Gathering all the princes' descendants together, more than twenty people barely formed a circle around the "distribution map". Emperor Liu stood in the middle, saying something to his old waist, first called Liu Xu to his side, and pointed to the northeastern area. Yiyu said: "I asked you back then whether you planned to be the King of Qin or the King of Anton. You did not give me a clear answer at that time. At this moment, I will tell you directly that Anton is your kingdom!"
Regardless of Liu Xu's complicated expression, Emperor Liu immediately expressed his specific thoughts on the enfeoffment of the Andong region: "I have also hesitated about the future of Anton. The development of the Northeast has been a century-old national policy. To be honest, I asked you to run Anton in the first place precisely to ensure a good start for this national policy and to safeguard the prosperity of the Liaodong region!
Since ancient times, China has often suffered from northern invasions, and it was the same when it came to the Han Dynasty. The northeast is a key link in the entire northern border defense. The cost of direct management by the imperial court was too high, and the policy of restraint made the tribes and barbarians untrustworthy.
After much hesitation, I decided to hand over Anton to your hands, to form a country of its own and develop freely. At the same time, I can control the Black Water Plains for the Han people, guard the Northeast for the Han people, and protect peace.
But, I don’t know whether you and your descendants can do it to forever be a barrier for the Han Dynasty? "
When the last question was raised, Emperor Liu's face did not change much, and his expression and tone were even calmer than ever before. However, the eyes staring at Liu Xu contained too many things that were impossible to see before.
Faced with this problem, Liu Xu responded very quickly, almost without thinking, and solemnly said: "I hereby swear that my descendants will always be the vassal of the Han Dynasty. I will not deceive or betray, be loyal and sincere, guard the country, and defend the country. This ambition remains unswerving, if we disobey it, both humans and gods will abandon it!”
Liu Xu's generous words did not attract Emperor Liu's approval on the spot. Probably because he spoke too quickly and too fluently, Emperor Liu's old eyes looked a little strange and he looked at Liu Xu deeply.
At this time, Liu Xu had already ordered Ping He, his face was calm, and he looked particularly calm. This kind of performance made Emperor Liu feel inexplicably happy.
Lowering his head, Emperor Liu slowly walked to Anton's position, stepping on Suihua City where Anton's governor's office is currently located, and said: "Anton's current jurisdiction is very large, and it must be divided into certain parts. First, Changbai Mountain in the south The area needs to be handed over to the jurisdiction of Liaodong Province, and Pennsylvania must be separated from Andong and directly managed by officials sent by the imperial court!"
As Emperor Liu "manipulated" Anton, Liu Xu's brows became more and more frowned. The Changbai Mountain area was a big place, but there were not two towns in the barren mountains and wild ridges. Even the local female straight indigenous people were There is not much left, so give as long as you give.
This situation is different in Pennsylvania, but at the moment, the only other outlet to the sea in Anton is the Tuomen River Estuary. Take away one, and there will be one left, but it is Binzhou, which makes Liu Xu feel heartache. After all, Binzhou is the best place for Anton's development besides Suihua, as a big man. The most important transportation point for merchants and merchants in the Northeast, its development has been rapid and gratifying in recent years.
In order to connect Shuibin Mansion and participate in maritime trade, Liu Xu also organized labor to open up a land channel connecting Suihua and Shuibin that can carry bulk goods. Now that construction has started, two tunnels have been built in Suihua. More than a hundred miles away...
Now, Emperor Liu was about to take down Binzhou with just one word. How could Liu Xu feel comfortable? However, he did not refute for a while, but kept a calm face and made crazy calculations in his heart.
Emperor Liu continued to consider: "As for Suihua City, should I leave it to Anton? I..."
When it came to Suihua City, Liu Xu could no longer hold back. He boldly interrupted Emperor Liu and said with a serious face: "Your Majesty, if there is no Suihua, then there will be no need to enfeoff the Andong Kingdom!"
This may be a bit harsh and a bit offensive, but Liu Xu has to say that after all, Suihua City is the most elite place in Anton at the moment. 60 to 70% of the income of the Anton Governorate comes from this place. After the establishment of the Andong Kingdom, , I'm afraid the same is true, and its importance is even higher.
What's more, this is still the territory that Liu Xu has worked hard to manage for fifteen years. It is the lifeblood of Liu Xu and he must not give up. In comparison, the issue of leading Pennsylvania is insignificant, even if we know the importance of the seaport.
Seeing Liu Xu's tough expression, Emperor Liu didn't take it seriously. He smiled and said, "I know that Suihua has been your hard work for more than ten years. It's not easy to build a city like this in Anton." It’s easy, how can I take it away from you!”
Hearing what Emperor Liu said, Liu Xu couldn't help but breathed a sigh of relief and came to his senses. Taking into account the tone just now, he hurriedly bowed and said with some "fear": "I was eager for the moment, spoke inappropriately, clashed with Your Majesty, and even begged." Forgive me!"
Emperor Liu waved his hand, lowered his head and continued to study, and asked casually: "If you have any ideas or requests, please tell them too!"
Now that Emperor Liu has said this, Liu Xu is naturally not polite. According to the previous feudal regulations, once the country is founded, its autonomy will increase, but the support from the court will inevitably decrease significantly. This may be the last time to raise the issue. Need support.
Therefore, after thinking for a moment, Liu Xu spoke: "Your Majesty's past rewards have been abundant, and I dare not be greedy. If Anton is to grant a kingdom, I only have four requirements.
First, the governance of Anton is inseparable from the assistance of officials who go to the border. I hope to retain the officials working under the Governor's Mansion! "
Emperor Liu nodded: "They are your subordinates, but how many of them you can keep depends on your methods!"
"Secondly, although Anton has been stable as a whole in recent years, it has been plagued by small disturbances and constant harassment. Especially the Shiwei people in the north have repeatedly harassed and invaded the border areas. Although it is a scabies disease, it has to be guarded against. Therefore, Anton Garrison, I hope to be assigned to the Andong Kingdom!" Liu Xu said again.
At any time, matters involving the army and military power are always sensitive. Hearing what Liu Xu said, Emperor Liu immediately frowned, but since he opened the door to sealing the country, he was finally relaxed in this regard.
At present, the nearly 10,000 troops stationed in Anton are under the dual leadership and deployment of the imperial court and the governor's office. However, their support is still mainly provided by the Ministry of War, and their military orders are still controlled by the Privy Council.
These soldiers and horses are still the "property" of the imperial court, and they are still property with violence and authority. Even if Anton founded the country, they could not be given to Liu Xu in a few words. Not to mention the thousand-round garrison of the imperial army. It's not something Liu Xu can get involved with.
After thinking for a while, Emperor Liu said: "Anton needs to retain a certain amount of military strength, but the specific arrangement of Anton's garrison needs to be divided and allocated by the Privy Council. If you have any ideas, you can discuss it with the Privy Council!"
"Yes!" Although he did not receive a single gift from Emperor Liu, Liu Xu's goal had been achieved and he was not disappointed.
Immediately afterwards, Liu Xu continued: "Thirdly, the development of Anton has always been limited by population, especially the population of Han people. I hope that even if Anton is founded, the court will continue to liberalize immigrants from Anton, and local governments will not be allowed to Set up obstacles!"
Hearing what Liu Xu said, Emperor Liu took a deep look at Liu Xu, who had his head slightly lowered, and said slowly: "As for the immigration matter, I still have my consistent attitude and cannot be forced. Based on this basic principle, you If the people could be attracted to it like it was back then, would the imperial court have any reason to obstruct it? Even if Anton was founded, it would still be Han territory and would still need to be controlled by the imperial court. As for where the people were, it was not the most important thing. ....”
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" After hearing Emperor Liu's statement, Liu Xu immediately expressed his gratitude.
"What's the other thing? Let's talk about it together!" Seeing Liu Xu's request like squeezing out toothpaste, Emperor Liu became a little impatient and said.
Liu Xu paid his respects again: "The development of Anton is inseparable from the hard work of the government and the people, as well as trade exchanges with other places. For this last aspect, I hope to maintain open borders and markets forever to encourage business travel.
The minister had previously planned a road connecting Suihua and Shuibinzhou. The construction has already started and the construction is 200 miles long. Although Shuibinzhou is under the direct jurisdiction of the imperial court, this road connects land and sea and is still of great value. I hope it can continue to be built. , and also hope that the imperial court can share part of the funds for road construction..."
After Liu Xu finished speaking, Emperor Liu thought for a while and finally uttered one word: "Yes!"
Looking at Liu Xu again, Emperor Liu couldn't help but sigh with emotion at his son's vision. The four points he mentioned were the most fundamental and practical things for Andong Guo.
And this kind of performance could not help but arouse Emperor Liu's emotion again. Not to mention other qualities, at least in terms of work, the eldest son's talent was still very outstanding.
However, there is only one throne, and Emperor Liu has no choice, unless the emperor can also take turns...
