Chapter 73 on Legal Education
Many people were inspired to buy the new Qin dictionary because of the agricultural channel hosted by Taishu Jiu. They didn't want to miss the techniques personally taught by the prime minister, the expert in grain cultivation.
Those who couldn't see the Sky Screen could only listen to the broadcasts from those who did, and they were so anxious they were scratching their heads.
However, they didn't go directly to the bookstore at the local Qingjiu branch to buy a dictionary. One reason was that someone who could read it said there seemed to be more available later, and another was that they didn't have that much money on hand and might have to save up.
But after waiting for a while, they heard someone say that SkyCover was currently talking about legal matters, saying it was some kind of legal education channel.
Only then did those who had no interest in the law take off running towards the Qingjiu Bookstore in the city.
****
Li Si was excited to take the stage again as the host. No matter how powerful the other officials in the court were, in the end, it was he, the King of Qin's confidant, who became the host of the legal education channel.
Li Si was incredibly excited and wished he could perform a feat of climbing mountains of knives and wading through seas of fire for King Zheng of Qin on the spot.
You must understand, this is an opportunity for the whole world to see him. Cough cough, now the Qin state is larger than the six states combined, so rounding it up to the whole world wouldn't be wrong.
Although this legal education channel claims to focus on Qin law and is not a Legalist forum, Li Si himself was a Legalist.
****
The common people who listened to the lectures probably just treated it as a story and that was it; at most, they might remember some basic legal knowledge.
But the various schools of thought in Qin who were listening to the lecture at the same time couldn't sit still; they also wanted to go to heaven!
In such an era, with various schools of thought vying for dominance, they naturally wanted to gain more recognition. Given such an opportunity to directly proclaim their ideas to the world, how could they not be tempted and want to compete?
Some people who had previously thought that Qin had done something wrong by telling that group of people to get out of Qin immediately repented. They acted as if they had never said anything before and discussed who to send to Xianyang to seek an audience with Qin.
They certainly knew that 'Qin' could know the situation all over the country, but they still had some self-awareness. No one stipulated that 'Qin' had to pay attention to them, so the chances of meeting 'Qin' were ultimately greater if they went to Xianyang, the capital of Qin.
****
In contrast, the farmers were not in a hurry. They naturally assumed that the Left Prime Minister of Qin was a farmer, as evidenced by his personal farming, improvement of farming tools, and research into superior varieties.
Even the farmers themselves were among the first to enter Qingjiu School to support the school founded by the Prime Minister (not because the school provided food and lodging).
They were also the group most adapted to the mixed-gender environment of the school. After all, their previous leader, Xu Xing, advocated that the virtuous should work alongside the common people and promote equal labor for all. This "all" naturally included men and women. Their farming family established the first club after entering the school with the help of the principal.
Even if they don't, they're not the principal, so what can they do to object?
Xu Huang, the current head of the agricultural cooperative and a contemporary leader of the farming community, also has his own ulterior motives. He has only one wife and one daughter, and it would be best if someone could inherit his business.
He was petty and thought his apprentices were not as good as his blood relatives.
So he was overjoyed to see the scene inside the school. He usually takes his daughter to school, and he just wants to hand over the farm to his daughter when she reaches the right age, so he can enjoy his retirement and occasionally go out to promote (and argue).
His grandfather had already been called a "barbarian" and "a man from Chu" by Mencius, so he didn't care anymore. He could fight another twenty years of verbal battles!
He even secretly asked in private if his daughter could be the next president of the club, only to be met with a strange look from Tai Shu Jiu: "This position isn't gender-restricted, why are you asking this?"
At that moment, Xu Huang was incredibly arrogant, his joy was written all over his face, and he immediately skipped away.
Only Taishu Jiu was left with a head full of questions.
With the support of Tai Shu Jiu, the members of the Agricultural Society are spread all over the country, including both men and women, making it the largest club in Qing Jiu School.
Doesn't this prove that the Left Prime Minister was from their peasant family?
Of course, a farming family would be proud to have produced such a person.
In this situation, Xu Huang felt even more confident in his sarcastic remarks about Confucian scholars: "Oh dear, Principal Taishu would rather support us southern barbarians than have you guys start clubs on campus~"
Didn't Mencius call them barbarians? Then aren't you even worse than barbarians?
****
The Hundred Schools of Thought, especially the Confucianists in Qin, felt their vision go black when they saw the Sky Curtain. The peasants were already so arrogant before the Sky Curtain appeared; wouldn't they be even more arrogant once the Left Prime Minister was on the Sky Curtain?
They had already anticipated the future of being blocked at the door when they went out to give lectures (and engage in verbal battles). No, they couldn't just sit and wait to be killed.
The King of Qin didn't really pay attention to them to begin with. First came the Legalists, then the Agriculturalists. What place did they have left in Qin?
****
Not to mention that all the philosophers gathered in Xianyang, each wanting to meet the Queen Mother of Qin and let her know the benefits of their school of thought.
Take Li Si, who's currently giving his enthusiastic lecture in the heavens, for example. After finishing his little story about popularizing the law, he added at the end: "Because the Goddess of Qin remembers what the people of Qin did for her, and because of Your Majesty's benevolence and love for the people, Qin law will abolish the punishment for causing disability and replace it with forced labor. Even so, I still hope that everyone will not easily test the bottom line of the law, since there is no upper limit to the length of forced labor." He joked in a lighthearted tone, "Those of you watching this channel, do you want to spend your whole life in forced labor?"
Finally, right on time, he said at breakneck speed, "The newly printed Qin laws will be distributed to officials at all levels within a month. I hope all my colleagues will strictly abide by them!"
His show was cut off as soon as he uttered the last word.
Li Si breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that he had managed his time quite well. Although he had spoken the last sentence a bit hastily, he was sure that his colleagues would not miss it.
****
Once the legal education channel ends, it means that today's sky screen has also ended. The sky screens across the country have disappeared uniformly, and those who were waiting know that there will be no more viewing today. If they want to see the sky screen again, they will have to wait until tomorrow.
Once the first day of the live broadcast ended, the King of Qin would no longer easily take to the stage himself.
However, whatever is broadcast on the evening news still needs to be approved by him. Only after he nods in agreement can these things be broadcast on television.
The weather forecast drafts don't need to be reviewed; they're provided directly by 'Qin'.
He would usually just skim through Tai Shujiu's manuscripts once and wouldn't offer any guidance; he couldn't possibly be an outsider giving advice to an expert.
Lu Buwei, who was happily teaching on the literacy channel, turned a blind eye to his little schemes. He was willing to be more tolerant of such a useful and honest minister.
Finally, the articles for the legal education channel also had to be reviewed by him. The newly established department added a lot of work to his schedule.
He didn't even have time to see his eldest son, Fusu. He already had a wife before he came of age, and marriage was a sign of adulthood. He had Fusu less than a year after he came of age.
Fusu is only one or two years old now, and Ying Zheng is still in the stage of feeling novel about his son. When he has free time, he will hold his son and look at him with the Qin people.
The main reason was that he was holding Fusu, and 'Qin' was standing to the side watching. She was just a phantom, otherwise she would have tried it out herself.
As Ying Zheng held her, he suddenly felt something was amiss. He frowned at Fusu, then looked up at 'Qin': "Mother, does Zheng feel like he's forgotten something?"
After pondering for a moment, Qin was slightly puzzled: "Aside from the news department's affairs, nothing major seems to have happened recently..."
The imperial censor responsible for recording the daily life of the King of Qin listened and quickly transcribed the above conversation. Of course, it was a simplified version. He would write a more detailed vernacular version at home after rotating with his colleagues, making it easier to understand.
Ying Zheng was used to the actions of the historian beside him and ignored him as usual. 'Qin' did not think there was anything wrong with it. She comforted him and said, 'Are you worried that those so-called Hundred Schools of Thought will come to Xianyang to cause trouble?'
When she first used the celestial canopy as a political instrument, she roughly observed the situation in various places and also noticed the activities of various families. Ying Zheng was also aware of this.
Ying Zheng shook his head: "No, it was only when I saw Fusu that I had such thoughts..."
Fusu's mother, Lady Chu, instinctively tensed up upon hearing this. She did not regard Ying Zheng as her husband, but rather as a monarch, and her interactions with him were more respectful than intimate.
However, she thought that her child was still young, and she had not done anything wrong. She was more concerned about her child's well-being and it should have nothing to do with them.
Qin had already guessed that Ying Zheng's thoughts might not be related to state affairs, which made her even more puzzled. If it wasn't related to state affairs, she couldn't possibly guess.
Surely Ying Zheng couldn't have foreseen that his eldest son wouldn't be very close to him...
Qin looked at the little child with an inscrutable expression.
At this moment, the attendant who came to report interrupted this train of thought. He bowed to the King of Qin and 'Qin' before bowing and saying, "The Left Prime Minister requests an audience, Your Majesty..."
Before the attendant could finish asking the question, Ying Zheng put down Fusu and handed the child to Lady Chu, who was standing to the side.
"Summon the Left Chancellor."
Madam Chu, who was standing to the side, immediately took her leave with her child in tow.
****
Taishu Jiu sought an audience not for any other reason than because someone at the school had improved papermaking techniques and lowered the cost of papermaking, and he was wondering if he should lower the price of the new Qin dictionary.
Since the sky canopy appeared in the air, dictionaries have been sold out. Not only has the previous stockpiled inventory been completely cleared out, but many people who didn't manage to buy them are even trying to pre-order.
He could decide the price of ordinary books himself, but this dictionary was symbolic, and he could not bypass the King of Qin to make that decision.
King Zheng of Qin generously said, "You shall decide on this matter. I have heard that the Left Chancellor is nearly thirty years old this year?"
Taishu, Approaching Thirty, Chapter Nine: "I am not yet thirty years old."
Ying Zheng ignored the seemingly disrespectful answer. After all, he was used to the Left Prime Minister's straightforward personality. If he had to have a heart attack every time, wouldn't he choke on his words and get sick?
"The Left Prime Minister is so old and still unmarried. Is there someone you like? I will bestow a marriage upon you."
Zhu Qing'ai, who was listening in under a pseudonym, casually flipped through the host's panel. The age column showed 27 or 28 years old, which rounded up to 28. It was indeed quite rare to be single at this age, still in the Warring States period, and still a high-ranking and powerful prime minister.
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The author notes: Xu Xing (c. 390-315 BC) was a contemporary of Mencius, and his deeds and doctrines are recorded in *Mencius, Teng Wen Gong I*. He promoted his ideas based on the words of the ancient Shennong, and was a representative figure of the Agricultural School during the Warring States period. Judging from Mencius's criticism of him as a "barbarian from the south" and "from Teng of Chu," he should have been a native of the State of Chu.
Xu Xing had dozens of disciples who lived extremely simple lives, wearing ordinary coarse cloth clothes and making a living by weaving straw sandals and mats. They owned no land and led a nomadic life. They came to Teng from the state of Chu not seeking high office or wealth, but hoping to obtain a piece of land and a house so they could settle down and engage in farming. Xu Xing's ideas had a certain influence in society at the time, so much so that the Confucian disciple Chen Xiang and his brother Chen Xin abandoned Confucianism and became Xu Xing's disciples. Mencius's vehement attacks on Xu Xing also show that Xu Xing represented a considerable social force at the time, hence Mencius's high regard for him.
The Mencius, Book 1, Part 1, records: "The Chancellor of Chen met with Mencius and recounted the words of Xu Xing: '...The wise men till the land and eat alongside the people, preparing meals and managing the affairs of the land.'" This "wise men till the land and eat alongside the people" was one of Xu Xing's two main propositions. The other was his theory of "one price per market," which, at its core, affirmed the division of labor and mutual assistance while advocating for equal labor for all and equal exchange of goods, thus realizing his reformist ideas.
The book *Guanzi*, compiled collectively by scholars of the Jixia Academy, contains the philosophies of various schools of thought. It is generally believed that the chapter "Di Yuan" is a work of the Agricultural School, while chapters such as "Mu Min," "Quan Xiu," "Wu Fu," and "Ba Guan" focus on recording Agricultural School ideas. Since the vast majority of commoners at the time were engaged in agriculture, "valuing agriculture" meant "valuing the people," and this emphasis on agriculture inevitably developed into a people-oriented ideology. The content of *Guanzi* concerning the Agricultural School strongly embodies the people-oriented thought of the Agricultural School, becoming the most important part of Agricultural School thought.
The agriculturalists believed that the will of the people was inviolable, and that "following the will of the people" was the foundation of all governance. Wise rulers were able to align themselves with the will of the people, using their support or opposition as a guide for their actions. The *Guanzi* (a classic Chinese text) states, "The rise of a government depends on following the will of the people; the downfall of a government depends on going against the will of the people." This shows that the agriculturalists, through the concept of "the will of the people," had a preliminary understanding of the inevitable trend of historical development, a step further than the Confucian emphasis on people-centered governance. "Loyalty and love for the people" was the fundamental way to govern the world. The agriculturalists, seeing the hardships of farmers, demanded that rulers be compassionate towards the people's suffering and refrain from exploitation or plunder.
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I won't post any more; you can search for it if you're interested.
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In the story, Xu Huang is portrayed as a descendant of Xu Xing, but there is no such person in official history. He believes that the main reason why Taishu Jiu belongs to the peasant family is that Taishu Jiu's behavior is roughly in line with the peasant family.
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