Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 245, Section 244: Huang-Lao Philosophy

Finally, I managed to persuade this proud and stubborn old man.

But, leaving is not an option.

Otherwise, why would Qin Shi go to so much trouble to say so much?

By sincerely recruiting renowned scholars, Wen Xun aimed to boost the confidence of scholars across the land and inspire them to serve the country—this was Wen Xun's greatest contribution in the first five years.

If, five years later, the Qin state has not changed to the point where its people can be proud, then no matter how famous the wise men are, it will be of no use; it is truly a case of an incompetent ruler.

Therefore, the queen, seated high on the jade steps, earnestly tried to persuade her to stay:

"Why did you leave in such a hurry, Mr. Wen? Could it be that your belief in Xunzi's ideas is beginning to waver?"

There is absolutely no possibility of this!

Wen Xun immediately became serious: "What I have learned in my life is as firm as a rock and cannot be changed. I am ashamed to leave now, but it is only because I feel that the times are not compatible with me and I cannot serve my country. It is not because your ideas are wrong."

"Why does the Queen now wish to retain me? My teachings are clearly no longer suitable for the Qin state today."

Qin Shi shook his head: "The common people of Qin are still struggling to make ends meet, so it's impossible to talk about morality and education. But Your Majesty works diligently day and night, and Qin will not always be in this situation."

"If Mr. Wen's lifelong national policy proposals are not applicable now, will they also be useless in five or ten years?"

"With your departure, sir, the Qin court will be filled with rising talents in the future. Will you still be able to maintain your current prestige with so many followers?"

"When the time comes, what policy will the country adopt? Will Mr. Wen, who does not serve in the imperial court, still have any channel to offer his advice?"

Wen Xun fell silent once again.

After a long silence, he bowed deeply and said, "I am willing to serve the Queen."

Qin Shi was taken aback: "I was just about to recommend you to Zhangtai Palace..."

Wen Xun slowly shook his head: "The King of Qin is autocratic and acts unilaterally. If a commoner were to go there, he would probably become a literary scholar, but would be of little use."

Standing silently in the imperial court is not as good as wandering among the people.

At this moment, he could only earnestly say, "I am willing to serve as the Queen's guest advisor."

Not for the sake of the powerful and wealthy, but to observe the Queen's actions in the future and to consider her views on the state. Then, to await the next year's examination, to delve into its content, and to carefully study the standards by which the Qin state selects talent.

He was just a commoner from the countryside, but his students were numerous, young and vigorous. If they didn't serve the emperor early on, would they also waste half their lives like him?

Above, Qin Shi also smiled earnestly and said, "Thank you for your trust, sir."

……

Tomorrow is New Year's Day, and Zhangtai Palace has already been sealed off today.

Even though King Heng of Qin had extraordinary energy and could work through the night, his ministers had already toiled for a year and could not endure any more hardship.

Even so, the prime minister, the censor-in-chief, the court official, and others were still busy until noon before they finally retired.

As they left Zhangtai Palace, several ministers trusted by the King of Qin exchanged glances and breathed a sigh of relief in unison.

Unlike previous rulers, this King of Qin was truly ruthless in his use of people. If it weren't for his generous rewards, they probably wouldn't have had the will to endure the torment any longer.

Prime Minister Wang Fu sighed, "I'm getting old!"

The young, aloof, and stern-faced Minister of Justice, with a deep vertical line between his brows, glanced at him and said, "If the Prime Minister is unable to do so, I can take his place."

Imperial Censor Wang Xueyuan chuckled, then, amidst the angry glares of the two men, gracefully turned and left.
"Your Majesty trusts me greatly, and I will do my best in this position of Imperial Censor next year as well—Gentlemen, greetings."

……

The vast Zhangtai Palace fell completely silent.

The bamboo slips on the table had been neatly collected, and the attendants and guards in the hall left in an orderly manner, leaving only a few people to stand guard.

Zhou Ju carefully observed Ji Heng's expression, hesitating to speak. Ji Heng was leaning back in his chair, eyes closed, resting. He keenly sensed the other's cautious gaze, and without raising his eyes, he said in a low voice:

"Why can't you speak frankly?"

Zhou Ju hesitated for a moment, then bowed and said, "Ganquan Palace reports that the Queen met the virtuous scholar Wen Xun today. Mr. Wen has entered Ganquan Palace as a guest minister."

Ji Heng sat up straight instantly.

"Wen Xun?!"

He listened to these words with a hint of surprise: "I remember that this Mr. Wen is a disciple of Xunzi. When I first ascended the throne, the late Empress Dowager ordered that he be recruited."

The other party did not comply.

After he took power, he also recruited them.

Compared to the Queen of Chu's sincerity, Ji Heng seemed somewhat perfunctory. This was because he did not agree with such doctrines, finding them too abstract and of no benefit to the Qin state.

But the fact that the other party refused to repay the favor still left a deep impression on him.

At this moment, he became interested: "Why would such a proud and talented scholar be content to serve as a guest minister under the Queen? Could it be that the Queen has not recommended him to Zhangtai Palace?"

Then he thought, "The Queen is currently short of manpower, so it's appropriate for him to stay in Ganquan Palace; otherwise, he should be sent to Zhangtai Palace..."

That being said, Zhou Ju carefully observed his expression and found that Ji Heng had not changed his mind because of this, and was even quite satisfied with Wen Xun's understanding and respect for the Queen.

He paused, knowing that the King was always watching the Queen, and that some things could not be hidden any longer, so he said:
"Master Wen's students are all over the world, and his followers are numerous. When he entered Ganquan Palace, he did not agree with the Qin state's propositions. However, the Queen's few words broke his pride and made him sincerely convinced. Therefore, he was willing to stay and plan for the future."

He had only heard the servant's report in general terms and was not clear about the more detailed aspects. But Ji Heng's eyes were shining, and he was looking at him intently.

Upon hearing this, he immediately waved his hand:
"Summon the historian."

……

The historian, his eyebrows raised in delight, carrying a scroll of bamboo slips in his arms, arrived at Zhangtai Palace with hurried and excited steps.

Upon seeing Ji Heng, his expression quickly composed itself, and he regained his composed demeanor.
"Meet the king."

Ji Heng simply waved his hand, and Zhou Ju immediately ordered someone to present the bamboo scrolls to the table. Ji Heng raised his eyebrows:
so much? !

It seems the Queen had to use quite a bit of persuasion to convince this wise man.

He opened one of the scrolls with great interest and saw the following text:

[The later saying goes: Virtue and conduct complement each other, rites and laws are used in combination, and governance is achieved through non-action.]

Ji Heng's fingers, which were lightly resting on the table, suddenly tightened.

He quickly scanned the numbers on the bamboo slips, then unfolded the first scroll, swiftly skipping over the simple words of advice and remonstrance, only to see yet another startling statement from the Queen:

[Later it was said: There was moderation.]

[A noble person lives frugally, hoarding wealth; a door hinge doesn't turn, and the pond remains stagnant...]

Ji Heng's breathing suddenly slowed down.

He scanned the words before him, sometimes skimming over them, sometimes carefully reading each word.

At this moment, the queen, who loved him with all her heart, also displayed remarkable political acumen and audacious, outrageous behavior.

The Huang-Lao school of thought?
Governing by inaction?

His mind raced through the Lao-Zhuang philosophy he used to study, and he recalled the harshness and gains of Shang Yang's reforms. He had forgotten the time and buried himself in the documents once more.

　Here I am! Taking leave on September 9.9th.

　　(End of this chapter)