Chapter 381

"But why did it only become popular for a time and could not endure?"

"It is precisely because huge problems arose when guarding the realm!"

"Compared to conquering the realm, guarding the realm is more like distributing interests; if the distribution is reasonable, the realm can be guarded well!"

"Most kings in history were like this! They were all monarchs who guarded the realm!"

"But to Zhang Liang, all of this was ultimately just the shortsightedness of the world!"

"If Zhang Liang were to speak, between conquering the realm and guarding the realm, one should also add 'sitting on the throne'!"

"Oh?"

Ying Su laughed and looked at Zhang Liang again!

Zhang Liang said:

"Because the threshold for guarding the realm is truly too low; as long as the nation does not perish, the Jiangshan has been guarded. For example, Zhou Youwang and Zhou Pingwang—both are considered to have guarded the realm, and the state did not perish in their hands. But... can you say they did very well?"

"Of course not; it is just that what they did was not yet at the extreme of bad!"

"Sitting on the throne is different from both conquering the realm and guarding the realm!"

"To 'sit' means to sit firmly, but to sit firmly, one must resolve all contradictions and hidden dangers!"

"Because... only by resolving these contradictions and hidden dangers can one sit firmly on the Jiangshan!"

"For example, King Wu of Zhou, Ji Fa, had already conquered the Jiangshan, but to sit firmly in the position of the Son of Heaven, he delegated power to Zhou Gongdan to govern the state!"

"Thus, there arose the distinction between Hua and Yi, and further, rites, music, and hundred officials were established, moral standards were set, people were no longer barbaric and rude, human sacrifice was abolished, making people less superstitious about ghosts and gods, and the concept of the Huaxia nation was proposed; thus, the foundation for the great Zhou's prosperity was laid!"

"Again, like the First Emperor building the Great Wall and the Dujiangyan, or like unifying the script and standardizing the axle widths; all of this was to resolve various contradictions and hidden dangers after the Qin unified the six states!"

"Again, like Your Majesty's destruction of the Xiongnu, the field taxes, and so on; all of this was still to sit firmly on the Jiangshan!"

"Therefore, among conquering the realm, guarding the realm, and sitting on the throne, sitting on the throne should be the most difficult!"

Zhang Liang spoke thus, Ying Su nodded while laughing, and then said to Zhang Liang: "Then tell me, how can a dynasty never perish?"

"You should understand what I mean; it is not for the Qin to not perish during my generation, but even after my death, the Qin shall not perish, for a thousand generations, Wan Shi, ten thousand ten thousand generations! The Qin shall endure forever!"

"Ah?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Zhang Liang's head rang with a light 'buzz'!

At that moment, he could not help but swallow his saliva hard!

Ying Su looked at Zhang Liang and continued to laugh.

Zhang Liang was silent for a long time; finally, he bowed down to Ying Su: "Your subject is terrified!"

"Hahahaha..."

Ying Su laughed again, then helped Zhang Liang up and continued to say to him: "Leaving the distant aside, let us speak of the near; tell me, after this event, to what extent will the Qin's national strength develop?"

Zhang Liang's eyes brightened: "Surpassing the Great Zhou; this is the minimum!"

"As for higher, your subject... finds it hard to imagine!"

He spoke while swallowing his saliva!

Indeed!

It is truly hard to imagine!

Because, for so long, he had been doing simulations and planning with Ying Su!

And in these simulations and planning!

To make the Qin truly prosperous, the first step is to stop building the Great Wall, stop building the Epang Palace, and first return peace to the people!

And after stopping the building of the Great Wall, the first problem faced is the Xiongnu invasion!

Thus, there came the great feat of destroying the Xiongnu!

And after destroying the Xiongnu, for a hundred years or even a thousand years, the Qin will not face major problems of foreign enemy invasion!

When all external problems are resolved!

The next step is to resolve the nobles!

As long as the nobles are resolved, it is equivalent to removing the biggest stumbling block on the road to Qin's prosperity!

This way, a series of bold reforms can be carried out directly!

And after reforms of this level, the Qin will inevitably undergo earth-shaking changes!

This is the foundation of prosperity!

As for exactly to what extent it will develop, Zhang Liang truly finds it hard to imagine!

Because... he had long seen the Kaogong Shi!

Although the Kaogong Shi currently produces only weapons and paper!

But... in Ying Su's planning, there are also various farming tools, such as the curved-shaft plow, and further, sweet potatoes and potatoes brought back by Zheng He's voyages to the sea!

All of this is to solve the problem of food and clothing!

If even the problem of food and clothing can be perfectly solved, to what extent will the Qin become prosperous? It is truly too daring to imagine!

At least, Zhang Liang cannot think of it at all!

But... Ying Su can think of it!

That is a modern society world where skyscrapers are everywhere, with airplanes and cannons, and mobile phones and computers!

This is his grand blueprint!

It is just... can this grand blueprint be realized?

It is very difficult!

Given the Qin's current industrial level, let alone producing airplanes and cannons, even a flintlock musket or a revolver is already the limit.

It is still far from the level of producing screws; ballpoint pen tips, let alone mobile phones, computers, satellites, and the like, are simply nonsense!

However... Ying Su is not discouraged at all!

He felt he could do it, because… he had the basic conditions to produce all of this!

That was people!

And knowledge!

But no matter what, all of this was for later!

What truly needed to be dealt with right now was still those nobles!

However… he reckoned these people were about to be dealt with too!

As for now…

Enter Yan Sect Pass!

Inside Xianyang City!

During this period, as the siege of Xianyang City dragged on longer and longer, many people grew extremely irritable!

Mainly because they couldn't get out, nothing could come in, and outside there were nine hundred thousand troops surrounding them!

Everyone was panicked to the extreme!

Inside Xianyang Palace, Ying Zheng was furious again and again!

Because… in just these past few days, people were still forcing him to return to the imperial throne!

Even… in the process of forcing him, they actually wanted to attack Xianyang Palace!

Attack Xianyang Palace?

Yes!

The great army besieged the city. Although the nine hundred thousand troops had not fully entered Xianyang City, yet… three hundred thousand troops had already entered Xianyang City!

In front of the four city gates of Xianyang Palace, there were a hundred thousand troops surrounding them at every moment!

The intent was very clear!

They wanted to attack Xianyang Palace!

Attack Xianyang Palace?

Yes!

Before, everyone had wanted to wait for Meng Wu to kill Ying Su before attacking Xianyang Palace!

That way, it would be easier to attack!

But… as Ying Zheng also moved Li Xin's army into Xianyang Palace, merging Fu Hao and Zhuge Liang's two hundred thousand troops into one force, this made everyone dissatisfied!

What did Ying Zheng mean by this?

Merging Li Xin's and Fu Hao's troops into one force meant he was going to fight to the end!

Since that's the case, then there was nothing more to say!

Just attack Xianyang Palace directly!