Chen Feng's advice

"Xiao Feng, you have such a long-term vision," Qian Renxue exclaimed.

There aren't many people who think about what might happen after they've done something.

Most people just do what they can and then try to solve the problem after something goes wrong, or they simply give up and do nothing.

"A person who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present. If you do things in advance, you won't panic when something happens, and the consequences will be smaller."

"Schools are places for teaching and nurturing people; it's definitely not enough to only cultivate talent without cultivating morality. This is also what I think is a shortcoming of current Soul Master Academy," Chen Feng said with a smile.

"A man who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present... That's a good saying, and I support you in this regard." Qian Renxue wholeheartedly agreed.

If Chen Feng's Academy can truly cultivate many talented individuals with both virtue and ability, then her... her future empire can also benefit greatly.

However, if these talents are indeed cultivated, the current empire's structure will certainly be affected.

With Chen Feng's guidance, Qian Renxue has now learned to think things through more deeply. She quickly realized that the increase in the number of talented people in the Academy System would affect a powerful group.

She considered it for a moment and said, "If we're talking about long-term considerations, I do have a problem I don't know how to deal with."

"Your Highness, please speak."

"Xiao Feng, what are your thoughts on the various Nobles, big and small, within the empire?"

Qian Renxue did not explicitly state her attitude towards those Nobles, because, in principle, Chen Feng was now also a member of the Nobles group.

Therefore, Qian Renxue did not intend to ask about Nobles during her visit. She had also been careful not to steer the conversation in that direction during their previous conversations, precisely because she did not want Chen Feng to have any doubts.

However, judging from the conversation just now, Chen Feng seems to be selfless and doesn't value personal desires much. This made Qian Renxue want to test him and also find out how the Nobles deal with problems.

If Chen Feng truly offers an effective strategy that genuinely harms the interests of the Nobles class, then it demonstrates that Chen Feng is indeed a person who prioritizes public interest, and Qian Renxue will place the majority of her trust in him in the future.

After all, there are many people who enrich themselves at the expense of the public, but few who would sacrifice their own interests for the sake of public affairs.

Just like among the six types of emperors, the latter three are far more numerous than the former three, precisely because it is difficult for people to control their selfishness and desires. "I want to become Kingly Ruler, but if even you, who proposed this concept, are more selfish than public-spirited, how can I trust you?" Qian Renxue looked at Chen Feng and thought to herself.

Let me see what kind of person you really are. If you are truly selfless, then I wouldn't mind working with you to create a wonderful story. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll only use you and not trust you.

"I habitually refer to those Nobles who possess power and land as Lords," Chen Feng said.

"Lords? Why not kings or dukes?" Qian Renxue asked, somewhat puzzled.

"It's just a personal habit of mine, it's not important," Chen Feng said with a smile.

"Alright." Qian Renxue didn't dwell on it. "Then, how should we deal with the problem of these Lords?"

As she asked, she also felt that the term "Lords" was indeed easy to pronounce and could vividly refer to those people.

Faced with Qian Renxue's question, Chen Feng held up one finger, "To dismantle them, you only need to follow one principle."

What principles?

"Establish numerous Lords, thus weakening their power."

"Establishing numerous Lords —isn't that just like what Father Emperor and Heaven Dou Emperors of Past Generations did?"

"No, no, no, their approach is to establish many Lords while reducing their own power, while I'm talking about establishing many Lords while reducing their own power," Chen Feng, shaking his finger.

Qian Renxue looked confused. "I don't understand."

"To put it bluntly, it's the difference between dividing one's own land and dividing the land of Lords. The former results in the loss of one's own power, while the latter results in the loss of the power of the Lords," Chen Feng explained.

Qian Renxue understood now, but doubts also arose. "It would be good if we could use the lands of the Lords to establish new Lords, but how could the Lords possibly agree to such a thing? They wouldn't allow their interests to be harmed."

Chen Feng smiled. "Indeed, they would be a hundred times unwilling to have their land divided by outsiders, but what if it were their own offspring?"

"Offspring—" Qian Renxue began to understand the meaning.

"That's right. The empire's current succession law is primogeniture, but Nobles rarely have only one son. So, the other sons have to fend for themselves after the Nobles's death."

"If their maternal clan has some power, then their lives are alright. But what if their maternal clan is weak? Then they can only live a hard life. Whenever I think about this, my heart aches." Chen Feng said, clutching his chest with a look of unbearable pain.

Qian Renxue's lips twitched slightly. She thought to herself, "What are you upset about? What are you upset about?" but still asked cooperatively, "So, what should we do?"

Chen Feng immediately became serious and said, "Problems should be solved. Since they suffer because they have no right to inherit, why doesn't Your Highness extend your kindness to these people, so that when their eldest son inherits the title after their father's death, he can also receive a share of his father's land and title? This way, they will have a foundation to stand on."

"As Your Highness Crown Prince of the Empire, Your Highness should relieve these Nobles from their suffering. This would demonstrate the Empire's respect for the Nobles, and it would also prevent the Nobles from accidentally dying out their lineage. I'm sure they will be grateful to Your Highness when they learn of this."

"Really? I don't believe it, "Qian Renxue muttered to herself.

She wasn't stupid; she could naturally see what Chen Feng Feng's so-called "Extending Favors" really meant—it was actually a blatant attempt to divide up the land and power of the Nobles.

The reason why Nobles were difficult to deal with in the past was that they intermarried, creating a complex web of interdependence.

Ordinary methods won't work to break through this net; the slightest mistake could provoke them to join forces in resistance.

However, if Chen Feng's so-called "Extending Favors" method is adopted, then the benefits from the land will cause the Nobles to split apart, and it will be difficult for the Nobles and their descendants to be of one mind, not to mention the maternal clans standing behind these descendants.

At that time, the more frequently a family intermarries, the more likely it is to split up, and all its previous reliance will turn into disaster.

Disintegration? It certainly will be disintegration; the Nobles will fall apart.

"Of course, ambitious people will always exist, so to prevent them from resorting to desperate measures, we still need to prepare a considerable military force in advance. As long as we deal with the troublemakers, the remaining Nobles will have no choice but to accept reality and won't be able to cause any trouble," Chen Feng added.

Qian Renxue nodded secretly. With such a smooth series of moves, the Nobles were once so entrenched and difficult to deal with became lambs to the slaughter. She could mold them into round shapes or flatten them as she pleased, and they would no longer be obstacles in her path.

Looking at it this way, Chen Feng's plan was indeed effective, which made Qian Renxue wonder.

"Xiao Feng, you... and your friends are considered members of the Nobles, aren't you afraid?"

Chen Feng smiled. "What's there to be afraid of? Has Your Highness forgotten the fundamental purpose of my being granted this title?"

"It's to provide a place to build the Academy, but this Extending Favors Policy will ultimately affect you." Qian Renxue still didn't quite understand.

"No, it won't affect me while I'm alive. As for after I'm gone..." Chen Feng shrugged. "Can I still worry about things that far ahead? If my descendants are ambitious, they can work hard to build their own legacy. If they're not, they can eat whatever I leave them. What right do they have to complain? It'll save them from being too wasteful and squandering everything at once."

"As for the Academy Academy, the moment it is completed, its relationship with that land will no longer be one of dependence, nor will it be solely controlled by me or any of my friends. It will belong to the entire continent. No matter how the lords of those fiefdoms change, they will not be able to affect the Academy. In fact, the more lords there are, the more advantageous it will be. And I do not intend to hand the Academy over to my descendants."

Looking at Chen Feng's face, Qian Renxue was speechless for a moment. She had never expected that there were such selfless people in this world.

Unconsciously, she felt a little ashamed of her probing thoughts just now, and at the same time, she became more determined to embark on the path of the Kingly Ruler and become a fellow traveler of Chen Feng.

If Chen Feng can prioritize public interest over personal gain, then she can too.

Furthermore, she had little personal affection to spare in this country, as for the Spirit Hall...

To be honest, the only person who could truly make Qian Renxue hesitate was her grandfather, Qian Daoliu. As for the others, including Bibi Dong, well, they were simply unfamiliar with them.

Qian Renxue had absolutely no liking for that biological mother, let alone expecting her to show favoritism.

Therefore, she was quite self-assured in her firm belief.

Qian Renxue wasn't worried about clashing with her grandfather in the future, because she knew that her grandfather never cared about such mundane matters and was single-mindedly focused on the inheritance of the Angel God.

That makes things much easier. Once she successfully sweeps across the continent and establishes the Angel God Church as the state religion, the matter of succession will be settled, right?

Her grandfather probably won't say anything.

It's safe!

Thinking this through, Qian Renxue relaxed and casually said, "Xiao Feng, this Extending Favors Policy is good, but it's a matter for the future. Do you have any good suggestions for me at this stage?"

"Yes, but I don't know if Your Highness would be willing to do it."

"As long as what you say makes sense, I will definitely listen to it." Qian Renxue said seriously.

Chen Feng didn't keep him in suspense and said, "As I mentioned before, Your Highness needs to immerse yourself among the Commoners people. So, the question is, how will Your Highness accomplish this?"

Qian Renxue frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "Should I go out for walks more often in the future?"

"This is one way. Your Highness needs to broaden your information channels and understand the people's sentiments in order to better govern the empire. If you hide in the deep palace as a wealthy prince, you will only be deaf and blind and easily fooled by those with ulterior motives. Therefore, my first suggestion is that Your Highness needs to establish your own informants. These informants do not need to be very elite. They only need to relay what they hear and see to their superiors. Therefore, ordinary people can be directly appointed."

"At the same time, to prevent these informants from being used by others, it's best to choose some without any connections, such as orphans. Most importantly, never let these informants develop their own claws and teeth. They are just informants, and can only be informants." Chen Feng held up a finger and emphasized in his tone.

Qian Renxue thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement, "That's a good suggestion. I'll get started preparing when I get back. Is there anything else?"

"My second suggestion is Lixin." Chen Feng held up his second finger.

"Lixin?"

"That's right. The credibility of a regime is extremely important. If it has strong credibility, then the people will follow its orders and it will be easy to succeed in anything it does. On the contrary, if it lacks credibility, then every order will be met with controversy, and official announcements will be met with skepticism. It may even develop to the point where only official denials are considered credible. In such a case, it will undoubtedly be very difficult for the regime to accomplish anything."

This refers, of course, to the British Empire.

"That's true." Qian Renxue thought about it and realized it made perfect sense.

"However, Your Highness does not yet represent the Heaven Dou regime, but you can establish a unique credibility for the Crown Prince, deeply embedding your image as someone whose word is law in the hearts of the people."

"How do you do that?" Qian Renxue asked, intrigued.

"Actually, it's quite simple. The key is to persevere. I remember there's an open space near the city gate. Your Highness can build a bulletin board there and hang your Crown Prince's edict on it. You don't need to issue any special orders. Just set up some bounty missions that are a bit challenging but not too difficult. The key is to settle the rewards immediately."

"For example, we could send someone to collect certain medicinal herbs or materials, or have someone invent a tool with a specific function. The reward doesn't have to be too high, so as not to attract people who shouldn't be there. In this way, Your Highness can have some minor troubles solved, and we can also accumulate some resources along the way, giving the people a source of income," Chen Feng explained his idea.

To put it simply, this is a kind of conditioned reflex training, similar to the methods used by Shang Yang to establish trust and Modu Chanyu to Modu Chanyu the arrow.

Humans can be domesticated; this is a dark truth.

In some games, you only need ten Primogems to get the blond guy to do anything, which means he's been successfully "trained".

After leaving the Academy, Qian Renxue the carriage, and Ci Xie, who looked like an old man, followed.

"Your Highness, how was the harvest this time?" Ci Xie asked curiously.

"A very fruitful harvest," Qian Renxue exclaimed, then added, "By the way, let's stop that matter."

Ci Xie was taken aback. "But Your Highness, this concerns the great cause of the Sacred Hall."

"The great cause rests on my shoulders, and I need him to live now," Qian Renxue said in a deep voice.

Ci Xie opened his mouth, but in the end he bowed his head and agreed.