"Who is that?" A southern voice sounded outside Chui Gong Hall.
The person who asked the question was Qin Zaixiong, the Marquis of Hongjiang who came to Beijing to report on his duties. Following his gaze, you could see an old Northeastern man with a smile on his face and a little flutter in his steps.
Noticing Qin Zaixiong's curiosity, Tongshi replied in a low voice: "That is Wanyan Bahai, the governor of Songmo and the leader of the Jurchen Wanyan tribe!"
"Oh! It turns out he is an old Jurchen chief!" Qin Zaixiong's rough face showed a look of surprise, and asked: "What kind of prince is he?"
"I haven't been granted a title!" Tongshi replied.
Seemingly getting the answer he wanted, Qin Zaixiong showed a smile on his face. As the leader of the Yao people in the Jinghu area and now the leader of the barbarians, Qin Zaixiong felt that his greatest achievement in his life was to become the Marquis of Hongjiang, which represented his rise to the rank of Han nobles. Lin has truly integrated into the upper class society of the Han Dynasty.
Hearing that Wanyan Bahai had no title, Qin Zaixiong said with a clear sense of superiority in his tone: "With such a bright smile, could it be that he was rewarded by His Majesty?"
This is something that Tongshi cannot answer. But it is true as Qin Zaixiong said, for Wanyan Bahai, this pilgrimage to Beijing allowed him to have a close and friendly exchange with Emperor Liu, and his purpose was fully achieved.
Just now, Emperor Liu had promised Wanyan Bahai to start a war with Shiwei, attack Tieli Mansion, and give him support. This promise is obviously more valuable than any reward of money or treasure.
When leaving, Wanyan Bahai was in a happy mood, his steps were brisk, and his mentality was excited. Even though he didn't know Qin Zaixiong, he gave Qin Zaixiong a kind smile as a sign of courtesy when they passed by. This was also what caused Qin Zaixiong to come to him. Note the reason.
"Hongjiang Marquis, Your Majesty has summoned you. Please come to the palace to see me!" Yan Tuo came out and said calmly when he saw Qin Zaixiong.
Upon hearing this, Qin Zaixiong's expression suddenly became solemn, his whole demeanor changed, and he became solemn. He arranged his appearance in detail, and then crossed the two-foot-high threshold of the Chui Gong Hall with a respectful gesture.
"Qin Qing is here, take a seat!" As he entered the palace, before he could say anything, he was greeted by Emperor Liu's warm greeting.
Naturally, Qin Zaixiong was flattered by this, and he hurriedly knelt down to salute, but Emperor Liu waved his hand and said: "Pingshen! This is not a court, so there is no need to be constrained by this ceremony. Take a seat and talk to me!"
"Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!" Qin Zaixiong looked honored, lifted his robe and sat down.
The military and political affairs of the Han Dynasty can be regarded as a mixture of Tibetan and Han people, and they are also filled with talented people from various ethnic groups, whether they are Khitan, Dangxiang, Uighur, Tubo people, or the widely distributed and large-scale Southern Barbarian Miao, Yao and other ethnic groups. In order to maintain the rule of the vast territory of the Han Dynasty, it also generously divided and divided administrative powers.
Especially among the barbarians in the southwest and Huguang areas, the "elites" of each ethnic group have basically become members of the Han system and gradually integrated into it. Among them, Qin Zaixiong, the Marquis of Hongjiang, is the most representative person, and he is also the banner figure of the southern barbarians in the court.
What is more obvious is that Emperor Liu is closer to these barbarians in the south and behaves more trustingly than the tribesmen in the north. In essence, he probably thinks that these barbarians in the south are The threat is smaller, it will not cause much harm to the rule of the Han Dynasty, and it is relatively easy to assimilate.
Over the years, Emperor Liu has been merciful, and his attitude is also reflected in the imperial court's ethnic policies. The chieftain system has been implemented for more than ten years, but until now, it has only been implemented on a large scale in the vast southwestern region. It is clear from legal principles its governance and privileges.
In the north, annexation and digestion were mainly implemented, supplemented by restraint. For example, the annexation of the Xi tribe centered on Dading Prefecture and the establishment of Yanshan North Road were landmark events.
From the beginning to the end, Emperor Liu was wary of, and even prejudiced against, the northern tribes. After all, since ancient times, only the Northern Dinan invaded the Central Plains, and there were no Southern Barbarians who conquered the Northern Expedition to achieve climate change.
Under Emperor Liu's governing ideology, as an outstanding figure among the Southern Barbarians, Qin Zaixiong received extremely generous benefits due to fate.
A title does not explain everything. At that time, there was a King Fu Yantong, and he was recognized by the court. However, it turned out that it was just a royal title. It was in name but not real. After Fu Yantong died, it was completely taken back. However, for their descendants, they were only given native officials as ordinary barbarian chiefs.
This was not the case for Qin Zaixiong. Through his long-term performance, he gained Emperor Liu's recognition and the court's trust. Including presenting the concubine Xiang and giving birth to the thirteenth prince Liu Xin to Emperor Liu. This bond also deepened his relationship with the imperial court.
More importantly, in the seventeen or eight years since the imperial court pacified Jinghu, Qin Zaixiong's performance could be regarded as an example of a loyal minister. He was completely devoted to the imperial court and worked hard in his career.
Whether it was cooperating with the imperial court to recruit and conquer the barbarians of Hunan, or cooperating with the promotion and development of the Han system, it played a positive role. Later, he was ordered to form the Feiqian Army, which led to the western expedition to Shu and Nanping to Nanyue, including sending troops to Dali. This army fought hard and sacrificed in the high mountains and ridges of the southwest.
To this day, the Feiqian Army is one of the few armies of the imperial court composed mainly of small civilians. It has strong combat power and is also the main force used by the imperial court to conquer those who are disobedient in the southwest. It can be called a model worker. And it all started with Qin Zaixiong.
After resigning from the Feiqian Army, Qin Zaixiong successively served as Chen, governor of Chenzhou, commander of the military and horse capital in Changsha, transfer envoy of Jinghu South Road, and now commander of Jinghu South Road.
It can be said that he is very capable in martial arts, and he is also good with swords and pens. Such talents are rare in the entire Han Dynasty, but this Yaoman is one of them.
As for Qin Zaixiong, in addition to his literary and military skills, his most outstanding achievements were in those invisible places. There was his role in maintaining the imperial court's rule in Hunan. This was not something that ordinary people could completely guarantee, nor could it be completely guaranteed by force alone.
Throughout the dynasties, the barbarian tribes in Hunan have invaded the Han people frequently and repeatedly. They have always been a hidden danger to the country's security and a chronic disease that is difficult to eliminate.
But in the era of the Han Dynasty, the barbarians in western Hunan were too settled. This may also be due to the power of the imperial court, but Qin Zaixiong played a great role in pacifying them. In fact, so many Miao and Yao tribes became registered households of the imperial court. The people also have him to guide them. It can be said that the assimilation of Chu barbarians by the Central Plains court took another big step forward under the tide of the times, and there is no doubt that Qin Zaixiong was the hero.
With these functions and achievements as a foundation, how could Emperor Liu not look at Qin Zaixiong in a different light. After nearly twenty years, good ministers such as Jiju Run, Bian Guifan, and Li Fang successively governed Hunan. With painstaking efforts, Hunan has become a region ranked highly by the Han Dynasty.
The population is still weak, less than 3 million people, but the economic strength is already in the middle. Together with Jinghu North Road, it has become the core rule and key development area of the Han Dynasty. The productivity has also made great progress, although it is not as good as "Huguang". "It's mature and the world is full", but the potential is already visible. Qin Zaixiong, who controlled the Jinghu Nan Daodu Division, also provided an escort for the development of Hunan.
"Hunan has been developing better and better in recent years. Although I am in the palace, I am happy to hear it and happy to see it. I am very happy! Among them, the stability of public security depends on the protection of Qin Qing!" In the palace, Emperor Liu looked at Qin Zaixiong, his attitude remained cordial.
After being a minister of the Han Dynasty for so many years, Qin Zaixiong was very skilled in dealing with it. When faced with Emperor Liu's praise, he immediately showed humility and responded with a naive smile: "Your Majesty is so complimentary, I don't dare to accept it! I didn't do much in Hunan, but now in the world There is peace, people's hearts are stable, and public security is good. Although I hold my position, I dare not take the credit. These are all dependent on His Majesty's grace..."
Listening to Qin Zaixiong's serious licking, Emperor Liu was also quite amused. Such compliments, coming from the mouth of this "honest" man, always gave people a simple and trustworthy feeling. Even Emperor Liu, It was so pleasant to listen to that I couldn’t help but laugh.
"You guys, don't always put fame on me. It's your contribution and it's yours. There's nothing to be embarrassed about!" Emperor Liu said with a smile.
Qin Zaixiong: "Your Majesty is as humble as a valley, and I admire you greatly!"
"Okay, okay!" For Emperor Liu, hearing one or two nice words was enough. Seeing that Qin Zaixiong wanted to continue licking, he waved his hand to stop him and continued to ask caringly: "Is the report finished?"
Qin Zaixiong nodded: "I have gone to the Privy Council to meet His Royal Highness King Zhao and Privy Councilor Cao. Just now I also went to the Political Affairs Hall to meet His Royal Highness the Prince and Prime Minister Zhao."
Nowadays, when local officials come to Beijing to report on their work, the prince and Zhao Pu are mainly responsible for receiving and debriefing, and Emperor Liu only receives them selectively. Qin Zaixiong was a marquis and a Taoist official, so he naturally received a special audience from Emperor Liu.
Emperor Liu nodded: "Have you decided where to go next?"
According to Qin Zaixiong's resume, it is indeed time to move his position. When asked, Qin Zaixiong replied: "The Ministry of Personnel and the Privy Council have initially planned to make me the commander of the capital of Guangnan West Road!"
Compared with Hunan, the situation in Guangnan and Guangnan in recent years is not so optimistic, especially on the issue of return and treatment. Due to the retention of a large number of officials from the Southern Guangdong period, coupled with the particularities of geography and people's sentiments, although the Han system was fully promoted, the rule progressed slowly and was very stagnant.
As time went by, this situation became more and more obvious, and gradually attracted the attention of the court.
