My son, Fusu, please abdicate the first emperor!

"Did any of the ministers really say that?"

Xiong Rou's eyes flickered. "Your Majesty, this is a matter of time. Now that Your Majesty has power, everyone wants to be a favorite by Your Majesty's side."

"But the Xianyang magistrate and the Weiwei are both extremely important tasks."

"Your Majesty values ​​the Lu family so much that he has made such an extraordinary promotion, but there must be some reason. If outsiders think that Your Majesty did this just for a woman, then it is not worth it."

"In the imperial court, there are so many people who have made great military achievements that they are just as numerous as the hairs on a cow."

"Your Majesty chose neither of them, but instead valued Lü Zhi's two brothers. Isn't this just giving those officials an excuse?"

What Lu Zhi said makes sense.

The struggle between the emperor and his ministers has always existed. The reason why the ministers have stopped fighting now is that the emperor first subsidized the benefits of the reform to the army, and the ministers are afraid to act rashly.

Fusu did things solely based on his own will, putting his own interests and the interests of the empire first, which was bound to affect the interests of many powerful people.

The rich and powerful must feel bad when they are oppressed, and they are always waiting for a counterattack.

Therefore, the emperor could not do whatever he wanted.

Once you give yourself a pretext, your ministers will take advantage of it to make trouble, and you will lose miserably.

In this regard, Qin II tried his best to restrain himself and not do anything stupid.

"I heard that the king should be close to gentlemen and stay away from villains."

"The Lu brothers are hardworking and thrifty. They never engage in any intrigues and always accept things as they are given."

"I arranged these two people because they make me feel at ease. When will it be the ministers' turn to discuss it?"

Xiong Rou bowed, "Of course I know that Your Majesty wants to replace some reliable people."

"But I think that Lu Zhi is too famous and her brilliance has overshadowed the Queen..." Xiong Rou racked her brains and tried her best to find an excuse, "..."

"Alright, alright. I got it."

"Your Majesty, you should treat everyone equally. How can you favor Lu Zhi alone? I am also a good helper to Your Majesty. Please give me a workshop, and I can manage those female workers obediently."

"Even if you take a step back, Your Majesty should not get close to Lu Zhi anymore. Lu Zhi is a mean person."

When the emperor heard this, his nostrils shrank.

My God, Lu Zhi became a favorite concubine.

Fusu really wanted to let Xiong Rou write the history book.

Hearing the emperor speaking silently inside, Chen Ping guessed that the emperor was both annoyed and helpless.

Xiong Rou is both the emperor's cousin and also his older sister. She also grew up with the emperor. No one can handle her.

Chen Ping rushed in just in time, "Your Majesty, Zhang Xi is back."

This scene was also played out at the Queen Mother Huayang's banquet many years ago.

"Zhang Xi?" When Qin II heard the name, he stood up.

Xiong Rou thought that the emperor's reaction didn't seem like an act.

"You go back first. I have something important to deal with."

Xiong Rou looked at the emperor, not caring about Chen Ping's presence, and approached Qin II very eagerly and kissed him on the face.

"Your Majesty, I will wait for you tonight." Xiong Rou hooked her arm around the emperor's belt and smiled brightly.

Xiong Rou smiled, her eyes slightly curved, smiling like a fox. She was really cunning and beautiful, but also looked a bit silly.

Although Xiong Rou has a hateful heart, she is really beautiful and charming, and she embodies what a woman made of water is.

The emperor looked at Xiong Rou and said, "Be good, go back first."

But when Xiong Rou left, Qin II immediately changed his attitude.

Fusu was just planning to continue promoting the Lu brothers, but the progress of the empire's military merit system reform was too slow, and if he continued to follow the old rules.

A group of new generals are urgently needed to take charge of military affairs, otherwise the military reform of the Qin Empire will remain stagnant.

The simplest one is, for example, the distribution of military supplies.

Fusu just wanted to find someone he could trust. He didn't want to cultivate a group of corrupt elements for the future Qin Empire.

The people were governed by Qin Shi Huang in the beginning during the Qin Dynasty. Qin Shi Huang was very strict, but in his generation, the policies of Qin Er Shi gradually became more relaxed.

But this is a good opportunity to win people's hearts and minds, not a day to relax and slack off.

There are many areas in the empire that need to be cultivated...

Too many old nobles, the new nobles control the resources, and now they are not even willing to let the grease flow out from the cracks of their fingernails. But it is the grease flowing from the cracks of these nobles' fingers that feeds countless people.

The classes became increasingly rigid and the nobles became more entrenched, which was extremely detrimental to the empire.

In the early days of reform, there were so many things to do.

What is most needed during reform? Some people always think that good systems and good rules are needed to change the problem.

But this solution is tantamount to missing the forest for the trees.

As I said, if there is a problem with a person, the way to solve the problem is to return to the person himself.

It’s not that the system is broken, but that these people are corrupt, rotten and bad.

Therefore, if we want to carry out successful reforms, we must achieve one thing - harmony among people.

At this stage, Qin needed talents more than when it attacked the six states.

The people needed for reform must be drawn from the bottom. Appointing aristocrats to govern aristocrats will only lead to internal strife and divide power.

Is it possible for the nobles to change the nobles? Qin Shi Huang abdicated.

It is better to be realistic and let those who have suffered govern those who have suffered.

Therefore, when he heard that there were talented people available, Qin II's eyes lit up.

"This Zhang Xi, why is he back?"

"Zhang Xi's biological mother died, and he came back to fulfill his filial duty. When he arrived at Xianyang Marquis, he first sent someone to inform His Majesty."

Fusu's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Well, this Zhang Xi is really good. Between the relationship between monarch and subject and father and brother, he chose the relationship between monarch and subject. In order not to embarrass me, he did not hesitate to resign from his official position and offend his brother."

"Now that my mother has passed away, he has returned as soon as possible and even remembered to greet me. If all the ministers could be like Zhang Xi, then I can sleep peacefully."

I don’t know when it started, but Qin II began to have trouble sleeping all night long.

When those who had protected him in the past left one by one, Qin II had to steer the Qin Empire alone. The enormous pressure and internal and external troubles made Qin II often sigh and unable to sleep in the middle of the night.

It’s not that the Second Emperor is not interested in women, but he has taken on a hot potato, and most of the time, he is not in the mood for it.

Chen Ping felt uncomfortable listening to this. What do you mean by "all"... Am I not loyal enough to His Majesty? Besides, His Majesty's focus is too strange. I can do this kind of thing if I am in your place.

To be honest, in order to serve His Majesty, Chen Ping was willing to bend down and do something that went against his nature - to do something conscientious.

If it were someone else, Chen Ping would not be willing to do it.

Besides, if he were to be an eunuch and stay with a bunch of psychologically twisted eunuchs and criminals all day long, do you know how aggrieved he would be?

Chen Ping naturally thought, 'Is the Emperor hinting at something?'

"If you ask me, Zhang Xi is stupid. A truly powerful person wouldn't care about these things. In the final analysis, it's because he has read too many sage books that are full of decadence and sourness."
Chen Ping appeared calm and listened attentively.

"I intend to reward this Zhang Xi."

Chen Ping's face suddenly turned gloomy, but soon returned to normal.

There are many chameleons in Zhangtai Palace.

Chen Ping thought to himself, why is it someone else's turn again, and it's not my turn yet?
Chen Ping stepped forward and asked, "Your Majesty, do you intend to allow him to resume his official position?"

Chen Ping felt that the emperor was a little bit unbelievable. He just mentioned Zhang Xi to help the emperor out of the predicament.

As a result, the emperor wanted to reward Zhang Xi.

Fusu twirled his beard.

Qin II was thin, with long cheeks and a thick beard, which added a lot of masculinity to him.

In ancient times, men would grow beards, as everyone believed that this was the only way to be a man.

As the king of a country, Qin Ershi not only grew a beard, but also gave himself the most handsome beard and the best-looking hairstyle.

In ancient times, men were mostly romantic and unrestrained, with elegant looks, which were achieved through long hair and beards.

"Why, do you think it's inappropriate?"

"I want to commend this kind of atmosphere."

Chen Ping's eyes rolled, and he immediately asked, "Your Majesty, do you think Zhang Xi's actions are really worthy of praise?"

"Of course. Zhang Xi seems to be loyal to the emperor, but in fact he is loyal to the empire. He considers the overall situation, the country, the officials and the people."

"Compared to those officials who only seek personal gain and clan power, how can Zhang Xi not be considered a righteous man?"

Chen Ping bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I think that Your Majesty should not give such a big reward. Have you forgotten what the biggest problem in the officialdom of our Qin State is?"

Qin II said seriously, "It's nothing more than people being idle and not doing things. The wind of reform has suddenly arisen. The ministers are sympathetic on the surface, but in fact, there are few who are loyal to the country."

"I know the grassroots well. If something goes wrong, they will try to fix it after it's too late. If nothing goes wrong, they will just muddle through the day."

"All the officials do what their superiors scold them to do. They move a step when their superiors urge them to do so."

"Officials are lifeless and have no sense of taking responsibility. When something goes wrong, they blame each other and think I know nothing."

"People are superfluous and hypocritical. The officials all use the banner of loving the people to do things that squeeze the people's blood and sweat. Most of the officials are arrogant and domineering, but the articles they write are full of beautiful and flattering words, dressing themselves up as saints and virtuous people."

“The morality of the country is corrupted by these people.”

Chen Ping thought for a moment and asked, "Then may I ask Your Majesty, do you need people who are truly loyal to the emperor and patriotic, or people who are falsely loyal to the emperor and patriotic?"

Qin II narrowed his eyes, "Of course it has to be true."

"Then I ask Your Majesty not to praise people like Zhang Xi so much. Once Your Majesty encourages this kind of behavior, people will follow suit. Everyone will try their best to pretend to be virtuous."

Qin II listened and frowned slightly.

The corners of Fusu's mouth unconsciously rose slightly, and he tried to press them down. Although he tried very hard, they still curled up.

Chen Ping's face turned gloomy again.

"Your Majesty, do you still remember the moral issues that you and I once discussed?"

"The highest virtue is not to be virtuous, and therefore to have virtue. The lowest virtue is not to lose virtue, and therefore to have no virtue. The highest virtue is to do nothing, and yet to have nothing to do. The highest benevolence is to do something, and yet to have nothing to do."

"The most righteous is to do it, and there is a reason for it. The most polite is to do it, but no one responds, then throw it away with your arms. So when you lose the Tao, then virtue, when you lose virtue, then benevolence, when you lose benevolence, then righteousness, when you lose righteousness, then propriety."

"Ritual is the thinness of loyalty and trustworthiness, and the beginning of chaos. Foresight is the splendor of the Way, and the beginning of foolishness. Therefore, a true man lives in the thick, not the thin; lives in the real, not the splendor. Therefore, abandon the latter and take the former."

"I remember your Majesty said that the world should be governed in the most brilliant way. Your Majesty does not want to leave a mess for future generations."

Qin II frowned. He just needed some people who were willing to be loyal to him.

The essence of rewarding Zhang Xi was to win over Zhang Han. These days, Qin II had been suppressing Zhang Han too much. For a powerful official, this was not good.

Fusu's goal was to make his ministers work for him and become dependent on him.

Even if you don't do anything, it can't leave you, and it can't go against you.

Fusu knew what Zhang Han was thinking. He had always wanted to be a general.

In politics, as long as we have common interests, we will always be friends.

Even if there were conflicts before, so what...

Unfortunately, Chen Ping did not understand the emperor's thoughts. He just continued speaking.

“The highest virtue is not to practice virtue as its purpose, so it is the real virtue.”

"Inferior virtues always aim to practice virtue, but they do not possess true virtue."

"The highest virtue is to act without action, in accordance with one's nature. The highest benevolence is to act by exercising benevolence, in accordance with one's nature."

"The highest level of righteousness is to act by performing righteous acts, forcing oneself to do so. The highest level of courtesy is to act by performing courtesy, and if there is no response, then raise your arm to force others to comply."

“So when the great way is lost, virtue begins to be respected; when virtue is lost, benevolence begins to be respected; when benevolence is lost, righteousness begins to be respected; when righteousness is lost, propriety begins to be respected. Propriety is the manifestation of the lack of loyalty and trustworthiness, and promoting it is the beginning of disaster and chaos.”

"The established norms and systems are nothing but the splendor of the great way. Following them is the beginning of ignorance. Therefore, a true man chooses the inner integrity rather than the superficiality of the appearance; he chooses the simplicity of the essence rather than the superficial splendor. Therefore, he chooses the thick and solid, and abandons the thin and splendor."

"Your Majesty, if you abandon the solid and solid and choose the flashy, I am afraid it will have a bad influence on the officials and the people."

Qin II had a gloomy face. He wondered when it would be Chen Ping's turn to teach him a lesson.

"That is certainly true. But I'm afraid these things can only be used by those with lofty ambitions."

"If these classics can really help the king govern the country well, then why hasn't a wise king emerged after so long since I left?"

"What's more, after I heard that I wrote this book, I was so scared that I left overnight."

"Can such a book still govern a country?"

Qin II went against his original words and scolded Chen Ping. He also insulted the sage that Chen Ping admired most, Lao Tzu, and belittled the book that Chen Ping was best at studying, "Tao Te Ching".

This in itself is the greatest insult to Chen Ping. (End of this chapter)