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

Just as discussions were beginning to rise in the court, with many echoing the sentiments,...

Below the imperial steps, Song raised his head, his eyes smiling, showing no sign of confrontation: "Your Excellencies are concerned about the affairs of the country and understand the difficulties of the new policies. I am truly grateful."

She first acted with composure and courtesy, giving all the senior officials face.

His gaze then swept lightly over Li Si, Feng Jie, and the other high-ranking officials who had stepped forward, his smile unchanged, as he calmly landed his question:

"If I may be so bold as to ask, the entire process of papermaking, from its initial exploration and improvement to its final form and its implementation to benefit the people, was personally overseen by me. No one in the world knows the key technical issues, the regulations on consumables, the difficulties in its implementation, and its advantages and disadvantages better than I do."

"Since all of you gentlemen feel that I am too inexperienced and unfit for such a great responsibility—"

"Then may I ask you all, if not me, the inventor, who do you think would be the most suitable to give it to?"

In short, it shut down all arguments in the room.

Seeing that the old men were speechless, Song still smiled faintly and spoke in a humble and measured manner: "I know that you gentlemen are following the old precedent and being prudent for the sake of the country, and it is not directed at any individual."

"The imperial court values ​​seniority and experience, and I am indeed young, of low rank, and with shallow foundation."

She first frankly acknowledged all the "shortcomings," then changed the subject: "But the new policy only selects the talented and follows the methods. The methods are my creations, and the credit is mine. This policy is entrusted to my supervision, so His Majesty naturally relies on it."

"In implementing the new policies, I, Song, will also diligently fulfill my duties as a subject, and ask questions, learn more, and consult with my seniors when encountering problems."

"As a newcomer, I am unlike my seniors who have accumulated extensive experience and are seasoned in governance. I am new here and will have to rely on your guidance and support in the future."

His words were extremely well-said.

Do not be confrontational, do not act aggressively, and do not be domineering.

They acknowledged their lack of experience, yet stubbornly adhered to the absolute principle that the skills and expertise were in their own hands and that no one else could do it.

This both gave the veteran officials present dignity and completely blocked any excuses for anyone to try to seize power, interfere, or divide power.

But when Qin Shi Huang heard these words, they sounded completely wrong.

"..."

Under the cover of the sky, anyone with a brain can see it.

This Song guy is really trying to make trouble for each and every one of them.

Upon seeing this, Li Si's eyes twitched violently, and he felt a sudden tightness in his chest.

What does it mean to follow precedents and act prudently for the sake of the country?

What does it mean to rely on someone's help in the future?

These words sound humble, respectful, and polite, but in reality, every word is a veiled attack.

On the surface, he was being humble and respectful of his elders, but in reality, he was exposing the thoughts of a group of old ministers who relied on their seniority to bully the newcomers, followed the old ways, were jealous of the talented and meritorious, and were plotting to divide up the new regime's power.

Their words were all for the sake of ensuring the success of the new policy, but Song Ye's few words easily turned them into accusations of being conservative, xenophobic, obstructing the new policy, being bound by seniority, and failing to recognize talent.

What's most infuriating is that the other party smiled throughout the entire process and didn't utter a single offensive word.

There are no faults to be found, no handles to be found, and no arguments to be refuted.

If they dare to speak out again, they will be seen as treacherous and corrupt officials who cannot tolerate newcomers, are driven by selfish motives, and hinder the interests of the country.

Sure enough, the next moment.

In the scene, Li Si remained silent.

Behind them, Feng Jie and the other veteran officials finally realized what was happening, their faces turning pale and then red, speechless, caught in a dilemma.

They were the ones who started the trouble and tried to control the newcomer, but in the blink of an eye, this young man turned the tables on them and blocked their escape route.

On the high platform, Ying Zheng's gaze darkened slightly as he quietly looked down at the group of embarrassed old ministers below, his mind completely clear.

How could he not know what these old ministers were thinking?

It's nothing more than people who are resentful that such lucrative power has fallen into the hands of newcomers, and they want to use their seniority and past precedents to get a share of the pie and control the new policies.

Just then, a sweet voice rang out again:

The phrase "It is naturally because His Majesty relies on him" elevates the power struggle within the court to a divine judgment of the monarch's ability to identify talent and his absolute authority.

[Song Tou both praised the First Emperor's wisdom in recognizing talent and appointing people regardless of background, and subtly placed the ministers who offered advice in a position of questioning the emperor's decisions and clinging to old practices.]

[According to historical records, Li Si and a group of senior officials were reprimanded by Ying Zheng in court for this incident, losing face completely. They then dared not easily use their seniority to obstruct the new policies again.]

Li Si: ...Why am I always called on during roll call?

The assembled civil and military officials: "..."

On the high platform, Ying Zheng looked down at the group of courtiers below, who looked embarrassed and were trembling with fear, and a faint snort appeared on his lips.

A group of old foxes were not only betrayed by the young upstarts, but also forced to swallow their bitter pills.

That's really rare.

He became increasingly curious about who this Song Ye really was.

On the screen above, the camera angle returns to the content creator's commentary interface.

[This video uses a clip from the TV series "The Legend of Song Xiang," which was filmed ten years ago and remains popular to this day. The entire series is strictly based on historical records, without any alterations or fabrications. The plot is historically verifiable and based on available evidence.]

No wonder, now I understand.

The appearances of officials and emperors appearing above the sky were vastly different from his own, and now he finally understood why.

[Getting back to the main topic, let's discuss why key figures like Li Si all wanted to seize the power of supervising papermaking.]

Pre-Qin dynasty documents relied entirely on bamboo slips, wooden tablets, and silk. Bamboo slips were cumbersome, and silk was expensive; ordinary counties and low-ranking officials simply couldn't afford them.

[If paper were to become widespread throughout the country, all official documents, decrees, household registers, laws, military reports, and classic texts would have to rely on paper. The Song dynasty also oversaw the production processes, workshops, raw material standards, and output allocation, effectively controlling the supply of written materials for the entire imperial court, counties, army, and official schools.]

Who is short of paper? Where should paper be prioritized for allocation? Can paper mills be opened in various locations?

[The decisions were entirely made by Song Ye himself, which was tantamount to choking the entire Qin Dynasty's administrative operations.]

That seems to make sense...

Previously, the people complained that these high-ranking officials were bullying newcomers, which was considered petty and lacking in magnanimity.

Looking at it now, it turns out it's not as simple as it seems on the surface.

[Furthermore, she controlled the printing and copying of legal texts, imperial edicts, and historical revisions, including paper specifications and distribution, indirectly influencing the dissemination of government orders.]

At the same time, the implementation of standardized writing inevitably required readily available and inexpensive paper. Song, possessing the power to promote papermaking, was essentially assisting the First Emperor in consolidating the cultural foundation of a unified empire, further enhancing its standing in the emperor's eyes.

Finally, powerful families, old nobles, Legalist officials, and local governors all relied heavily on paper-based offices. They needed to consult with these officials for favors, thus naturally holding leverage over other officials.

[The civil officials, including Li Si, had long monopolized matters related to documents and classics. The independent allocation of papermaking rights to Song Ye directly divided the inherent power of the civil officials and broke Li Si's monopoly on documents and classics.]

This task was personally entrusted by the First Emperor, independent of the regular duties of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers. It was an exclusive appointment by the Son of Heaven, and no one else had the right to interfere or check it. This was a unique authority bestowed upon the Emperor's trusted confidants.

This wasn't just about managing a craft; it meant wielding four core advantages: administrative power, independent financial control, cultural influence, and the ability to check and balance other officials. The fact that Song Ye received such exclusive power so soon after entering the court was the fundamental reason why Li Si and the other senior officials from powerful families were so wary of him.

This also shows that the First Emperor placed great trust and importance on the Song Dynasty, which invented paper.

But the emperor's favor alone is far from enough; we must also see if Song Ye can deliver a perfect performance.

Two lines of narration slowly unfolded on the sky, their voices echoing between heaven and earth.

People in the streets, alleys, and fields all felt a pang of anxiety, and unanimously worried for Song.