The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 205 The sky is crying, the sky is human
Ying Chengjiao got the answer after just a moment of thinking.

Given the current situation of Yan State, it should have a wise prince to stabilize the country.

He was about to open his mouth to speak when he agreed.

As the words came to my lips, I felt a strange feeling in my heart.

He frowned and kept silent, looking at Yan Wangxi's face.

While observing, look for this hint of uneasiness in your heart.

Prince Xi of Yan was just as he remembered. Although he looked humble and seeking talents, there was arrogance deep in his eyes.

Since King Zhao of Yan, the State of Yan has not had a capable king.

The more he looked at him, the more Ying Chengjiao disdained King Xi of Yan.

A familiar feeling of arrogance grew in his heart. Ying Chengjiao lowered his eyelids, warning himself not to be anxious and impatient and not to be swayed by his emotions.

"Prime Minister." Yan Wangxi's voice seemed to be a bit flattering: "When you first came to Yan, my son Yan Dan treated the Prime Minister very well."

The word "Xiangbang" entered Ying Chengjiao's ears and instantly struck at the uneasiness that he couldn't find no matter how hard he tried.

Ying Chengjiao shuddered and his eyes widened.

He now has multiple identities.

The prime ministers of Yan, Zhao, Han, and Wei, the prime minister of Chu, the prime minister of Qi, the Lord of Chang'an of Qin, the son of the King of Qin, and a gentleman famous throughout the world...

In terms of blood relationship, he has the closest relationship with the Qin State and should have great say in the Qin State.

But it is not.

From the moment he united the five countries to force Qin, he should not have had any say in Qin.

Prince Xi of Yan might really want to take back the crown prince, but he might also be intentionally trying to hit Ying Chengjiao's golden body...

Ying Chengjiao raised his head and looked at King Xi of Yan in astonishment.

I don’t know whether I thought too simply of Prince Xi of Yan or too complicatedly of him.

But no matter what, it's always better to be careful.

The greatest value he has now is this golden body.

He should not do anything that is ungentlemanly, and should not behave in a way that is unsuitable for his character.

For example, agreeing to release Prince Dan of Yan...

"I can't do anything about what the King of Yan said." Ying Chengjiao said helplessly, "I should ask the King of Qin about this matter."

King Xi of Yan removed the last bit of doubt he had about Ju Xin, and now he completely believed in Ying Chengjiao's guarantee:
"It is I, Meng Lang, who has been reckless."

Ju Wu felt complicated.

As the Grand Tutor and Prime Minister, he understood Prince Xi of Yan far better than anyone else.

As soon as I heard Prince Xi of Yan asking the Crown Prince, I knew that Prince Xi was still testing me.

Unless Prince Xi of Yan gets seriously ill, he will not bring the crown prince back.

Ju Wu lowered his head and looked at the traces left by the veteran general Ju Xin on the ground in the palace.

Good news, the king was cautious and believed Ju Xin.

Bad news, the king judged the loyalty of a minister of Yan State through an outsider.

After dealing with the drama, the court meeting quickly came to an end.

After the palace gates were opened and all the ministers had left.

Ju Wu waited in the palace for about a moment, and was led by a eunuch to a palace room and brought before Prince Xi of Yan.

Ju Wu bowed and noticed out of the corner of his eye that there was something unnatural on King Xi of Yan's face.

King Xi of Yan personally helped Ju Wu up, with an embarrassed look on his face:

"Alas, I should have listened to you earlier and believed you. This is my fault."

Ju Wu looked frightened and touched, but his heart was calm.

It does take courage for a king to admit his mistakes in front of his subjects.

It is difficult to admit one's mistakes, but Your Majesty, please change.

From insisting on sending troops to attack Zhao, to slaughtering the entire Lejian clan, to now not trusting the veteran general Ju Xin.

Every time, Wang Xi of Yan admitted his mistakes and his attitude was very sincere afterwards.

But next time something happens, he will still do it his own way.

Yan Wangxi looked regretful and knocked his head with his fist:

"If I had listened to you, I wonder how many cities in Qi would have been annexed by Yan!"

Ju Wu pretended to comfort him:

“Don’t bother, Your Majesty.

“It is difficult to determine right and wrong, good and bad fortune.

“Right now, our country is in a state of disrepair. Even if we succeed in capturing Qi City, we don’t have enough supplies to defend it.

"Perhaps the best outcome is that Ju Xin can return with sufficient troops."

King Yan waved his hands and said with a wry smile:

"Don't comfort me.

"Ju Xin was able to defend Liaocheng for nearly a year and a half without any reinforcements or food.

"With the food and reinforcements provided by Yan State, how could we fail to defend the city?

"This is my fault... Alas..."

King Yan glanced at Ju Wu and said casually:

"Ju Wu.

"Do you think it is feasible for me to send Ju Xin as a general to lead the army to attack Qi?"

After believing that Ju Xin was a loyal minister, King Xi of Yan began to feel itchy and thought about expanding the territory.

There were four countries bordering Qi: Yan, Zhao, Chu and Wei.

Because of the shortage of soldiers in the country and the invasion of the Huns on the border, the State of Zhao was unable to take care of itself and could not get a piece of fat meat from the State of Qi.

Chu and Wei had already sat down at the table and started to feast on the food.

Yan State was clearly the first to take a bite, but not even a drop of oil got into its mouth.

King Yan was unwilling to accept this.

Ju Wu lowered his head to hide his speechless expression:

"Your Majesty... it's not suitable."

"Why is it inappropriate?" King Xi of Yan asked, "Isn't Ju Xin loyal to Yan? Will he lead his soldiers to rebel?"

Ju Wu lowered his head a little more:
“Lord Ju is naturally loyal to the State of Yan and will not lead his soldiers in rebellion.

“But he’s seriously injured.

“At nearly 70 years old, if I continue to travel with illness, I may never come back.

“Besides… Your Majesty, you also need to consider the sentiments of your soldiers.

"Those soldiers had no support or food for a year, and they had to eat the people of Liaocheng for food and use their bones as firewood.

“It was hard to get back home after being in such a bad situation.

"How can they still have the will to fight now?"

King Xi of Yan was still unwilling to give in, and gritted his teeth and said:

"There are more than 200,000 soldiers in Yan State. Can we recruit those who have not fought against Qi?

"If attacking Qi doesn't work, then what about attacking Zhao?

"Zhao has sent soldiers to the border, and now it is very empty!"

Ju Wu was exhausted:

"My king!

"Without a good commander, even if you have a million troops, it will be useless!
"Has the king forgotten the time when 600,000 were defeated by 130,000?
"Until Lord Ju recovers, our country is really not suitable to go to war with other countries!"

Ying Chengjiao was walking in Jidu and stopped in front of a Lu's jewelry shop that he had been to before.

The shop that originally sold jewelry smelled of animals, and was filled with various animal furs and had a plaque with the name of Zhao hanging on it.

The Lu's Chamber of Commerce, one of the seven major chambers of commerce, has disappeared from this land for a year.

The sword master in white stayed beside the young man, waiting.

He, with his clear swordsmanship, noticed that his lord was sad and wanted to comfort him, but he didn't know how to start, so he simply kept silent.

He thought how great it would be if his Chengying sword could cut off his worries.

"Do you want to buy a winter coat?" The shop owner came out with a smile and led the boy inside attentively.

People in this line of work have sharp eyes and could tell at a glance that the seemingly ordinary blue clothes on the boy were not only made of high-quality material, but also had almost no stitches, and were definitely made by a master.

He immediately determined that the young man was a low-key gentleman.

Ying Chengjiao shook his head to refuse and continued walking.

The person has already left, and seeing the things will only make things worse.

The population of Jidu is as small as ever, with the flow of people less than one twentieth of that of Linzi.

The boy walked aimlessly, thinking about his own things.

When he regained his consciousness, he found that there were low houses all around him and heard bursts of women's loud screams.

The boy came back to his senses because of the scream.

The young man looked around intently.

There were rows of houses, about twenty of them within sight.

Most of them are made of loess and seem like they could be washed away by a heavy rain.

Most of the roofs have no tiles, just dry thatch.

There was a woman screaming coming from one of the rooms, and it sounded very strange.

Ying Chengjiao rolled his eyes with a strange expression.

This sound must be about Dunlun.

But it shows neither joy nor pain, it seems... artificial.

Just by listening to the sound, Ying Chengjiao thought it was an action movie with poor performances...

Outside the room, several people gathered together drinking and chatting.

Ying Chengjiao blinked and walked towards where the crowd gathered.

His ears moved slightly, and his attention was focused on those men.

Gai Nie looked at the young man's back with a strange expression.

At such a young age, how can you be so concerned about such things?

The Sword Master looked at his white clothes, felt that they were a bit dirty, and followed the boy reluctantly.

When people focus on one point, that point will be magnified.

When Ying Chengjiao was twenty steps away from the people who were drinking, he could already hear their conversation clearly.

"...Brother Mai, can my sister-in-law still bear it today? How about we come back another day?"

"Don't leave! I can bear it! You have come from afar, how can we live like this if we don't treat you well?"

"Hahaha, just by listening to my sister-in-law's voice, I know that kid Tu is no good! If you're a weakling, get out of here right away!" someone shouted towards the house.

"Your ancestors are weak!" the response from inside the house.

Ying Chengjiao was shocked.

Even in the most powerful court of Yan State, he was not as shocked as he was at this moment.

He slowed down, thinking he had heard wrongly.

Only after listening to several more passages did I confirm that I had not heard wrongly.

Among the people sitting outside, one was the owner of the house, and the screaming woman was the owner's wife.

The owner of the house offered his woman to entertain the friends who came from afar...

Originally, Ying Chengjiao thought it was another form of "selling".

But the more the boy listened, the more certain he became that this was really just a treat.

Ying Chengjiao looked at the natural expressions of the people outside the house and listened to the fake screams of the woman, wondering what was going on.

In Qi State.

Even the Queen Mother, a powerful woman who held all the power, married King Xiang of Qi without her parents' permission or a matchmaker's words. Her father, Tai Shi Qi, considered it a disgrace to the family and refused to acknowledge her all his life.

And in the State of Yan, which was adjacent to the State of Qi.

It was common for the Yan people to offer their wives to entertain distinguished guests.

The cultural gap was so huge that Ying Chengjiao was at a loss for what to think for a moment.

After walking out of that poor street, we walked for a while.

A man covered in sweat ran up to Ying Chengjiao and called himself a slave.

He said that his master was Ju Xin, and that he was ordered by his master to invite the young man into his house for a chat.

Ying Chengjiao refused, he didn't want to meet Ju Xin.

He did save Ju Xin, but it was not because of feelings, but for interests.

He could not forget the ashes flying in Liaocheng, nor the dead city without corpses. There is a saying that everyone serves his own master.

From Ju Xin's point of view, it seems that only by doing this can Liaocheng be defended.

But from Ying Chengjiao's point of view, cannibalism is an ancient legend that he has only heard of but never seen.

The boy was disgusted, disgusted to the point of hatred.

The boy also reflected on it.

If he and Ju Xin were to switch places and he were to guard Liaocheng, would he give the order to cannibalize people?

The answer is, I don't know.

You can deceive anyone but not your own heart.

The boy didn't know whether he would still persevere at the critical moment of life and death.

He only knew that right now, he didn't want to see Ju Xin.

"Sir!" The slaves in Ju Xin's house knelt on the ground, grabbed Ying Chengjiao's trouser legs and shouted, "If you don't go! I haven't completed the task assigned to me by my master! I will die! Although I am a slave, I have heard of your virtuous name. Are you going to kill me?"

Ying Chengjiao was grinding his teeth.

His golden body was touched twice in one day.

Once he was the King of Yan who was high in the sky, and once he was a slave who was low in the dust.

But to him, it's all the same.

"Gai Nie." He pointed at the slave kneeling on the ground and said, "If he bothers me again, kill him."

Ying Chengjiao threw off his trouser legs and left. The slave refused to give in and crawled on his knees to reach it, but he couldn't...

As death approached, the slave's temperament changed drastically, and he shouted hysterically in a shrill voice:
“You are a gentleman!

"How can you just watch someone die without helping him?
"What kind of a bird gentleman are you!

"God damn it! Qin dog! Inhuman! You are a gentleman of your ancestors!"

Gai Nie, who originally didn't want to start a killing spree, could no longer endure it.

One toe touches the ground, the other touches the slave's heart.

This kick has both external and internal force.

The slave was kicked three feet high and fell to the ground with blood flowing from his mouth.

The slave lay on the ground and twitched twice.

He tilted his head and died in the street.

Ying Chengjiao looked at the dead slave and gritted his teeth.

He didn't feel the pleasure of getting rid of his anger, but instead...he felt even more upset.

"Go back to Linzi." The young man, who looked down on King Xi of Yan, almost ran away from the scene.

Because of a slave who is lowly as the dust.

The people from Jidu Yan who were walking nearby glanced over, looked at the dead slaves on the ground, and continued walking.

Most people thought - a slave had died, so they had to clean up the mess quickly.

Qi State, Linzi, Jixia Academy.

The boy who had experienced nearly a year and a half of war came back.

"Sir." Students passing by stopped and saluted with a respectful look.

Ying Chengjiao, who had just returned to the Jixia Academy, forgot to return the gift, said nothing, and just walked away.

The Jixia student who greeted Yingzi scratched his head, wondering what happened to Yingzi today.

As more and more students came to say hello, Ying Chengjiao gradually regained his memory and his senses.

He smiled somewhat stiffly and nodded slightly to the students who greeted him, which was his return greeting.

Liaocheng had become a hell on earth, but Linzi seemed to have not changed at all, and the Jixia Academy was still operating as usual.

Although Liaocheng and Linzi are both cities of Qi State, they seem to be in different worlds.

The more Ying Chengjiao smiled, the more natural it became.

The breeze of the academy blew in his face, making him feel much better.

The students' cheerful faces conveyed a lot of vitality to him.

He is obviously the youngest.

When I got back to the residence, Hu greeted me happily, and the joy in his eyes was definitely not fake.

Ying Chengjiao was also suddenly very happy and gave her a very strong hug:

"Huh, I'm back."

He didn't know where to put his arms, and there was more surprise than joy on his face.

Embracing this kind of behavior is not the etiquette of Qi.

Hu, who was held by Ying Chengjiao, looked at Gai Nie for help.

Gai Nie had no expression on his face and did not give any response.

Before Hu could figure out how to respond, Ying Chengjiao let go of his hand and ran into the house in a hurry.

Hu stood at the door with his arms outstretched, looking a little dazed.

He suddenly chuckled and looked a little stupid.

"Sir!" He pulled Gai Nie in, closed the door and chased after his master: "I have already prepared hot water for you! The cook has also prepared the food! Sir, do you want to eat first or take a bath first?"

The Sword Master in White looked at the two figures, one small and one big, running away.

He raised his left hand and looked down at his sleeve, where there was a small black spot.

The Sword Master frowned:

"How come this person hasn't changed at all? He's still so unclean. Why doesn't he wash his hands right after getting the hot water?"

After saying this, the Sword Saint put down his arm nonchalantly and walked into the house leisurely.

He doesn't care what his master does first, he must take a bath first.

He stopped a servant and ordered:
"I tell you, my lord, that I will not practice sword practice today."

The news of Ying Zi's return soon spread throughout the Jixia Academy, causing a small sensation there.

After a year, the students of Jixia Academy still haven't forgotten their studies.

They have not forgotten Yingzi, who gave the most interesting lectures and taught them how to study.

Yingzi was not the most learned scholar in the Jixia Academy, but he was the most popular.

Wei Mou, a scholar from Jixia, learned about this from his disciples, a smile appeared on his face, and he canceled his lecture tomorrow:

"Now that Yingzi has returned, the chief priest should also be back. It's time to say goodbye."

Not long after Ying Chengjiao left the Jixia Academy, Zou Yan, the chief academic officer of the Jixia Academy, also left.

Lu Zhonglian, who had returned to the Jixia Academy earlier, stood up and wanted to see him.

After thinking about it, he sat down again.

After thinking it over again, he stood up and went to look for the Kong brothers who were staying at the Jixia Academy but were no longer serving as Jixia teachers.

Brothers Kong Bin and Kong Chuan went out together to meet Lu Zhonglian.

The two brothers are tall and strong. Although they are scholars, they are more like generals and look like they can fight.

"I guessed that Brother Lu would come over for a chat." Kong Chuan said this, bowed, and led Lu Zhonglian into the mansion.

Lu Zhonglian bowed and followed the two brothers inside, sighing softly:

“I am extremely anxious at the moment, and I really want to know what happened to Master Chengjiao after his trip to the State of Yan.

"But I also know that he has been traveling a long way and has just rested, so it is not appropriate for us to meet now.

"Alas, I am in a state of confusion and have no idea what to do. I can no longer calm down, so I came to ask for a bottle of wine from you, brother. I hope I did not disturb you."

Kong Bin also sighed:

"Brother Lu is like this, so why aren't we brothers like this too?

"You, me, and my brother, the absence of any one of them will not affect the overall situation.

“There is only one, Young Master Cheng Jiao.

"Once their minds change, no matter how hard we try, we won't be able to change their fate.

"Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers of different species?

"This sentence will only be useful if it is said by Master Cheng Jiao..."

When Lu Zhonglian heard these words for the first time, he forgot to take a step forward.

He stood there, chewing on the meaning of the words, but found that the words were actually very obvious:
“Zishun’s words made me feel a little better.

“If these words really came from Master Chengjiao, my confidence in him would increase greatly.

"Ah……"

Lu Zhonglian suddenly smiled bitterly.

"Brother Lu, why are you laughing?" Kong Chuan asked.

"I laugh at the eight words 'Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers of different species?'" Lu Zhonglian said bitterly, "Such words to overthrow the nobility have to be spoken out by the nobility to be effective. What a great irony."

Only the nobility can overthrow the nobility.

The three of them entered and the noise became quieter and quieter.

In the Jixia Academy, there are currently only these three people who are Ying Chengjiao's peers.

On the day Ying Chengjiao returned to the Jixia Academy.

Zou Yan, who had white hair and beard, an immortal look, and a youthful face, also returned to the Jixia Academy in the evening.

Zou Yan did not come back alone.

She also brought a tall man with a childish face who found everything curious.

Zhao Xuanlang, whose courtesy name was Gongming.

He is broad-shouldered and thick-bellied, more muscular than Kong Bin and Kong Chuan. He looks like an adult, but in fact he is the same age as Ying Chengjiao.

"Master." Zhao Xuanlang lowered his head, looked at Zou Yan, and asked seriously, "Did Ying Chengjiao really bring the Black Tiger back?"

Zou Yan nodded, very sure.

God told him, so how could it be false?

"Then Commander, take me to see the black tiger!" Zhao Xuanlang pulled Zou Yan and ran excitedly.

Zou Yan was helpless.

How could God allow such a calm and composed person like him to accept such an impetuous disciple?

"Gongming!" Zou Yan said sternly, "Didn't your father teach you etiquette? Are you and Yingzi very familiar with each other? How could he visit you suddenly at night?"

Zhao Xuanlang stopped, widened his eyes, and pointed at his fat face:
"I've already given Black Tiger to him, and he's still not familiar with me? He's my best friend!
"If he dares to say he's not familiar with me, I'll beat him up!"

Zou Yan felt even more helpless.

It is very difficult to reason with a nine-year-old boy.

Not every nine-year-old boy is Ying Chengjiao or Ying Zheng.

"Anyway, I won't see you today."

“Why?”

"God willing."

"My father told me that if the master said it was God's will, he was just kidding me. God doesn't have time to think about so many things. It's all your fault, Master!"

Zou Yan's white eyebrows twitched:

"My time is coming to an end. Today I will take you to see the sky!"

As he spoke, Zou Yan picked up his finger and touched Zhao Xuanlang's brow.

This finger was so powerful that Zhao Xuanlang, whom Bai Wuxia was extremely afraid of, did not even notice his master making the move.

"Close your eyes! Concentrate!" Zou Yan said in a low voice.

Zhao Xuanlang closed his eyes tightly, and six wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes.

"Master has opened your heavenly eyes." Zou Yan said in a deep voice: "Use your heart to feel the sky."

Zhao Xuanlang stood where he was.

Soon after, his body began to tremble like sifting chaff.

"Did you see it?" Zou Yan's lips trembled and sweat dripped from his forehead.

In the silent night, the sky is full of stars.

"No...no..." There was a hint of deep fear in Zhao Xuanlang's voice, which was even more prominent in the darkness.

“Then why are you shaking?” Zou Yan’s eyes began to show red bloodshot, as if the action of pointing at his disciple’s brow was extremely strenuous.

"I...I seemed to hear it..." Zhao Xuanlang shook even more violently.

"What did you hear? Can you hear the sky talking to you?" Zou Yan didn't believe it.

"It's not talking to me...it's crying." Zhao Xuanlang's tears filled the six wrinkles at the corners of his eyes: "The sky is crying."

Zou Yan was silent for a moment.

"Today, I will tell you the secret of the Yin-Yang theory...Heaven is man."

(End of this chapter)