Iron Dynasty Chapter 1029
Previously on Iron Dynasty...
Within the Imperial Study, the nine grand secretaries from the Cabinet positioned themselves behind Xiao Ming, observing as he outlined the administrative divisions across the Empire's map.
Following the departure of the Tibetan envoy after presenting the letter of credence, Xiao Ming called them to the Imperial Study to kick off the formal preparations for the fresh administrative zones.
Truth be told, prior to the start of the Tibetan expedition, they had already drafted the relevant administrative setups. At this point, with Xiao Ming's ultimate approval, everything was locked in.
“Why did Your Majesty label it an autonomous region during the Tibetan envoy's visit? Aren't you concerned about potential uprisings in Tibet down the line?” Fei Ji harbored reservations during his encounter with the Tibetan envoy, and now he couldn't hold back from expressing them.
Directing his finger toward the Tibetan Plateau, Xiao Ming explained, “Autonomy serves only to placate the Tibetans. Conquering Tibet is straightforward, yet governing them proves exceedingly challenging. Thus, rather than sending central officials, it's wiser for the court to appoint local Tibetan officials for oversight, requiring these officials to attend regular sessions at the Qingzhou Political Academy for education, thereby slowly integrating the Tibetan population.”
He cleared his throat before adding, “Furthermore, Tibet's armed forces have been dissolved. Stationed imperial troops ensure no disruptions can arise.”
Fei Ji along with the rest nodded approvingly. Pang Yukun remarked, “Governing a vast nation resembles preparing a fine meal; certain matters demand patience. With Tibet now part of the Empire, excessive force could provoke resistance.”
Having touched on Tibet's administration briefly, Xiao Ming pivoted. He declared, “The full list of administrative areas appears above. Examine it thoroughly.”
Based on his vision, the Empire's present territorial organization echoed the Ming Dynasty's setup from modern times, though with notable differences.
Generally speaking, he segmented the Empire into two centrally controlled provinces alongside eighteen standard provinces. The duo of centrally controlled provinces consisted of the Southern Direct Province and the Northern Direct Province. Encompassing modern Beijing, Tianjin, the bulk of Hebei Province, plus minor sections of Henan Province and Shandong Province, the Northern Direct Province stood out.Meanwhile, the Southern Direct Province covered modern Jiangsu Province, Anhui, plus the two provinces and Shanghai municipality. These two areas fell straight under the capital's oversight.
Besides that, the remaining provincial entities comprised Shaanxi Province, Shanxi Province, Shandong Province, Henan Province, Zhejiang Province, Jiangxi Province, Huguang Province, Sichuan Province, Guangdong Province, Fujian Province, Guangxi Province, Guizhou Province, Yunnan Province, Ryukyu Province, Goryeo Province, Guandong Province, Guanxi Province, and the freshly added Tibetan Province.
Regarding the recently seized Australia, Xiao Ming chose not to rush its integration into the Empire's provincial roster, given the ongoing expansion of the Empire's reach. It made sense to finalize it once stability returned.
As they gazed at the map's provincial layout, the officials pulled out notebooks to jot down details.
Reclining in his seat while savoring tea calmly, Xiao Ming went on, “Every province shall feature one provincial capital, accompanied by various upper prefectures, middle prefectures, and lower prefectures. Handle the precise arrangements among yourselves. I'll stay out of it.”
On this occasion, Xiao Ming opted against transforming prefectures into municipalities. He stuck with the Great Yu Empire's hierarchy of upper, middle, and lower prefectures, where an upper prefecture matched a provincial capital, a middle one aligned with a prefecture-level city, and a lower one equated to an ordinary city.
The top administrator for each prefecture remained the governor. The key shift lay in the enhanced governance, adding six deputy governors per prefecture, each overseeing distinct domains akin to scaled-down versions of the six ministries.
Provincial oversight mirrored that of prefectures, led by the provincial inspector with six deputies handling varied governmental functions.
Apart from core governance, provinces and prefectures alike would set up supervisory bureaus, with prefectural ones reporting to provincial counterparts, forming a clear chain.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” chorused the nine grand secretaries. This sweeping administrative overhaul promised a total revamp of the Empire's structure.
Still, they grasped that this change would streamline and formalize state operations. As the Empire grew, so did the complexity of affairs with booming sectors. The days of a lone governor managing all were history.
Bound by their limited expertise, numerous governors remained clueless on certain topics. Consequently, academy alumni would increasingly fill governmental roles.
Once the political overhaul talk wrapped up, a wave of ease washed over Xiao Ming. Reforms in military and politics had loomed like twin burdens.
The Empire's swift progress demanded ongoing tweaks to bureaucracy and forces in recent times. Such overhauls carried immense hassle.
Yet this iteration differed from past efforts in military and politics; it aimed for lasting resolution. These fields now neared modern standards.
Should rapid advancement persist, only tweaks would suffice, not wholesale shifts.
Henceforth, his energies could pivot to international matters, letting the machinery he installed run the state.
With the officials done sketching the map and exiting, Xiao Ming and Qian Dafu resumed map scrutiny. He indicated the island cluster south of Australia. “Known as New Guinea, this spot hosts a massive copper deposit.”
Qian Dafu's eyes lit up with delight. Holding sway in the Ministry of Minerals, he keenly tracked resources, beaming at news of fresh deposits.
“Then I'll dispatch the Ministry of Minerals to investigate,” Qian Dafu replied eagerly. The Empire sorely lacked copper amid machinery's rise, fueling vast industrial needs.
Two weeks on, Lei Ming in Australia got Xiao Ming's directive. It tasked a squad with safeguarding Ministry of Minerals personnel to New Guinea Island, noting abundant indigenous inhabitants there.
Accompanying this was an command to strike the British outpost in Indonesia.
Though the Netherlands claimed most of Indonesia, Britain's aggression had snagged a portion over time.
“Haha, the directive's here at last. Time for action once more,” Shi Yanjun quipped cheerfully. Lei Ming's prior dispatch had garnered feedback.
For merits awarded, contributing generals and troops claimed suitable lands and properties in Wales.
Currently, he and Lei Ming oversaw their own holdings. Formerly a British lord's, the property lay abandoned post-fleeing.
Thus, he invested 1,000 dragon coins for a hundred Welsh slaves to run his estate.
Lei Ming grew fond of this isolated ocean landmass. After Shi Yanjun's merit-and-coin purchase, he acquired a ranch with funds. Hailing from Youzhou, owning a ranch had long been his dream.
His aspiration realized, he envisioned future leaves spent horseback riding and sheep tending in relaxation. Yet battles awaited before then.