I switched allegiance to Zhang Han and rebuilt the Qin Dynasty; Liu Bang was heartbroken.

From the very beginning, the heir was clearly designated.

He didn't care how the Qin Dynasty would be passed down for generations to come.

In his time, the eldest son was given priority and would be raised from a young age.

To train him to be a qualified successor.

As for my daughter, as long as she's happy...

When Zhao Long left, he started to worry like an old father, thinking about what kind of teacher he could find for his son.

Unexpectedly, the Prime Minister and Shusun Tong and several others came together.

With the reconstruction of the Qin Dynasty, these core officials of the Qin Dynasty were basically so busy that they had no time to spare, making it a rare occasion for them to gather together.

Among them, they also met Shusun Tong.

Zhao Long asked with a smile, "Has there been any progress in compiling the 'Hundred Family Surnames'?"

Due to the Zhou Dynasty, the fiefdoms of feudal lords and the division of families resulted in the emergence of numerous surnames.

Surnames and clan names are used interchangeably in these situations.

Just like the Qin Dynasty, whose surname was Ying and clan name was Zhao, when the historians recorded the First Emperor as Zhao Zheng in the official records.

However, within the Qin Dynasty, they still preferred to refer to it as Ying Qin, the Ying clan.

After the empire was rebuilt, Zhao Long decided to build something that clearly standardized surnames.

Besides being busy with the reconstruction of the Qin Dynasty, establishing etiquette and regulations, Shusun Tong was also constantly working on the "Hundred Family Surnames".

"Your Majesty, we have already collected more than one hundred surnames, and we are currently supplementing the corresponding records and adding more surnames."

"The distinction between some surnames still requires further investigation into the specific circumstances in various regions."

"It will take at least two years."

Zhao Long was somewhat surprised: "So long?"

However, compiling the "Hundred Family Surnames" in this era was indeed very time-consuming. Many of the surnames were quite varied, and it is estimated that even the people who had these surnames were unaware of their origins and distribution, let alone the fact that most ordinary people did not have surnames at all.

"Yes, among the current surnames of the Hundred Families, the first is Ying, the second is Zhao, and the third is Ji..."

"Besides these, the origins and completion of many surnames will take a long time."

Zhao Long said with a smile, "If you need any support, just say so."

Besides formally standardizing surnames, the "Hundred Family Surnames" was also a remarkable achievement in unifying written language.

Surnames were incorporated into the Qin state's heritage.

As for Shusun Tong's own ranking in the top three, Zhao Long had no objection.

This world belongs to the Qin Dynasty!

Zhao Long asked with a smile, "Since you are not here for the 'Hundred Family Surnames,' then what is it for?"

Zhang Cang said with a smile, "I came here earlier because of news about the war in the north, but before I was about to leave, there was another matter to report to the Prime Minister's residence, so these gentlemen came together."

Zhao Long asked with considerable curiosity, "What is it?"

You should know that great Confucian scholars like Shusun Tong are very busy, so Zhao Long exempted them from the court assemblies that they often had to attend.

Zhang Cang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, we have captured a spy in the city. This man claims to be a disciple of Cui Huanggong, a scholar of the Great Qin Dynasty, and also knows the secluded places of Cui Huanggong and several other scholars of the Great Qin Dynasty."

Zhao Long was stunned for a moment before realizing who Cui Huanggong was.

Isn't this Xia Huanggong, one of the Four Recluses of Mount Shang?

The Four Sages of Mount Shang were four scholars from the Qin Dynasty who went into seclusion in Mount Shang in opposition to the tyranny of the First Emperor and the cruelty of the Qin state.

Legend has it that Cangjie created characters on Mount Shang, and Shang Yang, a famous minister of the Qin Dynasty, was enfeoffed there.

In ancient times, the more unattainable a famous minister was, the more they desired him, and they would visit him repeatedly, as if to make themselves appear extremely eager to find talented people.

This is exactly what Liu Bang did with the Four Recluses of Mount Shang.

He visited in person several times, but to no avail.

This made the Four Recluses of Mount Shang increasingly famous, and they were renowned in the early Han Dynasty.

Of course, these four people were already scholars of the Qin Dynasty, and before that, they were already famous figures from various places.

Liu Bang's eagerness to recruit talented individuals has indeed earned them a place in history!

They truly became immortalized because after Liu Bang's unsuccessful attempts to win them over, Empress Lü finally persuaded them to become the tutors of Crown Prince Liu Ying, leading Liu Bang to abandon his idea of ​​deposing the crown prince.

Zhao Long had forgotten about this, mainly because these four people, while not without their achievements in history, were not indispensable ministers.

Despite being imperial tutors, their imperial sons were merely puppets, achieving nothing of note.

There were no substantial political achievements.

"Are they in Shangshan?"

"Did you all come together hoping that the Great Qin would invite you to serve in the government?"

Zhao Long looked at Shusun Tong and the others with a smile.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then looked at Emperor Qin with utmost admiration.

As expected of the Emperor of Qin, they had only just received the news when His Majesty already knew about it.

"Your Majesty is wise. Cui Huanggong was originally a renowned Confucian scholar whose fame spread throughout Qi and Chu. He later went to Qin to serve as a scholar, but was forced into seclusion due to the burning of books."

"However, this person is quite capable."

"There are also several scholars from the Qin Dynasty who have lived in seclusion with him, including Mr. Lu Li, who is well-versed in ancient and modern classics. With his help, we can make progress on both the compilation of the 'Hundred Family Surnames' and the 'History of the First Qin Empire' which is currently being prepared."

"And the Doctor of Dongyuan, who is also a renowned Confucian scholar and can assist in the education of the Great Qin..."

Shusun Tong spoke up.

He was very excited. These were all top Confucian scholars. If they could be invited to Qin, the influence of Confucianism in the debate between Confucianism and Legalism in Qin would be greatly enhanced.

However, these individuals all went into seclusion after the First Emperor burned books.

The matter involves the past of the Qin state, and whether or not to invite these people back is a decision that Zhao Long must make.

Zhao Long thought for a moment and said, "It would be a pity for Great Qin if you talented people could not serve the Qin. I would like to make a trip on behalf of Great Qin to invite you to come out of seclusion and serve as officials in Qin."

Of course, these are just polite words. If these people want to come back to Qin, they can come back; if they don't, that's fine too.

When Liu Bang established the Han Dynasty, he spared no expense in requesting these individuals to serve in the court. This was partly due to a lack of talent, or rather, a lack of top-tier talent, not the common people who rose to power alongside him.

On the other hand, it is necessary to maintain the reputation of these people.

The appeal of famous figures is terrifying, and it can also bring Liu Bang a good reputation for being eager to find talented people.

The Qin state did not need these.

The Qin Dynasty was the legitimate dynasty of the world, having established itself twice. The myth of the Qin Dynasty is deeply ingrained in people's minds!

Those insightful individuals who have betrayed Qin once should voluntarily come and serve the Great Qin!

If he didn't want to come, Zhao Long wouldn't force him.

The Qin state has overcome the initial pain of a talent shortage, and the prime minister's office is full of talented people. In the future, there will be a system for cultivating its own talent.

"promise!"

Shusun Tong was quite excited. In the previous debate between Confucianism and Legalism, it seemed that no one had won in the end, but in all walks of life in Qin, the law was still the most respected.

He has a dream...

It takes time and effort.

Zhao Long was unconcerned about Shusun Tong's excitement. In the early Han Dynasty, because the war had just ended and Liu Bang had to oppose the Legalist school, which was the foundation of the Qin state, the main schools of thought were the Miscellaneous School and Huang-Lao philosophy.

The same applies to the hearts of people all over the world.

It is difficult to be influenced by a single factor.

Zhao Long was quite happy to see a hundred schools of thought contend and revive in Qin, as long as it was under the main ideology of Qin.

"What about that spy you just mentioned?"

After listening to Zhang Cang's explanation, Zhao Long couldn't help but chuckle.

"Lou Jing?"

"Bring him over in a bit."

"Tell me first, what brings you to see me?"