The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 107: A series of plots! My noble man, the one who sent you to be a ghost
Qin Wang Zichu's expression quickly returned to normal. He tilted his head slightly, waved his hand and said with a smile:

"Nothing, I just regret sending that bastard to Xianyang Prison."

Sigh.

"Ba, Shu, and Guanzhong have been hit by floods for years. What should we do? Is there anything Mr. Huangshi can teach me?"

Huang Shigong had already prepared a plan for this. After expressing everything he was thinking, he added another sentence.

"Your Majesty should summon all the ministers to discuss this national policy."

"Please wait a moment, Lord Huangshi. I will summon Lü Buwei, Lord Biao, Shi Cang, Qin Qi, Mi Chen and others."

"Your Majesty, please summon me yourself. I am not in a position to be here. Your Majesty's majesty comes with difficulty but goes with ease. How can you let me be punished?"

"Mr. Huang Shi is truly a national hero." King Zichu of Qin was deeply moved.

After Huang Shigong left, the key ministers of Qin State came to the Council Hall one after another and expressed their opinions.

Lu Buwei believed that trade routes could be used to open up Ba and Shu.

Among the seven private chambers of commerce, the Lu Chamber of Commerce was founded the shortest, and was founded by Lu Buwei's grandfather.

The second is the Bashu Chamber of Commerce, which emerged out of nowhere thirty years after King Huiwen of Qin sent Sima Cuo to attack Ba and Shu. It mainly deals in cinnabar and is extremely mysterious.

“Your Majesty, although the Bashu Chamber of Commerce has stores in various countries, they are mostly concentrated in the capitals of various countries.

"Because the Bashu Chamber of Commerce is located in the northwest, if you want to enter the Central Plains, you have to go through Qin. But Qin doesn't like merchants and has strict laws, so the Bashu Chamber of Commerce has been unable to leave for so many years.

"If Your Majesty is willing to lift the blockade and eliminate the slavery of merchants, Buwei is willing to go to Bashu, open up the trade route between Guanzhong and Bashu, and promote the integration of the people of Guanzhong and Bashu."

Shi Cang, the Internal Secretary who was in charge of Qin's money and grain, disagreed.

"The Qin State blockaded not Bashu, but the entire country.

"Everyone should stay in their own village or township. No one should leave without being called up for war. This will prevent population concealment and facilitate management.

“And merchants must also be suppressed, and their status as inferiors cannot change.

"Merchants buy low and sell high, they don't produce food, they don't contribute manpower, but their lives are better than farmers. If the court doesn't suppress them, farmers will all run away to become merchants, so who will farm and fight for Qin?

"The prime minister cannot elevate the status of merchants and change the country's politics just because he is a businessman. It is wrong to harm the interests of the country and benefit oneself."

The two argued endlessly, their faces red and their necks thick.

Lu Buwei proposed a system where civilians, merchants, workers and officials were treated equally, with everyone doing their own job and the country being stable, and only then could difficulties be overcome quickly.

Shi Cang firmly believed that continuing to implement Shang Yang's laws, issuing orders immediately, and strictly controlling the Qin people was the right way to go.

When it was Duke Biao's turn to speak, the veteran general looked at Lü Buwei and Shi Cang and liked Lü Buwei, who had destroyed the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and led troops in battles, and he agreed with Lü Buwei's move.

“When I was in battle, I killed every deserter I found.

"If you kill too slowly, the people around this deserter will also become deserters.

"With the Bashu Chamber of Commerce, Bashu will step out. We can no longer allow Bashu to remain a country within Qin."

The sound in the council hall died down until nightfall.

On the second day of court, Prince Chu of Qin announced the measures discussed at the meeting and asked the ministers to fill in the gaps.

The speeches of other ministers were mediocre and just improved upon the measures taken at the small meeting.

Only the Imperial Counselor Wei Zhuang put forward a new point of view.

“The people of Ba and Shu are difficult to join, not because they are strong, but because the roads to Ba and Shu are dangerous.

"If the court could build several large plank roads that could support the five-horse carriages, and the elite soldiers could enter Ba and Shu at any time, would the people of Ba and Shu still dare to rebel?"

King Chu of Qin thought it was a great idea and adopted it when the court was dismissed. He let Wei Zhuang, who had made good suggestions, be responsible for building a plank road connecting Guanzhong to Ba and Shu.

Ying Zheng, who was sitting on a small chair listening to government affairs, took another look at Wei Zhuang and thought that this man was very powerful.

With his advice, Wei Zhuang caught the attention of Qin Prince Chu and his son Ying Zheng for the first time, and they remembered his name.

Five days later, Prime Minister Lu Buwei set out for Ba and Shu, carrying the king's order to find the mysterious Bashu Chamber of Commerce and negotiate with it.

Eight days later, Wei Zhuang set out towards Ba and Shu, and recruited local people to build plank roads.

Thirteen days later, Li Chong went to Longxi County to serve as the county magistrate.

Before leaving, King Zichu of Qin issued a royal order, requiring him to ensure the safety of Xianyang and be able to defend against the Western Qiang, and to send additional soldiers from Longxi County to Ba and Shu to serve Li Bing, and the Dujiangyan project could not be delayed.

Within a month, the Qin war machine was started without any war and began its self-inspection program.

In addition to these big events, there were also some small things happening.

When Crown Prince Ying Zheng was practicing martial arts, he had three more martial arts companions.

They are the grandsons of the veteran general Meng Ao and the two brothers Meng Tian and Meng Yi.

Li Xin, grandson of Li Chong, the governor of Longxi County.

Ji Yaoyao left Qin and returned to Han, and there was no Madam Ji in Qin anymore.

Wang Jian, a military marquis who crossed the class barrier and became a low-ranking general, sent a letter through the channels of the Lu's Chamber of Commerce to Prince Cheng Jiao, who was far away in Zhao State and had not returned for a long time.

[My son is about to reach adulthood. Please give him a name. 】

Zhao State, posthouse.

Ying Chengjiao lay on the bed and read the handwritten letter sent by Wang Jian.

He picked up the pen and wrote a reply on the sheepskin with a fishy smell, writing only one word.

【Ben.】

Ying Chengjiao handed the sheepskin to Bai Wuxia.

"Take it and send it back to Xianyang."

Bai Wuxia didn't even look at it, but coldly put it back into her arms, then handed over a thick roll of bamboo slips.

"Your Majesty."

Ying Chengjiao said "Oh" and pointed at the table that the King of Zhao had sent craftsmen to build.
"Just leave it there for now."

The table was the latest popular furniture among the upper class of Zhao State, and it was matched with the chairs.

Originally, there were no tables in Zhao State. There were only low desks, which were used for reading books and placing objects while sitting at a table.

A chair with a backrest that can be sat on was born.

When people sit on the chair, the original desk cannot even reach their knees, which is extremely inconvenient.

There was no need for Ying Chengjiao to suggest it, the desk with higher height - the table - came into being.

When it comes to improving your enjoyment, you only need to open a small hole, and then let this hole expand. You can always trust the nobles on this point.

Bai Wuxia did not obey the order, but unfolded the bamboo slips.

Wang Ling: If Chang'an Jun doesn't read it here, open it immediately.

After just one glance, Bai Wuxia immediately closed the bamboo slips with a "rustle", his face a little pale.

She stared at her little disciple, her eyes full of disbelief.

Ying Chengjiao shrank back into the bed with a bad look on his face.

"Bai Wuxia, I have something important to do tonight. If you dare to ask me to practice martial arts again, I will touch your breasts after you fall asleep."

Bai Wuxia was surprisingly not angry. She walked quickly to the bed, placed the bamboo slips on the bed, and only unfolded one bamboo piece.

Ying Chengjiao was full of suspicion and looked down:

"It's so mysterious. Let me see what it says. A spy from the State of Zhao, huh?"

His pupils shrank, and he grabbed Bai Wuxia's hand and unfolded a bamboo piece.

[Zhao Yu, a retainer of Pingyuan Lord Zhao Sheng, a cook, one of the twenty retainers who accompanied Zhao Sheng to the State of Chu, poisoned Zhao Sheng...]

Ying Chengjiao's hands were trembling a little as he grasped Bai Wuxia's hands and opened them little by little.

Bai Wuxia, who believed that Young Master Chengjiao was a pervert, did not notice that her hand was being held, and continued to unfold the bamboo slips according to the power of the pervert.

After reading half of it, Ying Chengjiao was sure what it was. It was a list of Qin's spies in various countries, recording the names of the spies, their positions, experiences, and how they were employed, in great detail.

Remember this bamboo slip, and you can command all the Qin spies in other countries.

"Master Bai, don't go out, just stand inside the door. Guard the door and don't let anyone in." Ying Chengjiao said in a serious tone.

"Yes." Bai Wuxia responded formally.

Stand in front of the door and wait attentively.

Ying Chengjiao originally wanted to move the bamboo slips to another place, but failed because they were too heavy.

If you can't move it, don't move it.

He didn't do anything else unnecessary and started again from the first four words "Zhao State's spy".

He only read the name of the first spy, Zhao Yu, and the hundreds of words of his resume, reading it over and over again.

"I was wondering how Zhao Sheng could be so angry at me, it's such a joke... I see.

"Zhao Sheng's death is just the first step. What a chain of schemes!

"Lin Xiangru, father, Lu Buwei... they are indeed people who will leave their names in history. I still need to practice..."

Ying Chengjiao read this huge bamboo slip from the afternoon when he got it to noon the next day.

Needless to say, no one comes to disturb us at night.

During the day, important officials of the State of Zhao kept coming to invite Ying Chengjiao to their house for a chat, and the eunuchs of King Dan of Zhao even came twice.

The entrance of the post house was even busier than the market, and the people coming and going seemed to have lowered the threshold.

Throw the bamboo slips into the brazier and watch the flames burn until the bamboo slips are reduced to ashes.

Ying Chengjiao rubbed his eyes.

"Wuxia, I'm going to sleep for a while."

I lay down on the bed and fell asleep instantly.

Bai Wuxia was also very sleepy.

She endured as long as Ying Chengjiao endured.

Now she is full of energy physically, but not mentally.

He opened the door and told the Qin soldiers left outside to put minor matters aside for the time being and report major events.

The girl returned to the room, moved her disciple to the innermost part against the wall, and lay down outside the bed herself.

Holding Qin Jian, he closed his eyes and fell asleep with even breathing.

Neither of them noticed that Ying Chengjiao called Bai Wuxia "Wuxia". This was the first time Ying Chengjiao called her by her first name without the clan name.

Bai Wuxia slept until nearly 8 o'clock in the evening, and the first thing he did when he opened his eyes was to look to the side.

Seeing that his little disciple was still beside him, sleeping soundly with steady breathing, he got up with his sword in hand.

He opened the door, ate some food, sorted out the invitations sent by various Zhao ministers, and put the one from King Dan of Zhao on the top.

When the door was opened, the girl was sitting in front of it, just inside the threshold.

She looked at the silver moon in the sky and thought secretly.

[I don’t know how your father is doing, or when this mission to Zhao will end.]
Except for this time, Bai Wuxia, who had never left Qin, missed home.

Zhao Palace.

Zhao Wangdan couldn't sleep. This was the third time he was so angry.

The first time was when I heard about the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Changping, in which 450,000 Zhao soldiers who surrendered were buried alive.

The second time was when I was standing on the city wall of Handan and saw the Qin army all over the mountains. I felt that the State of Zhao was about to perish.

The third time, which was this time, was because of the death of his uncle, Lord Pingyuan.

He originally thought it was a coincidence. His uncle's health was not good to begin with, and he died of anger due to being angered by that Qin brat.

But after the Imperial Medical Bureau and the coroner examined his uncle's body, they discovered that his uncle had taken ephedra and deer antler for a long time.

The function of these two drugs is to speed up the heartbeat. If Zhao Sheng takes them, he will commit suicide.

King Zhao Dan never expected that his uncle would die at the hands of a lowly cook!

He made Guo Kai dance with brass tubes and whipped him with a whip.

To Zhao Wangdan, the sound of a whip hitting a copper tube was far less pleasant than the sound of a whip hitting a person.

Only by listening to Guo Kai's screams could he express some of the gloom in his heart.

But it's just a little bit, like a drop of water in the ocean.

He pounced on Guo Kai like a wild beast, ravaged him wantonly, and rushed forward to meet the man.

Pingyang Jun Zhao Bao was waiting outside the palace, but the shrill screams were heard but disappeared immediately.

The fifty-year-old man sat in a chair, leaning back, drinking sip by sip.

Through his drunken eyes, he saw his brother, Lord Pingyuan Zhao Sheng.

He exclaimed in surprise:
"Brother, you are not dead! You..."

As soon as his eyes opened a little wider, his brother disappeared.

Zhao Bao remained silent, smiled somewhat sadly, poured a glass of wine and poured it on the ground in front of him.

"Brother, you are the most virtuous and talented among us, and you are hospitable and supportive.

"We have a hundred retainers, which is a lot, how about you?
“You have about three thousand guests, and each of them works very hard for you.

"I'm jealous, and I want to ask you how I can be like you, with more than a thousand guests, and have them all work hard for you.

"You told me that you had a beautiful concubine whom you loved very much.

“You built a tall house for her to live in.

"Your tall house faces the houses below, and there is a lame man in the houses who always limps out to fetch water.

"One day your beautiful concubine was looking down from a high house and she burst into laughter when she saw the lame man fetching water.

"The next day, the lame man came to your house and asked you, 'I heard that you love scholars. Scholars are not afraid of long journeys and come to you because you value scholars and despise concubines. Unfortunately, I am sick and disabled, but your concubines laugh at me from the high house. I hope to get the head of the person who laughs at me.'

“You thought it was funny and agreed casually.

"After the lame man leaves, you can tease him with the people around you, saying, 'This lame man wants to kill my concubine just because of a smile. Doesn't he think he's going too far?'

“You didn’t kill your concubine because of this.

"After more than a year, more than half of the guests and diners who were on business had left one after another, and you found this situation very strange.

"Gather all the remaining retainers and say, "I, Zhao Sheng, have never been disrespectful to you gentlemen in any way, but why are so many of you leaving me? '

"Your retainer Zhao Yu stepped forward and replied, 'Because you did not kill the concubine who mocked the lame man, everyone thought you were fond of beautiful women and looked down on scholars, so the scholars left one after another.'

"Then you cut off the head of the concubine who mocked the lame man. Go to the lame man's house in person to present it to him and apologize to him.

"From then on, your retainers began to return one after another.

"You gave Zhao Yu a bounty and land, and your followers saw your generosity and each of them worked hard for you.

"If you let me study, I will also have three thousand followers.

“You sighed, saying that Zhao Yu was your benefactor, and you trusted him so much that you asked him to cook for you.

"Zhao Yu caught your eye, was treated differently by you, and was promoted from the army. Others don't know why, but I know.

"Because his name sounds the same as Zhao Yu's, you love him and his dog.

“Brother, you always tell me that Zhao Yu is your benefactor.

"It is you, the noble man, who sent you to be a ghost!"

　Some friends mentioned that the death of Pingyuan Jun Zhao Sheng was strange, and asked me to write down my thoughts. I didn’t reply, because if I did, it would be a spoiler, and all my preparations would be in vain.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)