"The extra chapter for 25,000 nutrient solutions doesn't count as going back on my word..."
The Fengshan ceremony involved offering sacrifices to Heaven and Earth at the Five Sacred Mountains to demonstrate the legitimacy of the emperor's rule over the world.
Mount Tai is the highest of the Five Sacred Mountains, so it was the first choice for the Fengshan ceremony.
When Banban heard that Ying Zheng wanted to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, his first reaction was to make a face.
—She really didn't want to climb the mountain!
The next day, before dawn, Ying Zheng half-coaxed and half-forced her to attend the morning court session.
Before he could even sit down properly and before he was even fully dazed, the Confucian scholars below rejected Ying Zheng.
They wouldn't let him go.
Now Banban is fully awake.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be that old scoundrel Chunyu Yue.
He was very straightforward: "Why does Your Majesty want to perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai?"
Ying Zheng's forehead twitched: "Then why did you disagree with my going to Mount Tai for the Fengshan ceremony?"
What a fine exchange of questions!
Chunyu Yue didn't answer, keeping his mouth tightly shut, seemingly hesitating whether or not he should speak.
Xiao Heng stood upright in the hall, exchanged a glance with Han Fei, and both of them kept their eyes down.
Li Si awkwardly scratched his eyebrow with his little finger, then put his hands in his sleeves and remained silent.
Wang Wan looked cautious, with her head slightly lowered.
Ying Zheng grew increasingly angry. These Confucian scholars always seemed to obstruct him no matter what he did. "Do you perhaps think my achievements are insufficient?"
Chunyu Yue was very honest. “Your Majesty unified the world and ended a century of war. Of course, your achievements are great.”
"Am I not virtuous enough?"
"..." Chunyu Yue hesitated for a moment, the words circling in his mouth, "Now it's quite thick." (Referring specifically to the Emperor and Empress.)
Don't you even know who's been called a tyrant? What good are these two or three years? What if their true colors are revealed?
Ying Zheng swallowed his anger and asked again, "Is the livelihood of the people in Qin unstable?"
"Your Majesty has been on the throne for more than three years. He has reformed the land system, held examinations, implemented benevolent policies, and built roads to bring prosperity. As a result, the people's livelihood has gradually become more stable."
Ying Zheng: "Then what else is unacceptable?" He couldn't bear it any longer and impatiently rebuked him, "What else do you want to say, that my ascension to the throne was illegitimate?!"
He was anxious, and Chunyu Yue's emotions were also stirred up. "Of course—" He had only uttered two words when he realized what he was doing and immediately stopped talking.
The other PhDs all cast admiring glances at Chunyu Yue.
"Chunyu Yue!!!"
When the emperor is angry, millions will die.
The crowd below immediately knelt down, shouting, "Your Majesty, please calm down!"
Chunyu Yue, however, remained defiant. Perhaps he had no other choice but to speak his mind and say everything at once: "Your Majesty, the Fengshan ceremony is the ultimate expression of benevolent governance. Only a virtuous ruler who brings peace to the world, whose benevolent rule benefits all his subjects, and who receives auspicious omens from heaven, can report his achievements to the heavens."
This statement is practically a direct accusation that Qin Shi Huang achieved unification by suppressing the various states with force, killing countless people, and that his throne was stained with countless blood. He was deemed unworthy of his position and had no right to perform the Fengshan ceremony.
Moreover, the Fengshan ceremony originated from Confucianism, which is a tradition of culture and etiquette. It is an ancient and sacred ritual. How could a Qin ruler of Rong and Di origin perform the Fengshan ceremony?
In the eyes of many Confucian scholars, this was a form of cultural transgression.
But no Confucian scholar would dare to deny Ying Zheng's legitimacy.
Only Chunyu Yue, this upright Confucian scholar, dared to do so.
Banban was shocked, furious, and anxious. He slammed his fist on the table and stood up, shouting, "Are you out of your mind, Chunyu Yue?!"
Chunyu Yue, with his white beard, was truly unafraid of death. "What I have said is all the truth. If I offend Your Majesty and the Empress because of this, I will die without regret. It will be a good opportunity for the people of the world to see that the new emperor cannot tolerate Confucianism."
Even at the very end, he still had to say something to Ying Zheng.
Li Si had to give the old man a thumbs up; he had lived half his life and had never seen such a tough guy.
Seeing that Ying Zheng's face was as dark as coal, the Empress was also furious. She nervously patted Ying Zheng's back from time to time to help him calm down.
Li Si knew it was his turn to take the stage again.
He cleared his throat, and a set of words came to mind: "What Chunsheng says is so pedantic. His Majesty's creation of a great achievement for all ages is itself the greatest auspicious omen."
Chunyu Yue was stubbornly waiting to die, "Hmm?"
Li Si bowed to the head of the table and said, “The Qilin mentioned in the book is nothing but fiction. How can we believe it all? Compared with the irrelevant books, look at the head of the table. His Majesty has unified the four seas and has won many battles. He is the incarnation of a true dragon. The Empress is the mother of the world. She is kind and benevolent. The various benevolent policies she has implemented have made the common people live a good life. She is the reincarnation of a phoenix.”
As he spoke, he opened his eyes wide and gestured with his arms outstretched, "Can't you see? Look carefully, look at His Majesty and the Empress."
Banban: "..." Is this really true? I'm tempted to take a look in the mirror.
Ying Zheng's anger was interrupted: "..."
Li Si continued, exaggerating to the extreme: "Such two auspicious omens, are you all blind?"
Chunyu Yue: "You—" You're really licking my boots.
After finishing his unrealistic remarks, Li Si suddenly became serious. “His Majesty rose to power through the rule of law and unified the four seas. Now he is also able to tolerate all schools of thought and allow you to enter the court to discuss politics. His Majesty’s magnanimity is witnessed by all under heaven, but you are stubborn and inflexible, clinging to ancient laws and talking about ancient etiquette all the time.”
"Ancient laws and rituals, ancient laws and rituals, Chunyu Yue, may I ask, where is the Zhou royal family?"
Chunyu Yue only managed to say one sentence: "Of course, it has already been destroyed by His Majesty."
Li immediately retorted, "Then let's not mention Zhou rituals again!"
Chunyu Yue, in a fit of desperation, said, "So what if I want to bring it up? It's not like Your Majesty is forbidden from performing the Fengshan ceremony. Why the rush? I think it's not too late to perform it in ten or twenty years, when Your Majesty's barbarians are subdued and your people are sincerely convinced!"
If you reign properly for two years, wash away the bloodstains, and then perform the Fengshan ceremony, Heaven will surely forgive Your Majesty.
Chunyu Yue didn't think he had done anything wrong.
Ying Zheng, annoyed, said, "My mind is made up. I will perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai. You need not say anything more." He stormed out of the court in anger, giving Chunyu Yue a cold glance before leaving.
Xiao Heng looked at Chunyu Yue with admiration for a few moments, then smiled and bowed to him, saying, "The doctor is amazing; I am truly impressed."
"But His Majesty might think that you are deliberately opposing him, causing trouble, and intentionally making things difficult for him."
Chunyu Yue said with a stern face, "What Your Majesty thinks is Your Majesty's business. As a subject, I should just do my duty."
“I advise you to stay away from Li Si and not be led astray by him. He is the most treacherous minister of his time. How is he any different from Fan Sui, the prime minister who served King Zhaoxiang in the past? He is only good at flattery. He will say whatever His Majesty wants to hear, which will only harm His Majesty.”
"Oh? Dr. Chunyu, are you wishing me to become prime minister soon? I dare not, I dare not. Lord Wang Wan hasn't left yet. You're going to make things difficult for me."
When Li Si was mentioned, he arrived immediately.
Chunyu Yue's face stiffened. "Bad luck." With that, he turned and left.
On the way back to Chengzhang Palace, Ying Zheng said one sentence over and over again, "It's simply bizarre and incomprehensible."
"Strange and unpredictable" means bizarre and outrageous. "I think this Chunyu Yue is deliberately making things difficult for me, trying to weaken my authority. Confucian scholars have always been like this, looking down on us Rong and Di people who came from the west to the east!"
Ying Zheng grew increasingly angry as he spoke, and he even felt like drawing his sword to kill someone.
Chunyu Yue knew his weakness and used the opinions of the people to silence him, concluding that he would not dare to kill him. This was the time to promote the unification of the cultures of the various states, and killing the Confucian scholar who offered advice would only provoke a backlash.
“You’re so angry you’re talking nonsense, even using terms like Rong and Di.” Banban told him to stop talking. “Confucian scholars are indeed pedantic. They’ve been like this for hundreds of years. It’s all ingrained, and each one is stubborn and hard to correct.”
“With this ceremony, my cousin will inevitably hear their criticisms again. If you don’t comply with their demands, I’m afraid they will resent you or even smear your reputation.”
"Then let's give it a try." Ying Zheng sneered, "Do you really believe that I will endure this forever?"
My cousin mentioned the strange expressions on the faces of the Confucian scholars when they slandered him. Ying Zheng dismissed it with disdain, saying that they could do nothing but slander when they were angry, which was a sign of their incompetence.
So what if they smear us? It won't hurt us.
Ying Zheng ignored the advice of the scholars, which indeed caused quite a stir in the court and among the people. He disregarded everything and seriously prepared to go to Mount Tai to perform the Fengshan ceremony.
I heard that the rocks from the seaside will be transported back to Xianyang this afternoon. Banban took some time to visit Ying Zhao at the East Palace with Xing Shu. He was listening to Xiao Heng's lecture.
Xiao Heng said, "The Confucian scholars disagree with His Majesty's decision to perform the Fengshan ceremony. Do you know the root cause?"
Ying Zhao pondered for a moment and said, "The essence is that two powers are vying for the right to define 'legitimacy'."
“The Confucian scholars represented by Dr. Chunyu believed that the emperor’s legitimacy lay in ‘virtue’ and ‘ancient rites,’ and the right to interpret these two things was in the hands of the Confucian scholars.”
“My father conquered the country with his fists. The Qin state has always been pragmatic and does not pay much attention to etiquette and law. It believes that the legitimacy of the emperor lies in his ‘achievements’ and ‘strength’, and the decision-making power is in the emperor’s own hands.”
Banban crouched down, gently touched Xing Shu who was listening intently, and whispered, "Did my darling understand? Why are you so focused? Didn't you come to visit your brother?"
Xing Shu's words were simple: "It means that Chunyu Yue and the Emperor are vying for power, and in the future, whose words will carry weight in the court, and whose words will not."
After saying that, she asked with a slight doubt, "Wasn't the Zhou royal family already destroyed? How can a destroyed country still cause trouble in my Great Qin?"
Banban smiled and said, "That's because the Qin Dynasty hasn't existed for very long. The Zhou Dynasty lasted for a very long time, so it naturally had many supporters. It would be more difficult for a new dynasty to be established."
"What's so difficult about that? Just kill all those who oppose you. Father is the emperor, why should you wrong yourself?" Xing Shu frowned, unconcerned.
"Because your father wants the people of the world to truly submit, not to submit under oppression. Only genuine submission can ensure long-term rule. On the contrary, where there is oppression, there will be resistance. If your people are thinking about how to overthrow you every day, how can you sleep peacefully at night?"
Xing Shu pondered for a moment, "But if you want someone's approval, you'll be led by the nose by that person."
Banban was slightly surprised that this simple truth, which not everyone understands, was spoken by a six-year-old child.
Her way of thinking is indeed very similar to that of Qin Shi Huang in the past.
Banban discussed with her, "What you said seems right, but it also seems wrong. I don't know how to tell you. However, I suddenly realized that my Xing Shu has grown up. I shouldn't have stopped you from starting your studies earlier just because I wanted you to enjoy a couple more years of happiness. Your father has found a teacher for you, and the candidate is Li Si. You can ask him about these issues next time you see him."
Ying Zhao started attending classes before he was two years old. He would go to the palace before dawn every day and not return until evening. This was her child, how could she not feel sorry for him?
So after Xing Shu was born, Ban Ban wanted to pamper her and make her happy, including postponing her schooling for two years. Now that I think about it, wasn't that a kind of selfishness?
Education is a resource, so why can't it be given equally to sons and daughters?
Especially when the daughter is also intelligent.
"I'm sorry." She patted her little head.
Xing Shu shook her head quickly, nuzzled close to Ban Ban's cheek, and said softly, "Mother loves me." But people's perceptions are limited; she knew her mother loved her, and she didn't have any other thoughts.
"Can I choose the second gentleman myself?"
"Okay, but you can't choose someone who's incompetent," Banban asked. "Who do you want to choose?"
"Wang Ben".
Wang Jian's son, Wang Ben, who had retired to a new hometown, was also a very capable military general. As the son of the war god Wang Jian, Ying Zheng placed high hopes on him.
Wang Jian helped Ying Zheng unify the world. To prevent himself from becoming too powerful and overshadowing the emperor, he wisely withdrew from the limelight. He also keenly sensed that his daughter's true target was not Wang Ben, but Wang Jian behind him.
A strange feeling welled up in her heart. She kept stroking her little face and readily agreed, "Okay! Mother will decide for you."
Ying Zheng learned of this in the afternoon. Although surprised, he still laughed out loud. He shook his head and said, "If she can persuade Wang Jian to teach her, then she is capable, and of course I will not object. However, Wang Jian has already retired, and I cannot go back on my word and order him to return. Xing Shu is still young, so in the future, the place where she learns martial arts will be set in Wang Jian's hometown."
...If we can't order Wang Jian to come back, we might as well just send our daughter over there; that way, it won't be considered going back on our word.
Banban couldn't help but chuckle and urged him, "Let's quickly put these rocks into the furnace to calcine. I've already done my research; adding a layer of charcoal inside will make them burn more vigorously."
Zhao Meng said it was limestone, and as soon as he heard the name, Banban knew he had come to the right place.
After calcination, crushing it into powder makes quicklime. Mixing quicklime with sand and water to form a slurry creates the simplest form of cement. To make it more durable, pebbles are laid inside, so it won't dissolve in water and can withstand heavy pressure.
With cement paving the roads, we no longer have to worry about poor road quality, and we can run much faster! Documents can also be delivered much faster!
This was a significant matter concerning road construction, and Ying Zheng took it very seriously.
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Author's Note: I was so engrossed in meeting up for the new cover that I didn't notice the time, haha. I'm writing late now. [Sneaky kiss]
If I make any typos, please feel free to point them out, my darlings! I can locate you in the backend, and I'll send you a red envelope for each typo you find.
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