My son, Fusu, please abdicate the first emperor!

Chapter 707: Conspiracy - Enfeoffment Order
It is said that on that day Fusu invited Wang Wan back and entertained many meritorious officials and generals during the reign of Qin Shihuang. For a time, he won the hearts of all the civil and military officials in the court.

The higher Feng Quji stood, the more power made him dizzy and he always didn't know what to do.

His cousin, Feng Wuzhe, Marquis of Wuxin, was a bystander and was in charge of the family's strategic plans.

After all the praise, Qin II was successfully able to smile and his favorable impression of the Feng family increased greatly.

Qin II had already thought of a plan to deal with the feudal system, and now all the necessary conditions were in place.

Just waiting to be implemented.

Now that Li Si has been deposed, the literati group in Jizhong has the opportunity to grow and display their talents.

The creation of the Jixia Academy was a group of scholars that Fusu attracted through his literary talent when he was in charge of recruiting hundreds of schools of thought in Linzi City. These scholars came from all over the country and had been learning from each other in the Jixia Academy of Qi for many years.

However, under the political environment and system of Qin State where the country was ruled by law, he never had the opportunity to show his talents.

Now this group, which is completely subordinate to Fusu and loyal to the emperor, is beginning to grow.

The return of Wang Wan provided the empire with a political executor for its Guanzhong-based system, and Wang Wan was the most experienced person.

This helped Fusu save a lot of effort.

With Wei Liao's full support, he helped Fusu win the hearts of the people at the first opportunity.

After a brief period in which he found governing the country a little difficult right after ascending the throne, Fusu soon sat comfortably on the throne with the help of two powerful ministers.

It's about being comfortable, not sitting still.

It is not easy to sit firmly on the throne, but it is even more difficult to sit comfortably on the throne.

The quick victory allowed this son of destiny to fully expose his bloodline characteristics shortly after he ascended the throne.

In front of Zhangtai Palace, the plaque with the words "Open and Honest" was replaced.

In addition, Fusu ordered all the fancy bronze objects, as long as they were movable, to be placed in other palaces.

Instead, there are simple bamboo furniture, a Zhangtai Palace, in just a few days. Before people enter the palace, a scent of bamboo wafts from afar.

The fragrance of bamboo is very unique. Even if you put fifty copper coins in it, the smell of copper in the whole barrel cannot cover the fragrance of bamboo.

In front of Zhangtai Palace, the fancy mythical beasts that guarded the palace were mostly moved away and replaced with bamboo curtains.

The aura of the entire Zhangtai Palace suddenly became brand new, peaceful and quiet.

This aura nourishes the spirit.

The aura of Ying Zheng's luxurious and magnificent palace is so appealing that it draws people in.

What made Wei Liao subconsciously think that he had come to the wrong place was that the plaque "正大光明" in front of Zhangtai Palace had been replaced.

The new plaque left Wei Liao stunned for a long time.

It turned out that the words on the plaque were replaced with "Wencheng Wude".

Liao's eyes were a little confused at first. He didn't understand what was going on in the emperor's head. Until he remembered the flattering words Feng Wuzhe said in the court that day, he suddenly understood.

As soon as Liao entered the palace, Fusu came out to greet him, as if he had finished his homework in advance and was excited to hand it in to the teacher.

Fusu was so happy about the new palace that he spent the whole night and even moved the screen himself.

This excitement really made Sima Wuyi uncomfortable.

Sima Wuyi's face turned black when he saw someone running to the captain to ask for praise while banging his butt.

Be proud, then be proud.

Fusu asked politely, "Captain, what do you think of the layout of my palace?"

"Not bad. The environment is very unique." Liao smiled.

The emperor asked again: "How does the palace layout compare to the one during the reign of the retired emperor?"

The captain shook his head and said, "Your Majesty must know Mencius, right?"

"King Huiwen of Liang once sought advice from Mencius and thought he had done a pretty good job."

"Mencius told King Huiwen of Liang, "Your Majesty loves war. Let me use a war as an analogy. Beat the drums, and when the swords clash, they abandon their armor and weapons and run away. Some stop after a hundred steps, and some stop after fifty steps. What does it mean when you laugh at someone who takes fifty steps while someone who takes a hundred steps?"

"Your Majesty loves war, so please allow me to use war as an analogy. The drums of war are beating, and as soon as the spears and blades touch, some soldiers throw away their armor and run away, dragging their weapons."

"Some people ran a hundred steps and stopped, while others ran fifty steps and stopped. The soldiers who ran fifty steps actually laughed at the soldiers who ran a hundred steps. Is this appropriate?"

Fusu's face suddenly turned ugly.

Wei Liao continued, "In the past, some people governed the country without caring about the lives of the people, and only thought about how they could become famous through the ages."

"There are people who govern the country now, but they don't care about the lives of the people. They are busy showing off their achievements every day." Liao looked at the plaque at the entrance of the hall.

“So even though some people used gold, silver, jade and stone to build palaces in the past, that was certainly not virtuous.”

"Nowadays, some people use bamboo mats and wooden furniture to fill the palace, but they just avoid taking a detour."

Fusu's face suddenly turned dark.

Fusu's attendants and censors all bowed their heads obediently.

Only Sima Wuyi was ecstatic and wrote at a rapid speed.

"Your Majesty, you have only been emperor for a few days."

Fusu remained silent.

Liao originally had more questions to ask Fusu, but seeing him like this, he wanted to leave in anger.

"I have just ascended the throne, so it is inevitable that I may have done something wrong. I hope the captain will forgive me." Fusu smiled warmly, but when the maid looked at him from the side, she could see that his cheekbone had moved forward and was protruding.

"Your Majesty, you are the people's hope. Don't behave like a tyrant. For a little praise, you are so happy that you forget who you are. This will bring disaster upon yourself."

Shao Ping, Sima Wuyi, Liang and others nodded in agreement without any hesitation.

Fusu is still too young compared to them.

"I know, I know." Fusu was annoyed. It would have been fine if he didn't praise me, but he said so much.

I need your teaching.

But Fusu couldn't turn against him.

Fusu walked back to his seat quickly and said, "I was actually busy with official business the whole time. I only went out to greet the captain when I heard him coming in."

Wei Liao saw through everything and said in a false tone, "Your Majesty treats me sincerely. I have fulfilled my duties as a minister. It is I who am at fault."

"If the captain has nothing to do, just sit in the palace and help me handle official business." Fusu didn't want to talk to him and pretended to deal with memorials.

Liao looked around: Do I look like I’m having a lot of free time?

"Your Majesty, I am here to talk about the issue of enfeoffment. Your Majesty did not ask for my opinion, but directly decided on the issue of enfeoffment with the two prime ministers. Now the entire court is discussing this matter."

Fusu turned his pen, "Does the captain have any objection to this?"

"Of course!"

Liao looked around.

The subordinates all retreated tactfully.

Fusu looked at Liao. What happened to this guy today? It was as if Zhang Cang possessed him.

I can't stand it.

"Whatever you want to say, Captain, you can say it now."

Fusu put the memorial down.

"I heard that your majesty gave fiefs to Li Xin, Wang Ben, Yang Duanhe, and Yang Miao, and even released Zhao Ying and gave him a fief as well."

"Your Majesty may want to show that contributions to the Qin State are greater than one's birth, but the fiefs given to the meritorious officials are so large, while the fiefs given to the princes of the same surname are so small."

"If this happens, the princes will start a war in less than two or three years."

"Dividing the fiefs of the princes into such small pieces, isn't this intentionally weakening the princes' strength in order to attract the princes to annex and nibble at the princes' fiefdoms?"

"I originally thought that Your Majesty's title was nominal, but it turns out that Your Majesty's title is real."

Liao's neck and face were all red, showing that he was very angry.

The last time, even though he was so angry, Ying Zheng still refused to listen to advice and insisted on sending Li Xin out to fight.

Fusu just sat upright, as if those things had nothing to do with him. "I thought that Your Majesty would grant fiefs to the princes and meritorious officials at the same time, and the princes would certainly compete with the siege."

"But His Majesty has come up with a strange idea. He wants to divide the land for meritorious officials and generals into pieces as big as pig legs, while the fiefs for the princes are as small as the tip of a pig's trotter."

"Your Majesty originally had the support and trust of the princes, and also established prestige in front of the princes. But Your Majesty broke all these first, making the princes feel unfair."

"What exactly does your majesty want to do?"

Fusu: "I wrote it very clearly in the edict. The fiefs given to the princes are small because they have not made any achievements to date. In addition, they are still young and need experience. When the time comes, we will have to send ministers to manage them temporarily."

"This kind of division is reasonable."

Wei Liao’s eyes widened.

"How can this make sense?" Liao felt that Fusu was teasing him.

Fusu's current actions, words and deeds made Liao feel that his loyalty had been deceived again.

He really wanted to curse. None of the Ying, Qin, and Zhao families were good people.

Unexpectedly, Fusu smiled slightly.

"What the national commander can see through at a glance, I can also see through at a glance."

Liao suddenly shuddered, "Your Majesty, since you know the pros and cons, why do you still do this?"

Fusu stood up, his tall figure standing tall in the slightly dim hall with an elegant posture.

"Because I have no intention of dividing the country. As long as there is a division, there will inevitably be conflicts."

"I believe everyone knows how to be grateful. But a favor may be remembered for one or two years; after three to five years, ten to twenty years, no one will care about it anymore."

"So, what I want is for them to fight each other and make mistakes first."

Wei Liao was so shocked that he was speechless for a while.

He stared at Fusu blankly.

In other words, only when the person he is facing is Liao, will Fusu tell him the truth.

"Master, times have changed. This is the imperial system, and the central government's decisions are more important than local decisions. The feudal system is something that will eventually be eliminated by the times. We are just giving it a reasonable way to exit."

"For this reason, we must teach these princes how to do things within the Qin Empire."

"Why don't you just set the plate first and wait and see who will make the first move, so that they can serve as an example to others?"

"I don't seek a hundred years, nor do I seek eternity."

“Only solve the problems that need to be solved.”

The muscles on Liao's face stiffened and he swallowed, choking.

"So, it seems that Your Majesty deliberately let them kill each other, but in fact it is to prevent them from killing each other."

"Because, once someone takes the initiative to launch a campaign to wipe out other vassal states, Your Majesty will send troops."

"The 400,000-man army was summoned back for this very purpose."

Fusu: "As expected of you, you are the national commander. You understand everything at once."

Liao looked at this scheming emperor. Sometimes this man's indifference and ruthlessness also made him feel scared.

It was obvious that he was so kind and friendly to those generals.

But to be honest, the new emperor's actions were even more cruel than those of Qin Shihuang.

"We can't just wait and watch them fight each other. That's not a solution."

Liao couldn't imagine that there would be war within the empire.

Countless more people are going to die...

So what is the difference between the person he is loyal to now and the person who is locked up?
Liao asked persistently, "Your Majesty just announced a ceasefire and issued such an edict. Isn't this intended to make them rebel? When the time comes to send troops, the subjects of the world will complain that Your Majesty can't keep his word."

"Your Majesty is wrong."

Fusu waved his hand, "I know. I know everything."

“So, I thought of a way.”

"But I am worried that the princes will not be able to implement this better method immediately. So I need to use strategies to help them digest it."

Wei Liao: "What method?"

Second Emperor: "Extend favor."

Second Emperor: "It is stipulated that, in addition to the eldest son of the princes inheriting the throne, the rest of the illegitimate sons shall be granted titles of nobility in their original fiefdoms. The newly granted fiefdoms are no longer under the jurisdiction of the kingdom, but are directly managed by the counties, with a status equivalent to that of a county."

"The vassal states will become smaller and smaller, and by then we will reach a situation where a large state will have no more than ten cities, and a small state will have no more than a few dozen miles."

"And throughout the country, there are eighty or ninety Qin and Han counties."

That is to say, the counties directly under the central government account for 80%-90% of the country's land area.

"At that time, the new counties were interspersed between the princes, and they were adjacent to each other, holding the advantageous terrain. These counties were always inserted between the princes' territories, and the county lands were interlaced with the princes' lands, so that the princes could not be connected, and the counties always occupied or held the advantageous terrain."

"The marquisates were no longer able to compete with the central government, and the central government's power was effectively consolidated."

"Nominally, the vassal kingdoms were not subject to any reduction in power, in order to avoid provoking the vassal kings to launch armed resistance."

"When the vassal states began to divide, all the sons and nephews became marquises. As the states became smaller and smaller, the power of the princes was greatly weakened."

"Even if the princes dare to rely on their own military power to rebel, the central government can quickly suppress the rebellion."

"The Enfeoffment Order also stipulates that upon the death of a prince, the eldest son will inherit the throne, and the other sons will be divided into parts of the kingdom to become marquises, and the marquises will be governed by the county."

"The princes were allowed to give part of their kingdom's land to their sons and nephews as "private favors" and the emperor would determine the names of these marquisates."

"Under the new system, the marquisate was subordinate to the prefecture, and its status was equivalent to that of a county."

"Therefore, the division of the kingdom into marquisates meant the reduction of the kingdom and the expansion of the territory directly governed by the imperial court."

"Then the imperial court will not be able to promote or demote officials, and the vassal states will be able to separate themselves. The problem of the princes being too powerful to be controlled will be solved directly."

Liao looked at Fusu, speechless for a long time.

"Using the conflicts of interest within the family to resolve the conflicts between the central government and local governments. That's brilliant."

Fusu smiled bitterly, "It's a good idea, but once it's proposed, the princes may not be happy with it, and there will definitely be people who secretly oppose it. In order to dominate, those young princes resisted."

Liao understood now, "That's why we need to divide the lands of the young masters into such small pieces, to attract them and make them unable to help but make mistakes."

"And as long as there is a mistake, Your Majesty will be right. If Your Majesty is right, you can let the central government take charge of the affairs of the sealed country and force the division."

"This is how we achieve our goal of controlling all the vassal states in the world with one person."

Liao was thinking, his eyes full of admiration for Fusu.

Fusu smiled and said, "How about this plan?"

"Great! Great! Great!" Liao couldn't help asking, "Your Majesty, how did you come up with such a good plan? One thing leads to another."

"Nothing special, it's just natural."

Liao couldn't help licking his lips, "Someone must have given advice to Your Majesty. Was it Chen Ping who taught Your Majesty?"

Fusu said disdainfully, "Chen Ping, he just has the same opinion as the national commander. I designed all these things by myself. I am just waiting to execute them."

Fusu sighed slightly, wondering who would be the first unlucky person to be treated as a chicken.

Sweat beads suddenly appeared on Liao's forehead. This time, the master was really inferior to the apprentice.

"I am just too anxious. If you give me two more days, I will definitely be able to figure it out."

【notify:

Because the design is too big, and there are many plot lines, but if I write it according to the timeline, it will be too torturous. It will affect the rhythm, and my subscriptions will follow a lot of actual data.

So in order to maintain the excitement, it is also necessary to write in a clearer context.

I plan to follow the example of Records of the Grand Historian and develop a separate chapter using characters or a branch line such as the conflict between the central government and local governments.

After finishing one, I will write the next unit: How to promote great governance and implement culture and education in Guanzhong. 】

(End of this chapter)