23: Chapter 23 Everyone has food to eat, and everyone can eat their fill!

What Zhao Fusu and Hu Hai didn't know was that while the two brothers were acting, the First Emperor, after disguising himself, was also watching from within the crowd.

His gaze stared fixedly at Zhao Fusu.

This was the first time he had seen Zhao Fusu since he had driven Fusu away to Shangjun to build the Great Wall.

Unlike in the past, when he could see through Fusu at a glance, as he looked at Zhao Fusu now, the other party was shrouded in a mist-like aura and a sense of mystery, making it impossible for him to understand what hidden cards the other had.

Although the Six Lands had been annexed by the Great Qin and commanderies and counties had been established, the Six Lands were not stable.

The Remnants of the Six States had been engaging in anti-Qin activities; even though he had toured the world multiple times, he had failed to suppress their actions. There were always lowlifes secretly spreading anti-Qin ideology, and in the shadows, they had already incited many people.

The Shadow Guards of the Black Ice Platform had already secretly executed a batch of leaders.

However, these anti-Qin individuals did not stop their activities; they only became more covert.

This was also a major reason why Ying Zheng wanted to fake his death.

He wanted to use the method of faking his death to force the anti-Qin forces operating in the shadows to expose themselves.

Ying Zheng's eyes narrowed slightly.

If Zhao Fusu could govern the world well, then he would act as a sharp blade in the shadows, annihilating those anti-Qin forces that couldn't wait to jump out one by one!

This was also an important reason why Ying Zheng wanted to expand the Shadow Guards of the Black Ice Platform.

Zhao Fusu said, "When my Father Emperor sent troops against the Six States, although it led to the destruction of their royal families, it also ended the endless strife between them."

"When the Six States rise, the common people suffer."

"When the Six States fall, the common people suffer."

The common people watching in the crowd fell silent.

Among them were the commoners of the Great Qin, but even more were the commoners from the Six Lands.

When the Six States still existed, their lives were not very good.

Now that the Six States were gone, their lives were even worse, which was also an important reason why they wanted to overthrow the Great Qin.

Ying Zheng muttered to himself, "When the Six States rise, the common people suffer. When the Six States fall, the common people suffer."

He had always thought that by destroying the Six States and calming the hundreds of years of strife, the people would lead better lives.

But Zhao Fusu's words contradicted his view, causing the First Emperor's worldview to be shaken once again.

Zhao Fusu's words struck a strong chord with the surrounding people.

Although the Great Qin's defeat of the Six States made the Qin people extremely proud,

the Great Qin's frantic squeezing of national strength to convert it into war potential was no different from living in deep water and scorching fire for the common people of Qin.

Their daily necessities were under strict military control.

Qin's grain could not circulate normally.

People could not move around normally.

In terms of household registration management, five households formed a Wu, and ten households formed a Shi.

If even one household left from under the hands of a Corporal or a Shi Zhang, they would be held responsible.

They forced neighbors to monitor and report on each other; if anyone wanted to run away, there were substantial rewards for reporting them.

When everyone was monitoring each other, no one could escape, and they could only live their miserable lives together.

With the First Emperor building the Great Wall, the Straight Road, the Epang Palace, and the Lishan Mausoleum, the lives of the old Qin people were no better than those in the Six Lands.

Before the destruction of the Six States, the price of grain in Qin was thirty coins per dan.

After the destruction of the Six States, due to the Great Qin's continuous wars, the originally accumulated grain was almost exhausted.

Furthermore, with the Great Qin implementing a planned economy, grain could not circulate nationwide. This meant that grain across the country could not be regulated through the market, leading to shortages and a rapid rise in grain prices.

The old Qin people, living such miserable lives, even wanted to overthrow the First Emperor's rule themselves.

“After the First Collective Representative Assembly of the Great Qin Empire was convened, the First Five-Year Development Plan was formulated. Various departments will coordinate with each other to fully develop agriculture, so that the people of the Qin Region and the Six Lands will all have food to eat and can eat their fill.”

“I, Fusu, hereby guarantee to all the common people in the world: if I fail to ensure that every person in the Qin Region and the Six Lands has food to eat and can eat their fill, I will resign from the position of Head of State of the National Assembly and let someone more capable take over as the leader.”

“Everyone has food to eat, everyone can eat their fill!”

“Everyone has food to eat, everyone can eat their fill!”

“Everyone has food to eat, everyone can eat their fill!”

...

The atmosphere group previously arranged by Zhao Fusu erupted into loud shouts from within the crowd.

Many of the common people followed suit and began shouting as well.

The commoners didn't understand the other words—they didn't know what a National Assembly or a Head of State was—but they understood that everyone would have food to eat and could eat their fill.

Although this was the capital of the Great Qin, Xianyang, the nobles only accounted for ten percent, while ninety percent were commoners who couldn't get enough to eat.

Hearing that they would all be fed made a group of starving people with eyes turning green from hunger, regardless of whether it could be achieved, at least feel a sense of approval.

Within the crowd, Ying Zheng had been silently observing the people.

Previously, there was only numbness on the people's faces.

After Zhao Fusu's speech, he clearly saw vitality on their faces.

It was a kind of thriving, vigorous vitality.

Even after the First Emperor heard it, he couldn't help but feel the urge to shoulder a hoe, kick the plow ox aside, and personally dig up an acre of land.

As a modern person, Zhao Fusu knew the importance of creating an atmosphere.

He had Li Si arrange for Qin Officials to hang banners made of coarse cloth or write large characters on the walls in every street and alley of Xianyang.

“The world is big, but nothing is bigger than eating one's fill.”

“Fully develop agriculture; everyone has food to eat, everyone can eat their fill.”

“Not letting the people eat their fill is to be an enemy of everyone in the world.”

“Ensuring the people eat their fill is the responsibility of every official in the Great Qin.”

...

These catchy slogans were posted everywhere in Xianyang.

The entire atmosphere of Xianyang became different.

If you didn't shoulder a hoe and go out to till a few rows, you'd feel like you couldn't fit into the collective.

The First Emperor looked at the slogan written by a Qin Official on the wall outside his manor: Ensuring the people eat their fill is the responsibility of every official in the Great Qin.

He glanced at Xia Wuche, Zhao Gao, and He Zhi, and said, "Does this mean I also have to go out and do farm work!"

"Your Majesty, you must not!"

Zhao Gao hurriedly stopped him, saying, "You are the ruler of a nation!"

Nowadays, Zhao Gao wore a disguise every day and didn't dare to go out, fearing he would be caught by the soldiers Zhao Fusu had sent out to find him.

"I, no, this humble one, am now just the master of a manor."

The First Emperor shook his head.

Even if he took out his Tiger Tally, the Great Qin army would no longer listen to him without Zhao Fusu's nod.

What kind of emperor was he still?

Besides, after Zhao Fusu's recent actions, how did the current Great Qin Emperor even look like an emperor? He had no power at all—no, Ying Zheng remembered that according to what Zhao Fusu said, he only had the right to cooperate.

Ying Zheng didn't want to be that kind of emperor.

He would now respond to Zhao Fusu's call and go farming.

Ying Zheng actually shouldered a hoe and went out to work in the fields.

Zhao Gao, Xia Wuche, and He Zhi also hurried to join the work...

Three days had passed in a blink since Zhao Fusu entered Xianyang.

The First Emperor's Bronze Coffin was still resting in a side hall of the Xianyang Palace; it would have to stay there for a while longer before it could be buried in the Lishan Mausoleum.

The Imperial Treasury, the Minister of the Imperial Clan, the Minister of Ceremonies, and the Minister of the Household would handle this, so Zhao Fusu didn't need to worry about it.

During these three days, Zhao Fusu obtained an industrial encyclopedia, a Detailed Explanation of Firing Industrial Refractory Bricks, and a Detailed Explanation of Distinguishing Industrial Ores through his daily check-ins.

He originally wanted to see if he could produce chemical fertilizers.

chemical fertilizers could supplement the nutrients needed for crop growth and significantly increase crop yields.

When he saw the production methods for chemical fertilizers in the industrial encyclopedia, his head throbbed.

Synthesizing chemical fertilizers was far more difficult than he had imagined.

Even though he was a science student, he found the various reactions extremely difficult to follow.

However, he unexpectedly saw that chemical fertilizers could actually be used to manufacture TNT yellow explosive.

If black powder could only be used to make fireworks, crude explosives, and bird guns, then TNT yellow explosive could be used to manufacture high-explosive military weapons!