The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 330 Xiong Qi's heart, Li Ji hates stupidity. The remaining snow in Yan State is dyed red with blood
It rained in Xianyang City for seven days in a row, and the water level of the Wei River rose by three points.

The turbid river water carried dead branches and leaves washed down from upstream, swirling in the river channel and flowing eastward.

King Zheng of Qin stood in the corridor of Fengtian Palace, looking at the rain dripping from the eaves, his face even gloomier than the sky.

Ying Chengjiao stood three steps behind him, holding a piece of blood-stained linen in his hand, which was the corner of the clothes torn from Wang He's body.

The square in front of the palace.

The Left Prime Minister Xiong Qi and the Right Prime Minister Xiong Wen stood side by side. The rain wet the corners of their robes, but the two brothers did not dare to move.

"Investigate." Qin Wangzheng's voice was very light, but it made everyone present tense their backs: "I want to see the head of the person behind the scenes."

The young king recalled the assassination attempt when he first came to Qin.

Xiong Qi and Xiong Wen bowed at the same time and responded.

As they turned and left, their eyes met briefly in the rain, and then quickly separated.

Ying Chengjiao looked at the backs of the two people, lowered his head, and his heart ached.

[I should have thought of this earlier...I should have thought of this earlier!]
[If I can kill Pang Nuan, then others can kill Wang He!]
This era is different from the modern era. When a general who has reached the top returns home, the country will not send anyone to protect him.

Pinyang is within the radiation range of Xianyang.

Ying Chengjiao didn't expect that someone would dare to assassinate Wang He at such a close distance, nor did he expect that the assassination would be successful - he didn't think that Wang He would travel alone.

He neglected Pang Nuan's death.

In this era, the daily travel of these old officials who resigned and returned home is similar to that of ordinary people.

I would go to a tavern to drink alone, and I would also ride a horse alone to sightsee on the ancient trails.

Even in modern times, when a retired cadre leaves the office, he is not surrounded by bodyguards.

Moreover, the veteran never expected that a thief would come to assassinate him.

The only thief in Wang He's mind was King Zheng of Qin.

The King of Qin would not resort to such despicable means as assassination, which would cause everyone in the court to feel insecure and panic, and would also undermine the King of Qin's dignity.

The King of Qin killed someone and issued an order.

Shang Yang died like this, and Bai Qi also died like this.

Three days later, the two brothers Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi summoned their confidants to the secret room in the Prime Minister's Mansion.

As the candlelight flickered, Xiong Qi spread out a scroll of bamboo slips and pushed it to the center of the table. It was filled with dense records of the clues of recent investigations.

"The identity of the assassins is clear. They are the so-called old Qin nobles." Xiong Qi pointed his finger at the words "Meng", "Xi", "Bai Li" and so on.

"There is no evidence." Xiong Wen frowned, "Brother, don't talk nonsense."

Under the high pressure of Qin State's laws, it was extremely difficult for a person to appear or disappear silently.

Apart from other things, the photo sticker is an object that no one can escape from.

Pinyang County is outside Xianyang, but it is a county dependent on Xianyang and is under the jurisdiction of the Neishi.

Despite the short distance, the Xiong brothers mobilized the Chu forces and spared no effort in the investigation, and traced the source back to Xianyang from the clues.

And there were not many people in Xianyang who were capable of hiding so many assassins.

"There will be concrete evidence soon." Xiong Qi lowered his eyes and looked at the seven confidants sitting there.

Two of the seven people seated there gasped.

This is not just one family, but all the old Qin nobles. These old Qin nobles have been rooted in Qin for hundreds of years, and their power is intertwined. It is impossible to uproot them.

"My Lord." Someone said in a deep voice, "Can we just pick one clan?"

"Idiot!" Xiong Qi sneered, "If they really did it, what's the difference between one clan and a hundred clans? Don't you know how to protect your brothers and sisters?"

Xiong Wen had predicted what his brother was going to do, but he had always doubted whether his brother was really so bold. At this moment, he was finally convinced that his brother was so daring that his face changed drastically.

"Brother! Have you forgotten what the king said to you and me a few days ago?" Xiong Wen pulled Xiong Qi's arm, his tone hurried.

The death of Queen Dowager Huayang did lead to the resurgence of the Chu faction, with both prime ministers having the surname Xiong and Mi.

But this did not come without extra cost. The Xiong brothers lost their personal friendship with King Zheng of Qin from then on.

Last time, he executed someone first and reported to the police later, using personal friendship as compensation.

There is no personal friendship this time, and the only price to pay for framing someone is your life.

"Brother, you are too pedantic." Facing his brother, Xiong Qi took back the word "idiot" that was about to come out of his mouth: "Who can do such a thing? You, me, the king, Lord Chang'an, the generals, the old Qin nobles, Queen Mother Zhao, the royal family, there are only a few people like this."

Xiong Qi pulled out his arm and tapped the table with his fingers:
"If Wang He dies, who will be most disadvantaged? The King!

"The person behind the scenes is taking advantage of Wang He's death to sow discord between the generals and the king and fish in troubled waters.

"You and I have never done this. Will the king do anything bad to himself? Will Chang'an Jun, Queen Mother Zhao, and the royal family do anything bad to the king? Will the general kill Wang He and endanger himself?

"Then the only one who could do this is the old Qin nobles, right?

“Yes, they are very powerful, and the clues were cut off when we reached Xianyang.

“The officials of various prefectures have not cooperated with you and me, which has prevented us from identifying the real culprit.

“But does it matter? It does and it doesn’t matter.

"The important thing is that this just helps us identify the real culprit. If it weren't for the old noble Qin, why would they be so resistant to investigation?
"It doesn't matter as long as we are sure it was done by them. If there is no evidence, we can just make one.

“There are so many forms of torture in our country, who can survive them all?
"No matter how tough a warrior is, he will tell the truth when he is imprisoned in Qin.

"First, have evidence and then try the person, or first try the person and then have evidence, it's just a matter of order.

"The Queen Mother Huayang's affairs have touched upon the interests of the King, and the King is still furious.

"This time, we are not affecting the king's interests."

Xiong Wen's face was uncertain. He was almost convinced by his brother. He now had only two last questions.

"What if we are wrong in the end?" The left prime minister said word by word: "What if one of us outsiders uses the king's Qin sword to kill someone?"

Xiong Qi lowered his head and smiled.

His shoulders shook and his body trembled with laughter.

"Brother, you are absolutely right." Xiong Qi looked up, wiped the tears from his laughter and said, "This is what I want to do."

Xiong Wen stepped back in horror.

He looked at his brother as if he saw the Queen Mother Huayang.

The last words of Empress Dowager Huayang: The more people die, the better.

A day later, Xiong Qi led a team of elite soldiers and broke into a house west of Xianyang City.

The owner of the courtyard was an old man with white hair and beard. When he saw Xiong Wen, he was neither frightened nor polite. He just slowly stroked the strings of the zither on the table.

"The Right Prime Minister has come to visit me. Could it be that he wants to listen to me play the song "Shu Li"? " The old man plucked the strings of his zither, and the sound of the zither rang out.

"Lord Baili is in a refined mood." Xiong Qi waved his hand expressionlessly, and the sharp soldiers immediately dispersed to search.

The old man looked angry, but said nothing.

With a sneer, he waited to see Xiong Qi's embarrassed look when he couldn't find anything, and waited for Xiong Qi to give him an explanation.

A moment later, someone took out a wooden box from the cellar.

When the box was opened, inside were standard crossbow arrows and a sword hilt with the word "Ying" engraved on it.

The old man's sneer froze on his face, and then he became furious and roared:
"Xiong Qi! You are so brave! You wuwuwu!"

Two sharp soldiers grabbed the old man's arms and tied them behind his back. Xiong Qi viciously stuffed a ball of rag into the old man's mouth.

The right prime minister bent over and picked up a crossbow arrow, the arrowhead still stained with dried blood.

"Mr. Baili." Xiong Qi put his face in front of the old man and said with a grim smile: "I invite you to play the zither at the Xiangbang Mansion."

----

A few days ago, Handan.

The Palace of King Zhao, the sleeping palace of King Zhao Yan.

Li Ji knelt on the steps, the rain on his clothes formed a small puddle on the white jade floor tiles.

King Yan of Zhao was leaning against a table, playing with a jade disk in his hand.

Looking outside the hall, his eyes were as cold as ice.

"You said that Qin is facing internal and external troubles now?" Zhao Wangyan suddenly spoke, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice, "Then why was it that the last time the five countries attacked Qin, it was us who retreated in disgrace?"

Li Ji maintained a respectful posture, for the sake of his son who had no political acumen:
"At that time, Lü Buwei was in charge of the court of Qin.

"Now that Lü Buwei is dead, the Qin generals are almost all dead or wounded, and the Qin army is demoralized."

He took out a scroll of silk from his bosom and presented it with both hands:

"Your Majesty, the truth has been uncovered.

"Mr. Pang was indeed killed by Ying Chengjiao, the Lord of Chang'an of Qin."

King Zhao Yan finally stood up, took the silk book, glanced at it, and suddenly sneered:
"So you mobilized troops to the north to attack the Hu without authorization, just to wait for this opportunity?"

Li Ji remained silent, but the veins on his forehead were throbbing. He really couldn't stand stupid people.

The Prime Minister Guo Kai at the side interrupted at the right time:

"Your Majesty, calm down."

Zhao Wangyan sneered, threw the silk book back in front of Li Ji, stood up and walked to the window.

The lights of Handan city were dim in the rain, making his shadow very long.

"Go to Wei, Han, Chu, Qi, and Yan." He finally said, "The fight against Qin should not be the responsibility of my country, Zhao."

He claimed to be a wise king who knew the difference between state affairs and personal affairs.

----

Yan State, Ji.

The snow in Northeast China always melts later than in other countries.

Prince Dan of Yan stood outside the palace gate, wearing a black cloak and stepping on the remaining snow. He felt cold in body but warm in heart.

He looked at the red lanterns hanging on the palace gate, and it was finally no longer the depressing black. Yan State, he was finally back.

"Prince, the king has held a banquet in the Lan Chi Palace, awaiting your return." The eunuch's voice brought Prince Dan of Yan back from his thoughts.

Prince Dan of Yan nodded slightly, and when he stepped over the one-foot-high vermilion lacquered threshold, the soles of his boots crushed the thin ice, making a crisp cracking sound.

Lanchi Palace.

The charcoal fire made the hall as warm as spring.

Prince Xi of Yan sat at the top, and next to him was a person that Prince Dan of Yan did not recognize.

Prince Dan of Yan glanced at the man's waist and paused for a moment on the jade pendant engraved with the Zhao royal family totem. His expression froze slightly, and then he respectfully saluted his father:
"My son, I pay my respects to my father."

King Yan laughed heartily, and the wrinkles on his face smoothed out:
“My son has been a hostage in Qin for many years, and he has become more calm and composed.

"Come, sit next to your father."

Prince Dan walked slowly forward and knelt down on the seat three feet away from Prince Xi of Yan.

This distance was neither impolite nor just right to show his slight dissatisfaction.

The waiter served the warmed wine.

Prince Dan of Yan took it with one hand, held it in his palm, and did not drink it.

"Dan'er, this is the envoy from Zhao. He has been here a long time ago. Come and meet me." King Yan introduced with a smile.

The hall suddenly became quiet, and even the crackling sound of the burning charcoal could be heard clearly.

Most of the Yan ministers had expressions of humiliation on their faces, and their eyes were all on Prince Dan of Yan.

Prince Dan of Yan slowly raised his head, his eyes swept across the smug face of the Zhao envoy, and finally fell on his father:
"I don't want to see you."

The smile on King Xi of Yan's face froze.

Prince Dan placed the wine jar on the table, and the bronze and sandalwood struck each other, making a dull sound:
"Li Mu led his army to invade our border and seize our city.

"Now, instead of rising up to resist, we are ceding territory in exchange for peace?

"Today we will cede five cities, tomorrow we will cede ten cities, and then we will have one night to sleep peacefully.

"I got up and looked around, and the Zhao army is coming again!"

"How outrageous!" King Xi of Yan slammed the table and stood up.

The wine jar on the table was knocked over, and the amber wine splashed on Prince Dan's robe, spreading a dark red color.

"I am the king of Yan, not you!" he roared.

Prince Dan of Yan did not dodge or evade, allowing the wine to soak into his clothes.

He looked at his furious father calmly, his voice so soft that it was almost inaudible:

"Father, do you still remember what you said when you sent me to Qin as a hostage three years ago?"

King Xi of Yan was startled.

"My father said, 'For the sake of Yan, I have wronged you.'" Prince Dan repeated word by word, his eyes bloodshot, "I have been a hostage in Xianyang for three years, suffering humiliation. Every day when I wake up, I don't know if I can live to see the next day!"

The envoy from Zhao was called Zhao Mu, a member of the Zhao royal family. He sneered and did not believe it:

"The prince's words are wrong.

"Qin and Yan are on good terms, why is it so?"

It was indeed an exaggeration. The Prince of Yan, who had described life in Qin as too miserable, suddenly turned to Zhao Mu with a glare like a knife:

"This is Yan State! There is no place for Zhao people to speak!"

"Rebellious son!" Prince Xi of Yan shouted angrily, grabbed the wine jar on the table and smashed it hard at Prince Dan of Yan.

The bronze jar hit Prince Dan of Yan on the forehead, and blood slid down his cheeks, gathered at his chin, and finally dripped onto his collar, which had already been stained red by the wine.

Prince Dan of Yan did not move at all when he was hit, and did not even blink.

He slowly raised his hand and wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve. His movements were so graceful as if he was wiping a piece of jade.

"Your son will take his leave." He stood up and saluted. When he turned around, his cloak was swept by the wine, and it was as bright red as the blood stains on his face.

Walking out of Lanchi Palace, Prince Dan of Yan stood on the steps and looked at Jicheng covered with snow in the distance.

This is the city where he was born and grew up.

"Your Highness." A voice sounded behind him.

Prince Dan of Yan turned around and saw that it was his tutor Ju Wu.

"Commander." Prince Dan hurried forward to support him.

"Your Majesty..." Ju Wu held Prince Dan's hand, seeming to be hesitant to speak.

There are some things he is not suitable to say.

Prince Dan understood and laughed bitterly.

"What are your plans, Your Highness?"

"...to meet the hero, Mr. Tian Guang."

"good."

That night, Prince Dan's carriage rolled over the snow and quietly drove into a secluded courtyard in the north of the city.

An old plum tree in the yard is in full bloom, its red plums reflecting the snow and its fragrance floating in the air.

Under the plum tree, a thin man, no longer young but almost middle-aged, was brewing wine.

"Mr. Tian." Prince Dan bowed.

Tian Guang didn't even raise his head, staring intently at the boiling wine on the stove:
"The Crown Prince came to visit late at night, is it about the Yan and Zhao affairs?"

"Sir, you are wise." Prince Dan sat down opposite Tian Guang and told him everything that happened in Lan Chi Palace.

After listening to this, Tian Guang poured the cooked wine into two ceramic cups:
"Prince, do you know why I don't want to be an official?"

Prince Dan shook his head.

"Many years ago, I went to Zhao." Tian Guang looked past Prince Dan and into the darkness in the distance: "I witnessed King Wuling of Zhao promoting the use of Hu clothing and horseback riding, which made Zhao strong. And Yan..."

This chivalrous man, who had a great reputation among the people, laughed loudly:
“If you stay in your old ways, you will gradually decline.

"The only thing Yan State can offer is bloodline!"

Prince Dan of Yan clenched his fists, his voice colder than the snow:
"So you think it's right to cede the city, sir?"

Seeing Prince Dan's expression, Tian Guang laughed even louder, startling the thin snow on the plum branches:

“No!
"It is true that Zhao is strong, but if our country keeps giving in, it will eventually be destroyed!"

He drank the wine in the glass in one gulp:

"The prince should have come to me earlier! Ju Wu did a good thing!
"Guang can keep the prince safe.

"But if the prince wants to accomplish the great thing in his heart, he still needs another person, Ju Gong Ju Xin."

"Dan...I understand." Prince Dan of Yan's voice turned warmer and he answered with difficulty.

At three o'clock in the morning, everything in Ji City was silent.

Prince Dan of Yan stood at the side door of the palace, watching a group of dark shadows sneak into the palace silently.

The leader had white hair, but his figure was as straight as a pine tree.

The drama is very interesting.

He was once a famous general of the State of Zhao and is now a famous general of the State of Yan.

"Please, General." Prince Dan of Yan had slightly red eyes, as if he had been crying.

"For the sake of Yan State." The old general leaned forward and bowed his head, thinking that if the King of Yan was named Dan instead of Xi when he attacked Qi, the territory of Yan State would now be connected to the East China Sea.

Just after midnight, flames shot up into the sky from all over the Yan Palace.

King Xi of Yan was awakened from his sleep and found shouting and killing sounds coming from outside the palace.

He stood up in a hurry, only to see his rebellious son standing in the hall with a sword in his hand, blood dripping from the tip of the sword.

The person beside the rebellious son was none other than the chivalrous man Tian Guang whom he had always longed to meet.

"Rebellious son! Do you want to rebel?" Prince Xi of Yan shouted sternly.

Prince Dan walked forward slowly, his voice frighteningly calm:
"Father, you should rest."

Prince Xi of Yan staggered back and knocked over the candlestick.

In the firelight inside and outside the hall, he could clearly see that Tian Guang was holding a head in his hands - Zhao Mu.

"Come and die, you bastard!" King Xi of Yan suddenly pulled out a dagger from under his pillow and rushed towards his son.

The sword flashed.

King Xi of Yan froze.

He lowered his head, looked at the long sword that had sunk into his abdomen, and raised his head in disbelief:
"Tian Guang..."

Tian Guang loosened his grip and knocked the dagger out of Yan Wangxi's hand.

Prince Dan of Yan stepped forward and supported his slowly falling father:
"The State of Yan cannot be destroyed in the hands of my father."

Prince Xi of Yan fell into Prince Dan's arms, and blood stained the clothes of both father and son.

King Xi of Yan, who was supposed to be the last king of Yan State, had trembling lips, as if he wanted to say something.

In the end, he just raised his hand with difficulty and touched Prince Dan's face, leaving five blood marks.

At dawn, seven human heads were hung on the gate of Jicheng.

In addition to Zhao Mu, there were six other Yan ministers who advocated ceding land in exchange for peace.

The sun breaks at dawn, shining red on the snow.

The remaining snow in Yan State was dyed red with blood.

(End of this chapter)