The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 272: Qin is not the Qin of the King of Qin, but the Qin of the nobles, the emperor's disciples

Ji Yaoyao finished speaking.

Ying Chengjiao cracked the melon seed shell, but was reluctant to eat the kernel. He just stood there frozen in the motion of putting the seed into his mouth.

He has always been conflicted and twisted.

If Afang's death had not inspired him, the young man would still be wavering between being a king or a prime minister.

And in a rage he went to Yong and broke into the prime minister's house, confirming his entry.

Later he found out that Afang was killed by his brother, not by his teacher.

Although the young man was determined to travel around for his brother, he never did his best.

The generals that the young man visited could not determine the direction of the court, unless the prime minister and the king went to war. Rather than saying that the young man was helping his brother fight for power, it would be better to say that the young man was providing his brother with the last insurance - to prevent a mutiny.

As for the recent approach to Zhao Dashu for investment, the young man just didn't want his brother to be too suppressed by his teacher - deep down, he didn't want his brother to become more powerful.

Lu Buwei's political propositions were highly consistent with Ying Chengjiao's - to follow the will of the people and create a new era for the Qin State.

The political proposition of King Zheng of Qin was the Five Techniques of Controlling the People as mentioned in the Book of Lord Shang - the Technique of Unifying the People, the Technique of Weakening the People, the Technique of Humiliating the People, and the Technique of Impoverishing the People.

This is an irreconcilable contradiction between the common people and the aristocracy.

If his brother was not Qin Shi Huang, Ying Chengjiao would have already...supported his master to take the throne.

My family knows their own affairs.

What makes Ying Chengjiao superior to others is that he stands on the shoulders of giants and has a vision that is two thousand years ahead of others.

This allows him to accurately choose the most correct one from the thousands of future paths.

But he can point the way but he cannot cut through all obstacles. I can be the emperor of all ages even if I am not one of them.

In order to make the plots more exciting, historical novels such as "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" focus on the strategies of counselors and the battles of generals, which makes most people look down on leaders such as lords and believe that leaders are useless.

For example, Liu Bei did nothing but cry and always asked Zhuge Liang for advice on everything.

This is a great misunderstanding.

A leader's responsibilities are to employ people, make decisions and execute.

Liu Bei appointed Zhuge Liang as prime minister and used Zhuge Liang's plan to divide the world into three parts. This is Liu Bei's achievement.

There are many good horses, but there are few good horse trainers. This is the truth.

Ying Chengjiao believed that in terms of decision-making and execution, there was no one more powerful than Qin Shihuang in the feudal imperial era.

His great talent and far-sightedness were unmatched by Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Taizu of Song and Emperor Taizu of Ming.

The county system was not invented by Qin Shihuang, but he was the only one who had the courage to implement it throughout the country, replacing the feudal system that had lasted for 800 years.

It is said that the Han Dynasty inherited the Qin system, but in fact the system of prefectures and counties continued from the imperial system to the Republic. Provinces, prefectures, provinces and counties... all are just a change of name but not the same.

Qin pioneered a unified dynasty, which made all the separatist rulers in later generations seek unification.

Qin Shihuang crossed this river without even feeling a single stone, and he did so despite risking the whole world's disapproval.

The world was peaceful when he was alive, but after his death, there was rebellion.

One man rules the world; this is the impression that Ying Chengjiao, a history student, has of Qin Shi Huang.

Ying Chengjiao admitted that he did not possess this skill, and there were few people in ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad, who possessed it.

Governing a country is not like playing a game where you can just type on the keyboard.

Ying Chengjiao's goal has always been to carry out great plans under the leadership of his brother, and he believes that this is the only way to success.

His original idea was to let his brother, who was suppressed by his teacher in the struggle between prime minister and king, feel like Qin Xiaogong and realize that the aristocracy was the biggest obstacle to the development of Qin.

The princes ruled the world with nobles.

If you want to eradicate the aristocracy, you must support a new group to govern the world.

The commander thought that it was impossible for King Zheng of Qin to stand with them.

Of course it won’t work to talk to your brother directly. You have to use the environment to force him to change.

If Duke Xiao of Qin could agree to Shang Yang's military merit and title, why couldn't his brother agree to Ying Chengjiao's enlightenment of the people?
Nv Shenbuhai told her son - just say it directly, it works.

"The collective power of the king." Ji Yaoyao nodded slightly, responding affirmatively, with confidence.

At this moment, Ying Chengjiao felt that his mother was so handsome.

In the Qin State Council Hall, Han Nu was at home today, and the only sound heard in the hall was the sound of Yao Yao:
“I will use the officials of the Prime Minister’s Office as an example.

"A memorial was sent to the Xiangbang Mansion, where a clerk took it and presented it to the Xiangbang Mansion's secretary.

"The chief clerk of the Xiangbang Mansion will first record it in the case file to prove that the memorial was indeed delivered to the Xiangbang Mansion, and then the Xiangbang Mansion Secretary will forward it to the Xiangbang's subordinates.

"The records of the prime minister's department prove that this memorial was indeed delivered to the prime minister's case and handed over to the prime minister's chief secretary.

"The Prime Minister's chief secretary sorted it out and sent it to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister only saw the memorial at this time and began to review it.

"After reviewing, I stamped it with my personal seal and had the chancellor record it, proving that the chancellor had approved the memorial.

"The approved memorial was forwarded to the prime minister's clerk, who rewrote it based on the prime minister's reply to the memorial, forming a formal reply, affixed with a private seal, and sent it to the prime minister's secretary.

"The Prime Minister's Office inspected the documents and made sure they were written in accordance with the Prime Minister's approval, without any personal ideas, and then stamped them with his private seal before sending them to the Prime Minister's Office.

"The Prime Minister's official inspected the seals - the Prime Minister's seal, the Prime Minister's clerk seal, and the Prime Minister's chief justice seal.

"When the three seals are complete, the Xiangbang official will assign specific tasks, stamp them with his private seal, and issue them.

"The chancellor's clerk received the order and asked the chancellor's clerk to deliver it to the designated government office, and the memorial will be considered processed.

"What I'm talking about is the simplest route a memorial sent to the Prime Minister's Office takes.

"May I ask Prime Minister Lu, is it true or not?"

"Every word that madam said is true." Lu Buwei nodded slightly.

Just the task of reviewing all the memorials from the Qin State was enough to exhaust him.

If he was really responsible for all the specific matters and had to take on everything, he would have been exhausted to death from paperwork long ago.

King Zheng of Qin, who did not rule the country himself, heard for the first time the entire process of the Prime Minister's Office.

His eyes moved around but he said nothing. No one knew what he was thinking.

He just nodded slightly to his stepmother, indicating that he understood and went on.

The king and the prime minister both responded.

Ji Yaoyao swallowed the sweet peach juice, returned the copper cup to her son who raised his hand to offer it, and spoke again:

"This memorial has been passed around in circles and through the hands of many people. It seems to be foolproof and cannot be tampered with.

"But how many of these people are not old Qin nobles like Meng Xibai? Half of them?"

When King Zheng of Qin saw Lu Buwei shaking his head to indicate no, the color change in his eyes became more obvious.

The Xiangbang Mansion was Lu Buwei's base camp and the place where Lu Buwei's power was most concentrated.

If the old Qin nobles in the Xiangbang Mansion account for more than half, then the number of old Qin nobles in other government offices...

"Your Majesty." Ji Yaoyao called out to King Zheng of Qin.

She looked serious and said in a more serious tone:

“As I just said, except for the clerks in the Prime Minister’s Office, the rest are all high-ranking officials who make decisions in the Prime Minister’s Office.

"These people in the Prime Minister's Office are like court officials in the imperial court. The actual implementers of Qin's policies are not these people, but their subordinates, their subordinates, and their subordinates.

“From Xianyang to the local area.

“From the county seat to the villages.

“Before the county town, the lower you go, the higher the percentage of Qin nobles and officials becomes. At the county town level, it’s almost 10%.

"Below the county town are the local clans that are dependent on the old Qin nobles." The king would definitely look down upon these so-called local clans.

“But in the local area, the villagers don’t know the king, they only know these big clans, these gentry who really control their life and death.

“If the royal power does not extend to the countryside, the gentry will decide life and death.

"Your Majesty, it would be better to say that you are the king of Xianyang than to say that you are the king of Qin."

Ji Yaoyao glanced at Lu Buwei with an unknown smile on her face, which made King Zheng of Qin furious:
“It’s even hard to say whether he is the king of Xianyang.

"If the Qin nobles unite as one and collectively refuse to obey the king's orders, what can the king do?"

Lu Buwei just didn't obey the king's orders and undermined the king. What can the king do?

"Mother forgot." Qin Wang Zheng stroked the sword at his waist, his face was not good: "I have the Qin Wang Sword in my body."

If I wanted to, I could kill Lu Buwei right now, but I don’t want to do that.

"Yes, I forgot that the king has a sword." Ji Yaoyao's smile did not diminish: "Whoever dares not to listen will be killed with a sword. Then... what if they pretend to obey but actually disobey? What if the king gives an order and they obey on the surface but actually procrastinate? For example... what if the Shaofujian sends down account books instead of gods? A pile of account books that have used up all the money of the Shaofujian, and rolls of bamboo slips that are full of holes because of mosquitoes, rats and ants!"

King Zheng of Qin slowly loosened his grip on the Qin Sword.

Losing the grip that could resist gravity, the Qin King Sword fell freely, hitting the chair with a slight "clang" sound.

Sending the gods to Qin was the most obvious and powerful means chosen by Lu Buwei to demonstrate his power.

Lu Buwei wanted to tell the King of Qin and everyone in Qin clearly that I am forcing the King! Let me see the situation clearly!
Lu Buwei could be killed for directly invading the royal power without any disguise.

What about those who respect the royal power on the surface but do tricks behind the scenes?
He forged false accounts and appropriated the property of the Shaofu Supervisor.

The upper and lower parts are connected, and they are in harmony.

On the surface, everyone is a loyal minister, what should we do in this situation?
King Zheng of Qin could not think of any way to deal with the situation for a moment.

If the old Qin nobles work together, you protect me and I protect you, this matter cannot be resolved.

Given the proportion of old Qin nobles among Qin officials, even the officials sent by King Zheng of Qin to investigate were mostly old Qin nobles, and they could not find out anything.

If you don't have evidence, you can't kill people.

There is no reason to kill civilians, it's meaningless.

There is no reason to kill nobles, otherwise the country will perish.

"Your Majesty, have you ever thought about why this is happening?" Ji Yaoyao asked again.

This time, King Zheng of Qin answered:

"My stepmother is trying to say that the people are ignorant, right?
“Among the people of our country, only one out of a hundred can read.

“The common people are illiterate, and even if I want to promote them, they cannot do literary work.

“You can kill people without knowing how to read, but you must know how to govern.

“If you want to get rid of the shackles of the old Qin aristocracy, you must promote people from the common people.

“If you want to promote people from the grassroots, you must enlighten them.

"After all this twists and turns, the concubine mother wanted to say the three words 'enlighten the people' on behalf of Cheng Jiao, right?"

Qin Wangzheng narrowed his eyes slightly:
"Before his death, the late king told me to be cautious of Cheng Jiao's strange ideas, especially the people.

"It's more about Cheng Jiao than the kingship that my stepmother is after.

"What my stepmother said may sound reasonable at first, but it is actually alarmist."

Ying Chengjiao carefully peeled the kiwi fruit, sucked the juice and nodded:
“Ah, yes, yes.

"For me, for me, it has nothing to do with Ji Wangquan.

"Five hundred and seventeen thousand gold flowed out of the Shaofujian, first into the hands of the common people, and then into the pockets of the nobles.

"No one violated our country's laws during this process.

"Brother Wang."

Ying Chengjiao ate a kiwi fruit in one bite, until his mouth was full, and muttered:

"Why would you bother taking off your pants to fart?
"Wouldn't it be better for them to just take the money from the Ministry of Finance? Why did they do that from the people? Are they trying to tell future generations that money laundering existed during the Qin Dynasty?

"Hiss...Brother Wang, do you think it is possible that the people really owe them 517,000 gold?"

[No way!] Qin Wangzheng was furious, veins on his forehead:
"Stop pretending to be stupid!"

"Then." Ying Chengjiao raised his two little hands stained with kiwi juice, asked the palace maid to wipe them clean with a wet brocade handkerchief, and said with big eyes: "That's all your money, brother? Please issue a royal decree and ask them to return it quickly."

Alarmist?

You try it.

Let’s see if your words as the King of Qin are effective.

See if these nobles will obey your orders and return the 517,000 gold in full!

King Zheng of Qin looked unhappy and said nothing.

He didn't need to try, he knew the result.

He won't come back.

Ji Yaoyao stood up:
"It is true that I avenge my son, and it is also true that I want to take over the royal power.

"Your Majesty wants to travel quickly to Qi, and the best charioteer in the palace is from Qi.

"Your Majesty knows that this Qi charioteer is homesick and has selfish motives in sending you to Qi.

"If the king cannot accept the selfish desires of the Qi driver and chooses other drivers, he can still reach Qi, but the time will inevitably be delayed.

"Besides... don't new drivers have selfish desires?

“Your Majesty, no matter what you do in the future, you cannot accept your subordinates having selfish desires?

"I think that the king should focus on personal ability to do things, rather than personal desires."

A bow:
"I have overstepped my authority."

[No wonder my father is so wary of my mother...] Ying Chengjiao looked at his mother's back and understood his father.

The same thing, just expressed differently, may lead to two different results.

If there is a car parked on the side of the road blocking the road, you call the owner and tell him the truth and ask him to move the car, but the owner is reluctant to do so.

But if you call and say that the car has been ticketed, the owner will come down in minutes.

Ying Chengjiao knew this truth.

Just knowing is one thing, applying what you have learned is another.

King Zheng of Qin let out a long sigh, leaned back in his chair and said nothing.

His eyes opened naturally and he began to daydream.

Ying Chengjiao winked at Lu Buwei - Go ahead, what are you waiting for! If not now, when will you go?
Lu Buwei avoided the young master's sight and coughed lightly:
“I wish to establish schools in various places in the name of the king.

“The academy can become a semi-government institution like the Jixia Academy in Qi.

“Before giving a lesson, you must first pay respect to the king and show respect to him as a teacher.

"What do you think, Your Majesty?"

King Qin Zheng's eyes moved, and a strong look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He stood up slowly, somewhat unbelievingly:

"What Zhongfu means is that all students in the academy are my disciples?"

"That's right." Lu Buwei affirmed, "The emperor's disciple!"

(End of this chapter)