"Old Prime Minister, when heaven is about to entrust a man with a great responsibility, he must first strain his mind, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, and deplete his body. My father asked you to supervise the country in Xianyang, which is actually entrusting you with a great responsibility! "
As soon as Zhao Hao opened his mouth, he put a high hat on Wang Wan, which made Wang Wan stunned.
However, what Wang Wan did not expect was that Zhao Hao not only gave him a high hat, but also made him realize his incompetence.
"Old Prime Minister, when my father comes back, it is estimated that the official position reform will be implemented. By then, Da Qin will not have a prime minister. As the last prime minister of Da Qin, don't you want to do something?"
"During the reign of your predecessor, Lu Buwei, he welcomed my father back to Qin, overthrew the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, and compiled "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals". Each of them can be remembered in history. But you, who have been prime minister for nearly ten years, can't even determine the national system. Aren't you aggrieved to be suppressed by Li Si, who has a lower official position than you?"
"Think about it when Lu Buwei was here, could Li Si be like this?"
"Sir, you..."
Faced with three questions about Zhao Hao's soul, Wang Wan was so angry that he blew his beard and stared, but he had no way to argue.
Because what Zhao Hao said is true.
During his years as prime minister, he really couldn't achieve anything worthy of publicity.
However, this does not mean that there is a problem with his abilities. The main reason is that Ying Zheng's desire for power is too strong. He, the prime minister, is actually almost like a puppet.
Zhao Hao naturally understood this, so he did not ridicule Wang Wan on this issue, but cleverly changed the subject: "Now that my father leaves Xianyang to us, he actually wants to see if we can do it if he lets him go. Start a career!"
It is worth noting that what Zhao Hao said here was "we". He wanted to subtly make Wang Wan think that he was not the one who made the right decisions, but that he was working with Zhao Hao to find ways to change something.
This is important.
Sometimes, when a person wants to do something special, what he needs most is a reason.
Just like when some women cheat, she will convince herself in her heart that it was the other person who felt sorry for her first. I do this mainly to retaliate against the other party, thereby reducing my own guilt.
What Zhao Hao is best at is grasping people's hearts.
He reasonably took advantage of Wang Wan's more than ten years of grievance under the pressure of the First Emperor and his desire to do something to persuade Wang Wan to join him in doing something.
It was obvious that Wang Wan was very touched by Zhao Hao's words.
Throughout the hundreds of years of history of the Qin Dynasty, whether there was the position of prime minister or when there was no position of prime minister, as the person in power below one person and above ten thousand people, there are all figures who are famous in history, such as Shang Yang, such as Zhang Yi, such as Lu Buwei is a famous person.
Once upon a time, Wang Wan also wanted to be famous in history like them.
Unfortunately, as the prime minister in the post-Lü Buwei era, he was like a "mascot" in Da Qin.
When talking about political affairs, the First Emperor has Li Si, Meng Yi, Feng Quji, Hu Mujing, Feng Jie, Yao Jia and other ministers who govern the country. When discussing military matters, the First Emperor has people like Wei Liao, Wang Jian, Meng Wu, Meng Tian, Wang Ben, and Li Xin. There is no use for him at all.
[In view of the general environment,
To say he was aggrieved, he was indeed a little aggrieved.
Speaking of resentment, he did have some resentment.
However, just being aggrieved and resentful will not change anything. You need a chance.
What he has been waiting for for so many years is an opportunity. He does not want to prove how great he is, but wants to tell the world that he, Wang Wan, is not a mediocre person.
"call...."
Seemingly figuring out a certain key, Wang Wan took a deep breath, looked at Zhao Hao seriously, and said word by word: "Master, what should we do next?"
Note that he also said "we" here, which means that he recognized Zhao Hao's words and decided to "stud" with Zhao Hao.
Zhao Hao naturally understood what Wang Wan meant, and couldn't help but smile knowingly. Then he took out the drawings he had prepared from his arms, walked to Wang Wan, and introduced:
"Old Prime Minister, this
This is the Xianyang city planning plan I recently designed. We are going to demolish here, here, and here, and build a new capital..."
"Huh? This..."
Wang Wan was stunned when she heard Zhao Hao's introduction.
No wonder this guy said he was going to do something big. It turned out he was really going to tear down the family!
"My lord, my lord, if you can't do this, Your Majesty will be furious!"
The more Wang Wan listened, the more his scalp became numb, and he begged Zhao Hao.
But Zhao Hao said with some dissatisfaction: "Why can't you do it? Doesn't the old prime minister want to be remembered in history?"
"This is not going down in history, this is going to be infamy for thousands of years! How can a king demolish his own capital when he is not around? This is treason, this is illegal!"
"Whatever is treason, what is illegal, this is to create a better tomorrow for Great Qin!"
"Hmph! No matter what, I won't agree with you!"
Wang Wan couldn't help but snorted coldly when he saw that he couldn't convince Zhao Hao.
After he finished speaking, he seemed to think of something again and added: "Your Majesty will not agree to the young master's misbehavior!"
"Why don't you agree? Do you know the benefits of transforming the capital?"
Zhao Hao's face darkened and he said solemnly:
"First of all, the transformation of the capital will attract more talents and make it an economic, cultural, and political center. Secondly, the transformation of the capital will bring a lot of jobs and boost the regional economy. Finally, the transformation of the capital can also upgrade the defense, making it more Safety;
Look at how dilapidated the current capital is. How does it look like the capital of the world? "
After saying that, he couldn't help but touch his beardless chin and smiled evilly:
"Hehe, when my father comes back and sees the great changes in our capital, he will definitely be so happy..."
"Well...."
Wang Wan's mouth twitched and she couldn't help but mutter to herself: "I don't know whether I'm happy or not. A good beating is definitely inevitable..."
"What is the old prime minister talking about?"
"No, it's nothing..."
Wang Wan waved her hands awkwardly and quickly changed the topic:
"Young Master, the manpower, material resources, and financial resources required for such a huge project are beyond what Great Qin can bear now. Don't you want to reduce the imperial court's consumption of people's power? Such a transformation that wastes people and money..."
"You didn't even listen to what I said about wasting money and wasting people, so you just quoted it out of context!"
Zhao Hao frowned.
Wang Wan questioned: "Sir, no matter what you say, I want to ask you, do you need people to transform the capital? Do you need money? Do you need materials? How do you solve these problems?"
"Did the old prime minister forget that the most indispensable thing in the capital now is manpower?" Zhao Hao asked in a funny tone.
"Um?"
Wang Wan was stunned: "What do you mean, Master?"
Zhao Hao said with a smile but not a smile: "I dare to ask the old prime minister, those people who come to Xianyang to take the examination, those who come to Xianyang because of its reputation, do they need to live?"
"It's necessary, but if we let them do corvee labor, I'm afraid..."
"Who said they were asked to do corvee service? This is called work-study!"
"Work-study program?"
Wang Wan was stunned again, looking at Zhao Hao as if she didn't have enough brains.
But Zhao Hao patiently explained: "Just give them a bite to eat, let them earn some pocket money, and choose the work they want to do. They can do long-term work, or they can work casually. Anyway, one day's work counts for one day's wages!" "
"And, most importantly, it's cheaper than craftsmen..."
"this...."
Wang Wan was stunned: "Is this okay?"
"Why not?"
Zhao Hao said seriously: "Old Prime Minister, we need to open up the structure. Have you ever heard of project bidding? In addition to this kind of temporary workers, there are also engineering teams. I plan to outsource the project by bidding section and let the businessmen form engineering teams to build it. ...."
"Let businessmen build it?"
Wang Wan was stunned: "How is this possible?"
It's not that those projects can't be built by businessmen, but that those projects require a lot of people to build, and it's definitely not enough to just rely on these people who are new to the city.
Suddenly, Wang Wan felt that Zhao Hao was a little too conceited.
Because Zhao Hao's thoughts were a bit whimsical in his mind.
However, Zhao Hao smiled noncommittally and said:
"Businessmen can profit from construction, so they naturally flock to it. Moreover, the advantage of merchants' construction is that they can build it all year round, and they can even advance the project payment. They help us build it first and then give us the money!"
"No, sir, it is true that businessmen pursue profit, but when businessmen build projects and form engineering teams, they definitely need to hire civilian labor. Where do these civilian labor come from? If they are farmers in the fields, wouldn't it delay Daqin's cultivation?" Wang Wan shook his head.
Zhao Hao glanced at Wang Wan and said seriously:
"About this, I have two points to make. The first point is that there is a difference between merchants hiring workers and the court requisitioning civilian husbands. First of all, the court requisitioning civilian husbands is a compulsory act, which means that no matter what situation you are in, no matter where you are, When you reach the age of service, you must serve;
When merchants hire workers, it depends on the circumstances. For example, during slack times, peasants can go to the city to work, or if the family has excess labor, one or two people can go out to work! "
"The second point is that the imperial court's requisitioning of civilians is an unpaid obligation. Even the rations and tools must be brought by oneself, while merchants need to pay for hiring workers."
"in addition."
After saying that, Zhao Hao paused and said meaningfully: "Old Prime Minister is in the prime minister's position and has also handled some official affairs. I believe that Old Prime Minister should know better than me how high the land tax is in our Da Qin. In the process of unifying the six countries, During this period, our land tax in Daqin was as high as two out of three;
This means that if you harvest three shi of corn in Guizhou, you need to pay a tax of two shi;
The current farming capacity of Da Qin is twelve acres per person, which means that in a good year, each person can produce six tons of corn. In this way, the national treasury will be rich in just one year! "
"But Your Majesty has already done light corvee and meager taxes. How can he convince the public if he imposes such a heavy tax?"
Wang Wan was not a slow-minded person and immediately raised questions.
Zhao Hao smiled and said: "The tax I just mentioned is on food, but we don't need to pay food, we only need to pay money!"
"And what Da Qin lacks most right now is money!"
"this....."
Wang Wan was once again rendered speechless by Zhao Hao.
But I heard Zhao Hao continue: "Old Prime Minister should know that Daqin currently has banks, national bonds, lotteries, and carbon mines. The national treasury is not short of money at all. In addition, with the businessmen advancing funds for the construction, Daqin has paid just as much. rare;
I dare to say that as long as the key point of merchants and workers is solved, the reconstruction of the capital city of Xianyang can be completed in less than a year! "
"Then...you can't stop eating food, right?"
"You have money but are you still worried about not having food to eat?"
Zhao Hao asked Wang Wan something funny, and then said:
"Let's not talk about how much grain reserves those merchants have. Let's talk about the civilians. They have money, but they are still afraid that they can't find grain to buy?"
Anyone who has worked on a project knows that it is impossible for the project boss to starve the workers, because the direct consequence of delayed construction is that the money earned will be very little.
So they will definitely find a way to solve the problem of food and housing for the workers.
Zhao Hao doesn't have to worry about this at all.
As for the food problem that Wang Wan was worried about, he simply did not understand the current situation of Da Qin.
In fact, according to historical records, there was a saying in the Qin Dynasty that "one man can take care of five people and manage a hundred fields."
That is, the level of productivity at that time.
It means that an adult, with a family of five, can cultivate hundreds of acres of land.
And this hundred acres of land can feed at least ten people.
Even if the court neglects corvee and pays little in taxes, it is the court that suffers, not the farmers.
Those farmers who are exempted from heavy taxes can not only save more food, but also sell the food to subsidize their families.
Therefore, what Great Qin is currently lacking most is not food, but economics.
economic operation.
Because if there is money, without economic functioning, money is just a pile of scrap metal. Only when money is functioning can it be real money.
What Zhao Hao is currently doing is to get the economy running.
I saw Wang Wan thinking for a long time, and still asked with some confusion:
"In my opinion, the project is handed over to the merchants. If the merchants pay too little, the farmers will definitely not do it. However, if the wages are too high, the workers will flock to it and not do the farming. So what?"
"The old prime minister is overthinking. Businessmen are so smart, how can they hire workers endlessly? The wages are too low, it is better to farm, and naturally no one will work. Therefore, the income from labor is definitely higher than the income from farming;
However, this will not cause workers to give up farming. After all, the court still has to pay taxes. Apart from taxes, working alone cannot support the whole family. Only in slack times or when the family has excess labor will people go to the city to work! "
After hearing this, Wang Wan fell silent for a moment, because he had a vague feeling that he was about to be persuaded by Zhao Hao.
However, Zhao Hao's next addition made him "stop from the brink" instantly.
But Zhao Hao slapped his forehead: "Oh, by the way, there is another major premise here, that is, the existing conscription system of our Da Qin must be changed!"
"Huh? Do you want to change this too?"
"Yes, if this is not changed, how can Da Qin have so many labor forces? This is the saying that the wool comes from the sheep!"
"No, no, it's okay to talk about other things. Change the conscription system. Even if I borrow a hundred courages, I wouldn't dare!"
Wang Wan was frightened by Zhao Hao's words.
What a bullshit joke!
Military power is a taboo of the First Emperor, whoever touches it will die!
Don't think that after you have been tinkering with the Tiger Talisman for a few days, you don't know how high the sky is...
If it had been someone else, the grass on the grave would probably have grown taller!
I love my name, but I love my life even more!
Seeing that Wang Wan did not agree with him, Zhao Hao sighed helplessly, and immediately showed a pensive expression. After a while, he suddenly rolled his eyes and said solemnly: "What does the old prime minister think of the Six Kingdoms?" Destroyed?"
"Of course our Qin army is invincible and invincible!"
"Oh? Is that really true?"
"Otherwise? How do you think the Six Kingdoms were destroyed, Master?"
Wang Wan looked at Zhao Hao teasingly.
He didn't believe that Zhao Hao could tell what flowers were coming from. After all, Da Qin's military strength was indeed stronger than that of the Six Kingdoms, and it almost wiped out the Six Kingdoms in a sweeping manner.
However, Zhao Hao did not talk to him about military strength, but about the real reasons for the demise of the Six Kingdoms.
"Old Prime Minister, if you really think that the Six Kingdoms were destroyed by the Qin army, you deserve not to be reused by my father!"
"Young master is too presumptuous..."
After hearing Zhao Hao's words, Wang Wan's face instantly became a little embarrassed.
But Zhao Hao ignored his dissatisfaction and said calmly:
"The six kingdoms were destroyed not because of the Qin army, but because they had their own problems. For example, Zhao died due to chaos, Han died due to rule of art, Yan died due to devious politics, Wei died due to lack of talent, and Chu died due to lack of talent. Does the old prime minister agree with partition?"
"this....."
Wang Wan was speechless. After thinking about it carefully, it seemed to make sense.
If the State of Zhao had not been in chaos, it would not have been possible for the State of Zhao to change its generals many times to allow the Qin State to play into its favour.
If the Korean monarch had not been obsessed with imperial power, he would not have been able to prevent a great talent like Han Fei from being reused and leaving his country.
The monarch of Yan State is not pedantic, and Yan Dan cannot take the risk to assassinate Ying Zheng and give Ying Zheng an excuse to destroy Yan.
The Wei State can be called a "good old man". It sent Shang Yang, Zhang Yi, Wei Liao and other peerless talents to the Qin State.
There are so many princes in Chu State, they are in chaos and are not united. How can they resist the great Qin Dynasty?
...
There is one more update. Let’s go have a meal later.
