My son, Fusu, please abdicate the first emperor!

Chapter 741 Recruiting soldiers?
With everyone's collective efforts, their wild imaginations were finally closed.

However, the matter of Ren Xiong is not the highlight of today's court meeting.

"Regarding the abolition of the military merit system, I think we should take advantage of the summer farming off-season to start disbanding the soldiers and do the corresponding appeasement work. I will leave this matter to-"

Fusu paused here deliberately, and then his eyes circled around the court.

"I will hand it over to Shang Qing Meng Yi and Yu Shi Zhang Cang to work together to handle it."

Zhang Cang and Meng Yi looked at each other, both wondering why they were in the same group with him again.

Zhang Cang thought Meng Yi was too sharp and too critical, and that he was too harsh in dealing with cases. He was also very rigid and lenient in handling cases, and was simply heartless.

Meng Yi thought that Zhang Cang was only good at talking big and was not trustworthy. Whatever he told him yesterday, almost all the prefectures and temples in Xianyang City knew what he said the next day.

Besides, he was too boastful when it came to getting things done. Others would use counting sticks to do rigorous calculations, but he would do mental arithmetic directly, and would mentally calculate when encountering difficult problems.

It makes him seem like a weak senior minister. Zhang Cang was often ostracized because he didn't have a noble family behind him. He always talked about this with others after drinking.

As time went by, everyone thought that Zhang Cang was implying Meng Yi. After all, many people believed that the reason why Meng Yi was able to achieve what he had today was that he came from the powerful Meng family.

He had a good grandfather who knew how to handle current affairs, a father who was good at military strategy, and an elder brother who knew how to please the emperor.

Meng Yi was not happy.

You see, no matter who the person is, when you first get along with each other, you think the other person is nice; but as time goes by and the relationship becomes close, when you see more things in the other person, your attitude towards the other person begins to become complicated.

The ministers all looked at the pair with different expressions.

Many people were jealous of Zhang Cang and Meng Yi, especially Meng Yi, as some of their doctors were over sixty years old and had not yet reached the position of Shangqing.

Needless to say, Zhang Cang was young, handsome and talented, and was deeply loved by the emperor.

The two men agreed and accepted the order.

They were too young, and when they were offered such lucrative and lucrative jobs, they did not even refuse them in favor of other older and more virtuous people.

Naturally, some old officials looked even angrier.

Although the emperor was young, he was not ignorant. He saw the conflict between the young and old factions in the court, but he could not mediate by force.

At this moment, Fusu finally understood what it meant to be neither stupid nor deaf, and not be a family patriarch.

Just pretend you didn’t see it.

I guess when they go to do things this time, someone will inevitably create obstacles for them. Let's see how they respond to the changes.

It just so happens that Meng Yi and Zhang Cang can clean out the corrupt officials among the grassroots cadres.

However, Feng Quji soon raised the tablet.

"Your Majesty, I have something to report."

"What's the matter, Prime Minister?"

"Your Majesty, we have discussed this with Your Majesty before, and Your Majesty has promised that the abolition of the system of military merit titles cannot be completely abolished. Those who have made military achievements will still be granted titles. Your Majesty, do you still agree to this?"

"Of course. If someone comes to attack Qin or offends Qin, we will naturally send troops. Those who have made great military achievements will be given titles. Is there anything controversial about this?"

After hearing this, all the generals felt more at ease.

Feng Quji said sternly, "But I think that if we want to abolish the military merit system and establish a new system, we still need to pay attention to some things, which are the most taboo things in reform. I ask Your Majesty not to violate them."

"What's the matter?"

"Your Majesty, please don't be impatient and implement the policy as slowly as possible. Whether it is abolishing or establishing, you must take your time. In the past, Shang Yang's reforms and Lu Buwei's reforms made the same mistakes, so the results were not good."

Both Shang Yang and Lu Buwei offended the power of the old aristocracy.

It has always been said that in order to make a country strong, the people must be strong and prosperous. At this time, no matter who comes to reform, they must strip the powerful and then compensate for the interests of the common people by damaging the interests of the powerful.

However, even if the interests of the common people are protected, the nobles are still nobles, they hold power and possess more wealth; while the common people always have only weapons but no rights.

This leads to the situation that once the reformer in power dies, the remaining reformers will be liquidated.

The reason why Feng Quji could say this publicly was definitely for the good of Qin II and for the good of the group that now agreed to the reform.

"Reform is too hasty and too fast. First, people are not doing the job properly and it is not thorough enough to achieve the effect that Your Majesty wants. Second, when it comes to changes, people are lazy and some people are bound to feel resentful. It is better to slow down the process so that both sides have room to maneuver."

"You must know that if you act too harshly or too hastily, you will inevitably be retaliated and plotted against. Rather than causing both sides to suffer losses, it is better for everyone to benefit and win. What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Feng Quji said these words openly, and everyone in the court began to nod.

"What the left prime minister said is indeed fair." Fusu thought for a moment, and then said, "You are worthy of being the left prime minister of the Great Qin. You really deserve the title."

"In that case, General Feng Jie is also involved in this matter."

The father-in-law and son-in-law behaved like this in the court today, and the ministers were confused for a moment.

Didn't they dislike each other a few days ago? Why are they suddenly in agreement today?

Zhang Han realized that no matter what conflicts there were between the emperor and Prime Minister Feng Quji, they ultimately relied on each other and were each other's foundation, and would never fall out.

And even if there is real discord, we must unite.

Zhang Han originally wanted to rely on Feng Quji's branch, but now it seems ridiculous.

The emperor and Feng were father-in-law and son-in-law, and they had already entered into a contractual relationship.

One is the legitimate prince, and the other is backed by the Feng family.

Thinking of this, Zhang Han once again realized that his own power was always too limited, and the aristocratic families still had the upper hand.

My two younger brothers, one is not smart enough, and the other has no ambition. They are both useless guys.

Since I can't rely on my brothers anymore, it seems that I can only work harder on my children and their education.

Zhang Han sat alone, with his mind full of thoughts, and didn't say anything. He still had too many things in this world that he was unwilling to accept.

The ministers all praised Feng Quji.

The fact that Feng Quji could become the prime minister was definitely because he was someone who could win the hearts of everyone, and it was not just a matter of saving face.

Seeing that the atmosphere in the court was very good, Wei Liaoqing couldn't help but smile and stroke his beard.

He thought of the day when he first came to the Qin court. The ministers looked at him with expectation and curiosity. Although he was wearing cloth, no one looked at him with contempt.

But more than ten years passed, and under the leadership of Ying Zheng, the court of the past had changed unknowingly.

It wasn't that all the ministers began to dislike him, but that the ministers who liked him were squeezed out one by one. The court of the Qin Dynasty had long been filled with filth, and it was only after seeing the wise and capable people leave the court that Wei Liao lost the will to continue assisting Ying Zheng.

Now, Fusu has succeeded to the throne, and the signs of a wise ruler have emerged in the court.

Liao is very optimistic about this reform.

But what he could do was very limited. He could only use his knowledge to help Fusu as much as possible. Many things still had to be done by Fusu himself.

Every profession has its own expertise. When Liao was young, he met the King of Wei, the King of Zhao, the King of Chu, and the King of Qi.

Finally he came to Qin State and met King Zheng of Qin, who was able to bring out his talents and help him accomplish the great cause of unifying the world.

However, after seeing the changes in Qin Shihuang, Liao was very sad. Fortunately, there was Fusu who gave him hope.

Now that Qin II has ascended the throne, the court has regained the atmosphere of the past.

Liao was naturally very happy. He believed that within three to five years, Fusu would be able to achieve political achievements.

Zhang Cang and Meng Yi were wondering in their hearts, His Majesty the Emperor sent us to do this task, isn't the purpose of stopping those people with connections?

But why did he agree to let Feng Jie participate just because of the prime minister's words?

Could it be that the emperor wants to compromise and wants both gentlemen and villains?

Zhang Cang was particularly resentful. The relationship between a gentleman and a villain is like yin and yang, which are mutually exclusive.

Others may think that the relationship between gentlemen and villains can be reconciled.

But the person involved did not think so. Many people believed that Qin Shihuang offended gentlemen because he did not value them.

Wrong, in fact, it is the villains who often trip up the gentlemen, and the gentlemen hate the flattery of the villains. There has long been a contradiction between the two.

Therefore, the gentleman and the villain regarded each other as enemies, and then the gentleman hoped that the king would eliminate the villain, but the king did not do so. Therefore, the king offended the gentleman.

This is like the relationship between the three people. Xiaolan and Xiaoai were enemies, but Xiaolan and Xiaonan were good friends. Xiaolan hated Xiaoai, but Xiaonan wanted to be friends with Xiaoai.

This would make Xiaolan lose face. Normally, Xiaolan would take the initiative to tell Xiaonan that you have to break up with her, otherwise they will break up.

Therefore, officials in the court often submitted memorials to the emperor, advising him to be close to virtuous officials and stay away from villains.

The gentleman's real purpose was to get the king to get rid of the villain, but after receiving such a memorial, Qin Shihuang always thought it was some meaningless words.

He will probably never be able to react, there is another meaning behind this.

In the end, Xiaonan and Xiaoai are entangled, and Xiaolan will definitely leave Xiaonan.

That's it. So-called politics is nothing more than the coordination of interpersonal relationships.

Now, you can understand Zhang Cang’s inner thoughts.

Meng Yi and Zhang Cang are now in the same situation, both feeling puzzled by Feng Jie's joining.

Zhang Cang and Feng Jie had met on the battlefield of Chu State, but they were completely different people.

Feng Jie and his men first distributed the rewards to the leaders, and only after the leaders had distributed the rewards did the soldiers below them;

As for Zhang Cang, the passerby, he didn't have to eat it himself, but he had to share it with his soldiers.

In Feng Jie's opinion, people like Zhang Cang live in a fantasy world, which is very unrealistic.

In Zhang Cang's opinion, it was people like Feng Jie who caused the world to be filled with such meanness. If there weren't so many people like Feng Jie, there wouldn't be so much injustice in the world.

These two groups of people are the relationship between Xiaolan and Xiaoai.

And Fusu, it seems like he is going to become that Xiaonan now.

This is a very scary thing.

Zhang Cang, Meng Yi and Feng Jie don't interact much with each other. Even though they stand together, they actually repel each other in their hearts.

Because they both knew that they were not on the same path.

But that was how the emperor arranged it, and they had no choice but to secretly guess what the emperor meant.

Feng Jie also looked at Meng Yi and Zhang Cang, his heart was filled with joy, as he could now go on to do an important task.

But the two men looked at him with expressionless faces. Feng Jie was very annoyed.

As a result, Feng Jie was a little undecided.

These two people have always been ignorant of the times, unaware of the importance of respect, and unable to read people's expressions. Why does His Majesty the Emperor want me to help them?

We now have strong policy implementers, and the next step is to see how they implement the policy. The grand plan of reform is being carried out in an orderly manner.

However, if you want to do something, you need something.

That is – money.

Fusu looked at Zhang Han again.

Ministers like Zhang Han know best how to make money.

Poor Fusu, he had to make money and practice Taoism at the same time.

Making money will interfere with one’s cultivation of Taoism, and one should not concentrate on making money when cultivating Taoism.

It's too difficult.

Zhang Han felt something was wrong when the emperor stared at him like that.

"My Great Qin is going to re-establish the conscription system to be prepared for any eventuality. I have made a rough calculation."

"Based on the current national strength, if the great Qin wants to maintain its position as the world's number one country, it must recruit at least 500,000 soldiers."

"Based on this number, can the Qin treasury afford it?"

When they heard that it was about money, everyone lowered their heads, and some looked at Zhang Han.

The Qin State's system had not yet been fully planned.

The Shaofu was in charge of the royal treasury and was also responsible for the balance of taxation and expenditure throughout the country, which was equivalent to the Prime Minister.

Although such a system can ensure extremely high efficiency, some problems will also arise. For example, the emperor treats all the taxes and revenues in the world as his own purse and spends them however he wants.

If the new emperor takes longer to take the throne, the taxes from Goose City will not be collected until a hundred years later.

When Fusu first ascended the throne, the Qin Dynasty was still the same. Money was collected layer by layer, and it was never used where it should be. The construction of the Great Wall continued to collect money from the common people, and the construction of the Lingqu Canal continued to collect money from the common people. The common people had to pay just to live in a house and have a meal.

Qin Shi Huang spent a lot, but 80% of the tax revenue just disappeared.

People who starved to death in Xianyang City continued to starve to death, but in the luxurious mansions of the upper classes, the rich fed their leftover abalone and sea cucumbers to pigs and dogs.

The land is given by God and the crops are grown by ourselves, but when it comes to food, we have to buy it with our own money and call the people who don’t farm the land our owners.

Clearly, he built the carriage himself, cut the wood himself, and raised the horse himself, but when he needed to use it, the carriage belonged to someone else, and he could only run behind it.

Why is it that a car mechanic can never drive a car in his entire life, and a farmer can never have a comfortable meal in his entire life.

Why has the world become like this?

This is something we need to ask the Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty.

Why, after the Qin Dynasty conquered the world, not only did the people of the six kingdoms suffer and gain no benefits, but the formerly wealthy Qin people also began to see their families broken up and become impoverished?
Zhang Han did not feel guilty. He was the Shaofu and must be good at making money.

However, facing Qin II, Zhang Han was still quite alert and did not immediately agree to the topic.

Rather than the emperor asking whether it was possible or whether he could feed an army of 500,000, Zhang Han was more concerned about the emperor asking him what his purpose was.

"Your Majesty, we can certainly bear it. But it depends on how Your Majesty plans to support these troops."

"If it is just to keep the soldiers fighting, then that is one thing; if it is to make the soldiers enjoy good treatment, then that is probably another matter."

Isn't it also an answer to throw the question back to Qin II?

Fusu fell silent.

Without waiting for Fusu to ask, Zhang Han took the initiative to say, "According to the current situation of our Great Qin, even if Your Majesty reduces taxes, our Qin can only barely maintain the basic food, clothing, housing and transportation of 500,000 troops. As for allowing the soldiers to enjoy better treatment, I am afraid it will be very difficult."

Zhang Cang listened and began to do the math in his mind again. He had looked at some of the accounts handled by the Shaofu, and they didn't match at all.

However, the construction of the world's largest project, the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang and the Imperial Palace, was in the hands of this man. Zhang Han also had great power and influence in the court.

Zhang Cang knew who he should not offend, which showed his ability.

"I will give you five days to prepare a budget for me. Then come to the palace in person and report to me."

Zhang Han thought for a moment.

During this moment of contemplation, the court of the Qin Dynasty was so quiet that even the sound of a feather falling to the ground could be noticed.

Meng Yi glanced at Zhang Han and saw that although his head was held high, his eyes were looking at the ground.

After a long time, Zhang Han agreed.

Someone among the ministers made a slight sound.

"Retreat."

Fusu looked calm and left the court first.

The remaining ministers looked at each other, found their leader, and left the palace in twos and threes.

Feng Quji could sense that Zhang Han was an extremely ambitious man and might want to replace him.

But what can he do?

Wang Wan just swallowed the lump in his throat and said, "Reform, to put it bluntly, will cost some people their lives."

He is old enough and has seen enough.

Looking at a group of people accompanying Zhang Han to leave, a meaningful smile hung on the corner of his mouth.

However, Zhang Han's problem concerns the empire's economy and people's livelihood, and is also a major part of Fusu's governance of the world. It cannot be judged simply by position or whether the stance is correct.

After all, as long as the fundamental interests are not touched upon, we can basically get along well.
-
But after retiring from court, Feng Jie became a little anxious.

"Father, why did His Majesty ask me, Zhang Cang, and Meng Yi to deal with this offensive matter together?"

Feng Jie felt very surprised. He still remembered the cold looks Meng Yi and Zhang Cang gave him, as if he was an enemy.

He was the brother of the Empress of the Empire and a general, but he was looked at by these two people in such a way.

Feng Jie felt very unhappy.

Feng Quji just glanced at Feng Jie dimly, "I don't know what you are thinking."

"When you work for the emperor, you will offend people. You just feel that Zhang Cang and Meng Yi are against you, and you are not happy working with them."

Feng Jie's face was numb, "Father..."

"The emperor asked you to work with them because it's for their own good. Think about how many court officials these two people have offended. If you go to abolish the military merit system this time, you're bound to offend a lot of people again."

"And you, Feng Jie, are usually very popular and have good relationships with everyone. His Majesty is asking you to take the lead and ask others to give them some face for you, Feng Jie, and complete this task."

Feng Jie suddenly realized.

“It’s really high.”

(End of this chapter)