46: Chapter 46 What audacity of those Confucian scholars! Li Si: The First Emperor did the right thing; they should have been buried alive!

"Good!"

After repeated deliberation, Li Si and Feng Quji finally made the decision to lift the controls on grain.

Zhao Fusu smiled; this way, through market regulation, grain prices could be brought down.

"Fuhrer."

The Captain of the Guard protecting Xianyang Palace hurriedly found Zhao Fusu.

"What is it?"

Seeing the anxious expression on the Captain's face, Zhao Fusu had a bad feeling.

He was still discussing the solution for the sky-high grain prices with Li Si and Feng Quji; he hoped another emergency hadn't arisen.

While Zhao Fusu was secretly wondering, the Captain of the Guard knelt on one knee before him and said respectfully, "Reporting to the Fuhrer, over a thousand Confucian Scholars, led by the Great Confucian Sun Daping, are petitioning outside Xianyang Palace."

"Sun Daping..."

"Petitioning..."

Upon hearing this name, Zhao Fusu felt it was somewhat familiar.

Oh!

Zhao Fusu quickly remembered who this Sun Daping was.

The image of a middle-aged Confucian Scholar surfaced in his mind.

Sun Daping was the eldest disciple of Dr. Chunyu Yue, making him Zhao Fusu's senior fellow disciple.

Was this petitioning similar to a public appeal?

Zhao Fusu wondered why these scholars had suddenly come to appeal.

I hope it's not about restoring the enfeoffment system again!

During the first Collective Representative Assembly of the Great Qin Empire, Chunyu Yue's proposal failed to pass due to a lack of supporting votes.

Zhao Fusu had told Chunyu Yue to bring it up again in five years.

Could it be that Chunyu Yue couldn't wait five years and, seeing the sky-high grain prices Inside the Pass, took the opportunity to claim that the enfeoffment system could better stabilize prices?

If that were the case, Chunyu Yue certainly knew how to pick his timing!

The First Emperor had abolished the enfeoffment system that had lasted for over a thousand years since the Zhou Dynasty, establishing the commandery-county system and implementing centralization, where the entire world had only one Emperor.

Everyone was accustomed to the enfeoffment system, and many people still harbored thoughts of being enfeoffed as kings.

Throughout society, there were many who opposed the commandery-county system.

Zhao Fusu's expression became solemn.

If Sun Daping leading over a thousand scholars to petition was indeed for the restoration of the enfeoffment system, the news would inevitably cause serious social problems once it spread.

This Sun Daping really knows how to stir up trouble!

Zhao Fusu's face turned cold.

He jumped out right at the peak of grain prices Inside the Pass, which was also when public indignation was at its most intense.

His intentions are truly damnable!

Zhao Fusu couldn't help but suspect if the Remnants of the Six States were behind this.

Unfortunately, his Ministry of State Security had not yet been fully established, so he had no way to investigate.

"What audacity these Confucian Scholars have!"

Li Si was even angrier than Zhao Fusu.

He could tell without even thinking that this group of scholars wanted Zhao Fusu to abandon the commandery-county system and restore the enfeoffment system.

Their heads were filled with nothing but the enfeoffment system.

This was related to their patriarch, Confucius, who held the rites of zhou in the highest esteem, believing that only by restoring them could the world find peace.

The enfeoffment system was the political system of the Zhou Dynasty, which allowed the dynasty to enjoy eight hundred years of rule; naturally, it had its merits.

Confucian disciples believed that the enfeoffment system could ensure long-term social stability better than the centralized commandery-county system.

Implementing the commandery-county system in the Six Lands was something Li Si had proposed to the First Emperor.

The commandery-county system had begun to appear as early as the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods.

By the time of Shang Yang, reforms were carried out to strip commanderies and counties of their administrative and military powers, making it difficult for them to amass troops and threaten the ruler's reign.

This was also a major reason why Zhao Fusu had been so successful in promoting the separation of military and civil administration.

Li Si believed that the commandery-county system could help Qin digest the Six Lands.

This group of scholars resisting the commandery-county system was directly opposing him, Li Si.

Now, they were not only opposing him but also choosing this critical moment to jump out.

If handled poorly, it could trigger a riot!

Li Si was incredibly incensed.

These scholars were too infuriating.

He felt that the First Emperor's method was best: bury all these troublemaking scholars alive.

Let's see if they still dare to criticize court affairs!

Li Si's eyes and entire being were filled with murderous intent.

Zhao Fusu was not particularly surprised by this.

Li Si was no saint.

His methods were ruthless, and his heart was extremely cold.

To secure his own position, he feared that Han Feizi, who was more talented than him, would be favored by the King of Qin, causing him to lose influence.

Therefore, he used poisoned wine to kill Han Feizi.

The same went for the original Prince Fusu.

Because Prince Fusu dared to oppose his proposed commandery-county system, he forged the First Emperor's final edict to order Prince Fusu's suicide.

Both Zhao Fusu and Li Si believed that Sun Daping leading over a thousand scholars to block the gates of Xianyang Palace was done at Chunyu Yue's behest, or that he was at least the hidden hand behind it.

"Achoo!"

"Achoo!"

In Chunyu Yue's manor, he sneezed repeatedly.

He looked outside at the bright sun; the temperature in the room wasn't cold—it was quite warm.

Logically, he shouldn't be sneezing!

He had a vague, bad premonition.

"Master, Master! Senior Brother has led over a thousand Confucian disciples to wait before Xianyang Palace to petition the Fuhrer."

One of Chunyu Yue's disciples rushed in to find him.

"F*ck!"

"Sun Daping, what does he think he's doing!"

Chunyu Yue's eyes widened.

Because he was too agitated, he unconsciously blurted out an obscenity.

Sun Daping had been away from Xianyang for some time and had only returned to the city in the last two days.

Sun Daping had come to his manor, asking him to make Zhao Fusu abolish the commandery-county system and restore the enfeoffment system, partitioning the Six States among the meritorious officials who contributed to their downfall.

Sun Daping believed that as the head of the Confucian school, Chunyu Yue should stand up and lead the disciples to petition.

Chunyu Yue rolled his eyes; it wasn't that he hadn't mentioned it to Zhao Fusu.

But it was clear Zhao Fusu had abandoned him; the ship of their friendship had capsized.

They were no longer the teacher and student who could share a bed and talk late into the night by candlelight.

That rebellious disciple Zhao Fusu was instead getting closer and closer to Li Si.

Chunyu Yue couldn't figure it out.

When the First Emperor faked his death, the script he gave Li Si was to order Zhao Fusu's death.

Shouldn't Zhao Fusu hate Li Si? Why was he getting closer to him?

Chunyu Yue suddenly thought, could it be that the thousand gold pieces Li Si offered had worked?

Chunyu Yue believed it was now very necessary for him to improve his relationship with Zhao Fusu.

Lately, he felt more and more like he was walking on thin ice in the court.

When he attended court, just because he stepped in with his left foot first, Li Si accused him of disrespecting the Assembly.

The right is greater than the left.

To attend court, one must step with the right foot first to show respect for the Assembly.

What a load of bullsh*t!

Chunyu Yue was speechless; he didn't see Li Si picking on other officials.

You're just staring at me.

Your targeting of me is way too obvious!

"F*ck!"

Chunyu Yue was at a loss for words.

With Sun Daping pulling a stunt like this, Li Si and Feng Quji would definitely think he, Chunyu Yue, was the one pushing from behind.

Damn it!

But this matter had absolutely nothing to do with him.

He was completely caught in the crossfire!

It's over, it's all over!

Chunyu Yue felt a chill deep in his heart.

Zhao Fusu rarely managed Assembly matters; everything large and small was handled by Li Si and Feng Quji. Chunyu Yue didn't dare imagine what petty tricks those two narrow-minded premiers would come up with to make his life miserable if he offended them.

"No, this won't do!"

"I have to send money to the Fuhrer too. If a thousand gold pieces isn't enough..."

Chunyu Yue steeled his heart.

"At worst, I'll sell some land and increase the amount!"