This sudden blow jolted the First Emperor, who was engrossed in the utopian ideas Li Si had described, into a state of utter confusion.
What kind of ruthless and powerful figure was he?
Although his perspective was limited by the times, it doesn't mean he was stupid.
Otherwise, how could he have dared to establish a feudal monarchical system that lasted for two thousand years in China and decisively adopted the prefecture-county system, which had never been fully implemented before? (Later, Liu Bang reversed history by implementing a system of parallel prefectures and kingdoms, which ultimately led to the Rebellion of the Seven States.)
Didn't the later Han Dynasty inherit the system of the Qin Dynasty?
The Han dynasty's adoption of the Qin system was no joke.
After listening to Li Lin's indignant words, he suddenly broadened his horizons.
He now understood the problem at hand.
This was the system the Qin state had when it was conquering the world.
Even now, despite having secured the realm, the Qin state remains under a system of constant warfare.
Although the national mobilization capacity was extremely fast, it also greatly increased the burden on the entire Qin people.
That's why the problem of complicated corvée labor has remained unresolved.
Because the Qin Dynasty was still at war, it had not yet entered the period of recuperation and development after the war. The people did not have enough time to rest or cultivate rice.
On the surface, the Qin Dynasty still appeared as powerful as ever, but internally it was already exhausted.
well!
These are all my faults!
Having understood these things, the First Emperor quickly grasped why the Qin Dynasty had not entered the so-called golden age he had envisioned, and why ordinary people were living in dire straits.
This Li Lin is indeed a great talent; I knew I hadn't misjudged him!
National conditions are the fundamental reason for a country's choice of governance system. At no time should we talk about policies in isolation from national conditions; that would be unreliable. Everything must be based on the fundamentals.
Upon realizing this, the First Emperor couldn't help but cast an excited glance at Li Lin.
This left Li Si completely bewildered. What was going on?
Why did Your Majesty look at Li Lin, who was sitting silently?
In a panic, he hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, what do you think of the suggestion I just made?"
Faced with Li Si's questioning, the First Emperor did not pay much attention. He moved his lips slightly and said, "Li Si, your idea is very good, and I think it is also very good. But how can you guarantee that the current Qin State can match the policies you have proposed? What if it cannot match them? Wouldn't that further exacerbate social unrest?"
"this......"
Li Shi's eyes widened instantly, and he was speechless.
"Imperial Censor, do you have any good ideas? Come forward and tell me!"
The First Emperor smiled and stepped down from the dragon throne, walking straight to Li Lin.
This once again drew envious glances from the courtiers.
This made Li Lin blush with embarrassment.
To be honest, he had always thought he had a thick skin, but after being treated like this by the First Emperor in the Qin Dynasty, he found that his mental fortitude was still too weak.
It's just a few hundred pairs of eyes, what's there to be afraid of?
At that moment, he made up his mind, stood up with his head held high, and looked at the First Emperor with great respect, saying, "Your Majesty, I am ignorant and incompetent. What good methods do I have to teach Your Majesty? I believe that the strict laws and severe punishments mentioned by the Prime Minister are the foundation of governing the country. Your Majesty may adopt the Prime Minister's strategy!"
This time, when he stood up, he did not intend to directly and openly offend the interests of the Qin Dynasty.
Everyone knows that reforms will force a large number of vested interests to make sacrifices.
What courage that is!
First came Shang Yang's reforms, then what?
Shang Yang was torn apart by chariots!
Later came the reforms of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
How did Emperor Xiaowen die?
The cause is unknown; one theory is that he died of anger after being cuckolded.
(It seems that the actual mastermind behind this was the Empress Dowager, but the Empress Dowager's ending was not good either, and the relationship between her and her son was not good.)
Then there's Wang Anshi. He was sidelined and failed, though his reforms also had problems.
Then came Zhang Juzheng. After Zhang Juzheng died, his entire family was executed, and even his own body was dug up. How tragic!
The last group consisted of the gentlemen of the Hundred Days' Reform, who were too radical and ended up being beheaded.
With these precedents laid out before us, Li Lin will absolutely not be the first to act. This matter can only succeed if the emperor takes the lead.
Although Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei met a tragic end, at least he succeeded.
The same applies to Shang Yang, who was supported by Duke Xiao of Qin.
Wang Anshi was no match for Emperor Shenzong of Song, who kept changing his mind and refused to stick to his principles, leading to a disastrous defeat.
Li Lin's statement.
This left the First Emperor utterly bewildered. What was going on? Hadn't this guy just been fiercely criticizing Li Si's actions in his mind? What happened? Why was he now supporting him?
Not only was the First Emperor frustrated, but Li Si was also frustrated.
The fact that someone who supports his legal ideology is actually Li Lin, whom he has looked down on for many years, is an ignorant and incompetent person with no real talent. Isn't this stark reality too ironic?
"Imperial Censor, are you sure that's what you're thinking?"
"Your Majesty, I am absolutely certain that there is no more effective method in the Great Qin than the one proposed by the Prime Minister!"
He nodded neither humbly nor arrogantly.
Especially with his sincere demeanor, if the First Emperor hadn't known his true thoughts, he would have really thought he was a fervent Legalist believer.
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