In your own vassal, you have almost unlimited power.
"If under such circumstances, you still cannot solve the problem of urbanization and industrialization reform, you can directly ask Ming officials to take over and become a vacant king."
Mu Yi, the Duke of Egypt, immediately understood what Zhu Jingyuan meant:
This job is not a big problem, at least it is not a big problem for you, and the Ming court will also provide support.
If you can't handle these things under such circumstances, just stop being the monarch of this vassal state.
Mu Yi could only quickly promise that he would work hard to carry out this reform.
Several other princes complained a little bit about Mu Yi, but at this time they didn't waste any words and reiterated their assurances.
The topic has reached this point, and the formal meeting is almost here.
Afterwards, we chatted about some details, and then it was time for lunch.
Zhu Jingyuan hosted a banquet directly in the palace to entertain the monarchs of the five vassal states.
After lunch, the five princes returned to their residences.
Digest the information received at today's meeting and discuss future plans with your subordinates.
And think about and discuss things that need to be asked for instructions from Zhu Jingyuan in the future.
After Zhu Jingyuan sent away several vassal monarchs, he also recalled and considered whether he should discuss the issue of the "imperial cemetery" with the Duke of Persia.
However, after thinking about it again, I still feel that this matter seems completely unnecessary.
In the original history, the fundamental reason why a place like Afghanistan could become an imperial cemetery was that its strategic location was too important. Since modern times, it has been coveted by several major empires in turn.
When an empire tries to conquer Afghanistan, there are always several same-level or sub-empires that interfere openly or covertly.
But before modern times, before there was any interference from foreign empires, Persia ruled Afghanistan for nearly two thousand years.
After the establishment of the Persian dynasties, they were able to conquer Afghanistan relatively smoothly.
Although according to the standards of the Ming Dynasty, most of the time it should be just Jisi rule, but the local indigenous people did recognize the rule of the Persian monarch over them.
But for the later conqueror empire, they just didn't recognize it.
Even if the leaders of the nominal Afghan region admit it, the local military leaders and forces may not accept it and will always do things with the support of other forces.
Coupled with the extremely harsh local terrain and environment, the extremely dispersed local population, and the influence of traditional religious culture, no foreign empire has been able to conquer Afghanistan since modern times.
If compared with such an environment and standard, then Persia in modern times can be regarded as a larger imperial cemetery. In history, no great empire has been able to completely conquer Persia.
After modern times, the worst time in Persian history was when Britain and Lucia collaborated to divide their sphere of influence in Persia.
Continuing to derive this standard, Lucia can be regarded as an imperial purgatory.
Afghanistan is just unconquerable, Lucia can make several empires collapse directly.
The "imperial cemetery" is a matter of modern times. Afghanistan has long been the territory of Persia in the classical era, and Persia has also been ruled by foreign dynasties for a long time.
In today's world, the main body of Persia has become the Ming Dynasty's dog, and Afghanistan is also surrounded by the Ming Dynasty's sphere of influence. There is no way for other empires to intervene.
The Ming Dynasty supported Persia's integration of Afghans, and it was completely a big cemetery over a small cemetery, which happened to be the business counterpart.
Coupled with the large-scale urban harmony and industrialization plan proposed by Zhu Jingyuan, it was originally the best method that has been tested by later generations to break local traditional customs.
Use the better material living standards brought by industrialization, combined with targeted managers and means, to bring the mountain people living scattered in the mountains to cities and factories.
Let cities and factories, the social melting pots, dissolve their original traditions as much as possible.
Afghanistan in this world did not have the title of Imperial Cemetery before, and there should be no chance of receiving this title in the future.
(End of chapter)
