The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 127: Prince Chengjiao's plan succeeds, and he trusts Lord Ping
"I won't die..." The girl's pink lips trembled and her breasts shook.

When she was a child, she played at home and her laughter was as sweet as silver bells.

A group of armed warriors broke into her house.

These people were not unfamiliar with the dressed-up girl, as the grandfather often brought her to meet them, and everyone liked her very much.

She giggled and reached out for a hug, but her mother stopped her and hid her behind her.

She poked her little head out from behind her mother.

Chang Ciai followed her with a smile, and the old housekeeper who asked her to run slower shouted angrily:

"Wu'an Junfu! How can we allow you to be so presumptuous!"

The armored men who usually fought to hold her drew their swords and slashed at her, blood spurted into the sky, and the old housekeeper fell to the ground in despair.

She was in the dust raised by the old housekeeper, and looked at the gushing blood through the sunlight.

The red color was so bright that it stung her eyes.

Screams, roars, the sound of swords and knives...

The retainers kept by the mansion rushed forward one after another, falling beside the old butler and on his body one after another.

Soon, she could no longer see the old housekeeper.

That year, the army of Handan was defeated. She was seven years old and her family was gone.

Bai Qi, the Marquis of Wu'an, who had made countless military achievements for the State of Qin, committed suicide at Duyou, ten miles outside the west gate of Xianyang, holding the Sword of Qin bestowed by King Zhaoxiang of Qin.

"How do you know he won't die?" The girl saw the bright red again and her voice trembled: "What if...he dies?"

The boy was holding a bowl.

“Better dead.

"Lian Po defeated Yan's 600,000 troops with only 130,000 men, and captured five cities of Yan.

"If the King of Zhao dares to kill Lian Po, and such a fate befalls a minister of merit, all the ministers will be terrified and hostile to him, and the State of Zhao will be in chaos.

"I will write a letter to the king, advising him to send troops to Zhao, appoint Lu Gong as the commander-in-chief, and fight this just war to restore order.

“I’ve told you about Qi’s conquest of Yan before, and this time I’ll show you how Qin conquered Zhao.

"Lü Gong has a benevolent heart. He will strictly control his subordinates and will not do what Kuang Zhang did.

"In three years, Zhao will become Qin, and the people of Zhao will become Qin."

The girl was stunned and said nothing.

She can understand the truth.

But does this mean I have to backstab someone who is very good to me?

Lian Po treated the young man very well.

Lian Po made great contributions to the country and was willing to sacrifice his life.

He defeated the 600,000-strong Yan army, but was defeated by his valued younger generation, and by the Zhao State he had fought for.

As long as King Zhao Dan fell into the trap, Lian Po would not have a good ending whether he was killed or not.

Such a fate made her feel sad.

She was not just speaking up for Lian Po.

It is also for the sake of the great father, for oneself, and for the sake of the world.

The young man came over and took the girl's cold hand.

"This has been my fate since the day I left Qin.

"Zhao Sheng, Wei Wuji, and Lian Po are all outstanding people.

“If I were an idle young master Qin who didn’t serve as regent, I could become very good friends with them.

“But I’m not.

"I am the Chang'an Lord of Qin, the Lord who wants to ensure long-term peace and stability for Qin.

"Heroes in other countries are enemies in our country."

The girl's palms were warm.

She sniffed and patted her apprentice's head.

"You are not wrong, it's the teacher's fault.

"Eat some food and practice martial arts."

The young man, who was already feeling very sad, became depressed again.

"Still practicing? Take a day off..."

"No!" The girl was ruthless and walked out first: "How long will we stay in Yan State?"

The boy hung his head, weakly, and followed reluctantly.

"I won't be here for long. I'm not trying to gain a reputation for being a wise man just to recruit talented people for the State of Yan."

"Didn't you say that the King of Yan is loyal to his principles and that you are loyal to the State of Yan? If you leave without a reason, won't your reputation be ruined?"

"Do you think the world will believe me, the wise man who suppressed Lord Xinling to gain a good reputation? Or will it be the King of Yan who first sent his prime minister with 500 gold coins to Zhao to seek peace, and then turned around and broke his promise and sent 600,000 troops to attack Zhao?"

"...I understand. If you leave, the world will only think that the King of Yan has deviated from morality and cannot keep a wise man like you." Bai Wuxia stopped and turned back: "Yes and no?"

"Not bad." Ying Chengjiao raised his head and nodded slightly: "You are a teachable kid."

The girl looked at the listless boy and changed her mind about what she was going to say.

"Where to go next?"

The young man replied:

"South Korea, Xinzheng."

The girl nodded and walked out first.

Last night she received a letter from her grandfather, asking her to return to Xianyang.

[Then let’s go to Xinzheng. It’s on the way. I’ll tell him when we leave…]
Zhao State, Handan, the front hall of Xin Palace.

King Dan of Zhao sat high on the throne, looked at Lian Po, stretched out his arms and said with a smile:
"Mr. Lian, please stand up."

Lian Po, who was hungover, stood up and shook his head to sober himself up.

Zhao Wangdan looked around at the civil and military officials in the court and said excitedly:
"Duke Lian led only 130,000 men to defeat 600,000 enemies and recaptured five cities from Yan for Zhao! How mighty!

"Such a great achievement deserves to be granted land! Ennobled as a lord! Appointed as prime minister!
"I have decided to give Weiwen (now Wei County, Hebei Province) to Lord Lian as a fiefdom!"

Wei Wen?

All the officials pondered over these two words in their hearts, and many of them felt that something was not right.

Weiwen is located in a remote area close to the Qin State and is a strategic location.

Strategic locations are the first places that military strategists fight for during wars and are often the sites of fighting.

This kind of land is poor and has no people, so it is definitely not a good fiefdom among the fiefdoms.

But this is understandable, because Lian Po is so good at fighting.
It is understandable that generals are appointed to strategic locations.

The civil and military officials each had their own thoughts, waiting for the king to confer the title of Wei Wenjun on Lian Po.

Princes who had fiefs often used the names of their fiefs as their titles.

Zhao Wangdan waited for a moment and found no disturbance.

He looked around the room, observed the ministers, and continued slowly:

"Appoint Duke Lian as Lord Xinping."

As soon as the word "Xinping" came out, the whole hall seemed to stop for a moment.

The veteran general Lian Po frowned, and all the officials began to raise their heads.

Some held it back, their hearts starting to race, knowing that something was really wrong.

There were still many people who failed to brake in time. They looked up with puzzled eyes and met Zhao Wangdan's eyes which were secretly sharp.

Some squinted their eyes and looked straight ahead, while others hurriedly lowered their heads.

Although he had a fief, he did not use the fief as his title, but used Xinping as his title.

What does Xinping mean?

Believe in peace!

A meritorious veteran who turned the tide was granted the title of Lord and was named Xinping.

Anyone with eyes could see how reluctantly King Zhao Dan gave the title of Lord.

Zhao Wangdan also had eyes and met many people.

He did not remember those ministers who bowed their heads after looking at him.

These ministers knew that if they bowed their heads they were still under control and were subdued by his majesty.

He remembered those ministers who dared not to bow their heads.

These officials have forgotten their duty as officials, and they are the ones he needs to be wary of and punish in the future. When Lian Po heard the word "Wei Wen", he was just a little depressed.

But then he thought again, the king must have valued his ability to fight by granting him such an important strategic location, and he felt happy again.

But when he heard the word "Nobuhira", the veteran was unable to attack himself.

The old general, who didn't understand what he had done wrong, was upset and irritated. He lowered his head slightly to hide his face so that the king wouldn't see his displeasure and become suspicious.

But the old general didn't know that his king was already suspicious of him.

Zhao Wangdan saw his cover-up and confirmed his evil intentions.

Zhao Wangdan tightly grasped the armrest of the chair, turned his negative emotions to the throne, smiled and said slowly:
"As for the position of Prime Minister, it should have been given to Lord Lian, but the position of Prime Minister of Zhao State is already taken by someone else.

“Although the Prince of Qin is in Yan and has not returned, I cannot dismiss him from his position.

"The reputation of Prince Chengjiao is now known all over the world.

"Even the dishonest Yan State can appoint him as prime minister. If I dismiss him at this time, wouldn't people in the world think that I am worse than the King of Yan..."

As King Zhao Dan spoke, the atmosphere in the court became more and more impetuous, and more and more people dared to raise their heads.

The fief was given to Weiwen, the title of lord was given to Xinping, and now he is not even given the title of prime minister.

This is how they treated Lian Po who saved the State of Zhao. What if they make contributions in the future?
Their contribution to the State of Zhao could never surpass that of Lian Po.

It might not be possible for 130,000 to defeat 600,000, even if Lian Po were to come again.

If they endure it this time, they will be treated even worse later.

If they don't help Lian Po become prime minister today, they will have no fiefdom, no title, and no official position in the future.

One after another, the ministers of Zhao State stood up spontaneously.

"Since Lord Pingyuan passed away, our Zhao State's Prime Minister has been nominally Prince Chengjiao. However, he is in office but does not manage the affairs of the government, and the Prime Minister's office is having difficulty in carrying out the accumulated affairs."

"Lord Li is right. The Prime Minister's Office should have a backbone. Lord Lian has worked hard and made great contributions, so he can be the leader."

"What government affairs does Yan have? In winter, there are few people in the streets of Ji. How can it be compared with our Zhao? They can worship that boy as prime minister, but we can't. We have a lot of things to do in Zhao."

"..."

Although Zhao Wangdan spoke slowly, he was still speaking.

Without waiting for him to finish, all the ministers stood up, bowed, and started talking.

Such rude behavior made King Zhao Dan furious, he was the King of Zhao!

But looking at the 30% of the ministers who had stood up and those who were still standing up, King Zhao Dan took the initiative to suppress his anger.

Too many people.

Although this was the State of Zhao and he was the King of Zhao, he still could not stand against all the Zhao ministers.

He looked at his uncle who was standing at the platform.

Pingyang Jun Zhao Bao nodded slightly, indicating that they should remedy the situation quickly and not wait any longer.

Zhao Wangdan patted his chair vigorously, and scolded his ministers with a smile:

"What are you doing!
"I haven't even finished speaking yet, and you guys are already standing up and talking non-stop.

"One by one, are you going to rebel?"

The ministers shut up and waited quietly.

Most of the Zhao officials who could stand here were smart men. They knew that the king was speaking the truth in a joking tone to warn them.

But since the king is unwilling to break off relations, then there must be changes!

Zhao Wangdan forced a smile.

"Prince Chengjiao was sent to Yan for the State of Zhao. Although he did not make any contribution, he has worked hard and is a man of merit to the State of Zhao.

"I certainly cannot dismiss him as Prime Minister at this time. I am not a mean and ungrateful person. There is no need to say more about this matter.

"But I have already considered what you said.

"Mr. Lian, I allow you to serve as Prime Minister and to carry out the Prime Minister's affairs. (Note 1)
"Just bear with it for a few days.

"Wait until I call back Master Chengjiao, and then I will remove the word 'fake' from your name.

"Look, it's great."

Lian Po raised his hands and clasped his fists, and simply replied:
"Yes! Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Although Lian Po had been a military general for most of his life, unlike most generals, he also had the political thinking of a civil official.

After expelling 600,000 Yan troops, the veteran general led the Zhao army across thousands of miles to attack Yan even though he knew it was impossible to conquer Yan.

He uncaptured a single city along the way in the State of Yan and marched straight to the Yan capital Ji, forcing the King of Yan to cede five cities in exchange for peace. This is the political acumen of the veteran general.

The veteran is not only good at fighting, but also understands court affairs.

Knowing that his ministers would no longer speak for him, he immediately quit.

Zhao Wangdan narrowed his eyes slightly.

[You can endure this without showing any sign of betrayal... You are so cunning...]
After nodding to Lian Po, he turned his gaze to the second hero.

"Le Cheng."

The young General Zhao stood up and saluted, saying:

"The general is here!"

"Although your contribution is not as great as Lord Lian's, being able to defend Dai is also a great achievement. I will confer you the title of Lord Wuxiang."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Le Cheng's brows were filled with joy.

The veteran tried hard not to look at Le Cheng, feeling sad.

Mr. Wu Xiang.

Wu means force and Xiang means assist.

Wuxiang Jun meant to assist the State of Zhao with military force, which was much better than his Xinping Jun.

[Believe in peace, what does this bird represent!]
[I am a military commander. Why should I believe in peace? Shake hands with the enemy commander on the battlefield to discuss how to fight this battle?]
The ministers also understood it.

It's not that the king is mean and ungrateful, and is reluctant to give up his fiefdom and official position, it's purely targeting Lian Po.

In that case, they won't care.

If you want a fake prime minister, you need to determine the proper treatment for people who have made great contributions so as not to affect their future promotion. That's all.

After the court meeting, Lian Po walked out of the front hall of Xin Palace alone, with the golden seal of the prime minister hanging around his waist.

The veteran who was the center of everyone's attention yesterday is no longer in the spotlight today.

Political tactics can kill people without shedding blood, and their danger is even greater than that of swords on the battlefield.

After they walked out of the square in front of the Xin Palace, an old man caught up with the veteran general, stopped in front of him, bent over and panting.

The veteran stopped, looked carefully, and felt warm in his heart.

"What's wrong with you, kid? Have you made any progress in the court after so many years? How can you be so close to me now?"

Ministers hurriedly walked beside and behind the two men.

He glanced at the two of them and walked around them.

Lin Yi didn't care, with tears in his eyes, he said without even catching his breath:
"Fake father, father has been waiting for you for a long time!
"Please come back with me as soon as possible, my father is dying!"

Lian Po was very anxious and took Lin Yi with him and ran away.

"Such a big thing! Why didn't you tell me yesterday?"

Lin Yi is younger than Lian Po, but his physical strength is far inferior to Lian Po.

He was led by Lian Po to run, crying as he ran:

"Father said that yesterday was the first truly enjoyable day for me in decades since the Battle of Changping. I must not disturb you."

Tears welled up in the veteran's eyes.

"This old bird!"

The two of them traveled quickly all the way, and after leaving the Zhao Palace, they got on the four-horse carriage prepared by Lin Yi.

The skilled driver whipped the carriage madly, and the four-horse carriage sped along the road at lightning speed.

The pedestrians on the road were unable to dodge and fell down seventeen times.

Finally, the carriage drawn by four horses stopped in front of Lin Xiangru's mansion.

Both the old general and Lin Yi got off the carriage and rushed in.

A gust of hot wind blew in his face, and the old general ran to the skinny Lin Xiangru.

Stand by the fire pit and squat slowly.

"Prime Minister Lin, Lian Po is here to plead guilty."

[Note 1: "假" here means "agent", which is a common usage in the pre-Qin period and even in later times. Han Xin asked Liu Bang to be the fake King of Qi, which is the same as the usage here. "假王齐王" and "假相邦" mean the temporary King of Qi and Prime Minister.]

(End of this chapter)