Chapter 1412: Enfeoffment?

"Will that day really come?" Liu Yang's expression was grave as he murmured to himself, then finally snapped back to reality and looked at Emperor Liu, asking, "Father, are you overthinking this?"

Indeed—how powerful was the Great Han Empire at present? Abundant in martial virtue, prosperous in people and state alike. Even if the treasury faced some difficulties, given enough time to recuperate, it could surely be adjusted back.

Under such circumstances, asking Liu Yang to consider the future, to contemplate the Great Han's decline and regression, was indeed somewhat difficult for him. The gravity of Emperor Liu's words even gave him the illusion that the Great Han was in danger—could it be that the flourishing scene before his eyes, the surging national fortune, were all illusions?

His thoughts were momentarily in disarray, and he could not make sense of it all. He could only look at Emperor Liu with slight bewilderment, hoping for an explanation, or perhaps some reassurance.

Facing Liu Yang's question, Emperor Liu calmly countered, "You read books and study history in your daily life—have you ever seen an empire or dynasty that endured in prosperity forever?"

This question truly stumped Liu Yang. He sat there, his posture somewhat stiff, lowering his head in hesitation for a moment. When he raised it again, a trace of bitterness hung on his face as he said, "Isn't it too early to discuss such things now?"

"I understand your thinking. Given the Great Han's current strength, speaking of the future does seem somewhat ethereal, even alarmist. At least on the surface, such a situation seems far removed from us. The people of this age, including the nobles and dignitaries, the officials high and low, none of them would consider these matters, nor would they dare to engage in such thinking!" Emperor Liu said to Liu Yang.

"Only you and I, in the positions we occupy, are able to examine such things! Even so, my worrying over these troubles seems somewhat pointless! While I sit on the throne, I can ensure peace under heaven; when you succeed me in the future, with the assistance of civil and military ministers both within and without, you too can bring stability to the four seas. But what of the ruler after the next generation—what of your descendants?"

Faced with Emperor Liu's words, Liu Yang did not know how to respond for a moment. First, his mind was somewhat muddled; second, he felt that Emperor Liu's worries were somewhat inexplicable. At the same time, his mood was dragged ever heavier by Emperor Liu's words.

Noticing his expression, Emperor Liu continued, "Though this realm was won by me and my meritorious ministers with sword and blade, I hold no such extravagant hope that the Great Han will endure for ten thousand generations, never falling! As for the affairs of descendants, how future rulers will conduct themselves, I cannot concern myself with so much!

Setting aside the distant future, even speaking of the present—even while I sit on the throne, I still dare not guarantee that the Great Han will always remain strong, that national power will never wane, that no one will dare defy the court and rise in rebellion!"

Hearing Emperor Liu speak thus, Liu Yang finally could not hold back and said with some agitation, "With Father on the throne, who under heaven would dare to cause chaos?"

Liu Yang clearly did not believe it, or rather, he had too much confidence in Emperor Liu. Of course, given Emperor Liu's current authority and prestige, it was indeed true that his mere presence at the center could cause evil to hide and the disloyal to lie low.

But Emperor Liu's psychology was always thus—suspicious and overthinking. He slightly raised his hand to stop Liu Yang and said, "Perhaps saying this is overthinking, even entirely unnecessary, but to be honest with you, beneath this age of prosperity that everyone praises and extols, what I see is already riddled with hidden dangers!"

At these words, Liu Yang felt even more alarmed. He looked at Emperor Liu with some astonishment—this topic was growing ever heavier. The Great Han's national momentum was rising day by day, like a blazing fire burning fiercely, yet Emperor Liu's worries were like a basin of cold water, seemingly trying to douse it...

"Father, it can't be that bad!" Liu Yang truly found it hard to comprehend.

"Speaking of that question just now, do you know what I consider to be the Great Han's biggest problem at present?" Emperor Liu asked.

Shaking his head, Liu Yang did not bother to rack his brains over it, choosing instead to listen obediently to instruction.

Emperor Liu sighed: "The Great Han is now too vast. In terms of territorial breadth and the number of domains under its rule, it can be said to rival the High Tang directly and far surpass the Former Han. Yet this was accomplished in less than thirty years—and that includes pacifying the separatist regimes and unifying the realm.

Being large is one thing—it is the glory of imperial rise that everyone praises—but for the newly submitted populace and the expanded territories, the work of consolidation has been far from adequately done by the court.

The territory was taken by force, but how many pieces are well managed? How much brings benefit to the court's revenue and advantage to the common people? In truth, it is only constant bloodletting, constant reinforcement of the frontiers!

You said just now that the court's military and administrative expenditures on the border prefectures have only felt like somewhat of a burden in recent years—but over time, this could very well become a bottomless pit that devours national strength. And once the state encounters trouble, the situation might deteriorate in ways hard to predict—and this is something even I cannot fully control!

The Great Han is like a gluttonous giant, knowing no restraint, constantly annexing and expanding, to the point of becoming bloated and obese. Greedy eating often means poor digestion, and so it is accompanied by all sorts of problems.

Even a person often neglects minor ailments—how much more so for such a vast nation?

In the past, I did not have these many worries and reflections, because I myself was immersed in that glorious splendor, taking pride in martial achievements and a flourishing age. However, after this northern expedition, the state fell into difficulty because of it—even if only temporarily, it was enough to awaken me!

And that was merely the matter of the barbarian tribes at the borders. With a state this large, the problems are hardly limited to that. The reform measures that Zhao Pu has been brewing during this period—you have participated in them as well, so you should know how complex they are!

The so-called 'extreme prosperity gives way to decline'—I have felt this more and more deeply of late, and even felt fear..."

This time, Emperor Liu had poured out to Liu Yang all the thoughts and insights he had accumulated over the past half year and more—truly from the bottom of his heart. Liu Yang was not truly dull-witted; how could he remain unmoved?

Gazing at Emperor Liu's somewhat weathered face, noticing the white among his temples and beard, he rose solemnly and said, "Father exhausts himself so utterly for the Great Han, expending such care and toil. Your son feels both admiration and shame!"

"One day, this position will be yours!" Hearing this, Emperor Liu could not help but smile. He patted the dragon couch and said to him, "When that time comes, it will be you who bears this worry. But you must also think carefully—when you sit in this position, how will you face these problems, how will you solve them, how will you safeguard this rivers-and-mountains realm!"

Liu Yang could certainly feel the deep expectation and trust in his imperial father's words. Precisely because of this, he did not rashly promise anything, but with a solemn expression as if swearing an oath, he said, "I will give it my all!"

"Enough—here it is just the two of us, father and son; no need for such formality!" Emperor Liu's tone lightened somewhat as he said, "Sit down and speak!"

"Yes!"

In the exchange of a few words, a sense of mission and responsibility gradually filled his chest. Liu Yang also recovered some of his confident bearing as he looked at Emperor Liu and asked, "Since Father has already foreseen these concerns, even deeply worried over them, you must have strategies and measures in place!"

"Ceasing warfare and withdrawing the battle lines externally, resting and recuperating internally to restore national strength—are these not already being done?" Emperor Liu said calmly. "Pacifying the various barbarian tribes in the west is also out of consideration for this matter!"

Liu Yang seemed to have caught up with Emperor Liu's line of thinking and immediately added, "However, you also said just now that this is only a temporary expedient. Seeking peace through such means may not endure for long!

Moreover, the Great Han's territory remains this vast—how to consolidate it, how to strengthen the court's control and influence, how to govern and pacify without allowing chaos to arise—what are your considerations on these?"

Facing these several questions from Liu Yang, Emperor Liu smiled again, the smile carrying obvious gratification. Clearly, Liu Yang was already seriously thinking about these matters.

Without answering directly, Emperor Liu asked, "In your view, what is the greatest difficulty in the court's rule over these remote border regions?"

Liu Yang thought for a moment, then replied, "Being border regions, they are naturally remote and desolate, with long roads and poor communications. Orders from above and reports from below are difficult to convey in a timely manner. Add to that the differing conditions in each locality, making governance difficult—this is perhaps the greatest problem!"

"Correct!" Emperor Liu gave an affirmative answer, then asked again, "In light of this, how should it be solved?"

"Build roads, improve transportation?" Liu Yang blurted out.

Hearing this, Emperor Liu said with a smile, "Building roads and bridges is a fundamental matter, but how much manpower and resources would the court need to expend to open up roads? Even if opened, how much effect would they have? Take the Yunqian region as an example—even if the court vigorously opened up main thoroughfares, when something happens locally, the time required to report to the capital would still not be short. It would only be an improvement; the fundamental problem would still be difficult to resolve!"

Liu Yang's brows furrowed once again. After pondering for a while, he clasped his hands toward Emperor Liu and asked, "What solution do you have?"

"If there were a means to convey information across thousands of li, then the court could respond to conditions below in a timely manner, and could also strengthen control over the outer regions, with no fear of mishap..." Emperor Liu sighed softly.

At this, Liu Yang was utterly astonished: "This—how could it be done? If so, would it not be the work of immortals?"

"What surpasses this era is probably the work of immortals!" Hearing this, Emperor Liu mused, his gaze at that moment appearing somewhat distant and unfocused.

Soon, snapping back to himself, Emperor Liu pondered, as if brewing something. After a long while, he looked at Liu Yang with great solemnity: "If I were to station your brothers in the Great Han's border regions, having them guard the localities on behalf of the court—pacifying the people within, repelling the barbarians without—what are your thoughts?"

Upon first hearing this, Liu Yang was momentarily stunned, then quickly reacted: "You mean... enfeoffment?"