If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1138 Giving Profits to the World
“I am young and have just ascended the throne. The people have not yet gathered and submitted to me. The late emperor toured the prefectures and counties to demonstrate his strength and subdue the whole country. Now, if I do not tour the prefectures and counties, I will be weak. I will not be able to govern the world as a subject.”

These are the words and actions Hu Hai spoke and did after ascending the throne, without Xiao Yu's interference.

The implication is that even a great emperor like the Human Emperor needed to tour the various counties and prefectures of the nine provinces to demonstrate his authority and ensure the people's obedience. I, a young man newly enthroned, lack authority; shouldn't I follow my father's example and establish my prestige by touring China?

The imperial edict that Xiaoyu wrote for him now reads: "I am young and have just ascended the throne. The people have not yet gathered and submitted to me. The late emperor toured the prefectures and counties to demonstrate his strength and subdue the people. However, the country is exhausted today, and it is not appropriate to burden the people and waste resources."

I hereby designate Xingyang as the Eastern Capital and Xianyang as the Western Capital, and personally lead my officials to guard the Eastern Capital to ensure the peace of the realm.

Xiaoyu's sudden creation of the East and West Capitals may seem abrupt, but it's actually quite logical.

When a new emperor ascends the throne, he is supposed to take measures to establish his authority and reform corrupt practices.

Especially since the Qin Dynasty was the first unified dynasty under the prefecture-county system, everything was new.

Innovation is the norm, while clinging to the old ways is not. There are no old ways to follow and no precedents to refer to. In fact, later dynasties in China all referred to the prefecture-county system of the Qin Dynasty.

Previously, Qin Shi Huang's decision to tour the counties was effective, but also extremely costly and had significant side effects. Now, Qin Er Shi has chosen to establish the eastern capital in Xingyang, and personally lead his civil and military officials to guard Xingyang, in order to intimidate the Central Plains.

The methods are different, but the overt objectives are really no different.

The people and officials of the land could accept that Ying Zheng would ride in a royal carriage, accompanied by a group of courtiers, leaving Xianyang to tour the whole country in a grand procession.

Now, the emperor and his officials leave Xianyang in the same way, without having to travel so far, which saves even more money and manpower.

If we don't consider the fact that they oppose Grand Tutor Yu for the sake of opposing him, why would they oppose him?
Now that Grand Tutor Yu is so powerful and influential, even Marquis Lieyang, the former Regent General, has fallen silent. How could they dare to oppose him?
Everything went very smoothly, and Grand Tutor Yu's first decree was passed.

After the first imperial edict, Grand Tutor Yu did not intend to end the court session immediately.

"As the saying goes, one must combine both power and kindness. Guarding Xingyang to deter the Central Plains is the power aspect."

The second emperor also wanted to bestow favors upon the world, mainly upon the common people.

What troubles the people is nothing more than taxes and corvée labor.

We no longer need to reduce taxes and corvée labor.

For a serious illness, strong medicine is needed. Let's just exempt it completely. For the next ten years, our Great Qin will exempt you from taxes and corvée labor.

Let all the people of China have a good rest and recuperation.

As soon as Grand Tutor Yu finished speaking, everyone from Hu Hai on the dragon throne to the assembled officials below the steps stared at her in shock.

"Father, how will the court function after ten years of tax and labor service exemption?" Hu Hai asked.

He had traveled through time countless times in his dreams. Although he could never defeat the first boss, he had ruled the country for many years and understood how terrifying the labor and money required for the Qin Dynasty to function properly each year.

Xiao Yu said, "Just because ordinary people don't have to pay taxes doesn't mean they don't farm."

In fact, without forced labor and taxation, people would only be more motivated to produce.

The grain produced cannot be consumed by oneself, so it must be sold at the market.

The imperial court used its own money to buy them in large quantities from the market.

The purchased grain was still stored in Ao Cang for the daily use of the Qin army and officials.

Officials' salaries were also distributed uniformly by the Xianyang court, and as in the past, they were mainly in the form of grain and cloth, supplemented by silver.

Throughout the entire process, the amount of food and wealth produced in China actually increased. What was lost was simply the wealth that the imperial court had plundered from the world over the past few centuries, accumulating into mountains that had nowhere to be used.

At this moment, wealth is the least valuable thing.

Feng Quji looked thoughtful and said, "I understand what Grand Tutor Yu is thinking."

Rather than leaving the gold and silver mountains in Xianyang, only to have them seized by rebels who invade Guanzhong in the future, it would be better to use them now to win the hearts and minds of the people for the Qin Dynasty and the Ying imperial family, in order to salvage the destiny of Heaven.

However, Grand Tutor Yu underestimated the late emperor and also underestimated us.

We are not mediocre people who are only greedy for wealth and do not understand economics.

We have read Guanzi and Fan Li's book.

There are also records about commerce and economy in the "Lüshi Chunqiu" written by the former Prime Minister Lü.

The large outflow of silver from Xianyang into the whole country will inevitably lead to a surge in the prices of daily necessities, a situation where goods are expensive and silver is cheap, and commerce will be in chaos.

That's fine.

The key issue is that most ordinary people are ignorant and lack understanding. They cannot comprehend or adapt to overly complicated and volatile business planning, and will inevitably be exploited by unscrupulous merchants who take advantage of information and price differences to drain their family's savings.

Ultimately, Grand Tutor Yu's benevolent policies only harmed the people and plunged the land into chaos.

Xiao Yu surveyed the assembled officials.

Some people, like Feng Quji, had a worried look on their faces.

Other ministers, like Li Si, wore a mocking expression on their faces.

Many more people were confused and bewildered, neither understanding why Grand Tutor Yu had a stroke nor what Prime Minister Feng was worried about.

Most of the princes were bewildered, as they knew nothing about economics.

Xiao Yu nodded slightly and said, "The Prime Minister's words are indeed wise advice from an old minister on how to govern the country."

However, I did not underestimate you, but the Prime Minister underestimated me.

I could have waited until the end of this court assembly, then secretly gathered all the major merchants in Xianyang and signed a ten-year agreement with them to purchase grain and elixirs.

With the unparalleled wealth of the Qin Dynasty, grain from the Central Plains was transported to Ao Cang, and grain from all the human kingdoms within 100,000 li of the Central Plains was purchased and refined into "Immortal's Abundance Pills" that were easy to store and transport. All of these were then transported to Xianyang for storage.

In this way, with all the food in the world at my disposal, I can calmly and unhurriedly promote the new policy of a ten-year tax exemption.

As Prime Minister Feng predicted, the market would inevitably experience a major earthquake and chaos, with a large amount of money flowing into the private sector and prices skyrocketing.

If the common people are affected even slightly, the rebels will suffer a tsunami-like impact.

With its unparalleled wealth within Xianyang, the Qin Dynasty used sheer force to crush its opponents in a series of commercial battles.

When Li Si and other ministers who were knowledgeable in economics heard this, they were shocked and looked at Grand Tutor Yu with the eyes of ordinary people seeing a ghost.

Feng Quji was both surprised and delighted, and exclaimed, "Oh dear, we shouldn't be discussing this matter at the court meeting."

Grand Tutor Yu's economic strategy is brilliant, truly brilliant, reminiscent of Guan Zhong of the State of Qi in his time!

Xiaoyu shook her head and said, "This move is too contrary to the natural order and is not a good strategy."

If we use this method to deal with rebels, they will at most suffer temporary setbacks, but we will suffer a terrible fate.

The ministers, including Li Si, looked puzzled.

"Grand Tutor, I don't understand. We clearly have the most grain in the world and are not short of silver, so why are we the most miserable?" Ziying asked.

Xiaoyu said in a deep voice, "Because from now on, no matter what policies are issued, our original intention must not be wrong."

The original intention of the ten-year exemption from taxes and corvée labor was to bestow favors upon the world, to harm the Qin dynasty, and to benefit the people, thereby winning their hearts and minds.

this is correct.

Launching a commercial war at the expense of disrupting the world's economy to satisfy the private interests of the Ying clan is a case of harming the world for the benefit of one family.

If we lose our conscience, we will lose our destiny!

But what we absolutely cannot lose now is our destiny.

All policies of the court should be fundamentally aimed at restoring the Mandate of Heaven. Even the most intelligent among the ministers only vaguely understood at this moment.

I have a vague understanding, as if I have touched the truth, but it is separated by a layer of fog.

"Haven't we already lost our destiny?" Ziying asked blankly.

"Therefore, we must not do anything that goes against the will of Heaven. We must ensure that from our original intentions to the final results of implementing our strategies, we will always be benevolent to all people and love all under Heaven."

Seeing that he and the ministers were still confused, Xiaoyu sighed and said, "If you don't understand, just remember one simple thing to understand - the Great Qin has lost its Mandate of Heaven, and a true Son of Heaven will emerge in the southeast to replace the Great Qin and rule the world. The true Son of Heaven will make the world better than it was during the Great Qin period."

The world belongs to all people.

To make the world a better place, or more directly, to make all people live well.

Alas, the Qin Dynasty has always followed Shang Yang's policies, keeping the people on the brink of life and death.

The bottom line is too low.

So much so that if the true emperor showed even a little benevolence, the demand that 'the new dynasty must be better than the Qin' would be satisfied.'

Li Si couldn't hold back any longer.

He admitted that he was deeply shocked by Grand Tutor Yu's words and that his own beliefs began to waver.

He couldn't tolerate Grand Tutor Ke Yu's denial of the Legalist patriarch.

"Without Shang Yang, there would be no Qin Dynasty as we know it today!"

Xiaoyu glanced at him and asked, "Prime Minister Li, you have a mother, and you must have drunk your mother's milk when you were a child."

Your mother raised you with love and nurtured you with her breast milk. Without her, you wouldn't be who you are today. That's a fact.

You should always remember this nurturing grace, and others will also respect your mother's loving heart.

But when you grow up, do you still take it for granted that your mother will breastfeed you?

This is a moment.

At different stages of life, our needs and ideals are different.

A dynasty is like a person; the biggest problems it faces are different in different periods.

I cannot deny that Shang Yang's methods have their merits.

Its brilliance lies in its extreme exploitation of the people, squeezing out the full strength of a nation.

When conquering the world, one can give the people hope—'If everyone grits their teeth and perseveres for a few years, once the world is unified, there will be peace and happiness.'

The people gritted their teeth and endured the exploitation.

"But now that the country is unified, if you still exploit people, they've lost all hope. Won't they rebel?"

"A perfect law applicable to all national conditions simply does not exist. Legalism won't work, nor will Confucianism or any other school of thought."

All laws serve the dynasty, and as dynasties rise and fall, laws should be adjusted accordingly.

When it doesn't work well, we improve it to adapt it to the new era and the new situation.

As the master of Legalism, you should innovate and bring forth new ideas, ensuring that Legalism remains vibrant and capable of resolving current predicaments, rather than clinging to outdated practices and believing that one method is sufficient and can be passed down for eternity.

At this point, Xiaoyu couldn't help but feel confused.

She gave Li Si a disdainful yet puzzled look. "Even the celestial arts are changing. You are not an ignorant mortal. You know that celestial arts are divided into ancient and modern."

Why should I, a junior, need to teach you such basic common sense?

Li Si was both ashamed and angry, his old face turning red and then pale. He said, "How could the laws that the late emperor used to unify the world be outdated in just one or two hundred years?"
"You've now abandoned the laws of Qin; let's see how you deal with it when the traitors of the six states east of the mountains learn them."

“If someone were to emulate the Great Qin, I would be delighted to see it! The Great Qin has things worth learning, but if it were to become another Great Qin, it would be a different story. The Great Qin lost its Mandate of Heaven, so what makes a ‘second Great Qin’ so favored by Heaven?”
Xiao Yu looked down at the assembled officials and said, "I can give you the answer to who will ultimately rule the world—he will be the one among all the potential emperors who is most popular and can make China the best it can be."

The world is developing, humanity is progressing, and the world should only become better and better. Anyone who fails to do so will be abandoned by the times and by fate.

The correct path for the Great Qin is to learn from the true Son of Heaven, and even surpass him, surpass itself, surpass all potential dragons, and strive to be the most benevolent and righteous.

I am not a pedantic Confucian scholar, and of course I understand that benevolence and righteousness alone cannot win the world.

But the Qin Dynasty is not conquering the world now; we are defending our land.

For the Qin Dynasty at this critical juncture, implementing benevolent policies and winning the hearts of the people was the only way to survive.

If the Qin Dynasty still exists after the ten-year period ends, it will certainly continue to collect taxes and impose labor service.

The Qin dynasty's prefecture-county system and its Legalist principles must continue to be implemented, with gradual improvements along the way.

Li Si said, "What if you are wrong? Even if you understand the will of Heaven and see a part of its destiny, can you see through the entire great calamity of heaven and earth? Being 'correct' in the middle does not mean that the ending will definitely be correct."

Xiaoyu said calmly, "Even if I'm wrong, I'm still more right than all of you."

Without me, all the officials and princes would have died without a burial place.

At least I saw this destiny clearly, because the fall of Qin and the burning of Xianyang were only the beginning of a true catastrophe.

That is, the destiny of the 'first part' that you mentioned.

You should not worry about the real catastrophe that will follow; you should all hope that I am right now.

Otherwise, you wouldn't have lived to see that time.

Especially you, Prime Minister Li.

Others can lower their status or retire into seclusion, but you can't, you don't have the face to lower your status, and you certainly can't retire into seclusion.

Your son marries a princess, your daughter marries a prince, and you have the most magnificent mansion and the most luxurious life in the world.

The fate of your entire Li family rests on the shoulders of one man.”

“That person is me!” she pointed to herself. “It’s definitely not nice to say this.”

But recognizing this reality can help you adjust your mindset.

Li Si was both grief-stricken and helpless.

Yu Fengxian's words in public were incredibly disrespectful to him, yet they also sent chills down his spine.

She's absolutely right!
Feng Quji gave Guowei Liao a wink: I'm afraid Grand Tutor Yu will say the same thing about me, so you should step in and smooth things over!
Guowei Liao looked at Grand Tutor Yu with complicated eyes and said, "Grand Tutor Yu, you understand the will of Heaven, and we all understand that."

They all believe that you have guided the Qin Dynasty onto the right path.

"The two capitals you've formulated, the East and West, and the ten-year new policies, have only raised some doubts among the people; they're not opposed."

Feng Quji immediately followed up, saying, "Yes, I have already understood the necessity of benevolent governance."

One question remains: how to resolve the potential chaos caused by the massive flow of silver from Xianyang to the rest of the country?

Xiao Yu said, "Only by creating pretexts to plunder the people's wealth can real chaos be caused."

Now is the time to share the benefits with the people.

With well-established regulations, ensuring fairness and impartiality, and with dual oversight from both deities and imperial censors, how could there truly be chaos?

(End of this chapter)