Chapter 71 Qin Dynasty News Broadcast 71
Qin understood what Cheng Jiao meant, so there was nothing unusual, since the alternate account Yan hadn't shown any activity.
No one knew about this, and Qin's own explanation was: "She dared not come out. She could hide within the territory of Yan, but coming out would only mean death."
The implication couldn't be clearer: coming out would mean certain death, so any smarter country would simply stay put.
The war started quickly and ended quickly. The surrender of the Yan state was quite natural, and the Qin state's territory expanded a little more.
Cheng Jiao was left to handle the aftermath locally, while Qin himself returned to Xianyang City.
****
Upon arriving in Xianyang, she first visited the various research institutes built around the city. From an overhead perspective, the area around Xianyang was still too small. Then, she opened the Qin Kingdom's large map and felt as if she were playing a construction game.
Most importantly, she doesn't have to figure out how to do it herself; someone else does it for her. It's like having a cheat code in a game. Although the fun is reduced a bit, the happiness is much greater.
Upon arriving at Xianyang Palace, she dispatched several small black birds to Ganquan Palace to inform Zhao Ji and her comrades of their victory on the front lines.
The two prime ministers learned of the news at the same time, while Ying Zheng was informed by Qin himself.
There's not much to say about such a small victory; for the Qin state at this point, it's what it should be. The only noteworthy thing is that this is the first military achievement earned by the Qin king's younger brother.
Preparations for the next war began under Lü Buwei's arrangement.
What Ying Zheng and 'Qin' wanted to talk about wasn't the next war, but rather the matter of the heavens.
He wanted to 'borrow' it for a bit.
After a moment's thought, Qin agreed to Ying Zheng's initial description of the idea.
She calculated the income and expenses of using the Sky Screen once in the backend. If it was used once a day and the duration of each use was short, she could still make a small profit.
If we can make a small profit, then we break even, and I can agree to that.
Because of the popularization of the New Qin Dictionary, her story has become known to many people. A few days ago, the sky canopy hung in the sky for quite some time. This proves that people today are easier to fool than modern people. Modern people would think it was an alien phenomenon, but people today would think it was the manifestation of the national spirit.
At least they are not opposed to the appearance of the sky canopy; some even kneel and worship when it is hanging in the sky.
It can only be said that superstition has its advantages.
She said they truly believed it.
Moreover, agreeing to it has its advantages. It's almost like a news broadcast during the Warring States period. Besides announcing government decrees, it can also be used to teach farming skills to its host. It earns energy, boosts the host's reputation, and earns points. It's a very profitable deal.
To see the sky screen, one needs to purchase the New Qin Dictionary. One can also arrange to use the sky screen to teach people the most basic and commonly used characters, instantly saving a large number of teacher resources.
It can also make her persona deeply ingrained in people's minds, making it easier for her to do things and create momentum in the future. All in all, this is a virtuous cycle.
Most importantly, this is much more convenient than using newspapers to control public opinion, and it saves the money spent on printing newspapers. In the end, it's practically a steal.
To this end, Ying Zheng arranged a new agency, which was personally named the News Department by Qin. In reality, it was more like a propaganda department. The Minister of News was none other than the Left Chancellor, Taishu Jiu, while the Minister of Honor was Qin itself.
After all, 'Qin' will be running as the 'server' for the entire news department in the future. Without 'Qin', there would be no Sky Curtain, and it would be impossible to broadcast what we want to say to the entire Qin Kingdom.
Another day of resounding victory.
****
On the first day of the trial operation, such a memorable day, the hosts of the Qin News Network were King Zheng of Qin, who sat in the center, along with Qin himself, and Li Si, who was specially called up to act as a straight man. The historians sitting backstage were writing furiously, recording this milestone scene into the history books.
Most of the dialogue is spoken by Ying Zheng. Qin doesn't like to talk much, only speaking first at the beginning, and mostly gently expressing his vision for the future of the Qin people, hoping that all the children in his territory can live in peace and prosperity and have a better life.
Li Si, acting as the straight man, immediately laughed and said, "Then we who have already reached adulthood must envy those children."
'Qin': 'There's no need to envy that. In my heart, everyone, no matter how old, is still a child. There's no difference between them.'
Her words were mostly encouraging, or in short, "pie in the sky," but rather, they were all things that were actually achievable, not just empty promises.
When the news broadcast gets to the formal part, it's mostly Ying Zheng's lines, with the rest of the country and one person serving as background.
It's possible that people unconsciously become more and more enthusiastic when they speak in public; this was true not only for school principals in later generations, but also for King Ying Zheng of Qin.
Although it was supposed to be the evening news broadcast, Ying Zheng spent most of the time announcing various recent decrees and preferential policies for factory workers.
With a serious expression, he solemnly announced: "I am King Qin Zheng of Qin, and I hereby guarantee that all the decrees I have previously issued are true. If you wish to learn more, please go to the local government office."
"In addition, the recent household registration census has begun, and those without Qin household registration will be expelled from Qin."
Ying Zheng gestured to Li Si with his eyes, and Li Si quickly added, "Obtaining household registration is simple; just go to the local government office for detailed registration. Foreigners can also obtain Qin household registration, but once they do, they become Qin citizens and must strictly abide by Qin laws..."
Li Si quickly recited a bunch of requirements without even taking a breath. Compared to Ying Zheng's majesty, his expression was much more approachable, and his tone was more like the advice given by a close friend or relative.
He also used himself as an example: "Like me, I used to be a Chu citizen, but two days ago I successfully obtained Qin citizenship and received grain subsidies. You can continue to follow Da Qin News for more benefits."
Ying Zheng announced the expansion of the school again. After finishing his prepared lines, he couldn't help but add a lot more, and also encouraged the old and new Qin people watching the sky, just like the Qin people did.
In the end, only a little time remained of the originally scheduled news segment. Ying Zheng glanced at the news articles in his hand and reluctantly selected a brief one.
It's called news, but it's actually an advertisement.
The way Ying Zheng read the advertisement with such seriousness made 'Qin' suppress a laugh in her heart; it was a line she had just remembered by chance.
Ying Zheng: "Qingjiu School's enrollment will begin soon, with an even more outstanding teaching team and a more magnificent campus. Principal Taishu Jiu said: Come to Qingjiu School and work with me to make Qingjiu School bigger and stronger, and create new glories!"
This year's news broadcast began and ended with the character "Qin": "Finally, the News Department will open branches in various regions. If any local officials are found to be acting in violation of government orders, they can be reported directly."
"If the situation is true, the officials involved will be dealt with in accordance with Qin law; if the situation is untrue, they will bear the consequences themselves."
With tender eyes, she said, "I regard you as my soul and my flesh and blood. There is no need to be afraid. Your supervision will make Qin better."
In her mind, she was using the classic money-making strategy from video games: if officials were paid a fixed salary once a year, and if someone committed a crime, they could be imprisoned before the end of the year when salaries were paid out. That way, they would have people working for the year without having to pay salaries, and this cycle could continue, allowing them to get the officials to work for free. They could even confiscate their property and make another fortune. If this happened a few more times...
No, no, this isn't a game, you can't get rich this way!
Zhu Qing'ai banished this terrible thought from her mind.
****
This was undoubtedly a great encouragement to those sitting under the sky and watching, as it was their first time seeing the King of Qin, and they never expected it to be in the sky!
That's not the point. The point is, can people from other countries see their king? No!
They could receive the same treatment as officials without entering the halls of power, and their spiritual needs were greatly satisfied.
That's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that after the news broadcast ended, the King of Qin and 'Qin' had already left their seats, but Li Si, as the announcer, began to broadcast and predict the weather for all the counties and prefectures within the Qin state.
This seemingly ordinary item, a standard feature of the evening news broadcast, is actually more important to people today.
The earlier words could go in one ear and out the other, or you could selectively listen to what you wanted to hear. But the weather forecast that followed required everyone who owned land or was hired to farm to listen attentively.
This is something from the sky, how could it not be real?
However, before broadcasting, Li Si stated: "Weather forecasts for the next two days are relatively accurate, and those for the next week are generally accurate. To know the accurate weather for the day after tomorrow and beyond, please pay attention to the Tianmu Weather Forecast at the same time."
"Xianyang City, today is sunny and windless, perfect for an outing..."
"Yongcheng..."
****
"Did you write it down?"
Da Niu is an ordinary farmer. As the eldest son in his family, he has parents above him, a young sister below him, and a younger brother below him.
The heaviest burden in the family fell on his shoulders, and the few acres of meager land the family had accumulated were their only hope.
Fortunately, the grain seeds they received from the government had a high yield, and after paying taxes, there was still a lot left over. Their younger sister was sent to school and no longer needed to eat the family's food. Once she finished her studies, she would become a laborer again. Otherwise, their family would not have had another young brother.
Da Hua nodded. As one of only two people in the family who could read, she owned the only set of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones in the family. The other person who could barely read was her older brother, Da Niu. Unfortunately, he was expelled after half a year of study because he failed his exams. Later, he returned home and took over the heavy burden on his parents' shoulders to work hard in the fields.
She handed a piece of paper with a week's worth of weather forecast written on it to Da Niu: "Brother, can you still understand it?"
Da Niu scratched his head: "Although I've been fired for almost a few years, I can still recognize these simple characters."
He took the page as if it were a precious treasure; he wouldn't have been willing to part with it if the paper supplied to students at Qingjiu School wasn't so cheap.
The paper contained the future weather forecast. As a farmer whose livelihood depended on the weather, he naturally valued it highly and carefully kept the paper close to his body.
Her eyes were full of hope for the future, and she said happily, "That's good. Brother, you can wait another year. After I graduate from school, I can help out the family."
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 11:35:17 and 22:40:00 on May 19, 2024!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Xiaowu and Sijin, 1 bottle each;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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