Chapter 37 Qin: And I want all 37
Ying Zheng understood his mother's intentions. Just as the Zuo Zhuan says, "Those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts." He naturally trusted the Qin people more, and even after unifying the six states, he could trust the common people of the six states after they had been educated.
Those from further afield or former nobles would be excluded from the ranks of those trusted.
If he had to choose between the two, he could pick the one with his eyes closed.
With a flick of her finger across the scene, the buildings and figures vanished, and the enlarged map shrank back into a sphere. Of course, she couldn't monitor other countries in real time; these were just scenes she had occasionally seen when she went out before, so both the buildings and the crowds were still.
She raised her hand and removed the jade hairpin that was used to decorate her hair. The hairpin, which was shaped like a black bird flying through the clouds, was elegant and simple. Even the sharp end of the hairpin had the unique warmth of jade.
She traced a few lines on the sphere with her hairpin, and a golden line appeared, meandering like a snake across the largest continent on the sphere.
When a golden line encircles a piece of land, black spreads across it; it is more accurate to describe it as a dark, radiant glow rather than pure black.
In any case, the moment Ying Zheng saw this color, he guessed that this land belonged to Qin, which was much easier to understand than the abstract lines he usually saw on maps.
A flash of light appeared, and a gilded Qin seal appeared on this small piece of land. As for why it was called a small piece... well, it's easy to understand. It's just that it's in contrast to the large open spaces around it, and on this sphere, such a small piece of land is indeed insignificant.
Qin spoke up: "This is me."
Several golden lines flashed and lit up, dividing the surrounding land into six smaller states than Qin. Small plots, about the size of wooden boxes, were marked with names.
Whether you go further north or further south, there are vast empty spaces, neither divided by golden lines nor marked with names.
The foreign scenery that had just lit up was only a small part of this vast land, and that small part didn't even have a name. I don't know if my mother was lost in thought and didn't notice, or if there was no country there to begin with.
“This is my child, and also the long-cherished wish of your ancestors,” the jade hairpin swept across the land, marking the location of the six states. 'Qin' gently withdrew the hairpin. “And your wish?”
Ying Zheng took a deep breath, suppressing the complicated thoughts in his mind. He looked at 'Qin' and said earnestly, "Where Mother's jade hairpin points is Zheng's wish."
“Well, I’m very greedy. They struggle to survive…” She snapped her fingers, turning the pale gold sphere black, her voice soft yet brimming with ambition, “And I want it all.”
Ying Zheng's eyes flickered slightly. He wanted everything too, but it seemed very difficult.
But he never wavered, and today he made a vow: "What my mother wishes is also what I wish. I wish to emulate the Foolish Old Man in 'Liezi: Tang Wen'. Even if I die, my son will live on; my son will have a grandson, and my grandson will have a son; my son will have a son, and my son will have a grandson; my descendants will be endless, but the mountain will not grow any bigger. Why should it not be leveled?"
This answer was not unexpected. Even if it wasn't Ying Zheng, wouldn't the same thought be expressed when talking about other Qin kings?
Even if they couldn't unify the world in their own time, they didn't think of giving up. Instead, they envisioned countless descendants who would one day achieve unification.
Their efforts were not in vain; every little bit they did reduced the burden on future generations.
They were not unaware of the immense difficulty of unifying the world, yet they remained like the Foolish Old Man Who Moved Mountains, never forgetting their eastward expansion.
Qin nodded. It seems that Ying Zheng has read a lot of books over the years, and they are quite diverse.
"The more books I read, the less I believe that commoners should remain commoners forever, while scholar-officials should be scholar-officials forever?"
"The power of the scholar-officials has become too great to control; they are not as useful as the common people."
Qin nodded slightly: "It seems you've not only studied the Liezi, but also read the Zuo Zhuan."
It's like saying, "You've learned how to cut down trees, now build the Forbidden City."
Ying Zheng realized that 'Qin' was joking, so he smiled and agreed. After a few lighthearted words between the two, they got down to business.
“It is difficult to make the common people literate, even if not all of them,” Ying Zheng began to list the current situation in Qin. “Now, the common people in the country who have gone to the millet bureau in various places to collect grain seeds and plant them basically have surplus grain in hand. They also have new farming tools that Taishu Da Liangzao has produced and can use, so they don’t have to worry about farming.”
“Some commoners with less farm work also have time to learn to read and write, and the paper we see in the school run by the Daliang Bureau can be used. However, the books need to be copied by hand, so it is probably not possible to make a large number of books in a short period of time.”
He then showed a helpless expression and mentioned his younger brother Chengjiao as a negative example: "Recently, perhaps due to the heavy workload, Chengjiao often complains about the trouble of recognizing characters. He's copying books every day and his hands are about to break."
Qin chuckled and said, "This child is usually so good at being affectionate, it's not that exaggerated..."
She paused and then said, "However, it's true that the text is too complicated nowadays, and copying books is too slow. These are all problems."
"Does Zheng'er have any thoughts?"
“We should simplify the characters first, and then think about how to make copying books easier,” Ying Zheng frowned. Asking someone who studied the art of rulership to consider this was too difficult for him, so he honestly admitted, “As for the latter, I have no clue.”
"Leave professional matters to the professionals. Why don't we ask Grand Master Taishu?"
Ying Zheng hesitated for a moment: "The Grand Chancellor already has an extremely heavy burden on his shoulders. Would adding more... be too much?"
It wasn't that Ying Zheng was afraid Taishu Jiu would have too much power; he was simply afraid of assigning too much work. Such a useful tool (crossed out) Da Liangzao resigned on the spot.
"It's alright. I've been observing him for a long time. He's naturally a restless person. He'll be overjoyed if you can ask him for advice on this matter."
"In that case, we will ask Mr. Taishu in a few days."
If this task can be considered a bidding process, then Qin's words can be seen as a direct pre-selection of the candidate. In the future, Li Si will no longer need to work hard to simplify the characters and can directly fast forward to the user-friendly simplified characters.
****
When Zhu Qing'ai was alone, she would put her hands together and silently say in her heart: I'm sorry, host, but this gave a lot of points.
Out of guilt, she paid out of her own pocket to increase Taishu Jiu's physique by ten points, hoping he wouldn't die suddenly (crossed out).
Fortunately, she would inherit half of these attributes even if she changed worlds or bodies, otherwise she would never have spent energy to improve them further.
Although she ultimately used the body that Taishu Jiu had sculpted, it was clear that Taishu Jiu had treated her very well when he sculpted her body back then. He even gave her eighty percent of the discounted inheritance.
She was really heartbroken. If it weren't for meeting such a kind person as her (Tong), Ah Jiu would probably be out digging for wild vegetables somewhere.
****
Taishu Jiu, because his physical condition had suddenly improved, even asked Zhu Qing'ai what was wrong.
Then he saw Zhu Qing'ai, who had come all this way, looking at him with affection. But she didn't answer his question directly. Instead, she said ambiguously, "You'll find out when the time comes. It's a good thing to earn points. I won't cheat you."
How many points would this good thing earn? Specifically, Zhu Qing'ai suggested, "How about we order a Manchu Han Imperial Feast to celebrate?"
The host has suffered for so many years, don't make her suffer any more, or she'll be the one crying.
If this were a traditional book, it would have ended the book the moment she sent her host to suffer in the fields. Readers would have cursed her for having such a cruel system, sending the protagonist to farm for so many years. Where were the power struggles and political intrigues?!
Taishu Jiu: ?!
He declined, saying, "I think the food is good enough for me right now. I'd rather use the points for something more useful."
Zhu Qingai looked down and saw the white rice on his table. Wait a minute... if you don't dig wild vegetables, who will?
She immediately ordered three dishes and a soup from the mall and placed them on the table: "I'm treating you to dinner. Eat quickly, so no one finds out. We don't have this kind of food right now, and it'll be hard to explain if we get caught."
“You eat, Ajiu. I have plenty of points now, unlike before when I was penniless. I’m almost at level three now.”
For some reason, she always felt that these words were too heartbreaking.
It's true that I have points, but I'm not very rich. It's also true that I'm close to level three, but there's only a mere 80% progress bar left.
Tai Shu Jiu still ate, insisting on finishing all three dishes and one soup, determined not to waste any. Luckily, Zhu Qing'ai ordered small portions, otherwise he really wouldn't have been able to finish them.
Zhu Qing'ai: Look how hungry the child is. That's one of the bad things about ancient times—there's just not enough good food.
After a while, she realized something was off about what she had just said. The inheritance she received was left by Taishu Jiu, wasn't it? Saying they were dirt poor before was just a euphemism...
Zhu Qing'ai glanced at Tai Shujiu. Luckily, this person couldn't make that connection. It's so fortunate that the host isn't a really cunning human!
System ball cheering jpg·
****
After his conversation with Qin that day, Ying Zheng did not immediately go to find Taishu Jiu, but instead carefully considered the matter of literacy for the entire nation.
It's impossible to make everyone literate at once. Putting aside whether the powerful and wealthy would object, the workload would be enormous.
These days, what he thinks about most is how to persuade his father to agree to simplify the written language, and then have his father give the order to select people to take charge of the matter.
Ying Zheng did not consider entrusting the task of simplifying the written language to Taishu Jiu, because the Grand Master of Ceremonies had previously demonstrated talents in farming and making ingenious objects, and he did not see any sensitivity to the written language. Therefore, he thought of having Taishu Jiu find a way to create a new mechanism to solve the problem of the huge number of books needed in the future.
After thinking for several days, he solemnly wrote a remonstrance in his still immature handwriting. His father was unaware of the spirit of his mother's country, and he did not mention it in his remonstrance. He only said that the current written language was too complicated, which was inconvenient for daily use and added a lot of trouble to court affairs.
He made no mention of the true purpose of simplifying characters, and he had no concrete evidence to prove that the world was so vast that the Qin state was just a small part of it.
He also couldn't use any means to make his father see the motherland, whether his father saw the motherland after he went mad or when he was about to die, it would be useless. Therefore, he believed that it was best to do the preparatory work now, and everything else could wait until he took power.
Ying Zheng wrote the entire letter of advice on the paper he obtained from Taishu Jiu, and then went to see Ying Zichu after the grand court assembly.
Ying Zichu read through the entire memorial presented by Ying Zheng. After a moment's thought, he felt that his son's words made sense. Moreover, this was the first time his eldest son had taken the initiative to bring something up, and he saw the benefits in it, so he naturally agreed quickly.
Ying Zichu: "I accept your advice. You will also attend the grand court assembly in the future."
"Yes." Ying Zheng bowed deeply, knowing that the matter was already half successful, and the other half depended on the ability of the person his father had entrusted with the task.
Ying Zheng, who was leaving the Qin King's palace to return to his mother's palace, was unaware that this matter would fall directly on his shoulders. As he walked, he pondered which of the court officials was skilled in this area.
As they crossed the palace gate, they could still hear Lady Han's helpless scolding of Cheng Jiao in the distance, while his mother tried to persuade him. He could even see the silhouette of his motherland in the distance, as if she was saying something, but no one could hear her. Then she laughed out loud as if she had been amused, creating a joyful scene.
Ying Zheng curled his lips into a smile; this was the feeling of home.
****
On the day of the grand court assembly, Ying Zichu only brought up the matter of simplifying the written language when the court was about to adjourn.
He said, "The Crown Prince recently made a suggestion..."
Ying Zichu recounted Ying Zheng's earlier statement that the written language was difficult to use and that he hoped it would be simplified. He then directly addressed Ying Zheng, saying, "I intend for the Crown Prince to take charge of simplifying the written language, but we are still lacking some people to assist him. What are your thoughts?"
He glanced around at the ministers below, waiting for them to step forward and take on the task themselves.
The court officials were all shrewd and astute. When Prince Chu of Qin spoke, they realized that the King of Qin was trying to boost the reputation of Crown Prince Zheng.
If they voluntarily joined in, even if they did a good job, the credit would definitely go to Crown Prince Zheng, and would have nothing to do with those who 'assisted' them.
The only benefit they might gain is that if a new king ascends the throne in the future, he might remember their kindness, but even this one benefit is uncertain.
After weighing the pros and cons, those who prioritized their own interests lowered their heads and remained silent.
There are also those who don't value profit, but they cherish their reputation and protect their image. They value fame. Simplifying the characters well can indeed bring fame, but the problem remains: the organizer is a prince who is only a teenager.
Whether this reputation will fall on them is still a question. Those who are aloof and do not care about fame and fortune will not speak up. They would never allow themselves to be known as someone who flatters and fawns on the next King of Qin.
The last few who signed up were minor officials and clerks. They had neither family background nor reputation to rely on, and they were the ones who most wanted to take a chance. Maybe they would be noticed by His Highness the Crown Prince, and they could even join his side and be promoted at any time.
Prince Zichu of Qin looked at the silent high-ranking officials in the court, his face darkening. He glanced at Lü Buwei and hinted, "I've heard that Prime Minister Lü is currently compiling a book. Why don't we..."
Lü Buwei stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Indeed, I have been recruiting talented people from all over the world to compile a book with a wide range of contents. It is a miscellaneous book and not worth mentioning."
"If Your Highness is short of people, I have some retainers here who are available and can assist Your Highness."
Ying Zichu: ...
This was actually a disguised refusal. He personally declined, but out of courtesy, he could send one of his retainers to help.
This is roughly equivalent to him paying someone to boost Ying Zheng's reputation, which, compared to the others in the court, can be considered extremely benevolent.
Moreover, Lü Buwei's excuse was quite legitimate. Since you brought up the matter of writing a book, he subtly declined by saying that he was too busy.
Ying Zichu didn't know what to say. He knew that it was too much to let his eldest son, who was only ten years old, be in charge. He nodded and said, "Very well, in that case, those who are interested can first draft some simplified texts according to their own ideas and submit them at the next grand court assembly. I will personally select them."
He thought that if it really didn't work out, he would compromise a little next time.
****
This grand court assembly concerned the simplification of writing, and Zhu Qing'ai paid close attention to it from beginning to end. Only then did she realize that there was a problem with her communication with Ying Zheng.
She assumed that Ying Zheng had received her ideas and was asking Taishu Jiu to solve everything, whether it was simplifying the text or finding ways to facilitate dissemination.
In reality: Ying Zheng asked his father to find someone to simplify the written language, but the first person he considered was not Taishu Jiu.
It seems they intend to entrust the subsequent work of creating the 'copying mechanism' to Taishu Jiu. Zhu Qing'ai exclaimed: "They're so kind!" (crossed out)
Having no other choice, she thought about it and decided to talk to Taishu Jiu herself, hoping he would take the job voluntarily.
Thinking about it this way makes her conscience hurt even more. Her plan to make Qin Wangzichu take the blame for her wicked scheme has fallen through. Although the plan sounds wicked, at least her reputation is preserved. But now...
****
Zhu Qing'ai found Taishu Jiu and told him about the matter of simplifying characters: "I watched the whole court assembly, and only a handful of people stood up. They didn't seem very useful. Even if Lü Buwei sent his retainers to help, I don't think they could create simplified characters in one go, so..."
"I think it would be better if you took the initiative to do this task. This is the good thing I told you about before that allows you to earn points."
As she spoke, she listed the benefits of 'copying' the Xinhua Dictionary in this era and the various achievements of simplified characters. She then compiled a table and calculated the final total score.
"After it spreads and is eventually written in the same script, that's an astronomical figure. Don't you think the job I found for you is great?"
Zhu Qing'ai, disregarding her conscience, ignored the fact that Tai Shu Jiu was currently working several jobs, farming, teaching students, and also copying from the Xinhua Dictionary (crossed out).
Taishu Jiu was also shocked by this number. It seemed that his previous hosts liked to copy the poems of famous poets, but no one copied the Xinhua Dictionary. After looking through the achievement list, he realized that although he earned some small amounts, he actually earned more by copying the Xinhua Dictionary.
This era had not yet undergone a systematic simplification of writing; if this were done later, it's uncertain whether any monarch would be willing to go through the trouble of doing so.
He nodded and said happily, "This job is really great!"
"But wasn't the selection decided at the court assembly? I didn't attend the court assembly before..."
He generally doesn't attend court sessions, partly because he only has a noble title but no official position, and partly because he already has a lot of work to do. Adding court sessions would be too much to handle; he'd need to work 007 instead.
But looking at it now, he still has to be 007.
He raised his hand to stop Zhu Qing'ai from saying what she was about to say, his face serious: "Qing'ai, there's no need to say anything more. I will find a way to join this project team!"
"You want to try it yourself?"
Tai Shu Jiu nodded seriously: "Yes, I will use human logic to find a solution, Qing Ai, don't worry."
Zhu Qing'ai's expression was subtle. What should she do? She was worried about her at all!
The last time he said he would persuade Prince Chu of Qin on his own was the last time (crossed out). When he tried to find a way to do it, it can't be said that he failed, but the way he succeeded was a bit hard to describe, and it left Lü Buwei with a little psychological trauma afterward.
But the one with psychological trauma isn't her host, so it's not a big problem. She encouraged her, "Then think of a way yourself?"
She paused, still worried: "However, I will follow you. Don't worry, I'll just keep an eye on things and prevent any accidents. You can handle the communication with people yourself."
Taishu Jiu nodded trustingly: "I believe Qing'ai."
"Oh, right, remember not to bring your sword this time." Zhu Qing'ai thought that if Taishu Jiu suddenly lost his temper and used force, a punch would be less serious than a bronze sword.
She couldn't help but remind him at the end: "You probably don't know this news. Don't be too impulsive. I won't expose you, but you might be seen as having connections everywhere and being targeted by the King of Qin."
Taishu Jiu, who had intended to go directly to Ying Zheng, silently withdrew his steps and assured Zhu Qing'ai once again, "Qing'ai, don't worry, I won't make that mistake."
Zhu Qing'ai looked at him suspiciously; she felt there was something wrong with his small gesture of retracting his foot...
****
Before things were settled, there was almost no news in the city about simplifying the written language, and the hot topic of conversation was still the school run by Taishu Jiu.
Taishu Jiu tried to steer the conversation several times, but according to his observation, people who gossip are not interested in mundane things at all, but they are very interested in the fact that his school has been bombed several times.
Rumor has it that his school has been bombed and rebuilt three times! That's something to celebrate (crossed out).
Taishu Jiu: ...
Taishu waited and waited, until news about simplifying characters finally came from a retainer of Lü Buwei.
He had originally planned to go directly to Ying Zheng, but he changed his approach and decided to bribe Lü Buwei to get him involved in the simplified writing project. When he finally met Ying Zheng, he showed a look of shock.
This would demonstrate that he had no power in the court and was merely a simple Grand Master of Ceremonies.
Under Zhu Qing'ai's supervision, Taishu chose a gift. Last time he gave paper and pen, and this time he gave paper and pen again.
Don't ask why. His previous gift of gunpowder, a new research product from Taishu School, which he had chosen himself, was rejected. Since he couldn't give a new one, he decided to give an old one instead.
Qing'ai said, "Repetition is fine. Sending something repetitive is better than bringing a bomb to someone's door. Humans don't appreciate such overly 'enthusiastic' gifts."
Even if those who have seen gunpowder praise it highly, it doesn't mean they actually want to receive a gift wrapped with gunpowder.
While muttering about how strange humans are, Taishu Jiu selected the finest bamboo paper and the best writing brush for Lü Buwei.
After thinking about it, he added a paperweight (which was actually a smooth, long stone he picked up by the river outside the city, but it looked quite aesthetically pleasing).
After preparing the gifts, Taishu Jiu arrived at the door with the gifts.
When Lü Buwei saw Taishu Jiu, he was shocked. He warmly welcomed him, but was also worried that this Grand Chancellor would give him a big surprise.
The two chatted for a long time, but Lü Buwei kept circling around the topic, refusing to steer it toward what Taishu Jiu wanted to hear.
Zhu Qing'ai wanted to remind Taishu Jiu to speak frankly, otherwise Lü Buwei could talk all day in official jargon, and might even have to send the guest away directly on the grounds of being busy.
But remembering her promise to the host, she held back!
Fortunately, Taishu Jiu himself didn't want to continue going in circles. He was also very busy, and listening to Lü Buwei speak official jargon here was simply a waste of the lives and careers of two people and a whole dynasty.
He said, “Prime Minister Lü, actually I came here today because I heard from one of your retainers that His Majesty wants to simplify the written language?”
Lü Buwei nodded readily, there was no reason to deny it: "Yes, does the Grand Chancellor have any suggestions?"
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Author's Note: Zhu Qing'ai: I think Lü Buwei should thank me for saving his life.
author:……
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Though I die, my sons will remain; my sons will have grandsons, and my grandsons will have sons; my sons will have sons, and my sons will have grandsons; generation after generation will be endless, yet the mountain will not grow any larger. Why then should it not be leveled? This is from the *Liezi* (列子), specifically the chapter "Tang Wen" (汤问). Liezi, originally named Lie Yukou, was a native of Putian (present-day Zhengzhou, Henan Province) in the state of Zheng during the Warring States period. He was a thinker of the early Warring States period and a representative figure of Daoist thought, alongside Laozi and Zhuangzi. His teachings were based on the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, advocating tranquility and non-action. He authored the *Liezi*. Since the book is set at the end of the Warring States period, this allusion exists.
Furthermore, the saying "those who are not of our kind will surely have different hearts" and "a large tail that cannot be controlled" both originate from the famous Spring and Autumn Annals, Zuo Zhuan.
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