The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 9 Sir, are you going to file a complaint again?

The pitch of a child's voice that has not yet changed is naturally high, and Ying Chengjiao did not deliberately lower it.

Just the sound of normal talking drowned out the sound of Qin Zichu and Zhao Ji, who had calmed down and were speaking in slow and soft voices.

Ying Zheng was shocked.

Although his younger brother is extremely favored, he will definitely be punished for disrupting order on such an important occasion!

I hated myself in my heart. It was so nice to just keep looking at the ground. Why couldn't I help but look up? I shouldn't have looked more!
"Cheng Jiao!"

As expected, the crown prince let out a roar, and the anger in his roar made Ying Zheng repent twice as much.

Without time to think, he quickly lowered his head, half-bowed, clasped his hands, and said quickly according to his heart:
"This is all my fault. I shouldn't have asked Master Chengjiao what that thing was. I am willing to be flogged!"

The hall suddenly fell into silence, and Ying Zheng could even hear the sound of his own rapid heartbeat.

[I heard that the laws of the Qin State were harsh. Caning was not enough? They wanted corporal punishment?!]
[Qin law requires that if you make a mistake, you must be punished, and you cannot take the blame. If I am punished, my brother will not be exempted from punishment and will also be whipped. Can he bear it?]
[What should I do? What should I do? Mother, help me!]
His mind was filled with random thoughts and he completely lost the wit to talk to the Minister of the Chariot.

He suddenly arrived at the Qin Palace, which was the front hall of the Zhangtai Palace with the highest standards for receiving foreign guests. He was so cautious that he would not dare to look up if his father had not called him.

After all, he was just a nine-year-old boy.

"Brother..."

Ying Chengjiao was stunned.

[You are Qin Shi Huang...]
At this moment, he was confused.

He said something and his father roared. How could Qin Shihuang be so scared?
The elder brother beside him was shaking with fear...

Snap~

Deep in Ying Chengjiao's heart, the filter he had for Qin Shihuang shattered into pieces, along with the doubts in his mind.

The person standing in front of him was Ying Zheng, not Qin Shi Huang.

He is a child who was abandoned by his father at a young age. Against the backdrop of the Battle of Changping, he was held hostage in Zhao for eight years. He endured the Zhao people's anger and vented their deep hatred for eight years.

It's a miracle that I survived...

The Qin Shi Huang in his mind overlaps with his brother who is struggling to survive but standing in front of him to take the punishment for him.

A warmth emanated from the filter powder and flowed throughout Ying Chengjiao's body.

He stood on tiptoe and pulled Ying Zheng's hand down with force.

"Brother, this is Qin, not Zhao."

Ying Zheng pursed his lips and his teeth chattered.

"Qin State..."

He saw a lot along the way and knew that there were many differences between Qin and Zhao.

But he didn't know yet what was different about how Qin and Zhao treated him.

Young Master Cheng Jiao nodded heavily.

"Qin!"

His eyes were firm.

“We have the final say.”

Laughter suddenly rose in the court like a whirlwind.

Like thunder in the sky, like a huge bell struck with all its might, like the sound of the sky collapsing and the earth falling apart.

He wanted to overturn the dome of the hall, soar up into the sky, and overturn the palace in heaven together.

Ying Zheng was at a loss, looking around in panic.

It was like seeing a hare with an eagle extending its claws, or a rat with a civet cat exploring a hole. It was the first time I saw myself, the prince of Zhao, grinning and waving a whip.

"Who dares to whip me? I will whip him till there is not a single piece of skin left on his body!"

"If the whole court doesn't have to kneel before court, who wouldn't owe you a great favor?"

"Good boy, you have guts! You're a man! It's worth it that the master cried and made a fuss for three days to take you back!"

"What's the big deal about interrupting? This is called true nature! Sir, even when you pee now, I praise you for your long piss!"

"You are really enviable, you are favored by the young master. With the young master protecting you, the Qin State can walk sideways."

"Good fortunes are closely related to misfortunes, and misfortunes are closely related to good fortunes. The eldest son has been held hostage in Zhao for eight years before the young master will think of him. Send your daughter to Zhao for a few years and try. Maybe she can marry the young master."

"..."

The ministers who had been silent in the hall seemed to have turned on the talking switch. They kept talking one after another, mixed with laughter. The originally solemn front hall of Zhangtai Palace suddenly became noisy, more lively than the largest market in Xianyang.

[this……]
Ying Zheng felt a little dizzy and looked around blankly. The Qin ministers were sitting on chairs, clapping their thighs and dancing.

The looks cast towards him were all admiring and optimistic, rather than looks of hatred that wanted to kill him thousands of times.

There were tears in his eyes. This was the first time he cried since he was six years old and realized that crying was useless.

He didn't cry when he was beaten so badly that he couldn't walk and felt severe pain when he moved. He didn't cry when he was almost stabbed to death by thieves.

He closed his eyes and burst into tears, but he didn't know it.

It was not until Ying Chengjiao's little hand wiped his face and wiped away his tears that he realized he was crying.

He didn't mean to cry.

"Brother..."

He finally understood why he felt uncomfortable just now.

From outside Hangu Pass to the front hall of Zhangtai Palace, his half-brother showed too much care and concern for him.

This extremely strong emotion made him, who cursed his father as a parasite at the critical moment of life and death, have inappropriate expectations...

"quiet!"

Qin Zichu, who was kneeling alone at the table, shouted loudly, and all the ministers in the hall fell silent.

Qin Zichu looked at Ying Chengjiao with a hint of anger.

"Relying on the king's favor and the love of the officials in the court, look at how presumptuous you have become."

Ying Chengjiao rolled his eyes and snorted.

With the title of child prodigy and a body of only seven years old, this rebellious behavior caused more laughter from the people sitting on the chairs.

Qin Zichu pretended not to hear and spoke a few more words to Zhao Ji. He expressed his concern for the shivering prince of Zhao with a warm face and ended the meeting with the envoy of Zhao.

The ministers dispersed first, and Ying Chengjiao also pulled Ying Zheng out.

Qin Zichu hurried down the platform and grabbed his second son.

"You've been asking for your brother all day long. Now that your brother is right beside you, where are you going?"

Ying Chengjiao glanced at his father.

“Of course I’ll go find my grandfather.

"You don't feel sorry for your own son, but I feel sorry for my brother!

"You are afraid of me, but I am not. The mastermind behind this must be found out!"

Qin Zichu's face turned dark and his big hands tightened.

"Don't go!"

Ying Chengjiao's face also turned dark.

"I called someone."

Qin Zichu relaxed a little and spoke earnestly.

"Your grandfather is looking forward to your return. He hasn't slept well these past few days and is now taking a rest. Can you go later?"

Ying Chengjiao shook off his father's hand.

"You'll kill everyone soon, there's no point in trying a ghost."

Zhao Ji smiled beautifully and gently stroked Ying Chengjiao's little head.

"I know my son loves Zheng'er, but this matter..."

"Don't touch my head!"

Ying Chengjiao did not wait for Zhao Ji to finish her words and moved away unhappily.

Zhao Ji held her hands in the air, looking stunned.

[How come this child is completely different from the one outside Hangu Pass?]
Ying Chengjiao pointed at the ground.

"Mrs. Ji, I'm home!" (Note 1)
[I coax you outside because I’m afraid something might happen. Who would still pretend to be nice to you when you get home?]
The rebellious child pulled his brother and ran away. Wherever they passed, the officials smiled and made way for them.

"Are you going to file a complaint again, sir?"

…………

【Note 1: Zhao Ji’s surname is not Zhao and her given name is Ji. It is the name of the country Zhao and her surname is Ji. This is the way of addressing people during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The names of Wei Ji, Zheng Ji and Fan Ji in historical books are all in this way.】

(End of this chapter)