The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 285 The invincible Bai family, Master Cheng Jiao’s new invention—bang bang bang!

The sky was low, leaden clouds pressed down on the city, and the icicles on the eaves rustled in the howling north wind.

The cold wind blew up the remaining snow in the courtyard, which whimpered as it hit the window frames covered with bright tiles.

The elderly suffer from qi deficiency, weak body and are often afraid of cold.

Bai Jia, who was a servant, retainer, and guest of the Bai family...but was respectfully called the old patriarch, was sitting in his room wearing only a black shirt.

The room was filled with heat so intense that the bronze beast incense burner on the table was slightly twisted. And that was after only eight earth dragons had been opened.

There were still unused fire walls and fire pits in the room, but the maidservant standing by the door was already sweating.

The bitter cold winter that is unbearable for the elderly in the countryside is just an ordinary season for Baijia.

People depend on the weather for their food.

If the weather is good, you can fill your stomach; if the weather is bad, you can wait for death.

When the nobles eat, they depend on both the weather and the people.

When the weather is bad, people can eat well; when the weather is bad, they can still eat well after a little hardship.

The old man scooped up a spoonful of frosted sour plum soup and stared with his cloudy eyes at the amber liquid falling into his throat.

After five breaths, the sour plum soup was gone.

The old man smacked his lips, still not satisfied, and handed the empty cup to the maid:

"Another cup."

Bai Fan, the head of the Bai family, who was sitting on the edge of the couch, snatched the small cup and placed it on the table:

"Cold food is harmful to the body. This is the only one I have today."

Bai Jia's face darkened:
"When you were young, did I ever take care of your food?"

Bai Fan smiled bitterly and repeatedly emphasized to his father that he could only drink one more cup.

After seeing his father nod, he nodded to the maid.

The maid picked up the empty cup on the table, bowed and left.

"Chilled." Bai Jia said abruptly.

"Yes." The maid responded.

After waiting for a while and hearing no more orders, he retreated.

After a while, another bowl of iced sour plum soup was served to Bai Jia.

Baijia drank more carefully this time than last time.

Take a small sip, close your eyes, and let the cool feeling linger in your mouth that has lost most of its sense of taste.

The old patriarch knew that his son was doing this for his own good.

But he is old and frail,
The desire for food and drink that he didn't care about when he was young is now his biggest motivation to survive.

No matter how careful you are, how much can there be in one cup?
The second bowl of sour plum soup was soon finished. The old man looked at the bottom of the bowl with nostalgia and handed it to his son:

"Besides anything else, the sour plum soup this guy made is really good."

"This thing is originally used to cool down in summer, but my father prefers to drink it in winter." Bai Fan took the cup for the second time and placed it on the table.

"It is indeed delicious to drink in summer, but it is far inferior to drinking in winter." Bai Jia likes to watch the heavy snow falling from the sky that can freeze people to death, and drink iced sour plum soup indoors in a single shirt.

The old man looked out the window at the winter scenery. The shadows cast by the bare branches beside the window moved across his wrinkled face:
"What does Lu Buwei want to do?"

On the second day after the rumor spread in the capital, the Bai family found the source of the rumor, which was caused by the retainers under the command of Lu Buwei, the prime minister of Qin.

Bai Fan smiled knowingly:
"What else can I do? Just showing my good will.

"Father, have you ever heard of Li Si? He is a retainer who is deeply trusted by Prime Minister Lu. He has invited Ma to banquets twice."

Different people have different views on the same thing.

It was an open secret in the eyes of the Bai family and his son that Lu Buwei spread rumors about Ji Yaoyao.

As long as we investigate, we can't hide it. We can't blame it on the Bai family, and we can't hide it from the people at the table, including that guy.

Only those outsiders with shallow roots and small and medium-sized nobles would think that it was the Bai family's doing.

This incident will have a bad influence on a certain guy, and will cause him to break up with Lu Buwei, but it will not make him hate the Bai family.

This was done by Lu Buwei. What does it have to do with my Bai family?
At a time when the Bai family was praising and killing a certain young man, Lu Buwei did this. The Bai family father and son could not find a second reason except to win over the Bai family.

Bai Jia nodded slightly, dragged the bench on the bed to a suitable position, propped his elbows on it, and savored the taste of the sour plum soup:
"It is a great fortune for a merchant to be a prime minister, but do you still want to be a king?"

Bai Fan thought about the current situation in Qin State and said seriously:
"Given the current situation, it's possible."

"Is it possible? Our family won't get involved in this mess and let Bai Ma have fun." The old man sneered, "You still want to drag our family into this mess? That's wishful thinking."

"My son won't show up." Bai Fan agreed.

The Bai family is one of the three oldest Qin families in the Qin State.

The status of the three great families, Meng, Xi and Bai, in the Qin State is similar to that of the three great families, Zhao, Wei and Han, before the division of the Jin State.

If the Bai family takes one more step, they will become the king by dividing the land. How can they possibly stand behind a merchant and support the merchant to become the king?
If you really stand in line.

If Lu Buwei becomes the queen, will the Bai family, which has made great contributions to following the emperor, see any improvement?

No.

Among the Qin Dynasty's aristocratic families, the Bai family has reached the top.

Unless the Qin territory continues to expand, the Bai family will have no further advancement.

If Lu Buwei had not become king, the Bai family, which was labeled as treasonous, would have been gone.

The Bai family would never do something where the risk and reward are grossly disproportionate.

Since the king and the prime minister fought each other until now, the Bai family has just been doing their job well.

You, Lu Buwei, have all the advantages. We, the Bai family, are cooperating with you in handling government affairs to fulfill our job, not to stand on your side.

Bai Ma is young, and young people are enterprising and determined to do something big and spectacular.

Bai Jia and Bai Fan are mature and experienced, and they seek stability in everything.

The two of them formulated a plan to deal with a certain guy, but the only one who had close contact with the guy was Bai Ma.

As long as Bai Jia and Bai Fan don't show up, if things get out of hand they can just say it's the ignorant youngsters, and the Bai family will be invincible from beginning to end.

This time, in response to Lu Buwei's "wooing", the new and old heads of the Bai family adopted the same strategy as before, letting the white horse go down to play.

He neither rejected Lu Xiang nor offended him.

He did not take a clear stand and offended the royal family.

Lü Buwei and King Zheng of Qin can fight however they want, and whoever wins will win. In the end, the winner will use their Bai family to rule the country.

"Grandson, you have finally gotten your revenge." Bai Jia bit his teeth, revealing his yellowed teeth. "Lü Buwei was ruthless, and the king is suspicious. How long can our Lord Chang'an, who is so popular with everyone, remain at ease?"

"He's going to die soon." Bai Fan said casually.

The head of the Bai family did not take that boy seriously, and did not take the idea of ​​praising and killing that boy seriously.

It's too easy for the Bai family to kill someone.

Royal descendants must also die. Even the most outstanding royal descendants in hundreds of years must die.

The candle on the desk suddenly flickered, casting the shadows of the father and son onto the wall of fire painted with the Classic of Mountains and Seas, distorted like ghosts and monsters.

The workshop was a government-run workshop directly under the Qin State, responsible for manufacturing weapons, farm tools, etc.

Ying Chengjiao has always believed that the words "invention" and "innovation" should be added to the responsibilities of the studio.

The workshop does not manufacture standard weapons; that is the job of the temple workers, an agency under the Shaofu.

The weapons manufactured in the workshop are all top-notch, and they also update and iterate on the weapons, and invent new farm tools and weapons.

The official in charge of the workshop was Gongshiling Xiangli Fu, whose official rank was one thousand stones.

Xiang Lifu has another identity, the master of Qin Mo.

Inside the studio workshop.

The bronze furnace spewed out red flames, and the flying sparks flickered like stars in the shadows.

The sound of iron hammering and wood cutting hit the stone wall, and then shattered into a noise all over the floor in the steaming heat. Ying Chengjiao followed the studio leader Xiang Lifu through the corridor filled with smoke.

Charcoal ash stained the hem of his brocade robe, leaving mottled gray marks.

The boy's pupils reflected the golden light bursting from the forging anvil, but his thoughts had long since drifted away.

[Is this how I died in history...] The young man separated himself from the Bai family and thought from their perspective, coming to the same conclusion as Bai Jia and Bai Fan.

If it were not for him who facilitated King Zheng of Qin's return to Qin, if it were not for him who had always protected King Zheng of Qin in the early days of the Qin State.

Would Qin Wangzheng fully trust his younger brother who had been supported by the next generation of the Bai family? No.

The same was true on Lu Buwei's side.

In history, Ying Chengjiao's side was definitely not that of the common people. In order to maintain the stability of the Qin State, Lu Buwei did not hesitate to kill people.

Ying Chengjiao's thoughts were in a mess until he was awakened by a shout:
"Son!"

"Ah?" The young man's eyes regained focus and settled on Xiang Lifu's face.

He looks to be around forty years old.

His cheekbones were as high as an anvil in a workshop, his skin was scorched brown by the fire, and the wrinkles were embedded with charcoal ash that could not be washed off.

Under his brow bones were a pair of long and narrow eyes, the whites of his eyes were yellow like copper rust, and his pupils were like iron beads that had been quenched by fire, emitting a cold light - that was the result of staring at the furnace for many years.

There is an inch-long wound on the left side of the nose bridge, which has not yet healed completely. It must have been caused recently.

"Sir, are you worried about something today?" Xiangli had a stern face, and a faint light in his eyes was captivating.

When ordinary people see this, they are a little scared without saying a word.

Ying Chengjiao was not afraid. He knew that Xiang Lifu had no dissatisfaction with him, but that his strict and serious attitude for many years made his appearance like that all year round.

"A little bit." The boy nodded honestly.

"Fu doesn't know much about politics, but he knows Dengling's students." Xiang Lifu's pupils shone a little darker: "Fu can refine farm tools, melt weapons, and kill people."

[The Mohists are really crazy...] Ying Chengjiao quickly waved his hands:
"No need, no need. You should just pack the farm tools.

"I prefer to keep people alive rather than kill them."

The corners of Xianglifu's lips curled up slightly, which meant he was smiling, and he nodded heavily.

Mohism was divided into three branches: Chu, Qi and Qin.

Chu Mo inherited Mohism's ability to fight, Qi Mo inherited Mohism's ability to debate, and Qin Mo inherited Mohism's ability to practice.

When Mohism split, some Mohists believed that the reason why the people of the world suffered was because of the years of war between nations.

If the world is unified and wars cease, people's lives will be greatly improved.

Which nation is most likely to unify the world?
Qin.

So Qin Mo came into being.

Qin Mo created weapons to kill people in order to save more lives.

Prince Chengjiao's words really touched the heart of the prime minister.

"Sir, what are you doing here today? Is there anything new you want to tell me?" Xiang Lifu asked with some anticipation.

"I did remember an object." Ying Chengjiao nodded with a smile.

With just one click, the whole person flew up.

Xiang Lifu grabbed Master Chengjiao's hand and started running.

Young Master Cheng Jiao's feet were off the ground, and his body swayed with Xiang Lifu's steps, like a fish swimming in the air.

"Students from Dengling! Students from Dengling!" Xiang Lifu shouted loudly, his roar shaking the dust on the beams to the ground. "Come quickly! The young master has a new item!"

Although the three dynasties of Qin, Chu and Qi each had their own strengths, they only had different emphases.

Deng Lingxue, the leader of Chu Mo, also has strong hands-on ability.

Not far away, the dusty and dusty leader of Chu Mo, Deng Lingxue, looked up from the shavings pile, with sawdust all over his body.

Judging from his appearance, he is no different from other craftsmen in the workshop.

"Here I come!" He shouted and ran towards Xianglifu, as fast as the wind, wood chips falling as he leaped.

The two giants of Mohism rushed towards each other.

Not long after, Ying Chengjiao, with a grim look on his face, stood beside the two Mohist masters, swinging his arms.

He wanted to be carried away, but not this kind of carry!

In front of the three people was a small tripod with water in it and burning firewood underneath.

"Sir, what are you doing?" Xiang Li was puzzled.

"What's so new about boiling water?" Deng Lingxue was also puzzled.

"You can't say that." Xiang Lifu's eyes flickered. "A curved plow is just a straight plow that has been bent. The objects you make are not necessarily difficult, but most of them are very useful."

Deng Lingxue put away the contempt on his face and nodded cautiously.

When Xiang Lifu showed him the curved plow, he didn't think much of it - isn't it just bending wood? I can do that too.

When Xiang Lifu showed him the curved plow, he was stunned - what on earth is this!
Before coming to Qin, the only plows Chu Mo had seen were straight-beam plows.

The plow beam is straight, the plow body is heavy, and it is difficult to turn. It needs a lot of traction to operate, and requires two oxen or two horses.

And the curved plow in front of him.

The plow beam was changed to a curved shape, the plow body was light, the structure was more flexible, it was easier to turn and operate, and the requirement for traction was reduced.

Deng Lingxue saw with his own eyes a cow pulling a plow to plow the land.

Changing from two cows to one cow saves half of the animal power, which is simply a groundbreaking invention.

This does not take into account the modifications added to the plow later, such as adding a shovel to the plow, which makes plowing the land faster and more convenient.

In the present state of Qin there are many wastelands and few common people.

The curved plow saved manpower and animal power, allowing the Qin people to reclaim half as much land, and doubling Qin's productivity.

Deng Lingxue, who was from the same school as Xiang Lifu and was very good at manual work, conducted in-depth research and found that the most powerful object of the curved plow should be paddy fields, and the country that could best develop the power of this device was the Chu State.

Deng Lingxue regretted it deeply.

Before coming, Ying Chengjiao asked him to swear to heaven that he would not replicate the new artifacts he saw in other countries.

Deng Lingxue didn't care at all and was very happy to post it. What do you have in your Qin State?

Now... the young master really has the goods!

As new items came one after another and were all different, Deng Lingxue, who had originally planned to stay in Qin for three to five days, ended up staying for a month.

Many of these new items are equipment to improve people's livelihood, which makes Deng Lingxue more determined in his belief - only Master Chengjiao can save the world!

Young Master Cheng Jiao, who can save the world, boils water...that also has a purpose!

Deng Lingxue looked at the small tripod in front of him.

If there is one thing that makes the tripod that the young master brought different from other tripods, it is the lid.

The lids of other tripods are mostly convex, but the lid of the small tripod in front of you is flat.

"Is the difference between the flat lid and the convex lid as big as the difference between the curved-beam plow and the straight-beam plow?" Deng Lingxue asked passionately.

"No." Ying Chengjiao said silently: "The flat lid is just for placing heavy objects."

The two giants looked at each other, both confused.

Why put heavy objects on the lid of the tripod?
As time passed, the water boiled and the lid of the tripod began to bounce upwards.

Every now and then there would be a "bang" sound.

As time went on, the frequency of the "bangs" gradually increased and the sounds became denser.

Bang~!

Bang bang~!
Bang bang bang~!

(End of this chapter)