Zhao Qingrui brought up the issue of surnames for discussion during the court meeting the next day.
"Your Majesty, allowing the people to have surnames is indeed a good thing, as it makes management easier." Zhou Yan stood up again.
"The Er clan is the root of the nobility. We must not give it up."
As for Zhou Yan, there were many people in the court who supported him. These people were basically the former nobles of the six kingdoms, as well as some old Qin people.
"Yes, Your Majesty, Your Majesty is now appointing the people, and we have also regressed. Your Majesty is now digging up our roots."
"I second the motion."
"Surnames distinguish marriages, clan names distinguish nobles and humbles. Clan names are branches of surnames, used to distinguish the origins of descendants and should not be abolished."
Zhao Qingrui was very calm listening to these people's words. Her father had already told her about it before, so she was mentally prepared.
"My lords, didn't you hear what I said clearly? I never said that I would abolish the surname system. I just won't record it in the household register. The court won't be able to interfere with your use of it in the future." Zhao Qingrui said calmly.
Nobles, don't be in a hurry now. We can solve it slowly in the future. We must abolish the aristocratic system.
Count back a few generations and see how good each one’s background is.
Even her own ancestors, she knew something about them from books.
Our family's history can be traced back to Zhuanxu, one of the Five Emperors. Zhuanxu had many descendants, most of whom established their own families.
Among them, there was a granddaughter named Nüxiu, who gave birth to a son named Daye. According to the tradition of the patriarchal clan, Daye should be regarded as the first person in Qin Shihuang's family.
However, he did not have any achievements, and it was his son Dafei who really started to make their family influential.
Da Fei had once served Dayu in controlling floods and was subsequently assigned by Shun to become an animal trainer. Of course, he wasn't training animals for circus performances, but for animal breeding.
Because of his contribution to breeding, Shun bestowed the surname Ying on him. In other words, Da Fei was the founder of the Ying family, and his father was only the first person with the blood relationship.
Da Fei had two sons. The eldest son was called Dalian, who later founded the ancient Huang State. Today, most people with the surname Huang come from here. The second son was called Ruomu, who founded the Xu State, which is the origin of the surname Xu.
Fei Chang was the son of Ruo Mu, and Zhong Yan was the son of Dalian. Both of them worked as drivers. When Shang Tang attacked Xia, Fei Chang drove for him and became his charioteer, or driver, as we would call him today.
Zhongyan was a descendant of Dalian. The Shang emperor at that time was Taiwu. He used divination to tell that it would be auspicious if he found Zhongyan to be his driver.
Zhong Yan then became Tai Wu's personal driver. Because of his connection to the emperor, Zhong Yan's family began to gain prominence in the Shang Dynasty and gradually grew in strength. "Thus, the Ying surname became prominent and eventually became a vassal state."
Fei Lian, a descendant of Zhong Yan, was known for his immense strength. E Lai, Fei Lian's son, was a marathon runner. His athletic prowess earned him the trust of King Zhou.
Besides E Lai, Fei Lian had other descendants, including a man named Zaofu, who was also a driver for King Mu of Zhou, the most legendary figure in the Western Zhou Dynasty.
Although E Lai was executed, his descendants were not killed. At this time, they were affiliated with Zaofu, living in Zhaocheng, and also changed their surname to Zhao.
Among Elai's descendants was one named Feizi, who inherited the skills of his ancestor, Baiyi, and was very good at raising horses. Under his care, the horses multiplied greatly.
Therefore, King Xiao of Zhou granted the Qin territory to Fei Zi and restored his surname to Ying. He was Ying Fei Zi, also known as Qin Fei Zi. He was the founding ancestor of the Qin State. However, at that time, the Qin State was only a vassal of the Zhou royal family and was not considered a true vassal.
In the late Western Zhou Dynasty, Qin Zhong was rewarded with the title of Xichui Dafu for his meritorious service in conquering the Western Rong. He later passed the throne to his eldest son, Duke Zhuang of Qin. Duke Xiang of Qin was the second son of Duke Zhuang of Qin. His eldest brother, Shifu, knew of his ambitions and abdicated the throne to him.
My ancestor was just a horse breeder and a carriage driver. The establishment of our current family business is inseparable from the hard work of our ancestors.
As for the other nobles, their ancestors were not particularly prominent, and they also developed bit by bit to reach their current status.
Zhao Qingrui's words calmed them down for a moment, but they still had cold faces and were unwilling to give in on this matter.
It is only recorded in the household registration book, but after several generations, few people still remember their surnames.
They are aristocrats, and their surnames are the best proof to distinguish them from the untouchables.
If the clan disappears, what is the difference between them and those untouchables?
The nobles have clan names, while the lowly have no clan names. This system allows them to enjoy the rights brought by clan names. Naturally, they are unwilling to give up such a superior life.
The surname recorded in the household registration book cannot be cancelled.
Ying Zheng glanced at these people and already knew who was against it.
"Don't make the mistake. The prince is doing this for the better management of the Great Qin. Or do you have other intentions for the Great Qin?" Ying Zheng's majestic voice sounded above everyone's heads.
"Your Majesty is wise, and Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise. I agree with Your Highness the Crown Prince's proposal." Li Si stood up and said loudly.
Li Si was different from the nobles of the Qin Dynasty. He climbed up from the bottom to the position of left prime minister after countless efforts. He strongly agreed with Zhao Qingrui's suggestion of no longer recording the surname.
After Li Si finished speaking, many people stood up to support him. These people basically had no foundation. They were able to climb to their current positions through their own abilities, not relying on the influence of their ancestors.
The existence of surnames is unfair to most people.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
