The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 301: Zhao Gao was instigated to rebel. There are many generous and tragic people in the land of Yan and Zhao.

As a close confidant of King Zheng of Qin, Zhao Gao would certainly not easily believe what the villain Lu Buwei said.

However, the evidence produced by Lu Buwei was too detailed, including the day, place and person who took action.

Things that are too detailed cannot withstand scrutiny. If there is even one mistake or omission, the authenticity of the story will be greatly reduced, unless it is something that really happened.

On the surface, Zhao Gao was just a carriage official who also handled seal and imperial decrees, but he secretly controlled the inner court. It was very easy for him to investigate the facts that happened in the palace.

The only difficulty was that he couldn't let the king find out what he was doing.

For him, it's just a little more trouble.

After two days, Zhao Gao could basically conclude that what Lu Buwei said was true.

King Zheng of Qin was the murderer of his parents.

Zhao Gao studied under the Imperial Chariot Officer Mi Yang. Mi Yang not only taught him the exquisite art of driving, but also let him study law under the guidance of Queen Dowager Huayang.

There is no term "jurisprudence" in the current era, and the term "Legalism" was a term coined by later generations. Li Kui, Shang Yang, Li Si and other great Legalists were only outstanding in terms of laws, and they cannot be called a school of thought.

Among all disciplines, only those that are passed down from one teacher to another can be called a discipline, and only those that are passed down from the same teacher can be called one school.

For example, Li Si and Li Tonggu's teacher was Xunzi. Xunzi regarded himself as a Confucianist, and Li Si's school was Confucianism. If we further divide it into parts, it can be called Xunzi's Confucianism.

The various philosophers created hundreds of schools of thought for the purpose of governing the country and seeking a way out for the world. None of them believed that "law" was a way out.

Because law is a technique, that is, a method or means to achieve a goal.

It is not the Tao, but the thought and idea.

Therefore, Dharma cannot be just one discipline, but each discipline has its own Dharma. No one specializes in studying Dharma.

Zhao Gao was the first person to specialize in studying law.

From Li Kui's "Book of Laws" to Shang Yang's "Book of Lord Shang", to all the laws and regulations of the Qin State today, this is what Zhao Gao learned.

If one only studies academic subjects without learning the Dao, then he has the skills but no Dao.

The result was that Zhao Gao could recite the text of the decree, but he was unable to interpret why such a provision was included.

King Zheng of Qin once asked what punishment should be given to those who plot treason.

Zhao Gao answered according to Qin law, without making any mistakes.

King Zheng of Qin asked why the death penalty and extermination were imposed.

Zhao Gao said that those who plot treason should be put to death, and those who offend the king should be put to death.

The reference answer is to serve as a warning to others. If the rebels were not sentenced to death, then there would be so many rebels later.

King Zheng of Qin originally wanted to instruct Zhao Gao to read some classics of various philosophers, but then he realized that he did not lack a son, but he lacked a loyal dog and a Qin sword.

A loyal dog, Qin Jian, should do whatever his master tells him to do. It is not good if he has his own ideas and is overly ambitious.

King Zheng of Qin then rewarded Zhao Gao with ten gold coins as a reward.

Zhao Gao, who received positive feedback, became even more obsessed with laws and regulations. He even studied Qin laws by heart, wanting to memorize all the laws covering every aspect of the Qin State.

This is a huge project, and the Qin Law contains too many articles.

"Land Law", "Criminal Law", "Working Law", "Gold and Cloth Law", "Military Nobility Law", "Performance Law", "Corvée Law", and so on and so forth.

If this were to be told to others, it would be an impossible thing to do, but Zhao Gao was doing it.

Seeing that Li Si was favored by King Zheng of Qin because of his handwriting, he began to practice calligraphy.

Because he was rewarded by King Zheng of Qin for reciting the laws, he wanted to memorize all the Qin laws.

Zhao Gao had ideas, but they were shallow in many aspects. He could only see the surface but not the inside.

The only thing worth praising is that he is much better at dealing with people. This is because as the secret manager of the inner court, he has to deal with people all the time.

This was the result of Qin Shi Huang's guidance. He just wanted a loyal dog that would obey his orders and a sharp Qin sword.

Everything has its pros and cons.

The stubborn Zhao Gao knew that his parents were killed by King Zheng of Qin and wanted to harm his master.

Lu Xiang told him to wait for the letter.

"What are you waiting for?" A young man stood in front of Zhao Gao and patted Zhao Gao's shoulder vigorously: "Why don't you go in and report?"

Zhao Gao came back to his senses and saw people with his eyes.

Two young men with similar appearances, one tall and one short, stood in front of him.

The tall man had a square face and a look of displeasure between his brows, and he took his hand off Zhao Gao's shoulder.

The shorter one was not shorter, just a little bit inferior to the taller one. His two eyes were bright on his still childish face, staring at Zhao Gao's eyes.

Zhao Gao subconsciously lowered his head to avoid the sight of those below him, replied with a "yes", opened the door and went to report.

"Hmph, you are lucky enough to get in." The tall one snorted coldly, without deliberately lowering his voice.

Meng Tian was the eldest grandson of Meng Ao, the eldest son of Meng Wu, and the eldest son of the third generation of the Meng family.

"Brother, be careful with your words." The young man, who was only two inches shorter than Meng Tian, ​​followed Zhao Gao's gaze.

Seeing the palace gate closed, he moved closer to his elder brother and said in a lower voice:

"He didn't hold back his fart just now, and there's murderous intent in his eyes."

Meng Yi, who has the same father and mother as Meng Tian, ​​is Meng Tian's younger brother.

The two brothers looked at each other and said nothing more.

A moment.

The palace gate opened again, and Zhao Gao led the two men into the palace.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." The two brothers shouted in unison.

"When we meet in private, there's no need for all these empty formalities..." The voice of King Zheng of Qin was blocked inside the hall by the closing palace gate.

outside the temple.

Zhao Gao looked humble and waited respectfully.

Prime Minister's Mansion.

Lobby.

Prime Minister Lu Buwei was working at his desk reviewing memorials. Several clerks were serving him, handing him bamboo slips, removing them, and grinding ink... Prime Minister Lu's efficiency was increasing.

"Everyone get out." Gan Luo, the chief secretary of the prime minister, came in from outside and gave the order in a deep voice.

A group of minor officials glanced at Prime Minister Lu.

Seeing that Lu Xiang did not respond, they bowed to Gan Luo, who was not even as tall as their shoulders, replied with a "Yes", and left.

Gan Luo walked up to his lord and knocked over two stacks of bamboo slips along the way. The "rustling" sound did not disappear until Gan Luo stood still.

"My lord, Lao Ai is dead." Gan Luo's voice trembled at a young age.

"Yeah." Lu Buwei responded without stopping writing.

"Aren't we going to do something?"

"what do you want to do?"

"I don't know... There are only ten of the twelve."

"Follow the plan and don't make any unnecessary changes."

Gan Luo suddenly pounced on the table and grasped his master's big hand holding the pen with his two small hands.

Lu Buwei looked up and saw that the young servant's eyes were sparkling, so he didn't say the words of scolding he was about to say.

Sigh, let go of the pen:
"If you have anything to say, say it."

"It's not just Luo." Gan Luo tilted his head and looked outside the door with pursed lips.

A total of eight people including Yao Jia, Dun Ruo, Peng Fei entered one after another.

Like Gan Luo, they were originally one of the twelve princes, and now they are one of the ten princes.

Lu Buwei tilted his head, and his eyes suddenly became much sharper.

He shook off the black robe he was wearing, rolled it up and placed it on the table, narrowed his eyes slightly and said:
"What do you mean, gentlemen?"

The half-dead cypress tree on the desk was replaced by a vibrant green cypress tree at some point.

Dun Ruo, who was known for his eloquence, took a half step forward, bowed his head and clasped his hands:
"Li Si betrayed us, but our lord was merciful and gave us a light punishment.

"Lao Ai is on the run, but the lord doesn't care. This is not a merciful move, it's a disregard for our lives." We become his disciples because we respect his noble character and are willing to die for him.

"If the Lord does this, then we can no longer serve him."

Lu Buwei swept his eyes across the silent faces and was about to ask, "Do you all think so?", when his brows suddenly frowned.

He kept silent and looked at the faces of several people again, counting silently in his mind.

When he counted to nine, he only saw nine people.

The Ten Lords refer to ten persons.

"Why hasn't Zhao Di come yet? Didn't you ask him to come along?" Lu Buwei asked in a deep voice.

Yao Jia, one of the ten gentlemen, bowed and replied:

"Brother Zhao's injuries have not healed yet. We all agree that he should be allowed to recuperate at home."

Lü Buwei understood, nodded, and said to Gan Luo who was standing in the queue of nine people:

"You are on good terms with Lord Chang'an, why are you here too?"

Gan Luo looked at the people around him and responded with a bow:
"Among the people standing with Luo at the moment, there is no Chang'an Jun."

On the table, the ink on the brush is almost dry.

The wolf hair was stuck with ink and became harder and harder...

The four-horse carriage belonging to Prince Chengjiao drove out of the palace and entered Zhangtai Street.

The horses' hooves trampled on the water melted from the remaining snow, making a mixture of "kicks" and "crackles".

The sunlight reflected on the splashing water droplets, creating a rainbow of colors.

The moment the carriage passed by, a figure broke through a dozen drops of colorful light and rushed into the front room of the carriage.

Hu is not good at using force.

He only had time to shout "There's an assassin" before he was kicked off the carriage and rolled back and forth on the ground like a gourd for more than a dozen times, suffering countless scratches.

The four horses had no idea what was happening on the carriage. They only knew that the reins were no longer restricting them, and they ran much more happily than before.

The figure rushed into the carriage from the front room without saying a word or stopping. The dagger in his hand shone with a strange green luster under the scorching sun, and it was obviously poisoned.

He rushed forward quickly and retreated even faster.

Before he could see his target, he was hit in the chest by a powerful force and returned the same way he came.

He flew out of the carriage, faster than a running horse! He drew a parabola in the air and fell heavily to the ground, landing in front of the four horses.

At this time, Hu was still rolling.

The assassin coughed up a mouthful of blood, collapsed to the ground, and tried to struggle to get up.

The severe pain from his chest connected to the wounds that had not yet healed, and his whole body began to ache.

If it was just pain, he could still bear it.

But his hands and feet were numb, and the internal energy in his body was like a headless fly, not listening to his commands. It wandered around the eight extraordinary meridians and could not gather together.

He coughed up another mouthful of blood and realized that the kick he just received not only broke three of his ribs, but also dispersed all his internal strength.

He saw the four horses growing bigger and bigger, their hooves quickly growing from the size of beans to the size of a wine bottle.

He lay back hard, without struggling any more, waiting to be trampled to death by a horse or run over by a tall cart.

The sound of horse hooves came from far away, gradually getting louder and louder, and stopped one foot in front of him.

The car curtain opens.

The swordsman Gai Nie, whose white clothes were brighter than snow, walked ahead, followed by the young master Cheng Jiao, who was wearing a long loose robe.

Young Master Chengjiao jumped off the carriage anxiously with a gloomy look. He wanted to know who wanted to kill him.

He hasn't encountered an assassination in a long time.

The assassin was not wearing a mask and was lying quietly, as if he was dead.

Ying Chengjiao saw his face clearly and his pupils shrank slightly:
"Zhao Di?"

The assassin raised his head upon hearing the voice, and it was Zhao Di, who had just been dismissed from his position as Minister of Justice.

"Young Master." Zhao Di smiled, very kindly, as if he was not an assassin.

"Why?" Ying Chengjiao raised his foot and was about to step forward.

Zhao Di was one of the first people who followed Lu Buwei to the State of Qin. He was the first person to be valued by Lu Buwei and was also one of the earliest members of King Zhuangxiang of Qin.

Ying Chengjiao was very familiar with Zhao Di.

Zhao Di assassinated him in such a thundering way, which made the young man unable to understand for a moment and he urgently wanted to know the truth.

The sword master held his lord's hand.

Ying Chengjiao always listened to the advice of professionals, and he stood still before his excited brain was fully awake.

The Sword Master stepped forward and stepped on Zhao Di’s right hand which was hidden in his sleeve.

Zhao Di didn't want to let go.

But he could endure the pain, but he couldn't control his body's conditioned reflexes.

Gai Nie's kick weakened Zhao Di's right hand, and Zhao Di's right hand loosened involuntarily.

A green dagger slipped from his clothes and fell to the ground, making a clanging sound.

Sword Saint Gai Nie is skilled in using the sword. He has dabbled in other things but considers himself not proficient in them. He is unsure whether Zhao Di has other means of murder.

He shook his head at Ying Chengjiao, his white robe fluttering:
"Master, don't come over here. Just ask there."

The green color was so bright that Ying Chengjiao's pupils turned emerald green.

He nodded in response, suppressed his anger and asked coldly:

"Why do you want to assassinate me?!"

He thought that he had a pretty good relationship with Zhao Di.

Not only was there no conflict between the two, but they were very close because of Lu Buwei.

"The young master killed Lao Ai." Zhao Di gave an answer that Ying Chengjiao did not expect.

The boy narrowed his eyes.

He thought about what his commander would do about this matter, but he didn't expect that Zhao Di would assassinate him for Lao Ai.

"Just for this?" The young man said in a cold voice, "Do you know what you are doing? Even if you succeed in assassinating me, you will die. Not only you will die, but your whole family will suffer."

Ying Chengjiao pointed to the Xiangbang Mansion not far away:
“You are one of the Twelve.

"Your assassination of me will implicate your master, and he cannot escape responsibility!
"Just for a man named Lao Ai, who should have died hundreds of times according to our country's laws, you are willing to sacrifice the lives of your entire family and harm your master.

"Did you not think about it before the assassination? Were you made a fool of yourself in the court?"

Ying Chengjiao stopped talking and stared at Zhao Di.

What he actually wanted to say was that we have a good relationship, you have done so many things for me, and I treat you better than the people in my palace, so why did you come to assassinate me.

He didn't say.

He felt it was hypocritical and shameful.

"Lao Ai is not a good man." Blood flowed from the corner of Zhao Di's mouth: "But he is my friend."

Ying Chengjiao was breathing heavily, waiting for what was to come.

However, nothing happened.

Zhao Di looked at Ying Chengjiao without saying a word, but murderous intent was still flashing in his eyes.

for a long time.

There are more and more people from the government offices on both sides, and there have been quite a lot of incidents happening in Zhangtai Street recently.

Unsure of what was happening, they moved closer.

"Just because he is your friend?" Ying Chengjiao glanced around.

"Yes." Zhao Di answered without hesitation and with great pleasure.

"The land of Yan and Zhao is full of generous and tragic people." Ying Chengjiao turned around and said, "Mr. Gai, send him to see Lao Ai."

(End of this chapter)