Dynastic grand strategy under child rulers

Crusader Kings provides an analogy for governing a dynasty, where succession matters as much as the ability of any one ruler. A strong generation can build effective institutions, while later officeholders may be incapable or may be children whose commands carry little authority. The late Song illustrates the problem through a boy emperor and two empress dowagers acting as regents while the state was collapsing. A child ruler's limited authority does not establish how capable that person might become as an adult. Divided regency may have made decisive leadership harder regardless of the regents' efforts. Institutions had to survive changes of ruler, including periods when the person inheriting office could not exercise effective command.