The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 365: New Law, New Qin, I End the Old

The bamboo slips were spread out and placed flat on the lacquered table.

King Zheng of Qin seemed to be reading it carefully, but in fact he was just pretending, as he had read this new law a long time ago.

After reading more than ten lines of text, King Zheng of Qin thought that the time was almost right. He raised his eyes and glanced down, and saw hope in the eyes of the hostile old Qin nobles and the Chu people.

King Zheng of Qin smiled knowingly.

Only he, the brother who is born with wisdom, could implement the new law to the extent that both old vested interests expected and allow a reform that could shake the foundation of the Qin State to go smoothly, right?

The old Qin nobles firmly occupied the middle and lower-level official positions in the Qin State. Starting from Qin Xiaogong who adopted Shang Yang's reforms, which Qin monarch in succession did not want to take action against the old Qin nobles?
If his father, King Zhuangxiang of Qin, did not have this idea, he would not have let him study the book "Shenzi" to control his subjects.

Qin Jun didn't move because he didn't dare to move.

The power of the old Qin nobles was too great, and their influence on the Qin State was too profound. It can be said that the main body of the Qin State was the old Qin nobles. If the reform was to the point of uprooting the old Qin nobles, then the Qin State would no longer be the Qin State.

Besides, it can't be pulled out. The Qin nobles are not pigs and sheep to be slaughtered.

The main branch of the old Qin nobles was in Xianyang, and the other branches were distributed throughout the Qin State, while the effective control of the Qin monarch was limited to the city of Xianyang.

When the King of Qin was carrying out reforms, the old Qin nobles in Xianyang were all opposed and refused to follow suit. The King of Qin executed all those who disobeyed him. Following this process, the old Qin nobles in various places would rebel.

During the Warring States Period, the people believed that they were soldiers in times of war and civilians when not at war. The Qin State, which only had a standing army of 100,000 in the Lantian Camp, was unable to suppress the rebels that sprang up like mushrooms after rain in the Qin State.

In addition, the difficulty in dealing with the old Qin nobles lies in their official positions.

The monopolization of official positions by nobles was not only a problem in Qin, but a common problem in all countries.

If one wants to become an official nowadays, there are many ways, including recommendation, self-recommendation, lobbying, hereditary succession, military merit, etc.

It seems like a lot, but in fact, except for the twenty ranks of military titles of the Qin State, none of them can be separated from the nobility.

Recommended, who recommended? The nobles.

To whom should I recommend myself? The nobles.

Lobbying, lobbying whom? The nobles.

Hereditary, one must be born into aristocracy.

This world belongs to the nobles, not to everyone in the world.

In the Qin State, this problem was particularly obvious because the Qin State had no talent pool.

After Shang Yang's reform, the Qin State implemented the policy of using officials as teachers and laws as teachings. That is, the content of people's learning was limited to legal provisions, which were taught by officials, rather than freely studying Confucian classics or other school works.

The Confucian, Taoist, Mohist and other schools of thought that opened up wisdom were strictly prohibited, and only agricultural and military knowledge, which had no ideas but only technology, were allowed to spread.

The Qin State had no schools open to the common people, and private learning was strictly prohibited. Once discovered, the offender would be sentenced to imprisonment. The students should use their energy in building royal tombs, city defenses, and palaces.

The Qin State taught its people to read and write in order to deal with matters such as law, household registration, and taxes, rather than to pursue knowledge. In simple terms, it was to make the people understand human language and to better control them.

Due to the limitations of Qin law, if all the old Qin nobles were dismissed, the Qin State would really have no way to do anything.

Those who came under the "Order to Recruit Talents" were important officials in the court, not petty officials who wrote pens in a county or prefecture.

The important ministers who formulate national policies are important, but the petty officials who implement national policies are more important. Without the former, the country will develop slowly, and without the latter, the country will be in chaos and difficult to continue.

Given these two difficulties, if it weren't for his younger brother, King Zheng of Qin would never have taken action against the old Qin nobles.

"Yi Yin of Shang and Guan Zhong of Qi are not as good as my brother." Qin Wangzheng smiled and whispered, then raised his voice: "Today, you will have lunch in the palace."

He rolled up the bamboo slips and handed them to Zhao Gao, who was standing by his side with his hands raised and his head bowed:
"Tell someone to quickly copy a hundred copies and hand them to each of the officials.

"Tell the kitchen to prepare food for a hundred people and have it delivered at noon."

Zhao Gao agreed to all the requests, and took the new law handed over by Chang'an Jun to do what Qin Shi Huang had instructed, thinking that he had to memorize the new law as soon as possible.

"The decree handed over by Hualong will be transcribed for your consideration after it is finished." Qin Wangzheng said to his ministers, "Before that, please report your affairs immediately."

When they heard King Zheng of Qin's words about his intention to introduce new laws, the old Qin nobles and the people of the Chu clan all showed joy.

The old Qin nobles headed by Wang Kuan thought that the king did not punish them because of the new law.

With clear laws as norms, the Chu barbarians could no longer dismiss their people at will, and their power was finally preserved.

The Chu clique, led by the two prime ministers, agreed with the old Qin nobles in that they had not been punished.

They are also welcoming of the new law.

The incident has become so serious that they must not target the Qin nobles in the future. If the new law is established and the standards for officials to do things are clarified, then as long as they follow the new law, the official positions they have occupied can be preserved, and the new law will protect their vested interests.

Ying Chengjiao observed the reactions of both sides and listened to the intermittent dialogue between the emperor and his ministers in the court - there was more than just two factions fighting for power in the Qin State, and he felt fed up and tired.

When the task was about to be accomplished, he did not feel happy nor did he feel proud of having won the hearts of the people.

This is not what he really wants.

He wanted to install thousands of street lamps across the country and hang all these so-called nobles who exuded a strong smell of decay under the street lamps, in front of the untouchables who were not treated as human beings.

Let everyone in the world know what it means when a common man gets angry, blood splatters five steps away.

[Take your time...] He closed his eyes, feeling fortunate that his elder brother was Qin Shi Huang.

Only Qin Shihuang had the courage to change everything in peacetime.

His teacher also wanted to change all this, holding punctuation marks and saying that it would speed up the Qin people's learning ability and improve the culture of the entire nation.

His father, King Zhuangxiang of Qin, disowned his teacher.

Qin became strong because of Shang Yang's laws, and King Zhuangxiang of Qin did not dare to violate Shang Yang's laws.

King Zheng of Qin dared.

As time passed, the officials surrounding the front hall of Xin Palace began to glow, first from the east, then from the south, and then from the west.

General Zhang, who saw food being delivered to the front hall of Xin Palace for the first time, sat at the stone table and made a bet with the adjutant sitting opposite him.

"I bet a hundred coins that the dining palace will prepare two meals today." Jie Zhang raised two fingers and raised his head towards the front hall of Xin Palace: "Believe it or not, dinner has to be provided here too."

The adjutant looked up at the setting sun. It was the first time the adjutant had seen a morning meeting turn into a noon meeting and then into an evening party.

"It's dinner time in an hour or so, so I won't bet with you on dinner." The adjutant held up three fingers: "I bet three hundred coins, and we won't leave until curfew today."

Chapter grabbed the adjutant's three fingers, pressed them on the stone table, and laughed:
"After all, he is my good brother. He is eager to give me money. Don't regret it. Let's bet!"

What's this? They can't finish the work even after curfew? Are they discussing how to fight the sky?
Inside the palace, the establishment of the new law was coming to an end.

Zhao Gao held the bamboo slips in his hands and read aloud on the high platform in a clear voice:

"The Law of Effect:
"First: Use public tools... surplus and shortage. (Check government tools, if there is surplus or shortage, it must be recorded and held accountable.)
"Second: If the accounting error leads to a loss of more than 660 coins, the responsible official will be fined one armor. (If the accounting error leads to a loss of more than coins, the responsible official will be fined one armor.)
"Third: Different departments independently verify and each bears corresponding responsibilities.
"..."

After reading the 212 articles of the Law of Action, he changed the bamboo slips and continued reading:
"Law on Appointment of Officials:
"First: When officials are stingy and have no integrity, those who are not harming the gentlemen should let the historian take charge of the office, not the assistant or the historian. (When the chief official is absent, a reliable person must take over, and a low-level official must not be allowed to take over at will.)
"Second: After appointing officials and lieutenants, they are ordered to take up their duties and sent away. (After the officials are officially appointed, they need to undergo an inspection before they can officially take up their duties.)
"..."

After reading Article 368 of the Law on the Appointment of Officials, he changed the bamboo slips and read them again, his voice becoming hoarse and no longer clear:
"The Internal History Law:
"First: When you have something to ask for, you must do it in writing, not verbally, to prevent fraud. (Officials must ask for instructions on official business in writing, not verbally, to prevent fraud.)
"Second: When officials and clerks are on duty at night, they must be careful not to cause fires and be cautious. (When officials are patrolling government offices at night, they must be cautious to prevent dereliction of duty.)
"..."

After reading the 210th article of the Neishi Code, his voice became hoarse, so he changed the bamboo slips and continued reading:
"The Law of the Lieutenants.

"First: If the lieutenant fails to prepare for the task of recruiting soldiers, and the magistrate and the county magistrate fail to notice it, each will be fined one armor. (If the lieutenant fails to complete the task of recruiting soldiers, and the magistrate and the county magistrate fail to notice it, each will be fined one armor.)
"..."

After reading the thirty-eighth article "The Lieutenant", King Zheng of Qin waved his hand to stop Zhao Gao from changing the bamboo slips and asked his ministers:

"Zhao Gao is mute. Who is willing to succeed him?"

Li Si stood up:

"I am the Chief Justice of the Court, in charge of laws and orders. This is exactly what I should do."

"Come forward, I will." King Zheng of Qin agreed.

Li Si, who had drafted the first version of the new law, climbed the stairs and picked up a bamboo slip with the final version of the new law written on it. He said aloud:
"The Law of the Corvée:
"First: If an official fails to carry out the imperial conscription, he shall be fined two rank of rank. (When conscripting corvée labor, if an official delays, he shall be fined two rank of rank.)
"Second: If the corvée is delayed for three to five days, it will be reprimanded. If it is delayed for six to ten days, it will be fined one shield. If it is delayed for more than ten days, it will be fined one armor. (If the corvée is delayed for three to five days, it will be reprimanded. If it is delayed for six to ten days, it will be fined one shield. If it is delayed for more than ten days, it will be fined one armor.)
"..."

"Yiwu Law" 173, Changing bamboo slips, the voice is slightly hoarse:

"The Law of Warehouse.

"First: When grain enters the warehouse, every 10,000 dan is counted as one unit... and it needs to be checked regularly." (After grain enters the warehouse, every 10,000 dan is counted as one unit and needs to be checked regularly.)
"Second: If there is a surplus or shortage of grain in the storehouse, and the surplus is hidden and not reported... it is treated the same as theft. (If an official conceals the surplus or shortage of grain, he will be punished as theft.)
"..."

"Canglu" 235, Changing bamboo slips, the voice has become hoarse:

"The Law of Running Script:
"First: If the order or signature is urgent, it should be delivered immediately. If it is not urgent, it should be delivered within a day without delay. (Urgent documents must be delivered immediately, and ordinary documents must be completed on the same day without delay.)
"Second: Those who delay the delivery of official documents will be punished according to the law.
"..."

Sunset West Mountain.

The celestial official in charge of telling time rang the curfew bell on time.

The adjutant who was on guard outside the front hall of Xin Palace laughed loudly, stretched out his hand to ask the General for money, and planned to go to the Bashu Tower to find a pretty girl who was good at sex next day.

"Stop talking nonsense! It's not like Nai Gong doesn't want to give it to you! I'll give it to you tomorrow, tomorrow!" Zhonglang Jiang Zhang was unhappy. He didn't understand what those adults in the palace were talking about. The noise had not stopped this afternoon.

The sky is full of stars and the moon is hidden in the clouds.

Civil and military officials walked out of the front hall of the palace one after another and returned home under the cover of night. Thirty-seven of them shouted themselves hoarse and had difficulty speaking for the next two days.

In the darkness of the night, it was difficult to see each of their faces, let alone know what they were thinking.

But all this does not hinder one thing - the new law will officially come into effect on an auspicious day thirteen days later.

The auspicious day was chosen by the Grand Historian Xishi Bingshu, and the new law was passed by all the officials in the court.

This was the second major reform of the Qin State.

Soon, the two gentlemen were the only ones left in the hall.

"Who assassinated you?" King Zheng of Qin walked down the stairs and asked in a deep voice, with long-pent-up anger in his eyes.

If his brother had not suggested to let it go for the time being, King Zheng of Qin would have definitely investigated the matter thoroughly first, killed the murderer, and then formulated new laws as planned.

"Brother, this is not important." Ying Chengjiao shook his head: "Let's put this matter aside until it is useful later."

"When it's useful."

"When a man must die and we have no reason to kill him."

"Brother, if you hadn't left, if you were interested in the throne, father would have chosen you. It was me who had watched politics and taken classes for six years, so why are you better than me at what father calls the way of the emperor?"

"If my brother was not called Ying Zheng, I would never give up my position. If I were to sit on this throne, I would definitely not use a sword against the old Qin nobles at this time. Only you, King Qin Zheng, have the courage to do so."

"It is because of you that I dare to do this. Father said that you have the eyes of God. You can see the hearts of people, the situation of nations, and even the next thousand years."

"Oh, then father is too little. I can see two thousand years."

"Then I can't let you die. Who sent the assassin? Wang Kuan? Even though he is Wang Wan's father, that's not a reason for him to assassinate my brother and not die."

"The reason why the murderer didn't kill me is the same as the reason why my mother sent people to assassinate you and my mother, and my father, you, and my mother didn't investigate my mother thoroughly afterwards."

"Madam Ji is your mother, how can he compare with Madam Ji!"

"It can be compared. Brother, you are the king, and the country is in front of you. If you investigate now, it will benefit me, but harm the country. If you don't investigate now, it will benefit the country and not harm me. Brother, don't make the wrong choice."

"My brother has changed a lot. I remember when my mother and I were assassinated, you insisted on tracking down the murderer. You said that if we tolerated the murderer this time, he would become more aggressive and we must repay him with blood. Now it's your turn to be assassinated, but you gave me such an excuse."

"I've grown up." Ying Chengjiao yawned and stretched. "My waist aches from sitting all day. I'm very tired. I'll go back to the palace first. Brother, please be restrained. Don't play threesomes or foursomes today."

King Zheng of Qin laughed and scolded, telling Ying Chengjiao to get out immediately.

Ying Chengjiao pounded his waist and walked out of the hall.

He looked up at the starry sky and felt that it was particularly beautiful tonight, as if it had been washed and looked brand new.

"I've made an end of the past, and will still welcome the flowers blooming next year." The young man clapped his hands: "Ying Chengjiao, you really have some literary talent!"

Inside the palace, Qin Wang Zheng looked at his brother's back and said softly:
"You are the one who values ​​personal feelings the most."

King Zheng of Qin will never forget the seven-year-old child who stood in front of him six years ago, nor will he forget the twelve-year-old boy who said he had grown up in front of him today.

(End of this chapter)