Reborn in Great Qin, I Urged Duke Xiao of Qin to Step Down and Establish a Republic

“Lord Qin! The feudal lords are strong, but they are an external threat to Qin. Qin may be weak, but its troubles stem from within. Only by first stabilizing the interior and strengthening Qin can we repel outside threats and claim hegemony. ‘Settle things at home before resisting foreign threats’ is no delaying tactic; it is the only road to a strong Qin!” Qin Xiaogong was thoroughly convinced by Wei Yang’s modern analysis. The gloom that had clouded his heart vanished in an instant, and he seemed to see the dawn of Qin’s rise in Wei Yang. Qin Xiaogong immediately rose and bowed deeply to Wei Yang. “Your words were like a thunderclap from the heavens, like the voice of an immortal from the Ninth Heaven. Quliang has languished in darkness all day, but at last I see the first light. May I ask, sir, how Quliang should resolve Qin’s ‘three insecurities’?” “Your Majesty, I already have a clear plan for governing Qin.” Wei Yang bowed in return to Qin Xiaogong, then continued, “I have three plans: a low, middle, and high plan.” “The low plan serves the ruler, not the people. It can lift Qin out of poverty in five years, make it prosperous in ten, and establish hegemony in twenty, with the sixth generation unifying all of China.” “The middle plan serves both ruler and people. It can make Qin prosperous in three years, establish hegemony in five, unify all of China in ten, and unify the entire world in thirty.” “As for the high plan...” Wei Yang hesitated as he spoke, his brow furrowing slightly as he considered whether to say it. After all, abolishing the feudal system and putting the people in charge, a socialist system far ahead of its time, was probably something Qin Xiaogong, as a monarch, would not accept, no matter how selfless he was.