Chapter 304: This is not human nature
"His Majesty!"
Lu Buwei shouted anxiously, but the overwhelming sound of "Your Majesty is wise" made it difficult for his voice to be heard beyond one meter of his body, and he fell into the previous embarrassing situation again.
[This cannot be done, this cannot be done! If the Qin Law is implemented throughout the country, the world will be in chaos. The Qin Law is a policy for wartime and troubled times, not a law for prosperous times! ]
The flustered Lu Buwei hurriedly looked at the veteran who had just spoken up for him and looked for help. He needed the veteran's help again.
Meng Ao pushed away his grandson's arm, and faced the acquaintance's demented eyes, shook his head firmly. He spoke slowly, closed his eyes, and stopped caring about anything else.
The old general only stood on the side of the King of Qin all his life. He could act recklessly before the King of Qin made a decision, but he would resolutely execute it after the King of Qin made a decision.
The old man, who had not read many books and could not recognize a single word, firmly adhered to this idea.
Bai Qi, the most accomplished Qin warrior of his time, died of suspicion, but he, who often mocked himself as a small soldier who followed Wu'an Jun to gain military exploits, relied on his single-mindedness to create one of the greatest military families in Qin.
Lu Buwei did not hear the old general's voice, but through the old general's deliberately slowed lip movements, he read what the old general said: Your Majesty is a wise monarch, not a foolish one.
Lü Buwei looked a little dazed, and his body trembled weakly. If Fu Zikang hadn't reached out to support him from behind, he would have fallen to the ground.
The prime minister of the empire just thought that the first emperor was bullied by his ministers and didn't know their evil intentions. But he didn't think that although he only said a few words, he had explained the matter clearly. How could the first emperor not understand ?
He stood still under Fu Zikang's thin arms, turned his head and met the eyes of the almighty First Emperor.
Those were a pair of proud, confident, and domineering eyes of a king, containing the power of life and death and the spirit of supremacy.
There are some similarities between his eyes and those of the young King of Qin, which are sometimes humble like a student seeking knowledge, and sometimes fierce like a butcher on the battlefield, but not much.
"It is the King of Qin, not the Little King of Qin..."
Lu Buwei muttered, but his words could not even create a ripple in the ocean of noise. Even Zhi Su Nei Shi, who was closest to him, did not hear what he said. The face hidden behind the veil was full of bitterness.
In this biggest transformation in Chinese history, in this final battle of a hundred schools of thought, everyone standing at the highest point of the people is trying to use their own beliefs and thoughts to determine the development path of the descendants of Yan and Huang who originated in the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins.
Lü Buwei chose the eclectic school, combining Confucianism, Mohism, and Legalism, taking the essence of the various schools of thought and discarding the dross to govern the country. It doesn't matter if the cat is black or white, as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat.
The First Emperor chose Legalism, order, slavery, and weakening the people of the world in order to support the country.
The First Emperor knew what Lu Buwei meant. He knew that Lu Buwei felt that Qin laws were too harsh and that applying them to the whole country would cause people everywhere to resist Qin and would lead to opposition.
The king looked down at Lu Buwei, who was using the alias Jiang Shang and needed help from others to stand.
[That guy also thinks so, but I don’t think so. The Qin law should have been implemented long ago. He does his thing, and I do mine. Qin conquered the world with the Legalists, and the Legalists are the foundation of Qin.]
Raise your hand and press empty.
The ministers who had been flattering the emperor endlessly immediately fell silent.
Lu Buwei's problem could be solved by just raising his hand in front of the First Emperor.
The First Emperor was not afraid that the harsh laws of Qin would lead to unrest in various places, because he had an army that was capable of suppressing it. When the Qin State first implemented Shang Yang's laws, it also experienced a period of turmoil, which was fought out by Shang Yang's iron-blooded tactics.
The First Emperor was not afraid of bloodshed or killing. The Qin State reformed and conquered the world, which proved that this path was correct, so the whole world would reform. No matter how difficult and dangerous the process was, the First Emperor would go on. Because the First Emperor was sure that the Qin Law was correct and it was the path that the Qin State should take.
"The imperial edict was issued from the Prime Minister's Office and was promulgated throughout the country the next day. Those who disobeyed the imperial edict were sentenced to imprisonment, and those with noble titles were beheaded."
The officials were shocked, knowing that this was a warning from the First Emperor. He warned them not to do anything tricky in the implementation of Qin Law, and warned them to concentrate on their work, otherwise they would die.
After saying this, he turned around and left.
The king left and the court meeting ended.
For a long time, the ministers did not dare to act rashly.
The will of one person is the will of the empire.
Once an order is given, no one in the world dares to disobey.
Without Ying Chengjiao's interference and obstruction, no one could stop the will of the First Emperor.
"Doctor Zhou Qingchen, respectfully farewell to His Majesty!"
Doctor Zhou Qingchen prostrated himself and paid homage to the departing figure of the First Emperor.
[The flattering face is extremely shameless. It is shameful to be in the same court with such a person! ]
The ministers cursed in their hearts.
There was no kneeling ceremony between the king and his subjects in the Qin Dynasty, let alone such a grand ceremony as prostrating oneself. When the court meeting was over, there was no fixed speech, and they just waited quietly for the First Emperor to leave.
Just like when attending court, there was no procedure. The first emperor spoke and the court meeting began. The custom of shouting "Long live the emperor" three times before attending court was invented by Emperor Wu of Han. The Qin Dynasty, which did not like red tape, did not have such a thing.
"Farewell, Your Majesty."
Left Prime Minister Li Si stood up and spoke loudly.
"Farewell, Your Majesty."
Right Prime Minister Wang Wan hesitated for a moment, a beat slower than Li Si, and also stood up and spoke.
"Farewell, Your Majesty."
"Farewell, Your Majesty."
"Farewell, Your Majesty."
“…”
One after another, the ministers stood up and shouted loudly, feeling awkward and reluctant.
From that day onwards, after every court meeting, when the First Emperor left the seat, all the ministers would stand up and shout in unison, "Farewell, Your Majesty."
The dark red Danchi and the Xianyang Palace, which is mainly black in color, once again witnessed a small step in the court and a big step for the world.
Changing the feudal system into prefectures and counties and establishing a unified empire was unprecedented, but was also opposed by many officials. This was very similar to what his younger brother Ying Chengjiao did.
The difference between the two brothers' actions in the eyes of the officials is that the officials know that the first emperor does things to concentrate the power and for the interests of the emperor. However, they cannot see the logic of Ying Chengjiao's actions and cannot see what interests Ying Chengjiao can gain from them.
The two brothers were treated differently by the ministers because of their different identities and personalities.
The First Emperor was a king who held the power of life and death. Although he was generous in giving out rewards, he also showed his violent side more than once, so his officials were in awe of him.
Ying Chengjiao was not a king, but a nobleman with the same status as the other ministers. His reputation as a scoundrel spread throughout Xianyang. Not many people knew that Ying Chengjiao had killed half of the court ten years ago. Ignorance is fearlessness.
Xia Wuqie, the imperial physician who had been standing at the foot of the high platform, did not receive the Emperor's edict to the physicians. This was not unexpected for the heir of the physicians, as he had not had much hope for Ying Chengjiao's promise that night.
From ancient times to the present, the status of doctors, who cannot govern the country, cannot expand the territory, and can only save their own families but not the public, has never been high.
Xia Wuqi, who could stand in the temple, was already the most prestigious doctor in history. Even Bian Que, who founded the medical school, was only granted 40,000 mu of land in Pengque Mountain and became a disciple of the nobleman Zhao Jianzi because he cured the nobleman Zhao Jianzi of Jin State.
What Xia Wuqie didn't expect was the feeling of loss that came from nowhere in his heart. Although it was small, it was strong.
He has already formulated a plan on how to shorten the time and train doctors who can stand on their own. He really wants to see the day when doctors flourish and everyone in the world can be cured. Instead of the current situation where people of noble status can be cured, and people of low status can only endure and die.
There are some things that you should forget if you haven't heard them. Once you have heard them, it is impossible not to think about them and it is impossible to continue to be content with the status quo.
The heir of a medical family who is in his forties and takes good care of his body every day but still has a lot of white hair is walking alone in the light under the not-so-scorching sunlight.
[Should I go to His Majesty and talk to him about Chang'an Jun's plan? His Majesty will not agree...]
The representative selected by the Ying clan went to court to advise the First Emperor to abolish slavery. Ying Xi, Lord Weiyang, who was the First Emperor's great uncle, remained silent in the court.
First, the power of the First Emperor frightened his uncle, who should have succeeded the King of Qin according to etiquette. Ying Xi knew how the Ying family had treated the First Emperor over the years, and he did not think that the First Emperor would be respectful to him.
Second, Ying Xi disagreed with the suggestion to abolish slavery. Isn't this releasing free labor? If it weren't for a certain guy holding the family tree to scare the Ying family, Ying Xi would not have come. This kind of advice that violates the interests of everyone in the court, including the First Emperor, would definitely be opposed by all votes if it was spoken at the court meeting, and it would basically be impossible to implement. In order to be included in the family tree after his death, Ying Xi had to choose a way of advice with a higher success rate, and privately asked to see the First Emperor. Without those nobles who kept a large number of slaves and concubines at home, this matter would be easier to discuss.
Therefore, Wei Yang Jun followed closely in the footsteps of the First Emperor. Relying on his blood relationship as the First Emperor's uncle, he walked quickly with his back straight and quickly caught up with the First Emperor.
"Your Majesty."
Ying Xi stood in front of Zhao Gao and Gai Nie.
The First Emperor, who was blocked in the middle by two people behind him, grabbed Gai Nie's shoulder and did not pass through the gap between Zhao Gao and Gai Nie, but went around Gai Nie from one side.
The respectful Zhao Gao's breathing became slightly unstable, but soon returned to normal.
[That night, I served as the young master's teacher, which ultimately caused His Majesty's suspicion. His Majesty did not trust me...]
Gai Nie didn't understand why the dog beside him was a little strange, and he didn't want to pay attention to it. He didn't think about it, and said to the First Emperor coldly:
"Your Majesty, please don't touch Nie's shoulder next time. If there is a strong enemy, your Majesty's action will be helping the enemy."
The First Emperor, who was just trying to get close to him, held Gai Nie's shoulders tightly and nodded to Ying Xi, who was staring at a certain audacious swordsman in a daze.
"Uncle has something to ask me."
Ying Xi looked away, and seeing that the First Emperor didn't care, he blocked his gaze and said, suppressing the mixed thoughts in his mind:
"Your Majesty, please... abolish the slavery of the concubines."
In order to convince the First Emperor, Ying Xi consulted many documents and books overnight and prepared many speeches. But when he stood in front of his nephew, the emperor who had great power over the world, he knew that his preparations were in vain.
Those ideas that even he could not convince, could not convince the emperor in front of him. Neither the Confucianism of benevolence and righteousness nor the Mohism of equality could convince the First Emperor who put the interests of the empire first.
When the First Emperor thought of the threats in last night's letter, veins on his forehead bulged slightly.
[This must be what that bastard said! Not only did he threaten me, he even informed my uncle and used the Ying clan to pressure me! ]
"Uncle, don't you know that this matter has only disadvantages and no advantages? Are you all confused? Whatever that brat says is the truth?!"
Facing the wrath of the First Emperor, if it weren't for his uncle status and knowing that he would not die, Ying Xi would never be able to stand so relaxed at this moment. He smiled bitterly:
"How could I not know? The genealogy is in the hands of that brat, so I have no choice but to come, Your Majesty..."
Ying Xi looked at the First Emperor's darkening face, hesitated to speak, and kept silent.
[Your Majesty's face looks even worse...]
The First Emperor gritted his teeth.
"That bastard wants to cancel my slavery and exchange it for food! The family tree cannot threaten me. As I am the king, I will just create another one!"
Re-creating family tree is very common in later generations. The purpose of re-compiling is to find a prominent ancestor. The Li family in the Tang Dynasty did this.
Emperor Gaozu of the Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan, recognized Laozi as his ancestor. Later Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Zhi, posthumously conferred the title of "Grand Emperor Xuanyuan" on Laozi, and Empress Wu Zetian conferred the title of "Xiantian Empress Dowager" on Laozi's mother. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Longji, also conferred the title of "Great Saint Ancestor Gaoshang Jinque Tianhuang Dadi" on Laozi, and personally annotated the 5,000-word "Tao Te Ching".
But in the Qin Dynasty, the atmosphere was not so open. Although rewriting a family tree was not difficult in practice, it would not be recognized as orthodox.
If the descendants can recreate the family tree, it means they have the power to delete or reduce the names of their ancestors. This is a blasphemy to the ancestors and a great disrespect.
But this does not mean that the family tree can never be replaced. Over time, the family tree has been damaged and the handwriting has become blurred. The family tree can be copied.
The clan leader needs to call on the clan elders of high moral character to copy the ancestral tablet word by word. The clan elders of high moral character will check whether there are any mistakes, and no mistakes, omissions, additions or changes are allowed.
[It can be exchanged for food? It's so simple, but Cheng Jiao still threatened Your Majesty with the family tree? Your Majesty, the family head is divided into two, which has never happened in Qin State and Ying Clan. Forcing Your Majesty to say something disrespectful to the ancestors, such as re-creating the family tree, what Zichu did is not human. 】
Upon hearing that food could be exchanged for policies, Wei Yang Jun, who was conscious of keeping a place in the family tree, breathed a sigh of relief, but he still had the mind to complain.
"How much grain do you need for Your Majesty to implement this policy? A thousand shi? Ten thousand shi?"
"It can provide food for the people of Guanzhong for twenty years."
“…”
Ying Xi felt that the genealogy had been passed down for so many years, and it was time to rewrite it. If the king rewrote it, the ancestors would surely not blame him.
…
Xianyang Prison.
Gan Luo was released by Li Si himself.
Gan Luo, with a gloomy face, was too lazy to do any superficial work towards the Left Prime Minister Li Si. He walked quickly past Li Si without .
As he was about to leave the Supreme Court, a young man who was not very old and had been a retainer of Lu Buwei together with Li Si and had known Li Si for a long time was waiting for the Left Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty to catch up.
"Xunzi's disciple, the left prime minister of the Great Qin Empire, why do you like to be a dog for others so much?"
He did not look people in the eye, but glanced at Li Si coldly.
"If there was no West, you would have died long ago. Your way of repaying the West is to send it to death. Your teacher Xunzi taught you knowledge, but didn't he teach you how to be a human being?"
Li Si's facial expression remained unchanged. He uttered "Hehe" from his throat, which meant he had laughed. He turned and left.
