Chapter 5295 The Empire's Stubborn Illness

Chapter 5295 The Empire's Stubborn Illness
Qin Shi Huang's abolition of the "feudal system" and establishment of the "prefecture-county system" was a groundbreaking move that brought centralization of power to its peak. The governance of the country broke the feudal system and established a "vertical management" system from top to bottom, through which the country's decrees, laws, taxes, and military service could reach the county level directly.

Prefectures and counties were the administrative centers, military strongholds, and tax revenue hubs of the country. Controlling these points meant controlling the lifeline of the entire country and laying the foundation for unification.

This also established his status as "the greatest emperor of all time".

However, even the brilliant and ambitious Qin Shi Huang only extended national administration to the "county" level, failing to completely extend imperial power to the "township" level.

There are many reasons for this, but the two most important ones are:

Firstly, in an era when transportation and information were extremely backward, settlements were often far apart, sometimes even requiring people to go around mountains and rivers to reach each other, forming clan organizations, gentry classes, and folk belief systems unique to the local area.

If a formal bureaucratic institution, paid by the imperial court, were to be established and maintained in every village and settlement, the required financial expenditure would be astronomical, something the country could not afford in an era of extremely low productivity.

Whether they were so-called "powerful clans" or "landlords and gentry," their fundamental goal was to control counties, townships, and villages in order to gain the power to govern the country.

Because informal forces existing in local areas play an irreplaceable role in maintaining order, mediating disputes, building water conservancy projects, and educating the people.

If imperial power were to forcibly intrude, it would not only be costly but could also trigger fierce cultural conflicts and undermine the foundation of rural stability.

Thus, a delicate balance was achieved between local forces and the state: imperial power did not extend to the countryside.

……

Therefore, when it came to conscripting laborers and hiring laborers, it was all controlled by powerful families and clans, and no one else could do anything about it.

If Yan Liben were to entrust the supply of materials to the merchant firm, thereby cutting off the aristocratic families' path to wealth, the two sides would inevitably fall out completely. In the future, any involvement with local government would be met with numerous obstacles and hindrances, resulting in a lose-lose situation for both sides.

Yan Liben said, "It's just a temporary measure. When faced with the choice between amassing wealth and resisting the government, those powerful families will inevitably choose the former. By putting some pressure on them and letting them know that I have other options, they will surely back down."

"But they can still use conscription and hiring laborers to keep you in check."

Yan Liben laughed and said, "I've heard that the company has purchased and leased many mines overseas, and that countless slaves have been captured and are working for foreign barbarians?"

Fang Jun suddenly realized: "You want to hire these slaves to participate in the construction work?"

"As long as I spread the word, those people will definitely rush to me to negotiate."

It is not impossible that the "Dongda Tang Trading Company" was a truly enormous entity, and that it spared no effort in supporting the construction of Luoyang with the necessary materials and manpower.

Therefore, Yan Liben's late-night visit was merely to get Fang Jun to order the businesses to cooperate, not to truly and completely cut off the Henan aristocratic family's path to wealth accumulation.

Fang Jun nodded and readily agreed: "Meiniang will come to Luoyang to take charge in a few days. I will have her send people to negotiate with you in a grand manner, and then spread the word."

Whether for public or private reasons, he would help Yan Liben. Besides, it was just a play, so why not do it?
Yan Liben was overjoyed: "Thank you for your understanding, Grand Commandant!"

With the important matter accomplished, he felt much more relaxed. He chatted briefly about the upcoming great battle, and then the topic returned to the powerful clans and aristocratic families.

"In times of chaos, powerful clans indeed made great contributions to the preservation of culture and the vitality of local areas, and were indispensable. Otherwise, the entire country would have fallen into an unknown state of decline. But now that a prosperous era has arrived, powerful clans have become a malignant tumor in the governance of the country. They cling to the country and the people like leeches, sucking their blood. If they are not curbed or even eradicated, they will sooner or later drain the country's vitality, causing the imperial power to collapse, the empire to crumble, and chaos to return..."

Fang Jun nodded. In fact, even the powerful clans themselves had realized the harm to the country, but they had to persist in doing so because of their own interests.

"Therefore, I strongly supported Emperor Taizong's suppression of powerful clans. After Your Majesty ascended the throne, you also imposed various restrictions on powerful clans. However, you are powerless to completely eradicate the harm caused by powerful clans. Moreover, the empire is vast and the territory is wide. Many places are outside the jurisdiction of the government, and there is always another force filling them."

During the chaotic end of the Tang Dynasty, the powerful clans that had risen since the Han Dynasty completely disintegrated and were swallowed up by war.

However, once the Northern Song Dynasty was established and the chaos subsided, landlords and gentry rose to prominence, quickly filling the power vacuum left by aristocratic families.

Whether they were powerful clans or landlords and gentry, they were both a necessary class for governing the country and a source of national turmoil.

Even without these two, other forces would still rise to power.

Below the county level, this was a place where imperial power, constrained by production, could not reach...

Yan Liben himself came from a prominent family, so he naturally had a very clear understanding of this: "What truly shook the foundations of aristocratic families was the imperial examination. The Grand Commandant's reform of the imperial examination was groundbreaking and will surely benefit future generations and all people."

Fang Jun took a sip of tea and shook his head: "How could that be? The so-called fairness advocated by the imperial examination is nothing more than placing a seemingly possible path for upward social mobility in front of everyone, that's all. No matter how weakened or declining the aristocratic families are, their foundation is still there. They only need to concentrate their resources to cultivate their children. What can those poor people who toil in the fields compare with? Even if one or two exceptionally talented individuals break through, it will only be a flash in the pan."

The essence of education, apart from talent, lies in the accumulation of resources.

Since we're talking about resources, how can ten years of hard study compare to dozens of generations of management?

Don't talk about fairness, because there is no such thing as fairness in the world.

Yan Liben shook his head, sighed, and remained silent.

Fang Jun rallied his spirits: "Land annexation, political monopoly... these are the chronic problems of the empire. They seem unsolvable, but in fact they are not."

Yan Liben hurriedly said, "I would like to hear the details!"

"The initial motivation for land annexation lies in the deep-rooted attachment to the homeland that the Chinese people have possessed since ancient times. As an agricultural people, we naturally regard the land as the most important thing. No matter how much wealth we have, it is not as secure as two acres of land, because money can be spent, but land can produce a continuous supply simply by cultivating it... Our bodies and minds are tightly bound to this land. We work at sunrise and rest at sunset, keeping to our lot while also becoming complacent and stagnant. The opening of trade routes means that once the profits from trade exceed the output of the land, the importance of land will decrease significantly. Aristocratic families will no longer focus on land annexation, resulting in fewer and fewer people losing their land, or even if they do lose their land, they will still find a way to survive."

Yan Liben suddenly realized: "Grand Commandant, are you referring to the textile industry that is gradually emerging?"

Fang Jun nodded: "Simple textile workshops are actually harmful to the people. 'Men plow and women weave' is a Chinese tradition. The emergence of textile workshops greatly harmed the people's ability to make a living by weaving cloth. However, overseas trade routes opened up a huge market, which allowed the cloth woven by the people to be sold at a good price. Workshops could hire a large number of people, which was the best way for people who lost their land to survive."

Land consolidation can only be curbed, not stopped. Even if the state promulgates laws prohibiting the private sale of land, land has already begun to concentrate in the hands of a few people.

The development of handicrafts was the best way to solve the problem of surplus labor.

Otherwise, as land annexation becomes increasingly serious and more and more people lose their land, these people will have no food or clothing and no way to survive. They can only be exploited, tortured, and even abused by landlords... No matter how powerful an empire is, it will eventually have its foundations shaken and collapse.

"And political monopoly... is almost unsolvable."

Let alone in China, even in countries that are considered "civilized," political monopolies remain unbreakable.

They say everyone has the right to elect a president, but in reality, only a few people can participate in the presidential election, and they are promoted by a large group of capitalists to stabilize their own interests.

This is still an election; those administrative officials are passed down from generation to generation, and outsiders have no way of getting involved...

Perhaps only when we rush into communism can these social ills be eradicated.

The next morning, Fang Jun sent someone into the city to deliver a letter to the business, instructing them to follow the instructions after Wu Meiniang arrived in Luoyang. He then packed his bags again and braved the cold wind to head south.

*****
Da Nang.

This excellent natural harbor in the central part of the Kingdom of Lin-yi has been under large-scale construction since it was leased by the Tang Dynasty. The dikes built with bamboo strips and stones have become longer and longer, the harbor has become more and more spacious, the docks have become larger and larger, and the number of ships has increased...

On land, the rooftops of government offices used to house officials stretched out in a continuous, orderly fashion.

Inside the main hall of the government office, high-ranking naval officers, including Su Dingfang, Liu Renyuan, Yang Zhou, and Xi Junmai, were gathered together.

On one wall hangs a huge map of the Indochina Peninsula, displaying the territories of various countries such as Lin Yi, Zhenla, Pyu, and Queen's Kingdom, all in great detail.

Xi Junmai asked, "The Governor-General of Luzon has requested that troops be sent to assist the navy in its operations. What is the Commander-in-Chief's response?"

Since assuming the post of Governor-General of Luzon, Duke Zhang Liang of Yunguo has been constrained and hampered in every way. Frustrated and frustrated, he simply took matters into his own hands, abandoned the Governor-General's Mansion on Luzon Island, and led his troops to forcibly occupy "Princess Gaoyang Island," where he built a mansion and stationed himself there for an extended period.

The imperial court remained silent on this matter, which was tantamount to tacit approval...

But Zhang Liang was in his prime and had strong political ambitions. How could he be content to live a secluded life on an island?
Upon hearing that the navy was about to wage war against the Lin-yi Kingdom, Zhang Liang was naturally eager to get involved.

Su Dingfang, fully armored and seated at the head of the table, put down his teacup upon hearing this and shook his head, saying, "This battle has already been planned. The outcome does not depend on whether there is one more Duke of Yun. On the contrary, because of his high rank and seniority, he is more likely to cause unpredictable changes. No."