The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 258: The royal family returns to their loyalty, wins over the generals, and helps the Bai family
The first year of the reign of Qin Shi Huangdi, October, third day.

After tossing and turning until midnight, Ying Chengjiao fell into a deep sleep and did not wake up until noon.

Qin Xi, the chief of the imperial clan, who had been waiting for a long time, took him and King Zheng of Qin to the ancestral temple to worship their ancestors.

Ying Chengjiao had visited the Qin ancestral temple many times.

This time was very different—there were so few people.

The young man, who always used his lively nature as a protective color, approached this dark room where candles were still lit during the day, and a sense of sadness gradually emanated from him.

He never heard him call his grandfather and uncles, whose faces he could not remember and whose names he did not know, "father" and "uncle" many times during their lifetime.

Even if he wanted to shout a few times now, these people wouldn't be able to hear him.

The boy used to hate these people very much and did not consider them as his relatives.

But when all these people were gone, the boy was not happy.

As far as the eye can see, the place is empty, with only the chief of the clan, Qin Qi, standing in front of the candlelight, lighting incense.

The young man was stunned and couldn't move his feet.

At this moment, his heart was emptier than this ancestral temple.

If my father hadn’t killed my grandfather and uncles, I probably wouldn’t have felt anything… The young man thought about it, and his heart grew more and more sad.

If it is just an if, it is false, not true.

The fact is that his father Qin Zichu took away all his brothers except Qin Qi.

The sandalwood is burning and the smoke is rising.

Qin Qi walked to the ancestral tablet holding three sandalwood sticks in each hand, frowned and tilted his neck to the two brothers standing not far from the door, calling on the two brothers to come forward together to worship the ancestors.

King Zheng of Qin and Prince Cheng Jiao stepped forward and stood behind Qin Qi.

Zong Zheng handed the three sandalwood sticks in his left hand to Qin Shi Huang and raised his head to signal Qin Shi Huang to offer sacrifices to the ancestors first.

This is etiquette.

King Zheng of Qin, wearing a crown, bowed his head slightly, took it with both hands, and respectfully placed it in a small tripod filled with incense ash.

He came to pay homage on New Year's Day, but Qin Qi didn't let him in, so he made up for it on the third day of the New Year.

King Zheng of Qin retreated behind Zongzheng.

Qin Qi handed the three sandalwood sticks in his right hand to Master Cheng Jiao, still raising his head to gesture.

Young Master Cheng Jiao lowered his head and took it with both hands.

He raised his head and looked at Zong Zheng who was obviously old.

Turn around and see that there is no one behind you.

"Father... I'm sorry..." the young man said, shaking off the ashes from the sandalwood in his hand.

A little ashes fell on Qin Qi.

The loneliest Zongzheng in the history of Qin State raised his lips slightly, and the last trace of anger towards Prince Chu of Qin in his heart burned out and fell to the ground along with the ashes on his body.

He thought he understood the feelings of the Chu and Zhao factions.

Qin Qi, who was only forty years old but had a half-black and half-white hair, said softly, just like he did several years ago:

“Your Father is your Father, and you are you.

"My grudge with your father has nothing to do with you, little kid."

Place three more sandalwood sticks in the incense burner.

Six streams of smoke rose at a constant speed from bottom to top.

After more than ten breaths, the last Qin Zhuangxiang King Qin Zichu and the first Qin Fuzi were connected together.

Witnessing all this, King Zheng of Qin breathed naturally. He didn't feel that the ancestral temple was empty, nor did he feel that he had anything to apologize for.

Apart from blood ties, what relationship do those dead people have with him, Ying Zheng?

Where were these people when the Prince of Zhao forced him to eat horse manure and when the Zhao people whipped him with horsewhips?
When he was in the State of Zhao, he was blessed by his mother, the Queen Mother.

The fact that he was able to return to Qin, to be called a prince, to be the crown prince, and to inherit the throne in Qin was all thanks to his younger brother's kindness.

[Among the millions of people in this world, only my mother and my brother will not harm me.]
The people of Zhao clearly distinguish between kindness and hatred. They repay kindness with kindness and repay hatred with hatred.

Ying Zheng, who grew up in Zhao State until he was nine years old, had half Zhao blood in his bones and was particularly clear about gratitude and resentment.

"Ying Zheng!" Qin Qi, the chief imperial ancestor, suddenly shouted, "Since you are the King of Qin, you should inherit the wishes of our Qin ancestors! Make Qin the strongest! Do not allow others to ascend to heaven together! Do you remember this?!"

King Zheng of Qin faced the Qin emperors of all generations, and the other half of his bloodline revived.

The wooden plaques engraved with his posthumous name seemed to come alive, and each one was looking at him eagerly.

Especially the six Qin kings after moving the capital to Xianyang.

Qin Xiaogong made the Qin State, which was on the verge of extinction, powerful again.

King Huiwen of Qin annexed Bashu in the west and sent Zhang Yi to the east to accumulate strength for the Qin State, serving as a link between the past and the future.

In order to find a legitimate reason for Qin to go to war, King Wulie of Qin, who was like the one who helped King Zhou lift the tripod and died with his legs broken, was found by King Zhou.

After enduring for decades, he finally took control of the government, proclaimed himself the Western Emperor, and defeated King Zhaoxiang of Qin, who made all the other nations dare not look west.

King Xiaowen of Qin succeeded to the throne in his old age, was plagued by various illnesses, knew he was incapable of serving the country, and waited for death after ascending the throne.

King Zhuangxiang of Qin, who became king by destroying the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, had great ambitions but suffered from goiter and died in his prime.

Among the six generations of Qin kings, there were some who were notorious, some who imprisoned their mothers and killed their brothers, some who came to power by illegal means... but there was not a single mediocre one.

The Qin State's law of succession to the throne, which allowed whoever followed it to succeed it, was harmful to the royal family but beneficial to the country.

Every time there was a transfer of power, the Qin royal family would cut off several branches, or even replace the main branch. The main branch of Qin King Wulie was cut off at the root and replaced by the branch of Qin King Zhaoxiang.

This law of inheritance was later given a name - Xuanwu Gate Law of Inheritance - because of the fierce Emperor Taizong of Tang who killed his brother and forced his father to surrender at Xuanwu Gate.

The Xuanwu Gate Succession Law ensures that the country will not have mediocre rulers, nor will it have good rulers.

The king of Qin does not need good people.

Qin Wang Zheng knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and said to all the ancestors:

"The government will definitely live up to the wishes of our ancestors - to make Qin the strongest and strongest, and never forget that for a moment!"

His eyes moved downwards to the last six tablets:
"Xianyang is the capital of our Qin State, and also the capital of the world."

From the grandfather's voluntary death, to the father's killing spree before his death, to the elder brother's first sword killing the person next to him when he succeeded to the throne.

Ying Chengjiao, who experienced all of this personally, felt uncomfortable and shocked.

He was born into the Qin royal family and endured the sorrow of the royal family.

He was born in the State of Qin and will enjoy the blessings of the State of Qin.

The fact that the Qin State produced seven generations of wise rulers was not accidental but inevitable.

Unifying the world is the last wish of the Qin emperors of all generations.

For this purpose, the King of Qin did not hesitate to sacrifice the lives of his relatives, teachers, friends, and even his own life.

The first year of the reign of Qin Shi Huangdi, October 4th.

The incident of Afang's death in the Yongcheng Palace was still fermenting and was about to cause a huge uproar.

No one in the court can stay out of trouble, and one must choose to stand on the side between the prime minister and the king.

At this time, Prince Chengjiao returned to Xianyang and temporarily stayed away from the center of the dispute.

The first year of the reign of Qin Shi Huangdi, October 5th.

After teasing Princess Qi yesterday, Ying Chengjiao went to the Bai family mansion to visit Bai Qi, and had a fight with Bai Qi's granddaughter Bai Wuxia, but lost.

He also went to the Le family mansion to visit Le Yi and reminisce with the newly promoted famous general Le Cheng, whom he had never seen since they parted in Yan State.

The two talked about the time when Lian Po led the coalition forces of five countries to attack Qin and the troops arrived at the city of Hangu Pass.

Young Master Chengjiao paused for a moment, imperceptibly, and his heart skipped a beat.

The five-nation coalition attacked Qin, and he was by the side of Prince Chu of Qin from the beginning to the end.

Due to the deliberate blockade by Prince Chu of Qin, he didn't hear any news at all.

On the day the five-nation coalition forces withdrew, Prince Chu of Qin died.

Ying Chengjiao knew that the political affairs outside were handled by the commander, and the military affairs were handled by countless Qin generals.

So he kept vigil for his father and ignored external affairs, still unaware that the five countries were attacking Qin.

After the wake, his brother succeeded to the throne, and more and more things happened, until now, the prime minister and the king are fighting each other.

These important things washed away all the unimportant things.

The Five Kingdoms' invasion of Qin was one of them - it's all in the past.

It was not until now that Ying Chengjiao learned about this matter from Le Cheng.

The psychological impact of this incident on the young man was even greater than that of his brother killing Afang.

History books do not record that Qin Shihuang had a queen.

Ying Zheng's approach did not conform to Ying Chengjiao's values, but it was consistent with the historical process that Ying Chengjiao knew.

The fact that Lian Po led five countries to attack Qin does not fit the rules.

There is no record in history books that Lian Po was the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces of five countries and attacked Qin to Hangu Pass.

The wheel of history deviated from its established track, which meant that Ying Chengjiao’s advantage as a prophet was largely lost.

Of course, this isn't just a bad thing.

Zou Yan's Yin-Yang theory clearly states that everything has both Yin and Yang, and everything has two sides.

History is not static, it can be changed... The boy thought, his mood improved, and his confidence increased slightly.

After leaving Yue Yi's mansion, the young man went to the Meng family to visit the veteran general Meng Ao.

Meng Ao refused to see him.

There was no surprise to the boy in the cold wind.

This visit was a continuation of the death in Afang Palace and was a sudden idea.

For any formal visit, a visiting card must be submitted in advance.

Usually seven days, at least three days.

Bai Qi and Yue Yi, these two famous generals had a close relationship with Ying Chengjiao.

The former was rescued by Ying Chengjiao, and the latter came to Qin with his family largely because Ying Chengjiao rescued his son Lejian, so he did not hold grudges against the young men.

It was normal for Meng Ao, who had little interaction with the boy, to refuse the temporary visit.

The young man took out a bamboo slip from his bosom and handed it to the old housekeeper of the Meng family:
"This is a visiting card. I will come again in three days to see you, Lord Meng."

The old steward of the Meng family was named Tian Fazhong, an old man of the Meng family who came to Qin from Qi with Meng Ao.

When the old man was young, he was a personal soldier outside Meng Ao's tent when he was sleeping soundly on the battlefield, and when he was off the battlefield, he was the steward of Meng Ao's family.

Now that he was old, Meng Ao ordered him to stay at the Meng family and not to go to the battlefield. Everyone in the Meng family, including Meng Ao's son Meng Wu, who was expected to take over the position of the head of the family, and Meng Ao's two favorite grandsons Meng Tian and Meng Yi, treated the old housekeeper with great courtesy.

Treat them like an elder, not a servant.

The old butler took the significant bamboo slip with both hands, his face full of caution:
"Please wait for a moment, my lord. I will be back soon."

Gongzi Chengjiao had no objection and said politely:
"I am not in a hurry, you can take your time."

Tian Fazhong raised his old eyes and said respectfully:
"I am not worthy of your being called a duke."

The old steward of the Meng family who came to report in the mansion had heard of Young Master Cheng Jiao many times from his master Meng Ao.

But this was the first time I dealt with the most famous prince in Xianyang.

When they first met, the old butler had a very good impression of Chang'an Jun.

Almost no one in the Meng Mansion treated him as a servant.

There were few people outside the Meng Mansion who did not treat him as a servant.

Those foreign guests of noble status who often visited the Meng Mansion were not unaware of the status of Tian Fazhong in Meng Ao's heart, and they were also willing to show courtesy to him.

The reason why she still didn't say a word to him was that she felt it was unnecessary and she didn't want to lower her status.

This was an era of strict hierarchy.

Those in a superior position often do not even put in any superficial effort to treat those below them.

Ying Chengjiao put his hands behind his back, not feeling that he had done anything special, and waited patiently for Meng Ao's reply.

The clouds roll and unroll in the sky.

The driver felt sorry for his master and advised him to go back to the carriage and wait. He would stand here and wait for his master.

Ying Chengjiao waved his hand to refuse.

It was wrong for him to come hastily without a visiting card.

He was standing here waiting, which was a way of showing his attitude.

The door of the Meng family mansion opened again, and the old butler held the bamboo slips and handed them to Master Chengjiao with both hands.

Not accepting a visiting card means rejection.

Young Master Chengjiao sighed, glanced inside the door, and took the bamboo slips:

"Thank you for your help, elder. I will come again tomorrow."

Having said that, he was about to set off.

"Wait a minute, my lord." Tian Fazhong, who had originally planned to remain silent, stopped Ying Chengjiao.

It is rare to find a "fair" person who only does superficial work, and it is even rarer to find an "elder" who is rejected.

The old butler took two steps forward, lowered his waist, and said:

"Don't come, my lord. The general won't see you."

Ying Chengjiao smiled warmly:
“I know that my hasty visit this time has angered Lord Meng.

"I will come twice more, just to show you my sincerity."

The old butler hesitated, sighed, and said:
"Your Excellency is the son of the previous king. With this status, no matter how many times you come, the general will not meet with you in private.

“Your Excellency came again and was blocked outside the door.

"Not to mention that it will make my general feel uncomfortable, you yourself will also be ridiculed by others."

Ying Chengjiao was not angry but happy instead.

If these words could represent Meng Ao's attitude, it would mean that the veteran had already stood on his brother's side.

"Thank you for telling me, elder." The young man bowed and grinned, "Next time we meet, I will ask you to welcome me in and introduce me to Lord Meng."

He waved goodbye and got in the car and left.

The old butler looked at the carriage with four horses going away and shook his head.

He is a good person, but he is too stubborn.

On this day, Ying Chengjiao visited several generals in succession.

Some opened their doors wide and gave a grand reception.

There were also those who were even more excessive than the veteran general Meng Ao, who did not even send a housekeeper and just kept the guests eating soup behind closed doors.

Night is approaching.

Ying Chengjiao looked at the sky and stepped heavily into the last military family, the Bie family.

Different from Meng Ao, who had Meng Wu as his successor and two generals in the same family.

None of the sons and heirs of Duke Bie joined the army.

The reason is just two words - fear of death.

For every dog-slaughtering person who is righteous, there are many scholars who are unfaithful.

The more people know, the less temperamental they are.

With the protection of Lord Bie, the descendants of the Bie family, who had been literate since childhood, valued their lives very much and did not want to work hard to earn military merits like those peasants.

They were born into aristocrats and were destined to become officials and live a life of wealth and glory. Why did they have to become military generals who were in danger of losing their jobs every day?

Is it just to be able to point at the civil servants and curse them as shit?

There's no need for that.

If you are not a military general, you will just be looked down upon by vulgar generals and be called a birdman.

Apart from being despised by military generals, they must have plenty of blessings and respect that they deserve...that's why they don't go to the battlefield.

The only way for the untouchables to rise up is through military merit.

The descendants of the Biao clan were born with the surname Biao, which meant they were born to be successful.

This is not an isolated case, but a microcosm of the Qin generals.

The Meng family is the only family that has an example of a family where one generation founded a military family and the second generation continued to serve as generals.

If nothing had happened to Bai Qi, his granddaughter Bai Wuxia would not have become a general.

then.

When Duke Bie died, the big tree fell.

The descendants of the Bie clan have no one to support them.

The once prosperous Biao family quickly declined, with weeds growing in the courtyard and covering the stone paths.

This was even with the help of military generals such as Meng Ao, Wang Ling, Wang He, Yang Duanhe, Fan Yuqi, and Wang Jian.

When people are gone, love will always fade away.

When the day comes when this love fades, there will still be no one left to rule the Ruo family.

They will become a part of Qin history, just like those prominent families in Qin history that were once prominent but later disappeared.

"Greetings, Lord Chang'an." Bie Hu, the eldest son of Bie Gong and the head of the Bie family, bowed.

The nearly fifty-year-old tiger looked haggard, his eyes were bloodshot, and there were more white hairs on his head than weeds on the ground.

After his father died, most of their family members left, leaving only a few.

In the past, everyone in the officialdom had to give some face to the descendants of the Bie family, but few people cared about them.

A tiger in dire straits is bullied by dogs, and a phoenix in distress is no better than a chicken.

Bie Hu, who had been under the protection of Bie Gong, wanted to change all this, but he didn't know where to start.

After lying down for too long, he suddenly wanted to struggle, but he didn't know where to struggle.

Those generals who were on good terms with my father could only bring money to the Bie family, but not respect and a future.

Bie Hu regretted why he didn't join the army in the first place.
His father named him "Tiger" because he hoped that he would be like a tiger on the battlefield and join the army to kill enemies and take on responsibilities.

He was afraid of death and refused to do so.

Now he is not afraid of death and is willing to do it.

But his body is decayed and unable to fight.

He forced the young people into the army, hoping that one or two of them would stand out and restore the glory of the Bie family.

This was the only way he could think of.

"If you believe me, the Biao clan will leave Sanhuan and move the whole clan to Chang'an County." Ying Chengjiao held Biaohu and said, "I will teach you a new language that will be used by the whole world in the future. After the world is unified, you will teach the world. With this educational achievement, the Biao clan can at least last for a hundred years."

Ying Chengjiao said two sentences.

The tiger could understand the first paragraph, and could also understand every word in the second paragraph.

But the words in the second paragraph were connected together and the tiger couldn't understand.

Are you willing to give up everything you have now in the Bie family just for something you don't understand?

Now the descendants of the Bie family are scattered in various government offices in the Qin State.

Although it is difficult to revive the family, being active in Xianyang can at least support the empty shell of the Bei family.

Give up all these and go to Chang'an County, the fief of Ying Chengjiao.

It is equivalent to moving away from the political and economic center of Qin State and announcing its withdrawal in advance.

Chang'an County was the fief of Ying Chengjiao. Like Weiyang County, it still belonged to Xianyang and was outside the third ring road.

"Thank you for your kindness, Lord Chang'an." Biaohu only thought for a moment and declined politely: "Although Hu is the head of the family now, he does not have the prestige of his father and cannot force the whole family."

Ying Chengjiao looked at the tiger for a long time.

One can see the shadow of the old man who had loved him since he was a child on Biehu’s face.

For the sake of the old man, Ying Chengjiao extended an olive branch for the second time:
“Kid knows that it is difficult to make the decision to relocate the whole family.

“I hope you can trust me and think about this matter carefully.

“If you are still determined not to move, you can send one or two outstanding young men to Chengjiao Palace.

"The boy will introduce them to the king."

The tiger's eyes lit up.

He did not know to what extent the king and prime minister of Qin were fighting each other.

The upper levels are fighting fiercely, while the lower levels are ignorant.

He only knew that the king's favor was much more reliable than any luck.

Don’t the two guys, Meng Tian and Meng Yi, from the Meng family practice martial arts with the king, so they walk with more confidence?
"Only one or two people? How about three? How about four?" Biehu knew that the request was a bit excessive, and his face turned a little embarrassed.

But for the sake of his family, he doesn't care about his reputation.

(End of this chapter)