togophonebook Chapter 193 Deepening Governance
Chapter 193 Deepening Governance
The festive atmosphere of the Crown Prince's first birthday banquet still lingered in the streets and alleys of the royal city, but the atmosphere inside Chengyun Hall had quickly returned to the pragmatism and urgency of daily life. Although the military exploits of the southern campaign had forged a formidable reputation, and the temporary "Jiangpu Agreement" had provided a precious respite, Chen Xing knew all too well that conquering the world was difficult, but governing it was even more so. The Xing Kingdom was newly established, its territory had expanded rapidly, and its internal affairs were a blend of old and new, with countless tasks awaiting attention. If civil administration was neglected after such military prowess, it would ultimately be like building a tower on sand.
In the late summer and early autumn of the first year of Wuxing, a wave of reforms centered on "strengthening the foundation and cultivating the source, deepening governance" was systematically rolled out throughout the Xing Kingdom under the specific management of Jia Wen, Zhao Tiezhu, Su Xiaoxiao, and others. Chen Xing, stationed in the capital, oversaw the overall situation, personally handling major policies while delegating detailed authority to capable ministers.
The most urgent task was the land issue, which concerned the foundation of the nation and the people's livelihood. The newly annexed Western Liang region, having suffered from years of war in the north, was plagued by severe land annexation, powerful clans hiding their land, and widespread displacement of the people. If this situation was not addressed, not only would taxes be impossible to collect, but it would also breed popular uprisings and shake the very foundations of the regime.
Led by Zhao Tiezhu, the Civil Administration, together with the Supervisory Office and local officials, after months of detailed investigation and heated debate, finally promulgated the first systematic land decree since the founding of the Xing Kingdom—the "Equal-Field Decree." This decree drew on the essence of the previous dynasty's equal-field system and incorporated many innovations based on the realities of the northern regions. Its core provisions were: a nationwide inventory of all land, regardless of whether it was official, private, meritorious, or temple land, requiring registration and verification of acreage and ownership; stipulating that "adult men would be granted 80 mu of open-air land and 20 mu of mulberry land, women half that amount, and slaves and oxen would be granted land according to regulations," and that granted land could not be bought or sold, returning to the government upon death or reaching the age of majority; for existing powerful landlords whose land exceeded the limit, instead of forced confiscation, the land would be gradually nationalized through "redemption" as the primary method and forced repossession as a secondary method, before being re-allocated; at the same time, land sales were strictly restricted to prevent a new round of land annexation. Newly reclaimed wasteland would be given more favorable tax reductions and policy support.
The promulgation of the Equal-Field System caused a huge uproar. It touched upon the vested interests of countless powerful landowners, leading to numerous oppositions, resistance, and even clandestine attempts to obstruct the investigation. However, Chen Xing remained resolute. Jia Wen's Censorate and Chen Wei's Military Council worked closely together, swiftly and decisively punishing the most vocal and violently defiant landowners under the pretext of "sabotaging national policy and inciting rebellion." Their property was confiscated, and the ringleaders were publicly executed, immediately deterring all. At the same time, the law also provided tangible benefits and hope to law-abiding small and medium-sized landowners and ordinary farmers, winning the heartfelt support of the vast majority of the lower classes. Through a combination of iron-fisted and appeasement, the implementation of the Equal-Field System, though fraught with setbacks, finally took root, slowly but profoundly changing the economic foundation and social structure of Xing Kingdom.
Alongside land reform, the construction of a transportation network was crucial for the smooth flow of government orders and military mobility. The Star Kingdom's territory was vast and its terrain complex; if roads were inadequate, the central government's control over local areas would inevitably be weak, and the transfer of supplies and the deployment of troops would be inefficient. The Inner Court, headed by Su Xiaoxiao, allocated a large sum of money, and the Civil Administration Office, under Zhao Tiezhu, mobilized laborers, with technical support from the Works Battalion, to launch the massive "Official Road Repair and Post Station System" project.
The project was not a comprehensive undertaking, but rather focused on key areas and crucial connections. First, the main roads leading from the capital to Guzang in Western Liang, important towns in the northern frontier, Wancheng in the southern border, and several important ferry crossings on the Yellow River were repaired and reinforced. The roads were required to be smooth and wide, allowing four horse-drawn carriages to travel abreast. Key sections were to be paved with gravel, and bridges were to be reinforced or newly constructed. A "relay station" was to be established every thirty li along the route. These stations not only provided services such as changing horses, food, and lodging, but also served as intermediaries for official documents, intelligence relays, small-scale supply depots, and local security outposts. The station personnel were jointly selected by the Ministry of War and the Civil Administration Government, enjoying generous compensation and strict discipline, forming a highly efficient network covering the major national routes.
At the same time, Chen Xing instructed Chen Wei's Military Council to secretly survey and construct several strategically important "military roads" on the basis of the official road network. These roads were more secretive, had higher requirements for road conditions, and connected border fortresses, supply depots, and pre-arranged battlefields. They were maintained and controlled by the army in peacetime, and became lifelines for rapid troop deployment in wartime.
In addition to these major policies, the "soft" governance strategy of integrating education and culture with the Han Chinese is also being steadily advanced.
Under Jia Wen's supervision, "official schools" were gradually established in the prefectures and counties throughout the country. These schools did not solely teach Confucian classics; their curriculum was quite practical: primary schools taught the basic provisions of the *Xinglu* (Star Laws), common arithmetic characters, local products and customs, and basic agricultural knowledge; intermediate schools added classics, historical essays, military strategy outlines, arithmetic, financial management, and basic principles of craftsmanship. The textbooks were compiled under the leadership of the Grand Historian Wu Xuejiu, striving for conciseness and practical application. These schools were open to all school-age children, regardless of social status; outstanding students could be directly recommended to the Royal Academy in the capital for further study or to enter various levels of government as officials. This initiative broke the monopoly of aristocratic families on the path to advancement in knowledge, continuously cultivating and reserving new talent for the Star Kingdom, and subtly expanding its cultural influence.
Regarding the increasing number of Hu people who had submitted to the Han Chinese within his territory, Chen Xing continued to implement the policy of "Han and Hu as one, both obeying the king's rule." Militarily, Pang De's "Hu Righteous Cavalry" performed exceptionally well, with its bravest warriors beginning to serve as captains and lieutenants in the middle ranks of the army. Economically, intermarriage between Han and Hu people was encouraged, and Hu tribes were allowed to graze or settle in designated areas, enjoying the same land grant rights as Han people. Culturally, while not forcing Hu people to immediately change their clothing and customs, their leaders' sons were required to attend official schools to learn Chinese, Chinese characters, and the "Star Law." Simultaneously, Han officials fluent in Hu languages were selected to communicate with Hu tribes and mediate disputes. These measures significantly eased ethnic divisions and conflicts in the northern frontier, gradually strengthening the Hu people's sense of allegiance and leading them to truly bind their fate to the Xing Kingdom.
Governing a country is like cooking a small fish; one must master the heat and harmonize all the flavors. Chen Xing spends his days in the Chengyun Hall processing countless memorials, summoning officials from all sides, sometimes making decisions, sometimes mediating, sometimes encouraging, and sometimes reprimanding. Murong Mingyue oversees the inner palace, assisting with matters of etiquette and education related to the imperial family and noblewomen, and using her unique prestige to help Chen Xing appease military nobles and reconcile relationships among generals. Su Xiaoxiao, meanwhile, strategizes within the inner court, gradually turning the "Ten Strategies for Financial Management" into reality, increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, ensuring the enormous funds needed for various reforms and construction projects.
In the autumn of the first year of the Wuxing era, the capital of Xingguo, this majestic northern city, had lost some of the tension brought by war, but gained a more steady and powerful pulse unique to construction and development. It was no longer merely a military fortress, but was increasingly showing the rudiments of a political, economic, and cultural center of a newly emerging powerful nation.
However, Chen Xing did not become complacent with the sense of accomplishment in domestic affairs. He often stood on the high platform in the palace, his gaze passing over the rooftops of the capital city, looking towards the grasslands further north and the Yangtze River further south. He knew that beneath the temporary calm, undercurrents were still surging. The Snow Wolf Clan in the north would not sit idly by while a powerful neighbor developed peacefully, and the "peace" in the south was as fragile as paper. Internal reforms would inevitably continue to touch upon vested interests and trigger new conflicts. The road to governing a country was long and arduous.