Volume 1: Entering Great Qin for the First Time Chapter 50: Flogged

  Hu Hai was thinking of Wei Liao's statistics on the number of old Qin people when he said these two sentences with all his might.

  This inaccurate statistics told Hu Hai why in history when the Great Qin was destroyed, the old Qin people did not fight for their empire until the end.

  Wei Liao told Hu Hai, the population of Guanzhong is about 50 million; among them, the old Qin people only account for about 20%, just over 10 million people, and most of them are old, weak, women and children. The remaining 70-80% are the population of Shandong who moved in the past decade, totaling over 40 million.

  During the reign of King Zhao of Qin, the total population of the old Qin people was over 10 million. The population of several counties in Longxi, Hexi, Bashu and Guanwai accounted for about 60% of the Qin people, with around 5 million; the population of the central region of Guanzhong accounted for about 40% of the Qin people, with more than 3 million.

  The population of Guanzhong and the abdomen, plus the entire Longxi with tens of millions of people, is the real Qin clan, that is, the old Qin people.

  The war of the six nations began, and the main force of the Great Qin army, together with the garrison troops from Xianyang and various key passes, as well as the imperial guards and soldiers from various government agencies, totaled nearly one million. Of this one million, at least 70% were true old Qin people.

  So, in terms of the total population of the Great Qin, it is roughly one soldier for every ten people; and if calculated based on the adult male population of the Great Qin, it would already be two men for every one soldier.

  In the war to unify the six states, over 300,000 Qin soldiers died. Later, more were drafted and sent in as replacements, which added up to over 1.3 million. After unifying the six states, another 300,000 civilians were mobilized to enter the South China Sea, of whom 80% were Qin people, men and women.

  Additionally, several times the old Qin people were recruited to guard the northern border of the Yellow River, and there were also several instances of population exchange and migration with Shandong. In total, over 1 million old Qin people migrated out of Guanzhong, with over 800,000 casualties in battles before and after, totaling over 2 million.

  Currently, among the people of Guanzhong, apart from those serving in the military, 80% have been scattered to the borders. This is the reason Wei Liao told Hu Hai not to worry too much about the opposition of the old Qin people to abandoning their land, but these numbers are so bloody.

  Hu Hai knew that no matter how dangerous the situation was, Qin State could always pull through, and all the foundation lay in the sincere gathering of the old Qin people's hearts, and in the unshakeable axis of the Ying Qin.

  Now, has the Qin clan suddenly vanished? Have the old Qin people suddenly vanished? Are there only a million elderly, weak, women and children in the Guanzhong region? If so, when something happens in the world, when changes occur in Guanzhong, where is the foundation of the Great Qin?

  For many years, the mighty war chariot of Qin has been busy with successive monarchs, busy with grand battles, busy with reforms, and lavishly expending the old Qin people. The old Qin people were conscripted into the army, sent to the South China Sea, sent to the North River, sent to Huai Bei and Huai Nan, sent to Liaodong, sent to all places that should be pacified...

  The old Qin people have no complaints and no regrets, they resolutely walked out of Hangu Pass, resolutely set foot on unfamiliar land, leaving their rich and fertile hometown to the former enemy...

  If the world were at peace and Qin's government had nothing to worry about, the proud and generous old Qin people might have left a magnificent mark in history. But now, the trend of restoration is surging and rampant, the world has fallen into the great tide of restoration of the six nations' legacy, and the land of Guanzhong is left with only its own 200,000-strong imperial guards.

  If there are still three million old Qin people in the Guanzhong territory, what is to be feared from the restoration of the six states' rebellion? What is to be feared from the hundred officials being of one mind?

  Are the countless old Qin people of today not like the countless martyrs who have come and gone in the Huaxia nation of later generations? Without them, there would be no Huaxia of later generations. Similarly, without the old Qin people, there would be no majestic Qin Empire.

  It seemed that Hu Hai saw the countless white-haired, elderly and weak women and children on this square, who were also looking at him, looking at the new emperor of the Qin dynasty, their sons, husbands, fathers for the sake of the great Qin either buried in a foreign land or garrisoned in distant expeditions.

  They are the real backbone of the Great Qin!

  Huhai bowed his head again and gave a deep bow. Last night, he had already decided that from now on, he would not give a courtesy to anyone, but today, facing these old Qin people who silently dedicated themselves to the great Qin without complaint or regret, what qualifications did he have to not give them a courtesy?

  When Hu Hai shouted loudly, the people around the square had already stirred up. Now seeing the Emperor of Great Qin bowing to themselves, all Xianyang Qin people, whether they were old Qin women and children or immigrants from Shandong, all knelt down on the ground in a flurry.

  When Hu Hai moved in one direction, that direction was like a row of dominoes falling down. By the time Hu Hai stood up straight, there was not a single person standing on the entire Xianyang Palace Square.

  Huhai's heart surged again, and he took another step forward. Zhang Han, who was kneeling on the ground, heard Huhai's footsteps moving forward and, without thinking, hastily moved his legs to block Huhai.

  Feeling Zhang Han's movement, Hu Hai turned his head back, and the majestic momentum instantly enveloped Zhang Han. In a low voice, he shouted: "Stop for me! If you want to follow, then follow; if not, just wait here for me. However, if you still want to block me, Zhang Han..." He said, turning his body to proceed forward again.

  The rest of the words were left unspoken by Hu Hai, and Zhang Han did not move. The momentum that Hu Hai had at this moment was something he had only felt in one person before - the great Emperor Qin Shi Huang who swept across the land. Looking at Hu Hai walking calmly ahead, Zhang Han was filled with worry but also helpless.

  He's here! Hu Hai ignored the kneeling Imperial Guards' attempts to stop him and finally arrived in front of the densely packed crowd of people kneeling on the ground.

  "Elderly man, quickly get up." Hu Hai said with a trembling voice, holding onto an old man with white hair, "My Qin people, all of you quickly get up. I don't deserve such great courtesy from you. Quickly get up!"

  Huhai lifted one after another, but every time Huhai turned around, each person he had helped up fell to their knees again, wailing and crying, "Your Majesty, it's not possible." The voices were endless.

  At this moment, just a small dagger would be enough to easily take the life of Hu Hai. But who could have predicted that the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire would approach the crowd without any guards?

  Watching himself lift one and kneel another, Hu Hai smiled bitterly. At this time, Zhang Han had already brought more than a dozen imperial guards to surround Hu Hai tightly in the middle, with no gaps in between.

  Seeing the expressions and actions of these people, Hu Hai knew that even if he killed all the Zhang Han surrounding him now, another batch of imperial guards would come to do the same thing immediately.

  Surrounded by the endless "Your Majesty is not allowed" voices, Hu Hai, who could no longer leave the Imperial Guard's encirclement, had to stand in place and loudly say,

  "This punishment is not just for the imperial edict, even if there was no imperial edict I would still do this. My fault cannot be atoned for with just these thirty lashes, but these thirty lashes should make it clear to you my intentions. I will not let Old Qin down again, nor will I let the people of Great Qin down!"

  Hu Hai turned around and strode towards the Xianyang Palace Square, shouting at the top of his lungs: "Carry out the punishment with rods!"

  "Execute the punishment!" Zhang Han and the guards beside Hu Hai's body shouted in unison. Your Majesty has this ambition, why worry about the Great Qin?

  "Long live Your Majesty, long live, long live, forever and ever!"

  On the square, countless Qin people around him once again shouted in unison, Hu Hai's previous words were heard by many people, and many people did not hear them, but as they passed from mouth to mouth, they had already spread throughout the crowd.

  "Slap!"..."Slap!"

  As the emperor, Hu Hai could not be flogged naked in front of countless people. He only took off his imperial headdress and the outermost black silk embroidered golden robe. He was supported by Zhang Han and a eunuch on either side as he received his punishment.

  Winteng approached the crowd before whipping, using the long black whip in his hand to test it on a scarecrow. The scarecrow was immediately whipped into flying straw, causing Hu Hai and the surrounding guards and Qin people to be frightened out of their wits.

  But when he was actually being flogged, Hu Hai became confused. He didn't know what thing was hitting him and why it was so fierce on the scarecrow but only made a loud noise without hurting him when it hit himself.

  I don't even know why I feel like there's water flowing down behind me when I'm clearly doing nothing.

  The real reason is probably only known to a few people, including the old eunuch who was sweating profusely, while Hu Hai remained calm and composed, without even making a sound of discomfort or groaning.

  But to the unknowing Imperial Guards and numerous Qin people in the square, a blood stain had clearly appeared on Huhai's back through his white inner garment after the first lash, followed by lash after lash.

  The blood and water had already made Hu Hai's back a blur of flesh, as countless Qin people around him continuously knocked their heads and shouted loudly.

  Thirty lashes are neither too many nor too few, but it's still over all too soon!

  "Your Majesty, I have fainted!"

  Zhang Han's voice whispered in his ear, and Hu Hai closed his eyes and fell down.

  "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! Quick, summon the imperial physician, quick, summon the imperial physician!"

  Zhang Han tightly hugged the fallen Hu Hai, letting out a loud and mournful cry, with tears streaming down his face. The eunuchs beside him were wailing on the ground as if Hu Hai had already died. Seeing Zhang Han and the eunuch like this, Hu Hai was shocked - he didn't expect that Zhang Han still had the potential to be an Oscar-winning actor! And this eunuch wasn't bad either, truly a land of great talents in Qin.

  On the Xianyang Palace Square, the hundred officials stood still like wooden chickens and dogs, the crowd around the square saw Hu Hai fainting, upon hearing Zhang Han and that eunuch's wailing, the crowd suddenly surged forward, shouting "Your Majesty!" and desperately trying to rush up to see Hu Hai.

  First of all, thank you to Pastor Rong and Feng Xue Ai Wu Jian for the rewards. And also thanks to Brother Feng Xue Ai Wu Jian for the four update tickets, which puts a lot of pressure on Jiu Zhou.

  Secondly, the two high-V professional sprayers in the book review area, what I want to say is that this book has just over a million words and there are still many stories that have not started or happened. If you can see the result now, then you are a god. The gap between ideals and reality will make people grow and mature.

  For a pure hater, since this book is not to your liking, please keep a distance from it. Whether you read it or not, the book will still be here, neither sad nor happy.

  This afternoon, it was strongly promoted in the classification, but unfortunately, Jiuzhou didn't know the rules of the new book list, so regrettably, the book just went up and said goodbye to the new book list forever.

  Thank you, brothers, for your support all along. From today on, I recommend a single day increase of 500, now it's 200 chapters. Jiuzhou will add an extra chapter before midnight today. Currently, this book has nearly 2,000 collections, and only one-fourth of the brothers need to give Jiuzhou a vote, maybe many brothers will save their votes for their own supported great gods, but Jiuzhou only needs one vote. Thank you! Brothers, give me strength, and I'll work even harder!