During the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, the prince rarely spent time in the capital, and the family was finally reunited.
The little emperor had just learned to walk, shivering, causing the palace to burst into laughter.
Queen Sun Xueniang held her grandson in her arms, and her youngest son sat on her left hand. The smile on her face became thicker and she spoke with a slight Shaanxi accent:
"Qu'er, one grandson is not enough. The most important thing for a royal family is to have heirs. In the vassal country, I have to give birth to more grandsons. I haven't had enough!"
The prince could only smile bitterly.
The Crown Princess smiled slightly and pursed her lips in silence.
After giving birth to her eldest grandson, she no longer restrained the prince.
In this way, the selection process was carried out again in the harem, that is, the selection of palace maids and concubines, and the selection of wives for the princes, which was similar to that of the Manchu Dynasty in later generations.
Of course, the ladies in the harem also come out of the palace to get married. This is benevolent government.
These ladies-in-waiting were either married to military generals or were already engaged.
In addition to giving them a salary, the royal family also added fifty or a hundred silver coins as a dowry according to their grade, from beginning to end.
Isn't this a kind of solicitation?
At this time, the King of Liao and his party were about to leave Gansu after walking for three to four months and covering a distance of two to three thousand miles.
Sun Shirui, the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, said with great sincerity: "With the new expansion of the Liao Kingdom, it is better to be quiet than to move. It will not be too late to stabilize the situation for a few years before taking charge."
"If something happens, don't be ashamed. Just go straight to Anxi. Daming will always be your backing."
These words made King Liao feel quite emotional, and he felt inexplicably depressed.
He bowed long and turned around silently.
The large team then left Gansu and entered Anxi.
The first big city is Anle City in Gaochang Prefecture (Turpan), which was taken away from Gansu not long ago.
Gaochang Prefecture is now affiliated with Anxi, and its main function is to enrich its population.
As compensation, Qinghai Prefecture was included in Gansu.
The Turpan Basin, which is like a flaming mountain, caused many people to complain and suffer a lot.
After traveling for more than ten days, we arrived in Urumqi.
This is the first large brick and stone city in northern Xinjiang, which is enough to accommodate 100,000 people. It is a first-class city even in the interior.
After Anxi was captured, the provincial capital was initially located in Urumqi, because it was the khan tent of the Heshuote tribe and was rich in water and grass, suitable for farming and grazing, so the city of Urumqi was established.
But later, due to the conquest of the Bukhara Khanate, the Ili Valley became a logistics base and the second largest city in northern Xinjiang.
After all, Ili is also where the Junggar tribe’s sweat tent is located.
As time went by, the Anxi provincial capital gradually moved to the Ili Valley. In addition to the favorable conditions here, the most important thing is that it is located in the border area.
Anxi is bounded by Gansu to the east, Zhasak Khan's headquarters to the northeast, Rakshasa to the north, Weizang Kingdom to the south, and most importantly, Kazak and Rakshasa Kingdom to the west.
The dangers are all in the west, so it is natural to move the political center west.
Strategically, Yili is close to Zhao and Liao, so they can form a triangle and help each other.
Because of this, there was a strong call in the imperial court for the governor of Anxi to be given the title of Minister of Rites, in order to let him handle diplomacy with Liao and Zhao on his behalf, and by the way, he could also deal with the Rakshasa and Kazakh Khanates.
Of course, this is also due to the special circumstances of Anxi.
Anxi was so big that in addition to one governor who controlled the whole area, there were two chief envoys who were responsible for the administration, and two generals who were responsible for supervising the army.
The southern Xinjiang is occupied by the Uighur people, who believe in the Peace religion, and the northern Xinjiang is occupied by the Mongols, who believe in Buddhism.
The nationalities, beliefs, and politics are all different. If we didn't divide and rule, we would have become a mess.
Although there are deserts in northern Xinjiang, there are many basins and countless grasslands and mountains, which makes the Mongolian tribes feel happy.
However, Anxi’s biggest drawback is its vast territory and sparse population.
Urumqi sent thousands of cavalry to escort them, and the leading officer sighed: "There are only eight big cities and twelve small towns in Northern Xinjiang. Including the Oirat Mongols, the total number is only one and a half million."
"Sometimes after walking for three days and three nights, we may not be able to reach a city to rest."
"Oh? How many Han people are there?"
The King of Liao was not embarrassed about this and asked directly.
"Basically they are garrisons and refugees. I don't know about other places, but there are only 50,000 to 60,000 people in Urumqi."
The officer knew his identity, so he had no reason to hide it, but he himself had only a partial understanding of it.
The King of Liao was noncommittal.
Based on this calculation, there are only about 100,000 Han people in the huge Anxi area, which is really too few.
There are not many Han people in Anxi, so it would be even more difficult for his Liao Kingdom to relocate.
Thinking of this, his heart sank.
If the Han people could not migrate for a long time, they would be like ink in the lotus pond and sooner or later they would float away.
When I arrived in Ili, it felt very different from Urumqi.
Urumqi is an economic and trade city, while Ili is a military castle.
In the huge Ili Valley, with Ili as the center, there are nine military fortresses, large and small, all with Ili as the center, firmly occupying this small basin.
To put it simply, it is a frontier fortress.
The governor of Anxi was Ni Jieshu, the number one scholar in the first year of Shaowu. He was a native of Nanzhili, which is now Changzhou, Jiangsu.
He is only fifty years old, and his many years of living in Anxi have already turned his temples gray and his skin is as rough as that of an old farmer. It can be described as hard work.
Regarding Anxi, Ni Jieshu could only smile bitterly: "As a veteran, I basically patrol the roads every year. In the oases in southern Xinjiang, it is normal to eat and sleep in the open air."
"If I keep this old bone for a few more years, I'm afraid it will be blown away by the wind and sand."
The King of Liao could only sympathize with this.
When asked how many Han people there are in Anxi, the latter was silent for a moment and then said slowly: "The Han people in Anxi are basically concentrated in the two cities of Ili and Urumqi. Urumqi has 80,000 people, while Ili has only 50,000 people."
"The total number is probably around a reasonable 150,000."
"Our troops stationed in Anxi are border troops, numbering thirty thousand. Most of these Han people are their family members."
"What the imperial court means is to set up more private schools and naturalize those Mongols. If things go on like this, plus the exiles, Northern Xinjiang will be able to be digested in less than ten or twenty years."
"As for Southern Xinjiang, don't mention it!"
Ni Jieshu shook his head.
Southern Xinjiang is home to the Uighur people, whose appearance is very different from that of the Han and Mongolian people, not to mention the Peace Sect. It would be good if they can rule stably.
Thinking of southern Xinjiang, Ni Jieshu suddenly said: "Compared to northern Xinjiang, southern Xinjiang is more open, so it is quite xenophobic. I heard that during the Yarkand period, so-called saints were invited, which further contributed to its problems.
"
"Your Highness's kingdom of Liao is very close to the so-called Arabia. You can help take care of it."
In this regard, the King of Liao had nothing to do.
The team left Ili, went south to Kashgar, and then arrived in Andiyan, Zhao State.
The Kingdom of Zhao, that is, the Fergana Basin, includes cities such as Kokand, Andiyan, Margilan, and Namangan, with hundreds of thousands of people.
The water and grass here are lush, just like the Ili River Valley, it is a good place.
After visiting this place, he actually looked forward to the Liao Kingdom for a while.
Huang Zongxi, the Prime Minister of Zhao State, came to see him in person.
Seeing the prosperity of all industries in the Zhao Kingdom, the King of Liao couldn't help but sigh: "Prime Minister Zhao has some methods to govern the country."
"Your Highness is so complimentary." Huang Zongxi was a little proud of himself.
He only ruled the country for two years, and his biggest role was to organize households and people, and set up a system of prefectures and counties after the Ming Dynasty, which was basically copied.
But even so, in such a foreign country, it is still a skill.
The King of Liao and his entourage had a good rest in the State of Zhao for a few days. While strolling around, they sent people to notify the State of Liao to send people to greet them.
Kokand City is located in the center of the basin, so it is also the capital of Zhao State. However, according to previous rules, it will be named Handan.
However, Handan still existed in the Ming Dynasty, so the name Jinyang is suitable.
"The foreign minister has no choice but to leave it to His Highness King Zhao."
Huang Zongxi then asked him when King Zhao would become a vassal.
Regarding this, the King of Liao said: "The eighth brother is only nineteen years old. After all, he is a little younger. Let's talk about it in two years!"
"If there are any difficulties in the future, please send someone to Liao Kingdom and I will consider it as appropriate."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
After walking around for a few times, King Liao had some understanding of Zhao.
The two cities of Kokand and Andiyan are quite outstanding, each with a population of 50,000 to 60,000 people. The remaining small towns only have a population of 18,000, which is the same as the towns in the interior.
The huge Zhao State had more than 300,000 people, but it only took one mansion.
But the exotic atmosphere is quite strong.
A few days later, Liao Prime Minister Jia Daihua personally led thousands of cavalry and hundreds of civil and military officials to the border between the two countries to greet him, which was extremely solemn.
"I respectfully welcome His Highness back to the country——"
Thousands of people shouted in unison, their voices reaching into the sky.
Eight tall Dawan horses pull the elephant chariot, and the curtains are lowered, showing the majesty of the king.
"Princess, let's get in the car!"
Holding the princess in his hands and holding his son in his arms, the King of Liao boarded the carriage with a majestic and heroic attitude.
The mountain keeps shouting.
After traveling thousands of miles, we arrived at the city of Samarkand ten days later.
This thousand-year-old city in Central Asia is much better than Ili, but it is only inferior to Beijing.
"How far is it from the capital?"
"About three to five hundred miles." Jia Daihua lowered his head slightly, with confusion on his face: "Your Highness, Bukhara is slightly inferior to Samarkand, but it is not bad at all. There are hundreds of thousands of people living there."
"Whether it's the palace or the market, they are both good."
"But no matter what, Samarkand is the first city."
The King of Liao chuckled and said: "I heard that Samarkand was once the center of Khwarezm, and it was also called the Hezhong area."
"With such a majestic city, wouldn't it be a pity not to be a country?"
Jia Daihua wanted to persuade him again, but the King of Liao sighed: "I am afraid that the kite will break its strings and forget my Ming Dynasty..."
When it came to this, Jia Daihua naturally did not dare to persuade him any more, so he could only bite the bullet and agree, and then arrange the matter of moving the capital.
The King of Liao also didn't like the name Samarkand: "The white jade capital in the sky, the five cities on the twelfth floor. The immortal caressed my head, tied my hair and received immortality..."
"In this case, Samarkand will be renamed Yujing City from today on!"
Jia Daihua's lips moved, but no words came out.
Well, you are being too casual.
However, Jia Daihua still reported on the situation of Liao Kingdom according to the plan:
"The Liao Kingdom is 1,500 miles long from east to west, 1,600 miles from north to south, with eight prefectures and 20 counties, a population of 2.2 million, and an army of 100,000..."
"How much are the taxes?"
"In terms of silver dollars, it's about 1.5 million, of which only 600,000 are agricultural taxes, and the rest are commercial taxes."
Jia Daihua said casually: "Because they have limited resources, many tribes pay taxes on cattle and sheep, so there is no conversion. There are about 200,000 head a year."
"Too little, too little -"
The King of Liao hesitated, shaking his head.
Jia Daihua stood aside, wondering whether he was talking about people or taxes, or maybe both.
…
At the same time, as autumn falls in the north, the dry season begins in South Asia.
Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Yanbao.
This is the third dry season for the Kingdom of Ceylon and their third year of development.
The Kingdom of Ceylon has changed greatly.
After several conquests and operations, the population of the Kingdom of Ceylon has expanded to more than 100,000 people, with hundreds of large and small tribes. It can be said that this island can already be called a country.
Conflict with the Kingdom of Jaffna gradually arose.
"The ship is coming, the ship is coming -"
The port terminal has begun to take shape, with a trestle extending out, and then a large ship slowly docks.
Portuguese ship from Goa,
Immediately, a short-bearded Han man wearing a short robe came eagerly with a ledger and a group of big men.
The captain was not surprised by this and said directly: "Oh, my Zhang, I brought a lot of goods this time, as well as your favorite Han people."
"Fifty people, both men and women."
Sun Bai held the pen and the account book and said with a smile: "Still at the old price, you can choose pearls or ivory."
"Of course pearls." The bearded captain said with a smile: "Those Indians like to exchange gold for pearls."
"I heard that you are going to expand your army for war?"
"Who said that?" Sun Bai frowned.
"It's spread all over Goa." The bearded man said with a smile: "You are going to fight the Kingdom of Jaffna. They are supported by the Dutch. Do you have enough gunpowder? Do you need mercenaries?"
"Mercenary?"
"The sailors on my ship are all good men. There are about thirty people. Whether it is gold or pearls, I can pay for it."
The bearded man smiled and showed his big yellow teeth: "Don't worry, they are all good at dealing with those natives."
"I can't make the decision." Sun Bai frowned and said, "Let's wait until the goods are handed over!"
Immediately, a group of people unloaded a large amount of goods, including fifty Han people.
Most of these so-called Han people are actually of mixed origin, speak poor dialects, and only have Han names.
But even this, Ceylon still accepts it.
After one or two years of absorption, the number of Han Chinese in Ceylon exceeded 3,000, and a ruling class was initially established.
Sun Bai stepped back to Yanbao.
At this time, Yanbao changed drastically and became a small square city, enough to accommodate 5,000 people, with a moat and towering walls.
The once narrow castle has become a royal palace, where the Zhu family lives.
"Your Highness!" Sun Bai came over in a hurry, lowering his head and recounting the mercenary incident just now.
"When the rain stops, people's hearts become confused."
Zhu Ci sighed: "Mercenaries are unreliable and will only expose our true and falsehoods."
"Even the Portuguese don't have good intentions."
"Aren't they supporting us because they are unwilling to let the Dutch control the Kingdom of Jaffna? How can we, Ceylon, be willing to become a puppet?"
"The Dutch must be on guard, and the Portuguese must also be on guard. If they are not of my race, their minds must be different!"