Upon hearing Zhao Feng's question, Han Fei immediately stepped forward and reported, "Your Highness, during the implementation of the four major national policies, there has indeed been significant resistance. Many people in various regions have been incited to oppose the government, and some have even gathered in armed resistance. These incidents have mainly occurred in the former territories of the six conquered states."
"However, since Your Majesty and Your Highness have authorized the National Guard to dispatch troops, local garrison forces have suppressed the unrest where possible. If they were unable to contain the situation, the imperial army was deployed."
"Over the past few months, a large number of people have been imprisoned across various regions, and many rebels have been executed by elite troops and garrison soldiers."
Zhao Feng nodded. "The implementation of national policies is an inevitable trend, and resistance is to be expected. After all, the remnants of the fallen states would not surrender without a fight."
"Your Highness," Li Si spoke up, "the prisons in many regions are already full. The number of people involved is substantial, with the total exceeding tens of thousands. We seek your guidance on how to handle them."
"If they resist national policies and even dare to gather in armed rebellion" Zhao Feng's voice turned cold. "If I were to show them mercy, what would become of Qin's laws?"
"I issue this decree: All who participated in rebellion shall be branded as slaves and sentenced to forced labor until death, assigned to construct the imperial roads."
"Henceforth, this shall be the standard punishment anyone who rises against the empire shall be enslaved and worked to death."
"Severe measures must be taken."
Li Si immediately acknowledged the command. "I shall carry out Your Highness's decree."
Sitting above, Emperor Ying Zheng listened to Zhao Feng's decision and nodded in satisfaction.
His son was decisive and resolute true qualities of a ruler.
In a newly unified empire with lingering unrest, excessive leniency would only endanger the foundation of the state.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness," another official stepped forward.
"We have largely completed the collection of books from the royal libraries and government archives of the former states, as well as books from the private sector. They are currently being transported to Xianyang in an orderly manner."
"In addition, the decree to confiscate all copper and iron nationwide has been widely disseminated. All copper and iron mines have been nationalized, and private ownership of weapons is strictly prohibited. The people have mostly complied and handed over their metal possessions, for which they are compensated with money from the treasury."
"As of now, all confiscated books and metals are being gathered in Xianyang."
"Within half a year, the entire nation's books and metal resources will be centralized in the capital, awaiting Your Majesty and Your Highness's disposition."
General Wang Jian stood before the court and made his report.
The collection of books and metal had been carried out with military and local government cooperation, with Wang Jian overseeing the process.
"All books are to be stored in the imperial library."
"All confiscated metal shall be turned over to the Ministry of Works for smelting and reforging into Qin's armor and weaponry." Zhao Feng decisively ordered.
Though China was unified, vast lands beyond its borders remained unconquered.
With his knowledge of future history, Zhao Feng understood that Qin's territory, in comparison to the entire world, was still too small.
Once China was stabilized and its cultural identity unified, once the imperial system was perfected and martial governance established, Qin's armies would expand beyond the known world.
Strengthening military capabilities now was in preparation for future campaigns.
"Your Highness," Li Si interjected, "the amount of confiscated metal is enormous. If we were to reforge all of it into military equipment, would it not exceed our needs?"
"Now that the empire is at peace, wouldn't it be wiser to focus on reinforcing the Great Wall? If we can connect the northern defenses into one continuous barrier, the threat from northern barbarians would be neutralized."
Minister Feng Quji also voiced his support, "I agree. The empire is stable. Our priority should be fortifying our defenses rather than expanding military production excessively."
Many other ministers echoed this sentiment.
Zhao Feng simply smiled.
"Do you all believe that Qin's territory truly encompasses the entire world?"
"Your Highness, what do you mean?"
"Qin's territory is vast. Even if one were to travel for a lifetime, they might never see all of it. How could it not be the entirety of the world?"
"Exactly, Your Highness!"
"Although some foreign tribes remain, they are mere barbarian lands. There is no need for Qin to concern itself with them."
"Qin rules the entire world!"
The ministers spoke with confidence.
To them, the unification of the Seven Warring States was equivalent to ruling the world itself.
"Do you all believe that Qin now controls ninety-nine percent of the world's territory?" Zhao Feng asked with a smirk.
"Is that not the case, Your Highness?"
Even Wei Liao, an advisor to the court, was perplexed.
It wasn't that he lacked knowledge it was simply that everyone in China had always believed the world to be synonymous with the Seven States.
The prevailing wisdom dictated that unifying China meant unifying the entire world.
"What if I told you..." Zhao Feng's smile deepened.
"That Qin's territory, compared to the entire world, is but a mere fraction?"
"Your Highness, that's impossible!"
"Qin's lands are vast! How could they be but a fraction of the world?"
"This cannot be true!"
"Your Highness, surely you must be mistaken?"
"That cannot be!"
"The empire is unified! The world knows it!"
The entire court was shaken.
Even Emperor Ying Zheng, who had remained silent thus far, was visibly surprised.
Though he trusted his son's wisdom and knew Zhao Feng had a deeper understanding of the world, this statement still shocked him.
"Could it be… that Qin truly only occupies a fraction of the world?"
"How vast is this world, then?"
A renewed ambition surged within Ying Zheng's heart.
For a moment, his sense of achievement from unifying China was replaced by a fresh desire to expand further.
"The world is vast, the land immense."
"You all have underestimated it." Zhao Feng said with a faint smile.
"Your Highness, is this truly the case?"
Wei Liao stared at Zhao Feng, his mind racing.
He had left the Ghost Valley to assist in the unification of China, believing that once the empire was established, the task would be complete.
Yet Zhao Feng's words shook the very foundation of his understanding.
"In the past, I made a promise to Master Guiguzi that after unification, I would personally visit him in Ghost Valley."
"If you still doubt me, Lord Wei, then accompany me to Ghost Valley in the future and ask him yourself." Zhao Feng said.
"I understand, Your Highness," Wei Liao bowed.
Seeing Zhao Feng's unwavering confidence, the ministers could no longer refute him.
The court fell into stunned silence, with each official lost in thought.
"Enough."
"We shall discuss global affairs another day."
"As for the confiscated metal, it shall all be reforged into military equipment."
"Chen Ping," Zhao Feng turned to the minister responsible for logistics.
"If you need men, I shall provide them. If you need funds, I shall grant them."
"Do not disappoint His Majesty and me."
Chen Ping immediately stepped forward and bowed. "I shall not fail, Your Highness!"
As Chen Ping entered Xianyang, Zhao Feng placed great importance on him. Over the past two months, Chen Ping had demonstrated his capabilities, never once disappointing Zhao Feng.
From military affairs and civil administration to script reform and papermaking, he handled all matters with exceptional efficiency.
"Your Highness," Chen Ping said excitedly, "thanks to the talented individuals you assigned, both movable type printing and large-scale paper production have been successfully implemented. We are only awaiting your command to begin mass printing."
Before coming to Xianyang, Chen Ping had known he was stepping into a great opportunity. However, he had never expected to be involved in innovations as monumental as paper and movable type printing technologies that could reshape the world.
"Before we announce this," Zhao Feng smiled, "there is something else I must take care of."
He then turned his gaze toward a group of officials within the court.
"Cai Wu."
"Zheng Qin."
"Liu Li."
…
Zhao Feng called out five names.
Upon hearing their names, the five officials immediately stepped forward, confusion written across their faces. They were not high-ranking ministers, merely subordinate officials beneath the Nine Ministers.
They were not men of great power or influence.
"You have secretly conspired with the remnants of the Six Kingdoms, betraying the state secrets of our Qin court," Zhao Feng said coldly, his eyes brimming with killing intent.
At these words, the five men fell to their knees with a thud.
"Your Highness, please investigate thoroughly! We are loyal Qin officials; we would never betray the empire!"
"We have never committed treason!"
"We beg His Majesty and Your Highness to look into this carefully!"
One after another, they protested their innocence.
With a wave of Zhao Feng's hand, Ying Bu stepped forward, holding several pieces of silk fabric.
"Here is the evidence of your collusion with traitors," Ying Bu stated coldly. "By the order of the Crown Prince, I have been watching you for a long time."
He tossed the silk documents before the five men.
One of them picked up a piece and, upon reading it, his face turned deathly pale. He dared not utter another word in defense.
"Take them away," Zhao Feng ordered.
"Quarter them by chariots."
"Their entire families every male shall be branded as slaves and sent to labor camps. Their women shall be reduced to prostitution."
"As you command," said Ren Xiao as he led the imperial guards to seize the five men.
The entire court was left in stunned silence.
"The imperial court of the capital, the very heart of governance and the pinnacle of all officials' aspirations has harbored disloyal subjects. This is an insult both to my father and me."
"These five are not the only ones. Across the empire, countless officials are neither loyal to Qin nor worthy of their posts."
Zhao Feng's voice was laced with fury.
"I am guilty," said Feng Quji, stepping forward to plead. "As the Imperial Censor, I have failed in my duty to monitor the officials properly."
"This matter is not Feng Qing's fault," Zhao Feng responded. "The hearts of men are unpredictable. Even the most diligent censor cannot truly see into a man's soul."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Highness," Feng Quji said, bowing deeply.
"Now that the Central Plains have been unified, it is time for Qin and our Hua Xia people to recover and strengthen our nation."
"Our national policy is to prioritize the welfare of the people."
"However," Zhao Feng's expression darkened, "across the empire, corrupt officials, self-serving bureaucrats, and those who oppress the people remain rampant."
"Thus," he declared, "I have consulted with my father and decided to establish a new institution to oversee the empire and monitor all officials."
"The Great Qin Inspectorate shall be formed."
"Its members shall act as the eyes and ears of my father and me, traveling across the land to root out disloyalty and corruption. Once an official is found guilty and sufficient evidence is gathered, the inspectorate shall have the authority to execute judgment immediately without waiting for imperial approval."
"This new office will merge the duties of the Imperial Censors with that of the Inspectorate. The censors will investigate, while the inspectors will deliver justice. Furthermore, the inspectors shall have the power to patrol the entire empire."
"The first Chief Inspector of the Great Qin Inspectorate shall be Ying Bu."
Zhao Feng then turned to look at Ying Bu.
The eyes of the entire court shifted to him.
"Ying Bu, receive your decree," Emperor Ying Zheng spoke at last.
"I am here," Ying Bu responded, stepping forward and kneeling.
"I appoint you as the first Chief Inspector of the Great Qin Inspectorate," Ying Zheng declared. "You shall carry out the duties of the inspectorate, watching over the empire on behalf of me and the Crown Prince."
"I accept the decree," Ying Bu responded firmly.
Both Ying Zheng and Zhao Feng nodded in satisfaction.
The creation of the Inspectorate was a necessity.
The Central Plains were vast.
Qin ruled over them and now was the time to fortify its strength and bring stability to the people.
However, the land was simply too large. Neither Ying Zheng nor Zhao Feng could oversee every corner of it personally.
Even with the imperial administrative system in place, they could only measure the loyalty of their officials toward the Qin state.
But loyalty alone was not enough.
A corrupt official might not betray Qin, yet they could still exploit and oppress the people.
The Inspectorate would exist to handle such individuals traveling the empire and ensuring that no corrupt official would escape justice.
Their very presence would strike fear into the hearts of dishonest men.
"Now," Ying Zheng said with a smile, "Feng'er, let us move on to the main event."
He was eager looking forward to witnessing the shock and awe that was about to unfold among the court officials.
Zhao Feng chuckled.
"Chen Ping," he called.
"Bring it forward and distribute it among the ministers."
Chen Ping immediately called out toward the hall's entrance.
The court officials watched curiously.
The next moment
A dozen imperial guards carried several large chests into the hall.
As the officials observed with curiosity, the guards opened the chests, revealing stacks of neatly bound books inside.
"What is this?"
The officials were astonished.
The imperial guards picked up the books and distributed them among the officials.
When senior ministers such as Han Fei took the books in their hands, they were visibly shocked.
"This... What is this? It is neither silk nor a bamboo slip, yet it bears writing?"
"And it's so light?" Wei Liao exclaimed.
"This material is called 'paper,' and these bound volumes are books," Chen Ping explained with a smile.
"But why are the writings in these books identical? Were they all written by the same hand?" Han Fei quickly noticed that the book he held had the same handwriting as the one held by Li Si beside him it was written by the same person.
"These characters were not written by hand but printed using movable type printing," Chen Ping said proudly.
"Movable type printing? Printing?"
"Paperbound into books?"
The officials were utterly astounded.
This completely overturned their understanding of how texts were produced.
"His Highness the Crown Prince is a sage sent to bless our Great Qin!"
"It was the Crown Prince who invented paper, and he also created movable type printing."
"A single sheet of paper can bear hundreds of characters, light and convenient, while one page of paper can contain more content than a hundred bamboo slips!"
"Furthermore"
"From now on, transcribing books, issuing laws, and official documentation will no longer require manual copying. Everything can be printed with movable type!"
"My esteemed colleagues, you are all wise men. Surely, you understand the immense significance of these two treasures for Great Qin!" Chen Ping declared passionately.
The entire court was in shock as they flipped through the books in their hands.
All eyes turned to Zhao Feng.
"His Highness is truly a sage!"
"We are in awe of Your Highness!"
"With His Majesty and the Crown Prince leading us, Great Qin shall endure for eternity!"
The entire court raised their voices in unison.
How could they not recognize the significance of paper and movable type printing?
These inventions would completely change the cultural and intellectual landscape of Great Qin.
"My lords,"
"Now, do you all understand just how invaluable the Crown Prince is to Great Qin?"
"And this is merely a glimpse of what he is capable of," Qin Shi Huang laughed with great pride.
With such an extraordinary son, how could he not be overjoyed?
"His Majesty is wise!"
The court officials all echoed in agreement.
"I have discussed this with my father."
"In all of Great Qin, we have a population of over eighty million."
"Yet, those who can read and write number no more than a million."
"We, the proud people of Hua Xia, how can we accept such a reality?"
"My purpose in introducing paper and movable type printing is to enlighten the people of Great Qin!" Zhao Feng proclaimed.
"With books widely produced and disseminated, and with the state establishing academies, we shall awaken the wisdom of our people," Han Fei said excitedly.
"Prime Minister Han, as expected, you are a pillar of Great Qin. You have guessed exactly what I intend to do," Zhao Feng said with a slight smile.
He then surveyed the court officials.
"My father and I have reached a decision."
"After implementing the four major state policies, we shall establish academies across the empire."
"First, we will divide the realm into nine provinces and thirty-six commanderies."
"Within these nine provinces, starting from each county, we shall establish county academies; in each commandery, we shall establish commandery academies; and in each province, we shall establish provincial academies."
"The county academies will teach basic literacy."
"The commandery academies will instruct in military and governmental affairs."
"The provincial academies will teach strategies for governance and national stability."
"Above all these, in the capital city of Xianyang, we shall establish the Imperial Academy, where the best scholars from all nine provinces will be examined. Those who pass will be eligible to enter the court as officials."
As Zhao Feng announced this plan
The court officials were all left in shock.
Even from Zhao Feng's words alone, they could feel his ambition and his unwavering determination to reform and elevate Great Qin.
At this moment
Each official recalled the words Zhao Feng had spoken when he first took charge as Crown Prince:
"To establish a heart for Heaven and Earth, to secure the destiny of the people, to inherit the teachings of the sages, and to bring peace to all generations."
These were not mere words.
This was something he truly intended to accomplish.
To enlighten the people.
What an awe-inspiring vision!
What an extraordinary undertaking!
"His Majesty is wise!"
"His Highness the Crown Prince is wise!"
The entire court declared in unison.
A policy so beneficial to Great Qin's future who could dare oppose it?
"The nine provinces are now established, delineated by the Nine Sacred Cauldrons of Hua Xia."
"The thirty-six commanderies of Great Qin have been officially decreed."
"Now"
"The governance of the nine provinces requires capable administrators, who shall be appointed as provincial governors to oversee all matters within their provinces," Qin Shi Huang announced in a commanding voice.
His gaze swept across the hall.
One by one, he began naming those who would govern the provinces.
"Yan Bing, appointed Governor of Yang Province, granted the Governor's Seal, responsible for Yang Province's governance and administration over all commanderies within the province."
"Cai Ci, appointed Governor of Jing Province, granted the Governor's Seal, responsible for Jing Province's governance..."
"Yao Jia, appointed Governor of Xu Province..."
"Meng Yi, appointed Governor of Yu Province..."
"Feng Jie, appointed Governor of Yong Province..."
"Fusu, appointed Governor of Qing Province..."
"Feng Shuang, appointed Governor of Ji Province..."
"Li You appointed Governor of Gun Province..."
"Lü Wen, appointed Governor of Liang Province..."
As Qin Shi Huang continued
Apart from Fusu, the eight other newly appointed governors stepped forward, standing in a row.
They bowed deeply before Qin Shi Huang and Zhao Feng.
"The nine provincial governors report directly to myself and the Crown Prince."
"As governors, you are responsible for the administration, governance, and enforcement of laws within your provinces."
"This is a great responsibility, a great duty."
"I trust that none of you will disappoint me or the Crown Prince," Qin Shi Huang said as he gazed at the eight officials before him.
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