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

Song Ye's evaluation of the First Emperor was complex.

The reason for this praise is that the First Emperor broke through the limitations of the feudal era, established a unified feudal system that lasted for two thousand years, and shaped the overall pattern of Chinese civilization. This historical contribution transcends its time.

On the one hand, the backwardness of the era's productivity and governance methods meant that only high-pressure rule could be relied upon.

On the other hand, the lack of checks and balances in feudal monarchical autocracy meant that the monarch's eagerness for quick success and instant benefits would endlessly deplete the people's wealth. The combination of these two factors led to the severe hardship faced by the people in the Qin Dynasty in a short period of time.

Qin Shi Huang's achievement was a great innovation that broke away from the old era.

The controversies surrounding his tyranny and oppressive policies stemmed partly from the limitations of the era during the transition from the pre-Qin period to a unified empire, partly from the inherent structural problems of the centralized feudal autocracy, and partly from his own strong and impatient hegemonic personality.

Can this be simply blamed on one person?

Even Song couldn't figure it out.

The First Emperor pioneered the unification of China by trial and error. Any emperor who took over the newly unified six kingdoms would have faced the same challenges. Gentle and appeasement methods were simply ineffective in suppressing the resurgence of the old nobles in the six kingdoms. Strong control was a choice forced by the times.

Under such a feudal system of land and personal dependence, the people had no voice, and the costs of all large-scale national projects and wars were directly passed on to the lower classes.

Unification brings long-term benefits to civilization, but the short-term suffering is borne entirely by the people. This division between "great long-term benefits and great immediate suffering" is an irreconcilable contradiction of feudal agrarian civilization.

Therefore, Song preferred to support the Qin Dynasty rather than let its people fall into endless war.

Now that we've endured the bitterness, we should enjoy the sweetness too.

There's no need to suffer the hardships of those warlords in chaotic times.

He swept across the land and unified the country in just ten years with decisive and iron-fisted methods, ushering in one of the most glorious chapters in Chinese history.

If it weren't for him, perhaps China today would be like Europe, riddled with divided nations.

His life was full of legendary events, yet he was also tyrannical and militaristic. Was it ultimately a blessing or a curse for the suffering people?

Perhaps time will tell.

The era of Qin Shi Huang has ended.

Thus began the era of Song Ye.

...

Xianyang Palace.

Ying Zheng stood on the high platform, repeatedly pondering the words spoken by the heavens.

The scene of the lamp running out of oil is still vivid in my mind.

His brows and eyes, which were always covered in frost, had lost some of their sharpness, leaving only a deep silence.

People only know that he was bloodthirsty and cruel, and that he imposed heavy corvée labor, but no one knows how many of his harsh policies were forced by the restless old clans of the six states to exert their power, and how many of the people's sufferings were the growing pains that had to be endured as they transitioned from centuries of war to unification.

As a young man, the King of Qin swept across the six states, determined to end the wars and hoping that there would be no more fighting among the feudal lords and that the people would no longer have to suffer displacement year after year.

But the question of whether it was a blessing or a curse for the people filled the middle-aged First Emperor with an unspeakable loneliness.

Perhaps, on the path to unifying the world, someone must always be the one to bear the guilt for all time.

Despite his stigma, he laid the foundation for a unified empire that would last for a thousand years.

That's good too, at least the result is what he wanted to achieve.

One can stop at nothing to achieve one's goals, because the outcome can justify the means.

And this is the source of the contradiction that has been hotly debated by later generations.

For every person who praises it, there is someone who criticizes it.

Some people dislike it, while others like it.

Isn't this another form of the Hundred Schools of Thought?

[After the First Emperor's death, the Song Dynasty did not announce it publicly. Instead, it secretly ordered Meng Yi, the high-ranking official who was conducting sacrifices at the sacred mountains and the Yellow River, to return. Meng Yi then continued to oversee the administration of the region and handle official documents, creating the illusion that the emperor was still alive.]

"???"

Li Si: What is she trying to do?

Anyone who sees this will be very puzzled: why did Prime Minister Song go to such lengths, and why did he do it in the first place?

Here, please watch the video~

The sky shifts and the perspective changes.

Song Ye suppressed the turmoil in his heart, pretended that nothing had happened, and calmly lifted the carriage curtain to get out.

Turning to Cao Can, Zhou Bo, and the attending eunuch Zhao Gao who were guarding outside the carriage, he softly instructed, "His Majesty is exhausted and has already rested. You must not go in and disturb him; just stay outside and keep watch."

Zhao Gao bowed his head, his face full of obsequiousness, nodding repeatedly in agreement, but a glint of calculation flashed quickly in his eyes.

I waited until late at night.

The guards patrolling the area were tired and slack, so Zhao Gao put on a kind and benevolent smile and stepped forward to persuade Cao Can and Zhou Bo:

"You two generals have been working tirelessly to protect His Majesty during the day. I will be here to guard him closely, so you may go back to your tents and rest."

Upon hearing this, Cao Can and Zhou Bo initially hesitated, reluctant to leave the First Emperor inside the carriage. However, they were persuaded by Zhao Gao's repeated pleas and eventually returned to their respective camps to rest.

There was no one else around, and all was deathly silent.

Zhao Gao moved with lightning speed, almost making no sound, and quietly slipped into the imperial carriage. He approached the bedside and whispered, "Your Majesty? Your Majesty?"

The person on the bed did not respond at all.

Upon seeing this, Zhao Gao was overjoyed.

After observing for days, he had long suspected that the First Emperor was nearing the end of his life, but he never expected that he would be the first to discover the emperor's death.

Now, an enormous opportunity is before us.

After confirming repeatedly that the First Emperor was beyond saving, Zhao Gao quickly stepped out of the carriage and sought out the eighteenth prince, Hu Hai, who was traveling with him that very night.

Hu Hai rushed over, and upon learning of his father's passing, his face showed no grief. Instead, he immediately grabbed Zhao Gao's sleeve and impatiently pressed him for answers:

"Sir, now that my father is gone, does that mean I can become emperor?"

The words fell to the ground, beneath the sky.

"boom--"

Everyone's expression froze simultaneously.

Song was not surprised at all, after all, this was an inevitable occurrence recorded in historical records.

Fusu, standing to the side, was terrified. He looked at his younger brother in disbelief, his heart turning ice-cold.

Knowing that his youngest brother Huhai was playful and mischievous, he never expected that when their father was critically ill, this man would show no affection whatsoever and only think about vying for power and profit.

Prince Gao and the other princes and princesses also turned their heads to look.

To this, all they could ask was, "Are you alright?"

With Hu Hai's idiotic appearance, was he even fit to be an emperor?

Furthermore, none of them, who were ranked after the eldest son Fusu, dared to dream of such a thing. What was Huhai, who was ranked eighteenth, anyway?

Holy crap! That's some serious imagination!

Who gave him this misconception?

The outspoken Ying Yinman couldn't stand it and immediately spoke up: "Eighteenth brother, you dare to dream of the throne? Who gave you the audacity? Don't you have any self-awareness at all?"

His words were sharp and merciless.

Upon hearing this, Hu Hai, already in a predicament, was both ashamed and furious, wishing he could kill this vile woman.

"Thump—"

Zhao Gao's legs went weak and he collapsed to his knees, trembling uncontrollably.

Li Si only thought of Zhao Gao as a sycophantic eunuch, never imagining that this man harbored such a monstrous ambition.

Even more unexpectedly, the notoriously unruly and ignorant eighteenth prince, Hu Hai, secretly coveted the throne as well...

This is outrageous! It's truly outrageous!

In a flash, Li Si's mind raced.

Zhao Gao's intention to disrupt the government and seize the throne was already a clear case of treason.

Today, the veil has been exposed to the public, presenting a golden opportunity to bring down this treacherous eunuch, one that must not be missed!

Thinking of this, Li Si no longer hesitated, jumped out and pointed at Zhao Gao's nose, cursing: "Zhao Gao! His Majesty treats you kindly, yet you do not think of being loyal to your master, but instead plot to disrupt the government! You mere eunuch, your heart is deserving of punishment, and your crime deserves death!"

Song Ye: ...Thinking.jpg.

The Crouching Dragon and the Young Phoenix, how dare they claim half a catty as eight taels?