Chu Fan began to speak: "In fact, there is a common point in all these incidents, that is, the ruling class trampling on the dignity and power of the people. This behavior is fundamentally due to the rulers' belief that they have absolute power and ignore the due respect and equality between themselves and the people. This practice not only hurts the self-esteem of the people, but also undermines the harmony and stability of society.
"After we conquer the two countries, and we treat their people with respect and fairness, do you still think they will rebel? Absolutely not. The people crave justice and dignity, and if we, the State of Wei, can provide them with these, their hearts will naturally align with us. They will naturally abandon those outdated notions of rule."
Chu Fan continued, "Furthermore, some customs may seem insignificant to a large empire, but they may be the soul of a region. We can choose to preserve these characteristics, allowing each region to maintain its own uniqueness while retaining the absolute authority of the law. I believe that if we do this, the people who are currently suffering will definitely support our rule."
Chu Anping then spoke up, "I wholeheartedly agree with what Your Majesty has said, but this will harm the interests of the local tyrants in the newly developed territories. They will certainly resort to various means to obstruct the implementation of our policies. We need to respond cautiously and find a balance that can both consolidate our rule and avoid provoking too much resistance."
Chu Fan looked at Chu Anping with an incredulous look at this time: "Sixth Master, are you serious?"
Chu Anping was confused when he heard Chu Fan's question. He didn't understand why Chu Fan asked such a question. So he could only ask respectfully, "Your Majesty, please help me solve this puzzle."
Chu Fan spoke slowly, his tone filled with unquestionable determination: "Sixth Master, you really do think too much sometimes. Have you forgotten why we started this war? If it weren't for the pursuit of profit, why would we spend so much time preparing for all this? No matter what excuse we use to start a war, its ultimate goal is to obtain sufficient benefits.
So where did all this gold, silver, and treasure come from? Didn't they get it from the local tyrants? If they really rebelled, then what would you do with the swords in your hands?
Chu Fan took a sip of tea and continued, "In any country, the nobles hold the majority of wealth and resources, making up less than 2% of the population. Do you think they could have resisted Wei's rule without the support of the common people?"
After Chu Fan's in-depth and easy-to-understand explanation, Chu Anping and the ministers of the six ministries had basically understood Chu Fan's intentions. Next, they needed to gather intelligence and understand the customs and habits of the Xiongnu, the Gan Kingdom, and even the entire Shengwu Continent. Then, they needed to formulate corresponding policies, ensuring that while respecting the cultures of all parties involved, they would also strengthen national unity and the authority of the law.
Chu Fan stared firmly at the Minister of Personnel, Quan Zhengcheng, and instructed, "After our newly developed territory is established, we must send capable and experienced officials from Wei to govern it. At the same time, we also need to select local elders who are highly respected and respected as advisors to ensure the smooth implementation of our policies and win the hearts of the local people, so that they will sincerely submit to us.
If we continue to allow the original local tyrants to hold power, the tragedy of history will repeat itself, and we will be unable to achieve true reform and progress. On the other hand, if we only select talented individuals from the common people to serve in government, we may repeat the mistakes of the three citadels outside Kaifeng. These officials of common origin will quickly be corrupted by power and eventually evolve into new local tyrants.
Therefore, in the first few years, we must have strict supervision and management by officials sent by the State of Wei to ensure that our policies are implemented smoothly and to avoid the problems mentioned above. After a few years of integration and cultural penetration, some local young people will gradually accept and identify with the culture and ideas of the State of Wei.
At that point, we can gradually reduce direct intervention and instead begin cultivating the emerging elites in these regions, allowing them to become new administrators and opinion leaders. We must have them disseminate Wei's will and laws, rooting the nation's will and laws in the hearts and minds of the local people. We cannot rely solely on military conquest; our ultimate goal is to truly integrate these regions into Wei, making them an inseparable part of our great nation.
After Chu Fan's detailed explanation, Quan Zhengcheng nodded deeply, indicating that he fully understood Chu Fan's intentions and knew what actions should be taken next. He clearly realized that with His Majesty's clear instructions, he would begin to formulate a detailed plan starting tonight to ensure that the plan could be carried out smoothly and effectively.
Time slipped away as Chu Fan narrated, and he himself began to feel a little tired. Ever since Chu Anping and the six ministers arrived, he had been the one who had been narrating non-stop, and his energy was completely depleted. Now, he felt he no longer had the strength to continue his in-depth explanation.
Chu Fan spoke again, his tone revealing a hint of seriousness: "I have summoned you today because I hope you can formulate a clear set of rules and regulations for this important matter. This system must be sufficiently binding to ensure that no matter which member of the royal family succeeds to the throne as emperor in the future, they must abide by it and cannot be changed or violated.
I asked you to come because I need you, the ministers of the six ministries and members of the imperial family, to witness this. Otherwise, if a future emperor decides that Wei's territory is vast enough and attempts to implement a system of feudal fiefdoms, Wei will once again face the serious risk of internal strife and division.
Seeing Chu Fan's seriousness, Chu Anping and his companions responded in unison, "Your Majesty's orders will be kept in mind."
Chu Fan said, "That's how it is. You can go home now. I didn't expect it would take so long today. Thank you for your hard work."
The six ministers said in unison: "Serving Your Majesty and the State of Wei is what a minister should do."
Chu Fan was speechless for a moment and began to tease, "Have you rehearsed this? You can actually answer in unison like this. But I know you're loyal, and I'm very pleased. Now you can all go back and rest."
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