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

In the second year of Emperor Taizong's reign, the Song chancellor decided to personally revise the second edition of the *Lüshi Chunqiu* to suit the needs of Qin Er Shi (the second emperor of Qin), discarding the dross and retaining the essence, ultimately using it as the core of governance.

[Of course, this also marked the beginning of establishing Song Xiang as the foremost female prime minister.]

The *Lüshi Chunqiu* was compiled by Lü Buwei with the help of three thousand retainers and was completed in the eighth year of King Zheng of Qin's reign.

The *Lüshi Chunqiu* (Master Lü's Spring and Autumn Annals) blends Confucianism, Taoism, and Mohism, advocating for a ruler's inaction, the enfeoffment of feudal lords, and benevolent governance. At that time, Qin Shi Huang promoted Legalist centralized power, insisting on harsh laws and absolute monarchical rule; these two core national policies were completely opposed.

[The First Emperor advocated Legalist centralized government with prefectures and counties: in the short term, this could consolidate the unified empire and permanently lay the framework for the prefecture-county system in later generations, with highly centralized power preventing the fragmentation of the empire by feudal lords. However, in the long run, this resulted in harsh punishments and heavy labor, exacerbating public resentment and leading to the exhaustion of the people's livelihood and their eventual demise.]

Lü Buwei advocated a system of feudalism and non-interference, suggesting that it would allow the people to recuperate and prevent large-scale peasant uprisings. However, he believed that unification would only be temporary, and that decades later, the feudal system would lead to fragmentation and a return to the Warring States period, significantly delaying the process of unifying Chinese civilization.

[It brings great short-term benefits to the people, but great long-term harm to the unification of the empire.]

Beneath the sky, outside the Zhangtai Palace.

Meng Yi carefully observed the emperor's expression, not daring to utter a sound rashly.

Lü Buwei was always a taboo subject that could not be touched.

Mentioning this person evoked a complex mix of emotions in Ying Zheng, one that was difficult to separate.

Back then, the mother and son were stranded in Handan as hostages, suffering all kinds of cold looks and humiliation. They relied entirely on Lü Buwei to run around and help them. During those difficult years, the young Zhao Zheng was extremely grateful for his kindness.

But when he returned to Qin and ascended the throne, having seized power at a young age, all that remained in his heart was shame and hatred.

The rampant rumors about his birth and the scandalous affair involving the Empress Dowager and Lü Buwei left a deep scar on him for half his life, causing him endless distress whenever he thought about it.

Once he had taken full power, Ying Zheng became wary of everything.

Lu Buwei had three thousand retainers, and half of the officials in the court and the countryside were on his side. His power was deeply entrenched and divided the emperor's authority. The two men had completely opposite ideas about governing the country, which was the most difficult obstacle to be removed on his path to consolidating power.

When it came time to settle scores, he was both soft-hearted and ruthless.

Initially, out of consideration for past favors, he was reluctant to kill Lü Buwei and spared his life, sending him out of Xianyang. However, the Lü family continued to associate with him, and their influence had not diminished. To prevent future troubles, he had no choice but to harden his heart and sever ties.

The man's long eyelashes drooped, concealing the myriad emotions churning in his eyes.

My dear Uncle, how did we come to this...?

Or am I, Zhao Zheng, destined to be alone?

His biological father was distant and cold-hearted, never offering him protection or warmth. His biological mother was selfish and indulgent, abandoning her family and country and neglecting her own child, leaving him to bear the burden of rumors and disgrace for the rest of his life, suffering endless criticism from the world.

None of his closest relatives treated him with genuine sincerity.

Even you, Uncle Zhong...

"Is Your Majesty daydreaming? Or do you find your subjects in the celestial canopy uninteresting?"

Ying Zheng stirred slightly upon hearing the sound, and slowly lifted his heavy eyelids.

Turning my head, I saw that Song was standing upright and composed beside me, with a calm and peaceful expression, as if he was just chatting casually out of boredom.

"I just suddenly realized that the ways of the world and human relationships are the most unpredictable things."

"Life is inherently unpredictable, and besides, hasn't Your Majesty already overcome countless difficulties?"

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng was taken aback for a moment, then a smile appeared on his lips as he turned his gaze back to the sky.

Yes, Zhao Zheng has overcome countless difficulties.

He was a hostage in Handan in his childhood, and returned to Qin as a young man to establish himself. He eliminated powerful ministers, quelled internal strife, and swept across the land to unify the country.

He faced the insurmountable barrier that others could not overcome.

Seeing this, Song also withdrew his gaze and sighed helplessly.

Please don't bring your emotions to work!

Even if you're a leader, it's not allowed!!

"..."

[This is the book that Song Xiang compiled in just half a month: the 0.2 version of "Lüshi Chunqiu".]

[On one hand, it adopts the essence of "Lüshi Chunqiu" suitable for pacifying the six states and allowing them to recuperate after the war; on the other hand, it discards the fatal flaws that lead to feudalism, separatism, and excessive inaction by the monarch, and breaks down the content into practical elements that can be directly implemented.]

[Divided into five major areas: people's livelihood, governance, education, economy, and frontier resettlement, all adapted to the governance of the unified six states of Guandong, while retaining the Legalist principles of centralized power.]

[This adopts the flexible governance methods described in the *Lüshi Chunqiu*, which emphasize pacifying the people, allowing them to recuperate, governing with leniency, attracting talent, and adapting to local conditions.]

[Maintain the basic framework of Legalism + centralized county-level administration, with the central government controlling military, political, and financial power, and preventing feudalism and fragmentation.]

A reform plan that combines firmness and flexibility can quickly pacify the people of Qin, while avoiding excessive tension between the state and the people. It will neither repeat the mistakes of the Zhou Dynasty's fragmentation among its feudal lords nor lead to its self-destruction.

"???"

As soon as he finished speaking, many people in Xianyang were stunned for a moment.

They seem to... if I remember correctly, didn't Lü Buwei place this scripture by the gate of Xianyang?

I remember back then, they even displayed a thousand gold pieces, boasting to the outside world: any scholar or traveler from any country who could add a single word to this book, or delete or modify any single word, would be rewarded with this thousand gold pieces.

The saying "a single word worth a thousand pieces of gold" originated from the fact that changing just one character would earn one a thousand pieces of gold.

Judging from Lord Song's appearance, he must have made quite a few changes...?

"It's also because Lü Buwei was born too early, otherwise his family fortune would have been squandered."

"...?"

Wait, shouldn't it be the fault of those born later?

Why blame it on those who were born early?

But the common people didn't care about any of that. They just believed that if it came to Lord Song, then the other side must be the one with the problem!

Yes, that's right!

It's a pity that Lü Buwei died so young.

If we just wait until now, Lord Song can make a fortune.

Although...maybe...even my family fortune won't be enough to cover the compensation, hahaha.

Lu Buwei, who is now in heaven: Haha, what a lame joke.

In the third year of Emperor Taizong's reign, the Song Dynasty also introduced two new agricultural tools: the curved-shaft plow and the seed drill.

Don't underestimate these two treasures. They can not only double the Qin Dynasty's grain production, but also cause a population boom, laying a solid foundation for future national strength.

"???"

Upon hearing this, both the First Emperor and the common people watching the celestial canopy trembled in unison!

Even the former nobles of the six kingdoms who were hiding in various places stared wide-eyed!

What could possibly double grain production?

Ying Zheng's eyes narrowed as he stared intently at the words on the sky.

Having unified the world for so many years, he knew better than anyone that grain was the foundation of the empire. He dared not even think about how stable the Qin Dynasty's foundation would be if grain production doubled and the population exploded...

The people in the streets and fields were in an uproar, staring wide-eyed and whispering amongst themselves.

These days, the biggest worries are not having enough to eat and poor harvests. If there were two treasures that could double the grain yield, it would be like a divine treasure bestowed upon the Qin Dynasty.

Meanwhile, Song, the person involved, glanced at the system interface and remained silent.

Current task progress: 13.66%

[20% mission reward to be unlocked: Curved Plough, Seed Looper.]

"..."

(Reflecting on life...)

(Discovering that the task progress is as slow as a snail or a tortoise, I turn around and look at my future self in the Sky Curtain, who is even worse off and more miserable than a snail or a tortoise.jpg)