The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 232 Don't Come Back, Why Come Back

Linzi City still has the afterglow of the night market lantern festival, and it’s bustling everywhere you go.

Those birds and beasts that are so majestic at night with bared fangs and claws, hide their sharpness during the day and stay still in the light.

Inside the Jixia Academy, the chief academician, who was young enough to be frightening, heard Li Si's words.

The long sword falls, freeing your hands.

The chief priest grabbed Li Si by the collar and pulled him in front of him.

Li Si's already short stature became three points shorter.

Li Si was shocked.

Although Xunzi's Confucianism was not recognized by Mencius or Confucius.

But when Xunzi taught people, he taught according to orthodox Confucianism, including all the six arts of Confucianism.

As one of the two most outstanding disciples of Xunzi, Li Si was not only knowledgeable enough to earn him the title of "the son of a sonless man", but also had outstanding martial arts skills.

Nobles use swords.

Li Si traveled alone for thousands of miles from Qi to Qin safely, and the long sword in his hand drank the blood of dozens of bandits.

He was able to dodge the thieves' swords, shovels and forks, but he couldn't dodge Ying Chengjiao's grab.

Li Si was not on guard against Ying Chengjiao.

But no matter how defenseless he was, he shouldn't have been caught by a twelve-year-old boy.

His lord Lu Buwei never said that Prince Chengjiao had such martial arts skills.

This shock only lasted for a moment, and Li Si put it out of his mind.

What’s the use of having high martial arts skills?

Be a brave soldier who is on the verge of death? Or be a guard who protects the princes but doesn't even bother to remember their names?
He wanted to be granted the title of lord or duke, and become a general or prime minister.

Rely on luck and wisdom, not on force.

Li Si's shock passed, but Ying Chengjiao's shock lasted for a long time.

From childhood to adulthood, my father has always been in good health.

Since he was born, his father has never had any major disaster or illness, not even a cold or fever.

When he left, his father was as healthy as ever.

It had only been less than three years, how could my father be seriously ill and dying?

Ying Chengjiao narrowed his eyes, and his voice became hoarse, even though he didn't notice it:
"If this is false, none of your three clans will be able to escape."

Li Si, who had met his good friend outside Linzi City, said bitterly:

“This information has been blocked, and the lord took great pains to send Si out of Hangu Pass.

"I have been traveling for eight days, not daring to stop day or night, just to inform you as soon as possible!"

Ying Chengjiao stared at Li Si closely and could not see any falseness in Li Si.

Reason told him that the news was not true.

The history books from his previous life told him that Prince Chu of Qin would not live long.

The out-of-control emotions slowly subsided.

The young man slowly loosened his hand and suddenly shouted:
"call!"

On the bare trunk of the old tree in the corner of the courtyard, the few pieces of snow that had not been burned by the sun fell down.

Hearing the urgency in his master's words, he stopped kicking the snow and stood half-bowed:

"Lord."

"Pack up all my belongings, reduce the staff, I want to go home." The young man spoke a little quickly.

"only."

"be quick."

"only!"

Hurry away.

Soon, Ying Chengjiao's residence became busy.

The news of the hasty departure came too suddenly. Ying Chengjiao's retainers, disciples, and followers were not yet prepared and had no such thought in their minds.

You have to decide immediately whether to stay or go.

Ying Chengjiao picked up the sword that fell on the ground and used this ordinary thing to suppress his unusual heart.

My heart suddenly ached, as sudden as the news that my father was seriously ill.

The boy clenched his back teeth.

It turned out that it wasn't his health that was problematic, but his father's.

Ying Chengjiao made too much noise, and the news that Ying Zi was leaving spread like wildfire.

King Jian of Qi and his prime minister Tai Shi Sheng hurried over to ask the reason.

Ying Chengjiao was heartbroken, but he could not show any sign of it on his face and had to put on a smile.

The young man said that he had been out for a long time and was infected by the atmosphere of family reunion in Qi State during the New Year after the war. His homesickness was even more turbulent than when the East China Sea was at its most turbulent, and he could hardly suppress it.

King Jian of Qi was reminded of his mother by Ying Chengjiao's words. He felt sad and had no doubt about Ying Chengjiao's words.

The Prime Minister of Qi, Tai Shi Sheng, not only thought of his deceased elder sister, but also of his cold-blooded and ruthless father who was still alive. His face looked even sadder than that of King Jian of Qi.

Because the Queen Mother's last wish was not fulfilled, King Jian of Qi just pretended that he did not have his maternal father, Tai Shi Qiu.

But Tai Shisheng couldn't ignore his father because of his elder sister, so he could only complain secretly.

Taishi Sheng suddenly felt a sense of emotion - the right and wrong, ethics and morality in the world are like the symbiotic yin and yang. They seem to be clear, but in fact they are unclear and unclear.

After less than an hour of packing, Ying Chengjiao was ready to leave.

King Jian of Qi invited Ying Chengjiao to ride in his five-horse carriage to show his respect for him and reminded Ying Chengjiao not to forget to remind the King of Qin to form an alliance with Qi when he returned to Qin.

Speaking of alliances, the King of the East suddenly remembered the introduction to the alliance - marriage.

He quickly ordered his subordinates:

"Go and bring Tian Yan here! Quickly!"

An eunuch responded and left.

King Jian of Qi smiled embarrassedly and asked Ying Chengjiao to wait a moment.

Ying Chengjiao was unwilling to wait and insisted on going.

He lied and said that he had just calculated the time and now was the best time to set off.

The worship of gods and immortals was very popular in Qi State, and even the King of Qi was not immune to it.

King Jian of Qi did not dare to delay God's will and watched Ying Chengjiao get into the five-horse carriage parked at the gate of the Jixia Academy.

Hu was sitting in the front carriage of the Five Horse King's chariot, pulling the reins and preparing to set off.

The entrance to the Jixia Academy is Jimen, the west gate of the palace.

Sima Guan Luxun, who was guarding Jimen, held a halberd and blocked the king's chariot, his brows filled with condensed anger.

The expressionless face is the calm before the storm.

King Jian of Qi stepped forward, pointed at Sima Guan Lu Xun and angrily shouted:

"Step aside!"

Lu Xun's eyebrows suddenly became sharp, and he actually looked at Qi Wangjian.

He had just returned from the battlefield. He first followed Anping Jun Tian Dan in a bloody battle in Diyi, then heard with his own ears the drum beats that sounded like beating in people's hearts as they attacked Liaocheng again and again, and finally learned of Anping Jun's death.

He and his brothers went through life and death together, and Lord Anping was buried in Anping. Was it because the king had to kowtow to the Qin people?
He grabbed the halberd and smashed it to the ground, sparks flying everywhere:

"May I ask your Majesty!
"Are we establishing a king for the country, or for you, my king?"

King Jian of Qi was still furious:

“Naturally, it is to establish a king for the country.

"What does this have to do with you stopping Yingzi? Why don't you get out of the way?"

Sima Guan Luxun picked up the halberd and held it horizontally in front of the five horses pulling the carriage:
"Since you are establishing a king for the country, why did Your Majesty give the carriage of the King of Qi to a Qin man?"

Taishi Sheng was furious, and stepped forward, raising his hand to slap Lu Xun:

"You are just a small gatekeeper, how dare you disrespect the king?"

King Jian of Qi held his uncle with his arm across his chest, and said to Sima Guan unwillingly:
"You have a point."

Then, with an embarrassed look on his face, he asked Yingzi, who was sitting in the king's carriage, to get off, saying that he was not the one.

Ying Chengjiao got off the royal carriage and glanced at Sima Guan.

If it weren't for the urgent situation and the rush to return to Qin, he would definitely have a chat with this warrior.

Ying Chengjiao told King Qi Jian that he had not thought it through, and tried to calm King Qi down, waiting to be called to drive the carriage over.

A halberd was smashed in front of Ying Chengjiao with a clang.

King Jian of Qi raised his eyebrows and shouted angrily:

"What are you going to do?" Sima Guan Luxun said sternly:
"Is Yingzi going to return to Qin?"

Ying Chengjiao nodded:

"Yes, do you want to take care of this?"

"I am just a worthless person, how can I care about Yingzi's affairs." Lu Xun looked up at the tall Jixia Academy and said, "I just want to remind Yingzi that before you leave, please designate someone to be the Jixia Academy's chief priest."

"Yingzi just went home to visit and will be back soon! Why are you saying so much?" Taishi Sheng was unhappy.

He also thought about this.

He just wanted to leave Jijiu as bait to attract Ying Chengjiao to come to Qi - he didn't want Ying Chengjiao to never come back.

"Thank you for the reminder." Ying Chengjiao bowed and leaned slightly towards Sima Guan: "This is as it should be. This is my negligence again."

The young man lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then said:

"Lu Zhonglianzi, you can be the chief winemaker."

Lu Zhonglianzi... Sima Guan Luxun's expression immediately became much better. He held the halberd and bowed, and even his tone softened:
"Please forgive me for my rudeness, Yingzi."

Ying Chengjiao returns the favor:
"Without being rude, how can we talk about forgiveness?"

Lu Zhonglian is one of us.

After Tian Dan's death, he briefly took over the Qi army and enjoyed a high reputation in the Qi army.

His knowledge is also enough to be a chief priest.

There may be a few people who are dissatisfied, but it will definitely not cause much commotion.

Taking all factors into consideration, Lu Zhonglian is the best candidate to succeed him as Jijiu.

Soon after he had finished speaking, a horse-drawn carriage arrived, drawn by four horses.

Ying Chengjiao got on the carriage for the second time and finally left the gate of Jixia Academy smoothly.

On the bustling streets of Linzi, people are celebrating the end of the war and the reunion of their families.

The children held knife coins in their hands and compared them with each other to see who had more lucky coins, whose lucky coins were of better quality, and whose lucky coins had more words on them.

Some Qi knife coins have inscriptions on them. The more words there are, the higher the value.

The festive atmosphere in Linzi could dispel the dark clouds in the sky, but it could not dispel the restlessness in Xiaoying Chengjiao's heart.

Inside the carriage, Bai Qi showed a rare hesitation. After hesitating for a long time, he asked:
"Are you really unaware of the king's condition?"

"What do you mean?" Ying Chengjiao's eyes were like those of an eagle, staring at Bai Qi: "You knew it a long time ago?"

Just refer to you.

Rather than Bai Gong and Wu'an Jun.

The boy's heart was in turmoil.

Bai Qi nodded slowly:

“I once had a soldier with similar symptoms to the king, whose energy far exceeded that of an ordinary person, but he suddenly died one day.

"I thought you knew..."

Ying Chengjiao leaned back in the carriage, his face gradually turning pale.

Bai Qi's words were another strong evidence that his father was ill.

He closed his eyes, his heart was like a tangled ball of wool, he didn't know where to untie it.

When I was upset, I heard Bai Qi's words:
“The information that the king is seriously ill should be true.

"But in my opinion, you should not return to Qin at this moment. Unless... you want to fight for the throne."

Seeing Ying Chengjiao was indifferent.

Neither say fight, nor say not fight.

Bai Qi frowned, then relaxed after a moment.

He closed his eyes and stopped talking.

The veteran experienced five eras: King Huiwen of Qin, King Wulie of Qin, King Zhaoxiang of Qin, King Xiaowen of Qin, and Prince Chu of Qin.

He was a veteran of five dynasties, had an unparalleled status in the Qin military, and had taught himself the art of power.

I think as long as I don't take sides.

Even if Ying Chengjiao really competed with Prince Zheng of Qin for the throne and failed, it would not affect him.

Although he traveled thousands of miles from Xianyang to Linzi to meet Ying Chengjiao.

Although his granddaughter was secretly engaged to Ying Chengjiao.

Although he returned to Qin with Ying Chengjiao and they rode in the same carriage.

But the newly crowned King Zheng of Qin would not take any action against him.

Because his surname was Bai, his name was Qi, and his nickname was Renbuter.

The carriage was shaking, and the two people inside had their eyes closed, as if they were asleep.

Swaying, swaying, stop swaying.

The car stopped.

"My Lord." A voice came into the carriage: "Someone stopped the carriage. It was a woman who said she came from Xianyang. Her surname was Ying and her name was Bai."

Ying Chengjiao, who was angry that the carriage stopped again, rushed out of the carriage, grabbed a corner of the curtain and lifted it up.

Pause for a moment and release your hand:
"Let her get into the carriage."

A corner of the car curtain fell down and swayed slowly under the influence of gravity, just like Ying Chengjiao's heart.

It's been nearly three years.

Ying Chengjiao didn't expect that he would see Ying Bai again in Linzi.

Inside the carriage, Ying Bai's face was pale, completely bloodless, and even his lips, which should have been rosy, turned pale.

Bai Qi leaned back in the carriage, said nothing, and watched coldly.

When Queen Dowager Xuan launched a coup, the veteran generals knew about it but did not participate.

When King Zhaoxiang of Qin launched a coup, the veteran generals knew about it but did not participate.

When the Qin Prince Chu launched a coup, the old generals were unaware of it but found out later.

This time, it seemed like there was going to be another coup, and it was happening right before his eyes.

The old general looked very serious, but he was actually very confused as to why he couldn't escape the coup.

"Do you have a royal order or an oral instruction?" Ying Chengjiao said quickly.

Ying Bai undressed, revealing two strands of snow-white hair.

He reached out and pulled out a wet animal skin, and handed it to Ying Chengjiao without saying a word.

Ying Chengjiao grabbed it and unfolded:

[If you still regard me as your father, you are an orphan and do not come back.]

[If you don't acknowledge me as your father, then you are not an orphan, so why did you come back? ]

【Kill Ying Bai.】

The animal skin shook and made sounds because Ying Chengjiao's hands were shaking.

Ying Chengjiao clenched the animal skin with both hands, lowered his head, and said in a trembling voice:

"You... have been here for a long time."

Ying Bai opened his mouth, and the female voice was hoarse:
“I arrived in Linzi nine days ago and have been observing the Second Young Master’s movements.

“The king said that if nothing happens to the second young master, I won’t have to show up.

"If the Second Young Master makes any big moves, I will send Wang Ling to him."

The woman was silent for a moment:

"Second Young Master, don't fall into the trap set by the treacherous man..."

The Second Young Master lowered his head. Ying Bai could not see his expression. She could only hear his voice, which was as hoarse as hers:

"Is this Qin Zichu's order?"

Ying Bai quickly shook his head.

After shaking it, I realized that the second son couldn't see:

“No, this is what the eunuch said himself.

"The king blocked the information, but the second young master was able to learn about it even though he was far away in Linzi. This must be due to some evildoer!
"Second Young Master is so smart, how could he not realize that someone is trying to take advantage of him?
"Second Master, you..."

"That's enough!" Ying Chengjiao raised his head, looked at this stupid woman who was still thinking about her father even when she was about to die, and pointed at the curtain: "Get out."

The woman did not move and wanted to persuade him again.

Ying Chengjiao lifted up the wet, bunched-up animal skin and said in a somewhat ferocious tone:
“Your king is dying, he can’t protect you anymore.

"Wang Ling, after you pass on the information, you should stay in Qi State and not return to Qin State to seek death. Do you understand?"

(End of this chapter)