The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 364: The Qin and Chu families were both injured, and Chang'an had to establish a new law

"What's your name?" Ying Chengjiao walked step by step to the old Qin noble who stood up and asked.

The old Qin nobleman had a look of resentment on his face, but he was fearless. He took a step forward, almost confronting Ying Chengjiao, and said:

"Mr. Lin! What? Are you going to kill me again? Come on!"

Lin Sheng tore off his official uniform, exposing his chest:
"I will use my sincerity to prove that you are a fake gentleman!"

Ying Chengjiao frowned and took two steps back:

“When those thirteen people arrived for the banquet last night, it was already curfew.

"Today's court meeting begins, and we must get up at yin hour.

"Mr. Lin, I have a question for you.

"How did you know that those thirteen people did not return all night?
"How did you know that I killed those thirteen people and set a fire to cover up the traces?"

Lin Sheng's eyes jumped. Chang'an Jun's reaction was beyond his expectations. He actually interrogated him, the person who questioned him, in the court.

If a normal person was asked this question, wouldn't he immediately clear himself and state the necessary reasons for killing those seventeen people? Why did he interrogate Lin Sheng instead? Could it be that he was unwilling to accept the loss of face?
Lin Sheng looked at the Left Prime Minister Xiong Qi, but Xiong Qi didn't look at him.

Lin Sheng looked at the Right Prime Minister Xiong Wen, but Xiong Wen didn't look at him.

This made Lin Sheng's heart sink. Why didn't the two prime ministers dare to give any hints...

Lin Sheng is a head taller than Ying Chengjiao.

Perhaps because he was a little tired of craning his neck to look at Lin Sheng, Ying Chengjiao took two steps back, rubbed his neck, and said:

"I'm asking you a question."

Lin Sheng's anger grew even stronger, and he pointed at the court officials:

"Your Excellency is so arrogant that he openly admitted to killing an important official of the country!
"All the lords of Yanyan are here! If you don't explain clearly why you killed people, who among you can guarantee that you will not be among the seventeen people killed next time!

"Today you are all watching me make a fool of myself, but tomorrow you will be killed and it will be too late to regret it!"

The ministers' expressions changed slightly.

They knew that Lin Sheng was trying to get them to fight against Changan Jun together, but this was indeed the truth.

Not to mention the crown prince, even the king cannot kill nobles at will, because they are nobles.

The old Qin nobles felt it even more deeply.

Although they knew that Lin Sheng, the traitor, was trying to kill them by attacking Chang'an Jun, they could not help but resonate with Lin Sheng's words.

There is still no explanation for the annihilation of seven clans, and now seventeen people who held important positions among the old Qin nobles have died at the hands of the crown prince.

It was obvious that King Zheng of Qin and Lord Chang'an wanted to suppress the old Qin nobles and support the Chu barbarians.

All the old Qin nobles had very unhappy faces, and they no longer had any cunning in the face of the dire situation that was clearly before them.

Changan Jun does not give a reason for killing people, which is the end of the old Qin nobles.

Chang'an Jun gave a reason for the murder, but it was also the end of the old Qin nobles.

They exchanged glances, lowered their heads to conceal their expressions, and prepared to contact foreign countries as soon as the meeting was over.

If the Qin State does not give them a way to survive, they will seek help outside. They will never sit and wait for death.

Although Lin Sheng's words touched the nerves of the ministers, due to the power of Chang'an Jun, no one stood up to speak for a while.

The first bird to stick its head out gets shot, and no one wants to be the first.

"Your Excellency." Li Si, the Chief Justice, stood up, clasped his hands, and said in a deep voice, "Our country governs by law, and Your Excellency is no exception. Please explain clearly why you killed people."

Li Si took the lead, and after a while, voices began to echo one after another, demanding that Ying Chengjiao give a reason for the murder.

The voice echoed among the seats, but few people stood up to ask questions.

Most people guessed that Ying Chengjiao's murder was related to the assassination attempt on himself. They knew that the well-known and virtuous Prince Chengjiao would not kill indiscriminately, so they did not stand up to question him and stir up hatred.

But they still insisted that Ying Chengjiao give a reason, and this process must be followed.

If he doesn't leave, there is a high possibility that the crown prince will kill ministers at will without any reason.

When a piece of paper is blank, whatever color the first person paints it on will determine the color that comes after him. This is called having a precedent to follow, and it is particularly typical in modern court decisions.

Ying Chengjiao did not respond, but just stared at Lin Sheng. He started staring at him when Lin Sheng started to mobilize the ministers, and his stare made Lin Sheng feel creepy.

The voices of condemnation from the ministers, who had not had much opinion about Chang'an Jun, gradually subsided.

Ying Chengjiao did not respond to the reason for the murder, but asked Lin Sheng word by word:
"How did you know there were seventeen people in total?"

Lin Sheng had cold sweat on his hair and sneered:

"Your Excellency is prone to forgetfulness, and this is exactly what you just said."

"No, I'm talking about thirteen people." Ying Chengjiao said firmly.

"Then I must have heard it wrong." Lin Sheng said and swallowed silently.

"But you're right. Last night, there were indeed seventeen people."

"What do you want to say? Thirteen or seventeen? Does it have anything to do with why you killed people?"

"How do you know there are seventeen people?"

"Please answer your questions, sir!"

"I killed people because they intended to rebel."

Ying Chengjiao's sudden answer surprised both the civil officials and the military generals.

rebellion?

Another rebellion!

No one in a higher position would allow rebellion!
How many times has it appeared recently!

They observed King Zheng of Qin out of the corner of their eyes, and saw that he leaned forward, and the face behind the pearl curtain suddenly became serious.

Previously, the verbal battles between Wang Kuan and Wang Wan, father and son, and the two prime ministers were just struggles between ministers, but treason directly affected the king, a king who had experienced rebellion repeatedly.

Wang Kuan's face turned pale, he felt despair and tried hard not to fall down.

If there is still room for maneuver in the assassination of Chang'an Jun, then treason is absolutely impossible. The king will never allow the rebel to survive.

Although he was very cautious and did not choose to take action himself, and did not really want to rebel, he just took the path of Chang'an Jun and tried to express his dissatisfaction with Qin Wangzheng.

But as the head of the old Qin nobles, the issue of the old Qin nobles' conspiracy was brought to the table by Chang'an Jun. How could the king possibly forgive him?
With a high position and great benefits comes responsibilities.

This is the reason why the monkeys in Mount Emei stole mobile phones and the management staff of Mount Emei beat the Monkey King.

This time, Wang Kuan not only failed to defeat Chu Man, but also lost his own life.

Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi's eyes flashed with joy and they looked at each other. The situation was better than they had expected. Rebellion was much more serious than assassinating Chang'an Jun.

There was noise all around, but Ying Chengjiao turned a deaf ear to it and just stared at Lin Sheng.

Lin Sheng, who had completed the task in excess, showed no joy at all and was made to feel uneasy by Ying Chengjiao's gaze.

He took two steps back and clasped his hands towards Ying Chengjiao:

"If it is treason, then you deserve to die.

"I sincerely apologize for offending you, my lord."

After saying this, he bowed deeply, keeping a very humble attitude.

A real man can bend and stretch, and what's more, he is not a real man.

Before he could straighten up, he heard a question that made him break out in a cold sweat:
"I am asking you a question. How do you know there are seventeen people? How do you know these seventeen people are dead?"

He didn't know what Ying Chengjiao meant by asking, but his heart was pounding and he felt uneasy.

Just as he was wondering how to answer, the voice of Right Prime Minister Xiong Wen rang out:
"My Lord, this is not important, right?"

Ying Chengjiao finally shifted his gaze and looked at Xiong Wen who came to the rescue at the critical moment, and his almond-shaped eyes narrowed into a line.

Xiong Wen's heart trembled, and he saw a strong warning and murderous intent.

"The Right Prime Minister thinks it's unimportant." Ying Chengjiao spoke slowly: "Could it be that the Right Prime Minister is also like Lin Sheng, knowing all this very well, and is a traitor?"

Xiong Wen's heart was slightly moved, but his expression changed drastically.

He decided that if he continued to remain calm at this moment, he would be courting death. Once he put on the hat of treason, it would become a sharp Qin sword that could fall at any time!
"How dare you!" He shouted at Ying Chengjiao, then turned to face Qin Wangzheng and knelt down: "Your Majesty, I have no second thoughts! I was slandered!"

Lin Sheng knelt down as well, and cried bitterly along with Xiong Wen, protesting his injustice.

The voice of King Zheng of Qin came down from the high platform:

"Hualong, you said Xiong Wen and Lin Sheng were plotting a rebellion. Do you have any evidence?"

Ying Chengjiao walked back to his original position and faced Qin Wangzheng:
“I didn’t say the right prime minister was plotting a rebellion, I just speculated.

“And Lord Lin Shenglin is indeed a traitor.

"The proof is that Lord Lin knew that seventeen people had died without me saying anything.

“While we were under curfew and unable to go out, we found out what happened by the Wei River.

“There is only one possibility.

"Lord Lin knew early on that seventeen people had received my invitation, and it's possible that Lord Lin himself had also received my invitation.

"According to our country's laws, knowing something and not reporting it is considered harboring, and harborers are guilty of the same crime as the offenders.

"Lord Lin knew that the seventeen were planning a rebellion but did not report it to the king, so he is a traitor.

"There is no forgiveness for those who commit treason."

The hall was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

After a moment, Lin Sheng, who had been trembling all the time, lost control at the critical moment of life and death. He got up regardless of anything and pointed at Ying Chengjiao and shouted:
"It was you who invited them! It was you who said we were going to rebel! It was all your fault!
"If I am a traitor, then you are the mastermind of the treason! You are the one who deserves to die!"

These words successfully pushed Ying Chengjiao to the forefront.

Since a person who knows about a rebellion but does not report it deserves death, then those who gather together to discuss a rebellion deserve even more death.

All the officials were paying attention.

At this point, Lin Sheng is almost certain to die, and Changan Jun...

The Queen Mother of Zhao once rebelled against the King in this court together with the Lord of Chang'an.

The Queen Mother of Zhao has been exiled to Yongcheng, leaving only one other opponent, Chang'an Jun. This is a perfect excuse for the king to get rid of Chang'an Jun.

As long as you participate in treason, there is really no excuse.

Even if I could make an excuse, would it be of any use in front of the king who insisted on exiling my biological mother?

The ministers could not think of any reason why Chang'an Jun would not leave Xianyang to accompany Queen Dowager Zhao, nor could they think of any reason for him to defend himself. Many of them speculated that the Queen Dowager Zhao had strongly requested the king to give Chang'an Jun the title of crown prince.

Ying Chengjiao did not make any excuses.

"I did this because I wanted to transform into a dragon." King Zheng of Qin spoke up to defend his brother.

All officials were shocked.

Why is this happening?
Qin Wang Zheng looked around the whole place, intimidating everyone:

"I was the one who killed seven clans, including the Gongsun clan.

“Hualong’s invitation to rebel was also at my instigation.

"I want to find all those who are plotting rebellion and kill them all."

His eyes fell on Lin Sheng, as if he were looking at a dead person:
"Master Lin, is my explanation acceptable?"

Lin Sheng was struck by a bolt from the blue. He could not even stand steadily. He was still swaying as he held on to the chair and was unable to speak.

"Come here!" Qin Wangzheng ordered angrily: "Drag this thief away! Cut off his limbs! Throw him on the top of the gate!"

Lin Sheng was dragged away like a puddle of mud. Soon after, heart-wrenching screams were heard from outside the hall.

All the ministers in the hall were trembling in their hearts, especially the old ministers who had experienced King Zhuangxiang of Qin killing Li Li with five thousand sticks. The King of Qin was equally cruel!
Lin Sheng's death dealt a heavy blow to the Chu faction's momentum, and Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi were unable to speak for a while.

Neither of them spoke to each other. Wang Kuan, knowing that he was going to die, also remained silent and waited for death.

There was a brief silence.

After a moment, the murderous Qin Wang Zheng said:

"Why aren't you talking?
"Don't say anything, I'll speak.

"Hualong, have you found out who is behind your assassination?"

Ying Chengjiao sighed and said helplessly:
"He committed suicide by taking poison."

Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi, who knew Xiong Jue very well, were the first and second to not believe it. If Xiong Jue was really so tough, how could he be bribed?

The third person who didn't believe it was Wang Kuan. Hope flashed in the eyes of this old Qin noble leader.

"Let's not talk about this matter anymore." Ying Chengjiao said in a deep voice: "Compared with my personal affairs, the national affairs entrusted by the king are much more important."

"I was just about to ask you." Qin Wangzheng readily followed suit and said, "I order you to find out within three days whether the two prime ministers abused their power for personal gain or someone framed them. Do you have an answer?"

"Both." Ying Chengjiao said in a deep voice: "It is true that the two prime ministers abused their power for personal gain, and it is also true that the officials are just sitting there doing nothing. According to me..."

Ying Chengjiao picked out the important information he had sorted out and spoke it over again with reason and evidence, mentioning many people in the court.

After hearing this, King Zheng of Qin flew into a rage and named the names that Ying Chengjiao had just mentioned one by one, saying:
"I will give you a chance to refute me. What else do you have to say? Come on!"

No one made any excuses.

One reason is that what Ying Chengjiao said was true.

The second reason is that Lin Sheng, who questioned Chang'an Jun, just died outside.

Although the crime I'm committing now is serious, my life is not in danger.

The ministers exchanged glances with each other in private, and no one had thought that the outcome this time would be a lose-lose situation.

"Well, it seems that none of you are wronged!" Qin Wangzheng laughed angrily: "If that's the case, then..."

The Chu clique and the old Qin nobles were waiting to be dealt with.

"Your Majesty!" Ying Chengjiao suddenly interrupted the King of Qin and said, "I think that the situation this time is caused by the fault of the ministers and the Qin order! The reason why officials are just sitting there doing nothing is because there are no clear rules for those who hold office. Here is a new law for officials, please take a look, Your Majesty!"

After being interrupted, King Zheng of Qin took a few deep breaths, sat on the throne for a while, and then waved for Zhao Gao to take it up.

Zhao Gao held the bamboo slips in both hands and went up to the platform and placed them on the table in front of King Zheng of Qin.

King Zheng of Qin unfolded the bamboo slips and read the memorial in front of the civil and military officials.

The Chu clique and the old Qin nobles, who had been hostile to each other, united unprecedentedly at this moment, and hoped very much that the bamboo slips submitted by Chang'an Jun would play a role and that the new law could be established.

They knew the methods of King Zheng of Qin, and knew that if things continued to develop normally, their own situation would definitely not be good.

Since ancient times, no one has ever been able to comply with reforms, because reforms will inevitably harm the interests of vested interests.

The new method proposed by Ying Chengjiao seems to be out of this law...

(End of this chapter)