Chapter 1225: Are We Just a Joke...?

In terms of local governance, these ancient noble families were like local emperors, and there was no issue in enforcing their own rules within their domain. This was how these long-standing aristocratic families had survived for centuries. They didn’t need to reach the top of power; all they had to do was manipulate the court from behind the scenes. Even if the emperor fell or regimes changed, the court would still be controlled by their mouthpieces. This was the method of survival perfected by the powerful families of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, who manipulated the country from behind the scenes.

Even someone as mighty as Emperor Taizong of Tang had to tolerate this practice. Though it didn’t show immediate results, certain aristocratic families had been playing this game for centuries. Over time, their influence reached the point where the emperor merely sat on the throne, while the entire bureaucracy, from the first to ninth ranks, was composed of their people.

These families, hidden in plain sight but conducting their business openly, were barely different from the emperor. The only thing separating them from the emperor was the title.

Of course, individuals like Yuan Shu, who fought tooth and nail for a mere title, weren’t worth mentioning. Titles had always been something that many in later generations would obsess over.

The Chen family was now considering these very ideas. It was no surprise, considering that the concept of the "Nine-rank system" had come from them. They were willing to sacrifice their outward reputation if it meant they could hold onto real power.

"I suppose I wasn’t clear enough," Chen Xi remarked, giving Chen Guang and Chen Shang a glance of newfound respect. "What I meant was, controlling an empire from behind the scenes—manipulating an empire without showing your face. The entire court, save for the emperor, would be your mouthpieces. And if there’s no emperor, then a ruling council would suffice. I’m sure you know how to control such a group as well as I do."

Chen Shang and Chen Guang were both stunned, as if they had been struck by lightning. The idea left them shaken, but after considering it, they realized it wasn’t impossible. The concept of the "Holy Emperor ruling by inaction" meant that the emperor did nothing while his ministers took care of everything in the realm.

Ideally, the emperor wouldn’t involve himself in politics or military affairs at all; everything would be handled by the ministers...

So, if the emperor did nothing, wouldn’t it make sense to dispense with the emperor altogether and let the ministers run the country as a group? And if it were a council rather than an individual, aristocratic families would love that—easier to insert their own people, find scapegoats, and manipulate things from the shadows!

"If that’s the case..." Chen Guang’s eyes flashed with a sharp light as he glanced toward Chen Yun, who stood silently to the side. He knew that she was a stunning beauty, unmatched in both dance and song, but for such an important matter concerning the fate of the Chen family, there could be no room for carelessness.

Seeing the murderous glint in their eyes, Chen Xi followed their gaze and turned to look at Chen Yun. He had grown so used to her quiet presence that he had forgotten to dismiss her earlier.

"Yun'er, go wait outside," Chen Xi said with a light cough. "I’ll call you back when I need you."

Chen Yun’s face momentarily revealed a flicker of panic, but her actions remained poised and graceful. The role of a close servant came with its risks—hearing something one wasn’t supposed to hear could easily lead to death.

After Chen Yun left, Chen Guang and Chen Shang turned their attention back to Chen Xi. "Family head, how could you take such a matter so lightly?"

"Relax, she won’t breathe a word to anyone. She rarely leaves the house, and when she does, it's always with me," Chen Xi said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I never said we’d be doing this in the Central Plains."

Both Chen Guang and Chen Shang froze. What kind of empire could they rule that wasn’t in the Central Plains? As for the small kingdoms in the Western Regions, the Chen family, with the Xun family in tow, could easily sweep through them like a scythe through wheat—why would they need such tactics?

Chen Xi picked up a bamboo pointer and gestured at the map on the wall, pointing to a region in Central Asia. As he explained his plan, Chen Guang and Chen Shang stared in utter disbelief.

"This is impossible!" Chen Guang slammed his hand on the table, shouting. How could the world be so vast? How could there be land more fertile than the Central Plains? How could there be better places than the Central Plains? It was impossible—their worldview simply couldn’t accept it!

"Yun'er, bring in the books I had you prepare," Chen Xi called out toward the door, not bothering to exclude Chen Yun this time.

In fact, Chen Yun had known about the vastness of the world earlier than most, as she had been present while Chen Xi worked on his maps, pouring tea and tending to him. She had asked him questions out of curiosity, and Chen Xi had answered without much reservation.

Compared to Li You and the others, Chen Yun had accepted this reality more easily. She didn’t have a strong worldview to begin with—whatever Chen Xi said, she accepted. She had been conditioned to accept all of his requests, no matter how reasonable or unreasonable they might seem.

Soon, Chen Yun brought in several ancient texts, including the "Muyu Tianzi Zhuan," "Shan Hai Jing," and "Records of the Grand Historian," along with a few fragments of other documents. Together, they pieced together a clear picture of Central Asia and the various kingdoms that had once existed there. During the height of the Han Dynasty, the Eurasian continent had seen considerable interaction.

Most of these countries had been overshadowed by the might of the Han Empire, and even the aristocratic families had paid little attention to them. But records existed of exchanges with the likes of Daqin (Rome), Dayuan, Anxi (Parthia), and the Yuezhi (Kushans).

"The world is truly this vast..." Chen Guang murmured, staring at the map. His voice was filled with resignation as he looked down at the land they had fought over for centuries. "Then what have all our struggles amounted to? Are these lands as fertile as Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Jizhou?"

"Not entirely. There are harsh lands and fertile ones. For instance, this region here produces three harvests a year, with no need for crop rotation," Chen Xi said, pointing to India, where the land was particularly well-suited for farming.

"So, we aristocratic families... are nothing more than a joke, aren’t we?" Elder Chen Shang's eyes welled up with tears. Their ancestors had bled and died over these lands, and for over a thousand years, they had fought over such trivial scraps. In the end, all their conflicts had been meaningless. The world was so vast, yet the descendants of the Yellow Emperor had spent millennia huddled in a corner.

"It’s not that you’re a joke. You’ve accumulated a thousand years of experience in political struggles, always fighting under military pressure. If you were to compete against the other empires shown on this map, you would crush them," Chen Xi quipped, half in jest. But his words held truth.

In terms of military strategy, each country had its own strengths. But when it came to political maneuvering and scheming, the aristocratic families of the Central Plains would easily dominate the others. Even the infamous seven great families of Parthia, known for their political backstabbing, couldn’t hold a candle to the aristocrats of the Central Plains, who could scheme circles around them.

Indeed, talent misapplied is wasted potential. If you sent these families, with their thousand years of finely honed political skill, to play their game in other regions, they’d run circles around their rivals. And without having to worry about maintaining appearances, they could wreak all kinds of havoc.

If they lost in a political struggle, these families might as well hang themselves, for they had perfected the art over centuries. Sending them to continue doing what they did best would undoubtedly lead to success. On this point, Chen Xi had no doubts.

As for the damage caused by their political games, it didn’t matter. The lands they would ruin were going to be given to them as fiefdoms anyway, so it didn’t matter if they broke everything.

Chen Xi's mention of a government without an emperor, ruled by ministers alone, was also a trial. After venturing beyond the borders and seizing foreign lands, this would be a new system of governance to test—one that could serve as a model for future reforms in the Han Empire’s governance.

Previous Chapter | | Next Chapter