The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 61 Establishing Prestige
In the fifty-third year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, the six kingdoms each sent envoys to Xianyang to pay homage.

The audience was real, and the inquiry was also real.

They wanted to know whether Qin was just pretending to be strong or was truly powerful.

As soon as the envoys entered Hangu Pass, they were transported directly to Xianyang by Qin's carriages and horses. They were all shocked by the prosperity and luxury of the Five Kings' Palace in Xianyang.

He returned and reported the truth, and the princes were impressed and gave up the idea of ​​attacking Qin.

The envoys who were unable to visit other areas of Qin State did not know that only Xianyang was prosperous in Qin State, while other areas were just barely surviving.

King Zhaoxiang of Qin mobilized the entire country to maintain the city of Xianyang, which once again shocked other countries.

The strategic goal was perfectly achieved, and the Qin State began to recuperate.

In the intercalary ninth month of the fifty-sixth year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, King Zhaoxiang of Qin died, less than three months have passed since then.

The State of Zhao lost 450,000 soldiers. The country has been in decline since the Battle of Handan and has not recovered until now.

The Battle of Handan in Qin State killed 400,000 Qin soldiers, but the war did not stop, and continued for another five or six years. So far, it has only been three years, how can it be possible to stop?

King Zhaoxiang of Qin did bring the State of Qin to an unprecedented high position.

However, the mistake of not destroying Zhao in the Battle of Changping directly led to the disastrous defeat in the Battle of Handan, which eventually exhausted the wealth accumulated by Qin since Qin Xiaogong.

It is no exaggeration to say that in the present Qin State the people's livelihood is impoverished and the country is strong on the outside but weak on the inside.

Without damaging the national strength, very few troops can be deployed.

Fifty thousand, Qin Wangzhu can accept it.

Ying Chengjiao couldn't accept it.

The four famous generals of the Warring States Period: Bai Qi, Lian Po, Li Mu, and Wang Jian.

The first time my father led troops, he faced two of them.

He was very tough and only asked for 50,000 soldiers.

When selecting generals, he did not choose famous generals such as Meng Ao and Bie Gong, but only Lu Buwei.

Isn't this just setting a trap for yourself? Isn't this suicide?
"Father must know he can't win!"

Ying Chengjiao suddenly opened his eyes, and he seemed to have figured it out.

But he still needs to verify whether what he thinks is correct.

He stood up and did not go to find his father, the prince, because his father would not tell him the truth.

But apart from his father, there was another person who must have known the whole story, and that person was Lu Buwei, who was singled out by his father.

He alarmed his grandfather, the King of Qin, and called his elder brother, who had truly become the eldest son of Qin, and returned to Xianyang ahead of time in the five-horse royal carriage.

Zhangtai Street, Prime Minister’s Mansion.

No matter how many times I come here, the busyness here never changes.

Ying Chengjiao walked into the gate with familiarity, turned along the corridor, and entered the main hall which was filled with bamboo slips.

Wei Zhe was still not there. No one knew where he had gone. He had not reported for duty in the morning.

Lu Buwei, the chief secretary of the prime minister, had a round face and a big belly. He pulled his beard on his chin while reading the bamboo slips.

Hearing the sound, he turned around and saw that it was Master Cheng Jiao, and he smiled before he said anything.

This smile was not the hypocritical smile of an official, but a smile full of the mercenary nature of a businessman.

Lu Buwei was not only the right-hand man of the prime minister, but also the head of the Lu's Chamber of Commerce.

As long as he stays in business, he will never change this smile.

"Sir, why do you have time to come here today?"

Ying Chengjiao didn't say anything, but glanced at the two clerks who were sorting bamboo slips and writing.

Lu Buwei immediately understood and asked two busy clerks to watch outside and not disturb them.

After the scene was cleared, Ying Chengjiao knelt down in front of Lu Buwei.

This action immediately made Lu Buwei more cautious and serious.

Being able to make one's own young master make such a formal gesture is definitely not a trivial matter.

as predicted.

As soon as Ying Chengjiao opened his mouth, Lu Buwei became nervous.

"In the ancestral temple, my father made a vow. He would personally lead the army, with you as his deputy, and lead 50,000 troops to fight against the famous generals Lian Po and Li Mu..."

He observed Lu Buwei's expression and found that he did not change at all, but he became more certain of his judgment.

Lu Buwei was the chief secretary of the prime minister, and he must have understood the Qin State more thoroughly than him.

As my father's first follower, it would be natural for me to have no reaction when I heard that my father was going to die.

No response, indicating that Lü Buwei had known about it for a long time. He recounted everything that happened in the ancestral temple, and when he saw that Lü Buwei was about to speak, he drew a line on the table in front of him and said:
"Sir, you don't have to say anything. You'd be fooling me if you said anything. Just listen to me and see if what I say is right or not.

"If it's right, then you don't have to hide it from me.

"If it's not right, then you can interpret my words as your own thoughts, report them to your father, and then come back and tell me your decision.

"I must know what you are going to do, or you will do nothing.

"Sir, do you understand?"

Lu Buwei lowered his head and said nothing.

He actually felt a much stronger sense of oppression from the seven-year-old child in front of him than from the crown prince.

The prince would never speak to him like that.

He was under great pressure, and in a trance he felt that the person in front of him was not seven years old at all, but a wise man of the same age as him.

He raised his head, revealing extremely eye-catching almond-shaped eyes and a childish little face.

The feeling of oppression disappeared without a trace.

He is clearly just a child. Even if ten or a hundred people attack him together, they cannot beat him.

He smiled faintly and said respectfully:

"Bu Wei understands. Please continue, sir."

Ying Chengjiao naturally felt the difference in Lu Buwei's attitude, but there was nothing he could do.

People are afraid when a Tibetan Mastiff lies still.

No matter how loudly Teddy barks, people are not afraid.

It is extremely difficult for him, as a juvenile, to intimidate an adult by himself.

He pretended to be ignorant and deliberately did not show any expression, thinking that it would have a little deterrent effect, so he lowered his voice and said:

"After my great-grandfather's death, waves of spies from various countries entered Xianyang, hoping to take advantage of the new king's unstable position on the throne to launch an attack.

"My father allowed Zhao Gao to be killed in order to establish his authority, and his purpose now is still to establish his authority!

"Qin needs a victory to shock the other princes.

"Father needs a victory to secure his position as crown prince and win over the royal family.

“And you, sir, also need a victory to build momentum for your promotion to the position of Prime Minister.

"Wei Zhe overturned the table in the court and confronted Queen Huayang, breaking the rules. The day when he will be dismissed as prime minister is not far away, right?

"What you and your father are going to do next..."

The smile on Lu Buwei's face became stiffer as he listened, and in the end it looked as if it had been carved with a knife.

It feels fake and unnatural.

After Ying Chengjiao finished speaking, he took the clear water on the table to moisten his throat, and stretched out his hand to signal that it was Lu Buwei's turn to speak.

Lu Buwei rubbed his face and smiled bitterly:
"Sir, when the master and I were talking, were you hiding under the bed and eavesdropping?"

This is admission.

There was no joy on Ying Chengjiao's face.

"Although this strategy has a high chance of success, it is life-threatening."

"Sir, drinking water can also choke someone to death. How can there be a foolproof plan? I hope you won't obstruct me."

"...I understand. I promised you this, sir. Please also promise me one thing."

"Sir, please tell me."

"Yexiang..."

It was a long time after Master Chengjiao left.

The two clerks peeked in at the door two or three times, and each time they saw the Prime Minister's chief secretary, they were still in the same dazed posture.

The two did not dare to go in.

They are not the prime minister, so how dare they disturb the prime minister's chief secretary?

At the same time, in Yongcheng, three hundred miles away.

Crown Prince Qin Zichu, Queen Huayang, and the missing Prime Minister Wei Zhe.

Three people share a room.

Queen Huayang's face was as cold as ice, and her unpainted face was full of the vicissitudes of life.

"Why did the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister come to look for me, a Chu person who is a hindrance to the Qin State?"

(End of this chapter)