The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 190 Lu Zhonglianzi's Request
The eunuch smiled condescendingly, cupped his hands, and nodded:
"It's true."

The boy sighed.

Marriage, a skill that you don’t know if it’s useful or not, so you should use it first and see what happens later.

Looking through the ancient history of China, from the Zhou Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, intermarriage has never ceased.

"Go back and report to the Queen Mother of Qi." The young man stood upright and said righteously, "I am eight years old! I don't understand love! If I marry a Qi woman for politics, it will be an insult to my character!"

The eunuch agreed with a bitter face and went back to report.

Hu, who was standing by, heard this and became even more convinced that Ying Chengjiao was a gentleman.

The one the lord rejected was the daughter of the King of Qi!
Therefore, Ying Chengjiao, who had originally regarded this as a trivial matter, welcomed Kong Bin and Lu Zhonglian who were traveling together within half an hour.

The tall Kong Bin started laughing as soon as he entered the door, with his mouth wide open.

He knew that the boy would never agree to the marriage.

Marrying a princess from the royal family of Qi is a good thing for most people, but a disaster for young people.

If the plan goes smoothly, most of the nobles in various countries will be the targets of liquidation, and the royal family of Qi will be no exception.

If we form an alliance now, won’t we be fighting against ourselves later?

Ying Chengjiao rolled his eyes at Kong Bin's hateful smile.

He wanted to jump up from the chair and slap the smile away:
"Why is Zishun laughing?"

"Hahaha!" Kong Bin laughed. "The marriage between Qi and Qin, the alliance between the East and the West, isn't this the strategy of Qin? Why do you want to refuse, young master?"

The young man frowned slightly and glanced at Lu Zhonglian.

Lu Zhonglian was seen wearing a wide robe with big sleeves, and he had an otherworldly air as he walked, with his long hair fluttering in the wind.

At a glance.

The first impression of Ying Chengjiao is free and easy, the second impression is at ease.

The boy didn't pay much attention to Lu Zhonglian's image, and quickly looked back at Kong Bin, somewhat unable to understand what Kong Bin meant.

It is obvious from Kong Bin's words that Ying Chengjiao was standing on the side of the Qin State.

But Ying Chengjiao, who was in the Jixia Academy, should not have stated that he stood on the side of the Qin State.

How could he say this in front of Lu Zhonglian, the scholar of Jixia? Lu Zhonglian was a scholar who openly expressed his opposition to Qin!
Kong Bin saw the boy's confusion and introduced him with a smile:
"When I was the prime minister of Wei, the king of Wei asked me, 'Is there anyone who is a great scholar in the world?'

"I answered, 'There is no such person in the world. If there is a second-rate person, it must be Lu Zhonglian.'

"The King of Wei said: 'Lu Zhonglian forced himself to do this, it was not a natural expression of his nature.'

"I replied: 'People force themselves to do something. If they keep doing it, they will become a gentleman. If they keep doing it, habit and nature will gradually merge into one, and then it will become natural.'

"Cheng Jiao.

"Brother Lu and you are the same kind of people."

Ying Chengjiao lowered his eyes slightly to avoid the murderous intent in his eyes being seen.

He invited the two sons to sit down in a very natural tone, and "accidentally" broke a cup.

While picking up the broken pieces of the cup, he smiled and said naturally:

"I heard that Lu Zhonglianzi once commented on the State of Qin, saying that Qin was a country that abandoned etiquette and only valued military exploits.

"He treated his soldiers with trickery and enslaved the people like slaves.

"If the King of Qin were to rule the world, I would rather jump into the East China Sea and die. I cannot bear to be a citizen of Qin.

"Today, Zishun brought the gentleman to see me, Mr. Qin. This is undoubtedly the opposite of what the gentleman said."

The light in the room flickered for a moment, shorter than the blink of an eye, so fast that it seemed like an optical illusion.

The person waiting outside the door was dazzled.

The next moment, Gai Nie, dressed in white, stood beside him with a sword hanging from his waist.

Lu Zhonglianzi in the room seemed to be unaware of this and said seriously:

“I said those words during the Battle of Handan.

"At that time, I was a guest in Zhao State and saw with my own eyes how brutal and rude the Qin army was.

"In order to capture Handan, the Qin general Wang Ling actually used the corpses on the battlefield as rations!
“The difference between humans and animals is that humans have ethics and morals.

“Even barbarians would not do such a thing as cannibalism. Can cannibals still be called human beings?

"Is it not true what I say about such a country? Do I still need to praise it?
"but now."

Lu Zhonglian glanced at Ying Chengjiao and changed the subject:
“After meeting and observing you, I think what Zishun said can be believed.

"With the prince, the Qin State will surely transform from a country of tigers and wolves to a country of the people.

“I heard the conversation between the young master and Gongsun Longzi on the high platform.

"Since you are here to ask other scholars to follow you, let me be the first one to follow you in Jixia Academy."

Ying Chengjiao spread out his palms, a smile on his face, and said helplessly:

“Everyone knows that I was called a child prodigy when I was in Qin State, but actually I was more often called a scoundrel.

“Since Zishun brought you here, and said such words in front of you.

“I think you probably know almost everything you have done to me and what you want to do to me.

"I don't really believe in bowing down to someone the first time you meet them.

"If words are so useful, why would the nations be fighting each other now? Wouldn't it be easier to just sit down and talk?
"Lu Zhonglian is a true gentleman, but I am not. I am a coward.

"so."

The young man looked serious and changed the subject:
"If you can't dispel my doubts today, I don't think I can work with you."

Lu Zhonglianzi was a little annoyed:
"Can't I, Lu Zhonglian's reputation, prove it to you?

"If Zhonglian once said something unfavorable to the Qin State, does that mean Zishun has no influence?
"When Qin first attacked Zhao during the Battle of Changping, the King of Wei asked his ministers for their advice on the matter.

"All the ministers believed that Qin's attack on Zhao was beneficial to Wei.

"Only Zishun was an exception, and he asked the ministers, 'Why do you say that?'

"The ministers replied, 'Qin defeated Zhao, and Wei surrendered to it. If Qin cannot defeat Zhao, Wei can attack Qin when it is exhausted. Isn't that a good thing?'

"Zi Shun immediately refuted: 'Qin has never lost a battle since Qin Xiaogong, and now they are using General Bai Qi, how could they lose? How could they be tired for us to take advantage of?'

"The ministers said: 'Even if Qin defeats Zhao, what harm will it do to Wei? The weakening of Zhao is a good thing for our country!'

"Zi Shun retorted: 'Qin is a greedy and tyrannical country. Once it defeats Zhao, it will certainly turn its attention to other countries. Then the neighboring Wei will face the attack of the Qin army. The ancients said that swallows and sparrows build their nests under the eaves. The mother bird feeds the young, chirping happily, and they think they are very comfortable. Suddenly, flames burst out from the chimney of the stove, and the tall house is about to be burned down, but the swallows and sparrows do not change their faces, not knowing that disaster is about to befall them. You don't understand that once Zhao is destroyed, disaster will befall Wei. Are humans the same as swallows and sparrows?

"Zi Shun served as the prime minister of Wei and gave the king of Wei advice on how to resist the Qin State. The prince can trust him.

“Although I am from Qi, I have always refused to accept any official position and only taught and educated people at the Jixia Academy.

"Why do you believe Zishun but not me?"

Kong Bin looked unhappy, but didn't say much.

The most important thing right now is to make Prince Chengjiao trust Lu Zhonglian and expand the team.

Somewhat offensive...

Kong Bin curled his lips. He hadn't fought with swords for a long time.

A true Confucian scholar is not only able to reason, but also knows a little bit about martial arts.

Although Kong Bin didn't say anything, his performance was enough for Ying Chengjiao to see something.

If Lu Zhonglian and Kong Bin were not close, how could they do such a thing?

This is not just crossing the river and destroying the bridge.

Kong Bin crossed the river first, and Lu Zhonglian, who had not crossed the river, called Kong Bin back and threatened Kong Bin, saying, "If I can't cross the river, you can't cross either."

The boy pondered.

He wanted the support of the scholars, but he didn't expect that there would be results so soon. It was too smooth.

He had listened to Lu Zhonglian's arguments in the Mianci Palace.

Although his words were limited by the times, it is undeniable that they had many merits and he was indeed making plans for the development of the State of Qi.

At least at that time, Lu Zhonglian was still devoted to Qi.

How long has it been?

Kong Bin drew a picture of a pie he gave, and Lu Zhonglian ate it? Did he immediately rebel against Qi and join Qin?
Because of his personal charm?

Bullshit, he doesn't believe it.

He is not Naruto who is good at talking.

Then... maybe it's because of the Kong family's connections?

Ying Chengjiao stroked his chin and thought, this sounded much more believable than his personal charm.

[Try again... I will tell you about his experience in resisting Qin and see how he defends himself.]
The boy made a quick decision and said:
“It was precisely because Zishun was the prime minister of Wei at that time that I believed in Zishun.

“As the saying goes, one should do his job when in his position.

"At that time, Zishun offered advice to resist Qin, which was his duty.

“But it’s different with Mr.

"Sir, you are not in the position to govern, but you are trying to govern the country."

The young man narrowed his eyes slightly, like a pair of phoenixes spreading their wings and flying in the sky:
“I am the most beloved prince of Qin by my great-grandfather and my grandfather, and I am also the prime minister of Zhao.

“There are almost no files from the Qin and Zhao countries that I have not seen.

“Therefore, I know many secrets that are unknown to the public.

“For example, the Battle of Handan.

"Although you are not well-known about this battle, you just mentioned it lightly.

"But, sir, you didn't just say a few words, you made a great effort!
"At that time, Handan was under siege, and Zhao State sought help everywhere.

“I heard that the King of Wei sent Jin Bi to lead an army to aid Zhao, and Jin Bi obeyed the king’s order and stationed in Tangyin without moving forward.

"I also heard that when Jin Bi refused to move forward, the King of Wei sent another general named Xin Yuanyan to enter Handan through a hidden path.

"He met with the King of Zhao through the relationship of Lord Pingyuan and said: 'The reason why the Qin army is eager to besiege Zhao is that they competed with the King of Qi for the title of emperor in the past, but soon abandoned the title. Now Qi has become even weaker, and only Qin is the hegemon of the world. This siege is not for the covetousness of Handan, but to regain the title of emperor. If Zhao can send envoys to honor the King of Qin as emperor, the King of Qin will be very happy and will withdraw his troops.'

"Pingyuan Jun hesitated and could not make a decision.

“If nothing unexpected happens, perhaps King Zhao will be persuaded by Xin Yuanyan to honor his great-grandfather as the emperor.

“But something unexpected happened.

“Sir, you are the accident.

"Sir, do you remember what you said and did at that time?"

Lu Zhonglian was surprised, amazed that the young man could actually tell him what he had done.

This was obviously known a long time ago.

This is unusual.

Although Lu Zhonglian was one of the philosophers, his fame was only known in the Jixia Academy and Linzi, Qi State.

It can almost be said that this person cannot be found outside.

Because Lu Zhonglian did not seek fame or profit in his actions.

After finishing the work, leave immediately.

Waving your sleeves will not take away a single cloud.

He looked at his good friend Kong Bin:
"Zishun, weren't you the one who told Yingzi about me first?"

Kong Bin snorted and disdained to answer.

Lu Zhonglian realized that it was not said by his good friend.

The carefree gentleman smiled easily and admired Ying Chengjiao even more:
“If I were to say that I was doing so out of consideration for Zishun, I was doing so because I believed in Zishun’s character and vision.

"At this moment, even if Zishun is not here, I would still like to have a chat with you, Master."

With a slight nod, Lu Zhonglian answered the young man's question and said with a smile:

“I remember everything I said and did.

"I remember that I had seen the atrocities committed by the Qin army and was filled with righteous indignation, so I went to see Lord Pingyuan, who was well-known for his virtue, and asked him what Zhao was going to do.

"Pingyuan Jun complained to me: 'Not long ago, we lost 400,000 troops in Changping. Now, the Qin army is besieging Handan and cannot be forced to retreat. Although I want to resist, the King of Wei has sent an envoy, Xin Yuanyan, to meet with my king and advise Zhao to respect the King of Qin as emperor. Now that Xin Yuanyan is still here, perhaps the matter will be settled.'

“I am very angry that the famous Lord Pingyuan is so cowardly.

"Then he shouted, 'I used to think you were a wise and virtuous young man, but today I know you are not! Where is Xin Yuanyan, the envoy from Wei? I will interrogate him for you and send him back.'

"Pingyuan Jun was delighted and said, 'I would like to introduce Xin Yuanyan to you.'

"Not long after, Lord Pingyuan came back and told me that he had met Xin Yuanyan.

"He said truthfully: 'There is a Mr. Lu Zhonglian in Qi State. He is here now. I would like to introduce him to the envoy.'

"Xin Yuanyan was reluctant at first and politely declined the invitation, saying, 'I have heard that Mr. Lu Zhonglian is a man of high moral character in Qi. If it were any other time, I would be delighted. But now I am a minister of the King of Wei and I am on a mission with my duty, so I will not see Mr. Lu Zhonglian.'

"Pingyuan Jun was quite bold at this time, and said without allowing any refusal: 'I have already revealed the news that you are here. If you do not want to see Mr. Lu Zhonglian, I will have no choice but to bring Mr. Lu Zhonglian to see you.'

"Xin Yuanyan had no choice but to agree.

"The next day, I met Xin Yuanyan and told him my evaluation of the Qin State, which is what the young master said."

Lu Zhonglian stopped talking and looked at Ying Chengjiao with a smile.

Ying Chengjiao waited for a moment and said with a smile:

"Why don't you continue? Are you testing me to see how much I know about your deeds?"

Lu Zhonglian said nothing, just smiled.

He really wanted to know whether the young man in front of him just happened to have seen some of his deeds, or whether he really knew him well.

If it was the latter... then he would really have 60% confidence in the future described by his good friend Kong Bin.

He had specially known Lu Zhonglian, which proved that the young man in front of him really wanted to win him over.

We really need the help of the scholars in Jixia Academy to achieve a prosperous era unprecedented in history.

The young man was looking for followers, and he, Lu Zhonglian, was looking for someone to follow.

This is a two-way choice, both parties are testing each other.

The young man drank some water to moisten his throat and said:
“Since the sir is interested, the boy continued.

"The teacher had a very bad opinion of Qin at the time and told Xin Yuanyan that he wanted to help Zhao.

"Xin Yuanyan asked how Mr.

"The Master said that he wanted to ask Wei and Yan to help Zhao.

"Xin Yuanyan believes that you can get Yan to help Zhao, but he doesn't believe that you can get Wei to help Zhao.

"Because he, Xin Yuanyan, is from Wei, and he came to persuade Zhao with the order of the King of Wei. How could the King of Wei let Wei help Zhao?
"The master said that it was because Wei did not see the danger of Qin's claiming the throne that it did not help Zhao. Once Wei sees the danger of Qin's claiming the throne, it will definitely help Zhao.

"Xin Yuanyan asks you to tell me about the hidden dangers of Qin's claim to the throne.

"The teacher spoke eloquently, saying that in the past, King Wei of Qi practiced benevolence and righteousness, and led the princes of the world to pay homage to the King of Zhou.

"At that time, the King of Zhou was poor and weak, and none of the princes went to pay homage to him except Qi.

"More than a year later, King Lie of Zhou died, and the King of Qi was late in coming to the funeral. The newly succeeded King Xuan of Zhou was very angry and sent people to Qi to announce the death.

"He said: 'The death of the emperor is a great event, like the collapse of heaven and earth. The new emperor must leave the palace to mourn and sleep on straw mats. Tian Yingqi, a minister of the eastern vassal state, dared to be late. He should be beheaded.'

"King Wei of Qi was furious when he heard this and cursed the newly crowned King Xuan of Zhou: 'Your mother is a slave!'

“This incident eventually became a laughing stock throughout the world.

"King Wei of Qi went to see King Lie of Zhou when he was alive, but started cursing him after he died because he couldn't stand the harsh demands of the new emperor.

"Once the King of Qin is crowned emperor and is superior to the other princes, he will treat the other princes in the same manner as King Xuan of Zhou did. This is not surprising.

"Xin Yuanyan heard this and asked the master: 'Have you ever seen a servant? Ten servants serve one master. Is it because they are not as strong or as smart as the master? Is it because they are afraid of the master?'

"The Master replied, 'Is the King of Wei just a servant compared to the King of Qin?'

"Xin Yuanyan gave an affirmative answer.

"The master said, 'If that's the case, I'll let the King of Qin cook the King of Wei and chop him into meat sauce.'

"Xin Yuanyan was unhappy and said that the more you said, the more you said, the more you said. It is impossible for the King of Qin to chop the King of Wei into meat sauce."

"That's enough." Lu Zhonglian waved his hand.

He was sure that Master Chengjiao did have a solid understanding of him.

"Not enough." Ying Chengjiao smiled.

The most important thing has not yet been mentioned.

He really read the file carefully, he was sure.

Lu Zhonglian did not come to Zhao State and make a temporary decision to help Zhao State just after seeing the atrocities committed by the Qin army.

Lu Zhonglian has always had a prejudice against the State of Qin.

"I would like to finish what I am saying, sir, would you be willing to listen?" the young man asked.

Lu Zhonglian raised his hand and said casually:
"Yingzi is light."

The boy's eyes were like twinkling stars, and he continued:
"The teacher first told Xin Yuanyan about the story of King Zhou of Shang.

“It is said that Jiuhou, Ehou and King Wen were the three princes of King Zhou of Shang.

"Jiu Hou had a beautiful daughter, and he presented her to King Zhou of Shang.

"Shang Zhou thought the woman was ugly, so he chopped Jiuhou into meat paste.

"The Marquis of E was forthright in his admonitions and fierce in his defence.

"Shang Zhou also killed the Marquis of E and made his meat into jerky.

“When King Wen heard this, he just sighed deeply.

"Shang Zhou imprisoned King Wen in Youli Prison for another 100 days, hoping to kill him.

"If the Qin State proclaimed itself emperor, it would be one level higher than the other princes, wouldn't it be like King Zhou of Shang?

“Then the King of Wei and the King of Zhao, aren’t their positions the same as the Lord of Jiu, the Lord of E, and the Lord of Wen?

"Jiu Hou and E Hou were eventually chopped into meat paste and made into jerky, so why wouldn't the King of Wei do the same?
"Then the teacher still felt that his speech was not convincing enough, so he told the story of King Min of Qi.

"It is said that when King Min of Qi went to the State of Lu, Yi Weizi drove the carriage for King Min of Qi as an attendant.

"Yiweizi said to the officials of Lu: 'How are you going to receive our king?'

"The officials of Lu said: 'We intend to use ten sets of Tailao to receive your king.'

"Yi Weizi said: 'What etiquette are you following to receive our king? My king of Qi is the Son of Heaven. When the Son of Heaven visits other countries, the princes should move out of the main palace and move to other places. They should hand over their keys, lift up their clothes, set up a few tables, and stand in the hall to serve the emperor. Only after the emperor has finished eating can they return to the court to attend to government affairs.'

"After hearing this, the officials of Lu State immediately closed their borders and refused to allow King Min of Qi to enter.

"King Min of Qi could not enter Lu, so he planned to go to Xue via Zou.

"Just at this time, the king of Zou died.

"King Min of Qi wanted to enter the mirror to pay his respects, so Yi Weizi told the successor of Zou: 'When the emperor pays his respects, the host must turn the coffin around and place the spirit tablet facing north in the south, and then the emperor will pay his respects facing south.'

"The ministers of Zou said: 'If it is not so, we would rather kill ourselves with swords.'

"Therefore, King Min of Qi did not dare to enter the State of Zou.

"The teacher told Xin Yuanyan that my great-grandfather, King Zhaoxiang of Qin, was as cruel as King Min of Qi.

"What King Min of Qi did, couldn't King Zhaoxiang of Qin do?

"When faced with an invasion, even small states like Lu and Zou were able to reject King Min of Qi, so why should a large state like Wei surrender? Could it be that Wei was inferior to small states like Lu and Zou?

“You know, Qin State had 10,000 chariots, and Wei State also had 10,000 chariots.

"Both are great nations with ten thousand chariots, and each has the title of king.

"The State of Wei, seeing only that it had won a battle, was determined to support the king of Qin in becoming emperor.

"Then a minister of the Three Jins like Xin Yuanyan is not even as good as the slaves and concubines of Zou and Lu.

“Then Qin will definitely replace the ministers of the princes.

"The King of Qin is about to remove those he considers unworthy and replace them with those he considers virtuous.

“Remove those he hates and replace them with those he loves.

"He also wants his children and concubines who stir up trouble to marry princes as concubines. Can the State of Wei be spared?

"The Wei court will be in turmoil, and the King of Wei himself won't be able to live a peaceful life.

"How could Xin Yuanyan, as the minister of Wei who led all this, have been able to gain the favor he once had?"

Ying Chengjiao stood up, with an imposing manner:
"Sir, do you know that it was because of your remarks that Xin Yuanyan left the State of Zhao.

"After hearing what you said, my Qin general Wang Ling retreated 50 miles!

"It was because of your delay that Lord Xinling was able to steal the tiger talisman, kill Jinbi, and lead the army to rescue Zhao!
"If it weren't for you, sir, the State of Zhao might have already surrendered to the State of Qin!

“When the time comes, the Three Jins will honor my great-grandfather as the emperor. My great-grandfather can use this opportunity to conquer the world and unify the country!
"Now ten years have passed, and my Qin State is still confined to the western corner, with no chance of unifying the world. This is all thanks to you, sir!
"Sir, please tell me.

"If you were me, how would you trust Lu Zhonglianzi, who is not in the position but still actively plans how to resist Qin?

"The Battle of Handan lasted for three years. Sir, you are a guest here? Not necessarily, right?"

The young man looked solemn and spoke softly, word by word:
"Sir, did you go there on purpose?"

Kong Bin, who had been eavesdropping, looked outside the door unconsciously and his eyes suddenly froze.

He saw two shadows on the ground!
[When did Gai Nie arrive!]
Kong Bin was startled for a moment, stared at the boy, and said in a deep voice:
"Cheng Jiao, don't mess around!"

"Did you find out?" The boy raised his eyebrows.

The next moment, Gai Nie, dressed in white, stood behind the young man.

"Zishun." The young man said softly, "You were the one who messed around first. Bringing people here without my permission could result in death."

(End of this chapter)