ebookland Chapter 569 Pei County
Chapter 569 Pei County
The abundant wealth brought by fine salt began to flow into the national treasury. Ying Wuyou timely proposed that a portion of the salt profits be used specifically to support the construction of government-run schools in various regions and to subsidize impoverished students, which won her even more favor from the literati.
Looking at the rapidly increasing salt profits in the accounts and the public's enthusiasm for "White Snow Salt," Ying Wuyou's lips curled into a slight smile. The success of fine salt not only enhanced Qin's hard and soft power but also gave her an important economic trump card. This card might play an unexpected and crucial role in the final strategic maneuvering between Qi and Wei.
However, Ying Wuyou knew very well that the exorbitant price of Baixue Salt was simply astronomical and out of reach for ordinary people, who were simply unable to afford such an expense.
In contrast, although coarse salt tastes bitter and has some harmful effects, it can at least meet the body's basic needs and can barely sustain a living.
To make Snow Salt affordable for everyone, we must first significantly increase productivity. Only when production volume increases substantially will production costs naturally decrease.
However, this is not something that can be accomplished overnight. It requires gradual reform and innovation, continuous exploration of new methods and technologies, and persistent research in order to achieve the desired results.
Therefore, at present, we should give full play to the role of snow salt and apply it to enhancing military strength and national prosperity in order to obtain the greatest benefits.
Snowflakes continued to fall, covering the palaces and countryside. And Ying Wuyou added another chapter to the impending unification of the world.
In 223 BC, the cold wind at the end of the year swept through the streets of Pei County, bringing the damp chill unique to the Huai River, and it seemed to have blown the last ashes of the raging fire in Yingdu two months earlier to this place.
King Chu burned himself alive with a bundle of straw, and Xiang Yan surrendered to Qin. The once mighty Chu state, with its million armored soldiers and its dominance across the Yangtze and Han rivers, vanished from the stage of history like the last stubborn leaf swept away by the autumn wind.
Pei County, this land that originally belonged to the State of Chu, is now covered by the black Qin flag.
The initial anxiety was palpable, spreading like a plague to every corner. The songs of Chu were mute, the laws of Qin were strict, and people cautiously observed the new master's expression, fearing that the slightest mistake would bring about annihilation.
Two months later, the expected bloody purge did not take place on a large scale. Qin officials took over the government, checked the household registers, and issued decrees. Life seemed to have resumed its slow flow under a tense order.
However, the topics of conversation during leisure time were filled with speculation about distant Xianyang and uncertainty about their own fate.
However, the Lü family mansion in Pei County presented a scene completely out of place with its surroundings. Originally, as a local gentry with some prestige, the Lü family should have, like many former Chu nobles, been living in poverty and even fear after the fall of the Chu state.
However, the reality was quite the opposite. The area in front of the Lü residence seemed busier than ever before, with a constant stream of people coming to visit, make connections, or simply observe out of curiosity.
Beside a tavern on the street corner, several pedestrians wrapped in thick coats hunched their shoulders, but couldn't help glancing in the direction of the Lü residence, whispering among themselves.
"Have you heard? That young lady from the Lü family is quite something in Xianyang! She's highly regarded by Princess Jiayang!" A tall, thin man said in a low voice, his tone filled with disbelief.
“It’s more than just appreciation!” A slightly plump merchant chimed in, rubbing his hands together as if he were proud. “I heard she also has a title! ‘Gongcheng,’ that’s a real title, one that can be passed down through generations!”
"Women...women can really become officials? And even hold titles?" A middle-aged man with a simple and honest face stared wide-eyed. This completely overturned his understanding of things that had lasted for decades. "The Qin state...the Qin state has really disregarded its ancestral laws and traditions?"
"Shh! Watch your words!" The tall, thin man looked around nervously. "You're a Qin citizen now! If you dare to discuss state policy, be careful the village head catches you, gives you a beating, and sends you to work on the Great Wall!"
The honest-looking man shut his mouth reluctantly, but his face still showed defiance. The other man sighed, "The world is going to the dogs. How could the once-prosperous Chu Kingdom just vanish like that...sigh..."
Before he could finish speaking, the merchant-looking man forcefully covered his mouth and said sternly, "Are you tired of living? The State of Chu is long gone! Now it's the Qin's world! Qin laws are strict. If the patrolmen hear you say that, do you want your head?"
The man struggled for a moment, then fell silent, his eyes filled with resentment and desolation. The merchant released his grip and softened his tone, saying, "If you ask me, what's wrong with women holding official positions? Look at the Lü family. If it weren't for their daughter holding an official position in Qin, would Lord Lü be in such a position now, given his past associations with those Chu nobles? They would probably be long gone..."
"Absolutely!" a vendor who hadn't said much interjected, a hint of smugness on his face. "I think it's great that women can take the imperial examinations! My son is incredibly slow at studying; I don't think he'll amount to anything. But my daughter is very clever; she learns to read quickly and is good at math. I used to think she was useless, but now I see she might actually try to pass the exams and become a scholar?"
"So what if you have a daughter!" the honest-looking man retorted sourly. "I'm going home right now to find my wife and have one!" With that, he turned and left angrily, which made the remaining people burst into laughter. However, the laughter was also mixed with a sense of uncertainty about the future and new plans.
In the inner courtyard of the Lü residence, in a clean and tidy side room, Liu Ji lay quietly on the bed, his face pale, his breathing weak and steady, as if he had simply fallen into a deep sleep.
He has maintained this state ever since Meng Yi's bizarre assassination attempt in 225 BC, for more than two years now.
Lu Gong sat on a folding chair by the bed, looking at his unconscious son-in-law, his white eyebrows furrowed tightly. He was skilled in physiognomy, and it was from this that he had discerned Liu Ji's extraordinary potential, which was why he insisted on betrothing his daughter Lü Zhi to him despite his wife's objections. Who could have foreseen that before this "extraordinary" potential could manifest, disaster would strike first, followed by the destruction of the Chu Kingdom and the upheaval of the world.
Now, his daughter Lü Zhi, far away in Xianyang, has actually obtained a noble title and official position through her own abilities, which completely exceeded his initial expectations.
This certainly allowed the Lü family to gain a firm foothold under Qin's rule and even obtain unexpected honors, but it also pushed the Lü family into the eye of the storm. The prying eyes outside the mansion gates contained envy, flattery, and naturally, jealousy and scrutiny as well.
"Alas..." Lord Lü sighed deeply. On the one hand, he was glad that his daughter had a bright future, but on the other hand, he felt a pang of guilt and unease about the unconscious Liu Ji. Keeping Liu Ji in the mansion was certainly fulfilling his duty as a father-in-law, but was it also mixed with the thought that he was unwilling to completely give up this "rare commodity" while his daughter's future was still uncertain?
Now that Empress Lü's position is secure, the value of this move seems to have become awkward. Continuing to nurture her might arouse unnecessary suspicion; abandoning her would be unreasonable and morally questionable.