freenovelworld Chapter 618 The First Year of the First Emperor
Chapter 618 The First Year of the First Emperor
"Jiayang's words resonate deeply with me." The King of Qin slowly rose, his gaze sweeping over his ministers. "My mind is made up: I will relinquish the title of King and proclaim myself Emperor. From this day forward, I shall be the First Emperor, and future generations shall be numbered, the Second Emperor, the Third Emperor, and so on, for ten thousand generations, an endless legacy!"
"Long live the Emperor!" Ying Wuyou was the first to kneel down.
"Long live the First Emperor!" the officials shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout the palace.
At this moment, history turned a new page.
With the title decided, the next step was an even more tedious task—to formulate a complete set of regulations under the imperial system.
The entire staff of the Department of Rites and Literature, the Department of History, and the Department of Personnel and Merit were mobilized. Ying Wuyou personally oversaw the coordination, and young people such as Lü Zhi and Wang Jue all participated.
Night had fallen, yet the residence of Princess Xianyang was brightly lit. Ying Wuyou rubbed her sore eyes and spread out the patterns of clothing regulations on the long table. High-ranking officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of History, and the Ministry of Personnel sat on either side, each with thick stacks of bamboo slips in front of them.
"The Zhou dynasty's emperor's robes were adorned with twelve symbols: the sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, pheasants, sacrificial vessels, waterweed, fire, rice grains, axe, and axe." Chunyu Yue pointed to the classic text in his hand, his beard and hair trembling slightly. "This is the system of the Three Dynasties, the foundation of rites, and it should not be lightly abandoned."
Ying Wuyou listened quietly before unfolding the design he had drawn overnight: "What Chunyu Sizheng said is absolutely right, but times have changed. The Zhou dynasty's clothing is too complicated and redundant. It may be suitable for the emperor's sacrifices, but it is restrictive for daily governance. Since the emperor is the ruler of the world, he should also be busy with government affairs—please take a look at this design."
On the dark brocade, the twelve imperial symbols were preserved, but their forms were simplified: the sun, moon, and stars were transformed into simple starlight, and the mountain and dragon patterns were captured in spirit rather than in their entirety. The robe was tailored to a perfect fit, with a jade belt around the waist and a crown reaching to the heavens on the head, exuding a sense of solemnity and neatness.
“The color also needs to be considered,” she continued. “Zhou favored red, but red is too dazzling; Qin favored black, black is deep and solemn, which is just right for the emperor’s majesty.”
Wang Jue clapped his hands and said, "Princess, your design is brilliant! It follows ancient traditions while also being suitable for modern use. However, isn't the Tongtian crown a bit too simple? The Zhou emperor's crown had twelve tassels, which was..."
“The tassels of the crown hang down over the face, which is certainly majestic, but it also obstructs the emperor’s vision.” Ying Wuyou shook his head. “What the emperor needs to see clearly is not only the ceremonial objects, but also the memorials from all over the country and the faces of the people. The Tongtian crown is tall and solemn, which is just right for its purpose.”
The debate lasted for two hours, and the final solution was decided: the everyday clothes would be a simplified version of the twelve-symbol pattern in black, while the ceremonial robes would retain the ancient design but be reduced in weight by 30%, with the Tongtian crown as the main type, and a twelve-tassel crown prepared separately for major sacrificial ceremonies. This compromise pleased veteran officials such as Chunyu Yue and also gave young officials a glimpse of the possibility of a new era for the dynasty.
The debate over the regulations for ceremonial guards became even more intense.
The historians searched through historical records and listed the old system of the Zhou emperor's processions, which included nine chariots, a hundred banners, and a thousand guards. Wang Jue argued, "Now that Qin has unified the world, its ceremonial processions should surpass those of the Zhou dynasty to demonstrate the emperor's power."
"The procession is for displaying power, not for disturbing the people." Ying Wuyou pointed to the streets and alleys of Xianyang on the map. "Nine carriages need to clear three streets and alleys, banners that block out the sun will obscure the shop signs, and a thousand guards will make the people avoid them at all costs—when the emperor goes on a tour, is it to let his subjects admire his countenance, or to drive away the common people?"
She proposed a new system: six carriages, symbolizing "the six directions"; black banners with gold patterns, reduced to thirty-six; and three hundred guards, arranged in front and behind. More importantly, there was a new rule: "When the procession passes by, the common people should give way, and the road should not be cleared or blocked. If there are elderly, weak, sick, or disabled people who cannot give way, the procession should slow down or change course."
These words caused an uproar in the room.
"This...this is utterly unacceptable!" an old minister exclaimed in a trembling voice. "Where is the Emperor's dignity?"
"Dignity lies in the heart, not in outward appearance." Ying Wuyou surveyed the crowd. "If an emperor needs to expel the people to demonstrate his authority, then such authority is unnecessary. Have you ever considered whether the people driven to the end of the alley harbor reverence for the emperor or resentment?"
After a long silence, Yao Jia spoke first: "What the princess said... is indeed a benevolent policy. However, its specific implementation requires careful planning."
“Exactly.” Ying Wuyou smiled. “Therefore, we need everyone to pool their wisdom and efforts to ensure that the ceremonial procession is both solemn and orderly, without disturbing people’s livelihoods. Director Wang, I entrust this matter to you for overall planning. Produce detailed rules within ten days.”
The debate over the reign title lasted for three days.
Wang Jue advocated that the year of his ascension to the throne should be designated as the first year of the First Emperor's reign, while Empress Lü Zhi believed that the reign title should be changed after the grand ceremony was completed. Both sides had their reasons, and the dispute remained unresolved.
On the morning of the fourth day, Ying Wuyou brought a scroll of silk to the council hall. She unfolded the scroll, which was filled with dense records of the people's conditions.
“In the past month, the Press Division has received more than 300 letters from various places.” Her voice was clear and bright. “Forty percent of them mentioned the surrender of Yan and Qi in April and the unification of the country. The people do not know the etiquette of the court, but they know that from April onwards, there will be no more danger of war.”
She picked up the top letter: "This was written by an old craftsman from Linzi: 'On the 23rd of April, upon hearing of the surrender of the King of Yan, I drank with my neighbor until dawn. From this day forward, the whole world belongs to Qin, and my son can now trade silk as far as Liaodong.'"
He then took another letter: "This is a dictation from a peasant woman in Handan: 'After April, taxes will be reduced by 20%, and the government will distribute new wheat seeds. If this day can be considered the beginning of a new year, may my descendants remember it forever.'"
Ying Wuyou put down the silk scroll: "The people's will is like this, and the rites should follow it. I propose that this year be the first year of the First Emperor's reign, and April be the month of the founding of the dynasty. The official change of the era name will still begin from the coronation ceremony in October, but historical records and folk calendars can all be traced back to the day when the world was unified in April."
Chunyu Yue pondered for a moment and said, "This is unprecedented..."
“A new dynasty should set new precedents.” Ying Wuyou’s gaze was firm. “History books are not only the genealogy of emperors, but also the memory of the people. It is more important for the people to remember the peace and happiness brought by unification than to remember the date of a certain ceremony.”
The plan was thus approved. An unprecedented method of recording years was born—one that respected both ritual and popular sentiment.
In mid-May, the front page of the *Da Qin Xin Bao* published an article by Chunyu Yue entitled "On the Imperial System and the Unification of the World." The article no longer relied on classical allusions, but instead used plain language to explain the new policies:
"The emperor is not merely a title, but the trust placed in him by all the people. With unified decrees, merchants can travel freely throughout the land without hindrance; with clear laws, grievances can be voiced in the court without fear; with a unified tax system, farmers can know their annual income and live in peace..."
The newspaper caused a stir in Xianyang's taverns and teahouses.
Inside the "Sihailou" restaurant in the East Market, a silk merchant from the State of Zhao exclaimed to his companion, "This article has really struck a chord with me! Last year, I traveled from Yingdu to Xianyang, crossing the border six times and paying taxes five times. If 'travelers could travel without hindrance,' my profits could increase by 30%!"
The old scholar by the counter shook his head: "The title of Emperor is a usurpation of ancient customs..."
“Old sir,” the young carpenter at the next table interjected, “I don’t know much about the ancient system, but I do know that since April, corvée labor has been reduced, and the government has even issued new farm tools. If this is due to ‘overstepping’, I wish there were even more ‘overstepping’!”
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the tavern owner loudly proclaimed, "To celebrate the unification of the world, our tavern is offering a 20% discount on drinks today! May His Majesty the Emperor live ten thousand years!"
"Long live!" came the cheers.
Ying Wuyou, traveling incognito through the streets, heard these discussions and a slight smile appeared on her lips. But she knew that mere publicity was not enough; the people also needed to see tangible benefits.
Five days later, the "New Policies Benefit the People" series began: the story of an old farmer in Wei receiving a tax exemption certificate, the story of a widow in Yan receiving compensation for her son who died in battle based on the new system, the story of how hundreds of acres of dry land in Chu were transformed into fertile land after the completion of the irrigation canal... Each story was followed by the sentence: "This benefit comes from the unification of the world and the smooth implementation of government orders."