Chapter 2282 - Dont Burden Those Beside You! (1/2)
Many common folk from the other countries had followed their sovereigns in entering the interior of the Great Tang, many of the shepherds slaughtering their livestock so that they could hawk the meat in the markets.
The cold wave had just passed, and the Great Tang didn’t have many sheep or cattle. But the Hu sold their sheep and cattle at extremely fair prices, and they had an endless stream of customers.
And with the silver the Hu obtained from selling the meat, they bought up steamed buns, pastries, tea leaves, silk, porcelain…
The Tang people and the Hu had completely different lifestyles, and the Hu found this sort of lifestyle extremely interesting.
Though the marketplace had people from all countries, all of them speaking different languages, there was a harmonious mood in the air, and no conflicts or quarrels popped up.
The Hu had fierce personalities, and they were prone to resorting to weapons at the slightest conflict.
This had been the case for numerous dynasties, and the conflicts had been without number.
But that was then and this was now. That incomparable war had truly won the respect of the Hu.
In the space of a single day, all of the Hu seemed to have been tamed.
Whoosh!
The messenger bird flapped its wings, flying over the streets of the capital. At a certain restaurant in the southern part of the city, it turned and flew past the balcony, toward a youth of unusual bearing.
Wang Chong extended his hand to receive the bird. After glancing through the letter it had delivered, he smiled and put it away.
A voice came from the side. “How is it? Did everything in the court go smoothly?”
Not far from Wang Chong, Xu Qiqin, dressed in a white gown, appearing like a fairy out of a painting, looked at Wang Chong and smiled.
“Mm, everything went according to plan. The sovereigns of the other countries have been made Kings, and the Governors have been appointed.”
Wang Chong smiled, hiding nothing from Xu Qiqin.
“The other countries are all very subdued toward you after the Youzhou war. So long as you are present, the other countries will probably not dare to rebel. But to have the other countries completely integrate with the Great Tang is no easy task.
“After all, they have different customs, and as time passes, quarrels will inevitably appear. This is unavoidable.
“If the Great Tang wishes to truly subdue these countries and unite the world, this will be a heavy burden that will take many years to achieve,” Xu Qiqin calmly said. Though she was a woman that did not possess any prodigious martial arts, when it came to politics and military affairs, she was able to be of great aid to Wang Chong.
Perhaps because she was a woman, she was always able to see through the current situation and see the possible dangers in the future.
“Yes, it’s unavoidable.”
Wang Chong waved his sleeve and softly smiled.
“Besides having the sovereigns made into Kings and appointing Governors, I have also ordered for the armies of the other countries to be reduced by half and to be scattered amongst the various Tang armies.
“There are several phases to this plan, and this is only the first step. There will be a second step and third step, and in the end, the countries will not have their own armies. Even if they do, they will be on a much smaller scale.
“In the future, the countries will integrate. This is the general trend, and no matter how long it takes, it will be done.
“In addition, I have already ordered the Bureau of Revenue and Bureau of Personnel to take impoverished families from various areas and send them to the bordering countries. The Bureau of Revenue will pay the travel expenses, and if they are willing, the Imperial Court will provide them a certain number of cattle and sheep for free. Once they have developed their herds to a certain level, the Imperial Court will purchase their livestock and sell them in the Central Plains.”
Wang Chong spoke with a natural persuasive force in his voice.
Xu Qiqin’s eyes flashed as she looked at Wang Chong, a hint of admiration within them.
On this continent, Wang Chong did not possess the greatest amount of experience, but his insight and observational abilities were incomparable amongst the famed generals of the continent.
Through his feat of uniting the world under the Great Tang Empire, Wang Chong had already cast all the other renowned generals and officials into the shadows.
Pop! Crack!
As the two were speaking, firecrackers burst out, accompanied by the raucous cheers of the crowd.
The pair stopped their conversation and turned their heads to look outside.
Large crowds packed the street, and there was a festive mood in the air.
Wang Chong and Xu Qiqin looked down just in time to see a fireworks team passing by.
“Wow! Such pretty fireworks!”
“Tanghulu! I want to buy a tanghulu!”
The crowd was lively and bustling. Wang Chong spotted a child of three or four being raised up on his parent’s head, but his attention was less on the fireworks and more on the tanghulu stand by the side of the road.
The cold wave had thawed, and several months had passed since the war. The people had completely forgotten about this war and were completely immersed in the festive mood.
If one were only able to witness this scene, they might not even realize what the Central Plains had been through.
“In truth, it is the common folk that are the most blessed,” Xu Qiqin said with an emotional sigh.
Wang Chong nodded.