coobybook Chapter 593 The State of Wei is Dead, Where is the Crown Prince?
Chapter 593 The State of Wei is Dead, Where is the Crown Prince?
Ying Wuyou's eyes gleamed with wisdom: "The State of Qi values two things most: commerce and culture."
She explained in detail: "Commercially, we can expand the Qin-Qi economic zone, lower tariffs, and allow more Qin goods to enter Qi. The people of Qi will become dependent on Qin's ironware, cloth, and paper once they get used to them. At the same time, we can buy Qi's salt, fish, and textiles at high prices, allowing Qi merchants to profit. A bond of shared interests is the strongest tie."
“Culturally, we can invite scholars from the Qi region to give lectures in Xianyang, allowing them to witness firsthand the grandeur of Daqin Academy and Medical College, and the prosperity of Xianyang. We can also establish a ‘Qi Style’ column in the Daqin News, publishing poems and articles from the Qi region, and respecting the cultural traditions of Qi. Like boiling a frog in lukewarm water, we can gradually let them get used to the concept that ‘the whole world belongs to Qin.’”
The King of Qin listened attentively, nodding from time to time.
Ying Wuyou continued, "At the same time, we must send someone to contact Qi Xiang Housheng. This man is greedy and avaricious; we can bribe him with a large sum of money to whisper in the ear of the King of Qi that Qin is invincible and that there are many benefits to surrendering to Qin."
The King of Qin smiled: "Hou Sheng... not bad, this man is usable. When he was an envoy to Qin, he received three thousand gold pieces from me, and upon returning, he advised the King of Qi not to help the five states attack Qin. Let Li You handle this matter."
“Father is wise,” Ying Wuyou added. “There is another plan: have Marquis Guiming, Wei Jia, write a letter to King Jian of Qi, telling him how Wei has lived in peace and prosperity since its submission, and how King Qin has treated people with kindness. The persuasion of a brother state may be more effective than the threat of an enemy.”
A look of approval appeared in the King of Qin's eyes. He walked up to Ying Wuyou, reached out, and gently patted his daughter's head.
This gesture is very intimate and is rarely seen from the serious King Qin.
"Jiayang, you've grown up." The King of Qin sighed softly. "Go and do it. Plan the affairs of Qi as you have in mind. If you need anything, come directly to your father."
"Thank you, Father!" A warm feeling welled up in Ying Wuyou's heart.
It was already evening when we left Zhangtai Palace.
Ying Wuyou walked along the palace path, followed by Cui'er and Lan'er. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the palace walls gold, and the snow reflected a warm light.
Her mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts.
The feeling of changing history is wonderful. On the one hand, she avoided the tragedy of the Qin army flooding Daliang in the original history—that flood drowned countless innocent people and destroyed countless homes. Now, Daliang is intact, and although the people have suffered, at least they have survived.
On the other hand, she personally brought an end to a nation and changed the fate of countless people. King Wei was falsely declared Marquis Guiming, and the royal family of Wei was to change their surname.
"System, did I do the right thing?" she asked herself.
System response: [Based on historical data comparison, the host's choice reduced casualties by approximately 78%, avoided large-scale property damage, and accelerated the unification process. From a utilitarian perspective, this is the optimal solution.]
What about from a moral perspective?
Morality is a subjective concept. But the fact that the host saved hundreds of thousands of lives is an objective one.
Ying Wuyou smiled bitterly. Yes, saving people was a fact. But would those whose fates were changed, those nobles who lost their countries, be grateful to her? They would probably only hate her to the core.
At the same time, at Daqin Academy.
Prince Ji of Wei was sitting in the lecture hall, listening to the scholar explain the Qin laws.
Today's lecture was on the "Field Laws," which governs land allocation, cultivation, and taxation. The professor lectured very diligently, and the students listened attentively. Those who gain admission to the Daqin Academy are all elites selected from various regions, and they deeply understand how precious this opportunity is.
Wei Ji was particularly focused. As the former crown prince of Wei, he understood the importance of the law better than anyone else. The decline of Wei was largely due to lax laws and the privileges afforded to the nobility.
"The Qin law stipulates that farmland must be cultivated on time, and violators will be punished..." The doctor's voice echoed in the lecture hall.
Just then, the lecture hall door was pushed open.
A court official hurried in and whispered a few words in the scholar's ear. The scholar's expression changed, and he looked at the students in the lecture hall, his gaze finally settling on Wei Ji.
The entire lecture hall fell silent. Everyone sensed that something big was about to happen.
The doctor cleared his throat, his voice a little hoarse: "I just received news... King Jia of Wei surrendered to Daliang on the fifteenth day of the first month. The Kingdom of Wei... is gone."
"boom--"
Something seemed to explode in his mind. Wei Ji sat there, motionless. The scroll in his hand slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground with a "thud," scattering across the floor.
He knew this day would come. From the day he was sent to Xianyang, he knew the Wei Kingdom wouldn't last long. From the moment he sent that letter, he knew surrender was only a matter of time.
But when I actually heard the news, my heart felt like it had been hit by a heavy hammer, and the pain was so intense that I couldn't breathe.
The lecture hall was completely silent. All eyes were on him, some with sympathy, some with pity, some with curiosity, and some with... schadenfreude? Wei Ji didn't know; he couldn't see it clearly.
Zhang Cang sat beside him, looking at him with concern: "Brother Ji..."
Wei Ji slowly bent down and picked up the scattered books. His movements were slow and steady, as if he were doing something extremely important.
He gently brushed away the dust from the book.
Then he stood up and bowed to the doctor: "I have lost my composure."
The voice was eerily calm.
The doctor sighed: "Your Highness, please accept my condolences."
Wei Ji shook his head: "From this day forward, there is no more Crown Prince Wei Ji. The State of Wei is gone, so what use is a crown prince?"
He paused, then said, word by word, "From now on, I will be Wei Ji. Wei as in the land of Wei, and Ji as in taboo."
This was his choice, and his declaration. From then on, he was simply Wei Ji, a student of the Qin Academy, a prince of a fallen kingdom, a man without a country.
Some whispered, some sighed in the lecture hall. But Wei Ji didn't care. He sat back down, unfolded the bamboo slips again, and continued listening to the lecture.
His fingers, gripping the book, were so clenched that his knuckles turned white.
After class, Zhang Cang accompanied him out of the lecture hall.
“Brother Ji, you…” Zhang Cang hesitated before speaking.
"I'm fine." Wei Ji gazed at the distant palace walls. "Actually, this is for the best. Without the country, there are no more shackles. I can truly live for myself now."
This was half true and half false. The pain of a nation's destruction and a family's ruin cannot be easily forgotten. But he had to say it this way, he had to act this way. In Qin, a prince of a fallen state who still longed for his lost homeland had no future.
Zhang Cang nodded understandingly: "It's good that you can think positively. In fact, Qin's system is indeed more advanced than that of the other six states. Look at the academy, the imperial examination, and those new policies... they are all good things that benefit the country and the people."
“Yes,” Wei Ji said softly, “That’s why I’m here, that’s why I need to learn these things. I remember the pain of national subjugation. But looking forward is the only way out.”
The two walked along the tree-lined path of the college. In the distance, they could hear the laughter and chatter of other students, young and full of energy. This was a new era, and they would be the builders of it.
Even if there is still pain in your heart, you must move forward.
Because time waits for no one.