Your Majesty, do not attack Rome yet, or the Qin Dynasty will perish!

In the summer of 208 BC, the Qin army successively conquered the states of West Asia and Asia Minor.

It controlled a vast territory stretching from Southern Europe and North Africa in the west to Central Asia and South Asia in the east, from the Arabian Sea in the south to the Caucasus Mountains in the north.

More than 15 million people and hundreds of ethnic groups submitted to the Black Bird.

The city, built on the site of Babylon on the right bank of the Euphrates River, was renamed Chang'an, meaning "long-lasting peace and stability."

The Weiyang Palace in Chang'an combines Eastern and Western styles in its furnishings, exuding elegance and sophistication without losing its solemnity and grandeur.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Two rows of figures appeared inside the hall: one side composed of refined scholars, and the other of valiant military generals.

During this period, the Qin army destroyed the Ptolemaic Dynasty, the Antigonid Dynasty, the Thracian Kingdom, the Roman Republic, the Carthaginian Kingdom, and the Greek city-states, obtaining a considerable number of cards, all of which are now represented here.

"Rise."

Looking down at the crowd, Ying Xuan slightly raised his hand in a gesture.

"only!"

Only then did the civil and military officials present raise their heads and straighten their chests, facing their lord directly.

SS-level civil officials: Feng Dao and Yelü Chucai; S-level civil official: Han Derang.

S-rank generals: Wanyan Chenheshang, Tan Daoji; S-rank craftsman: Yuwen Kai.

A-level famous ministers: Han Xizai, Luo Yin, Yan Keqiu, Jing Xiang, Zhang Chengye, and Wei Renpu.

Rank A generals: Wang Zhen'e, Deng Qiang, Zu Ti, Liu Kun, Shen Tianzi, Yang Hu.

"It's safe!"

Looking at the vibrant faces before him, Ying Xuan felt a surge of pride.

Feng Dao was the first prime minister of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, serving four dynasties and ten emperors, and was known as the "Veteran of Ten Dynasties".

Yelü Chucai, the first prime minister of the Great Mongol Empire, laid the foundation for the founding of the Yuan Dynasty.

Han Derang was an important minister of the Liao Dynasty, skilled in both literature and martial arts.

Wanyan Chenheshang, the last famous general of the Jin Dynasty, defeated 8000 Mongol troops with 400 cavalry and led 1000 loyal and filial soldiers to a great victory over the famous Mongol general Subutai.

Tan Daoji was the foremost general of the Liu Song dynasty and a founding hero.

Yuwen Kai was the foremost craftsman of the Sui Dynasty, an expert in urban planning and architectural engineering.

Han Xizai was a famous minister of the Southern Tang Dynasty. Luo Yin was a famous minister of the Wuyue Kingdom, who assisted Qian Liu in establishing the kingdom.

Yan Keqiu was a renowned minister of the Southern Wu dynasty. Jing Xiang was a renowned minister of the Later Liang dynasty.

Zhang Chengye was a famous minister of the Later Tang Dynasty. Wei Renpu was a founding meritorious official of the Later Zhou Dynasty.

Wang Zhen'e: A famous general of the Liu Song dynasty, who secured Guanzhong in one battle.

Deng Qiang: A fierce general of the Former Qin Dynasty, he defeated the main force of the Yan army in the Battle of Luchuan and never suffered a defeat in his life.

Zu Ti and Liu Kun: Famous generals of the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

Shen Tianzi: A famous general of the Liu Song dynasty, who followed Liu Yu in defeating Lu Xun.

Yang Hu was a famous general of the Western Jin Dynasty.

"Your Majesty."

"Recently, Han Shizhong and Gan Ning ordered the division of troops."

"Li Jun, Zhang Shun, and Ruan Xiaoqi will each lead a contingent."

"The navy engaged in widespread burning, killing, and looting along the western Mediterranean coast."

"From Carthage to Rome, more than 120 fortresses and cities were captured."

"The number of women abducted and prisoners reached several hundred thousand."

"There are also large quantities of grain, gold, silver, copper, and armor piled up in Antioch."

The Chamberlain, Fa Zheng, immediately issued a statement to report the matter.

"Those two murderers."

Upon hearing this, Ying Xuan shook his head, feeling somewhat amused and exasperated.

Gan Ning was a notorious bandit leader in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, whose eight hundred brocade sail pirates were infamous for their ferocity.

Han Shizhong's reputation in the Southern Song Dynasty was not much better; he was known as "the rogue Lao Wu".

These two together are indeed a perfect match, like a hidden dragon and a young phoenix.

"Your Majesty."

"Isn't this action by the navy contrary to the will of Heaven and the people?"

Minister Xun Yu frowned and stepped forward.

Not only him, but also civil officials such as Zhang Juzheng, Cen Wenben, and Di Renjie felt somewhat reluctant.

Of the six ministers present, only Zhang Dun, Minister of Revenue; Wen Qiao, Minister of Rites; and Xu Shu, Minister of War, remained expressionless.

"It's alright."

Waving his hand dismissively, Ying Xuan said, "Our army is about to return east."

"In the western lands, the only threats are Rome and Carthage."

"Large armies can be stationed in Greece, Thrace, and other places."

"These two countries are too far apart, and naval warfare will not be easy."

"The actions of Han Shizhong and Gan Ning have at least prevented Carthage and Rome from having the capacity for external expansion for decades."

"In the future, if a meritorious official is enfeoffed in the Eastern Mediterranean, we can be assured of safety."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Upon hearing this, all the ministers praised it in unison.

"My lords."

Ying Xuan spoke up: "Currently, the western lands are under the control of my Great Qin."

"Nine thousand li from east to west, seven thousand li from north to south."

"The area is far more than hundreds of millions of hectares."

"The territory has expanded beyond the East under the rule of the empire."

"Its population is slightly less, at only around 1500 million."

"I wish to emulate Babylon, Persia, and Syria and establish a provincial system."

"Implement a three-tiered governance system of provinces, prefectures, and counties throughout the territory."

"Your Majesty's move is the best measure to stabilize the western lands."

Minister Xun Yu was the first to support it.

"I second that proposal!"

"I second that opinion!"

Civil officials such as Fa Zheng, Zhang Juzheng, Cen Wenben, and Zhang Dun successively voiced their agreement.

Unlike the East, the West had a very loose system of governance.

The provinces inherited from the Persian era were more like scattered small kingdoms.

The first kings of the Seleucid, Ptolemaic, Antigonid, and Bactrian dynasties were all provincial governors of the Macedonian Empire.

The provinces mentioned by Ying Xuan were a local system built on the basis of a unified empire. They were governed by provinces, prefectures, and counties, forming a three-tiered system that balanced each other and firmly controlled every inch of land and population.

Only in this way could the Qin Dynasty implement policies such as standardizing writing, cart tracks, weights and measures, ethical codes, and territories.

"Someone come here."

"Take the map of the Western Lands."

Ying Xuan shouted loudly.

"only!"

Attendants carried a huge scroll and laid it out in the hall, clearly marking mountains and rivers.

All the civil and military officials present gathered around, the newly materialized person still in a state of shock.

"Gentlemen, please observe."

Holding a long pole, Ying Xuan's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he declared with an air of authority, "The population of the Western Lands mostly lives on the plains."

"The plain of Mesopotamia was formed where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flowed."

"This plain nurtured the ancient Babylonian civilization, which was no less remarkable than that of China."

"No fewer than six million people live here alone."

"Then there is the Nile Delta, which also nurtured the ancient Egyptian civilization."

"Four million people lived there."

"Secondly, there are coastal plains, such as Greece, Thrace, and Asia Minor."

"These places, scattered and fragmented, add up to no more than five million people."

"Therefore, to govern the western lands, one must first govern the Mesopotamian plain and the Nile Delta."

"color!!!"

Upon hearing this, all the ministers loudly echoed their agreement.

"Take most of the Mesopotamian plain and establish the Mesopotamian Province, with its capital at Chang'an."

"Take the northern part of the Mesopotamian plain and the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and establish the province of Syria, with its capital at Damascus."

"Take the Nile Delta, establish the province of Egypt, with Cairo as its capital."

"The Anatolian Peninsula was taken, and the Anatolian Province was established, with its capital at Jingxi (present-day Istanbul)."

"Take the area south of the Caucasus Mountains, establish the province of Armenia, and govern the pacification of the barbarians."

"The Persian province remains unchanged, and peace and stability prevail."

"Macedonia was divided in two, with the western part becoming the Greek province and the eastern part the Thracian province."

"The capital of the Greek province was Athens, and the capital of the Thracian province was the Western Expeditionary Force."

"Cyrena was renamed Dinghai City (present-day Cyrenaica), and Dinghai County was established, belonging to the province of Egypt."

"The Arabian Peninsula is divided in two."

"The east was an Arab province, with its capital at Zhenhai (present-day Mecca)."

"The west was the province of Assyria, which was governed by Assyria (present-day Abu Dhabi)."

Ying Xuan's resounding words echoed throughout the entire hall.

The ten provinces under the rule of the Western Lands thus established their rules, laying the foundation for an unchanging pattern for the next thousand years.