"Wait, Blind Bei, I trust your deductions and plans. But there's one thing: how are you so sure that the Yan Emperor would rather remove these nobles forcefully than use a more gentle approach?"
"The power of these noble families, on the surface, lies in the vast tracts of land and other means of production they own, as well as the large peasant populations tied to these lands and, consequently, to them. In reality, their true strength comes from their monopoly over local economies, education, culture, and paths to official careers."
"If he were to simply adopt a gentle policy or use military power to force temporary concessions from the nobles, it might appear as if the Yan State is avoiding the damage from an internal purge. In truth, however, it would merely be deferring the problem to future generations—a clear case of shirking responsibility."
