Li Si!
A name that evokes both love and hate. He helped Ying Zheng establish the Qin Dynasty, but in the end, he colluded with Zhao Gao, framed Fusu, and helped Huhai ascend the throne.
This is why the Qin Dynasty only lasted two generations!
Although that's how history records it, Lu Li believed that Li Si was indeed talented; otherwise, Ying Zheng wouldn't have liked him so much.
The problem is that Fusu was weak and cowardly; even if he were to ascend the throne, the Qin Dynasty would perish after only two generations.
Because Fusu was deeply influenced by Confucianism from a young age, he was not strong enough. This is why Ying Zheng exiled him to the Great Wall, intending to toughen him up.
Ironically, he never developed any fighting spirit until the very end, and he didn't resist when Hu Hai ordered him to commit suicide.
"Li Si, the Legalist Li Si?"
He suddenly remembered that when he first attended the Hundred Schools Conference, there was a young man behind the Legalist representative, who must have been Li Si.
Ying Zheng nodded and smiled, "I recognized Li Si's talent a few years ago, but unfortunately, the Prime Minister was there."
Lu Li knew that Li Si possessed the talent of a king's advisor, but he didn't expect that Ying Zheng would discover it so early on.
Lu Li smiled slightly and looked at Ying Zheng, saying, "Then, Your Majesty, what do you think Li Si would do if given the opportunity?"
He wanted to hear what Ying Zheng had to say about Li Si.
When Li Si was mentioned, Ying Zheng's eyes gleamed.
"Sir, I have summoned Li Si and will have him speak to you personally."
It's clear that Ying Zheng had admired Li Si for a long time, but he just hadn't had the opportunity to promote him.
"Meng Tian, go and invite Li Si here yourself," Ying Zheng said to Meng Tian behind him.
"Here you go!"
About two incense sticks' worth of time passed before Meng Tian arrived with Li Si.
Lu Li turned around and saw that Li Si was quite handsome. His plain clothes enhanced his temperament, making him look like a frail scholar.
It must be admitted that Li Si was indeed a handsome man, and also somewhat effeminate.
As Lu Li sized him up, he was also observing Lu Li. Li Si had seen Lu Li at the Hundred Schools Conference and had a very deep impression of him.
"Your subject Li Si greets Your Majesty!" Li Si stepped forward and bowed.
Ying Zheng nodded slightly and said, "Minister Li, you may rise."
Then Ying Zheng introduced Li Si, saying, "Minister Li, I would like to introduce you to a gentleman."
Lu Li then stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "My name is Lu Li!"
To be addressed as "Sir" by Ying Zheng must mean that one has already gained Ying Zheng's high regard.
"I had the honor of meeting Mr. Lu once during the Hundred Schools Conference years ago. His words on taming cranes still resonate in my ears."
Lu Li's other famous work was his theory on taming cranes. All schools of thought exclaimed that the Guigu School had produced another unparalleled talent.
"Brother Li, you flatter me," Lu Li replied modestly.
Li Si smiled slightly, cupped his hands to Ying Zheng, and said, "Your Majesty, may I ask what brings you here?"
After a few seconds of silence, Ying Zheng said, "Now that Lao Ai has been executed and Lü Buwei has been dismissed by me, we should also prepare ourselves."
Now, it can be said that Ying Zheng holds absolute power, with Li Si and Lu Li as his advisors, and Meng Tian and Wang Jian as his military leaders. He also has the full support of the Ying clan. Now is the perfect time.
"I wish to quickly eliminate the six kingdoms and unify the world!"
As soon as Ying Zheng finished speaking, Li Si cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, it is not the right time yet."
Even Lu Li was puzzled by this and wanted to hear what Li Si had to say next.
"Your Majesty, if you wish to conquer the six states, you must first rectify the state of Qin!"
After saying this, Li Si took out a scroll of bamboo slips from his sleeve and respectfully handed it to Ying Zheng.
After Ying Zheng took the bamboo slip, the more he looked at it, the faster his expression changed, until finally he even stood up.
"Wonderful!"
"Sir, take a look."
Lu Li quickly took it; he was extremely curious about what Li Si had written that could excite Ying Zheng so much.
The very beginning of the bamboo slip shocked Lu Li: the prefecture-county system!
The county system originated in the State of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period, under King Wu of Chu, Xiong Tong; the prefecture system originated in the State of Qin, under Duke Mu of Qin, Ying Renhao; after reforms by Legalist representatives throughout the ages, it finally took shape during the Qin and Han Dynasties.
Li Si thoroughly perfected the prefecture-county system, establishing thirteen prefectures, each with a governor, a military commander, and an inspector. Each prefecture governed several counties. Prefectures and counties were directly appointed by the king.
Lu Li remembered that after the Qin Dynasty unified the country, it divided the land into thirty-six prefectures, and the current Qin state only had thirteen prefectures.
At the very end of the bamboo slips, he also suggested revising the laws of the Qin state and drafted the prototype of the "Law," which made Lu Li sigh that Li Si truly deserved to be called a prime minister for all ages.
All of these proposals he put forward were drafts that could enhance the strength of the Qin state.
Firstly, perfecting the prefecture-county system greatly strengthened centralized power.
"Brother Li is truly talented! I admire him greatly."
Lu Li, being a person from a later era, could naturally think of these things, and he also had even more advanced policies.
However, this does not apply to the Qin state today, nor even to the Qin Dynasty after it unified the world.
He had read some historical novels in his later life, where characters would travel back in time and implement various advanced policies of the future. At the time, Lu Li didn't think much of it.
But the longer he waited during the Warring States period, the more he realized that novels were all nonsense!
The prefecture-county system alone took over a century to improve and implement, from Duke Mu of Qin to Ying Zheng.
The same applies to Shang Yang's reforms. It's not that Qin became powerful immediately after Shang Yang's reforms, but rather that it took three generations and four rulers (to explain, there was also King Wu of Qin, Ying Dang, although he died young) before Qin truly became a powerful state during the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin.
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