Daily Life In Qin Dynasty

Xianyang Palace.

late at night.

The candles in Zhangtai Palace are still bright.

Ying Zheng was sitting behind the desk, with thick bamboo slips neatly placed on both sides of the desk.

Ever since Ying Zheng took over the power, he would hardly fall asleep if the weight of the memorial he corrected every night was less than 120 kilograms.

"Your Majesty, Lord Lu Yang wishes to see you."

"Xuan!"

When he heard the voice of the guards outside the door, Ying Zheng, who was correcting the memorial, didn't even raise his head.

"promise!"

The guards retreated after hearing this.

Soon.

I saw an old man with gray hair, wearing rich clothes, a big belly, and a rather rich appearance walking in.

"Old minister, I see you, Your Majesty."

"It's so late at night, and my clan uncle isn't resting at home, so what's the point of coming to Xianyang Palace?"

After Ying Zheng finished correcting a memorial in his hand, he put down his brush and turned his attention to the person below who had some blood relations with him, but there were not many Ying clan members.

Yingshan River.

A concubine born to Ying Zheng's grandfather, King Qin Xiaowen, and his concubine, he was named 'Lord of Lu Yang' when he came of age, but it was only a false title. Although he had a fief, he had no real power.

However, although he himself is nothing, the Ying family clan power represented behind Ying Shanhe can be regarded as the largest force in the entire Qin State.

If Lao Ai hadn't secretly given birth to a child with Zhao Ji, which violated the bottom line of the Ying clan's power, he wouldn't have died so quickly.

So when facing Ying Zheng.

Although Ying Shanhe maintained courtesy on the surface, there was not much respect in his expression.

"The old minister is here to sue someone."

Ying Shanhe hugged his hands and said.

When he heard Ying Shanhe's words, Ying Zheng didn't seem too surprised. He just said calmly: "I wonder who the uncle wants to sue?"

Ying Shanhe raised his head, looked at Ying Zheng, and said word by word: "Shengping Lord—Mo Lord!"

Ying Zheng raised his eyebrows and said, "Oh? I wonder why my uncle wants to sue Lord Shengping?"

Ying Shanhe's eyes flashed sharply, and he said in a deep voice: "I want to sue him for framing and murdering my loyal minister of Great Qin..."

Snap!

Ying Shanhe didn't finish his words.

A roll of bamboo slips suddenly flew out from the table and fell directly at the feet of Ying Shanhe.

"Uncle Clan, if you have anything to say, you can talk about it after reading this memorial."

After throwing out the scroll of bamboo slips, Ying Zheng seemed to have no intention of continuing the conversation with Ying Shanhe. He picked up the brush again and lowered his head to correct the memorial.

Ying Zheng's attitude made Ying Shanhe feel slightly dissatisfied, but he did not show it. However, when he picked up the bamboo slips on the ground and took a look, his expression suddenly changed.

"this······"

"Uncle Clan, you are already old. I don't want to pursue the past matters, but it's time for Clan Uncle to have a good rest in the future."

Hearing the voice coming from behind the desk, Ying Shanhe's expression changed several times, and finally he folded his hands and saluted with an ugly face: "Old minister...resign."

When Ying Shanhe left, the entire Zhangtai Palace fell into silence again.

After a while.

I saw two figures slowly walking out of the inner hall.

One person was holding a long sword, wearing white clothes and a stern expression.

One person was wearing purple clothes, with handsome appearance and warm eyes.

The two of them were Gai Nie and Mo Jun.

"Isn't it strange why I didn't punish him?"

After finishing correcting a memorial again, Ying Zheng slowly raised his head. When he saw the two people in front of him, his usually majestic expression rarely softened a little, and he asked.

"I think the king has made his own decision."

After hearing Ying Zheng's words, Mo Jun spoke without hesitation.

joke.

No matter how much money Mr. Lu Yang embezzled just now or how much crime he committed, his surname is "Ying" after all.

No matter what happens, it's not the outsider's turn, Mr. Mo, to judge what's right or wrong.

"Haha~~"

Ying Zheng was also amused by Mo Jun's appearance and said: "If I hadn't known Mo Qing for many years, I'm afraid I wouldn't have believed that Mo Qing is only seventeen this year. You are just like an old fox who has been immersed in the court for many years. Same."

"But it doesn't matter if it's the old fox. After all, if it weren't for the old fox, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to help me take out these 400,000 gold coins from those people."

When it came to the last five words "four hundred thousand gold coins", Ying Zheng also slightly emphasized his tone.

to be honest.

Although Ying Zheng had previously said that he would hand over the money-making task to Mo Jun, he did not expect that Mo Jun could actually come up with 400,000 gold coins in such a short period of time.

What's more, he didn't expect that this money was actually taken out from the hands of his ministers.

Previously, twenty-seven noble families in Nanjun had copied out 200,000 gold coins and 800,000 shi of grain. Ying Zheng already felt ridiculous.

Unexpectedly.

In Xianyang, under the feet of King Qin, things could be even more ridiculous.

But I am afraid that even Ying Zheng would not have imagined that this is not the most ridiculous thing. In the world of official history, at the end of Qin II, the rebel army commanded by Xiang Yu surrounded Xianyang. Because there was no food in the city, they were hungry until the soldiers guarding Xianyang lost their fighting power, and then he conquered Xianyang City in one fell swoop.

But then, something happened that even Xiang Yu didn't expect.

After conquering Xianyang.

Xiang Yu led his army to raid the homes of all the nobles in Xianyang City, and found batches of staggering amounts of grain.

Later, after calculation, even if these stored grains were distributed to everyone in Xianyang City, it would be enough to last for more than ten years, or even twenty years.

This is the current situation.

The common people had no money, but the aristocrats and rich people had so much stockpiled food that they were left rotting in the granary in batches, and they were still unable to be eaten or used.

"Speaking of which, I heard that the tax evasion was discovered this time because Mo Qing did it himself, comparing volumes of account books, and discovered the flaws. Could it be that Mo Qing also knows a little bit about arithmetic?"

The word "understand a little" has almost become Lord Mo's mantra now, so even Ying Zheng couldn't help but tease him this time.

Mo Jun also heard Ying Zheng's teasing, so he said modestly, "I just felt that the previous arithmetic method was too troublesome, so I simply invented a simpler calculation method. It doesn't mean anything."

Ying Zheng: "······"

Gai Nie: "·······"

Ah, why do these words sound so ordinary?

Just because the existing arithmetic method is inconvenient, in order to make checking accounts more convenient, I might as well create a new arithmetic method by myself.

Listen.

Is this still human language?

What a genius!

Can a genius do whatever he wants?

"Ahem~~ Since the arithmetic method invented by Mo Qing is simpler, I wonder if it can be taught to others?" After a while, Ying Zheng coughed twice and came back to his senses.

"I named this new arithmetic method [Arabic numerals], [Multiplication Table], and an auxiliary tool [abacus]."

"And the three items have now been taught to other people in the Zhizunai Shifu. It should be a lot easier to settle accounts later."

"But the past accounts are just..."

Before Mo Jun finished speaking, Ying Zheng interrupted and said, "Let him let go of the past!"

Although Mr. Mo spent a whole month cleaning up the bad debts of the Sumai Shi Mansion this time, he only actually cleared up part of it.

Why did Mo Jun only find trouble for those twenty or thirty people before?

the reason is simple.

Firstly, it is because Ying Zheng now wants to stabilize the court, so it is not appropriate to cause too large a turmoil.

Secondly, Mo Jun really only found the flaws of these twenty or thirty people, and even the flaws of some of them have not been fully found yet.

This is also the reason why Mo Jun took Qian Shanjia's surgery first before, because his store had been open for the shortest time and he was the one who knew the most clearly among all the people at that time.

As for the remaining twenty or thirty people, they were completely fooled by Mr. Mo.

If they had persisted at that time, the gold coins that Lord Mo would take out from them now would be at least one hundred thousand less.

Ying Zheng obviously knew this.

That's why he just said "the past is the past" twice in a row.

Because there is nothing we can do about it, even if it doesn't go away, even for thousands of years to come, corrupt officials in all dynasties will continue like the water of the Yellow River.

And honest officials are like sweet springs that gush out from the ground, and they have spread all over the world, and the number may be quite a lot. But if you spread it out, it will become rare. Once it merges into the Yellow River, it will be instantly washed away without a trace by the flood.

If Ying Zheng really wants to get to the bottom of it.

No one knows how many people will be implicated in the end, including the clan surnamed Ying represented by his clan uncle, and it is estimated that a large number of people will die.

By that time, I am afraid that the entire court will be in a situation where no one is available.

And it’s not just those who kill all corrupt officials who are called wise kings. A truly wise king should learn to make good use of corrupt officials. It doesn't matter if you are corrupt, as long as you can get things done, corruption will become the best leverage in the king's hands.

What's more, the money they made this time is enough to give those people a warning.

Four hundred thousand gold coins.

Although on the surface it was only these twenty or thirty people who paid for it, in fact the interests involved behind it amounted to at least hundreds of people.

In terms of wealth alone, compared with the nobles in Nan County, these officials are still slightly inferior.

There was silence for a while.

Ying Zheng couldn't help but ask: "Besides that method, does Mo Qing really have no other way to open up money for our Great Qin treasury?"

Mo Jun pursed his lips and saluted, and said: "Other than that, at least I can't think of any other way."

The cause of the matter is simple.

Lord Mo came here tonight mainly to inform Ying Zheng about the '400,000 gold coins'. Ying Zheng was naturally very happy to have made such a large sum of money.

But while he was happy, the King of Qin committed the same problem as all monarchs, that is, he was not satisfied.

He doesn't just want the money.

He also wanted an income that could bring long-term benefits to Qin.

Is there anything Mr. Mo can do?

Of course he does, and there are many ways to do it.

But all of Mo Jun's methods must ultimately involve one aspect, and that is "business."

A more accurate statement is that what he wanted to shake was most likely the Qin State's entire "emphasis on agriculture and suppression of business" policy.

Because what the State of Qin needs now is not just one or two profitable businesses, those millions of soldiers guarding the borders of the State of Qin and everywhere are like gold-swallowing beasts that have access but no exit for the State of Qin today.

Although these soldiers now eat a lot of food every year and receive a lot of monthly money, they have no chance to spend it. It is completely "dead money".

in this case.

No matter how much money Mr. Mo can make, it will be of no use at all.

Because the essence of "coin" is just an "equivalent item", if "coin" does not circulate, it means that the commodity cannot circulate. If goods are not circulated, no one from the bottom to the nobles can really make money.

So Ying Zheng asked at that time, and Mo Jun also made some suggestions.

Then it was rejected without hesitation.

Because at present, "emphasis on agriculture and suppression of business" is not only a policy, but also one of the national foundations of the entire Qin State.

Anyway.

Even Ying Zheng cannot risk the future of Qin.

Mo Jun did not try to persuade Ying Zheng, because he also knew how much risk he would bear if he rashly carried out reforms at this time.

As the saying goes, "If you are poor, you can benefit yourself; if you are prosperous, you can help the world."

After occupying a high position.

Naturally, the idea of ​​changing the Qin State and even this era came up in Lord Mo's mind more than once.

However, tonight's facts prove that the power of an individual is too small in the face of the tide of the times.

······

When walking out of Xianyang Palace.

Xiong Daxiong Er had already been waiting outside the palace. When he saw the two of them, Mo Jun said directly: "Have you found out who it is?"

Xiong Da, who has gained a bit of mature temperament after several years of experience, nodded and said: "It has been found out."

"Then send someone to take action!"

"clear!"

Xiong Da responded, and then led Xiong Er to quickly disappear into the night.

That night.

Three officials who committed huge amounts of "tax evasion" were jailed overnight.

And this news was not heard by others until the next day. Some well-informed people found out that the matter may have been done by the 'Sheng Pingjun', but they did not find out the reason why Mr. Mo did it.

But when the more than 20 officials who were invited by Mr. Mo to govern the Su Neishi Mansion heard the news, they trembled all over and felt a chill running from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads.

There is no other reason.

Because they knew that these three officials were the ones who secretly found "Jun Lu Yang" and complained to Ying Zheng.

Mr. Mo has two great advantages.

One is honesty.

The second is being petty.

He always keeps his word, and he has already said before that it is okay for these twenty or thirty officials to find someone, but it is best not to be discovered by him.

Otherwise, his revenge never lasts overnight.

······