People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 562, Lü Buwei's Legacy

Xu Qing's visit to the Marquis of Wenxin's residence at this time was undoubtedly like throwing a heavy stone into an already turbulent Xianyang, making the Qin court even more chaotic.

Inside the residence of Marquis Wenxin.

Xu Qing and Lü Buwei sat in the pavilion in the backyard, watching the servants come and go, packing things, with large boxes being placed in front of Xu Qing.

"You've come to my residence at this hour. The imperial family and relatives of the empress must be getting restless. You seem a bit too hasty."

Lu Buwei looked at Xu Qing and shook his head slightly.

"It's not that I'm impatient, but that you, Marquis Wenxin, are too hasty. Aren't you in such a hurry to leave Xianyang precisely to quickly distance yourself from your retainers and court officials, so as not to implicate them?"

Xu Qing turned to look at Lü Buwei, observing his graying hair and beard, and calmly said...

“They are all rare talents. It would be a real pity if they could not serve Qin because of me. Moreover, Qin needs stability, even if it is only a somewhat unstable stability,” Lü Buwei said with a sigh.

“But you should know that I can’t leave everyone behind,” Xu Qing said in a deep voice.

Even though he and Ying Zheng had tried their best to reduce Lü Buwei's influence on the court and retain those capable people, Lü Buwei's prestige and influence were too deep. If too many people were left behind, it was inevitable that these people would have other ideas.

If the new and old prime ministers still use the same group of people, then the label of Lü Buwei will not be removed from these people, and they will become increasingly entangled with Lü Buwei, which may even lead to many lasting consequences.

Even though he desperately wanted to keep Lü Buwei as his assistant, he couldn't keep him now; he had to wait until things were settled in the court before letting Lü Buwei return.

“I understand. I have already asked the Minister of Agriculture to keep an eye out for people who are close to you and can be of use to you. None of them are people I have a deep relationship with.”

Lu Buwei handed a plain silk scroll to Xu Qing and said with a sigh.

Xu Qing took Su Juan and slowly opened it to look at the names of Yao Jia and many other officials. These people would all become part of his team.

"I won't mistreat these people," Xu Qing nodded and said.

Lü Buwei nodded slightly, trusting that Xu Qing wouldn't mistreat these people. He then looked at the boxes in the courtyard and spoke.

"This is the 'Lüshi Chunqiu,' which I compiled by drawing on the strengths of various schools of thought and spent more than a decade of painstaking effort. The Qin state became powerful by relying on Legalism, but it could not rely solely on Legalism, especially after unifying the world."

"The Qin state, which has unified the world, is about to create an unprecedented country. The old ideas of governance are not all applicable to this new country. However, the Lüshi Chunqiu may be able to help you and Your Majesty."

As Lü Buwei looked at the boxes piling up in front of him, a hint of sadness inadvertently appeared in his eyes.

The "Lüshi Chunqiu" is not only his posthumous fame, but also proof that he rose from a merchant to become the prime minister of Qin and held power for more than a decade. Although he has now retired successfully, he still cannot help but feel sad and lost.

"Don't worry, I will make good use of it. I promised you before that I would make sure that the Lü Family Annals are recognized by all schools of thought." As he spoke, Xu Qing took out a scroll of bamboo slips from his bosom, a smile on his face, and handed the scrolls to Lü Buwei.

"This is."

Lu Buwei took the bamboo slip, glanced at Xu Qing who was all smiles, and then opened the bamboo slip out of curiosity.

The bamboo slips were covered with dense writing. Lü Buwei stared intently at the words, his pupils contracted, and his expression became excited.

Although the bamboo slip contains a lot of information, it all boils down to one thing.

That is, the Daoists recognized his "Lüshi Chunqiu" and acknowledged that he, as a member of the Miscellaneous School, had learned the essence of Daoist doctrines. In simpler terms, the Daoists were willing to take the lead in bestowing upon him the title of "Master".

It should be noted that since the emergence of the Miscellaneous School, only one person has been recognized as a master by all schools of thought: Shi Jiao, a retainer of Shang Yang, also known as Shi Zi.

With the Daoist school's acknowledgment, once the "Lüshi Chunqiu" was published, the other schools of thought, even if they were angry, could only reluctantly accept it.

After all, the era of a hundred schools of thought contending is long gone. The only schools still vying for the doctrine of governance are Taoism, Confucianism, and Legalism. Other schools, including the School of Names and the School of Yin and Yang, are merely appendages of these three.

The Legalists were inherently disorganized and didn't care if outsiders learned their doctrines. As for the Confucians, with the support of the Daoists, they couldn't openly break ties with Daoism and could only acknowledge it.

What can the other schools of thought say in this situation?

The *Lüshi Chunqiu* was essentially Lü Buwei's child. As a father, his greatest expectation was for his child to make a name for himself and gain recognition. He originally thought he wouldn't live to see it, but Xu Qing helped him achieve it ahead of time, even earning him the title of "Zi" (子, meaning son).

"Thank you."

Lu Buwei took a deep breath, unable to hide his excitement, and holding Xu Qing's hand, he didn't know what to say.

"It is my promise to you, and of course I will keep it. Moreover, your book is a masterpiece. It would be a great pity if it could not be recognized by all schools of thought."

Xu Qing looked at the excited Lü Buwei and said with a light laugh.

After all, he inherited Lü Buwei's estate. He was indebted to Lü Buwei, so if he didn't give him something in return, how could he get Lü Buwei back to work for him in the future?
As for the Daoist acceptance of the *Lüshi Chunqiu*, it was merely a matter of a word for him. He was the future head of the Tianzong sect and a leader of Daoist scholars such as Huang-Lao and Gui-Xu; if he acknowledged it, then the Daoist school would acknowledge it.

Lu Buwei held Xu Qing's hand, so excited that he didn't know what to say for a moment, and could only hold Xu Qing's hand for a long time without letting go.

"You don't need to say anything more. This is one of the few things I can do for you. What are your plans for the future?" Xu Qing said with a smile.

"I plan to see some old friends, and then choose a place to retire. I'm getting old, it's time to rest."

Upon hearing this, Lü Buwei pondered for a moment before sighing softly, his tone tinged with a sense of melancholy at the passage of time. "Then I wish you a safe journey. When you leave Xianyang in the future, please let me know, and I will come to see you off," Xu Qing said.

"it is good."

After Lü Buwei agreed, Li Si, Yao Jia, the Minister of Agriculture, and the Imperial Censor entered the courtyard and walked towards Xu Qing and Lü Buwei.

"Marquis Wenxin, Chancellor!"

The four bowed.

"This is?"

Xu Qing looked at the four people who had suddenly arrived, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes, and looked at Lü Buwei with a puzzled expression.

"Let you meet, so as to avoid some unnecessary trouble."

As he spoke, Lü Buwei stood up, put his hands behind his back, and walked out of the courtyard.

As Xu Qing watched Lü Buwei leave, he understood what the other man meant. This was a handover, a formal transfer of the Wenxin Marquis's estate to him.

"Has Marquis Wenxin already explained the general situation to you?"

Xu Qing reached out and helped the four of them up, asking with a smile.

"Marquis Wenxin has already made it clear that he will continue to seek guidance from the Prime Minister in the future."

Li Si glanced at the three people beside him, cupped his hands in greeting to Xu Qing, and said...

He came with the three of them to see Xu Qing in order to break down the barriers between them.

Li Si felt somewhat envious of Xu Qing, who had risen to the position of Prime Minister. However, he also understood that Xu Qing deserved his success, and the contributions he had made far surpassed those of Li Si.

"We hope that you will continue to guide us, Prime Minister. We will certainly obey your orders, be loyal to Your Majesty, and serve the Qin state!"

Yao, Jia, and the other two looked at Xu Qing and said in a deep voice.

Yesterday, after Lü Buwei dismissed his retainers, he specifically kept the three of them behind to explain the whole story and said that he was entrusting them to Xu Qing, instructing them to obey Xu Qing's orders and continue to serve the Qin state.

The three were utterly shocked. They never imagined that Lao Ai's rebellion was such a large-scale affair, nor did they expect that Xu Qing and Lü Buwei would choose such a power transfer.

However, such a smooth handover is a good thing for them, and they no longer need to worry about their safety.

Having Xu Qing become the new leader would be entirely beneficial to them.

"Gentlemen, there is no need for such formalities. Since Marquis Wenxin has entrusted you all to me, I will certainly not fail him. However, I also hope that you will not forget the past and will always hold the King and the State of Qin in awe and respect."

"Your Majesty is a wise ruler and will certainly not doubt a capable minister because of slanderous rumors from outsiders. I cannot guarantee anything to you all, but I can guarantee that as long as someone is both talented and virtuous, they will be treated equally."

Xu Qing reached out and helped the four of them up, smiling as he spoke to them.

"We understand and will keep in mind the Prime Minister's advice."

Li Si, Yao Jia, the Minister of Agriculture, and the Vice Minister of the Censorate bowed and said.

They naturally understood the veiled meaning in Xu Qing's words. Today, they officially pledged their allegiance to Xu Qing, and from this day forward, they would have nothing to do with Lü Buwei.

"It's getting late, so I won't invite you all to dinner. I'll treat you to a drink tomorrow when the Prime Minister's residence opens for business," Xu Qing continued.

"Yes."

The four men cupped their hands in greeting.

After exchanging a few more words with the others, Xu Qing left the Wenxin Marquis's residence first, followed by Li Si, who also left in a carriage.

"Prime Minister, your visit to the Marquis of Wenxin's residence today has already generated a lot of discussion. I've heard that the reaction from the imperial clan is quite intense."

Li Si looked at Xu Qing sitting opposite him, hesitated for a moment, and then said with some concern.

“It’s normal for them to react strongly, but don’t worry, I have my own way of dealing with it. Tomorrow is the opening day of the Prime Minister’s residence, Brother Tonggu, remember to arrive early.” Xu Qing nodded and said.

The strong reaction from the imperial clan was within his expectations. The conflict between the imperial clan and the literati could not be suppressed by covering it up; a suitable opportunity was needed for the imperial clan to resolve their grievances.

Upon hearing this, Li Si was taken aback at first, but then he understood what Xu Qing was going to do, and his heart was filled with excitement.

"Thank you, Prime Minister," Li Si said, bowing.

Xu Qing smiled but didn't say anything. As a member of the Qin King's faction, Li Si should now officially enter the court.

Thinking about his official inauguration as Chancellor tomorrow, Xu Qing felt a surge of excitement. It was the position of Chancellor, the highest position in Qin, second only to the emperor.

(End of this chapter)