504: Chapter 504 Loyalist Rule

Zhao Fusu's gaze was like a torch, fixed intently on the six massive powers among the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions—the Kingdom of Loulan, the Kingdom of Khotan, the Kingdom of Kucha, the Kingdom of Shule, the Kingdom of Wusun, and the Kingdom of Dayuan—his eyes sparkling with wisdom.

He knew well that these six nations held pivotal positions in the political, economic, and military landscape of the Western Regions.

If he could successfully conquer these six countries, it would be like holding the key to the gates of the Western Regions; the remaining smaller nations would surely be terrified and obediently follow the commands of Great Qin under such intimidation.

He already had a grand blueprint in mind: after seizing the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions, he planned to establish a Protectorate General of the Western Regions to govern this vast and boundless land.

This land of the Western Regions was vast beyond imagination.

In modern times, even coastal provinces far apart can enjoy the convenience of free shipping. But here, the distances between counties were too great and the population too sparse to make such connectivity possible.

This immense geographical span made Zhao Fusu deeply realize the difficulty of ruling this place.

Zhao Fusu set out from Longxi Commandery, traveling with a massive merchant caravan. Along the way, the caravan stopped and started, sometimes forced to halt by harsh weather, other times trekking laboriously through treacherous terrain.

Thus, the long journey lasted nearly half a year before they finally and slowly stepped into the territory of the Thirty-Six Kingdoms of the Western Regions.

Zhao Fusu knew clearly that in such a vast region, if a rebellion were to break out, just sending the news back to Great Qin would take an unknown number of days.

By the time the armies of Great Qin received the news and arrived, everything would likely be beyond redemption, any opportunity long gone—much like a dish of daylilies that had gone cold, past the point of any remedy.

With Great Qin's current practical strength, attempting to extend the tentacles of its rule and firmly control this place was a case of the spirit being willing but the flesh being weak.

Therefore, he could only choose to implement a loose-rein rule first, which was the most pragmatic strategy for the moment.

This so-called loose-rein rule primarily involved supporting local factions friendly to Great Qin to take power, allowing them to maintain superficial control over the area while Great Qin exerted influence from behind the scenes.

In fact, Great Qin's current rule over Dunhuang Commandery, Zhangye Commandery, and Wuwei Commandery was essentially a form of loose-rein rule as well.

In these places, the power of the Huaxia People had not truly penetrated deeply or directly controlled every inch of land. Strictly speaking, these areas could not yet be considered a stable power base for the Huaxia People.

The fundamental reason was that the Huaxia population was still too small.

Such a vast territory without enough people to fill it and take root naturally made it difficult to achieve comprehensive and stable rule.

Zhao Fusu understood that under these circumstances, the only thing he could do now was to win over the local ethnicities of Dunhuang Commandery, Zhangye Commandery, and Wuwei Commandery with tangible benefits.

By using preferential trade policies, teaching advanced technologies, and fostering cultural integration, he aimed to let these local ethnicities truly feel the benefits of cooperating with Great Qin. Only by making them recognize Great Qin from the bottom of their hearts and willing to move forward together could superficial peace and stability be maintained.

He knew well that only after the population of Great Qin had grown significantly would there be enough manpower to migrate the Qin People to this region.

Only when the dominant ethnic group in this area became the Huaxia People could this land truly be assimilated into the Huaxia People's power base.

Otherwise, relying solely on military force or temporary intimidation would only allow them to barely hold this territory while the Huaxia People were strong.

Once the Huaxia People entered a period of decline and lost the support of great power, this place would inevitably slip from their hands, like fine sand held in one's hand, which scatters the moment one's grip relaxes.

After all, the alternation of prosperity and decline is an irresistible law of historical cycles.

What Zhao Fusu could do now was to continuously accumulate a wealth of resources during Great Qin's period of prosperity.

From perfecting the political system to enhancing economic strength, from expanding cultural influence to consolidating military power, every step was meticulously planned, and every decision was carefully considered.

Only in this way, when the period of decline inevitably arrived, would Great Qin be able to rely on this deep foundation to endure tenaciously, waiting for the dawn of the next era of prosperity.