Chapter 13 Section 1 Newcomers, New Plans, Abandoning Hegemony

For the first time, Ying Si encountered a delicate situation that made it difficult for him to make a decision. Shangqing Xishou solemnly submitted a letter, proposing a specific strategy to complete the hegemony of the Qin State-become king immediately, conquer Sanchuan within one year, annihilate Sanjin within three years, unify the Central Plains within five years, and flatten the world within ten years!As far as Ying Si's heart is concerned, he admires the boldness of the rhinoceros head to sweep the six kingdoms of Shandong. If so, he is also a generation of heroes who have achieved great achievements through the ages.Thinking of this coveted glory, Ying Si has an instinctive impulse.But when I think about it carefully, I always feel that there is some emptiness.After all, Ying Si had a long-term investigation and thinking about the situation of Qin State during the ordeal, and decided that although Qin State had grown in national strength after Shang Yang's reform, it was still far from the strength it should have to wipe out the six countries.Based on this judgment, he really didn't have the idea of ​​immediately rising to a decisive battle with the six kingdoms of Shandong.However, Xishou, as a famous person in the world, is by no means a person who speaks rashly, and he should have some basis for proposing such a strategy.Could it be that the authorities were fans and they underestimated the power of Qin?Or the six kingdoms of Shandong are so decayed that they are indeed vulnerable, but Qin's monarchs and ministers are locked up and don't know?After thinking over and over again, Ying Si couldn't make a decision.

Finally, he came up with a solution: order Taifu Yingqian, senior doctor Chi Liji, and Guowei Sima Cuo to write their own judgments on Xishou's strategy within three days.The reason why Ying Si didn't convene a court meeting to make a decision was because such a major economic policy was suddenly handed over to the court meeting for discussion, and it was spread to the six countries in Shandong, but it was a shock to the snake.If this strategy is feasible, but it will make the six countries of Shandong more prepared, wouldn't it be very rash?Furthermore, at the court meeting, ministers are easy to be induced and inspired by others, and many ministers agree with them, but it is not easy to explain the pros and cons of the matter thoroughly.If the letter is written separately, the person who wrote the letter must think deeply, and can avoid many scruples of face-to-face confrontation. Deployment is very different from North Korea's debate.Ying Si also has another idea, that is, to leave a proof, to test who has a deeper insight and a far-sighted vision at this perplexing fork in the road, and who can be the real pillar of the Qin State in the future?

During the three days, Ying Si was restless.This is a big matter, which is related to whether he can reach the pinnacle of his life's achievements, which really makes him unable to deal with it leisurely.Although he was as calm and stable as ever on the surface, the personal servants could sense his anxiety from eating less, talking in sleep, and pacing in the study. Everyone was cautious, not daring to make any noise, and the huge palace was as silent as a valley. generally.While waiting anxiously, Ying Si vaguely hoped that her original judgment was wrong, and hoped that seeing the three ministers agree with Xishou's grand strategy, she would be able to give it a go, truly unify China, and become the same as Xia Yu. A generation of holy kings who are as famous as Tang, Zhou and Wu!

The uneasiness of the new monarch Yingsi did not last until the third day, a volume of books was delivered first, but it was written by Taifu Yingqian. Yingqian's letter was very short, and his proposition was very clear: the east out of Hangu Pass was not proposed today, but the previous emperor Xiaogong had already planned this; "I am still in my prime, thinking about the national humiliation of the past, my blood boils every time, and I am willing to lead an army by myself, go east to Hangu Pass to fight the first battle with the Three Jins, and make me the prestige of the Great Qin!"

After Ying Si read it, she felt that she was missing the point, so she couldn't help sighing.Uncle Yingqian was a fierce general of the Qin army thirty years ago, and he was also quite politically savvy. Without his solid support, his father's accession to the throne and subsequent reforms would not have been secure.Including killing Shang Yang by himself, quelling the rebellion, purging the aristocratic clan, and establishing a firm foundation, without the strong support of the uncle, it would also be impossible to go smoothly.However, Gong Bo is just like most of the old Qin Yuanxuns. He is honest and stubborn, with clear grievances and grievances. Whenever he talks about the hatred with the princes of the Central Plains, he will grit his teeth. , not to mention whether it is the right time to play.The tribes of the old Qin fought to protect themselves for a long time. After becoming princes and establishing the country, they encountered the contempt of the princes of Shandong and struggled for a long time. Hundreds of years of closed struggle traditions made most of the old Qin officials develop a narrow and fierce personality-alienated from the In addition to the general trend of the world, the suffering of the Qin State is still lingering, but when it comes to foreign affairs, everyone shouts and beats them!Uncle Gong's letter also followed this path in general, the plot of the former monarch - the national humiliation - the blood boils - insisted on a war.

Ying Si's special experience enabled him to clearly see the shortcomings of the old Qin people. If he did so, it would be enough to be a bully, but the world would be worse.From the perspective of long-term planning, what he needs is not such a blind response to shouting and fighting, but a high-level insight into the world's action strategy, so as to decide whether Qin should fight at this time?It seems that Uncle Gong has not calmed down. Perhaps, on this matter, he will never be able to calm down. In the early morning of the fourth day, as soon as Maoshi arrived, the doctor Chi Liji's book was delivered, and Ying Si immediately closed the door and opened the scroll:

"It's a pity..." Ying Si covered her scrolls and sighed. Xi Liji's letter was one-sided, and only "discussed" Xishou's strategy. In fact, it negated Xishou's strategy of "proclaiming the king and advancing eastward and unifying the six kingdoms" from three aspects.These few lines are clear and to the point, and the flaws in the strategy of the rhinoceros head are immediately revealed when they are put out.Based on Ying Si's thorough understanding of Qin, he naturally weighed heavily.It should be said that Chi Liji's vision is still good enough to govern the country.

However, Chi Liji did not put forward the action plan that Qin State should take, which made Ying Si always feel empty.If we neither adopt the strategy of the rhinoceros head, but also fail to come up with our own strategy, are we still going blind if we move forward?What Ying Si needs, and what the Qin government and the public need, is a set of strategies for rejuvenating the country that can cheer up the morale of the people and guide the road.For example, in the period of father-in-law, Shang Jun proposed "reform to strengthen the country, and shame the country", which has been motivating the government and the people of Qin State to work hard for more than 20 years!Now that a new generation has begun, the country is strong and the national humiliation is gone, so it is natural that we need new goals to motivate the people and ourselves.If there was no such urgency, Xishou only uttered sixteen words at that time, how could Ying Si be able to confer on him as Shangqing?After all, Xi Liji has been in the prefecture and county for a long time, and he lacks a bird's-eye view of the general trend of the world, so he cannot be blamed for everything.

Falling into deep thought for a long time again, Ying Si thought that Sima Cuo's letter should not be expected too high.As a talented man of his generation, Xi Liji is still unable to plan a real plan; Sima Cuo is a soldier after all, even if he is a famous general, how can he have such a talent for planning the overall situation?It seems that this matter has to be discussed with Xishou, and it is not a bad idea to ask him to do like Shang Jun: first survey the state of Qin, and then plan again... "Reporting to the King: The Guowei's Mansion sent Sima Cuo to write a letter." In the evening, the secretary in charge walked into the study room holding a roll of bamboo slips, "Oh?" Ying Si was a little surprised.It's getting dark, the three-day deadline has come, and Sima Cuo has submitted a letter?Ying Si was excited for a while, so she immediately wanted to see what the captain of the country said.The servant turned on the big lamp, and placed a one-foot-high copper seat lamp on the top of the desk. The study room was exceptionally bright. Ying Si immediately opened the bamboo slips:

"Crack!" Ying Si closed the bamboo slips. "Wow—" Ying Si unconsciously opened the bamboo slips again. For an entire hour, Ying Si pondered over and over without moving.Finally, he suddenly got up: "Prepare the car and leave the palace, Guowei's mansion!" The back garden of Guowei Mansion is very strange.Sima Cuo is busy here. Eight wind lanterns are hung on four big trees, illuminating the "mountains and rivers" under the trees with clear gullies.Sima Cuo held a pole in his hand, pacing around the "mountains and rivers" for a bird's-eye view, constantly using the pole to measure the mountains, roads, and rivers, reading out a series of numbers, and waiting for a military officer next to him to finish recording , Then there was another burst of silent consideration, sometimes shaking his head, sometimes nodding.

He never thought that he would be a captain of the country. Sima Cuo's dream was to become a famous general on the battlefield.During the Warring States period, the national lieutenant was not the actual commander-in-chief of the three armies, but a military minister who handled daily military affairs.On ordinary days, what a lieutenant of the state should do under the control of the prime minister's mansion is: recruit soldiers, train recruits, prepare military supplies and food, build weapons and equipment, coordinate the defense of fortresses, etc., and do not lead troops to fight; in case of war, command troops The general who is going on an expedition is the real commander of the army; the Guowei Mansion is just the commander's rear office.According to tradition, the post of general in the country is usually not set up, and is only appointed when the war comes.But in the Warring States period, with continuous battles and military strife, the general gradually became a permanent and important post, and his nobility was equal to that of the prime minister who governed the country, which showed his prominent status!In the early days, Wu Qi of Wei State and Pang Juan, who succeeded him, were always generals; later, Generals of Qi State Tian Ji, Generals of Yan State Le Yi, Generals of Zhao State Lian Po and Li Mu, Generals of Chu State Xiang Yan, and Generals of Qin State The three generations of generals Bai Qi, Wang Jian, Meng Tian, ​​etc., are all famous generals who emerged in the battle of commanding troops!What Sima Cuo wanted to do was precisely such a famous general, not a national lieutenant in charge of military affairs. However, fate made him a captain of the country! Sima Cuo was very silent for a while, he didn't want to do a good job as the captain of the country, and always wanted to leave a retreat for his own troops to fight.After discussing matters several times, it was discovered that the monarch did not treat himself as an ordinary military and political minister, but rather relied on him.Sima Cuo suddenly realized that he was wrong!Right now, the only senior general of the Qin State to lead the army is Yingqian, but Yingqian was a famous general in the period of chariot warfare, and he is very unfamiliar with today's field combat on foot and horse. In addition, he has been closed for thirteen years without leaving home, so he is qualified to be the commander of the new army Almost impossible.At this time, I will definitely become the commander-in-chief of the Qin State. However, my qualifications are still low, and I have no brilliant military achievements in the battle of the army. Suddenly, I will be awarded the post of general. Criticism; the monarch first confers the position of lieutenant with a lower title to himself, which is neither wrong nor objectionable. Once suddenly, Sima Cuo began to study and plan for Qin. Sima Cuo was born in a military family, and his ancestors were originally the Tian clan of Qi State.The ancestor Tian Rangju was originally a famous general in the Spring and Autumn Period during the time of Duke Jing of Qi. He fought hundreds of battles and made outstanding military achievements. He was named Sima of Qi State.Tian Rangju wrote an art of war in his later years, and the readers of the biography all named it "Sima Rangju Art of War" with the customary official title.This is the first Art of War in the Spring and Autumn Period, decades earlier than the later "Sun Tzu's Art of War"!The descendants became famous because of this, so they also took the surname Sima.Later, the Sima family fell into decline in the turmoil of the Qi state, and migrated to Luoyang Wangji to show their dissatisfaction with the Tian family's seizure of power and their loyalty to the emperor's royal family. Unexpectedly, the world is changing, Wang Ji shrinks rapidly, and the small castle of the Sima clan becomes the target of competition between Han and Wei after the three families are divided into Jin.In order to avoid the war, the Sima clan migrated to the south bank of the Yellow River outside Hangu Pass.Later, the Wei State annexed the Hexi area of ​​the Qin State, and the Sima family was relocated to Hangu Pass by the Wei State government as "the people of the town".During Qin Xiangong's reign, the State of Qin once counterattacked Hangu Pass and moved all the "townspeople" of the State of Wei to the hinterland of the State of Qin.The Sima clan settled down on the south bank of the Weishui River. By the time Sima Cuo was born, the Sima family had already been three generations of Qin people.At the age of nineteen, Sima Cuo was called to join the army and joined the new army of Qin State. He went from a knight to a commander of tens, hundreds, and thousands.During Shang Yang's battle to recover Hexi, Sima Cuo alone led Qianqi night to attack the Lishi Fortress on the east bank of the Yellow River. Wei Guo took back the most important pass fortress in Qin State, and cut off the retreat of Wei Guo's Huashan camp!Shang Yang was amazed by the young commander's ability to use troops, and immediately promoted Sima Cuo to be the guard of Hangu Pass.In the history of the Qin State, guarding Hangu Pass was the top priority of the Qin army, and the guards have always been held by the generals of the public clan.Now, this important task has been entrusted to Sima Cuo who is just in his early thirties, which shows that Shang Yang attaches great importance to Sima Cuo.Not only that, but before his execution, Shang Yang also solemnly recommended Sima Cuo to the new king Ying Si, finally making this general star rise. What Sima Cuo wants to seek is a solid and feasible way to use troops. His way of planning troops was deeply influenced by the art of war of his ancestors, and the biggest feature is that he does not "discuss troops according to their situation", but "discusses them according to their situation". "Sima Rangju's Art of War" consists of four chapters, namely "Situation", "Machinery", "Yin and Yang", and "Skills".Among them, only one of "Skills" is purely on soldiers, and the other three are all about the broad foundation beyond the use of soldiers in the field.This is the unique profound strategy of the Sima military strategist.Sima Cuo has been immersed in the art of war of his ancestors since he was a boy, and he has no other distractions. He has never thought about the way to use soldiers differently from others.This is the first time he has assumed a major role, and it is the first time he has sought a way out of military affairs from the perspective of a country. Naturally, he is particularly concerned about the overall situation other than military affairs.His first move was to gain a thorough understanding of the country's strength.In addition to the classics of Guowei's Mansion, he also made tireless inquiries in Shangdafu's Mansion and Changshi Mansion, and he knew all about Qin's land, taxes, population, treasury, pig iron, grain, horses, weapons, etc. in the chest.After finishing the first step, he immediately had a sober judgment - within three years, Qin State did not have the ability to defeat the two Warring States at the same time, that is to say, it did not have the ability to fully compete for supremacy. That being the case, what should Qin do within three years?Is there nothing to do in military matters? According to the usual way of thinking, if we go east in an all-round way, we will take the risk of joining forces with the six countries. If we don't have the strength to resist at least the coalition forces of the three countries, we should take a safe defensive position and jump out when we have the strength.However, this is where Sima Cuo excels. He doesn't want Qin's well-equipped 50,000 new troops to spend three years without incident and waste a lot of money and food!For a powerful country like Qin, which is in the ascendant, and in a world of endless wars, it is unbearable for elite soldiers to be idle for three years.For a famous player, three years without a fight is unbearable.He wants to plan a way out, win by surprise, fight the battle that can be fought, and shorten the time for accumulating national power! Before Rhinoceros entered Qin Dynasty, his thoughts had already matured in general.But he is resourceful and thoughtful, and he doesn't like to tell the whole story when he is "generally correct".Xishou's generous and long-term strategy inspired him to think about his strategy more seriously. Sima Cuo, who was ingenious, built a large area of ​​the border terrain of Qin State in the back garden of Guowei Mansion, and stood in front of this "mountain and river" all day in a daze.When the emperor's edict was delivered to him, his thoughts had already reached the details of using troops.It wasn't until the afternoon of the fourth day, which was restricted by the monarch, that he began to sit in front of the desk and write a book.After sending the letter away, he came to the back garden to make a final check on these details.Sima Cuo's steadiness lies in his sobriety and calmness, and his deep understanding of the basic truth that no matter how grand and ingenious the military strategy is, if there is no accurate calculation of the details, it will also lead to disastrous defeat. "Report to the lieutenant of the country: the monarch has arrived and has entered the gate!" A military officer hurried over to report. Sima Cuo was startled, but he didn't have time to think about it. He dropped the stick in his hand and went out. Before he reached the stone gate in the back garden, he saw the monarch walking towards him with only an old servant. "Guo Lieutenant Sima Cuo, see the King!" "Excuse me." Ying Si smiled and gave her a hand: "The lights are so bright, Guowei is doing the old man in the garden?" Sima Cuo was not used to joking, so he quickly replied: "Why is my minister so elegant? I am measuring 'mountains and rivers'." "Oh? Measuring the mountains and rivers?" Ying Si was very interested, and strode to the wind lamp, and after a little closer inspection, he said "ah" in surprise: "Guowei, isn't this the border between Qin and Chu?" "Your Majesty has good eyesight. This is the Hanshui area between the Qin State and the Chu State." Sima Cuo took the stick from the military officer and pointed it out. Ying Xi sighed in his heart, this place made him suffer a lot, how could he not be familiar with it?Look carefully again: "Where is the west side?" "This area is the country of Ba, this area is the country of Shu, and this big mountain is Nanshan." Ying Si stared at Sima Cuo with piercing eyes: "What is Guowei thinking about this strange and dangerous borderland?" "I want to plan a secret war, so I can start immediately." Sima Cuo said confidently. "Secret war? Can we start immediately?" Ying Si couldn't help being surprised. "Your Majesty, although I dare not agree with the grand strategy of Xishou Shangqing. But the tens of thousands of elite new troops of the Qin State should do something, and they cannot be idle. For this reason, I want to launch two surprise attacks within two years. , expand our land, increase our population, and enrich our national power." Sima Cuo was obviously deeply immersed in his established thoughts, and he forgot to invite the monarch to the main hall to speak. Ying Si was even more focused, staring at a "mountain and river" without raising her head: "Where is the surprise attack? Here?" The pole in Sima Cuo's hand pointed to the junction of Qin and Chu: "Your Majesty, please look, this river is the Han River of Chu State, and the south is thousands of miles away from the river. Although there are continuous mountains and land between the Jiang and Han, it is warm and humid, and the land is fertile. It is much richer than our Shangyu County. Two hundred and thirty-six miles south of the Han River is Fangling, an important town in the western part of the Chu State. More importantly, Fangling’s houses store more than 3.6 million dendrobiums of grain, almost The Ao Cang of Wei State is comparable. I think that in the first battle, we can surprise Fangling and seize this treasure land!" "What are the chances of winning?" Ying Si's voice became hoarse. "Eighty percent." Sima Cuo swallowed the word "ninety percent" abruptly, and said calmly: "First, Fangling borders me, so it is convenient to use troops. Chu State has always been afraid of Wei and Qi, and despised Qin State. The largest granary did not dare to be built between the Jianghuai and the Huaihe Rivers adjacent to the Wei State, nor between the Sishui Rivers adjacent to the Qi State, or even in the Gusu area in the lower reaches of the river, because the Yue State in the southeast has already At the end of his career, he has always been at odds with the state of Chu; this area of ​​Fangling, located in a remote valley basin between two rivers, is only more than 600 miles away from Yunmeng Daze, where Yingdu is located, and it is very convenient to transport grain by water. Fangling To the north is Shangyu County of Qin State, with poor mountains and bad waters, and has not garrisoned troops for many years. Chu State thought it was the safest place, so they built the largest granary here." Ying Si's heart fluttered: "There is a big warehouse in the house, good! Let's talk." "Secondly, Fangling's defense is weak, and it is a weak place of Chu State." Sima took a long pole to circle the border of Qin and Chu: "Everyone knows that Qin State's military strategy has always been to go east from Hangu Pass. Chu State has never thought about it. The Qin State attacked Fangling, so the military was extremely lax. Fangcang only had 5,000 heavy troops, which were only used to assist food delivery, and had almost no combat power. Third, time was extremely beneficial to our army. The army of Yingdu rushed to help Fang It will take at least ten days to reach the Mausoleum, a mountainous march. For the Qin army, it will take at least ten days to occupy all the pass fortresses in Fangling. Fourth, the reinforcements of Chu State are not enough to fear. Chu State has no new army cavalry, chariot soldiers and The navy can't use it, and the only ones that can be deployed are the infantry, and the infantry of the Chu State is the weakest, and their combat power is not comparable to that of the sharp soldiers of the Qin State. With these four points, I think the chance of winning is 80%." Ying Si immediately felt the weight of this thorough and honest discussion, and couldn't help but be overjoyed.But he has always been deep, but his face is excited yet calm: "20% is unfavorable, but where does it lie?" "In all wars, there are pros and cons." Sima Cuo pointed at the stretch of mountains and rivers again: "First, the mountains are not conducive to cavalry galloping, and infantry must run long distances; The number of our army may drop sharply. Second, surprise is the most important thing in a surprise attack, if there is a leak, it will be very disadvantageous." A word reminded Ying Si, who was already very alert, and smiled and took Sima Cuo's hand: "It's better to talk in the hall, the wall is too thin." Sima Cuo came to a sudden: "Your Majesty, forgive me for being careless and rude." Taking advantage of bowing his hands as a salute, he naturally withdrew his hand, and respectfully let Ying Si ahead: "Please, Your Majesty." When they came to the main hall, Ying Si insisted that Sima Cuo sit opposite him, sitting close to him under the lamp, and talked with each other until the rooster sang and the East turned white, and he still couldn't get enough of himself.Sima Cuo also detailed the second surprise attack. The target was the two states of Bashu.Ying Si was not well versed in military affairs, but he was always careful and thoughtful. He actually raised more than a dozen specific difficulties in a series and asked Sima Cuo how to solve them?Although Sima Cuo planned carefully, he was still deeply surprised by the meticulousness of the monarch, so he analyzed the national conditions of Bashu, Bashu terrain, road selection, soldier equipment, food and grass supply, combat methods, comparison of the strength of the two sides, how to govern after occupation, etc. , gave a detailed answer.Ying Si listened very carefully, rarely interjected, let alone nodding or shaking his head. "If the two battles were to start, how many troops would be needed?" This was Ying Xi's last question. Sima Cuo knew what the monarch was worried about, and he answered clearly: "In the two raids, I will be the general myself. Only 20,000 infantry and sharp soldiers are enough. The new army has 30,000 cavalry, stationed at Hangu Pass, Wuguan, and Dafa. Sanguan is only used as a countermeasure, and the focus is on preventing the Hu people from the north from going south to plunder. As for the six countries in Shandong, I think they are too busy to take care of themselves, and they will definitely not be able to covet Qin in two or three years." Ying Si laughed loudly, boarded the car and swayed away. Three days later, Ying Si announced at the court meeting in the Xianyang Hall: Guo Wei Sima Cuo will spend a long time patrolling the pass for defense.Among the ministers of the country, no one cared about this change.Guowei's inspection of the defense is originally his duty. What's more, after the Qin State regained the land of Hexi, it really needs to clean up all the fortresses. Naturally, it will take time, how can it be done overnight? But Xishou noticed the subtlety of this, and felt very uneasy. When he came to Qin State, what he presented was the plan of "reigning the king and striving for hegemony, and unifying the world".According to this grand strategy, the Qin State should expand its army and prepare to go east, which is the urgent task at present.The expansion of the army is exactly the duty of the national lieutenant, and it is the most important moment for the national lieutenant to leave the camp; now the national lieutenant suddenly went to inspect the "defense", it is really inexplicable!Although it is normal to inspect the defense of the pass, it is extremely abnormal to do this at this time, which is contrary to the "tyrant" plan.Could it be that Qin State wants to take a defensive position and abandon his "hegemony" plan?Otherwise, how to explain Sima Cuo's actions? Sima Cuo's upstart lost power, was neglected by the monarch, and was demoted in disguise?impossible.If that's the case, there should always be someone who will shoulder the heavy responsibility of expanding the army, whether it is the doctor Chi Liji or himself.The most important person suddenly left the capital, and what he did was irrelevant to the "tyrant's" plan, and the "tyrant's" urgently needed plan was thrown into the sea... All kinds of signs, what else can they explain? With this in mind, the rhinoceros head is too big.As a celebrity in the world, the merit of planning has always been the foundation of a career life.When the plan fails, everything is empty.If Qin State does not use his "hegemony" plan, he will have no merit in Qin State, and naturally he will be overshadowed. What face does he have to occupy the high position of Shangqing?A well-known strategist like him also adheres to the Yang Zhu school's principle of "benefiting oneself and not harming others". Laughing; if you stay in the Qin State with the cheek, and earn credit with a knife and a gun, you will only lose your merits... Think about it, it is better to leave as soon as possible, so as not to bring shame on yourself. However, what is Qin Gong's real intention?After all, the truth hasn't come out yet, leaving in a hurry seems to be impetuous again.After thinking over and over again, Xishou decided to meet the monarch before deciding on his actions.Rhinoceros head has always been a style of celebrities, free and easy.Entering the palace at this time, instead of sitting in the majestic bronze chariot, it is a whip of a fast horse, galloping straight to Xianyang Palace. Ying Si was practicing swords by the lake, when he heard the rhinoceros came to see him, he immediately put away his sword and came out to meet him.Before he walked out of the grassland by the lake, the rhinoceros head with a high crown and sleeves had already walked quickly, and bowed in front of him: "Minister rhinoceros head, see Duke Qin." "Why does Shangqing need to be so polite? Come, please take a seat here." In the center of the green grass, there is a smooth bluestone table and a paved straw mat. On the wooden frame next to it is Yingsi’s black cloak and a long sword with a copper sheath. On the stone table is a large pottery basin. and two clay bowls.When he came to the stone case, Ying Si smiled and said, "Shangqing, would you like to taste my herbal tea?" Rhinoceros head thought: "The king of a country is so simple, and I admire him so much." Ying Si laughed and shook his head: " Accumulating bad customs has nothing to do with the way of the monarch, but Shangqing has wronged the award." He picked up the long-handled wooden spoon in the clay pot, filled the two pottery bowls with red and green tea: "Come, let's drink a bowl together." The monarch is so easy-going as a friend, so it is naturally inconvenient for Rhinoceros to stick to the style of a celebrity. Without waiting for the monarch to do anything, he held up a bowl with both hands and handed it: "Mr. Qin please." Then he picked up a bowl and drank it in one go.After drinking the tea, I feel cold and refreshing, slightly bitter and slightly sweet, and the sweltering heat in my chest is swept away! Xishou couldn't help admiring: "Good tea! Please drink three more bowls." Ying Si laughed heartily: "If this tea can be appreciated by Shangqing, it will be seen in the sky. Come, the more the better!" Then he made tea for the rhino head with a wooden spoon. The cow drank three bowls, and the rhinoceros smiled and said: "Thank you, Duke Qin, I have a request." "Oh?" Ying Si thought that Xi was the first to talk about the topic, so she nodded with a smile: "Shangqing, but let's talk." "Please Qin Gong give me the method of making herbal tea." Rhinoceros bowed solemnly. Ying Si couldn't help but smile: "This kind of herbal tea was originally a thirst-quenching product for farmers working in the fields. Originally, tea stalks and thick tea leaves were put into water, mixed in a large pot for a while, filled with pottery, and placed in a cool stone cave. At noon the next day, the woman who delivered the rice will pick it up with the rice basket to the field for the farmer's cattle to drink. If Shangqing wants to drink it for a long time, is he not afraid of being laughed at?" "Duke Qin has become the first in the world, and he is a commoner. Why are you afraid of being laughed at?" "Well said!" Ying Si slapped her palms, and said to the old servant who came over, "Send the utensils for making herbal tea and a load of rough tea to Shangqing Mansion immediately." "Thank you Duke Qin, I've had a good summer." Xishou cupped his hands in thanks, really happy. "But I have a very difficult summer." Ying Si's teasing smile was somewhat kind. "Mr. Qin, why is it so difficult? I should do my best to help." Xishou was originally free and easy, but at this time he was even more forthright. Ying Si noticed from the very beginning that Xishou always called him "Qin Gong", instead of "Guo Jun" or "Jun Shang" which Qin's courtiers used to use.Since the Warring States period, there has been no customary title for courtiers to the monarch. As long as they express their admiration, no one will care about it.But like Rhinoceros, there are really not many people who are called "Duke Qin" according to the specifications of the royal princes.According to the enfeoffment system of Zhou Li, the feudal states of princes are divided into three classes: principalities, whose monarchs are called "gong"; hou countries, whose monarchs are called "hou";The rest of the titles with less than fifty miles of land, such as "son" and "male", are not enough to become princes of a state, and naturally they are not in the rank of princes.In the Spring and Autumn Period, this kind of hierarchical appellation was still popular. If you are a prince, you should call him a prince, if you are a prince, you should call him a prince, and if you are an uncle, you should call him an uncle. This kind of appellation must be taken into account, especially when envoys have an audience with foreign kings.However, after entering the Warring States period, the state hierarchy was chaotic, and the three kingdoms of Chu, Wei, and Qi had already called themselves kingdoms, and the titles of the monarchs existed in name only.The subtle change during this period is that the courtiers of various countries no longer clearly use the old standard to address their monarchs, but vaguely change to the de facto titles such as "the emperor" or "the monarch".The actual connotation of this change is to leave a wide room for the "promotion" of the country's national character, instead of sticking to "gong" or "hou". At this time, it is extremely rare for Rhinoceros to be called together with the title of the country (Qin) and the title of Jue (Gong). How smart is Ying Si?Naturally, this often-exported address etiquette will not be ignored.He understands that this is the rhinoceros reminding him that Qin is still a second-class warring state and should be crowned king and promoted to dominate the great cause.The rhino head came here in a hurry today, although he was not in a hurry to get to the point, but whenever he had a chance, he called out the word "Qin Gong", and the meaning was self-evident! Ying Si has done some research on Xishou's personality, and he knows that he has too much self-esteem, and he attaches great importance to the monarch's treatment and courtesy.If you want to talk about the topic, you have to take the initiative yourself.Because in Xishou's view, the initiative to offer advice on entering the country has already come first, and the rest is for the monarch to make a clear decision. As long as he feels that he has found out the "judgment" of the monarch, no matter what the result is, he will not be entangled. As a monarch, Ying Si didn't want to be ambiguous about such important matters. When Xishou asked, he immediately said: "Shangqing's strategy is very grand, but Qin's military strength and national power cannot be matched in a hurry. Ying Si has no solution. , wouldn’t you be very sad?” "If Duke Qin's difficulty lies here, I don't think it is difficult." Xishou's eyes suddenly lit up. "Shangqing taught me." Ying Si bowed deeply in the seat. "For the great cause of hegemony, there must be a period of preparation. No one can achieve it in one go. This is called foreshadowing, and failure to foretell. The key lies in decision. Early judgment and early prediction, late judgment and late prediction, and continuous non-prediction. In my opinion, Qin State can make all the preparations within one year. First, the population of Qin State is about the same as that of Qi State. In addition, Qin people's spirit is so high that it is not difficult to recruit 150,000 troops within half a year. Another half year With training, 200,000 elite soldiers can be achieved in a day; second, the people of Qin State are rich and full of treasury, and they have already caught up with the two countries of Wei and Qi, and the raising of military supplies, food, grass and weapons is also within the reach of hands; third, Qin State There is Beidi County connected to Hudi, and there is Longxi Grassland Valley. The source of war horses is much better than that in the Central Plains. It should not be difficult to build 100,000 cavalry in one year. His ability to use troops in the Battle of Hexi can be regarded as the general of the Qin State; fifth, the Qin State has the same desire, the ruler is wise and the minister is good, and the other countries are incomparable! With these five, the great cause of dominance Is there any difficulty?" Xishou said five things in one breath, looking at the monarch with piercing eyes. "What Shangqing said is very true. The Qin State must make serious preparations." Ying Si clearly affirmed Xishou's proposition, and then changed the subject: "However, this preparation will not work in one year, it may take three years, or even five years " Looking at the surprised eyes of Rhinoceros, Ying Si smiled and said: "Shangqing, please let Ying Si settle the big score, can you?" "I am all ears to listen." Xishou really wanted to hear the king's plan. "First, the expansion of the army lies in the population. As far as the total number is concerned, the population of Qin State is currently comparable to that of Qi State, which is generally less than 8 million, and the number of young and strong men should be around 700,000 to 800,000. According to the method of drawing one out of three, it can There are more than 200,000 troops. Shangqing must have calculated it in the same way. However, the population distribution of Qin State is very different from that of the Central Plains Warring States. There are three populations that cannot be recruited: 1. Beidi County borders Hudi, and the government has always had no troops. If the common people formed an army to resist, if they conscripted troops in the north, it would be tantamount to destroying the Great Wall. Second, the Rong and Di tribes in Longxi could not conscript. There are nearly a million nomads in Longxi, who are brave and good at fighting, and it is Qin's natural ability to resist the Xiongnu in the west. Barrier. The Huns in the west are erratic, as if hidden in the sea of ​​​​clouds in the sky, and often cover the sky and the sun without warning. Only horse tribes like Rongdi can fight tit for tat, and their soldiers cannot be weakened. Three, new The recovered land of Hexi cannot be conscripted. Father-in-law, Shang Jun and the elders of Hexi have an agreement: within ten years, there will only be political reforms, no taxation and no conscription; now that Hexi has only been recovered for five years, how can the government go back on its promise? Apart from these three places In addition, the poor mountains and rivers in the thirteen counties of Shangyu have always reduced taxes and taxes, and they have also been greatly reduced. In this way, the remaining soldiers are only the old Qin tribe in the hinterland of Guanzhong. The old Qin tribe has nearly four million people, young and strong There are about 400,000 men. Farming in Guanzhong is the foundation of the Qin State, and you can’t draw one out of three men, but only one out of four. In this way, about 100,000 men can be recruited. Even if the original 50,000 new troops are not included in the conscription , can only get 150,000 soldiers. It is not satisfactory to go out of Shandong. Does Shangqing think so?" Rhinoceros listened intently, and couldn't help but feel a vague respect for the new king of Qin.He has been an official in various countries for decades, and he has come into contact with all kinds of monarchs, including diligent and wise monarchs, but as long as he talks about national conditions and national affairs, most of them don't know much.Even the world-recognized powerful monarchs Wei Huiwang and Qi Weiwang have no prime ministers and don't talk about the national conditions. Like Qin Gong Yingsi, the numbers of the national conditions are as clear as a few treasures, which is unique in the world! "Xisou would like to hear the second thing." Xishou is definitely not an ordinary person who quits in spite of difficulties, he wants to thoroughly understand the king's plan. "The treasury of the Qin State still needs to be replenished, and the army's food and grass are not as abundant as the Shangqing estimated." Ying Si drank a bowl of herbal tea and sighed: "The father-in-law and the Lord Shang have reformed for twenty-three years. There has never been an increase in taxes. The new law on the death protection of the common people in the Qin State is rooted in this. The increase in wealth and grains in the treasury is all due to the great expansion of tax sources. Common households who pay taxes will naturally increase their treasury income. Until today, the amount of taxes in the Qin State is generally based on the amount collected by the ancestor Jian Gong when he "rented grain for the first time". Never prosper the world, does Shangqing know?" "I don't know this." Xishou was really surprised when he heard about Qin's actual tax collection law for the first time.All the countries in the Central Plains and the people of the world took it for granted that the reform of the Qin State was a "tyranny and abuse of the law" and "excessive taxation". Otherwise, why would a new capital be built?Training new troops?Recover Hexi?Once rich and powerful?Who would have thought that Shang Yang's reform actually gave wealth to the people, and the government only relied on expanding tax sources to increase income?Chewing carefully, there are many mysteries in such a simple national policy!Not only did the common people die to protect the new law, but also relied on this passion to protect the law to resolve all kinds of resistance to reform.犀首也曾经是密切关注秦国变法的名士，当初无论如何都想不通，商鞅如何能使愚昧蛮荒的老秦人在短短几年间移风易俗归化文明？那时天下众口一词——如无暴政威逼，断然不能使老秦人有此骤变！如今想来，个中奥妙竟是如此简单——国让利于民，民忠心于国！此等大手笔，非治国巨匠，何能为之？ 嬴驷见犀首愣怔沉思，以为这个以精明著称的大策士不相信他的剖陈，坦率笑道：“上卿以为是托词搪塞么？” “秦公何得此言？”犀首拱手笑道：“臣在揣摩'利心互换'的治国大法，无得有它。” “无愧杨朱传人！上卿竟将商君治国概括为'利心互换'，当真匪夷所思！”嬴驷的笑声中不无揶揄。 “秦公明察。”犀首坦然笑对：“天下之要，一则利，一则心。孤臣能死国难，无非国君以高官厚禄换之；士为知己者死，无非知己者以利换之。鲍叔牙当年不慷慨，何来管仲之高义？周厉王若不专利，何得失国出走？而致'共和执政'？轻利者必得大义，专利者必失人心。大哉孝公！大哉商君！此乃臣之心得也。” “一家之言，一家之言。”嬴驷不禁大笑，觉得犀首这番话泥沙俱下鱼龙混杂，便硬生生将原本要说的“有失偏颇”咽了回去，却也不便于一概褒奖。 笑得一阵，犀首正色拱手道：“秦公所思，犀首尽知。臣告辞。” 嬴驷一怔：“上卿何得匆忙？正要共商长策？” “秦公定策在胸，何用犀首多言？”说完，竟大袖飘飘而去。 次日傍晚，老内侍禀报：“上卿府总管来报，上卿封印离都，留下一卷书简呈来。” 嬴驷打开竹简，寥寥数行，尽行入目： 嬴驷看罢，不禁一阵怅然：一策不纳，便飘然辞去，犀首也未免太过自尊也。但设身处地的仔细一想，如此秉性的特立独行之士，要他无功居于高位，无异折辱其志节；强留别扭，不如顺其自然，日后也是一个长情。 拿起书简再看，嬴驷方注意到“洛阳名士苏秦已入咸阳，或可有奇谋良策，公当留意”这句话，不禁精神一振！想起犀首初到时曾经说起苏秦、张仪二人，思忖一阵，嬴驷吩咐老内侍：“秘查洛阳苏秦行止，着速报来。”