The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 249: I Determine the Qin System
It's almost as if Ying Chengjiao knew everything about his commander's thoughts without even saying anything.

From the expression and tone of voice of the shrewd Prime Minister Qin, which he did not conceal in front of him, he could guess that his teacher did not think highly of his brother from the bottom of his heart.

No wonder.

Anyone who holds power does not think that he will lose.

It is hard to say whether Shang Yang would still carry out reforms in Qin if he knew that his final fate would be torn into pieces by five oxen.

Holding power is like being drunk.

I wish I could wrestle with God to see who is the boss.

If you want to wake up a powerful person, it can only be done by someone who is more powerful than him.

Those who abuse power have always been divided into different levels: cautious towards their superiors and unscrupulous towards their subordinates.

Ying Chengjiao pursed his dry lips, feeling very annoyed and feeling that it was really difficult for his mother.

The political ambitions of Quan Xiangshi were highly similar to his own in terms of governing the country, and the two of them jointly formulated the future development path of the world.

The historical performance of his brother, the King of Qin, made him feel ashamed and admire him very much.

To create a grand situation unprecedented in history, it had to be Qin Shihuang, who had done it once.

Let’s talk about the same old thing again.

Facing a powerful minister who was authorized by the previous king and had the final say in the court.

The only way Ying Chengjiao could think of to win was to call the Sword Saint in now, take out the invisible and extremely magical Chengying sword, and send his master to see the late king with one sword.

Without such extreme means, it would be even more difficult to win within the scope allowed by the rules than to control the water in Guanzhong.

The previous king's will appointed Lü Buwei as regent and even sent him the seal of the King of Qin, which gave him real power.

He also asked the current king to call Lu Buwei "Zhongfu", which was a formality.

Facing a teacher who possesses both qualities, what can my brother, who is less than 20 years old and has returned to Qin, do to compete?

Queen Dowager Zhao, who also has the power of regent?
maybe.

Ying Chengjiao bit the tip of his tongue lightly.

There are too few historical materials about the Spring and Autumn Period, the Warring States Period, and even the Qin Dynasty.

The reputation Zhao Ji left in history is more of being lewd, and she is tied to Lao Ai.

Few people know that after Zhao Ji's death, she was posthumously named Empress Dowager, which was given by Qin Shi Huang.

The word "Emperor" will not be given easily and cannot be given.

Having witnessed the unpredictable behavior of his biological mother, Ying Chengjiao was actually looking forward to the methods of his nominal mother.

What did he do to deserve the title of Emperor given by Qin Shi Huang?

"Forget it." Lu Buwei let out a long sigh.

Seeing that the disciple had not spoken for a long time, he became discouraged and stopped having any more fantasies. He gave up:
"If you don't want to be king, then don't be king.

"It is your nature to value friendship and loyalty. Asking you to go against your father and kill your brother is really unreasonable. I am just too persistent.

"A little bit."

The minister raised a finger, his deep eye sockets showing three parts of blood and seven parts of warning:
"If you don't want to help with the plan we have discussed, don't make things worse.

“Don’t be ruthless to the world just because of brotherhood.

"Your Highness has worked so hard to create this golden body, please don't let it break on your head."

Ying Chengjiao sneered:
“The teacher spoke with such a righteousness that it seemed as if you were the only one working hard for the great cause.

“I was the one who created most of the framework of the plan, so I naturally knew what I should do.

“But Master, don’t forget that the prerequisite for the grand plan is the unification of the world.

“Don’t be blinded by illusions of the future, or you will not be able to walk in this world.”

Lu Buwei sneered:
"Can a world gained through hegemony follow the way of the king?
“Without humanity as a prerequisite, they just kill for the sake of expansion.

“This unified world is nothing more than a tyrannical Qin State that has expanded several times.

"Do you also think that we should stop damming the country and attack Zhao?"

Ying Chengjiao shook his head slowly and vigorously from side to side, causing his neck to twist, making a crisp "crackling" sound.

The young man stood up and gave a final exhortation:
“It was me who proposed water control, so naturally I wanted to control the water first.

“But this doesn’t mean that my brother is wrong for wanting to attack Zhao first. It’s just that our development paths and concepts are different.

“If we send out all our elite troops, we can conquer Zhao in one year.

“The nations were terrified and dared not act rashly.

“The territory of Qin expanded by half, and the population grew by one third.

"If we continue to control the water by then, will the progress be faster than it is now?"

Lu Buwei looked at Ying Chengjiao as if he were a fool.

How can the two major events of flood control and attacking Zhao be calculated using simple numbers?
Even if we don't consider the casualties in our own country before conquering Zhao, we also don't consider the rebellion against Zhao by other countries after conquering Zhao.

Let’s just talk about conquering Zhao State, governing Zhao’s land, and employing Zhao’s people.

Do you really think that once Zhaocheng is captured, the people of Zhao who regard Qin as their mortal enemy will be loyal to Qin and be used by Qin?
In the past two years, the Qin State had to transfer Qin people who were good at flood control to Zhao to govern Zhao's land and manage Zhao's people.

The progress of water control will only lag behind, not advance.

Ying Chengjiao was helpless and spread his hands:

"I'm giving you an example, Master, please don't take it too seriously.

“I just want to say that since the thing has not been done and the result has not come out, I don’t know whether it is right or wrong.

“I spent three years at the Jixia Academy, and the greatest truth I learned was that there is no truth.

"Mencius said that human nature is good, while Xunzi said that human nature is evil.

“The wise men of all ages have said all the truths they could, but none of them could put an end to the chaos and allow the people to live a good life.

“I remember the commander said that to accomplish a great plan, one must defy heaven, and asked me to protect the commander’s life at the critical moment.

“But if the current situation continues, it will be difficult for me to keep my position as commander.

"Please don't go to extremes and take a dead end path.

"Even if you don't treat my brother like the previous king, at least don't do anything like 'nonsense' again.

"Farewell, Master."

Lu Buwei sat quietly in his chair, as still as a mountain, watching his once most proud disciple leave.

He picked up the topmost scroll from the bamboo slips that were piled up to his neck beside him.

There are seven more small mountains of bamboo slips like this one in the back hall.

Minister Quan picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, flipped open the bamboo slips, and sneered:
"It's the previous king, not the current king."

Gan Luofang, who had been waiting outside, pricked up his ears when he heard the door open.

When Ying Chengjiao walked out of the back hall, Gan Luo pretended to be nonchalant, intentionally not looking inside the door, and said casually:
"Does Chang'an Jun know why there are so many bamboo slips?"

Ying Chengjiao came to the door with a complicated feeling in his heart:
"Forgot to ask."

The real child prodigy who used to follow him around can no longer speak properly.

Gan Luo forced a smile, and after seeing Chang'an Jun off naturally, he sat in the front hall in a daze.

If Chang'an Jun and the Lord reach a consensus, they will not forget to ask about the bamboo slips.

Two days later.

Princess Tian Yan of Qi came to Xianyang as an envoy of Qi.

On the one hand, they mourn the former king, and on the other hand, they celebrate the new king.

Sitting in the carriage drawn by four horses, with the curtains lifted, Tian Yan observed the prosperous city of Xianyang.

She had never walked such a long way, nor had she seen a city as prosperous as Linzi.

The Wei River flows eastward and passes through the city.

You can display your goods on the street without worrying about theft.

There are more people in Linzi than in Xianyang, and the order in Xianyang is better than in Linzi.

The two countries have different levels of prosperity, and Tian Yan feels that her own country is better.

Because she rarely saw joy and relaxation in the people of Xianyang, which were traits possessed by almost everyone in Linzi.

"Princess, Xianyang is so big." The old palace maid Xuanyi whispered to Tian Yan, her eyes full of surprise: "Princess, you said that such a big city has no city walls, is it because it is difficult to build it?"

Tian Yan, who was feeling proud that his countrymen lived better than the people in Xianyang, raised the corners of his mouth and let them fall slowly.

The Wei River flows slowly eastward.

This is a big river that is not inferior to Xishui River and Zibo River.

The Xishui River and the Zibo River were repaired by the State of Qi as the moat of its capital Linzi, and the State of Qi was proud of it.

Qin State, however, had a large amount of water in its possession, the Wei River, but it just let it flow quietly through the city without doing anything. Ying Zi had told her that Xianyang had no city walls or fortifications, so naturally there was no moat either.

She smiled sweetly and asked the reason.

Yingzi shrugged his shoulders, because the Qin people simply didn't believe that people from any country could attack them.

She didn't quite believe it at the time.

I believe it now.

Her eyes shifted slightly upwards, and there was a heavenly palace in the clouds.

If the Qin people could build the Qin Palace at a height of forty or fifty zhang, how could it be difficult for them to build city walls that were more than ten zhang high?

It was only when other states attacked Qi that she, the Princess of Qi, was sent to Qin as an envoy.

Qin used Xianyang, a city without walls or outskirts, to tell Tian Yan that the Qin people did not live as well as the Qi people, but they lived in a safe country.

Tian Yan lowered the car curtain, not in the mood to watch any further.

Her teacher Meng Yu once said: In an era of great contention, no country can stay out of it. If you don't attack it, you will be attacked.

The Qin State, which never worried about being attacked, would sooner or later attack the Qi State...

The late Warring States period.

The Eastern Qi ruled with benevolence, and the Western Qin ruled with law.

Both of them reached the peak of their respective systems in history.

There were two royal descendants who had visited both Qin and Qi.

One is Qin Gongzi Chengjiao, a modern man who traveled through time.

The second is Princess Tian Yan of Qi, a representative of the Mencius School, one of the heretics of Confucianism, and a favorite disciple of Meng Yu, the only descendant of Mencius.

Before the revolutionary torrent swept the world, everyone thought that the two were just having an ordinary political marriage.

Mi Chen, the Dianke official in charge of receiving foreign envoys, welcomed Tian Yan.

The five hundred guards of honor were all handsome and their beauty far exceeded their combat capabilities.

Mi Chen, one of the Nine Ministers and one of the Empress Dowager Huayang's right-hand men, led the envoys from Qi to the Honglu Temple.

The Honglu Temple was originally called the Yiguan, and it was a recent name change.

It was officially transformed from a semi-civilian and semi-official government to a government office and was designated as one of the government offices under the jurisdiction of Dianke.

Hong means sound.

Lu means to pass on.

Temple is a court, a place with laws and regulations.

All places where there are government offices are called temples.

Honglu Temple is an official office responsible for receiving foreign guests.

Mi Chen, who was appointed as an official, carefully informed the Qi envoys:
The New Year was approaching and the State of Qin was busy with affairs, so King Zheng of Qin had to postpone his meeting with them until after the New Year.

Before that, they could move freely in Xianyang.

In order to express Qin's importance to Qi, all expenses of Qi's envoys in Xianyang were covered by Qin.

Tian Yan, who studied under the famous teacher Meng Yu, first expressed his gratitude to the Qin State, and then presented a scroll of bamboo slips, which recorded New Year's greetings to the Qin State.

She treats people with generosity and propriety, smiles calmly, and is neither humble nor arrogant.

Mi Chen could not find any fault with it, and he repeatedly lamented that the complete Zhou rituals could only be seen in the royal family of Qi.

On the way back to report, a short but pretty attendant beside Mi Chen complained in a female voice:

"It turns out that the woman that Master Chengjiao loves is such a delicate one."

She pulled off the crown on her head, shook her head, and let go of her three thousand strands of worries.

Bright eyes, white teeth.

Even her sorrow reveals a spirit of intelligence, and the pride on the brows is something she has acquired from her mother's womb and will never get rid of until death.

A figure that is extremely thin among men would be slender and well-proportioned among women.

Mi Huang is the favorite daughter of the Queen Mother Huayang.

There is a girl in Chu who has just grown up.

"That's called etiquette." Mi Chen replied casually, and no longer paid attention to the little girl's chatter.

There was an indelible worry between his brows, which caused him to say two wrong words when receiving the Princess of Qi and make two low-level mistakes in his job that he was already familiar with.

Three days later was the Qin New Year. The fact that King Zheng of Qin could not receive foreign guests in time was indeed partly due to the New Year.

But the remaining vast majority is the Afang girl who was born in a humble family and came from the hidden palace.

King Zheng of Qin was determined to make this woman his queen.

In fact, the Qin State's selection criteria for the queen were not very strict, but there had never been a precedent as low as that of Afangnu.

Hidden Palace.

It was similar to the post station before it was renamed Honglu Temple, and was half a government office.

Most of the people in the hidden palace are disabled people who have made mistakes in the palace.

The status of people in the hidden palace is lower than that of the common people, but higher than that of prisoners. They can be understood as criminals serving suspended sentences outside.

People in the hidden palace were not allowed to buy or sell land, wear silk products, and could only travel in a one-horse carriage.

Afang was a hidden palace maid, and her status was even lower than that of ordinary hidden palace maids.

Because her husband had died, she was a widow and had a son.

For an ordinary palace maid, having a son is a good thing.

Because of the sins committed by the hidden palace, future generations will not be spared.

The children of those who live in the hidden palace are born as common people.

Moreover, the State of Qin allowed children to redeem their parents' sins by making meritorious contributions.

People in the hidden palace may be able to escape punishment because of their children.

This advantage is a huge disadvantage for the queen.

Being a widow is easier to deal with.

The prostitute from Zhao State became the queen, which increased the tolerance of the world.

It is better to have a widow as a queen than a prostitute.

But the widow has a son, can he be the heir?
Afang worshipped the Queen Mother Huayang as her great mother and made her queen.

It was a great thing that the Chu clan's foreign relatives took over the power, but the Chu clan, who called themselves barbarians, didn't care about whether she was a widow or not at this time.

It’s Afang’s son, he’s such a nuisance!

As one of the two most important persons in charge of the Chu clan's relatives besides the Queen Mother Huayang, Mi Chen's murderous intent became more and more intense.

The most beneficial strategy for Chu now is to kill Afang's son named Zhao Gao.

Zhao Gao, who was trained by Mi Yang to bring him closer to the King of Qin, should repay the favor of the Chu Clan...

Honglu Temple.

The clerk brought in a visiting card and handed it to the envoy from Qi.

Princess Qi received it from her personal maid Xuanyi, and after reading it, a smile flashed across her lips.

"Whose visiting card is this? Is it Yingzi?" Xuanyi poked her head out and looked more anxious than her host Tian Yan.

"Not Yingzi." Tian Yan closed the visiting card, frowned, and looked very serious.

Xuanyi blinked and said puzzledly:

"Princess, do you have any other old acquaintances in Qin?"

The little girl who came from afar snorted softly:
"Who else could it be?"

The beautiful palace maid stood there, blinking her big eyes, and had not yet reacted.

Tian Yan has already urged:
"Pen, ink, paper and inkstone, I need to reply."

October 1st is the Qin New Year.

King Zheng of Qin changed the era name to Zhi.

That was the first day of October in the first year of the reign of Qin Shi Huangdi.

Ying Chengjiao rode a five-horse royal carriage to the Honglu Temple as agreed.

Tian Yan, who had been waiting for a long time, came out of the temple and saw a carriage pulled by five horses. Her makeup was almost ruined:
"This is against the rules!"

Ying Chengjiao said modestly, just as he did when he was teaching in Qi:
"I decide the Qin system."

(End of this chapter)