The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 259 Yaoyao teaches her son well, Lu Buwei counterattacks—a letter is hung in the east of the city, each word is worth a thousand gold!
Ying Chengjiao didn't say much to Biehu.

Let Biehu reply to him in three days. If he still insists on his opinion, he can only recommend one and a half candidates at most.

The second generation of Qin's military officers generally lacked courage.

It is difficult to maintain the status quo, and it is even more difficult to innovate.

Those who are truly courageous will not be in Xianyang, but will be serving as generals at the Qin checkpoints and border defenses.

The young man returned to the palace in a bad mood and was unhappy.

Ji Yaoyao knew her son better than she knew herself. She personally poured a bottle of orange juice for her son and asked with a smile:

"What is it that is troubling my little one so much?

"Is it because the king killed the hidden maiden, or is he worried about your teacher's future, or is it because the visit to the military commander did not go well?"

After his mother's three guesses failed, Ying Chengjiao shuddered, and the orange juice in his hand splashed onto the ground:
"How did mother know that Afang was killed by my brother?"

"Eh, was it the king who killed him?" Ji Yaoyao looked surprised, her narrow and long phoenix eyes suddenly became round, and she covered her mouth and said, "This... is too horrifying."

"Mother...you look more terrifying like this, don't you? Tell me! How did you know that?!"

Ji Yaoyao glanced at the Chilong bronze jar in her son's hand, tilted her head slightly, revealing a section of her snow-white neck - drink the juice first.

Ying Chengjiao understood what he meant, reached for the cup and drank it all in one gulp, then held the cup upside down and gave him an urgent look - can you tell it now?

Two drops of residual orange juice fell, Ji Yaoyao nodded with satisfaction, sat opposite her son, gently touched her son's brow with one finger, and said softly:

"You, once something happens to someone around you, your brain stops working.

"The death of that hidden maid was obviously caused by the king, do we still need to listen to others?

"What is Yongcheng? It is the old capital of the Qin State and the location of the Qin State's ancestral temple.

"The city defense of Yongcheng Palace is second only to Xianyang, and at night, light and dark commands are used alternately.

“He who walks in the light does not know that light brings death.

“Those who walk in the dark, with clear orders and hidden orders, but one thing they don’t know, is death.

"At the beginning of the New Year, the king led all the court officials to Yongcheng. At this time, the defense of Yongcheng Palace was even stricter than that of Xianyang.

“Don’t say he’s your teacher.

“Even for you, it would be extremely difficult to kill that hidden palace maiden without alerting anyone.

"The only person who could kill the hidden palace maiden without the light and dark guards noticing, and the thief was invisible and left no trace, was the king who had taken the hidden palace maiden away from his side.

“If your master could do all this, then the ones who should die are the king, the queen mother, and the chief minister.

"When the time comes, it won't be Wang Jian who will tell you the news, but your master himself will come with the crown and robes to force you to take the throne."

After hearing what his mother said, the boy felt that the problem seemed very simple and that he was just too stupid.

Soon, Ying Chengjiao shook his head violently, raised his hand and tilted his head:
"No, that's not right, mother is oversimplifying.

“Everyone in the court knows that my brother loves Afang the most and wants to make her his queen despite her background in the imperial palace.

“When he arrived in Yongcheng, he even invited Afang to ascend to heaven with him.

"But the teacher was strongly opposed to this, saying that a palace maiden who had been married and had children was not worthy of being the queen, and that the king was young and ignorant.

"No matter how you look at it, the one with the greatest motive for killing Afang was the commander.

"The commander is extremely powerful, holding the Qin King's seal and half of the tiger talismans, so it is not impossible for him to kill someone in the palace.

"As my mother said, it is indeed impossible to kill someone in the palace on New Year's Day without leaving any clues.

"But considering that the officials are not good at catching thieves and robbers, they may not be able to find any clues. And the officials of the Tingwei Mansion who are good at catching thieves and robbers are in charge of the division commander, it is normal for them to work but not put in any effort, so this is also possible.

"The commander has been suppressing my brother. Killing Afang can be regarded as a warning..."

Ying Chengjiao thought as he spoke.

Ji Yaoyao listened patiently.

When the young lady finished speaking, Ji Yaoyao, who was known as a fierce woman in Korea, had a gentle expression:
“My son’s analysis is not without reason, and I cannot find loopholes in it.

"My son's way of thinking has become more conventional than before, and I think this has something to do with his experience at Jixia Academy.

"The people of Jixia treat each other honestly, even when they are enemies, which makes my son forget the dangers outside.

“When you look at something now, you look at it from the perspective of the thing itself and the causes and consequences of the thing.

“For example, the hidden palace maiden was killed.

"The reason was that the king wanted to make the hidden palace maid his queen, but the prime minister disapproved. The king violated the ancestral rules and invited the hidden palace maid to ascend to heaven, which caused the prime minister to be furious.

"The consequence is that your master has become the biggest beneficiary. The king's prestige has been hit to the bottom, while your master's prestige has reached the peak.

“The way you look at things is far better than that of ordinary people who only look at things from the perspective of themselves, but there are still some shortcomings.

“If you want to see something clearly, you must look not only at the thing, but also at the person.

"Use events to judge people, and people to judge events.

“You have to think about what kind of person your master is and whether he would do such a thing.

“If you don’t know your teacher because you haven’t seen him for three years, then find out everything your teacher has done in those three years.

“People can hide their emotions, thoughts, and concerns, but they cannot hide what they have done.

“The more you know about what your master has done in the past three years, the clearer you will know what kind of person he is, and the clearer you will know whether he would do such a thing.

"A person who wants to rebel, no matter how loyal he appears to be, will secretly prepare his troops.

“If a person loudly shouts about treason but does not prepare troops.

"Then he doesn't want to rebel, he wants to die.

"Your Majesty grew up in Zhao State and had a rough life. Therefore, when he first came to Qin, he was narrow-minded and vindictive.

"I have been nourished with nobility for the past few years as the crown prince, so I have a broad mind. But a broad mind is not the same as kindness, nor is it the same as benevolence.

"Nothing is wider than the sky, and nothing is broader than the earth.

“I have only heard that all things ask for something from heaven and earth, but I have never heard that heaven and earth ask for something from all things.

“In such a vast world, there are droughts, floods, and cracks in the ground, killing and injuring countless lives without mercy.

“So does the king.

"That hidden maiden was only used to relieve the king's boredom when he was tired. She came when he called her and left when he dismissed her, like an object.

“Your Majesty may pity her, but he will not love her.

"Perhaps in the future, the king will really fall in love with a girl. But before his old age, the king's love for the girl must not be stronger than his love for the Qin Kingdom."

After Ji Yaoyao finished speaking, Ying Chengjiao thought for a long time.

He remembered it firmly in his heart and said jokingly:

"My mother is indeed a female Shen Buhai. No conspiracy or trick can escape her eyes."

"You even dare to make fun of my mother." Ji Yaoyao pretended to hit me.

Ying Chengjiao, who had never been beaten by his mother, took the initiative to ask for a beating.

Ji Yaoyao had a smile on her face.

He patted his son on the head lightly and said unhappily:
"This is not a conspiracy, it's an open conspiracy that looks like a conspiracy."

"This is a plan to get back to life?" Ying Chengjiao was stunned: "How sinister!"

"When did my son become so upright? The Jixia Academy has done so much harm to people!" Ji Yaoyao felt dissatisfied.

Picking up the tea bowl and taking a sip, the Korean lady said seriously:
"The difference between conspiracy and overt conspiracy does not lie in whether the scheme is aboveboard or not.

"It depends on whether the plan can be successful after it is exposed to the light of day.

“The king killed the hidden palace maiden. It’s uncertain whether the others knew about it or not, but your master, who was framed, definitely knew about it.

"But even if you know it, your master will still fall into the trap.

"In the current situation, if your master tells the truth and says that he didn't kill the girl, others may or may not believe it, but your master's prestige will definitely decline.

“The reason your teacher has such great prestige is because of the regency given to him by the previous king, which suppresses the king’s royal power.

“At this point, your master cannot retreat a single step and can only move forward.

“When your master regresses, the king will progress.

“When the king killed the hidden maiden, your master lost the possibility of assassinating you in the palace in the future, and the plan was accomplished.

"If your master doesn't tell the truth, as his prestige and power grow, he will at least provoke a counterattack from the royal family - no royal family in the world can tolerate a minister who shows that he can kill the king.

"When your master tells the truth, your master's prestige declines, while the king's prestige rises." "The price the king will pay...at most he will be branded as heartless."

“In fact, this possibility is not big.

"The death of the hidden palace maiden in your master's hands means that your master has reached into the palace, tested the bottom line, and has the intention of changing the world.

"What does it mean that a hidden palace maiden died at the hands of your brother? It means that a hidden palace maiden died.

"Everyone cares about themselves and their families. No one really cares about the life or death of a hidden palace maiden."

Having said this, Ji Yaoyao paused.

She raised her beautiful eyes and looked at her son with contempt:
"Except my virtuous son."

Ying Chengjiao opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself and just let out a long sigh.

Ji Yaoyao patted her son's hand and comforted him:
“As long as you are not the king, your character is not a bad thing, so there is no need to be discouraged.

"You haven't told mother yet why you were unhappy when you first entered the sect?"

Ying Chengjiao curled his lips:
"Because of my virtuous character."

"..."

The young man recounted everything that happened in the Bai family's mansion, and said distressedly:

"If it weren't for me, Biao Gong wouldn't have died.

"I want the Biao family to prosper for a hundred years, hoping to comfort Mr. Biao's spirit in heaven.

"But the son of Lord Bie does not trust me."

Ji Yaoyao stared at her son with her bright eyes and blinked twice:

"If you were not my son, I would not believe you.

"If Qin conquers the world, it must do so through military operations.

"There are only one person in the Qin State who can read and write. They have never attached importance to literature. How can they achieve any educational success?"

"Mother doesn't believe me either." The young man was indignant.

Ji Yaoyao curled her lips:

"I believe it, I believe it. If you were not my son, I would not believe it, but you are.

“This matter was easily resolved.

"Since you are sure that what you can bring to the Bie family is more than what the king has brought to the Bie family, then you can directly tell your master to dismiss all the people in the Bie family.

“Once they lose their official positions, they will naturally follow you.

"If you insist on talking about voluntary and democratic nonsense, then you shouldn't bother.

"They chose their own path. What does it have to do with you?"

Ying Chengjiao smiled bitterly:
"I know what my mother said, but..."

Ji Yaoyao interrupted:
“I know where you’re struggling.

"You think that Biao Gong died because of you, and you have the responsibility to take care of Biao Gong's descendants.

“But you have never wanted to interfere with others since you were a child.

"Now is the time for you to make a choice, it's hard to have the best of both worlds in this world.

"But mother, I want to say one thing: Bie Gong's death is related to you, but it is not only related to you.

"If the Qin army wants to reform, a person of sufficient importance must die, just like Shang Yang's reforms started with the king's son.

"Meng Ao, Wang He, Wang Ling, and Biao Gong, one of these four must die.

"Even without you, the possibility of Biao Gong dying is the greatest."

Seeing that her son was silent and still hesitant, Ji Yaoyao leaned on the table and rolled her eyes:

"Instead of focusing on this, you should focus more on how to deal with your master.

“Based on my understanding of your master.

"If your master doesn't tell the truth about the hidden palace maid's death, this matter will never end, it will only get bigger and bigger."

"Nothing." The young man didn't care: "I know what my master is going to do."

Ji Yaoyao sat up straight, tapped her hands three times, and said half mockingly and half praisingly:

"My son is troubled only by trifles. He is always ready for the big things and takes them lightly.

“Your master’s power is overwhelming.

"Even as a mother, I can't guess what he will do next, other than regicide, you know?"

"Lüshi Chunqiu," Ying Chengjiao said casually, "I was the one who came up with the name."

In October of the first year of the reign of Qin Shi Huang, a major event occurred.

On New Year's Day, the hidden palace maiden appointed by King Zheng of Qin as the queen died in the palace, and undercurrents were surging.

Li Chong, who was far away in Longxi, received a handwritten order from Queen Dowager Huayang, and King Yuan of Chu received greetings from Mi Buming, a member of the same clan as Mi.

Guo Kai of Zhao received two gifts.

One was presented by the Queen Mother Zhao of Qin, and the other was presented by Lu Buwei, the Prime Minister of Qin.

In the land of Bashu, the famous widow of Ba Qing received the order from the prime minister and rushed to Xianyang.

The hunchbacked governor of Bashu, Li Bing, stood on the bank of the surging river, threw the prime minister's bamboo slips of condolences into the water, and murmured:
"I, Li Bing, have devoted my entire life to Dujiangyan. I have no time to care about right and wrong.

"My life will end when Dujiangyan is completed."

The entire Qin high-level leadership was mobilized by the death of the hidden palace maid Afang.

However, few of the Qin officials who were mobilized knew that the hidden palace maiden was named Afang.

Behind this big event, there is a small thing.

All the descendants of the Biao family were dismissed from their posts and ordered to leave the prime minister's office.

It was Lu Buwei who captured and executed Duke Biao.

In the eyes of others, this move was just Lu Buwei showing off his muscles again, indicating that no one who went against him would have a good ending.

This incident did not cause much trouble except that a few generals went to the prime minister's mansion.

Compared with the hidden palace maiden who killed the general and became the queen in the palace, dismissing a few minor officials was really too small a matter.

And beneath this small matter, there is an even smaller matter.

King Zheng of Qin met with Princess Tian Yan of Qi and set a wedding date for Chang'an Jun Ying Chengjiao.

Next June, when the grass is green and the birds are singing.

Chang'an Jun Ying Chengjiao went to Qi and married the princess and brought her back to Qin.

Qin and Qi are united and their friendship lasts forever.

In this way, the Qin State went through October with calm on the surface but turmoil underneath.

As time came to November, the weather became colder.

The first year of the reign of Qin Shi Huang, November, 12th day.

Xianyang City.

The sunshine is particularly good today. The early morning light of winter shines on the towering city gate, and the golden light shines on the bluestone-paved streets, making it look particularly solemn and dignified.

The entrance to the east city.

The crowds are bustling, and the cries of vendors and conversations of pedestrians are intertwined, forming a picture of a prosperous market.

This is the daily scene of the world's number one city.

But today, something is different after all.

On both sides of the East City Gate, there is a huge silk painting hanging.

The two pieces of silk were densely covered with words, the handwriting was neat and the ink was dark.

At the East City Gate, there was a large wooden sign hanging with a few large characters written on it:

【If anyone can add, delete or modify even one word, there will be a reward of 1,000 gold coins! 】

(End of this chapter)