Even men of such talent and wisdom as Xiao He and Zhang Liang could not have looked so far ahead, but everyone knew that once the court's standing rose, their own standing would rise greatly with it.
An official of the thousand-shi rank, once posted outside the capital, could even serve as a State Chancellor of the two-thousand-shi rank, then transfer to a Commandery Governor's post at the same rank, and finally return to Chang'an as one of the Nine Ministers. This was the ideal path of promotion.
Best of all, these adjustments affected the officials within the kingdoms, not the Lords King themselves.
The grand chancellor's post was clearly not a permanent appointment. For Great Han at present, the titles of Son of Heaven and emperor had yet to be fully distinguished, and only the chancellor stood above the Lords King.
As the emperor's chief assistant, the chancellor already held an extremely exalted position.
Apart from Lords King who wielded real power, such as the King of Zhao, rulers of weaker kingdoms had never dared offend the chancellor anyway.
Luo Chen had arranged things this way because he knew this seemingly peaceful scene could not last much longer. Back during the Zhou Dynasty, the Feudal Lords had fought until heaven and earth went dark. Why?
Because two large states of comparable size, with no political trust between them, stood far too close together, while the Zhou Royal House lacked the ability to reconcile their differences. Thus, the situation throughout the realm had spiraled out of control.
The central court now possessed far greater control than the former Zhou Royal House. It no longer needed so many Lords King whose domains spanned commanderies and counties, especially in heartland territories such as Han State and Wei State.
Lü Zhi had grown