The emperor faked his death? Never mind, I will ascend the throne directly!

It is true that he is a time traveler, and he was also a keyboard warrior on the Internet in his previous life.

He knew a great deal about governing a country and managing its people, but when it came to dealing with specific matters, he felt a sense of powerlessness...

"Lord Song is visiting you late at night. What's the important matter?"

Li Chengfeng played with the jade ring in his hand and said nonchalantly.

Song Zelin sighed inwardly as he looked at the young emperor before him. The sudden passing of the previous emperor had shaken the government and the country, and the succession of the throne was inherently full of uncertainties.

Although the eldest prince Li Chenghao is the queen's legitimate son, he is arrogant and licentious, has no talent for governing the country, and is really unable to take on such a heavy responsibility.

The new emperor, Li Chengfeng, seems cynical on weekdays, but he is actually meticulous and ruthless, otherwise he would not have won the battle for the throne.

But...it's not so easy to sit on this throne!

"Your Majesty, I, an old minister, came here today to report something important." Song Zelin lowered his voice and spoke in a heavy tone.

"It may seem like Your Highness has accomplished great things, but in reality, undercurrents are surging beneath the surface, and crises are lurking everywhere. Our Daqian Dynasty... is on the verge of overthrow at any moment!"

"Oh?" Li Chengfeng raised his eyebrows and said calmly, "Go on."

"Your Majesty, when the late emperor was in power, he worked hard to govern the country and expand the territory. However, because of this, there were many princes in various places, and each of them controlled the military power. Now the late emperor has passed away suddenly, and you..." Song Zelin paused, as if he was choosing his words.

"Having ascended the throne with lightning speed, there's no guarantee that those vassal kings with heavy military power wouldn't emulate you, colluding with the royal bloodline, amassing their own forces, and perhaps even... wearing the imperial robe!"

Seeing that Li Chengfeng didn't seem to take his words to heart, Song Zelin became extremely anxious and couldn't help but raise his voice.

"The previous emperor waged wars year after year, seemingly making the nation strong, but in reality the treasury was already empty. Most of the taxes now go into the pockets of the aristocratic families. While selling official positions and titles may have alleviated immediate needs, it actually caused endless trouble..."

"The money donated to the national treasury will only become more exploitative after becoming officials, exploiting the people back!"

"If this continues, Daqian will be in danger!"

Li Chengfeng sighed secretly, stepped forward quickly, and helped Song Zelin up personally, saying with emotion: "Left Prime Minister, you are sleepless, thinking about the country and the people. You are truly a pillar of our Daqian!"

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. These are all matters within the responsibilities of this old minister."

Li Chengfeng suddenly stepped forward, catching him off guard, and there was a hint of panic in his words.

Li Chengfeng patted the back of his hand, signaling him not to be so polite.

After a moment of silence, he paced to the window, stood with his hands behind his back, looked out at the deep night, and said lightly: "The ills left over from the previous dynasty are so complicated that it would be as difficult as climbing to the sky to solve them overnight."

"But I will eradicate these cancers one by one. Don't worry too much, Left Prime Minister. I'm not a stubborn person. If you have a good plan, please share it."

Song Zelin trembled all over, and his eyes showed a hint of disbelief.

As the emperor's teacher, he naturally knew that each of these princes was arrogant and proud.

I originally thought that the new emperor was young and impulsive, but I didn’t expect him to be so calm!

He pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly, "Your Majesty, I believe that although corrupt officials are parasites of the state, they cannot shake the foundation of our Daqian in the short term. However, those vassal kings, who wield large armies and are ambitious, are the real threat!"

"Most of these vassal kings are relatives of the royal family who were granted fiefs by the previous emperor to consolidate the borders."

"They hold military power and own a piece of land, and they no longer take the imperial court seriously."

"Now that the previous emperor has passed away and the new emperor has ascended the throne, they will inevitably make some changes..."

Li Chengfeng turned around and stared at Song Zelin with a burning gaze. "Does the Left Prime Minister mean to eliminate these aristocratic families first, and then concentrate our forces on dealing with the vassal kings?"

Song Zelin shook his head and smiled bitterly, "Your Majesty, those aristocratic families may be greedy, but they also know how to preserve their own safety. They will not easily rebel unless it is absolutely necessary."

"What's more, the national treasury is now empty. If we want to pacify the vassal kings, we must have sufficient money and food. And these aristocratic families have the most abundant supply of money and food."

"Therefore, I believe it would be better to first stabilize these aristocratic families, promise them generous benefits, and make them willingly serve the court. Once we have pacified the vassal kings and recovered the military power, it will not be too late to free up our hands to deal with them."

After hearing this, Li Chengfeng's eyes lit up with excitement.

He is the first Confucian scholar in the world, truly worthy of the title!

This trick of using a knife to kill someone else is really a brilliant use!

"However, each of these vassal kings holds a large number of troops. If a war really breaks out, I'm afraid it will shake the foundation of the country!"

Without waiting for Li Chengfeng to speak, Song Zelin frowned, sighed, and continued to speak: "This is also what I am most worried about..."

"Who said we were going to go to war?"

Seeing Song Zelin's worried look, Li Chengfeng raised the corner of his mouth in a playful arc.

He's not good at strategy, but when it comes to policy, there are plenty of historical examples he can copy...

"I have a way that might make these princes surrender their military power."

Song Zelin was stunned when he heard this, and was full of suspicion: "Your Majesty, what is your plan?"

"Enfeoffment Order." Li Chengfeng walked to the desk, picked up a brush, and wrote these three words on the paper.

Song Zelin looked at these three words, his eyes full of confusion: "Enfeoffment Order? What does this mean?"

"It's very simple," Li Chengfeng put down the brush, turned and looked at Song Zelin, with confidence shining in his eyes.

"From now on, all princely titles can be passed down to their descendants. However, the prerequisite is that all sons must have the right of inheritance, and the rank of the title decreases with the number of successions."

"In this way, within a few generations, these vassal kings will be divided into small princes due to their large number of descendants, and will no longer be able to cause any trouble."

After hearing this, Song Zelin was stunned, as if he had been enlightened.

He stared at Li Chengfeng blankly, with a storm in his heart.

This, this is such a brilliant idea!

Why didn't he think of it?

"Your Majesty is wise! This is a brilliant plan! I admire you!"

"It's just..." Li Chengfeng changed the subject, moving his gaze away from the rice paper and onto Song Zelin. "What do you think of Li Chenghao's disappearance, Zuo Xiang?"

Song Zelin frowned slightly upon hearing this. After a moment's contemplation, he slowly spoke, "Your Majesty, I have taught the eldest prince for twelve years and know his character very well."

"Oh?" Li Chengfeng looked at him with a half-smile. "Then, judging from your perspective, is this Li Chenghao a real character?"

Song Zelin smiled bitterly and shook his head: "Although the eldest prince is the crown prince, his temperament...sigh...if I say this presumptuously, the eldest prince will never achieve great things!"

"Hypocrisy, lust, lack of independent thinking, stubborn and self-righteous, he has every flaw!" Song Zelin spoke with a hint of anguish. "Over the years, I have painstakingly taught you, but with little success. Now it seems that I am truly limited in my ability and have failed the expectations of Your Majesty and the late Emperor!"

Li Chengfeng waved his hand, signaling him not to blame himself: "Left Prime Minister, you are too serious. I know what kind of person Li Chenghao is. It's just..."

He paused, his eyes deep, his tone meaningful: "What I am worried about is the Concubine Liu behind him..."

"Noble Concubine Liu..." Song Zelin's expression changed slightly. "Your Majesty is right. Noble Concubine Liu's family is considered a top-tier aristocratic family, with enormous influence and deep-rooted roots. If they insist on supporting the eldest prince..."

"I'm afraid..." Song Zelin didn't say anything else, but the worry in his tone was self-evident.

"Letting a tiger go back into the mountains will only bring endless trouble..." Li Chengfeng muttered to himself, a cold glint in his eyes. "It seems that it's time to speed up some things..."