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

The emperor and his minister sat facing each other.

The pieces fall crisply, the game continues.

Black and white chess pieces intertwine on the jade plate, pressing closer and closer.

Ying Zheng twirled a white chess piece between his fingers, and in the pause between moves, he suddenly spoke: "How confident are you in your ability to invent paper?"

The art of papermaking appeared in the world a full year before the trajectory revealed by the heavens.

There are too many variables, and things are unpredictable.

He couldn't help but worry.

Song, playing black, calmly placed his piece: "About 80-90% chance."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng's tense nerves relaxed slightly. He nodded gently and generously delegated authority: "In that case, I am at ease. Just tell me what manpower and money you need for setting up workshops and developing new paper. The court will allocate them as you see fit."

Song nodded slightly and replied, "I intend to employ two groups of people, using both imperial craftsmen from the palace and openly recruiting grassroots craftsmen from the common people."

Ying Zheng paused slightly, raised his eyes to look at her, and asked with a hint of doubt, "The craftsmen in the palace are all the best in the world, more than capable of accomplishing the task. Why bother looking for people from the common people?"

Song also made a move.

Of course, there are their own considerations.

Imperial craftsmen were skilled in design, while folk craftsmen each had their own strengths.

Firstly, the future development of the Qin Dynasty will definitely involve technological inventions, and the status of craftsmen will gradually rise. So why not take advantage of this opportunity?

Involving grassroots artisans in papermaking can not only boost the skills of various industries, but also subsidize the people with the government's salaries, thus alleviating the pressure on people's livelihoods and benefiting both the people and the country.

Song Ye also directly voiced this idea.

Ying Zheng said no more and tacitly approved of all her arrangements.

Inside the hall, only the crisp sound of pieces being placed could be heard.

Song Ye's playing style was fierce and aggressive, never giving an inch. Every move he made blocked the man's retreat, and the clash between black and white became increasingly intense, with the battle of the game revealing his sharp edge.

In the midst of the intense game of chess, Song suddenly looked up and broke the silence, asking, "Your Majesty, how have you been lately?"

Ying Zheng paused slightly as he placed his piece, his tone calm: "Reviewing memorials until midnight every day inevitably leads to fatigue."

"When will you rest?" Song also asked.

"Rest from midnight to 1 AM."

As soon as he finished speaking, Song fell silent.

Duo Shao? Doesn't he need to sleep?

After a short rest, it's almost time for the morning court session.

Just thinking about it makes me feel hopeless!

The period from Zi Shi to Chou Shi corresponds to 11 PM to 3 AM in modern times.

So, if Qin officials were like cattle and horses, then Qin Shi Huang was even more like a cattle and horse than them.

They worked tirelessly day and night to manage national affairs, exhausting their energy and resources.

He died so young, it's truly no injustice.

"......"

Song also regained his composure and looked up at the majestic yet weary emperor before him. He suddenly spoke softly, "Does Your Majesty know that in this world, there are only two kinds of true victors?"

Ying Zheng raised his eyes: "The one who wields power?"

"No, it's about being in a good mood and being in good health."

In his previous life, Song Ye spent the first half of his life rooted in the grassroots, wholeheartedly responding to numerous national policies, personally handling everything related to rural development, grassroots governance, and livelihood assistance, working diligently and conscientiously.

They only thought about making more changes and benefiting more people.

But as she grew older and reached middle age, she realized that hard work alone had its limits. Only by holding a high position and wielding power could she leverage a larger scale, truly implement reforms that benefit the people, and change the fate of more people.

So she overcame all obstacles and, with her outstanding political achievements and methods, climbed her way up to the top.

The hardships and struggles involved are beyond what outsiders can understand.

However, because he didn't take care of his health when he was young, he often didn't eat on time and worked late into the night. In middle age, he overworked himself and eventually died of stomach cancer at the young age of 45.

This life is good, Tianmu said he can live to be 120 years old in the future.

Even if you don't want to live anymore, you still have to live.

"..."

With the appearance of the Sky Curtain in this life, many things can be avoided. Shouldn't she be able to complete her mission "slightly" sooner?

It can only be said that without a good body and a healthy mind and body, everything else is in vain.

The First Emperor was simply overdrawing his life force by doing this every day.

Song stopped there.

After all, she knew that the Qin Dynasty had only been established for a few years, and Prince Fusu was not capable of standing on his own, so His Majesty the First Emperor could only do his best in everything.

Ying Zheng lowered his eyes to the chessboard, pondering Song Ye's words, his mind heavy.

While he was lost in thought, Song also made a move as swiftly as the wind.

With a crisp sound, the last black piece completely blocked all paths of survival, locking up the entire white board.

The outcome will be decided in an instant.

Song Ye calmly rose, straightened his court robes, bowed respectfully, and took his leave: "Your Majesty, I shall take my leave now."

She'll have a lot to do when she gets back.

Ying Zheng snapped out of his reverie, raised his hand, and said, "Go."

...

At the same time, at the Song residence.

The area in front of the Song residence was already packed with people, so crowded that it was impossible to move.

Upon hearing that Lord Song was publicly recruiting folk artisans with generous benefits, people and craftsmen from the surrounding areas of Xianyang all rushed over, scrambling to get a good job.

The place was bustling with noise, almost enough to shake the entire street.

Xiao He stood on the steps in front of the mansion, dressed in a long robe, and patiently called out to maintain order.

Just as the situation was about to spiral out of control, a loud voice suddenly rang out: "Quiet down! What's all the noise about!"

The shout was extremely penetrating, and the chaotic crowd instinctively fell silent, their pushing and shoving ceasing.

Everyone instinctively looked at the person who had spoken.

Seeing this, Liu Bang softened his tone: "I know everyone here has come to sign up for work, hoping to earn money to support their families!"

"But pushing and shoving is useless; you won't be able to register, and it could easily cause a stampede—it's not worth it!"

He gestured with his hand, clearly explaining, "Listen to me, everyone line up in two rows! The older ones and those with skills go first, and the younger, stronger ones go last!"

"Lord Song's act of finding a way to make a living is a wonderful thing! Let's line up and sign up honestly, and not cause any trouble!"

Upon hearing this, the previously restless and chaotic crowd miraculously calmed down.

Xiao He looked at the scene that had instantly become orderly and disciplined, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

Although Liu Bang was indeed a bit unreliable, playful, lewd, and fond of harassing widows, he still had a knack for winning over the common people.

Ah!

The line moved forward slowly and in an orderly fashion.

Xiao He sat at the table, taking out a pen to register names and addresses one by one.

Cao Shen stood by, overseeing the selection of people and verifying their identities.

The two of them worked together, one keeping the accounts and the other filtering them.

Liu Bang, however, couldn't stay still. He plunged into the crowd of people queuing up and chatted with them about this and that, having a lively conversation.

"Hey bro, are you a carpenter or a blacksmith?"

The middle-aged craftsman rubbed his rough hands and honestly replied, "Sir, I've been a carpenter for over ten years, but I haven't had any work for the past two years. My family is so poor we can't even afford to eat!"

Liu Bang waved his hand and comforted him with a smile, "Don't worry, our Lord Song pays people to work. Work hard, and you'll definitely be able to support your family!"

Upon hearing this, the man, who had been somewhat nervous and anxious, smiled.

Just then, the sound of horse-drawn carriage wheels came from the street corner.

Song Ye lifted the curtain and got out of the carriage, and immediately saw the lively scene in front of the mansion.

The people lined up in neat rows, and Xiao He and Cao Can worked methodically and efficiently.

And Liu Bang too!

Don't think you can hide from me just because you're slacking off in the crowd!

Song also walked along the side of the crowd and came to stand behind Liu Bang.