Chapter 288: Discussing Governance Inside the Carriage

Liu Zheng was trembling with fear, having come into the horse carriage of Xie Tianyao for the first time.

Good heavens...

This is simply an ancient RV!

Liu Zheng took a glance; it was extremely luxurious, extremely luxurious! The entire horse carriage had every configuration imaginable. It was a world of its own, magnificent and resplendent. At this moment, Xie Tianyao and Empress Zheng Fu were inside, burning incense and warming themselves by a stove.

Besides these two.

Several ministers in the carriage, as well as Grand Eunuch Zhou.

All cast friendly smiles toward Liu Zheng at this moment.

The weather had already reached October, and it was still somewhat cold in Liangzhou. A group of people sat by the stove, drinking warmed wine, which was quite pleasant.

The Empress...

Upon seeing the Empress, Liu Zheng lowered his head a few inches; he dared not face the extremely complex gaze of Empress Zheng Fu at all... The last time the Empress returned to Liangzhou, Liu Zheng could be considered to have not left her with a good face, and he was even more at odds with her son. Even now, rumors in the outside world claimed that Liu Zheng and Crown Prince Xie Fang were getting along famously; it would be strange if the Empress could look upon Liu Zheng with favor.

"Liu Zheng pays respects to the Emperor, pays respects to the Empress!"

"Greetings to all the lords!"

Xie Tianyao laughed heartily and waved his hand: "Prefect Liu, there is no need for such formality. Today, as I travel upon this Cement Road of yours, my mood cannot help but be a bit more joyful, so I summoned you to keep me company and chat."

Liu Zheng chuckled.

Cement Road?

Then you have yet to see the new product I am about to launch, the Asphalt Road—this was already in Liu Zheng's plan. After all, now that there is Petroleum, can Asphalt be far behind?

Why say that an Asphalt Road would be better than a Cement Road?

Take this ancient era, for instance; if a horse carriage runs on a Cement Road for a long time, the horses' hooves will eventually be damaged, but an Asphalt Road might be a bit better.

A more elastic and tensile Asphalt Road was the ultimate goal Liu Zheng wanted.

It was more in line with his future needs for marching and fighting.

Empress Zheng Fu also smiled and said: "This horse carriage is indeed a bit smoother. Prefect Liu has certainly tinkered with quite a few things over these past two years."

Liu Zheng was left between laughter and tears.

This Empress spoke with hidden daggers, intentionally saying this to point out to the Emperor that there was also Refined Salt and other things, and this time, none of them should be let off.

Xie Tianyao intentionally ignored this and laughed heartily: "That is true, this White Jade Capital is the finest brew in the world and can relieve my headaches!"

The others also chimed in with praise.

At this time, the Great Carriage was already getting closer and closer to Yangzhou.

A phenomenon that surprised everyone in the carriage appeared.

Just a moment ago, while still within the borders of Liangzhou, not to mention the bumps along the way, the road was desolate and uninhabited, with few trees. One look, and it was a typical Liangzhou scene.

However, at this moment...

Ever since stepping onto this Cement Road, it was as if the world had changed.

On both sides of the road were rows of lush, green trees, neat and tidy; every three miles there was a post station, or at the very least, a teahouse for travelers to rest.

Along this journey, although the Emperor's Great Carriage required Scorched Earth, one could occasionally see merchant horse teams and camel caravans rushing along not far away.

Since entering the borders of Yangzhou, it was a scene of bustle.

The clothes on the commoners were clean and neat, and their faces were full of joy.

In short...

It gave one the feeling that this place was full of vitality!

Xie Tianyao watched quietly, feeling it quietly.

In fact, at this moment, he was itching to get out and walk, to ask those passersby if all of this had been arranged by Prefect Liu to make them pretend.

But he did not.

Because he knew.

The smiles from the heart on those people's faces, the satisfaction from the heart, could absolutely not be faked.

"Prefect Liu, come and tell the lords how Yangzhou is so prosperous?"

Xie Tianyao suddenly laughed and said.

Here it comes!

Liu Zheng, who had long known there would be such an examination, hurriedly cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, Yangzhou has many mines—iron mines, gold mines, silver mines, and copper mines. It was just that the former County Marquis, Lu Zhengyi, did not understand how to develop them. Since the merger of Yinyang, your humble servant has treated Yinzhou as a factory and Yangzhou as a mine, governing them separately but managing them uniformly. Coupled with the integration of household registration for Yinyang, from then on, Yinyang has not been separated, promoting each other, which is why we have the situation of today."

"Good! A good 'Yinyang not separated'!"

Xie Tianyao's eyes flickered as he listened: "The malaise of the Longyan Dynasty lies in the fact that there is a court everywhere. Jinghua has a big court, the Feudatory Kings each have their own small courts, and even every prefecture and every county is a small court. With courts everywhere, who still takes my court seriously?"

Liu Zheng was scared to death.

Since when had his relationship with the Emperor reached the point where he dared to say anything?

He swallowed hard and dared not speak.

Xie Tianyao saw Liu Zheng's nervousness and laughed heartily: "No matter, no matter. That day you said I was old and decrepit, how have you become so timid? Today is just a casual chat, speak your mind, I will not blame you! Minister Wen, what do you think?"

Seeing the reactions of the others, which were nothing out of the ordinary, Liu Zheng realized that these people must be the old Emperor's trusted inner circle.

The Minister Wen that Xie Tianyao spoke of was none other than Wen Han, one of the three famous Grand Academicians of the Hanlin Academy in the current court!

The three Grand Academicians of the Hanlin Academy were Zhu Qing, Liu Yu, and Wen Han.

Liu Yu had died by knocking his head against a pillar while remonstrating over the Imperial Examination some time ago.

Now, only two Grand Academicians remained in the Hanlin Academy: Zhu Qing and Wen Han. More importantly, as mentioned before, the Hanlin Academy of the Longyan Dynasty had also split into two factions over the passage of history. One was the Outer Court, which specialized in Learning, and the other was the Inner Court, which consisted of the Emperor's true confidential personnel!

And this Wen Han was the Grand Academician in charge of the Inner Court!

It was evident that although this person was usually low-key, he held great power and was deeply trusted by the Emperor.

Wen Han looked at Liu Zheng with a smile and said: "Prefect Liu's move is indeed convenient for local management, but it is not suitable for the Longyan Dynasty. Prefect Liu reveres the Centralization of Power, so you can govern a single prefecture, and even that is strenuous; how much more so for the Longyan Dynasty?"

The others nodded in succession as they listened.

Xie Tianyao looked at Liu Zheng with great interest, a playful smile on his face.

Liu Zheng could not help but smile bitterly.

Was this using Wen Han to test him?

If he lost face today, who could guarantee that this mercurial Xie Tianyao wouldn't lose interest in him and end his life with a single blade stroke...

But this Xie Tianyao was giving him too much credit... This was Wen Han! Someone who had spent his entire life in the inner court, reading classics, studying politics, and governing the world.

And himself?

Just a twenty-three-year-old lad, for heaven's sake!

Forget it, go for it!

Thinking this, he could only respond with a bitter smile: "Lord Wen's words are very true. Today, Feudatory Kings are numerous, each acting on their own, and although the dukes respect the Emperor, they are secretly disloyal. Achieving Centralization of Power is truly difficult. However, this is precisely the greatest cause of the Longyan Dynasty's gradual decline! In this humble official's view, no matter how history changes, Centralization of Power is the primary magic weapon for consolidating the stability of the world! Governing the world is like cooking a small fish! I am but a mere commoner, the son of a merchant, yet I have managed to cook this one province; if the Emperor has such grand talent and bold vision, what is wrong with cooking the entire world?"

"Good! A good 'what is wrong with cooking the entire world!' Empress, pour the wine!"

Xie Tianyao could not help but have his eyes light up, and he slapped his thigh.

Liu Zheng was startled and hurriedly straightened up, allowing the Empress to pour him a cup of wine, then expressed his utmost gratitude.

Wen Han and the others looked at each other in dismay.

What a sharp-tongued young man!

Wen Han continued with a chuckle: "Emperor, Longyan is a celestial empire with vast territories; governing by division is the Great Trend. Since ancient times, the Emperor has been respected by the dukes. If the dukes do not respect him, he is not the Emperor; this is the mandate of Heaven! All the Feudatory Kings are men of great merit who have made immense contributions to the expansion of the Longyan Dynasty's map. That Longyan Culture is widely spread is entirely the merit of the Feudatory Kings!"

The others also chimed in one after another.

Liu Zheng smiled slightly.

This was the benefit of the Feudal System. In fact, throughout the history of Huaxia civilization, no matter the dynasty or the system, the Feudal System would appear. From the simple Feudal System of the past to the Commandery-County System, then to the Commandery-State System of the Han Dynasty, and until the fall of the Qing Dynasty, every dynasty had shadows of the Feudal System. This was because the Emperor felt it facilitated management, benefited political stability, and aided the spread of culture.

Let us tentatively call these various variants of the Feudal System the Feudal Lord System.

This is why many countries, both ancient and modern, domestic and foreign, have favored the Feudal Lord System.

Centralization of Power has its benefits, namely consistent steps and stable health. But likewise, Centralization of Power has its drawbacks, namely the Hereditary System of feudal dynasties; if one encounters a foolish ruler, the entire world is truly finished.

But the Feudal Lord System has its own benefits, namely that even if one encounters a foolish ruler, if these lords are wise, they can still keep the people within their jurisdiction living and working in peace. They can even achieve the effect of being emulated by others, preventing the entire world from being plunged into misery and covered in scars.

Of course, the drawbacks are also very obvious: being too independent, it is easy to carve out a territory, ignore orders, and, because of excessive power, rise in rebellion.

Therefore.

What Wen Han said was, of course, not wrong...

It was just that...

She did not understand the thoughts of Liu Zheng, who had come from a later age.

Liu Zheng was someone who had "seen the world"...

He always believed that Centralization of Power was very necessary. It was just that if it relied on the Hereditary System, then it was truly doomed... Therefore, if the Hereditary System were to be abolished, that would be true Centralization of Power!

Why?

As the saying goes, Liu Zheng always believed that social resources should be in the hands of elite individuals for the entire society to develop. Under Centralization of Power, leaders elected by the majority are capable of bearing the historical responsibility of leading the entire society—having defeated political rivals one by one to take office, their vision, knowledge, and overall perspective are naturally not low.

Do you really think...

That such a leader, after taking office, would be so narrow-minded as to only want to make money?

Do you really think that such a leader, dominating a country, would really spend every day pondering how to pursue benefits for their own family?

No.

This is still a matter of perspective.

When they stand at the top, what they must consider is the entire world, and whether they themselves can leave their names in history and lead this country to be strong and prosperous. Looking down upon the world.

This is also why...

The successive emperors of this Longyan Dynasty would allow the princes to scheme against each other, engage in deceit, and mutually undermine one another.

Because they believed that only those who emerged from such struggles were qualified to control this country! Qualified to sit on this throne!

However...

The Hereditary System still limited these candidates to the imperial family.

The world today is just like this.

One Crown Prince Xie Fang, one Third Prince Xie Ling; the old Emperor looked down on them all.

Therefore.

Under these circumstances.

In reality, there are two solutions. One is Democracy—this is complete nonsense; the historical process has not yet developed to this stage. The other is the Cabinet System.

The Emperor enjoys himself in peace.

Establish a Cabinet, and let talented people in the Cabinet govern the world.

Delegate power!

Wasn't the Wanli Restoration of the Ming Dynasty exactly like this?

The Ming Emperor Shenzong had never held power since he was young; all major military and political affairs were left to Zhang Juzheng to preside over and decide, realizing a series of reform measures. The social economy continued to develop, and foreign military affairs also won consecutive victories, with the imperial court presenting a scene of restoration, hence it was called the Wanli Restoration. For many years, Wanli did not attend court, yet society was in a flourishing state. But once he began to rule personally, he stopped attending court frequently, engaged in major construction, and was extravagant without restraint. From the twenty-fourth year of Wanli, he dispatched Eunuchs to various places to serve as mining supervisors and tax supervisors, extorting without satisfaction, which incited the people to resist.

Of course.

Liu Zheng would never dare to say such things.

Because he knew.

Xie Tianyao was definitely not the type of person willing to delegate power.

Therefore, he could only smile slightly: "What Lord Wen said is still an old almanac. Dukes respecting the Emperor and Heaven-Given Imperial Power—that was before the Zhou Dynasty. Since the Han Dynasty, the High Ancestor, in order to eliminate Kings of a Different Surname, enfeoffed his own kin, and from then on, the 'family-owned world' began. Many Feudatory Kings of Longyan are all of the Xie Clan. Therefore, rather than calling it 'bestowal,' it is better to say that they are managing it on behalf of the Emperor! Since they are managing it on behalf of the Emperor, why fear not taking it back?"

"This..."

Wen Han's expression changed slightly.

The others also looked at each other in dismay.

Xie Tianyao laughed heartily: "Prefect Liu, your words are truly pearls of wisdom. In my eyes, there is no one in this world more insightful than you! 'Acting management,' 'acting management,' what a wonderful term—acting management! Come, another cup!"

Wen Han, an elder, felt somewhat unconvinced after being repeatedly refuted by Liu Zheng, and asked him: "How does Prefect Liu think one should go about reclaiming them?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Xie Tianyao's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

The others were even more silent, like cicadas in late autumn.

Master Wen, oh Master Wen... you really do have a knack for touching on sore spots. Who doesn't know that it is difficult to remove the Feudatory Kings now, and difficult to reclaim their territories? It is because the imperial court relies too heavily on these Feudatory Kings, the treasury is tight, and the military strength is stretched thin... But how could you ask such a question? Are you trying to make the Emperor lose face on purpose?

However.

Including Xie Tianyao, these people still looked at Liu Zheng, wanting to know how he would answer this stinging question.

Who would have thought that Liu Zheng would throw caution to the wind; those two cups of White Jade Capital had quite a kick! He let out a hiccup, his eyes shining: "Territorial Exchange!"

Boom!

Everyone's expression changed drastically.

Wen Han was also so shocked he nearly fell to the ground.

Territorial Exchange!

This was a key decision Liu Zheng had combined from the later ages, which a certain great man had made among several major military regions in the country to stabilize the chaotic political situation of that time!

Military power!

It had always been the heavy weapon of the state.

And were the current Feudatory Kings not the same?

Since it was impossible to abolish the fiefs.

Then let them perform a Territorial Exchange!

Swap Qingzhou for Jingzhou, Yizhou for Jiangzhou, Hanzhong for Zhuozhou, and Jizhou for Yong Province!

In this way.

The foundations these Feudatory Kings had accumulated and managed for many years in their territories would be pulled out from under them in an instant! So what if they took their armies with them? To win the hearts of the people, you need even more time to manage!

By the time you have managed it well.

Swap again!

Wen Han stared blankly at Liu Zheng.

This Method...

It was simply brilliant! And utterly ruthless!

Because the current Xie Tianyao still had some control over the Longyan Dynasty. Although he could not abolish the fiefs for fear of the Feudatory Kings rebelling... but what if he swapped their territories?

If I give you a Jingzhou with a population of five million in exchange for a Qingzhou with a population of five million, what will you do?

Do you dare to refuse?

The rewards remain the same; you are just being moved to a different place. You can continue to go to Jingzhou, continue to be your Prince, and continue to tinker with your little court... You can even discuss it among yourselves: will you bring your troops to the new territory, or not? But how long will it take you to stabilize Jingzhou? During this time, how many factors will change? During this time, how many of his own people can the Emperor plant inside?

As time goes by...

The Feudatory Kings' control over the local regions will no longer be what it once was.

At that time, if the Emperor has the means to realize the Centralization of Power, it will be as easy as turning over one's hand!

Ruthless!

Vicious!

Wen Han took a deep breath.

At this moment, he no longer dared to underestimate the young man before him.

His grasp of the situation truly surpassed that of many others.

This was also the only change Xie Tianyao could make at present!

As long as he does not die... if it is only a Territorial Exchange, these Feudatory Kings would not go so far as to rebel. Of course, if he were to die and these things were done by his son, the result would naturally be different.

The scene was deathly silent.

Wen Han gave a bitter smile, raised his wine cup, and toasted Liu Zheng.

"You may all withdraw; Prefect Liu is to stay."

Xie Tianyao pondered for a moment and said indifferently.

The Empress and this group of trusted aides left one after another.

In the entire Horse Carriage, only Xie Tianyao, Grand Eunuch Zhou, and Liu Zheng remained.

Xie Tianyao looked at Liu Zheng with flickering eyes.

He just kept looking like that.

Liu Zheng was startled, hurriedly rose to kneel on the ground, and also remained silent.

"Prefect Liu, I need you to promise me one thing!"

Xie Tianyao finally spoke coldly.

Liu Zheng said: "I shall obey any command from the Emperor!"

Xie Tianyao stared at him intently, speaking word by word: "I want you to swear to me that in this life and this world, you will never desire to be Emperor!"

"What?"

Liu Zheng was shocked.