Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 845 Each feudal lord governs a region
Liu Huai's plan has been proven by history.

The key to feudalism lies in locking the common people to the land; to break this cycle, the people need to be given greater mobility.

One important reason why feudal landlords gradually declined in Britain and France towards the end of the Age of Exploration was that ordinary people could flee to the colonies if they could no longer stay there.

As for the kings who were granted fiefdoms, their fate, depending on local conditions, remains to be seen.

Historically, Chinese people in Southeast Asia also established merchant republics like the Lanfang Republic.

However, given the shared language and culture, and with the advancement of technology, China will eventually reclaim the land it has developed.

Just like when the Zhou Dynasty enfeoffed eight hundred vassal states, the Central Plains were filled with barbarians and Rong peoples.

When Qin Shi Huang launched his war of unification, the country was engulfed in civil war among the various states.

As for why this happened, it's probably because the various barbarian tribes and nomadic peoples were kind enough to give up the fertile lands of the Central Plains to the Chinese, while they themselves had to go to remote corners to eat dirt.

Liu Huai and Xin Qiji excitedly pointed and drew on the map, completely disregarding the fact that they were at best major warlords at the time. It wasn't until Wei Rujun personally brought out a jar of wine and a few side dishes that the two calmed down a bit.

After drinking a cup of wine, Xin Qiji asked again, "Does your intention, Elder Brother, still prioritize estrangement?"

Liu Huai picked up a piece of braised meat and put it in his mouth: "To be precise, it's not about 'dispersing,' but about 'guiding.'"

It doesn't matter if they want to become a hundred-household commander, a thousand-household commander, or even a king; I can grant them fiefdoms, but only outside of Han territory.

As for the Han territory, as long as I live, I will absolutely not allow such a large-scale system of personal dependence to exist.

Xin Qiji drank again, then shook his head and laughed, "Alas, it's good enough that I can move things forward while I'm still alive. Don't bother me, Dalang."

Liu Huai thought for a moment and could only nod with a smile.

The two got completely drunk that day, but the next day they were full of energy and went their separate ways.

That's the good thing about being young—you dare to think and act, and you have plenty of time and energy to push forward long-term plans.

Of course, this second enfeoffment and expansion plan was not even a rough outline at this time, so Liu Huai continued to refine the map in his hand, while Xin Qiji released information to the outside world and made some preliminary preparations.

Now, almost everyone in the high command knows about the trouble caused by the garrison. Liu Huai has been keeping a sullen face during military councils these past few days. However, no one expected that after Xin Qiji met with Liu Huai, he immediately calmed his lord's anger and took immediate action. He was truly skilled.

However, on one occasion, after getting drunk, Xin Qiji held his second son, Xin Tieniu, and said in front of everyone that this was the king of the Southern Continent, which truly attracted attention.

Even though Jambudvipa is a Buddhist term, and those attending the banquet only knew it as some mysterious Buddhist story, it was still far too arrogant to casually refer to him as a king.

But compared to the major case that affected the entire Shandong province, this trivial matter was insignificant.

Amidst the unease, May arrived, and as the weather gradually grew hotter, the Jiedushi Prefecture issued its verdict on the previous major case in Haizhou.

Shipping Admiral He Zizhen was stripped of his post and reduced to a mere seagoing ship captain.

Although Sun Huaidu and Zhang Bo were not greedy for money, they neglected their duties, causing a large loss of state property. Sun Huaidu is dead and will not be held accountable, while Zhang Bo was sentenced to ten years of labor reform.

The twenty-three garrisons in Shandong involved in the case were thoroughly investigated. Apart from Zheng Yun, who had already committed suicide, three commanders were beheaded, fifteen commanders were imprisoned, and four of the least guilty were dismissed from their posts.

All the officers of the garrison, including the captains and colonels, were reprimanded, and their allotted allowances were confiscated.

Just the next day, the military governor's office announced that the salaries and rewards of officers at all levels of the garrison would be increased by half, which was considered a compromise to appease the army.

At the same time, the investigation into the Maritime Trade Office was carried out swiftly. Following the clues of corruption in the Salt Commissioner's Office, Shi Ju quickly purged another group of corrupt and abusive officials.

Previously, when faced with a dilemma where no one was at fault, Shi Ju seemed hesitant and restrained. However, when it came to the clear distinction between good and evil, black and white, Shi Ju immediately demonstrated his shrewd methods, instantly bringing order to the bureaucracy.

Whether they were honest and capable officials or corrupt officials, they all showed complete obedience to Shi Ju, who carried Liu Huai's personal documents and the royal decree.

It can only be said that the prestige of the founding monarch was indeed effective.

In mid-May, Liu Huai officially hung a world map in the center of the military governor's office during a grand military council, which immediately caused an uproar among the Han military officials.

This map was redrawn because when Liu Huai summoned learned scholars to write the names of mountains and rivers on it, they found that there was not enough space, so it had to be expanded again.

Finally, this map was made of eight sheepskins sewn together. It was two zhang long on the left and right and one zhang wide on the top and bottom. It finally marked all the famous cities, towns and rivers of China.

As for the other continents, Liu Huai did indeed name them according to the four continents mentioned by Xin Qiji, which can be considered a kind of perverse sense of humor.

As for countries on other continents, apart from France and England, which Liu Huai vaguely knew existed in Europe, the rest of the continents were simply left largely blank.

With such a stunning world map unveiled, the ministers had countless questions they wanted to ask, but when the words reached their lips, they were all speechless, unsure of where to begin. While the ministers remained silent, Liu Huai, as the ruler, could not remain silent. He seized the opportunity to personally offer a conclusion to the recent turmoil.

"The so-called Mandate of Heaven is the human heart, and human desires are the principles of Heaven."

Liu Huai also put some effort into his opening remarks. His first sentence was the theory of the Mandate of Heaven, which was often mentioned in feudal dynasties, and his second sentence was about the relationship between heavenly principles and human desires in Neo-Confucianism.

Whether this statement is right or wrong is an academic question, but Liu Huai still made his inclination clear: "Human desires exist, and we must face them in the end."

While the others were still reeling from the shock of the world map, He Boqiu stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I believe that although everyone has desires, they must be restrained. We must never let them run wild, otherwise the higher a person’s position, the more harm they will cause to the world.”

One of the key figures in this major case in Haizhou was He Zizhen. Although he did not embezzle a single penny, he still intercepted a large amount of salt tax and goods for private distribution.

In particular, the assignments were given to naval sailors who were already in the military.

This kind of thing would be considered a serious political issue even in modern times, let alone in feudal times.

This is no different from secretly raising assassins!

Therefore, when He Boqiu saw the complete confession document, he felt dizzy and the first thing he did after regaining his senses was to choose a burial site for He Zizhen.

They can't even get into their ancestral graves!

Later, Liu Huai stripped He Zizhen of his position as shipping admiral and made him the captain of an armed merchant ship. In He Boqiu's view, this was already a great favor from the King of Han.

As for the other Han military officials who were not involved in the case, most of them sighed inwardly.

This is why only a founding emperor with an overwhelming level of self-confidence could make such a decision.

If a ruler who wants to maintain the status quo were to encounter this mess, it would be a miracle if he didn't slaughter countless people.

At this moment, He Boqiu's words were tantamount to a statement on behalf of his own son: such a stupid thing should be severely punished!
Liu Huai shook his head and said, "Gentlemen, haven't you all thought about being ennobled and appointed as prime ministers? Haven't you all thought about being granted land and becoming kings, achieving great fame and success?"

He Boqiu's breath hitched, then he cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Your Majesty is joking. We have only achieved our accomplishments under Your Majesty's protection."

"Even without us, heroes of the Han dynasty would still follow the King of Han in rebellion; but without the King of Han, we would all be mere dogs by the roadside, living our lives in a daze."

Liu Huai shook his head and chuckled: "Third Master He's words are not sincere."

Having said that, without waiting for He Boqiu's reply, Liu Huai stood up, went to the huge world map, and said to the crowd who had come to their senses, "Wanting fame and fortune, wanting a better life, wanting to build a great fortune for future generations. It's only human nature, there's no need to hide it."

Liu Huai paced back and forth in front of the map, and when he saw Lu You staring straight at him, he couldn't help but smile and say, "Take Mr. Lu, for example, who is the most virtuous among us. Doesn't he also wish to be remembered in history?"

On a normal day, Lu You might have taken the joke in stride to ease the tension.

But for some reason, this strategist did not respond at all today. He just looked at Liu Huai solemnly, and a complicated expression gradually appeared on his face.

Lu You didn't laugh, and the others didn't dare to echo him. Liu Huai could only laugh awkwardly a few times and then continued the topic: "However, there are some things that I really cannot sit idly by."

For example, if you want someone to serve you, you can hire servants, but you cannot force them to sell themselves into slavery and let the master have the power of life and death over them.

Treating people as less than human is a bad habit from the late Tang and Five Dynasties period. Now that a century has passed, can't we still change this habit?

"Have we fought so hard, braving thorns and brambles, battling the Jin invaders for over a hundred years, only to keep everything unchanged and preserve this old world?"

Seeing Liu Huai suddenly become somewhat angry, everyone dared not utter a sound.

After a moment, He Boqiu bowed and spoke up: "This time, the garrison has really gone too far. We should establish strict rules to prohibit garrison officers from treating soldiers as slaves and tenants."

To everyone's surprise, Liu Huai immediately shook his head and said, "That's only one aspect, but it's not enough. As the saying goes, it's better to guide than to block. People's hearts are like rivers; how can you stop them?"

He Boqiu looked back at the assembled officials with a hint of helplessness before bowing again and saying, "Whatever the King of Han desires, we, his subjects, will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Liu Huai stood in front of the map, stepped aside, and pointed to the world map: "Do you all think this world is vast?!"

He Boqiu seemed to realize something, and his breathing became somewhat heavy: "Naturally, it is exceptionally vast."

Liu Huai looked at all the senior officials in the Han army and slowly spoke: "I wish to emulate the feudal system of the Zhou Dynasty outside of China. What do you think?"

These words caused an uproar throughout the room.

(End of this chapter)