One Horn of Africa is the size of ten Henan. Add another Sinai Peninsula, and the imperial court divided the two lands into ten overseas territories for auction.

As Zhang Chao expected, it attracted countless predators to smell the fish.

Even Zhang Chao participated.

He didn't need to pull partners to form a company, and directly signed up in the name of several existing big industries of the Li family.

Li's Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Changjiang Insurance, Bailu Pawn, Bashang Distillery, United Iron and Steel, Sihai Shipyard, Nanyang Company, Dahua Shipping, Jiaozhou Sugar, Jingde Porcelain, BMW Automobile, Jiangnan Textile, Nanfang Tea······

These industries are basically joint-stock systems, and each has at least 1,000 shareholders. It's just that there is a little irregularity, and the Zhang family's shares in these industries are far more than 30%.

Cheng Yi Zhang Chao directly split the shares of the Zhang family. He held thirty percent for himself, and then distributed the rest to Zhang Jing and other sons, thirty-one sons, one for each person. Even his seven brothers shared a share.

In this way, Zhang Chao smoothly let these thirteen commercial houses join the bidders.

To Zhang Chao's surprise, the eldest grandson Wuji actually participated.

The eldest grandson family is also very wealthy, and I don't know how much I made with Zhang Chao in the early years, and even the eldest grandson family also has shares in several major industries controlled by the Zhang family, such as Nanyang Company and Bashang Distillery.

The eldest grandson Wuji got four companies to participate.

By the time the registration deadline was over, hundreds of companies would participate in the auction.

Among them, many companies such as Zhang Chao have organized several companies to participate, and it can be seen that everyone is very interested in overseas consulates.

The aristocratic collar can only be obtained by merit, and this overseas collar can be obtained by money.

Rich people, who don't want to get involved.

On the day of the auction, the imperial court placed the auction on the main stadium of the ball town.

Off the pitch, it's even more lively than the annual Polo Super League Finals.

Spending money to buy territory, and there is no restriction on identity, how rare such a thing is, which rich and powerful person is not willing to come to see the excitement.

As soon as Zhang Chao got out of the carriage, he saw many acquaintances.

Even Fang Xuanling and Wei Zheng actually came.

"Gong Wei, I didn't hear that your family is also going to bid."

Wei Zheng smiled, "I don't have the financial resources, I'm just here to have a lively time today." ”

Fang Xuanling also came to see the excitement, the Wei family is not without money, but they just don't want to participate, Fang Xuanling is the king of the county, and the fief is a good broken leaf valley in the North Pole of the Tianshan Mountains, a fief of hundreds of miles. Several of his sons also have fiefs in northern Liaoning, and the Fang family has no shortage of fiefs.

Although Wei Zheng is only a national prince, he also has several fiefs at home, and there is no shortage of them.

There is no need to spend any more money to run to the Red Sea to buy a piece of land.

"Wenyuan's fiefdom is the first in the world, why is he still chasing this territory so much, and he actually got thirteen companies to fight for it."

Zhang Chao laughed, "I'm actually here to cover the matter, in case everyone's response is not high, someone has to take over, I'm protecting the country." ”

Everyone laughed.

"The king of Shangdang seems to be determined to win, and this time it is menacing."

"If he wants to, let him fight for a piece, and he can only have a piece of territory anyway."

Zhang Chao found that among the people who came, although there were actually many nobles, everyone came to see the excitement. On the contrary, many of the old scholars, the local tycoons, and some new industrial and commercial classes, showed great interest.

Most of the nobles have territories, so they don't have a lot of demand. And they are still waiting, if the implementation of overseas territories is successful this time, then the imperial court will then fully open up overseas colonization, at that time, it will be easier to operate, and there is no need to make such a big effort.

But those powerful businessmen, they have no territory, and they want to fight for it this time.

With so many giants and nobles gathered this time, if they can get a piece of land in this auction house, it will also prove their strength.

Especially for those more famous trading houses, they directly participate in the name of the trading houses.

Everyone entered the court with a smile, and Zhang Chao and Fang Xuanling each entered their own box.

Everyone who qualifies for the auction gets a sign.

The use of this direct auction model also shows that it wants to make the competition more intense.

Forbidden City.

Ma Zhou did not participate in this auction, and he still stayed with the emperor. The Emperor didn't go to Ball Town today, he was watching a piece of music.

"I didn't expect that the subjects of the Tang Dynasty were so interested in the territory. As soon as the ten territories were released, they attracted so many people to chase them. Hundreds, I was amazed. ”

Ma Zhou was also amazed.

You must know that an important condition for qualifying is to come up with a deposit of 1 million.

Hundreds of bidders, that's amazing.

Cheng Qian smiled, "If I take these deposits as my own, they will be equivalent to several years of national fiscal and tax revenue." ”

"Your Majesty, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Many of them haven't signed up yet! ”

"But Yuanfu took thirteen companies to sign up, and Shangdang County King also signed up for four, and they seem to want to compete."

"Your Majesty, the Red Sea is so far away from Datang, no less than the United States and Australia, don't worry."

Cheng Qian turned his head, "Dean, do you say that there is really no problem with the current system of feudal division and overseas colonial territories of the imperial court?" The princes became more and more feudal, and now even merchants can buy a piece of territory as long as they have money, and they have land and troops. Is there really no trouble? ”

The twenty-year-old emperor has also passed the stage where he believes what others say.

He will also think for himself.

What Motosuke has been promoting is the division of the aristocracy, the parliament, and the rule of law. And now, this overseas colonization has been launched to loosen restrictions and allow people to build their own colonies overseas.

As long as you register with the imperial court as a colonial company, you can attack cities and plunder land, build cities and forts, and recruit troops overseas.

He always felt that behind this fiery heat, there was a faint threat.

He felt a little uneasy.

"Dividing the feud and adding Tuien, plus it is only a feud outside the Central Plains, so the minister thinks that the feudalization and colonization can allow the Tang Dynasty to expand its territory and make the Tang Dynasty stronger, but it will not threaten the imperial court. The imperial court has the Central Plains, and the fiefs outside the Central Plains give the imperial court a steady stream of blood transfusions, and the imperial court will always remain strong. The princes can't fight against the imperial court. ”

"Really?" Cheng Qian was not quite satisfied with this answer.

"Dean, the princes can support the army, you said that if one day, the princes propose that they will share more of the territorial taxes in the future, or even all of them, can the court refuse? Even one day, they demanded that the civil and judicial power of the territory belong to them, but could the court refuse? ”

"If the court refuses, what will be the result? War? ”

He didn't wait for Ma Zhou's reply, and said to himself, "If one day in the future, there are princes who want this, and the court refuses, will they raise troops to enter Beijing under the banner of the Qing monarch or the protector of the law?" ”

Or, step by step, the court backed down and agreed to them. But at that time, what will the imperial court use to control the princes? The princes have land and soldiers, and they are completely in the middle of the kingdom. ”

Ma Zhou was silent.

This kind of thing is not impossible to happen, but it is very likely to happen.

After all, at the beginning of Zhenguan's introduction of the feudal division, the princes could not support the army. Later, a guard was allowed, and later on, the number of this guard increased. So far, at least 1,000 troops can be raised. It can also command the militia of the territory, and even the garrison of the imperial court in the territory in extraordinary times.

Ma Zhou thought for a while and said, "Your Majesty, if the princes dare to judge, then the court and other princes can work together to defeat and destroy them. ”

"What if all the princes rise up in rebellion, or if most of the princes join together?"

Cheng Qian clearly remembered the last war to protect the law, Zhang Chao raised his banner, and the responders gathered. Zhang Chao said that this is a call in the name of the crown prince and everyone's determination to uphold the new law.

But he also saw that it was Zhang Chao's prestige.

"Your Majesty, if all the princes rebel, it can only mean one problem, the court has lost the hearts of the people and has done things that the heavens are angry and resentful." Ma Zhou persuaded, "Your Majesty, there is no perfect system in this world, and no matter how powerful a dynasty is, there will be a time of destruction. Militarily speaking, there is no danger in Germany. Winning the hearts of the people is better than owning the sky. And it is precisely this that the ministers want to persuade His Majesty, as long as the court is benevolent to the people, it will be supported by the people, and the princes have no reason to rebel. Even if there are ambitious rebels, they are definitely in the minority. ”

"If Your Majesty is still worried, it is better to seal more clans, which can also play a role in checks and balances."

"But one thing to keep in mind is that you must not divide the Central Plains. The Central Plains is an unsealed land, and this must not be changed. ”

There are not many clans in the Tang Dynasty.

Li Hu has many descendants, but he was cleaned during the Zhenguan Dynasty, and then set a rule that the son of a non-emperor could not be crowned king.

Li Daozong's clans all stripped the king.

Gaozu's son left the emperor alone.

Cheng Qian's brothers died five before and after, and there are still twenty-two.

Li Zhi is going to Australia, and Li Hong is going to the United States.

There are twenty more, most of them minors.

These princes, Cheng Qian, originally wanted to send them to the Americas with the emperor.

Now that I have listened to Ma Zhou's words, I am also a little hesitant.

"Those brothers of mine, if they are divided, will they protect me from the imperial court?"

"Of course, they are His Majesty's brothers!" Ma Zhoudao.

Cheng Qian said, "But Gaozu and the emperor are still father and son, aren't the emperor and Jiancheng and Yuanji still brothers?" I and Li Tai are also brothers, but he still wants to replace him? ”

"That's true, but it's not all. In any case, they are all clansmen, brothers of His Majesty. If there are princes who do wrong, they must be on the side of His Majesty and the court. ”

"Then I'll leave all my brothers in Middle-earth this time, and divide them all into four sides!"

However, Cheng Qian did not want to crown these brothers as kings.

Li Zhi and Li Hong were both named the Duke of Guo, so the other brothers were also named the Duke of Guo. As for the fiefdoms, they are 100 miles per person and scattered all over the four sides of the Tang Dynasty.