Honghuang: Eat a Hunyuan Daluo

A look of despair flashed in Zhang Liang's eyes as he prepared to commit suicide. However, Zhang Han reacted swiftly and stopped him immediately, ordering his men to tie Zhang Liang up tightly to prevent him from taking his own life.

Beside the chariot, Ying Zheng stood on it, looking down at Zhang Liang and carefully examining him.

"I don't know you. Who are you? Why do you want to assassinate me?" Ying Zheng asked expressionlessly.

He spat out a "Pah!" and his eyes revealed a deep-seated hatred: "I am one of the millions of people from the six kingdoms whose homes you destroyed. Tyrant, although I failed to assassinate you today, many more patriots from the six kingdoms will come to take your life in the future!"

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's face turned cold. He stretched out his hand, pointed to the vast land, and said expressionlessly, "When the Nine Provinces were not unified, the various states stood in a tripartite balance of power, and there was constant warfare and turmoil. The number of dead and injured people was more than hundreds of millions."

After I unified the six kingdoms, there was no more war in the land, the people were free from the suffering of war, the granaries were full, and the world was at peace. You keep talking about restoring your kingdoms, but you only want to return to the time when the six kingdoms preyed on the people.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liang's eyes remained filled with undiminished hatred. He stared coldly at Ying Zheng and gritted his teeth as he said, "Conquer the wicked, punish the tyrannical Qin, kill Ying Zheng, and seize the Nine Provinces!"

These twelve words, brimming with hatred, vividly express Zhang Liang's resentment towards Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng suddenly felt bored. He had no point in arguing with this kind of person. Ying Zheng glanced at Zhang Liang indifferently and asked, "Where did you and these 3000 elite soldiers purchase the weapons and armor you are using?"

Zhang Liang turned his head away and remained silent.

Enraged, Zhang Han kicked Zhang Liang three meters away, grabbed him by the collar, and shouted, "His Majesty the Emperor is asking you a question!"

Zhang Liang spat out the blood and foam from his mouth and said coldly, "Although the six states have been destroyed, they still have hidden resources. Isn't it abnormal for them to acquire some weapons?"

Ying Zheng shook his head decisively: "I have already ordered people to collect all the gold and iron in the world. Where are you going to get weapons? Besides, the armor and weapons you use are engraved with the inscriptions of my Great Qin, not from the other six states."

When Zhang Liang realized that his words had been seen through, he simply closed his eyes and remained silent.

Seeing this, Zhang Han clenched his fists, preparing to step forward and teach Zhang Liang a lesson, but Ying Zheng shook his head and said, "Enough! Don't fight here. Take him back and keep an eye on him. Don't let him die."

Zhang Han bowed and agreed, then ordered his men to take Zhang Liang away.

The assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang at Bolangsha shook the entire country, ultimately ending with Zhang Liang's capture and the failure of the remnants of the six states.

In the dark underground palace, the people of the six kingdoms gathered together, their eyes wide as they looked at the news coming from Bolangsha.

"The assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang at Bolangsha failed just like that, and that was three thousand elite troops!"

"Zhang Liang has also been captured. Will he reveal our hiding place?"

"Probably not. When it comes to willpower, I think Zhang Liang is far superior to all of you here."

"Then we should think of a way to rescue him."

"What can we do? Let's try contacting the Confucian and Buddhist schools!"

After receiving the plea for help from the remnants of the six former states, the Confucian and Buddhist schools took different approaches. The Confucian school dispatched elite assassins to Xianyang, intending to coordinate with Confucian officials in the court to rescue Zhang Liang.

The Buddhists, however, believed that only the dead could keep secrets, and that Zhang Liang's death would prevent them from being implicated. Therefore, the Buddhists sent a group of assassins to infiltrate Xianyang.

On the other side, Ying Zheng continued his inspection tour of the Nine Provinces in his chariot.

In the spring of the fourteenth year of Qin Shi Huang's reign, Ying Zheng led a large army back to Xianyang.

The eldest son, Fusu, personally came out to greet him. Fusu was fourteen years old this year. He was gentle and refined, and had the demeanor of a benevolent ruler. During the days when Ying Zheng was not in Xianyang, he served as regent, governed the country, and won the praise of the ministers.

In the Xianyang Palace, Fusu reported to Ying Zheng. Ying Zheng listened with narrowed eyes, his face expressionless, but he was quite satisfied.

Although Fusu, this son, lacked decisiveness and was even somewhat pedantic, he was quite capable in his methods, able to combine firmness and gentleness, kindness and severity. If he were a little more resolute and decisive, he would be qualified to be a competent ruler who could maintain the status quo.

After Fusu finished his report, he withdrew. Ying Zheng narrowed his eyes and began to examine the information from the various schools of thought.

With the unification of the Nine Provinces and the end of war, the Hundred Schools of Thought had fertile ground for development. Now, they had become a behemoth, constantly draining the lifeblood of the Qin Dynasty. It was time for a change, and this assassination attempt was a perfect opportunity to make a difference.

As Ying Zheng was pondering, Zhang Han came to his side and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, the owner behind the armor and weapons has been found."

Which ministers in the court were they?

"The main ministers were those under the tutelage of Buddhism and Confucianism."

"I understand Buddhism, and I have indeed suppressed Buddhism quite a bit. But why Confucianism? I have not mistreated Confucianism."

"This...this subject does not know either."

"If you don't know, then forget it, Zhang Han."

"The minister is here."

"Do not act rashly. Remember this: if the name is not correct, the words will not be proper."

"Does His Majesty mean to let them expose themselves?"

Ying Zheng nodded, and Zhang Han bowed in agreement before withdrawing.

Having been in charge of the Black Ice Guard for many years, Zhang Han naturally understood the principle that only the dead can keep secrets. Therefore, after leaving Ying Zheng, Zhang Han immediately sent more people to protect Zhang Liang.

Just as Zhang Han had predicted, assassins secretly infiltrated the Qin prison, intending to kill Zhang Liang.

Fortunately, Zhang Han had already ordered his men to protect Zhang Liang. The assassins were all captured by Zhang Han.

"Zhang Liang, these people want you dead. Are you still going to keep their secret?" Zhang Han asked expressionlessly.

Zhang Liang turned his head away and remained silent.

"Stubborn to the end." After saying this, Zhang Han turned and left.

That night, another group of men in black arrived. This group was clearly much more skilled than the group from the daytime, and they easily rescued Zhang Liang.

Zhang Liang stared coldly at the men in black who had rescued him; he had a feeling that there was something wrong with them.

The group fled Xianyang, but before Zhang Liang could even ask any questions, the pursuers arrived.

The men in black risked their lives to escort Zhang Liang away, and in the end, only Zhang Liang and one seriously injured man in black remained of the group of more than twenty people.

"Sir, please leave quickly and do not linger here. I will draw away the pursuers for you." After saying this, the man in black ran off in the opposite direction without looking back.

Non-vegetation, ruthless Practice makes perfect?
The men in black risked their lives to save him, so Zhang Liang naturally had no more doubts about them.

He grabbed the man in black's arm and asked, "You're not the same kind of people as those guys who came this morning, are you?" The man in black nodded and said, "We are Confucian scholars."

"So those who arrived this morning were from the Buddhist family?"

"I don't know, sir. Please leave now and stop wasting time."

"Do you think we can still escape? You were able to rescue me from prison and take me out of Xianyang, which must have been done through connections with Confucian officials in the court. But even if we can get out of Xianyang, there is no place for me to stay in this world. All the land under heaven belongs to the king, and now this world belongs to the Qin Dynasty."

The man in black stood there, stunned, unsure of what to say.

Zhang Liang sighed and said, "General Zhang, please come out! Let's talk."

Zhang Han's figure then appeared.

"I knew it, you let them in on purpose, didn't you?"

"Good, are you willing to talk now?"

"Let him go!"

“Okay.” Zhang Han readily agreed.

The man in black grew anxious: "Sir, our mission is..."

"Don't say any more, go quickly!" After saying that, Zhang Liang pushed the man in black, and the man in black flew away a hundred meters away in a flash.

"Is this a Confucian method? Are you a Confucian?" Zhang Han asked with great interest.

Zhang Liang shook his head and said, "I have only studied some Confucian classics and cannot be considered a Confucian."

Zhang Liang was brought back to meet Ying Zheng by Zhang Han. Ying Zheng only asked one question: "Why did the Confucianists betray me?"

Zhang Liang's answer was also very simple: "Because Confucianism advocates benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, with benevolence being the most important."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng burst into laughter, his eyes now filled with uncontrollable killing intent.

The following day, Zhang Liang, in front of all the civil and military officials, publicly announced that the mastermind behind it all was a Confucian and a Buddhist.

Ying Zheng was furious: "Since the unification of Qin, we have made great use of Confucian scholars. One of the Nine Ministers is a Confucian scholar. Although Buddhist officials in the court have never held high positions, they have never stopped Buddhists from building temples and spreading the Dharma in the countryside. But the Confucian scholars and Buddhists are completely ungrateful. Since that is the case, then take back what I have bestowed upon them!"

When an emperor is enraged, millions die and rivers of blood flow! The entire Qin Dynasty began to function like an incredibly sophisticated machine.

One hundred thousand Qin cavalrymen suddenly moved, storming into the temple, looting all the scriptures, and burning them in public! Countless temples were forcibly closed, and monks and Buddhas were imprisoned. Buddhism suffered an unprecedented and devastating blow!

The Confucian school suffered even worse; countless Confucian classics were burned to ashes, and countless Confucian disciples were buried alive. After this burning of books and burying of scholars, Confucianism declined to its lowest point.

Confucianism and Buddhism were both schools of thought that gathered great energy among the Hundred Schools of Thought. Now, with this upheaval, the energy of Confucianism and Buddhism is in turmoil, their share is rapidly decreasing, and even the fortunes of the Hundred Schools of Thought are beginning to decline.

But this was just the beginning. In the main hall of Xianyang Palace, Ying Zheng once again summoned his civil and military officials to prepare for reforms.

The Qin Dynasty has been unified for nearly fifteen years, and the pure Legalist ideology is no longer suitable for the current national conditions of the Qin Dynasty.

For example, the twenty-level military merit system played a huge role in encouraging the morale of the Qin army and improving its combat effectiveness. However, now that the Nine Provinces have been settled and the Qin Dynasty has unified the world, the twenty-level military merit system has completed its historical mission and should be phased out.

In addition, Legalist thought was too harsh in its criminal law. When Qin unified the world, it should have governed the world with benevolence, not with severe punishments.

In the Xianyang Palace, Ying Zheng's desire for reform was made no attempt to conceal it. Li Si was the first to step forward and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, your subject Li Si is willing to do everything in his power to support Your Majesty's reforms."

As Li Si walked out of the Xianyang Palace where Ying Zheng was supported, the civil and military officials all showed shock on their faces. Li Si was a representative figure of the Legalist school in the court!

Your Majesty's reforms will inevitably break down the old laws and replace them with new ones. This will certainly affect the prestige of those who represent the old laws, yet Li Si still did it! He is truly loyal to Your Majesty!

Wei Liaozi also stepped forward and said earnestly, "Your subject Wei Liaozi also supports the reform! The Legalists made great contributions to the unification of Qin, but times have changed, and the national conditions of Qin have also changed. If we continue to govern the new country with the old laws, all sorts of problems will inevitably arise. Your subject suggests establishing new laws to govern the nine provinces!"

Ying Zheng conquered the six kingdoms and swept across the land, becoming the First Emperor. In the court, no one dared to contradict him. Moreover, even the Legalist representative, Prime Minister Li Si, had no objections. What objections could they possibly have?

Soon, the imperial court unanimously approved the reforms of the Qin Dynasty.

This news quickly reached the ears of countless Legalist officials and disciples in the Qin Dynasty, and they were immediately excited.

Countless Legalist officials and disciples advised Ying Zheng, stating that the heavy reliance on Legalists was a decision made by the ancestors of the Qin Dynasty, and that the law should not be changed; they urged Ying Zheng to rescind his order.

Ying Zheng ignored the Legalists' first petition; he still ignored the second petition; in the third wave, countless Legalist disciples continued to submit petitions, thoroughly enraging Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng immediately ordered the Black Ice Guard to be deployed, and overnight, hundreds or even thousands of the most zealous Legalist disciples were arrested and imprisoned.

After arresting a large number of Legalist followers, Ying Zheng finally had some peace and quiet, and the reforms officially began.

For this reform, Ying Zheng was unconventional in his selection of personnel, choosing from the entire Qin court regardless of rank. He selected three hundred people in total, half of whom were members of the Hundred Schools of Thought, while the rest were ordinary people who had no connection with the Hundred Schools of Thought. They were led by Prime Minister Li Si to discuss the new laws.

After six months of preparation, the new law has finally been released.

The new law abolished some of the more cruel criminal laws, as well as some old laws from Shang Yang's reforms that were no longer suitable for the Qin state.

If the old law governed the world with strict rules, then the new law incorporates people, governing the world by people, thus breaking free from the ideological constraints of the various schools of thought.

Legalism places the utmost importance on rules and regulations. A new law that does not value rules and regulations would undoubtedly abandon the core tradition of Legalism!
The Legalist school's fortunes suffered a severe blow as a result, plummeting from its former prominence among the Hundred Schools of Thought to several dozen places below it.

Following this, Ying Zheng issued a series of policies to continuously reduce the environment in which the various schools of thought could survive.

Soon after, the Taoists took the lead in announcing that they would no longer participate in the affairs of the imperial court, and their disciples went into seclusion in the mountains.

With Taoism taking the lead, other schools of thought followed suit, and within just a few years, all of them had withered away.

Today, the only schools still active in the eyes of the world are Confucianism, Legalism, Mohism, Medicine, Agriculture, and Yin-Yang.

These six families all operated within the framework set by the First Emperor and dared not overstep it in the slightest.

Under the suppression of Qin Shi Huang's imperial power, the fortunes of the various schools of thought declined, and they lost their former prosperity.

Thus, the struggle for Qi among the powerful beings of the primordial era came to an end, and the era of the Hundred Schools of Thought also came to a close.

(End of this chapter)