We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

"There's no emperor anymore?!"

Emperor Qing opened his eyes wide and leaned forward slightly.

He stared into Li Che's eyes, trying to find a hint of a joke, but all he saw was calmness.

"How...how is this possible?" The old emperor's voice cracked with emotion. "If the world were without an emperor, it would be like a group of dragons without a leader. With such a vast territory and billions of people, who would rule over them?"

"How can such a huge country be run, and how can government orders be implemented? Wouldn't this lead to chaos and the return of a fragmented and fragmented world?!"

Li Che pondered for a moment, organizing his words in his mind so that the founding emperor could understand.

After thinking for a moment, he slowly said:

"In that era, the highest power of the state did not belong to a single family or surname by nature, but was explicitly stipulated to belong to all the people."

"Through specific methods, the people, from all walks of life and all regions, elect representatives who can represent their interests and will."

"These representatives form a body called 'Parliament', which decides the country's major policies."

"What truly maintains the daily operation of the entire country is no longer the will of a certain individual, but... the law."

"Law?" Emperor Qing frowned tightly.

He was familiar with this concept. Daqing also had laws, but the laws of Daqing were meant to restrict civilians.

Putting the law above the aristocracy, and even above imperial power, was completely beyond the old emperor's cognition.

As for the proverb "If a prince breaks the law, he shall be punished as severely as any commoner," its origin can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty.

"That's right." Li Che nodded affirmatively, saying, "The rule of law is more important than the rule of man. From... well... the highest rulers to the common people, everything must be done within the framework of the law."

“Everyone is equal before the law.”

Emperor Qing still couldn't fully understand this system that subverted his three views.

But as the founding monarch, he has his own opinions.

He quickly and shrewdly skipped over the debate of concepts and got straight to the point:

"How did they do that? Just with ideas and laws?"

Emperor Qing absolutely did not believe that such a huge transfer of power could be completed peacefully.

"In addition to the enlightenment of thought, the more crucial power comes from the evolution of weapons."

Li Che offered an answer: "As the military's standard weapons continue to evolve, becoming increasingly sophisticated, powerful, and easy to master, the cost of maintaining an imperial model of rule by relying on a small elite monopoly of violence will become unbearable."

"As the cost of ruling increases, the status of those with privilege will be shaken, and eventually the emperor will naturally fade from the stage of history."

In fact, Li Che knew very well:

Compared with more primitive tribes, alliances or slavery, the centralized feudal monarchy was not backward for a considerable period of history.

On the contrary, feudal monarchy is an efficient form of organization.

In ancient times, everyone was truly equal.

Everyone's military strength is almost the same, and a stone is a weapon. It is naturally difficult to produce a supreme ruler, and it is also difficult to effectively control captives and slaves.

It was not until the emergence of bronze ware that the side that mastered advanced metal weapons gained an overwhelming advantage and the slave state began to take shape.

Subsequently, the popularization of iron tools and armor further consolidated the advantages of the ruling class, and the emperor and the nobility were truly established.

The emergence of gunpowder, especially the development of modern muskets and artillery, began to pull the emperor down from the altar.

Why did the later Qing Dynasty rulers so stubbornly resist the introduction of technology and advanced firearms into China?

It's not because they are stupid, it's because they are too smart!

They quickly realized that these weapons, which could easily allow ordinary people to master powerful destructive power, would fundamentally shake the foundation of their rule.

Therefore, they would rather let the entire empire decline and close down than to nip in the bud any signs that might threaten their privileges.

After all, Emperor Qing is a heroic ruler who created an era, and his foresight and vision are extraordinary.

He narrowed his eyes, a gleam of light flashed in his cloudy eyes, and asked an extremely sharp question:

"If that's the case, by vigorously developing these firearms in Feng State, aren't you digging your own grave for my Li family's kingdom?"

Li Che smiled upon hearing this and said comfortingly, "Father, don't worry too much. The imperial system has existed in this land for thousands of years and it won't disappear overnight."

“Institutional change is a long and complex process.”

"Moreover," he changed the subject, "I have the confidence and the responsibility to find a new balance between imperial power and the rights of the people."

"Father, you should know better than anyone how dangerous it is to place all power and responsibility on one person. It is a path to death."

"Rather than ceding some power to those powerful aristocratic families as we did in the past, we will end up being controlled by them."

"I believe we should explore a new model of governing the world together with hundreds of millions of people!"

"Only by digging deeper and wider roots for the country and gaining the broadest support can we truly ensure the enduring power of our Li family and establish an unprecedented and long-lasting great empire!"

Emperor Qing was completely stunned. Li Che challenged his inherent cognition, leaving his mind blank and unable to refute for a while.

"you......"

He opened his mouth, but found himself at a loss for words.

Li Che looked at the old emperor's bewildered expression, and finally felt a trace of pity in his heart.

In the final stage of the old emperor's life, Li Che did not deceive him with vague fantasies, but implicitly put forward his own political propositions.

Emperor Qing's ideal is very simple, a typical patriarchal mentality. He hopes that the Li family will prosper and that he can sit on the throne forever.

But Li Che's thoughts came from the modern era. He knew very well that it would not be a good thing for a family to always monopolize the highest power, either for the family itself or for the country and nation.

Looking back at history, how many of the kings who lost their country and the royal family had a good end?

Unless they are like the Japanese royal family, who use such inhumane and perverted methods to maintain their rule, turning the entire royal family into complete monsters.

To think about it another way, if the Li royal family could adapt to the times and promote democracy through the efforts of several generations, they could bring Daqing to a whole new level.

Then, this achievement will far exceed the expansion of territory by Qin Shi Huang and Han Wudi!

The name of the Li family will no longer be recorded simply as a ruling family, but as a leader who ushered in a new era!

That is the true immortality!