"That's right, it's the imperial examination system."
What is the imperial examination system?
"The imperial examination system is a standard for measuring talent through examinations. Of course, I'm afraid I can't carry out this system alone. It would take away the core interests of those princes and nobles. If you don't support it, I might not use this method now, because it goes against the times."
"What are the standards for measuring talent through examinations?"
Fusu was completely bewildered. "Prime Minister Li, how can an exam be used to measure a person's talent?"
"Young Master, tell me, what is the current system for selecting talent in the Great Qin Dynasty?"
"Uh... learn legal knowledge from officials and then rise through the ranks? Or perhaps rise through military merit?"
"No, no, no, you're only seeing the surface, not the essence. On the surface, the military merit system seems reasonable, but now that the world is at peace and there's no war, the path to promotion through military merit is dead. Do you think there will be any fresh blood injected into the military system? Hasn't the command of the Qin army always been controlled by a few famous families?"
"That's true... but aren't most officials in the imperial court started from the bottom?"
"Hehe, what you see at the grassroots level may not be the grassroots level. It may just be a show, a formality. Why are local officials in various parts of Qin so unpopular these days? It's because most of them are the sons of meritorious officials or local landlords and powerful families. They don't treat ordinary people as human beings at all. If local officials treat the people like this, do you still expect the people to come out to the aid of the king when Qin is in trouble?"
"this......"
Fusu was speechless. He felt that Li Lin's words made a lot of sense. Now that he was personally involved in the government, he felt more and more that most officials in the Qin Dynasty treated the common people as just a string of numbers.
A string of figures representing his own political achievements.
They didn't consider them as human beings, as people exactly like themselves.
What will this distorted contempt bring about?
It brings arrogance and prejudice.
"Young master, I have something to say that is truly hurtful, but I don't know whether I should say it or not."
"President Li, please speak freely. Fusu is not the kind of petty person who speaks without cause."
"Very well, then I will take offense. The main person responsible for the downfall of the Qin Dynasty is His Majesty the present!"
"ah?"
"Let me explain in detail."
"good!"
"My lord, if I do not intervene, whose hands will the Qin Dynasty fall in the future?"
"Remnants of the six kingdoms? Sons of meritorious officials?"
"Neither."
What is that?
"They are the poor, the poor who can't survive. This has been the case in every dynasty. The Shang dynasty wasn't destroyed by King Wu of Zhou, but by the poor masses. Who could have imagined that the 300,000 slaves who helped King Zhou of Shang attack Zhou would betray him at the crucial moment?"
"this......"
"Similarly, the decline of the Zhou dynasty was also due to this. The people were sickly and pale, but the king was unaware of it. He was incompetent and greedy for beauty. Although there is a story about King You of Zhou playing with the feudal lords by lighting the beacon fires, in essence, it was because the people's hearts were lost. King Li of Zhou treated the people tyrannically, suppressing their voices more than trying to stop a river from flowing. As a result, the people had grievances but could not vent them. Those who did vent were beheaded. The people dared to be angry but dared not speak out. Although the successor wanted to change things, the people's hearts had already been lost, and he did not have the magnanimity of a superhuman. Thus, the Zhou dynasty split in two, and its decline was inevitable."
"This viewpoint was mentioned in the pamphlet that you had Manyin bring me before, and you also said in it that no matter how hard life is, the poor should not suffer. Is this the reason?"
"No, no, no, I only wrote an overview in the pamphlet. The people are human beings, not beasts, and certainly not just pretty statistics. Their wishes are very simple; as long as they have food to eat, they will never rebel. No one wants to be a rebel sent down from heaven. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Prime Minister Li, you're right. Father Emperor indeed doesn't like the people of the land. He never hesitates to kill them..."
Fusu sighed.
Indeed, the First Emperor was a great emperor throughout history, and he made countless achievements.
But it must be said that the tens of millions of skeletons that built the Great Wall were completely oblivious to it.
No one has ever denied his achievements, but no one has ever admitted that he was good to the people under his rule at the time.
Throughout history, with the exception of a few saints.
"His Majesty was born into nobility. Even though he experienced the hardships of the common people in Zhao during his childhood, his fundamental thinking is that of aristocrats. This is not something he wanted to become. I know that he is a person who wants to provide a good environment for all people under heaven, and I also know that he is not a cruel and bloodthirsty person. However, this prejudice in his bones determines that he will never consider the feelings of the people when governing."
"Prime Minister Li, Fusu originally thought he understood his father well enough, but I never imagined that you were the one who truly understood his father!"
"Alas, I am also suffering. Fortunately, His Majesty has changed a lot now, otherwise I really wouldn't have dared to reduce the scale and duration of corvée labor under his previous circumstances."
Li Lin shook his head; at this moment, what he was about to say was something he was very hesitant to do.
If Fusu were to expose him before the First Emperor, he would likely be reprimanded and punished by the emperor.
Of course, Fusu's character was guaranteed.
That's why he dared to speak out some of his true thoughts.
However, he probably never dreamed that the First Emperor's recent changes were because he had heard his true thoughts before, which led to his gradual correction.
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