At this point, Li Lin no longer cared about any taboos.
If you're going to talk about it, then you should say something truly shocking!
"Lao Tzu once said, governing a large country is like cooking a small fish. Your Majesty, the method proposed by the Imperial Censor to strengthen supervision is actually in line with Lao Tzu's saying about cooking a small fish. Tell me, if a country's good policies cannot be enjoyed by the ordinary people, then what difference is there between enacting such good policies and not enacting them at all?"
He paused, glanced at the First Emperor's expression, and seeing him nod, continued, "Therefore, restraining the power of local officials and reducing the interference of local powerful families in the promulgation of central policies is of utmost importance and urgent need. The local officials of the six states wield considerable prestige in their regions. Your Majesty's personnel policies over the years have been entirely flawed. Now that the world is unified, why are the people of Yan governing Yan, and the people of Qi governing Qi...?"
"How dare you, Li Zhongcheng! How dare you criticize His Majesty's wise and sagacious personnel policy? His Majesty's ability to recognize and appoint capable people is something a mere child like you could never understand!"
"Outrageous! Li Zhongcheng, your treasonous act of openly criticizing His Majesty's earlier personnel policies deserves to be punished!"
......
As soon as Li Lin finished speaking, these meritorious class members jumped out one by one, as if they had been bitten on the tail, and openly interrupted him.
"shut up!"
The First Emperor's face darkened, and he roared, "What are you all shouting about? Since Vice Minister Li thinks I'm wrong, let him explain why I'm wrong. Are you suggesting that I don't even have the magnanimity to accept mistakes?"
"Your Majesty, I dare not. I am merely indignant..."
"You all must not interrupt. Let Li Zhongcheng finish speaking before we discuss this!"
"promise!"
These ministers appeared outwardly obsequious, but inwardly they were extremely resentful.
After all, the First Emperor's personnel policies over the years were not something he did alone; they were all involved in pushing them forward. Therefore, Li Lin's words immediately hit their weak point.
Stab it as hard as you can!
"Hmph, it is because of you bunch of pedantic people that the Great Qin Dynasty has fallen into such a state of ruin during its golden age! The people of the world are living in misery, and you, you high-ranking officials in the court, have you ever considered rescuing these people from their suffering? I, Li Lin, am telling you here and now, if you do not rescue them, someone else will. When that time comes, it will be the time when your heads are hanging on the gate tower of Xianyang!"
He paused here, deliberately trying to see the expressions on the faces of the ministers he was criticizing.
They noticed that their facial expressions were extremely ferocious, and their complexions had even turned liver-colored.
At this moment, he sneered and rebuked, "Are kings and nobles born with a special destiny? Do you really think you are born into nobility? What goes around comes around. With the fall of the Qin Dynasty, even if you have been high-ranking officials for generations, how can you possibly resist the vast ocean of this people's war? Ordinary people may not even be as important as a dog in your mansions, hmph! The rich feast while the poor freeze to death. You will pay the price for your arrogance!"
"Lord Li, how dare you humiliate us like this?"
"I thought you had some profound insights, but instead you're just like a common street urchin, hurling insults at us in every way. How dare you!"
"How dare you utter such treasonous words before His Majesty! You are courting death!"
Li Lin remained calm and unmoved by their threats. In his view, these people had played an extremely important role in promoting the historical process of unifying the Qin Dynasty.
But after unifying the world, they became the most stubborn corrupt elements who influenced Qin's policies and hindered Qin's continued development!
At any time.
Everyone has two sides.
They were no exception.
Humans are never diodes.
The First Emperor was the same.
Every good side has its bad side. No one is perfect. It's just that some people are a mix of good and bad, while others are a 30/70 split.
"Your Majesty, you must have seen them, right? These are the ministers you have relied on all these years. Open your eyes and take a good look. Which one of them here is not a pillar of our Great Qin? Which one of them, when they go out into the grassroots of Great Qin, is not a tyrant who bullies others? If even these central officials of Great Qin, the officials right under Your Majesty's nose, are so arrogant and rude, what about those at the lowest levels, the ordinary people? Are they even human beings in the eyes of these people? Huh?"
"this......"
The First Emperor was stumped by the question; to be honest, he really didn't know what to say.
Li Lin's statement was too radical, so radical that even he was somewhat at a loss.
"Your Majesty, the officialdom of Qin has deteriorated to the extreme, as is clear evidence. In the past, Zou Ji advised King Qi to accept criticism... and Qi became powerful because King Qi listened to Zou Ji's advice and opened up channels for advice. Now, what is the situation in Qin? You should know that channels for advice have been cut off. How many loyal ministers have been dismissed for advising you? As a result, most of the officials in the court are just clowns, all talk and no action, which has made the situation in the world even more complicated!"
"In your opinion, is there any good remedy?"
"Your Majesty, I have over seven hundred ways to govern the country. But now, I believe that Great Qin does not need such complexity. There are only three: First, abolish harsh laws and ease the hearts of all people; second, execute corrupt officials who hold their positions without merit and reshape the bureaucracy; third, local officials should not be from the same region, local powerful families should not interfere with the policies of the local government, and local powerful families should not collude with local officials."
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