The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 368 The Banquet is as Changan Jun wishes

[Shura Field?] The twelve-year-old boy passed through these three words in his mind, and his heartbeat inexplicably accelerated. Obviously, he was still a good seedling with full yang energy as described by Gai Nie.

He picked up the teacup and took a sip, trying to hide his emotions by drinking water. People always appear busy when they are at a loss.

The orange juice with honey in the teacup is sweet, with the taste of Mi Feng.

"I can't." Princess Qi still smiled: "I am a person who knows etiquette. Men and women should not touch each other."

The boy breathed a sigh of relief and put down the teacup.

Yes.

Tian Yan and Mi Huang grew up in different environments and received different educations, so their world views are different.

Mi Huang's proud enthusiasm was seen as rude in Tian Yan's eyes.

How could a royal family that was carefully educated by the Mencius School be angered by Mi Huang's barbaric behavior? It was good enough that they didn't show contempt on their faces.

of course.

Ying Chengqiu glanced at the enthusiastic and bold Mi Huang from the side.

The same reason.

Mi Huang shouldn't have been so angry at Tian Yan's rude sarcasm.

The Chu people are proud.

Since Tian Yan regarded Mi Huang's actions as those of a barbarian, Mi Huang should regard Tian Yan's words as those of a barbarian.

"I am a barbarian." Mi Huang smiled noble, like a god standing on the clouds: "I really don't know etiquette."

[Sure enough.] Ying Chengjiao nodded secretly and put his heart back in his stomach.

The Chu people called themselves barbarians, but in fact they regarded others as barbarians.

Everyone was happy in this Shura scene. Princess Qi and Noble Lady Chu were happy because they had different focuses.

Just like cats with higher status lick the fur of those with lower status, dogs with lower status lick the fur of those with higher status.

The cat licks the dog's fur.

Cats and dogs are happy.

Thinking of cats and dogs, Ying Chengjiao felt a little guilty. He picked up the teacup and took a sip, although he knew that the two women definitely didn't know what he was thinking.

He didn't get any drink.

He drank up all the juice in the teacup in one sip.

He was unaware.

He put it down as if he had drunk some juice, leaving a tiny red mark on the edge of the teacup, which was much lighter than Mi Huang's fiery red lips.

As soon as the teacup fell on the table, Mi Huang used the same trick again.

With Ying Chengjiao's "come back" look in his eyes, he raised his head and kissed her.

This time the time is longer. The proud Mi Huang shows her barbarity in front of the polite Tian Yan, vividly demonstrating to Princess Qi the concept of mutual support in "Zhuangzi".

When their lips parted, the shade of Lady Chu's fiery red lips dropped by at least five shades.

The girl's face turned pale and she took a deep breath, as she was lacking oxygen.

She glanced at Princess Qi, who was looking at her calmly, and said nothing.

He held his head high and left proudly.

Ying Chengjiao breathed a sigh of relief, licked his lips, and said nonchalantly:

"Where were we yesterday?"

Anyway, Tian Yan doesn't agree with Mi Huang's behavior. If she doesn't agree, she won't be angry. If she isn't angry, there's no need to explain, and no explanation will make it clear.

He is an expert at playing dumb, he learned this from his master.

"Yingzi." Tian Yan smiled politely, and pointed with her slender finger at the red mark on Ying Chengjiao's teacup that was hard to see unless you looked carefully. "Men and women should not touch each other, why do you despise yourself so much?"

Ying Chengjiao: “…”

"She doesn't know etiquette, don't you know it too?"

The well-educated Princess Qi was not angry at the barbarity of the Chu woman, but was angry at Yingzi's inaction.

She was in no mood to attend the class today, so she said goodbye and left Li Yigong politely.

In the empty front hall, only Ying Chengjiao was sitting alone.

"Women are so hard to deal with." Ying Chengjiao grabbed the teacup with three fingers and raised it to his eyebrows: "Unfortunately, I'm still too young. When I become a master in a few years, it won't be hard to deal with them a few more times, just like the old Qin nobles."

----

Wang’s mansion.

The banquet is in full swing.

The participants were all old Qin nobles.

This was the first time that the Qin nobles held a banquet here, and it became the norm over the next ten years.

Wang Kuan, the only leader of the old Qin nobles, sat at the top, alone.

Brass dance.

Opera.

After the normal show was over, Wang Kuan waved away the performers.

He took a quick look and saw that the wine and food on the guest table had hardly been touched.

The scenes of laughter and toasting just now were all virtual excitement.

The new law will be implemented, and the old Qin nobles will no longer be fish on the chopping board, but this is against the Chu faction.

What about the king?

What about the next king?

First, seven clans of the old Qin nobles were wiped out, and then seventeen people died, which made everyone panic.

The old Qin nobles who came to attend the banquet today were either family heads or important figures who could represent their respective clans.

They gathered here, looking at their representatives at this moment.

Wang Kuan.

He was the first to attack the Supreme Court and explore the way forward for the old Qin nobles.

To warn the Qin nobles not to sign their names to avoid a pile of corpses.

Then he went to the court to confront the Chu faction and safeguard the interests of the Qin nobles.

Wang Kuan led the Wang family step by step to replace Meng Xibai and become the first clan of the old Qin nobles.

Only Wang Kuan himself can fully understand the hardships and pressures involved.

He inspected everyone at the banquet, but he was thinking about the two kings of Qin.

If it weren’t for Chang’an Jun suppressing the rebellion of the Bai family.

If King Zheng of Qin had not killed the two generations of heads of the Meng and Xi families.

No matter how many schemes he has, he can't get to this point.

He was lucky to have met two Qin kings who were decisive and ruthless.

If you want to continue to maintain this luck, you must try your best to avoid becoming a proof of the decisive killing of two generations of Qin kings.

Fortunately, the two generations of Qin kings had rules for killing people, and they were very willing to pass on these rules.

Fortunately, he had a good son, Wang Wan, who was friends with the king and familiar with Chang'an Jun.

When others were still skeptical about the attitudes shown by the two gentlemen, Wang Kuan could learn about the two gentlemen from his son Wang Wan and verify it indirectly.

He now knows Erjun very well.

He clapped his palms together three times gently, and the banquet fell silent.

He was very satisfied, so he smiled and said:
"All the people who are trying to win over and monitor people in the academy should withdraw.

“Those who want to learn can stay, and the Imperial College has not explicitly refused us old Qin nobles.

"People from all nations can be disciples of the emperor, so there is no reason why people from Qin cannot be disciples. Do you think this makes sense?

"Haha."

There was a burst of laughter in the classroom, although most people thought that there was nothing funny about Wang Kuan's words.

but.

If you smile, Wang Kuan may not remember it.

If I don’t smile, Wang Kuan will definitely remember it.

This is a joke.

It is also Wang Kuan’s obedience test.

Or the opinions of the people present.

The good ones don’t work, the bad ones work.

This dregs has been passed down for two thousand years and remains as fresh as ever.

Wang Kuan took note of the people who didn’t laugh at him, and the families behind them, and said with a smile:
"If Huayang Bufei had not been appointed as the Chief Justice, the new Chief Justice would be Li Si.

“Although this person is from Chu, he is not from the same Chu as the two prime ministers.

"At first I joined the bandit Lu, and later I was valued by the king.

“On the eve of the implementation of the new law, this move has clear significance.

"The implementation of the new law is not controlled by Chu, but by the king himself.

“The decree no longer binds us alone.

“There are new laws that set clear examples. Although the two prime ministers hold the highest authority over civil affairs, they can do nothing to us.

"As long as we obey the orders and the law, no one can take our positions away except the king."

Wang Kuan raised his wine bottle and said, “Kuan has made it very clear.

“If there is any family hiding people in the academy with the intention of targeting the king, they are disregarding the safety of the Qin nobles and are enemies of the Qin nobles.

"Those who agree with Kuan's words will drink to victory."

Those who attend the banquet.

Either fast or hesitant.

In the end, everyone drank, without leaving anyone out.

Wang Kuan was the first to put down the wine bottle, which was empty:

“Kuan thanks everyone for your trust.

“With unity, we can draw on the wisdom of all.

We are all gathered here, and we are all the future of the Qin nobility.

"When in doubt, ask; when you have something to say, speak.

"Please speak freely, and tell me where the nobles of Qin should go."

After a brief silence, someone asked:

“The Imperial Academy, the emperor’s disciples, was established to replace the nobles of our old Qin.

“It’s better to stop monitoring.

“But if we don’t win over the students of the Imperial Academy to serve us, we, the Qin nobles, will really not know what to do a hundred years later.

“Our place will be taken by the untouchables, just like what happened some time ago.”

The first time King Zheng of Qin dismissed a large number of old Qin nobles, he promoted disciples of Xunzi and a small number of students from the Imperial Academy.

In the eyes of the old Qin nobles, the two are the same.

They made one fact clear.

The Imperial College in the Zhangtai Academy was established to replace himself and others.

Wang Kuan nodded. He had thought about this question a long time ago.

From his point of view, as the head of the old Qin nobles, he certainly would not want his power to be weakened.

He couldn't come up with an answer.

He now has the answer.

It is true that he was the one who convened today's banquet.

But behind him, there is the shadow of Chang'an Jun.

Yingzi, the youngest and most knowledgeable man in the world.

"When King Wu of Zhou divided the world, he gave 200 pieces of land to 800 princes." Wang Kuan repeated Chang'an Jun's words: "My Qin State will swallow up the world, and its territory will be two or three times larger than that of Zhou. Old Qin nobles, do you have 800?"

A light gradually appeared in everyone's eyes.

A fiefdom is a hundred times more powerful than an official position.

Every prince started out as a fiefdom.

The official position in Xianyang is indeed tempting.

But even if they were nine ministers or two prime ministers, they could not compare to a fiefdom of only fifty miles!
"To be granted a title of nobility, military merit is the most important." Someone asked, "How can we nobles be treated like untouchables?"

Military merit requires fighting on the battlefield and killing the enemy, which is too unfriendly to the old Qin nobles.

Shang Yang obtained his fiefdom by fighting wars, and the Qin State's military merit titles were not newly issued, but a hundred years ago.

The reason why the Qin nobles could not get their fiefs was not because they did not want to, but because they did not dare to fight for their lives.

Wang Kuan nodded in agreement, and then said meaningfully:
“This is the second thing I want to tell you.

“Military achievements will also change.

"From now on, military merit will not only be earned by killing the enemy in battle, but also by donating money, grain, cloth, and people.

"The people here don't have to be from different families. Slaves are also considered people."

It was quiet at first, then the whole audience was in an uproar.

"What's the news?"

"Is it reliable?"

"Can you really get military merit without going to the battlefield?"

"..."

As long as the fight does not involve themselves, the old Qin nobles are still very courageous.

Money, food, cloth, slaves... use these to exchange for military merit, and then use military merit to exchange for fiefdoms. This is perfect for the nobles of the old Qin Dynasty.

As long as you have the land, you won't have to worry about anything.

Plow the soil once and plow it back ten times.

Wang Kuan pressed his hands down, and when the voice gradually faded, he said:
"Whether it is true or not will be revealed at the court meeting on the day the new law is implemented.

“Before that, please don’t do anything unnecessary.

"I have offended Lord Chang'an and angered the king, and the truth has become a lie."

Wang Kuan’s foresight in not signing his name last time played a role, and his identity as the only representative of the Lao Qin nobility also played a role.

Everyone was willing to wait and believe Wang Kuan's words for the time being.

The anxious atmosphere is much lighter.

Wang Kuan raised two fingers and said:
"Chang'an Jun killed seventeen people because they wanted to make Chang'an Jun the king.

"Chang'an Jun is a true gentleman and would never commit treason.

"Please cherish your lives and don't do anything to Chang'an Jun again."

Press down one finger:
“The king exterminated seven clans without a sound, also on the charge of treason.

“Everyone present today knows whether this charge is true or false.

“If you intend to rebel, please find Chang’an Jun first. This way, at least only you will die, not your entire clan.

“Please remember one thing.

“In today’s royal family, if something unexpected happens to the king, no one can compete with Lord Chang’an.

“Changan Jun is a gentleman, absolutely loyal to the king.

“Even if someone among you has extraordinary powers and causes an accident to happen to the king, you will not be able to escape the punishment of Lord Chang’an.

"Unless one of you can cause an accident to happen to the king and hide it from Lord Chang'an."

Everyone was standing in a high position, and after thinking for a moment, they all shook their heads.

Killing the king is already extremely difficult, and we have to hide it from Lord Chang'an.

The difficulty of this is comparable to ascending to the ninth heaven and pulling down the Emperor of Heaven to sit on his own throne.

Since ancient times, no strong and healthy king has died in a silent assassination.

Not to mention hiding it from Chang'an Jun, who is in a high position of power and is known as the son of the emperor.

After the deed is done, everyone present will know about it, and no one can hide it.

Wang Kuan thought that everyone had almost digested it, so he continued:
“Abandon the idea of ​​luck.

“Tell the tribesmen to do things according to the new law.

“Your Majesty is more courageous than Shang Yang in killing people.

"Let's wait for the next court meeting.

“If, as Kuan said, the military merit reform is carried out, each family knows exactly what they will do.

“If what Kuan said is wrong, then please stop making trouble, just like Shang Yang did when he first started the reform.

“No one is immortal, and the king is also human.

“But the family tradition continues from generation to generation.

“We can wait, we are not afraid to wait.

“When Chang’an Jun naturally succeeds to the throne, everything will be fine.

"Only a gentleman like Chang'an Jun can win a place for us to breathe among the barbarians of Chu."

The atmosphere is still a bit bad.

In any case, the interests of the old Qin nobles were harmed.

But it was much better than the false prosperity just now, and people started to eat and drink at the table.

Because up to this point, everyone present knew that as long as they behaved themselves, their lives would not be in danger.

In the past few months, many Qin nobles have died one after another, and they were all heavyweights, which really scared the survivors.

Three months ago, most of the people at the banquet could not attend because they were not qualified.

They still have hope.

The next court meeting will feature military merits and reforms!

"Keep playing music, keep dancing!" Wang Kuan laughed loudly, livening up the atmosphere.

The dancers, the performers...are back on stage.

Everyone cheered, laughed and chatted, and the party was lively again.

Wang Kuan drank a bottle of wine and watched the performance:

“Lord Chang’an, the banquet is as you wish.

"The court meeting should be as we wish..."

(End of this chapter)