Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

"Good! Great good!"

Emperor Ying Zheng was overjoyed. This plan would not only increase the national treasury's revenue but also get rid of these cumbersome old and corrupt officials. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately clapped his hands in approval.

"Minister Zhou's plan is insightful and far-sighted, not only resolving today's dilemmas but also opening up an unprecedented path for our Great Qin to generate wealth and strengthen our technology. It is deeply appreciated by me, and I hereby grant your proposal!"

With a wave of his hand, he set the tone: "Minister Zhou shall be in charge, with the Craftsmen's Office as the main body, in conjunction with the Imperial Household Department, to discuss in detail the specific regulations for the establishment of the Bureau of All Items, the graded production and sales of paper, and the implementation of patents. These regulations, along with the standards for selecting other similar new products that will benefit the country, shall be drafted together and reported to me immediately!"

Zhou Wenqing felt a great weight lifted from his heart, secretly pleased that the matter was finally on the right track. He immediately bowed respectfully and said in a loud voice, "Your subject..."

"Wait! Your Majesty, this old minister believes this is absolutely unacceptable. Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

An old, hoarse, yet unusually stubborn, voice, tinged with a deep, trembling pain, suddenly rang out, abruptly cutting off Zhou Wenqing's words and disrupting the situation that was about to be settled.

Is there really anyone who dares to defy the dragon's scales and provoke bad luck at this critical juncture?

All eyes in the hall instantly turned to the source of the sound.

In the ranks of officials, slightly towards the back, an elderly man with white hair and beard, and a gaunt face covered in wrinkles, stepped forward.

Who is this guy? Is he so fearless?

Zhou Wenqing frowned and looked at the man. He was a little thin. Although he was also wearing a green official robe that represented a high-ranking official, he looked out of place compared with the generals and legal officials around him who wore dark official robes, had heavy seals hanging from their waists, and exuded a sharp and capable aura.

The only ornament he wore at his waist was a plain bronze seal, hidden in his wide sleeves and almost invisible.

Tsk!

Zhou Wenqing frowned and glanced at it, then immediately understood.

Look at his attire, his demeanor, and the way he speaks...

Most likely, they were those Confucian representatives who were revered in the Imperial Academy, quoting classics and debating the past and present, but who actually had no real power and were only kept as cultural and educational "mascots" in the court.

The old scholar seemed oblivious to the various gazes directed at him from all directions, as if he were immersed in his own tragic sentiment of defending the orthodox tradition. He bowed deeply toward the throne, his posture impeccable.

"Your Majesty, if this Bureau of Items were selling ordinary goods, I might remain silent for the time being. But this paper—"

His gaze was sharp as lightning, and he pointed tremblingly at the papers, his voice suddenly rising in pitch.

"This is a sacred object that carries the profound words and meanings of sages, records the classics and historical texts, and transmits the teachings of the world. Its essence should be pure, its use should be virtuous, and it should be used to convey the Way, clarify principles, cultivate oneself, and establish words. How can it be allowed to fall into the marketplace and associate with petty calculations and the profiteering hearts of merchants?!"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, his chest heaving:

"This act is a defilement of literature, a distortion of its essence, and a shake to the very foundation of scholarship. Your Majesty, please be wise! We must not allow such a noble and pure thing to be reduced to a tool tainted by money, used for profiteering!"

"If this precedent is set, I fear the hearts of all true scholars in the world will grow cold and disheartened. If this continues, moral education will cease to exist, and where will propriety and righteousness be?"

"The consequences will be dire, Your Majesty!"

When he stood up, the officials behind him, who also came from Confucian families and held conservative views, especially a few younger PhDs with indignant expressions, seemed to have found their backbone and immediately spoke up in agreement, expressing their deep sorrow and indignation.

"Dr. Feng's words come from the bottom of his heart, Your Majesty. This action is indeed an insult to scholarship and will likely discourage scholars throughout the land!"

"The writings of sages and worthies are not to be bought and sold! Your Majesty, please rescind your decree!"

"Literature should convey moral principles, not profit, Your Majesty! Think it over, think it over!"

As soon as these people jumped out, a small but stubborn and jarring wave of opposition actually formed in the hall, buzzing and disturbing everyone's peace of mind.

The grim expressions on Changping Jun and Wang Wan's faces, which had been darkened by Zhou Wenqing's comprehensive countermeasures, instantly turned from gloomy to partly cloudy, and even revealed a hint of relief.

They calmly tucked their sleeves in, looking down at each other as if it were none of their business, but it was clearly a posture of sitting on the sidelines and watching the tigers fight.

Zhou Wenqing felt his back molars starting to itch again, and the veins on his forehead throbbed slightly.

It's those same old fogies again. I wanted to trap them when I was teaching Fusu, but they still dared to jump out.

Li Si's face also turned ugly, and he was about to burst into curses. Why did he have to pick out this group of useless pedantic scholars at this time?

Unfortunately, they outnumbered him, and no matter how hard Li Si tried to find an opening, he couldn't find a chance to speak for a while.

"Shut your bird beaks!"

A thunderous roar suddenly rang out, drowning out the buzzing discussions of all the Confucian scholars.

Among the ranks of military officers, the old General Wang Jian, his eyes wide with fury, stepped forward and pointed at the group of Confucian scholars, cursing them:

"You bunch of pedantic, pretentious intellectuals, it's your business if you're stingy and unwilling to spend money on good paper, stop your whining and dragging me down with you!"

With a wave of his hand, the sound seemed to shake the beams of the palace, causing dust to fall.

"I'm going to buy a whole bunch of this good paper and have my sons write it down for me, to record how I'll lead my brothers to crush those bastards from the Six Kingdoms!"

"This glorious history should of course be recorded on this fine paper and passed down to future generations to bring glory to the family. What business is it of yours?!"

That was a well-deserved rebuttal!

Zhou Wenqing was inwardly full of praise and almost couldn't help but cheer on the spot. He quickly lowered his head to hide the slightly upturned corners of his mouth and quietly exhaled a breath of stale air.

General Wang, well done!

"How vulgar! How rude! How dare you spout such nonsense and use such foul language in the imperial court, before the King!"

Dr. Feng's face drained of color from Wang Jian's shout, his withered fingers trembling as he pointed at the other man, his voice sharp and distorted.

"Your Majesty! I implore you to severely punish these disrespectful warriors to uphold justice!"

"Severely punish? I'd like to ask the King to severely punish you bunch of treacherous scholars who are ruining the country!"

General Meng Wu also stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Wang Jian. Both of them were already burly, and now they were even more imposing.

"You keep talking about money, what did money ever do to you? Huh? I don't believe you didn't spend a single ounce of money when you bought writing implements, bamboo slips, and inkstones! Why didn't you yell 'It's an insult to scholarship' then?"

His face was full of disdain as he glanced at the group of Confucian scholars whose faces were flushed.

"What? Zhou Neishi generously offered up his treasure, and the court spent time and effort producing even better paper, all for the sake of you spending some silver to buy. Is that defiling the sages? What kind of logic is that!"

Well said, General Meng Wu!

Li Si's heart was filled with excitement. He used the action of adjusting his cuffs to forcefully punch his fist, which finally suppressed the urge to cheer.

From now on, if anyone dares to say that General Meng Wu is illiterate or clumsy with words, I, Li, will be the first to turn against him!

"This is an insult to scholarship! An insult to scholarship!"

Dr. Feng was so angry at the two generals' rapid-fire retorts that he trembled all over, his face turned as red as a pig's liver, and his chest heaved like a bellows, repeating only this one sentence over and over again.

Supported by the young man behind him, he took a long time to catch his breath, and then he pointed angrily at them with a trembling hand.

"This is utter sophistry, utterly sophistry! To profit from such a sacred literary object will surely drive people to pursue self-interest, lead to the collapse of social order and music, and shake the very foundation of our Great Qin! The consequences will be endless!"

The group of young Confucian scholars behind him, seeing their teacher so angered by the "vulgar brute," became even more indignant, buzzing and chattering like a hornet's nest that had been disturbed.

Unable to grasp the underlying principles, they seized upon minor details such as "roaring in court," "disrespecting the emperor," and "disrespecting elders," all chiming in with their own opinions. They bowed in unison towards the throne, pleading, "Your Majesty, please severely punish Generals Wang and Meng as a warning to others and to uphold the dignity of the court!"

On the dragon throne, Ying Zheng's face had darkened. He leaned back slightly, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the warm jade thumb ring on his thumb. His cold gaze swept over the chaotic scene below, and he remained silent.

For the sake of these Confucian scholars who are of little use except for reciting scriptures and debating ancient rites and serve as "embellishments of education," to punish the two great generals who are his trusted lieutenants and have distinguished military achievements?

It's simply a horror of slipping the world!

His eyes flashed with a cold light, and his patience was clearly running out.

Zhou Wenqing was so angry at these people that he almost laughed.

Thinking that his proposal at today's court meeting was rather solemn and formal, he didn't bring "toilet paper" with him.

Otherwise, if that old man finds out about the existence of 'toilet paper', will he faint on the spot?

It doesn't seem to work either.