After Transmigration: Building a Kingdom in Turbulent Times

Chapter 1182 - 1164: Preserve Their Customs

Zhao Hu: "What about after that?"

"If our nation is strong, and they enjoy the same treatment as the Jin people, living well, why would they rebel?" Zhao Hanzhang replied, "Seventh Ancestor, you shouldn’t always assume the worst of them."

Zhao Hu looked at her in surprise, unable to believe she could be so naive. Yet she appeared serious, as if she genuinely believed this, and couldn’t help but widen his eyes, "Are you serious?"

Zhao Hanzhang frowned, looking earnest, "This is what I truly think."

Zhao Hu was at a loss for words, turned around, and left with the servant.

Once Zhao Hu left, Zhao Hanzhang relaxed her expression and looked at Ji Yuan and Ming Yu.

Ming Yu said expressionlessly, "I do not agree with Zhao Hu’s view, but the customs and lifestyles of the barbarians differ too much from ours. Hence, they are considered alien, and being alien makes it difficult to be of one heart."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "That’s why we need education. If the nation treats them as its own people, and they see themselves as citizens of the nation, even if they rebel in the future, it will be a revolt of citizens against the court, not barbarians against the Han people."

Ming Yu was slightly surprised and reprimanded, "Great General, why do you speak such ominous words?"

Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t help but smile, "Though I wish for eternal peace under heaven, and that the empire I build can be passed down through the ages, I know that’s impossible."

Ji Yuan couldn’t help but furrow his brow, "Why is the Great General so pessimistic? Although the Han lasted only over four hundred years, Zhou lasted nearly eight hundred years. With your merits, extending it for a thousand years is not a problem."

She thanked them for such trust and praise. Looking back in history, there are only Xia, Shang, Zhou, Qin, and Han, oh, and Wei, which isn’t quite representative, and the Jin where they currently are. The truly unified dynasties are only Qin and Han, so they felt that it was normal for a dynasty to last over five or six hundred years.

But she had seen far longer histories, and she knew that the rise and fall of dynasties were inevitable, the future full of unknowns.

Since Han’s lifespan was shorter than Zhou’s, some have already proposed abolishing the commandery-county system and restoring the feudal system, believing that Zhou’s longevity benefited from feudalism.

The Little Emperor this year became increasingly averse to studying, with great pressure. He behaved only when Zhao Hanzhang was around; at other times, he indulged himself when possible.

Many Jin Officials who had pinned their hopes on him were disappointed and bewildered, while Zhao Hanzhang’s people leaned more towards elevating her.

At this time, there was quiet discussion about the state system for the future.

Many began to circle around Zhao Hanzhang, subtly suggesting that if a dynasty were to last long, it would be better to establish a feudal system, appoint many kings, and if rebellion occurred, as long as the local kings remained, the world would not change masters easily.

Zhao Hanzhang directly asked them, "Like the recent Eight Kings’ Rebellion?"

Their faces immediately turned pale.

Zhao Hanzhang said, "So, have we been waging wars and quelling rebellions all this time just to put our surname on the empire, rather than to relieve the common people from the sufferings of war?"

"Why do I care so much about Jiangnan? It’s because all the people under heaven are brothers, within the four seas, to truly achieve peace in the empire, it must be unified," Zhao Hanzhang said, "Only through unification can the nation and localities be prosperous, allowing the people to live and work in peace."

"The world is so vast, it can’t be just us Han people—Xiongnu, Jie Clan, Di Clan, Xianbei, and Baiyue in the south—once they come under our rule, they are our brothers," Zhao Hanzhang sighed, "The hearts of the vast majority are also red and warm. So long as the nation treats them equally and protects them, they would naturally care for the country as they do their parents."

"Yes, the Seventh Ancestor’s common saying isn’t wrong, but the alienation isn’t about race, it’s the alienation of hearts. There will always be those who are nurturing, valuing their own interests first, and thus committing rebellious acts. But does this only apply to barbarians?" Zhao Hanzhang questioned.

Ji Yuan and Ming Yu pondered for a moment, then bowed and said, "We have been short-sighted."

Zhao Hanzhang waved her hand, "I understand your concerns. Their living customs differ from those of the Han people, their writing and language are different, so you worry and fear, but we outnumber them. How do you know they aren’t worried and afraid?"

Ji Yuan thought about it from their perspective and immediately said, "They must be more worried and afraid than we are."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "So we must calm their hearts, dispel their fears. Half of the world’s disputes arise from interest, the other half from fear. Eliminate fear, and if their ethnic interests align with national interests, the problem will be solved."

Ji Yuan gave it some thought and said, "Does the lady wish to appoint them as officials, tempt them to study Han writing, speak Han language, and take civil and military exams?"

"Indeed," Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "When King Langya went south, at first it was difficult. I heard that when he had just arrived in the south, on the street, he met a head of a southern noble family; they turned their heads pretending not to see him, not even bothering to greet."

"Langya’s domain is in Xuzhou, which is the closest region to Jiangnan and Jiangdong, separated by just the Yangtze River. Why do Jiangnan’s aristocrats hate the southern influence so much?"

Ming Yu sneered, "Naturally, it’s because many northern noble families entered the south, yet were not under their control, and instead, contested for their living space. With such interests conflicts, dislike arose."

Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "That’s right, and deeper conflicts stem from the prior Three Kingdoms disputes."

Now, it has been only thirty-one years since Wu Kingdom fell during the Three Kingdoms. The generation who personally experienced the Wu-Jin wars are still alive, and they were never convinced by Jin, while the Nine-Rank Merit System further excluded southern aristocratic families.

Looking back at the previous court, how many officials could you find coming from the south?

Now, on the court controlled by Zhao Hanzhang, you can count the southern-born officials on one hand.

"They have no voice in national politics, feel no sense of belonging to Jin. People north of the Yangtze River fought with brains out, while they just watched from across the shore, feeling no nation-loss because they never truly embraced Jin in their hearts," Zhao Hanzhang sighed, "This is one reason. Two, despite being just across the Yangtze River, their living customs are entirely different, and neither side can accept the other. Whether you eat rice or buns on the table, whether you cook porridge with yellow rice or have noodle soup."

"People on the north shore moved south and tried to change their customs, regarding their traditions as barbaric, thus interaction was full of conflicts," Zhao Hanzhang shook her head, "Fortunately, Wang Dao was gentle and willing to mediate from the middle, or else, King Langya and his peers wouldn’t need us to act; they wouldn’t survive in the south."

"If Wang Dao treats the Southern people like this even though they’re Han, why should we force ethnic groups with different languages and scripts to be exactly like us?" Zhao Hanzhang said, "Amend their education without changing their customs, unify their governance without altering their suitability; this is the way to govern them."

Ji Yuan and Ming Yu exchanged glances, knowing now how to treat the Xiongnu, Jie Clan, and other minority groups. They rose and responded together.