Cheng Jiao had lunch with Ying Zheng and then went back happily. His goal had been basically achieved and he was in a good mood.
Not long after Cheng Jiao left, Li Si came back.
Ying Zheng originally wanted to visit Princess Hu Yu, because the separation in Meng Mansion was too hasty, but these people came to the palace one after another to look for him, and now they can't spare the time.
"Your Majesty, the arrangements for King Zhou Wu's Mausoleum have been made." Li Si said with cupped hands.
"Has the guard sergeant been replaced?" Ying Zheng asked.
"Yes, Zhao Gao replaced the guards with the Royal Forest Army." Li Si said.
"When can we leave?" Ying Zheng asked eagerly.
"Any time." Li Si replied.
"I asked Lu Xiangbang to arrange a court meeting. Let's wait until after the court meeting." Ying Zheng suppressed the urgency in his heart.
Speaking of court discussions, Ying Zheng remembered what the old man in white had told him: all major matters should be discussed with Li Si.
So Ying Zheng said: "There are several major matters that need to be resolved during the court discussion. I would like to hear your opinion first."
"Your Majesty, please tell me what are the important things." Li Si said.
"When choosing a concubine, the Korean envoy Zheng Guosu presented a map with suggestions for building canals to irrigate fertile fields. I think this can be done. We can use these canals to cultivate more original grain species and improve a lot. of grain production," Ying Zheng said.
"Haha." Li Si smiled lightly and said, "This matter is not as simple as imagined."
"Oh? How do you say this?" Ying Zheng asked.
Li Si said calmly: "Your Majesty should look at Wei's assassination from a higher perspective. The reason why Wei dares to commit murder is because the power of one country is definitely not enough. And the reason why Wei is blaming Chu , firstly because Princess Nansu of the Chu State is an excuse that can be used, and secondly because with the strength of the Chu State, it can continue to be in a stalemate with Qin, thus continuing to consume the strength of Qin and Chu."
Ying Zheng looked at Li Si and listened carefully.
"Although the target of the assassination is aimed at Princess Hu Yu, it is just to hide the public's eyes. Your Majesty, please think, since these assassins are not capable of killing the King, they will naturally not be able to harm Princess Hu Yu who is beside the King. Therefore, these assassins Assassins are here to die," Li Si said.
Ying Zheng nodded slowly, thinking about the connection between these things.
"Who in the world doesn't know that the three families of Zhao, Wei, and Han, who were divided into the Jin Dynasty, are all in the same spirit. Although they have attacked each other for hundreds of years, they will still reinforce each other if they encounter foreign enemies. That's why the common people say this. It may not be the work of Wei alone, but it is more likely that the three countries jointly planned it."
"!!" Ying Zheng was really surprised.
Li Si said: "Why did South Korea offer a channel-opening strategy when choosing a concubine, and then Wei sent assassins disguised as Chu people to assassinate Zhao's princess? This is not unrelated."
"The strategy of opening canals is indeed a matter of benefit to the country and the people, and its merits will last forever. But from South Korea's perspective, it will never offer tricks to make Qin stronger and stronger, and then put itself into a situation where Qin will slaughter it. South Korea The real purpose of offering advice is to weaken Qin. Because South Korea does not have enough military power to fight Qin, it can only use this method to weaken Qin's existing strength."
Ying Zheng: "..."
"Your Majesty, you can imagine that the Qin State is busy with the construction of large-scale water canals, and at the same time it is busy with the continuous war with the Chu State. It also has to deal with the intrusions of Zhao and Wei at any time. If this situation occurs, the Qin State will have to wait for the water canals to be completed. It will be dragged down, and it is not impossible for the three families to be divided again in the world."
"So, this is the overall layout of Zhao, Wei, and Han." After Li Si analyzed it, he still looked at Ying Zheng firmly.
Ying Zheng took a few deep breaths, his heart throbbing.
Although he did not find out the fundamental intentions of Zhao, Wei, and Han, Li Si's analysis was extremely accurate, and there was no unreasonable part, which had to be convincing.
"No wonder the senior asked me to discuss all major matters with you. If I hadn't reminded you, I would have fallen into the conspiracy of Zhao, Wei, and Han." Ying Zheng said with lingering fear.
"The common people only see some things thoroughly." Li Si said calmly.
"Then it seems that this canal cannot be repaired." Ying Zheng said.
"No, no." Li Si said slowly.
Ying Zheng originally thought that Li Si said so much to persuade him to give up building the canal, but unexpectedly Li Si said "no" again.
"Mr. Nayi, look..." Ying Zheng looked puzzled.
"Previously, when the king was assassinated, the common people took advantage of the scheme and exposed Wei's conspiracy. But next, they can still use the scheme and change from passive to active." Li Si said.
"Sir, please clarify." Ying Zheng said.
"The strategy of building the canal was to weaken Qin's national power. The king only needs to issue some decrees to build this canal without reducing the national power. Wouldn't it kill two birds with one stone?" Li Si said .
"What should I do?" Ying Zheng asked doubtfully.
Li Si smiled and said: "The king can exchange the benefits after the canal is built for the enthusiasm of the local people, so that they can actively participate in the construction project of the canal. First, the taxes can be reduced or exempted until the canal is completed; Secondly, the water consumption after the canal is built can be allocated according to each household's accumulated contribution to the canal; thirdly, the performance over a three-year period can be exchanged for different amounts of second-generation grain seeds."
Ying Zheng couldn't help but nod. If he followed Li Si's words, he could indeed mobilize the people more skillfully.
"If we act in this way, it will not only reduce the number of sergeants involved, but also reduce the expenditure of treasury money, and can also greatly shorten the construction period. As for the quantity and details, please let the king decide for himself." Li Si said.
"Okay, I will follow this plan sir. There are few people to repair the canal, but it will work for the people without hurting the money. Hahaha, very good, very good..." Ying Zheng couldn't help but smile happily.
"Your Majesty has given you too much praise." Li Si said leisurely.
Suddenly, Ying Zheng seemed to have thought of something, and then asked eagerly: "I just mentioned the original seeds of grains. How should we cultivate the original seeds?"
Li Si cleared his throat and said: "The original varieties of grains are classified according to the five elements, so they are suitable for planting in various environments, including climate, soil quality, light and other factors. The Qin State covers all kinds of terrain. , basically can cultivate all original grain varieties.”
Ying Zheng looked at Li Si with half-understanding. The leader of a country who had never had farming experience could only imagine the scenes he had seen before.
Li Si smiled and said: "If your Majesty wants to know more about the original species of grains, the best way is to study the Agricultural and Grain Classic in the Shen Nong Jing."
"The Classic of Agriculture and Food? I have only heard of the Classic of Hundred Herbs, but I don't know that there is also the Classic of Agriculture and Food in this world." Ying Zheng said.
"The Shen Nong Classic of Herbs that the world knows is actually only a part of the Shen Nong Jing." Li Si said, "The entire Shen Nong Jing includes the Baicao Jing, the Agricultural and Grain Classic, and the Hundred Herbs Classic." "Medicine Classic", "Hundred Poison Classic", etc."
That covers all plants.
"Then why is the "Hundred Herbs Classic" the only one that has been circulated in the world?" Ying Zheng asked.
"What is currently circulating in the world is the combined version of the Baicao Jing and the Baicao Jing." Li Si said, "As for why the remaining few volumes have not been circulated in the world, the grassroots people do not know. But the grassroots people know that Zhou The entire "Shen Nong Jing" must be in the tomb of King Wu."
Ying Zheng's eyes were burning and he exclaimed: "Really?"
"Didn't Master tell the king?" Li Si asked.
Ying Zheng shook his head and said: "He only told me that the contents inside can be disposed of as you wish. Except for the "Book of Changes", he did not say what was in it."
"I see." Li Si said, "As for the characteristics of the original varieties of grains and the environments they adapt to, let's wait until the king gets back the Agricultural and Food Sutra."
Ying Zheng was a little impatient to go to the tomb of King Wu of Zhou to find out, but he still endured it and continued: "I will figure out the original seeds of grains sooner or later, but how to quickly let the people plant seeds suitable for their own land, so that the people can have enough food and clothing? , the national treasury is abundant, sir, do you have any ideas?"
Li Si said: "After the king cultivates the second generation of grain seeds, he can implement a new law for farming. Whatever the people are most afraid of, we will solve it. What the people expect most, we will give it."
"Let's be more specific." Ying Zheng said with some confusion.
"That's not as good as the old rules. The common people ask, the king answers, and the method comes naturally." Li Si said.
Ying Zheng: "..."
It seems that Li Si learned this habit from the old man in white.
Li Si asked: "If the king is allowed to farm and work, what will the king be most afraid of?"
"What are you most afraid of?" Ying Zheng thought for a moment and said, "Drought, floods, and locusts."
Li Si shook his head and said, "These are not the most terrifying things."
Ying Zheng looked confused: "Then what is more terrifying than these?"
Li Si sighed and said: "The most terrifying thing is that the people are displaced because of the war. They can't return to their homes, and they can't farm their fields. Or maybe their land has been entrusted to princes, knights...the natural disasters the king mentioned. Although it is scary and even cruel, after all, the green hills are left and you are not afraid of running out of firewood. But if your own land is no longer yours, then even after a huge flood sweeps through, there will only be a few pitiful green seedlings left. , and it does not belong to them. Therefore, what the people fear most is that the ownership of this land will be deprived and seized. Once the land is lost, the people will have nothing, and how can their survival be guaranteed."
Ying Zheng stood there, speechless for a long time.
In the whole world, there is nothing but the royal land. The land of the entire country belongs to the king of the country, so how can Ying Zheng understand the suffering of the people who have lost their land.
"So, the common people believe that what the common people in the world fear the most is the years of war and the enfeoffment system. As long as the war continues and the enfeoffment system is not changed, it will be difficult to give the people a stable home." Li Si said sadly.
Ying Zheng came back to his senses: "Sir, are you saying that if you want the people in this world to be peaceful and peaceful, unification alone is not enough, and you also need to change the feudal constitution?"
"Your Majesty, isn't the cause of the war precisely due to the enfeoffment? If there were not so many princes and so many fiefdoms in the world, how could there be so many conflicts and gains and losses of interests in the world, and how could there be wars?" Li Si was a little excited. Di asked rhetorically.
Ying Zheng thoughtfully nodded slowly and said, "What you said is true. I have never thought of this most fundamental reason before."
Years of wars originated from this, and the suffering of the people originated from this.
Li Si calmed down and said, "Your Majesty, let's continue talking about seeds."
Ying Zheng nodded.
"Your Majesty, this is still the problem." Li Si said, "What else are the people afraid of?"
Now that we are back to seeds, why is this still a problem?
"Afraid..." Ying Zheng thought about it again and again, but he couldn't think of anything else that the people were afraid of.
"What the common people are more afraid of is not being able to get help once a disaster occurs." Li Si said, "How many local officials line their own pockets. The more natural disasters occur, the more likely they are to get rich."
Ying Zheng said angrily: "This is the kind of person I hate the most."
"Actually, these can be summed up in just one sentence." Li Si said, "If the system is not changed, it will be difficult to save the people from disaster; if supervision is not strict, it will be difficult to relieve the suffering of the world."
"I understand that once I unite the world, I will implement a system different from the past to relieve the suffering of the world."
"Your Majesty, your Majesty," Li Si said with cupped hands, "In this case, the common people will talk about how this second generation of original grain cultivation should be implemented."
Ying Zheng leaned forward slightly and listened.
Li Si said simply: "The simple point is that for grain seeds, they are only exchanged but not sold."
Just exchange or not sell?
