Chu Anping and the ministers of the six ministries exchanged glances, and it seemed that they had tacitly understood each other's intentions. In this atmosphere, Chu Anping decided to break the silence and put forward his own opinion to His Majesty:
"Your Majesty, have you considered establishing vassal kings to oversee the newly developed territories and ensure effective governance? However, given that there has never been such a precedent in Wei's history, we must be extremely cautious in selecting vassal kings. Otherwise, our hard-earned territories may fall into chaos and disorder due to the vassal kings' poor governance."
Chu Fan did not respond directly to Chu Anping's proposal, but turned to the ministers of the six ministries to seek their opinions. Chu Fan asked, "Do you six think the same?"
The five officials, the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of Personnel, the Minister of Rites, the Minister of Punishment, and the Minister of Works, all nodded in succession, indicating that they agreed with Chu Anping's point of view.
However, Minister of War Mu Yundian held a different view. He frankly stated his position: "Our duty as soldiers is to defend the nation. We excel at fighting on the battlefield. As for specific governance strategies, this is not our specialty. Therefore, regarding the establishment of vassal kings and governance strategies, I am not in a position to comment too much. All decisions within the Ministry of War will be subject to your majesty's arrangements."
Chu Fan could only sigh helplessly at this critical moment. Fortunately, Liu Ruyan's timely reminder made him aware of this potentially serious problem. He imagined that if he unexpectedly completed the system mission and returned to Blue Star during the war, the territories he conquered would undoubtedly be divided into fiefdoms.
He recalled that when he had raised this question earlier, the six ministers of the imperial court and the representative of the imperial family, Chu Anping, had almost unanimously agreed that establishing a vassal king was the best solution. Therefore, as long as he was no longer in this world, the new emperor would definitely implement the feudal system.
Chu Fan was deeply aware that if he did not make careful arrangements in advance and establish clear rules and constraints, then once he left this world and returned to Blue Star, the territory of Wei State would most likely fall into a chaotic situation of fragmentation and might even cause civil unrest.
Throughout world history, we can find that the feudal system has appeared in both Blue Star and this world. This system is often accompanied by power struggles and local separatism. Once the princes grasp actual power, they are prone to harboring heretical ideas. In such situations, the imperial government is often difficult to effectively control due to its remoteness, thus sowing potential risks.
Another important factor is that the enfeoffed princes may have shown loyalty and reliability to the central imperial power in their first generation, but over time, their descendants would gradually become alienated from the imperial family. This alienation led to a weakening of loyalty to the emperor and an intensification of their desire for power, which could eventually lead to civil unrest.
On our planet, nearly every dynasty that implemented the feudal system experienced rebellion by vassal kings. Take the current Wei State, for example. Since it didn't have the potential for vassal kings, and the emperor's power was relatively centralized, suddenly establishing vassal kings would have been tantamount to digging one's own grave and burying a huge hidden danger. Such an approach would have likely led to the dispersion of power and internal strife, thus weakening central authority.
History teaches us that many dynasties perished not directly from foreign invasions, but rather from internal power struggles that led to division and decline. These internal struggles were often linked to the feudal system, which easily led to the growth of local power, which in turn challenged central authority, causing national instability and decline.
Chu Fan took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I knew you would think this way, so I called you to the Imperial Study. Otherwise, if we really set up vassal kings in the newly developed territories, wouldn't that be like a country within a country? This would seriously threaten the unity and stability of the country."
Chu Fan's words caused Chu Anping and the others present to exchange bewildered glances. They exchanged complicated glances, each one trembling inwardly. They understood the hidden dangers of the feudal system, but without the establishment of vassal kings, governing the newly opened territories would present enormous challenges. Even if the imperial court wanted to send officials, effective management would be difficult. After all, the vast distances hindered information transmission, and local officials were bound to be negligent or corrupt, ultimately leading to instability on the border and potentially even rebellion.
Therefore, they chose the feudal system as a second best option. This would at least ensure the initial stability of the newly expanded territories, and only with the stability of the newly expanded territories could they continue to govern and develop. They hoped to gradually strengthen central control over the newly expanded territories on the basis of stability, and ultimately achieve unified management of the entire country.
When Chu Anping and others heard Chu Fan say this, it naturally proved that Chu Fan already had a better solution, otherwise His Majesty would not have said it so confidently.
Mu Yunfeng was eager to learn about Chu Fan's plan, so he respectfully requested, "Your Majesty, your wisdom is as bright as the sun and the moon. Could you please explain what strategy we have to avoid the creation of vassal kings while ensuring the long-term stability of our newly developed vast territory, free from internal and external intrusion?"
After all, as a soldier, he didn't want to see the land he conquered fall into chaos again. And selfishly, Mu Yunfeng didn't want to see the territory he'd conquered at the cost of Wei soldiers' lives become the private domain of the royal family. That would be unfair to the Wei soldiers.
Chu Fan smiled confidently after hearing this. He slowly replied, "Actually, the solution is very simple. It's to treat everyone equally."
Chu Fan's words, though brief, left everyone present perplexed. They were filled with questions: equal treatment? It sounded easy, but in practice it was fraught with difficulty.
After all, if the Xiongnu and the Qian Kingdom could be successfully conquered, the newly acquired territory would be vast, with vastly different customs and lifestyles. In such a diverse environment, how could one ensure that every inch of land and every ethnic group was treated fairly and equally?
Chu Anping saw that the ministers of the six ministries also looked confused. It was obvious that they also couldn't understand the solution proposed by Chu Fan. He knew that it was time to seek answers from Chu Fan again, so he prepared to ask Chu Fan again, hoping to get a clear explanation.
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