The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 252: The Sorrow of the King of Qin, the New and Old Chiefs, and the Death of Afang
Lu Buwei's face was filled with anger.

He stepped out of the crowd and looked up at Qin Wangzheng, but his actions were always like looking down at him, his eyes were icy cold:
"Hasn't your Majesty had enough of his nonsense?"

Qin Wang Zheng stood facing the wind, looking majestic and heroic:
"In the eyes of Zhongfu, is everything I do nonsense?!"

The two men, who are both king and subject, and master and disciple, one is on the high platform, and the other is below the platform.

They stared at each other for a long time from a distance of nine feet, and the air between them seemed to be filled with sparks.

From the moment Lu Buwei stepped out beyond everyone else, many court officials couldn't help but slow down their breathing, feeling as if they were about to suffocate.

The prime minister on earth is more awe-inspiring than the sky above.

In early winter in October, the wind is not biting but not warm either, and it makes people feel cold both physically and mentally.

As he grew older, Lü Buwei tightened his collar, clasped his hands together, and his expression changed from anger to severity:

"It seems that the king is not yet ready to be king."

He turned around, with his back to King Zheng of Qin, and faced the Qin officials, and declared loudly:
“Your Majesty has not yet finished offering sacrifices to heaven, and the next thing to do is to carry out the king’s business.

“It is not appropriate for us, the ministers, to be here.

"My lords, please follow me and wait for the king at the foot of the altar."

Finished.

Lu Buwei took the lead, walking through the crowd of court officials and heading down.

The Imperial Censor Wei Zhuang looked at King Zheng of Qin with disappointment.

He understood that the new king wanted to establish a queen, establish his authority, and seize power.

But how can it be done during the ceremony of offering sacrifice to heaven?

Sacrifice is a major national event, and offering sacrifice to heaven is the greatest sacrifice.

Do not blaspheme.

This Imperial Censor, who was promoted by the previous King Qin Zichu himself and whose position was only below the Prime Minister but above the Nine Ministers, sighed with regret and took a rare step.

Once you take this step, the subsequent steps will be much easier.

He followed behind Lu Buwei, walking downwards with his back to King Zheng of Qin, and behind him followed the officials under the Grand Censor, such as the Deputy Censor and the Deputy Censor.

And between Wei Zhuang and Lu Buwei, there were already many people.

Qin Xi, the chief of the imperial clan, and his subordinates, the chief of the inner court and the chief of the capital, were present.

Shi Cang, the Minister of Grain, who was in charge of the state finances, and his subordinates, Zuo Cheng and You Cheng.

Even the Imperial Physician-in-Chief and the Imperial Guards, who were in charge of the security of the Qin Palace, followed Lü Buwei with their subordinates.

Of the hundreds of important officials in the court, only about forty people were left, including Queen Dowager Zhao, the Chief Justice, Queen Dowager Huayang, and the Minister of Guests.

Queen Dowager Huayang looked at Queen Dowager Zhao and shook her head slightly.

You must not choose this time to attack Lu Buwei.

Queen Mother Zhao closed her eyes and nodded, full of helplessness.

Offering sacrifice to heaven is the most sacred thing. You can challenge people, but how can you challenge heaven?
Queen Dowager Zhao glanced at her son on the high platform reluctantly, hardened her heart, turned around and walked away.

Queen Mother Huayang let out a sigh, and a trace of sadness appeared on her old face.

Compared with Prince Chengjiao, Crown Prince Zheng, who had been carefully taught by the civil and military officials in the court for more than three years, was still a little immature.

Being too impatient.

With a sharp look on his adopted granddaughter Afang who was sitting on the ground, Mi Buming said briefly:

"Follow me."

There were more than forty people, and then more than thirty left.

Soon, there were only eight people left on the altar, not counting King Zheng of Qin.

Fengchang, the head of the Nine Ministers.

There were seven major officials under Fengchang: the Imperial Physician, the Imperial Pharmacist, the Imperial Clerk, the Imperial Historian, the Imperial Prime Minister, the Imperial Diviner, and the Imperial Doctor.

The eight people cannot be absent from the ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, as this is their job.

The wind howled nine feet high in the sky.

King Zheng of Qin stood with his hands behind his back, as if forgotten by the world.

Remaining and independent.

After a while, loud laughter rose from the ocean and soared across the universe.

Feng Chang and his seven subordinate officials all felt desolate and sad.

None of our ancestors was abandoned by the Qin officials.

How sad it is that a king of a country has fallen into such a situation?

But who can be blamed for this?
Blasphemy against God and attempt to establish authority through God, this is the result that should befall you.

If you don't have a mission, you can't leave.

The eight of them had already left the altar, leaving King Zheng of Qin alone.

That is the true independence from the world.

Qin officials may not necessarily uphold the will of heaven, but they will definitely uphold the rules.

One of the biggest rules is that only the king can ascend the high platform of the altar.

King Qin, you must also abide by the rules.

Qin State Ancestral Temple.

After coming down from the altar, Qin Qi, the chief of the imperial clan, did not wait for King Zheng of Qin, but came here directly.

The lights in the ancestral hall were dim, and the flickering candlelight was a mixture of light and dark.

In this place where humans and ghosts coexist, the boundary between the human world and the underworld is blurred.

The traces of time have carved deep lines on the mottled walls, telling how difficult it was for the Qin State to reach its current state.

Qin Qi's face was gloomy. He held three sandalwood incense sticks above the candle flame and watched the flames float up and down on the incense heads.

Until the flame began to rise slightly, and a wisp of green smoke rose up in a line as if it was going to reach the sky, the sandalwood was already lit.

Qin Qi, however, remained where he was, without making any movement, as if he had been hit by the legendary immobilization spell.

His eyes were so empty that even a candle flame could not fill or heat them.

The gloomy face changed shadows under the flickering firelight.

It actually made the king's father, who was at the pinnacle of power in the Qin State, seem a little pitiful...

When the incense was one-third burned, Qin Qi finally took action.

His head remained motionless but his eyes moved slowly, as if his soul had just returned to his body and was still adapting.

The incense continues to burn...

"What are you doing?" An old and weak voice suddenly sounded, revealing a hint of anger.

Qin Qi woke up in shock.

Before he could finish turning his head, he roared:

"Who the hell dares to enter the ancestral temple? You will kill all three of your clans! I..."

Qin Qi's head turned completely around.

The angry face froze, and the roar that followed was stuck in the throat, unable to come out.

The person who came was an old man, and his face could not be seen clearly because the distance was too far.

He was sitting in a wooden wheelchair, holding onto the wooden wheels on both sides of the wheelchair and turning it hard.

The wheelchair made a rumbling sound as it slowly moved towards Qin Qi:

"Go on."

The wheelchair stopped in front of Qin Qi and the old man raised his head.

Under the candlelight, one can clearly see the dark spots all over his face, like a withered body.

His breath was weak, not even as strong as a candle flame.

But his eyes were sparkling with brilliance, like two sparkling night pearls.

"Exterminate my three clans, what next?" Qin Fei raised his dry lips like a ghost crawling out of the underworld: "Master Zongzheng, what else do you want?"

Qin Fei.

The biological son of Queen Dowager Xuan, the younger brother of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, and the previous chief minister of the Qin State.

During the reign of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, there was a period when all the other nations only knew the Four Nobles but not the King of Qin.

Qin Fei, Lord of Jingyang, is one of the four famous nobles.

Qin Qi's pupils were shaking and blurry.

"Great-grandfather..." He opened his eyes wide, tears streaming down his face without realizing it.

“What the hell are you crying for!” The old patriarch roared, his voice echoing and lingering in the ancestral temple, as if it was the shouts of ancestors from all generations.

"Xiwei, don't cry!" Qin Xi glared and shouted.

He raised his hand fiercely, wiped his eyes fiercely, and took it down in front of his great-grandfather:

"Are there tears? Look at my great-grandfather, are there tears? Ah? I'm crying? How could I... cry..."

Qin Qi was stunned. The back of his hand was wet and gleaming in the candlelight.

"Hmph!" The old master snorted coldly and turned his wheelchair with great effort: "Pray incense to our ancestors!"

Qin Qi held three sandalwood sticks in his hands and pushed his great-grandfather towards the altar.

The ancestral temple is very large and the road is quite long.

The wheelchair rattles and the footsteps rustle.

On the altar, there were three animals - a horse head, an ox head, and a sheep head.

The horse is a rui (fourth tone) colt, a two-year-old horse with black mane and black tail.

The ox head is a yellow ox, a three-year-old earth-colored male yellow ox.

The sheep head is a ram, a three-year-old black male sheep.

After the three animals are the tablets of the ancestors of the Qin State.

From Qin Fuzi to King Zhuangxiang of Qin, a total of thirty-five Qin kings are all here.

Before the three animals, there was a small tripod with a black bird embroidered on the front and the word Qin engraved on the back.

The small tripod was half filled with ashes.

Qin Qi stood in front of the Xuanniao Qinxiang Ding, holding three sandalwood sticks in front of him in both hands.

Bow three times respectfully to the tablets of ancestors and insert the ashes into the cauldron.

"You have hatred in your heart." Lao Zongzheng's expression eased and he closed his eyes to rest: "The ancestors are here, speak out the hatred in your heart."

The corners of Qin Qi's mouth twitched, and his tall body trembled uncontrollably.

Yes, he had hatred in his heart.

He hated the former king and hated the beast Qin Zichu for killing all his brothers!

All those brothers who died called him "Big Brother" because he watched them grow up.

In the past, when offering sacrifices to ancestors, dozens of people would stand in the ancestral temple, and the loud noises would make the candle flames shake.

today.

Qin Qi turned his head and looked around.

Empty.

There was no one else except him and his great-great-grandfather.

Talking has an echo.

Qin Qi's fists were clenched so hard that they made a creaking sound, and he stared with hatred at the latest tablet placed in front of him - that of Prince Chu, King Zhuangxiang of Qin.

He really wanted to pull it down and smash it to pieces!
His breathing became heavier and he gasped for breath, as if he would rush forward in the next breath, and it seemed like this for nearly a moment.

"Since you don't want to tell me now, then don't tell me in this life." The old Zongzheng opened his eyes without knowing when, looked at the new Zongzheng, and said slowly: "Fei understands your pain. But what has happened is irreversible. Let the past be the past."

"You don't understand! You don't understand at all!" Qin Qi growled, his face ferocious.

After he finished yelling, he realized belatedly that the person in front of him was his great-grandfather, who was three generations older than him.

He bent over, covered his face with his head in pain, tears streaming from between his fingers, and slowly retreated:

“How could you possibly understand?
"My brothers killed my brothers, all of them!

"Go past? How can I possibly get through this!"

"Qin Qi!" The old Zongzheng smashed the wooden wheel with his fist and shouted, "You chatterbox! There is no one in my Zongzheng of Qin who is so weak! If you can't do it, then roll down! Fei's legs can't stand, but the person can still stand!"

Qin Qi raised his head, his eyes bloodshot with tears.

The new chief looked at the old chief.

The old master suddenly turned the wheelchair and it crashed into Qin Qi.

Qin Qi struggled but did not retreat, he stood up despite the pain, without shifting his gaze.

Looking at this stubborn old man up close, Qin Qi suddenly remembered that none of his great-grandfather's brothers had a good end.

Except for King Wulie of Qin, Qin Dang, who died of lameness, the rest all died at the hands of King Zhaoxiang of Qin.

What he is experiencing now is exactly what the old man has experienced.

"If the legs can stand, then the person can stand too!" Qin Qi's eyes were bloodshot and he spoke in a hoarse voice, as if he was swearing.

If his great-grandfather could handle it, then Qin Qi can handle it too... He must handle it!

Lao Zongzheng looked at it for a long while and said in a deep voice:
“The orthodox clan leader represents the clan and takes the clan as his priority.

“This was my fate, now it’s yours.

"You have to accept your fate."

Qin Qi squatted down, his eyes were level with his great-great-grandfather's, and he held his great-great-grandfather's cold hand:

"This is my fate, I accept it."

On the ground, the two shadows overlapped, as if they came from the same person.

The strength of the Qin State was never the result of the efforts of the Qin King alone.

In the huge ancestral temple, the old and new clan members are talking in front of the ancestors.

The new Zongzheng informed the old Zongzheng of the problems he encountered and the situation in Qin State. The old Zongzheng analyzed and thought based on his own experience and wished he could tell the new Zongzheng everything.

At some point, there was a knock on the door.

Someone outside reported that the king had come to offer sacrifices to his ancestors.

Xin Zongzheng said coldly:

"No."

In the ancestral hall, the chief is the most important.

"Yes." The person knocking on the door answered and the footsteps faded away.

The old master frowned:
“You haven’t let it go.”

"I let it go." Xin Zongzheng said with a gloomy face: "This bastard wants to sacrifice a woman to the heaven together. He is so bold and presumptuous. He must be taught a lesson. Being a king does not mean you can do whatever you want. You must abide by the rules."

The old Zongzheng was stunned for a moment. He did not expect that the new King of Qin would dare to do this. He was speechless for a moment.

After a while, Lao Zongzheng slapped the wooden wheel and said angrily:
“Let him in!

“Let him kneel before his ancestors and repent!
"Let him kneel all night!"

After roaring angrily for a long time, Lao Zongzheng was panting and it took him a long time to catch his breath.

"If this boy can't be king, let Cheng Jiao take over! Hmm?" The old patriarch looked around and realized something was wrong: "Where is Cheng Jiao during the New Year's ancestor worship? Did this boy go abroad again?"

"That bastard..." Qin Qi gritted his teeth, "The princess of Qi, to whom he was engaged, is here. That bastard said that when he was in Qi, she spent the New Year with him. Now that he is in Qin, he wants to spend the New Year with her as well."

"Doesn't this bastard know to offer sacrifices to the heavens and ancestors?" The old man was furious. "Just for a woman, don't you even care about your ancestors?"

"I told him that he must offer sacrifices to the heaven and ancestors today and must not be absent." Qin Qi was indignant and said, "This bastard asked me back, saying that when he was not in Qin a few years ago, didn't he offer sacrifices to the heaven and ancestors as usual? Let me just assume that he is still in another country and has not returned."

Lao Zong was trembling with anger:
“A man who wants a woman to be his queen must sacrifice her to heaven.

"A man who wants to spend the New Year with a woman does not come to worship his ancestors.

"These two bastards...Qin Qi."

The old Zongzheng looked at the new Zongzheng seriously:
"Will you be king?"

"I'm willing." Qin Qi nodded, then shook his head: "But I can't do it."

"Why?"

"It's only natural for Cheng Jiao to be king. If I become king, the clan will start fighting again, and my two nephews will die." Qin Qi smiled bitterly, "I can't do it. I am destined to be the head of the clan, not the king."

The old master lowered his head and said in a low voice:

"None of us can do it. None of us are destined to be king."

The day passed and night fell.

There is no curfew in Yongcheng tonight, and there is no curfew in Xianyang either.

Ying Chengjiao accompanied Tian Yan, who had no idea what she had said to her mother, to appreciate the prosperity of Xianyang City.

Every "unintentional" physical touch would evoke murderous looks from the girl.

The boy smiled awkwardly, thinking about not doing it on purpose next time.

The young boy who was out for fun had no idea what had happened in Yongcheng, the former capital of the Qin State.

By the time he realized what had happened, it was already noon the next day.

He had just woken up and had not yet gotten out of bed when the maid reported that General Wang Jian had been waiting outside for the entire morning.

The young man's sleepiness suddenly disappeared and he immediately let Wang Jian in.

There was a look of panic in the eyes of Wang Jian, who was always calm and composed, and the young man felt a little panicked as well.

"Why are you in such a hurry? Why are you waiting outside for a whole morning?" The young man teased and poured water for Wang Jian himself: "Drink some water first. It won't cost you a little while."

Wang Jian, who was thirsty, licked his cracked lips and said in a hoarse voice:

"Yesterday, the king wanted to make the hidden palace maid the queen, and forced her to offer sacrifices to the heaven.

"The Prime Minister refused and left first, and everyone followed him... Yongcheng reported that the hidden maid died in the Yongcheng Palace."

(End of this chapter)