In the reign of Emperor Qin, he could still deter the four corners of the world with his name and power, and prevent the potential dangers caused by Legalism from appearing. But when Huhai ascended the throne, without Emperor Qin's reputation and abilities, he continued to make a mess, exerting more pressure. It is impossible for the world not to be in turmoil.
Li Nian continued her analysis: "Legalism in governance involves harsh and cruel punishment, using severe penalties to make the people fear and thus easier to govern. When facing serious external threats, this method is viable, as it can quickly mobilize the people's strength and enhance national power, leading to national prosperity. The people of the old Qin Dynasty could accept Legalism as their form of governance, and I believe the reasons are as follows:"
"The first point is that although Legalism governed with severe punishments, it did indeed bring stability to society, allowing the ancient Qin people to clearly benefit from this. For example, incidents of murder and theft decreased significantly, and people no longer had to worry about their own safety at all times. The second point is the existence of a military merit-based rank system."
Does this have anything to do with the military merit system?
This was something that Ying Zheng did not consider. Please pay close attention to what Li Nian is saying.
"People are living beings with desires, and after fulfilling their basic needs for survival, they naturally produce more advanced needs."
Li Nian did not immediately discuss the relationship between Legalism, the Qin people, and the military merit system. Instead, she introduced a new concept to Ying Zheng.
Afraid that Ying Zheng might not understand, Li Nian further explained: "Your Majesty can think of it as after people have eaten enough, drunk enough, and are warmly clothed, they naturally desire even better food, sweeter drink, a beautiful wife, and a more spacious home."
Ying Zheng nodded, indicating that he understood. Li Nian then said: "The Qin people are the same. After they have eaten well and are clothed, they naturally have higher demands and desires a better life. At that time, although the legalist laws were harsh, the military merit system provided them with a way to advance in life, giving them the opportunity to live better."
"With the hope of climbing up, the old Qin people naturally accept the governance of Legalism and are willing to maintain the social order constructed by Legalism. Moreover, although Legalism is severe, as long as one complies with it, there are no problems in everyday life. In fact, under Legalist rule, society is quite stable. For the old Qin people of that time, the benefits of Legalism outweigh the drawbacks!"
Ying Zheng understood what Li Nian meant. The military merit system is an important reason for the Great Qin Empire to maintain governance through Legalism, and it gives the old Qin people hope, allowing them to accept the severity of Legalist laws.
Before Li Nian continued, Ying Zheng took the initiative to speak: "Now that the six states have been wiped out, there are no more wars in the world. It is becoming increasingly difficult to gain merits from the battlefield. The military merit system has become a nominal existence for the Qin people, with no visible benefits. Naturally, they will be dissatisfied with the harsh laws."
"The Qin people were not without grievances about the Qin laws in the past, but it was bearable because there were benefits. Now that the benefits are gone, problems arise everywhere!"
Li Nian said: "This is human nature!"
Ying Zheng looked at him and continued, "Great Qin has changed, and so have the Qin people. If we continue to govern Great Qin using the legalist laws of the past, it will inevitably become a disaster."
Li Nian nodded and said, "Exactly! In fact, I believe there are two more points: The reason the Qin people were willing to fight for the country was because they hoped to live a better life after the conquest of the six states and the unification of the world, not to continue living as they did before unification. If after unifying the world, they still live as before…"
"Before unifying the world, they lived like that, and after unifying the world, they still live like that. Then what is the point of unifying the world if it does not lead to any change in their lives?"
Ying Zheng pondered this for a moment and realized that it was indeed the case. If life was the same before and after unification, the old Qin people would surely become disillusioned and would no longer strive to serve Great Qin with great courage as they had done before. After all, whether they win or lose has no significant impact on them, so why bother trying so hard.
"Secondly, all things have their limits, even iron strings. There will come a time when they snap. People are no exception. The Great Qin has been governed through Legalism for over a hundred years, and the Qin people have accumulated too much discontentment. If Your Majesty continues to govern the country using past Legalist thoughts, the discontent will only grow stronger and eventually burst out."
"Qin's fall after two generations has its reasons. The Qin people have already drifted apart from the Great Qin. They do not want to fight for Great Qin anymore, so when Han Gaozu entered the pass, they surrendered voluntarily."
Ying Zheng and Meng Yi were so surprised that they were left dumbfounded. The reason for their astonishment was that in their thinking, even if Great Qin was to fall, it should be because the old Qin people were unwilling to see it perish and fought for Great Qin with their blood, only to ultimately perish in regret due to the strength of the enemy.
However, what they are now hearing is that the old Qin people have no intention of resisting and are willing to surrender, showing a desire for Great Qin to end as soon as possible!
Ying Zheng could not say what his current feelings were. In just a few years, his Great Qin had fallen to the point where even the old Qin people no longer accepted it?
This time, he truly felt the reason why people in later generations would say that the Great Qin was doomed to fall, and realized the severity of the problems facing Great Qin. It was far from his belief that as long as he, Ying Zheng, was alive, Great Qin would not perish.
'When my ancestors Shuangong was in power, was it like this? To have life, and not to change, then to perish! Shuangong had the merchant Zhongxu, and I have Li Nian. I will do better than Shuangong!'
After discussing the impact of Legalism on the Qin people, Li Nian also mentioned its impact on the people of the six other states: "The people of the original six states are different from the Qin people, not as complex."
"The Qin people have been under Legalist governance for over a hundred years and can endure it, but the people of the six states have not been governed in such a way. They will naturally feel various discomforts, even dissatisfaction. Of course, harsh punishment can suppress these grievances temporarily, but they will accumulate and gradually turn into hatred and enmity."
"When Great Qin conquered the six states, the war and violence of Great Qin against them had already caused resentment among the people of the six states. Now, with the strict punishments of Legalism, it will only increase their resentment and hatred. These hatreds are like wild grass growing on a wasteland. All that is needed is for someone to throw a spark in the autumn, and they will spread like wildfire."
"People always yearn for freedom, and Legalism's harsh and severe laws can only deter people for a while. They cannot deter people for eternity. This is the essence of human nature. When they can no longer endure it, people will naturally raise their fists and break the cage created by Legalism."
Ying Zheng also realized that Legalism was not suitable for governing the people of the six states, but he wanted to know what alternative methods should be used instead of Legalist laws.
Ying Zheng said: "According to your words, none of the other schools of thought are suitable. So, what do you think should be done to govern Great Qin?"
He was well aware of his own worth. Li Nian understood that although he could engage in political discussions online, to actually govern a nation, let alone a large one like Great Qin, was beyond his capabilities.
The major policies and guidelines must be decided by the First Emperor himself. Li Nian can only use historical records of later generations as a reference to propose some suggestions, point out certain flaws in the First Emperor's policies, much like explaining the reasons why Confucianism and Legalism are not suitable for governing Great Qin.
Therefore, before answering this question, Li Nian had to first armor himself.
"Returning to Your Majesty, I was just an ordinary citizen in later times, not a high-ranking official of the state. It is acceptable for me to use the historical records of later times as a reference for proposing and correcting suggestions. However, if Your Majesty really wants me to come up with a practical strategy for governing Great Qin, I am not capable of doing so. I only have some personal views on this matter. If Your Majesty wants to know them, I will certainly tell you!"
