The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 141: The shining boy, the proud King of Chu, the witch-hating Ling Yin

"Alas." Chu Wangyuan opened his eyes speechlessly and raised his eyes: "Can't you finish?"

He was a little impressed by the person behind this kid.

What method of enticement and teaching could enable a seven-year-old child to remember so many things and learn such superb performances?

The actors and actresses in the palace couldn't perform as well as this child.

He is neither humble nor arrogant, but calm and composed, and he really has the demeanor of a famous official.

The King of Chu clearly expressed his disgust.

The boy acted as if he hadn't seen it, remained indifferent, and continued to talk to himself:
"I heard that when the king of Qi was still surnamed Jiang and Lü, there was a king named Duke Xiang of Qi who had an affair with his own sister Wen Jiang.

"This matter violated the moral code, and Duke Xiang of Qi did not dare to spread it to others, so only Duke Xiang of Qi, Wen Jiang, and their confidants knew about it.

"Duke Huan of Lu was unaware of this, and because he admired Wen Jiang's beauty, he sought her out.

"Qi agreed, and Duke Huan of Lu married Wen Jiang.

"Three years later, they had a son, who later became Duke Zhuang of Lu.

"Later, Duke Huan of Lu and his wife Wen Jiang visited the State of Qi. After a banquet, Duke Huan of Lu got drunk.

"Duke Xiang of Qi and Wen Jiang, brother and sister, took advantage of Duke Huan of Lu being drunk and rekindled their old love and had an affair again.

"Duke Huan of Lu woke up from his drunken stupor and learned about the scandal between the two men. He was very distressed.

"Lu is a country of etiquette, which attaches great importance to etiquette. It is hard to see anything against human ethics happening here. But such a thing happened to him, the king of Lu.

"He thought about it again and again, and finally did not expose her to her face, but he reprimanded Wen Jiang very severely afterwards.

"Wen Jiang told this to her brother Duke Xiang of Qi.

"Duke Xiang of Qi had evil intentions, so he got Duke Huan of Lu drunk and specially assigned Prince Pengsheng to drive for Duke Huan of Lu.

"Prince Pengsheng broke Duke Huan of Lu's ribs and killed him.

"What do you think, King Chu, of the Duke Huan of Lu, did end tragically?"

King Chu Yuan looked at the young man's serious face and suddenly felt like joking:
"I understand. You are still talking about the destruction of the state of Lu by thieves."

"You believe that this was done by the State of Chu, and that I, like Duke Xiang of Qi, was immoral in treating the ruler of Lu.

"Don't say I didn't do it. Even if I did, what would it matter?

"I am immoral, so what?

"What's the point of you condemning and criticizing me? It won't hurt me at all.

"I heard that you said in the Zhao court that Lord Pingyuan was dead.

"I would like you to use your tongue that can kill people again and kill me, okay?

"Duke Huan of Lu, a ruler who valued etiquette the most, did not dare to say anything to Duke Xiang of Qi's face when he saw him marry his wife.

“Even if the whole world misunderstands that Chu State used thieves as an excuse to destroy Lu State, no country would dare to stand up and speak for Lu State, right?

"You have been in a small country like Yan for too long, and you have often dealt with the ruler of a small country like the King of Yan, so you are used to the King of Yan's extraordinary courtesy and tolerance towards you.

"Chu is not a small country like Yan.

"If you do something wrong, you will be beaten. Even if you don't do anything wrong, you will be beaten as long as the big countries think you have done something wrong.

"I am the King of Chu, not the King of Yan.

"I don't need to flatter you like the King of Yan did. I can only hope that you will attract wise men. Our Chu State is vast, and wise men are born everywhere. Unlike the Yan State, there is only one Golden Terrace built by King Zhao of Yan."

Chu Wangyuan's face and body exuded pride.

Ying Chengjiao was not unfamiliar with this kind of pride. Queen Dowager Huayang had it, but it was not as strong as that of Prince Yuan of Chu.

The boy was silent for a moment, then he opened the curtain and the sunlight came into the carriage.

King Yuan of Chu suddenly saw a bright light, and there was a buffer time for his vision to go from dark to bright.

At this moment, the boy was black in his eyes, and he could only see the golden edge of the boy's figure.

The Jin man moved, got off the carriage and walked alone.

A slightly sad voice was heard, and even the slightly sharp voice of his youth could not hide the sadness.

"The King of Chu's words gave me the answer to why Lu was destroyed.

“If I hadn’t been trapped in Yan State, the world would have ignored Chu’s destruction of Lu.

"I think I will not be the only one speaking out about this matter. There will be upright countries that will stand up for justice. This is my fault, Ying Chengjiao.

"I don't want to listen to someone like you who has no moral integrity anymore.

“Since you didn’t answer my question, I’ll just answer my own question and end it quickly.

"Duke Huan of Lu was miserable and did not deserve such treatment, but this was not the worst.

"Even worse, Duke Zhuang of Lu, who succeeded Duke Huan of Lu, was not the son of Duke Huan of Lu, but the son of Duke Xiang of Qi and Wen Jiang."

King Chu Yuan smiled and shook his head.

The person behind the child can see that Chu's declaration of war against Yan was intended to divert attention and cover up the fact that Chu was destroying Lu. He is indeed a wise man.

If I were here in person, maybe I could really convince him.

But this person chose to use a child as his spokesperson. Tsk, that was a wrong step.

Children are children.

No matter how many words you memorize, how many movements you remember, or how many expressions you learn, there will always be a time when you are exposed.

Look, isn’t this a flaw?

“You just said that three years after Duke Huan of Lu and Wen Jiang got married, they gave birth to a son, who was Duke Zhuang of Lu.

"I will teach you.

“Most women are pregnant for ten months and give birth to children.

"Sometimes a baby is born in September, and some in eleven months. There has never been a baby born after three years of pregnancy.

"Therefore, Duke Zhuang of Lu must be the child of Duke Huan of Lu and Wen Jiang.

"Next time you want to lecture me, memorize what your teacher taught you."

How could a seven-year-old child know how long it takes for a woman to become pregnant and give birth?
No matter how much a pretend child prodigy looks real, he is still fake.

The boy had walked quite far away, and the words that came back were a little distorted.

It was vague and ethereal, but I could just hear it.

"King Chu, please just think that I made a mistake."

The curtains fluttered, and wisps of moisture came in from outside the carriage, making King Chu Yuan feel a little stuffy.

Even the intermittent rays of sunlight cannot dispel this tide.

Prince Chu Yuan touched his temple and his fingers were slightly wet.

Ever since he could remember, the weather in Chu had always been like this, very humid.

No matter how big the sun was, it could not dispel the humidity, as if the sky of Chu was covered with a layer of water film.

If you want to be more comfortable, you should light a fire, which can keep the moisture out.

Just be careful about the distance and don't get too close to the fire.

Being too close makes your mouth dry and uncomfortable.

"Send that kid out of the palace. Keep an eye on him and don't let him say anything like "others must not die because of me" again. Don't let him commit suicide in my palace." King Chu Yuan ordered in the car.

There was a response from outside, followed by a rustling noise.

Prince Chu Yuan didn't care. He was used to hearing this voice. It was his servants carrying out his orders.

"Knowing Chunshen Jun but not the King of Chu, how could I not know how powerful Huang Xie is?" King Yuan of Chu sneered, "I am dissatisfied with his greed, but you want me to cut off my own arm, bah! Compared with his governance, greed is just a small matter. I am not the fool that King Zhao is. Even a famous general like Lian Po is suspicious. It's just a false appearance that 130,000 men defeated 600,000 men, huh."

Prince Chengjiao was sent out of the palace by the King of Chu. Only half an hour later, this matter reached the ears of Chunshen Jun Huang Xie.

Before Huang Xie could react, the second piece of news came - Prince Chengjiao's caravan set off to leave Shouchun.

Although King Yuan of Chu changed the name of the city from Shouchun to Ying when he officially ascended the throne, quite a number of people are still accustomed to calling it Shouchun.

Huang Xie asked his retainer Li Yuan, using their friendship over the past few days as a tool to persuade Master Cheng Jiao to stay for two more days.

At the same time, he ordered his servants to notify the soldiers guarding the city gate not to let Prince Chengjiao and his group leave the city.

At the same time, he ordered his men to prepare a carriage and take him to the palace to see the king.

Respond quickly and operate on three lines. Be orderly and unhurried.

Of the four noble men of the Warring States Period ranked by later generations, the other three were born into royal families, only Huang Xie was not.

Huang Xie, who came from an inferior family, was able to be selected as one of the four noble gentlemen of the Warring States Period because of his outstanding ability in governing.

The Palace of King Chu.

Others need to be informed when they meet the emperor, and Huang Xie needs to be notified when he meets the emperor.

Because of the weather, the Chu people's clothes would become wet after wearing them for a short time.

Of course, damp clothes are uncomfortable to wear, so the nobles of Chu changed their clothes very frequently, changing three times a day during the hottest weather.

The same was true for King Yuan of Chu.

I went out for a walk, picked up a guy, and got sweaty.

I hadn't even changed my clothes when Huang Xie ran in.

King Yuan of Chu asked Huang Xie to wait outside, and changed into a fiery red robe like a blazing flame before coming out to meet him.

"What's the matter, Ling Yin?"

Huang Xie bowed slightly:

"Prince Chengjiao came all the way to Ying, but he left after staying there for less than a day. How will the scholars of the world view our Chu State?"

"Oh, about this matter." Chu Wangyuan smiled and said indifferently: "You can see it however you want. Haven't I done enough? Do you want me to build a golden platform for him like King Zhao of Yan did?"

King Chu Yuan lay on the couch very relaxedly.

He even declared war on Yan for this brat, sent envoys to the outside of Yan to invite him, and personally rode in the royal carriage at the palace gate to pick him up.

I believe my sincerity is enough and I am eager to find talented people.

Huang Xie took a deep breath.

He liked the Chu people's identity as barbarians and hated their inexplicable pride.

"Your Majesty.

"In order to seek talents, Duke Xiao of Qin issued a decree to recruit talents, offering to share land with the talented people of the world.

"King Zhao of Yan built the Golden Tower to seek talented people, and he showed great respect to the talented Guo Kui.

"I do not ask the king to be like these two people.

"Just listen to Master Chengjiao's words, play with the child for a few days, and keep him in Ying for a while, isn't that possible?"

Chu Wangyuan said lazily:

"If you knew what he said, you would want him to leave even more than I do. Do you want to know what he said?"

"I don't want to." Huang Xie said in a deep voice: "Even if he points at my nose and calls me a scoundrel, I can listen to him for three days."

King Chu Yuan, who had originally wanted to take the opportunity to tell everyone what that boy had said to him, was not interested in showing favor to his confidant Huang Xie.

Of course he can say it now.

But Huang Xie had already said he didn't want to listen anymore, so why would he still want to continue? How embarrassing!

His pride wouldn't allow him to say it.

So he nodded calmly and said "Oh" rather unhappily:
"Ling Yin has practiced witchcraft well and has deep skills in cultivating qi. I need to practice more."

"I have never practiced witchcraft. This matter has nothing to do with witchcraft, but with the country. Your Majesty should personally bring Prince Chengjiao back!"

"Well, since Ling Yin has said so, all right." Chu Wang Yuan reluctantly sat up and ordered the palace maid next to him: "Call the fortune teller and the divination officer."

The palace maid went outside the palace to deliver the message.

The tendons beneath the surface of Huang Xie's forehead skin jumped one, two, three, four times, non-stop.

Although he considered himself a Chu person, his ancestors were actually from the Huang people.

The Huang State was destroyed by the Chu State nearly four hundred years ago. Today, it has become a part of history, and the name Huang people has long disappeared.

Huang Xie identified his motherland as Chu.

But perhaps it was the yellow blood in his bones that made him unable to identify with the culture of the Chu State - witchcraft.

From the king and nobles to the common people in the State of Chu, everyone believed in ghosts and spirits and attached great importance to lewd sacrifices.

Huang Xie secretly gritted his teeth, and then said in a calm tone:

"What does the king want you two to do? Do you want to divine whether we should take Prince Chengjiao back?"

"Yes." Chu Wangyuan pointed upwards: "Donghuang will guide me in the right direction."

"I have said that we should not allow witches to participate in state affairs. It is not good for the country."

"I cannot agree with this. The most important affairs of a country are sacrifices and war. Sacrifice has been the most important national affairs since ancient times. The people who perform sacrifices in our Chu State are all witches. Since the founding of our country, our Chu State has followed the guidance of the East Emperor and its national strength has been growing day by day. What is wrong with it?"

Huang Xie closed his mouth tightly, furious.

[Another witch! Another Donghuang!]
[Since everything is due to Donghuang Taiyi, if you can’t give birth to a son, don’t ask me to find a beauty for you!]
[You should ask those witches to perform a great sacrifice and pray to Donghuang Taiyi to give you a son!]
I rolled my tongue up and down in my mouth several times, and finally I calmed down.

He smiled and said:
"Since Your Majesty is unwilling to accept Prince Chengjiao, then this matter will be fully handed over to me, okay?"

"What are you going to do?" Chu Wangyuan was curious.

How can he, the King of Chu, let the scholars of the world know that he, the King of Chu, attaches great importance to wise men without having to show up?
At the northern gate of the Chu State, Ying Chengjiao was blocked for a long time.

Li Yuan tried his best to persuade him to stay for a while outside the carriage with four horses.

Ying Chengjiao did not show up but hid in the carriage.

The convoy stopped at the north gate of the city, blocking the road.

Since he can't take this road, then no one should take it.

Inside the carriage, Bai Wuxia listened to his apprentice talk about his meeting with Chu Wangyuan, and they parted on bad terms.

I lifted the car curtain and looked outside. I saw the Chu soldiers in red uniforms standing in a row, looking bright red.

These Chu soldiers always looked at the convoy with a condescending look. Bai Wuxia remembered that most Xianyang people looked at outsiders in the same way.

She didn't quite understand.

Her grandfather defeated the State of Chu and forced it to move its capital. It was normal for the people of Chu to feel hatred, fear, and disgust for the Qin people, but why were they proud?
"What on earth are these people so proud of?" the girl muttered.

Lower the curtain and get back into the carriage.

When the young man next to me read a volume of "Gongsun Longzi", closed it with a "clatter", and stretched his arms.

The girl asked softly:
"It's so noisy here. Since you can't get away, why don't you go back to the inn and read a book?"

The boy lowered his arms and moved his right elbow alone.

He wrote with his right hand, using a brush, and kept his right arm held high.

“Wait here, the State of Chu must be dealt with, we will go straight to the State of Chu.

“After returning to the posthouse, the State of Chu did not need to deal with us, so we were left hanging.

"Just make a noise, it will get things over with sooner.

"Once I know who is coming, whose orders they are following, and how to deal with it, I can probably get a preliminary understanding of the national policy of Chu and who has the final say on this land now."

Less than half an hour.

Ying, the north city gate.

Li Yuan bowed slightly and called out respectfully:

"Lord."

"Yeah." Huang Xie agreed with a smile.

He dismounted, walked to where Li Yuan was standing, and bowed slightly to the carriage drawn by four horses:

"Huang Xie, the governor of Chu, invites you to see Lord Chang'an."

Inside the carriage with four horses, Ying Chengjiao, who had almost finished reading the second bamboo slip, put down his brush and muttered to himself:
"Less than two volumes, it's coming a little fast..."

　Don't worry, no ghosts or gods will appear. I am just mentioning the witch culture.

　　This is the national condition of the Chu State. It cannot be avoided. If we don’t mention it at all, it will lose its characteristics.

　　Brothers, if you cannot accept ghosts and gods, I will not write about this in detail, I will skip it, so rest assured.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)