If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1083 A Tea Party with the Former King of the Ying Clan

“If I had come to Xianyang fifty years ago, I would most likely have been beheaded by Emperor Renzong. Many of his policies were too extreme, and he was also stubborn and self-willed. I also have a stubborn temper, so if I had run into him, it would definitely not have ended well,” Xiaoyu said with a smile.

Mi Yue shook her head and said, "While Grand Tutor Yu's words are not entirely wrong, they somewhat underestimate Ying Zheng's magnanimity."

He is indeed determined and uncompromising, but he is also very intelligent and can distinguish right from wrong.

Grand Tutor Yu has profound truths. Even if he doesn't agree with them at first, he is willing to give you the opportunity to put them into practice and verify them.

He will only kill you if you are wrong.

You're right; he will become even more steadfast in implementing your ideas than you are.

Xiao Yu pondered for a moment and said, "That's right. Without the ability to recognize talent and the capacity to tolerate others, not all the heroes of the world would have come to Qin."

Without the allegiance of heroes, Emperor Zheng alone could not establish the first dynasty in China.

"Ying Zheng is indeed a good lad!" Ying Dang casually agreed, then frowned and asked, "Grand Tutor Yu, could you explain the theory of 'the Ancestral Dragon is not a dragon vein' in more detail? I don't quite understand it."

Upon hearing this, several Kings of Qin nodded repeatedly, their faces showing anticipation.

However, several former kings, such as Ying Dang and his brother, and his stepmother (Mi Yue), did not hide their disdainful looks.

King Mu said directly, "You don't understand. I'll explain it to you slowly later. Don't delay Grand Tutor Yu from discussing important matters now."

"Ancestor, I don't understand any of this, how can we talk about serious matters?" Ying Dang said, feeling somewhat aggrieved.

His brother Ying Ji immediately said, "We're here, Your Majesty, you just need to listen quietly."

“I’m not at ease with your lack of decisiveness,” Ying Dang said.

Mi Yue ignored him, only looking at Xiao Yu with gentle phoenix eyes, and asked, "The Qinling Mountains' earth vein energy has become more active and abundant, which is the effect of clearing the meridians of the southeastern land."

But now even the dragon's aura has increased significantly. What could be the reason?

This time, Xiaoyu hesitated for a moment before saying, "I met a hidden dragon in the southeast. His family's ancestral grave contained a dragon of imperial caliber, but it was recently dug up and severed."

I gave him a proper burial for that dragon vein.

Perhaps the earth has a spirit, and so do the dragon veins.

The remaining dragon energy inexplicably traveled to the Qinling Mountains and merged into the Ying clan's dragon vein.

"Slap!" Mi Yue slapped her hand hard and exclaimed excitedly, "Just as I thought!"

Xiaoyu asked curiously, "What? It really is so?"

Mi Yue smiled and said, "Didn't the Grand Tutor ask us earlier if the Qinling dragon vein had ever grown as rapidly as it has today?"
In fact, the changes in the aura of the ancestral dragon in the Qinling Mountains when Qin conquered the various states in the past are very similar to those at this time.

Every time a country was conquered and a large territory was brought under the rule of the Qin Dynasty, the Qinling Mountains would immediately pulsate with energy.

The dragon's energy has increased significantly.

Previously, we all had our own guesses, but I personally believe that it might be that you, Grand Tutor Yu, destroyed some hidden dragon.

Ying Dang clapped his hands and laughed, "Now I understand. As long as we continue to destroy the Hidden Dragon, dig up the Hidden Dragon's ancestral graves, and sever the dragon vein, my Great Qin Ancestral Dragon can plunder its dragon energy and continuously strengthen itself."

Xiao Yu shook his head and said, "That's not the case. If the Great Qin were to dig up the hidden dragon vein, there would only be a backlash, not any benefit whatsoever."

“Grand Tutor Yu, ignore him. He didn’t even understand the theory that ‘the Ancestral Dragon is not a dragon vein,’ so how could he understand what you’re saying?” Mi Yue said.

Ying Dang was unconvinced and shouted, "Didn't you just say that you guessed that Grand Tutor Yu had destroyed a certain hidden dragon?"

"At that time, I didn't understand Grand Tutor Yu's 'Ancestral Dragon Theory'!"

Mi Yue looked at Xiao Yu again and sighed, "Now it seems that my magnanimity is still too narrow."

I only thought of plundering the dragon's energy from the hidden dragon.

Grand Tutor Yu did not eliminate the Hidden Dragon.

After the two dragons devoured each other, the Grand Tutor, with a compassionate and benevolent heart, practiced the "Way of the First Dragon's Stepmother" and transformed the dragon's energy.

The dragon was moved by the benevolence of the ancestral dragon's stepmother and took the initiative to come to serve.

Alas, in the past, we Qin people despised the Confucian doctrine of benevolence the most.

Only today do I realize that Legalism has its merits, and Confucianism has its wonders!

Xiaoyu exclaimed in surprise, "The Empress Dowager's change of mind is truly unimaginable."

Mi Yue said, "What's so hard to imagine? I'm not a fool like Ying Dang. I can understand the theories you're talking about. They're concise and to the point, truly profound truths!"

Ying Dang wanted to shout, but was glared at by his father, Ying Si.

Xiao Yu said, "I thought that the Empress Dowager was like Li Si and Feng Quji, insisting that the ancestral laws could not be changed, clinging to the Legalist school and refusing to let go, while scorning and disdaining the Confucian benevolence and righteousness."

Ying Qian laughed and said, "Grand Tutor Yu, you are underestimating the former kings."

Our Qin Dynasty became powerful precisely because of its reforms.

Before Shang Yang came to Qin, we learned from the Zhou Dynasty and the barbarians, and followed the customs of the Rong and Di tribes. We learned from whoever was stronger.

Reforming the laws to adapt to the new global situation is the ancestral principle of my Ying clan.

Xiaoyu paused for a moment, then, thinking about his life experiences, she had a sudden realization.

The rise of the Qin state undoubtedly began with Shang Yang's reforms.

Shang Yang was able to implement his new laws in Qin thanks in large part to the strong support of Ying Qian in the early stages.

However, Shang Yang's laws were too harsh. Ying Qian, who was the brother of the King of Qin and the tutor of the Crown Prince, was subjected to the punishment of nose amputation by Shang Yang.

For any person of dignity and high status, let alone nose amputation, even tattooing on the face would be an unacceptable and humiliating punishment.

The Crown Prince's tutor was humiliated, and Crown Prince Ying Si (Mi Yue's husband) was also ashamed. In fact, Ying Qian's nose amputation was because Ying Si had broken the law. The Crown Prince broke the law, and the tutor was punished.

After King Xiao of Qin died, Shang Yang was immediately killed by Ying Qian and Ying Si.

They killed Shang Yang, yet they insisted on keeping his laws unchanged.

This was quite rare at the time.

Because reforms would inevitably greatly harm the interests of the ruling class.

The Qin Dynasty was not the only country to implement reforms, nor was it even the first of the feudal lords to do so.

But the Qin Dynasty was the only one that persisted with its reforms until the very end.

In other countries, each generation of monarchs implements reforms, but the next monarch, unable to withstand the pressure or for short-term gains, rescinds the reforms. The once-powerful nations then rapidly decline, some even falling into ruin.

The Ying family's efforts, built upon the legacy of six generations, are truly remarkable.

Xiao Yu sighed, “Wise and magnanimous rulers like you are few and far between in the world.”

But you do not represent the Ying clan as a whole, much less the high-ranking officials in the court.

Ying Qian certainly has absolutely nothing to do with being magnanimous.

He is petty, ruthless, and holds grudges.

He killed Shang Yang but upheld Shang Yang's laws because he possessed great wisdom and perseverance.

These former Qin kings all possessed great wisdom and courage to implement reforms during their lifetimes.

Upon hearing the theory of changing ancestral practices, one naturally accepts it quickly.

King Mu's eyes flickered slightly as he asked, "Grand Tutor Yu, what are your thoughts and suggestions regarding the current upheavals in the court?"

“I’ll just observe quietly. I have no suggestions,” Xiaoyu said. “Li Si, Marquis Lieyang, and Zhao Gao support Prince Huhai as emperor. Do you agree? In your opinion, does Huhai have the qualities of a sage ruler?” King Mu pressed.

Xiao Yu said decisively, "If he becomes emperor, he will most likely be a ruler who brings about the downfall of his country."

Ying Qian asked in surprise, "Hu Hai is exceptionally intelligent, respectful to scholars, humble, and eager to learn."

The key qualities are forbearance, strength, decisiveness, and perseverance. Why then did Grand Tutor Yu have such a negative opinion of him?

Xiao Yu asked in surprise, "With the Grand Tutor's discerning eye and his control and understanding of Xianyang, how could he give Hu Hai such a high evaluation?"

Ying Qian pondered for a moment and said, "I haven't paid much attention to Hu Hai in the past, but I do know quite a bit about him."

When Emperor Renhuang was still alive, he liked Huhai quite a bit and thought he was very smart.

Zhao Gao was well-versed in law, so Ying Zheng appointed him as Hu Hai's teacher.

Even though Ying Zheng had been dead for ten years, Hu Hai still attended classes every day, studying the Qin laws under Zhao Gao's guidance.

Understanding the laws of the Qin Dynasty is equivalent to being familiar with the Qin system and how the country actually operates, so you won't be fooled by lower-level officials.

Having studied law for nearly twenty years, Hu Hai's scholarship surpasses that of all the princes.

Xiaoyu had some doubts.

Based on his preconceived notions from his past life, Hu Hai was a spendthrift and foolish pig.

The idiom "calling a deer a horse" alone is enough to prove how foolish, slow-witted, and easily deceived Hu Hai was.

Xiao Yu asked, "Do the Grand Tutor and the former kings have any plans to interfere in the matter of the crown prince?"

Mi Yue sighed, "The most useless words in this world are not the nonsense spoken by fools, but the words of the dead."

Ying Dang exclaimed, "You don't need to be so self-deprecating. We are all ancestors of the Ying clan. If we send them dreams, would they dare to disobey?"

Mi Yue said irritably, "They have no soldiers or power, and they are all cowardly and timid. What can you expect them to do?"

You must appear in a dream to Marquis Lieyang, to Li Si, Feng Quji, and to Zhao Gao.

Ying Dang hesitated and said, "We died too young. We weren't familiar with the important officials in the court, and more importantly, we had no favors to them. If Ying Zheng were here, his dream would definitely be of some use."

“You’re talking nonsense! If Ying Zheng were in Fudi, he would have designated his heir ten years ago,” said King Xiao of Qin.

Ying Dang sighed and remained silent.

Xiao Yu said, "Your Majesties are the ancestors of the Ying clan. You should have some sense of which of your descendants will bring prosperity to the family, right?"

To be honest, I'm not very familiar with even Prince Gao, who is closest to me.

Regarding this selection of a new emperor, I will basically observe quietly, and I hope they will allow me to do the same.

Mi Yue hesitated and said, "At this moment, we, the ancestors of the Ying clan, dare not make a decision on our own."

Before Grand Tutor Yu returned to Xianyang, we had already been chatting idly here for two days and one night.

There was still no result.

First, we all have self-awareness.

The high-ranking officials in the court have their own considerations and interests; they will not listen to us, nor dare they listen to us.

In the matter of selecting a new emperor, obeying the late king's orders would certainly lead to being disliked and rejected by the new emperor.

Given the magnitude of the event—ruining their careers and even costing their entire families their lives—would any court official dare to act recklessly?
Secondly, the First Emperor is dead, and Heaven's will is to destroy the Qin Dynasty. If we try to judge which prince will bring more prosperity to the Qin Dynasty by sensing the will of Heaven and the destiny of the people, we may be misled by the ominous aura and make decisions contrary to the truth.

At this point, she looked intently at Xiaoyu, "Compared to ourselves, I trust Grand Tutor Yu more now."

Grand Tutor Yu remained clear-headed and rational throughout, possessing great wisdom and magnanimity, and was almost unaffected by the calamity.

Today, we have all witnessed firsthand how, under your guidance, the Qinling Mountains are brimming with vitality.

"In the future, when hidden dragons devour each other, their dragon veins will be severed one by one, and the dragon energy of the Qin Dynasty will grow stronger day by day. The hope for the Qin Dynasty's revival rests in the hands of the Grand Tutor!"

"I understand what you mean and I completely agree!" Ying Dang quickly asserted his presence, shouting loudly, "We won't dig up the dragon veins; we'll just sit in Guanzhong and watch the tigers fight amongst themselves. The dragon veins of our Great Qin will be full of vitality, hahaha!"

Xiaoyu was speechless and said, "Even if the hidden dragons fight and kill each other, they may not necessarily sever the dragon vein."

Especially now, I have publicly executed the sorcerer who severed the dragon vein with heavenly lightning.

The news will spread sooner or later, and other diviners will take it as a warning.

All that's needed is to kill the vassal kings who are vying for hegemony; there's no need to sever the dragon vein, which is destined to die, ruining one's own destiny and potentially attracting divine lightning.

"If Your Majesty wishes to emulate the Song people, waiting passively for the dragon's energy from all directions to flow into the Qinling Mountains, that is impossible."

Ying Dang immediately showed a look of disappointment and asked unwillingly, "After the Hidden Dragon dies, the dragon vein disappears, and the dragon energy also flows away, doesn't it? Where does it flow to?"

Xiao Yu said, "If the Hidden Dragon dies, the Dragon Vein will perish. The essence within the Dragon Vein will nourish the earth and strengthen the earth veins of the Nine Provinces."

This is also one of my important purposes, or rather, a significant achievement, in clearing the geomantic veins of the southeast.

"I, as the Celestial Master of the Great Qin Dynasty, am using the aura of the Ying Clan's Ancestral Dragon to accomplish this task."

Xiao Yu had a smug look on his face, and then he glanced at the Qin kings with a meaningful look. "Your Majesties, do you understand what this means?"

"What do you mean?" Ying Dang asked.

After a moment's thought, Mi Yue became excited.

After the dragon vein of the Hidden Dragon dies, it not only does not harm the earth's energy, but also nourishes the land. This is a great merit!

This merit was accomplished by the "Grand Tutor of Qin".

Grand Tutor Yu certainly has merits herself, but she is also accumulating blessings for the Ying family.

King Mu abruptly stood up, respectfully cupped his hands, and bowed deeply, saying, "On behalf of the Ying clan, I thank the Grand Tutor for his great kindness!"

Mi Yue, King Xiao, Ying Si, Ying Qian, and others also showed gratitude and stood up to bow to Grand Tutor Yu.

Ying Dang and the other "foolish Qin kings" hurriedly got up and thanked him with confused expressions.

Xiao Yu rose to return the greeting, saying, "This is the duty of the Great Qin Celestial Master; there is no need for such a grand ceremony."

King Mu asked, "With the land of the Nine Provinces nourished, will my ancestral dragon, as the 'stepmother,' also flourish?"

Xiao Yu sighed, "I'm about to dissolve the surging dragon energy in the Qinling Mountains. The dragon energy will only weaken, it won't increase anymore."

King Mu was taken aback for a moment, then quickly asked, "What do you mean by dissolving the dragon's aura?"
"The dragon's aura is surging, signifying the endless prosperity of the Qin Dynasty—isn't that a good thing?"

Xiao Yu said, "The Ancestral Dragon is dead. If those foreign dragon energies are merged into the Ying Clan's Ancestral Dragon, the energy will surely die."

It's like a martial artist channeling their life force into a dead person.

The dead will not come back to life, and a martial artist's life force will instead turn into death energy.

The dragon's energy will eventually dissipate, so what's the point?
Instead, we should separate the external dragon energy from the corpse of the ancestral dragon and let it naturally integrate into the Qinling Mountains' veins, increasing the Qinling Mountains' energy and nourishing the Guanzhong Plain.

This is more practical and will bring more blessings to the Ying family.

In this lifetime, the destiny of the Qin Dynasty's demise cannot be changed.

The Qin Dynasty perished, but the Pangu world was not destroyed.

If the six states were able to restore their kingdoms, and if the Ying clan were to accumulate virtue now, they could certainly build upon the achievements of the previous six generations and make the Qin dynasty great again.

At least, by accumulating good karma now, when I lead the Ying clan westward, I will surely be able to establish a great Western Qin Empire in the west.”

(End of this chapter)