Controlling mountains and rivers since the Warring States Period

Chapter 376 The System of Collective Deliberation
What's the situation outside the region?

In the Central Plains Ghost Kingdom,

The underworld chief physician, Ximen, inquired about the returning ghosts and spirits and expressed concern for the various geniuses who had previously appeared on the road.

He Bo pondered for a moment, then told him, "It is truly teeming with life, with all things flourishing!"

"It's truly a sight to behold!"

"How are the cultivation efforts of the various Xia peoples in the outer regions?"

He Bo said, "With increasing land reclamation and development, there have been many bumper harvests, and the granaries are full."

"Then how does the Xia state govern its territory outside its borders?"

"To educate the barbarians, to multiply their descendants, to gather the wisdom of the people, and to reform corrupt practices, the nation will be secure and stable."

The Qin state has been established outside its borders for a century, and it is now about to reach its zenith.

Although the Xia Kingdom was slow to develop, it had a deep foundation and a strategically important geographical location that served as a natural barrier. Therefore, the probability of chaos or turmoil occurring in the following decades was not high.

Not to mention in private,

There is also a group of dead ghosts protected by spirits, who can wander around day and night, observe the malpractices of the government, and, under the leniency and indulgence of the spirits, openly express various opinions and criticize all matters of the government and the people.

They are unregistered residents.

Even the cruel officials sent by the imperial court to control speech were unable to arrest them, so they could only endure and bear it, and then, under the pressure of public opinion, they had no choice but to make some improvements.

"So, would I be considered a foreign force?"

The "Way of Great Peace," meticulously crafted by Zou Yan and his associates, quickly took root in the Xia Kingdom.

The dead also expressed their dissatisfaction everywhere with the hidden dangers that had accumulated over the years of peace between the Qin and Xia states.
He Bo said this to his clone.

The giant turtle retorted confidently, "Is this the territory of the Chinese?"

"Yes."

"Isn't the purpose of exporting geniuses to help these branches, whose populations are not as prosperous as those in the Central Plains, whose cultural heritage is not as profound, and who also have to guard against the infiltration of barbarians from all sides, become better?"

"Is such that!"

"So far, have those dead ghosts said anything wrong? Is there anything wrong with the Taiping Dao's claim of 'bringing peace to the world'?"

He Bo waved his hand.

"Then what kind of foreign force do you consider yourself?" The giant turtle rolled its beady eyes at its true form. "Not to mention, this place is your territory to begin with!"

For He Bo,
The real foreign forces should be the seawater that flows into the land and occupies the river channels, right?

After all, this could really make He Bo stupid.

"That's right!" He Bo burst into laughter upon hearing this.

After learning that the situation in the foreign countries was stable, Doctor Simon smiled with relief.

all in all,
True goodness lies in the well-being of all Chinese people!

He doesn't care about those barbarians from beyond the borders!
"Could this approach also be implemented in the Central Plains?"

Subsequently, Dr. Ximen, who had always opposed excessive interference in worldly affairs, suddenly broke his principles and took the initiative to bring up this matter with the spirits.

Allow the dead to roam the mortal world, to criticize corrupt practices, to ridicule the government, and to have their voices heard by the emperor…

Why would you think that?

He Bo glanced at him and asked curiously.

The reason for this outside the region
This is because the branches of the Xia people still need to develop there.

Those barbarians roaming everywhere cannot be eradicated in a hundred years.

For a civilization to endure, a century is merely a time to solidify its foundation.

Moreover, after hundreds of years of cohabitation,
Barbarians can be educated, and the Chinese will inevitably be influenced by barbarian customs.

Therefore,
These export geniuses are allowed to use their status as the dead to do certain things.
It was to make up for the lack of foundation of the various Chinese states outside the borders, and to prevent them from accidentally going astray and losing their original intentions in the long years to come.

Our ancestors will show their descendants, who are still alive today, through their actions:
"You are not fighting alone!"

"Your ancestors are with you!"

If the descendants are unworthy

Then our ancestors will have to strike hard!

However, the Central Plains is the ancestral land of the Xia people, the place where gentlemen were born and raised, and there is no such problem at all.

Moreover, the Central Plains has a large population and a wealth of talent; there are always new people who surpass the old. Why would our ancestors need to rise from the dead and go through all that trouble?
Ximen Bao simply sighed and said, "Times have changed!"

The rules of the underworld
Over the centuries, human nature has undergone certain changes.
Moreover, counting from the Qin Dynasty, the human world has been unified for over a hundred years.

In previous years,
The Han court was embroiled in a fierce argument among its officials over the issue of the "salt and iron monopoly," with none of them able to convince the others.

Finally, following an ancient system, the Han court held a "National Assembly"—

The so-called Chinese people
During the pre-Qin period, this referred to the common people who lived in the city alongside the ruler and nobles.

They served their own lord in the city in the same way that the feudal lords served the Zhou emperor, as the "savages" outside the city did. As a result, they also had the power to participate in politics and even to depose and install monarchs.

The uprising triggered by King Li of Zhou's "official control of mountains and seas," which forced the Western Zhou emperor to flee to the mountains and forests and dare not enter the city, was instigated by the people of the state. As for the Qin and Han dynasties...

Despite the merging of the state and the countryside, this system was not abolished due to the centralization of monarchical power; it was simply simplified into the "Assembly of Doctors."

During the reign of the First Emperor,
He then summoned wise men from the seven kingdoms to Xianyang to serve as scholars, allowing them to discuss state affairs.

Although the First Emperor would not change his mind because of what others said,

But he did continue this ancient deliberative tradition, and when the doctors criticized him for being "ambitious" and "self-righteous," he did not interrupt or disband the meeting.

The Han dynasty inherited the Qin system.

The Liu family's ancestral tradition of heeding advice has been further developed into various forms of large-scale meetings, such as court discussions among officials, inner court discussions, and palace gate gatherings. Moreover, the participation of ordinary people is not prohibited, and a special official position called "Yilang" is established for local virtuous people.

Therefore,
When the matter of state monopoly on salt and iron failed to gain the approval of court officials and learned scholars for a long time,
The emperor then expanded the scope of the meeting, ordering the gathering of local people known for their virtue and morality to come to Chang'an.

Ximen Bao observed the meeting from the sidelines.

Although the "state monopoly on salt and iron" was adopted after the conference, demonstrating that the collective deliberation system was still effective, the problems exposed in the process still made him frown.

The territory of the Han Dynasty at that time was already very vast.

It was extremely difficult and time-consuming for people from all over the country to come to Chang'an to participate in important court affairs.

National affairs are of paramount importance and cannot be taken lightly. How can we postpone them just because the attendees are on their way?
After this incident, the Han court officials gained a concrete understanding of the vastness of the country under their rule; on the other hand, they also realized that the "National Assembly" was unlikely to continue.

The pre-Qin system of small states with few people
Ultimately, it will be left behind by the unified Han Empire.

Ximen Bao knew that this was an inevitable historical event.

However, he also knew that if the matter of "criticizing the government" was completely ignored, the probability of a despotic tyrant emerging in the future, and policies that did not conform to public sentiment, would also increase significantly.

Moreover, His Majesty Pig Treasure,

He was not a gentle and benevolent monarch.
His pride and confidence,
It allows him to view so many people and things in the world from a superior perspective.

His goal was so grand and lofty.

When you are young, you can still listen to advice and accept criticism.

Will he become stubborn and cruel when he gets old?
Time,
It always makes people become unlike themselves.

"Therefore, I think that ghosts can easily travel to many places thanks to the blessings of the gods and spirits."

"Although they cannot participate in many council meetings because they do not have a household registration in the mortal world, they can still use this convenience to bring matters from afar to places like Chang'an, so that the monarch can know the changes in the people's hearts there and thus formulate better policies."

Just right,

The "Miscellaneous Sayings" series, which is still being serialized, is a typical example!

"I understand!" He Bo suddenly realized. "You mean, you want to start something like a newspaper!"

Ximen Bao understood his meaning upon hearing the name, and nodded.

"Don't worry, I won't stop you from doing this!"

He Bo readily agreed.

……

after that,

He Bo asked Ximen Bao to handle the matter he was concerned about.

He himself, however, was extremely rare, personally handling all sorts of matters in the underworld.

Some of the younger ghost officials looked at the ruler of the underworld, who was no longer a precious ornament in the main hall, with a somewhat surprised expression.

After all, in the memories of these ghost officials,
Since his death, this superior has done nothing but eat and sleep, entrusting everything to old ministers like Ximen Dafu and Xi Xi, achieving the complete "sage emperor ruling by doing nothing," living a life more carefree than that of a pig in the mortal world.

For this,

The physician, a trusted confidant of ghosts and spirits and a lover of ghosts, solemnly declared:
"How dare you insult such adorable pigs!"

The old doctor, his mustache twitching with anger, rode his most beloved wild boar and said very seriously:
"The pigs will occasionally root around in the soil to forage for food and build their burrows!"

Would the ornaments in the main hall do something so clever and diligent?

He stood with his hands on his hips, fighting for his reputation as a passionate rider.

but,

His protest was ultimately interrupted by a bolt from the blue.

The lightning struck the old physician, leaving him charred and cracked.

"Humph!"

The ghost who happened to be passing by looked at the dark-skinned old doctor lying on the ground and snorted disdainfully.

He said:
Anyone who criticizes me to my face will have their entire family executed!
Anyone who submits a memorial to the emperor to remonstrate with me shall be executed!
Anyone who slanders me in the marketplace or court, to the point that it reaches my ears, shall be given the punishment of suicide!

"That's it!"

beside,

King Tian Yinqi of Qi and Marquis Zou Ji of Cheng, who happened to be passing by, fell silent upon hearing these familiar words.

(End of this chapter)