There is no such thing as the Kangxi and Qianlong eras

Chapter 329 Wang Nangxian

Mid-August.

Two months after the Great Han Dynasty banned opium, Nie Yu formally summoned the envoys from Zhongmiao, Bapai Yao, and Shizhu.

It wasn't that he didn't want to meet them sooner, but rather that the origins of these three envoys were all questionable.

Guizhou, Sichuan, and Guangdong are all severely affected areas due to the rampant poppy epidemic.

Unsurprisingly, all three delegations had members who had used opium, and even the carriage carrying Shi Zhu, the envoy himself, had an expensive copper opium pipe with it.

The three delegations first met outside the Prince of Han's residence, and were then led by the secretary to the lounge next to the residence.

Unfortunately, among the three delegations, Zhong Miao and Shizhu Ma were relatively fortunate, as only a few of their envoys came to pay their respects.

The Yao people from the Eighth Yao Autonomous County were different; they came in a large number, thirty-two people in total, and each of them was an instigator. No one could be missing when they met.

The first to be received were the Zhong Miao from Guizhou. They were the earliest strategic allies of the Han Dynasty and would certainly receive some preferential treatment.

"Greetings, King of Han!"

Zhong Miao was the mastermind behind it all; she was a woman who could speak fluent Mandarin.

Nie Yu raised his hand: "No need for formalities, please take a seat!"

The maidservant Zhong Miao rose and sat down with great courtesy.

Nie Yu didn't stand on ceremony, because there was nothing to be polite about. He started by asking, "How are Zhong Miao's brothers doing in the battle in Yunnan and Guizhou?"

The maidservant Zhong Miao said, "The battle is not going well. The Qing army has figured out our tactics and has even used cannons. Our brothers and sisters have suffered heavy casualties in the fight against the Qing army. The Qing army has also made the local landlords build fortresses. We can't take the city, and we want to attack these landlords to get food, but now it is much more difficult."

Scorched earth, build strongholds, and fight a protracted war!

This tactic was still being used by the Qing army forty years later during the Taiping Rebellion. It was indeed very effective, allowing even new recruits with little combat ability to significantly hinder and deplete the Taiping army's fighting strength.

The Taiping Rebellion had already shaken the Qing Dynasty, and even they were terrified by this tactic, let alone the Zhongmiao and White Lotus sects in Guizhou now.
There were indeed talented people among the local officials of the Qing Dynasty!
They were able to see that the Qing army was not strong enough and came up with such a clever plan.

Nie Yu then asked, "What does Zhong Miao need?"

Zhong Miao was able to help the Han Dynasty hold off the Qing army from Yunnan and Guizhou, so protecting him was definitely the priority. If the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. Even a strong army like the Han Dynasty could not withstand enemies coming from all directions for the time being.

The maidservant Zhong Miao hurriedly stated her demands: "We need more swords and armor. Also, our Lady Nangxian said that we need the Han Dynasty's cannons and grain."

Nie Yu nodded slightly: "I can sell you armor and swords, and I can also sell you some cannons. I can even sell you grain, but what can Zhong Miao offer in return?"

The saying "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold" is indeed true. The Han Dynasty can help, even help with all its might, but on what basis?
Zhong Miao must make some sacrifices, such as submitting and merging with the Han Chinese, or conforming to their culture...

Upon hearing this, Zhong Miao, the maid, seemed to have been prepared. She immediately rose and bowed respectfully, not giving Nie Yu a chance to speak, and said directly, "Please, King Han, marry our Lady Nangxian!"

(Nangxian, in the Buyi language, means fairy maiden. Wang Nangxian's real name is Wang Acong. She was just 23 years old, in the prime of her life.)
"Um...what?"

Nie Yu almost thought he had misheard. Wasn't they talking about fighting and forming alliances? Why were they suddenly talking about him marrying their Wang Nangxian?

Nie Yu's original intention was to gain Zhong Miao's allegiance by fully supporting Zhong Miao, so that he could subdue Zhong Miao and the Guizhou land controlled by Zhong Miao without a fight.

Nie Yu felt that the current expansion speed of the Han Dynasty was a bit slow, and he decided to speed it up a bit.

The sooner he unifies the country, the sooner he can set sail overseas, and in this era of great strife, seize territory and claim claims overseas for his descendants.

But the current situation seems a bit off!
The maidservant from Zhongmiao said, "The Goddess Zhenxian has already made an agreement with the leaders of the various Han tribes. As long as the King of Han can marry our Goddess Nangxian, our Zhongmiao tribe is willing to submit to the Han and also offer up the three prefectures of Nanlong, Liping, and Sizhou that we control."

Although Zhong Miao is currently facing unfavorable circumstances, he still controls a considerable amount of land, with almost all of southeastern and southwestern Guizhou under his control.

Originally, the leaders of Zhongmiao were unwilling to submit to the Han Dynasty so easily. They controlled the three prefectures of southeastern and southwestern Guizhou, and the land they had annexed was many times larger than that of the former bandit groups.

They had been corrupted by power and wealth, and even drove out the Qing army and government, becoming the new government themselves. They began to exploit the people of all ethnic groups under their rule, treating even their own compatriots as fish on a chopping board.

Wang Nangxian couldn't stand the behavior of the village leaders, and the Shenmiao rebels also disapproved. They simply refused to fight and risk their lives, which led to the Qing army's repeated defeats and the shift in the balance of power.

Now, with the proposal of Zhong Miao's submission, also put forward by Wang Nangxian, the leaders of the various villages, though unwilling, had no choice but to compromise. They were indeed no match for the Qing army; if they didn't submit to the Han, they would all be doomed.

They were wary of directly annexing the Qing court, which was a Manchu Eight Banners government, but the officials who oppressed them were mostly Han Chinese.

According to the custom of the Ming and Qing dynasties, those appointed as officials in areas where the hereditary chieftain system was abolished were not Han Chinese civil officials.
Whether it was a Han Chinese military general or a pro-Han aristocratic minority, whoever became an official in charge would find ways to oppress the minority people.

In fact, the core purpose of these guys was to incite the local ethnic minorities to rebel, so that the imperial court could send troops to suppress them, turn the area into a wasteland, and then divide up a lot of land for them to profit from.

The leaders of Zhongmiao had no choice but to reluctantly submit to the Han Dynasty, but they made a condition: the King of Han must marry their fairy goddess.

The same principle applies to the Tu Miao people of Hefeng. If they don't trust us to directly submit to them, then we can arrange marriages between us. At least this can solve most of the trust issues.

Nie Yu felt a little embarrassed and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

As the King of Han, from the day he became king, his harem was no longer a simple harem, but officially transformed into a political appendage.

To appease the Tujia and Miao people of Hefeng, he married a Tujia girl as his concubine.

Now, it seems reasonable to appease Shen Miao, especially since the dowry offered by the other party is quite generous, and the entire southeastern and southwestern parts of Guizhou have submitted to the Han.

To paraphrase a previous cabinet minister's assessment of the Tu Miao people of Hefeng, a concubine can bring peace and stability to the local ethnic minorities; this is a very worthwhile deal!

Moreover, with such a generous dowry, it's already a sure win.

Nie Yu pondered for a moment, then did not reply immediately: "This matter is of great importance, and I need to discuss it carefully with my ministers. You Zhongmiao should not be in a hurry for now, but wait at the post station. Also, I will arrange for officials to contact you regarding the trade of grain and firearms."

Zhong Miao was somewhat disappointed, but fortunately, the King of Han did not directly refuse, so there was still room for negotiation.

After Zhongmiao's envoy withdrew, the one who came next to him was Shizhu's horse carriage.

Unlike Zhong Miao, Ma Jia endured a great deal of hardship on his mission to the Han Dynasty in place of his father.

The days of drug rehabilitation in the prison cell were truly worse than death; even now, when he thinks about them, he can't help but tremble and break out in a cold sweat.

Moreover, for Ma Jia, although the Han Dynasty was prosperous and powerful, its arrival had indeed disrupted the stable status quo of Shizhu.

To be precise, it disrupted the stability of the Ma family.

Originally, the Ma family was the local tyrant of Shizhu. Although the Qing government had been weakening the Ma family's power, the process was very slow, and it wasn't finished even by the end of the Qing Dynasty. The Ma family was still enjoying their wealth and honor.

But now the Han have arrived, and they want to take away their land and forbid them from keeping slaves.

His father sent him on this mission almost as a way to beg for mercy, hoping that the King of Han would be pleased and grant them little or no share of the Ma family's land.

The slaves were released, so be it. As long as they had money in hand, they wouldn't lack people to serve them.

After Ma Jia paid his respects to the King of Han, he was about to express Shi Zhu's humble request.

Nie Yu interrupted first, saying, "I don't like to talk nonsense. It's good that Shizhu is willing to submit to the Han Dynasty. But Shizhu's land must be divided, including the private land of your Ma family in Shizhu. You can only retain a maximum of 300 mu. The Ma family voluntarily donated land. I can forgive whatever they did before, and I will also grant you a five-year tax exemption. I will not replace Ma Youzhao as the Shizhu Tusi (local prefect), but the next Tusi will not be from the Ma family."

"King of Han, I, Shizhu, have truly submitted to the Great Han." The carriage driver's face was grim.

Nie Yu nodded: "Therefore, I will not pursue the past crimes of the Ma family. I no longer care how many evil deeds your Ma family committed in Shizhu. Your father, Ma Youzhao, should understand this as well. Also, you don't need to go back to Shizhu after this trip. Just stay at Jingzhou University and study here to learn the ways of the world!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Jia was startled; they were going to keep him as a hostage!
Use him as a hostage? Of course not.

Nie Yu had never taken Shizhu seriously. Although he was quite familiar with the Shizhu White-Spear Soldiers and Qin Liangyu from the Ming Dynasty, that was almost two hundred years ago.

The Ma family was essentially a chieftain; a chieftain could never be a benevolent believer.

When Nie Yu said he wouldn't pursue the matter, he really meant it. This was also for the sake of peacefully retaking Shizhu and minimizing casualties and bloodshed.

If a real fight breaks out, Shizhu will be attacked from both sides by the big man and Zhang Zhengmo, with no place to retreat to. They will be like fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of others.

Nie Yu left the horse and carriage behind, simply because he felt that there was no point in the guy going back. He had no intention of letting Shizhu have a chieftain anyway, so he might as well stay in Jingzhou and study more.

(End of this chapter)