Author: March

However, the First Emperor did not embarrass Zhao Gao after all. Since he asked Zhao Gao to eat with him, he still endured the pain in his stomach and ate the food on the table. However, his appetite was really poor, so he stopped hastily after not eating much.

Obviously, compared to Zhao Si, Zhao Gao has no advantage as a food partner.

Zhao Gao also realized this. When he saw the First Emperor put down his chopsticks, he also put down his chopsticks and silently cleaned up the mess.

After entering again, the First Emperor was already lying on the rocking chair.

Zhao Gao knew that the First Emperor now had the habit of taking a nap.

Every time after eating at noon, he would take a nap. At this time, the First Emperor would retreat to the left and right, and Zhao Si would take over the task of the palace maid, fanning him to cool off.

"Your Majesty, the weather is extremely hot. Would you like me to help you cool off?"

Although there is an ice mirror in the house, it is still very hot in the summer. Someone has to use a fan to cool the body, otherwise it will still be difficult to resist the summer heat.

The First Emperor, who was lying on the recliner, was stunned for a moment when he heard the sound.

It was a habit of the First Emperor to not like people around him when sleeping.

Zhao Si is an exception, because Zhao Si is a lovable guy, and with Zhao Si by his side, the First Emperor's rest quality is very good.

But Zhao Gao...

Obviously, it does not have this effect. The same crime has proven that Zhao Gao does not have this ability.

"No need..." After hesitating for a moment, the First Emperor finally waved his hand.

Zhao Gao felt slightly disappointed when he heard this.

He could realize that he was being ripped away from him by the First Emperor, and that his tasks were getting fewer and fewer. This was not a good thing, but he had no other way, and he couldn't do anything to please the First Emperor like Zhao Si.

Nowadays, even the qualifications to be by the First Emperor's side and fan him cool are no longer available.

Zhao Gao felt that he needed to do something.

How could he be a mere minister and an official of the Zhongche Mansion, so why would he be so close to others? Isn't it just because he was a close minister of the First Emperor?

He not only managed the travel of carriages and horses in the palace, but was also able to enter and leave the palace freely. He served as the First Emperor's personal secretary and served as a attendant. Even if Meng Yi, as a loyal minister, personally launched an attack, he could not overthrow Zhao Gao. Isn't it because of his role?

Irreplaceable?

But now, Zhao Gao can realize that he is gradually becoming dispensable.

Only when Zhao Si had something to do and could not be present, the job of personal attendant could be his turn.

Gradually, he has become Zhao Si's candidate...

As a minister, he knows very well where his status comes from. He must find ways to fight for it and make a difference, but he cannot act rashly. The more times like this, the less he can be anxious. He must wait for the opportunity and wait.

An opportunity!

The First Emperor in the room didn't know what was going on in Zhao Gao's heart. Even if he did, he would just sneer at it.

What the First Emperor was worried about now was how to fall asleep.

Zhao Si was not here, and there was no one around to fan him to cool off, so he was sweating profusely in a short time.

It was difficult for the First Emperor to accept having others serve him while he was sleeping and relaxing, and he was unable to break his own habit.

He really couldn't sleep...

On the other side, Zhao Si was rushing towards the palace in a hurry.

"I'm busy every day... I have to worry about national affairs, and I have to be attentive to the people around me." After the inspection, Zhao Si went straight to the office of the First Emperor.

Before Zhao Si came to the palace, he saw Zhao Gao waiting quietly outside the door of the house. There was no sound inside the house.

"Is your Majesty sleeping?" Zhao Si peered inside and saw the First Emperor lying motionless on the rocking chair.

"I just went to bed." Zhao Gao replied softly.

Hearing this, Zhao Si did not go in, but stood at the door and asked again: "Have you had dinner?"

Zhao Gao nodded.

Zhao Si and Zhao Gao did not communicate much, and their voices were very subtle, but they were all heard by the First Emperor in the room.

Although he was lying down, the First Emperor did not fall asleep.

"Swing the fan inside..."

Hearing that Zhao Si had returned, the First Emperor did not hesitate and called Zhao Si inside to fan him to relieve the heat and help him fall asleep.

When Zhao Si heard this, he was stunned for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face.

He thought that the First Emperor had already fallen asleep. After hearing the order, he hurriedly went in and shook the cattail leaf fan for the First Emperor, sending the cold air from the Bingjian to the First Emperor.

The sweat gradually subsided, the heat slowly faded away, and the long-lost sleepiness seemed to be triggered with the arrival of Zhao Si, swarming up. Fatigue and sleepiness followed one after another, as well as the cool breeze...

This kid Zhao Si... is indeed different from others.

Without this guy Zhao Si, it really wouldn’t be possible.

The last thoughts that emerged in the mind of the First Emperor disappeared as sleepiness surged up, and he fell into a deep sleep.

…

Peaceful time always passes by like a fleeting moment.

Zhao Si did not know that the real person appointed by the First Emperor was Li Si. He only knew that he had to shoulder the important task of moving the imperial order, so he was very concerned about this matter.

And Li Si seemed to have grasped something. He realized that he seemed to be about to embark on a completely different path.

Paying attention to the people and being kind to the people is the direction of his future path.

Zhao Si gave Li Si a lot of inspiration, such as the theory of strong stems and weak branches, and the theory of public weapons.

However, what's a little tricky about this thing is that Li Si has no experience at all.

In the past, the people were weak and weak. Now they have to change their thinking. Li Si is a little at a loss as to how to poor and weak the people and make the people exhausted. Li Simen is clear. After all, the legalist sages of the past dynasties have already summed it up over hundreds of years.

Countless ways.

But Li Si couldn't find the direction on how to value the people and be kind to them.

Li Si thought of his teacher Xunzi and Confucianism.

Objectively speaking, Confucianism has always advocated putting the people first, so Li Si planned to try to borrow some things from Confucianism. There are many schools of thought, and Li Si also studied under Xunzi, a great Confucian scholar. It can be said that there is no psychological burden when copying.

Confucianism pays attention to loyalty and filial piety, quality and virtue, and the theory of a gentleman. There is a saying that relatives hide each other...

After reviewing a lot of homework, Li Si discovered that the Confucian policy of valuing the people and being good to the people may not be so suitable for today's Qin Dynasty, and many things violated Li Si's principles.

"It's useful, but not too useful..." Li Si frowned and began to try to combine the Confucian policy of valuing the people and doing good to the people with what he had learned.

During this period, Zhao Si played a crucial role.

After talking to Zhao Si, Li Si showed signs of opening up a new path. Li Si would go to Zhao Si almost every day to discuss the specific implementation of the relocation order, and would also have some academic discussions with Zhao Si.

Putting aside Zhao Si's ability to do practical things, his ideological theory is indeed extremely outstanding and gave Li Si a lot of inspiration.

It's just that Zhao Si was very busy, rushing between the palace and Li Si's office every day. After serving the First Emperor in the morning, he often had to deal with Li Si's inquiries in the afternoon.

In order to win over Li Si and form a unified front with Li Si, Zhao Si continued to instill his own ideas into Li Si.

"I see!"

On this day...

Li Si stood up and finally realized what path he should take.

"Human nature is evil! The teacher is never wrong!"

Confucianism emphasizes that human nature is inherently good, and Legalism emphasizes that human nature is inherently evil. Xunzi, a Confucian outlier, also recognized that human nature is inherently evil, which is somewhat deviant. This is the fundamental reason why Xunzi, although he was a great Confucian, handed over to the two legalists Han Fei and Li Si.

"The common people seek peace, but they also seek profit!"

"We should use laws and punishments, use good guidance, and be clear about the rules and not have personal feelings!"

Li Si realized that caring for the people did not require the abolition of the existing huge and complicated laws and regulations.

"If there are no restrictions, they will definitely gather into clans, and instead of following laws and regulations, clan rules will come first, so the order to divide households must continue to be implemented."

"If the food they produce is enough to fill their bellies after paying taxes, they will inevitably stop cultivating the land and put their minds on other things. Therefore, the policy of rewards and punishments for farming must still be implemented."

"If the people are not humiliated but are afraid of war, then we should give them honor. Therefore, the privileges of level 20 military meritorious officials can be modified, but they can never be cancelled."

Li Si believed that attaching importance to the people and being good to the people cannot be stated in terms of Confucian ideas, and that we should completely abandon the control of the people and let them grow barbarically.

"On the contrary, the laws and regulations should be more comprehensive and strict, and they should be strictly controlled so that they are good at farming instead of doing other things to waste the fields. They should be brave enough to fight instead of afraid of death."

"So the continuous sitting cannot be cancelled, and the method of accusation cannot be cancelled."

"Replace punishment with reward, cancel heavy punishment for minor crimes!" Li Si touched his beautiful beard and wrote solemnly on the bamboo slips.

Qin Law has always advocated heavy punishment for minor crimes. Confucians believe that Legalism has too many laws and regulations, and there is no need to set down laws for many things.

Li Si overturned these things!

He is taking a brand new path.

Paying attention to the people and being good to the people means that the people can live a life with enough food and clothing and no longer be as exhausted as before.
To be continued...