Why did Taizong choose a centralized government instead of a feudal system?

Following the establishment of the Tang dynasty, there was a significant debate regarding whether to reintroduce the feudal system used during the Zhou and Han dynasties, which would have involved delegating authority to members of the imperial clan, generals, and powerful officials through hereditary territorial jurisdictions.1

Ultimately, Taizong chose to implement a centralized form of government. This system relied on prefectures and counties staffed by a unified civil service rather than hereditary fiefs. By employing officials who were dependent on the emperor and the dynasty for their positions—rather than on their own birth or social standing—the Tang were able to establish greater imperial power and independence. While the Tang did retain a nobility, their status was limited to "fiefs of maintenance," which provided revenue but granted no actual territorial or political authority.1