The conversation was too frightening. It directly stated that King Wu would be evaluated as a tyrant in future generations, and today, the boy Li Nian is very brave. He is usually so careful and cautious.
Meng Yi thought it through again and realized that Li Nian indeed fears death and also dreads the pain of harsh punishment, but that does not mean he would completely obey the king out of fear for life and pain.
If he were to completely obey the king, praising and extolling the king's virtues would be better. It would be better to say that the king enjoys a good reputation in future generations.
That's not correct. The king is not stupid. If Li Nian truly said that the king would be praised in future generations, the king would not believe it, and instead see through the boy's deceit. The consequences would be worse.
Speaking the truth directly is the right thing to do now, but this is still very dangerous.
Because after speaking these words, the king may become enraged, and his life or death are in the king's hands.
Meng Yi hesitated in his heart. If the king were to kill or punish Li Nian later, should he plead for mercy from the king?
He may not be effective in his plea, but he truly doesn't want to see Li Nian die.
After a long time, the Qin Shi Huang, with a voice filled with anticipation, asked again: "What about the rulers in future generations?"
The emperors in future generations should stand on his side, right?
Li Nian cruelly shattered Emperor Qin's expectations, saying, "Among the emperors in future generations, few praised you. They acknowledge your achievements but also criticize you for misusing the people's strength and even use you as a cautionary example."
"Use you as a cautionary example" is too damaging. How could the great Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor, become a negative example in the eyes of future rulers?
Qin Shi Huang sat on his throne again, falling into silence.
He thought he could live forever and never die; in the end, no one on earth can live forever. He believed his Great Qin could endure for ten thousand years; yet, it fell after just two generations.
He believed that he was "able to combine the virtues of the Three Sovereigns and surpass the achievements of the Five Emperors," and that he would be venerated by future generations. However, the people did not look up to him, and even future rulers used him as a cautionary example.
What does "using him as a cautionary example" mean?
It means that he had many flaws and mistakes, and it is a warning for others not to emulate him, not to be like him!
After a long silence, Emperor Qin looked at Li Nian, staring intently, and asked: "Then what do you think of me? Do you also think I am as tyrannical as King Jie and King Zhou?"
Li Nian replied: "I believe that specific situations should be analyzed individually. The current situation is that Your Majesty is not a tyrant. If one were to judge Your Majesty as a tyrant based on historical accounts of the previous emperors, it would not be appropriate. I come from a more distant future, not an era of dynasties. Although I also acknowledge that Your Majesty has done some wrong, there have also been achievements."
"It is not appropriate to deny the mistakes of the king just because of his achievements, nor should his achievements be denied because of his mistakes. Both must be acknowledged simultaneously."
"In fact, before I arrived in the Great Qin, there had been a surge in online discussions titled 'My Lovely Old Ancestor,' and Your Majesty was one of them!"
"Of course, such statements were refuted by others, with responses like 'If you like Emperor Qin so much, you should go back and repair the Great Wall' and 'If I were to travel back to the Great Qin, the foxes would howl that very day...'"
Li Nian had once told Emperor Qin about the story of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's uprising when they disguised themselves as foxes to speak human language, so he could understand what Li Nian was saying.
"So the king should not assume that all future generations will despise him, but there are also people who recognize his achievements. You are the Great Qin Emperor who made great contributions to China, and at the same time, you have made some mistakes."
Emperor Qin did not shift his gaze; he continued to stare at Li Nian. "Why are you telling me these things? Don't you fear that I might be angry and kill you?"
Li Nian answered calmly, "I am afraid, very afraid! But when I came to the Qin Dynasty, I hoped that Your Majesty and the Qin Dynasty would become better, so that this era would see less suffering for the Chinese nation and its people. Of course, I also hope to live better myself!"
"If Your Majesty intends to kill me, I have only one request. Please do not subject me to cruel torture. May the person sent by Your Majesty carry out the execution quickly and painlessly, and I would be eternally grateful."
Emperor Qin lowered his gaze and fell silent for a moment. Then, his cold, piercing eyes fell back on Li Nian: "You want to change me? What a huge ambition! You dare to change a ruler!"
Li Nian replied, "This is what I believe Your Majesty can be changed and can lead the Qin Dynasty to become better. Human thoughts are not set in stone; they change with age, the individual's understanding of the world, and the environment. Even though You are a king, You are also like everyone else; You have the potential to change."
"And given Your Majesty's intelligence, I believe that as long as You realize the problem and understand its advantages and disadvantages, You will naturally choose to make changes. I am simply pointing out the problems and providing some suggestions for reference."
"Now that the empire is newly established, it is not yet too late to reverse the situation. The people of the old Qin and the people of the six states all have expectations for Your Majesty, which is also the best time for change."
This is telling the emperor that the events in history that he knows have not yet occurred, and there is still time to change. If you do not want to become the tyrant that future generations will perceive you as, you must start changing from now on.
Emperor Qin naturally understood Li Nian's implication and did not respond. Li Nian did not mind, so he continued: "Your Majesty said that I 'have such a huge ambition to change the king!' This is not entirely correct. I do indeed want Your Majesty to change, but my ambitions are not as grand as that."
Whether the king can change does not depend on me; it has always been up to the king himself. There is a saying in future generations, 'Man's greatest enemy is himself.'"
"Man's greatest enemy is himself."
Ying Zheng silently repeated this sentence a few times in his mind, then looked at Li Nian and said, "Are you not afraid that I will not want to change? If I do not want to change, what will you do? Tell the truth!"
Li Nian smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I am just an ordinary person. I can only do my best and cannot control the outcome. If Your Majesty does not wish to change, I will not say more."
Ying Zheng pretended to be angry and said, "Why don't you speak straightforwardly and offer more advice?"
Li Nian countered: "If Your Majesty, such a person of great talent, possesses wisdom and ambition far exceeding ordinary people, what use would it be if I say it again and again if you yourself do not wish to change?"
It is said that Wei Zheng was a loyal and bold minister who dared to speak truthfully and openly advise the ruler, and he left his name in history. But if the two phoenixes themselves do not wish to listen or change, can Wei Zheng force them to change by holding their heads down?
Some people in later generations believe that Wei Zheng was confident that the two phoenixes would not harm him, so he dared to argue with them. However, Wei Zheng did not always challenge the two phoenixes.
Qin Shi Huang thought about how Li Nian came from an era with no monarchs, but a time when common people were in charge. So what kind of evaluation would the founder of the nation he came from in the future have for him?
How did the person he had guessed to be the main founder of the later nation evaluate him?
The one seems to be very respected by the boy, without the kind of reverence.
Li Nian, this boy, respects him but more out of fear and concern. He is always very careful in his usual speech. However, he is completely different when it comes to that one. Each time he brings up the sentence "If we don't seize the territory of public opinion, the enemy will," his expression and tone change dramatically.
It's understandable to respect and worship the founder of the nation one comes from. However, Emperor Qin always felt there was something different about this boy's respect for the later nation's founder. Therefore, he was very curious to know how that later nation's founder would evaluate him.
