The younger brother of the First Emperor
Chapter 361: Chang'an was assassinated, and fire fell from the sky at Weishui Villa
Chapter 361: Chang'an was assassinated, and fire fell from the sky at Weishui Villa
Twilight Quadruple.
In front of the residence of Left Prime Minister Xiong Qi, the door with a brass animal head holding a ring was wide open. Guards holding halberds stood solemnly on both sides, and torches illuminated the vermilion lacquered columns as red as blood.
In the hall, twelve connected lamps emitted flickering flames.
The two brothers Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi wore high hats and wide belts, and the phoenix patterns on their deep robes flowed with their steps. They personally accompanied Chang'an Jun Ying Chengjiao into the banquet, giving Ying Chengjiao enough face.
The banquet began. Ying Chengjiao sat behind the lacquered table on the right, his fingertips stroking the coiled dragon pattern on the gold-inlaid cup with earrings, and his eyes swept over the people in the hall.
The Imperial Censor Wei Zhuang, the Minister of the Imperial Clan Ying Xi, the Minister of Rites Mi Chen, the Minister of Justice Huayang Bufei, the Imperial Physician Li Yue... Most of the civil officials were here, and even the military generals included the currently popular Yang Duanhe, and Huan Xi, who was one of the four great generals together with Yang Duanhe before the rebellion that night.
Such a large number of important officials were invited to an ordinary banquet without any reason. The power of the two prime ministers was comparable to that of Lu Buwei, the teacher of Ying Chengjiao.
Ying Chengjiao narrowed his eyes slightly and turned his attention from the invited guests at the seats on both sides to the performers in the middle of the banquet hall.
The poet from the State of Chu hid a scroll in his wide sleeves, and he must have been going to sing Qu Yuan's poems. The only poetry from the State of Chu that could be performed was that of Qu Yuan.
The young musician in the corner, who kept his brows lowered, was playing a Yanqin. Judging from his appearance, he was most likely a Yan person. The Yan people’s qin was even more famous than their bloodline.
The actors and actresses have graceful figures and beautiful looks. Some of them have deep facial features and are pure Hu people, while others have less deep facial features and are likely to be mixed-race Zhao people.
There were still many people left. Ying Chengjiao stopped looking at them, retracted his gaze, and shook the wine jar gently.
The banquet had a magnificent lineup of invited guests and performers from all over the world. It was truly a grand banquet.
"Gentlemen, drink this cup to the full!" Xiong Qi, who had been paying attention to Chang'an Jun, saw Chang'an Jun's action, raised the cup high, and the sweet wine in the brass cup rippled like the spring water of the Yellow Pool.
The guests responded in unison and drank the bottle of wine.
Xiong Qi winked at the butler standing beside him, and the butler immediately gathered his strength and shouted loudly:
"Have a banquet!"
The chimes rang suddenly at the foot of the steps.
Maids in long flowing skirts filed in, carrying lacquered tables in their hands.
The pork shoulder on the lacquer table is steaming, the pickled plums in the carved beans are glowing with amethyst luster, and the stir-fried lamb with green onions is emitting a rich aroma.
The Chu people who had prepared in advance displayed the letter and sang the Chu song in the Qin capital:
"The emperor Gaoyang is a descendant of Miao. My emperor is called Boyong..."
The Chu man's face was flushed as he sang "Li Sao".
Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi listened to each other attentively, and sang along with the poems.
Most of the people present were not from Chu, and they all listened attentively, as if they could empathize with the situation.
Yang Duanhe and Huan Xi, who had no idea what the ghost was screaming about, stared at the actress's exposed skin and forced themselves to endure it.
[The singing is really bad...] Ying Chengjiao took small sips of the bottle of wine that he had not finished just now.
"Li Sao", he only likes to listen to the version sung by his little phoenix on the bed.
The Chu poet sang passionately and quickly:
"…The women are jealous of my beautiful eyebrows, and they spread rumors that I am a promiscuous person!"
As soon as this sentence fell, the two people who had been whispering suddenly sang loudly:
"All the women are jealous of my beautiful eyebrows, and they spread rumors that I am a promiscuous person!"
The scene suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of the Chu man who had not finished singing "Li Sao" bowing and leaving the scene, leaning against the banquet table.
The flames from the copper lamps lit up the banquet hall as bright as day.
The two brothers Xiong Qi and Xiong Wen sat side by side on a nine-step lacquered table. The phoenix patterns embroidered with gold thread on their dark robes moved in the firelight like living creatures.
Their faces are 70% similar, except that one exudes a steady and mature look, while the other exudes a sharpness like a sword, but both make people dare not look at them directly.
Ying Chengjiao clicked his tongue inwardly but remained expressionless.
The literal translation of "Those women are jealous of my moth-like eyebrows, and spread rumors to slander me, saying that I am a lustful person."
Qu Yuan used this to reflect the fact that he was ostracized by other ministers, attacked by villains, and not trusted by the King of Chu.
Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi's singing at this time was very appropriate. It was obvious that they were also saying that the two brothers were clean and that the old Qin nobles were villains who slandered them.
Ying Chengjiao glanced at the Chief Justice Li Si who was sitting at the lower seat of the old Chief Justice, but only for a moment before he looked away.
Li Si, the Chief Justice of the Imperial Court, broke the silence and raised his glass first, trying to put on a smile on his usually stiff face:
"The left prime minister is in charge of the overall planning, and the right prime minister is in charge of the battle. The brothers are united in purpose, and two prime ministers are one family. This is truly a blessing for our Great Qin!"
"That's right!" A man whom Ying Chengjiao didn't know echoed hurriedly, his voice slightly shrill due to excitement: "Since the two prime ministers have jointly taken charge of the government, the villains of various countries have been terrified. Such power is beyond the reach of Guan Zhong and Yue Yi in ancient times!"
Ying Chengjiao clenched his fist and placed it to his mouth, then coughed twice with his mouth closed. He kept telling himself to hold it in, but he still couldn't hold it in completely.
What Li Si said was just a cliché that could be applied to anyone, and Ying Chengjiao didn't react much when he heard it.
What the latter person said was very realistic. Ying Chengjiao was prepared for flattery and exaggeration, but he didn't expect it to be so exaggerated.
Are the villains of various countries terrified by the news?
If he had not let Prince Dan of Yan return to Yan and kill his father, the other countries would have united to attack him.
It was the first time that Chang'an Jun had his credit stolen, and it was stolen in front of everyone. He felt very strange and ate a bite of mutton to cover up his abnormality.
Imperial Censor Wei Zhuang stroked his beard and said in a solemn tone:
"Looking at the celestial phenomena, Ziwei has been shining brightly recently, which is in line with the two prime ministers assisting the wise ruler."
Ying Chengjiao: “…”
[Weren't you the first one to impeach them?] The boy who really knew how to observe the celestial phenomena took two more bites of meat and said, "The moon is high in the sky these past two days, and there are only a few stars. How can the Purple Star shine so brightly? You call the moon Purple Star, right?"
He flattered Ying Chengjiao so much that only green onions were left on the plate of stir-fried lamb with green onions in front of him. The boy, who always considered himself shameless, felt that he was too shameless.
“Hahaha!” Xiong Wen suddenly laughed, and slammed the brass wine cup in his hand heavily on the table, splashing the wine: “You are too kind! My two brothers have received the king’s favor, how dare we not be loyal? But!”
His eyes swept across the hall like lightning:
"Someone framed my brother, saying that he was secretly communicating with a foreign country. What a mean person he is!"
Xiong Qi suddenly drew his sword, a cold light flashed, and the head of a roasted whole lamb on the table fell off.
"A treacherous and cunning person should be treated like a sheep's head. It will be a blessing for the country if we behead him!" The left prime minister gasped, looking extremely angry.
Xiong Qi chuckled, and stroked the jade cup with his slender fingers:
"My brother is impatient, I'm sorry to make you laugh."
Turning to Ying Chengjiao, he said sincerely:
"My Lord, recently some people in the court have been talking about my brother abusing public power for personal gain. These are all rumors.
"My brother was so angry, but he could only cut off the sheep's head to vent his anger. If my two brothers were really as they impeached, we wouldn't be so aggrieved."
Ying Chengjiao curled his lips:
"Right Prime Minister, rest assured. I will find out everything."
"I believe you, sir!" Xiong Wen bowed deeply.
The feast returns to the celebration.
Pushing the cup and changing the cup, talking and laughing.
Elegant piano music and vulgar women dancing naked.
When the atmosphere was at its most cheerful, the Chu man who had sung "Li Sao" at the beginning came to the right chief seat, that is, behind Chang'an Jun Ying Chengjiao.
He moved like a rabbit, holding the scroll and smashing it on Ying Chengjiao's head. The scroll reflected the candlelight and shone brightly. It turned out that it was not a bamboo scroll, but an iron scroll!
----
It was the morning of the third day of the investigation.
A gust of north wind blew across the Wei River, taking away a hint of summer heat.
The mansion is called Chang'an Junfu.
Chang'an Jun Ying Chengjiao was lying on a recliner in the courtyard, looking at the big sun in the sky, his fingers unconsciously stroking the crystal pendant on his waist.
This is one of the many Qi ornaments that Princess Tian Yan of Qi brought to him from Qi. It is said that it was made by her father, King Jian of Qi.
"If King Jian of Qi wasn't the King of Qi," Ying Chengjiao muttered to himself, "he would definitely become a great craftsman of the time."
"Your Majesty, Gongsun Gong requests to see you." The voice brought the young man's thoughts back to Qin from Qi.
Ying Chengjiao frowned slightly. Gongsun Gong was from the Gongsun clan of the old Qin nobles. The Gongsun clan had been in charge of the lower-level officials of Qin State’s ceremonial officials for generations, and most of the people in Fengchang Mansion were Gongsun.
Of course, the above was not enough to move Ying Chengjiao, because the Bai family that the young man killed was much more powerful than the Gongsun family.
The real reason why the young man was unable to answer for a long time and his eyes were full of struggle was that Gongsun Gong had taught him.
When the Fengtian Hall was still the Guanzheng Qinxue Hall, Gongsun Gong was the teacher who taught the young boy and his elder brother the Qin li.
"Please." The young man took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and turned around with a smile as gentle as jade.
Gongsun Gong walked over in square steps, followed by two servants holding lacquer boxes.
He is nearly sixty years old, with white hair and beard. He saluted in a very formal and perfect manner, not looking old at all.
"I hope you are well, Lord Chang'an." Gongsun Gong spoke loudly, as if he wanted everyone around him to hear him. "This old minister has obtained a few jars of aged Qin wine, and I have come here to taste it with you, Your Majesty."
There was a gleam of light in Ying Chengjiao's eyes. This was the first time he heard the title "Your Majesty".
He paused for a moment and smiled bitterly:
"Master Gongsun, this is really embarrassing for me. Please."
The young man emphasized the word "talk". He said "please" and stood in front of Gongsun Gong without moving.
Gongsun Gong looked at the young man:
"Your Majesty, would you like to drink with me here?"
[Your Majesty.] Ying Chengjiao chewed on this new title, made way, and stretched out one arm:
"My skills are not good enough, and my manners are not good enough. Master Gongsun, please come in."
After entering the inner room, the servants served him drinks and then sent him away.
Ying Chengjiao personally poured wine for his former teacher, and the brass wine cups made a crisp sound when they collided.
After three rounds, the old man said casually:
"I heard that the king was stabbed by the people of Chu."
Ying Chengjiao remained calm:
"Master Gongsun is well-informed."
"It's not that I am being nosy." Gongsun Gong sighed, "Since the Chu people came to power, seven out of ten of my Qin brothers have been marginalized. If the former king were still here..."
The words stopped abruptly here, but it was more meaningful than if they had been finished.
The room suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of dripping water from a copper leak being heard.
Ying Chengjiao took a sip of wine, letting the spicy liquid burn his throat:
"Master Gongsun, are you here today not just to taste wine?"
Gongsun Gong's eyes flashed, and he suddenly lowered his voice:
"Your Majesty, do you know the story of 'Deer Calling'?"
A sentence from the Book of Songs flashed through Ying Chengjiao’s mind—the deer are calling, and they are eating apples in the wild.
In the past, the Qin nobles had used this code to plan the dethronement and enthronement of the emperor.
"I am a young boy with little education, please forgive me, Master Gongsun." He pretended to be confused, holding the wine jar and drinking, his hands trembling slightly.
Gongsun Gong stared at him for a long time, then suddenly laughed:
“Your Majesty is being humble!
"If you say that Yingzi has not studied much, who in the world is worthy of talking about studying?"
After laughing, the old man said seriously:
“Old minister, please speak frankly.
"Your Majesty favors the people of Chu and alienates his old friends. If this continues, it may not be good for the country."
"Master Gongsun, be careful with your words." Ying Chengjiao's voice became gentle, but his phoenix eyes turned cold: "Your Majesty, this is destiny."
Gongsun Gong suddenly leaned forward, and the smell of alcohol sprayed on Ying Chengjiao's face:
"You are not a prince! You are the Lord! You are the King!
"King Zhaoxiang! King Xiaowen! King Zhuangxiang!
"The three generations of Qin emperors in my Qin State have all been interested in you!"
"Master Gongsun is drunk." Ying Chengjiao stood up suddenly, his jade crown and tassels swaying with him: "Someone, show him away!"
As Gongsun Gong was being helped away, he turned back and cast a meaningful glance.
Ying Chengjiao stood alone in the courtyard, quietly for a long time:
"Call Meng Tian."
Half an hour later, Meng Tian arrived:
"Your Excellency."
Ying Chengjiao briefly recounted the conversation between the two parties after Gongsun Gong arrived, and said in a deep voice:
"Take the guards with you and find out who else is standing with Gongsun Gong."
"Sir, do you really want to investigate? If there are too many people..." Meng Tian hesitated.
"What do you think the purpose of asking you to lead the guards is?" Ying Chengjiao turned around.
Meng Tian's one arm trembled.
"Kill." The young man's voice was cold and stern, colder than the hot summer: "Don't spare any one."
It is getting dark in the villa by the Wei River.
Ying Chengjiao stood in the maple forest with his sword in hand, looking at the list presented by Meng Tian.
The young man invited them in the name of the king to discuss important matters. Zhao Hai, Gongsun Gong... a total of 17 important officials of the old Qin Dynasty came here as invited.
The young man checked it three times and did not see the words "Wang Kuan" in it. The sharpness between his eyebrows became sharper.
"Is everything arranged?" he asked Meng Tian beside him.
Meng Tian nodded:
"Three hundred guards have been lying in ambush all around, waiting for your order, but..."
The young general hesitated for a moment:
"It's just that...you are really not going to ask the king for permission to deal with so many important officials at once?"
"I will take care of my brother." Ying Chengjiao stroked the hilt of the sword and strode into the courtyard.
As dusk fell, carriages arrived one after another.
Seventeen people walked into the hall chatting and laughing.
After three rounds of drinking, the attendants were asked to leave, and Gongsun Gong, who was in contact with everyone, called out the title that had not been called before:
"Your Majesty, this..."
"Call me Lord." Ying Chengjiao, who was sitting in the main seat, said, standing up and drawing his sword: "Someone come!"
The sound of war drums suddenly rang out, the doors and windows were broken at the same time, and the soldiers swarmed in.
Zhao Hai suddenly jumped up and pounced on Ying Chengjiao.
An arrow pierced his throat in mid-air, and blood spurted onto the lamp with a hissing sound.
The remaining sixteen people froze in place, their clothes soaked with cold sweat.
"Your Majesty! No! Your Majesty!" Someone fell to his knees and said, "I was confused for a moment..."
Before he could finish his words, Ying Chengjiao chopped off his head with the Qin sword, and it fell to the ground with a thud.
The young man dodged the spurting blood and looked coldly at the teacher who taught him etiquette:
"Master Gongsun, I have only studied Qinli for a short period of time, but I have not learned it completely.
"Excuse me, young man, is treason considered disrespectful?"
In the dead silence of the whole room, Gongsun Gong laughed miserably:
"Calculate."
"I was disrespectful to you, so Master Gongsun hit my palm." The young man was shocked by Qin Jian: "Master Gongsun was disrespectful today, so I will kill him."
Qin's sword fell twice, and Ying Chengjiao stabbed Gongsun Gong in the heart with one sword.
When a disciple kills his master, it is called master-killing.
In the dark night, a big fire broke out in this villa.
The summer is dry and there is a lot of natural fire.
(End of this chapter)
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