"Start with the Xu and Cai families. Those two are desperate for quick success now, which makes them the perfect opening!"
As Qiu Yan spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly, cold light flickering through the slits. If someone were to examine his eyes closely at that moment, they would seem to see ranks of stars turning within them, along with countless shifting lights and shadows.
The Crown Prince then asked, "Speaking of which, Master Qiu mentioned farmers just now. I am very curious. Father once said in court that few people now possess land, yet there are no shortage of those who till it. They suffer relentless exploitation and may become the root of unrest. What did he mean by that?"
Without personal experience, when all one knew came from the words of others and from books, one's views would gradually become homogenized. Over time, one's understanding would solidify. In truth, it meant that someone else had projected their own thoughts into the Crown Prince's heart.
Qiu Yan understood this perfectly. The Crown Prince's question now arose because Qiu Yan's words had shaken the fixed perceptions buried in his heart. He had to strike while the iron was hot.
Thus, he explained in detail the distinction between principal households and dependent households, placing particular emphasis on the theory of the five ranks of households, so that the Crown Prince understood the dangers hidden within.
Yet sometimes, even when one knew something was improper, there was no way to change it immediately. Destruction was easy; construction was difficult. You might see the flaws and point out what was wrong, but without a complete solution, you could not act. Otherwise, if you destroyed the present Order but failed to establish a new one, chaos would follow and the state would become unstable.
Moreover,