Chapter 395: You can control a thousand people, but you can’t control tens of millions of people
This time, the First Emperor neither argued with Ying Chengjiao as he had done in the past, nor did he deny Ying Chengjiao.
He seemed to be thinking about something, trying to conceal the sharpness in his eyes, and looked at the people around him with an observing rather than a scrutinizing gaze, most of whose eyes were filled with envy.
It was the busy farming season, and without government organization, the common people did not go out to farm but gathered at the gate of Yangcheng to join in the fun. Except for the days of distributing sacrifices during the New Year, this phenomenon was impossible in Guanzhong.
The First Emperor was lost in thought, thinking of Cui Guang, the magistrate of Yangcheng County, who had served as a doctor of Taoism in the Doctoral Office, standing in front of the city gate, and he said softly:
“Nothing.”
After the five thousand troops entered the city, each went about their business.
The person in charge of the horses' food took the warrant to the Yangcheng granary to get grain, and went to the Yangcheng County Lieutenant to get horse fodder.
The guarding Qin army was stationed in the open space that Cui Guang had found in advance, and they were divided into four groups and took turns to go out for a walk.
The ministers, concubines and others who accompanied them were free to move around without any restrictions.
"You guys go away."
Zhang Han stood in front of the royal carriage drawn by four horses and asked Cui Guang and other Yangcheng officials to leave.
"promise."
Cui Guang responded, turned around and left with his head held high, without any hesitation, completely ignoring the fact that the doctor's face had turned cold.
Zhang Han was somewhat angry, angry at the attitude of these Yangcheng officials - too casual, so casual that they did not have enough respect for the First Emperor.
Even so, the five four-horse chariots behind him were filled with stones, but not the First Emperor.
The First Emperor changed into casual clothes, ordered no one to follow him, and traveled together with his younger brother Ying Chengjiao.
No one had any objection, not even Xia Wuqie and Zhang Han, who were supposed to be protecting the First Emperor.
Chang'an Jun, who has a gun, is the best fighter in the world.
With the warrant from Cui Guang, the county magistrate, the two could enter and exit any area of Yangcheng at will.
But soon, the First Emperor found that this order was a bit redundant - there were only a few places in Yangcheng that were closed to the public, most of them were open areas.
The First Emperor once again experienced the Taoist philosophy of governing the country by doing nothing, which was derived from the governance method - the people of Yangcheng could go wherever they wanted, with the main principle being to follow their heart.
The First Emperor strongly disagreed. In his eyes, as a law-abiding person, this way of governing was simply heresy.
Everything in Guanzhong was decided by law, and the Qin Law covered everything. This was completely different from the Taoist idea of tranquility and laissez-faire.
Logically speaking, Legalism should be the mortal enemy of Taoism, not Confucianism. At least Confucianism and Legalism have something in common, both of ways of governing the country by setting standards and restricting the people.
The reason why Taoism and Legalism could live in peace was because Legalism did not look down on Taoism at all.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, wars were raging everywhere, and the countries were engaged in wars and conquests, with the battles being difficult to determine. In such a time of great contention, any country that accepted the Taoist idea of tranquility and inaction and stopped war would have been courting its own destruction.
Since Laozi founded Taoism, it has never been accepted by any country. The Taoist doctrine that was prevalent in the early Han Dynasty actually had a very low status in the Qin Dynasty.
Not to mention the Legalists who were at their peak, the Confucianism, Mohism, Nominalism, Diplomacy and other schools of thought were all superior to Taoism. Even the Yin-Yang theory, which was partly derived from Laozi and has been lost in later generations, can still surpass Taoism.
In the court of Emperor Qin Shihuang, the Legalists were the only ones in power.
Among the miscellaneous scholars, there is the prime minister Lü Buwei; among the famous scholars, there is the senior minister Yao Jia; among the strategists, there is the senior minister Dun Ruo...
Every profession has its own specialties. Except for Taoism, every other school of thought has capable people who serve as important officials in the court.
Such a Taoist who was completely ignored by the First Emperor became an official in Yangcheng, in charge of a place.
"Cui Guang has gone too far."
The First Emperor suddenly said.
He and Ying Chengjiao had been walking through the streets of Yangcheng for a while.
He heard the people around him talking about what was happening. After learning that the large group of people coming was the emperor, the emotions expressed by the people of Yangcheng were not fear, panic, or honor, but a sense of exploration that the First Emperor had never imagined.
"I don't know where the Emperor of Qin lives. Let's go and take a look."
"What are you looking at him for? The land hasn't been planted yet. If you want to go, go ahead."
"See what the emperor eats, drinks, and does."
"I guess the emperor doesn't eat millet, but steamed bread every day. He also has to farm regularly, otherwise what would he eat? The hoe he used to hoe the land might be a golden one."
“…”
With their hearing ability, they can hear all the gossip around them as long as they want to hear it.
"They have completely lost their fear of me. These people in Yangcheng will become rioters if they are instigated by the remnants of the six kingdoms."
The First Emperor was very serious.
As far as he knew, there were many county towns in Han that were governed by Taoists. He thought that these cities were like Yangcheng and had lost their awe of him as the emperor.
"Why should I be in awe of you?"
Ying Chengjiao's rhetorical question made the First Emperor narrow his eyes and think seriously about whether to take back the Han territory.
If the inferiors do not have awe for their superiors, they will not unconditionally obey what their superiors say, and the superiors will not be able to manage the inferiors.
The fact that he asked such a question showed that the First Emperor felt that his younger brother's problem with his own position was more serious and difficult than the problem of his eldest son Ying Fusu's corruption.
"Why did my brother let Chunyu Yue be Fusu's teacher? It was to let Fusu know what 'benevolence' means, right?"
The First Emperor nodded.
A blind ruthlessness will make those who dare to speak out disappear, will make people all over the world panic, will allow those who curry favor with the powerful to gain power, and will cause the common people to suffer.
One person's plan is short, but everyone's plan is long.
No one can make the right decisions all the time alone.
Not knowing how to write the word "benevolence" will ultimately lead to the destruction of the Qin Dynasty.
"Brother, are you sure you know what 'benevolence' means?"
Ying Chengjiao asked seriously.
"Since I ascended the throne, I have never killed anyone unjustly because of personal feelings. I have always been measured in my actions and have clearly distinguished rewards and punishments.
"I was wrong to issue the "Book of Expulsion". I apologize in front of all the heroes in the world. I was wrong not to listen to Wang Jian and to recruit Li Xin to recruit 200,000 soldiers to attack Chu. I will go to Pingyang in person to invite Wang Jian.
"Dun Ruo contradicted me, so I made him Shang Qing. Li Mu held a sword and wanted to kill me, but I didn't kill him. I also made him Che Hou and gave him fiefdom.
"Is it not kind enough for me to do this?"
Ying Chengjiao shook his head.
"To respect the virtuous and humble oneself, to value talents, how can this be called benevolence?"
"Then tell me what benevolence is."
"Benevolence means treating people well."
Ying Chengjiao drew a stroke in the air, wanting the First Emperor to know which word he was talking about.
"Be an adult."
Ying Chengjiao pointed at the pedestrians walking into the restaurant, the guy drying rice outside the rice shop, the young child skipping and playing while holding his father's hand, and finally pointed at himself and the First Emperor.
"The diners are people, the waiters are people, the children are people.
“They are the same as me and you, all human beings.
“Benevolence means treating everyone as if they were just like you and me.”
The First Emperor stopped and turned his head slowly to the side. His eyebrows and eyes were very calm, and his face was as still as a still pond.
He said calmly:
"Ying Chengjiao, you are really crazy."
The five thousand troops stayed in Yangcheng for two days.
On the first day, the two brothers wandered around Yangcheng County.
The two arrived at the school.
Amid the sound of reading, the First Emperor watched as Ying Chengjiao, who had revealed his identity, was praised by his teachers and eulogized by his students. There was even a Confucian scholar who performed the ritual of three bows and nine kowtows to Ying Chengjiao in public, calling him a saint.
The First Emperor did not take these things seriously, as there were far more people who licked him than those who licked Ying Chengjiao.
What concerned the First Emperor was...
The parents and grandparents of those students took eggs, dried meat, pickled vegetables and other foods, which the students saw secretly and swallowed their saliva, and kept stuffing them into Ying Chengjiao's hands.
These people who don't know how to say nice things just kept thanking. Many of them even had their eyes full of gratitude, turning into tears. When they hurried back from planting half of the field, two shallow scratches appeared on their faces covered in mud.
All the counties in Han, under the implicit suggestion of Xinzheng and out of their own wishes, fully and vigorously publicized Ying Chengjiao's deeds.
From the very beginning, the Chamber of Commerce was sent to lead the people in the uprising.
Then the invention of movable type printing, the use of paper, and the establishment of schools completely opened up the valuable knowledge that had been monopolized by the aristocracy.
Finally, he summoned heroes from all over the world to restore order in Korea.
Han may not know who Ying Zheng is, but it must know who Ying Chengjiao is.
In the land of Han, the three words "Chang'an Jun" are much more effective than "Qin Emperor".
The First Emperor
Cui Guang, the magistrate of Yangcheng County, also arrived. He first expressed his gratitude to Ying Chengjiao, the first Taoist to be employed since the establishment of Taoism, and then proudly stated the development of Yangcheng - the population, food reserves, crime rate, literacy rate, and so on.
These real data made the First Emperor, who was standing aside, feel a little unreal.
These data actually do not exceed the data created by the people of Qian under the guidance of the Guanzhong decree, and are actually slightly less.
But this already made the First Emperor feel incredible.
For the first time, he changed his view on Taoist doctrine, believing that no matter how perfect a theory is, it is not as good as practice.
Taoism has proved through practical actions that even without high-pressure policies, production can still keep up and social development can still move forward.
“You are good to the people, and the people know it.
"They approached me and talked to me. They showed me no reverence but admiration. If I asked them to rebel against Qin, do you think they would do so?
"When the Shang Dynasty fell, the ancient sages Boyi and Shuqi refused to eat Zhou millet, and took refuge in Shouyang Mountain to eat wild vegetables, and finally starved to death. This story is still passed down today and is a model of integrity and perseverance.
"Brother, if everyone in the world were Boyi and Shuqi, who could conquer Qin?"
The First Emperor was silent for a moment and said:
"Let's finish watching it first."
The two arrived at the only ancestral hall in Yangcheng.
This ancestral hall, built spontaneously by the people of Yangcheng, does not even have a statue. It is very simple and has only a sign - Chang'an Jun Ying Chengjiao.
The tribute did not include any delicacies from land or sea, but only common foods such as corn.
The ancestral hall is not large, covering less than 100 square meters, but it is constantly visited by people, who always come in to pay their respects sincerely.
The First Emperor entered his brother's ancestral temple. Under Ying Chengjiao's expression of "Don't be too outrageous", he imitated the people around him and bowed twice devoutly.
"I hope that Lord Chang'an will help my brother recover from epilepsy and stop going crazy."
Zhao Gongming, who was already a senior minister of the Qin Dynasty, had been waiting in this ancestral hall since he entered Yangcheng.
As soon as the two brothers Ying Zheng and Ying Chengjiao entered, Zhao Gongming noticed them. They could change their appearance, but not their inner aura.
Zhao Gongming said nothing and did not jump out until the two brothers left.
He looked at the two people's backs as they left and smiled bitterly.
"I can't see through any of them."
The two of them went to the Yangcheng County Magistrate's Mansion.
All the officials are very idle.
The two of them went to Yangcheng Prison.
There were only five prisoners in a county jail.
The two of them traveled through many areas in the city.
On the second day, the two brothers left the city and went to the fields near the county town.
The hard-working farmers and the cultivated fields made the First Emperor believe the data .
The First Emperor felt very uncomfortable looking at the hard work of the farmers and the longing and joy on their faces.
The farmers in Guanzhong work just as hard when farming, but their faces show nothing but numbness and endurance.
“Yangcheng collects very little tax, and most of it is kept by them. They work for themselves, so they can smile and have hope for the future.
"Over in Guanzhong, I don't need to tell you, my brother, you know what the situation is like."
The First Emperor said nothing. How could he not know? He was the one who issued those decrees.
Farmers in Guanzhong had to work extremely hard to barely fill their stomachs, and not many of them could get enough to eat, as most of the grain was taken away as taxes.
Farmers in Guanzhong work hard to survive every day, and they know that nothing will change in their lifetime.
"This is the first year after they experienced a food shortage, so they are trying so hard. Do you know what they will do in the second year?"
The First Emperor waved his finger at the farmers working hard in a circle of fields.
“Only a very few of them would still toil as hard as they do now.
"Most people would calculate carefully, deduct the grain tax to be handed over to the government, and then calculate the amount of food they would need to eat. Then they would add a number that would make them feel at ease. They would work according to the calculated amount of food, and their grain production would decrease.
"This is not just empty talk from me, but a case from history. The most recent example is the low-tax Zhongshan State.
"When grain production decreases and taxes are reduced, the granaries will be empty, which is a sign of the country's demise.
"Don't forget how the State of Zhao was destroyed.
"If Zhao had enough food to continue to support itself, they would not have replaced Lian Po."
The First Emperor turned back with his hands behind his back.
“Those who are most loyal are butchers, and the most ungrateful are scholars.
"You open the books and teach those children to read.
"The child's father and mother are grateful to you because they are illiterate, ignorant, and do not have many distracting thoughts in their hearts. They can only express their gratitude from the bottom of their hearts for giving their children the opportunity to become nobles.
"You may be able to command these people, but if my army were to invade, guess how many people would be willing to die for you? It took the Shang Dynasty 600 years to produce two people, Boyi and Shuqi, who refused to eat Zhou grain.
"When these children grow up, as long as I am dissatisfied with you, they will criticize you verbally and pensively in order to gain my favor and gain benefits, and even put a butcher knife on your neck.
"These are not just empty words from me. History also proves that Guo Kai, to whom Zhao had done great favors, sold out the State of Zhao for his own personal gain.
"I have seen your method of controlling people in Xianyang. Those carefree old soldiers did shock me a little at the time, but that was all.
"You can control a few thousand people, but you can't control tens of millions of people."
[Why do you have to think about controlling people? If I tell my brother now that I never did this for the purpose of controlling people, he will definitely say that I am crazy.]
Ying Chengjiao sighed in his heart and chuckled.
"The Legalists are not the only ones in the royal court, and the Han territory is not just Yangcheng County."
The First Emperor's eyes sparkled.
Although he was not 100% sure about Yang Cheng, it was an indisputable fact that Taoism was not inferior to Legalism in the early days of governing the country, and even far surpassed Legalism in controlling people's emotions.
What the First Emperor was best at was drawing inferences from one instance to another and making use of them for his own benefit.
The First Emperor was generally satisfied with the trip to Yangcheng.
"I'm looking forward to it."
The convoy set off and left Yangcheng.
