Chapter Thirty-Six: Wei Yang Discusses the Three Paths

Seeing Ying Quliang’s resolve, Wei Yang stopped beating around the bush and spoke with a grave expression:

"As the Chief Minister just said, within the high gates, the bronze tripods overflow with the aroma of wine and meat, and the bells chime with decadence. Their granaries are piled as high as mountains, yet they would rather let the grain rot than give a single morsel to the common people. Furthermore, the land held by these noble clans stretches beyond the horizon, and they keep more servants and concubines in their estates than are found in the palace. They rely on you, my lord, to amass their fortunes, yet in their eyes, the law of the land is nothing more than a scrap of paper—not even fit to be stepped upon. Currently, these old clans are parasites gnawing at the very body of Qin, eroding the foundation of the state. If this trend is not halted, the state will cease to be a state."

Wei Yang’s words struck directly at the current reality of the State of Qin. Was Qin truly penniless? Far from it! The wealth held by the old clans was enough to maintain an elite army that could rival the Wei Wu soldiers.

Ying Quliang lifted his teacup to his lips but did not drink. He gazed at his own reflection in the tea and sighed helplessly. "What you say is all too true. It keeps me awake night after night, scouring every school of thought, hoping only to give the people of Great Qin a chance to breathe. In ten or twenty years, once Qin has regained its strength, we shall wash away our past humiliations."

"Does my lord have no greater ambition than this?"

Upon hearing this, a flicker of disappointment crossed Wei Yang’s eyes; he had not heard what he sought from Ying Quliang.

Ying Quliang let out a long, heavy sigh, a bitter smile tugging at his lips. "Naturally, I wish to be like Yao, Shun, Yu, Cheng Tang, or King Wu—to bring peace to the world, end the bloodshed, reduce punishments, lower taxes, and restore the rites and music... But alas, for the current Qin, mere survival is a luxury. My father’s Battle of Shaoliang and your Battle of Heilongxia have completely emptied Qin’s coffers. With the Western Rong tribes causing trouble at our borders, even if I harbor grand ambitions, I am forced to bow to reality."

Ying Quliang had hit the nail on the head. If only he had transmigrated to the era of the First Emperor or even King Zhaoxiang of Qin, things would be much easier than they were now. War? Hegemony? Without money, how could one even begin? Zhao Zheng, listening nearby, deeply agreed with Ying Quliang’s perspective.

"Therefore, the root of all these issues lies with the clans. Uproot their power, and once the state is purged of these parasites, the internal and external threats will be resolved," Wei Yang said, nodding in satisfaction. This was the answer he had been waiting to hear.

"Uproot them... but how can that be done so easily?" Ying Quliang shook his head. He had thought of removing the power of the old clans countless times, but their influence was deep-rooted, as solid as a boulder, and could not be shaken in the slightest.

Wei Yang replied calmly, "It is not difficult to uproot them, nor is it difficult to make Qin powerful. I have three paths here: the 'Way of the Emperor,' the 'Way of the King,' and the 'Way of the Hegemon.' I wonder which path my lord is willing to choose?"

As he spoke, Wei Yang looked steadily at Ying Quliang. It was time. The famous presentation of the three paths by Wei Yang in history was unfolding.

***

Zhao Zheng immediately recognized this as the historical debate of the three paths. However, the deviation was that, historically, Wei Yang had presented these paths across three separate audiences with the King of Qin. It seemed that now, he intended to deliver them all at once. After all, Wei Yang had previously needed to prove his worth, but now, with the backing of Zhao Zheng and Jing Jian, there was no need for such demonstrations.

"What are these three paths?" Ying Quliang asked, puzzled.

Wei Yang cleared his throat and spoke earnestly: "The 'Way of the Emperor' follows the abdication system of Yao and Shun, advocating for the appointment of the virtuous and governing through non-action, seeking to transform the people through virtue and end warfare."

Ying Quliang frowned and dismissed it. "This method might be suitable for recovery, but it is not fit for the current State of Qin."

Wei Yang continued, "The 'Way of the King' continues the patriarchal system of the Zhou rites, practicing benevolence and righteousness to make the feudal lords submit, relying on a righteous army to conquer the unrighteous."

Ying Quliang shook his head again. "No. The royal house is in decline; the Son of Heaven of Zhou exists in name only." Of course, the main reason was that if Ying Quliang were to adopt the Way of the King, he would have to return the private lands of the Ying clan in Hexi and Longxi to the Zhou Emperor, which would be tantamount to cutting off his own roots.

"The final path is the 'Way of the Hegemon': implementing strict laws and harsh punishments, rewarding agriculture and military merit, strengthening the power of the ruler, and using coercive means to rapidly enrich the state and strengthen the army. Ultimately, it unites the world and earns universal respect."

Seeing that the moment was ripe, Wei Yang finally revealed the core of his proposal: governing the state through Legalism. This was the very policy that would eventually lead to the destruction of the six kingdoms and the unification of all under heaven. Of course, while this policy would cause Qin to rise rapidly, its reliance on harsh laws and strict punishments would create deep social repression, eventually leading to the collapse of the Qin dynasty in the second generation.

As he pondered this, Zhao Zheng decided he would find a way to mitigate the side effects of these reforms later.

"Oh? This plan... is indeed feasible." Although Ying Quliang remained calm on the surface, he had already accepted the Way of the Hegemon in his heart. Wei Yang’s words had ignited a monstrous fire of ambition within him, for only the Way of the Hegemon could fulfill his grand vision.

"However..." Ying Quliang’s brow furrowed. "What does this have to do with uprooting the old clans?"

"This is a subsequent strategy. As long as my lord supports the reforms, I will surely provide you with a satisfying result." Wei Yang did not explicitly state the content of the reforms; he needed Ying Quliang’s unconditional support first.

"I support it, of course, but what about Gan Long and his faction..." Ying Quliang knew that the moment he touched the interests of the old clans, they would launch a ferocious counterattack.

"I have a way to handle Gan Long."

***

At this point, Zhao Zheng, who had remained silent for a long time, spoke up. He looked at Ying Quliang sternly: "As long as the military power is held firmly in your hands, my lord, what is there to fear? The only thing that will take some effort is persuading them in the imperial court."

Counterattack? What a joke. No matter how many private soldiers the old clans had, they were still just servants. How could they compare to a true, disciplined army?

Ying Quliang frowned. When it came to military power, things were indeed troublesome. The majority of Qin’s military authority was currently controlled by the old clans, which was exactly why they could bully the King. It was true that whoever held the weapons was the master.

"I can resolve the matter of military power. Currently, most of it is in the hands of my brother, Ying Qian. As long as I explain the stakes to him, he will naturally agree to hand over the command," Zhao Zheng said, patting his chest, before turning to Wei Yang. "However, I fear we will have to expend some effort to persuade Gan Long and the others in the court."

On one hand, historically, it was Wei Yang alone who faced the ministers, but on the other hand, Zhao Zheng wanted to maintain a balance. If Wei Yang played the role of the "shadow," offending the old clans to the death, then Zhao Zheng would be the "light," responsible for maneuvering and mediation.

"Wei Yang understands," Wei Yang nodded. Conquering Ying Quliang was not enough; he needed to conquer the court ministers as well so that the reforms would face no resistance.

The three discussed for a while longer before Zhao Zheng and Wei Yang departed from Yueyang Palace. Once they were outside, Wei Yang suddenly dropped to his knees before Zhao Zheng.

Zhao Zheng was startled and quickly stepped forward to help him up. "What are you doing?"

"The kindness of Master Guigu is something I will never forget for as long as I live!" Wei Yang was moved to tears. Not only had Zhao Zheng disregarded his own safety to rescue him from the State of Wei, but he had also brought him to meet the King of Qin, ensuring his lifelong learning would not go to waste but would instead find its true purpose.

Who else could have done such a thing? Even one’s own father might not have gone to such lengths.

"This... you need only make the State of Qin wealthy and powerful; that would be the greatest gratitude you could show me." Zhao Zheng’s mouth twitched. Why was this Wei Yang different from the one in the history books? The way he looked at him... it was somewhat strange.