0p0 Chapter 296 Head-to-Head
Chapter 296 Head-to-Head
At dawn that day, sunlight shone through the clouds, casting a solemn and dignified atmosphere over the palace. In the court, ministers stood in neat rows on both sides, awaiting the arrival of the King of Qin.
After the morning court session officially began, Li Si was the first to step forward. He respectfully bowed to the King of Qin and then reiterated his proposal to implement the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system. At the same time, Li Ge, not to be outdone, immediately stood up and expressed his support for the Three Departments and Six Ministries system.
However, unlike yesterday's heated debate, the two were not as confrontational or on the verge of conflict today. Instead, they praised each other's proposed bureaucratic systems as quite ingenious. They then went on to list in detail the numerous advantages of their respective advocated bureaucratic systems.
Ying Wuyou, who had been silently observing the situation, quickly noticed the unusual change in the atmosphere between Li Si and Li Ge, thanks to her keen insight. She thought to herself, "This situation is truly strange! How did they suddenly become so harmonious and friendly? Could they have really reconciled? But how could that be? You see, while the Three Departments and Six Ministries system and the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system appear similar on the surface, they are actually vastly different. Just looking at the power held by officials, those under the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system were at the pinnacle of power, almost unchecked; while the Three Departments and Six Ministries system provided a certain degree of division and checks and balances on the power of officials. Logically, these two sides should be irreconcilable! Could it be… that their real target is actually me? If that's the case, then I must quickly devise a plan to break this deadlock."
Thinking of this, Ying Wuyou no longer hesitated. She stepped forward, bowed to the emperor, and said loudly, "Father, after returning, I carefully studied the Three Departments and Six Ministries system and have some personal insights and ideas about it. I hope that Father can give me an opportunity to explain them."
The King of Qin glanced at Li Si and Li Ge in turn, and finally his gaze landed on Ying Wuyou. He nodded slightly and said, "Speak."
Having received permission, Ying Wuyou took a deep breath and began to speak eloquently: "Your Majesty, I believe that the Three Departments and Six Ministries system has many drawbacks. First, its organizational structure is cumbersome and redundant, with numerous personnel often having nothing to do, which inevitably leads to a significant decrease in administrative efficiency. Second, the excessive decentralization of power among various departments makes the decision-making process lengthy and sluggish, and in the event of an emergency or sudden incident, it is highly likely that opportunities will be missed due to slow response. Furthermore, this system lacks the necessary flexibility and adaptability. As you all know, the Great Qin is currently in a phase of rapid development, with rapid progress in the economy, military, and culture. If a bureaucratic system cannot quickly adapt to the various changes brought about by such social transformation, then undoubtedly it is imperfect and flawed. Another crucial point is that because the system is too intricate, it is prone to creating blind spots and loopholes in supervision, thereby breeding corruption and other undesirable phenomena."
Upon hearing Ying Wuyou's words, Li Ge immediately retorted, "Admittedly, the Qin Dynasty is vast, and information transmission is relatively slow. Perhaps any system would face the problems you mentioned. However, how can we abandon building a completely new bureaucratic system simply because of potential problems? Princess Jiayang, what do you say?"
Ying Wuyou's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a composed smile, and he said slowly, "Yes, what Lord Li said makes a lot of sense. Therefore, we should try to solve these problems one by one, rather than using the still imperfect bureaucratic system." Ying Wuyou's words were firm and resounding, echoing in everyone's ears.
Upon hearing this, Li Ge frowned slightly, wanting to refute, but after racking his brains, he found himself speechless. He stared wide-eyed at Ying Wuyou, inwardly annoyed that he was at a loss for words at such a crucial moment.
At the same time, Li Si and Wang Wan's faces instantly turned extremely gloomy and grim. They knew very well that if the flaws of the Three Departments and Six Ministries system were truly resolved, then the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system that they had always advocated would probably never see the light of day again.
Li Si, his face grim, coldly said, "What Princess Jiayang has said is nothing but conjecture, and it may not necessarily come true. Besides, how could the princess know what drawbacks these bureaucratic systems would actually produce in practice? Has the princess perhaps experienced them firsthand?"
Hearing this, Ying Wuyou was consumed by rage and nearly lost her temper. She cursed inwardly, "Hmph! In the five thousand years of Chinese history, how could I not know the flaws of this bureaucratic system? You despicable fellow, you're nothing but a greedy covetous eye for the position of Prime Minister! You'll stop at nothing to achieve your goal, utterly shameless! Just you wait, one day I'll make you pay!"
After venting his frustrations, Ying Wuyou smiled faintly and said, "I haven't personally experienced these things, but did Li Tingwei experience them personally? If not, why is Li Tingwei so eager to avoid my reasonable speculations? Could it be that Li Tingwei is also well aware that the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system he proposed actually has many serious problems as I have described?"
At this moment, the King of Qin, seated on his throne, heard Ying Wuyou's heartfelt words clearly and without missing a single one. He couldn't help but frown slightly, pondering to himself: "Over five thousand years? Is time really that long? Then, in which era am I currently living?"
Li Si did not respond to Ying Wuyou's words, but bowed to the King of Qin and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that no matter how much we argue here, it is ultimately just empty talk. Only by truly putting it into practical application can we reach a definite conclusion."
Immediately afterwards, Li Si clasped his hands and bowed again, and said loudly, "Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to adopt the system of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, so as to see its effectiveness."
Having received the implicit signal from Li Si, the officials who already supported his views immediately understood. They shouted in unison, "Your Majesty, we humbly request that you implement the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers system!" In an instant, the court was filled with thunderous shouts and overwhelming momentum.
However, faced with this situation, Li Ge, standing not far away, showed no sign of weakness or backing down. He stepped forward, head held high, and said righteously, "Your Majesty, I believe that the Three Departments and Six Ministries system is more suitable for the current national conditions. Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to implement the Three Departments and Six Ministries system."
As soon as he finished speaking, the ministers who agreed with and supported the Three Departments and Six Ministries system echoed him without hesitation, saying in unison, "We humbly request Your Majesty to adopt the Three Departments and Six Ministries system!" In an instant, a tense situation arose in the court where two factions were locked in a fierce confrontation, neither willing to yield.