Diqin Designer

Chapter 464 The Price and Gains of Treason

Li Nian continued, "Fourth, just like the elegant language and simplified characters, the coins of the Great Qin can also be used as the common currency in your country."

After some thought, Pijanu and the others realized that they would definitely need to use Qin currency when dealing with the Qin people in the future. Therefore, it was both necessary and appropriate to make Qin currency a common currency.

Seeing that the group had accepted this point, Li Nian continued, "Fifthly, if one day Qin and you all achieve 'win-win cooperation,' you must report to Qin in advance and obtain Qin's permission before engaging in any dealings with other countries or tribes. Moreover, you must act in the name of Qin. If you contact other countries or tribes privately without Qin's permission..."

Hearing Li Nian's words, Pijianu and the others felt humiliated. Selling their country to the Qin people meant they were losing even their right to freely interact with other countries and tribes? They even had to report to the Qin people and obtain their permission before doing so in the name of the Great Qin!

They understood why the Qin prince had made this proposal: it stripped the Peacock Kingdom of its diplomatic autonomy as an independent state. From now on, they would no longer be an independent nation, but a vassal of Qin, without independent diplomatic autonomy. If they wanted to interact with other countries or tribes, they would naturally need the consent of Qin, the suzerain state, and would have to interact with other countries in the name of Qin.

Just like a slave, does a slave have the right to interact normally with others? Of course, it must be with the master's permission. And when interacting, one cannot use one's own name, but rather the name of one of the master's slaves, such as Qin belonging to the Peacock State, rather than using the name of the Peacock State.

From then on, their Peacock Kingdom was no longer an independent and sovereign state; Qin was the true state, and they were merely a region under Qin's rule!
Although they felt somewhat humiliated, Pijanu and the others had actually anticipated this and were mentally prepared. This was the price to pay for betraying their country. If they truly felt ashamed, they would not have decided to betray their country.

What is a nation? Of course, it is one that prioritizes its own interests. Even if the nation is gone, as long as its own interests remain, that's enough.

Pijanu declared, "My lord, rest assured, from now on, under the rule of Qin, we will obey Qin's orders and will never dare to overstep our bounds!"

Li Nian nodded and smiled, “I believe you can all achieve ‘win-win cooperation’ with Great Qin. Sixth, Great Qin allows you to help govern the local area, but your governance must be known to Great Qin and subject to Great Qin’s supervision.”

These words angered Vijanu and his men: "We sold our country to you in the hopes of getting more lenient governance from you. We never expected that you would want to supervise us. Does that mean we sold our country for nothing?"

Seeing that the group remained silent, Li Nian smiled and said, "Please do not worry, everyone. Great Qin will not interfere too much with you, but there are certain matters that still need to be reported to Great Qin so that Great Qin is aware of them. For example, for some important officials, Great Qin can allow you to propose candidates, but once you have proposed candidates, you must inform Great Qin in advance..."

Upon hearing this, Pijanu and the others immediately understood Li Nian's meaning: Qin will not interfere too much with how you mess around down there, but you must act within Qin's framework. Important matters must be reported to Qin. Qin will not interfere, but Qin must be informed!
If the Qin Dynasty had sufficient strength to completely bring the Peacock Kingdom under its control, Li Nian would not have said these words, because it was a reluctant compromise.

However, the Qin Dynasty currently lacks the strength to bring the Peacock Kingdom under its rule and needs to rely on the power of the Peacock people to govern it, so this is the only way.

After careful consideration, Pijianu and the others realized that if the Qin people were only aware of the situation and exercised some supervision, without interfering much in their governance, then this condition was not unacceptable.

It's merely a formality to inform the Qin people and make them accept Qin supervision. As their future suzerain state, the Qin people should rightfully have this right, as long as the actual governing power remains in their hands.

Pijanu replied, “What are you saying, sir? From now on, we will all be under the rule of Great Qin. It is our responsibility to be supervised by Great Qin. There is no need for you to say it, sir. We will abide by it ourselves.”

"If you truly thought that way, you wouldn't have remained silent after I finished speaking. It's obvious you don't want to be under the supervision of the Great Qin." Li Nian continued, "Seventhly, the Great Qin will station troops in your country. Your country will no longer be allowed to establish a formal army. The security of your country will be the responsibility of the Great Qin, and there is no need to establish an army..."

Pijanu and the others sighed inwardly. They had also anticipated this. If the Qin people conquered their Peacock Kingdom, they would most likely reduce or even abolish their army.

Li Nian then changed the subject, saying, "However, if you all assist Great Qin in governing the local areas without armed forces, you will inevitably face obstacles. Therefore, it is permissible to establish some local armed forces to maintain governance. However, these armed forces must be subject to the supervision of Great Qin!"

It is impossible to prevent these people from having military power. Even if the Qin Dynasty strictly forbids it, they will still secretly form private armed forces.

Furthermore, a strict prohibition would not be in the interests of the Qin Dynasty in the Peacock Kingdom. Prohibiting these people from possessing armed forces might seem to reduce some potential threats, but it would also increase other difficulties.

For at least the next few decades, these people will be of great help to the Qin Dynasty in governing the Peacock Kingdom. If they do not have armed forces, but encounter obstacles that require force to resolve during governance, they will be unable to do so. For example, local uprisings and violent tax resistance by the Peacock people in the local areas cannot all be resolved by the Qin troops stationed in the Peacock Kingdom.

Therefore, the Qin Dynasty wanted to abolish the formal army of the Peacock Kingdom, but also allowed it to retain some armed forces.

In reality, this still reflects the Qin Dynasty's insufficient strength to directly control and govern the Peacock Kingdom. If the Qin Dynasty were strong enough, it could have directly sent enough officials and troops to the Peacock Kingdom, so there would be no need for this.

Pijanu and his companions had all assumed that the Qin people would strictly prohibit them from having armed forces, but to their surprise, the Qin people actually allowed them to have some armed forces. Overjoyed, they had no choice but to agree.

Even though they knew that the Qin people allowed them to have armed forces so that they would work harder, and that they would strictly limit the armed forces they possessed, it was already good enough that the Qin people allowed it; they certainly wouldn't tolerate any nitpicking.

Moreover, this was endorsed by the Qin Dynasty, making their future establishment of armed forces legal and justifiable.

Pijanu assured him, "Rest assured, sir, we will do as you say!"

Li Nian shook his head and said, "It is not about acting according to my words, but according to the laws of the Great Qin. Please do not misunderstand."

After saying this, just as Pijanu was about to speak, Li Nian added, "Since it is 'cooperation and win-win,' it cannot be just me talking and you all listening. If you have any thoughts, you can also speak them out and discuss them with His Highness the Crown Prince and me. That is what 'cooperation and win-win' truly means."

This is a process of negotiating terms and making treaties. It is also important to understand the thoughts of these people from the Peacock Kingdom in order to reach a treaty that is more beneficial to the Qin Dynasty.

Pijianu and his companions did indeed have some thoughts and questions. Pijianu asked, "May I ask, young master, in the future, under the rule of Qin, will we be required to abide by the laws of Qin?"

Li Nian instantly understood the purpose of Pijanu's question. He was asking whether, after their Peacock Kingdom became a vassal state (colony) of Qin, they should continue to use their original Peacock Kingdom laws or Qin's laws. But this was only the surface meaning. The deeper meaning of Pijanu's question was: if they were to govern the Peacock Kingdom using Qin's laws, it might not be suitable and might not work well. It would be better to continue using their Peacock Kingdom's laws.

Li Nian replied, “Your country’s situation is different from that of the Qin Dynasty. The laws of the Qin Dynasty may not be suitable for your country. Therefore, the laws of the Qin Dynasty cannot be directly imposed on your country. It must be determined according to your country’s circumstances. However, I believe that certain laws are definitely applicable, such as the law that your country is under the jurisdiction of the Qin Dynasty…”

Li Nian looked at Pijanu and the others and asked, "Do you think this clause applies?"

Pijanu and the others immediately understood the meaning behind Li Nian's words. This was to tell them that other laws and regulations could be used without the Qin's, and they could continue to use their own, but they had to insist that the Qin was the suzerain state, and that the Peacock Kingdom was an inseparable part of the Qin. This was a principle of the Qin, and this was not open to discussion!
Pijanu and the others dared not object, and they all said, "Of course it applies. Our country has come under the rule of Great Qin, so it should be the first law. Everyone in our country should know it and abide by it!"

Li Nian was very satisfied with the people's cooperative behavior and said, "As for other legal provisions, they can be selected for application based on your country's situation. Use the ones that are applicable and do not use the ones that are not. If there are any inappropriate provisions in your country's laws, they should be corrected!"

The next sentence made Pijanu and the others tense. It seemed that this person wanted to amend the laws of their Mauryan Kingdom.

This is not a good thing. The current laws of the Peacock Kingdom protect the interests of high-caste nobles. If the Qin people change them, it may no longer benefit them.

After putting Pijanu and the others on edge, Li Nian immediately reassured them: "However, compared to the laws of the Great Qin, your country's laws are clearly more suitable for your country's situation. Even if there are any modifications, your country's laws should take precedence."

The tension that had just been building between Pijanu and the others eased again. Pijanu's words were an assurance to them: "Don't worry, gentlemen, even if the Qin Dynasty were to amend your laws, it wouldn't be too drastic, and your interests would still be protected."

The Qin Dynasty would not make any major changes to the laws of the Peacock Kingdom, especially those concerning the interests of the high-caste nobles. What the Qin Dynasty needed was the resources of the Peacock Kingdom, not to liberate it or improve the treatment of the lower castes.

Li Nian made a clear distinction: the interests of China and the Qin Dynasty were paramount, while the interests of other countries and ethnic groups were irrelevant to the Qin Dynasty.
Pijanu remained silent, but another person spoke up: "May I ask, young master, if our country were to come under the rule of Great Qin, would we receive the same treatment as the Xiongnu and Wusun? For example, would we be able to send people to Great Qin to study?"

Li Nian said, "Since your country has come under the rule of Great Qin, you are now a part of Great Qin. It is only natural that you want to send people here to learn. If you are willing, you can even apply to become citizens of Great Qin!"

Logically, since the Peacock Kingdom was conquered by the Qin Dynasty, these people could be granted the status of Qin citizens, but Li Nian was reluctant to do so.

Because if these people were arbitrarily given the status of citizens of Qin, perhaps one day these Peacocks would turn around and influence Qin, just like the Gallic Rooster turned into a Gallic Black Chicken.

We must now restrict the conditions for these people to become citizens of Qin. We can select the best among them to obtain the status of Qin citizens, but we cannot allow everyone to obtain it at will.

Other ethnic groups can be accepted into the Qin Dynasty, but the people of Qin must remain the main body and cannot be allowed to turn the tables and rise above the people of Qin.

Upon hearing Li Nian's words, Pijianu and the others were overjoyed, their minds racing. Being able to apply to become citizens of Qin meant that if they were ever unhappy in the Peacock Kingdom or committed any wrongdoing, they could flee to the Qin homeland to hide.

They could also work and make money in the Peacock Kingdom, and when it was time to enjoy their retirement, they could apply to become citizens of the Qin Dynasty and then go to the Qin Dynasty to retire and enjoy their retirement. The main idea was "make money in the Peacock Kingdom and spend it in the Qin Dynasty, without taking a single penny home."

Of course, going to Qin was just an option. If possible, they would prefer to stay in the Peacock Kingdom, since their status there was much more prestigious than in Qin.

In the Qin Dynasty, they were just ordinary people, but in the Peacock Kingdom, they were high-caste lords who preferred to be high-caste lords rather than ordinary Qin citizens.

Li Nian continued, "You don't necessarily need to send people to study in Qin. If your country truly comes under the rule of Qin, Qin will open schools in your country to teach us Qin's knowledge. Your children, who are Qin people, can study in these schools without having to travel all the way to Qin!"

This was a major policy that the Qin Dynasty would implement after conquering the Peacock Kingdom: to establish Qin academies to teach the Peacock people the Qin language and script, in order to cultivate a Peacock force that was close to the Qin Dynasty!
The goal was to teach these high-caste nobles of the Peacock Kingdom the culture, knowledge, and values ​​of the Qin Dynasty, transforming them into spiritual Qin people who differed in appearance from the Qin subjects.

"Of course, the knowledge taught in these schools is not very advanced. If you want to learn more advanced knowledge, you still need to study in Da Qin."

In Li Nian's design, the Qin Dynasty will become a country that attracts talents from all over the world: Do you want to learn more advanced knowledge? Then come to the Qin Dynasty. We not only welcome geniuses, but if you have money, you can also come.

At that time, those who are truly talented and willing to join the Qin Dynasty can stay, while those who are talented but unwilling to join the Qin Dynasty will be suppressed. Those who are not talented but are just rich can be released and allowed to go back to promote the Qin Dynasty.

The person who spoke was unaware of Li Nian's plans and thanked Li Nian, saying, "Thank you for clearing up my doubts, young master!"

Following this person, another person asked a question: "May I ask, sir, are we permitted to worship the gods of the Great Qin?"

What religion and god one believes in is not important; what matters is the benefits that the religion and god one believes in can bring. If that is the case, then why not believe in the gods of the Qin people?

Anyway, this young master Li Nian didn't say they couldn't believe in the gods of the Great Qin, he just strictly prohibited the introduction of Brahmanism, Buddhism, Jainism and other religions into the Great Qin.

Pijanu and the others looked at the person who had spoken, and after thinking about it carefully, they realized that believing in the gods of the Qin people would not affect their status, but could instead bring them closer to the Qin people.

Li Nian would certainly not refuse foreigners who wanted to worship the gods of Qin. In his opinion, the more foreigners who wanted to worship the gods of Qin, the better!

(End of this chapter)