Diqin Designer

Chapter 484 Vijanu Returns to the Peacock Kingdom

Although Liuchiu Island is important, the Great Qin Dynasty has more important strategic goals. The Western Regions have not yet been pacified, the Xiongnu have not yet been subdued, the Yunnan and Guizhou regions of later generations have not yet been incorporated into its territory, and Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi have not yet been returned to the Great Qin Dynasty. The Great Qin Dynasty cannot devote too many troops to exterminate the natives on the island.

Furthermore, the environment on Ryuki Island would make it difficult to carry out the campaign. Many indigenous tribes lived in the mountains and forests, and the effort to eliminate them would be disproportionate to the reward.

Historically, the development of Ryuqiu was a long process, and one of the key reasons was the migration of Han Chinese to the island.

Only with large-scale Han Chinese immigration can a foundation for governance be laid, and at present, even if the Qin Dynasty were to relocate a large number of people to the island, it would not be much.

Therefore, for a considerable period of time, the Qin Dynasty would coexist with the island's inhabitants, and Li Nian had no intention of annihilating them all.

Li Nian explained his reasoning: "Since we cannot wipe them all out directly, we should naturally try to coexist better with the island's inhabitants."

"Although we coexist on the island, we cannot do nothing. We must let them know the might of Qin and make them understand that Qin cannot be bullied, only then can we live in harmony. Dignity lies only on the edge of the sword, and truth lies only within the range of cannons!"

“Some tribes and states may be friendly to Qin, but they may not be friendly to Qin in return. On the contrary, if Qin shows a tough stance, they will respect Qin.”

"Therefore, the island's inhabitants should be dealt with through a combination of suppression and appeasement. Those tribes that are not subservient to Qin and are hostile to Qin should be suppressed, while those that are willing to be close to Qin and friendly to Qin should be appeased and rewarded."

This is applicable not only to the indigenous people of Ryuchiu Island, but also to other non-Qin states and tribes.

"The island's inhabitants are primitive and backward, and their civilization is far inferior to that of the Great Qin. The Great Qin can first show them friendliness, such as by sending envoys to present them with gifts from the Great Qin, so that they can feel the advanced civilization of the Great Qin."

What Li Nian was talking about was not some profound or difficult strategy. The First Emperor and Wang Wan knew what Li Nian was going to say, but none of them spoke up and let Li Nian speak.

"Upon seeing the things of the Great Qin, some tribes may become hostile and wary of the Great Qin, while others may feel close to the Great Qin."

"At this point, Great Qin can discern which tribes should be annihilated, which should be appeased, which tribes can be won over by Great Qin, and which tribes should be attacked by Great Qin!"

"For tribes that are loyal to Qin and willing to be close to Qin, Qin should provide certain support, and even military support, so that they can be used by Qin and be sent to fight against those barbarian tribes that are unwilling to submit to Qin."

"This is what is meant by 'winning over some and striking down others.' If successful, it will not only help the Qin Dynasty gain a foothold on Liuchiu Island, but also reduce the cost for the Qin Dynasty to solve the problem of the island's indigenous people."

The idea was to use the strength of the island's inhabitants to attack other inhabitants on the island, without requiring the Qin Dynasty to deploy too many troops itself.

"But if we want Liuqiu Island to remain under the control of the Qin Dynasty and enjoy long-term stability, the key is to immigrate people to Liuqiu Island. Only when there are more Qin people on the island can Liuqiu Island truly remain under the control of the Qin Dynasty for a long time."

Unfortunately, the Qin Dynasty could not relocate a large number of its people at once; the migration could only be done gradually, but there was no need to rush it.

The Great Qin is the world's strongest nation, unmatched by any other country. There is time for the Great Qin to digest and absorb Liuqiu Island.

If you want to do everything and are eager to achieve results quickly, you will not only find it difficult to succeed, but you will also do bad things and leave behind many troubles, especially when it comes to governing a large country.

Although Li Nian wanted the Qin Dynasty to develop rapidly, he also knew that some things take time.

"The development and construction of this island should prioritize military deployment, that is, to use Liuqiu for military purposes first, and then gradually develop other uses. In the early stages, since there are not many Qin people on Liuqiu Island, we need to rely on the island's indigenous people, such as having them cut timber and fish and hunt for Qin!"

"If possible, the island's inhabitants can be assimilated into the Qin Dynasty. Once the number of Qin citizens on the island has increased, further development and construction can proceed!"

Since they were all members of the "Listen to the History of Future Generations" group, Li Nian spoke freely: "The development and governance of different regions should be decided based on local conditions, and should not be generalized."

"As for the Xiongnu, the Western Regions, and the Baiyue, the main approach should be to divide them internally and promote their integration with the Qin Dynasty, so that the Xiongnu and Baiyue people will identify with the Qin Dynasty and acknowledge its governance."

This is also the policy that the Qin Dynasty is currently implementing towards the Xiongnu and Baiyue, weakening the influence of the original ruling class of the Xiongnu and Baiyue, and strengthening the influence of the Qin Dynasty on them.

Li Nian had Da Qin repeatedly emphasize that "Da Qin and the Xiongnu were originally one family, both belonging to the Huaxia people," which is why.

This would increase the Xiongnu people's identification with the Qin Dynasty: "Your Qin and we are one family. We just separated because of this and that. There's nothing wrong with us getting back together."

This would give the Qin Dynasty a legitimate reason to interfere in the internal affairs of the Xiongnu and take over the Xiongnu without encountering much resistance. It might even make the Xiongnu civilians willing to welcome the Qin army with food and drink.

We have suffered under the rule of the Xiongnu chieftain and his ilk for too long, and we have long awaited the arrival of His Majesty's royal army. From this day forward, we are no longer commoners or slaves, but also noble subjects of the Great Qin under the rule of His Majesty the Qin Emperor.

The more ruthlessly Touman and his ilk exploit the Xiongnu people now, the more willing the Xiongnu people will be to side with the Qin Dynasty in the future.

The Qin Dynasty could even claim to the outside world: This is not because the Qin Dynasty wanted to annex the Xiongnu, but because it came in response to the call of the Xiongnu people. It was the Xiongnu people who made the decision and chose the Qin Dynasty!
This was the result of the Xiongnu people's own choice. The Qin Dynasty was simply following the will of the Xiongnu people, which was reasonable, legal, and justified!
"As for the Peacock Kingdom, even if Qin sends troops to defeat it, it is difficult to send large-scale immigrants and officials due to the long distance. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on the people of the Peacock Kingdom to govern it on its behalf, so that they can represent Qin's interests in the Peacock Kingdom. That is, Qin should support a group of Peacock Kingdom princes and nobles who are beneficial to Qin, and let them govern the Peacock Kingdom on behalf of Qin."

It would be difficult for the Qin Dynasty to truly govern the Peacock Kingdom directly in the short term. Apart from supporting a puppet regime, there was really no absolutely good way, as the region was too large and the population too numerous.

When Li Nian mentioned the Peacock Kingdom, Pijanu and his envoys from Daqin had already returned to Huashi City. As soon as they returned, they were immediately summoned by the Peacock King.

The Mauryan King's palace remains luxurious and magnificent. In the past, people like Vijaya were often proud of it, believing it to be the most luxurious and magnificent palace in the world.

Having seen the Qin imperial palace, when they looked at the royal palace, Pijanu and the others felt that compared to the Qin imperial palace, their Peacock Kingdom's royal palace, though luxurious and beautiful, lacked the grandeur of "unparalleled in the world, with all nations paying tribute."

When Vijaya and his entourage entered the palace hall, they learned that the king and nobles of the Peacock Kingdom who were able to attend were all present.

After Pijanu and the others finished their greetings, the Peacock King couldn't wait to ask, "Did you all see through the true nature of Qin during your trip there?"

Instead of asking whether a treaty establishing friendly relations between the two countries had been reached with the Qin people, he was more concerned about whether the Qin state was really as strong as rumored.

After the Mauryan king asked this question, all the eyes of the Mauryan king and his ministers in the palace fell on Vijaya.

Ever since they learned of the existence of a Qin state, stronger than their own Peacock Kingdom, many of the Peacock Kingdom's princes and nobles had been filled with anxiety and worry. They were further uneasy by rumors that Qin was not only more powerful and advanced than them, but also harbored ill intentions towards them. If these rumors were false, and that a Qin state, stronger and more advanced than theirs, did not exist, all their worries and anxieties would vanish.

Therefore, they sent Pijanu and his group to the Qin state to verify this.

They were all hoping that Pijanu would give a negative answer, but they were disappointed. Pijanu's answer was: "During our trip to Qin, we saw that Qin is indeed as powerful as rumored!"

Seemingly realizing his answer wasn't accurate enough, Vijanu quickly shook his head and added, "No, not as powerful as rumored, but stronger than rumored."

Two sentences instantly silenced the hall: "The Qin Kingdom is even stronger than Master Moye and the others described?"

They were reluctant to believe it, but Pijanu was one of their own, and there was no reason for him to deceive them.

One of the ministers asked, "What did you see in the Qin state?"

Vijanu said, “Many, many things that do not exist in our country: cannons, steam locomotives, electric lights, wondrous machines that can generate lightning, spinning machines…”

They could understand the word "cannon." Master Moye and others had told them that it was a terrifying weapon made by the Qin people, which even their elephant cavalry could not withstand.

What are steam locomotives, electric lights, and machines that generate lightning?
The princes and ministers of the Peacock Kingdom looked at each other, all bewildered. It felt as if this world was no longer the one they knew; it was so unfamiliar.

Pijanu continued, "When we arrived in Xianyang, the capital of Qin, the Qin people were holding a multi-nation sports meet and a multi-nation exposition..."

Two more unfamiliar terms appeared, and a prince immediately asked, "What are the 'National Games' and the 'National Exposition'?"

Pijanu said, "The Games of the States and the Exposition are two major events in which the State of Qin invites other states to participate. The Games of the States are a grand event in which representatives from various states compete in running, jumping, and strength!"

One minister said, "What's the point of this competition? What's the use?"

Before Pijanu could answer, another minister said, "The various states send people to compete for first place. Whoever wins more first places proves that their state is stronger. The Qin people want to demonstrate their power in this way. Presumably, the Qin people will win many first places in this inter-state competition?"

Vijanu said, “That’s right! All the countries send athletes to compete and vie for first place in various contests. ‘Athlete’ and ‘competitor’ are the terms used to refer to the people sent by the countries to participate!”

"At the invitation of the Qin people, all the states sent delegations to participate in the competition, and there were grand opening and closing ceremonies. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, the opening ceremony had already ended, and I only saw the closing ceremony..."

When the "closing ceremony" was mentioned, Pijanu recalled the grand and magnificent closing ceremony, a spectacle he had never seen in the Peacock Kingdom. Delegations from various countries were present, witnessing the sights and sounds of Qin.

The sound of the Qin Emperor announcing the successful conclusion of the Games of All Nations, and the scenes of the Qin people performing, were still vivid in his mind, leaving him with a lingering sense of satisfaction.

When will their Peacock Kingdom be able to host such a grand event and have such a performance?
"Those who win the top three places in the competition will receive medals, namely gold for the champion, silver for the runner-up, and bronze for the third place. When the champion who wins the gold medal is awarded the medal, the flag of his country will be raised and his national anthem will be played."

Just by listening to Vijanu's words, the kings and ministers of the Peacock Kingdom could feel the glory in it.

The nation's flag is raised because of you, and the national anthem is played because of you. What a great honor this is!

The people of Qin are truly ingenious; they even came up with this method, which will surely inspire competitors from other countries to strive for the championship.

“We have never seen it with our own eyes, but we have heard that the first gold medal of the Games of All Nations was won by a Qin person, and that the Qin person was personally awarded the medal by the Qin emperor.”

"The next World Games will be held in four years, and the countries will surely compete even more seriously!"

Upon hearing this, a prince asked, "How many countries participate in the Games of Nations? Is it possible for our country to participate?"

The Qin people held a grand gathering among various states, but there were probably only six or seven participating states, not many more.

Unexpectedly, Vijanu said, "The Games of the Nations involve dozens of states and tribes!"

Upon hearing this, the kings and ministers of the Peacock Kingdom in the hall were all taken aback, and someone immediately said, "How can there be so many?"

Dozens of states and tribes participated, making it a grand event among the nations, but the Qin people did not invite the Peacock Kingdom.

Pijanu said, “To the west of the Qin people is a place that the Qin people call the ‘Western Regions’. There are many kingdoms and tribes there. The Qin people have now settled in the Western Regions, commanding the kingdoms of the Western Regions and establishing the Western Regions Alliance. The Qin people are holding a sports meet for all the kingdoms, and many kingdoms and tribes of the Western Regions have come to participate!”

"The Qin people held the Games and Expositions of the various states, which were actually an opportunity to gather the dignitaries of the various states in Xianyang to discuss alliance matters. We were also invited by the Qin people and were allowed to attend the meetings."

Upon hearing Pijanu's words, the ministers and nobles of the Peacock Kingdom were even more worried. The Qin state was already powerful, and it had also formed an alliance, uniting dozens of states and tribes.

The thought that their Peacock Kingdom might have to confront this behemoth weighed heavily on the minds of the Peacock Kingdom's princes and ministers. How could they possibly resist?

At this moment, Pijanu added, "The Western Regions are not far from us, just north of our country, where the countries of Khotan and Loulan are located."

These words made the kings and ministers of the Peacock Kingdom feel even more heavy-hearted. They couldn't help but think that the Western Regions were just to their north. Was the Qin Kingdom's establishment of the Western Regions Alliance just a ploy to take advantage of them?
It is likely that this is indeed the case; the Qin people truly harbored ill intentions towards them and wanted to use the Western Regions as a route to send troops.

This possibility is extremely high. If the Qin people were to send a large army to pass through the Western Regions and come from the north, it would be much easier than if they came directly from Qin.

"The Emperor Qin has agreed that our country can participate in the Games and Exposition of the Nations four years from now."

Whether or not they participate in the Games of Nations and that exposition is no longer important; what matters is that the Qin people are truly planning to attack them.

If they don't make preparations, four years later, instead of sending people to Qin to participate in the Games of the States, they might be taken to Qin as prisoners of war.

(End of this chapter)