September 30th was also the eve of the Lunar New Year in the Great Qin Dynasty.
Of course, the Qin people did not have the custom of celebrating the Lunar New Year's Eve.
Even the clear definition of the time for celebrating the New Year began with the First Emperor.
It is also called the first month of the lunar calendar.
It's because the First Emperor's name contains the character "政" (zheng), which is a homophone.
The Qin people had a ten-month year, but there was a leap month in the middle. The actual tenth month was equivalent to the first month in later tradition.
That night, the people of Xianyang finally finished a year's work.
Start enjoying a two-week vacation.
Not only did ordinary people begin their holiday, but officials of all ranks in the Qin Dynasty also began to enjoy their vacations.
The holiday system of the Qin Dynasty had very little flexibility.
You can't earn more for more work; you have to take a break when it's time to go.
This is precisely why the officials believed that this limited their loyalty to continue serving the country (while enriching themselves).
Later, Liu Bang even considered abolishing this holiday.
But in the end, nothing came of it.
A cold wind was blowing, and the weather outside was getting colder and colder.
The First Emperor huddled in his bedchamber, wrapped in a quilt and breathing out warm air. Beside him, a beautiful woman continuously soaked his feet in hot water, bringing him some warmth.
Why is the weather so cold this year? Last year, I didn't feel this cold at all!
"Your Majesty, perhaps it's because you haven't been able to get up early in the mornings lately and haven't been practicing Tai Chi?"
"Cough cough!"
Having his sore spot hit by Gao Shu, the First Emperor coughed a couple of times to ease the awkwardness. To be honest, he had really become much lazier since meeting Li Lin.
He never used to sleep in late.
I basically get up before dawn.
I don't know what's wrong with me lately, I've become increasingly lazy.
but.
But his overall energy and spirit were much better.
A few days ago, the renowned doctor Chen Xiao gave him another check-up and found that most of the toxins accumulated in his body had been expelled by his body's automatic recovery function.
Although the remaining waste cannot be completely eliminated, its impact on the body is no longer as severe.
Moreover, Chen Xiao also discovered that his physical fitness had improved significantly, and his overall health was many times better than it had been six months ago.
"I'm afraid that I've been working too hard on state affairs these past few days, which has led to my physical exhaustion."
The First Emperor's explanation is somewhat far-fetched.
Gao Shu chuckled and brushed it off, but in his heart he knew perfectly well that His Majesty had handed over most of the government affairs to Prince Fusu in recent days.
The aim was to cultivate Fusu's ability to handle daily administrative affairs.
He only selectively intervenes when something truly significant happens.
Poor Fusu.
Because the Prime Minister was absent, he not only had to help his good father, the Emperor, with his work, but also had to help arrange the smooth operation of the Prime Minister's residence.
He was so exhausted that he hadn't had a good night's sleep in months.
My hair has fallen out quite a bit.
He has completely lost the handsome, long-haired scholar he once was.
"Your Majesty, this is a letter from Prime Minister Li, who arrived in Xianyang this morning."
"Oh? That little brat Li Lin, he's not planning to stay in Chu until after the New Year before coming over, is he?"
The First Emperor accepted the sealed letter with a laugh and a curse, tore open the outer envelope, and held the two large pages of writing inside in his hands.
I looked at it carefully.
His brows furrowed and relaxed at times, leaving Gao Shu standing to the side, unsure of what to say.
Fifteen minutes passed.
He finished reading all the words in the letter, and his expression turned somewhat dejected.
"Your Majesty, what did Prime Minister Li write in the envelope?"
"Sigh, that little brat actually gave his student Han Xin so much autonomy; it's utterly lawless! However, no matter how unreliable Han Xin is, he's still one of our own. Using Han Xin to truly control Jiangnan makes me feel more at ease than relying on the Xiang clan. But..."
"Just what?"
"It's just that I was too hasty. This rascal explained his true intentions for going to Chu in his letter. I was negligent. If we had followed his ideas, I'm afraid the people of Chu would have completely submitted to Qin in less than three years!"
"Your Majesty, isn't that a good thing?"
"It's a good thing, but it's a pity I transferred him back. He had no choice but to use Han Xin. What kind of person is Han Xin? Last time I saw him, I felt he was very unreliable. If Li Lin were in Jiangnan, even if the Xiang clan in Jiangnan wanted to rebel, they wouldn't be able to cause any big trouble. But with Han Xin in Jiangnan, I'm very worried."
"Your Majesty, since Prime Minister Li has chosen Han Xin, he must have his reasons. Perhaps Han Xin can play a role that we are unaware of?"
"Yes, I hope so. The news from the Xiongnu is very urgent. Xiongnu Chanyu Touman has already begun to unify the Xiongnu tribes. If Touman Chanyu really unifies the scattered Xiongnu tribes, the threat to Great Qin will be unprecedented. I don't want the Chu region, which I am most worried about, to rebel again at this critical juncture!"
The First Emperor originally intended to use brutal killings to intimidate the villains of the world and create a stable environment within the Qin Dynasty for his campaign against the Xiongnu.
However, Li Lin did not follow his plan.
This was beyond his expectations.
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