There are so many things to do, we have to clarify the court first. .

The first is personnel, and the second is the army. If you don’t clarify these two things first, you won’t be able to do anything.

During Zhang Chao's drastic reform and adjustment, Emperor Chengqian expressed great support. The cabinet's constitution, whether it was personnel adjustments, military reforms, or this time the vocational division, Chengqian basically passed it word for word.

Su Dingfang didn't understand.

"Teacher, you are only one step away from owning the world."

Zhang Chao smiled and picked up a horse and ate one of Su Dingfang's car.

"Sometimes you think that you will have the world if you take a step forward, but in fact, you will fall into the abyss. Just like now, you are happy to eat me and then general, but unexpectedly, I will eat your car. If you change one shot and another, I will make more profit."

"Dingfang, don't keep your eyes on the Central Plains. To be honest, the outside of the Central Plains is wider and has more potential. The Central Plains is the foundation and cannot be messed up. Without the foundation of the Central Plains, we should not think about developing outside."

"And haven't you noticed that this time the war has raised the war, which has attracted the covetment of many forces around the Tang Dynasty. In the northeast, there are Silla, Baekje, and Japan, which are devouring the Korean Dao territory of our Tang Dynasty. In Yanbei and Monan, there are Xue Yantuo, Shi Wei, Xi, and Qi, who are also staring at us secretly. Now that the war is over, have you seen these foreign cavalry entering Monan and Yanbei retreated? No, they are still there, what are they waiting for?"

"They just want to wait and see if our Tang Dynasty will continue to have civil strife. If the civil strife continues, the Central Plains will be in a mess, then do you think they will evacuate? No, they will occupy there, and may even invade the Central Plains one day."

"There are also people from the Northeast who have repeatedly crossed the border and invaded the Liaobeiling and Liaodong Road of our Tang Dynasty."

"In the south, the Zhenla people have ignored Funan and become the protective captain of our Tang Dynasty. They are still attacking Funan. What is this? This is not taking my Tang Dynasty seriously."

"Xindu Leader, because the planned reinforcements were not allowed to go, the Tang vassals of Xindu and the Japanese army were now hard to distinguish, and our lords suffered a lot of casualties."

"And on the West Sea, a branch of the Western Turkic people, the Khasa tribe has always had a good relationship with Rome. After the Tang Dynasty destroyed the Western Turkic people, the Khasa people did not even dare to say a tough word, and hid in shame on the grasslands on the northwest coast of the West Sea. But now, because of the civil strife of our Tang Dynasty, these Khasa people have openly claimed to be inheriting the Turkic orthodox. The Khasa people have even claimed to be the Khasa Khanate. Jabir has called himself the Turkic Khan and met with the Roman Emperor Chiracluo to form an alliance."

"Dingfang, look farther away. The Tang Dynasty just sneezes, but countless wolves have surrounded us. If we start a civil war, do you know what the result will be? Don't just look at the Central Plains. Maybe we are a little stronger, but there are strong enemies around us!"

"Never do things that your relatives are happy with your enemies, don't provoke civil wars to make the Tang Dynasty weak, and then let the surrounding barbarians invade. We cannot do the sinners of this nation."

If you want to carry out a great voyage, you must have the stability of the Central Plains so that you can have enough talents, technology and resources.

Why did Zhang Chao stay in the Central Plains and why didn’t he go overseas directly?

Because he couldn't go overseas and left the support of human, material, technology, capital and resources in the Central Plains, Zhang Chao wanted to develop overseas like the primitive society and had to struggle for several lifetimes to develop.

It must rely on the Central Plains.

To rely on the Central Plains, one must have a powerful position in the Central Plains, otherwise, how to guarantee it?

Upper control of the world will inevitably lead to war. Zhang Chao has no ability to say that he will not shed blood. He is not a member of the Li family and does not have the ability.

If he were from the Li family, it would be a little possible.

Once the war is in, it is unknown when it will end. If Zhang Chao wins, the Tang Dynasty will probably be divided. Even when the Central Plains are weak, the alien races from all directions will invade again.

In history, the Anshi Rebellion was not far away.

Or perhaps, Wu Zetian usurped the Tang Dynasty, which also led to the rapid decline of the Tang Dynasty's national strength. The Tang Dynasty was in Wu Zetian's hands and could not even defeat the Khitan, and Tubo also seized the Tang Dynasty at this stage.

Those are not what Zhang Chao wants.

The table in Zhongyuan cannot be lifted up, and no one has enough food to eat after lifting up.

The Central Plains were stable, and Zhang Chao and others established the Tang Dynasty's fiefdom overseas, with water and small rivers everywhere.

It may not necessarily be an emperor. It is also good to establish a powerful federal empire and become a prince of a powerful empire.

"Teacher, I think your idea is impossible to realize. If Your Majesty makes any progress, he will not tolerate such princes beyond his control. He will definitely find a way to reduce the power of the vassal states. If the emperor is weak and the court is incompetent, then someone will definitely want to replace it in a powerful vassal state. This is inevitable and cannot be changed."

Zhang Chao admitted that what Su Dingfang said was also true, but what is the difference between a person without dreams and a salted fish? If there is no such thing as a person, don’t he do it?

If it was just an ordinary situation, then the emperor and the court would definitely want to centralize power and reduce the vassal states. If the court was weak and the vassal states were strong, then the vassal states would definitely want to replace them.

"What you are talking about is normal, but our situation is different. The princes of the Tang Dynasty did not enfeoff the Central Plains, but were enfeoffed on all sides. Moreover, there were many princes in the Tang Dynasty. Now there are more than 5,000 real nobles, and they all have their own territory."

"Now, all the taxes in the vassal territory of the princes must be paid half of the court. So many princes accumulate a lot of their blood to the court. The stronger the princes, the more blood they lose to the court, the richer the court will be."

"And so many princes, it is easy for the princes to check and balance each other. It is difficult for a throne to be strong enough to challenge the court. The court can summon the princes to attack together."

Su Dingfang shook his head.

"But this time we raised an army, we easily defeated the imperial army."

"We are different this time." Zhang Chao disagrees with his statement, "This time we are the guardians, and the prince is the one we support together. The prince is not a prince, and it is impossible for the prince to have such a great influence as the prince. Moreover, the princes have not yet formed a real scale. If the princes are enfeoffed to form a scale, it will be different."

"At that time, the princes in the world can make a decision with the emperor. If there is a rebellion, all princes must jointly raise an army to fight and jointly maintain the Tang court."

"What if the emperor wants to reduce the vassal states?" Su Dingfang asked.

"The territories of the princes are sacred and inviolable. Unless the princes are plotting rebellion or rebellion, they shall not be reclaimed or reduced. If the court violates this agreement, the princes may join forces to raise troops to protect this agreement."

Zhang Chao's words opened Su Dingfang's eyes.

"Can you have such an agreement? The emperor is willing to establish it?"

"If you have power, you have obligations. The princes have obligations to protect the Tang Dynasty, and of course they also have the power to defend their own territory."

"I still think the teacher's ideal is a bit too ethereal."

"It will definitely not be smooth sailing. Because the journey is difficult, I hope you and me will go hand in hand."

Zhang Chao's words just now actually meant to be a constitutional monarchy, but now he is only revealing to Su Dingfang that it is not time to say this to the emperor.

If you take any steps, you will say anything, step by step, and don’t worry.

"You are the Marshal of the Northern Yai. Although the soldiers and generals are separated and cannot be directly commanded, you are the generals and generals. The senior generals of the Northern Yai are under your control. I hope that you can manage the generals of the Northern Yai well for me in the future."

"Don't worry, teacher."

The friendship between teachers and students also made Su Dingfang understand Zhang Chao’s goals and ideals more. Although he did not fully agree, he was willing to support it.

"Take good generals and schoolmen in the North Yai, don't forget your own territory and use more snacks to manage your own territory. The new fief you exchanged is in the river. Although it is farther from the Central Plains than the original fief in Langshan North, it is located between the Tang Dynasty and Persia and Rome. It is an important trade route. There is great potential for developing handicrafts and commerce."

Su Dingfang's fiefdom originally belonged to Persia, called Mulu City, on the south bank of the Amu River. Now it belongs to the southern boundary of the Central Territory of the Datang River, and Persia is to the south.

The fiefdom is hundreds of miles and is quite small. It is close to Persia, so it can become an important trade port.

"Remember to recruit more troops. If possible, train the full amount of troops given by the court. If you want to protect the interests of our vassals, you still have to have force as a guarantee. We can promise not to use force first, but if the court unreasonably reduces the vassal states one day, we can at least defend our own interests."

Zhang Chao did hand over the military factories in Nanyang, but he would not give up training his own territory.

According to his title level, he trained private soldiers within the quota, which did not violate the Tang Dynasty system. This was just to protect his own rights and interests.

The princes have troops, just like the Americans in later generations have guns. Who dares to say that they want to ban them? Zhang Chao will shoot out his dog's brain.

This power is sacred and inviolable.

The lords' troops can be strictly limited according to the court's limit, or according to the court's system, and it is strictly forbidden to cross the territory. However, as long as one does not exceed the amount and the other does not leave the boundary, the court will not have any power to control the private army of the princes.

This is unquestionable.

"Will it be more sensitive to training private soldiers at this time?" Su Dingfang asked.

"Don't worry about this. This is the natural right of the princes, just like we can enjoy half of the tax revenue in the territory."

The Tang Dynasty now has more than 5,000 real nobles. The tax and power that he finally obtained was granted and the military power, who would foolishly give in and hand over it?

Without soldiers, what kind of guarantee does this lord have to be?

As a prince, Su Dingfang could have 8,000 troops. Previously, Su Dingfang's fiefdom north of Langshan was actually only a small number of territorial knights and guard cavalry, and more were used to make up the numbers with militia.

But now, Zhang Chao hopes that Su Dingfang will pay more money and find a way to recruit more soldiers, preferably 8,000.

"If you have a shortage of money, you can find me."

The Zhang family property that the imperial court had previously seized and confiscated was now returned to Zhang Chao.

"It's not necessary. I followed the teacher to invest in so many industries, and the dividends are very good every year. Not to mention raising 8,000 yuan, 10,000 yuan or 20,000 yuan is not a problem."

A soldier costs 100 trump card a year, and 8,000 private soldiers are only 800,000 trump card. Other lords may not be able to withstand it, but Su Dingfang really doesn't have to worry.

"Teacher, what industry do you think is more profitable to invest in now? You have a lot of spare money, so you can keep it if you put it."
Chapter completed!