The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 176: Prince Chengjiao is not in Qin, but the legend of Prince Chengjiao is everywhere in Qin

Ying Zheng leaned back and shook his head:
“I still think you’re overthinking it.

"Since Yu Rang, it has become very popular for scholars to die for their friends.

"If, as you say, his death would ruin your reputation, why didn't he commit suicide?"

Ying Chengjiao also thought about this problem.

In this era, death, which is a great fear in his eyes, is really not a difficult thing in the eyes of some people.

He scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on his face. The sulfur smell was not very pleasant:
“I guess, compared to framing me with death, he would rather expose me in person.

“After all, he has never lost and is the strongest debater since the beginning of time.

"If you want your hearts to be dissatisfied, you must be convinced with your mouth."

Smile, blink, and the water drops on the eyelashes fall off:
"If I can get past Gongsun Long, I'm sure no one will bother themselves anymore in the future."

Ying Chengjiao and Bai Wuxia once said: The fastest way to become a famous general is not to win a battle, but to defeat a famous general.

This principle applies in any field.

Prince Zheng of Qin took a slow breath, his chest rising and falling.

With both arms on the edge of the wall, he raised his right forearm and pointed his index finger at his brother in mid-air:
"Father is right, you are taking too many risks and are too eager for success.

“You seem to be on a smooth journey now, but in fact you are walking on the edge of a cliff. If you take a wrong step, you will be doomed.

"Brother, try to slow down."

Ying Chengjiao asked back:
"Father has only two sons, you and I. If I don't become king, then my brother must be king.

"Whether or not my brother endures the pain of lingchi has no bearing on my status as king, so why should my brother endure this inhuman pain?
"Why are you so eager to prove to father that you can be king?
"Brother, we are the same. No one can slow down."

Ying Zheng curled his lips and hatred flashed in his eyes.

Compared with the lingchi he suffered in Qin, the humiliation he suffered in Zhao was even more painful.

He lowered his head slightly, glanced at his heart, and said in a deep voice:

“The scar is gone, but the hatred remains.

"Although every cut made by the imperial physician was painful, I knew that I was one step closer to success.

“But in Zhao, every time the whip fell I felt nothing but pain, and I didn’t know when it would end.

"As long as Zhao is not destroyed and those who insult me ​​are not dead, I will not be able to relax. I don't want to wait until the moment of revenge in the future, because if I am lazy now, I will not have the power to retaliate.

“But you are different, brother.

"You don't have the experience I have. You don't live with hatred. You don't need to be so anxious."

Ganquan Palace.

Mi Yang, the Imperial Chariot Officer, drove the carriage himself and returned with Prince Cheng Jiao.

The Queen Mother Huayang was standing in the small square in front of Ganquan Palace to greet them. When she saw the carriage stop, she took two quick steps and rushed to the front of the carriage.

Young Master Cheng Jiao lifted the carriage curtain and poked his head out.

When he saw Queen Dowager Huayang, he first called her "Mother", then grabbed Queen Dowager Huayang's hand and jumped off the carriage.

Queen Mother Huayang held Ying Chengjiao's hand and said with a smile:
"My lonely Jiaoer is back."

With one hand at her side, she pushed hard against Mi Huang who was leaning on her.

Mi Huang felt pain and raised her little head to look at her grandma. When she found that her grandma didn't look at her, she knew that there was no room for negotiation.

The little girl's delicate face flushed, and she was very embarrassed.

[How can you be so unrestrained...]
"Husband." She shouted loudly at Master Cheng Jiao.

Since you are sure you want to scream, then scream louder. Being shy will make people look down on you.

Ying Chengjiao's smile froze on his face for a moment, and he turned around to look inside the carriage.

The carriage was empty.

The young man suddenly realized that this was the Qin State, and Bai Wuxia was no longer by his side.

[Why do I feel like having an affair...]
He glanced at the blushing little Lolita Mi Huang, then smiled bitterly and looked up at Queen Mother Huayang and said:
"Mother, marriage is a bit backward.

"The Great Mother doesn't believe in my character or my heart."

Empress Dowager Huayang pretended to be surprised and glared at her great-grandniece, and lectured her:
"What are you yelling about!"

He turned around with a smiling face and said to Master Cheng Jiao:

"What marriage? I have long since given up on such an idea. It was the little girl Huang'er who was shouting nonsense.

"We Chu people have always been open-minded and courageous in pursuing our own happiness and love.

"I will not enter into such an alliance.

"But Huang'er loves you, and it's hard for me to control you."

Ying Chengjiao nodded “yes, yes, yes” twice, but didn’t know what to say, nor did he want to say anything else.

He glanced at Mi Huang's face, which was as delicately carved as an elf, and felt secretly happy.

He is very loyal and likes beautiful women, both big and small.

Queen Dowager Huayang walked into Ganquan Palace holding Mi Huang in her left hand and Prince Chengjiao in her right hand.

There was an old man standing at the door.

The Queen Mother Huayang's elder brother was the Chief Justice of Qin State, and Huayang Bufei was not allowed to fly.

Huayang Bufei nodded slightly to Master Chengjiao and saluted:
"Mr. Chang'an."

Ying Chengjiao quickly lifted up the old man's hand:

"What is this uncle doing?"

Hearing the word "Uncle", the old man was so happy that all the wrinkles on his face opened up with a smile.

He stood up, pointed at his head and said with a smile:
"If you don't behave yourself, you'll be beaten up again."

Ying Chengjiao was somewhat embarrassed:
"Cheng Jiao was young and ignorant, and he made a big mistake. My uncle broke my head and healed it."

"Don't listen to his nonsense!" Queen Mother Huayang pulled the boy back and scolded her brother: "If you can stay, then stay. If you can't, then go back to your Tingwei Mansion! What a waste of time!"

Huayang Bufei smiled awkwardly and apologized repeatedly.

Ying Chengjiao kept saying that it was his fault, but he wondered in his heart if this was all planned, and that Queen Dowager Huayang was showing that she loved him more than her own brother.

Queen Mother Huayang did not look kindly upon her brother. She waved to the two boys playing in the front hall to come over and stand in front of Ying Chengjiao.

Judging from their height and appearance, the two children seemed to be about the same age as Ying Chengjiao.

They stared at Ying Chengjiao with their big black eyes, half curious and half admiring.

Prince Chengjiao was not in Qin, but the legend about him was spreading everywhere in Qin.

The two brothers often heard of the great name of Master Chengjiao when they were outside, and every time they came to see Queen Dowager Huayang, they would listen to her nagging about him again.

They had long wanted to meet Cheng Jiao, the young master who had become famous at the age of seven.

The older boy, who was the elder brother, bowed and said in a similar manner:
"Xiong Wen, meet Lord Chang'an."

The other boy had a natural look of pride on his face. He followed his brother and also bowed and said:

"Xiong Qi, meet Lord Chang'an."

Ying Chengjiao returned the greeting seriously and understood what was going on.

The Qin and Chu clans' in-laws all had the same surname, Mi, but different clan names.

There are Youxiong, Huayang, Gaoling and so on.

Xiong Qi and Xiong Wen, whom Queen Mother Huayang brought to see him today, are probably the next generation of leaders of the Chu faction.

Ying Chengjiao glanced at the Chief Justice Huayang Bufei out of the corner of his eye, and did not notice that Huayang Bufei had any dissatisfaction on his face. He then looked at the two brothers in front of him with higher regard.

Due to the relationship between Queen Mother Huayang and Huayang Bufei, the children of the Huayang family would be given special training even if they were slightly less talented.

But the two sons standing here are both from the Xiong family.

The brothers Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi must have extraordinary qualities to be able to make Queen Dowager Huayang break her prejudice against family ties.

Queen Mother Huayang covered her forehead and said with a smile:
"I'm old. I've only been standing for a short while, but I'm already a little tired. I'm just taking a rest.

"Qian'er, tell these two guys about your achievements, let them know what a child prodigy is, and discourage them from being so aggressive."

He turned his head and glared at his brother Huayang Bufei:

"Come with me! Don't get in the way of Qi'er here!"

The Queen Mother Huayang intended to have Prince Chengjiao, Mi Huang, Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi, four people of the same age, get along with each other and develop feelings for each other.

The Queen Mother Huayang and Huayang Bufei entered the back room.

Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi let out a long sigh, and their expressions became noticeably more lively.

Xiong Qi, who was more obviously arrogant, raised his head and stood on tiptoe, intending to be a little taller than Master Chengjiao:
"Is it true that you angered Lord Pingyuan to death in the Zhao court?"

"Fake." Ying Chengjiao responded with a smile.

"I knew it." Xiong Qi snorted, and his awe of Master Cheng Jiao faded a little. He asked again, "Then your reputation outside is greater than that of Lord Xinling, which is not true?"

"Of course it's not true." Ying Chengjiao spread his hands and said, "Come on, I'm only seven years old. Xinling Jun has been famous for many years. How can I compare with him with my small body?"

"Look, brother, I was right, wasn't I?" Xiong Qi pointed at Master Cheng Jiao and said to his brother, "It was our grandma and the master who deceived us. They just wanted to attack us."

The more stable elder brother Xiong Wen was half-believing and half-doubting, and said:

"Then the tables, chairs, and mahjong weren't invented by Chang'an Jun?"

Ying Chengjiao nodded vigorously:
"Of course! Do you think I look like someone who could invent these things?"

From the surnames of Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi, Ying Chengjiao felt that these two guys must be arrogant.

Xiong is the Wang family of the Chu State.

Raising a child is a troublesome thing, raising two children is even more troublesome, and raising two arrogant children is even more troublesome.

Ying Chengjiao didn't want to cause trouble for himself.

If he really wanted to build up his power, Ying Chengjiao would have taken the trouble to guide the two brothers.

But he learned from his brother that these two brothers were his study companions.

Then why should he bother? Just let his brother tame him.

Mi Huang's eyes were full of confusion. When did Master Jiao become so humble?

In the little girl's impression, Prince Chengjiao was the most domineering person in the Qin Palace. He scolded her and made her cry when they met for the first time.

"Husband." The little girl called out crisply, her face not blushing: "The chair and table were obviously invented by you."

Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi blushed and their necks became thick.

They liked the elf-like Mi Huang and had all said they wanted to marry her, and they had even fought over this.

How could Mi Huang, whom they deeply loved, call someone else her husband!

In fact, it’s not love at their age.

I just like beautiful things and beautiful people.

But possessiveness knows no age distinction. Their eyes spewed out flames of anger, burning Young Master Cheng Jiao fiercely.

Ying Chengjiao: “…”

The fire that was set off by his three sentences was ignited to the sky by Mi Huang's one sentence.

Ying Chengjiao thinks there is nothing strange about jealousy, as everyone has a love for beauty.

But he felt that there was no need to be jealous at such a young age. What would happen if he got jealous?
Even if it is against morality and being a beast, the most it can do is make the little girl drool all over. Is it necessary?

"Ying Chengjiao! I want to fight with you! Whoever wins will own Mi Huang!" Xiong Qi yelled.

"Hit!" Xiong Wen also lost his composure.

Ying Chengjiao took two steps back to prevent the two brothers from being too excited and losing martial ethics and starting a fight directly.

He looked at the sizes of Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi, compared himself with them, felt he was no match for them, and gave up the fight.

Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi practiced martial arts with Prince Zheng of Qin, practicing diligently every day.

Young Master Chengjiao narrowed his eyes and thought about how to coax the child.

If he said something like women are not commodities and cannot be used for gambling, and that this is disrespectful to women, the brothers probably wouldn't listen. This is the Qin State, civil officials don't fight, and they are inferior to others in court.

We are about to raise our fists, why bother talking about reason?

Unless, this logic makes so much sense, so much sense that it can instantly kill the passion of the two brothers.

After a moment, Master Cheng Jiao said in a deep voice:

"What are your last names?"

Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi shouted "Mi" angrily one after another, full of emotion.

"Mi Huang's surname is also Mi." Young Master Cheng Jiao said seriously, "Two warriors, people with the same surname cannot marry."

Not marrying someone with the same surname is one of the reasons why women use their surnames instead of their clan names.

A surname represents the bloodline of ancestors. People of the same bloodline cannot get married. This is a rule set by the Zhou Dynasty.

really.

Xiong Qi and Xiong Wen's faces changed, their grief and anger were evident in their words.

Ying Chengjiao was amazed, wondering how two little kids could have such rich emotions.

He felt that it might be because his brother was nine years old when he started his career. People of this era mature very precociously.

"You prevent me from marrying Mi Huang! I'm going to beat you!" Xiong Qi pouted and rushed forward crying.

"Hit him!" Xiong Wen had tears in his eyes.

"What an annoying brat! It's none of my business! Don't you have to blame your parents for what your last names are?" Ying Chengjiao quickly stepped back, spitting twice, and shouted, "Someone come quickly! Protect this young master!"

When Empress Dowager Huayang and Huayang Bufei heard the commotion outside, they thought it was a good thing at first, believing that the children could play together.

Wait until Mi Huang knocks on the door:

"Grandma! Xiong Wen, Xiong Qi and my husband are fighting!"

The brother and sister in the back room looked changed.

Half an hour later, Prince Chengjiao bid farewell to Queen Mother Huayang:
"After some time, I will go to Qi State."

Upon hearing this, Queen Dowager Huayang's face darkened slightly. She sent everyone away, not even keeping her beloved Mi Huang.

When she and Ying Chengjiao were the only ones in the room, she spoke earnestly:

"What are you going to do?"

Ying Chengjiao was silent for a moment and shook his head:
"I'm sorry I can't tell you."

The Chu clan’s foreign relatives were aristocrats and the vested interests of the hereditary system.

Queen Mother Huayang's face looked even uglier.

If I don't tell her, doesn't that mean I don't trust her?

She wanted to scold him.

She has done so much, but Master Cheng Jiao still hasn't treated her as his own!
The words were on the tip of my tongue, but I held them back.

She is no longer young and cannot protect the Chu family for long. In the future, the Chu family will have to rely on the young man in front of her.

She sighed sadly and said from the bottom of her heart:
"Qiao'er, if you don't tell me, I won't ask.

“But you must remember that you should always do things in the right way, and not take the risky path in everything.

"You were imprisoned by the State of Yan, and the king was furious, so he threatened to send troops to attack Yan and force Yan to release you.

"Although the result was beneficial to Qin, it restored some of Qin's credibility in the Central Plains, made it impossible for Zhao and Yan to get along, and made it impossible for Yan to rise again.

"It seems that you use the Central Plains as a chessboard, the princes as chess pieces, and manipulate the countries to your advantage.

"But have you ever thought about what if something unexpected happens?

"for example……"

Queen Mother Huayang looked directly at Prince Chengjiao and said:

"What if the Three Jins used your imprisonment as an excuse to join forces with Wei and Qi to attack Yan and destroy it?

"My Qin State does not border Yan State, this is completely aiding the enemy.

“The princes cooperate with you, and the nations act according to your wishes, because weakening Yan is beneficial to their own countries, not because they are stupid.

"Besides, you united the five kingdoms and forced the king to use Zheng to control the floods.

“This man from Zheng State is famous, but he has never controlled floods. He is just known as the descendant of Dayu.

“He knows how to control water, but can he control water?

“What should we do if other nations attack us during these ten years?
"Have there been many broken alliances in history? Alliances are meant to be broken from the day they are signed!
“Since you were little, you have been talking about mobilizing the whole country to build canals.

"Your father shouldn't have said that, I shouldn't have said that, and Wei Zhe shouldn't have said that either. Are we all short-sighted?
“You are a child prodigy, that’s true, you can compete with us at the age of seven.

“But you must not underestimate the heroes of the world and think that they are not as good as you.

“The reason you were able to unite the five nations is not because you have a good reputation, but because this matter is beneficial to the five nations, and they are taking advantage of your reputation.

“Those who exploit others are exploited by others.

"While you are controlling the five countries, you are also tied to them. Do you understand this?

"Your willful behavior will cause our Qin State to be in turmoil for at least the next ten years, and we will be unable to do anything.

"Don't blame the big mother for scolding you, you really did go too far.

"When you go out and do something, think twice before you act, okay?"

Ying Chengjiao looked serious and nodded heavily:

"only."

He had seen his father's methods.

Wei Zhe, he had also seen the methods used by Huang Shigong.

The only exception was the Queen Mother Huayang, whom he had always thought was only good at scheming.

It turns out, no.

Those who can assist the government in Qin will surely be able to govern the country.

"Mother, I have something to ask you."

"say."

"Yesterday I saw a maid in Huaqing Palace who was only wearing a gauze dress. My brother said that he favored this maid. Do you know about this?"

"I know, and the king knows about this, too." Queen Mother Huayang understood: "Don't worry, there is no conspiracy here. The maid was originally from the Yin Palace, and she had three sons with someone in the Yin Palace. Apart from her, her three sons all work in the Yin Palace, and she has no relatives outside."

Ying Chengjiao's worldview was greatly impacted. Was Wei Wu's legacy reversed to the pre-Qin period?

His face was filled with astonishment and he said in disbelief:

"…She has a husband? And three sons?"

Queen Mother Huayang nodded calmly, not thinking it was a big deal.

What's the big deal if the prince favors one palace maid? It doesn't matter if he favors more than one.

As for whether or not there is a husband, that doesn’t matter at all.

It is an honor for their family that the prince falls in love with the palace maid.

"This...raping someone else's wife...this is not good...how can we..." Ying Chengjiao didn't know what to say.

Queen Mother Huayang smiled naturally:
“Grandmother only tells you this.

“That maid was personally arranged by the king to relieve your brother’s stress.

“A woman with children is easier to control than a woman without children.

"She has someone to care about, so she's less likely to take risks."

Ying Chengjiao's eyebrows gathered together:
"Mother, I mean she has a husband, how can she..."

"So what if she has a husband?" Queen Mother Huayang interrupted, wondering, "Wouldn't it be better to kill her? She doesn't have a husband now."

Ying Chengjiao looked at the Queen Mother Huayang with a strange expression on her face, and a chill suddenly rose in his heart.

He didn't know whether he was weird or the world was weird.

Prince Chengjiao walked out of Ganquan Palace and got on a carriage drawn by four horses, refusing the offer of Mi Yang, the Minister of the Imperial Chariots, to drive him personally.

Queen Dowager Huayang watched the carriage go away, waved to her confidant Mi Yang, and said indifferently:

"How is the son of the palace maid favored by the prince? Is there any good seedling?"

Mi Yang bowed and said:
“There really is one.

"He has a photographic memory, reads very quickly, and is particularly keen on laws and regulations.

“As the Queen Mother said, I have brought him with me.

"Oh yes, he is also quite good at driving a car."

"Yes." Queen Mother Huayang nodded: "Teach her well. If the prince is not tired of favoring that maid, perhaps this child can be useful."

"Yes." Mi Yang responded.

Although the Chu faction had always stood on the side of Prince Chengjiao, Prince Chengjiao and Crown Prince Zheng were not incompatible, but brothers of one mind, which was rare in the history of the Qin State.

In this case, the Chu clan must of course be closer to Crown Prince Zheng, as he is the future King of Qin.

Night falls.

Mi Yang returned to his residence and sat on the bed.

A boy who looked about twelve or thirteen came over carrying a wooden basin filled with steaming hot water.

The child put down the wooden basin, respectfully took off Mi Yang's boots and socks, and washed Mi Yang's feet with a serious expression.

Mi Yang breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile:

"Zhao Gao, you are getting better at serving others.

"Have you been lazy today? How many laws did you memorize?"

The boy smiled, seeming to be happy to be praised:
“No laziness.

"Today there is only one bamboo slip, and Gao has memorized everything on it."

Three hours ago, at Lord Bie’s mansion.

In the courtyard, Bie Gong was digging the ground, digging with a copper shovel, while Gongzi Chengjiao was waiting obediently beside him.

Soon, the bones began to appear.

Bie Gong pointed to the corpse, which was still mostly covered by the earth, and showed it to Master Cheng Jiao:

"Sir, do you know who this is?"

"Master Zhao is tall." Ying Chengjiao said truthfully.

The boy didn't want to hide anything in front of an old man who had protected him since he was a child.

The veteran gave a thumbs up and said:
"You are really smart, you guessed it.

"You were so brave back then, I showed off to a few old hands.

"But now..."

Bie Gong threw away the copper shovel and said in a muffled voice:

"Why are you not brave anymore? Why do you need to control the floods and build canals? Why don't you dare to fight a war with Zhao, Yan, Han, Chu and Wei?"

The boy opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

To put it in a broader sense, it was so that the Qin State would have a large granary in the future and so that the people in Guanzhong would no longer suffer from floods.

But from his heart, the key motivation that determined him to push for flood control was that he did not want Bai Wuxia to die on the battlefield, and he did not want his father, whom he still resented in his heart, to die from exhaustion.

He wants to be known as a gentleman outside.

But he knew that he was not actually a gentleman.

　Zhao Gao's life story is not fabricated, but is reasonably speculated based on historical data.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)