Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World

When a woman enters the border region and marries a man, she will be given ten mu of land, and the newly reclaimed land will be exempt from grain tax for the first year.

By special decree, all citizens of prefectures and counties who intend to enter the border regions shall be properly arranged by the officials of the prefectures and counties, and this shall be included in the performance evaluation of the officials.

Upon the arrival of the imperial edict, the officials of the prefectures and counties were instructed to diligently proclaim the emperor's will and issue a proclamation both within and outside the capital, so that all might know of it.

On the day of Renwu in the seventh month of the eighth year of the Jiayou reign (1842), the imperial edict arrived and was carried out!

The imperial edict spread throughout the land.

They allocated separate quotas for the imperial examinations, granted land and reduced taxes, allowed commoners to enter the border regions, and even included the entry of commoners into the performance evaluation of officials.

These policies, without exception, were all designed to encourage people to live in the border regions.

Since it was an imperial edict, it meant that all thirteen circuits in the two capitals, except for Xihe Circuit, had to give way to it.

For a moment, the world was shaken.

Fujian Road, Xianyou County.

"The frontier?"

The boy, holding a folding fan, gazed at the notice posted by the government and pondered.

Given his family background, he had no shortage of fertile land.

With his talent and learning, he has no need to resort to opportunism to obtain the Jinshi degree.

However, matters concerning the frontier are indeed quite interesting.

The story of young people traveling and studying abroad has been imitated by many, starting with Jiang Lang of Huaizuo.

Now, he is sixteen years old and has passed the imperial examination to become a scholar.

If one were to travel and broaden one's horizons, it might be beneficial for writing policy essays.

"Yuan Chang, what are you daydreaming about?" A scholar accompanying the boy patted him and asked with a smile.

Young Cai Jing slowly shook his head.

Whether the study abroad program is feasible or not still needs to be discussed with my parents.

After all, he was only sixteen years old.

Jiangnan East Road, Jinshan Temple.

"clatter!"

"clatter!"

A monk with a shaved head, around thirty years old, with delicate features and a refined demeanor, was chanting scriptures with his eyes closed and striking a wooden fish.

Beside him stood an elderly monk in his fifties, gently striking a wooden fish.

Both were calm and focused, and the sound of their knocking almost blended together.

After a long pause, the monk stood up and sighed.

“Amitabha, this humble monk’s mind is in turmoil.”

Foyin Liaoyuan bowed to the abbot: "The imperial edict has spread throughout the world, ordering those with knowledge to live in the border regions. The south of the Yangtze River is a land of Buddhism, and so is the border region. The border regions have been lost for more than two hundred years. I hope the abbot will allow this humble monk to leave the temple and travel to see the scenery of the border regions."

The abbot was puzzled: "Foyin, you have always had Buddha-nature, so why is your mind in turmoil? Can't a monk let go of worldly affairs?"

"Chaos is not chaos, and chaos is not chaos." Foyin argued: "Temples are the secular world, and so is the frontier. Temples are not the secular world, and neither are the frontiers."

In short, if one is committed to spiritual practice, one can practice in temples or on the frontier.

The abbot sighed.

Foyin studied Confucian classics from a young age. He could recite the Analects at the age of three and three thousand poems at the age of five. As he grew up, he became proficient in the Five Classics and was known as a child prodigy. His ability to debate the classics was almost unparalleled.

His lineage was diverse, with teachers from various schools including Zhulin Temple, Lushan Mountain, Yunmen Temple, and Jiukong Temple.

In terms of seniority, he is top-notch.

In terms of lineage, the thirty-something-year-old Foyin has already taken in many disciples and has the demeanor of a grandmaster.

Foyin wanted to leave, but he couldn't stop him.

"Very well, let's go then."

The abbot responded and continued striking the wooden fish.

"clatter!"

"clatter!"

Huainan East Road, Yangzhou.

“Father, I intend to travel and study.” The young Qin Guan, with his refined demeanor, said decisively.

Right across from him, a burly man of about forty years old, his face slightly grim, stroked his beard and angrily rebuked, "You are only fourteen years old. You should be focusing on your studies. What are you doing traveling around for school?"

"My son loves poetry, but he has never seen the wonders of the frontier. The frontier poems he has written in the past were all based on his imagination. Now, he finally has the opportunity to see the frontier plants and trees. If he does not give up his dream, he will surely find it difficult to succeed in the imperial examinations," Qin Guan said firmly.

"The border regions are prone to chaos; it's far too dangerous," the burly man advised.

The implication is clear: it's not allowed.

"Tibet sued for peace and signed a letter of pledging allegiance. The border war has ended. How can there be any talk of danger?" Qin Guan insisted.

"you--"

"Rebel!"

Jiangnan East Road, Hongzhou.

The young Huang Tingjian, holding a frontier map, his eyes slightly shifting.

Perhaps, one could try traveling to the frontier regions.

At the age of eighteen, he had already passed the imperial examination.

Scientific expeditions to the border regions are much easier.

If one could take the opportunity to travel and even pass the imperial examination, it would be killing two birds with one stone.

An imperial edict caused a great stir among scholars and writers.

Ultimately, the vast majority of intellectuals had never been to the frontier.

Now, there is both policy support and the political climate of Tibet seeking peace.

This is a rare opportunity.

With the return of our homeland after more than two hundred years of loss, who wouldn't want to observe and write some poems?

Scholars, poets, and commoners from various prefectures and counties traveled northward to Xihe in an unbroken stream.

With a steady stream of talented individuals arriving, Jiang Zhao officially began to lay out his governance strategy.

Lezhou, Lanzhou, Hezhou, and Diezhou, which bordered Tibet, all had specially established "border markets" to implement the tea-horse trade and the tea monopoly law, advocating the exchange of tea for horses to promote border trade and stockpile fine horses.

Furthermore, to better manage and implement the system, Jiang Zhao specially established the Tea and Horse Bureau and the Market Exchange Bureau, which were under the jurisdiction of the Ever-Normal Granary Bureau. The chief officials of both bureaus were officials of the sixth rank, to show the importance attached to them.

After negotiations with the Tibetan Empire, more than 100,000 soldiers of the Yulongke tribe were placed under a land reclamation program, returning to the countryside to cultivate the land.

The seven prefectures of Xihe cover a territory of two thousand li. In the past, they were all occupied by Tibetans, and there were very few people who cultivated the land.

Now, with the newly expanded territory, there is no shortage of land.

Soldiers stationed in the military farms were given 30 to 40 mu of land each, with no exorbitant taxes or levies; only one-fifth of the grain tax was used for military expenses.

In addition, in accordance with the alliance, Jiang Zhao dismissed 20,000 border troops and allowed them to return to their fields, with one-fifth of the taxes going towards military expenses.

When soldiers return to their fields, they naturally have wives, children, and elderly parents to care for.

The combination of Yin and Yang, and the fundamental principles of human relations, are undoubtedly important ways to maintain social stability.

On the one hand, the government encouraged soldiers returning to their fields to marry Tibetan women.

Anyone who marries a woman of a different race will be rewarded with ten acres of land.

On the other hand, the governments of the two capitals and thirteen other circuits, except for Xihe Road, actively promoted and encouraged some impoverished Han women to go to the frontier to marry men.

Ultimately, with each soldier on the frontier owning 30 to 40 mu of land, they were already considered landowners.

Generally speaking, the grain grown on five or six acres of land can feed one person.

Thirty or forty acres of land is enough to easily support a wife, children, and elderly parents.

Compared to tenant farmers, soldiers who owned land on the frontier were definitely much better off.

As a result, Han Chinese women continued to enter the border regions and marry men.

Meanwhile, to stabilize the border, tens of thousands of border troops built fortresses on the frontier, forming a three-pronged approach of fortresses, soldiers, and cities.

There was a fortress every twenty li, guarded by more than a hundred soldiers; and a city every two hundred li, guarded by more than a thousand soldiers.

If any unusual activity occurs on the frontier, the fortress will light a beacon tower, and the signal will spread. The next fortress will then light another beacon tower, and the signal will travel for hundreds of miles in less than two incense sticks' time.

Within half an hour, the message could reach neighboring prefectures and counties.

With these processes in place, the defense is integrated, and the basic layout has been formed.

In order to retain scholars and literati, Jiang Zhao issued a special decree ordering Su Shi, the prefect of Hezhou, to establish an academy to gather scholars and exchange ideas on frontier affairs.

For a time, Su Shi became extremely busy.

However, judging from the feedback, he seems to be enjoying it.

Xihe Road, Xizhou.

The Deputy Envoy's Office was responsible for appeasing the envoys.

After Jiang Zhao finished approving a stack of official documents, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.

Recently, imperial edicts have been issued frequently, and the Pacification Commission has also been making continuous arrangements.

Thus, the overall situation is settled.

Next comes the period of rest and recuperation, and mending and patching.

"My lord, the inspection has been arranged." Zhang Zai, the official in charge of the business, stepped forward and reported.

With Jiang Zhao's level of expertise, he had already passed the stage of personally handling the affairs of a regional governor.

What he needed to do was to take control of the "Xihe" ship, this behemoth, and make overall arrangements to ensure that the general direction was not wrong.

Occasional inspections are already considered rare instances of "going down to the grassroots level".

"Where are the young masters?" Jiang Zhao asked.

A special trip to the grassroots level is bound to cause a stir.

Opportunities to put on a show are rare.

Therefore, Jiang Zhao specially invited five members of the imperial clan to attend.

Compared to him, the five members of the royal family needed their reputation more.

"They have all arrived at the capital," Zhang Zai replied.

"it is good!"

Jiang Zhao waved his hand and said, "Let's rest for a bit and then set off!"

"Yes."

Chapter 112 Plowing the fields for a show!

Hezhou, Yulongke tribe.

After Yu Longke was persuaded to surrender and was given a name and official title by Emperor Zhao Zhen, his tribe completely submitted to the Great Zhou.

Furthermore, Tibet was a tribal system, so the vast majority of tribes did not have the concept of a "state".

Therefore, there is naturally no concept of national sentiment.

In comparison, the Tibetan tribes had a stronger sense of "tribal sentiment".

Without a sense of national sentiment, it would be quite easy for them to take command and implement a policy of governing barbarians by using barbarians as a means of control.

In the past two years, more than 100,000 soldiers from the Yulongke tribe have assisted the border army in stabilizing the frontier and made significant contributions.

This tribe, which governs about a million people, has gradually transformed from a nomadic civilization to an agricultural civilization after two years of Sinicization.