Li Nian painted another pie for Yingzheng, and this time the pie actually attracted Yingzheng's attention, "Whether it is day or night, there is always imperial territory bathed in sunlight," which aroused Yingzheng's fierce fighting spirit. If it could truly be achieved, what kind of powerful empire would that be?
Initially, unifying the six countries and conquering the world was his goal. From Li Nian, he learned that the Qin Dynasty had fallen to its second generation, and so avoiding the fate of the second generation of the Qin Dynasty became his new goal. Now, he has a new target: to transform the Qin Dynasty into an empire that never sets!
But can an empire that never sets really exist?
Daylight should not be when the whole world is bathed in sunlight together, and nighttime should not be when all the countries are immersed in darkness, should it?
How could there be land that is always bathed in sunlight, no matter the day or night?
Yingzheng asked, and Li Nian replied, "Your Majesty, this is related to the land under our feet. The land is not a circular square, but a sphere. Once the earth globe is made, and I explain it to Your Majesty in detail, Your Majesty will understand why an empire that never sets can exist."
"Speaking of proving that the earth is a sphere, the best way is to embark on a circumnavigation. However, at present, Qin Dynasty's navigation technology over the seas is not yet sufficient, and preparations need to be made. The ocean is not like land; weather changes are drastic, and as you sail deeper, there are no lands for thousands of miles. In our world, only 30% is land, while 70% is ocean. It's best to wait for me to make the globe and then explain it to Your Majesty."
"Then follow your suggestion!"
Yingzheng posed another question: "Can Han and Tang be considered as empires that never set?"
Li Nian hesitated and then realized, Emperor Qin was unhappy that the Han and Tang dynasties were more revered by later generations than the Qin Dynasty, so he asked deliberately. It's the pride of emperors, even across different dynasties, they have to be compared.
Listening to Li Nian's answer, "Han and Tang are not empires that never set!" Yingzheng felt relieved. Since Han and Tang did not become empires that never set, his Qin Dynasty must become one.
Li Nian thought about many commendable aspects of Han and Tang, but he believed the reason for their reverence by later generations was: "Han and Tang were respected by later generations because they were powerful, their reputation spread to foreign lands, and when it was mentioned in the future, there was always a sense of honor and pride."
Yingzheng looked at Li Nian and felt that there was a hidden meaning in his words — Is it because my Qin Dynasty does not have a reputation spread to foreign lands, that you all lack a sense of honor and pride?
That's not right, Yingzheng thought of something. Although Han and Tang were powerful dynasties, they were not empires that never set. Then, what dynasty or country did Li Nian mention as an empire that never sets?
Does that mean...
Yingzheng furrowed his brow and said, "You're saying that the empire that never sets you mentioned was a foreign kingdom in later times?"
King Yingzheng himself deduced this, and it was no wonder that he was the first emperor. Li Nian said, "Your Majesty is indeed correct, it was all a foreign kingdom!"
Yingzheng, coldly smiling, evaluated: "Let the foreign kingdom become an empire that never sets, and the later dynasties are not much better than this!"
Li Nian sighed, "Actually, throughout history, our Chinese nation has often been at the top of the world, a long-term world superpower. Unfortunately..."
Yingzheng's heart moved, and he looked at Li Nian, saying, "I haven't asked you yet about the governance of the later generations in what way?"
Li Nian had always avoided this question, trying to avoid it whenever possible, but now Emperor Qin had mentioned it, and there was no longer a reason to avoid it. He had cultivated his image in front of Emperor Qin as honest.
"Your Majesty, in the later generations, each country has its own governance methods tailored to its national conditions, with no fixed national policies. However, in terms of governance philosophy, there are mainly two types. Most countries in the later generations do not have emperors; even if they still retain emperors, they almost no longer hold power."
Yingzheng had already known that most countries in the later generations did not have emperors. However, he was curious about how countries with emperors who did not hold power were run.
Li Nian briefly explained the governance methods of later generations to Yingzheng.
When he heard about the constitutional monarchy, Yingzheng suddenly realized and looked at Li Nian: This young fellow is saying that to keep the Qin royal family existing for a longer time, even as long as the Chinese nation, is to use this method, right?
