He was intimately familiar with the system of Da Qian.

The only alteration was that these Councillors would be selected by various factions, rather than being popularly elected.

Zhuang Yu's military command skills were beyond question after this campaign. Undoubtedly, he was more suited to oversee everything here than anyone else present.

Establishing the system of Councillors to constrain his authority could prevent unwelcome scenarios from unfolding.

Should any conflict arise among the Three Teachings, it could also be mediated through this arrangement.

The sole difficulty at this moment was how to allocate the seats.

Although the Buddhists, having followed Zong Shou in pioneering the Primordial Lotus Realm, were primarily centered in the Myriad Buddhas' Vaulted Heavens,

the other six sects, such as the Pure Land Sect and the Huayan Sect, also held substantial shares.

The remaining two seats were ill-suited to assign to any single party.

Looking across the table, Feng Taiji’s brow was equally furrowed; he was likely grappling with the very same issue.

Zhuang Yu, listening nearby, was perplexed. "What exactly is the Councillor System?"

Not only he, but several individuals from the Primordial Lotus Realm were equally bewildered.

Feng Taiji smiled; this matter was simple enough to explain. After a few casual sentences, a contemplative look dawned on Zhuang Yu’s face. Though not entirely clear, he had grasped the general concept.

There was no sense of dissatisfaction; rather, it seemed normal that Zong Shou would act this way.

A truly capable sovereign would never wish to control subordinates through mere favors and gratitude.

One must adeptly employ checks and balances, ensuring subordinates fully display their talents while preventing their power from becoming excessive, which might breed ambition and greed.

That Zong Shou could utilize his Primordial Lotus World to control the overall situation was already surprising, and it filled Zhuang Yu with gratitude.

The other people of the Primordial Lotus Realm were pleasantly surprised. They had never dreamed of a situation like this.

In the future, they, too, could participate in the affairs of the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty?

Feng Mochen’s eyes flashed sharply. "If I believe Da Qian's tax rate is too high, and that one and a half tenths would be more appropriate, can I propose a motion in the Councillor Hall?"

Feng Taiji’s eyelids instantly contracted slightly, then he nodded. "You can! It is entirely up to you; if it passes, it shall be established as the one-and-a-half-tenths tax structure!"

The national tax collected by the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty would largely be used for the military going forward.

It had no bearing on the Sword Sect, and inherently, he was reluctant for Zong Shou to wield excessive power.

Yet, at this juncture, he wished the tax rate were even higher.

The more armies the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty commanded in this realm, the more stable its rule would become.

The Sword Sect had reaped benefits from this expedition. If they hoped to extend their sect's influence across more worlds,

the more military strength Zong Shou possessed, the better.

After all, collaborating with this individual meant little need for worry before or after any undertaking.

If this King of the East Sea truly proposed such a motion, Feng Taiji would have to stop it, no matter what.

Before he could speak, Zhuang Yu interjected coldly, "Two tenths—how can that be considered excessive? Without sufficient financial means to maintain the army, how can we deter other nations from war? And how can we resist the onslaught of foreign races? The Sovereign has long decreed that the two-tenths national tax is voluntary for all nations. If they are unwilling, they are free to withdraw from my Great Qian Immortal Dynasty. At that time, unbound by my Great Qian's jurisdiction, they naturally will not receive our protection—"

He Dao-ren beside him nodded slightly in agreement. "A sage ruler like our Sovereign has not appeared in the entire thirteen thousand years prior to our arrival in the Primordial Lotus Realm. Reviewing all the emperors and dynasties of this realm, every single one had a tax rate higher than Da Qian's, and none possessed the benevolence our Sovereign shows."

Feng Mochen blinked, staring intently at Zhuang Yu for a moment. Their gazes locked in silent confrontation for a few heartbeats before he shifted his eyes away.

"It was merely a jest, Brother Zhuang, Brother He need not take it to heart?"

Zhuang Yu’s stern expression softened slightly, but his brow remained tightly furrowed.

Feng Taiji and Ci Fang exchanged glances.

They pondered if the mechanism of dividing authority through the Councillors was already taking effect so quickly?

The two-tenths tax directly impacted the size of the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty's military force within the Primordial Lotus World.

Reducing the levy was naturally something Zhuang Yu, now governing the Primordial Lotus Realm, would oppose.

His stepping in to object was both unexpected and entirely predictable.

Shaking his head, Feng Taiji turned his attention to the subsequent details.

The strategy of checks and balances extended far beyond just the Councillor System. A subsequent series of appointments ensured that Zong Shou’s trusted subordinates brought from the Primordial Lotus Realm would occupy thirty percent of the key military posts in the Primordial Lotus World henceforth.

The remaining seventy percent would be filled by individuals from the Primordial Lotus Realm. Of these, fifty percent of the personnel would be drawn from the various nations of the Primordial Lotus World—those who had performed meritously in the recent great war.

The remaining twenty percent were generously selected from among Zhuang Yu’s own subordinates.

With this framework in place, the latitude Zhuang Yu could exercise in building the army for the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty in the Primordial Lotus World was significantly curtailed.

"The people rely on food for survival. The tax burdens in the Primordial Lotus World are too heavy, leading the populace to abandon their fields, evade taxes, and refuse to cultivate. I urge the various nations to lower levies, allowing the people time to recover and implement national policies that encourage reclamation, thereby pacifying the masses. Furthermore, observing the cultivation methods here, they remain exceedingly primitive. Without deep plowing and proper fertilization techniques, yields do not reach even half that of the Cloud Realm. The Cang Sheng Dao and the three Sword Buddha sects can assist the nations in making improvements—this would be merit beyond measure. However, an overabundance of grain harms the farmers; thus, if harvests are plentiful everywhere, commercial affairs must be equally prioritized—"

Black lines immediately reappeared across Feng Taiji’s forehead.

Asking them—a group who only knew how to practice and wield swords, wholly dedicated to researching martial arts and spiritual techniques—to associate with those common field workers?

But upon reading the phrase 'merit beyond measure,' Feng Taiji was stunned into silence.

He committed the matter to memory.

He also felt a private pang of shame. In the few months since arriving in the Primordial Lotus Realm, Zong Shou hadn't inquired about these mundane affairs.

As a personage of his stature, he was accustomed to being aloof, 'untouched by the mortal world’s grime.' His understanding of the Primordial Lotus World was likely the most superficial among them all.

Unexpectedly, this person had noticed such details.

He couldn't help but offer a wry smile; perhaps he was the one truly 'untouched by the mortal world’s grime.'

He thought to himself that his father and his clan held exceedingly high expectations for him, even harboring ambitions for the position of Divine Emperor.

Even he himself had once harbored such lofty desires.

But with this person present, how could Feng Taiji possibly contend with him?

If this individual were to become the Divine Emperor, it would be his due. If he were not, the true Divine Emperor would be even more terrifying to behold.

It was best to abandon such thoughts sooner rather than later.

"—All governmental and personnel affairs of the nations shall be self-managed. However, the Rear Army Inspectorate and the Councillor Hall shall both have the right to review all tax systems and laws. The rights concerning warfare and diplomacy for all nations shall be vested entirely in the Immortal Dynasty; the rulers of each state may not form private alliances with foreign powers."

"Above all, three more aerial warships must be constructed within one year to bolster the armies deployed in the outer domains!"

"Areas affected by this recent conflict shall be tax-exempt for two years. All newly incorporated territories shall receive a tax reduction of one tenth for a period of three years—"

The final set of directives materialized sequentially within the hall.

Zhuang Yu frowned briefly, then his composure returned. Currently, within the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty, apart from the three hundred thousand troops from the Cloud Realm, all other armies lacked even the basic structure.

Even if the taxes were collected now, they would temporarily be useless. It was better to follow the Sovereign's will, bestowing grace upon the populace to win their hearts.

As for the aerial warships, that was also expected.

Without a fleet stationed outside, he would never have secured this victory so easily.

In his estimation, six aerial warships were still too few.

Feng Mochen, however, rose to his feet and bowed deeply toward the imperial edict: "The Sovereign is benevolent—"

As He Dao-ren stated, even if a native of the Primordial Lotus World were the ruler, they might not perform better than this Lord of Great Qian.

After this war, the majority of the Central Plains had come under the jurisdiction of the Great Qian Immortal Dynasty.

However, Hong Jiuchen’s scattered army of several million soldiers remained, distributed across the region—some formed small bandit groups looting the countryside, others directly instigated chaos, causing disturbances everywhere.

The livelihood of the people was already harsh; now, it resembled the end of days.

Even the two-tenths tax felt unbearable to them, the lords of these new territories.

Zong Shou had foreseen this inherent conflict beforehand, and rather than using manipulative tactics to drive a wedge among his subordinates,

he had proposed a tangible solution. Such magnanimity was truly compelling.

Currently, although the Primordial Lotus Realm was under the governance of Great Qian, its inhabitants could not only practice martial arts and cultivation, enjoy lighter corvée and taxes, but also participate in all administrative matters.

This outcome far exceeded what Feng Mochen had anticipated when he risked raising his banner.

Ruo Shui stared blankly for a moment. Zong Shou had arranged everything so thoroughly.

It seemed she truly wouldn't be able to return in the short term; leaving hastily now would surely lead to extreme peril... At the same time, in the void outside the Primordial Lotus Realm, Hong Jiuchen sat with a face as dark as stagnant water in a large tower-ship.

He was utterly devoid of the spirited confidence he possessed just days ago when hosting guests at the Wu Xin Immortal Palace.

While not completely broken, his spirit was decidedly subdued.

In his hand, he tightly gripped a communication token, gazing at it blankly.

It contained news just received from within the Primordial Lotus World. Not long ago, the last remaining remnants of his army still loyal to him had been annihilated in the southeastern territories.

Although he had anticipated this outcome several days prior, and had even prepared to completely abandon the Primordial Lotus World,

the arrival of the news still struck him with a profound moment of shock, bewilderment, and immense sadness.

After fighting fiercely for ten days, the destruction of this final remnant army meant that he, Hong Jiuchen, had been completely expelled from the Cloud Realm.

"That Mu Fang is truly infuriating!"

Da Qian’s foundation was still unstable; both Zong Shou and Zhuang Yu knew the wisdom of knowing when to stop.

They seized the fertile central lands of the Primordial Lotus Realm, then ceased expansion, turning instead to solidify their borders and reorganize their armies.

The ones relentlessly pursuing Hong Jiuchen were Mu Fang and Fu Yue.

Even the Asura clan had carved out a considerable amount of territory.

With a slight sigh, Hong Jiuchen shook his head.

Now, all he could do was curse them aloud. Against Zong Shou, or against Mu Fang and Fu Yue, he was utterly helpless.

Rather than plotting revenge against them, it would be wiser to carefully consider how to face the inevitable censure from his rivals upon returning to the Nine Capitals Immortal Court.

It was lamentable that a century of careful planning had dissolved into nothing.

As he pondered this, a hearty laugh echoed from outside the hall doors. "It is merely a small setback; I did not expect Brother Hong to be so despondent. This is unlike your usual temperament—"

Hong Jiuchen raised his eyebrows and looked toward the entrance, seeing Tan Jing striding in confidently. (To be continued) RQ