The Han culture is spreading strongly in Southeast Asia

Chapter 800 The Strongest Crown Prince in History
"Bakul, run! Run!"

The lowlands along the northern shore of the Caspian Sea, 120 kilometers east of the Ural River, near the Emba River.

An old Kazakh herdsman from the West (Little) Yuz was roaring. He watched his eldest son, Bakur, ride away on horseback until he was far away before turning his back and pointing his matchlock gun in another direction.

The sound of horses' hooves thundered!
In the opposite direction from where Bakur fled, which was the direction the old herdsman was facing, under a banner with the three stars of the sun, moon, and stars, nearly a hundred cavalrymen were galloping wildly.

The horses' hooves kicked up dry sand and gravel, and for a moment, yellow sand filled the sky. From the old herdsman's perspective, he couldn't see how many people were coming from the other side. He held his old matchlock gun, aiming left and right, unsure of which one to shoot.

The cavalrymen were also experienced veterans. When they saw the matchlock guns in the hands of the old herdsman and the other herdsmen in the small tribe, they immediately stopped their direct charge and began to circle around them from about a hundred meters away.

"Dalma, let your dogs go!" shouted Bao Youzhi, a captain from Lu'an, Anhui, who was also the garrison commander of the seventh outpost of Enyuan Fort in Xihai Town, Beiting Province.

This man was the second-place finisher in the military examination in the fifty-eighth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign (1793). He was unparalleled in horsemanship and swordsmanship and was known as the number one cavalry general in the Northern Court.

He was a man from Huaibei, yet he was able to take on five northern cavalrymen in a single mounted archery contest among the four provincial garrisons of Anxi. His accuracy with a carbine on horseback was just as good as his accuracy with a rifled gun on the ground.

In terms of military strength alone, he was probably comparable to his fellow villagers from Huaihe River region in the early Ming Dynasty.

Upon hearing the sentry's order, Darma, a man from the northern steppes who had come from the territory of the Chechen Khanate, gently spurred his horse to slow it down, and then unchained the hunting dog from the spare warhorse beside him.

In an instant, before the warhorse had even come to a complete stop, the hunting dogs on its back had already barked and jumped off.

In the western part of Beiting Province, facing the Ural Mountains and the Ural River, Dayu established more than 170 outposts, following the policies of the Qing Dynasty in the Dzungar and Hui regions.

Each outpost is garrisoned by 50 to 150 soldiers. The officers of the outposts are selected from military academy students and brave warriors who are willing to make meritorious contributions in Anxi. Anyone who serves in such an outpost in Anxi for more than three years will have a brilliant resume.

Furthermore, because the Crown Prince was stationed in Anxi, this resume would certainly make him a close advisor to the Crown Prince in his former residence, making him very popular among ambitious and capable people.

Between five and fifteen outposts, distributed according to geographical conditions, there are also large military forts built of cement, each commanded by a battalion commander (regimental commander).

With these 170 outposts and more than 20 forts, Dayu was able to establish a complete military monitoring and mobilization system on the vast Kazakh steppe.

The Kazakhs living on this grassland were divided into more than sixty tribes of varying sizes. The original ruling relationship was largely broken, and the Khan at the top truly became a local official of the Great Yu Dynasty.

"Almighty God, Almighty God!" The old herdsman cried out in terror as dozens of fierce dogs, each weighing fifty or sixty pounds, roared and charged toward him, lighting a fuse toward one of the hunting dogs.

Clap clap clap clap!
Dozens of old matchlock guns were fired, but they had almost no effect.

Well, or rather, it was very effective, because the cavalry circling around the small tribe were just waiting for them to open fire.

Upon hearing the sound of gunfire, the hundred-plus cavalrymen stopped their circling intimidation tactics and charged forward almost simultaneously. Without needing muskets, they swiftly slaughtered all the men in the tribe with their sabers.

“Squad leader, this old man has let his son out. That kid studied in Orenburg and won some medal from the Tsarist Russian Empire.” Darma dragged the old herdsman in front of Bao Youzhi.

"You devils, you will get your comeuppance. Emperor Caesar will slaughter you all."

The old herdsman stared at Bao Youzhi with bloodshot eyes. Right outside the tent, shrill and panicked cries were ringing out.

The old woman was stabbed to death on the spot, all the young women were carried and thrown onto a carriage and tied up, while the children were thrown into another carriage.

As for the men, they're all dead. Anyone taller than 1.3 meters has been hacked to death!

That's how cruel life is on the grasslands.

"Take the woman back to help the brothers with laundry, cooking, and warming their beds. The servants should tidy her up so they can be sold off when the next caravan arrives!"

"Apart from grain, furs, gold, silver, and livestock, take nothing else; burn it all!"

Bao Youzhi didn't even look at the old herdsman, but instead loudly gave orders to those outside. After he finished giving the orders, Bao Youzhi turned around and spat a mouthful of phlegm onto the old herdsman's face.

"What a beast! You've fallen for the Arab cult, and your son has followed the Russian false religion. Your whole family are traitors without a ruler or father!"

In the Xihai Town of Beiting (West Kazakh Steppe), religion has always been the mainstream of contradictions. When Han people arrive here, they will still pick up this thing and use it. Of course, they are not using Tantric Buddhism at present, but White Lotus Buddhism.

“Execute the traitor who turned away from Buddhism, and chop off the heads of all the men in his tribe to make a mound of skulls!”

Bao Youzhi waved his hand, and immediately several northern knights came up and, while loudly cursing, hacked the old herdsman into mincemeat inside the tent.

Several days later, Kubal, also wearing a fur robe and with his face cracked from the wind and snow, cried out loudly in front of the Jingguan (a mound of corpses).

With tears streaming down his face, he tried to find the heads of his father and brothers in the mound of corpses, but an officer dressed in Tsarist Rus' uniform stopped him.

“Alexander, we have to go. We’re too close to the outpost of Enyuan Fort. Seris’s cavalry could come at any moment.”

As the officer spoke, a hint of fear crept onto his face. Those Seres cavalrymen were too fierce, well-equipped, and had a high fighting spirit; they were not easy to deal with.

Of course, he was no pushover either; the Cossacks were never afraid of powerful enemies.

But the main problem was that the Tsar only gave them a pittance, and even after establishing a manor on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea, they still had to pay taxes to the Tsar. Therefore, the Cossack officers really couldn't muster any enthusiasm and didn't want to lose their lives on the Kazakh steppe.

A few hundred dollars a month? You want me to fight to the death with Seris's elite cavalry?

Such a good opportunity should be given to the noble gentlemen from St. Petersburg and Moscow.

The Cossacks on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea weren't stupid either; they had never engaged in direct confrontation with the Seres cavalry in recent years.

Those idiots who don't understand this principle should have been weaned by now.

Several days later, Bao Youzhi led his team to patrol the area again. Seeing the Jingguan that had only been slightly damaged, he instantly understood.

He immediately ordered his soldiers to report to the commander of Zhenxibao, and the Rus' people did not choose to retaliate for the sixth time at his outpost.

Anxi Envoyage Office, Beiting Provincial Capital, Yining (Yili)
"Your Majesties, the latest list has been released. Through my efforts, every family is now eligible to study in the two capitals."

Among them, 87 were in the military academy, 160 in the Buddhist academy, and 40 in the literature and history academy.

Crown Prince Da Laosen sat on the main seat, flanked by Khans of various ranks from the Kazakh Great and Middle Hordes, as well as a few from the Western (Small) Hordes by the Caspian Sea, seated on low brocade stools.

For the Kazakhs, who were the only group not subjected to mass executions, Da Yu adopted a policy of appeasement.

The biggest reason is that the Kazakhs at this time still had a superficial belief in Islam, and its core was still basically their original shamanism.

Shamanism is the easiest religion to transform into Buddhism or Taoism, especially the White Lotus sect, which combines elements of both. It is particularly suited to the Kazakhs and is especially fond of divination, spirit writing, and summoning spirits.

Similarly, sending the children of ethnic minority leaders from border regions to study in the core areas of the country is a common practice worldwide, and Dayu is no exception.

And it wasn't just the children of these Kazakh tribal khans who were going; the children of their Han Chinese vassals were also going. Yes, not just sons, but daughters too.

After receiving about five years of education in major cities such as the two capitals, some of the daughters of these Khans would directly marry into noble and wealthy merchant families of the Great Yu.

Another group returned to marry other nobles on the grasslands, and after this experience, they could generally marry into higher social classes.

I, the Great Emperor, understand women. By nature, women are more easily influenced by abundant material possessions than men. It is easier for them to go from frugality to extravagance than from extravagance to frugality.

There is no intention to discriminate against men or women in the slightest, because this is a difference in human nature caused by the different division of labor between men and women in the early stages of society, which is engraved in their DNA.

In ancient times, when resources were scarce, the only place for men to go after a defeat was to be killed in order to conserve food. Therefore, men were genetically endowed with impulsiveness, bloodlust, and a vengeful nature.

Young women, because they could reproduce for the victorious tribe, often survived. Due to the necessity of survival, their genes provided them with a small opening in this regard, allowing the group to resist a large part of their moral guilt.

Mo Zibu has a clearer understanding of the influence a mother has on her child.

Imagine, what attitude would a child born to a woman who has lived in major cities like the two capitals of Dayu for five years, and who has seen and tasted all of them, have towards Dayu?

It is likely that with his mother's daily narration and longing, this child will regard China as a paradise on earth and the place he yearns for most in his life.

The children born to Kazakh women who married into wealthy and powerful families of the Great Yu Empire could grow up to become military officers guarding the Kazakh steppe, ensuring that the Kazakh steppe would never leave the empire.

What? You're saying that those girls who returned to the Kazakh steppe might not be virgins, and might even be pregnant?

That will only make them even more sought after!
This is called "transferring the seed," and it's something that benefits the entire family. That's how Japan and South Korea did it.

"In addition, the spring salaries for this year have all been issued, and I will personally distribute them to you now!"

The lord beckoned, and the eunuch brought over trays of gold and silver, along with a thick list of gifts.

"King Hasimu of Astana, this is your income and noble annuity for this year." Boss Sen personally called over a burly man with gray hair.

This man was a descendant of the famous Kazakh Ablai Khan, and once the Khan of the Great Horde of Kazakhstan.

"The gold and silver jewelry totaled seven hundred silver dollars, in addition to thirty thousand catties of rice, fifty thousand catties of wheat, two hundred bolts of brocade, one thousand five hundred bolts of cloth, one hundred catties of various spices, two hundred catties of sugar, and two hundred catties of tea."

The Great Yu dynasty took control of their tribe and bought out their profits, distributing them in four installments throughout the year, according to the four seasons.

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Great and Benevolent Emperor, thank you, Buddha incarnate in the human world, thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince. Hasmu is willing to be the Emperor and His Highness the Crown Prince's henchman for life." Hasmu happily came over, knelt down on both knees and kowtowed to the big boss Sen San.

These things aren't actually worth much. If you buy them in China, they'd cost at most three to four thousand silver dollars. But in the four provinces of Anxi and the Kazakh steppe, they'd be worth at least twenty to thirty thousand silver dollars.

Twenty years ago, even if Hasmu were killed, he wouldn't have been able to produce such a valuable item worth so many silver dollars. Now, however, he could receive it four times a year. How could he not be overjoyed?

But Da Yu is not at a loss either. If Hasimu takes these things, then all the profits from his territory will have nothing to do with him. From grain to livestock and manpower, they will all be subject to the court's allocation.

Without people like Hasimu, the herders below wouldn't be 100% obedient. If the herders below were obedient, and with the cooperation of Han immigrants, plus fortresses and outposts, at least 40% of the grain wouldn't need to be transferred from the Central Plains.

The missing 60% can be supplied by the Ili Basin (50%), and the remaining 10% can be transported from the Fergana Basin (Dayuan Basin).

In other words, during his four years in Anxi, Crown Prince Da Laosen resolved the issue that his father, Emperor Mo Zibu, was most worried about.

With this deep control strategy, the Great Yu can not only mobilize at least 50,000 Han and non-Han cavalry and infantry in the Kazakh steppe and Central Asia, but also achieve food self-sufficiency in years without natural disasters.

That's what ability is. Da Lao Sen may not be as politically as Mo Gongze, and his military skills are certainly not as good as Li Xingtai's, but he can build a ruling framework, use people, settle land, and carry out construction. He is simply a perfect ruler who can maintain the status quo.

Hasimu received his annuity and income, and the elder brother Sen insisted on personally distributing them to each Kazakh Khan, ensuring that even the lowest-ranking Marquis of Loyalty received at least eight hundred silver dollars.

"Gentlemen, there are rumors that the empire is only temporarily treating the loyal subjects on the grasslands so well, and will definitely not continue to give so many benefits in the future. Even if it were willing to give them, the court would not be able to afford it."

After distributing the annuities and profits, a banquet was about to be held. Taking this opportunity, the powerful Khan Sen stood up and addressed the dozens of Khans:

"But then you're underestimating the imperial court. If you have time, you can go to the two capitals and see for yourself."

The annual wealth of 600,000 silver dollars (with an actual value of around 100,000 silver dollars) was utterly insignificant to the entire Great Yu Empire of China.

"I can tell you that last year the imperial court's revenue was 200 million silver dollars, and His Majesty the Emperor's private income certainly exceeded 20 million silver dollars."

"Amitabha, this is too much!" Hasmu was shocked and his mouth dropped open. He felt that he was living the life of a god if he could get more than 10,000 silver dollars a year. The emperor's annual income was more than 20 million silver dollars. He couldn't spend it all in ten lifetimes.

"Moreover, you should know that all Kazakh nobles are part of the Great Yu noble system and are true imperial nobles managed by the Imperial Clan Court. They are completely different from those former nominal nobles who were merely given a title."

As long as you remain loyal to the court and the Emperor, and are willing to give everything to demonstrate your loyalty, your positions will be forever secure, and your titles will never disappear!

Big Boss Sen understood that spending over 100,000 silver dollars a year to win over these people was well worth it, so he loudly made that promise.

"Long live! Long live! Long live!" The Kazakh leaders below breathed a sigh of relief and cheered loudly. Many even sang and danced the gratitude dance popular in the Tang Dynasty.

The next morning, despite being drunk from the banquet, Boss Sen still got up at six o'clock to start handling government affairs. At this time, Mo Zibu's urgent message arrived.

When Da Laosen picked it up, he found that the letter didn't start with anything about state affairs, but rather with instructions from his father, Mo Zibu.

'My son, I've heard that you've been working tirelessly day and night on official business, getting up around dawn. This is not right.'

Your health is the foundation of everything. Not getting enough sleep is very harmful to your health. You should pay attention to this and make sure you get at least four hours of sleep every day.

In addition, exercise should never stop; life lies in movement, so be sure to maintain good physical health.

When it comes to food, you should maintain a balanced diet. You have loved rice since you were a child and used to eat three big bowls of it in one meal, but for the sake of your health, you should reduce your intake of rice, noodles and other similar foods.

In addition, the four provinces of Anxi have plenty of meat but few vegetables. Don't eat less or even avoid slightly more expensive vegetables and fruits just to maintain a simple image for your subordinates. You are the Crown Prince of the Great Dynasty, and you should not refuse excessively luxurious enjoyment.

In this era of great strife, the fate of our fathers and sons rests upon the fate of the nation and its people, and the well-being of our descendants. Let us remember the timeless lesson of the late Crown Prince Yiwen of the Ming Dynasty!

"Your Majesty, the King of Xia and the Crown Prince have arrived. When shall we summon them?" The eunuch from the Eastern Palace came to announce this as soon as the letter was read.

Asen wiped the moisture from the corner of his eyes, checked the time, remembered his father's words, and indeed felt a little sleepy, so he waved his hand.

"No rush, I need to rest a bit more and prepare a hearty breakfast for my uncle and cousin. They've come all the way from Stone City (Tashkent) and must be tired. Let them get some rest."

The eunuch was taken aback. This was not the Crown Prince's style. In the past, when he had summoned the King of Xia and his son to discuss important strategic matters with Tsarist Russia, he would have met with them immediately.

But a look of joy quickly appeared on his face. The fact that the Crown Prince knew how to take care of his health meant that their future would be more secure.

(End of this chapter)