Iron Dynasty Chapter 1029

Within the Imperial Study, the nine grand secretaries from the Cabinet positioned themselves behind Xiao Ming, observing as he marked out the administrative territories on the Empire's map.

Once the Tibetan envoy had presented the letter of credence and departed, Xiao Ming called them into the Imperial Study to start the formal preparations for the fresh administrative zones.

Truth be told, prior to the launch of the Tibetan campaign, they had been crafting the relevant administrative setups. At last, with Xiao Ming's ultimate approval, everything was locked in.

'Why would Your Majesty label it an autonomous region during the Tibetan envoy's visit? Do you fear no potential uprising from Tibet in the future?' Fei Ji harbored suspicions during his encounter with the Tibetan envoy, and at this moment, he couldn't hold back from expressing them.

Directing his finger toward the Tibetan Plateau, Xiao Ming explained, 'Autonomy serves only to soothe the Tibetans. Conquering Tibet proves simple, yet governing them poses a real challenge. Rather than sending imperial officials, it's wiser for the court to pick locals from Tibet for oversight, requiring these officials to attend the Qingzhou Political Academy periodically for education, thereby slowly integrating the Tibetans.'

He cleared his throat before adding, 'Furthermore, Tibet's forces have been dissolved entirely. The presence of the imperial army ensures no disturbances arise.'

Fei Ji along with the rest nodded their approval. Pang Yukun remarked, 'Governing a vast nation resembles simmering a fine stew; certain matters demand patience. With Tibet now absorbed into the Empire, we should avoid excessive force that might provoke resistance.'

Having touched briefly on Tibet's administration, Xiao Ming spun back to face them. He declared, 'Every administrative zone appears here. Examine it thoroughly.'

Based on his vision, the Empire's present territorial setup echoed that of the Ming Dynasty from modern times, though with notable differences.

The Southern Direct Province covered modern Jiangsu Province, Anhui, plus the two provinces and one city of Shanghai. These two areas fell straight under the capital's control.

Besides, the remaining provincial entities were 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 recently added Tibetan Province.

Regarding the freshly seized Australia, he chose not to rush its addition to the Empire's provincial roster, given the ongoing growth of the Empire's reach. It made sense to organize it once stability returned.

Gazing at the mapped-out provincial borders, the officials pulled out notebooks to jot down details.

Reclining in his seat while savoring tea at a relaxed pace, Xiao Ming went on, 'Every province shall feature a single provincial capital, alongside various upper prefectures, middle prefectures, and lower prefectures. Handle the precise arrangements yourselves. I shall stay out of it.'

On this occasion, Xiao Ming opted against transforming prefectures into urban centers. He had embraced 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 equaled an ordinary city.

The top administrator for each prefecture would retain the title of governor. The key change lay in the streamlined governance, where each prefecture gained not just a governor but also six deputy governors. These deputies would oversee distinct facets of prefectural operations, mirroring a compact edition of the six ministries.

Provincial oversight mirrored prefectural structure somewhat, featuring the provincial inspector as the chief authority, supported by six deputy provincial inspectors handling varied governmental duties.

Beyond core governance, provinces and prefectures alike would set up supervisory bureaus, with prefectural ones reporting directly to their provincial counterparts, and upward from there.

'Yes, Your Majesty,' the nine grand secretaries chorused together. This sweeping administrative overhaul was nothing short of monumental. Post-reform, the Empire's bureaucratic framework would emerge entirely refreshed.

Still, they grasped that this shift would render state operations far more organized and uniform. Indeed, as the Empire advanced, governance grew intricate with surging industrial activities. The days of one governor handling all tasks had vanished for good.

Ultimately, constrained by personal expertise, numerous governors remained clueless on certain issues. Consequently, an increasing number of academy alumni would integrate into officialdom.

Following the deliberation on political restructuring, a wave of ease washed over Xiao Ming. Reforms in the military and politics had loomed like twin colossal burdens upon him.

The Empire's swift progress, after all, necessitated ongoing tweaks to the administration and forces in recent times to match the pace. Such transformations carried immense hassle.

Yet, differing from earlier overhauls in military and political spheres, this one promised a definitive fix. These domains now neared the standards of the present day.

Should the Empire surge ahead later, only fine-tuning would suffice, sparing the need for sweeping alterations.

Henceforth, he could pivot toward diplomacy, letting the regime run on the systems he had established.

Once the officials completed transcribing the map and exited, Xiao Ming and Qian Dafu resumed poring over it. Now, he indicated the cluster of islands south of Australia. 'This spot goes by New Guinea. A massive copper deposit lies there.'

Qian Dafu's eyes lit up with delight. Holding sway in the Ministry of Minerals, he possessed a keen nose for resources. News of untapped mines always thrilled him.

'Then I'll dispatch the Ministry of Minerals to investigate,' Qian Dafu replied eagerly. The Empire desperately needed copper at present. As machinery boomed, demands across sectors skyrocketed.

Two weeks on, Lei Ming, overseeing Australia, got Xiao Ming's directive. It commanded him to deploy a squad for protecting the Ministry of Minerals' team to New Guinea Island. Locals abounded there, per reports.

Simultaneously, the command urged him to strike the British foothold in Indonesia.

Though the Netherlands claimed most of Indonesia, Britain's aggressive ways had snagged a share over time.

'Hehe, the directive's here at last. Time for action once more,' Shi Yanjun chuckled cheerfully. Lei Ming's prior dispatch had drawn a response.

For honors bestowed, the contributing generals and troops this round earned fitting lands and properties in Wales.

Currently, he and Lei Ming oversaw their personal holdings. This property had once been a British aristocrat's. With the owner fled, it lay abandoned.

Thus, he invested 1,000 dragon coins to acquire one hundred Welsh slaves, tasking them with running the estate.

Lei Ming too warmed to this isolated landmass amid the seas. After Shi Yanjun claimed his plot via merits and coins, he shelled out for a ranch. Hailing from Youzhou, owning a ranch had long been his dream.

At last, that dream materialized. He envisioned future leaves spent riding and herding here in tranquil bliss. Yet battles awaited before such repose.