Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1273: Chapter 1227: The Gift I Can Leave Behind

At least Chen Xi absolutely does not dare to carry out such a degree of reform in the Central Plains now. As for the aristocratic families dispatched abroad, even if they create noble socialism locally, it’s no big deal; let them do it.

Sending that group of aristocratic families to establish those semi-independent small nations is part of clearing internal issues while expanding the Han Cultural Circle. The most important aspect is letting them experiment with various governance systems, and with several hundred aristocratic families attempting hundreds of systems, there’s bound to be some that will be suitable through trial and error...

The Great Han Dynasty does not dare to play with changes that are too tumultuous, as it affects too many people’s lives. However, the limitations of the feudal system long ago destined it to failure, even if Chen Xi uses heavenly power to extend the life of the Han Dynasty, it inevitably will come to an end one day.

This is fundamentally a historical inevitability; the feudal system’s end leads to bloody capital accumulation, and there is no way to reverse it. Therefore, it is necessary to experiment with various governance systems with hundreds of small countries in advance, as such, when the revolution eventually comes, there will already be a pile of experience books accumulated from blood.

As for what to do in case a small nation achieves successful reform, Chen Xi can clearly say, it’s accurate that an agricultural great power cannot defeat a preliminarily industrialized great power, but to say an agricultural country cannot defeat an industrial country is simply a joke. Even if reform succeeds, a mere wave of the hand will crush it.

Population is a very big issue. If an industrialized country is a small nation with sparse population and flat terrain, and it is before World War I, being destroyed by an agricultural country is too normal. It seems Russian cavalry defeated a weak industrial country with sabers, which shows the tragedy of small nations.

But this also demonstrates that before technology crosses a certain limit, military forces and will can resolve any problem.

This is considered Chen Xi’s contribution to the Great Han Dynasty, benefiting thousands of generations. It’s impossible not to plan for thousands of generations as it’s insufficient to plan for a mere moment; Chen Xi gradually understands this saying, and this is one of the biggest gifts he leaves to future generations.

Whether it’s the Han Cultural Circle spanning several continents, or countless aristocratic families creating governance systems suitable to local conditions without overhead restrictions, for descendents of future generations, they hold extremely significant meaning, yet without a hundred years of development, it’s truly hard to see.

”Good players strategize position, bad players strategize moves.” The gain or loss of one city or place, one time or era, is fundamentally insignificant to Chen Xi now.

If the seeds for a prosperous millennium aren’t sown in this era, if the foundation for a thousand years of invincibility isn’t established in this era, he probably will never forgive himself.

How the future path will be, what kind of system will suit the Han Empire a hundred years from now, whether the cycle of dynasties can be broken, whether the turmoil among second or third generations after the rise of feudal dynasties can be avoided, what path will nations take after the Empire Ultimate Wall emerges?

Even Chen Xi cannot answer these questions. If he could live to see the second or third generations, live to a hundred or two hundred years after the Han Empire, then with experience and wisdom, he might be able to provide an answer.

Immortality is not foreseeable; Chen Xi will not desire to forever be the helm of the Empire. Likewise, even if immortality were possible, he would still not want to forever be the helm of the Empire, it’s too exhausting.

History flows like the river, and after the descent of the Divine Stone and Chen Xi, it was predestined to never return to the history of his impressions.

Times change with the passage of time, even if Chen Xi leaves behind the best policies during his lifetime, whether they would still be suitable ten or a hundred years after his death, these are all considerations.

The greatest change a country should undergo is the change in the ruling class, realistically speaking it should be considered a change in governance system. What Chen Xi can leave for the immensely powerful Empire is these hundreds of small nations and governance systems tested with blood over a hundred years.

At least when the Empire must reform eventually, even without Chen Xi as a guide, under the Empire’s war chariot, there are hundreds of roads paved by predecessors’ blood. Perhaps there isn’t the most suitable one, but at least it won’t lead the Empire as a pioneer for others!

[This is one of the greatest gifts I give to later generations, hundreds of countries outside the Empire Ultimate Wall, hundreds of experiments, if change occurs five hundred years later, at least they will know where the road lies.]

Chen Xi thought silently in his heart; what he can do is to plan out a path for a millennium during the best era for Huaxia. Even if Chen Xi can only rescue the Empire once five hundred years later, that can still leave a Han Cultural Circle spanning at least four continents a thousand years later.

As for any possible small nations mutually devouring, annexation, eventually leaving only a few countries, or even after five hundred years, the small nations split off from aristocratic families devouring and reverse swallowing the Central Plains, it doesn’t matter, as they are essentially his own people too.

The more important result is that the hundreds of countries extinguished in history, the collisions of different thoughts in the nation-destroying wars among those sharing the same origins, for civilizations of the same origin it almost counts as an ascension of civilization. Aristocratic families extracting essence from the Hundred Schools to establish countries will inherently show striking family influence!

After destroying the hundreds of countries, Chen Xi estimates the new Empire will almost have absorbed the second biggest gift he left behind. How much nutrition will come from families tempered, accumulated, reformed, and refined for hundreds of years within an independent nation, is frightening to even contemplate.

The fruits grown and nourished by these hundreds of nations ultimately supplement the Han Cultural Circle in a better effect than burning through several instances of the Hundred Schools of Thought flourishing.

As for what path will be taken at that point, Chen Xi is indifferent, for the path and gifts he leaves this civilization are enough. If they cannot maintain the world’s peak in the future, then Chen Xi has no answer.

This is also Chen Xi’s limit; his vision can only see so far, the path he can pave for this civilization reaches only here. There may be twists and difficulties, but Chen Xi can guarantee the path he paves is correct.

The hundreds of roads discovered by hundreds of countries through at least a hundred years of testing, not mentioning anything else, are far more secure than the first attempt.

As for the blood to be shed by aristocratic families for this, what is it; primarily it’s not their own blood being shed, as the ultimate limit of power schemes and struggle sheds others’ blood.

Moreover, as the first wave to go out, they’ve already consumed enough. More importantly, no reform can be successful without bloodshed.

Countless governance system experiment nations and countless system experiment nations are finally about to be birthed at Chen Xi’s hands starting today. Naturally, the first to attempt a system trial will be the Chen Family, which will use the parliamentary system to practice.

Isn’t the so-called ”Holy Emperor governs from afar” essentially that? Since the aristocratic families as scholar-officials have wanted to do this for many years, then Chen Xi will fulfill their wish, give them a template, and stimulate them!