The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 79: Destroy the Eastern Zhou Kingdom

The first year of Qin Wangzhu’s reign, December, ninth day.

Tomorrow is the day when the army sets out.

After Qin Zichu sent Ying Zheng to the Guanzheng Qinxue Hall just before the hour of Mao, he spoke a few words to his study companion Wang Wan, asking him what his impression of his eldest son was.

Wang Wan, who was older than Gongzi Zheng, was full of admiration and said:
"Wan has never seen anyone as hardworking and intelligent as the eldest master. Wan is not as good as him."

His class time was different from Ying Zheng's. His class started at 1 a.m. and ended at noon, a total of two and a half hours.

Work four days and rest three days, which is the same work and rest schedule as Qin officials.

Ever since he knew that the eldest prince had to attend classes for six hours every day and had no days off, he truly admired Ying Zheng.

This is not a class that a human can take, it's simply inhumane!

The minor disagreements that had arisen previously had long been forgotten, and she was proud to be the eldest son's companion in study.

Especially two days ago, his father, the Shangqing, reminded him that the eldest son would be led by the prince to attend court meetings, and he should be closer to the eldest son. His eyes looked at the eldest son even more eagerly.

As a member of the Qin family, having foresight and the ability to seize opportunities are innate talents.

Qin Zichu left with a smile.

After he went out, his face looked a little strange.

Born in a royal family, what is more distressing than not having an outstanding heir is having two extremely outstanding heirs.

Qin Zichu looked up and raised his hand to look.

Turn your hand over to look at the palm, and then turn it over to look at the back of your hand, it's all flesh on his palm.

“Although Zheng’er’s talent is slightly inferior to Cheng Jiao’s, he is more diligent and similar to me. If he can grow up smoothly, he will definitely be a good king.

"Yao Tiao's wisdom is far inferior to Yao Yao's. With Lu Buwei around, she has little chance of controlling the government.

"But Yaotiao is the granddaughter of Lin Xiangru. Once the Lin family enters Qin, the Lin family will be connected to Zhao State, which will be a bit difficult to deal with.

"Zhao State is much more difficult to deal with than Han State..."

He whispered to himself, got on the carriage, and came to Li Yi Palace.

When he lifted the car curtain, he saw a group of white spots falling down and floating in the wind.

He stretched out his hand and said to himself:

"Snowing?"

Junior Attendant Ying Bai was holding a bamboo umbrella over the junction between the door curtain and the front room, waiting for the Crown Prince, his hair was a little wet.

The prince got off the carriage, holding an umbrella on his head, and walked to the outside of Li Yi Palace accompanied by Ying Bai, his shoes full of mud.

No one knew where the Minister of the Chariots, Han Ming, came from.

He walked up to the prince, bowed, and asked respectfully:

"Are you here to look for the prince, or the king?"

A few days ago, Qin Wangzhu moved to Li Yi Palace. The security here has become more than ten times tighter, and the prince can no longer arrest people directly as before.

[Why would I go to that foolish king? To listen to him scold me?]
The prince thought about it, bowed carefully to Han Ming in return, and said in a gentle voice:

"I'm here to look for my little boy. Please tell the carriage official to pass on the message."

Less than a moment.

Ying Chengjiao, who was wearing a thick bear-skin coat and wrapped up like a little bear, walked out of the palace rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Father will go to war tomorrow. If you have time, come and see me."

Qin Zichu, who had always been very thin, scratched his second son's nose and scolded him with a smile:
"You also know that your father will go to war tomorrow? Then why are you sleeping so soundly? Aren't you worried about your father?"

Pointing at the vast expanse of white spots in the sky, it was unclear whether it was snow or rain.

"Look, it's snowing. Do you know that it's not a good time to fight in the snow? This is God's will to kill your father."

Ying Chengjiao just noticed the cool air and thought, no wonder I was given an extra bearskin coat today, and he retracted his neck.

"I don't know how to fight a war, but Wang Jian does.

"Father, go ask Wang Jian if he can still send troops."

Qin Zichu asked with interest:
"Wang Jian has never led a major battle, yet you trust him so much that you even used your grandfather's private seal to force him into my service. Aren't you afraid that he will become the second Zhao Kuo?"

Ying Chengjiao was too lazy to respond to this question, nor could he respond.

He couldn't say that I came from another world, and that Wang Jian and his son would destroy the five kingdoms in the future.

"Father, just go and ask."

"I have already said what I want to say. The food and supplies have been prepared, and the army is about to set out. If Wang Jian says no, can we not fight this war?"

"Of course I can avoid the fight. I'll go and ask my grandfather for help."

"Where is my father's dignity? Where is the dignity of the Qin State?"

"I don't like to hear these official words. Anyway, if Wang Jian says we can't fight, then we can't fight. Father, you are better than anything else when you are alive. No one can compete with you for the position of crown prince, except Qin Qi."

"Why? Just because your grandfather dotes on you?"

"What can I do? My father's name is Qin Zichu!"

Ying Chengjiao remembered very clearly that after King Xiaowen of Qin, Qin Zhu, came King Zhuangxiang of Qin, Qin Zichu.

This answer was not within Qin Zichu's consideration, but it made him happier than the best answer he had imagined.

When other people say this, we need to distinguish between flattery, fawning, and sincerity...

But from the second son's mouth, Qin Zichu didn't need to distinguish, this was the second son's inner thoughts. In Qin, the second son, who was protected by the Qin Wangzhu, was unscrupulous and didn't need to please anyone.

Qin Zichu wanted to laugh out loud to disperse the snow and wind.

The corners of his mouth curled up into an arc and he smiled slightly.

"By the way, my father sent people to the State of Zhao. Didn't he win over any of the people I mentioned, such as Lin Xiangru, Li Mu, Lian Po, and Yue Yi?" Ying Chengjiao suddenly thought of this.

Before the Qin State sent an envoy, he found Lu Buwei and asked Lu Buwei to win over the famous ministers and generals in his memory.

Qin Zichu did not answer the boy's question.

He patted his second son's head and said:
"Qian'er, go back to sleep.

“When I woke up, Xianyang was no longer the same Xianyang as it is today.

"After this battle, no one can hold me back, and no one can suppress you."

Qin Zichu pushed open the umbrella and walked into the snow.

The cool touch cooled down his fiery body slightly and calmed his excited heart.

Ying Chengjiao watched his father walk away and frowned.

"What are you talking about?

"You don't want me to take twelve hours of classes every day, do you?

“No, I have to ask Wang Jian.

"Can we send out troops today? Can we conquer the Eastern Zhou Kingdom?"

night.

Crown Prince Qin Zichu and his most powerful retainer, Lu Buwei, slept with their feet together and chatted before going to sleep.

Lu Buwei told his lord the story of how Prince Chengjiao had found him and told him most of their plans, and he praised Prince Chengjiao highly.

Qin Zichu was slightly surprised.

"You mean, Cheng Jiao was right except for not saying that we contacted Yan to attack Zhao?"

Lu Buwei nodded and smiled:
"That's right. Second Master also told me to be careful that Zhao State would really join forces with Dong Zhou State to encircle and suppress us, and told me not to underestimate the wisdom of Zhao State's ministers.

"He also said that even though he had the relationship with the eldest son, Lin Xiangru might not be reliable.

“There is only interest, not affection, between countries.

"This is really to the point. It makes me feel like I've suddenly realized something."

Qin Zichu sighed and said with emotion:
"Yaoyao is so smart. Fortunately, she is a woman."

Lu Buwei suddenly realized.

"My Lord, what you mean is... these words were taught by Madam Ji?"

Qin Zichu snorted.

“Who else could it be but her?

“It’s true that Cheng Jiao is smart, but he is only seven years old.

"At the age of seven, you don't even like to study. How can you understand the teacher's schemes? How can you understand the relationship between countries?"

The first year of Qin Wangzhu’s reign, the twelfth month, the tenth day.

The Crown Prince of Qin, Qin Zichu, personally served as the general, and Lu Buwei as the deputy general, commanding 6,000 cavalry and 54,000 infantry, and went to war in the name of attacking Zhao.

The first year of Qin Wangzhu’s reign, December, 13th day.

The Qin army crossed a distance of 230 miles and arrived at Gongcheng, the capital of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.

Duke Zhou of Dong Zhou, who had called on all countries to raise their armies to attack Qin, was shocked when Zhao's hostage was killed by Qin and sent envoys to negotiate.

The messenger returned and said:
"Qin Zichu, the crown prince of Qin, didn't let me speak at all. He told me to bring back a message. He doesn't accept conditions, he only accepts...surrender."

Duke Dong Zhou was furious, looked around, and shouted:
"The Great Zhou has existed for eight hundred years! How can we perish at the hands of barbarians? I will never surrender!"

Although the Eastern Zhou Kingdom was originally a small country split from the Zhou royal family.

But after the death of the last Zhou emperor, King Zhou Nan, they often regarded themselves as the orthodox Zhou Dynasty.

The civil and military officials of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty were united in putting up a tenacious resistance in the capital Gongcheng.

The next day.

Gongcheng was broken, Duke of Dong Zhou surrendered, and all the land of Dong Zhou Kingdom was occupied.

Qin Zichu destroyed the Eastern Zhou Kingdom but did not end its succession.

The Duke of Dong Zhou was moved to Yangrenju (today's west of Linru County, Henan Province) and given land to worship him.

In the 59th year of King Nan of Zhou, he summoned the six countries to attack Qin in the name of the emperor, which angered King Zhaoxiang of Qin.

In the 51st year of King Zhaoxiang of Qin, the Qin army captured Luoyi, killed King Nan of Zhou, and the Zhou Dynasty came to an end.

The first year of Qin Wangzhu’s reign, December, fourteenth day.

Duke Dong of Zhou was also targeted by the Qin State because he called on the six countries to attack Qin.

The Qin prince Qin Zichu led 50,000 Qin soldiers to capture the Eastern Zhou Kingdom, and the Qin water extinguished the last remaining spark of the Zhou fire.

The news spread rapidly from Gongcheng, and the storm approached the Central Plains.

　This is more than 2500
　　
　
(End of this chapter)