Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 354 Genius and Madman

Of course, it's also possible that the enormous temptation offered by Zhu Zhanhe made Huang selectively ignore the terrible consequences hidden behind this scheme!
Then, Zhu Zhanhe continued to speak, explaining his thoughts to Huang Zhong.

"The first step was a desperate measure taken by me to solve the immediate crisis."

The second step is a key measure I devised for the long-term development of Annam!
To tell you the truth,
Now, I can allow some officials who do not speak Chinese to continue serving in the various county-level and above government offices in Annam.
However, several years from now, I will directly cut off the careers of anyone who does not speak Chinese!
Even the clerks in various government offices had to be able to speak fluent Chinese!
For me, there are longer-term requirements. Anyone who wants to serve as an official in Annam must have a family with a clean record for three generations or more, and must be able to speak Chinese in order to participate in the imperial examinations and become an official!
Otherwise, it would all be wishful thinking!

"Now you understand what I'm saying, right?" Zhu Zhanhe told Huang Zhong without hesitation his policies on civil administration in Annam, especially regarding education and personnel selection. His aim was to get Huang Zhong to find a solution to this problem.

"Your subject understands!" After hearing the words of the majestic prince before him, who was as powerful as a god, Huang Zhong actually felt that it was the right thing to do!
After all, in Huang Zhong's view, it wouldn't be right for the prince's officials to be unable to speak Chinese! If the prince summoned them in the future and those uncouth fellows couldn't even speak Chinese, wouldn't that make Annam seem uncultured? That was absolutely unacceptable!

Therefore, in Huang Zhong's mind, everyone in Annam must be able to speak the noble language of the Ming Dynasty! At this moment, Huang Zhong, who was completely caught up in the passion, did not even need Zhu Zhanhe's continued ideological indoctrination; he had already completed his own brainwashing.

"Good that you understand!"
If it were you, you could solve this problem for me.

Therefore, I will entrust you with all educational work of the Ministry of Rites in Annam! You will be a respectable and upright official appointed by the Ministry of Rites in Annam!
And if you truly do something that satisfies me very much.

"Then, I wouldn't mind entrusting you with the education work in other areas the Prince's Palace conquers in the future!" To ensure Huang Zhong's dedication, Zhu Zhanhe placed a heavy bet on him. He even offered Huang Zhong the position of Minister of Education of Annam; furthermore, Zhu Zhanhe verbally promised Huang Zhong the future position of Minister of Education in other territories!

These words were like a sharp sword, piercing straight into Huang Zhong's heart! So much so that Huang Zhong's heart stopped beating for a moment!
Upon hearing about the intensity and difficulty of the job, Huang Zhong couldn't help but swallow hard; he was well aware of just how challenging it was. However, the generous reward offered by Zhu Zhanhe was the final straw that broke Huang Zhong's mental defenses!
Huang Zhongxin understood perfectly well that it was precisely because the task was so difficult that it had fallen to him, an outsider!

It is precisely because this matter is so difficult that if Huang Zhong does it well, he will surely become the prince's trusted subordinate!
So, Huang Zhong got excited!

"Your Highness, please rest assured, I will have three days with you!"
"Three days later, I will certainly give Your Highness a satisfactory answer!" Therefore, for the sake of his long-desired future, Huang Zhong decided to fight to the death! After a moment of stunned contemplation, he unhesitatingly set himself a three-day grace period. In reality, Huang Zhong knew in his heart that three days was an impossible timeframe!
However, Huang Zhong told himself that he only had three days! Within three days, he would either rise to the top and be the center of attention, or he would fall into the mire and be despised by everyone!

"Good, that's ambitious!"

It's already dark today, so I won't be included.

"Starting tomorrow! I hope that Huang Yuanwailang can give me a satisfactory answer by the fourth day!" Seeing Huang Zhong's resolute appearance, Zhu Zhanhe knew that Huang Zhong was prepared to risk his life one last time. Therefore, Zhu Zhanhe did not question whether Huang Zhong could accomplish the task in three days. Instead, he cheered Huang Zhong on without hesitation and even addressed him as Huang Yuanwailang!
Zhu Zhanhe's title had driven Huang Zhong to a dead end! At this moment, Huang Zhong only had one path to take: success or death!
"Huang Zhong will certainly live up to the Prince's expectations!"
"Your subject takes his leave!" Upon hearing the prince address him as Assistant Minister, Huang Zhong's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and he became as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood. He firmly knelt on the ground and kowtowed heavily to Zhu Zhanhe, bidding him farewell.

"Go ahead." Zhu Zhanhe waved his hand, indicating that Huang Zhong could leave.

Then, Huang Zhong, looking excited, strode out of Zhu Zhanhe's room. Meanwhile, Yang Shiqi, Yu Qian, and Fan Zhong had regrouped in Yang Shiqi's room.

"Grand Secretary Yang, it's only been a few months, less than half a year, right? How could the Prince of Han's Mansion have taken over the entire Annam?"

In previous years, when Annam rebelled, the local commanders suffered repeated defeats, and the imperial court allocated funds every year. What kind of situation was that?
Let's look at the reports from the officials of the Han Prince's Palace and the statements made by the Han Prince at today's court assembly.

This is essentially the Han Prince's Palace, a complete occupation and rule of Annam!
"It's not that the Prince of Han's Palace has annexed Annam as a vassal state and ruled it!" In the room, Yang Shiqi, Yu Qian, and Fan Zhong sat facing each other. Yu Qian was speaking to Yang Shiqi with an incredulous expression. Clearly, the situation in Annam that Yu Qian actually witnessed was different from what he had imagined. In Yu Qian's mind, the Prince of Han's Palace's occupation of Annam was like the other vassal states absorbed by the Ming Dynasty—nominally bringing them under its rule, but often, such a relationship was unstable. Once the suzerain state weakened, those vassal states would seize the opportunity to break away.

But in reality, what Yu Qian saw in Annam was that it had been completely occupied by the Prince of Han's Palace! Even the language, taxes, and land were being implemented according to the Ming Dynasty's model—wasn't it just like a province under the Ming Dynasty? The Prince of Han's Palace had actually completely occupied and was undergoing a complete transformation of Annam! This was what Yu Qian found most terrifying!

"Minister Yu, didn't you hear what the Prince of Han said today? It's not just targeting Annam!"

I strongly suspect that the Prince of Han's target is the entire Indochina Peninsula! Or even more territory!
The Prince of Han was even distributing land to every soldier who participated in the war! He was even giving land to the fallen soldiers! This was creating a mad war machine!

"Once this measure is implemented, the soldiers throughout Yunnan, Guangdong, and even Annam will go mad!" Having heard what he'd heard at the Han Prince's internal meeting today, Fan Zhong was truly amazed. This Han Prince was actually distributing land acquired through conquest to all his civil and military officials in a tiered system! In Fan Zhong's eyes, this was utterly insane!

Fan Zhong had reason to believe that all the soldiers, and even all the people under the Han King's command, would go crazy for these soon-to-be-distributed fields! To the point of madness!
"That's not all, the Prince of Han has also drafted a new tax policy for Annam!"
New laws were established for Annam!
Schools were also established in various prefectures and counties of Annam!

He even built Taoist temples in various counties to enshrine the soldiers who died in battle!

He intends to completely transform Annam and thoroughly Sinicize it!

I bet all resistance forces, or forces capable of resistance, within Annam have been wiped out!

genius!

"Madman!" Compared to Yu Qian and Fan Zhong, Yang Shiqi saw the Prince of Han's actions, which were enough to affect the very foundation of Annam! That was the Prince of Han's newly proposed tax and education policies!

Yang Shiqi even suspected that the Prince of Han, in order to effectively rule Annam, had definitely wiped out all the resistance forces in Annam! He had even eliminated any forces capable of resisting! After all, sometimes, it is a fault for an individual or a force to have the ability to rebel!
(End of this chapter)