The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 255: Afang was not killed by Lu Buwei, but by... (5000 words)
"I almost don't recognize you, Master." Ying Chengjiao, who was praised, had a complicated expression and a trembling voice: "When did you become so bloodthirsty? Is this the price you have to pay for being in power?"

Lu Buwei's eyes were like rippling water, and he opened his mouth, as if he wanted to speak.

Just as the words were about to come out of his mouth, he stopped, not knowing what he was thinking about.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath of cold air, and then exhaled slowly - the white air was like a long dragon, baring its fangs and claws in the cold wind.

He opened his eyes, and they became bright and deep again.

Everyone can see that he has an extraordinary mind and is definitely not an ordinary person, but no one can see what is going on in his heart.

"Young Master, people will change." Prime Minister Qin's voice buzzed and echoed.

The sound lingered in Ying Chengjiao's ears, seeping into his body layer by layer.

Ying Chengjiao thought of the Buddhist lion's roar and the thousand-mile sound transmission technique in the novel.

The young man who followed Gai Nie to learn martial arts knew that this was the effect caused by the conduction of internal force and resonance of the chest cavity.

It is impossible to transmit sound over a thousand miles, and it can only create the vibration effect of beating drums or bells in a small area.

Speaking in this way is often used to intimidate and persuade, and the effect is excellent.

Lu Buwei leaned forward slightly and approached his disciple very slowly.

This action can increase the pressure, alert the person involved, and make the words more persuasive.

The sound of a huge bell rang out again:

“If you want to achieve great things, sacrifices are inevitable.

"My lord, you have grown up, your mind should not be as childish as a child, you should also change.

“If someone is blocking the way and persuasion fails, then you can kill him.

"If a friend blocks the way, kill the friend; if a relative blocks the way, kill the relative; if a teacher blocks the way, kill the teacher; if a ruler blocks the way, kill the ruler.

"There is no one in the world who cannot be killed, including everyone."

Lü Buwei, knowing the deep affection between his disciple and his mother, spoke each word with emphasis:
"Birth, body, father, mother."

"Why?" Ying Chengjiao's throat was sore, and he took a step back with a sad smile: "How can the commander say such crazy words with a face that is so calm that it can't be any calmer?"

The boy took another step back:
"In order to convince me, the teacher even adjusted his movements and tone of voice in great detail.

“The end justifies the means.

"The commander looks more sober than anyone else, but he is actually crazy."

Taking a step back:
"The Qin State can no longer be ruled by you, Master. Please resign on your own initiative."

Lu Buwei watched his disciples walk away step by step and chuckled.

The laughter was very small at first, like the flapping of mosquito wings.

Soon the volume increased sharply, as loud as thunder, and white mist came out of the mouth that could swallow the sky.

Prime Minister Qin laughed so hard that he fell backwards and forwards, as if he had heard the funniest joke in the world:
“There are a total of twenty-seven government offices in our country.

"I resign today, and tomorrow all nineteen government offices in Qin will be paralyzed! Including the Imperial Court of your cheap uncle!

"Huayang Bufei has great ambitions but little talent, and has little virtue and no courage.

"After the previous king passed away, it took Zhao Di less than a month to sideline him.

“Now, except for the Zongzhengfu, which is responsible for clan affairs, and the Fengchangfu, which is responsible for military sacrifices… these eight government offices that have nothing to do with government affairs, the rest are under my control.

“Perhaps you think that without me, Lü Buwei, the situation will only be temporarily paralyzed, just like my predecessors who served as prime ministers before me.

"Shang Yang, Zhang Yi, Gan Mao, Fan Ju... Which of the Qin prime ministers was not in a high position and had great power before they were dismissed? Didn't they just fall from power? I, Lü Buwei, am no exception.

"If you think so, you are totally wrong.

"Since I know this, how could I not make preparations?

"After the death of the previous king, I added a new rule to these 19 government offices:
“No matter how big or small the matter is, the memorial should be submitted to the Prime Minister’s Office first.

“After the Prime Minister has reviewed the case, he will make his opinion and send it back to the various prefectures.

“Each government must handle the matter in accordance with the prime minister’s approval. If there are any objections, they are not allowed to make decisions on their own.

"I need to attach my opinions to the memorial and submit it again. After the prime minister reviews and agrees with it, we can take further action.

“The nature of man is laziness.

"Since the death of the previous king, the nineteen officials have become accustomed to following orders and are unwilling to think.

"Because the official reply is specific to an individual, these officials only know what they need to do and are unaware of other people's affairs."

Lu Buwei pointed to his head:

"I am now the head of the Qin State.

“Without a head, no matter how fit your body or how strong your limbs are, you can’t survive.

"My lord, you are not asking me to resign. You are clearly trying to destroy Qin!"

The endless piles of bamboo slips in his mansion were his life.

The bamboo slips are endless, and life lasts forever.

Ying Chengjiao said nothing, but just stared at his commander who was laughing wildly, unperturbed.

As Lu Buwei laughed, he gradually felt bored.

Before the powerful minister stopped laughing, the fire had already illuminated half the sky.

Swift as the wind, powerful as thunder, aggressive as fire!

In the darkness of night, countless armored warriors broke into Lu Buwei's temporary residence.

The guards of the mansion blocked the way with spears in hand and asked questions:
"Who are you!"

The armored warriors said nothing, and their spears came out like a forest.

They speak with their actions - anyone who stands in the way will die!

The blood burned by the torches became even redder, and the silver moon in the sky was also tinged with a layer of red.

In this midst of blood and fire, a pitch-black crown robe fluttered out, and thirty-six black birds woven with gold threads spread their wings under the hem of the crown, ready to fly.

The blood on the ground looked like beautiful jade. With a stern face, King Zheng of Qin stepped into the courtyard, stepping on the blood-stained jade.

I took a look at my brother and found that he was still alive and not seriously injured, which made me feel relieved.

Looking at the powerful prime minister, Qin Wangzheng put his hands behind his back and said coldly:
"Someone saw the thief who assassinated Afang break into Zhongfu's residence.

“I am afraid that Zhongfu might be killed, so I have led three hundred warriors here to search for the thieves.

"If I have offended you, it is because I am too worried about your safety. I hope you will not be offended."

The courtyard was littered with corpses, with few people left alive.

The retainers who had just surrounded and intended to kill Gai Nie lay on the cold ground, unable to get up again.

Lu Buwei suppressed his anger and chuckled:
"Your Majesty is worried about me, how can I be surprised?

"Your Majesty, please search the mansion quickly. I also want to see what this thief looks like and what kind of supernatural powers he has.

"If you don't show up, you can kill all the guests in my house!"

Qin Wangzheng's attitude was as cold as ice that had not melted for a thousand years:
"If this thief didn't have extraordinary abilities, how could he have killed someone in the palace and escaped to my father-in-law?
"With this thief's ability, he would have been able to climb over the wall while I was talking to Zhongfu, so I would not have searched the mansion to do this useless work.

"Father Zhong, please be safe. I will not disturb you from resting."

King Zheng of Qin looked at his brother again, his brows raised:

"How dare you, boy! How dare you disturb my father here? Come with me!"

Ying Chengjiao responded and walked towards his brother.

The brothers met, exchanged glances, and were about to leave together.

King Zheng of Qin had just turned his back.

"Your Majesty, please stay!" Lu Buwei shouted.

"Father Zhong, do you have anything to tell me?" King Zheng of Qin stopped and responded.

Lu Buwei's mouth curled up:
"I am a minister, how can I give orders to the king?
"I am merely giving advice, Your Majesty, it would be better to conduct a thorough investigation.

“If the search yields any results, the matter will be dropped.

"If the search yields no results, then I must ask which warrior discovered the thief entering my residence?"

King Qin snorted coldly:
"This is a confidential matter, so it is not convenient for Zhongfu to know about it."

Where to find someone?
There is no one at all!
Catching a thief was just an excuse King Zheng of Qin used to justify his intrusion.

"What secrets are the ones that the truth cannot know?"

"Do you think that what I said and did today was a bit too much?"

"I do think that the king's words and actions today are extremely inappropriate. Killing all my guests based on one person's words, isn't that ridiculous?"

"Father Zhong!"

"The minister is here."

King Zheng of Qin stared at Lü Buwei for a long while, his anger undisguised:

"It seems that Zhongfu is determined to find this person today, right?"

"That's right." Lu Buwei responded calmly.

There was no way he would let King Zheng of Qin leave like that.

Break into his house, kill his retainers, and then walk away as if nothing happened.

Where is the majesty of Lu Buwei?
How could Lu Buwei control his subordinates?
After being stared at by King Zheng of Qin for a while, Lü Buwei's face turned cold:
"Could it be that the king is lying?
"No one actually told the king that there were thieves here, did they?"

King Zheng of Qin narrowed his eyes.

If he admits that he came here on his own initiative, then he must give an explanation for the corpses on the ground.

King, do you want to give me an explanation?
Since he ascended the throne, his authority had been repeatedly suppressed by Lü Buwei. With the death of Afang in the palace of Yongcheng, his authority was suppressed to the lowest point.

But, King Zheng of Qin never lost his dignity!

"Of course there is someone." Qin Wangzheng said, "It's just that it was too late, I didn't see him clearly, and I can't remember who he was. Since the prime minister insists on seeing him, I will find him for him."

King Qin Zheng said solemnly to the three hundred warriors around him:

"I swear that I will take care of the parents, wife and children of this warrior today."

As soon as the words fell, several people responded:
"I, Gu Yue, said so!"

"Your Majesty, it's me!"

"I told the king!" "I told him!"

"..."

"There are so many people!" Lu Buwei gritted his teeth and said, "Didn't the king say that there was only one person?"

King Zheng of Qin snatched the Qin sword from the sharp soldier beside him and slashed at the person closest to him among the five or six people who were speaking.

Qin's sword broke his neck and the man fell to the ground with blood flowing.

"It is this man. I remember him now." Qin Wang Zheng held up the blood-stained Qin sword and said, "This man gave false information, causing the death of Zhongfu's followers. He should be put to death."

After sheathing his sword, King Zheng of Qin ordered his attendants to take away the bodies of the warriors he had killed, then turned and left.

The gold-edged black bird gleamed brightly in the firelight, burning Lu Buwei's eyes.

Soon, the courtyard returned to peace, a bloody peace.

Gan Luo, who was still a child, was obviously frightened and his face turned frighteningly pale.

The boy's lips trembled, his heart was colder than his hands:

"Just now, just now, just now..."

His teeth chattered and he stuttered.

Lu Buwei patted the young servant on the shoulder:

"Don't be afraid."

These brief words gave the young man great strength.

Gan Luo swallowed hard and looked up at his master:

"Why didn't the king kill the lord just now?

"With just one order, my lord and I will die here."

"Everyone underestimates our new king." Lu Buwei answered the question irrelevantly and looked at the direction where King Zheng of Qin left, with no expression that could tell whether he was happy or angry.

Lu Gou Jian came over dragging Ju Que, and the huge sword cut a deep groove on the ground:

"Gou Jian's swordsmanship is good at using force, not skills.

"I failed to stop Gai Nie, and I disappointed my lord."

"No." Lu Buwei shook his head: "If we want to compete with the young people, we can only move forward courageously. This is the only sword, if we fail, we will die."

Yongcheng Royal Palace, Qinian Palace.

The flames were as bright as blood, dyeing the Qinian Palace red and gold.

Queen Mother Zhao was wearing a dark robe, which rustled in the night wind.

She stepped into the palace, her eyes fixed on the female corpse in the center of the palace - that was Afang, who had just been adopted as a granddaughter by Queen Dowager Huayang.

Zhao Yaotiao's slender hands trembled, and she suddenly clenched the white jade in her sleeves.

When she first brought Zheng'er to Qin, King Xiaowen of Qin asked Zheng'er to play cards and mahjong. Every time, Zheng'er would send eunuchs to deliver the winnings to her palace.

This piece of mutton-fat white jade was the first item that Zheng'er brought.

Her nails carved deep dents into the white jade, and Zhao Yaotiao's eyes were filled with resentment:

"Lü Buwei dared to attack Afang yesterday, and he will dare to put a sword on the neck of the King of Qin tomorrow."

The sound seemed to be pulled out of an ice cellar, carrying with it a poisonous chill.

The remaining two people in the hall did not think anything was wrong because they had the same idea.

"Lü Buwei has gone crazy." Weiyang Lord Qin Qi pressed his fingers on the hilt of the sword, and the bronze animal pattern glowed faintly in the candlelight.

This Zongzheng, who had just had a heart-to-heart talk with the previous Zongzheng and felt that his mood had reached a calm state, now had veins bulging on his forehead:
“It was wrong for the king to invite this woman to heaven, but no matter what, he cannot kill her by assassination.

“Although this woman is not the queen, the king has already regarded her as the queen.

"The latter shall not be executed unless he is plotting treason!"

The bronze man lamp tree in the main hall of Qinian Palace swayed unsteadily.

The shadows of the twelve tassels cut grooves of varying depths on the face of Queen Mother Huayang.

The Queen Mother of Qin, who served four dynasties, slowly and methodically combed the fur of the white fox fur with a rhinoceros horn comb, combing off a lot of fur each time.

"When King Xiaowen was alive, he praised Lü Buwei highly in front of me.

“Although this man was born into a merchant family, he was proficient in both civil and military strategies, and was a good minister for governing the country.

"I am already this old, and I don't know how long I can live, so I don't want to cause any more trouble.

“But this time, the thief really went too far.

"What on earth is he going to do? Isn't his power enough?
"Since the Qin Dynasty, there has never been a case of a powerful official killing the queen to establish his authority!"

There was not much fur left on the white fox fur coat with excellent fur color.

Just as the Queen Dowager Zhao, who represented the Qin State's Zhao relatives, the Queen Dowager Huayang, who represented the Qin State's Chu relatives, and Qin Xi, who represented the Qin royal family, were discussing the matter in front of Afang's corpse.

There was an urgent knock on the gate of Qinian Palace.

The three of them looked at each other, all with solemn expressions.

Before entering the palace, the three men were instructed not to interfere unless it was an important matter.

"Could it be that Zheng'er was assassinated?" Zhao Yaotiao's face changed and she said something that made the other two also change color.

Afang was assassinated in the palace, which made the three of them feel uneasy.

"Come in!" Qin Qi shouted.

A man came in and saluted.

Zhao Yaotiao took a few quick steps, anxious:
"Hurry up and tell me what's going on!"

She recognized this man.

His name is Zhao Gao, he is Zheng'er's confidant and the son of the deceased Afang!

"When the king learned that Chang'an Jun broke into the prime minister's residence in a carriage, he led three hundred officials to kill him!" Zhao Gao spoke very quickly.

Upon hearing the news, the three had different reactions.

Queen Mother Zhao felt relieved when she learned that her son was fine.

The expression on his face relaxed, and his steps became smaller and slower.

The Chief of the Imperial Clan Qin Qi opened his eyes wide, gritted his teeth and said "this bastard" while walking quickly out of the palace.

Unlike Ying Zheng, the nephew who came along halfway, Ying Chengjiao was the nephew that Qin Qi had seen grow up from birth.

Even though he had been spit on and had not been called "father" many times... that was because this kid didn't know the relationship between Qin Zichu and him, Qin Qi!

"Someone come! Prepare the car!" Qin Qi walked down the stairs quickly with "thump thump thump".

Lu Buwei was so cruel as to kill Afang, so there is no guarantee that he would not dare to kill that brat!
"Who the hell leaked the news and let Cheng Jiao know!" Queen Dowager Huayang was so angry that she broke the sheep-horn comb.

Zhao Yaotiao had suggested to her that King Zheng of Qin should marry Mi Huang as his queen, but the Queen Mother Huayang did not agree.

After Mi Huang became the King of Qin, the Queen Mother Huayang was still worried about the future of the Chu family.

The King of Qin has always been a mean and ungrateful person.

But if Mi Huang married Ying Chengjiao as his wife, Queen Dowager Huayang would not be worried at all.

As long as Master Chengjiao is alive, the Chu clan will surely survive.

"Zongzheng, don't act rashly." Queen Dowager Huayang shouted to Qin Qi who ran out of the palace: "Lü Buwei will not take action against Cheng Jiao."

When the previous king was still alive, Lu Buwei was lobbying for Ying Chengjiao.

Queen Dowager Huayang was not worried about Ying Chengjiao's safety, but was worried that Ying Chengjiao's entry into the game would cause an unknown chain reaction.

No one could guess what Master Chengjiao could do.

No one had expected that Prince Chengjiao would stand up for his deceased grandfather and scold his father, who was about to become king, until he vomited blood.

"Before seeing Afang's body, Qi had the same idea as the Queen Mother." Qin Qi's voice returned to the palace, but he did not return.

The Queen Mother Huayang's expression changed.

After three breaths, the old woman stood up wearing a white fox fur coat with few hairs:

"Mi Yang, prepare the car!"

Outside the Yongcheng Palace, he called for the carriage to come here, stop and wait for the gate to open.

Four shiny black horses snorted, shook their heads, and kicked their hooves in dissatisfaction.

How far have we run before we have to stop?

These four fine horses were carefully selected by the Imperial Household Department for Master Cheng Jiao.

Xianyang is three hundred miles away from Yongcheng.

We set out in the afternoon and arrived at midnight. An ordinary horse cannot run that fast.

Inside the carriage, the two brothers sat opposite each other.

Qin Wang Zheng put the gold-embroidered black bird crown under his buttocks, sat casually, and said with a smile:

"Where did you get this information? It's too fast.

“What happened last night will happen tonight.

"This speed is just like that of someone who saw Afang being assassinated and immediately rushed to Xianyang to tell you."

Ying Chengjiao felt strange, looked at his brother's face and said:

"Brother, you must maintain your dignity in front of others and be patient and understanding.

"You don't need to hide in front of me. You can mourn when you need to."

The boy didn't know whether his brother concealed it too well or his own perception was too poor.

From the first time he saw his brother, he never noticed any sadness in his brother.

When the father left, the brother was very sad.

"Ha, on the contrary." Qin Wangzheng smiled and said, "I will only mourn in front of others and smile in front of you."

His brother's abnormal behavior of being happy instead of sad made Ying Chengjiao's heart tremble, and a guess that he had never imagined before came to his mind.

The boy's eyes flickered, and he said in disbelief:
"Afang was not killed by Lu Buwei, but by my brother...it was my brother who killed Afang!"

(End of this chapter)