Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 112 Dialogue with the Young Ancestral Dragon
Xinzheng, Zilanxuan.

Xiu Yuan looked at the person in front of him with a complicated expression. To Han Fei and the others, he might just be a young king, but to him, the person in front of him was not just a simple king.

Ying Zheng, a pioneer of an era, has been bestowed with many accolades by later generations, such as "First Emperor" and "Emperor of All Time."

Later generations have offered varying opinions on him, but they have all highly praised his great achievements. He unified the seven kingdoms, changed China's political system that had lasted for more than two thousand years, implemented the prefecture-county system, standardized currency, writing, weights and measures, and standardized the width of carts and the written language. He also defeated the Xiongnu in the north and conquered the Baiyue in the south, built the Great Wall, and laid the foundation for a multi-ethnic state. These are all political achievements that history cannot erase.

Of course, not all evaluations are positive; there are also negative ones. The teacher once evaluated some of the First Emperor's actions from an objective perspective. For example, he believed that the peasant uprising at the end of the Qin Dynasty was driven by the First Emperor's "tyranny." The First Emperor was not backed by the common people, but by powerful families. This natural position determined the other party's starting point, making it difficult for them to consider the perspective of the common people. They were more concerned with maintaining their own rule, which is human nature.

The fact that the Qin dynasty was overthrown by Liu Bang and Xiang Yu, who led their respective regimes, precisely illustrates this point: the root of "tyranny" lies in governance methods that deviate from the interests of the people.

Of course, there was much praise. For example, the Yellow River irrigation project, a waterway that even Duke Huan of Qi and other feudal lords couldn't conquer, was finally opened up after Qin Shi Huang's reign. There was also the "burning of books and burying of scholars alive." Qin Shi Huang buried Confucian scholars of Mencius's school, who advocated following the ways of the ancient kings—a philosophy that valued the past over the present. Qin Shi Huang's attitude was the opposite; he was a model of valuing the present over the past. Most of the books burned were divination texts; some good books were preserved.

Everyone seems to have their own likes and dislikes regarding this emperor who was a figure of unparalleled power, and Xiu Yuan is no exception.

Harsh laws are born for times of chaos, but have no fertile ground to survive in times of prosperity.

"Young friend, are you Xiuyuan?"

Upon seeing the newcomer, Ying Zheng was taken aback. He had heard from Wei Zhuang and the others that it was a boy, and he had assumed it was a boy of fifteen or sixteen, about the same age as Zhang Liang. However, he did not expect it to be a boy of twelve or thirteen.

"Yes."

Xiu Yuan walked over slowly. Wei Zhuang raised an eyebrow and stood aside with Shark Tooth in his arms. Xiu Yuan had said some surprising things to him and Han Fei. He was very curious about what he would say to the King of Qin.

"You shouldn't be here."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng smiled nonchalantly. He had already heard this remark from several people when he arrived in Xinzheng. It seemed that this young boy had already guessed his identity.

"But for me, this seems to be a blessing in disguise."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhuang narrowed his eyes, secretly on guard, but Ying Zheng did not take it to heart. Instead, he smiled and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Xiu Yuan sighed softly.

"If you hadn't come, I think we would have met again much later."

Upon hearing the other party's words, a strange glint appeared in Ying Zheng's eyes. Judging from the young man's words, the other party seemed very certain that he would definitely seek him out.

"What should I call you?"

Ying Zheng smiled. In just a few words, he could tell that although the other person was young, he was a smart person, as smart as Han Fei.

You may call me Young Master Shang.

Xiu Yuan nodded.

"You seem very certain that we will meet again in the future. Can you tell me why?"

Xiu Yuan slowly walked to a spot about half a zhang in front of Ying Zheng, then raised his head and looked at the tall and slender young King of Qin.

"Having arrived here, Young Master Shang must have already met Han Fei. I know you are searching for an answer, and that answer will be different for each of you."

Ying Zheng frowned. Although he no longer regarded the other party as a child, the other party's words still made him feel that he had underestimated him.

"Oh, you know what I want?"

Wei Zhuang glanced sideways and looked over as well, while Zhang Liang stood at the doorway, looking at the young man beside the King of Qin with a complicated expression.

"The mountains and rivers are unified, for thousands of generations."

These simple eight words caused Ying Zheng to lose his composure slightly. This chaotic world had lasted for hundreds of years. Although the various vassal states had all dominated for a time, none of them had ever achieved the unification of the country.

And he did indeed have this ambition.

Upon hearing this, a sigh crossed Wei Zhuang and Zhang Liang's eyes. Han Fei had once said something similar: he wanted ninety-nine percent of the world's territory.

"So what's your answer?"

Ying Zheng looked at the young man before him. His calm expression and unwavering gaze seemed to suggest that such a matter was not worth his attention. Ying Zheng was curious about what the young man had gone through to be able to take everything so lightly.

"Since the Spring and Autumn Period, the world has been in chaos for five hundred years. Various countries have been constantly fighting and wars have been endless. From the perspective of the common people, they do not want to fight, because war means death and this war has lasted for too long."

"As time goes on, the people's yearning for peace will grow louder and louder."

A strange glint flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes; this was the first time he had ever experienced the Seven Kingdoms from this perspective.

The Confucian scholar Xunzi once said in "The King's System": "The ruler is the boat; the common people are the water. Water can carry the boat, but water can also capsize the boat."

"The main force behind this historical tide is not the powerful families, nor the few monarchs, but the common people."

"Wars are fought for talent, for soldiers, and for wealth. But in the end, all of these things are obtained from the people. To the monarch, these people at the bottom of society may be expendable. But is that really the case?"

Xiu Yuan sighed softly at this point.

"Humans are the most intelligent of all beings because they have seven emotions and six desires, can speak, and have likes and dislikes, unlike other animals. With these complex emotions, people are destined not to be puppets to be manipulated. Imagine if one day farmers would rather starve to death than cultivate the land, how many people in the world could survive? If the people had no desire to reproduce, how many people in the country would be left to guard the borders?"

Ying Zheng frowned deeply. He had to admit that this was indeed an extremely terrifying conjecture.

"I can use the law to restrain them and let them go."

Subconsciously, Ying Zheng blurted out the answer, but then he shook his head.

"What you're describing is too extreme; this situation wouldn't normally occur."

Standing still, Xiu Yuan's gaze became somewhat distant. Could this situation really not happen? As for the latter, it had already begun to happen in his own time and space.

"It's just a hypothesis. Young Master Shang should be able to distinguish between the real and the fake. Just now, Young Master Shang mentioned using the law to restrain people, but when a person is no longer afraid of death, is the law still useful?"

Ying Zheng shook his head. In that situation, the law was indeed no longer effective.

"The general trend of the world is that after a long period of division, there will be unity. This is the will of the people and will not be changed by the will of any individual. After five hundred years, although this call is not visible, it has long been deeply rooted in people's hearts. Therefore, unification is a historical inevitability and no one can stop it."

"In this final showdown, no one can be sure who will win."

"Given the current situation, Qin has a greater chance; this is an indisputable fact."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhuang gave a light snort. Of course, he did not refute this conclusion, because the national strength of Qin far surpassed that of the six states in the Central Plains.

"As for the other issue." At this point, Xiu Yuan's gaze became somewhat solemn. The reform of the system requires time to transition. The hereditary title system has been in place for hundreds of years and is deeply ingrained in people's minds. It is almost impossible to change it in a short period of time.

"Before we get to that, may I ask Young Master Shang a question?"

Ying Zheng nodded slightly.

"can."

Zhang Liang looked at the little guy standing next to Ying Zheng and a bitter smile appeared on his lips. He knew that this boy was about to say something shocking again. Although the reasoning was correct, probably no one would be able to accept it.

"Can Young Master Shang guarantee that future rulers will be wise and capable, or that they will be able to control the overall situation and ensure the country's stable development?"

Ying Zheng remained silent for a moment, then replied in a deep voice, "No."

Xiu Yuan nodded.

"This situation is normal. The environment has a huge impact on a person, especially on young children. If they are born at the top of the social class and do not know the hardships of life, they will never understand the darkness of the world."

"Can such a person truly shoulder the weight of the world?"

"Countries have been passed down to this day, experiencing ups and downs. Some countries were once prosperous, but eventually fell into obscurity, and some even became dust in history. Just like the flowing water in a river, it is constantly changing, and no one can guarantee that a country will continue to prosper."

"In my view, the reason for this situation is that there are problems with the country's system."

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng and Wei Zhuang both looked over. Both were intelligent men, and they knew perfectly well whether it was right or wrong.

"For a country to prosper, one of the key factors is the ruler himself. If each generation of rulers is wise, the country will not experience major setbacks."

"And ensuring this is a huge challenge for everyone."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhuang gave a cold laugh.

"That's impossible. If every ruler was wise, this chaotic era would have ended long ago."

Ying Zheng stared intently at the young man before him, awaiting his answer.

Do you know this answer is correct?

Xiu Yuan saw Ying Zheng's gaze, a gaze filled with unwavering determination.

He then nodded.

"Before that, I have another question, which I would appreciate your careful consideration, Young Master Shang."

Ying Zheng nodded.

"can."

Xiu Yuan's expression became unusually serious.

"Does this world ultimately belong to one person, or to all people?"

Ying Zheng remained silent, Wei Zhuang remained silent, and even Zhang Liang remained silent when he heard the question again.

The room was quiet, no one spoke. This was a question that offended the entire era. If the world was not the world of one person, what was the point of being loyal to the monarch?
"What does Xiu Yuan want to say?"

Xiu Yuan sighed softly.

"Does Young Master Shang insist that the country belongs to Qin, or that it belongs to Ying?"

Ying Zheng's hands, which were behind his back, unconsciously loosened and clenched, then loosened again. After a long while, he leisurely said, "You have a lot of courage."

Xiu Yuan suddenly smiled; perhaps he had already guessed this answer.

"When a person's heart is confined to a well, he is destined to see only the present. But when a person's perspective can overlook the long river of time, he may be able to get different answers."

"Everyone born into this world is destined to have selfish desires; it's human nature. Just like now, each of us standing here has our own selfish motives. Young Master Shang wants to recruit Han Fei, Master Wei Zhuang and Zi Fang are worried that if something happens to Young Master Shang, the State of Han will be plunged into an abyss of destruction, and I also have my own purposes."

Seeing that the young man in front of him did not seem angry, Ying Zheng suddenly felt a little curious.

He then asked again, "Can you tell me, does such a country really exist in the world?"

A hint of reminiscence flashed in Xiu Yuan's eyes, and then he nodded.

"Yes, but it's still too early for now."

Inside the room, Wei Zhuang looked at the young man again, his eyes filled with contemplation. His question earlier, seemingly about whether the man's surname was Qin or Ying, was actually about something else entirely.

A king may or may not have wise descendants, but for the whole world, there is no shortage of wise men, nor is there a shortage of capable wise men.

How to pass a country down through hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of generations is indeed an extremely bold idea.

"How can we ensure that those people will keep their promises? Power is a poison that corrupts the heart; even the most virtuous person can fall into depravity."

Ying Zheng frowned slightly; Wei Zhuang seemed quite interested in the young man's suggestion.

Xiu Yuan gently shook his head.

"The key to this issue is actually the law as described by Han Fei: is the law above the king, or the king above the law? Only when power is confined within the cage of the system can it prevent a person from becoming corrupt."

Wei Zhuang's eyes lit up, but then a mocking smile appeared on his lips. However, this smile was not directed at Xiu Yuan, but at this era.

"An interesting argument, but a pity."

Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes. Such a discourse was not something an ordinary person could utter. When he looked at the young man in front of him again, he couldn't help but feel a desire to recruit him.

"Since you have the ambition to save the world, would you be willing to follow me?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhuang looked slightly surprised, but then he seemed to understand. Although the person in front of him was young, he had to admit that the other party was more than capable in terms of knowledge and ability.

However, Xiu Yuan's reaction was quite calm. He was not surprised by Ying Zheng's reaction. What he said was not just a personal opinion, but the wisdom of thousands of years later. It could be said that this was a crushing defeat.

After a moment of silence, Xiu Yuan gently shook his head.

That is not my path.

(End of this chapter)