1399-1401As reward for their tireless service Emperor Gokomatsu has granted the Aristocracy greater rights and privileges. In return he expects families to send their brightest sons to serve in the officer corps, increasing our Military Tradition by 5.
The nobles responded to the Emperor's call and 4 new Cavalry regiments were organized from their offerings of men.
And none too soon. News reached Okinawa of a revolt in the border province of Hanadan. Local Qin nobles saw their release from the Ming Empire as an opportunity to reform their nation, and have organized a seige against the local garrison.
The newly formed army was dispatched including the 4 cavalry regiments and a column of infantry
At the close of a several month long march to our borderlands our armies were dismayed to hear of the surrender of the Hanadan garrison just days before their arrival. There was grumbling amongst the officers that the cavalry had been slowed while escorting the much slower infantry regiment.
Pressing onward our forces came upon the enemy still ransacking the city and met them in battle
Although they were tactically outmaneuvered by a crafty Qin general, our training and discipline won the day. The bulk of the enemy retreated with a small contingent trapped inside the Handan fort.
Our regiment of infantry made itself useful by making quick work of the remaning defenders.
Having Handan back under our heel our army pursued the enemy along the borderlands on into the winter of 1400.
Foreign Matters:The Mongol Khanate, the dark green provinces on the far side of the Timurid Empire proposed a noble marriage between our countries. Seeing a potential ally for any coming wars with the Timurid Empire the Emperor accepted.
Domestic Matters:A new mission:
Over the last year the emperor had met with several Confucian missionaries and was quite caught up in their double talk, but could find no politically feasible way to convert to Confucianism at this time.
Finacially the emperor maintained a no-inflation strategy refusing to mint easy money, instead relying on tax collections and trade profits. Inflation has not risen, but our gains in the treasury are consumed by the cost of maintaining our larger army.
Lacking a flush of cash the Emperor has been unable to find the funds to pay the exorbinant salaries of any new court advisors.
Many merchants are lining up to beg the Emperor for the right to seek out foreign markets to exploit.
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The regions aren't too big at all, with travel between the largest being a few weeks to a month, which is pretty typical. I couldn't find a way to convert the state religion to confucianism, we do have one core on a confucian province, i'm not sure if it is an event or a decision.