The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 247: The Current Situation of the Nations, the Civil War in Qin Begins, and Chang'an Jun Finally Shows Up
King Yan of Zhao was furious and wanted to bring Li Mu back to question him.

He is already the king, not the crown prince. How dare these villains blame him and disobey his orders?

Guo Kai's advice was not accepted, and he elaborated on the reasons:
Although Li Mu seems to be unknown, the actual power he holds is greater than that of Lian Po and Le Cheng.

No matter what happened on the border of Zhao State, Li Mu had the final say.

Judging from the military's job of fighting a war, Li Mu was cowardly and incompetent, and not a good general.

But in terms of contribution to the State of Zhao, only when Li Mu was on the border did the State of Zhao no longer need supplies from its own territory and could even provide reverse blood transfusions.

Le Cheng's remarkable success in the attack on Yan was largely due to Li Mu's contribution in attracting the attention of the Hu people.

The previous king, King Xiaocheng of Zhao, was extremely tolerant of Li Mu and agreed to Li Mu's request that "as long as it does not involve life and death of the country, you do not have to return to Handan."

Now that Lian Po and Le Cheng are gone, Li Mu is the most powerful general in Zhao State.

What they need most now is the support of military generals and they need to take over power steadily, so they must not blame Li Mu.

King Yan of Zhao followed his advice and changed the order to punish the king into a letter of explanation, which he sent to Li Mu at the border:

[Whether the country is in chaos or not depends on me, what does it have to do with women? 】

Li Mu, who was not in the court and had no idea what happened in Handan, was very happy when he read it.

From this handwritten letter from the king, he saw a dignified and self-responsible King Yan of Zhao.

With such a wise and courageous king, it would not be a big deal even if a prostitute became the queen.

Li Mu stood on the border city wall, breathing in the cold wind.

The wind in the desert is filled with yellow sand and is much rougher than the wind in the Central Plains.

There were more and more horses at the border, reaching tens of thousands.

The Zhao border troops, who had not fought for a long time, had to endure the endless insults and ridicules of the Hu people, and the fire in their hearts was about to ignite themselves.

"It will be almost there." The disabled general of Zhao State thought about this and said softly.

It won't be long before he proves it to the world.

Compared to logistics, Li Mu is better at fighting!

He is not a coward, but he is patient.

If we are going to fight, let’s fight a great war and inflict pain on these damned Hu people who are knocking on the gates and harassing us!
Li Mu on the border was ambitious, while Zhao State in the Central Plains was laughed at by everyone.

The favorite concubine becomes prime minister, and the prostitute becomes queen.

In the already extremely abstract Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, Zhao's actions seemed particularly abstract.

King Yu of Wei laughed so hard that his stomach burst.

Lian Po, the Zhao general who defeated the Wei army of nearly 200,000 with less than 100,000 men, actually defected to him.

The newly crowned King Yan of Zhao not only sent away his country's new and old generals, but also made his favorite concubine the prime minister and a prostitute the queen.

How could such a foolish king be worthy of owning such a large piece of land?

King Yu of Wei was sharpening his sword. Having just suffered a defeat, he wanted to start another war and attack Zhao for the second time!

There are supporters and opponents in the court.

The leader of the opposition was Wei Wuji, the Prince of Xinling, who had just returned to Wei and became famous.

If Wei wanted to attack Zhao again, not to mention the defeat, it would only cost the people a lot of money and effort.

If we win, it will be a pyrrhic victory.

The State of Zhao had many shortcomings, some of which were even fatal.

The reason why it still exists today is that its strong combat power makes up for these shortcomings.

No country could conquer Zhao without suffering any casualties.

After the tragic victory, the Wei State would next face the Qin State in the west and the Chu State in the south.

The Wei State, which annexed the land of the Zhao State, seemed to be the only powerful state, but in fact it was just a facade.

Only by conquering the land of Zhao and digesting it can Wei become truly powerful.

But the other countries would not give Wei time to digest the situation. Instead, they would take advantage of Wei's tragic victory and the great decline of its national strength to attack it together.

This is an old tradition in the Central Plains: if any country emerges, the two sides will unite to attack it.

So was Qi, so was Qin.

If Wei destroys Zhao, it will be the same.

The Wei State, which was conflicted about whether to attack the Zhao State, deliberately ignored Lian Po, the general of the Zhao State who came to surrender to the Wei State.

Lian Po was only given an empty title of Shangqing without any practical duties.

The two brothers, Wei Wang Yu and Xinling Jun Wei Wuji, reached a consensus on how to deal with Lian Po - to keep him but not to use him.

King Yu of Wei and Lord Xinling Wei Wuji were also worried about a Zhao general who had just led the Zhao army to defeat his own country.

The king and his ministers of Wei were worried, but the king and his ministers of Chu were concerned about them.

When King Yuan of Chu defeated an army of 600,000 with only 130,000 men, he had been fond of this Zhao general and hoped to recruit Lian Po.

Chunshen Jun Huang Xie wanted to fight against Xiang Yan, a local general who had emerged in the State of Chu. He needed an outstanding foreign general to strike at the aristocratic forces of the State of Chu.

The king and his minister hit it off immediately and secretly sent people to Daliang to contact Lian Po and win him over...

Qin State, Prime Minister's Office.

Li Si, who was in charge of the movements of various countries, read the intelligence sent back by people from various countries and selected the important ones to inform Prime Minister Lu Buwei.

Lu Buwei closed his eyes and listened, interrupting Li Si from time to time to ask for more detailed information.

An hour later, Li Si finished his report.

Lu Buwei opened his eyes, full of fatigue, and ordered Li Si to send all the memorials to the palace.

Li Si accepted the order and left.

Lu Buwei's gaze shifted.

Everywhere you look, there are bamboo slips.

This room, which was always used by successive Qin prime ministers to handle government affairs, was filled with bamboo slips that were almost full...

Central Palace, Palace of Diligence.

King Zheng of Qin flipped through the memorials sent from the Prime Minister's Office, reading them one bamboo slip at a time.

These bamboo slips are the eyes of Qin, able to see the situations of other countries thousands of miles away.

"Your Majesty, Lord Chang'an requests an audience." Zhao Gao, who was in charge of handing over the seal and talisman, stepped forward and said respectfully.

"My brother is coming?" Qin Wang Zheng closed the bamboo slips and walked towards the palace gate while admonishing Zhao Gao: "My brother is coming, there is no need to inform him, just let him go."

Zhao Gao lowered his head and responded:
"only."

The brothers met and entered the palace side by side.

Zhao Gao followed behind him, bowing his head much more than usual.

In this way, we cannot see the presumptuous behavior of Chang'an Jun and Wang Qixing.

"Brother, what's the important matter that made you call me?" Young Master Cheng Jiao glanced at the pile of bamboo slips and asked casually.

He sat on the ground, his face thinner than when he first returned to Qin.

When Qin Wangzheng saw this, he vaguely saw the shadow of the previous king, frowned and asked:
"Have you not been eating well recently?"

Ying Chengjiao blinked and said:

"Brother sent someone to call me here to ask this... Brother, are you so free?"

Zhao Gao shuddered.

Since becoming king, Ying Zheng has attached great importance to his royal dignity.

Chang'an Jun's frivolous tone may bring disaster.

"Why? No?" Qin Wang Zheng slowly sat down, looked at his brother and said, "Zhao Gao, prepare the meal. I want to eat with my brother."

Zhao Gao glanced at Ying Chengjiao in surprise, amazed at Ying Chengjiao's privileges.

He bowed slightly and replied respectfully:
"only."

"I don't want to eat. I'm not hungry. If you want to eat, eat by yourself." Ying Chengjiao was speechless.

King Zheng of Qin's eyes dimmed slightly.

His brother's casual remark made him think of the Qin ministers' attitude towards him, the King of Qin.

His royal decree could not be stamped with the Qin King's seal, so it was just a useless roll of bamboo slips.

Although he is a king, he does not have the power of a king...

"Eat, eat, eat." Ying Chengjiao was helpless and pulled his brother's cheeks: "Come on, come on, smile."

"Nonsense!" Qin Wangzheng slapped Ying Chengjiao's hand, and his gloomy mood improved a little. Because the king of Qin might eat at any time, there were dishes prepared day and night, just waiting for the king to enjoy.

In less than a moment, the delicious dishes were served to the two brothers.

Ying Chengqiu picked up the wooden chopsticks and reached into the small pot. He picked up the mutton from the boiling soup and put it into his mouth. While eating, he said:
"I heard that the commander wrote the word 'nonsense' for you some time ago?"

Ying Zheng stopped eating:

"Has this reached your ears?"

With the corners of his mouth raised, he put his chopsticks into the soup wok:

"My father-in-law is unwilling to be a prime minister."

Zhao Gao's face turned pale with shock and he lowered his head to hide his emotion.

Above the prime minister, there is only the king.

Ying Chengjiao was calm, holding a spoon to scoop up the soup and blowing gently on it:

"Brother said something that made the commander approve the word 'nonsense'."

"Attack Zhao." King Zheng of Qin chewed the mutton carefully and spoke clearly.

"How can we attack Zhao when we haven't finished controlling the flood?"

"Zhao is in civil strife. It is hard to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If the land in Guanzhong remains unchanged, when will the flood be controlled?"

"The Zhao Kingdom is strong, so are you sure you can succeed?"

"I am not sure."

"If that doesn't work..."

"No, I will pardon the defeated general and put the blame on myself."

"...So, my brother is planning to win over the generals and seize the Qin Sword."

"You can tell the real from the fake. You are good at political tactics."

"Little Doyle, you are not worthy of being a king."

"Haha, this argument is in line with my opinion, and it is a consensus."

"Master, you spread the news, which damaged my dignity and made me stronger. That's really too much. Brother, you asked me to come here today. Do you want me to have a talk with you?"

"Don't get involved in the fight between me and Zhongfu. I called you here to tell you that the princess of Qi has arrived at Hangu Pass and will enter Xianyang soon. You should be ready to entertain your fiancée."

Ying Chengjiao nodded, put down his chopsticks, and patted his stomach:
"become.

"I'm full, let's go."

Chang'an Jun stood up, and Qin Wang Zheng pulled his brother's sleeve with one hand and reiterated seriously:

"Cheng Jiao, don't get involved in the fight between me and Zhongfu."

"Haha, I know." Ying Chengjiao patted his brother's hand, gently took it away, and said with a smile: "Others don't understand me, but don't you understand me, brother? I would rather lie down than sit, and would rather sit than stand. How could I cause trouble for myself?"

King Zheng of Qin saw his brother off from the palace.

In less than an hour, a carriage drawn by four horses stopped in front of the Qinmian Palace.

A delicate hand lifted the car curtain.

Before the person shows up, the extremely gorgeous phoenix coronet and bridal robe (pei, fourth tone), which symbolizes nobility, comes out of the carriage first.

Then, an extremely charming face emerged from behind the curtain.

But as her entire body was exposed to the sun, a temperament called grace overwhelmed her charm.

"Is the king here?" asked the Queen Mother of Qin, Ji Yaotiao.

"Yes." Zhao Gao showed a more respectful attitude than when he received Chang'an Jun, and said humbly, "Queen Dowager, please come in."

"Don't you know that you should inform the king first when you meet him?"

"...The king said that there is no need to inform the queen..."

"Get in there and pass the message!"

"only!"

Ji Yaotiao stood straight outside the Qinmian Palace, waiting quietly.

After a while, King Zheng of Qin came out of the palace to greet him personally.

Ji Yaotiao frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed.

He pushed away his son's supporting hand without making a sound, followed his son half a step behind, and walked into the Palace of Diligence.

As soon as I entered the palace and closed the palace gate.

Queen Mother Zhao's naturally charming eyes stood up, and her charm turned into fierceness:

"Don't lower your status again!
"I am waiting outside today, and everyone else will be waiting outside tomorrow.

“Giving grace without power is not giving grace, it is weakness!”

King Qin Zheng smiled bitterly:
"My son doesn't need me to sacrifice my own dignity to establish his.

"It's better not to have such majesty."

Queen Mother Zhao showed disappointment on her face:
“You… you really should learn from the previous king.

“For the sake of power, the former king could humble himself in the dirt.

"For the throne, the former king could kill his father, wife, and son."

Seeing her son wanted to refute, Queen Mother Zhao stopped and waved her hand:

"Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore. I heard that Cheng Jiao just came?"

"Yes." Qin Wangzheng helped his mother sit down and said, "The princess of Qi is coming, and I asked him to prepare to receive my unmarried wife."

"Is that all? Didn't you two brothers say anything else?" Queen Mother Zhao stared into her son's eyes and asked.

The speech speed is very fast and there is a strong sense of oppression.

Qin Wang Zheng looked his mother straight in the eye and said seriously:
"Mother, we have a deal.

"We should not involve Cheng Jiao in our fight with Zhongfu."

"That was something you agreed to." Ji Yaotiao denied it: "I didn't agree to it."

King Qin Zheng exhaled lightly:
"Lü Buwei was Cheng Jiao's teacher. He watched Cheng Jiao grow up and had always been Cheng Jiao's right-hand man.

“Cheng Jiao values ​​affection the most.

"It is too cruel for Cheng Jiao to choose between Lu Buwei and me."

Ji Yaotiao sneered:
“That’s what being a king is like.

"Meaningless and ungrateful is the nature of the king. It has always been like this."

Pointing a finger at Qin Wangzheng's chest, Queen Mother Zhao said sternly:
"If you're not cruel to Cheng Jiao, you're being cruel to yourself!

"If you can't win against Lu Buwei.

"The one who will succeed you to the throne will be your dear brother, Ying Chengjiao!
"Power affects everyone who comes close to it, and no one is exempt from it.

"You care about your brother, but your brother only wants to kill you!"

Qin Wang Zheng sneered:
"If Cheng Jiao wanted the throne, my mother and I would have died outside Hangu Pass.

"If Cheng Jiao wanted the throne, he would not have left Qin and gone to Qi, and would not have been the crown prince.

"If Cheng Jiao wants the throne, he can just return to Qin and show up, and the crown prince will be easy to find."

Queen Mother Zhao laughed angrily:
"People change. The young Cheng Jiao didn't know how wonderful power was, so he was too playful to be a king."

"My Queen Mother is saying that Cheng Jiao, who wore the seals of five countries within a year and was called a son at the age of ten, knows nothing?"

"The more he knows, the more he wants to be king."

"I don't believe it."

"Oh, I knew that you, this rebellious son, would be very stubborn." Queen Mother Zhao laughed coldly, "With Cheng Jiao's intelligence, he must be clear about the current situation and your thoughts. As long as he pretends to be confused and does not care about anything, he can become king after Lü Buwei defeats you. If he leaves you and does not go back to the palace, he must have something to hide. According to what you said, he should go to Lü Buwei and talk it out. I have sent people to follow him, and there will be results soon."

Ji Yaotiao is full of confidence. No one can resist the temptation of being king.

Soon, Zhao Gao came forward and reported:

“Your Majesty, Queen Mother.

"A man who calls himself Shan Feng and is a subordinate of the Queen Mother requests to see you."

Queen Mother Zhao gave her son a look that asked him to see his brother's true face, and said anxiously:

"It's a lone minister, bring him in."

(End of this chapter)