The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 163: Rift Between the Emperor and His Subjects
Except for Zheng Guo himself, no one knew what kind of inner struggle he went through.

When the old plumber squatted down, held the iron rod in both hands and placed it on the ground.

The iron rod fell to the ground with a dull thud, and the old waterman collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face, sobbing bitterly:
"I am an unworthy disciple..."

The wrinkles on his face were like ditches that carried water, and the tears that flowed through his face were like rivers, lakes and seas.

He is the legitimate ruler of the lineage of King Yu, and he inherited the will of King Yu nearly two thousand years ago!
King Yu’s lineage can still wait for flood control, wait for a new emperor, and wait for a prosperous era to come.

But he, Zheng Guo, can't wait any longer.

Although he is only forty-one, he has been walking in rivers and farmlands for many years, exposed to wind, sun and rain.

In recent years, he has felt that his body is aging rapidly, and his shoulder blades and knees are often itchy.

It takes ten years to control floods.

If he misses this time, can he wait until the next time?

Even if he waited until the next time, would he still be able to go into the water and be a water monkey? Would he still be able to go into the water and be a water monkey for ten years?

"Young Master!" The old waterman's eyes were red, and he growled hoarsely, "The country has another request! Young Master, you must agree to it!"

The turbid tears flowing from his eyes washed over the dust accumulated on his face and mixed together, like the mud and sand deposited at the bottom of a large river.

His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was disheveled, and his facial features were stretched out in all directions. He looked extremely ferocious and exuded the aura of a wild beast.

Young Master Cheng Jiao leaned against his mother's legs.

Ji Yaoyao wrapped her arms around her young son's waist and held him on her lap.

Her son is both brave and timid.

He is brave enough to travel around the countries and plot against the princes, but he will also retreat when facing a common man.

Young Master Cheng Jiao looked at the old water worker and said in a deep voice:
"Please speak first, sir."

"If the water control is successful and the ditches are dug through, this project must be named after me! In the name of our Zheng State!" The old water engineer put emphasis on the word "Zheng State".

He wanted to record the words "Zheng State" in history! He wanted his name to be praised for thousands of years!

He wants China to remember this a thousand, two thousand, or three thousand years from now.

After King Yu, there was another hydraulic engineer who successfully managed water with the right way, named Zheng Guo! He built the Zhengguo Canal!
"Okay." The young man nodded solemnly: "After completion, this project should be named Zhengguo Canal!"

“Okay… okay… okay!” The old plumber got up from the ground.

He took a last look at the iron bar.

Ever since his master passed away and gave him this precious iron rod, he held it in his hand day and night, and did not let go even in the bridal chamber.

"The country is at home waiting for your orders, sir." The old plumber said with his head down.

He turned around and took heavy steps forward.

At first his legs and feet were a little unsteady and he seemed like he could fall to the ground at any time, but he became more and more stable as he walked.

The past glory and the treasures of Dinghai are all gone.

To control floods, we must look to today and to Zheng State!
The wind rushed into the palace happily.

Zheng Guo forgot to close the door when he went out, and his back looked lonely and upright.

Ying Chengjiao jumped from his mother's arms, squatted down and tried to grab the iron rod.

He used all his strength but could only barely lift the iron rod, and could not hold it in his palm like Zheng Guo.

There are some things that Zheng Guo can do but he cannot.

It is the same when grabbing an iron rod and when controlling water.

The little black tiger came over.

First, he sniffed the iron rod with his nose, and then touched it lightly twice with his paws.

When it found there was no danger, it pressed the iron rod with its two front paws and opened its mouth to bite it gently.

When Ying Chengjiao saw this, he immediately thought of Zhao Gongming who had given him the little black tiger, the chubby boy with a childish face and bulging muscles who made Bai Wuxia extremely cautious.

[If it was the little fat boy, he would definitely be able to pick up the iron stick, and maybe even play with it like Sun Wukong.]
Ying Chengjiao weighed 1 jin, and the iron rod weighed jin, so the iron rod was heavier than Ying Chengjiao himself. (Note )
Zhao Gongming, who was the same age as him, weighed at least 200 kilograms.

"Commander, do you have any worries about Zheng State?" Ying Chengjiao turned around and asked Lu Buwei.

Lü Buwei bowed first to Prince Chengjiao, then to Ji Yaoyao, and said:
"Sir, Madam, you did it perfectly."

Ji Yaoyao stood up to show respect and said:
"I'll have to trouble you with what happens next, sir.

"Qin State...I am not strong enough."

The first step is to allow Zheng State to concentrate on flood control.

Although King Han Ran has not yet said that he would release the three clans of Zheng State, in the eyes of Ji Yaoyao, Lu Buwei and Ying Chengjiao, it is only a matter of time.

This step may seem difficult, but it is actually the easiest step.

The next step is the difficult part, how to let King Zichu of Qin use Zheng State to control water and build canals.

Lu Buwei said seriously:
"With the support of the young master, this can be accomplished."

Ying Chengjiao stood up:

"The teachers in China are busy, and I will facilitate it abroad."

"Yes." Lu Buwei nodded and said respectfully: "If you can return to Qin, this matter will be much easier."

Young Master Cheng Jiao glanced at his commander lightly.

Whether in terms of their teacher-student relationship, official position in the Qin State, or status in the world, Lu Buwei was no inferior to him.

The response should have been "Yes", not "Yes".

Given Lü Buwei's current status, the only person he should "only" be with is Prince Chu of Qin, and the only one who is barely qualified is the future King of Qin.

"Qin, I will definitely go back, but not now." Prince Chengjiao reminded: "Master, you must assist my brother well. He is also your disciple."

Lü Buwei bowed and saluted, saying:
"I will keep in mind what you said, sir.

"But you only care about the Crown Prince, don't you care about the King?

"The prince was imprisoned by Yan, and the king immediately sent troops.

"If you can return to Qin and personally tell the king about the water control and canal repair, it will be accomplished quickly."

Ying Chengjiao curled his lips, pretending to smile, and repeated:
"I'll have to trouble you to run around for domestic affairs."

Lu Buwei sighed inwardly.

He had already gone a bit beyond the limit by saying this, and if he went on any further he would not be able to find his place.

I could only nod and respond:
"promise."

The next day, Lu Buwei set out to return to Qin.

Three days later.

Qin State, Xianyang, Qin Palace, Council Hall.

There is a hardwood table with two straw mats on both sides.

Today, when chairs are widely popular, among the princes, only Prince Chu of Qin still uses straw mats, and he even sits on straw mats during grand court meetings.

This led to the situation that in Qin, the country where chairs first appeared, ministers still had straw mats at home and sat on them to discuss matters on the most formal occasions.

Sitting on the main seat, Prince Chu of Qin waited patiently for Lu Buwei to finish speaking and did not respond immediately.

He pondered for a while, and twice picked up the teacup on the table to drink water to moisten his throat.

Water control and canal repair is an old problem. Prince Chu of Qin met with Sikong more often than he met with Xiangbang. Prince Chu of Qin also knew that Guanzhong had been hit by floods for years and was actively controlling it. He was not blind and could not see it.

But... using Zheng Guo... isn't that a bit ridiculous?
It is not certain whether the water can be controlled, but the national strength will definitely be greatly reduced.

In this age of great contention, the princes do not care about benevolence and righteousness but about interests.

Weakness is a sin and must be punished and eliminated.

Prince Chu of Qin picked up the teacup for the third time and, under the guise of drinking water, glanced at his confidant out of the corner of his eye.

If Lü Buwei had not joined his army when he was in a low position and supported him with all his heart and strength, he would have thought that Lü Buwei had been instigated to rebel and become a spy for another country.

The teacup fell on the table with a soft sound.

Qin Wang Zichu smacked his lips and said with a wry smile:
"Sir, you are putting me in a very difficult position.

"Sir, you should know who Zheng Guo is. You don't need me to tell you.

"With his method of controlling floods, the Qin State would be destroyed by him.

"Sir, how about you go to Chu State and persuade the King of Chu?"

Qin Prince Chu waved his arm with great ambition:

"When the flood control work of Chu State is almost finished, I will send a large army to Yunmeng Lake and expand the territory by a thousand miles! I will create an unprecedented achievement!
"If it succeeds, you will be credited with great achievement!"

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and said with a smile:

"Sir, you are the Prime Minister of our country, and also the teacher of Zhenger.

"Why not go to the nearby Observation and Study Hall to teach Zheng'er a couple of lessons instead of messing around with that brat?
"Sir, do you agree?"

Lu Buwei felt a chill in his heart.

The king's dissatisfaction and intention to make trouble could not be more obvious. He regarded the strategy of flood control as a strategy to destroy Qin.

If Chu controlled the flood, it would be attacked by Qin. Would that mean that if Qin controlled the flood, it would not be attacked by other countries?

He asked Lü Buwei to persuade Chu to use Zheng to control floods, and after Chu was destroyed, Lü Buwei would be given the credit for the great achievement.

Now Lu Buwei is persuading Qin to use Zheng State to control floods. If anything happens to Qin, the first person to be killed will definitely be Lu Buwei.

Prince Chu of Qin spoke somewhat implicitly at the beginning, but was completely explicit in the last paragraph, and he was just short of pointing at Lu Buwei's nose and scolding him.

Lu Buwei knew that the most important thing he should do now was to protect himself.

He was already the prime minister of Qin, second only to the emperor and above everyone else, the highest official position among the ministers.

As long as you don't commit suicide, it is only a matter of time before you get the title of marquis or lord, and the fiefdom.

From a noble's perspective, he had no reason to offend the king by building canals for water control.

Not only is this a thankless job, but there isn't much profit to be made from it.

Even if it succeeds, the beneficiaries will be the untouchables in Guanzhong who have been struggling in the mud all their lives.

Guanzhong became prosperous, the national strength increased, and the ultimate beneficiary was the almighty King of Qin.

Does the strength of the Qin State have anything to do with Lu Buwei and his family?
Lu Buwei was silent, and scenes flashed through his mind.

In the Qin State's Tingwei Prison, the Tingwei Zuojian smiled and said to him that they wanted to take the dead prisoners to Bie Gong's mansion and bury them underground as fertilizer.

In the land of Bashu, Bad, the leader of the Bashu Chamber of Commerce, who treated him with the etiquette of entertaining the highest distinguished guests, died with his eyes open. There was tremendous hatred and confusion in his eyes as he stared at him, not understanding why he had poisoned him.

In the Zhao court, Zhao Chen held his chin high and said that he was a merchant and a lowly person...

Since King Wu established the Zhou Dynasty, people in the world have been divided into ten classes. It has been almost a thousand years. It is time to change it!

Tyranny can suppress people but cannot subdue them. Only the kingly way is the right way of heaven and earth!
[Young Master Chengjiao, please remember your promise...]
"Your Majesty." Lu Buwei cupped his hands and said solemnly, "Water control and canal repair are urgent and cannot be delayed."

Qin Wang Zichu smiled and said "Oh", looking very interested, and stretched out his hand:

"Then please tell me how urgent it is and how urgent it is."

He pointed to his eyes and said with a smile:

"My dear, your vision is short.

"All I could see was the scene where Zheng State was ordered to control the floods and build canals, Xianyang was captured, and the Qin State was destroyed."

The palace maids and eunuchs standing on the side all felt a chill in their hearts, and many of them shuddered, as if the room temperature had suddenly dropped by dozens of degrees.

Two hours later, Lu Buwei walked out of the Council Hall.

Prince Chu of Qin, who usually sent his confidants to the palace gate, did not see them off this time.

Three days later, Prince Chu of Qin convened a grand court meeting and introduced the descendants of the Bai family to meet the ministers.

Afterwards, Prime Minister Lu Buwei stood up and saluted, explaining in detail the harm caused by frequent floods in Guanzhong, and advised to summon the hydraulic engineer Zheng Guo to Qin to build a canal.

Prince Chu of Qin, who had clearly rejected Lu Buwei in private, did not show it on his face, but was extremely unhappy in his heart, and even a little angry.

Lu Buwei did not tell him in advance that he would bring up the issue of flood control again in the court.

Most of the time, before such important national policy matters were brought to the table, the ministers would privately communicate with him, the King of Qin.

If there is no communication, it means there are huge differences and different paths!

The ministers had not yet recovered from the intense emotions of Bai's descendants returning to the army, and they fell into shock and confusion.

Ying Chengjiao didn't know the name of Zheng State.

But few people who could enter the Qin court knew this; it was common sense.

All the ministers had a consensus that asking Zheng to control the floods would be tantamount to destroying the country.

There are many floods in Guanzhong, but they will not kill the Qin State.

Even Sikong, who was in charge of water management, looked at Lu Buwei strangely, not understanding what the Prime Minister meant.

The civil officials had many complaints in their hearts, but no one said anything for a while.

Everyone knows that the Prime Minister is the king's most trusted confidant, and this matter might reflect the king's attitude.

The generals who are a step slower don't care about that.

They don't make a living by talking, so as long as they can fight and win battles and don't directly disobey the king, their lives will be guaranteed.

Biao Gong stood up suddenly and stared at Lu Buwei with his big eyes:
"What are you talking about? Let Zheng control the flood? Do you want to destroy our Great Qin?"

The old general's words were very polite, considering Lü Buwei's record of leading 50,000 elite soldiers to destroy the Eastern Zhou Kingdom.

If it were the previous prime minister Wei Zhe, the old general would have started cursing at the prime minister a long time ago.

Lu Buwei shook his head:
"I am not trying to destroy the Qin Dynasty, but to save it. If I can turn Guanzhong into fertile land, then..."

"Fertile soil!" The hot-tempered Wang Ling stood up before he could finish and angrily interrupted Lu Buwei's words: "That place is all white hair. How many years will it take to cure it? How many people will it take? Thirty to fifty thousand people can't cure it in three to five years! You, a birdman, must have become a spy for another country!"

The two veterans charged forward, and the officials went to see the king.

Prince Chu of Qin watched coldly without saying a word.

The ministers looked at each other and understood the king's attitude. It seemed that today's incident had nothing to do with the king.

Therefore, the civil officials also wanted to join the battle.

While they were warming up their thoughts on words, the usually arrogant and domineering generals had already started to criticize them.

If Zheng State entered Qin and started to control water and build canals, it would mobilize a huge amount of manpower and material resources, and Qin would be unable to fight foreign wars.

If they can’t fight, how can they get promoted?

[Note 1: All the unannotated jin in this book are calculated according to the pre-Qin period, where one jin is approximately equal to grams.]

(End of this chapter)