Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 228, Section 227: Appointment and Removal of Cadres
Ji Heng returned to Lanchi at night, and indeed, he looked very excited.

"I have heard that the Queen is about to produce another miraculous medicine?"

Zhou Ju was helping him undress; everyone in the hall knew the situation.

Qin Shi sighed, "Yes, Your Majesty's high fever before was truly alarming to recall."

Ji Heng's expression relaxed. He could always feel the Queen's wholehearted devotion to him, and now he generously praised her, "That Qingyangzi seems to be quite useful."

Qin Shi laughed:
"Your Majesty should not have too high expectations. This kind of miraculous medicine can only prevent infection of high fever and pustules after a wound. If there is an acute high fever, it can be used temporarily to cool down the body, but it is not very useful otherwise."

To be honest, she would prefer iodine solution.

However, iodine tincture was only artificially synthesized in the mid-20th century, and with today's technology, it's impossible to even think about it, so we can only forget about it.

Although she was slightly disappointed, Ji Heng thought for a moment and then laughed heartily: "Being able to quickly reduce fever is already miraculous enough, not to mention it can also fight high fever and abscesses—if this were kept in the army, the men of my Great Qin would be..."

His mind wandered, but Qin Shi could only manage a wry smile:
"Your Majesty, such a divine medicine must be refined from wine. Therefore, I can only prepare a small amount in Xianyang Palace at present, and I cannot produce any more."

Ji Heng's excitement gradually subsided.

Extracted from wine

Wine is the essence of grain, and the Qin state did not encourage large-scale winemaking because the current grain production was not enough to feed the people of the world.

If the army's rations are insufficient in order to refine this alcohol, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?

"That's all."

He sighed, "The fact that the Queen was able to prepare this in Xianyang Palace shows that I know how much she loves and cares for me."

Qin Shi took his arm, her voice gentle yet firm: "Once salt, sugar and other commodities are widely sold, the national treasury is full, Your Majesty reduces taxes and corvée labor, and the people who till the land have land... In less than ten years, this miraculous medicine will be readily available in the army."

"Please be patient and wait a little longer, Your Majesty."

Ji Heng recalled their day-long discussion about snowflake salt at Zhangtai Palace, and his expression softened as he spoke.
"The Queen is absolutely right."

Therefore, he asked, "The Queen's actions are of great importance. Are the five private armies currently sufficient? If not, I will make further deployments."

Qin Shi couldn't help but chuckle as he recalled the private soldiers who trained relentlessly for rewards like pigs, cattle, and sheep.

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I have no ability to command troops. For now, let me learn from these five private armies."

She does want an army of 100,000, but who will control it? And who will be willing to obey and control it?

The key to having enough manpower is quality, not quantity; five departments are sufficient for now.

Most importantly, no matter how many more there are... she can't afford to raise them all.

"There is one thing—"

She slowly began to speak: "After the New Year, I want to hold an examination in Xianyang Palace—all talents of my Qin state, regardless of their background or status, whether they are laborers, Confucian scholars or Daoists, nobles or prisoners, as long as they can pass the examination, I want to recruit them for use."

Ji Heng frowned slightly: "How can laborers and servants who can't even read be used?"

Qin Shi laughed and said, "Your Majesty, everyone has their own talents. Even though Hei Mu in my palace is illiterate, it doesn't diminish his usefulness. He is of great importance to me."

Ji Heng nodded: "In the past, there was the Jixia Academy in Qi, which attracted thousands of scholars to join us—our Great Qin..."

His heart sank slightly: Unfortunately, there are few famous scholars in Qin nowadays. In the final analysis, one reason is that the late king's wife intended to commit suicide by being buried alive with the dead, and the other is that Qin practices Legalism with harsh laws and severe punishments, which many famous scholars look down upon.

Just like that day when he tested the cinnabar and lead white, two imprisoned prisoners still dared to curse him, Zheng Heng… However, before he could finish his sentence, the Queen gently grasped his hand:

"Hasn't Your Majesty already included this in your plan?"

"Whether it is General Yan's life experience, when Your Majesty establishes a military academy, you can use this extensive experience in actual combat to cultivate thousands of generals for our Great Qin."

"Or should we establish the Jixia Academy, which belongs exclusively to our Qin state? As long as the national treasury is even slightly full, Your Majesty will do it, won't you?"

“So…” she winked playfully, “I beg Your Majesty to allow me to set aside a separate hall in Xianyang Palace to recruit some capable people to enrich the national treasury.”

The heavy pressure on Ji Heng's heart immediately eased, and he let out a long sigh of relief:

"Why build a separate palace? All the talented people can be arranged in Lanchi."

He added, “The Queen holds the seal of the dragon and tiger, which is also for the purpose of recruiting talents for our Qin state. In the future, the appointment and dismissal of all the ministers’ subordinates, such as the assistants and clerks, who will be responsible for specific tasks, will all be arranged by the Queen.”

Qin Shi blinked: So, the appointment and removal of grassroots cadres no longer need to go through the king, but can be decided by himself?
She never imagined that the most difficult step in her political journey would be completed so easily.

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty."

The virtue of ruler Ji Heng in trusting his subordinates is truly admirable!

Because of this unexpected joy, she was in an exceptionally good mood that evening, and Ji Heng, seeing this, couldn't help but chuckle.
The queen, with the heart of a child, remained steadfast in her resolve despite her high position.

Looking again at the other person's flat, fair, and smooth abdomen, his hot hands reached out to cup it again—

He shouldn't be in such a hurry, it's only been less than two months since their wedding.

But, with such a queen and such an unparalleled monarch in Qin, the crown prince... should have arrived sooner!
……

It was common knowledge in the palace that the Queen was favored by the King.

Under these circumstances, the relocation and reorganization of Ganquan Palace was carried out with exceptional speed, and the palace servants took great care in inspecting all the furniture and items carefully arranged by the Shaofu (Minister of the Imperial Household Department).

There was even a soft bench named "Sofa" by the Queen, and the Imperial Household Department sent ten of them at once, allowing the Chief Secretary and his daughter to choose one.

Some were filled with fine linen and tanned cloth, others were made of tanned sheepskin, and still others were crafted from fine sandalwood, each accompanied only by a few soft cushions…

After carefully testing the cushions laid out with brocade, the Red Maiden finally chose a slightly firmer one to place in the side hall for the Queen's private use when entertaining guests.

The softest items were placed in the bedroom, so that they could be used for casual conversations with the king.

There are also some made of leather...

"It will be put into the storeroom first, and after the relocation is completed, the Queen may bestow it upon someone else."

In addition, the Minister of the Imperial Household presented another item:
"Beneath this chair are the casters the Queen mentioned, made of the extremely hard rosewood..."

With omnidirectional wheels, there are no technical difficulties nowadays, as long as the materials are slightly changed.

The reason Qin Shi thought of this was because the clothes nowadays are complicated and the chairs, made of real materials, are particularly bulky.

If she needed to get up while writing, her attendants would have to push the chair aside, which was inevitably inconvenient.

Now that we have this, it couldn't be better.

To ensure the Queen's safety and their own lives, the Red Maiden selected several strong servants to test the weight-bearing capacity of the [omnidirectional wheel]. After confirming its stability and ease of use, she nodded with a smile.
"Thank you, Minister of the Imperial Household. I will inform the Queen immediately."

　Here it comes!
　　(End of this chapter)