Poverty Alleviation in Qin: A Sky-High Review of "I Am the Female Prime Minister of All Time&qu

When news of Prime Minister Song's true gender spread throughout the Qin Dynasty, the people's reaction was unexpected; they praised her as a woman who was just as capable as any man.

From the 28th year of King Zheng of Qin to the first year of Emperor Taizong of Song, and from the age of 21 to 30, nearly ten years were dedicated to benefiting the people and striving for their happiness.

Since she was appointed Right Chancellor, the Qin Dynasty's harsh laws and heavy corvée labor were gradually reduced or abolished, and the wasteful construction of the Epang Palace was halted. In his later years, Emperor Qin Shi Huang's energy waned, and almost all the massive amounts of memorials to the court and the affairs of state were decided and handled by Song Ye alone.

To this day, no one in the entire Qin Dynasty can shake the position of Chancellor Song.

[While no one in the court said it aloud, everyone knew that His Majesty Fusu had always regarded Song Ye as his mentor and held her in high esteem. Even upon learning that she had disguised herself as a man to deceive the emperor, he was not angry. Instead, he praised her, saying: "Sir, your talent and virtue surpass all others in the world. Why should we be bound by the distinctions of gender to judge your worth?"]

The entire court of officials: "...??"

That's enough, that's really enough.

It's one thing for His Majesty to be lenient, but what's the deal with the eldest son, Fusu?

Why are they all acting like they're possessed?

Could it really be as this celestial curtain says, that...that "Great Qin's Number One Succubus" is unleashing her power?!

They were ruler and subject, and also teacher and student.

Their governing philosophies were also highly compatible, advocating for benevolent rule, reducing taxes and corvée labor, and allowing the people to recuperate and thrive.

In November of the same year, Emperor Taizong of Qin and the Chancellor of Song discussed new policies and decided on two major measures to reassure the people.

First, all types of labor-intensive projects were completely halted and abolished; then, corvée labor was drastically reduced, and a system of rotating conscription was implemented.

What does this mean? The late emperor has been buried, so construction on the Epang Palace can be temporarily suspended; there's no need to conscript more manpower to continue building it. The unfinished Epang Palace will be abandoned altogether.

Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng: "...?"

He was a truly filial son, and he also had a good minister.

The two of them discussed it and decided to do something big, and the first thing they did was to stop the renovation of the Lishan Imperial Mausoleum.

"..."

Ying Zheng looked at Song Ye with a deep gaze.

Song also indicated that he selectively ignored it.

When it's time to play dumb, you have to play dumb.

High emotional intelligence: To alleviate the burden of corvée labor on the people, the construction of the Lishan Imperial Mausoleum was temporarily suspended.

Low emotional intelligence: The person is already dead, why waste so much money on decorations? The coffin is big enough.

"..."

Seeing that his beloved minister was pretending to be stupid, Ying Zheng then turned his gaze to his eldest son Fusu, who was not far behind her.

Staring directly at his father's cold gaze, Fusu, who was known for his filial piety, felt a tightness in his heart. He could only stiffly tug at the corners of his lips, but found that he couldn't smile no matter what he did, so he finally chose to hold it in.

Standing to the side, Minister Meng Yi looked at the two with admiration in his eyes.

These two are really bold.

To save money and effort, they've directly saved it on His Majesty.

So filial! Absolutely so!

[All palaces, gardens, and villas throughout the country were ordered to cease expansion and renovation, with only the repair of the Great Wall at the border and the two essential projects of the national highways and the northern Great Wall remaining.]

[Subsequently, the Song Dynasty also revised its regulations, reducing the term of service for ordinary citizens from a full year to half a year, and cutting the number of laborers conscripted at one time by half, distributing them in multiple batches on a rotating basis.]

The common people: "??!!!"

In this way, people no longer need to be away from home for extended periods, and can still manage their farmland and care for the elderly and children.

The release of these two policies undoubtedly loosens the reins on the Qinling Mountains, which have been under immense pressure for many years.

For the country as a whole, the endless large-scale corvée labor in various regions ceased, the imperial court no longer emptied the national treasury to build luxurious palaces, and the saved money and grain were stored in the government granaries. Furthermore, the grain reserves in official granaries across the country increased year by year, and the stockpiles of military equipment and supplies steadily rose.

The imperial court no longer needed to continuously dispatch hundreds of thousands of laborers to construction sites, significantly reducing the pressure on local governments. Officials were no longer burdened by the arduous task of conscripting and transporting laborers, allowing for smoother and more efficient administrative operations. The previously strained state apparatus began to relax.

For ordinary people, with the implementation of policies to halve corvée labor and implement staggered rotation of service, the predicament of able-bodied men being away from home year-round and fields lying fallow and uncultivated was no longer a problem for every household.

[Each able-bodied man only leaves home for half the year, spending the rest of the time tending the fields and caring for his parents, wife, and children. Without endless forced labor in construction projects, the people can focus on cultivating wasteland and farming, resulting in harvests that improve year after year.]

With taxes reduced and harsh laws abolished, markets and commerce gradually recovered. Farmers had surplus grain, and peddlers had a livelihood. They no longer had to live in constant fear of heavy labor and oppression.

As soon as he finished speaking, the screen displayed images of the Qin Dynasty three years after the implementation of the new policy.

The once barren fields have all been replanted with crops, and fertile land is everywhere.

The able-bodied young men of every household no longer had to go out to perform corvée labor all year round; they all stayed at home to farm and support their families. Smoke constantly rose from the chimneys of the village, and children played freely. The desolate scene of sparse population and abandoned fields that once existed was gone.

The once ubiquitous corvée labor teams have disappeared, and the lives of ordinary people are visibly improving.

The imperial treasury and local granaries became more and more abundant year by year, with reserves of grain, supplies, and weapons becoming increasingly plentiful.

Because all the expensive and laborious luxury projects were stopped, the imperial court saved a lot of money, and officials no longer had to be busy conscripting men and escorting laborers every day, making things much easier for everyone.

On the high platform, Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng stood still, looking at this increasingly prosperous land.

The unpleasantness I felt before because the tomb construction was halted has long since vanished.

He had to admit that his eldest son, Fusu, was kind and benevolent, and that Song was also skilled at governing the country.

While it may seem like he overturned some of his policies in his later years, he actually saved the Qin Dynasty from its near-exhaustion, allowing the people to live in peace and know that there was hope for the future.

Fine, let's stop then.

Since the person is already dead, there's no point in making such a luxurious offering.

So be it.

...

At the same time, in Xianyang Street.

The passersby stared in astonishment for a long time.

Gazing at the peaceful scenes in these homes, some people couldn't help but murmur, "When will we be able to live such a good life?"

"It'll be soon, won't it? Lord Song has already arrived in Xianyang, so he's our magistrate of Xianyang now..."

"If I really didn't have to serve in the military year-round, I would definitely farm hard, save up some food, and my life would definitely get better and better."

Some people were uneasy, muttering under their breath, "The scenery in this sky is too beautiful, too real. Can our Great Qin really become like this?"

Who knows?

"Hey! Da Niu, do you not trust Lord Song?"

"It will definitely happen, it certainly will..."

"Perhaps... Lord Song might really be able to give us such a good life."

Among the crowd were envy, trepidation, and, more than anything, an undisguised anticipation.

After all, the Qin people had suffered for generations.

Now that I've seen a little sweetness, I'm already fantasizing about tasting some more...