The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 266 I, Lü Buwei, have only one wish in my life: I wish that there would be no distinction between noble and humble people in the world.

In the political hall.

There are only two of them.

One king.

One phase.

The candlelight in the hall flickered, and the bronze lamps emitted a faint light, illuminating the young and resolute face of King Zheng of Qin.

He sat on the wooden chair that the previous king usually sat on, with his hands on the armrests on both sides.

His eyes were as sharp as torches, directed directly at Lu Buwei who was standing in the hall.

Lu Buwei was wearing dark court robes with dark patterns embroidered on the cuffs, and he walked calmly.

He walked to the first chair under the right hand side of King Zheng of Qin, sat down slowly, leaned against the back of the chair, and raised his body slightly.

I've lost weight too quickly in recent days, and the originally comfortable backrest now feels a bit uncomfortable.

King Qin Zheng took a deep breath:

"If you don't bow to the king, you are overstepping your authority."

"Your Majesty calls me Zhongfu, so I have no choice but to follow your wishes." Lu Buwei smiled politely and said, "Since ancient times, we have only heard sons bowing to their fathers, but never heard of fathers bowing to their sons."

"So, I still need to pay my respects to Master Zhong?" The fifteen-year-old young man leaned forward slightly.

"Human nature."

"Zhongfu, you have never heard of a father paying respect to his son, but have you ever heard of a king paying respect to his minister?"

"I have never heard of it, but I have seen it more than once." Lü Buwei moved his gaze from Qin Wangzheng to the chair under Qin Wangzheng: "The previous king did this."

The hall was silent for a moment, with only the gentle crackling of the candlelight as the sound could be heard.

King Zheng of Qin and Lu Buwei stared at each other for a long time, their eyes as sharp as knives, as if they wanted to dissect each other's minds.

I don’t know how long...

"If Your Majesty has no important business, I will go to review the memorials." Lu Buwei spoke suddenly.

"Zhongfu is so busy." Qin Wangzheng responded very quickly, as if he was waiting for Lu Buwei to speak: "You can send the memorial to the palace and I will review it."

"The king has not yet come of age, he is still a child." Lu Buwei slowly stood up: "A child is just a child."

"That's true." Qin Wangzheng also stood up and personally escorted the prime minister to the palace gate: "Only children would ask adults for food."

Lu Buwei stood in front of King Zheng of Qin and smiled slightly with his back to him.

The powerful minister knew it.

The young King Zheng of Qin would not do anything until he became financially independent.

This is good.

Lu Buwei walked to the front of the carriage they came in.

When he helped himself to the carriage, he looked back at King Zheng of Qin who was standing in front of the gate of the Council Hall and watching him go, with a rare look of complexity on his face.

"The late king was not wrong about you." The Prime Minister muttered to himself, and with a strong pull of his arm, he climbed onto the carriage.

King Zheng of Qin saw the prime minister looking back, saw the prime minister getting on the carriage, and saw the four-horse carriage, which was only one level lower than the five-horse royal carriage, rolling across the small square in front of the palace.

"The late king was not wrong about me?" Qin Wangzheng, who could read lips, bowed his head and clenched his right hand into a fist: "But the late king was wrong about you!"

He summoned Lu Buwei this time to try to resolve the problem peacefully with this prime minister who was both his father-in-law and his teacher.

He had been talking to Lu Buwei about the relationship between the ruler and his subjects, hoping that Lu Buwei would remember the etiquette between the ruler and his subjects.

But Lu Buwei had been talking to him about father and son!
Relying on the name of Zhongfu, he has been treating him like a child and refusing to give him any power!

"Your Majesty." Zhao Gao walked out from the shadow of the palace, his face full of sternness: "The Prime Minister has not yet left the palace, you can still... kill him..."

It would take at least a moment to ride from the Council Hall to leaving the Central Palace even if one gallops.

At this moment, Lu Buwei was still in the palace, still in the palace where King Zheng of Qin could decide his life or death with a single word.

King Zheng of Qin remained calm.

Zhao Gao, who had been observing King Qin's expression, did not understand what he meant.

Not answering.

It can be interpreted as a default, or it can be interpreted as a disapproval.

There is no unified answer to this question. It all depends on the character of the person in power and his or her mood at the time.

If you don't want to make progress, of course you don't need to consider these.

But if you want, this is a shortcut.

Zhao Gao, who was eager to make progress, was thinking quickly. From the experience that the king had been unable to rule the country for a long time after he ascended the throne, he guessed that the king had a great desire for power and had a strong desire to control.

If the king agrees to kill Lu Buwei, it must be for the purpose of seizing power.

Now the king has no attitude.

If Zhao Gao had killed Lu Buwei directly without the king's consent, this would have been an abuse of the king's power.

A king who does not rule the country personally and does not have much power should be extremely sensitive to this.

and so.

No answer means no.

Zhao Gao made a judgment.

He nodded slightly, took a step back and returned to the shadows. He lowered his head and observed the king's expression out of the corner of his eye.

Seeing that King Zheng of Qin did not comment, Zhao Gao knew that his guess was right.

The fist changed from a solid clench to an empty clench, and the murderous intent that King Zheng of Qin had aroused because of Zhao Gao's words slowly subsided.

Unless Lü Buwei forced him, the king, into a desperate situation, he would not kill Lü Buwei.

Killing Lu Buwei is easy, but the follow-up is difficult.

Lu Buwei was not the girl of Afang. Everyone knew that it was King Zheng of Qin who did it when he died suddenly in the palace.

King Zheng of Qin killed his prime minister because he could not compete for power with him. What is the difference between him and King Zhaoxiang of Qin who beheaded Bai Qi?
Everyone thinks that King Zhaoxiang of Qin was a powerful monarch, and the same is true for King Zheng of Qin.

But King Zheng of Qin also believed that King Zhaoxiang of Qin could do better.

My king, you should not kill me just because I voice my dissenting opinions. That is too petty.

Jun, you should be able to hear all voices and accept all voices.

Choose and use what you think is right, and keep what you think is wrong - what if you find out later that the right one is wrong, and the wrong one is right?
The main reason why Lu Buwei was extremely rude to his king, Qin Zheng, was because they had different political views.

As long as Lu Buwei still calls him King Zheng of Qin "Your Majesty" and respects him as King Ying Zheng.

For King Zheng of Qin, killing Lü Buwei meant that he, the King of Qin, admitted that he could not take back power from his subject, Lü Buwei, through political means.

Killing Lu Buwei in this way would cause unrest in the Qin State, not to mention his followers throughout the court.

Let’s just talk about what to do when facing the next two people with superb means, Wang Buwei and Zhao Buwei.

Just think about how the Qin ministers in the court, almost all of whom have a keen mind, will view him, the King of Qin.

Kill Lu Buwei at this time.

Shake your heart.

Shake the foundation of the country.

Shake my mind.

The Crown Prince Zheng, who suggested his younger brother to kill Gongsun Longzi when his younger brother was at a loss as to what to do with Gongsun Longzi, became King Zheng of Qin.

King Zheng of Qin would not have chosen the most incompetent method of killing people unless he was at the end of his rope.

"Go check where Lü Buwei's money came from." Qin Wang Zheng said abruptly, "Besides the Shaofu, there must be others."

If the 517,000 gold coins came from the sale of the property under the control of the Shaofu, then such a large money transaction in Xianyang could not be hidden from the eyes of various forces.

King Zheng of Qin concluded that his good uncle must have another larger source of money.

And this other sum accounted for the bulk of the 517,000 gold.

Since Zhongfu rejected his desire for reconciliation, the political struggle would have to continue. He would not be willing to be a puppet like his father.

The will of the Qin State must be the will of King Zheng of Qin.

The first prerequisite for political struggle is financial independence.

"Yes!" Zhao Gao responded quickly, lowered his head, and said carefully: "When I went to meet the Prime Minister today, I saw Lord Chang'an..."

"Cheng Jiao..." Qin Wang Zheng didn't care at all: "He can go wherever he wants. Just do your own thing."

Zhao Gao responded with “Yes” and withdrew.

He stroked his cheek, where the marks of five fingers still remained. The slight pain helped him keep his mind clear.

[You can mention Chang'an Jun, but you cannot mention anything that is unfavorable to Chang'an Jun.]
[No, Chang'an Jun's presence in the Prime Minister's Mansion is also obviously disadvantageous to Chang'an Jun.]
[That is... you can tell the truth, but you cannot tell any unfavorable advice to Chang'an Jun.]
[It seems not clear yet...]
[From the perspective of the king's extreme favor towards Chang'an Jun, it should be... not possible to express opinions that are unfavorable to Chang'an Jun.]
[Yeah, that's about it.]
Zhao Gao thought silently, summing up his experience and guessing the king's character.

His mother gave him the opportunity to serve as a close attendant to the King of Qin.

Whether he can stay and where he goes depends entirely on him.

He had to find out what the king was thinking before his mother's affection ran out.

Let the king discover that among all people, Zhao Gao is the most useful.

night.

The moonlight was like frost, sprinkling on the eaves of the Xianyang Palace. The wind chimes on the eaves swayed gently in the breeze, making crisp sounds.

Inside the palace walls, the lights were sparse, with only a few rooms emitting faint light.

Zhao Gao dragged his tired body, walked slowly along the bluestone road towards his residence.

His shadow was long in the moonlight, making him look particularly lonely.

When Zhao Gao arrived at his residence and pushed the door open, he was startled.

There is someone in the room!
The man stood with his back to the door and his hands behind his back. His figure was hidden in the dim shadows, looking mysterious and unpredictable.

Zhao Gao's heart tightened and he subconsciously took a half step back, his right hand quietly reaching for the short blade at his waist.

Just as he was about to shout for help, he closed the door and summoned the patrolling officials to catch the thief.

"Long time no see." The person in the room chuckled and spoke, his voice low and gentle, with a hint of familiar laziness.

The sound was like a bolt of lightning, instantly striking Zhao Gao's mind.

His body relaxed, and his tense muscles slowly relaxed.

He slipped into the room and closed the door tightly.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his doubts, and then bowed deeply to the person in the room:
"I greet the Lord of the Imperial Chariot Office."

"Don't say that." The Minister of the Imperial Chariots Mi Yang lifted up Zhao Gao and said with a sigh, "I am the Minister of the Imperial Chariots, and you are the Minister of the Imperial Chariots. Our ranks are equal. It's no use calling someone a big shot or a small shot."

Mi Yang looked at the child he had carefully taught, his eyes flashing with an unknown color: "I wanted you to take over my position as the Minister of the Imperial Chariots, but I didn't expect that you would go to the 'Central' and directly become the Minister of the Imperial Chariots."

Zhao Gao was even more respectful:

“Outside, Gao is the chariot officer.

"Sir, in front of you, I have always been the Zhao Gao who is willing to serve as a disciple."

Mi Yang was delighted and patted Zhao Gao on the shoulder with great emotion, saying "good" three times in a row.

He pulled Zhao Gao to sit side by side on the couch, as if he was the master of the place.

The two talked about the past for a while, and Mi Yang "accidentally" brought the topic to Qin Wangzheng:
"I heard that the king walked out of the Palace of Observation and Study and entered the Palace of Council of Government.

"Your Majesty will not restrain himself again, will you?"

Zhao Gao looked calm and answered Mi Yang's questions selectively, secretly excited in his heart.

[Even Mi Yang asked for it from me, this is all due to my loyalty to the king!]
The next day.

Ganquan Palace.

Queen Dowager Huayang closed her eyes and listened quietly to Mi Yang's report, and remained silent for a long time.

She is old and her mind is slow.

Things that used to take just a blink of an eye to think through now take dozens, sometimes even hundreds.

"Mi Huang." Queen Dowager Huayang closed her eyes and called out habitually.

No one responded.

"Queen Mother." Mi Yang said half helplessly and half happily: "That girl went to look for Lord Chang'an again."

"He went to look for Lord Chang'an again." The Queen Mother Huayang repeated, and then she came to her senses.

The Queen Mother, who had experienced four Qin monarchs, said with a mixture of sadness and joy:
"Okay, okay.

"Looking for Xie'er is a good thing, a good thing..."

Opening her eyes, Queen Mother Huayang cast a cloudy gaze on Mi Yang and said slowly:

"You, go call Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi."

"Yes." Mi Yang responded and wanted to leave.

"And my brother." Queen Mother Huayang added, as if she had just remembered: "Call him as well."

"Yes." Mi Yang agreed and waited for a while.

Seeing that Queen Mother Huayang had no intention of saying anything else, he bowed slightly and left to call for someone.

Three days later.

Prime Minister's Mansion.

Prime Minister Lu Buwei looked at the bamboo slips in front of him. Although he was always decisive in approving bamboo slips, a rare look of hesitation appeared on his face.

This is a memorial submitted by the Minister of Justice Huayang Bufei. Excluding all the useless nonsense, the entire bamboo slip actually only talks about one thing.

Recommending officials.

Huayang Bufei recommended a pair of brothers and sought two official positions.

One of them was called Xiong Wen.

The official position sought was to be the Prime Minister's Assistant, who was responsible for assisting the Prime Minister in handling the affairs of the palace and managing the personnel within the palace.

One of them was called Xiong Qi.

The official position he sought was Sima of the Xiangbang Mansion, who was in charge of military affairs and assisted the Xiangbang in handling military-related affairs.

These two official positions were second only to the prime minister in the Xiangbang Palace, and each had an annual salary of one thousand dan.

The Prime Minister of the Prime Minister's Office is in charge of the civil affairs of the Prime Minister's Office, and the Sima of the Prime Minister's Office is in charge of the military affairs of the Prime Minister's Office.

If Lu Buwei accepted these two official positions, it would be equivalent to planting two thorns of the Chu faction in the Prime Minister's Office, which was completely under his control.

Then, shouldn’t it be done?
Lu Buwei hesitated.

Although this memorial was written by the Minister of Justice Huayang Bufei, it must have been the will of the Queen Mother Huayang.

In Lu Buwei's view, the reason why the Queen Dowager Huayang asked her brother to write for her was to remind him that he had undermined the Supreme Court.

These two official positions can be said to be a counterattack by the Queen Mother Huayang, or a deal by the Queen Mother Huayang.

Yes, this matter has been exposed.

Otherwise, the Chu clan will definitely not let it go.

Now is the time when running schools is booming, and it is a critical moment... Lu Buwei made up his mind, approved the memorial with a "yes", and then stamped the Qin King's seal on it.

There are many officials in the Tingwei Mansion, such as:
The prime minister supervises officials and ensures the implementation of government orders.

Xiangbangyuan (yuan, fourth tone) is an official who assists in handling specific affairs.

The Xiangbang was responsible for document drafting and file management.

Xiangbangshi, a historian who records the affairs of the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister's Secretary was responsible for drafting and conveying the Prime Minister's orders and handling daily clerical work.

The clerks of the Xiangbang Mansion were responsible for the execution of specific affairs, such as finance, military affairs, and justice.

The chief clerk of the Prime Minister's Office was responsible for recording and managing the documents and files of the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister's Office is responsible for carrying out specific tasks of the Prime Minister's Office, such as investigation and inspection.

The Prime Minister's Office Commander was responsible for the public security and security of the Prime Minister's Office.

The Hucao of the Xiangbang Mansion was responsible for household registration and financial affairs.

The Warehouse Officer of the Xiangbang Mansion was responsible for warehouse management and material allocation.

The Jincao of the Xiangbang Mansion was responsible for currency and financial revenue and expenditure.

……

With so many subordinates, and Lu Buwei himself in charge, what's wrong with giving two to the Queen Dowager Huayang?

He could overthrow the Imperial Court and intimidate the King of Qin, but couldn’t he scare away a pair of kids who accompanied the King of Qin in practicing martial arts?
Give them official positions and salaries, but no power.

That's it.

It is worth it to exchange two high-ranking officials with a salary of 1,000 stones for the stability of the Chu faction.

Prime Minister Lu Buwei asked the Prime Minister's Chief Secretary Gan Luo to recruit Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi. He walked out of the main hall and went around all the rooms in the Prime Minister's Mansion.

His expression was calm.

He felt heavy-hearted.

[Compared to the Chu clan, these noble children who occupy most of the important positions in the Prime Minister's Office are the fatal point.]
Lu Buwei knew it.

As long as his path remains unchanged, these noble sons will represent the Qin nobles and stand behind him to support him.

One day I will stand against him and draw the Qin Sword against him.

[I don’t have enough strength…] Lu Buwei shouted silently.

[Not enough… Not enough!!!] The self in his mind was completely changed and no longer human.

After a walk, he returned to the main hall and bent over the desk again, with a spark of light shining in his eyes.

Every word is worth a thousand gold, and it was originally a ploy to seize power.

The "clever plan" used by the royalists brought him a good opportunity to run a school.

In fact, he could also find a beggar, solve his own problem, and create an opportunity to run a school for himself.

But in that case, the royalists would be wary.

Although we don't know what he wants to do, we won't stop him from causing trouble - we won't give the enemy what he wants.

It’s not like now, when many private schools are about to be merged into one university, but there is still no one to manage them.

The royalists are obsessed with money.

And those nobles were fighting for the wealth in the hands of the common people.

The businessman Lu Buwei trapped the Qin State with gold.

"A bunch of idiots..." He murmured, "How dare you take this huge sum of money!"

Except for the young master, everyone thought that he wanted power.

No.

Power is only a means.

It's a technique.

His Word.

It is equality.

"I, Lü Buwei, have only one wish in my life." Lü Buwei, who looked like an old man but was in his prime, said in a deep voice, "I wish that there would be no distinction between noble and humble people in the world."

at the same time.

Xianyang Pedestrian Street.

This street is the most prosperous street in Xianyang and was named after the five-year-old prince Cheng Jiao.

As for what it was called before, no one cares anymore.

People come and go, and the hawking goes up and down.

Mi Huang, who was as beautiful as an elf and jumped up and down beside Ying Chengjiao like a little phoenix, said domineeringly:

"Where did you take Princess Qi? I want to go too."

"None of your business?" Ying Chengjiao rolled his eyes, "You have no sense of shame."

"Bird?" Mi Huang stood in front of Ying Chengjiao with a suspicious look on her face, and said unkindly: "You didn't give away your virginity, did you?"

"...Why can't you be as polite as Princess Qi?"

"I am a Chu person, a barbarian. Are polite barbarians still barbarians? Besides..." Mi Huang's eyes rolled around as she looked her husband up and down. "I heard that you were not very polite to the Princess Qi. How come you are so polite to me? Are you still a virgin?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Boys have the strongest fire! I warn you not to play with fire!"

"Hey, my husband, how do you know that we Chu people like to play with fire? We Chu people are descendants of the Phoenix Bird and Zhurong, and we love playing with fire by nature."

"...You win." Ying Chengqiu looked at the name of the store and slipped in immediately.

A moment.

"With your light-weight skills, you still want to get rid of me?" Mi Huang snorted, facing the sun, squinting at the shop signs.

【Zhao's Fur】

(End of this chapter)