The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 111: Appointed as Prime Minister and General, Yan was sent to Yishui, and it seemed that an old friend came

Zhao Wang Palace, Hall of Mental Cultivation.

After the defeat in the Battle of Changping, King Dan of Zhao built the Palace of Tranquil Longevity for himself to remind himself to be humble and not to be impatient.

Inside the hall, Prince Dan of Zhao sat on a wooden couch with a brocade mat spread beneath him, sitting opposite Shangqing Lou Chang.

Lou Chang bowed slightly.

"This fellow visited Yue Yi, Li Mu, Pang Nuan (nuan pronounced three times) in succession... All he talked about were the battles of the generals, without any extra words.

"That's no wonder. Born in the Qin State, which is full of tigers and wolves, even insects are more aggressive. How can people not be warlike?"

Zhao Wangdan felt something was strange and frowned.

Can a person who loves pleasure and indulges in sensual pleasures be a warlike person?
He suppressed his doubts and nodded.

"I understand. Thank you for your help."

Lou Chang waited for a moment, and seeing that the king had no intention of continuing to speak, he kept thousands of words in his heart and sighed softly.

[After Lord Pingyuan died, the king still doesn’t trust us...]
Bow and take your leave.

After Lou Chang left, King Dan of Zhao hurriedly summoned Zhao Bao, Lord Pingyang, into the palace.

Lin Xiangru's residence.

Lin Yi, the nominal head of the Lin family, took Ying Chengjiao and Bai Wuxia through the deserted courtyard and walked across the small bridge over the flowing water.

After exiting the main gate and walking about a hundred steps along the street, you will enter another large mansion.

Less than fifty steps after entering the door, Ying Chengjiao heard the familiar "ding-ling-clang" sounds.

"Liu Jiao."

"eat!"

"Put it there! I'll touch it!"

The boy stopped and listened attentively.

When he concentrated his attention and listened, the tiny, filtered sounds were heard.

The sound of wooden mahjong and poker tiles being thrown against each other, and the shouting of three with one, three with two...

[The war against Yan is getting intense, 130,000 versus 600,000, but mahjong and other entertainment things are still spreading so fast.]
[Do these Zhao people have confidence in generals like Lian Po and Le Cheng, or are they just naturally arrogant?]
[I originally thought that these things would spread quickly only among the nobles of Zhao State after the Yan-Zhao War... This is also a pleasant surprise.]
Seeing that Ying Chengjiao did not leave, Lin Yi, who had focused most of his attention on him, also stopped.

The butler, who had been leading the way in front of Lin Yi, lowered his body and stopped almost the moment Lin Yi stopped.

The three of them stopped moving. Bai Wuxia, who had been on guard all around, looked down at his little disciple and lowered his heel.

The steward who showed the way looked at Lin Yi, then pointed down at the young man and asked him where he came from with his eyes.

Lin Yi said reluctantly:
"Open your eyes wide and recognize this face. This is the Lord of Chang'an.

"Everything in my Lin family can be used by Lord Chang'an.

"If Lord Chang'an needs anything, there is no need to inform me, just do it."

The guide looked at the boy carefully, wanting to remember his face in his heart.

Before he could write it down, the boy turned his head and glanced at Lin Yi unhappily.

"I know why Lord Lin has fewer and fewer followers. It's because of your attitude, Lin Yi.

"When Mr. Lin was in good health, did he treat his guests like you do?"

The already frightened boy was shocked at such a young age by the butler who guided the Lord.

Calling people by their given names or surnames is usually done by superiors addressing those of lower status, or by elders addressing younger people.

He originally thought that the young man was the nephew of the master of the house.

The young man spoke to the master of the house in a lecturing tone and addressed him by his first name, causing the butler who led the way to keep glancing at the two of them.

Lin Yi smiled awkwardly. Although he was very angry, he did not dare to refute.

Recently, my father's condition has worsened. He is sometimes drowsy and sometimes conscious, and he cannot leave the fire pit.

When he was awake, his father specifically told him to treat Ying Chengjiao as he would treat himself.

Lin Xiangru had been bedridden since before Changping.

The reason why Lin Yi has been in control of the Lin family for so many years without any mistakes is that he listens to his father.

The butler who showed the way immediately straightened his attitude and faced the young man with the same respect as he faced the head of the family.

The boy nodded.

He was testing them on purpose, and the attitudes of Lin Yi and the housekeeper were above the passing level.

[If you think I am young and can be bullied and disobedient, you deserve to die with Lin Xiangru.]
"Lead the way and find the most capable retainer."

The guide replied with a “Yes”.

From the corner of my eye I saw a blank expression on the boy's face, and I suddenly felt the majesty coming towards me.

In fact, the boy's expression has not changed, what has changed is the heart of the guiding steward.

As long as you don't ask for anything from others and are not controlled by others, you can hold your head high in front of anyone.

Aura and attitude come from the heart.

"Wuxia." The young man opened his arms: "I can't walk anymore, hold me."

Bai Wuxia's silver teeth were grinding with a "crunching" sound. He bent down and picked up his perverted apprentice, and said softly:
"Just wait, you won't be able to sleep tonight."

Ying Chengjiao lay on the girl's shoulders, put his arms around her neck, and said in a normal voice:
"Walk steadily, I need to take a nap."

The breath exhaled by the boy hit the girl's snow-white neck, making it warm.

The girl's cheeks blushed.

[Pervert! Brat!]
Feeling annoyed, he followed the butler inside.

Ying Chengjiao selected twenty martial arts masters from among Lin Xiangru's followers, all of whom were famous in the martial arts world.

As soon as they returned to the inn and settled the twenty people, Bai Wuxia solemnly reminded:

“Civilian warriors have not received any training, do not know how to fight in battle formations, and are used to fighting alone.

"They are lax in nature and conflict with the army.

“Assigning these twenty warriors to the guard will not increase their combat effectiveness but will decrease it.

"If you feel it is unsafe to go to Yan, you should send elite soldiers from Qin."

Ying Chengjiao lay on the bed and rolled over.

He lay on the soft bed, feeling extremely satisfied.

He slept until midnight yesterday and was dragged out by the girl to practice martial arts. He hasn't had a full night's sleep in these days.

He closed his eyes and muttered in a dream:
"You have heard of Tian Wen, Lord Mengchang of Qi, right? He was very famous in the past.

"When he was alive, everyone praised him for his virtue, so my great-grandfather Wang Fu wanted to invite him to Qin to serve as prime minister.

“But Tian Wen did not believe his great-grandfather Wangfu.

“It’s not Tian Wen’s fault.

"My great-grandfather invited King Huai of Chu to Wuguan (now Shangnan, Shangzhou, Shaanxi Province), and kidnapped King Huai of Chu to Xianyang on the way, threatening King Huai of Chu to cede Wu County and Qianzhong County to Qin State, otherwise he would not be allowed to return to his country and would be detained in Xianyang.

“This happened only a few months ago, and if it were me, I wouldn’t believe my great-grandfather either.

"King Huai of Chu was detained as a king, and Tian Wen as a lord, who knows whether he will be called to Qin to serve as a prime minister or imprisoned.

“My great-grandfather had no choice but to send the old Zongzheng to Qi as a hostage.

“The old patriarch was also famous at that time.

"When Tian Wen saw that Jingyang Jun, one of the four nobles of Qin, came to Qi, he thought that his great-grandfather would definitely take care of his brothers' lives, so he came to Qin.

“As soon as Tian Wen arrived in Qin, my great-grandfather Wang Fu appointed him as prime minister.

"A native of Qi and a prime minister of Qin, Tian Wen had the two most powerful countries in the world at that time. His power was enormous.

“When the news reached Qi, the old Zongzheng returned to Qin.

"Before the old Zongzheng arrived at Hangu Pass, Queen Dowager Xuan, who had long disliked Tian Wen, took action and asked several of her subordinates to take turns to advise that Tian Wen was from Qi, not Qin. As prime minister, Tian Wen would definitely consider the interests of Qi first, and then the interests of Qin.

“My great-grandfather Wangfu believed it, and he imprisoned Tian Wen and prepared to kill him.

"At that time, my great-grandfather was particularly fond of a beautiful lady named Xing, almost to the point of being obedient to her every word, just like the King of Zhao favored Guo Kai.

"In order to save his life, Tian Wen sent someone to ask to see Xing, hoping that Xing would intercede for him and ask his great-grandfather Wangfu to release him.

"Xing agreed, but put forward a condition, that he wanted Tian Wen's white fox fur coat which was worth a thousand gold.

"Tian Wen did have a white fox fur coat, which was of excellent quality, without any stray hair, and was worth a thousand gold coins, unparalleled in the world, and extremely famous.

“But when he arrived in Qin, he presented the white fox fur to his great-grandfather, the king, and it is no longer in his possession.

"Tian Wen summoned three thousand guests and asked for a solution, but no one could give an answer. Seeing that their lives were about to be lost because of a white fox fur coat, a guest who was born short and about the same size as me stood up."

Bai Wuxia glanced at his little disciple with a strange expression.

[That’s too short…]
Ying Chengjiao closed his eyes, unable to see the master's expression, and continued without pausing:

"This man said that he was very agile and could disguise himself as a dog and steal the white fox fur from the Qin Palace.

"Tian Wen didn't quite believe it. The Qin Palace was the most heavily guarded palace in the world. But there was no other way, so he let this man try.

"In just one night, this man stole the white fox fur from the Qin Palace."

Bai Wuxia's face turned even darker, and he finally interrupted.

"impossible.

“Even if this person is agile and can disguise himself as a dog and hide in the bushes or behind tall trees to avoid the patrolling officials.

"Every room in the Qin Palace is located on stone steps. There is no grass or trees to hide the man. How did he hide from the guards on duty?
"Besides, the palace is so huge. How could he, who has never been to the palace, accurately find the room where Fox Baiqiu was released?"

Ying Chengjiao said lazily without opening his eyes:

"how could I know?

"That's the truth, believe it or not, this guy stole it anyway.

“Tian Wen quickly sent someone to deliver the Qianjin Fox White Fur Coat to Xing.

“Xing is also a trustworthy person, so he went to ask his great grandfather, Wang Fu, to release Tian Wen.

“My great grandfather agreed and released Tian Wen.

"Tian Wen set out at night, changed his name and seal, and rushed to Hangu Pass overnight. (Note 1)
"Not long after Tian Wen left, my great-grandfather Wang found a white fox fur coat worth thousands of gold in Xing's palace. When he asked about it, he was shocked and angry. He killed Xing on the spot, strengthened the palace's security, and sent people to track down Tian Wen.

"Tian Wen had long guessed that the conspiracy would be exposed, and was anxious to leave Qin, but was stopped at Hangu Pass. Because the gate of Hangu Pass would not open until the rooster crowed, and when he arrived, it was not yet time for the rooster to crow."

Bai Wuxia grew up in the army and remembered the opening and closing times of the four major passes of the Qin State very well. He corrected:

"Hangu Pass was built according to the clepsydra." (Note 2)
Ying Chengjiao hummed twice.

"Yes, yes, you are right, listen to me.

"Seeing that the pursuers were about to catch up, Tian Wen had no way to escape, and another of his retainers stepped forward and said that the imitation of the rooster's crowing was so real.

"So the man imitated the crowing of a rooster. When the commander of Hangu Pass heard it, he thought it was a real rooster, so he opened the gate of Hangu Pass, and Tian Wen took the opportunity to escape.

"About a meal's time after Tian Wen left the pass, the Qin army arrived at Hangu Pass. Just a little late, my great-grandfather Wangfu failed to catch Tian Wen, and Tian Wen escaped with the help of his retainers who pretended to be dog thieves and imitated the crowing of chickens.

"Because of this incident, the four passes of Xiaoguan, Wuguan, Hanguguan and Dasanguan changed their opening and closing methods from cockcrow to clepsydra.

"Do you understand? You ignorant girl who has no knowledge or skills!"

Bai Wuxia's pretty face turned slightly red.

She used to always tell her grandfather Bai Qi that he had a young apprentice who was unlearned and unskillful. She never expected that one day this phrase would backfire and be used on her.

She raised her head and snorted softly. "Who knows if you are lying to me!"

Ying Chengjiao's mouth was dry, and he smacked his lips:
"Whether I lied to you or not, you can find out when you go back and ask your grandfather.

"Tian Wen was fond of supporting scholars, and treated them all equally, regardless of their status.

"When the two men, pretending to be a dog thief and imitating the crowing of a rooster, were placed among the retainers, the other retainers felt ashamed and embarrassed.

"When he encountered disaster in Qin, it was these two retainers who were looked down upon by other retainers who saved him.

"What's the difference between you looking down on those twenty people and Tian Wen's retainers who look down on those who steal dogs and chickens?"

Bai Wuxia had already been convinced by his young disciple in his heart, but he refused to show weakness.

"A thief like a chicken or a dog can only be of great use under Lord Mengchang. Do you think you are Lord Mengchang?"

Ying Chengjiao snorted and said disdainfully:
"When Tian Wen fled from Qin to Zhao, he was treated as a distinguished guest by Pingyuan Lord Zhao Sheng.

"When the people of Zhao heard that Mengchangjun was a capable man, they all came out to see him. When they saw him, they all laughed at him and said, 'We thought Mengchangjun was a big, strong man, but now we see that he is just a skinny little man.'

"Tian Wen was very angry after hearing these words.

"The retainers who were traveling with him jumped off the carriage and hacked and killed hundreds of people, destroying an entire county before leaving.

"You see, you mock me, but I won't argue with you. I won't kill anyone just because of a few words. I'm much better than Tian Wen."

The girl pouted.

"Have you rested enough?"

"Ah?" Ying Chengjiao closed his eyes tightly and hugged the quilt: "Master Bai, let me tell you again why I must kill Zhao Sheng... I don't practice martial arts! Can I practice martial arts without doing horse stance?"

A seven-year-old boy cannot beat a fifteen-year-old girl.

With a sad face, he was forcibly taken to the courtyard and made to squat in horse stance.

Two moments later.

The boy was sweating profusely and his hair was wet as if it had been hit by rain.

The girl ran her fingertips across a strand of hair in front of her head, put it behind her ear, and said coldly:

"Little pervert, do you still want to hold me?"

"Don't sleep too deeply at night." The boy gritted his teeth and panted: "I'll touch and eat you!"

In order to protect his safety, Bai Wuxia never slept in the same bed with him.

He slept on the inside against the wall, and Bai Wuxia slept on the outside.

"Not bad, very energetic." The girl's face was filled with fear, and she leaned against the wall with her arms folded: "Looks like I don't need to sleep tonight."

Before nightfall, the old eunuch from the Zhao Palace arrived at the posthouse and brought the Zhao King's oral instructions.

The old eunuch entered the room and expressed in a moving voice the King of Zhao's urgent concern for the country's safety and his hope that the Prime Minister could resolve the crisis facing the State of Zhao as soon as possible.

Without any words of urging, Ying Chengjiao felt that he was the savior of Zhao State and that only he could save Zhao State.

"Go back and tell the king to rest assured!" The young man was full of vigor and said, "I have been ordered to do this in times of crisis and before the country is destroyed. I will do my best to save Zhao from the water and fire! But... there is something that is difficult to do."

The young man's enthusiasm suddenly stopped and he looked hesitant.

"If the Prime Minister has any request, everyone in Zhao will satisfy it! We can do anything for him!" The old eunuch agreed very readily.

Before he left, he was told to try his best to meet any requests Qin Tong made.

King Dan of Zhao and Lord Zhao Bao of Pingyang were certain that there must be capable people among the people left behind by the Qin delegation who had seen through their schemes and were staying here for the purpose of extracting benefits.

"That's easy." The young man breathed a sigh of relief and laughed heartily, "The position of Prime Minister will not humiliate my status, but the safety of this Lord, no, this Prime Minister..."

"This... this... this is a bit..." The old eunuch grunted and sighed for a long time.

[This prince of Qin has a really big appetite!]
[The Qin people are so greedy, even Qin Tong is like this!]
The old eunuch, who had the power to do things his own way for the first time, did not expect that the scope of his power was not good enough.

The old eunuch bowed:
"Please wait a moment, Prime Minister. I will report this to Your Majesty and ask Your Majesty to make the decision."

Ying Chengjiao showed displeasure on his face, and his expression changed faster than opening a bamboo slip.

"Is our Zhao State so stingy? Then you'd better go quickly and come back quickly. If you can't come back within two hours, then I won't go."

The old eunuch wiped his sweat with his hand, bowed and nodded to make a promise, then hurriedly left, running and stumbling as if his butt was on fire.

Just walked out the door and screamed:
"Drive! Drive quickly! Go back to the palace!"

The distance from the posthouse to Prince Zhao's palace takes about an hour, and two hours to go back and forth, leaving him with very little time.

If he had stayed a little longer, he wouldn't have to go back and report. He could have committed suicide on the spot to apologize and perhaps he wouldn't have implicated his family.

Bai Wuxia listened to the old eunuch's nagging for a long time and wanted to stab the eunuch to death with a sword several times.

What does it have to do with his apprentice if Zhao is destroyed? It would be best if it is destroyed!
After hearing the request made by his young apprentice, he felt much better and thought that there was no need to go to Yan State this time.

When he heard the old eunuch's broken voice before leaving, his anger completely dissipated and he smiled slightly.

Whether she was stunning or not, Ying Chengjiao didn’t know, but he thought she was very beautiful.

The girl with a limited-time smile caught a glimpse of her lecherous apprentice staring at her from the corner of her eye, and she immediately put away her smile, returning to her original cold self.

"What a fart!"

Ying Chengjiao was furious:
"I won't let you say that about yourself!"

"I am talking about you!"

"You're not fart!"

“…Ying Chengjiao! You bastard!” Bai Wuxia screamed after thinking for a while before reacting.

I feel chest tightness due to the anger.

Ying Chengjiao placed his hands on Bai Wuxia's chest and said caringly:
"Master Bai, be careful not to explode the bandage."

"If you blow up Naigong, I'll get you!"

"Is there such a good thing?"

"...You are not excited at all to have a woman's private belongings tied around your head! This is a great humiliation! Do you have any sense of shame?"

"If this woman is Master Bai, there would be more humiliations like this."

"Shuzi!"

Zhao Palace.

When the old eunuch walked in front of Zhao Wangdan, he forgot about etiquette and trotted over in a hurry.

The eunuch behind Zhao Wangdan was so frightened that he immediately stepped forward and stared at the old eunuch cautiously to prevent him from assassinating him.

"Your Majesty! The Prime Minister said that Zhao and Yan are at war, and it is too dangerous for him to go to Yan. Your Majesty..." The old eunuch stuttered.

I want to organize my words and speak in a more tactful tone.

Suddenly he remembered the two-hour limit, closed his eyes, and said directly:

"Your Majesty, please appoint him as your general!"

The military generals of Zhao were similar to those of Qin.

A general is one who serves his country well, while a general is one who leads troops outside the country.

"He still wants to be a general?" Zhao Wangdan laughed angrily, pointing at the chair under his buttocks: "Why doesn't he want my position? Go ask him if he wants to be the King of Zhao!"

The old eunuch naturally knew that this was just an angry remark, so he lowered his head, not daring to say a word, not even to breathe.

Zhao Wangdan roared and took a few breaths.

"Someone! Call Lord Pingyang into the palace!"

Before the eunuchs around him could respond, the old eunuch immediately said:

"Your Majesty! The Prime Minister also said...also said..."

"What did that brat say? Tell me now!" Zhao Wangdan slammed the table with his fist.

"He also said that he would only give two hours. If the eunuch did not report to the post station within two hours, he would have to return to Qin." The old eunuch said in one breath.

He lay on the kneeling thighs, his eyes staring at the empty crotch, his head on the ground, trembling, not daring to look or speak.

"He gives me two hours! This is in Zhao State! Not Qin State!" The anger that King Dan of Zhao had suppressed rekindled.

He stood up and kicked the chair away, overturning the table.

"Doesn't this brat know that I can kill him with just one word? Has he always been so brave?

"The person behind this brat has a pig's brain! Are all the people in Qin State so fearless of death! Ah!"

Zhao Wangdan smashed everything he could pick up, and the side hall was in a mess.

After a while, the furious King Zhao collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath, with a ferocious look on his face as he made the decision alone.

"give him!"

The roar echoed throughout the palace.

"Yes!" the old eunuch responded with his heart in his throat.

He turned and ran without taking small steps back, forgetting the rule that one must not turn his back to the king within five steps.

"Take my carriage!" Zhao Wangdan shouted angrily with his head down.

In the Zhao Palace, the only thing that could run unhindered was his five-horse chariot.

The next day.

Ying Chengjiao, who was both the prime minister and general of Zhao State, set out for Yan.

The Qin envoy delegation sent to Yan on behalf of Zhao consisted of one hundred Qin elite soldiers, four hundred Zhao soldiers, twenty cooks, one hundred maids, one hundred and five slaves, and twenty retainers personally selected by Ying Chengjiao.

The delegation had a smooth journey within the territory of Zhao State and did not even see any blind thieves.

The prince of Qin requested to travel during the day and rest in the county town at night.

Whenever he arrived at a county town, the prince of Qin would enjoy the fine wine and delicious food served by the county magistrate and then go on a secret visit in the city led by Master Bai.

When they left the next day, they took the money, local specialties and other items that the county magistrate had voluntarily given them.

In the carriage covered with thick quilts and animal skins, another day passed slowly and leisurely.

People say that traveling by boat and travelling is tiring, but Ying Chengjiao feels that this is much more comfortable than when he was in Zhao State. At least he doesn't have to practice martial arts in the middle of the night.

The delegation traveled for five days and passed through a forest.

The air became humid and the sound of water splashed.

The Yishui River, the river on the border between Zhao and Yan, is about to arrive.

The chirping and chirping of birds seemed to welcome their arrival.

Among the delegation, a guest with an expressionless face, wearing a white robe, a sword at his waist, and with his hair loose, looked to the northwest of himself.

He rode his horse to the four-horse carriage that Ying Chengjiao was riding in and asked to see Ying Chengjiao.

Ying Chengjiao lifted the curtain of the carriage window and saw the guest in white clothes. He asked with a smile:
"What?"

The white-robed doorman turned his head and looked towards the west.

"It seems like an old friend is here. Please wait for a moment, Gai Nie will be back soon."

[Note 1: Fengchuan, Feng refers to seal mud, which is used to seal letters and documents. Chuan refers to Fuchuan, which is a pass to pass through checkpoints, post stations, etc.]

[Note 2: The clepsydra is an ancient timekeeping method, which is mostly composed of a clepsydra pot and a carved arrow. The clepsydra pot is used to hold water, and the carved arrow is placed in the pot. The carved arrow is marked with different time marks. As the water in the clepsydra pot continues to flow out, the water level drops, and more and more of the carved arrow is exposed. Read the scale on the arrow to read the time. For ease of reading and understanding, there are sixteen scales between two hours in this book, and one scale is fifteen minutes.]

　Sorry, it's a bit late. I still don't have much energy during the day. I'm down. I think I'll be fine tomorrow and it won't affect the update.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)