A live-streamed Chinese language lesson under the sky—the ancients were taken aback.

A few days before Tianmu began telling the story of "Thunderstorm," Liu Bang was happier than anyone else.

At first, he genuinely treated "Thunderstorm" as a form of entertainment. In Peixian, such plays, depicting everyday family matters, were the most talked-about topics in the villages and alleys. Now that they were being performed on a large screen, with the whole world watching together, it was even more exciting.

Liu Bang truly never expected that this play would end like that.

When the curtain fell that day, Liu Bang stood motionless in place. Xiao He patted him on the shoulder sympathetically, and even Empress Lü spoke softly to him.

Being a clerk is a really tough job; it's all about cleaning up the mess left by the sky screen.

He knew without even checking what the common people would think.

The common people couldn't understand the deeper meaning of the play, but they understood one thing: that old man named Zhou Puyuan drove his entire family to their deaths, and in the end, he sat peacefully in the living room.

Then people started comparing Zhou Puyuan to county magistrates, prefects, and even Xianyang.

But the influence of "Thunderstorm" goes beyond that.

The common people could still hear Sifeng's screams, see Zhou Chong rush into the rain and never come out again, and feel the suffocation of Shiping standing in front of her two sons, unable to utter a single word.

They would project themselves into the story, not because their daughter also fell in love with her brother, but because their own lives, like the characters in the play, were being manipulated by an unseen hand, leaving them powerless to fight back.

In the Qin Dynasty, this hand represented corvée labor, border defense, and the endless construction of roads and the Great Wall, as suffocating as a theatrical performance.

That's the real problem.

Liu Bang stood under the corridor of Xianyang Palace, holding the bamboo slips in his hand until his knuckles turned white.

He offered Ying Zheng three strategies.

The first measure is tax reduction. This year's poll tax will be reduced by 10%, which is the most direct benefit.

The second measure is to open the granaries and give the old grain to the poor at a low price, so that the hungry can fill their stomachs first, and their mouths will not be full.

The third measure was to set up porridge kitchens and free clinics in various counties and townships, so that the people would see that the people of the imperial court were right beside them, not just when it was time to collect taxes.

The three points were written in great detail, specifying how much to reduce, how many warehouses to open, where they would be located, where the money would come from, and where the grain would be transferred from. Everything had been calculated.

The core of all this is this: "He who takes a bribe is bound to be obligated to pay his debts." Please, elders, have some decency and say less.

The three proposals were submitted, and Ying Zheng approved with a single word: "Approved."

Liu Bang did not retreat; he stood there, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly.

Before he came, he had already thought it through. The three strategies were only temporary solutions, and he couldn't and dared not say the one that would actually work.

The edict of self-reproach, or the edict of Gengshi, any other name will do.

The emperor apologized to the people, acknowledging the errors of his past harsh policies and promising to change course.

But could he say such a thing? He could boast in front of Xiao He, joke around in front of Empress Lü, and act like a grandson in front of Ying Zheng, but he could never say: "Your Majesty, please write an edict of self-reproach."

If he says that, his head won't be on his neck tomorrow.

Ying Zheng picked up the pen and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.

"You still have something to say."

A fine layer of sweat appeared on Liu Bang's forehead. "In my opinion, all the above strategies are merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause..."

Liu Bang suddenly bowed, "...I need to think about it some more."

Ying Zheng put down his pen, raised his head, and looked at Liu Bang with cold eyes for a long while.

"explain."

Ying Zheng gestured for him to speak, and Liu Bang's hair stood on end. He stammered as he began to speak.

"Your Majesty…" His voice trembled. "Your Majesty believes that the above three measures are all temporary solutions. The Emperor will tell new things… If the next one is even more heart-wrenching than 'Thunderstorm,' will I reduce taxes again? If I reduce taxes again, the granaries of the court will be empty. What will truly work is to give the people something to look forward to…" He swallowed hard. "Yes… Your Majesty personally issued an edict, punishing… the guilty… and starting anew for the world."

Liu Bang knelt down and said, "I'm putting my life on the line."

To his surprise, Ying Zheng did not get angry.

The First Emperor stood in the hall, silent for a long time.

Then Ying Zheng said something that made Liu Bang think he had misheard.

"I know."

Ying Zheng got up, walked to the palace entrance, and looked at the silent sky outside.

"I built the imperial highways to ensure smooth traffic throughout the land; I conquered the Baiyue to ensure the south would never be threatened; I built the Great Wall to prevent the northern nomads from grazing their horses in the south. I know that every single one of these things must be done."

"But those who do these things—the convicts who build roads, the soldiers who conquer the Baiyue, and the laborers who build the Great Wall—don't care where the Baiyue are or when the Hu people will come."

They only cared about who would farm the fields, who would take care of their elderly mother, and whether their children would survive the winter.

He turned around and looked at Liu Bang, "I never cared about their thoughts before, and then they rebelled, causing the Qin Dynasty to perish after only two generations."

Liu Bang knelt on the ground, not daring to speak.

Ying Zheng looked at Emperor Gaozu of Han, his feelings still complex. He waved his hand and said, "Get up."

Liu Bang stood up and faced Ying Zheng. Just when Liu Bang thought the conversation was over, Ying Zheng suddenly spoke.

"Liu Bang".

It wasn't Liu Ji, it was Liu Bang.

Liu Bang felt a chill run down his spine; this was the first time Qin Shi Huang had so blatantly exposed his identity.

"Your Majesty... Your subject, Liu Ji." His voice trembled just as before; it was all about matters of life and death.

Ying Zheng looked at him, and his eyes were no longer as cold as before; there was a hint of scrutiny in them.

"You've taken over the Qin Dynasty," Ying Zheng said calmly. "I'm waiting to see your true abilities."

Was Ying Zheng giving him a warning? Was he telling him to dedicate himself wholeheartedly to the Qin Dynasty?

After a moment of stunned silence, Liu Bang understood. Given his current situation, this was the only thing he could do.

As long as Qin Shi Huang didn't kill him, he gained his life.

He performed a standard courtier's salute: "Your subject will do his utmost."

"Step down."

After Ying Zheng finished speaking, he returned to his throne and found that Liu Bang had not left.

With both critical issues resolved, Liu Bang's courage grew.

"Your Majesty, I have a question."

Ying Zheng didn't even look up: "Speak."

This question had been swirling in Liu Bang's mind for several days. It had taken root since the first time he discussed grain production under the cover of heaven, and now, during his discussion of "Thunderstorm," he could no longer contain himself.

"Isn't Your Majesty curious about how people in later generations are so different from us? A thousand catties of grain per mu, children as young as ten sitting in bright and clean rooms studying, and other things that our Great Qin dared not even dream of. What exactly happened in these past few decades to transform a depressing and chaotic situation into what Master Shen's classroom looks like?"

"Curious?" Ying Zheng continued flipping through the bamboo slips. "Of course I'm curious, curious about how they managed to eradicate someone like Zhou Puyuan completely, but I'm even more curious about something else..."

He raised his head and glanced at Liu Bang.

"I'm more curious, where do you find the time to worry about future generations?"

Liu Bang felt a chill on the back of his neck and quickly lowered his head.

"Empress Lü has set up a report box in the prefectures and counties, and reports every ten days. Xiao He is revising the performance evaluation system, and it will be piloted at the end of the month. Keep an eye on it when you have time." Ying Zheng casually added a few tasks to Liu Bang.

"I have no time to be curious about the future. They have paved their own way, but my path is still under my feet, and I haven't even finished walking it yet."

Instead of worrying about future generations, you should think about me. The edict from Gengshi will be issued tomorrow. If Feng Quji and his men come to kneel at the palace gate, will you stop them or will I?