coobybook Chapter 583 The Campaign Against Wei 4
Chapter 583 The Campaign Against Wei 4
After class, several students from the original Zhao area surrounded him.
“Brother Ji,” a student named Zhao Wu asked cautiously, “what do you think of this article?”
After a long silence, the Crown Prince Ji slowly said, "It's beautifully written."
"beautiful?"
“Yes,” he said, gazing out the window, his voice fading, “it was as beautiful as a dream. Cease fighting, facilitate trade, promote education, develop water conservancy… wasn’t that benevolent governance? Wasn’t that beneficial to the people? But the realization of this dream came at a price.”
He turned to his classmates and said, “The price is... like Han, Zhao, and Chu, the State of Wei will cease to exist. My father will no longer be a king, my clansmen will no longer be nobles, and the ancestral temple of Wei... may only become a shrine.”
The students fell silent. They understood the pain—the agony of a nation's collapse and a family's destruction could not be soothed by a few nice words.
“But Brother Ji,” Zhang Cang walked over and patted him on the shoulder, “you have seen it with your own eyes during your two years at the Great Qin Academy. The strength of the Qin state is not an exaggeration; the benefits of the new policies are not empty talk. Her Highness the Princess said: Some things must be broken down in order to be rebuilt.”
Crown Prince Ji smiled bitterly: "I know. But knowing is one thing, accepting is another... there are two worlds apart."
Just then, a servant from the academy brought a stack of letters. Prince Ji took his own letter—a letter from a former official of Wei. He opened it and read it, his face gradually turning pale.
The letter described the current situation in Wei: shortages of supplies, soaring prices, and widespread public discontent. It concluded by saying, "...The Crown Prince is in Qin and should be aware of Qin's movements. If Qin truly intends to attack Wei, could you... mediate on our behalf? I only ask that Wei's ancestral sacrifices be preserved and its temples protected..."
Crown Prince Ji clutched the letter tightly in his hand, the paper crumpled into a ball. He knew that the article, those policies, were becoming a reality. And his motherland was sliding into the abyss.
And what should he, the crown prince who is being held hostage in Xianyang, do?
Xianyang, Daqin Women's College.
Inside the dormitory, the charcoal brazier burned brightly, dispelling the winter chill. Li Yanran sat by the window, carefully reading the newly published "Da Qin Xin Bao" by the light of an oil lamp. She was dressed in an elegant dark robe, her hair simply tied up.
"Yanran, that article was really well written!" Su Yao peeked out from the opposite bed. This merchant's daughter had a round face and bright eyes. "My father came back from the East Market today and said that the merchants are all talking about it. If the world can really be unified, the tax system standardized, and the roads clear, our family's goods can be sold all the way from Xianyang to Linzi!"
Liu Cui was sitting on the edge of the bed mending clothes when she heard this and looked up. She was the daughter of the village head of a village outside Xianyang City. She had dark skin and rough hands, but her eyes were clear and firm: "I am most concerned about the 'water conservancy' mentioned in the article. If the Yellow River can really be controlled and irrigation canals can be built, our village's dry land can be turned into irrigated land, and the yield per mu can be 30% higher."
“But…” Zhao Xiaoya put down the bamboo slips in her hand—she was studying Qin law on her own—and frowned slightly. “After unification, will the laws really need to be changed? Qin law is so strict, will the people in the former Wei territory be able to adapt?”
Li Yanran gently put down her newspaper, her gaze sweeping over her three roommates. This dormitory housed four people from different backgrounds, brought together by the women's academy. This was unimaginable in the past—how could a woman leave home to study? But Princess Jiayang had made it possible.
“The laws will be changed,” Li Yanran said slowly. “My elder brother was discussing matters with his colleagues at home the other day, and I heard them say that Her Highness the Princess is overseeing the revision of the new laws, which will draw on the strengths of laws from various countries. Moreover…” She paused, “The Princess said that the law is made for people, not for people to be slaves to the law. The unified laws should be based on benefiting the people.”
Su Yao's eyes lit up: "What about the laws regarding business? Different countries have different customs and tax systems now, it's so troublesome!"
“There should be a unified tax system and simplified customs clearance.” Li Yanran recalled her elder brother’s words, “After the seaport is built, the port commander will be in charge of maritime trade. Su Yao, if your family has foresight, perhaps you should consider maritime trade.”
"Maritime trade?" Su Yao was taken aback.
“Yes.” Li Yanran walked to the wall, where a simple map of the Nine Provinces hung. “The princess said that the future lies at sea. If the world is unified, all the coastlines can be ports, and the benefits of maritime trade will be a hundred times greater than those of land trade.”
Liu Cui listened intently, then suddenly asked, "What about farming? If the curved plow and seed drill could be promoted throughout the country, how much manpower would be saved!"
“This is exactly the meaning of ‘equal education’.” Li Yanran sat back on the bed. “The princess plans to set up ‘schools of a hundred crafts’ in various counties to teach various skills. Liu Cui, you like farming so much, perhaps you can become an instructor in the future and teach people how to use the new farming tools.”
Liu Cui blushed, but her eyes shone brightly: "Can...I really do it?"
“Why not?” Lin Yue, who had been silent all along, spoke up. She was the daughter of the magistrate of Xianyang, with a straightforward personality and a passion for physics. “The princess once said that women’s talents are no less than men’s. Isn’t Ms. Lü Zhi an example? She was originally an ordinary person, but now she is the deputy director of the Department of Rites and Literature, and holds a noble title.”
Mentioning Lü Zhi made the atmosphere in the dormitory even more lively. This legendary woman is now a role model for all the female students in the college.
“I listened to Mr. Lü’s lecture the other day,” Zhao Xiaoya said with admiration in her eyes. “She said that when she was in Pei County, she couldn’t even go out on the street freely, and she couldn’t read books. But now, she can stand in the lecture hall and talk to us about the law and document processing… She said that all of this is because the princess gave women opportunities.”
"Therefore, the 'equal education' mentioned in this article is especially important for women," Li Yanran concluded. "Only when the world is unified can the new policies implemented by the princess benefit all women. In the states of Qi and Yan, women were not even allowed to attend school."
Su Yao suddenly lowered her voice: "Speaking of Qi... I heard that the princess's next step is to plot against Qi. Yanran, you're going to marry into the royal family in the future, do you have any news?"
Li Yanran blushed slightly, but quickly regained her composure: "The eldest son's letter did not mention the Qi Kingdom. However..." She thought for a moment, "Given the princess's style, she should not launch a direct attack. Qi is wealthy and culturally advanced, so the princess will definitely focus on a 'civilian attack'."
"Like this article?" Zhao Xiaoya pointed to the newspaper.
“Yes.” Li Yanran nodded. “The princess is skilled at winning hearts and minds. This article will first create momentum, letting the world know the benefits of unification. Then, economic penetration and cultural integration will follow... When the time is right, we may be able to subdue the enemy without fighting.”
Liu Cui suddenly asked, "What about the State of Wei? Will Wei surrender?"
The dormitory fell silent. It was common knowledge that the Crown Prince of Wei was studying at the Qin Academy. And it was an undeniable fact that Wei was reduced to only six cities, its fate hanging by a thread.
“Probably…” Li Yanran said softly. “My father said that Wei has run out of supplies, grain prices have skyrocketed, and the people are suffering. If the King of Wei wants to help the people, he has no choice but to surrender.”
"But..." Zhao Xiaoya hesitated, "The Wei Kingdom's eight hundred years of rule..."
"Is the state more important, or the people?" Lin Yue asked rhetorically. "The article says that the god of the land is She, and the god of grain is Ji. If the land does not nourish people, and the god of grain does not protect the people, what use are ancestral temples? I think those who cling to the 'state' are just unwilling to give up their power."
These were sharp words, but no one refuted them. What they learned at the women's college was not only knowledge, but also a new way of thinking—pragmatism, ambition, and people-centeredness.