Ying Fusu

The next few days seemed to repeat themselves.

— Fusu led the way, and the princes and princesses kept vigil in the side hall of the central palace.

The court officials and nobles would offer condolences and mourn at dawn and dusk, and spend the rest of their time handling government affairs.

As time went by, the sons and wives of the various princes filled the side halls more and more.

The period of mourning lasted until seven days later.

The Grand Master of Ceremonies had also made all the preparations. Led by the eldest son, Fusu, and accompanied by high-ranking officials, they escorted the First Emperor's coffin all the way to Mount Li for burial.

After returning from Mount Li, he went straight to the ancestral temple to pay homage to his ancestors—reporting to the ancestors of the Qin Dynasty the news of the Second Emperor's ascension to the throne.

After symbolic divination and fortune-telling, the conclusion was reached that the ancestors of all dynasties recognized Prince Fusu as the second emperor of the Qin Dynasty.

Then, in the main hall of the Xianyang Palace, Fusu, wearing the emperor's crown, sat on the imperial couch and received the homage of all the officials and ministers.

"Your humble servants pay their respects to His Majesty the Second Emperor."

"May Your Majesty enjoy a long and prosperous life..."

...

Below the imperial steps, court officials lined up on the left and right, bowing in unison.

On the imperial couch, Fusu sat upright, nodding slightly.

When the attendant announced his arrival, Fusu slowly rose, bowed slightly to the officials and ministers in the hall, and then symbolically turned his body left and right.

"Greetings, gentlemen."

At this point, the roles of ruler and subject were established.

From this moment on, Fusu, the eldest son of the First Emperor, had completed all the political procedures and become the Second Emperor of Qin.

At the same time, the court officials officially recognized Fusu's status as emperor and swore allegiance to him.

Thus began a new chapter for the glorious Qin Dynasty, ushering in a new era.

The imperial edict reads: "I, though incompetent and of humble status, have come to rule over all the people of the world."

"I fear that this might tarnish the virtues left by the First Emperor and fail to live up to the expectations of all the previous kings and emperors."

"With trepidation, as if walking on thin ice..."

...

"Now that I have ascended the throne, I dare not disobey the laws and regulations of my ancestors."

"This is hereby proclaimed to the world: Your Majesty, Lady Mi is hereby declared Empress Dowager and resides in Huayang Palace."

"The prince's principal wife, Lady Li, was made empress and resided in a side hall of the central palace."

"It is hereby decreed that the Shaofu officials designate the Qice Palace as the Jiaofang, to serve as the exclusive residence of the Empress."

...

"General Meng Tian was appointed as the Emperor's Grand Tutor."

"Right Chancellor Feng Quji was granted the title of Pillar of State, and his salary exceeded ten thousand shi (a unit of grain).

"The Grand Minister Meng Yi is hereby appointed as the Palace Attendant."

"The young master will be appointed as the Minister of the Imperial Clan Court."

"Proclaim this throughout the land, so that all may hear it~~~"

After the imperial edict was read aloud, all the officials bowed again.

Then, as Fusu returned to the imperial throne, they each took their seats on the east and west sides.

During the brief silence, everyone was carefully savoring the contents of this edict—the first edict of the Second Emperor Fusu.

There's nothing more to say about honoring one's birth mother as Empress Dowager.

Whether it was the Qin state, the states east of the Hangu Pass, or even the Zhou royal family, it was customary to designate the king's birth mother as the empress dowager.

This can be considered an insurance policy for the country.

—In the event of an accident that occurs to the emperor and he does not leave a clear successor, or the successor is too young to govern, the empress dowager will decide to appoint a new emperor or to govern on his behalf until the new emperor comes of age.

The most recent instance was, of course, the First Emperor, who had just passed away and whose body was barely cold.

He ascended the throne as King of Qin at the age of twelve, but was unable to rule personally. Therefore, in accordance with the will of his late father, King Zhaoxiang, his mother, the Dowager Queen Zhao, and his uncle, Lü Buwei, jointly managed the government.

It wasn't until he was twenty-two years old, when King Zheng of Qin came of age and quelled the rebellion of Lao Ai, that he finally gained control of the Qin state.

Now that Fusu has ascended the throne as the Second Emperor of Qin, it is only natural to honor his birth mother as Empress Dowager, whether to demonstrate filial piety or for the sake of the Qin state.

The second point, however, was that the appointment of his principal wife, Lady Li, as empress, which surprised the officials and courtiers somewhat.

"Since the First Emperor unified China, my Great Qin has never established an empress."

"His Majesty, having just ascended the throne, immediately made his principal wife Empress and established the Pepper Chamber as her residence..."

As they pondered, the officials exchanged glances with their colleagues, and unsurprisingly, they all saw a knowing look on their faces.

Why did Fusu not ascend the throne directly after the First Emperor's death, but instead had to go through a process of "discussion by all officials"?

Firstly, the First Emperor did not leave a clear will to pass on the throne.

Secondly, Fusu was merely the eldest son and the first in line to the throne, not the crown prince, the only confirmed and sole heir to the throne.

Fusu's mother, Lady Mi, was not the First Emperor's empress, which meant that Fusu lacked the solid legal basis of being the "eldest son of the legitimate wife" and could not be implicitly recognized as the sole heir to the throne.

At present, Fusu has made a clear choice of empress immediately after ascending the throne.

In this way, the question of who will become the crown prince becomes obvious.

—All children born to the (King/Emperor) are considered legitimate, regardless of gender.

The Empress's eldest son is the eldest legitimate son of the Qin Dynasty.

With the eldest son of the legitimate wife present, unless an unexpected event occurs and he dies young, there is almost no second candidate for heir apparent.

This change made all the officials and nobles feel a completely different trend from that during the reign of the First Emperor.

The First Emperor did not establish an empress or a crown prince;

After ascending the throne, the Second Emperor Fusu established an empress and essentially determined who would become the crown prince...

"I imagine that in the future, there will be more and more things that leave us feeling lost and helpless."

Only at this moment did the court officials in the hall truly realize that the Qin Dynasty had changed.

The one sitting on the throne was no longer the First Emperor, who held absolute power over the world;

Instead, it was the Second Emperor Fusu, who was the popular choice, yet also caused some concern.

As for the latter half of the edict—appointing Meng Tian as the emperor's tutor—it was not too unexpected by the court.

Meng Tian was originally Fusu's teacher.

Now that Fusu has become the second emperor, it is only natural that Meng Tian, ​​as Fusu's teacher, would become the emperor's tutor.

However, Fusu then added a title to Feng Quji, the Right Chancellor who was already second only to the emperor, a title that had never appeared in the Qin state or the Qin dynasty: Shangzhuguo.

Although one can roughly realize that this is a nominal title, merely a respectful honor, and a precondition for justifying the "excessive salary of ten thousand bushels of grain";

However, Fusu's actions still gave the court officials a strange feeling that "times have changed".

"It seems the First Emperor has never treated his subjects with such kindness before..."

Most of the officials and nobles thought the same thing.

Finally, the appointment of the Grand Minister as the Palace Attendant was an appointment that the First Emperor had been preparing for for a long time, and it was a natural outcome.

Appointing Prince Ying Jianglu as the head of the imperial clan was clearly an attempt by Fusu to appease the imperial clan and thus mitigate the negative impact of Prince Huhai's imprisonment in the deep palace.

"Hmm~"

"Compared to the First Emperor, his methods were somewhat immature."

"But it's quite presentable."

Meng Tian, ​​the newly appointed Grand Tutor to the Emperor and the head of the Eastern Seat, made his judgment in his heart with great satisfaction.

"But we can't be too harsh..."

"After all, I am not the First Emperor, and I have not experienced the hardships he went through in his early years..."

Feng Quji, the head of the Western Seats and Right Chancellor concurrently holding the title of Grand Pillar of State, was also quite satisfied with Fusu's "debut".

As for the other officials and nobles, after a brief period of savoring and analyzing, they slowly nodded with approval.

—Indeed, he was not as experienced as the First Emperor.

But for a "rookie emperor," being able to make these arrangements in a clear and organized manner, prioritizing key points, is already considered satisfactory.

According to past practice, the court discussion would basically end here.

The procession started from the side hall, proceeded all the way to Mount Li, and then rushed back to hold a court discussion.

Through Fusu's first edict, one can gain a general understanding of the political climate of Fusu's reign and prepare mentally.

That's all.

The rest was to wait for the national mourning period to end, and for Fusu to gradually adapt to his new identity and become familiar with government affairs.

Only then could the emperor and his ministers meet in court to discuss important national affairs.

With this thought in mind, all the officials and ministers turned their heads to look at the Second Emperor Fusu, who was still sitting upright on the imperial couch.

Once Fusu gives the order, this court meeting can be declared over.

However, Fusu's next words caused all the officials to frown and feel a strange sense of unease about the future of the Qin Dynasty...

...

"I am deeply saddened by the passing of the First Emperor."

"However, a country cannot be without a ruler for even a day."

"National affairs cannot be neglected even for a day."

Upon hearing this, all the officials and nobles felt a chill in their hearts.

Even Meng Tian, ​​who was quite confident in Fusu and felt very gratified, frowned slightly, almost imperceptibly.

Fusu is...

Three fires for new officials?

No matter how eager one is to seize power and get things done, it shouldn't be today, right?

It wouldn't be too late to talk about it in a few days, after the atmosphere of national mourning has dissipated a bit...

Fusu was completely unaware of Meng Tian's thoughts.

He didn't seem to care much about the strange looks he received from the officials and nobles;

He simply said to himself, "As you all know, two years ago, I was ordered by the First Emperor to go to Shangjun to supervise the construction of the Great Wall."

"I have also personally witnessed how the straight roads of my Great Qin were paved and how they were maintained by local counties."

These inexplicable words left the officials and nobles completely bewildered, unable to understand what Fusu was trying to express.

Then Fusu said something that made everyone in the hall—including Meng Tian—open their eyes slightly.

The gazes directed at Fusu were filled with shock and horror.

"The Great Wall and the Straight Road are ultimately useful to the country, but that is secondary."

"Yet the imperial mausoleum at Mount Li, and the Epang Palace south of the Wei River, are..."

He stopped mid-sentence, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall.

As everyone craned their necks and cast horrified glances at him, Fusu first looked at Meng Tian to his lower right and gestured for him to "calm down."

Then he looked at Feng Quji in the lower left corner, stood up and bowed slightly.

"The First Emperor's eastern tour lasted a year."

"All affairs of our Great Qin are entrusted to Prime Minister Feng."

"Then I trouble Prime Minister Feng to answer my questions and resolve the doubts of the officials."

"—The Great Wall, the Straight Road, the Imperial Mausoleum at Mount Li, and the Epang Palace in Weinan—how much money and grain did our Great Qin have to pay annually, and how much labor did it require of its people?"

"How long can the treasury of my Great Qin bear this weight?"

"How long can the people of the world bear this burden?"

...

Quiet.

Utter tranquility.

As Fusu finished speaking, a long silence fell over the main hall.

Many people were already sweating profusely, their bewildered gazes constantly shifting between Fusu and Feng Quji.

— Fusu actually dared to make a fuss about this!

The Great Wall, the Straight Road, the Mausoleum of the First Emperor at Mount Li, and the Epang Palace in Weinan—all were projects undertaken by the First Emperor against all advice and with his own dictatorship!

The result was actually quite good;

The First Emperor had just been laid to rest, and Fusu had just held a ceremony to worship his ancestors and receive the homage of his officials!

It was my first time sitting on the imperial couch, and I hadn't even gotten comfortable yet!

Does this mean the overthrow of the dynasty's policies, which were strongly advocated by the late emperor?

Let's look at Feng Quji next.

hiss~

They're actually thinking about it!

He's clearly thinking about how to answer!

"His Majesty!"

Finally, Meng Tian couldn't hold back any longer and was the first to get up from his seat.

Upon reaching the center of the hall, Fusu solemnly bowed with his hands clasped.

"The Great Wall was designated by the First Emperor as the foundation for the northern defense of our Great Qin Dynasty."

"The straight road is the foundation for the transportation of troops and provisions, and the foundation for the stability of the world."

"The Mausoleum of the First Emperor at Mount Li is a testament to the grandeur and majesty of the Qin Dynasty, built in accordance with the established system."

"The Epang Palace in Weinan was a new palace built because the Xianyang Palace had been too old to be used for governance."

...

"The First Emperor once said: No matter how difficult the task, these four things must be accomplished."

"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, and your rule is not yet secure."

"In my humble opinion, Your Majesty should not be in a hurry to reform the systems established by the late emperor—especially such systems and policies that have been in place for a hundred years."

"I bow my head repeatedly, Your Majesty, and earnestly beg you to reconsider..."

……

As soon as he finished speaking, all the officials and ministers in the hall breathed a sigh of relief.

—Even Meng Tian stood up to oppose it, so it seems that this was not something that Fusu had prepared in advance or that he had discussed with Meng Tian.

However, Fusu's reaction once again surprised all the officials and courtiers.

Upon hearing this, Fusu merely smiled and shook his head with neither arrogance nor servility, then waved to the official beside him, signaling, "Help the Grand Tutor up for me."

After Meng Tian was helped to his feet, Fusu nodded slightly to him.

"Please, teacher, listen to what Minister Feng has to say first."

"Let's discuss whether it's not too late for me to 'reform the system established by the late emperor' now."

After saying this, Fusu fixed his gaze on Feng Quji and waited quietly for Feng Quji's answer.

Inside the hall, all the court officials followed Meng Tian's gaze and looked at Feng Quji, their eyes filled with the same worry.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, after a long period of thought and calculation, Feng Quji finally spoke.

"I hereby report to Your Majesty."

Then Feng Quji first bowed to Fusu, then turned and bowed to all the officials in the hall.

"So that everyone may know."

...

"Now, our Great Qin has more than four million households and nearly thirty million people."

"The agricultural tax is one-twelfth of the total, with an annual grain revenue of 60 million shi (a unit of dry measure), half of which is retained by local prefectures and counties, and the other half is sent to the Prime Minister's office and the national treasury."

"The poll tax and household tax bring in tens of millions of coins annually, which are used to fill the inner treasury of the Imperial Household Department."

As he spoke, Feng Quji adjusted his breathing slightly and took the opportunity to refine his words.

Then he said, "Since the Qin Dynasty unified the world, the Great Wall, the Straight Road and other projects have been built, and it has been eleven years since then."

"According to the statistics compiled by the Prime Minister's Office, in the past eleven years, our Great Qin has conscripted no less than three million laborers and laborers for the Great Wall, the Straight Road, the Lishan Imperial Mausoleum, and the Weinan Epang Palace."

...

"The annual income tax grain, after deducting the salaries of officials and the provisions for the troops stationed at the northern wall and the southern border, was entirely used for these four items."

"After paying the taxes each year, we used them all for these four purposes, but there was still a shortfall."

"Therefore, starting from the thirty-second year of the First Emperor's reign, the Prime Minister's office increased taxes and levies on farmers throughout the land almost every year to make up for expenses..."

After saying this, Feng Quji looked around with a mixture of sigh and trepidation, then inexplicably lowered his head and remained silent for a moment.

Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he bowed deeply to Fusu.

"His Majesty."

"As the Grand Tutor said: The Great Wall and the Straight Road are both important military and national assets, and should not be lightly abandoned."

"The Imperial Mausoleum at Mount Li is the resting place of the First Emperor's spirit. As the First Emperor's son, Your Majesty should not speak inappropriately."

"However..."

...

"However, the Epang Palace in Weinan..."

"Even if it is not abolished, it should still be..."

"Well... perhaps we should postpone it for a while."

"We'll discuss construction again when the treasury is full..."