Chapter 926 I wish to be like a feather under your wings, helping you to ascend to the sky
Shi Chang'an held the chess piece in his hand and said, "Now that all the tribes of Beiling have surrendered, and all the tribes of the grasslands have gathered in the imperial city, Your Majesty will not stay here for long. Before leaving, he must make arrangements for the future of the northern lands. He must also make early plans for the arrangements for those tribes."
Xiao Yan didn't rush to answer, but instead asked, "Sir, how do you think we should settle them?"
Shi Chang'an pondered, "You and Patriarch Gu had an agreement with Hu Baoxian before that you wouldn't kill them all after taking Beiling. They helped you break through the Beiling Royal Court, and they've been instrumental. A king's word is not to be trifled with, so naturally you can't treat them too harshly."
"They have now surrendered to the Wei Dynasty. Logically, they should be incorporated into the Wei people. However, if this is done, I am worried that Your Majesty and the court may not be able to cope."
Excluding those who died in battle or were captured, the tribes of the grassland who have surrendered now total more than 100,000 people, not counting those who have not participated in the battle and are in the border areas and have long been attached to the Wei Dynasty. If they are all to be incorporated into the Wei Dynasty, the Wei Dynasty will have to bear the life and death of everyone.
Food, clothing, farming, rebuilding the city, educating the people, all of these things require countless manpower and material resources, which is simply beyond the capacity of Wei, which has just been through a great war.
Moreover, these barbarians are wild and difficult to tame, and may not be willing to submit to the management of the Wei Dynasty. Even if they are willing to submit, it is impossible to gather all the tribes in a fixed place. They make a living by grazing, and most tribes migrate to places with abundant water and grass. The grasslands in the north are extremely vast.
It was impossible for the Wei Dynasty to keep them in custody and rely on the court to "feed" them in the future, nor did it have so many loyal ministers and generals stationed in various places in Beiling all year round.
Shi Changan was multitasking. After seeing Xiao Yan place his piece, he also placed his own piece on the chessboard and said:
"The Beiling Barbarians were not very wealthy to begin with. Previously, in their attack on the Great Wei, Hu Yanmin and his men stripped nearly every tribe bare. The court had already promised them a sum of money and food to sustain their winter survival, which was already a significant undertaking. Incorporating them all into the Great Wei would be a heavy burden on the court. Furthermore, since they feed and drink at the expense of Your Majesty, they may not truly submit to Your Majesty in the future."
Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. Beiling had fought with them for so many years, and now its "lost country" was only dependent on them because of the situation. How could they truly surrender so easily?
Moreover, what Shi Chang'an said was exactly what he was worried about. It was simply impossible for the Wei Dynasty to support the tribes of Beiling for a long time. The food, clothing and other expenses of more than 100,000 or 200,000 people were not a small amount. The court had experienced several wars in succession, and there was a lot of work to be done everywhere. It was impossible for him to spend all his money and energy on the people of Beiling.
But if he doesn't "raise" them, how can he make them return to his heart?
Xiao Yan raised his eyes: "So, sir, what do you think we should do?"
Shi Changan smiled and said, "Simple, maintain the status quo."
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow: "Maintain the status quo?"
Shi Chang'an said, "Beiling will be incorporated into the Wei Dynasty, but it will still be governed by the barbarians. Your Majesty can change Beiling into a prefecture. You can appoint a prince to govern Beiling County. The court will send an official as the Chief Inspector to supervise it. This official will be replaced every two years. Fifty thousand troops will be stationed at the Beiling County capital to serve as a deterrent."
"Beiling County enjoys the protection of the imperial court. The court will send people to educate them, teaching them farming, breeding, and textile techniques. However, Beiling County must also be under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. Schools will be established in each city, and they will also pay tribute to the court annually in the form of cattle, sheep, horses, and gold and silver."
The court will support them, educate them, and not force them to change their current tribal situation. They will still be governed by their own "king", and will even be allowed to be self-sufficient and prosperous, but they will not lose the right to control Beiling.
When everything in Beiling is back on track, this vast grassland will not only not be a burden to Wei, but will even become Wei's gold and silver granary.
It is inexhaustible and can be used endlessly.
Xiao Yan listened to Shi Chang'an's talk, a smile in his eyes: "I have the same idea, but it is really difficult to find people to stay in Beiling for supervision in the first few years."
"This person must not only be familiar with Beiling and proficient in the ways of an official, but also be intelligent and courageous, with enough scheming to suppress the Beiling tribe and educate these barbarians. I have searched the entire court but cannot find a suitable person. Do you have any candidates?"
Shi Chang'an remained calm in the face of the compliments he received. "I have lived in Beiling for several years, and with Your Majesty's grace, I avenged my master's death. If Your Majesty does not despise my imperfect body, I am willing to remain in Beiling County and supervise matters on Your Majesty's behalf."
Xiao Yan said sternly, "Shi Qing is a man of great talent. If you are willing to lend me a hand, I will be grateful."
The king and his minister had already reached a tacit understanding. When their eyes met, Shi Chang'an couldn't help but smile.
He still remembered the bet he made with that old fox Cao Boru. When he first met the young emperor, he had not yet ascended the throne, but he was already full of grand plans and promised him a bright future.
He once asked Xiao Yan if he minded that he was from Southern Qi?
Xiao Yan said that his heart was not concerned with the territory of the Great Wei Kingdom alone. He said that in the future, when there was no distinction between Wei and Qi in the world, it would make no difference whether he was loyal to the Lord of Qi or the Lord of Wei.
The seemingly ignorant and arrogant words and ambitions at that time were now moving towards the end. The young emperor in front of him was fulfilling his promise step by step, and he, Shi Yulin, would also become a witness to the prosperity of this world.
When the summer breeze blows, everything becomes lush and flourishing.
I wish to be like the feathers under your wings, helping you soar into the sky.
…
When the news of Beiling's great victory and Xiao Yan's return to the court reached the capital, it was already approaching Mid-Autumn Festival.
The fetus in Tang Ning's belly has been over eight months old. Her cheeks have become rounder, but her figure is still slim. She has no spots on her face like other women, and her skin is much smoother than before. If it weren't for her bulging belly and somewhat unconventional figure, she would not look like she is pregnant.
Seeing that Tang Ning's belly was getting bigger and bigger, she was still busy with court affairs every day, and quarreled with the court officials from time to time. Rong Yue and Xue Ru moved into the palace out of fear.
Except for the morning court and meetings, the two of them wanted to follow Tang Ning for twelve hours. Yue Jian and Hua Wu were even more nervous. They took turns to stay by Tang Ning's side and were extremely cautious. Qian Qiyue and Zhou Yuru would visit her in the palace every now and then.
Tang Ning had just returned from court. Not long after he sat down, he saw Hua Wu and Pan Xi following behind him come in with a pile of memorials.
Rong Yue couldn't help but say, "Hasn't the north already won a great victory? His Majesty has already returned to the capital. Why are there still so many memorials?"
Xue Ru also frowned: "Sister, don't Cao Gong and the others help you with your worries?"
Tang Ning asked Hua Wu and the others to put the memorial aside. Hearing this, he laughed: "Cao Gong and the others have been so busy lately that they are almost dizzy. If they heard what you said, they would definitely cry out in injustice."
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