After discussing with Hu Yu, Ying Zheng led Hu Yu out of the inner room and saw four ladies waiting for him in the study.
"Your Majesty, is it time to rest?" Wen Xuan asked with a smile.
Ying Zheng was indeed a little tired, but he still said: "I am indeed a little tired, but before taking a rest, I want to test the results of my previous visits?"
The ladies seemed to understand somewhat.
Ying Zheng looked at Wen Xuan, Lan Ting, and Min Ruo, and said with a bad smile on his face: "Aren't you asking me for a child? Come, sit down, and let me feel your pulse to see if you are pregnant."
The three ladies immediately blushed and were too shy to raise their heads, but they still walked over obediently and sat down around the desk.
Among the three people, Minruo was the most generous. He sat at the front, then stretched out his right hand, pulled up his sleeve, and exposed his jade wrist.
Different from last time, Ying Zheng took the pulse in a grand manner.
After a while, Ying Zheng shook his head slightly disappointedly.
The next one was Wen Xuan. After Ying Zheng finished speaking, he sighed softly.
The two ladies also felt quite regretful and sat on the edge with expressionless brows, looking longingly at Lan Ting at the end.
Lan Ting stood up a little shyly and said: "Your Majesty, it's better not to call me, I must be my concubine..."
"Oh, please sit down quickly." Hu Yu, who was next to him, shouted and pushed Lan Ting to Ying Zheng's side.
However, after a moment, the corners of Ying Zheng's mouth twitched: "Yes, yes!"
"Really?" Lan Ting couldn't believe her ears, and she covered her delicate lips with her delicate little hands.
"There should be nothing wrong." Ying Zheng said happily, "I went to find the imperial doctor."
After saying that, Ying Zheng walked out to find the imperial doctor of Song Dynasty.
Not long after, Imperial Physician Song was brought back by Ying Zheng.
The situation was similar to Hu Yu's last time. After checking Lan Ting's pulse, the Song Dynasty doctor also congratulated her repeatedly and prescribed medicated meals to the three pregnant ladies.
Ying Zheng was overjoyed, and Lan Ting was also overjoyed. How could she not be happy when her wish came true?
However, the task of serving King Qin fell on the two ladies who had not yet fulfilled their wish.
As if he was used to getting up early, Ying Zheng got up early the next morning and asked Zhao Gao to ask Li Si to wait for him in the study.
"Sir, I have already discussed with Hu Yu. She will help deal with it and buy black fire oil from King Zhao." Ying Zheng said with a smile.
Then, he told Li Si several conditions he offered to King Zhao.
After listening, Li Si nodded slightly and said, "This bargaining chip is enough, but I wonder if the king has any other means to facilitate this matter?"
"What do you mean, sir?" Ying Zheng seemed to have guessed what Li Si was thinking.
"Wei Chen remembers that Lu Xiangbang has a very close relationship with Guo Kai, the current prime minister of Zhao State. Why doesn't the king use this to break the situation." Li Si said.
"Sir, this is a good idea." Ying Zheng said with a smile, "Father Zhong has also mentioned it several times. It was Guo Kai who accepted Father Zhong's money back then and reduced the resistance of my mother and son to return to Qin. He said Come on, he is still half a benefactor to me."
Li Si smiled knowingly and said: "Since we have such a connection with the king, we should use Guo Kai's greed for money to promote this matter. What's more, we can also seize some leverage on Prime Minister Lu."
"Another plan to kill two birds with one stone?" Ying Zheng raised his eyebrows.
Li Si smiled and nodded.
"This is a good idea." Ying Zheng smiled contemptuously, "I wonder how the King of Zhao can reuse such a money-grubbing person without failure. Even if I give him several times more bargaining chips, I think the King of Zhao will not Make a difference."
Unexpectedly, Li Si sighed softly, shook his head, and said, "Your Majesty, if you think so one-sidedly, you will appear to be superficial."
"oh
? Ying Zheng frowned, "What do you mean, sir?" "
"Cultivating greed is actually a method used by the emperor to control people." Li Si said leisurely, "The minister did not mention it before because the king does not have royal power at the moment. It is better to make up for this lesson now."
When Ying Zheng heard this, he immediately became interested and said, "I would like to hear sir talk in detail."
Li Si stood up, walked a few steps, and said slowly: "Does your Majesty know whose money this corrupt official is embezzling?"
Ying Zheng's heart tightened. It seemed that Li Si was following the old routine of asking questions instead of answering them.
However, Ying Zheng still replied readily: "Of course it is the money of the people in the world."
Li Si shook his head slowly and said, "No."
"Why?" Ying Zheng asked with confusion.
"I would like to ask, Your Majesty, what percentage of the world's wealth is held by ordinary people, and what percentage is held by officials, noble families, and powerful people?" Li Si's voice turned cold.
Ying Zheng thought for a while and said: "Although the officials and dignitaries are rich, their number is far less than that of ordinary people. Presumably, it should be a 50-50 split."
Li Si shook his head slightly again and said, "No."
Right or wrong again?
"Tell me, sir, what percentage of the wealth do the common people and the powerful each account for in this world?" Ying Zheng asked rhetorically.
Li Si looked at Ying Zheng and said: "Previously, Wei Chen and the king discussed the issue of what the people in the world are most afraid of and what they hope for most. The biggest problem is the ownership of the land. Does the king remember? ?”
Ying Zheng nodded.
"So, once the land-owning dignitaries take back the land and no longer let the people farm it, the people will be starved of food." Li Si sighed, "As a result, the people's survival will be very difficult, so what's the point? wealth?"
Ying Zheng remained silent.
"So Wei Chen feels that ordinary people can only occupy no more than 20% of the world's wealth," Li Si said.
"Twenty percent?" Ying Zheng said in surprise.
"Yes, this is the ratio when the weather is good and people live and work in peace and contentment." Li Si said.
Ying Zheng was silent again.
"Moreover," Li Si said, "Do those corrupt officials interact with the common people?"
"Yes." Ying Zheng replied, "The taxes paid by the people and the money and food obtained from disaster relief are all related to those corrupt officials."
Li Si still shook his head and said, "No."
Ying Zheng was criticized by Li Si and became more and more confused.
"People's taxes and disaster relief money and food are both overly sensitive areas, and the risks involved are extremely high." Li Si explained, "Most of the people who came up with this idea are small-time officials and are unable to get on the stage."
"My Healing Game"
"Moreover, who would take a huge risk to get 20% of the wealth? Who would do that to a slightly powerful person?"
"Most of the truly corrupt people use their power for personal gain, using their power to make equal transactions with other powerful people so that each can get what they need. Therefore, they have nothing to do with the people, or have little connection with them. "
"I think Lu Xiangbang is well versed in this. Otherwise, how could he have such a close relationship with Guo Kai."
After that, Li Si took a sip of tea, probably to dry up his mouth, or to give Ying Zheng some time to think.
"About these, I have figured it out." Ying Zheng asked next, "But I don't know why sir said that he wants to feed his greed?"
Li Si put down the tea cup in his hand and said: "Then let's take King Zhao and Guo Kai as an example. Does the King really think that King Zhao is too old-sighted and mistakenly appointed Guo Kai, who has bad conduct and is amassing money and corruption?"
Ying Zheng looked stunned: "Isn't it like this?"
"No." Li Si said.
Ying Zheng: "..."
"I think that if Guo Kai can serve as the Prime Minister of Zhao State, his talent and knowledge must be extraordinary. This is a premise." Li Si analyzed, "What's more important is that King Zhao
Understand the art of controlling people. "
Ying Zheng pricked up his ears and listened more seriously.
"Your Majesty, just think about it, does Guo Kai dare to squander the money he has amassed in a big way?" Li Si asked.
Ying Zheng shook his head and said: "If he wants to stay in the temple for a longer time, he will be as low-key and restrained as possible, just like Father Zhong, who built a treasure pavilion to hide all his wealth. .”
"Yes, as long as he doesn't want to die, he will definitely do this." Li Si said, "Just like Lu Xiangbang's treasure pavilion, it is safer than the national treasury. Are you right, Your Majesty?"
Ying Zheng nodded.
"Then since it's so safe and corrupt people don't dare to spend money at will, what's the difference between this and the treasury?" Li Si said, "What's more, with this handle, the monarch can punish the corrupt officials at any time. , so that he will never dare to have the intention to cause trouble, but will spare no effort to guard his duty. Are you right, Your Majesty?"
Ying Zheng's brows trembled, as if the way of governing officials that he had established since childhood had been subverted.
Li Si took another sip of tea and continued: "Furthermore, if the people have many complaints and deal with them, it will not only please people's hearts and praise the monarch, but also confiscate their private properties and enrich the national treasury. This will both win the hearts of the people and gain more. Why not do it when it comes to money matters?"
Ying Zheng opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out.
"In this way, as a monarch, he does not harm the interests of the people. He also collects the money of the powerful in one place and controls the important officials in the temple. As for the things that offend people, they are all done by corrupt people. There are so many benefits. , It’s really addictive.” Li Si sighed.
Ying Zheng sat there blankly, carefully recalling every word Li Si said.
After a long while, Ying Zhengcai sighed and said softly: "I can't believe that the emperor's art of controlling people has so many mysteries, but I don't think it's possible."
"This may not be suitable for every monarch." Li Si said, "It may not be suitable for every era. Besides, there must be appropriate corrupt people."
Ying Zheng nodded and said: "I understand, this is just a means, but it is not a necessary strategy."
"Not bad." Li Si smiled and said.
"Sir, please tell me how to use Father Zhong to control Guo Kai, and how to control Father Zhong?" Ying Zheng asked.
"Envoy." Li Si said, "The focus is still on the envoy."
"The envoys sent by Father Zhong must be his confidants, and they have frequent contacts with Zhao State and Guo Kai."
"That's right." Li Si said with a rather firm tone, "The king can secretly give the envoy more money and order him to give extra money to Guo Kai. If the envoy gives it, the matter will be more certain. If he hasn't If you give it, and enrich your own pockets, then Prime Minister Lu will be implicated."
"Haha..." Ying Zheng said with a smile, "As expected of you, sir, you really have exhausted all your agencies!"
"Then let's work separately, Your Majesty?" Li Si asked.
"Okay!" Ying Zheng responded, "You go to Jingyao to be responsible for moving, and I'll go find Father Zhong."
After agreeing on a strategy, the two people went their separate ways.
Ying Zheng came to Lu Mansion and explained the whole matter in detail.
Lu Buwei made detailed plans with Ying Zheng and wrote a letter to Guo Kai himself.
Ying Zheng asked Lu Buwei who he wanted to send as an envoy to Zhao.
Lu Buwei gave a name, Bai Ping.
Bai Ping is a member of the Bai family, an old aristocratic family. It is said that he has some connections with Bai Qi. He is currently serving as Zhongshu Ling in the court.
Ying Zheng laughed and said that if Bai Ping could handle this matter, he would be rewarded heavily.
Lu Buwei just smiled and didn't take it to heart.
Little did he know that Ying Zheng's bait had been found.
I just don’t know if I’m catching my own fish or someone else’s fish.
