Ying Fusu

Feng Quji's reaction clearly surprised the court officials.

—As the current Right Chancellor, at a time when the new emperor has just ascended the throne and his position is not yet secure, and the court is in turmoil, shouldn't he seek stability in everything he does?

Let's not touch the old system, no matter how good or bad it is!

Is it not too late to take action once the situation has stabilized?

...

Fusu, however, was not at all surprised by Feng Quji's reaction.

It was not before that Fusu had spoken to Feng Quji and discussed the matter.

Historically, it was precisely because of this incident that the Right Chancellor Feng Quji was killed by the Second Emperor Huhai.

—In the first year of the Second Emperor's reign in history, Chen Sheng and Wu Guang launched the Dazexiang Uprising;

Almost overnight, war broke out all over the world.

The Qin court's response, or rather Zhao Gao's response, was truly baffling.

Faced with the choice between a forceful approach to quell the rebellion and a weaker approach to appeasement, Zhao Gao chose to bury his head in the sand.

瞒。

When news of "popular uprisings" came from various places, Zhao Gao simply withheld it and whitewashed the situation.

When the Second Emperor Huhai asked, he only said: "Your Majesty is a wise ruler, and the Qin Dynasty is peaceful and prosperous."

However, as time went on, the rebel army grew increasingly powerful and was on the verge of spiraling out of control.

Left with no other choice, Right Chancellor Feng Quji, along with Left Chancellor Li Si and Imperial Censor Feng Jie, jointly submitted a memorial stating that bandits were rising up in Guandong and that funds for garrisoning were running out.

Please temporarily halt the construction of the Epang Palace to alleviate the immediate crisis.

To put it bluntly, suppressing the rebellion was too costly in terms of money and supplies, and the government treasury couldn't keep up.

Let's halt the construction of the Epang Palace for now, save some expenses, and use them to quell the rebellion.

Under Zhao Gao's tyrannical influence of "calling a deer a horse," Feng Quji didn't even dare to say, "Rebellious armies are rising up in Guandong, and the world is in chaos!"

Instead, they only dared to say: "Thieves are rising up everywhere."

Upon hearing this, the Second Emperor Hu Hai was naturally puzzled.

—A thief?

—I haven't heard of that?

What kind of thieves could force the mighty Qin Dynasty to halt the construction of the Epang Palace and divert funds and grain to suppress the thieves?

Zhao Gao, who was already keeping this matter a secret, naturally wouldn't tell Hu Hai the truth.

They continued to lie, claiming: "That's not true."

This is the old scoundrel Li Si, colluding with his two important ministers Feng Quji and Feng Jie to find an excuse to stop the construction of the Epang Palace...

The Epang Palace was built by order of the First Emperor.

These three traitors are trying to make His Majesty defy the First Emperor's decree and suffer the infamy of the world!

Upon hearing Zhao Gao's interpretation, Hu Hai was immediately enraged and imprisoned Feng Quji, Feng Jie, and Li Si for questioning.

Not long after, Feng Quji and Feng Jie lamented, "Generals and ministers should not be disgraced," and committed suicide one after another.

Li Si, who refused to preserve his dignity, was executed by being cut in half at the waist and his entire clan was exterminated.

...

Regarding this period of history, Fusu could only say: Wow!

Right Chancellor, Left Chancellor, and Imperial Censor—the only three dukes besides the vacant position of Grand Commandant!

Killing even one person would cause a major political earthquake, but Hu Hai was able to kill them all at once!

It can only be said that there were reasons why the Qin Dynasty fell at the hands of its second emperor, Huhai.

...

As for today, on the very day that the First Emperor was laid to rest, and that Fusu himself offered sacrifices to his ancestors and ascended the throne, he couldn't wait to mention the Epang Palace. This was also because of this history related to Feng Quji.

—In history, Feng Quji was indeed forced to propose halting the construction of the Epang Palace only when the world was in chaos and the situation was completely out of control.

But this idea obviously didn't just suddenly appear in Feng Quji's mind at that time.

As the Right Chancellor of the current dynasty, Feng Quji must have been fully aware of the financial situation of the Qin Dynasty.

Stopping the construction of the Epang Palace to save expenses and improve the financial situation must have been a long-held view of Feng Quji.

However, due to the fact that the Second Emperor Huhai was a mere puppet and Zhao Gao held power in a "calling a deer a horse" manner, Feng Quji could not find a suitable opportunity to bring up this matter.

It wasn't until the Qin Dynasty was on the verge of collapse that Feng Quji reluctantly and desperately put forward this proposal.

Historically, Feng Quji did indeed risk his life for this matter.

From this perspective, Fusu's deliberate choice to have Feng Quji speak about the current financial situation of the Qin Dynasty was actually intentional.

Fusu knew that Feng Quji's attitude towards the Epang Palace was that the sooner construction was stopped, the better.

Fusu happened to have the same idea.

"I have heard the villagers say: 'If you don't manage a household, you don't know how expensive firewood, rice, oil, and salt are.'"

On the imperial couch, Fusu's low, gentle voice rang out again, drawing the attention of all the officials and courtiers.

Then Fusu stood up, put his hands behind his back, and moved to the side of the imperial couch, facing the officials and ministers in the hall.

"The First Emperor, who was in charge of the dynasty, taught me more than once: the chaos or peace of the ancestral temples and the state stems from three things."

"The first is: the human heart."

"Secondly: military force."

The third item is: wealth and goods.

"Winning the hearts of the people ensures the peace of the ancestral temples; a strong army ensures the stability of the state; sufficient wealth ensures that the world will not lack resources and will not cause trouble."

...

"The Great Wall in the north and the Straight Road in the east are both related to the strength and sharpness of our Qin army."

"Even if it loses popular support and causes financial loss, it must be done."

"The Mausoleum of the First Emperor at Mount Li is related to the majesty of the First Emperor and the achievements of our Great Qin in unifying the country, which can inspire awe in the hearts of the people."

"Even if it requires a large army and costs a lot of money and supplies, it should still be done."

"However, Afang Palace..."

"I truly do not know whether the new Epang Palace will win the hearts of the people, strengthen the military might of my Great Qin, or increase the wealth of the treasury."

These words set the stage for Fusu.

Feng Quji did not disappoint Fusu.

With just a glance, Imperial Censor Feng Jie spoke up, taking over Fusu's words.

"Your Majesty is absolutely right."

"In the past few years, people have had many criticisms, saying that the construction of the Epang Palace was a huge waste of manpower and resources."

"It is of no benefit to the country."

"But alas, the Epang Palace..."

Feng Jie stopped speaking halfway through his sentence, allowing all the officials and courtiers in the hall to understand the unspoken second half of his statement.

However, the Epang Palace was ordered to be built by the First Emperor;

The First Emperor issued an edict, and no matter how much the people in the world disagreed, they had no choice but to obey.

...

Fusu and Feng Quji exchanged words, and with Feng Jie's timely intervention, they quickly reached this point in the blink of an eye.

The courtiers in the palace then realized that Emperor Fusu, the second emperor, had probably already made up his mind to stop the construction of the Epang Palace.

However, if this matter were truly that simple, it wouldn't have taken so long to be brought up in court.

—The First Emperor was indeed powerful, and his ministers and officials dared not offend him;

However, some were not entirely without audacity and interfered with the First Emperor's decisions.

For example, the former Grand Minister, now the newly appointed Palace Attendant: Meng Yi...

"Your Majesty, I, the Imperial Physician, report this."

When that resounding cry echoed once more in the main hall, all the officials and ministers present were momentarily stunned.

—Once upon a time, the First Emperor ruled with absolute power, his words were law, and all officials and ministers obeyed without question, daring not to speak.

At that time, it was always the high-ranking official Meng Yi who would step forward with this loud greeting, presenting all the doubts in the hearts of the officials to the First Emperor.

The First Emperor did not always heed Meng Yi's advice.

I listen to it occasionally;

The plan is occasionally fine-tuned.

Most of the time, they will still stubbornly stick to their own opinions.

However, the First Emperor never got angry at Meng Yi for saying, "You actually advised me not to do this."

Over time, this became a habit among the officials in the court.

Is His Majesty about to cause trouble again?

Don't rush;

And Meng Yi too.

He will take action himself.

As for the outcome...

嗨；

Even Meng Yi couldn't persuade them to come back, so why should we get involved?

Just obediently follow orders...

Today, the First Emperor is laid to rest, and the Qin Dynasty begins its reign under the Second Emperor.

Although the court officials witnessed or even personally experienced the entire process, they were still somewhat at a loss.

Or perhaps they haven't adjusted yet.

It wasn't until Meng Yi's familiar, resonant voice rang out that the officials, momentarily stunned, realized once again: the Qin Dynasty had truly undergone a change of fortune.

But it hasn't completely changed.

At least Meng Yi is still that fearless, upright, and intolerant official.

"Please feel free to speak."

Fusu was naturally extremely lenient towards Meng Yi.

Privately, Meng Yi was Fusu's teacher and the younger brother of Meng Tian, ​​the Grand Tutor of the Emperor.

He could be considered half of Fusu's trusted confidants.

In terms of public affairs, Meng Yi, a forthright and outspoken minister, was also appreciated and loved by Fusu.

Fusu had high expectations for Meng Yi.

Even the position of Langzhongling, one of the Nine Ministers, would not be the pinnacle of Meng Yi's career—at least that's what Fusu thought.

Just as Fusu had predicted;

Meng Yi's next words placed the primary challenge facing the Qin Dynasty after unifying China at the first court ceremony after Fusu assumed power.

"Your Majesty."

"I once served as a high minister and was favored by the First Emperor. He summoned me every few days and we often discussed politics."

"Regarding all the systems, policies, and strategies established by the First Emperor, I can confidently say that I know everything he thinks and considers."

"Your Majesty just mentioned the Great Wall, the Straight Road, the Imperial Mausoleum at Mount Li, and the Epang Palace in Weinan—I know why the First Emperor built all of these."

Then Meng Yi walked to the center of the hall, cupped his hands to Fusu, and stood tall and proud.

He spoke with great confidence, ignoring the displeased gaze of his elder brother Meng Tian on his left.

He stated with absolute certainty, "Your Majesty, perhaps you have forgotten."

"Our Great Qin unified the land, and only after conquering the six states did we achieve our victory!"

...

"Therefore, people from the six states, whether kings, nobles, officials, or farmers, all took up arms against Qin soldiers and were punished as criminals."

"The First Emperor's massive construction projects were not intended to stabilize the people's hearts or to build up his military might."

"But if these millions of convicts are left unchecked, they will become a hidden danger to the nation."

"If we kill them all, it might lead to a repeat of the story of Lord Wu'an burying Zhao's surrendered soldiers alive, causing unrest among the people."

"They could neither kill him nor let him go, so they used heavy labor such as building the Great Wall and the Straight Road to exhaust his strength and break his will."

"Only in this way can the world be at peace..."

After saying this, Meng Yi turned to the side and raised his head to his elder brother Meng Tian with a righteous and awe-inspiring air.

Although he didn't speak, he was clearly saying: Brother, don't look at me like that.

In the imperial court, there were only rulers and subjects, not brothers.

After Meng Tian withdrew his gaze with a stern face, Meng Yi turned around and looked around at the officials and courtiers in the hall.

Just as he was about to launch into another impassioned speech, Fusu's calm and unwavering voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Doctor, let's not speak any further."

"There is something that I do not understand."

Upon hearing this, Meng Yi immediately turned around and bowed to Fusu again.

On the surface, he maintained an attitude of "Your Majesty, please ask, I will answer whatever I know," but in his heart, he felt a sudden sense of unease for no reason.

Meng Yi was very uncomfortable with it.

In the past, offering opinions on the First Emperor's actions usually only resulted in three outcomes.

The first interpretation is that the First Emperor, seemingly lost in thought, said: "What you say makes sense. We will discuss this matter again later."

This means that he accepted Meng Yi's advice and temporarily gave up the idea.

The second interpretation is that the First Emperor said with a hint of helplessness: "What you say makes sense, but this matter must be done."

This means partially adopting Meng Yi's suggestion—the matter still needs to be done, but how exactly it should be done can be determined according to Meng Yi's inclination, either in a more moderate or more decisive manner.

The third option, of course, is for the First Emperor to wave his hand and say: "My mind is made up, no need for further words!"

This is naturally a rejection.

...

The situation where Fusu takes the initiative to say, "I have a different opinion on what you said, let's talk about it," is unprecedented.

Meng Yi couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

But I had a vague feeling that I might not be able to respond to what Fusu was about to say...

"Just now, Minister Feng said that since our Great Qin unified the world, there have been as many as three million people who have performed labor service for the Great Wall, the Straight Road and other projects."

Fusu spoke calmly, his expression revealing no emotional fluctuation.

"The Imperial Physician also said that all these things were done by the First Emperor under the pretext of large-scale construction projects, which depleted the strength and will of the convicts of the former six states."

"So, the total number of convicts in the six kingdoms is a staggering three million?"

This question startled all the officials in the hall.

Fusu smiled slightly, looking at Meng Yi with a hint of confusion.

"Feng Xiang just said: My Great Qin has only about four million households and nearly thirty million people."

"Three million convicts—doesn't that mean three out of every four households are comprised of convicts?"

...

"The population is less than 30 million, half women and half men."

"Of the 15 million men, after deducting the elderly, the weak, the sick, and the disabled, the number is less than 10 million."

"With three million convicts, doesn't that mean that one in three men is unforgivable and can only be properly dealt with through arduous labor?"

After speaking, Fusu's smile deepened, and his tone became even gentler.

"Does the Imperial Physician think this is correct?"

"Does our Great Qin truly have so many prisoners and convicts that they need to be suppressed with arduous forced labor?"

...

"Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that it exists."

"Then why weren't these three million 'remnants of the six kingdoms' sent directly to build the Great Wall and pave the Straight Road eleven years ago, when the First Emperor unified the country?"

"Or were they sent to perform forced labor for the past eleven years?"

"Is it because they hid away for the past eleven years and were gradually uncovered by the Qin government?"

"Or perhaps, in order to collect convicts and laborers, local counties forced farmers and commoners who didn't need to do so into becoming 'convicts' or even 'remnants of the six states'?"

After saying this, Fusu deliberately let out a breath.

Once the hall was filled with the soft murmur of officials whispering amongst themselves, Fusu, with an innocent smile, finally uttered his last words.

"Some time ago, I investigated someone."

"Liu Ji, the head of the Sishui Pavilion in Pei County."

...

"It was discovered that this person was ordered in the thirty-second year of the First Emperor's reign to escort able-bodied men to the Lishan Imperial Mausoleum for labor service."

"—The laborers and able-bodied men conscripted by the imperial court in Xianyang, not prisoners."

"On the way, some able-bodied men fled. Fearing punishment, Liu Ji simply released all the able-bodied men and fled into Mangdang Mountain to become a bandit."

...

"Please, Imperial Physician, dispel my doubts."

"Why would this man give up a perfectly good position as a village head and choose to become an outlaw on Mount Mangdang?"

"Why should our Great Qin conscript laborers from the distant land of Chu to build the Lishan Imperial Mausoleum?"