Chapter 2 The Early Years of Governance Two

  Meng Wu saw the King of Qin pointing at him, and naturally understood the king's intention. However, he did not dare to disobey orders, so he had to force himself to stand up and introduce himself to the officials present:

  Wei Liao was born in Daliang, the capital of Wei State. He was talented and learned when he was young. He had served in various vassal states before, and his talent was recognized by the rulers and ministers of these states. However, due to his straightforward nature, he offended many people and was repeatedly dismissed from office.

  His main words were: "With the strength of Qin State, the power of various vassal states can only be regarded as equivalent to that of prefectures and counties. What is feared is that the vassal states will unite against Qin and launch a surprise attack, which is why Zhi Bo and Fu Chai suffered defeat in history. Therefore, I hope Your Majesty will not cherish wealth, heavily bribe the powerful ministers of various states, disrupt their alliance strategy, and for just 300,000 taels of gold, all vassal states can be destroyed!"

  The King of Qin was moved by his words and adopted his plan. He treated him with the courtesy due to a host, and his clothes, food and drink were all the same as those of the King of Qin.

  But Wei Lü said: "This King of Qin is a man with little kindness but the heart of a tiger or wolf. He is frugal and diligent in ordinary times, respectful and courteous to others, but once he achieves his ambitions, he will also easily devour people. Now I am just a commoner, not holding any official position, and when I meet him, he is very polite, but one day after he gets the world, all the people in the world will become his slaves. This kind of person cannot be dealt with for a long time, it's better to leave!" So Wei Lü escaped.

  (This introduction of Wei Qing comes from the "Basic Annals" of the Records of the Grand Historian and should be relatively reliable.)

  Like Li Si, who had left behind the book "Chen Yu Xie Ke Ling" and fled, but was caught by the efficient Qin dynasty's pursuit system before leaving Hangu Pass and brought back to Xianyang. After Qin Wang Zheng sincerely and repeatedly begged him, Wei Liao agreed to continue serving the Qin state.

  Fu Su didn't know much about Wei Liao in history, only knowing that he was a capable commander, but now after listening to Meng Wu's introduction, he couldn't help but feel deeply admiring. Now it can be seen that the true nature of Qin Wang's father is daring to speak out, and there is only one person in the world who can do this, Wei Liao, and letting him take on the role of Guoyi is the most suitable!

  After Meng Wu finished his introduction and returned to his seat, Qin Wang Ying Zheng smiled and asked the officials: "Just now, Meng Ji has introduced him, I suppose you all have some understanding of this Wei Liao. He is a great talent worthy of important tasks. Although he has some reservations about me, as long as he has real talents and can help me complete the great cause of unifying the six states under Qin's dominance, any shortcomings I can tolerate!"

  It has come to this point, and if the ministers still disagree, they will offend the irascible King of Qin, which would be disastrous. So they all agree!

  What was the real reason why King Qin Ying Zheng wanted to appoint Wei Liao as the national general? There were probably only four people in this hall who understood: King Qin, Fu Su, Li Si, and Meng Wu. In the past, whether it was Lv Buwei's person or a minister of the royal family who served as the national general, they all had deep connections with the military leaders, making it easy for them to conspire against the king like Lü Buwei did. But now that King Qin has appointed Wei Liao, who has no connection to any faction in the country, as the commander-in-chief, he will not have such worries. After all, Wei Liao has no foundation in the state of Qin. In this way, King Qin Ying Zheng can firmly grasp the military and political power of the entire country, making the national general his most trusted aide!

  "High, really high! Without making a sound, he seized control of the entire military with one move. The old man is indeed a superior being!" Fu Su secretly admired him in his heart.

  Next, the second thing that King Qin Zheng and his ministers discussed was national policy and strategic plans for sending troops to various countries. After a long period of intense discussion, King Qin Yingzheng formulated seven important national policies, all of which were major strategies related to the country's economy and people's livelihoods.

  There were many other relevant measures, and King Zheng of Qin assigned special personnel to study and handle them, and some people supervised and inspected at will. With a smile and a wave of his sleeve, King Zheng handled the vast and complex political affairs in an orderly manner, advancing and retreating with propriety, leaving Fusu somewhat stunned.

  Between breaths, a nation's strategy is laid; in conversation, the fate of a nation's army is decided - this is truly the style of an emperor for the ages!

  Finally, when it came to the extremely important issue of the order in which to send troops to various countries, all the courtiers started making a racket, each stating their own views and wanting Qin Wang to adopt their opinions. Some suggested that they should first destroy Chu to strengthen national power before plotting against the world, some suggested that they should first destroy Han and Wei to eliminate threats from the rear, and some suggested that they should first destroy Zhao and then sweep away Han and Wei... In short, each had their own reasons, and a fierce debate unfolded in the imperial court!

  Watching the scene of civil and military officials arguing and debating in the imperial court, Fu Su couldn't help but laugh, especially when some 60- or 70-year-old old ministers argued to the point where their silver hair stood on end and their white beards were disheveled, making them look even more interesting. No wonder someone said that politics is a subject of quarreling!

  This is actually a very easy problem to solve, and there's no need to make such a fuss. Fu Su coughed and stepped forward, bowing his head: "Your Majesty, I have a humble opinion, please listen to it, Your Majesty and the officials!"

  "Oh, let's hear it!" King Qin was taken aback that Fu Su dared to take the initiative so quickly. He also wanted to see what kind of talent Fu Su really had, and couldn't help but smile as he said this.

  Fu Su straightened his back, his young but slender and tall figure momentarily majestic, as if extremely high and mighty. Fu Su said: "Zhao State is the core of the Central Plains states and also the vanguard of the six states' resistance against Qin. Capturing Zhao will not only severely strike at the anti-Qin forces of the six states, but also take advantage of its geographical location to capture Qi in the east, attack Yan in the north, and destroy Han in the south, thereby gaining control over the strategic center of the world. As for Chu State, it is separated from us by the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, making it basically impossible for them to rescue Zhao. And as for Han State, they have always been timid and only know how to indulge in pleasures, our great army doesn't even need to attack them to make them laugh in their dreams! How dare they come to harass our flanks?! In this way, when our great army captures Zhao, we can also be at ease about the sides and rear. This is my humble opinion as a son, please let Your Majesty and the ministers evaluate it!"

  As soon as the words were spoken, all the officials were shocked, and it was clear that no one had expected that Fu Su, who was only eleven years old, would have such a far-sighted and brilliant insight. This wonderful argument was something that many of the senior officials in the court could not even think of.

  Especially when King Zheng of Qin heard this, he was overjoyed and said: "What Fu Su said is exactly what I wanted, it's very good. Let's decide on this! However, I'll add that attacking the State of Zhao is my top priority, but sending a capable general to destroy the State of Han along the way and eliminate any unstable factors in our army's rear is also necessary. What do you all think?"

  "Your Majesty's words are most wise!" The ministers all loudly assented.

  The courtiers retreated, with a respectful expression towards King Ying Zheng of Qin, and also had a little reverence for the young Fusu. Especially Li Si and Zhao Gao, the keen-eyed Fusu saw a thread of unease in their eyes. It seems that these two have already begun to be wary of Fusu!

  After the meeting, the Zhongzhengfu immediately made preparations for Fusu to set up a separate chapter and mansion according to Qin Wang's edict. The original Yangyang Palace was renovated (Fusu was unhappy and changed it to Lingyan Pavilion, taking the meaning of "ambition surpassing the clouds", Qin Wang was delighted and agreed!) as the crown prince's mansion, and officials such as Taifu, Taishi, and Taibao were assigned to assist Fusu. For a time, Fusu's power and influence in the court and the countryside greatly increased, and he took his first step towards competing for power with great ambition!

  And in the court and among the people, after Fu Su made a wonderful 'military theory' on the imperial court, his reputation as a wise and decisive leader spread throughout the land, not inferior to that of his father. The first step of creating momentum has been successfully taken!