"What? Do you all disobey me?"
The First Emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, which immediately terrified the two eunuchs, who then respectfully went to invite all the people over.
Ying Zheng's carriage was very large.
It can accommodate a maximum of seven or eight people.
Now that Li Si, Wang Ben, Li Xin, and Li Lin have arrived, there are only four more people, so Ying Zheng does not feel crowded.
Li Si glanced at the people present, first at Wang Ben and Li Xin, without any change in his expression.
But when he saw Li Lin, he was completely dumbfounded.
What is he doing here?
Could it be that the First Emperor has really taken a liking to him and wants to make him his son-in-law?
Li Si was completely baffled.
Of course, not only was he completely confused, but even Li Lin, the person involved, was completely confused.
When will the First Emperor summon people to ask him questions and find him?
How could he possibly answer the First Emperor's questions?
Besides, he doesn't want to be in the limelight right now.
Wang Ben's face was expressionless. He was still troubled by Xu Fu's matter, so he had no mood to care about Li Lin.
“Pull back the curtains and look at the people kneeling down along the way. Look at their faces and the clothes they are wearing. How do you feel? Don’t you feel that all the hard work we’ve put in over the years has been in vain?”
The First Emperor's expression was very solemn; he sensed an unusual significance in the reality of the people suffering from famine.
If all the people of the Qin Dynasty were like this...
Then the Qin Empire might very well perish after only two generations, just as Li Lin had predicted!
If people have food in their diet, it means they are not getting enough to eat!
That was an extremely morbid state!
Ordinary people may not have a wealthy life or a high social status, but they cannot be without the basic right to survival!
When survival itself becomes an extreme problem.
This indicates that the dynasty's governance was a complete failure.
It was destined to perish!
These are insights he gained from observing things in the State of Zhao since he was a child, and even now, after being the King of Qin for thirty-four years, he has never forgotten them!
Faced with the First Emperor's startling question.
Li Si was speechless; he didn't know what to say.
He knew the current situation of the Qin Dynasty.
Throughout the land, the fields are overgrown with weeds.
Ordinary people had to bear heavy corvée labor, build the Great Wall, repair imperial tombs, drive back the Xiongnu, and conquer Lingnan.
All the laborers have been conscripted.
Not only are the common people in the Qin Dynasty out of food, but even the landlords have no surplus grain.
However, Li Si dared not report these things.
After all, Zhao Gao had personally reviewed all the previous memorials. If Zhao Gao had said anything bad about him, he would be finished.
Therefore, he only reports good news and not bad news.
Deceiving superiors and concealing the truth from subordinates.
As a result, Ying Zheng currently has no idea what the true situation of the Qin Dynasty is.
Of course, if Zhao Gao hadn't been imprisoned today, the First Emperor would never have seen the true faces of these ordinary people.
After all, Lord Zhao Gao was too soft-hearted and kind-hearted, and couldn't bear to see the suffering of the common people. He would have people driven the people away in advance.
Wang Ben didn't know what to say.
He knew that this was a matter concerning the very foundation of the nation, and that if he said the wrong thing, his entire family would be in danger of being wiped out.
Li Xin also fell silent.
The First Emperor looked at the three men in silence, then turned his gaze to Li Lin.
Li Lin wasn't stupid; he knew he couldn't tell the truth at this moment, so he shook his head as well.
However, Ying Zheng heard everything he was thinking.
[Alas, it turns out that the First Emperor wasn't a tyrant after all. I used to think he was, only caring about his own pleasure and disregarding the lives of ordinary people. Now I finally understand; I was wrong about him! He was also a person who cared about the people. It's just a pity that these ministers dared not speak the truth to him, fearing his punishment. Alas, is this a side effect of his authority reaching its peak? No one dared to speak the truth anymore, because those who did would never have a good end!]
So that's how it is!
Ying Zheng suddenly understood, and his previous doubts vanished instantly.
This Li Lin kid is truly a man of great talent!
Once we return to Xianyang Palace, I will make him my personal attendant, ensuring he serves as my charioteer and allows him to fully utilize his talents!
"Alright, alright, I knew you wouldn't dare answer my question! Thirty-four years ago, at the beginning of my reign, I asked myself this question! If I could truly annex the six kingdoms and unify the four seas, what kind of peaceful and prosperous world would I create for the common people?"
The First Emperor sighed helplessly. He was now old, and when he recalled the ambitious state he had been in when he first ascended the throne, the blood flowing through his body seemed to be reborn, and he was filled with enthusiasm.
"Now, I have done everything I wanted to do, but the people's livelihood is so miserable that not a single official in the court dares to tell me the true situation of the Great Qin! I know that my authority is growing stronger every day, and I know that you are afraid of angering me and thus affecting your own careers! Therefore, I plan to issue an order after returning to Xianyang to open up channels for public opinion. I want to hear the truth, and I want to know what the real Great Qin is like! Can any of you do that?"
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