The First Female Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty

After Wang Wan relinquished his power as prime minister, the position of prime minister was left vacant.

All the civil and military officials listed the achievements of the court, and none could compare to Song.

Improving agriculture and sericulture, cultivating new rice varieties, promoting cotton, building artillery to strengthen border defenses, contributing navigation and shipbuilding techniques, and innovating numerous livelihood skills—each and every one of these was a monumental achievement that benefited the country and its people and contributed to the prosperity of the Qin Dynasty.

A few days later, Qin Shi Huang issued an edict, officially appointing Song Ye as the Prime Minister of Qin.

According to the Qin system, the Chancellor was the head of the Three Dukes, and he was entitled to a gold seal, purple ribbon, and a salary of 10,000 shi (a unit of grain).

The true emperor, in charge of all affairs, assists in managing all matters.

He was in charge of all officials and the Nine Ministers, and he was in charge of civil administration, agriculture, taxation, engineering projects and government affairs. Apart from the imperial power and exclusive military power, he controlled half of the Qin Dynasty's government affairs. He was truly second only to the emperor and above all others.

This investiture is tantamount to handing over full authority over the entire Qin administrative system to Song Ye.

All memorials to the emperor, large and small, state and county affairs, the implementation of new policies, and the evaluation of officials were reviewed and compiled by the prime minister before being reported to the emperor.

The imperial edict caused a stir throughout the court.

People used to lament that they couldn't keep up with the Qin Dynasty's pace of innovation, but now they are in an uproar.

At a young age, she rose to the pinnacle of civil officials in the Qin Dynasty, succeeding the position of prime minister held by veteran ministers throughout the ages, leading all civil and military officials, and managing all affairs of the world.

Li Si, Meng Yi, and others had no objection to this and were completely convinced.

Meng Tian and a group of military generals gave their full support, and Song Ye's powerful military weapons and strategies for strengthening the country had already won everyone's approval.

From then on, the Qin Dynasty welcomed its first female prime minister.

That year, Song was 22 years old.

With its achievements in both civil administration and military affairs, it enjoys a prosperous and flourishing era.

The Qin Dynasty was already beginning to show the grandeur of an empire that would last for millennia.

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In July, the summer heat gradually intensifies.

Song Ye, who held the position of prime minister, proposed an unprecedented new national policy at the morning court session, striving to reform the rules of the world.

The new policies were radically different, shocking the entire court.

First: Reform marriage laws, abolish unreasonable marriage rules, protect women's autonomy in marriage, and eliminate forced marriages and the buying and selling of marriages.

Second: Women can establish independent households and separate their own households, no longer dependent on their fathers, brothers, or husbands. Women can own land, houses, and property under their names, which are explicitly protected by the laws of the Qin Dynasty. They are registered by the government and recognized by the law, and are no longer dependent on men.

Third: The law clearly establishes a monogamous system, prohibiting officials and commoners from having multiple wives and concubines, thus eliminating the old custom of having many wives and concubines and rectifying social customs and family etiquette.

Fourth: Strictly prohibit marriage between close relatives. Regardless of the distance between clans, marriage between people of similar blood is strictly prohibited to avoid the hidden dangers of weak offspring and clan decline.

The imperial edict caused an uproar.

Throughout history, having multiple concubines has been common practice among aristocratic families, and marriage between close relatives has been a common means for clans to consolidate their power.

The senior officials panicked on the spot and stepped forward to offer their advice.

"Prime Minister, this move is absolutely unacceptable!"

"These are timeless rules passed down from our ancestors; why does the Prime Minister insist on changing them?"

However, it was no use in arguing with them.

Ying Zheng sat upright on the dragon throne and simply issued an imperial edict: "The proposal submitted by Chancellor Song is beneficial to the country and the people. It shall be implemented throughout the country immediately."

The emperor's words were final, and no one dared to object.

As the new policy spread throughout the country, the people of the counties and prefectures were in an uproar.

Some people were puzzled, some questioned, and some watched from the sidelines, but for many more women from the lower classes, the moment they saw the legal provisions, a light called hope ignited in their eyes for the first time.

Women are no longer born inferior; they are finally able to stand tall and stand alongside men in the world.

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In August, Song also presented a new set of policies to support the poor.

All impoverished households with no able-bodied men, the elderly, the weak, or the destitute, or those who have suffered from disasters or whose land is barren and unable to support themselves, shall be registered and recorded by the local government of each prefecture and county.

The government would lend seeds and farming tools as appropriate, and suspend the collection of taxes. If the situation was really difficult, they could also directly distribute grain and cloth to ensure the survival of the family.

At the same time, it was stipulated that local officials should regularly visit rural areas to check the rosters, and that wealthy people should not fraudulently claim relief funds, nor should lower-ranking officials withhold relief supplies.

Any official who dares to embezzle funds will be severely punished.

The First Emperor nodded: "Granted. Order all prefectures and counties to implement this gradually, and report the results at the end of each year."

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In September, the two generals, Fan Kuai and Zhou Bo, successfully recovered the wild and undeveloped lands of the southwest.

After this battle, the Qin territory expanded once again, and the mountainous threat in the southwest that had plagued the region for a century was completely eradicated.

Taking advantage of the situation, the imperial court established prefectures and counties in this area, relocated people, and reclaimed wasteland, bringing the remote and wild southwestern territories under the control of the Qin Dynasty.

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In October, the people of all counties and prefectures of the Qin Dynasty were able to put on cotton-padded clothes as they had wished.

An old man wrapped his cotton coat tighter around himself, exhaled a puff of white breath, and chuckled as he muttered, "Oh, these precious clothes! In previous winters, I would wear the same linen coat for several years, it was full of holes, and the cold wind would seep straight into my bones."

"Who would have thought that we ordinary folks could wear such warm clothes nowadays!"

The woman carrying a bamboo basket next to her tugged at her sleeve, her face beaming with joy: "That's right! In previous years, we could only gather some dry grass to stuff into old clothes, which were stiff and prickly. Nothing compares to the comfort of these cotton clothes..."

"I heard from the local officials that this stuff can only be grown in the Western Regions..." He chuckled, then boomed, "I didn't expect that it would be so short, and the imperial court would have us wearing it!"

"In the past, only wealthy families could afford fur coats for warmth; we poor people couldn't even dream of it. Now, everyone in the family, young and old, has one, and the children no longer have to stay indoors in the freezing cold!"

Everyone chatted amongst themselves, gently touching their cotton-padded coats, their words filled with tenderness.

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In November, the main cement roads in various parts of Daqin were repaired.

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In December, there was new progress in rice seed cultivation.

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January, the New Year.

The hall was warmly lit, and the table was laden with steaming dishes, filling the room with their aroma.

Song Ye stared at the table full of delicious food, gradually becoming lost in thought.

This year is another New Year in which families cannot reunite.

Lu Shizhi was far away on Pingying Island, guarding the newly developed land there.

Han Xin, Xiang Yu, and the other three were on a northern expedition, separated by thousands of mountains and rivers. I wonder if they can have a hot meal right now.

Even Liu Bang was far away on the shores of the East China Sea, overseeing the construction of giant ships and guarding the still-developing blue ocean ambitions of the Qin Dynasty.

The group of people who used to gather together are now scattered in all directions, each guarding their own world.

The atmosphere inside the room quieted down, the usual liveliness replaced by a sense of distant longing.

Seeing the somber atmosphere, Lu Shaoqing took the lead in raising his wine glass, breaking the silence with a smile: "In the new year, may the soldiers on the front lines return safely, and may the four corners of the land be peaceful and secure!"

Empress Lü also raised her cup and softly replied, "May Brother Ping be well."

"I hope...we can have a reunion dinner next New Year," Song said with anticipation.