"I'd be heartbroken if the Great Wall got damaged while repairing it."
In the end, he couldn't argue his way out of it. Just then, the puppy barked for food, so he took the food from Banban's hand and threw it to the puppy. "The puppy is very nice."
Banban raised his hand to hit him, but he dodged away.
At night, they found a post station to rest.
Banban had hot water prepared for her to wash up before she lay down to sleep.
Ying Zheng was easy to please; he was easygoing and not picky. If he hadn't brought his wife with him on this trip, he could have stayed in the royal palace at night, and his main meal would have been simply roasted meat.
She was different. She had a refined lifestyle, wore different clothes every day, slept in a comfortable bed and a safe place at night, and used rouge and perfumes every day. Wherever she went, a faint fragrance would linger.
In this way, the speed of the tour slowed down considerably, and the pace slowed down, allowing Ying Zheng to see the scenery, customs, and realities of the entire country.
"Throughout the country, only one in ten people agree with the prefecture-county system."
When government orders are issued to local areas, they are often outwardly obeyed but inwardly defied. In areas where the government can see the policies, they are often implemented, but in areas where the government cannot see the policies, the old ways revert to their old ways.
This is a serious question.
The first tour ended hastily, and it was a year later when they returned to Xianyang.
At the same time, the Xiongnu began to stir and intended to invade the Qin state. They believed that the Qin Dynasty was newly established, the country was in turmoil, and there were many people who did not recognize the Qin emperor, so it was a good time to cause trouble.
Banban never expected that after Ying Zheng stopped his intention to attack someone, they would actually turn around and attack.
Ying Zheng felt he had been severely provoked, and though he suppressed his anger, he summoned Meng Tian to the palace that very night.
Banban was busy hosting the night banquet, the first banquet after the unification of the world, with all six kingdoms gathered, and she wanted to make it as perfect as possible.
Ying Zhao asked, "Mother, is there going to be another war? I saw Meng Tian carrying a weapon I've never seen before, it seems to be called a musket."
"I don't know either." Banban patted his head. "I'll ask your father tonight, maybe it is. Why are you asking?"
Ying Zhao hesitated for a moment, then whispered furtively, "I want to go too."
Banban: "?" He immediately raised his hand.
Ying Zhao hunched his neck and squeezed his eyes shut. After waiting for a long time without feeling any pain, he silently opened his eyes.
Banban patted his head. "You've really grown up. You're already ten years old." She said thoughtfully, "When your Uncle Geng'er was your age, he was able to infiltrate the enemy camp single-handedly and kill Gongzi Chengjiao, who was causing trouble for your father."
Ying Zhao was shocked: "???"
who?
That carefree and irresponsible Ji Chenghong?
His expression immediately turned serious.
“Your father will surely be pleased if you want to join the army.” Banban understands Ying Zheng and knows his thoughts. “But you must remember that your home is still in Xianyang, where your loving father and mother are, and your sister is thinking of you.”
"Your participation in the army will not only allow you to truly experience what war means, but also to understand that the Qin army fought to the death... all for the sake of the great nation you will inherit in the future."
“I know.” Ying Zhao immediately smiled brightly. “I will not be the crown prince after this trip. I want to be like them. Qin belongs to my father and mother. In the future, it will belong to me and everyone else.”
As night fell, the banquet was held at Zhangtai Palace.
Ying Zhao had probably already mentioned his desire to join the army to Ying Zheng, and a slight smile appeared on Ying Zheng's face, the gloom dissipating somewhat.
The banquet officially began, and a minister named Zhou Qingchen bowed and began to praise Ying Zheng's achievements, extolling his virtues to the skies, "Especially the county system implemented by Your Majesty has brought peace to the world, and there is no more war or internal strife! Your Majesty's merits and demerits will be remembered for thousands of years!"
Once this was said, many people echoed it.
Ying Zheng might not be too happy to hear this, but he could generally understand the reason behind it. The civil war might be over, but the slow pace of issuing decrees to local areas and their inability to be implemented were things that had been troubling him lately.
Before he could even say a few words to let people sit down, a minister on his left suddenly stood up and moved to the front of the courtyard. "Your Majesty, I cannot agree."
After a quick inspection, it was discovered that those sitting there were all scholars, nobles left over from the six kingdoms, and now all seventy scholar positions had been filled.
Ying Zheng was too lazy to say more, "Speak freely."
Banban glanced at Qin Ju, then bowed and whispered a reminder, "This man's name is Chunyu Yue."
Looking at the servants in the courtyard, he had a gray beard and a slightly broad build. He looked like a typical pedantic elder. Everyone was getting a headache. It was obvious what kind of nonsense Chunyu Yue was going to spout.
As expected, he immediately brought up Ying Zheng's tour, asking, "May I ask what Your Majesty gained from this tour?"
Ying Zheng: "Chunsheng speaks frankly." He hates the kind of beating around the bush.
Chunyu Yue choked, "In my opinion, the prefecture-county system is absolutely unacceptable!"
Ying Zheng fell silent, the veins on his forehead throbbing.
Banban opened his voice, "Chunsheng, please share your insights. The Great Qin has never had any strict etiquette or rules, so please speak freely."
Upon hearing this, Chunyu Yue's expression softened, and he bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace."
He immediately spoke earnestly, saying, “Your Majesty, I have heard that the kings of the Shang Dynasty lived for over a thousand years, enfeoffing their sons, brothers, and meritorious officials as their own supporters, thus ensuring peace both inside and outside the country. But now Your Majesty reigns over the four seas, yet you only have two dukes and six ministers. How can you be considered supporters? How can you provide assistance?”
Although the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers were established, there were still vacancies. His statement about the Two Dukes and Six Ministers was indeed true.
"The Northern Xiongnu are invading. How can the prefectures and counties established by Your Majesty resist them? There are no soldiers or troops on the border. We can only accept our fate and die!"
"If the country is divided into fiefdoms, the lords of the border regions can lead troops to resist."
"However, we still need the central government to mobilize troops, which is inefficient and relies on conscription, which not only increases the burden on the people, but also makes it difficult to get the troops to the border quickly."
The implication is that the central government has excessive power, leaving local authorities rigid and powerless.
While this statement makes sense, it's not necessarily the case that reverting to the feudal system is the only solution.
Li Si was so angry he was snorting and glaring. Before he could get up, a loud 'bang' startled him. He turned around and saw, good heavens, Han Fei, his face red and neck bulging.
"Chunsheng's words are truly the views of a pedantic scholar! The Zhou royal family has been enfeoffing states for hundreds of years, and the feudal lords have been attacking each other like wolves. The emperor is merely a figurehead. How can the enfeoffment continue? How can the feudal lords be given troops? Who doesn't want to be emperor? Are you willing to be subservient to others? What if they follow the example of the ancient states and form an alliance against Qin? Can you bear that responsibility?!"
Chunyu Yue: "I—"
Han Fei was still pounding away, so angry he couldn't even stutter anymore, leaving Li Si speechless: "Chunsheng is over sixty, how much can he withstand in times of trouble? He's gone, that's it. The people of Dawn, who have finally managed to settle down, will be plunged into endless war again. Is this what you want to see?!"
Chunyu Yue exploded, pointing at him, "You Han Fei! You're cursing me to die young?"
Han Fei scoffed, "How old are you? Do you still need me to curse you?"
Chunyu Yue felt dizzy and unsteady, but fortunately, the group of doctors behind him quickly got up to support him and spoke up for him.
Someone said, "Grand Tutor Han, when rites and music collapse, the ruler and his ministers will be in chaos; when the well-field system is abolished, the people's hearts will be scattered!"
Li Si stood up and pressed down on Han Fei's trembling hand. He said slowly and with a smile, "Your Majesty has created a legacy that will last for ten thousand generations. How could a foolish scholar like me understand it? We must follow the ancient methods and return to the old ways of governing by tying knots."
After saying that, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he became serious and earnest, saying, "His Majesty's permission for Confucian scholars to attend court is already an act of great benevolence."
He turned around, faced Ying Zheng, and bowed, saying, "In order to curb these chaotic thoughts and protect the people from being misled, I request that all historical records other than those of Qin be burned, and that those who privately possess the Book of Poetry, the Book of History, and the works of various philosophers be executed in the marketplace, so that the people may take officials as their teachers and the law as their teaching. In this way, the people will not be misled, and scholars will not speak recklessly."
"Li Tingwei!" Chunyu Yue exclaimed in horror, immediately glancing at the Emperor Qin's face above him. He knelt down with a thud, "Your Majesty! You mustn't!"
Han Fei's eyes widened as he frequently glanced at Li Si.
Li Si tucked his hand under his elbow, signaling him to calm down.
All seventy scholars stepped forward and knelt down, begging the Qin Emperor not to listen to Li Si's seditious words.
Banban was filled with doubt and uncertainty. Wow, is this the "burning of books" in the story of burning books and burying scholars alive? My cousin did indeed want to burn the books of the six states in order to unify culture and thought, so that future generations would no longer have a way to understand the six states, and to plant the seeds of unification from the root. Although this move was crude, it cannot be said to be useless.
Then she heard Ying Zheng's sighing voice, "Li Si, oh Li Si."
He muttered to himself, his voice soft, whether in praise or reproach, "If opening a window is blocked, just pretend you're going to lift the roof off, and the window will open naturally."
General: OO
It turns out that Li Si said that on purpose.
Ying Zheng pondered for a moment, then feigned concern, saying, "The differences between enfeoffment and prefectures are so great that there is no way to resolve them. The Minister of Justice is right. Let's leave it at that and discuss this matter later."
Chunyu Yue's eyelids rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.
Banban raised her sleeve to cover her lips and exchanged a glance with Ying Zheng.
Xiao Heng had already persuaded Ying Zheng about the burning of the books of the six states, and he no longer had such a thought. He was only saying this now to scare Chunyu Yue and the group of Confucian scholars.
Xiao Heng said a lot, but Ying Zheng remained cold and unconvinced. Finally, he brought out his trump card: "Preserve everything of the six states, so that future generations can clearly see how Qin defeated them and make them sincerely submit. It is better to guide than to block. In this way, Your Majesty can have a clear conscience."
Ying Zheng was tempted.
Afterwards, Li Si directly proposed various policy suggestions regarding the burning of books.
First, he proposed destroying all historical records except those of the Qin state, and all records kept by official historians should also be burned. If any historian refused to comply, they should be torn apart by chariots and displayed to the public.
Secondly, in order to restrict the spread of ideas among the various states, the Book of Poetry, the Book of Documents, and the works of the various schools of thought had to be sent to the government for unified burning.
Third, private schools were prohibited, and those who discussed the Book of Poetry and the Book of Documents were executed; those who used the past to discuss the present were exterminated.
These terms were outrageously harsh. For example, those who failed to burn books according to the law after the order was issued would have their faces tattooed and be sent to guard the border as lowly soldiers to die.
Banban leaned against the bed, reading through the text one by one, quite astonished.
"Even though it was all an act, Li Si was too ruthless."
Ying Zheng was shaving. After finishing, he touched his chin and found it smooth as ever, with no sign of a beard. He took a damp towel from Cong Yun and wiped it clean. He said, "How can people believe it if I'm not ruthless? How can I cause turmoil?"
"He was willing to be the villain for me, to be cursed by thousands; he was truly a loyal man."
Judging from his tone, he seemed to admire Li Si.
Banban put the memorial down, saying, "If it weren't for Xiao Heng's advice, I'm afraid my cousin would have done just that."
Ying Zheng bent down and stroked her flowing hair. "There are no ifs. Zhao'er wants to join the army. Did you tell her?"
"I already told you." She wrapped her arms around his neck, letting him lift her up and carry her to the bathtub. She stroked his smooth chin, giggled, snuggled closer, and kissed him repeatedly, her voice trailing off playfully, "Cousin..."
“I want to tie my hair up,” she requested.
"Okay." He took out a hairband and quickly tied her long hair together, making a bow.
She taught him this knot.
"My hair is too long, and it feels heavy and uncomfortable when it's wet."
“If I cut it short, you’ll complain that it doesn’t look good.”
“It seems so.” She nestled in Ying Zheng’s arms and pointed to the pool below. “We need to go down there.”
"Hmm?" He was intently tracing her face with his lips and tongue, his voice low, "How about we play up there for a while?"
She naturally agreed.
Shaving is for the important thing.
After he finished his work, she, panting, insisted on helping him. After a while, she suddenly came up with a new and brilliant idea.
She knelt before him, her chest pressed against his.
He was amazed by its extraordinary talent.
After a long while, he pulled her back into his arms, feeling sorry for her flushed chest, and leaned down to kiss her, saying, "Let's not do it next time."
"Why? My cousin is clearly very happy." Banban looked puzzled.
No sooner had he finished speaking than he bit her. She cried out in pain and pinched his face.
His face was covered in red marks, so they evened things out.
He regretted pinching her a little, then held her gently and kissed her tenderly, secretly reluctant to let go, "What if I hurt her? I'll be heartbroken."
He spoke with a pointed remark, gently squeezing the softness in his palm, "What if you break it? I'll be heartbroken." His words were almost identical.
However, the two are referring to different things.
Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she hesitated to speak.
Then, feeling a bit nauseous, he fell into the pool, splashing water everywhere.
Not long after, Li Si's memorial caused a great uproar.
Unexpectedly, the proposal by the PhDs to abolish the prefecture-county system and reinstate the feudal system has caused such a huge consequence, and those who have already benefited from the prefecture-county system are filled with anger.
The talented students and teachers in the academies couldn't stand it even more. What would they learn if their books were burned?
They simply finished cursing Li Si, and then they cursed the group of PhDs.
The PhDs' opposition to the county system was dropped, and no one dared to bring it up again.
As for Chunyu Yue's claim that the central government's troops could only reach certain areas, Ying Zheng had to admit that this was indeed the case.
Ultimately, the solution comes back to road construction.
The Xiongnu have invaded the Qin state and have already lost territory; the situation is urgent.
Ying Zheng ordered Meng Tian, Li You, and Ji Chenghong to lead troops to the northern border to defend against the Xiongnu invasion. At the same time, he ordered the people to be conscripted again to continue building roads. This time, the road to be built was a road that went directly from the center to the northern border. He named this road the "Straight Road" and made sure that it could reach the northern border as quickly as possible.
This time, Chunyu Yue was smarter. He said that instead of building roads, it would be better to build the Great Wall, which would better defend against the Xiongnu invasion. He suggested connecting the old Great Walls built by the Qin, Zhao, and Yan states to defend against the Hu people, extending and reinforcing them to form a complete defensive line. He suggested that Meng Tian should be in charge of the project.
It was assumed that Ying Zheng would be very anxious and impatient, and would immediately agree to build the Great Wall.
Unexpectedly, he remained calm and composed, and after ordering Meng Tian and others to lead the troops out, he put aside the matter of the Great Wall, saying, "For now, it is not impossible to build both."
Chunyu Yue was stunned. "Du Xiu is exhausting and causes great harm to the people. What should we do?"
Ying Zheng said, "The Empress advocates recuperation and slow repair. It can be done in ten or twenty years. The purpose is to save future generations from worry. There is no need to rush."
Chunyu Yue recalled the rumors circulating these days that the Qin Emperor had developed a weapon that was being mass-produced, and wondered if it could have a significant impact on the Xiongnu.
Since that's the case, he simply shut his mouth.
If tyranny doesn't harm the people, what else can he say?
The Qin Emperor also rejected Li Si's proposal to burn books.
Before he knew it, Chunyu Yue had actually come to admire him.
...Just follow along, what else can you do?
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Author's Note: Here it is! This chapter is a bit more focused on the main storyline, so Banban appears less often and later in the chapter. Here's a red envelope for you, muah!
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