Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1087: Officially Proclaimed Emperor, Establishing the Title of Tianyuan!

The cheers were deafening. Many elderly people had tears in their eyes—the world had been in chaos for too long, and they finally saw hope for unification.

The day after the coronation ceremony, the first grand court assembly was held in Chengtian Hall.

Unlike yesterday's grand celebration, today's court assembly was pragmatic and efficient. Gaoyao has abolished the complicated rituals of the traditional court assembly, and instead holds a grand court assembly on the first and fifteenth of each month. On weekdays, the six ministries handle their own government affairs, and major matters are decided through the "Cabinet Meeting"—this "Cabinet" consists of the six ministers and two privy councilors, and was created by Gaoyao by drawing on the modern administrative system.

"Report to the Ministry of Revenue first," Gao Yao said bluntly.

Xiao He stepped forward, holding a jade tablet, but did not unfold the bamboo slips—three years ago, Gaoyao promoted papermaking technology, and now official documents in the court were mostly made of paper: "Your Majesty, as of last month, the registered population of China was 28,276,432. Among them, 3.2 million were from the original Baiyue lands, 2.8 million from the three northern prefectures, and more than 2 million from the Qiang lands and newly attached prefectures and counties. Last year, the country collected 4.8 million shi of grain, 1.2 million bolts of cloth, and 8.5 million guan of cash."

The moment the figures were announced, a slight commotion arose in the hall. At the height of the Southern Territory's power, the population of the Gaoyao-controlled area was only a little over two million; food was plentiful, but the population was sparse. Now, not only has the population quadrupled, but grain taxes have increased more than sixfold.

"What's the warehousing situation?" Gao Yao asked.

"The total grain reserves in the granaries across the country are nine million shi, and the military grain reserves are three million shi, which can meet the needs of the whole country for a year. In addition, the capital's granary holds three million shi of grain, and strategic locations hold two million shi of grain." Xiao He answered fluently. "Last year, the three prefectures in the north had a bumper harvest, and these three prefectures alone contributed two million six hundred thousand shi of grain tax; after the implementation of new rice varieties in various places, the yield per mu increased by 20%; although the Qiang land is not suitable for farming, the number of cattle, sheep and horses has increased greatly. Last year, we paid tribute with 30,000 horses, 9,000 cattle and 100,000 sheep."

Gao Yao nodded in satisfaction. He understood that food was the foundation for survival in chaotic times. Over the past three years, he had obtained seeds for three improved crops through the system: drought-resistant millet, high-yield rice, and disease-resistant wheat, and promoted their cultivation in suitable areas. At the same time, he ordered the Ministry of Works to develop new agricultural tools, construct irrigation projects, and reward land reclamation. Under these measures, agricultural production rapidly recovered and developed.

“Let me explain the governance of the Qiang region in detail.”

Huo Guang, the Minister of Rites in charge of ethnic affairs, replied: "Since Your Majesty implemented the policy of 'unity of Qiang and Han,' all thirteen major tribes and forty-seven minor tribes of the Qiang have submitted. We have established three prefectures and nine counties in the Qiang territory, appointing Qiang leaders as prefects and magistrates, while simultaneously dispatching Han officials as deputies to teach them writing and law. Qiang youths can study at the Imperial Academy in the capital, and those who excel can enter officialdom after passing the examination."

"How is the training of the Qiang cavalry?" Gao Yao turned to Yue Fei, the Minister of War.

"Your Majesty, the Qiang Cavalry Battalion currently has 20,000 elite cavalrymen, personally trained by General Huo Qubing. These Qiang people have grown up on horseback since childhood, possessing superb horsemanship skills. After formal training, they have formed a formidable fighting force. Last autumn, during the exercises, the Qiang Cavalry Battalion and the Black Armor Cavalry clashed, with a 40/60 chance of victory—the Black Armor Cavalry won due to their superior equipment and strict discipline, while the Qiang Cavalry won due to their mobility and familiarity with the terrain."

Gao Yao nodded and then asked, "Do the Qiang people have any grievances against the imperial court?"

Fan Zeng pondered for a moment and said, “Initially, some chieftains were indeed dissatisfied with the limitation of their power, but His Majesty’s benevolence was appropriate: on the one hand, he allowed the Qiang people to retain some of their customs and did not force them to change to Han customs; on the other hand, he opened the tea-horse trade, and the Qiang people exchanged horses and furs for tea, salt, iron, and cloth, which greatly improved their lives. Now most Qiang people have identified themselves as subjects of Yue, and last year three thousand Qiang people volunteered to join the border army to defend against the Xiongnu.”

Economic means combined with cultural integration, supplemented by military deterrence—this is the core of Gaoyao's ethnic policy. Coming from a modern background, he deeply understands that mere suppression only breeds hatred; only through shared interests and cultural identification can true long-term stability be achieved.

"Xiao He, you should personally report on the recovery status of the three northern prefectures," Gao Yao called out.

Xiao He stepped forward again, his expression filled with pride: "Your Majesty has ordered me to govern the three northern prefectures for three years. When I first arrived, the three prefectures had been ravaged by the Chu army, with nine out of ten houses empty, fields barren, and bandits rampant. I first used both suppression and appeasement to quell the banditry; then I recruited and pacified the refugees, distributed agricultural tools and seeds, and exempted them from taxes for three years; at the same time, I rebuilt twenty-two cities, restored official roads and post stations, and reopened markets."

He paused, then continued, "By the end of last year, the population of the three prefectures had recovered to 2.8 million, close to pre-war levels. More than 4 million mu of new farmland were reclaimed, and more than 50 government-run workshops and over 300 private workshops were built. Most importantly, we rebuilt the border defenses, reconstructed 17 Great Wall fortresses, and stationed 500 to 2,000 troops at each, equipped with the thunderclap bombs invented by Your Majesty."

Have the Xiongnu invaded?

"There were twenty-seven raids, large and small, all of which were repelled," Xiao He replied calmly. "The largest one was last August, when the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu led eight thousand cavalry south to try to break through the Yunzhong Fortress. The defending general, Li Yunfeng, with two thousand garrison troops and three hundred thunderbolts, killed or wounded more than two thousand Xiongnu soldiers. The Left Wise King was shot by an arrow and fled. After that, the Xiongnu never dared to launch a large-scale attack again."

Upon hearing this, the ministers in the hall all showed expressions of relief. The restoration of the three northern commanderies not only provided a large amount of food and manpower, but also built a solid defensive line against the Xiongnu. With this barrier, the Yue Kingdom could confidently advance eastward and southward without any worries about its rear.

On the third day of the morning assembly, Gao Yao moved to the drill ground west of the city to review the results of three years of training.

The drill ground covers a thousand hectares and can accommodate 100,000 troops for drills. Although only 30,000 elite soldiers are present today, their ranks are disciplined and their fighting spirit is palpable, already demonstrating the strength of a powerful army.

Gao Yao ascended the reviewing stand, followed by generals such as Han Xin and Wei Qing. Below the stand, the various military formations were already neatly arranged: at the forefront were five thousand heavy cavalry in black armor, both men and horses clad in dark armor that gleamed coldly in the sunlight; behind them were twenty thousand infantrymen, armed with long spears, swords, and crossbows, divided into four square formations; on the left and right flanks were five thousand light cavalry, ready for action; at the rear were the engineering and supply battalions, displaying siege equipment, transport vehicles, and other equipment.

"Let's begin," Gao Yao ordered briefly.

The war drums sounded, and the exercise began.

First came the infantry square formation drill. With each change of flag, 20,000 infantrymen swiftly shifted formations: from a neat square to an offensive wedge formation, then to a defensive circle, and finally to a flanking crane-wing formation… the formation transitions were fluid and rapid, demonstrating decisive command. Most impressive was the crossbow volley: three thousand crossbowmen fired in three ranks, arrows raining down like locusts, instantly turning a straw target three hundred paces away into a pincushion.

"Our crossbowmen are equipped with repeating crossbows improved by Minister Shen. They can load ten arrows at a time and fire continuously," Han Xin explained from the side. "Although their range is not as good as longbows, their close-range lethality is astonishing. Together with spearmen and swordsmen and shieldmen, they can form a defensive system that combines long-range and close-range firepower."