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

In the same year, Wang Wan lost power and was dismissed from his post as prime minister. With the core figures of the conservative faction removed from office, the First Emperor gradually began to dismantle the old aristocracy of the six states east of the Hangu Pass, Confucian scholars, and veteran officials accustomed to the old Zhou rituals and systems.

With the position of Prime Minister vacant, the question of who could succeed him became the biggest question in the minds of countless officials in the court.

The selection of the next prime minister was undoubtedly a signal sent by the First Emperor, foreshadowing the direction of governance for the Qin Dynasty for the next few decades.

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of names appeared before everyone's eyes.

[The Imperial Censor Feng Quji's ancestor was Feng Ting, the governor of Shangdang Commandery in the State of Han during the Warring States period. His family descendants surrendered to Qin and served the Qin government for generations, belonging to a long-established and powerful family.]

[Li Si, the Minister of Justice, offered strategies to conquer the six states, sow discord among the feudal lords, and strengthen centralized power. He gained the deep trust of Ying Zheng and served successively as Chief Secretary and Guest Minister. When faced with the order to expel foreign guests, he wrote "A Memorial Against Expelling Foreign Guests," which changed the King of Qin's mind and solidified his position.]

Feng Changsong, who rose through the ranks from a county magistrate, secured his position in the court through his exceptional abilities. However, lacking both family backing and the seniority of the two aforementioned officials, he held a very small advantage in this struggle for the positions of Left and Right Chancellor.

At this point, everyone will be very curious: how was Song Ye promoted to Prime Minister by the First Emperor, breaking with precedent?

In terms of seniority, influence, and family background, he falls short of the previous two.

At this point, Tian Tian paused slightly, "[Previously, Prime Minister Wang Wan fell from power, but the conservative group behind him is still active in the court.]"

In the 33rd year of King Zheng of Qin's reign, Qin Shi Huang adopted Li Si's suggestion and issued an edict to burn books: historical records of various states and classics of various philosophers were to be burned, leaving only medical, divination, and agricultural books to be preserved.

The order to burn books caused a huge uproar throughout the court and the country.

The screen rotates, and the camera focuses on the Zhangtai Hall.

The atmosphere inside the hall was tense and solemn. Civil and military officials lined up on both sides, and none of them dared to utter a sound.

A group of Qin's veteran officials, former nobles from Guandong, and Confucian scholars stepped forward and knelt in obeisance. The white-haired minister at the head of the group bowed deeply, his tone earnest yet firm: "Your Majesty! The classics and Zhou rites are the ancient cultural heritage, and all dynasties have governed according to these ancient rites. Today, burning books and discarding classics is tantamount to severing this cultural lineage. I implore Your Majesty to rescind the edict and proceed with caution!"

Following closely behind, many veteran officials knelt down in unison, creating a powerful and enthusiastic response.

Upon seeing this, the Minister of Justice, Li Si, immediately stepped forward and loudly retorted: "Your words are utterly wrong! Today, the Great Qin has unified the world. If we wish to secure our eternal dynasty, we must break with the old and establish the new, centralize power and establish laws."

"The ancient texts of various states were in disarray, and the burning of books was precisely to eliminate these abuses and consolidate the unified empire. How can it be considered radical and detrimental to the country?"

The two factions, the old and the new, confronted each other in court, and their verbal exchanges became increasingly intense.

The veteran minister argued his case forcefully, and Li Si strongly supported the new policies.

The two sides were deadlocked, and the court was in a stalemate. All the civil and military officials held their breath and dared not interrupt.

Just as the atmosphere became tense, a figure slowly walked out from the court.

It was Song.

All eyes turned to her, even Li Si glanced at her, waiting for this rising star of the court to speak and take sides.

Unexpectedly, Song also bowed and spoke calmly, publicly echoing the conservatives' words.

She raised her eyes to look at the man on the throne and said slowly, "Your Majesty, I believe that what the senior ministers have said is not entirely without reason. The Zhou rites and classics have been passed down for thousands of years and are deeply rooted in the hearts of scholars and the people. To suddenly burn and discard them is indeed too hasty and may hurt the hearts of scholars throughout the land."

Upon hearing this, the entire hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted in uproar.

Li Si's pupils contracted sharply, and he turned his head to stare intently at Song Ye, his eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.

He had always shared Song Ye's political views, and they both advocated centralized reform and the reform of the Qin Dynasty. He never expected that she would now side with the conservative faction.

"?"

The conservatives were taken aback at first, then overjoyed, their tense minds instantly relaxing.

The leading senior minister's eyes lit up with joy, his confidence growing stronger. He bowed again and said, "Your Majesty! Even your ministers know that ancient systems cannot be abolished and cultural traditions cannot be severed, which proves that what we said is true! We urge Your Majesty to consider the interests of the scholars and rescind the edict!"

With Song Ye's "seconding" as support, the conservative court officials lowered their guard and became completely unrestrained.

They were convinced that they had the upper hand, so they became increasingly reckless. They exchanged letters in private for days, colluded with their colleagues, and gathered to discuss the government and criticize the new policies of the First Emperor.

He went around advocating that the feudal system of Zhou was superior to the new system of prefectures and counties, attempting to use this to force the cessation of the burning of books and the implementation of centralized reforms.

The entire court was blinded by appearances and secretly speculated that Song had also changed his political views.

Within days, the conservatives gained momentum, and criticisms poured in.

Once the conservatives' momentum reached its peak and the evidence was complete, Song, who had consistently supported and condoned the situation, suddenly closed in.

That night, Song also brought a thick stack of evidence into the palace and stepped into the imperial study, where candlelight flickered.

Facing Qin Shi Huang, she abandoned her previous gentle demeanor, her tone turning icy: "Your Majesty, I previously agreed that ancient rites and cultural traditions should not be lightly abandoned, out of consideration for the scholars and the people. But recently, those people have been using the guise of offering advice to form factions..."

Under the sky.

The conservatives were dumbfounded: "???"

Such a fast change of expression?!

One second they're agreeing and supporting, the next they're gathering all the evidence to accuse someone?!

With the evidence clearly laid out, the First Emperor was furious and immediately delegated full authority to Song Ye to conduct a thorough investigation.

In this purge, Song showed no mercy, disregarding motives, seniority, and past connections; anyone involved in collusion or obstruction of the government was eradicated.

[A veteran Qin official was stripped of his title, demoted, and banished from Xianyang.]

All Confucian scholars and former nobles were dismissed and never to be employed again.

The conservative faction that had held sway in the court for decades collapsed and was wiped out overnight.

[After this plan, there were no more voices in the court opposing the restoration of old ways, and the path to centralized power reform in the Qin Dynasty was completely clear.]

"..."

Subsequently, the Song Dynasty also proposed the Five Unifications for the first time on the historical stage: unification of thought, unification of culture, unification of the front, unification of will, and unification of construction.

That year, Song was 27 years old.

The following year, Song was promoted again to Right Chancellor.

[The Minister of Justice, Li Si, appointed a Left Chancellor, and Feng Quji was reappointed as Grand Censor.]

[In the Qin Dynasty, the right side was considered the most honorable position. Song was the Right Chancellor, while Li Si was the Left Chancellor. Song's rank in the court was also higher than Li Si's. The two jointly managed the administration of the country and were both the heads of all officials.]

Who could have imagined that a lowly county magistrate, rising from humble beginnings, would become the head of all officials in the Qin Dynasty in just seven years?

The hardships, struggles, calculations, and conflicts involved are unknown to us.

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene on the screen changed.

The majestic and grand main hall of Xianyang slowly unfolded, with nine layers of red steps leading up to it. Civil and military officials stood solemnly on both sides according to their rank, their robes billowing like clouds, solemn and silent.

The scene first flashes back a moment, showing the early days of the imperial court seven years ago.

At that time, Song Ye was just starting his official career. He held a low-ranking position and had little experience. He could only stand at the very end of the line of officials. He was thin and was lost among the many noble and experienced ministers.

No one gave him a second glance; he seemed so insignificant as to be almost unremarkable.

The scene shifts, and the past vanishes like a shadow.

The sky is frozen in time, showing the Qin Dynasty court today.

The officials stood in a solemn array, their positions clearly defined before the steps.

That once inexperienced figure at the bottom has now climbed step by step to the top.

Song Ye, dressed in court attire, stood upright and serene beneath the steps, at the forefront of the officials, occupying the most honored position on the right.

To his left was Li Si, who held the position of Left Chancellor.

Next came Grand Censor Feng Quji and all the civil and military officials of the court.

An entire hall of elders, noble families, and important officials stood behind her.

Seven years of ups and downs in officialdom, every step filled with bloodshed, scheming, and fierce competition.

From an unknown minor official to standing in the most prestigious position in the Qin Dynasty court, overlooking all the civil and military officials.

The sunlight outside the hall fell, bathing her shoulders.

At the age of thirty, the Right Chancellor had a calm demeanor, having concealed all his past sharpness and ruthlessness, leaving only a composed air as he led all the officials in the court.

That year, Song was 28 years old.