novel bin Chapter 383 King Jian of Qi Surrenders, Unifying the World
Chapter 383 King Jian of Qi Surrenders, Unifying the World
the other side.
When the King of Qi learned that the Qin state had sent troops, he was extremely anxious and immediately summoned his ministers to the palace to discuss countermeasures.
"My beloved ministers, of the six states in Shandong, only my Great Qi remains."
"The tyrannical Qin army, fierce and ruthless, will arrive soon. What should we do?"
Let's discuss it.
After everyone had arrived, King Jian of Qi spoke.
When the Qin state was attacking the states of Yan and Zhao, it had been sending people to infiltrate the Qi court, so many people suggested that the Qi state surrender its territory and offer up its imperial seal.
What does the Prime Minister think?
King Jian of Qi looked at his prime minister, Hou Sheng.
He didn't want to be remembered with infamy.
"Our Great Qi has countless talented and ambitious people; how could we possibly surrender without a fight?"
"Therefore, I suggest that we hold the border at all costs and wait for the situation to change."
Hou Sheng saw that the King of Qi did not want to surrender, and spoke up.
He and Guo Kai, the former prime minister of Zhao, were birds of a feather.
"good idea!"
King Jian of Qi was overjoyed.
However, Qi had no capable generals, so he ordered Hou Sheng to lead the army to defend the city.
……
More than a month later.
Xu Lin and Zi Nu entered the territory of Qi.
King Jian of Qi ordered the border to be sealed off, prohibiting both commoners and merchants from entering or leaving at will.
However, where there are policies from above, there are countermeasures from below.
After nightfall, Xu Lin used only half a bag of money to successfully enter Linzi as a refugee.
With a formidable enemy at hand, wealthy merchants and tycoons in Linzi City were fleeing, and there were almost none like Xu Lin and Zi Nu who were running in.
The State of Qi had not experienced any war for nearly ten years, so Linzi appeared to be very prosperous.
The prosperity of Linzi is different from that of Xianyang. Xianyang is more majestic, while Linzi is simple.
"Madam, we'll have to stay at an inn tonight, won't we?"
Xu Lin asked with a smile.
Because Zi Nu had run Zi Lan Xuan for many years, she had little interest in staying at an inn.
Just like many chefs in later generations who didn't like eating at restaurants.
"I can do it."
Zi Nu remained noncommittal.
She lost both her parents at a young age; what kind of hardship hasn't she endured?
So she could accept spending a few nights on the grass in the suburbs.
Xu Lin, however, was unwilling to use the sky and earth as his blanket. He had a mission in Qi, not to suffer.
Before long, Xu Lin arrived at an inn.
Although the Qin army was already on its way, the inn was still packed with people.
"Are you looking for a room, sir?"
The waiter looked in the direction of the sound and asked respectfully.
"Yes."
Xu Lin nodded.
He was dressed in casual clothes, and Zi Nu deliberately made him look ugly, so he didn't attract much attention.
"I'm sorry, there's only one room left. Would that be convenient for you, sir?"
The waiter looked apologetic.
There are many inns in Linzi, and the competition is fierce, so good service is essential.
"convenient."
Xu Lin smiled.
Then he pulled Zi Nu into his arms, indicating that Zi Nu was his woman.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Zi Nu felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Fortunately, there were no acquaintances around, so she only struggled a couple of times before giving up.
"That's good!"
"Please follow me, both of you."
The waiter was overjoyed.
Then he took Xu Lin and Zi Nu to the top floor.
In Linzi, large inns typically allow guests to view the rooms first, then discuss the price, and finally let the guests decide whether to stay.
Xu Lin likes the top floor because it not only has a good view, but also generally has better sound insulation.
The last room was quite large and very clean.
Because it was the last room, the waiter rounded down the price for Xu Lin and Zi Nu and gave them two fish bladders as a gift.
Xu Lin waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need it, but Zi Nu said that she could use it, so Xu Lin had no choice but to accept it.
Last year, Xu Lin invented a fish bladder contraceptive method, which unexpectedly spread to the State of Qi so quickly.
"You don't want children anymore?"
After the waiter walked away, Xu Lin asked.
"Why wouldn't you want it if it's free?"
Zi Nu opened the wooden box, looked at the fish bladder inside, and asked in return.
She wasn't someone who liked to take advantage of others; she just disliked wasting money.
Moreover, this fish bladder can not only be used for contraception, but also when one is alone.
Seeing that Zi Nu disliked wasting food, Xu Lin smiled calmly and decided to let Zi Nu eat her fill tonight.
Zi Nu doesn't want to eat?
Gently pinch her delicate nose, forcing her to breathe through her mouth.
Proceed step by step.
……
Three days later.
Xu Lin personally went to the Qi King's Palace.
King Qi did not want to see him, but Xu Lin had come as an envoy of Qin, so he had no choice but to see him.
Left with no other choice, King Qi allowed Xu Lin to enter the main hall.
"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant, have come to pay my respects!"
Xu Lin bowed respectfully.
King Qi waved his hand.
"The King of Qi has closed the city gates and sealed off the border. Does he intend to defend the city and rather die than surrender?"
Xu Lin got straight to the point.
He has the Qin state behind him, so there's no need for him to waste words with the King of Qi.
"No."
"Our Great Qi and your country have always been brothers."
"Where does the saying 'rather die than surrender' come from?"
"Is your country's sudden military intervention intended to cause internal strife?"
King Qi said.
He had no intention of being an enemy of Qin; he only wanted to be a peaceful King of Qi.
"My Qin sword, once drawn, has always drunk the blood of men."
"General Wang Ben has personally led an army of 300,000; he can't possibly return empty-handed, can he?"
"Even if the foreign ministers and Wang Ben were willing, I'm afraid the 300,000 elite troops under the merit-based system would not be willing."
Xu Lin stood with his hands behind his back.
"Three hundred thousand?"
"Didn't you say it would be over ten thousand?"
King Qi was startled.
If Wang Benzhen brings an army of 300,000, the State of Qi probably won't be able to hold out for even half a year.
"I wonder what exactly the King of Qin wants from me?"
After a short while, King Qi spoke.
"Those who surrender with courtesy and lay down their arms will not lose their title of marquis."
Xu Lin replied.
"King Han and Lord Changping are both dead."
"Even if I were granted a marquisate, would my fate be better than theirs?"
The King of Qi asked.
He did not want to surrender.
"King Han died of illness."
“Changping Jun plotted a rebellion at the front line and should be executed according to the law.”
Why did the King of Qi compare them?
Xu Lin countered with a question.
King Qi could not persuade Xu Lin otherwise, and said that this matter was of great importance and he needed to consider it for a few days.
Xu Lin agreed, but suggested that he should make a decision before the Qin army arrived, otherwise he would have little control over the situation.
After Xu Lin left, King Qi summoned Hou Sheng to the palace.
"Just now, the Qin envoy requested an audience and suggested that I cooperate with Qin. If so, I would be granted a title."
"His words were almost a plea."
"What do you think, my dear minister?"
King Qi established a road.
Is this the same thing Xu Lin said?
Seeing that the King of Qi intended to surrender, Hou Sheng indicated that it was feasible.
Having received so much money from Qin, how could he not work for Qin?
After news of King Qi's willingness to surrender spread, countless officials immediately entered the palace to advise him against it.
"Your Majesty."
"The Qin traitors have not yet arrived, and the outcome is still uncertain. Why surrender first?"
A member of the imperial clan asked.
"The Qin army is so fierce and powerful that even Zhao and Chu are no match for them, let alone our Great Qi?"
"I am not acting for myself, but for the sake of the Tian family. Now that things have come to this, do I have any other choice?"
King Jian of Qi explained.
"If the Qin dynasty can truly keep its promise, spare our Tian family, and grant Your Majesty a title of nobility, that would indeed be quite good."
"But will the tyrannical Qin Dynasty keep its promise?"
"Has Your Majesty forgotten Zhang Yi's deception of Chu?"
Members of the imperial family pressed for answers.
"A person cannot stand without integrity; would Qin really go back on its word?"
King Jian of Qi frowned.
He was also unsure whether the Qin state would keep its promise.
"It's entirely possible."
The members of the royal family nodded.
This made King Jian of Qi hesitate, unsure whether to accept Xu Lin's suggestion.
More than a month later.
The Qin army approached Linzi.
Hou Sheng's army held out for less than ten days before Linzi was captured.
Seeing that the situation was not good, King Jian of Qi immediately expressed his willingness to surrender.
Thus, the State of Qi was also destroyed.
Wang Ben ordered his men to escort King Jian of Qi back to Xianyang.
There were many different opinions in the Xianyang court regarding how to deal with King Jian of Qi.
Some suggested beheading King Jian of Qi to completely extinguish any hope of Qi's restoration.
Some suggested treating King Jian of Qi well, so that the people of Qi would know that Qin was not a tyrannical state.
Some suggested first granting King Jian of Qi a title of nobility, then withholding his land and food, thus starving him to death.
Xu Lin undoubtedly supported the second suggestion.
The third idea came from Li Si, who was imitating Zhang Yi's deception of Chu.
Xu Lin frowned deeply at this.
Qi has already been destroyed, how could things have come to this?
Moreover, Xu Lin also disliked Zhang Yi's deception of Chu.
While it is true that all warfare is based on deception, it is not the act of a gentleman to betray someone by taking advantage of their trust.
Ying Zheng ultimately chose the fourth path, granting the King of Qi a title of nobility, but only in name, without any fief or estate.
……
October.
Ying Zheng called himself the First Emperor and changed "寡人" (guaren, meaning "I, the lonely one") to "朕" (zhen, meaning "I, the emperor").
The debate over whether to grant fiefdoms or establish prefectures and counties began in Xianyang.
Chancellor Wang Wan suggested enfeoffing the states because Qi and Yan were too far away and would be too difficult to manage without enfeoffment.
The Minister of Justice, Li Si, suggested establishing prefectures and counties, because the Zhou Dynasty was destroyed because of the enfeoffment system.
Ying Zheng felt that both of their arguments made sense, but he leaned more towards the latter, because of the precedent set by the Zhou Dynasty.
The reason why Ying Zheng called himself the First Emperor was because he wanted to pass the Qin Dynasty down to the next ten thousand generations. He could not accept that it would perish in a few hundred years like the Zhou Dynasty.
……
The next day.
Ying Zheng went to Ganquan Palace.
He hadn't seen Zhao Ji for months and wanted to know her opinion on the matter.
“Since the time of Duke Xiao, our Great Qin has always been a prefecture-county system.”
"The benefits of prefectures and counties are self-evident, Your Majesty."
"But have you discovered any drawbacks of the prefecture-county system, Zheng'er?"
Zhao Ji said solemnly.
She sat dignifiedly, her phoenix dress exuding majesty, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor.
Unbeknownst to her, Zhao Ji was becoming more and more like the former Empress Dowager Huayang.
"What are the drawbacks of the prefecture-county system?"
"I really hadn't thought about that."
Ying Zheng said.
"Everything, big or small, has two sides."
"Zheng'er, you may take your time to think about it."
Zhao Ji suggested.
She has no interest in politics; Xu Lin taught her to say these things.
In Xu Lin’s view, both prefectures and counties and enfeoffment have their drawbacks, and the most suitable approach at present is a combination of prefectures and kingdoms.
Having just conquered the states of Qi and Chu, the people's hearts are not yet won over. If we forcefully implement the prefecture-county system and impose harsh laws, trouble could easily ensue.
After Ying Zheng walked away, Zhao Ji dismissed her attendants and drew the purple curtains.
It wasn't until recently that Zhao Ji realized she wasn't love-struck, but rather insatiable.
Once she resolves her desires, she becomes very rational.
She has even gotten used to life without Xu Lin recently.
As long as Xu Lin's belongings exist, what difference does it make whether Xu Lin himself is present or not?
Admittedly, Xu Lin is better.
But Xu Lin was a subject, and she was the Empress Dowager.
So it's good as it is now.
I occasionally meet Xu Lin; he usually deals with objects.
……
Five days later.
Ying Zheng personally visited the Imperial Advisor's residence to inquire whether the prefectures and counties or the enfeoffment system was more suitable for the Qin state.
"His Majesty."
"In my opinion, neither of them is suitable for the current Qin Dynasty."
Xu Lin said in a deep voice.
Neither of them will work?
Ying Zheng's brows furrowed slightly.
Is there perhaps a third way to solve this problem?
“With the country newly settled, there will inevitably be great resistance to forcefully implementing the prefecture-county system.”
"Does Your Majesty still remember why the people of the six states east of the Qin Dynasty said that Qin law was a cruel law that oppressed the people?"
"The language, habits, customs, and cognition of the people of the six states in Shandong are all different from those of the Qin Dynasty. Assimilating them will not be a matter of a day or two."
Xu Lindao.
"Then what do you think should be done, sir?"
Ying Zheng humbly sought advice.
Now that he is the ruler of the world, he still respects and treats the virtuous and talented with courtesy, but only Lin is such a person.
“Counties and kingdoms coexist.”
Xu Lin replied.
After he finished speaking, he took out some pre-prepared draft paper from under the table.
The draft paper was full of the advantages of the parallel system of prefectures and kingdoms.
Ying Zheng took the paper with both hands and stared intently at its contents.
After reading it, he suddenly realized what was happening.
Xu Lin considered all the possibilities, such as local rebellions, chaos in the central government, and invasion by foreign tribes.
There are solutions for both the parallel existence of prefectures and kingdoms.
The parallel system of prefectures and kingdoms naturally has its drawbacks, just as Shang Yang's laws had their shortcomings. However, for the present time, the parallel system of prefectures and kingdoms is the best system.
……
More than half a month later.
Ying Zheng originally wanted to directly implement the parallel system of prefectures and kingdoms, but Xu Lin advised that a ruler should not make a one-man show and should let officials speak.
Otherwise, problems will arise sooner or later.
Ying Zheng thought Xu Lin's words made sense, so he asked Li Si, Wang Wan, Meng Yi, Yao Jia and others to discuss the parallel operation of the prefectures and kingdoms.
In the end, most people agreed to the coexistence of prefectures and kingdoms, but a few, including Li Si, insisted on prefectures and counties.
The prefecture-county system was proposed by Li Si; if it had been implemented, he would have made an immense contribution.
After Wang Wan left, the position of prime minister was undoubtedly his.
The idea of parallel administration of prefectures and kingdoms was proposed by Xu Lin. It is true that Xu Lin was recommended by Li Si, but that was many years ago.
Li Si did not want to be enemies with Xu Lin, but Xu Lin had no interest in the position of Chancellor; he only wanted to reach the highest position in the court, nothing more.
Thus, the Qin state began to implement the parallel system of prefectures and kingdoms.
Because Li Si wanted to implement the prefecture-county system, he entrusted this matter to Wang Wan, Meng Yi, Yao Jia and others.
"One wrong step and the whole game is lost."
"I, this rat, have gone from the warehouse back to the toilet."
Li Si sighed.
He was an ambitious man and could not accept being a minor official.
The Minister of Justice was already one of the Nine Ministers, but he was still not satisfied. He wanted to become the Chancellor, second only to the emperor!
Because of Xu Lin's exceptional position, even though Li Si became the Chancellor, he was still second only to Xu Lin.
……
That night.
Feeling quite depressed, Li Si went to the Han residence.
Li Si had been busy with his new policies and had not seen his fellow student Han Fei for several months.
Because Ying Zheng chose to implement both commanderies and kingdoms, Li Si's new policies completely failed.
"Why hasn't my senior brother's illness been cured yet?"
Upon seeing Han Fei's white hair, Li Si could not hide his surprise.
He has been preoccupied with how to become prime minister and implement new policies, so he has paid very little attention to the matter of Han Fei.
“In the past, I used a forbidden method to save Korea.”
"It's a miracle that I've survived to this day."
Han Fei explained.
He can barely sit up now.
Li Si sighed upon hearing this. He had initially thought that Han Fei would be his biggest rival in Qin, but who would have thought that after Han Fei entered Qin, he only wrote a few books before falling into decline.
After several rounds of drinks, Li Si confided his troubles to Han Fei.
After listening, Han Fei said, "Although Your Majesty has chosen the parallel system of prefectures and kingdoms, it does not mean that your new policies cannot be used. For example, standardizing the written language, the width of cart tracks, and the weights and measures."
This does not conflict with the parallel existence of prefectures and kingdoms.
Li Si suddenly realized what was happening and bowed in thanks.
Han Fei waved his hand, indicating that it was unnecessary.
Then he advised Li Si not to take extreme measures in the future.
……
the following year.
The system of parallel prefectures and kingdoms was implemented.
Fusu, Prince Gao, Jianglu, Huhai, and others were enfeoffed in places like Yan and Zhao.
Ying Zheng began his eastern tour.
Xu Lin stated that his mission was complete, so he rarely participates in politics.
……
May.
Han Fei passed away.
Li Si presided over the funeral arrangements.
Before his death, Han Fei spoke a great deal to Li Si, which had a significant impact on Li Si.
Li Si was easily influenced and rarely thought things through before acting; he never considered things from a different perspective.
For example, the previous implementation of the parallel system of prefectures and kingdoms was not necessarily a bad thing for Li Si, because the new policy did not conflict with the parallel system of prefectures and kingdoms.
But Li Si would think that if His Majesty did not use the prefecture-county system, then the new policies would be useless.
That's not the case! (End of Chapter)