The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 348: The Queen Mother's departure from Yong is not a family affair, the two kings conspire to settle the storm
After the Weinan Lord's banquet was disrupted by Liu Bang, he was listed by the old Qin nobles as someone who could not be won over and was suppressed.

The Qin nobles continued to win over the students of the Imperial Academy, but excluded Liu Bang. They also used their power and money to induce other students to isolate Liu Bang and cause trouble for him every other day.

They thought they could easily control this barbarian from Chu.

however……

Liu Bang is called the City Fox and the Rat in today's era, and was called the Gai Liuzi in Ying Chengjiao's previous life.

He is a good friend and generous.
Near Zhu Zhechi, near the ink is black.

Most of the people who could become friends with Liu Bang had similar temperaments to him, and were full of street habits. To put it nicely, they were chivalrous and carefree, but to put it bluntly, they were shameless and scoundrels.

The group of people who were with Liu Bang were not necessarily well-educated, but they were definitely among the best in picking quarrels and fighting in the Imperial College. They certainly valued fame and wealth, but most of them valued righteousness more.

With this group of friends around, Liu Bang was not completely powerless and sometimes he could even fight back when being beaten.

Of course, Liu Bang was beaten more often than he beat others. How could he and his dwindling number of friends contend with the Qin nobles that even Lü Buwei was unwilling to confront?
This is because the real leaders of the Qin nobles did not take Liu Bang seriously and allowed the younger generation to play freely, so Liu Bang was able to survive...

In this way, more than ten days passed.

The Queen Mother of Qin.

The sunlight penetrated the golden copper bells on the eaves of the Fengtian Hall, making the twelve jade steps look like ice blades.

King Zheng of Qin stepped into the Fengtian Hall, the intricate patterns on his dark robe faintly visible in the morning light.

Hanging on the leather belt tied tightly around his waist was a jade sword, which was a gift from his biological mother who found it in Zhao State.

The jade sword is not only a weapon, but also a symbol of identity and status.

The jade sword worn by Qin Wangzheng had the edge of the Heshi Bi inlaid on the sword. As Qin Wangzheng got off the carriage and walked to Fengtian Hall, the sword looked moist in the morning sun. (Note 1)

When King Zheng of Qin stepped into the hall, the light turned into darkness, and the sword began to emit a green rainbow color again.

Twelve new mica screens were added to the Fengtian Hall.

In front of the screen, a young man covered his mouth and yawned, looking sleepy.

It was the crown prince of Qin, Chang'an Jun Ying Chengjiao.

"Does it have to be so early?" Ying Chengjiao turned around and asked with some dissatisfaction the first time he saw his brother.

King Zheng of Qin walked to the clepsydra placed against the wall, saw that the water level was at the quarter hour, and waved to his brother:
"Come and take a look, kid."

Pointing at the clepsydra that is dripping water drop by drop at a steady rate:
"One quarter past four o'clock, you say it's early? I have already finished reading half of the memorial."

The first quarter of the day was ten fifteen in the morning, which was not early for King Zheng of Qin who got up early every day.

But for Ying Chengjiao, who had nothing to do and could sleep until noon, that was too early.

"Hehe." Ying Chengjiao laughed expressionlessly twice, which made people want to hit him as soon as they heard him. He was too lazy to argue.

How can he compare with a workaholic who can be ranked in the top three of the list of dedicated emperors in history? How can he compare with a 15-year-old humanoid machine who goes to bed at one or two o'clock in the morning and wakes up at six in the morning every day?
Normal people would burn out if they did one of these, but Qin Wangzheng had no pressure doing two. He did high-intensity exercise at night, and the three concubines were diagnosed as pregnant by the imperial physician. He worked hard during the day, and he was neither sleepy nor lacking in energy.

The dead Lao Ai and the living brother told the young man that people have different physiques.

"What a joke!" King Zheng of Qin cursed angrily.

As he walked closer, thinking of the noble banquets that were often disrupted these days, Qin Wangzheng smiled:
"There are still wise men in the Imperial College."

Ying Chengjiao said "Oh" with a lack of interest and asked casually:

"Who are you talking about?"

"I heard that his name is Liu Bang."

"He's OK, right?"

"You are too picky, brother. He is one year younger than you. He, a student, has accomplished something that you and I, two gentlemen, cannot do. As a commoner, he has ruined the affairs of the nobility. Isn't that virtuous?"

"He is definitely a wise man, but not as great as my brother said. We can't bury the wise, but we also can't over-exaggerate them."

“Du, Zhang... these seven or eight banquets that have been disrupted recently seem to be caused by different students, but they are actually all friends of Liu Bang. At the age of twelve, he can have such command ability and such sharp thinking. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is a genius.” King Zheng of Qin stood beside his brother.

Liu Bang did not gather all his friends around him, but let some of his friends accept the enticement of the old Qin nobles - the people who attacked him might be his friends.

Let the other part of friends remain neutral, and make things difficult for the old Qin nobles at the banquet to anger them, including but not limited to asking for houses, money and women, just like Liu Bang himself flirted with the concubine of Weinan Jun.

This behavior is indeed tasteless and the perpetrator will be despised by others, but it does have an impact on the Qin nobles' efforts to win over the country.

Let’s take the example of Liu Bang molesting the concubine of Lord Weinan.

Everyone knew that it was justified for Weinan Jun to be angry, but while the students of the Imperial College despised Liu Bang, they also felt resentful of Weinan Jun's attack on Liu Bang.

Because Liu Bang was their classmate, Liu Bang's interests were tied to theirs.

The same principle applies to the fact that Lord Weinan wanted to spend a fortune to buy horse bones.

Everything has its yin and yang sides. Liu Bang's horse bone was very rebellious, and he insisted that the Qin nobles spend tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of gold to buy it.

If the old Qin nobles cannot buy it, it will cause negative effects.

Everything Liu Bang did was seen by the two kings of Qin.

"It's true that he is a genius." Ying Chengjiao agreed with his brother. "Although this little trick can't shake the overall situation, at least the old Qin nobles were successfully disgusted. For a twelve-year-old child, it's really good."

Qin Wang Zheng sneered:
"From the tone you speak, people who don't know the truth would think you are very old, but in fact, you are no more than thirteen."

Seeing his brother in deep thought, Qin Wangzheng paused and said:
"Since you also recognize this boy, why do you say not to exaggerate his abilities?"

"Because I'm not sure." Ying Chengjiao said slowly: "Is this his own thinking or the people behind him?"

"Is there someone behind this boy?" Qin Wangzheng raised his eyebrows slightly, and his tone obviously turned cold: "Who?!"

Ying Chengjiao showed hesitation and shook his head:
"Don't worry about it. I'm telling you, if you keep your temper and don't ask questions, I'll chop him up. I'll take care of it."

"What are you talking about? I am the most reasonable person! When have I ever killed someone without warning?"

"hehe."

"Bullshit!" King Zheng of Qin rolled his eyes at his brother unhappily and looked at the newly moved in screen.

On the screen, there are jade beads of many different colors hung.

Red jade represents in-laws, white jade symbolizes the Qin clan, and black jade represents outsiders.

The three colors of jade are not completely distinct, but are mixed, with the main color containing dots of the other two colors.

"Lord Yangquan had a secret meeting with the head of the Du family last night." Ying Chengjiao moved a red jade bead engraved with the word "Chu" and placed it into a pile of white jade bead.

"The carriage in the trunk went in and out of Gan's residence at Chou hour three days ago." The young man tapped his fingers lightly, and this time the two white jade beads touched each other.

The young man kept talking and moving his hands, and the three-colored jade beads were soon mixed together, looking very chaotic.

"The waters are so muddy." Qin Wangzheng's eyes flashed with anger. "The old Qin nobles are trying to win over the students of the Imperial Academy in public, and they are using the public to cover up their secret connections. We can't let them continue. We can't replace everyone! Even if all the students who studied in the Jixia Academy come, they can't take over government affairs safely without someone to lead them."

"That's right." Ying Chengjiao nodded: "So, what do you plan to do, brother?"

"Outsiders and relatives are not fools. The reason why they are now connected with the old Qin nobles is because I lost my dignity last time. I am not blaming you. You and mother have indeed stabilized the Qin State. Sacrificing a little of my dignity in exchange for this result is the best result." "What do you want to explain? Am I so stingy? You should focus your energy on these old Qin nobles." Ying Chengjiao flicked the white jade pendant: "This time, brother, don't be soft-hearted."

"I am not soft-hearted, I am reasonable." Qin Wang Zheng narrowed his eyes, murderous intent overflowing: "Before killing someone, I will tell you in advance."

Three days later, in the Council Hall.

"Your Majesty, it is three quarters past midnight," Zhao Gao reported from outside the palace, his voice penetrating through the painted screen with a four-horse carriage: "The ministers have arrived outside the palace."

King Zheng of Qin raised his hand and tied the tassel of the black crown tightly again.

"Prepare the carriage." He suddenly spoke, his voice much lower than when he took power half a year ago: "Mother, you should go to Qinian Palace now."

Li Si, the chief judge of the court, stepped forward holding the book:
"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother's procession left Yongmen at the hour of Yin, and I'm afraid they have already arrived in Guo County."

After a pause, he lowered his voice:

"Six carts entered the Yangquan Lord's Mansion overnight. They drove out from the Meng family's manor outside Xianyang."

Qin Wangzheng sneered:

"After today, there will be no more such things. Follow me to court."

Xin Palace, front hall.

The hall was filled with the smell of burning pepper and orchid.

When King Zheng of Qin stepped onto the lacquered steps, the palace suddenly became quiet.

The old Qin nobles, who attended the court collectively without being specially summoned, sat upright, their court robes particularly neatly worn.

King Zheng of Qin had just sat down and asked, "Do you have any memorials?"

"I have something to report!" Yangquan Jun Mi Chen was the first to step out, the jade pendants on his waist jingling against each other.

This Chu-based relative specially pinned a white angelica on the side of his crown today, which was the attire used when giving advice in the old Chu custom.

King Zheng of Qin sat on the throne, with no one behind him speaking. He tapped the ruler on the mahogany table in front of him with his fingers:
"speak."

"It's against etiquette for the Queen Mother to move to Yongcheng!" Mi Chen raised his jade scepter high: "The Zhou Li says: 'The wife of the emperor is called the queen, and when she dies, she is called hong.' After the previous king was buried, the Queen Mother should be in the central palace and take charge of the internal affairs. How can she return to Yongcheng to guard the tomb?"

"I second the proposal."

"I second the proposal."

"The veteran seconded the proposal."

"..."

There was an immediate chorus of seconding opinions in the hall, as if it had been discussed beforehand.

A day ago, King Zheng of Qin sent Queen Dowager Zhao to Yongcheng.

The reason was that Queen Dowager Zhao fell ill due to missing the late king, and seeing that the domestic situation had stabilized, she could not wait to rush to Yongcheng to mourn for the late king.

To observe a year of mourning for the late king was a promise made by Queen Mother Zhao herself in the court, and the old Qin nobles had kept urging her to do so.

King Zheng of Qin glanced at him coldly and sneered in his heart.

Those who oppose the Queen Mother going to Yong today are the same people who submitted a memorial urging the Queen Mother to go to Yong some time ago.

These old Qin nobles really deserve to be killed just as my brother said!

"Yangquan Jun is wrong." Qin Wangzheng slowly unfolded the book on the table: "The Qin Records records that when Duke Mu's wife died, she was buried in Xichui. This is the Qin system."

He deliberately turned the book in a different direction, revealing the Queen Mother's unique cinnabar mark on the corner:
"The Queen Mother volunteered to go to Yongcheng to mourn for the late king. Do you want to take care of my household affairs?"

Weinan Jun Jian suddenly stepped out of the line, and the nine-ring belt around the old man's waist rang loudly:
"The emperor has no family affairs! Your Majesty, ask yourself, is it really the Queen Mother's will? Filial piety comes first among all virtues, Your Majesty should think twice before acting!"

King Zheng of Qin clenched his fists unconsciously, then unclenched them.

He kept silent and intentionally remained silent. He wanted to see what other rebellious words these people could say!

"Your Majesty!" Meng Hua knelt down on the altar. "The Queen Mother has always been considerate of her old ministers. If the Queen Mother is demoted because of me, I will resign!"

This time, the old patriarch of the Meng family took to the battlefield personally.

More than twenty old Qin nobles took off their crowns in unison, revealing their deliberately uncombed hair, a variation of the "bare-naked apology" in Zhou Li.

Meng Tian, ​​Wang Wan, Li Si and other close confidants of King Zheng of Qin bowed their heads or glared, filled with anger.

Is this a palace coup?
This is forcing the emperor to abdicate!

"How dare you!" Chang'an Jun, who was at the front row, roared, turned around and jumped onto a chair. Standing on the chair, he pointed angrily at the people who were kneeling down to force the emperor to abdicate: "You are forcing the emperor to abdicate! This is treason! You should all be killed!"

Yangquan Jun Mi Chen took the opportunity to shout:
"Your Excellency, what you said is wrong!

"Your subjects only ask to welcome back the Queen Mother.

"The king and queen share power, which is our country's ancestral system. What have we done wrong?"

Ying Chengjiao looked extremely unhappy, but he said nothing.

In the eyes of most people, this is the case where Chang'an Jun, who acted in accordance with morality, was choked by Mi Chen's most respected etiquette and law.

A gentleman can be deceived!
"If the king does not agree." Mi Chen stretched out his voice and said, "I would like to open the Yongcheng ancestral temple to discuss state affairs together!"

"Let's discuss state affairs together!" The old Qin nobles kneeling on the ground responded loudly, their voices like waves on the sea.

Wave after wave.

Waves are higher than waves.

Ying Chengjiao stood on the chair, let out a long sigh, and his eyes stayed on Mi Chen.

He really didn't expect that the vanguard would not be an old Qin noble.

But it was the leader of the Chu faction, Dianke Mi Chen!
What benefits did the old Qin nobles give to make them work so hard?

The wave will eventually end.

Wait until the hall gradually quiets down.

"What a good way to discuss state affairs together." Qin Wangzheng, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly chuckled: "Kill one Lu Buwei, and so many Lu Buwei will appear."

Mi Chen's face suddenly changed. He never expected that the king would compare him to the traitor Lu Buwei. He hurriedly shouted:

"Your Majesty! It is an ancient custom to hold political meetings in the ancestral temple!"

Mi Chen never doubted the tyranny of King Zheng of Qin.

Wasn’t it because of the tyranny of King Zheng of Qin that the old Qin nobles went on collective strike?

Isn’t it because King Zheng of Qin is so tyrannical that they are calling for the Queen Mother to return today?
…………

【Note 1: Jianyu is a jade product attached to the end of the scabbard.】

(End of this chapter)