All the land under the heavens belongs to the emperor.
All the people at the edges of the earth are his subjects.
This saying has its merits, and the Emperor himself thought this way. In earlier years, he had even taken to the battlefield personally for the purpose of making the lands under the heavens become the lands of Great Yan and its people his subjects.
Unfortunately, he had no natural talent for warfare.
The Western Regions were annexed as a vassal state by General Fu and the Marquis of Wuan.
What is a vassal state?
To be a vassal is to be a tributary state, dependent on Great Yan, recognizing him as the Son of Heaven, bowing their heads as ministers, reporting their duties and offering tribute.
Merely having the sons of nobles send White Fleeceflower Root seeds to the Capital City was a trifle in the Emperor's eyes, moreover, such arrangements also showcased the power of a great nation, which was the real reason the Emperor nodded in agreement.