Chapter 29: Governing the Nation by Truly Serving the People

Seeing that Li Nian did not immediately launch into a lecture on how to govern the Great Qin, but instead modestly admitted his own limitations, Ying Zheng was quite satisfied. This young man was not one of those pedantic blowhards; he was sincere.

Ying Zheng said, "Then let us hear your 'humble opinion'."

Li Nian replied, "Governing a country is governing the people. While Legalism and Confucianism differ in their schools of thought, they employ the same method: the suppression of the people's vitality. By weakening the strength and intelligence of the masses, it becomes easier to rule them. That is why later monarchs often combined Confucianism and Legalism to govern the world."

"Suppressing the people's vitality can indeed govern a country, but it is not the only way. One can also understand the needs of the people, solve their problems, and guide their aspirations."

"The needs of the people—whether they are the old Qin subjects or the people of the Six States, or even someone from later generations like me—are nothing more than to survive and to live well."

"Survival is the most basic need: having grain and water to sustain life. Living well is more complex. It goes beyond having enough to eat and wear; it involves higher pursuits. Some seek fame, some seek profit, some desire beauty, and others crave grand estates..."

"One aspect of Legalist governance is to suppress the desire to live well, ideally keeping the people just on the verge of survival. If people are exhausted every day just trying to stay alive, they will lack the energy to oppose the monarch."

After briefly disparaging Legalism again, Li Nian continued, "Once you understand the people's desire to live well and know what they want, you can issue policies that provide the conditions for them to realize those needs. Naturally, the people will support and cherish you, Your Majesty. Of course, you do not need to satisfy every demand, but rather do so selectively."

Ying Zheng frowned. Wouldn't that mean he was working for the people, rather than the people working for him? He was the King of the world; he should be the one commanding the world to move for him, not moving for the sake of the world. However, recalling that the Great Qin perished in the second generation, Ying Zheng listened patiently and intently.

Li Nian knew his words might cause displeasure, but having come this far, he could not stop or deceive Ying Zheng.

"Legalism is no longer suited to govern the Great Qin because a conflict has arisen between the needs of the people and the harshness of the Qin laws. After unifying the world, both the old Qin people and the people of the Six States hope for a better life. If Legalism not only fails to help them achieve this, but actively hinders them, how could trouble not arise?"

"If Your Majesty wishes to govern the lands of the former Six States well, you must understand what their people need and crave, and address these issues specifically. Make them understand that under your rule, they can live better than before."

"If you can achieve this, even if the royal families of the Six States still existed, it would not be easy for them to call upon the people to fight for them again. There is a saying in later generations: 'It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to frugality.' Once people are accustomed to a good life, who would think of returning to a life of hardship, provided they are of sound mind?"

Ying Zheng then raised a question: "The Great Qin conquered the Six States, causing countless deaths. Their fathers and brothers must be among the fallen. Can such deep hatred be so easily erased?"

Li Nian answered, "Your Majesty, although people can recall the past and imagine the future, they live in the present. Certainly, some will harbor hatred and seek revenge against Your Majesty and the Great Qin. But as long as they can live well—better than they did before—most will choose to let go of that hatred. Moreover, the Six States and the Great Qin are both Huaxia; this was a struggle between brothers, not the invasion of a foreign race."

"Furthermore, the Great Qin’s conquest of the Six States to unify the world was meant to end the chaotic age and restore peace. Without the Great Qin and Your Majesty, who knows how many more people would have died?"

This remark made Ying Zheng’s eyes brighten. He thought he could tell the people of the Six States: "Look, my unification of the world prevents more deaths; I am doing this for your own good."

"Your Majesty may not yet have a deep understanding of the people's needs. Take the Qin laws as an example: some current penalties are too cruel. The people's expectation for change is a specific need. The Han dynasty inherited the Qin system, and in many aspects, they used the foundations of the Great Qin."

"At the beginning of the Han, their laws also referenced the Qin code, so they too had many harsh punishments. It was not until the reign of Emperor Wen that corporal punishment was abolished, leaving behind a story that has been praised for ages."

Li Nian recounted the story of Ti Ying saving her father. Ying Zheng listened in silence. No wonder the Han could replace the Great Qin; the world had long been dissatisfied with the Qin laws. At the same time, he felt a sting of annoyance. Such a noble legacy had been snatched up by those Han thieves who relied on the Qin system. It felt as if his Great Qin had acted as a wedding gown for the Han—a great fool indeed!

It was as if the Great Qin had paid the bride price, built the new house, bought the new carriage, and hosted the banquet, only for a man with "Han" written on his face to enter the bridal chamber, leaving nothing for the Great Qin.

If Li Nian knew Ying Zheng’s thoughts, he would certainly agree: Your Majesty is right. The Great Qin was indeed a great fool. The fall of the Qin in the second generation was different from that of the Sui. The Han after the Qin was not the same as the Tang after the Sui; the Han truly took advantage of the Great Qin.

For instance, the hatred from the destruction of the Six States was absorbed by the Great Qin. Without that, how could the Han have pacified the world so easily? It was as if the Great Qin had seized six houses; the original owners held direct hatred for the Great Qin, but not for the Han, who now occupied them, because the Han had not been the ones to seize them by force. The Great Qin did the dirty work of killing and seizing, but enjoyed it for only a few years, while the Han, without having to do the dirty work, moved in comfortably for hundreds of years.

Ying Zheng asked, "If the Han inherited my Qin system, how long did their dynasty last?"

Li Nian replied, "If you combine the Western and Eastern Han, the dynasty lasted over four hundred years."

Ying Zheng suddenly felt like he didn't want to speak anymore, nor did he care to ask why the Han was divided into East and West. He had destroyed the Six States and unified the world, only for the Great Qin to perish in the second generation, while the Han, by copying the Qin system and making a few adjustments, endured for over four centuries.

Li Nian continued, "In the process of fulfilling needs, various problems will arise, such as official corruption, fraud, or the need for public works like road building that the people cannot solve on their own, requiring government organization. These are the 'problems of the people'."

"If Your Majesty wishes to be supported by the people, and for the Great Qin to be sincerely embraced by them, you must solve these problems for them."

The more he listened, the more it sounded like he was expected to work for the people, not the people for him. Was this how later generations governed?

As he pondered this, he heard Li Nian say, "As for guiding the aspirations of the people, it means guiding them to be loyal to Your Majesty and the Great Qin. The people are a group that is both simple and complex; they cannot be left to their own devices, nor can they be controlled too strictly. Therefore, they must be guided."

"The Legalist policy of 'keeping the people ignorant'—that 'an ignorant populace is easy to rule'—attempts to govern by maintaining a state of ignorance. But this approach is against human nature and harmful to the nation. Ignorance may make for easier control, but how then can the nation progress?"

"Later monarchs used Confucianism, but it, too, can be used to keep people ignorant. The consequences of this I have already explained. Unless the Great Qin is the only nation in the world and there are never any foreign enemies, if other nations change and progress while the Great Qin remains stagnant in its ignorance, it will eventually become a catastrophe."