"Let me ask you a question to address your confusion: are the various fiefs wealthy or poor?" Zhu Wencong countered.
Mei and the others began to ponder. Even the four powerful fiefs were in a state of poverty, each heavily indebted.
Before the foreigners arrived, life was bearable, but after their arrival, they reaped all the profits, leaving nothing but chaos for the fiefs.
"What His Majesty means is that the fiefs have long been unable to sustain themselves, so joining the central government is the optimal choice.
The feudal lords can then delegate the tedious matters of their territories to the central government, freeing up more time and energy to focus on other pursuits?" Mei quickly understood.
Zhu Wencong nodded. The abolition of the fief system and establishment of prefectures was essentially akin to changing a company's legal representative and transferring its debts. From now on, any issues should be directed to the central government.
