Qin Dynasty: Starting with clinging to Zhao Ji's thigh

The setting sun casts its last rays, its rays lingering gently.

A young man dressed in a scholar's robe walked slowly forward, carrying luggage on his back.

He walked steadily, step by step, on the smooth bluestone ground, with beads of sweat constantly sliding down his forehead and chin.

A gentle evening breeze brought coolness and comfort, and he finally found a teahouse on the street to rest for a while.

Even during his rest, he didn't forget to observe the surrounding scenery.

The buildings stand side by side, with proper structures, smooth and clean roads, and excellent public security.

The people were not emaciated; their clothes, though simple, were at least warm enough. Almost all of them wore smiles, relaxed and at ease, unlike the apathy seen elsewhere.

“During the Battle of Changping, Guanzhong suffered a great disaster. The most soldiers were recruited from Hedong and Henan, and the losses were the greatest. Logically, Henan should be poor and backward now, but under the development of Lord Changxin, it has become so prosperous that it is comparable to Linzi in Qi.”

"He truly deserves to be called a person who can benefit the world with papermaking and printing techniques, and who has also created the philosophy of mind, earning the admiration of even his teachers."

"I, Li Si, made the right choice coming to Hanoi this time!"

The mind in its original state is neither good nor evil; the movement of the mind can be either good or evil. Knowing good and evil is conscience; doing good and eliminating evil is the investigation of things.

Over the years, with the popularization of paper, the theory of mind that Ying Jing left in the papermaking manual has also spread and gradually reached the seven kingdoms.

Seeing this, Ying Jing also calmed down over the years and gradually improved it.

However, he was not the sage of later generations, and the philosophy of mind he developed still had some deviations.

Knowing that Ying Zheng did not have much affection for Confucianism, he also made some revisions and did not favor Confucianism.

The mind is the foundation for understanding the world; through self-cultivation, one can reach a state of knowing good and evil.

All truths reside within my heart; there is no need to seek them externally.

Right and wrong, good and evil, are determined by the heart. If I believe something is good, then it is good, even if others see it as evil.

Of course, Qin ruled by law, so if someone violated the laws of Qin and then used the philosophy of mind to justify their actions, they would simply be scapegoated.

Ying Jing didn't want to cause too much trouble with this sudden idea, so he added some more.

The law is the minimum standard of conscience.

The essence of the philosophy of mind lies in cultivating virtue and self-discipline, guiding behavior with conscience, assisting the law with morality, and jointly maintaining social order.

The various schools of thought in ancient China had differing opinions on this theory, while Xunzi of the Confucian school, though not entirely agreeing with it, still greatly appreciated it.

That is why, after Li Si decided to join the Qin state, he traveled from Linzi in Qi to Henan, wanting to see for himself what Lord Changxin was really like.

Although we have not yet met him in person, we can already get a glimpse of his character from the people of Hanoi.

Just as Li Si was pondering, the conversation between the two people at the next table suddenly caught his attention.

"Hey, have you heard? Lord Changxin has issued a recruitment notice."

“I know about this. The storyteller at Mingyue Tower always reads the Hanoi newspaper after he finishes telling a story.”

"Lord Changxin is recruiting talented individuals to help manage his fiefdom. Those who pass the test can be recommended to the court to be appointed as prefects!"

"Wow, a prefect! That's a very high-ranking official!"

"The people Lord Changxin is looking for are truly talented individuals. What does that have to do with us illiterate peasants?"

"That's true... Come and have some tea!"

"We have to thank Lord Changxin. I heard this tea came from the State of Zhao. We've never had the chance to taste it before..."

The chatter around him gradually faded away, but Li Si, who was resting and drinking tea, had a gleam in his eyes.

"If I want to compete with Han Fei, I can only rely on the most powerful state, Qin."

"But the current situation in Qin is such that Chancellor Lü Buwei is already in decline. Although I want to serve the King of Qin, I have no way to do so. On the other hand, Lord Changxin is eager to recruit talents and is recruiting people from all schools of thought to serve him. Since the Gongshu family followed Lord Changxin, their status has risen accordingly."

"Even novelists, with the help of Changxin Jun, wrote wonderful stories such as 'Investiture of the Gods.' Although they were works of entertainment, they at least brought this declining genre back into the public eye."

"And the Hanoi newspaper gave novelists a new lease on life. It's a pity that Lord Chōshin must have had some concerns and didn't fully promote it. Otherwise, the influence of novelists might have rivaled that of Confucianism and Mohism."

"Although Lord Changxin held no official position, he was granted autonomy over a region, had the Empress Dowager residing with him, and commanded an army of ten thousand men, which shows the deep relationship between him and the King of Qin."

"Hanoi quickly regained its former prosperity. Even Zhao Gao, a mere eunuch, was given an important position and became the Commandant of the Prefecture. This shows that Lord Changxin knew how to recognize and use people."

Li Si's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, his expression filled with determination.

"With my talent, if I were to take down this recruitment notice and meet Lord Changxin, I would surely be appreciated and become the leader of this prefecture!"

"Han Fei, relying on the most powerful state of Qin among the seven states, I will surely be the one to win in the end!"

After a short rest, Li Si continued on his journey.

He has made his decision and there is no more hesitation.

……

Ying Jing stayed in Hanoi for several years and never left.

He has even gotten somewhat used to this kind of life.

But now he has no choice but to leave, because an imperial edict has arrived from Xianyang.

The specifics of the matter are still unclear, but Ying Jing will definitely have to go to Xianyang first.

"Your Majesty..."

Li Wu and the other women were all somewhat worried, and even the usually aloof Jing Ni had a hint of sorrow on her face.

Having followed Ying Jing for many years, they were no longer complete political novices.

The development of the Hanoi region in recent years has been quite remarkable, and now that Qin Shi Huang holds great power, it's hard to guarantee that he won't have any ideas.

"You can rest assured about that. My brother Wang is a man of great character and would not be so intolerant of me because of this."

Ying Jing smiled calmly.

I'm not worried about that.

"In order to give me the freedom to make my own decisions, my brother Wang allowed me to appoint officials such as prefects and commanders at will, and I only needed to recommend them. He did not appoint any censors... I am ashamed to admit that I am not as bold as him."

"But now that I am heading to Xianyang, I need a prefect to assist me in managing my fiefdom."

In recent years, Ying Jing has not appointed any prefects.

Firstly, there was no suitable candidate, and secondly, he himself wanted to try and gain some experience.

“Your Majesty, Zhao Gao has brought a man here. He says that the man has taken down the recruitment notice and, after testing, has proven to be a man of great talent who may meet Your Majesty’s requirements.”

The Soul-Transforming and Soul-Destroying Guards stationed in the inner palace suddenly appeared together and reported a message.

"Oh?"

Ying Jing immediately became interested.

Zhao Gao accompanied the Empress Dowager to Hanoi, and Ying Jing fulfilled his promise by arranging a good position for him.

The Commandant of the Prefecture was responsible for commanding the garrison and maintaining public order.

Of course, the person who actually managed the garrison was Lian Po; Zhao Gao was only responsible for maintaining order.

Ying Jing directly ordered Zhao Gao to post the recruitment notice.

He hadn't expected that he would get results so soon after posting the ad.

"Have them wait in the living room. I will be there shortly."