The Moon in the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 674: Please Grant Me Your Request

Faced with the current situation, to be honest, it is the most correct decision for King Jian of Qi to surrender directly.

He threw all the problems he could not solve to the Qin State and enjoyed his wealth and prosperity.

And Ying Zheng annexed Qi State with legitimate reasons and transformed Qi State with the absolute size of Qin State.

Any problem that the King of Qi could not solve could be solved under the overwhelming force of the Qin Dynasty.

The common people, who make up the vast majority of Qi State, can benefit from the transformation of Qin State, which means that Qin State can gain the support of the majority of people.

And there was absolutely no possibility of violent resistance from the State of Qi.

After all, given the current social atmosphere in Qi, even if the noble officials wanted to fight to the death, without the support of the King of Qi, they would be unable to unite and would not be able to get much support.

First of all, the people are not stupid. They will not fight even if they cannot win. They will not do something that will lead to their own death.

Secondly, the people are unwilling to do so. They are not so cheap as to risk their lives for such stuff.

As the saying goes, those who have no permanent property have no permanent heart.

When the King of Qin came to distribute land, the people knew very well what to choose.

In fact, most of the noble officials and even big businessmen would never fight to the death.

Even if they all obeyed the policies of the Qin Dynasty, even if they suffered heavy losses, they were still the superior people, and a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.

The King of Qin was benevolent and the State of Qin was law-abiding. It did not simply confiscate all wealth.

But if a war breaks out, the whole family will be wiped out.

If Qin is not strong enough, they are still willing to give it a try.

However, when faced with an absolutely irresistible powerful enemy, aristocratic officials and big businessmen always have a flexible bottom line.

In this regard, Ying Zheng was well prepared, and the Qin Dynasty also had sufficient experience in creating a new order. As long as the vast majority of people benefited, the remaining small group of people would never be able to cause any major waves.

In the original history, the State of Qi had surrendered obediently. Now, they will be even less likely to fight to the death.

The old rules: those who are obedient will be rewarded generously and their treatment will be kept as generous as possible; those who are disobedient will be killed and their property will be confiscated and their families will be exterminated.

Pull one faction, coax one faction, beat one faction, and if the bottom is peaceful, it won't be a problem to swallow it up quietly.

There was no shortage of capable officials in Qi State, but there were always many people who were frustrated.

Qi State was already a culturally prosperous country, and its famous Jixia Academy was no exaggeration. Even though it has gradually fallen into decline over the years, its foundation is still there.

In addition, Qi was a prosperous land with many educated people from middle-class families, but these people had no opportunities for advancement in politics. As long as they were given opportunities, their motivation would be much stronger than that of corrupt aristocratic officials.

After all, the officialdom in Qi State was too rigid.

Class is too rigid.

One person occupies a cake that is enough to feed a thousand people. As long as there is someone to support these thousand people, that person had better become a member of the same class as soon as possible and become the thousand and first person.

Otherwise, there would be no room for such people under the new order of the empire.

Your ancestors made contributions and shed blood for the State of Qi, not for the Qin State. How can you still be a noble after the fall of your country? How can you still enjoy wealth and honor for generations? Do you deserve it?!

Moreover, this time King Jian of Qi also gave Ying Zheng a great assist.

When he came, not only did he come, he also brought the prime minister, high-ranking officials from prominent families, local nobles, and the doctors of the five cities!
The purpose was that after he took the lead in voting, this group of people would be in a difficult situation and would have to follow suit and vote, leaving them no chance to lead the way in causing trouble!

There were people who opposed King Jian of Qi's move. Not to mention the issue of surrender, the main thing was that they had just entered the Qin State and were going to be caught in one fell swoop. What should they do?

Then the entire State of Qi would be leaderless. Now the Qin army is still in the State of Wei, so they can destroy the State of Qi as well.

The opposition was very strong and many people did not want to follow King Jian of Qi.

They were also very puzzled. Even if they were to pay homage to Qin, even if it was to show sincerity and obedience, it would not be necessary for all the high-ranking officials of Qi to come out in full force, regardless of whether they were inside or outside the country. What would they do if something happened?

However, this time, King Jian of Qi showed an unusually firm and tough attitude. Everyone looked at the Qin army stationed in the neighboring Wei State and firmly supported King Jian of Qi, and had to obey.

The king has made such a firm decision, we have to listen. We can't really rebel, can we? We can't really fight against the Qin State, can we?

Ying Zheng naturally saw all of this clearly, and was more satisfied with King Jian of Qi's attitude. As long as King Jian of Qi took the initiative to ask for submission, how could these officials and nobles under his roof dare to object?
If they were still in Qi, they might have to go through more trouble, but now they were all in Xianyang. Ha, how could they have any say? The more Ying Zheng thought about it, the happier he became. That night he went to Chang'an Palace. The three Qi princesses were already prepared.

They had long known that their father was coming to pay homage to Qin and would arrive today. So there was no doubt that the king would come tonight, so how could they not be prepared?

The three princesses happily welcomed Ying Zheng, their eyes full of smiles. Seeing that Ying Zheng was in great spirits, they were also very happy.

Ying Zheng spent a wonderful night, but he was still relatively restrained. After all, they would have to attend the reception for King Jian of Qi together tomorrow, and he couldn't let them get up.

The next day, Ying Zheng summoned all civil and military officials and many high-ranking nobles to hold a banquet in the Xianyang Palace to welcome King Jian of Qi and all the officials and nobles of Qi.

Even the queen, three princesses of Qi, and a dozen older princes and princesses were present. It was a grand event that completely honored King Jian of Qi.

Just when the banquet was almost over, with both the guests and hosts having a great time and enjoying the food and wine, King Jian of Qi stood up and walked to the center of the hall, attracting everyone's attention.

No one would get drunk in such an occasion.

King Jian of Qi walked into the hall and bowed to Ying Zheng, startling everyone. Ying Zheng stood up suddenly, his face full of concern, and asked hurriedly: "Why is King Qi like this? Please sit down quickly, is it because I didn't entertain you well enough?"

In an instant, the bustling hall became silent, and everyone stared at King Qi Jian.

The three sisters Gui Xuan were shocked and looked terrified, almost screaming out.

All the officials of Qi State had a very ominous premonition in their hearts and exchanged glances with nervous expressions.

The thing they were most worried about and dared not imagine seemed to be coming true.

King Jian of Qi smiled and said calmly, "Your Majesty has treated me very kindly. How could I be inadequate in my hospitality? I have something important to report."

Ying Zheng did not sit down either. He just stood there, looking at King Jian of Qi with concern, and said anxiously: "Even if there is something very important, there is no need to rush it now. Today is a feast, and we will not talk about state affairs. King Qi, please take a seat quickly, and we will talk about everything tomorrow."

Qi Wang Jian still smiled, his voice clear and bright: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I am so happy that I can't wait any longer. What I want to say is indeed a matter of great importance, concerning the lives of hundreds of millions of people in Qin and Qi. Today is the perfect day, when all the civil and military officials of Qin and Qi are gathered together. If I don't say it now, when will I say it?"

Ying Zheng pondered for a moment, a smile appeared on his face, and he said, "In this case, King Qi, please speak your mind and let me know everything."

King Jian of Qi cupped his hands and said loudly: "Your Majesty has received the mandate of Heaven and the auspicious sign of the black bird. You have swept across the world and rectified social order. You have punished rioters and brought peace to the people. Your power is spread throughout the country and your virtue is known to all quarters. Your virtue is greater than that of Yao and Shun, and your power is greater than that of Tang and Wu. Today, the world has returned to Qin. This is truly the will of Heaven and the virtue of Your Majesty!"

King Jian of Qi glanced at the many important officials of Qi who looked uneasy, and then said: "I am an unworthy minister. I have been in charge of the Qi state for more than 30 years, but I am weak and have little virtue. I can't govern the country and keep the people safe, and I can't unite to resist the enemy. If it weren't for the help of the king, I would have been eaten by the tigers and leopards of the neighbors."

"Since the king received the mandate of heaven, he has been like a dragon and a tiger, sweeping across the world, showing his power and virtue, and shaking the whole country. Today, the prosperity of Qin is as majestic as Mount Tai and as vast as the ocean. All the princes are in submission. This is truly the mandate of heaven and the trend of the times." The voice of King Jian of Qi echoed in the hall, steady and powerful.

"Your Majesty's virtue is outstanding, and your grace is universal. The laws are promulgated, fair and strict, and orders are obeyed. No one steals on the road. Farmers and sericulture are prosperous, and granaries are full. Commercial roads are open, and goods are plentiful. Schools are flourishing, and culture and education are flourishing. The people enjoy your Majesty's grace, live and work in peace, and praise you. Even though I live on the shores of the East China Sea, I know your majesty's virtue and reputation."

King Jian of Qi took a deep breath and spoke more sincerely: "I have heard that the phoenix will not rest unless it rests on the phoenix tree, and the people will not return unless they have a wise ruler. Since Your Majesty has received the mandate of heaven and the dragon is attached to you, how dare I not hang my whole country and crawl under your feet? The mandate of heaven is with Qin, how dare I, a mere ant, go against the might of heaven and earth with my strength?"

"If we continue to resist stubbornly, it will only go against the will of heaven, escalate the conflict, cause great suffering and displace the people. This is absolutely unacceptable."

"Now I would like to present to the king the mountains, rivers, cities, and household registration maps of Qi, a total of 92 cities of all sizes. I would like to lead the subjects of Qi and sincerely submit to the king, offer fish and salt to the king, open households on the sea and the mountains, and give up my title of king, take off my crown and robes, and submit to the Qin with my whole country."

"From now on, the land of Qi will all be your counties and the people of Qi will all be your children. I only hope that the waves of the east will always flow to the west, and the people of Qi will all follow the customs of Qin. I beg your majesty to grant me your permission. I am willing to serve you wholeheartedly and unswervingly."

After the King of Qi said this, everyone was extremely shocked, except Ying Zheng who had already guessed it, and the entire hall was silent.

Ying Zheng also pretended to be quite shocked, frowned slightly, and said with embarrassment: "The King of Qi's request today is..."

He paused deliberately.

"I really didn't expect this."

Ying Zheng glanced at the crowd, looked at King Jian of Qi and said, "King Qi, please take a seat and let us discuss this matter."

In fact, he was secretly observing the reactions of the officials of Qi State. He saw that some of them were shocked, some were calm, some had joy in their eyes, and some were extremely anxious. Their expressions kept changing, reflecting the various states of mind of all people.

King Jian of Qi bowed down and said loudly, "Your Majesty is the Holy Lord appointed by Heaven, and everyone in the world knows that Your Majesty has inherited the Heaven's mandate to unify the world, and everyone in the world also knows that. The people of the world are in chaos, and although I am stupid, I know that people's lives are difficult. Today's destiny is like this, how can I go against Heaven?"

"I am not rash or impulsive. What I say today is from the bottom of my heart. I am here with all the civil and military officials, and I am bringing with me the household registration files, financial details, geographical records, and other details of the country. I am here to serve the king with all my heart. Please do not refuse."

Qi Wangjian's voice became more and more excited: "For the sake of the people of the world, the millions of common people, and the future of peace between the two countries, please grant my request!"

Ying Zheng was shocked, and he waved his sleeves and quickly asked someone to help King Jian of Qi up: "King Qi, please stand up quickly and speak if you have anything to say."

(End of this chapter)