The Conservative government rapidly expanded primarily because they represented the interests of the local Major Nobles.
Using the territories from twenty years ago as the dividing line, all the established provinces experienced a wave of annexation.
In contrast, the newly established provinces, with substantial undeveloped land in everyone's hands, temporarily had no interest in annexation.
Of course, this was primarily because the Major Nobles within these provinces themselves had weak strengths.
The lower-ranking Nobles, all emerged from the battlefield, possessed formidable fighting capabilities.
If it really came down to a fight, some provincial Governors might not even be able to overpower the Prefectural Governors below them.
In fact, Prime Minister Beckett choosing to halt now was largely because annexation couldn't proceed further.
