"It's getting late, sir. You should go back now and come again tomorrow.
This place is quite nice; I'll be staying here for a while."
Lu Ming checked the time; it was almost time to rest.
Chatting like this, with witty people, cultured yet unpretentious people, is a real pleasure.
It's like watching a TV series or reading a novel—it's addictive and hard to tear yourself away from.
But even the best things need a break. Taking a break is beneficial for both yourself and others.
Lu Ming is that kind of person. He knows how to work, but he would never toil day and night like Qin Shi Huang.
Qin Shi Huang had no choice; he lacked capable people and corresponding systems, so he did everything himself.
Now, Lu Ming is thinking more about overall strategy and future planning.
Some things can be solved now; those that can't be solved, he'll forcefully resolve.
Seeing this, Fan Li seized the opportunity to offer his suggestion, "Your Majesty, my daughter Xi Shi has lived here since childhood. Why not let her stay? She could serve as a guide and attend to Your Majesty. What do you think?"
"Hmm, let's do that."
Lu Ming readily accepted. Now that he was the emperor, the supreme ruler, if someone offered him a daughter, he would accept it.
Besides, he already had the Four Beauties—Diao Chan, Wang Zhaojun, and Yang Yuhuan—and now Xi Shi was right before him. If he missed this opportunity,
it would be a lifelong regret!
"This humble subject takes his leave."
Fan Li kowtowed in greeting before departing.
The matter was settled.
He had successfully planned a career.
Now that the realm was newly established, many things remained to be resolved.
Especially in the Central Plains and the South, where the emperor's rule was still relatively short, powerful clans were like fish crossing a river. Reclaiming power and ensuring that imperial edicts reached the local levels remained a severe challenge. There's an ancient saying: national power doesn't extend below the county level; below the county level, only clans exist, and clans are autonomous, relying on ethics, which in turn rely on the gentry.
During the Warring States period, after the Qin Dynasty unified the six states, it began a path of continuously strengthening centralized power, abandoning the feudal system and establishing a system of prefectures, counties, townships, villages, and pavilions.
However, whether in the Qin and Han dynasties, or even the Ming and Qing dynasties, the appointment of officials by the emperor ended at the county level.
The gentry filled the power vacuum below the county level.
This power was both "informal" and "relative" autonomy; in the face of major national policies, it still remained under the jurisdiction of county-level officials.
There are many reasons why imperial power didn't extend below the county level. One reason was the vastness of the territory…
Furthermore, economic development in ancient times was slow, and the imperial treasury was limited, naturally limiting the number of officials it could support.
If officials were still appointed at various levels below the county level, the selection cost would increase several times over.
Secondly, almost all local officials were appointed from other regions, so upon arriving in a new place without any support, they had to rely on the gentry and local elites to exercise their power.
Thirdly, the most important characteristic of the gentry was not their previous official service, but their education. In feudal times, the education level of ordinary people was very low; in the countryside, being literate was considered literate.
However, to achieve both centralized power and rural self-governance, the indoctrination of culture was crucial.
Ancient intellectuals were not involved in the production of knowledge, but rather within the framework of Confucian culture—in short, in regulating people's behavior. In rural areas with low levels of education, the cultural leadership role of the gentry was particularly important.
The more educated gentry acted as an effective buffer between imperial power and public opinion…
Meanwhile, county magistrates avoided enormous communication costs; they only needed to communicate with representatives of the gentry, who then communicated with the villagers.
Based on the bureaucratic background of the gentry, communication between county-level officials and the gentry was naturally much smoother. Once the gentry approved, local officials, as representatives, naturally had ways to gain the acceptance of central policies from the villagers.
The existence of the gentry was not only a micro-level communication need, but also a macro-level political need.
Highly centralized power represented the emperor's supreme authority, as evidenced by the title "Son of Heaven."
Such matters were inherently unacceptable; the court was unable to bear the burden, so naturally, someone else would have to take on the responsibility.
The matter was there; it wouldn't be accomplished simply by not doing it. If you didn't do it, Paru would!
Lu Ming's idea was simple: rely on the academy to produce talent, cultivate loyalty, and then control the local area.
Fan Li, on the other hand, proposed a strategy supplemented by wandering knights to quickly open up the situation.
Wandering knights were known for their loyalty; in short, they were hooligans.
However, even ancient hooligans valued loyalty; there were instances of scholars dying for their confidants.
Wandering knights from all walks of life often have ways to get acquainted with the local environment and then report back.
This is a good thing; as long as someone is in control, things won't go wrong.
While the scholars in the academy are loyal, they are sometimes less reliable than the wandering knights. This complementary relationship ensures that every inch of land is firmly in the hands of the imperial power.
As for the inability to bear the financial burden, that's even less of a problem.
Establishing workshops alleviates the problem of hunger.
Developing technology increases efficiency, thereby feeding more people.
As long as the benefits aren't given out without restraint, it won't create a heavy financial burden.
Fan Li's involvement is also significant, which is why Lu Ming appointed him as his advisor.
As night deepened, Lu Ming summoned Huang Yueying to his room to serve him in bed.
They were an old married couple.
When Lu Ming held Huang Yueying, he could feel her heart pounding, her breathing rapid, and her large, exposed breasts heaving with nervousness.
At this moment, she was overcome with shyness, her face flushed, her eyes slightly closed, her chest heaving, her breathing becoming increasingly heavy, her small mouth half-open, half-closed, "Husband..."
"Yueying...do you want it..."
"Yes...husband...ah!"
After saying this, Yingyueying covered her eyes with her hands, her face flushed with embarrassment, her heart filled with joy that her husband liked her body.
Lu Ming kissed her pink face and snowy neck with his burning lips, making her feel waves of tingling pleasure, then kissed her small mouth that breathed sweet fragrance, deeply sucking on her fragrant tongue, his hands caressing her full, rounded body.
The passionate Huang Yueying kept panting, uttering alluring sounds, her hands not knowing what to do, she tightly hugged Lu Ming, twisting her body.
Rubbing against every part of her body.
Lu Ming held Yueying tightly around the neck with one arm, kissing her fragrant lips, while his rough, large hand directly caressed and kneaded her soft, perky breasts.
Huang Yueying's breasts were large and elastic, truly wonderful.
Soon, her nipples hardened, and her lower body became wet.