"I have three impressions. One is that Yunnan is so damn big." Zhu Zhen chuckled and said: "The Yuan Dynasty set up fifty-two roads in Yunnan. If we completely follow the rules of 'transforming roads into prefectures', we will have to set up five
Twelve mansions!”
"So many?!" Mu Ying was also surprised. Before, the mountains were high and the roads were far away. Ming Dynasty's understanding of Yunnan was limited to the sphere of influence of King Liang and the Duan family, but it knew very little about the vast western and southern Yunnan.
.
"That's not the case." Zhu Zhen nodded and said, "I am synthesizing various atlases and drawing the territory of Yunnan. You will know it clearly at a glance."
"It seems that just conquering Kunming and Dali is not enough." Mu Ying sighed softly.
"It's true. Yunnan is too big and there are too many barbarians. We must be prepared for a long-term war." Zhu Zhen nodded and said solemnly: "This is my second thought. I checked the household registration and found that the Han people in Yunnan
Too few. It accounts for less than one-tenth of the total population, and this is even when a large number of barbarians do not have household registration."
"Indeed, I heard that there are slightly more Han people in Kunming and Dali. Even if there are Han people elsewhere, they are no different from barbarians." Mu Ying said seriously: "If we want long-term peace and stability, how can the Han people do this?"
"Yes, it is far from enough. We must change the composition of the population and make Han people the majority. Only then can this place be regarded as the land of the Han family." Zhu Zhen clasped his hands behind his back and sighed: "There is still a long way to go, Brother Wenying.
.”
"Yes." Mu Ying nodded and said: "Yunnan is indeed different from any province we have recovered before. After defeating it, the challenge has just begun."
"We must perfectly integrate Yunnan into the territory. This is not only related to the present of Ming Dynasty, but also related to our future." Zhu Zhen said with firm eyes.
Mu Ying nodded, he understood what His Highness meant.
The two have been almost inseparable since they arrived in Guizhou. They have talked about everything for a long time. Mu Ying has already heard Lao Liu talk about his grand blueprint of constantly expanding territories and feudal overseas countries.
As a warrior, he naturally supports it with both hands. This is simply a tailor-made outlet for the military commander group. I believe that no noble nobleman will not catch a cold.
But as His Highness's sworn brother and an official of the Ming Dynasty, to be honest, he felt that His Highness's idea was difficult to realize. Not to mention other things, just speaking of the land separated by mountains and seas, it was definitely easier to conquer than to defend.
How to integrate these overseas lands into the territory of the Ming Dynasty, so that they can continue to generate blood for the imperial court like core territories, instead of becoming a burden that causes the imperial court to continuously lose blood?
Until this eternal problem is solved, he is not optimistic about His Highness's wild thoughts. I believe the Emperor will not agree either...
From this point of view, we can understand why His Highness is so concerned about Yunnan. If he can do this in Yunnan, it can prove that he can copy the Yunnan model elsewhere.
If he can't do well in Yunnan, then there will be no need to talk about "expanding territory and feudal overseas" anymore.
"What do you think is the biggest obstacle to doing well in Yunnan?" Zhu Zhen asked again.
"That is undoubtedly the chieftain." Mu Ying said sharply: "Those chieftains and chieftains are all Tusi emperors. Why did King Liang not want to live without Qu Jing? Because he knew very well that without Qu Jing's 100,000 troops, those
The chieftain will never listen to him again."
"Yes, from the moment he lost his 100,000-strong army, Yunnan was no longer his." Zhu Zhen nodded and said, "But now it is not ours, but the chieftain's."
He sighed and said: "My third feeling is that the chieftains are too powerful. Most of the population and land in Yunnan are under their control. If we want to have the final say in Yunnan, we must restrict them."
"It's just that the chieftain system has lasted for thousands of years. The imperial courts of all dynasties have only restrained these native officials and chieftains. Even the former Yuan Dynasty, which had the strictest control over the chieftain forces, did not abolish the chieftain system in Yunnan." Mu Ying said softly: "If we
If you dare to attack this system, you will definitely stir up a hornet's nest."
"Is it reasonable to continue for thousands of years? Even if it was reasonable at the time, it has long been unreasonable with the passage of time." Zhu Zhen said categorically: "The chieftain system can only cultivate a group of white-eyed wolves. When the world is peaceful, people will change their ways to follow.
The court begged for food, and if it was not given, they would cry, make trouble, or even rebel."
"But when the country is in crisis and you are employing people, you don't want to see their shadow. Everyone surrenders faster than anyone else. If you don't stab you in the back, it would be righteous. What's the use of keeping such a chieftain? If you don't take advantage of it,
If we change it now when everything is in ruins, future generations will not be able to change it even if they want to!"
"Understood." Mu Ying heard clearly that His Highness was going to attack the chieftain system. Of course he supported this, but he had to remind Lao Liu to be cautious.
"But Your Highness, you must think twice before you act. The issue of toast is too sensitive. If you don't get it right, it will cause uproar."
"I know, but being polite at first is easy for them to bite you in the face, so we have to kill the chicken first to scare the monkeys." Zhu Zhen nodded and asked: "The biggest chicken in Yunnan should be the Duan family in Dali, right?"
"That's for sure." Mu Ying nodded. "The Duan family was originally the lord of Yunnan, but was later demoted to a native chieftain by the Yuan Dynasty. However, they still speak the truth in Dali, and they also have great influence in Lijiang and Weichu."
"How can we allow others to snore on the side of the bed?" Zhu Zhen said coldly: "Such a frivolous force cannot be allowed to exist on the territory of the Ming Dynasty!"
"..." Mu Ying touched the military report in her sleeve, smiled bitterly and said, "Does Your Highness know everything?"
"Yeah." Zhu Zhen didn't hide anything from him, nodded and said: "I just received a report from Dingyuan Hou, saying that Lan Yu and Jin Chaoxing led the army to attack Dali. Before I had time to call you over for discussion, you should come first.
Already."
"Hasn't your Highness already discussed this?" Mu Ying finally understood why King Chu told her so much. It was because His Highness also wanted to make a big deal... so that she could not express her objections.
"This is what I think. Brother Wenying can also have different ideas. Let's try it out and listen to whoever is right." Zhu Zhen said with an embarrassed smile and said: "There is something I haven't told Wenying yet.
Brother said that I sent someone to pass on the news about Lan Yu."
"I guess no one else has that ability," Mu Ying said with a bitter smile.
"I have no choice. If I don't agree to help him, can he stay in Guangxi and not cross the Xiyang River?" Zhu Zhen said apologetically: "Originally it was just a strategy to slow down the troops, but I didn't expect Lan Yu to give him a chicken feather.
God, the action is so fast."
"When it comes to marching and fighting, the general also admires him." Mu Ying sighed softly: "It's just that he is too murderous. If you let him go to Dali, I'm afraid he will be bloody."
"It doesn't matter if you strike a little harder, it will serve as a warning." Zhu Zhen didn't take it seriously.
