"How's the discussion about the memorial that Liu Xu submitted?" Emperor Liu asked, changing the subject.
After hearing the question, Liu Yang couldn't help but glance at Emperor Liu, as if he wanted to see some attitude from his face, but unfortunately the result was still disappointing.
After thinking about it, Liu Yang replied: "The central ministers have already held two discussions on the eldest brother's request. There is a lot of controversy, but most of them are inclined to reject it."
"What's the reason?" Emperor Liu didn't seem to understand.
Liu Yang: "The ministers believe that the Northeast is located in a remote location, suffering from bitter cold and disasters, with mixed tribes of barbarians, complicated human relations, and a vast territory. It is too difficult to completely occupy and rule as the elder brother said.
In addition, in recent years, in order to govern Liaodong, the imperial court has supported a large amount of money and food, and so far it is barely self-sufficient. There are tens of thousands of troops stationed in Liaodong, and the annual military supply is also a huge expense.
If we continue to carry out in-depth cultivation and development of Northeast China, the investment involved is difficult to predict and may not last long. There is only one corner of the Northeast, but the borders of the Han Dynasty are far from just the Northeast. In recent years, the annual military expenditures for border defense have placed a huge burden on the imperial finances.
Therefore, most people believe that after the internal strife among the Shiwei clans and the king's campaign, the situation in the Northeast has stabilized. With a little show of gentleness, all the clans will disappear and the security of Liaodong can be guaranteed. ..."
"A temporary peace is considered stable?" Before Liu Yang could finish speaking, Emperor Liu asked back, his words already revealing the edge: "Are they still considering reducing the garrison in the Northeast to save military expenditures?"
Liu Yang was silent. Judging from his reaction, Emperor Liu guessed correctly. In fact, it is not just Liaodong. People in the DPRK and China have long proposed the reduction of border defense expenditures, especially during the financial constraints in the past few years.
The current territory of the Han Dynasty is too vast. This thousands of miles of mountains and rivers also means thousands of miles of frontier defense. From east to west, from south to north, the total number of border guards in various places has already exceeded 300,000. This can be They are all regular soldiers of the imperial court. Even if they are not in a state of war, maintaining basic training is a huge expense.
This does not include funding subsidies for rural soldiers and volunteers who undertake certain garrison tasks in various places. Liaodong alone used to have nearly 60,000 troops stationed all year round. Even though more than 10,000 of them were part of the Forbidden Army's rotating garrison, it seems that, There are too many.
After this northeastern campaign, which expanded two thousand miles of territory, in order to ensure control of the occupied areas, the tens of thousands of soldiers and horses seemed to be few, at least in the short term.
Therefore, those who propose reducing the garrison in Northeast China may not necessarily have this intention. They may be afraid that instead of reducing the number of troops stationed in the Northeast, they will increase the number.
Under such circumstances, Liu Xu proposed a "deep cultivation of the Northeast" plan with no visible cost margin. It was naturally difficult to get the support of those ministers, at least among the ministers such as Wang Zhu and Shen Yilun who were in charge of finance. In my eyes, this was out of place.
Faced with Liu Yang's silence, Emperor Liu couldn't help but lose his temper: "Cutting military expenditures and weakening defenses, some people want the big men to abandon their martial arts? Without those soldiers who stick to the border defenses to defend the borders, where would the stability and prosperity of the Central Plains come to be?"
They can see the financial waste, but they can't see the importance of territorial defense? Could it be that you are used to living a peaceful life, and you really feel that nothing happens in the world, the world is peaceful, you can let your horses go to Nanshan, and your weapons are stored in the warehouse? "
Seeing Emperor Liu's merciless refutation, even with some criticism and ridicule, Liu Yang immediately offered words of comfort: "Please calm down, the ministers' consideration is based on the actual situation of the court. This time, it is only for the Northeast." It’s just a matter of expressing your opinion.”
Looking at Liu Yang, Emperor Liu asked: "You just said that most people hold negative opinions, so who are the few people who hold positive opinions?"
When asked about this, Liu Yang fell silent again. Obviously, there was probably no real support. In fact, if this matter had not been raised by Qin King Liu Xu, the ministers might not have paid attention to it, let alone organized a special discussion. If it had been raised by Song Xiong, Ma Renyu and other Liaodong civil and military officials, there might not even have been a ripple in the court. He couldn't even raise it, so he denied it directly.
"Do you have any idea?"
Upon hearing the question, although Liu Yang had already considered it, he still thought seriously for a while and then said calmly: "I think we should find a compromise.
The elder brother's idea is to be greedy for big things and to spread it out across the board. The cost is really huge and the gain is indeed not worth the loss. But the territory cannot be consolidated, and Liaodong cannot be unstable.
Prime Minister Zhao believes that the management of the Northeast cannot be accomplished overnight and should be slowed down. Therefore, Er believes that the current priority should be to suppress bandits and maintain peace in the area.
On the basis of the original cities in the Northeast, fortification strongholds were established along rivers, major passes, and livable places to ensure the imperial court's influence and control over major areas.
At the same time, for the Northeast, the imperial court can formulate special policies to attract businessmen to cultivate and promote the development of private agriculture and commerce. Although the Northeast is remote, it is not a barren land with winter all year round. The land there is enough for cultivation, and construction wood, leather goods, medicinal materials, and livestock products can all be used. It is still very tempting for those business travelers, as long as the court clears up the public order. , to avoid the intrusion of barbarians active in the mountains, forests and wilderness, and to ensure the safety of trade routes...
Operate like this for a few years, and when the time is right, then carry out a more thorough Wang Hua rule! Although this method is slow, it is advancing steadily. In twenty or thirty years, the Northeast may not be able to have a new atmosphere! "
"It seems that you have thought carefully!" After listening to Liu Yang's description, Emperor Liu looked at him with a little surprise, and his tone was full of appreciation: "This is the attitude towards doing things! I think What you listen to is how to do it, not whether to do it or not!
How can I not understand the concerns and considerations of those ministers? It's just that if you don't do it when it's difficult, or give up if the cost is high, then what else will the Han Dynasty do with the thousands of miles of territory? If all of it is cut off, what administrative and military expenditures will be lost? Gotta save it all! "
If Emperor Liu's extreme remarks were spread, I'm afraid the prime ministers and ministers in the court would be in panic again. Fortunately, this was just a conversation between their father and son.
"Dad, I'm so impressed!" Liu Yang smiled and responded softly: "The considerations of the imperial court are not unreasonable. There have been cases in the past. For remote areas, the policy of restraint and laissez-faire was adopted, but as far as the imperial court was concerned, It is a lot more convenient. This idea is not wrong.
I just feel that if this is the case, it will just follow the old path of previous dynasties. As Dad said, we can have temporary peace, but twenty or thirty years later, when those barbarian tribes have recovered and grown stronger, what will the court do?
Although the regime of King Shiwei was destroyed, the people of Shiwei still existed. The Shiwei people were suppressed, and there were also Jurchen tribes in the huge Northeast.
If the imperial court leaves it alone, and if a force like the Shiwei people arises again in the future who is dissatisfied with the king's rule and challenges the majesty of the imperial court, the imperial court will have no choice but to return to the old path of sending troops to exterminate and quell rebellions. If this is repeated, the situation will not be fundamentally resolved. changes.
The performance of the Wanyan Jurchens in recent years is worthy of vigilance. It’s just that they failed because of their lack of strength. If Wanyan Jurchen rises and replaces Shi Wei, who can guarantee that they will not abandon the Han Dynasty and go against the imperial court? The recurrence of barbarians is the most obvious historical lesson.
The former listened to the history and talked about the conquest of Shanyue by Soochow. The foundation for the prosperity of today's Southeast must have been laid since then. There may be differences between the Northeast and the Southeast, but there are similarities in the suppression and naturalization of barbarians, and the imperial court can emulate them.
Maybe even if we spend our whole lives, we can’t achieve what Southeast is like, but even if we lay the foundation for future generations, it’s still worth trying.
And a hundred years later, if we can open up a new southeast for the Han Dynasty, it will be considered a great honor and merit..."
When Liu Yang said such words sincerely, Emperor Liu was stunned. He looked up at the prince with a solemn expression, and the emotion called relief filled his heart.
"Sit!" Lifting up the feet of his robe and sitting on the horizontal chair beside the waterside pavilion, Emperor Liu motioned for Liu Yang to come to him.
The emperor's grandson Liu Wenhuan, listening to the conversation between his grandfather and his father, felt a little sleepy at this time. He sat on the instep of Emperor Liu, hugging his calf and fell asleep.
Looking at Liu Yang, Emperor Liu pointed to his heart and said: "Your words are extremely insightful and they really speak to my heart! How could I not know the difficulties of developing Northeast China? If I only focus on the present, The Central Plains, Hebei, Hedong, Jiannan, Lianghu, Lianghuai, Southeast, and Guangdong are enough places for the Han Dynasty to enjoy them safely for a hundred years!
But a hundred years later, we should be prepared for danger in times of peace and worry about the near future, so we should always consider it! Ministers are concerned about their power and official status, and do not want to take risks and troubles, preferring stability and stability.
But as a king, you cannot do this. You need to stand on a higher ground and plan for the long term! As you said, even laying a foundation for future generations is a meritorious deed. If we don't take the lead in doing some things, how can we expect our successors to break down barriers and bring forth new ideas?
I am very happy, not for anything else, but because I have found a close friend and a fellow-traveler among all living beings and thousands of subjects..."
This is probably the first time that Liu Yang has been so recognized by Emperor Liu for growing up. Therefore, facing Emperor Liu's gentle gaze and listening to those words of approval, Liu Yang couldn't help but feel warm in his heart. He blushed slightly and held his hands. Said: "Son, what an honor!"
"In this case, how should the imperial court respond to the proposal proposed by eldest brother?" Liu Yang asked while the iron was hot.
Emperor Liu ordered almost without thinking: "There is no need to let Zhao Pu and the others discuss it again. According to the situation, they can't come up with anything, it's just a waste of time!
In this way, you take the lead personally and draw up a system according to your ideas. In addition to the basic strategies you mentioned just now, we have discussed the structure of the Anton Governor's Office. From now on, the Anton Governor's Office will be responsible for the governance outside Liaodong.
The imperial court allocates a reasonable amount of money for support every year, and some funds are also provided from internal funds. In addition, in addition to encouraging private businessmen to go north, I also call on the nobles of the Han Dynasty to develop northern Xinjiang for me.
They all dare to go to Qinlong to cut down huge trees and sell them for profit. The northeast is far away. With such a huge treasure land and so much wealth, I don't believe that they are not tempted at all! "
Liu Yang listened to Emperor Liu's instructions, worked hard to record and digest them, and agreed very seriously: "Yes!"
Following the conversation between the father and son, the Han Dynasty court decided on its plans for the development of Northeast China in the next twenty to thirty years, or even a hundred years.
