The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 106: Qin Tang is stable, and the three powers are separated.
The next morning, Ying Chengjiao saw Li Chong off with a grin on his face.

Then he looked at Bai Wuxia, whose face was as cold as ice, with a sad look, and said with a wry smile:
"Master Bai, why don't you go back too?"

"I will protect your safety. I will be wherever you are." Bai Wuxia's voice was emotionless.

"But I think it's safer if you leave! I'm only seven years old! I'm still growing! How can I get up in the middle of the night to practice martial arts! Besides, the middle of the night is not the best time to practice martial arts! You've made me so sore all over! How can I attend the banquet!"

"I have delayed Chang'an Jun from seeing the copper pipe beauty."

"Don't be so sarcastic. You forced me to touch your hand. I told you eight hundred times not to touch me."

A layer of frost formed on Bai Wuxia's face.

Morning is also a good time to practice martial arts.

Under the morning sun, Ying Chengjiao squatted in horse stance, sweating profusely, and felt like crying but had no tears.

[King Zhao, please come to my banquet soon! I will teach you how to play Mahjong!]
The first year of Qin Wangzhu’s reign, the first month, the tenth day.

Li Chong, the prime minister of Qin, arrived in Xianyang with the Qin delegation.

King Zichu of Qin, with tears in his eyes, praised Li Chong highly in the front hall of Xin Palace and appointed Li Chong as the governor of Longxi County (now Lanzhou and Gongchang in Gansu) for his merits.

In the Qin State's local official system, the county was the highest level administrative unit.

The county had three main officials who were not subordinate to each other: the county governor, the supervising censor, and the county lieutenant.

County Magistrate, the chief official of a county.

Silver seal and blue ribbon, rank of two thousand stones.

Most of the officers in border areas are military generals, while most of the officers in inland areas are civil servants.

The power of the county governors in Qin State was very great.

Except for the county magistrate and county chief who were directly appointed and dismissed by the imperial court, the censor who was responsible for supervising the county administration, and the county lieutenant who was responsible for commanding the garrison and managing public security, all other county officials were appointed and dismissed by the county governor.

The territory of Longxi County is extremely important, as can be seen from its name.

"Long" is the same as "Long", which means ridge of field.

The Qin people saw that the mountain range that stretched across the western part of the Guanzhong Plain looked like ridges of fields, so they called it Longshan.

To the west of Longshan is Longxi.

Located in Guanzhong, it was an important county of the Qin State.

Longxi County governs nine counties, resisting the Western Qiang on the right and protecting Xianyang on the left, making it a strategic location that military strategists must fight for.

Thanks to the precious land of Longxi County, Li Chong's family prospered for generations and was called the Longxi Li family, ranking among the seven surnames and ten families.

Li Xin, Li Guang and Li Shimin all came from here.

In the court, when Li Chong heard that King Zichu of Qin had appointed him as the governor of Longxi County, he burst into tears of gratitude and was extremely surprised.

He was a man favored by the Queen Mother, but it was incredible that he was entrusted with the important post of governor of Longxi County.

When Li Chong was sent as an envoy to the State of Zhao, the King of Qin was still Qin Zhu.

After he was sent as an envoy to the State of Zhao, the King of Qin became Qin Zichu.

He thought that after returning to Qin, he would only be a nominal and idle prime minister from then on, and it would be best if he did not get hated by the new King of Qin.

Unexpectedly, the new King of Qin gave him a county governorship that could not be more powerful, and that was Longxi County.

If it weren't for the Queen Mother's eyes being as sharp as a Qin sword, so aggressive, the old man really wanted to kowtow to the new King of Qin.

Li Chong, who originally had some complaints about the new King of Qin coming to power, now only felt that the new King of Qin was good, the new King of Qin was wonderful, and the new King of Qin coming to power was amazing.

What? You said the new King of Qin came to power illegally? The cause of the previous King's death is questionable?

The thief is bold!

Li Chong, the governor of Longxi County, will never allow anyone to slander the king! Please kill him!
After the court was dismissed, Li Chong met with Queen Dowager Huayang alone.

Empress Dowager Huayang was filled with emotion when she saw Li Chong again after nearly a month.

"Boyou, this trip is really hard for you."

Li Chong’s name is Chong, and his courtesy name is Boyou.

Li Chong knew that he was sent to be the governor of Longxi County. The central government had lost his capable assistant. The Queen Mother Huayang must be unhappy at this moment.

He did not continue with what Queen Mother Huayang said, but immediately expressed his loyalty.

"It's a long journey from Chongci to Longxi.

"It's been a tiring journey, and I'm afraid the children at home won't be able to bear it.

“Chong has one request.

"I beg the Queen Mother to take care of Chong's grandson Li Xin. Chong will be very grateful."

It was common for officials sent to foreign capitals to leave their direct descendants as hostages, and this had been the case since ancient times.

But Li Chong didn't need to stay this time.

Qin Wang Zichu said it very clearly in the court:

"You are going to Longxi, and all the family members should go with you."

At this moment, Li Chong said that he wanted to leave his legitimate grandson Li Xin to be taken care of by Queen Dowager Huayang. Although the words sounded nice, he was actually still a hostage.

He comforted Queen Mother Huayang and made it clear that he would not side with Prince Chu of Qin.

Queen Mother Huayang was silent for a moment:

"Alright."

Li Chong smiled.

The Queen Mother Huayang agreed, which meant she believed him.

Li Chong was smiling on the surface, but he felt a little sad in his heart.

The Qin prince Chu gave him the title of prefect of Longxi County, but it did not shake his loyalty to the Queen Mother Huayang.

The Queen Mother Huayang was so determined to keep her grandson as a hostage. Did she really not trust Li Chong? She didn't even bother to refuse?

Even if Queen Dowager Huayang repeatedly declined, Li Chong would still keep Li Xin in the end, otherwise Li Chong would feel uneasy.

Frank people think this kind of refusal is hypocritical, but it is necessary most of the time because that is human nature.

Queen Mother Huayang was silent for a moment, and then she felt that it was about time, and said:

"The prince studied literature, and Wang Wan was his companion.

“I think that there should be a talent for practicing martial arts.

“Let your grandson practice martial arts with the prince.

"Living in the palace, I can be close by and take care of him."

Li Chong was overjoyed and knelt down and kowtowed.

It is a great thing that my grandson can grow up with the prince. This is what it means to be friends since childhood!
The slight unhappiness in his heart swelled into gratitude. He didn't expect that the care the Queen Mother mentioned was really care.

This is the brilliance of Queen Dowager Huayang.

Arranging Li Xin to be the prince's tutor was a display of strength, and she had not yet fallen.

If you say it directly, Li Chong will be grateful, but not this grateful.

Make Li Chong unhappy first, then say it out loud, and then the previous unhappiness will turn into tenfold gratitude.

Creating a gap before giving in is one of the simplest ways to control your subordinates.

If someone just demands for a blow without giving it in return, or if what he gives is far less than what he demands for, that is PUA, so stay away from it.

Queen Dowager Huayang calmly accepted Li Chong's nod before letting him stand up.

"Where's Cheng Jiao? Didn't that guy come back with you?"

Although Li Chong had been back for a short time, he had a general understanding of the situation in Xianyang after he left.

"When Chong left, Chang'an Jun was still attending a banquet in Zhao State. Judging from the situation... it seems that he has no intention of returning."

Queen Dowager Huayang sighed imperceptibly and glanced at Mi Huang, who was like an elf beside her.

[This child, please don’t let anything happen to you…]
The Palace of Observation and Diligence in Learning.

After attending the morning court, Ying Zheng sat upright on a straw mat.

His teacher today is a woman - Ji Yaoyao.

Wang Wan was not in the palace.

Every time Ji Yaoyao attended class, Ying Zheng was the only one present.

Ji Yaoyao was wearing a plain outfit, a green gown that hung from top to bottom.

Her hair was tied into a ponytail, her eyes were gentle, and her words were gentle.

"The king appointed Li Chong as the governor of Longxi County, won over Li Chong, divided the power of the Queen Mother Huayang in the court, and paved the way for Lü Buwei.

"Li Chong's promotion made the people of the Chu faction see the king's love for talent and the possibility of promotion by leaving the Chu faction, so their hearts were moved.

"Lü Buwei was appointed Prime Minister for his military exploits in destroying the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, but his power has only just begun to be displayed.

"He was originally the chief secretary of the prime minister, helping Wei Zhe, and had an innate advantage over Wei Zhe's former subordinates. Now that he has absorbed Wei Zhe's forces, he will take advantage of Li Chong's transfer to another place to take action against his relatives."

Ying Zheng was not very interested, but he was listening attentively.

He doesn't agree with power politics, but he will work hard to learn.

As the heir of Qin, he may not use political tactics, but he must know them. Ying Zheng was silent for a moment, forcing himself to think about the problem, and asked:

“Madam, is the king so sure that he can win Li Chong’s heart?
"If Li Chong is still the Queen Mother's man, then wouldn't this be raising a tiger to cause trouble?"

Ji Yaoyao's phoenix eyes were narrowed and her smile was bright and gentle.

"You, your thoughts are still on yourself.

"That's right, you are only two years older than Jiao'er, you are still too young.

"The reason you are wondering about this is that you think the king and Queen Mother Huayang are in an antagonistic relationship, right?"

Ying Zheng nodded.

"Is not it?"

Ji Yaoyao shook her head gently.

"of course not.

"Lü Buwei, the Queen Mother Huayang, Li Chong, and Qin Xi are all the same to Your Majesty, they are all people who work for the State of Qin.

"Lü Buwei is good at domestic affairs, better than the Queen Mother Huayang, so let Lü Buwei have more power in the central government.

"With Li Chong transferred out of the capital, Queen Mother Huayang's influence in the central government has been reduced, and Your Majesty has achieved his goal.

“As for whether Li Chong can be used by the king, if he can, that would be the best.

“No, then this is an opportunity that the king is giving to Queen Mother Huayang.

"Whether Queen Dowager Huayang takes Longxi County for her own use or is devoted to serving the public will determine the king's attitude towards her.

"If it is the former, then there is no need to say more. Just wait and see the thundering measures. Think about how Queen Dowager Xuan died. If it is the latter, then it is to use local relatives to limit the power of central civil servants.

"Lü Buwei's power is immense, but it only reaches the sky of Xianyang. If his tentacles extend beyond the borders, the king will allow the Queen Mother Huayang to cut them off.

"Your Majesty will reserve a portion of power for the Queen Mother Huayang in the central government, and unite with the power of Weiyang Lord Qin Qi, who has become the leader of the clan, to form two weak factions against one strong one.

“The three forces are intertwined and check and balance each other.

"If one family does not dominate, then it will not threaten the king's power. If it does not threaten the king's power, then what kind of enemy are they? They are all loyal ministers serving the Qin State.

"look."

Ji Yaoyao pointed outside the window.

Ying Zheng looked over there.

An old man who looked very similar to Prime Minister Wei Zhe entered the Council Hall.

"Wei Zhe, the king has invited you back again." Ji Yaoyao looked as if she had guessed this a long time ago. "The king will not let anyone who is beneficial to the Qin State go."

Looking at Wei Zhe, Ying Zheng thought of the day in the front hall of Xin Palace when the king and the old prime minister were competing against each other, and he began to understand what the political game was all about.

He was like a shriveled sponge, absorbing water eagerly.

At present, except Ying Chengjiao, no one knows whether he can suck up a handful of water or suck out a river.

Even Zhao Ji, who was most optimistic about her own children, could not have imagined that ten years later, the Qin State would be faced with a vast ocean.

After Ji Yaoyao finished her lesson, a palace maid stopped her at the door.

The maid bowed and said respectfully:

"Madam Ji, the Queen invites you."

Since Ji Yaotiao became the queen, the palace servants no longer had to worry about how to address each other when both Madam Ji were present.

Madam Ji smiled and went to see the Queen of Qin.

When they arrived at the queen's bedroom, Ji Yaotiao came to greet them in person and held Ji Yaoyao's hand.

"Yaoyao is here."

Ji Yaoyao bowed slightly.

"Meet the Queen."

"...There's no need to be so distant." Ji Yaotiao forced a smile and said, "Since I heard the lesson you taught Zheng'er, I no longer hate you."

"The Queen is generous, but I am not."

"Yaoyao." Ji Yaotiao interrupted him and said cheerfully: "When will Cheng Jiao come back? Let's go out together. I heard that the winter scenery of Mount Li has a unique charm. We can..."

Ji Yaoyao remained silent and just listened.

As Ji Yaotiao was talking, she stopped talking and remained silent along with the gentle Ji Yaoyao.

After a long while, Ji Yaoyao leaned forward again:

"If the queen has nothing important to do, Yaoyao will take her leave."

Ji Yaotiao's charming face dimmed:
"Yaoyao, does it have to be like this?"

"Yaoyao doesn't know what the queen is talking about."

"Zheng'er became the crown prince, and everyone in the palace fawned on me, as if all the people around me were good people. I almost forgot the malice and disregard I suffered when I first came to Qin."

"The queen is the model mother of the Qin State, and all the officials look up to her and pay homage to her."

"Yaoyao!" Ji Yaotiao shouted.

She stood up, her delicate face trembling slightly.

Facing that face that always seemed to be gentle and kind, it was actually full of resentment:

"I don't care about your assassination, why do you keep pushing me away? You and Cheng Jiao were the only ones who treated my mother and me sincerely before Zheng'er became the crown prince. Why is it that after Zheng'er became the crown prince, you..."

Ji Yaoyao looked at the tears flashing in the queen's eyes and sighed softly.

She touched Ji Yaotiao's pretty face, her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and all the tenderness was immediately replaced by strength!

“Cheng Jiao doesn’t want to be king.

“I love my son, so I won’t argue.

“But this is the throne.

"As long as you are qualified, it is a sin and cannot be washed away.

"I'll stay away from you, wash as hard as I can, and keep washing, so that you can feel at ease.

“You’re not happy, but at least we’re all safe.

"If I were a little closer, just a little bit closer, you would wonder if I was going to fight for the throne.

"Sister, you have lived alone in Handan for eight years with Zheng'er, so you should understand this principle."

Ji Yaotiao grabbed Ji Yaoyao's hand and took a step forward with her chest puffed out.

“The conspiracy and calculation are you Koreans!

"We Zhao people must repay our kindness and pay our debts!"

Ji Yaoyao looked at Ji Yaotiao as if she was a child who had not grown up, and sneered:
"I won't argue with you. You can think whatever you want. Anyway, I won't be in Qin for many days. Today is my last lesson for Zheng'er."

"……Where are you going?"

"Go back to Korea." Ji Yaoyao pulled back her hand: "Leave in three days."

She turned and left, waving her hand behind her.

He looked extremely relaxed, as if he had thrown off a burden he had been carrying for years.

"I don't want Qin Zichu anymore. I'll give him to my sister. There's really nothing worth staying in Qin."

"What about Cheng Jiao?" The Queen of Qin shouted behind him, "Don't you even want your son? Aren't you going to wait for your son to come back?"

Ji Yaoyao did not answer.

Her face was rosy and her steps were light, like a peach blossom floating in the air.

Recipe, Shining.

This pink peach blossom was infatuated with power. She gave advice to her husband, Qin Zichu, and achieved fruitful results in the Qin State.

Now she realized that she didn't need so many fruits, just one would be enough.

"How could this child return to Qin? He is much more stubborn than you, Ji Yaotiao.

“The knot in his heart cannot be untied, and he will never return to Xianyang in this lifetime.

“The flood in Guanzhong must be resolved, and he will not sit idly by.

"There is only one water engineer in the world who can manage it, and that is Zheng Guo of my country, South Korea."

Government Hall.

After Qin Wang Zichu exchanged greetings with Huang Shigong, they had a long conversation.

Near the end, Prince Qin Chu was silent for a moment, pursed his lips and smiled self-deprecatingly.

"Mr. Huang Shi, do you think that guy really dislikes me?"

Huang Shigong was slightly stunned when he heard this.

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

　I'm a bit stuck, only 4k today, I'll sort out the outline

　　
　
(End of this chapter)