The wicked man laughed, "Your Majesty has indeed accomplished an unprecedented feat. The world is at peace, the people live in prosperity, granaries are full, and cities are thriving—truly a golden age!"
Ying Zheng gazed at the distant fields, where he saw waves of rice rippling in the air, a scene promising a bountiful harvest.
"Do you remember the scene when we promoted the 'Qin Zhan No. 4' rice variety?" Ying Zheng asked.
The wicked man laughed, "How could we forget? His Majesty personally visited the experimental field and was overjoyed to see the plump grains of rice. Now, the yield of 'Qin Zhan No. 9' has reached an astonishing 600 jin per mu, more than double that of the previous year."
Ying Zheng nodded: "Yes, everything that followed was only possible after the food problem was solved. You once said that food is the foundation of a nation, and that's absolutely true!"
The wicked man continued, "Besides grain, does Your Majesty still remember the 'importing more children' policy from back then?"
Ying Zheng laughed heartily: "Of course I remember! Back then, having one son meant a year of tax exemption; having two sons meant a two-year tax exemption and a grant of three mu of land; having three or more sons meant a three-year tax exemption, a grant of five mu of land, and a grant of ten shi of grain. This policy sparked a nationwide surge in birth rates, and the population increased rapidly."
The wicked man continued, "The population of Qin has now exceeded one hundred million, more than five times that of thirty years ago. This large population base has enabled Qin to continuously export immigrants during its conquest of the world, consolidating its rule in various regions."
Ying Zheng nodded with satisfaction: "My dear brother's words back then, 'Grain is the foundation of a nation, and the people are its lifeblood,' were indeed insightful. Now, Qin has abundant grain, a large population, and strong national power, making it an unshakeable giant."
The two fell into a brief silence, each reminiscing about the glorious years of the past few decades.
After a moment, Ying Zheng asked again, "My dear brother, we are both old and will one day leave this world. Have you thought about what will happen after we are gone?"
The wicked man pondered for a moment, then said, "Brother, I believe that the rise and fall of a dynasty does not depend on any one person, but on its system. If the Qin Dynasty is to last for a thousand generations, it must have a sound system to guarantee its existence."
Ying Zheng nodded: "That's right. Therefore, in recent years I have been working to improve the prefecture-county system, the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system, and other institutions, hoping to leave a solid political framework for future generations."
The wicked man said, "Brother, what you say is absolutely right. Besides that, we must pay attention to two other points: first, selecting virtuous and capable officials to ensure a constant stream of talented people; second, reducing taxes and corvée labor to allow the people to live and work in peace and contentment. In this way, the foundation of the Qin Dynasty will surely endure."
Ying Zheng wholeheartedly agreed: "These two points are precisely what I have been thinking about in recent years. If the Qin Dynasty can maintain these two points for generations to come, it can indeed hope for long-term peace and stability."
The two elderly people then started talking about their descendants.
Ying Zheng's eldest son, Fusu, was young and vigorous, skilled in both literature and martial arts, and deeply loved by the people.
The four sons that the wicked husband adopted back then have all achieved success. Some became generals in the army, some became officials in the court, and some studied agriculture and sericulture, each displaying their own strengths.
"We have worked together for a lifetime and achieved such great things. Do you have any regrets?" Ying Zheng suddenly asked.
The wicked man pondered for a moment, then laughed and said, "To my shame, my only regret is that I haven't been able to witness the distant future. How the Qin Dynasty will develop, and how future generations will judge us, are all things we cannot know."
Ying Zheng laughed heartily: "This is only human nature. However, I believe that as long as the foundation is solid, the Qin Dynasty will surely endure for ten thousand generations! When future generations look back, they will surely thank us for our efforts today."
The wicked man nodded in agreement: "Brother, you are absolutely right. We have laid a solid foundation; now it is up to future generations to carry it forward."
The two elderly people smiled at each other, raised their glasses together, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Xianyang under the setting sun.
At that moment, they were filled with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Through decades of struggle, they transformed a world rife with war into a unified, peaceful, and prosperous Qin Empire. Such achievements will be remembered for generations to come.
"Do you still remember that experimental field in Mianchi County?" Ying Zheng suddenly asked.
The wicked man's eyes lit up: "Of course I remember. That was the place where 'Qin Zhan No. 4' was first planted on a large scale."
Ying Zheng exclaimed with emotion, "Who could have imagined that we would change the whole world starting from that small experimental field!"
The wicked man wholeheartedly agreed: "Yes, a single seed can change a piece of land, and an idea can change a nation."
Ying Zheng raised his glass and said, "Cheers to our achievements!"
The wicked man also raised his glass in response: "Cheers to the eternal reign of the Qin Dynasty!"
The two glasses clinked together, filling the air with the aroma of wine.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the faces of the two elderly people, reflecting the satisfaction and contentment in their eyes.
In this peaceful and prosperous era they created with their own hands, the people of Qin lived in peace and contentment, with plenty of food and clothing.
From the eastern coast to the western border, from the northern snowfields to the southern tropics, the territory of the Great Qin was vast and boundless, and there was no longer any war.
This is the ideal country they pursued throughout their lives—a unified, peaceful, and prosperous world.
All of this will be forever etched on the monument of history.
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