bookrandom Chapter 337 His greatest achievement was indeed unification, but it was not just the unification of
Chapter 337 His greatest achievement was indeed unification, but it was not just the unification of
Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng.
His achievements in life can be summarized in just two words.
unified!
The vast majority of what he did and the vast majority of his decisions throughout his life revolved around these two words.
"Unification? That's it?"
Emperor Sun laughed.
"He's just relying on the legacy of his ancestors. If I were in his position, I could do the same!"
"Exactly. Building upon the legacy of six generations, the remaining six kingdoms were almost completely destroyed. Is it really that difficult to unify the six kingdoms and bring peace to the world?"
"If the First Emperor hadn't been so eager for quick success, the Qin Dynasty could have proceeded step by step more steadily and wouldn't have perished after only two generations."
"In addition, the choice of successor was equally absurd. Sending the eldest son to the frontier gave Zhao Gao an opportunity to take advantage of the situation."
"If he were to be ranked alongside Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Taizong, and even Zhu Yuanzhang, who expelled the Tartars, simply because of the word 'unification,' that would be an insult!"
Regardless of how Liu Bang and others explained Ying Zheng's actions, countless voices of doubt still emerged after the summary was published.
It seems that ever since they learned that Ying Zheng was also on the list of wise rulers, they had all been waiting for this moment.
They reject Qin Shi Huang, reject the list of wise rulers, and then continue to dream of being a wise ruler themselves.
However, the sky seemed to disdain these people, and the words continued to appear slowly and steadily.
He was only thirteen years old when he ascended the throne of Qin.
Some say he has no real ability, but only achieved such accomplishments by building upon the achievements of six generations of ancestors and standing on the shoulders of their predecessors.
But those who hold this view have clearly overlooked one thing.
The Qin state was not a monolithic entity.
Ying Zheng did not inherit the throne smoothly.
An ordinary emperor ascended the throne at the age of thirteen, first facing the control of the court by the Empress Dowager and Lü Buwei, and later the rebellions of Lao Ai and Cheng Jiao.
After all that has happened, how many people can still sit firmly on the throne?
"..."
Many people fell silent upon seeing the rhetorical question in the last sentence.
He ascended the throne at the age of thirteen, with Empress Dowager Zhao Ji at home and Marquis Wenxin Lü Buwei, who held the position of prime minister and wielded immense power, with an income from ten thousand households.
The two men controlled the court, leaving Ying Zheng no chance whatsoever.
If it were an ordinary young emperor, he would probably have already shrugged and obediently become his own puppet.
For example, Liu Xie, who fell into Cao Cao's hands at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Even Cao Cao, who had just established his capital in Xuchang, was far from having the power and influence of Lü Buwei.
Even so, Liu Xie had no room to resist from beginning to end.
"That's right, that old bastard Lü Buwei, and that treacherous Queen Dowager Zhao Ji!"
"The most difficult part of the First Emperor's entire challenge was not conquering the six kingdoms, but seizing power from these two men!"
Old Zhu also complained angrily.
In particular, Zhao Ji's betrayal really infuriated him during the challenge.
"Even so, it only shows that Ying Zheng is good at playing the game of emperors. There are many emperors in the world who are good at scheming and fighting between rulers and ministers. I also have some experience in this matter. Am I also a great emperor of all time?"
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Emperor Sun chuckled again.
Old Zhu: “…”
Can you stop trying to glorify yourself?
Don't you know what kind of person you are?
"I have never seen such a shameless person as you!"
"Sun Zhongmou, how dare you ask such a question? Don't you look in the mirror and see if you're even worthy?"
Cao Cao almost burst out laughing.
If it was disdain at the beginning, now Chun Chun thinks it's a joke.
To even utter such words shows just how utterly lacking in self-awareness one is.
"What's the problem? You all say I'm good at internal strife, so what if I admit it?"
"Wouldn't seizing power from Lü Buwei and Zhao Ji be nothing more than internal strife?"
Sun Quan forced himself to speak.
Anyway, he felt he hadn't done anything wrong.
As for the increasingly strange looks he received from the surrounding ministers, he didn't care!
"This is indeed a power grab, but don't you think it's the same as fighting your way through the court officials in Jiangdong?"
"Your subordinates pose little threat to you, while Lü Buwei, at the height of his power, even had his men guarding Ying Zheng. Are you two on the same level?"
“Sun Quan, I suddenly realize that besides your narrow-mindedness, you also lack a bit of self-awareness.”
"You don't really think that seizing power from Lü Buwei is as simple as playing house in Jiangdong, do you?"
Old Zhu sneered.
“Is it really that difficult?”
Li Er had not paid attention to Lao Zhu's challenge until now.
By the time I saw him again, he had already come out, and I didn't know much about it.
"It's hard!"
Lü Buwei's judgment was beyond question.
When Ying Yiren was still a hostage in the State of Zhao in his early years, he bet all his wealth on a high-stakes gamble.
Having held the position of prime minister, second only to the emperor, for so long, his skills and abilities are far beyond those of ordinary people.
Even though Zhu Yuanzhang had read the history of the Qin Dynasty beforehand, he still had to put in a lot of effort to defeat him.
"Tell me more about it?"
"Although Zhao Ji is a short-sighted woman, it is not an easy task to cultivate one's own power under her nose and under the supervision of Lü Buwei."
"But you guys really didn't watch our challenge at all!"
Old Zhu sighed.
In that environment, the first thing to do is not to fight for power, but to cultivate a force of one's own as discreetly as possible.
At the very least, one needs to be able to save their life under Lü Buwei's threat.
Otherwise, if they showed any intention of seizing power, they would most likely drown in the palace pool the next day.
Lao Zhu felt that he had done a perfect job in the challenge, but who would have thought that no one would watch!
It's like trying to wink at a blind man; all that performance for nothing!
"There's nothing we can do about it. Don't you know how much attention your background attracts?"
"Compared to the challenge posed by the First Emperor, who had built up the legacy of six generations, it is definitely your humble origins that pique my curiosity more."
Li Er explained.
But now he's actually quite curious.
After all, his battles against Lü Buwei, his demotion of Zhao Ji, and his suppression of the rebellions of Lao Ai and Cheng Jiao are all barely mentioned in historical records.
Compared to what is recorded in historical books, it is clear that Old Zhu had a much more detailed understanding.
"That's true."
Old Zhu nodded.
He also understood that it was unprecedented in history for someone of his background to become an emperor.
However, most people also underestimated the difficulty of the First Emperor's challenge!
"All we can say is that in front of Lü Buwei, one wrong step can lead to total defeat!"
"Moreover, Sun Quan, you have said something wrong."
"The First Emperor was never good at scheming and intrigue. In fact, compared to his ambition, visionary foresight, and decisive decision-making, his other abilities were insignificant."
"His greatest achievement was indeed unification, but it was not merely the unification of the territory!"