Daqin: My weak and virtuous minister

"Sir, you said that it was inevitable for Qin to unify the six kingdoms. Could you please tell me how Qin unified the six kingdoms?"

On the way back to Xianyang, Ying Zheng invited Zhang Yuanqing to ride in the carriage with him. Inside the carriage, Ying Zheng asked.

The carriage was wobbly and shaky on the uneven road, and Zhang Yuanqing felt his small frame was struggling. But he still had to answer the King of Qin's question.

"Your Majesty, with Qin's national strength, we can unify the six kingdoms within fifteen years. There is no doubt about that. Your Majesty should not be concerned with how to unify the six kingdoms, but how to govern such a vast territory after unification."

Ying Zheng looked at Zhang Yuanqing in shock, exclaiming in his heart, "Wow!"

Meng Wu, who was driving, was also shocked, and then became very excited.

"Sir, our Qin governs by law, and this is how it should be after unification."

Ying Zheng didn't think about it and answered.

Zhang Yuanqing shook his head slightly.

"Why, sir, do you think it's not possible?"

"No, it's not that the rule of law can't be used to govern the country, but that a single legalist approach is not enough to support the operation of the entire country."

This sentence made Ying Zheng a little angry, but he also started to think seriously.

"Sir, our Qin State has become strong since Shang Yang's reforms. Why can't we use them in the future?"

"Your Majesty, Qin's laws are strict. This is an advantage of our Qin, but it also has flaws. As time goes by, or after the unification of the six kingdoms, these shortcomings will become more and more obvious." At this point, Zhang Yuanqing looked at Ying Zheng and continued, "Qin's laws have made our Qin rapidly strong, but Your Majesty must understand that this is a different time. Our Qin has strict discipline, but the other six kingdoms are different. For the other six kingdoms, our Qin laws are too harsh, and the people may find it difficult to accept them at the moment, which will make them resist. If the people feel resistance to their own country, what will happen?"

"opposite."

The King of Qin thought for a moment before speaking.

"Yes, the people will rebel. Even if they don't resist in the short term, what if it lasts a long time? Or what if someone instigates them?"

"I also want to ask the king a question. If the six kingdoms are destroyed, how will the kings of the six kingdoms deal with it?"

"Take them back to Xianyang."

Killing is definitely not an option, so just keep it under your nose.

"Then Your Majesty intends to place all the nobles in Xianyang? Or is Your Majesty sure that not a single noble will escape?"

"This……"

Ying Zheng shook his head.

"There must have been some nobles from the six kingdoms who escaped. What happened after they fled?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, but he didn't let Ying Zheng answer. "Those people will definitely organize to rebel against Qin after they escape. Qin destroyed their kingdoms, depriving them of their current superior status and livelihoods. How could they accept this? Therefore, they will incite the people everywhere and smear Qin. Our Qin has strict laws, and the people of the other six kingdoms are already resistant. If someone incites them, they will easily be led astray, and the voices of resistance against Qin will intensify everywhere."

"Your Majesty, you can't just kill all those people then, right?"

"Even if the king kills a group of civilians, it will only give the nobles of the six kingdoms an opportunity to further discredit Qin, saying that the king is cruel, and the people's resistance will only intensify."

"Have you ever thought about the consequences, Your Majesty?"

At this time, Ying Zheng was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

Zhang Yuanqing was indignant when he first heard what he heard, but when he thought about it carefully, he realized that these were things that would happen in the future, and the more he listened, the more frightened he became.

Meng Wu, who was driving, was covered in cold sweat and didn't even dare to breathe.

"Sir..." After a long pause, Ying Zheng spoke with some difficulty, "Could it be that my Qin State cannot defend this territory?"

"Your Majesty, don't worry. This is just my speculation. Of course, this is also something that is very likely or will happen in the future." Isn't it true that the Second Emperor of Qin died in history. Although the cruelty of the Second Emperor of Qin and Zhao Gao was the cause, there were other reasons as well.

"Your Majesty, now that we know the drawbacks, let's slowly make changes bit by bit. We still have plenty of time, so Your Majesty, don't worry."

"Cough cough cough."

After saying that, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help coughing a few times due to the bumpy ride.

"Is there something serious wrong, sir?"

King Qin looked nervously at Zhang Yuanqing, whose face turned pale after two days of travel.

Don't let the talented person you just found lose him because you are in a hurry.

"Thank you, ahem, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I'm not feeling well. I'll be fine after a few days of rest in Xianyang."

"My lord, this is the master's medicine."

A Da and Meng Wu were driving together. He didn't care about state affairs and didn't understand much. He just knew that his master was not feeling well again, so he quickly took out a small medicine bottle.

"Bring it in quickly and let the gentleman take it."

"promise."

Along the way, Ying Zheng looked at Zhang Yuanqing with a pale face, and was often worried that Zhang Yuanqing would die before reaching Xianyang.

After learning from Li Si that the reason Zhang Yuanqing was so weak was because his uncle drugged him, he was furious.

Ever since Meng Wu heard Zhang Yuanqing's prediction about the future of Qin that day, he was impressed and immediately declared that he would go to Chu to destroy those people.

Zhang Yuanqing smiled weakly and told everyone not to worry about it. He had already taught those people a lesson when he left.

Amid everyone's worries, the imperial carriage finally arrived in Xianyang. That day, Ying Zheng brought Zhang Yuanqing to the Xianyang Palace and chose a house for him to stay in first. The palace Chinese medicine doctor came to see him but only prescribed some tonic medicine and there was nothing else he could do.

The king brought back a person and loved him very much, and let him live in the Xianyang Palace.

Soon all the ministers in the court received the news.

Everyone wanted to find out more information, but the few people who knew the news were like saw-mouthed gourds and could not get any information out of them, so everyone had to give up.

The second day after Ying Zheng returned to Xianyang was naturally the court meeting.

Inside the Zhangtai Palace, the Three Dukes, Nine Ministers and other ministers were already waiting there, just waiting for Ying Zheng to come.

"The King Has Arrived"

"See you, Your Majesty."

"Everyone, please stand up."

"This time I personally went to Hanzhong to see the chestnut yield of four stone per mu, and it is indeed genuine."

Ying Zheng's words made the ministers below excited.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. May God bless the Qin Kingdom."

"God bless the Qin Kingdom."

The three dukes and nine ministers, led by the two prime ministers, congratulated the King of Qin together.

Right Prime Minister Wei Zhuang, a man in his sixties, spoke: "Your Majesty, I heard that the reason we harvested so much grain this time was all thanks to Mr. Zhang. Your Majesty must reward such a man who has made such a contribution to the Great Qin."

"Your Majesty, I second the motion."

The Left Prime Minister Changping Jun also followed suit.

"I second the proposal."

Seeing that the ministers had such a rare unanimous opinion, Ying Zheng nodded with satisfaction.

"Of course there will be a reward. I have already invited that gentleman back to Xianyang, and he will be able to meet you all soon."

"I wish to confer upon Mr. Zhang the title of Grand Master, a rank among the Nine Ministers."

Li Si, Wang Wan and others looked up at Ying Zheng in shock, then looked away.

I knew the king would reward me handsomely, but I didn’t expect it to be so generous.

Da Shang Zao, that is the reward for military merit level 16. Nowadays, there are really few Da Shang Zao in Qin State.