Chapter 111 Move all the rich people in the world to Xianyang! Collect all the soldiers in the world and forge the golden man!
Wang Wan, whose eyes were a little red and swollen, Li Si, who had a stern face, Meng Yi, the youngest, and Fu Zikang, who was tall and thin, the four high-ranking officials of the Qin State were all lost in thought and did not dare to answer for a while.
This matter is a major event for the Qin State and even the world. If we are not careful, it may lead to war and chaos everywhere.
The present-day Qin capital of Xianyang is different from the imperial capitals of later China, and not everyone longs to visit here.
For the nobles of the six states, Qin was indeed an extremely boring country.
What's the point of a country where the only entertainment facilities are pavilions and even drinking is against the law?
Although Xianyang was the capital of Qin State and the most prosperous city in Qin State, it was inferior to the cities of the Six Kingdoms.
Not to mention comparing with the capitals of the six countries, even if it is downgraded to some large cities in the six countries, its prosperity is far inferior.
The nobles of the six states were unwilling to come here, but the First Emperor wanted them to come here, which was a forced relocation.
Forcibly relocating the richest people in the world to Xianyang is equivalent to making enemies with all the nobles in the world. When we fought the six kingdoms one by one, now we are fighting with the remaining nobles of the six kingdoms at the same time...
The thought that if he wasn't careful he might go to war with all the nobles in the world, even though Meng Yi, who came from a military family and had been on the battlefield, felt a little nervous.
"Your Majesty, why are you so anxious?"
Wang Wan, the expert in internal affairs, spoke up. He claimed to be ill just last hour, but today he was taking a day off. He said sincerely, "The four seas have become one, but the waves are still beating. Our Great Qin should rest and recuperate now, and wait for the right time to act."
The newly appointed Left Prime Minister Li Si said with a stern face: "The matter of building the highway cannot be delayed. If we don't build it, how can the world prosper?"
Just as Wang Wan was glaring at Li Si and was about to curse Li Si as a flattering, treacherous villain, Li Si changed the subject.
"However, it will take five or even ten years to repair the highway. It costs a lot of money to complete the whole process, but it does not require a lot of money every year, every month, and every day. I request that within three to five days, the laborers who were conscripted to repair the imperial palace and the emperor's mausoleum be replaced with the construction of the highway. They are all criminals, so they can be fed twice a day. The construction of the highway will be started first, and the matter of conscripting nobles from all over the world can be put on hold for the time being. After one or two years, when the court is unable to afford the repair of the highway, they can be relocated."
What he said was well-reasoned and he first praised and then criticized, thus blocking the curse that was about to come out of Wang Wan's mouth.
The First Emperor nodded, indicating that he understood, and turned his gaze to Meng Yi.
When Meng Yi was young, he and his brother Meng Tian entered the Xianyang Palace and played with the First Emperor, so he was less afraid of the First Emperor than others.
He bluntly said: "Your Majesty is too hasty. If you insist on doing it, there may be a danger of destroying the country."
The First Emperor asked, "Where does the danger come from?"
Meng Yi replied: "There are millions of prisoners in the world. The total number of these prisoners exceeds the number of our Qin army. If Your Majesty forcibly relocates all the nobles in the world to Xianyang, it will arouse the resentment of the nobles. Once the nobles incite, the ignorant people will follow blindly, and then mobilize all the prisoners in the world. It will be a battle more difficult than the attack on the six kingdoms."
After the young Meng Yi finished speaking, the First Emperor turned his attention to the last minister who had not spoken, Fu Zikang, the Minister of Grain.
Fu Zikang was born in a humble family, originally the son of an ordinary family in Xianyang City. Not to mention Meng Yi, who was born in the Meng family, and Wang Wan, who was originally from the old Qin, he was not even as good as Li Si, who had studied in the Jixia Academy.
The reason why he was able to serve as the Internal Secretary of Grain in Qin State and hold the position of Nine Ministers was not only because of Ying Chengjiao's recommendation, but also because of his extraordinary calculation and coordination abilities.
During his tenure as the Minister of Grain, the court's money and grain were managed in an orderly manner, and there had never been a single mistake.
It is said that those who are good at fighting have no great achievements.
Just like the Right Prime Minister Wang Wan, Fu Zikang, the Internal Secretary of Grain, had never done anything earth-shattering.
However, it was already extraordinary that the Qin treasury did not make any major mistakes during his tenure.
The tall and thin Zhisu Neishi said nervously, "I think the Right Prime Minister, the Left Prime Minister, and Neishi Meng have explained everything very comprehensively. I have nothing more to say."
The First Emperor showed no expression when he heard Wang Wan's urgent advice, Li Si's roundabout way of advising, and Meng Yi's blunt words about destroying the country.
When Fu Zikang, the Internal History of Grain Administration, heard that he had nothing to say, he could not hold back and laughed and scolded: "You are cunning! How can you use others' mouths to be lazy and keep silent? Today's private discussion will not be punished. If you have any ideas, please speak freely. I will not pursue them."
Fu Zikang cried and said, "Your Majesty, I only know how to manage accounts. I really have nothing to say."
When the First Emperor saw that Fu Zikang did not look like he was pretending, he waved his hand.
"Forget it, forget it. Since you don't want to talk, I won't force you."
This was the first time that the First Emperor called Fu Zikang to the Council Hall to discuss state affairs, because the matter involved money and grain, which was exactly the job of the Qin State's Finance Minister, Zhi Su Nei Shi.
The first time, Fu Zikang left a very bad impression on the First Emperor.
Fu Zikang could see that the First Emperor was somewhat displeased, but he had no choice but to say with a bitter face, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
I really don't understand. The master just told me to use what he taught me to manage accounts, but he didn't teach me anything about national affairs.
"You four all think that the Qin Dynasty has just unified the six kingdoms and has a lot of work to do, so it is not appropriate to start a big event. But I think that the Qin Dynasty has just unified the six kingdoms and should take advantage of this momentum to start a big event!"
The First Emperor stared at the four people and said in a deep voice: "The Zuo Zhuan says: War is about courage. The first time you fight, the second time you lose strength, and the third time you are exhausted. When Qin conquered the six kingdoms, the six kingdoms were afraid of Qin. This is the time when the remnants of the six kingdoms were most afraid of the Qin. The Qin Kingdom had a lot of work to do, so the six kingdoms also had a lot of work to do. You are waiting for the Qin Kingdom to prosper, and the remnants of the six kingdoms are also waiting for the six kingdoms to prosper, aren't they?"
The First Emperor was so excited that he slammed the table and shouted, "Come here! Bring me the old map!"
A eunuch trotted out of the Council Hall to get it for the First Emperor.
This map is what maps were called in the Qin Dynasty.
After a while, two eunuchs walked into the council hall, each holding a roll of a map made of animal skin, the front and back parts.
This Council Hall was originally the palace where the First Emperor held small court meetings. It was simply furnished. In addition to several chairs and tables in front of the chairs, there was also a huge table that was three meters long and two meters wide.
"Spread it out on the table."
"only."
At the order of the First Emperor, two young eunuchs unfolded the map and placed it on the large table. All the major cities, mountains, rivers and streams of China were marked on the map, which was very vivid.
There are also various forces marked on it: Zhao, Qi, Chu, Han, Yan, Wei, Qin, etc.
The First Emperor took four people to look at the map and pointed to an area between Qin and Zhao with the words "Changping" marked on it.
"During the reign of King Zhaoxiang, Lord Wu'an dispatched a surprise force of 25,000 soldiers to cut off the retreat of the Zhao army. He also dispatched another surprise force of 5,000 cavalry to cut off the Zhao army's infantry and cavalry. The Zhao army was thus split into two, and its food supply was cut off. Lord Wu'an used deception to kill all of them, and sent 240 of the youngest to return to Zhao. In total, he beheaded and captured 450,000 people, causing great shock to the whole country, and it was difficult for Zhao to find anyone taller than a wheel at that time."
The First Emperor drew a line along the road on the map from "Changping" and finally reached "Handan", which was less than two inches away from "Changping" on the map.
"My lords, if the judgment of the former king Zhaoxiang had not been wrong, Wu'an Jun could have marched straight in and conquered Zhao in one fell swoop, and Qin could have seized Zhao land thirty years earlier. Zhao land borders the Hu people and has many horse farms, so Qin's cavalry could have at least doubled. If it had been as I said, Qin might have been able to unify the world during the time of the former king, saving twenty years. The military affairs are so similar to today's affairs! If I were timid today, Zhao would have produced a Li Mu who suppressed Qin and made it difficult for me to make any progress. If I had not moved the rich people in the world today, how many Li Mus would have appeared in the land of the six kingdoms!"
Meng Yi frowned, shook his head and said in disagreement: "I have heard from my grandfather that the situation at that time was not what Your Majesty thought. Wu'an Jun killed 400,000 Zhao soldiers who surrendered, causing panic in the world. The alliance agreement of the six countries has been sent to Xianyang by spies. Zhao has lost 450,000 strong soldiers and is already a lamb to be slaughtered. There is no possibility of expansion. It is better to transfer Wu'an Jun back to Qin to avoid being surrounded by the six countries."
The First Emperor hugged Meng Yi and laughed.
"You little brat, you followed Meng Tian and me when you were young, and acted according to our instructions. Now that you are older, you are much more stable and you believe in what Lord Meng and Uncle Wu said. Don't you have your own ideas? Wang Wan, you go and tell him whether Lord Meng is right or not!"
The elderly Wang Wan looked at the First Emperor's carefree talk and laughter, and instinctively felt as if he had returned to more than ten years ago.
At that time, the First Emperor was still called Prince Zheng. Although he was not liked by anyone in the Xianyang Palace, he was completely overshadowed by the brilliance of Prince Cheng Jiao, who had been gifted with extraordinary powers since childhood.
But the First Emperor never showed any signs of discouragement. He was open-minded and never bowed his head.
This scene, combined with Wang Wan's deep gratitude for the emperor's favor this morning and his desire to die for the First Emperor, made Wang Wan, who had originally intended to be calm, also become a little wild.
At the beginning, Prince Chengjiao, who was favored by the whole Qin State, was defeated by Prince Zheng. What can the remaining evil forces of the six kingdoms do to the Great Qin Shi Huangdi?
"In the discussion of war in our Great Qin, no one can compare to Lord Meng except Marquis Wucheng."
Wang Wan did not directly say whether Meng Ao was right or not, but instead praised Meng Ao for his achievements in the field of war.
Meng Yi was very pleased to hear someone praising his grandfather.
But soon, Meng Yi was no longer useful.
"Before the Battle of Changping, the six kingdoms had no intention of joining forces. As soon as the Battle of Changping was over, the alliance of the six kingdoms was on the table of King Zhaoxiang. Ridiculous? Ridiculous! This was done by Fan Ju to consolidate the kingship! Wu'an Jun was raised by Wei Ran, the half-brother of Queen Dowager Xuan, and he was a member of the Chu clan's in-laws. At that time, Queen Dowager Xuan, Wei Ran and others had great power in the government of Qin. If Wu'an Jun destroyed Zhao, this achievement would be as great as the sky. King Zhaoxiang was afraid that the Chu clan's in-laws would replace Qi, so he forced Bai Qi to withdraw his troops. Qin's failure to destroy Zhao had nothing to do with military affairs, nor with the alliance of the six kingdoms, but to maintain the kingship!"
Ying Zheng hugged Meng Yi, pointed at the old Wang Wan and said with a smile: "You have been the right prime minister for many years. What you said in the court yesterday was only for your own benefit, and what you said just now was full of fear. My heart is very painful. I deeply miss your courage in the past. Finally seeing it, I feel a little comforted."
Wang Wan fell to her knees with a plop, supporting herself with her hands. Tears welled up in her already red and swollen eyes again. She said, "Wan was wrong! Wan was wrong!"
"Get up! I am wrong! Who in this world dares to say that I have never made any mistakes? Are my mistakes few?"
Ying Zheng forcibly pulled Wang Wan up, looked at this old minister who had followed him for more than ten years, and said earnestly: "I was wrong to issue the "Book of Expulsion", but fortunately Li Si submitted the "Book of Remonstrance against Expulsion", which allowed me to bring back all the ministers."
Upon hearing this, Li Si immediately said, "This is not my work. I wrote the "Remonstrance on Expelling Foreigners" with your Majesty's instruction."
Ying Zheng kicked Li Si on the buttocks and scolded him with a smile: "I want you to take credit for me? I am wrong, so I am wrong! Don't interrupt me!"
Li Si took the kick from the First Emperor and felt that this was a sign of the First Emperor's closeness to him, so he said with joy, "Yes."
Ying Zheng continued to talk to Wang Wan: "It was a mistake for me to ask Li Xin to lead the army to fight, which cost the lives of 200,000 Qin soldiers. I will go to Wucheng in person to ask Wang Jian to return to attack Chu and rule the world. As long as the mistakes in the world do not cost lives, there is a chance to repent and correct them. You followed me when I entered Qin, and if you really feel guilty about me. After I give you the fiefdom, don't be lazy and slack off, just govern well and don't be outdone by others."
Wang Wan, with tears streaming down his face, was about to kneel down and kowtow again, but the First Emperor held the hand of this old minister, who once served as his attendant, tightly and stopped Wang Wan.
Wang Wan burst into tears and said, "Your Majesty has treated me very well, I will repay you with my life!"
The First Emperor helped Wang Wan back to his chair, and then continued, "Meng Yi, what do you think now?"
Meng Yi looked at the map for a long time without saying anything. Finally, he smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty said that King Zhaoxiang made a mistake in the beginning. I don't understand. Is it wrong to consolidate the kingship?"
The First Emperor laughed loudly, and his laughter echoed in the council hall for a long time.
"As an emperor, how can you be afraid of your ministers becoming powerful? How can you be afraid of not being rewarded for your merits? The more a minister does, the greater his ability. The more merits he has made, the more contributions he has made to the development of the Qin State. I am only afraid that you will not become powerful, and that your merits are not enough! As long as you do not rebel, my words in the court can be announced to the world. If meritorious officials cannot retreat unscathed, how can Ying Zheng stand in the world!"
Meng Yi lowered his head. When this second son of the Meng family who had been on the battlefield raised his head again, his face was filled with a blood-thirsty look.
"Your Majesty's decision, Meng Yi will follow it. Meng Yi can not only perform the duties of an internal historian, but also wear armor and serve as a general."
"Cai! I said that the Meng family had been generals for generations, but why are you the exception and a scholar? It turns out that you are a fake scholar wearing a general's armor, hahaha! Li Si, do you still want to object?"
Li Si rubbed his butt that had just been kicked by the First Emperor, and said helplessly: "Your Majesty, I dare to ask you a question. If I object, can I still leave as the left prime minister today?"
Seeing that the First Emperor was in a good mood, Li Si also started to joke. This was due to his ability to read people's expressions.
When the First Emperor heard this, he was not angry but happy.
He simply didn't want all those red tapes today, and what Li Si said was exactly what he wanted.
"If you are stubborn and can't make sense, then go back to your court and be a court official!"
Li Si shook his head and said, "Then I'd better not say anything. I have only been the prime minister for one day and I haven't sat on the position long enough."
"Hurry up and tell me! Stop joking!"
Although the First Emperor said "Stop joking", his face was full of satisfaction and he looked very happy.
Li Si stood up respectfully, bowed his head and clasped his hands, and said with a stern face: "Your Majesty, what you said is true, but it still cannot dispel the worries in my heart. I would like to ask, if the nobles of the six countries really raise the banner of rebellion, call on their people, release prisoners and attack Qin together, what good plan does Your Majesty have?"
Seeing that Li Si was very polite and serious, the First Emperor also stopped smiling and said in a deep voice, "There is no good strategy, only war."
Today, Wang Wan seems to have returned to his prime, becoming the servant of Prince Zheng who was not afraid of Prince Cheng Jiao, who was at the peak of his power in Qin State.
The Right Prime Minister of the Great Qin wiped away the tears on his face, and the First Emperor shouted in a deep voice: "Old Qin people are happy to hear about war!"
Li Si looked at Wang Wan in surprise. He didn't expect that Wang Wan, who was always calm and reserved, would be so aggressive today. As a Chu person, he couldn't understand this.
He could only sigh in his heart and was about to continue speaking when suddenly a clear and loud voice rang out.
"It would be best if the remnants of the six kingdoms dare to fight. If we have defeated them once, we can defeat them twice! The Meng family has been coveting the title of Marquis Che for four generations. If Yi can get the title of Marquis Che, my grandfather will tell me that he will never call me a birdman again!"
Li Si looked numbly at Meng Yi, who had just opposed the First Emperor's strategy but was now eager to fight.
He didn't understand why everyone changed their minds in such a short period of time, as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
Didn't you just lose your memory and hear what your majesty said?
There is some truth in what Your Majesty said, but how can this truth make you so excited?
Your Majesty's words did not solve the worry of the rebellion of the remnants of the six countries. Why are you so excited...
Li Si didn't know that this was the core idea that enabled Qin to become an iron-blooded country.
Don't be afraid, fight if you want to.
Once the battle is decided, go all out without any worries.
If you can't fight to victory, then fight to death.
This is one of the reasons why Qin was able to win every battle and the six other states were defeated.
"Li Si, do you think you have a good plan? Tell me quickly!"
Li Si, a Chu native who was not affected by the frenzied war atmosphere of Qin, coughed twice and said, "My strategy is not a good one. It is just a strategy of imitating others as you saw Your Majesty summon the rich people from all over the world to Xianyang."
The First Emperor's eyes lit up. He knew that this was Li Si's humble words, so he said hastily, "If you keep me in suspense, you can go back to your post as the Chief Justice!"
"Since Your Majesty wants to summon the richest people in the world to Xianyang to collect wealth, why not summon more of them?" Li Si's eyes flashed fiercely, and he said slowly: "Collect the copper and iron in the world in Xianyang, and cast twelve golden men to suppress the world! Even if there are rebels, they have no copper and iron weapons, and only wooden sticks. Can they break the Qin armor?"
As soon as these words came out, the First Emperor's eyes lit up and he shouted, "Great! This is a great plan! Li Si, your position as Prime Minister is secured!"
At this time, Fu Zikang, the Internal Secretary of Zhisu, who had been silent for a long time, spoke weakly.
He didn't want to talk, but he felt that everyone was discussing it in full swing. If he didn't participate, he might lose his position as the Minister of Internal Affairs.
So he stood up, bowed his head, and said respectfully and timidly: "Your Majesty, the money that Chang'an Jun just sent to the Ministry of Internal Affairs should be enough to build the highway..."
