Chastity Layman

"That's not enfeoffment, that's exile!"

Xiao Yu's beard trembled wildly. When he was the prince of Xiliang, he was also crowned king, but the Xiliang court didn't entrust anyone to a barbaric place like central Guizhou.

In that kind of place, slash-and-burn cultivation, even tribal vendettas are popular, and blood relatives are engaged in revenge. In short, it is an extremely barbaric and backward place. It is meaningless to be entrusted to this kind of place, let alone the governor, even if you are named a king.

The emperor couldn't help shaking his head.

It sounded pretty good at first, but unexpectedly it was sealed in the territory of the barbarians, which is too dishonest. That's not Datang's territory at all, how could they accept you as their governor and governor in the past?

If you want to seal it, you have to show your sincerity by taking out a real piece of land to divide it. If you can't even stand up, what is it called a seal?

But since Qin Lang had opened his mouth, he was unwilling to shut up.

He felt that what he said was not wrong, and even from a historical point of view, this was a path that had already been taken.

Think about the Bozhou Chieftain Rebellion during the Wanli Dynasty of the Ming Dynasty, that Bozhou Chieftain Yang Yinglong, he was not a barbarian. His ancestors lived in the Tang Dynasty.

During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the ancestors of the Yang family were originally from Taiyuan, and they were later ordered to conquer the Nanzhao Kingdom in the south. After the war, they were entrusted by the imperial court to guard Bozhou.

This guarding is seven hundred years.

Bozhou is located in the later Guizhou Province. It was a remote and wild place in the Tang Dynasty. Because of the rise of the Nanzhao Kingdom at the end of the Tang Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty and Nanzhao fought repeatedly, and the Bozhou area became even more barren.

From the late Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties, until the founding of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Yang family has always been nailed to the remote land of Bozhou, and guarded it for generations. No matter how the Central Plains changes, the Yang family has always guarded Bozhou. The Northern Song Dynasty had just founded the country, and it was not peaceful at that time. Regarding the distant Yang family in Bozhou, they simply issued an edict and canonized them as Bozhou Army Jiedushi, and let the Yang family continue to guard them.

Since then, the Song Dynasty has always recognized the Yang family's right to rule Bozhou.

When the Yuan Dynasty invaded the Central Plains, Kublai Khan also appointed Yang Bangxian, the contemporary patriarch of the Yang family, as the comfort envoy of Bozhou.

When the time came to the Ming Dynasty, after the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang also adopted the same strategy of appeasement and restraint for these local chieftains in the southwest. He canonized the Yang family as the Xuanwei Division of Bozhou and continued to hand over the military command to the Yang family.

During the seven hundred years from Tang to Ming, Bozhou was managed by the Yang family as a separate kingdom.

Until the Wanli period, Yang Yinglong in Bozhou rebelled, and the imperial court sent a large army to conquer, and finally wiped out the Yang family.

Although the Yang family eventually went to war with the Central Plains, from a historical point of view, the Yang family contributed to the Sinicization of the Bozhou area.

In history, the Yang family in Bozhou is actually the same as the Ning and Feng families in the south of the Lingnan. They were all Han people from the north. After many dynasties, because the location is remote and the Central Plains has no time to take care of them, they have been recruited and let them govern themselves. .

As for these people, they didn't dare to have any unruly ambitions towards the Central Plains, and they had always been their own emperors honestly. The Central Plains court also maintained the right to rule over these imprisoned lands in name.

This is actually very important.

It is precisely this step by step that the Han family in the Central Plains can gradually develop to the south of the Yangtze River, the south of the Lingnan, and the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Step by step, these places were also brought into the territory of the Central Plains Dynasty.

Li Shimin wanted to set up a world-appointed governor in the Central Plains, but Qin Lang opposed it. History has proved that doing so is actually splitting. But if it's enfeoffing the frontiers, it's actually a big deal.

In essence, it is the same as Feng An, Ning Changzhen, the Yang family, and the Mu family in the Ming Dynasty.

It is very useful for stabilizing the frontier, and it can even open up the frontier and assimilate the local barbarians.

This kind of enfeoffment is better than directly handing over these places to those barbarians. If the barbarians are a little stronger, they may rebel, harass, or even build a country if they are stronger.

Nong Zhigao in the Northern Song Dynasty, Nanzhao later in the Tang Dynasty, and the independent Jiaoguo in the Song Dynasty are all like this.

In contrast, the Han chieftains are more centripetal to the Central Plains.

"Your Majesty, the clan and heroes are entrusted to the frontier. The first is to guard the frontier, and the second is to screen the imperial court. Therefore, more power can be granted appropriately. If the feudal marquis is in the fief, you can establish a fief township army regiment according to the actual number of seals. The right to let them have corresponding troops."

"And allow him the power to collect one-third of the fief's tax every year in the fief, and the remaining one-third goes to the local states and counties, and one-third is turned over to the state treasury."

"In addition, according to the vassal's title and the number of eunuchs, a certain number of titles will be designated in the fief and rewarded to the vassals."

"Grant the vassals the power to recommend and enlist staff members in the fiefdom."

As for the number of soldiers supported, Qin Lang's suggestion is to divide it by the number of real seals. If there are more than 1,000 households with real seals, it is a big country, and it can have three armies and three thousand soldiers. Those with 500 to 1,000 households sealed off will be sub-states, and they can have two armies, 2,000 people. Those with less than 500 households sealed off are considered small countries, with an army of 1,000 people.

Heroes, if the number of actual seals is less than 500 households, they will be sealed in Xiazhou; those with 500 to 1,000 households will be sealed in Zhongzhou;

Although Qin Lang was talking about giving the vassals the right to command the township soldiers and soil regiments in their territories, and did not directly give other military powers, this is still military power.

The township soldier regiment means that it is not a standing army, and it can only be recruited if there is an emergency, but it can be recruited after all.

In addition, each vassal can also have their own guards and family troops such as the tent house and the marriage house. One hundred, Wang Jiubai.

military power.

That's what really gets a foothold on the frontier.

With this, it is possible to be a local emperor for hundreds or even thousands of years in the border area like Feng Jia, Ning's and Yang's.

Compared with what Li Shimin said before, the power of sealing the governor of the world, there is no doubt that Qin Lang's plan, although a bit out of place, is really sealed.

There is military power, tax empowerment, and the right to govern the people.

The only shortcoming is that the place is a bit out of the way. There may be no Han people in many places. In the past, most of the people under the rule may be barbarians.

But think about it, when the Feng family went south, didn't they just pass away like this, and didn't they survive in the end.

Those who can be divided, who is not a top hero noble, who has no family background?

In the past, build a castle and stockade to gain a foothold, bring your own slaves, and then try to recruit some poor people to the Central Plains, are you afraid that you will not be able to develop?

Wei Zheng couldn't help applauding.

"Your Majesty, I think this strategy of Bachelor Qin is very good, and it can be called a good strategy for the long-term stability of the Tang Dynasty. Please accept it."

But apart from Wei Zheng applauding, not many people are willing to agree.

The main reason lies in the enfeoffment law, which they all think is the law of exile.

No one wants to leave the prosperous land of the Central Plains, especially the center of political power, and go to the frontier to become some kind of savage king.

Even if Qin Lang proposed to give the vassals more land, more power, and even military power, they were not interested.

What's so good about being a savage king?

Li Shimin was also moved.

But seeing that ministers like Changsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, and Xiao Yu disagreed, they couldn't help but hesitate.

Just like Feng An, he was also the royal family of Beiyan back then, but he went to Lingnan for two hundred years, what did he gain? He was really assimilated into a Southern barbarian, but what about the branch of the Feng family that stayed in the north and returned to Jiangzhuang Wei?

Now it is Jingzhao Feng's family.

The same ancestor, but two hundred years later, is completely different.

One is still a well-dressed gentleman in the Central Plains, and the other has been called a barbarian by the Central Plains.

Not to mention, compared with the five surnames and seven sects in the Central Plains, in the eyes of Fang Xuanling, Changsun Wuji and others, although they usually don't like the five surnames and seven sects, and they often have to step on them secretly, but in fact Who doesn't envy them, who doesn't want their family to become a family with five surnames and seven families.

Who would want their family to end up as Lingnan Feng's or Ning's family?

Nobody wants to.

Only in the Central Plains can one become a famous family, become a powerful family, and become the mainstream.

If you go to the frontier, you can only become a barbarian, and you may even be roasted and eaten by the barbarians someday.

Li Shimin hesitated again and again, and finally let out a long sigh.

But when his gaze finally swept across Qin Lang's face, he found a stubborn gleam in his son-in-law's eyes.

"Qin Lang, if you proposed this policy of enfeoffment, then I would like to ask you, if I entrust you in southern Xinjiang according to this policy, would you be willing?"

"Of course I am willing!"

Qin Lang agreed without hesitation, why not? Although the Dynasty of Flowing Water is an iron-clad aristocratic family, the aristocratic family may not be stronger than the chieftains in the frontier.

"really?"

"Seriously!" Qin Lang said firmly.

Li Shimin was a little surprised, but also a little relieved, this is the minister who seeks the country.

"Very well, get the map."

Li Shimin asked to fetch a huge sheepskin map, on which was a map of the Tang Dynasty.

"I will give you a privilege, allowing you to choose your own fiefdom. If you are in the southern border of the Tang Dynasty, I will grant it to you!"

"Inherited and irreplaceable!"

Qin Lang didn't expect that the emperor was not so impatient, so he directly threw the map in front of him.

Looking at this somewhat out-of-scale map, it is still very different from the map of later generations in my mind, but basically the general direction is still correct.

East China Sea and South China Sea.

Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Annan Cochin!

Qin Lang glanced over one by one, but he hesitated for a while.

Which should I choose?

The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau is undoubtedly the least cost-effective, and the traffic is very stable now, and the Yi people are very powerful. Although the Sui Dynasty ruled there briefly, the Tang Dynasty has given up for many years.

In comparison, the southeast area is better, but Guangdong and Guangxi are not easy to intervene. The Feng family, the Xian family, the Ning family, the Chen family, and the Yang family have been operating for hundreds of years. After rushing to the mountains, Qin Lang wanted to grab the land in the past, but it is not convenient now.

I don't want to go to Yunnan and Guizhou, and Guangdong and Guangxi are not easy to get involved.

Looking around, it seems that Annan's side seems to be easier to start.

"Your Majesty, how is this place?"

Qin Lang pointed to Beibu Gulf on the map.

"This? Jiaozhou?"

Li Shimin was puzzled.

"No, it's not Jiaozhou. I'm talking about the northeast coast of Jiaozhou. I think it's near the mountains and the sea, and it's close to Jiaozhou. It should be a good place." Qin Lang was referring to the Vietnamese Haiphong at the junction of Guangxi and Vietnam in later generations. .

"You will choose, you can choose a big tree with your back, Jiaozhou is controlled by the imperial court, and it is governed by the Annan Metropolitan Governor's Mansion. It is indeed a good place for you to choose."

Seeing that Qin Lang didn't choose Jiaozhou, Li Shimin felt relieved. It was impossible to give Jiaozhou to Qin Lang, but it didn't matter if it was a place on the edge of Jiaozhou.

It is close to the mountains on the border between the Annan and Nandao in Guangxi, facing the sea on one side, and two hundred miles away from Jiaozhou.

Half-mountain and half-plain, near the sea is prone to floods and storms, so the Jiaozhou capital is located on the banks of the Honghe River, which is 200 miles away from the sea, instead of by the sea.

The emperor circled the map with his finger, and said casually, "Then I will grant you this land. You have sealed 1,600 households now, right? Then I will seal 1600 households from the east coast to the west." Ten li, with the Taiping River as the boundary to the south and Jieshan Mountain in Guangxi as the boundary to the north, this area is allotted to you as a fief."

Qin Lang saw that the emperor was really generous, one hundred and sixty miles from east to west, and more than three hundred miles from north to south. Although most of the north was mountainous, the plain still accounted for one-third of it.

"Your Majesty, can you assign the islands by the sea to the minister? These islands look pretty good, and if there is space, the minister can't go fishing or anything." Qin Lang pointed to the islands in Halong Bay next to him. With one finger, in fact, all the islands in the sea from Pokit Island to Dongxing Yongshi Island were drawn in.

Anyway, on the map of the emperor, there are only a few small dots in each island, and the emperor has no idea that they are actually several large islands.

Just as the emperor didn't even know that the place he just pointed to was actually very big.

Maybe the emperor knew it, but in the eyes of the emperor, the land on these barbarian lands was nothing at all, and it was not drawn out of his own pocket anyway, so what was the value of more or less?

It's like he bestowed Pearl Khan on Xue Yantuo's Yinan, and immediately allocated all the Mobei of the Turkic Ashina Golden Wolf family to Yinan, which is not his own.

How much is this mountain or island worth? Since Qin Lang is willing to set an example.

Of course the emperor had to be generous.

A hundred miles of land on the edge of Jiaozhou was enfeoffed to Qin Lang, which he thought was too little.

"This place was given the name of Wu'an Prefecture, and Qin Lang and his descendants were granted the title of governor of Wu'an Prefecture. It was ordered to have four hundred soldiers in the inner government and four hundred in the family government. Thousands. The emperor promised to open the government, and he can recommend and recruit officials."

"Wu'an Prefecture's tax is divided into three parts, one part goes to the Qin family, one part is reserved for the prefecture and county, and one part goes to the state treasury."

Qin Lang was elated when he heard that.

It's good here, it's wonderful here.

Not to mention being close to Jiaozhou, it was the only way for ancient maritime trade. After all, ancient trade had to sail along the coast. Is it possible that there will be no development near such a golden route?

Not to mention, isn't the Honji Coal Mine to the north of Haiphong? That is the Beibu Gulf, and it can even be said to be the largest coal mine in Vietnam.

There are mountains, plains, islands, large mines, and trade routes. This place is really a golden fiefdom.

Now the imperial court thinks that the north of Lingnan, Guangdong, Guangxi and other places are still in the hands of the barbarian chieftains, so they don't pay much attention to it, but Qin Lang is really excited.

"Sir, thank you Your Majesty for the reward!"

"Okay, this land is sealed to your home, and when you have time, start thinking about arranging people to go there first."

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go to Wu'an Prefecture in person!"

Li Shimin didn't expect Qin Lang to be so active, as soon as the fief was granted, he could not wait to go there.

"If you want to go, I can arrange it for you. But there is no need to be in a hurry. When Feng An returns to Lingnan after his visit to Beijing, you will go south with him, and take a tour of Lingnan for me!"

Fang Xuanling's grandson Wuji and others in the palace looked at Qin Lang with some puzzlement, why did he like this wild place so much?

A piece of wasteland, but still so happy, it must be the emperor and Qin Lang's master acting together there.

Hmph, it really looks like it.