The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 87: Fighting for the Five Generations! The Strongest Qin! Let Grandfather Live Well...

King Qin Zhu's eyes swept across the front hall of Xianyang Palace.

The red stones here have faded and are no longer as bright red.

There are no carvings or patterns on the pillars of the temple. They are just painted several times with black paint. If you look closely, you can still see the gaps where the paint has fallen off, revealing the dark yellow base color of the wood.

Since the construction of the Central Palace, the Northern Palace, Xianyang Palace, has been almost abandoned.

as same as him.

The new King of Qin has grown up, and the old King of Qin should be abandoned.

It couldn't be better for the old King of Qin to die in the old palace.

Crown Prince Qin Zichu also looked around the half-abandoned front hall of the Xianyang Palace.

"When Lu Buwei said that my father was in the Xianyang Palace, I was secretly delighted.

"Among the five palaces in Xianyang, only the North Palace is sparsely populated, so it won't alarm too many people.

"Now that I think about it, it's really a bit strange, everything seems to be done to facilitate me.

"Besides, my father is not involved in government affairs and his whereabouts are always uncertain. Only the chariot officer knows about it. Where did Lu Buwei get this information?
"It seems... it was also given by my father..."

The prince suddenly felt frustrated.

[If Lü Buwei is also my father’s pawn, then doesn’t that mean that all my plans are in my father’s eyes…]
Qin Wangzhu looked slightly approving.

“Yes, the response was quick.

"I have known Lü Buwei for more than ten years. Although he is a businessman, he is a very talented person. You and I have chosen the same person to be our prime minister.

"Don't lose trust in Lu Buwei because of this.

“Although his goals and methods are different from yours and mine, the results are the same.

“Even if we have different ideals, we can still work together.

"Shang Jun's military merit has enabled Qin to have no shortage of capable warriors and opened up a new path for the military.

“But this path of warfare is not without cost, and its cost is the severance of the cultural heritage of the Qin State.

"Everyone is proud of foreign wars, eager to join the army, and despises reading, which completely cuts off the soil for cultivating civil officials in our Qin State.

"Duke Xiaoxian issued an order to recruit people, saying frankly that if any of his guests and ministers could come up with a brilliant plan to strengthen Qin, he would be given a high position and given land.

"This is to use foreign literary talent to continue the cultural heritage of our Qin State, weakening foreign countries and strengthening our own country.

"Shang Jun's law and Xiao Xian Gong's order to recruit talented people are both indispensable, just like a person needs two legs to walk. Have you memorized them?"

Qin Zichu responded with "Yes".

He also knows these principles.

But when it came out from the mouth of his father, whom he believed to be incompetent, even though he had just learned that his father was not really indifferent and knew nothing, he still found it difficult to adapt to it for a moment.

There were only his father and him in the hall.

At this time, Qin Zichu also took off the mask on his face.

The changes in facial expressions when answering fully reveal what is on his mind.

Qin Wangzhu, who chose the palace of death and had been waiting for his death, felt unwilling and sad when he saw his son's expression.

He laughed loudly, using his desolate laughter to cover up his inner loneliness.

"I cannot decide when, how, or where to be born. But I can decide when, how, and where to die!
"Zi Chu, I will give you one last royal decree.

"Go to the Imperial Medical Bureau and get ten Yang Qi Pills, then summon all my concubines here. I am going to die of pleasure in the front hall of Xianyang Palace today!"

Qin Zichu did not move, looking at his father who was beginning to show signs of madness, with his upper and lower lips pressed into a straight line.

"What? Don't you want to bear the name of patricide? This is your best way to establish your authority." Qin Wangzhu's face turned cold.

He walked up to his son, face to face, and his bloody breath hit the prince's face.

"Since Duke Xiao moved the capital to Xianyang, up to my generation, our Qin State has gone through five monarchs.

"In order to strengthen Qin, Duke Xiao introduced new laws.

"When my elder brother Qin Qian broke the law, I first sentenced him to tattooing (qing, second tone) and carving words on his face. Four years later, Qin Qian broke the law again, and I sentenced him to cutting off his nose (yi, fourth tone) again. From then on, the people of Qin obeyed the order and dared not criticize the new law anymore.

"In order to strengthen Qin, King Huiwen killed Shang Yang with tears in his eyes, knowing full well that Shang Yang's laws were the foundation of a strong Qin.

"In the name of supporting the State of Zhu, they went to war against Bashu, seized the two territories of Bashu, and reneged on the 600-li land that they had promised to the State of Chu.

"From then on, he was known as a cold-hearted person. All the princes thought that the King of Qin was treacherous. In his later years, he became ill from overwork and died in agony.

"In order to strengthen Qin, King Wulie went to Zhou Wangji in person to ask the Zhou emperor for the Yongzhou Ding, the first of the Nine Dings.

"The tripod was cast by King Yu. It is a national treasure and a symbol of legitimacy and power. As long as we get this tripod back, our Qin will be legitimate and our march into the Central Plains will be legal.

"The Zhou emperor used words to force King Wulie to lift the tripod. King Wulie knew it was a trick but fell into it. He lifted the Yongzhou tripod and died of a broken leg at the age of 23.

"King Zhaoxiang, my father, your great grandfather.

"In order to sit on the throne, he killed his brothers Qin Zhuang, Qin Yong, Qin Kui, Qin Yun... and almost only our lineage is left among the royal family!
"I witnessed my biological mother, the Queen Mother Xuan, having an affair with the King of Yiqiu and giving birth to two sons. In the end, I imprisoned my biological mother with my own hands! Forced her to death! Died of a rumored disease!

"I, Qin Wangzhu, have been waiting for my biological son to kill me since the day I ascended the throne! I have been creating opportunities and conditions for my biological son to kill me!"

Qin Wangzhu pointed at his son's chest, who was breathing rapidly and whose eyes were about to pop out of their sockets.

"To strengthen Qin, no matter what means are necessary.

"As long as it can strengthen Qin, no one needs to do it!
"All etiquette, ethics, morality, family, bloodline, all can be discarded!
"Humiliation, misunderstanding, cold stares, and insults, as long as it can help Qin, you must endure it with a smile! Don't show any of it!
“This is the fate of the King of Qin.

"You must bear the infamy of patricide!

"You can only announce to the public that I died of a sudden illness, as your grandfather did.

"If you dare to tell others that I am seeking my own death, and tell the truth, not only will outsiders not believe you, but they will also think that you are irresponsible and dare not admit it, and you will lose your prestige.

"Five generations of Qin monarchs have devoted everything to the Qin State, and you, the sixth generation Qin monarch, must do the same.

"Exerting the power of five generations! The strongest Qin is the best!

"Since you want to be the King of Qin, you must accept this fate!"

Qin Wangzhu arranged his son's armor, took a serious look at his son for the last time, and said in a deep voice:
"I have never liked you in my life.

"But you are indeed the most suitable one among my sons to be king.

"Go, and do as I say. Don't let me look down on you before I die." Crown Prince Qin Zichu bowed his head and clasped his hands.

As he was wearing armor and it was inconvenient for him to salute, he performed a standard salute with a hoarse voice.

"only!

"Zi Chu...

"I will obey the king's order!"

He forced himself to turn around and walk out of the hall.

I felt every step I took, as if they were not my own.

He walked very slowly.

Because he knew that he was carrying his father's lifeline.

Every step brought my father closer to death.

When he was still eight steps away from the palace gate, he heard his father's voice from behind him, and he stopped to listen.

"Take good care of Cheng Jiao for me, and let him live freely and happily.

"As long as it does not cause great harm to the Qin State, you can do whatever you want. This is my only last wish."

Qin Zichu responded "Yes" again.

Then, he quickly walked out of the front hall of Xianyang Palace.

Qin Wangzhu walked slowly and sat down on the chair representing the throne. He leaned back, put his hands on the armrests, and closed his eyes.

"Father, you really hurt Zhu badly.

"You have been fond of Qin Dao since you were young, and you decided on Qin Dao as your king early on, not wanting me to compete with Qin Dao.

“I understand.

"Qin Dao is the eldest son and my brother, and he should have succeeded to the throne.

"You have killed too many relatives in your life, and I don't want us to follow your path and not even have more offspring.

"Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll be content to be my An Guojun, indulge in sensual pleasures and not think about politics.

"But why did you sit on the throne for fifty-six years? You outlasted Qin Dao!
"Your crown prince died, and now you think of me, Lord An, and make me your crown prince.

"But I am already old and frail, seriously ill, and a useless person! You are forcing me to die!
"If you had told me earlier that I was the crown prince, I would have taken good care of myself, studied and practiced martial arts. If you had abdicated earlier and let Qin Dao succeed me, I could have continued to be the Lord of Anguo. If you had given birth to another son, I could have assisted my brother in the administration of the country as the Lord of Anguo.

"There are so many ways to survive, why did you choose a dead end for me?

"In your life, you killed your mother, brothers, and younger brother, and before you die you want to kill your son. You are so cruel!"

Qin Wangzhu opened his eyes, filled with overwhelming hatred.

"Father, I hate you!"

The hatred quickly changed into sadness, sorrow, nostalgia, and fear.

Qin Wangzhu sat on the throne, two turbid tears flowing from the corners of his eyes.

"Li Yue clearly told me that I can still show up at the wax festival next year.

"I have survived the doom that Cheng Jiao and the Grand Historian talked about, but my life span has not yet come to an end!"

In the deserted front hall of Xianyang Palace, Qin Wangzhu cried like a child, wiping his tears with a "woooo woooo" sound.

"I want to live...

"I don't want to die..."

On the bed of Zuo Shu in the third floor underground mansion of Xianyang Prison.

Qin Zhu only told his grandson about his son Qin Zichu walking out of the front hall, then he smiled slightly and stopped talking.

He seemed to want to leave in the heart of his beloved grandson an image of a man who was willing to die heroically for the Qin State, rather than a coward who was so afraid of death that he cried bitterly.

Ying Chengjiao listened in a daze, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.

I heard that the ancients sacrificed their lives for justice, and the impact caused by my grandfather's sacrifice for the Qin State is incomparable.

The sadness in Ying Chengjiao's heart cannot be expressed in words.

According to historical records, King Zhu of Qin died three days after he ascended the throne.

He tried his best to change his grandfather's fate and let him live longer.

He always thought that his grandfather died of illness and had been working hard to control his grandfather's diet and keep him away from women.

He never thought that his father died voluntarily.

"Okay, stop being so childish. You don't act like a Qin person at all."

Qin Zhu looked up, seemed to see something, put his grandson down and stood up.

As he left the bed, his face gradually became blurred and harder to see clearly.

"I will pass the Qin Kingdom to your father, and I will pass my life to you.

"Cheng Jiao, you are the most like my grandfather. Live well on his behalf. Don't cry, don't cry..."

The boy, who had already believed that it was a dream, suddenly remembered that dreams are his subconscious.

He was certain that it was his father who killed his grandfather. How could the grandfather in his dream tell him the details of the front hall of the Xianyang Palace and say something that contradicted what he knew?

"Father, this is not a dream! You..."

He hurriedly got down to the ground and reached out to grab his blurry grandfather.

Qin Wangzhu put his hands on his grandson's shoulders and pushed him back onto the bed.

"As a person, you should live your life happily. There is no need to distinguish between dreams and reality. It's time for you to wake up."

On the bed, Ying Chengjiao opened his eyes.
The person in front of him was not his grandfather, but an old man he had never seen before.

"The little kid kept calling me grandpa. Did he dream about Qin Zhu?"

Ying Chengjiao stared with his red and swollen eyes.

"How dare you! How dare you address my great grandfather by his name!"

(End of this chapter)