The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 236: The -li Qin Mountain can stop an army of , but not a single person
Xianyang Palace, front hall.

"Your Majesty, the prince is not in the palace." The eunuch reported cautiously, his voice trembling.

Sitting on the throne on the high platform, Prince Chu of Qin, who was resting with his eyes closed, said, “Hmm.”
"Go find it."

"Yes!" The eunuch with sweat on his forehead responded immediately.

Having saved his life, he quickly backed out of the palace and ran outside.

Prince Chu of Qin let out a long sigh and felt stuffy.

I undressed my inner shirt, exposing my chest, but I still felt hot.

He simply took off all his clothes and sat on the throne shirtless, feeling much more comfortable.

After sitting for a while, it’s hot!
He dropped the crown from under his buttocks.

I sat for a while and it was still hot!
He threw away the hide from which the throne was built.

The thin body exposed was visibly red, with a layer of fine beads of sweat floating on it.

He frowned and retched, but nothing came out.

The palace maids and eunuchs were noisy.

Some people stepped forward to support Prince Chu of Qin, while others ran to the palace gate and shouted for the imperial physician.

Prince Chu of Qin placed his arms around the necks of the two eunuchs.

He lowered his head and breathed deeply.

Faintly, he seemed to hear the sound of his own heartbeat - thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump...

Faster and faster, like the sound of a war drum on a decisive battlefield.

"Call the prince..." he said with difficulty.

Before he could finish his words, his arms lost their strength and he knew nothing.

"The king has fainted! Call the imperial physician quickly! Call the imperial physician quickly!" the two eunuchs who were supporting Prince Chu of Qin shouted.

Their necks were covered in sweat, as if someone had poured a basin of water on the back of their necks.

A few were born to them, but most were from Prince Chu of Qin.

When Prince Chu of Qin woke up again, he was on the bed in his own bedroom.

He opened his eyes, a little confused at first.

After a moment, the sight focused and the brilliance bloomed again in the eyes of the king.

"Where is the prince?" He tilted his head and asked the eunuch standing at the end of the bed.

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he narrowed his eyes.

His bed is two feet six inches high.

The eunuch was standing beside the bed and he could see the eunuch's knees.

Today, the eunuch stood with his head lowered, his knees under the edge of the bed.

He moved his eyes upwards and estimated that the man was over six feet tall, which did not meet the selection standard of seven feet for eunuchs.

"There is no eunuch this short in the palace. Who do you belong to?" King Zichu of Qin shouted angrily, his eyes as cold as ice.

His voice was loud enough for the eunuchs and palace maids in the front hall to hear.

But to his surprise, no one came... not even a sound could be heard.

Prince Qin's heart sank.

I didn't expect the assassin didn't sneak in.

Instead, he controlled his own bedroom and walked in openly!
[If they want to kill me, they have plenty of opportunities when I am still asleep.]
[Since I am not dead, I must have something to ask for...]
He tried his best to mobilize his chaotic brain and snorted coldly:
"Tell me, what do you want to do?"

The eunuch slowly raised his head, and a face that still looked a bit childish appeared before Prince Qin Chu:
"Father.

"It must be unpleasant to be forced to abdicate, right?"

The Lord of Chang'an of Qin State, Prince Chengjiao.

Qin Princechu's pupils opened as wide as possible.

"No way!" he blurted out.

Based on his understanding of his second son, it is absolutely impossible for him to appear in front of him.

If only his Cheng Jiao could bring back Ying Bai’s head.

I would not have questioned him loudly in front of the late king's coffin in Jingquan Palace on the night of the late king's death.

"It was a dream!" he said, reaching out to grab his second son.

Ying Chengjiao, dressed in eunuch's attire, stepped forward, raised his arm, and handed it to his father.

Qin Wang Zichu caught it, and his already violently beating heart beat even faster.

He was silent for a moment, and suddenly pulled Ying Chengjiao into his arms.

He hugged Ying Chengjiao tightly, tears streaming down his face, and he choked up and said:
“Although I cannot see my son in this life, I can see him in my dreams, which is also the fulfillment of my long-cherished wish.

"After all, God has been kind to me, Qin Zichu, and has allowed me to see my son again..."

He expressed his worries and longing for his second son.

The earnest words and sincere emotions can make a stone man cry.

He hugged Ying Chengjiao tightly, as if he wanted to rub his second son into his body.

Ying Chengjiao lay in his father's arms and listened quietly.

Until my father finished speaking.

He patted his father on the back and said softly:
"Although I know my father is pretending, I will just take it seriously. I am very happy."

"This..." Prince Qin stood still for a moment.

He grabbed his second son's arms with both hands, pulled him up, and placed him in front of him, tears flowing again.

He raised his hand, which was trembling, and placed it on Ying Chengjiao's face.

"It wasn't a dream, it really was my son..." His lips were trembling, "My son, when did you come back?"

"Father, you want to ask how I got back, right?" Ying Chengjiao's eyes turned red, and he smiled and said, "The 800-li Qin Mountain can stop an army of 400,000, but it can't stop a single person."

Hangu Pass is the eastern gate of Qin State.

One man can guard the gate, but ten thousand men cannot open it.

Hangu Pass is surrounded by the 800-li-long Qin Mountains.

If other countries wanted to attack the Qin State, which was located in the westernmost part of the Central Plains, Hangu Pass was the only way out.

Ying Chengjiao did not want to attack the State of Qin, he only wanted to enter Xianyang.

The 800-li Qin Mountains are too narrow for the army to pass.

He and Gai Nie traveled through mountains and rivers, and finally reached the 800-li Qin Mountain.

He reached Xianyang without passing through any checkpoints.

Prince Chu of Qin took a deep breath and felt his mind become much clearer.

He did not miss the opportunity to cross the mountains to enter Qin, but he just felt that it was unlikely.

The mountains in the Warring States Period were not like those of modern times, where human footprints are everywhere.

Where there are mountains, there are forests, and where there are forests, there are wild animals.

The mountains during the Warring States Period were the domain of wild beasts.

In addition to the hermits who live in the mountains all year round and the old hunters who make a living by hunting, there are also those who are forced into a desperate situation.

Not many people are in the mountains.

Walking on mountain roads is an extremely dangerous thing.

What can be eaten in the mountains and what cannot be eaten.

What you can drink and what you can't drink.

When can we light a fire without attracting wild animals? How can we keep warm when sleeping at night?

These are all questions.

A child under eleven years old, even if someone protects him, has little hope of climbing over the 800-li Qin Mountain.

His second son was too young.

Prince Chu of Qin looked at his second son carefully.

I saw the scratches on the second son's face from branches, and some scratches from somewhere else...

He was furious:
"Why did you come back? You know there will be trouble if you come back! Lu Buwei is waiting for you to come back!

"If you must come back, bring back Ying Bai's head!

"Since you don't want to fight for the throne, why do you care about your reputation in the country?
"You came back from crossing the 800-li Qin Mountain, which was beyond my expectation. Are you proud?
"what?!"

Ying Chengjiao's eyes were slightly red. He smiled quietly as he watched his father lose his temper.

Wait until the father finishes scolding.

"Father, you have been disguising yourself for too long. As a result, I can't tell whether you are real or fake now. And whether the words you say are sincere or false." Ying Chengjiao wiped his eyes.

Prince Chu of Qin was stunned for a moment. He just regarded other people's words as a joke, even his queen Ji Yaotiao was the same.

But his second son said he couldn't laugh.

His second son proved what kind of person he was through his actions time and time again.

In the ancestral temple, he wanted to sweep down the tablets of his ancestors to protect his father's position as crown prince.

Jingquan Palace was the grandfather of the previous king, and was scolded as the father of the King of Qin.

Hangu Pass, as long as you cut off a dead person's head, you can enter the pass, but you are willing to cross the 800-li Qinshan Mountain...

Prince Chu of Qin took a deep breath and exhaled deeply.

In the current situation, how could he have the time to think about these messy things?

When the second son entered Xianyang, his respected prime minister should take action.

He frowned and showed the majesty of his father, the King of Qin:

"How did you get into the palace?"

"Father, don't worry." The Crown Prince Zheng, who had been waiting, walked from the front hall of the palace into the back room and said in a deep voice, "I brought Cheng Jiao in. The Prime Minister is fine."

"You?" Qin Wang Zichu turned around and looked at him: "How did you know that this guy was back? Are you two in tune with each other? Who told you the news?"

"These days, Zheng has been staying in Li Yi Palace, just waiting for my brother to come back." Prince Zheng was very calm.

His brother left Xianyang for three years.

If there is still someone in the palace who can serve his brother, it must be the palace complex named after his brother - Chengjiao Palace.

"How did you know your brother would come back?" Qin Wang Zichu's face did not ease at all. "Few people in Qin knew about my illness, and the news was kept in Xianyang. Your brother was far away in Linzi, Qi. How did you know that your brother knew that I was seriously ill and would come back? How did you know that your brother would come back in the next few days, and you could wait for him in Li Yi Palace?"

"Of course that's what the teacher said." Prince Zheng answered naturally.

There was anger in the corners of Qin Wang Zichu's eyes:

"I am very wary of Lu Buwei, fearing that he will cause trouble when you succeed to the throne.

"But you brought Cheng Jiao into the palace, giving him a legitimate excuse to cause chaos.

"You bastard! You are being used by others and you don't even know it!
"Look at the stupid thing you did! What have you learned in all these years!
"You continue to stay in Li Yi Palace for the next few days! I hope you can hide it from your good teacher!"

Prince Zheng didn't think so, and said quietly:
“Zheng knows he is being used, but so what?

"The teacher is taking advantage of the government, but isn't the government also taking advantage of the teacher?
"If the commander didn't tell me, how could I know that Cheng Jiao was coming back?
"I received a call from Cheng Jiao. As long as Cheng Jiao doesn't show up, how can the commander have an excuse to cause trouble?"

Prince Zheng walked to the bed, squatted down, held Qin Wang Zichu's hand, and said seriously:

"Father, I will not go to Li Yi Palace again.

"I just want to let the commander know that Cheng Jiao has returned.

“I want to see, if Cheng Jiao doesn’t show up, he won’t be king.

"What can he do by himself?

"Since my father has chosen me as king, the Qin State is my Qin State, not my teacher's Qin State."

Qin Wang Zichu: "..."

Prince Chu of Qin, who was in his prime but was about to reach the end of his life, had a sullen face.

Facing the eldest son, pointing at the second son, he said:

"What if this guy runs away?"

"I believe in Cheng Jiao." Ying Zheng said affirmatively.

"What if?" Qin Prince Chu insisted, "What if he runs away? What if he insists on competing with you for the throne?"

Ying Zheng looked at his brother, then shifted his gaze to his father.

"Then let's fight for it." The young Crown Prince Zheng had a proud look on his face. "I have been the Crown Prince for four years, and I have been away from Xianyang for four years. If I still cannot defeat you, how can I be worthy of being the King?"

Prince Chu of Qin was stunned again.

Always busy with politics and power struggles.

Seeing that the eldest son was teaching, he was the one checking his homework.

Only then did he realize that the prince who had always been by his side had grown up and was like a king.

"Cheng Jiao." Prince Chu of Qin turned his head and looked at his second son, saying sternly, "Do you want to be king and sit on the throne? I am still alive, and I can give you one last chance to compete fairly with your brother."

Ying Chengjiao couldn't tell what his father was really thinking.

His mother is his mother.

His father was not only his father, but also the king.

But fortunately, no matter what his father considered this question, his answer was the same.

The boy shook his head:
"I don't want to be king. I won't sit on this throne."

Patting my brother on the shoulder:

"My brother sits at the bottom."

Prince Chu of Qin looked at his second son who was standing, and then at his eldest son who was squatting, and his mood gradually calmed down.

His stern face also let out a sigh of relief as his mood calmed down.

With traces of tears still on his face, he raised his lips:

“It seems that I am the one who is causing trouble.

"I thought I was leaving in a hurry, but I didn't expect that you two guys had already made preparations."

He held the hand of his second son with one hand and the hand of his eldest son with the other, and held the hands of his two sons together:
"I don't care how you get along in the future.

"Whether you are brothers who are friendly and respectful to each other, or you are killing your brothers, I can't see it.

“I just want you to remember.

“Don’t let down the sacrifices of our ancestors, and don’t forget their great wish to unify the world.

“There can only be one country in the world.

"Qin State."

The two sons responded.

Qin Prince Chu felt relieved, his spirit slackened, and a sense of fatigue surged up:

"Cheng Jiao accompanies me.

"Prince... I will call you when I wake up. Go now."

Prince Qin Chu slowly lay down and closed his eyes.

Prince Zheng glanced at his brother and told him to take good care of their father, then walked out of the bedroom wiping his tears.

Ying Chengqi waved his hand to his brother, sat down beside his father's bed, and said in a deep voice:
"Father has goiter, which manifests as heavy sweating...Father, don't hold on, you need to get more rest. Go to sleep, I'm here."

Qin Wang Zichu fought against sleepiness and said with his eyes closed:
“No sleep.

"In a few days, I will fall into a long sleep and never wake up. Do you care about this hour and a half?

“This is how you took care of your great grandfather when he was sick.

"I am so sick, I want to enjoy the treatment of your grandfather."

Ying Chengjiao was silent for a moment:
"Okay, then I won't sleep."

Qin Wang Zichu said "hmm" with a bad tone:

"You have always had your own ideas since you were young, just like your mother.

"When I was no longer king, I listened to your mother in order to be king.

"Now that I am king, I no longer have to listen to your mother, but I have to listen to you.

"Tell me, why do we have to control the water?
"Your flood control makes it impossible for me to do anything.

“Your great father only thought about having fun, not governing the country, and he had a great time.

"I have devoted all my energy to governing the country.

“I dare not enjoy music at all, for fear of becoming addicted to it and going astray.

"Ah.

"Now that I think about it, I might as well enjoy myself like your grandfather.

"As a king, I have done nothing that can be recorded in history books except destroying the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

“Neither Li Bing nor Zheng Guo have yet completed the flood control work, so the credit will eventually fall on your brother.

"I have worked much harder than your grandfather.

“The reputation after his death is not much better than that of your great grandfather.

“I heard that you are now called Yingzi.

"As a son, you should be reasonable, right?

"Come on, come on, tell me what this is all about.

"I have been the king for three years. Who is the king, me or you?"

(End of this chapter)