Chapter 440: Suppressing Rebellion, a Plan for Civil Security!
Ying Zheng also found it strange.
For such matters of pacifying rebellion, there was no need to call on the old general Wang Jian.
Not even Wang Ben or Meng Tian were necessary.
Those named Zhang Han and Nei Shi Teng would be more than enough.
Since Li Mo was here to discuss this with him today, he should have summoned them for a listening session, rather than bringing Han Fei over.
Finally, amidst their confusion, Li Mo said, “There are three plans for pacifying rebellion—high, medium, and low strategies.”
“The low strategy: a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, leaving not a single soul alive.”
Ying Zheng nodded thoughtfully as he mulled over Li Mo’s words.
If someone threatened the stability of Great Qin, he would surely issue a kill order!
He had worked hard to establish a nation built from the ruins of the Six States and would never allow anyone to destroy it.
“But this will lead to a problem.”
Li Mo’s voice came again, interrupting Ying Zheng’s train of thought.
“What problem?”
Li Mo replied, “The common people will be alarmed; even those from the former states will feel uneasy. Even those who haven’t participated in anti-Qin actions will live in fear, dreading that Your Majesty will set the blade upon them.”
Ying Zheng fell silent upon hearing this.
If he used killing to stop violence, he would indeed face such a problem.
At that rate, the number of people killed would be astronomical!
One wrong move and it could easily number in the tens of thousands.
In fact, it could rival the death toll of actual war!
Though the Six States were defeated, remnants still existed.
For example, the attentive Han Fei, who was listening intently by the side.
He was of Han blood.
If he were to rally the remnants within Han territory, it would likely bring the former dignitaries and commoners to his side. But Han Fei had no such thoughts.
With himself and the National Advisor present, Ying Zheng was confident he could hold the situation.
Likewise, other nations had individuals like Han Fei as well.
If he committed a bloodbath against the rebellious forces, it might incite fear and unite them together for self-preservation.
“So, what’s the medium strategy?”
Ying Zheng suddenly recalled that Li Mo mentioned three plans—what he had just outlined was only the low strategy.
“For the medium strategy, capture the leader before dealing with the rebels, specifically targeting the former royal families of the various states.”
Ying Zheng frowned upon hearing this.
The advantage of this method was that it wouldn’t result in the deaths of so many commoners.
If he killed those royal family members, there would be no one left to lead a rebellion.
This plan was indeed better than the previous one.
But the problem was…
“In this case, wouldn’t I be betraying the trust of the people?”
Some states had submitted without a fight.
If he was going to kill, he ought to kill completely.
However, Ying Zheng had previously promised them that they could keep their lives.
Now if he went back on that promise and killed them all, it would be a violation of trust!
Not to mention, who would dare serve him in the future?
Historical evaluations of Ying Zheng varied widely.
He was often weighed between being a wise ruler and a tyrant.
He was not a soft-hearted individual—that much was undeniable.
Otherwise, he would never have unified the Seven States, embroiled in conflict for centuries.
But one thing is certain: Ying Zheng had never killed a single meritocratic official!
Even Wang Jian, whose military prestige overshadowed him, ended up living a good life.
He scoffed at dirty deeds like killing the donkey after unloading its burden!
He had confidence; as long as he was alive, no matter how extraordinary someone’s abilities were, they were merely tools to be used for his purposes!
And indeed, such was the case.
So when he died, the ones beneath him quickly turned against each other.
It was after his death that the mighty Xiang Yu rose from Jiangdong and toppled half of the Qin Dynasty in a short time.
Though it sounds impressive, that only occurred after Ying Zheng’s demise.
While he was alive, not even a single rebel dared to show their face!
Li Mo, unhurried, said, “So, I have another plan.”
Ying Zheng’s eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, “Oh? Please, enlighten me.”
Han Fei also cast an inquiring glance his way.
Li Mo slowly elaborated, “Without fighting, we can compel them to surrender.”
Ying Zheng paused slightly before saying, “Sir means to extinguish their rebellious intent?”
Li Mo’s words did sound like that.
To compel them to surrender without raising arms—how could that be done?
Yet Li Mo shook his head. “That is both yes and no.”
What you said is right, but also not right.
Now Ying Zheng felt a bit confused.
He guessed Li Mo’s intention but hadn’t quite hit the nail on the head.
“I ask Your Majesty, if there is a rebel army, where does it come from?”
Ying Zheng replied without hesitation, “Naturally, from the remnants of the former states.”
If there were rebels, they must have been leftovers from those states.
Li Mo asked again, “And where do these soldiers originate?”
This wasn’t about asking where the rebellion was happening; he was inquiring about where the soldiers in the rebellion came from.
Ying Zheng contemplated for a moment and said, “The soldiers come from the people.”
Then, his eyes brightened.
“Sir’s meaning is to bring peace to the people?”
Whether it was the rebel army or his own Qin troops, their strength came from the commoners.
In the ancient times, those who fought were farmers. In times of conflict, they would fight, and in times of peace, farm.
A farmer could put down his plow and don armor, becoming a soldier ready for battle.
The army was essentially composed of these common folks and their children.
