The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 296 Mr. Bai, your grandson deserves to die, do you agree?

At this grand court meeting that symbolized the highest power circle of the Qin State, Bai Jia did not feel much when he heard King Zheng of Qin's questions.

The King of Qin is different from the King of Qin.

The current King Zheng of Qin has even less control over the Qin State than King Xiaowen of Qin, the most foolish king in the past hundred years.

Bai Jia, whose grandson had died, kept telling himself to stay calm.

Trying his best to remain calm, he slowly stood up from the chair he had never sat on before during court sessions.

More than ten years passed.

The court changed from old to new, and even the posture of attending court changed from sitting upright to sitting on this new object called a chair.

This chair was also invented by that damn bastard!
He actually dared to kill my grandson!

"Your Majesty." Bai Jia bowed tremblingly, trying to speak several times, choking several times, his mind filled with his grandson's voice, appearance and smile.

It is not a pleasant feeling when the elderly see their loved ones die.

Immersed in grief, the old patriarch of the Bai family never thought about how many elderly people had lost their young ones, and how many young people would never become elderly because of his own likes and dislikes.

How could those untouchables and slaves compare to his grandson?

"Jun Chang'an killed my grandson Baima in the tower of Bashu. According to the criminal law, the murderer should be put to death, and the crime should be punished by beheading!" The old man shed turbid tears, and his wails echoed throughout the hall, he was heartbroken.

Many of the old Qin ministers had red eyes, and their wrinkled eyelids were filled with tears as soon as they blinked.

Feelings are contagious.

Bai Jia's sincere feelings made these old people think that if their most beloved youngster in the family was killed in the street, they would also be heartbroken.

They were already determined to severely punish Chang'an Jun, and they became even more resolute in their thoughts. Such an arrogant boy must not be allowed to survive!
If he can kill the Bai family’s white horse today, who will he kill tomorrow?
The young and middle-aged Shaofu Sikong Ma stood up and bowed:

"Please kill the thief!"

The black-haired court judge stood up and bowed:
"To disrupt the laws and order of the Great Qin is to shake the foundation of the Great Qin, and you must be executed!"

Yao Jia, the 27-year-old Minister of Grain, who had been promoted three months ago, stood up and bowed:

"If the law is not enforced, it will not be enough to set things right. Your Majesty, please punish Chang'an Jun according to the law."

Huayang Bufei, the court judge who had been ill for a long time and missed several grand court meetings, stood up on his knees, raised his hand to touch the scar hidden by his white hair, and cursed in a low voice, "You bastard", and the dark voice pierced through the palace:

"I am the Chief Justice! What are you talking about Qin law? You know nothing about it!"

The second dispute began, and veteran ministers from three or four dynasties began to stand up one after another.

He made impassioned speeches, swore loudly, and pushed and shoved people.

Qin Law...On the high platform, King Zheng of Qin, sitting on the royal chair, recited it silently in his heart and almost laughed out loud.

The laws of the Qin State were strict, referring to the common people.

When did Qin law begin to restrict the nobles?
Are there still those who hold high titles and enjoy generous salaries who take Qin laws seriously?

Didn't the 517,000 gold coins taken away by the spirit Ju Mang by the Shaofujian end up in your treasury? I haven't seen any family return it.

The untouchables shouldn’t take it, but you should?
This is an excuse!

A complete excuse!

The death of Bai Ma, a member of the most prominent family in Qin State, in the semi-official tower of Bashu made all the Qin officials in the court feel insecure, fearing that their juniors or even themselves would follow in his footsteps.

This is the real reason behind the excuse.

Only when the interests and lives of the nobles themselves are touched will a backlash like a devastating flood befall them.

King Zheng of Qin recalled that when he first came to Qin, he had an audience with the emperor in the front hall of Zhangtai Palace.

At that time, many civil and military officials who had cursed his brother for his brother's execution all praised his brother, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were flattering him, with constant laughter and joy.

He was nine years old then, and fourteen now. What a rapid change.

King Zheng of Qin was looking at his father-in-law, the Prime Minister of Qin, Lu Buwei, who was sitting in the first row and first column of the audience, motionless as a mountain on his chair with his eyes closed.

Prime Minister Lu remained silent, seemingly maintaining neutrality.

When the situation is clear, neutrality itself carries a biased tone. Standing by while a Tibetan Mastiff and a Teddy are fighting is like waiting for the Teddy to die.

Among the Qin officials who demanded severe punishment for Chang'an Jun, there were only a few old Qin nobles who shouted the loudest and beat the most fiercely. Most of them were Lu Xiang's men.

The Qin court had always been the territory of outsiders, and there were not many old Qin nobles. The territory of the old Qin nobles was the middle and high-level officials of the Qin State.

The court consisted of talents attracted from foreign countries through the order to recruit talents, the old Qin nobles who were the backbone, and the local gentry and wealthy people who were in the lower-level officialdom.

This is the top-down power system of the Qin State.

There is no clear distinction between the two, and they can communicate with each other, but there is also a thick invisible barrier.

It is possible to communicate through words, but difficult to advance physically.

In the territory of outsiders, the affairs of the old Qin nobles should not be so fierce and intense, even if the outsiders are inclined to the old Qin nobles.

The prime minister's faction, which occupied half of the court, was fanning the flames and stirring up the emotions of the civil and military officials present.

Qin Wangzheng changed his sitting position and lay on his back on the backrest covered with three layers of animal skins. He knocked on the new chair he had built after ascending the throne and stroked the brand new black bird pattern on the armrest of the chair.

His father, King Zhuangxiang, insisted on sitting on a straw mat during court sessions, saying it was tradition.

He believed that this would lead to a frugal lifestyle throughout the country and would make his loyal ministers, whose quarrels were no different from those of the common people or even more ferocious, believe that he was a wise ruler who was not greedy for comfort.

To be honest, King Zheng of Qin thought that his father really did not enjoy any happiness.

The beauty doesn't play, her daily life is simple, and her quality of life is not even as good as that of a petty noble.

Isn't it a betrayal of the word "king" to be a king like this?
I will shoulder the king’s responsibilities and I must also enjoy the blessings!
Like now.

Few people cared about King Zheng of Qin. Was it because he replaced the straw mat with a royal chair?

no.

Because he has no power.

External appearance can change other people's perceptions.

This is a detail, not a major issue.

When the major issues are the same, details may determine success or failure, and may be the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

The big points are far from each other, and the details are useless.

The greatest virtue of a king is power.

There were two chairs behind King Zheng of Qin, on which sat the two queen dowagers - Queen Dowager Zhao, Ji Yaotiao, and Queen Dowager Huayang, Mi Buming.

Although King Zheng of Qin was the King of Qin, he had not yet come of age and had not yet taken charge of the government.

The current regents are the two empress dowagers behind him and the prime minister in front of him.

But...it was his father King Zhuangxiang who said that he could not rule the country before he came of age, not him, King Zheng of Qin.

He looked back.

The Queen Mother Zhao looked over with her sharp eyes, and the Queen Mother Huayang opened her half-closed eyes.

King Zheng of Qin nodded.

This farce should end.

"Shut up!" A female voice that was too young passed through the ministers like an invisible shock wave.

All the civil and military officials stood still for a moment, not waiting to make any move.

"This is a court, not a market! You are important military officials, not ordinary people!" Queen Mother Zhao pointed her spear with angry eyes and pointed at the ministers.

She was separated from the ministers by a high platform.

This high platform diluted her natural charm and gave her acquired majesty.

The ministers each returned to their positions, and some glared at each other, and many of them glanced at the podium with contempt and disdain.

Queen Mother Zhao has been dissolute for a long time.

They were obedient not because they were afraid of Queen Dowager Zhao, but because there was no need to fall out with her.

Bai Jia raised his head, hatred condensed on his wrinkled face, and he was wondering whether he should break off relations with the damn and dissolute Queen Dowager Zhao.

The news that the Queen Mother of Zhao had blocked the road yesterday and tried to kidnap Lord Chang'an had spread among the Qin officials, and Bai Jia naturally knew about it as well.

The king has no power.

The reason why this grand court meeting could be held today instead of executing that brat in the Zongzheng Mansion was the wish of the two empresses dowagers.

[I can’t do this.] Patriarch Bai made a painful decision.

Falling out with a powerful empress dowager was also a huge deal for the Bai family.

Behind the Bai family are the old Qin nobles.

The reason why the old Qin nobles could stand proudly in the Qin State was that the kings and queens in power did not dare to raise the Qin sword against the old Qin nobles without reason and destroy their own country - without the old Qin nobles and other middle-level officials, the Qin State's government affairs would come to a halt.

The news that Queen Mother Zhao shot an arrow at the head of the Meng family between their eyebrows yesterday had spread, causing widespread dissatisfaction and anger among the old Qin nobles.

The old Qin nobles vowed to dethrone the Queen Mother Zhao, or at least make her lose her power - with such a crazy woman sitting in a high position, who could control her if she went crazy again?

Chang'an Jun has someone above him, and he can be punished if he breaks taboos, but Queen Dowager Zhao has no one above him.

Baijia lowered his head, revealing an ugly bald head with almost no hair.

The Bai family currently only has one heir who has died.

If they fell out with Queen Mother Zhao, the Bai family might be swept away by this crazy and damned Zhao man at the last moment before losing power.

The beast's counterattack before death is the most dangerous.

This possibility is not high, but why would the Bai family take this risk? Just to vent their anger?
Only young people who are ignorant will fight for pride. Bai Jia was not young thirty years ago.

Everyone knew that Queen Dowager Zhao was dissolute, but no one dared to say it to her face. This is power.

Queen Mother Zhao slowly stood up from her chair, an action that made the court officials more serious.

"You keep talking about criminal law, but keep silent about Qin law." Queen Mother Zhao narrowed her eyes and said, "Okay, today I will explain to you how the Qin law was written! Zhaodi! Stand up for me!"

"Empress Dowager." The second in command of the Supreme Court, Supreme Court Justice Zheng Zhaodi, stood up and bowed.

"Just now you are the one who understands the laws the best, and you speak so clearly that people who don't know you would think that your official title is either Tingwei or Tingwei." Queen Mother Zhao sneered: "Since you know so much, tell me what the punishment is for those who accuse others of treason."

"It depends on whether it was intentional or negligent." Zhao Di clasped his hands and replied, "If it was intentional, it was a false accusation, and false accusations are punishable by death. Treason is a capital crime, and the false accuser is also subject to death. If it was negligent, it was a case of failure to bring a case to trial. Failure to bring a case to trial for treason is punishable by a fine, and a heavy punishment!" (Note 1)

"Treason is a capital crime, and serious crimes include family punishment. Are you going to impose a fine only if you don't try a treason case?" Queen Mother Zhao looked straight at Zhao Di, her voice cold, "Zhao Di, you've got to think it over."

Zhao Di bowed slightly again, with a calm expression:
"Replying to Queen Mother Zhao, it is indeed true.

“There are internal reasons why there is such a huge disparity in punishment between false accusations and those who fail to make a false accusation.

"A man saw a man jumping over the wall into his neighbor's house, so he reported to the authorities that a thief had broken into the neighbor's house.

"The thief was arrested and the man who climbed over the wall was caught. After interrogation, it was found that this man was the neighbor's son who had not returned home for years. He was desperate and climbed over the wall to get in." This is called a report that failed.

“Although the whistleblower made a false accusation, there were reasons for it and he did not intend to harm the man who climbed over the wall.

"If a complaint is not tried, it will be treated the same as a false accusation, and the accuser will be convicted of theft.

"In the Theft Law, the punishment for thieves varies according to the value of the stolen items.

"The most minor theft is stealing a piece of mulberry leaf from your neighbor's house, which is not worth a penny.

"He shall be sentenced to thirty days' hard labor.

“In the case I have cited, the informant filed the complaint for the sake of his neighbor’s life and property, and for the sake of our country’s public security, yet he was sentenced to such a severe punishment.

“In this way, the informants will be extremely cautious in the future, and if they see someone climbing over the wall to get into the neighbor’s house again, they will most likely turn a blind eye.

"Your Majesty, you can't ask them to enter the neighbor's yard and first determine whether the person climbing over the wall is a thief, right? If they enter the yard without asking, they will be charged with theft.

"But are those who climb over the wall mostly wanderers or thieves? Most of them are thieves.

"If everyone turns a blind eye and dares not report it due to the law, the people will inevitably become chaotic.

"That's right.

"The huge difference in punishment between false accusation and prosecution is for the sake of our country's stability!"

"What the Minister Zhao said is very reasonable. I am convinced by your eloquent words." Queen Mother Zhao nodded slightly.

Zhao Di smiled, bowed slightly, and sat down slowly.

"Someone come here." Queen Dowager Zhao shouted.

The two guards outside the door came in together, the axes in their hands flashing cold light.

Queen Mother Zhao pointed at Zhao Di who had just sat down, her eyebrows raised:

"Kill this villain for me!"

The two palace guards walked towards Zhao Di step by step, holding axes. Every step they took stepped on Zhao Di's heart.

"What does the Queen Mother mean?" Zhao Di was shocked and angry, and spoke much faster than before.

If these two eunuchs walked up to him, they would really hack him to death!
All the civil and military officials in the court had looks of resentment on their faces as they stared at the mad empress dowager. Was she going to kill people just because of a disagreement or something that made her unhappy?

Since the construction of the Central Palace, no official has ever died in the front hall of Xin Palace!
Opposition voices arose:

"May I ask, Queen Mother, what mistake did the Tingwei make?"

"It's not logical! It's not emotional! In the eyes of Queen Mother Zhao, the ministers of the court are just like pigs and dogs!"

"The Queen Mother has set a precedent for indiscriminate killing today. Tomorrow will be the day when the Qin State will perish!"

"..."

This time, the voices of opposition were even louder than those calling for Chang'an Jun's death. Almost the entire court joined in, including the Queen Mother Huayang's people.

Fan Yuqi, Yang Duanhe, Wang Jian, Teng and several other strong military generals stood in front of the two palace officials:
"What the hell is this!"

"Stand still here, both of you! Still want to move forward? Do you have donkey hair stuck in your ears? Stand there!"

"Who are you trying to scare with two pieces of broken copper? Come on, chop! Chop here! Chop you to death!"

"..."

"Gentlemen!" Queen Dowager Zhao slammed the chair.

The crisp voice stopped the ministers' opposition, and they looked at Queen Dowager Zhao with gloomy, resentful, or hostile expressions.

The reason they kept silent was not because they were frightened by Queen Mother Zhao, but because they wanted to see what this crazy woman had to say and how she would explain the order to kill Zhao Di.

"Zhao is plotting a rebellion." Queen Mother Zhao drew an arc with her finger, including all the ministers: "You are also going to rebel together!"

"What the Queen Mother said is really scary." The old general Wang Ling, who had been speaking for Prince Chengjiao during the first and second quarrels, stood up and spoke. What he hated most was political fighting!
He stood up without bowing or bowing, but stood straight as if he were wearing armor, his old eyes rolled up:

“I hate the birdmen of Zhao the most in my life, but since you have entered the court of my Great Qin, you are now a bird official of my Qin.

"May I ask the Queen Mother, you said that this young man Zhao was plotting a rebellion. Do you have any evidence or witnesses? It can't be that if the Queen Mother says it's a rebellion, then it's a rebellion, right?

"If there is no reason, the Queen Mother will be accused of treason in the future."

"Your Majesty's words make me very frightened." Queen Mother Zhao covered her chest and sat down with a sneer on her face: "Since Your Majesty speaks for this villain, then don't kill him. I was wrong, he didn't rebel, okay?"

He waved his hand at the two eunuchs who were blocked by a group of generals:
"Go down."

The two officials breathed a sigh of relief and quickly retreated.

They all felt that they were very unlucky. Why did the grand court meeting happen to be held when it was their turn to be on duty, and why did such a big mess happen?

How could they be responsible for the affairs of these nobles?

in the hall.

After Queen Mother Zhao said the three words "Okay".

As time passed, the expressions of the civil officials changed. Many of them could not help but glance at the court official Zhao Di and slowly sat down, like a receding tide.

The Chief Justice who had escaped a disaster was not at all happy, and he looked trying to remain calm, but his calves were cramping uncontrollably, making the chair under his crotch clatter.

Veteran General Wang Ling’s expression did not change, nor did he sit down. He continued to insist:
"A false accusation against a minister of the dynasty for treason, is the Queen Mother going to pretend nothing happened?"

"Your Majesty, are you not satisfied?" Queen Mother Zhao crossed her arms, the dark bird pattern on her phoenix robe rose and fell with her movements, and her right index finger tapped occasionally: "Well, all right, then let's settle the fine for my friend. Is one hundred enough?"

Seeing the old general's gloomy face, Queen Mother Zhao changed her words and said:
"Three hundred. Three hundred is the maximum. This number should be far more than the fine."

"Zhao slut! Do you think my Qin has no one?" Wang Ling shouted, shaking the dust on Liang Dust: "Can the lives of the ministers of the court be bought with gold?"

"Why not?" Queen Mother Zhao raised her lips, not looking angry at all: "Didn't you hear it just now, old general? It was the Chief Justice who said it should be a fine."

"I'm not deaf! Zhao kid clearly said that he would not bring a trial! This is a false accusation!"

"For the crime of treason, it is always better to kill the wrong person than to let him go. Is there any difference between false accusation and accusing without trial?"

"Of course there is... huh?" The old general's face changed, and his gray beards slowly stood up like spears!

Treason was a serious crime that could overthrow the regime, and the Qin law took the most stringent attitude towards it. Once discovered, they would be arrested if possible, and killed if not, without sparing a single person.

How can you accuse someone of treason and accuse someone of theft at the same time?
The veteran may not be good at political tactics, but he is not stupid.

He was so angry that he dragged a chair towards Zhao Di and smashed it around:
"Nai Gong said that the people of Zhao are all birdmen! Birdmen! You thief really deserve to die!"

"Old bastard! This is the palace!" Zhao Di slid on his feet and ran among the ministers: "Roaring in the court! You have committed the great crime of disrespecting the king!"

"Fan Yuqi! Yang Duanhe! Are you guys blind? Hold this bastard down!" The old general roared. "Fan Yuqi! Yang Duanhe! Are you blind? Hold this bastard down!"

More than a dozen generals rushed forward, especially Fan Yuqi, Yang Duan and the few generals who had just stood in front of the official, the most ferocious.

Damn it! I was tricked again! The civil servants are all idiots!
Zhao Di, who was pinned down and beaten, achieved an unprecedented achievement. He single-handedly fought against half of the Qin generals, with only one person on his side injured!
This battle record was written into history books in the style of the Spring and Autumn Period, and thousands of years later, Zhao Di became the number one general in the Warring States Period.

Bai Qi, the Marquis of Wu'an, had to flee fifty steps, and if he surrendered he would lose half.

Half a moment.

"Enough!" Prime Minister Lu, who had been silent all this time, said with a gloomy face: "Fighting in the court! How shameful!"

As soon as he opened his mouth, it was like a dark cloud covering the city, and all the civil and military officials felt pressured.

Finally, the generals gave Zhao Di a hard kick, then returned to their seats with their heads held high and their chests puffed out, feeling very satisfied.

Cool!
There were many opportunities for big fights in the court, but they were basically stopped before they could be satisfied.

Lu Xiang, a man of both civil and military talents, stopped this farce by relying on his own power and the military strength of the injured general Teng Shengzhi.

Queen Mother Zhao did not back down in the face of Prime Minister Lu's cold gaze:
"Li Si, tell me about the Imperial Court Justice.

"What crime should be committed for false accusation and accusation of treason, and why is it dealt with in this way?"

Li Si stood up, and the musical instruments in his arms clashed like chimes.

He bowed, clasped his hands, and each word was like a nail driven into wood:
"Anyone who falsely accuses someone of treason will be sentenced to death, and in serious cases, the entire clan will be executed.

"This is because treason is a serious crime, and the person who reports it will be killed and his family will be exterminated. This consequence is too serious.

"Therefore, in the case of false accusations of treason, our country does not distinguish between 'false accusations' and 'accusations without trial', in order to prevent traitors from abusing 'accusations' to settle personal grudges and to prevent the door to frame-ups.

"Any false report will be presumed to be a disturbance of state affairs and will be directly subject to the provisions on the prevention of false accusations."

As soon as Li Si finished speaking, Queen Mother Zhao spoke:
"Does Prime Minister Lu know what the punishment for falsely accusing someone of treason is?

"Is Li Si right, or is Zhao Di right?"

Lu Buwei, who knew the laws, naturally knew that Li Si was talking about status, but he could not tell the truth at this moment.

You know that Li Si was right. Why didn’t you say anything when Zhao Di was making up stories?
"I am not a minister of justice, and I am not familiar with the laws of my country." Prime Minister Lu said in a deep voice.

"Then let's ask the court judge." Queen Mother Zhao said in a gentle tone: "Old court judge, is Li Si right, or is Zhao Di right?"

Huayang Bufei had the same problem but was not in the same embarrassing situation as Lu Buwei.

He was an insider and didn't say anything just now in order to cooperate.

The old man showed his missing teeth and looked at the Tingwei Zheng Zhaodi who had sidelined him with great satisfaction:

"Of course, what Lord Li said is right."

"As the Chief Justice, he does not understand the laws." With just one sentence, Queen Mother Zhao concluded that the incident was one of "ignorance" rather than "cheating."

His eyes turned to Zhao Di, who was crawling on the ground:

"Then why are you the Chief Justice? You are fired! Li Si, you take the position!"

There was a moment of silence, and all the ministers' eyes fell on Lu Buwei. Zhao Di was one of the twelve retainers that Prime Minister Lu valued the most.

"The Queen Mother is kind and benevolent, that's just the way it should be." Lu Buwei bowed slightly.

The Queen Mother of Zhao raised the sword high and put it down gently, not wanting Zhao's life. Lü Buwei had to return the favor by giving up the important post of Tingwei Zheng.

These are the rules of political struggle.

You come and I go, until one of you dies and the other survives.

Li Si then bowed his hands to express his gratitude, and the bamboo slips in his arms that contained the details of the false accusation of treason became wet.

In fact, he had memorized every word on the bamboo slips by heart - he was just afraid that he would forget them, he wanted to improve so much!
Zhao Di, who was lying on his side on the ground twitching, was covered with shoe prints, had a bruised nose and face, and his hands were covered with scratches.

The former Minister of Justice, who was dismissed from his post during the dynasty, pretended to be faint and smiled bitterly inwardly. He never expected that he would encounter such a disaster today.

"Now that we have finished talking about trivial matters, let's talk about serious matters." Queen Mother Zhao looked at Bai Jia who remained silent.

"Mr. Bai." She called softly, her voice as sweet as poisoned wine: "Your grandson falsely accused my son of treason, do you admit it?"

Your grandson deserves to die, do you agree?
…………

[Note 1: Failure to judge the case is a mistake. From the "Shuihudi Qin Bamboo Slips"]

(End of this chapter)