nycdaug Chapter 434 The Thoughts of Various Countries
Chapter 434 The Thoughts of Various Countries
The autumn wind in Xianyang dispelled the last trace of warmth, and the streets were bustling with activity. Merchants haggled over prices in various accents, while students hurried by carrying newly printed books.
"Newspapers for sale! Newspapers for sale!" A newsboy waved a freshly printed copy of the *Da Qin Xin Bao* (Great Qin Newspaper). "His Majesty has announced a further 10% reduction in agricultural taxes! The entrance exams for Da Qin Academy, Da Qin Women's Academy, and Da Qin Medical College will be held in Xianyang in one month!"
Not far away, several merchants exchanged glances and quietly bought a few newspapers, stuffing them into their sleeves. They were spies sent to Qin by various states. In just one year, the changes in Qin had already made the rulers of the other states uneasy.
In the royal palace of Yingdu, the capital of Chu, King Fuchu of Chu slammed the intelligence returned by his spies onto the table. His silk robe swept over a bronze wine vessel, spilling fine wine all over the floor.
"The imperial examination system? The three major academies? Printed classics?" King Fu Chu's voice trembled with rage. "That brat Ying Zheng, he's trying to undermine the very foundation of my Chu kingdom!"
The officials below fell silent, trembling with fear. Jing Qi coughed lightly: "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. As far as this old minister knows, these new policies of Qin have indeed yielded remarkable results. The exhibition alone generated more tax revenue in one month than in the entire previous year..."
"This is precisely what worries me!" King Fuchu of Chu suddenly stood up, his jade pendant jingling at his waist. "Look at these figures—grain production has doubled, yet taxes have decreased, while the national treasury is even fuller! If this continues, how will my Chu state contend with Qin?"
Prime Minister Xiang Yan stepped forward: "In my opinion, the key to the transformation of the Qin state lies in its talent pool. Princess Jiayang of Qin, Ying Wuyou, recruited the best talents from across the land through the imperial examinations and academies. Our Chu state should also reform its system for selecting officials—"
"Absurd!" Zhao Yang interrupted sharply. "Our Chu state has hereditary noble positions; how can we imitate the Qin system? What do those poor scholars know about governing a country?"
King Fu Chu of Chu waved his hand impatiently: "Enough! Issue my order: immediately send an envoy to Qin. Say...say that you congratulate Qin on its bountiful harvest, and also to gather intelligence. Furthermore, strengthen border defenses, especially along the areas bordering Qin."
That night, the city gates of Yingdu quietly opened, and three inconspicuous carriages sped off in the northwest.
In the palace of Linzi, Qi State, Prime Minister Hou Sheng gently set down the bamboo slips, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table. Outside the window, spring rain pattered, but it couldn't extinguish the anxiety in his heart.
"Your Majesty, Qin has truly changed this time," Hou Sheng sighed. "It is no longer the ruthless, warlike state it once was."
King Jian of Qi toyed with a glass cup that had just been smuggled from Qin. Sunlight filtered through the cup, casting shifting patterns of light on his face. "This cup is lighter than bronze and more translucent than pottery. How did the Qin people make it?"
"It's said that Princess Jiayang, Ying Wuyou, personally instructed the craftsmen to make it," Hou Sheng said with a wry smile. "What's even more terrifying is their printing technology. They can now mass-produce books, printing tens of thousands of volumes a month. Our students are all secretly buying Qin's books..."
King Jian of Qi finally put down his glass: "What good plan does the Prime Minister have?"
"I believe we should learn from their strengths," Hou Sheng said, a glint of shrewdness in his eyes. "We can send an envoy to Qin, ostensibly to establish friendly relations, but in reality to learn their imperial examination system and printing techniques. At the same time..." he lowered his voice, "we can also bribe Qin's artisans, especially those skilled in glassmaking and printing."
Tian Jian pondered, "But would Ying Zheng let us learn to walk so easily?"
"Therefore, a two-pronged approach is needed." Hou Sheng took out a scroll of secret letter from his sleeve. "On behalf of Wang Jia, we have sent someone to make contact, proposing an alliance against Qin. Our best strategy is to outwardly agree while secretly developing our own forces."
The whispers between the emperor and his minister gradually faded away amidst the sound of rain. Outside the window, a peach tree was battered by the rain, its petals falling to the ground and turning to mud.
In the magnificent palace of the King of Liang in the State of Wei, King Jia Gao sat high on a throne, his face solemn, his brows furrowed, and he sighed from time to time.
Below the main hall, civil and military officials stood on both sides, each with a solemn expression, none daring to speak easily.
After a long silence, King Jia of Wei finally broke the suffocating atmosphere, his voice tinged with helplessness and anxiety: "Tell me, what should we do with our Wei Kingdom now?"
The ministers looked at each other, their faces showing reluctance. At this moment, Wei Ziyuan stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, Qin is reforming and strengthening itself. If our Wei wants to compete with it, we also need to reform. We can start with agriculture, learning from Qin's efforts in building water conservancy projects to increase grain production."
“It’s easier said than done!” General Duan Ganchong said with a frown. “The Qin state’s reforms were planned by Princess Jiayang and fully supported by the King of Qin. Our Wei state lacks talent and has many members of the royal family and nobles, so the resistance to reform is too great.”
King Wei sighed, "Are we just supposed to sit here and wait to die?"
At this moment, Jin Bi stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. In my humble observation, this series of reforms in Qin, though seemingly chaotic, are in fact interconnected. The imperial examination system broke the aristocratic monopoly, the printing of classics unified thought, and tax reductions won over the people..."
"Why should Jin Bi boost the morale of others?" Xin Yuanyan sneered. "No matter how strong Qin is, isn't it now cooperating with my Wei?"
Jin Bi shook his head: "Things are different now. Qin has reduced taxes, and the people are loyal; grain production has increased, and the army has no worries about food; even more frightening is that the three major academies are training a large number of students loyal to the King of Qin. Given time..."
"Therefore, we absolutely cannot sit idly by and wait to die!" Xin Yuanyan shouted emotionally, his voice echoing through the air as if it would burst through the roof. "We must take action, or the consequences will be unimaginable!"
His gaze was piercing as he stared intently at the crowd. He continued, "We only have two paths before us. Either we humble ourselves and willingly submit to them for temporary peace, or we unite with other states to fight against Qin, forming a powerful force that will deter Qin from easily invading us!"
A deathly silence fell over the hall as everyone weighed the pros and cons of the two paths. King Wei, after a long period of contemplation, slowly spoke: "If we submit to Qin, what face will our Wei rulers and ministers have? If we unite with other states, I fear our alliance will be rendered meaningless."
Just as everyone was at a loss and frowning over how to deal with the current predicament, someone suddenly shouted: "What if the Qin Dynasty loses Princess Jiayang?"
These words struck like lightning across the night sky, instantly igniting the crowd's enthusiasm. After all, the rapid development of the Qin state was largely due to Princess Jiayang's exceptional talent and wisdom. It could be said that Princess Jiayang was the pillar of the Qin state; without her, Qin's development would inevitably be severely hampered, and might even stagnate.
However, just as everyone was excitedly discussing the proposal, Wei Ziyuan stood up and expressed his opposition. He calmly analyzed, "Absolutely not! Our Wei state is currently too weak. If something really happens to Princess Jiayang and it is found that we are involved, how can we withstand the King of Qin's wrath?"