The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 94: The young man's political tactics, the appearance of a prime minister, declared war on the Qin prince Chu

The father and son fell into silence again, with only the sound of Qin Zichu picking up his chopsticks and chewing lightly.

The fire in Ying Chengjiao's heart was burning fiercely, and the dull pain in his abdomen was like dry firewood with oil poured on it, making the fire of anger even more intense.

Why can't you just talk properly?

Why can't you just tell the truth?

There are only him and his father here. To be honest, it’s good for everyone, isn’t that good?

In this situation, should we force him to die now, or force him to kill his father in the future?

Just when he was about to lose all hope and explode completely, pointing at his father's nose and cursing.

"Little kid!" A loud shout came from outside the house.

Ying Chengjiao's anger was temporarily suppressed by this shout. He turned his head away abruptly and didn't look at his infuriating father.

Qin Zichu paused for a moment while chewing the mutton, then chewed it twice quickly and swallowed the mutton that was just in a lump.

He stood up and walked out with a smile on his face.

When he entered the door again, he was already holding Bai Qi, whose hair was as white as his chest.

Qin Zichu helped Bai Qi to sit on the couch with a little respect. He still did not sit back on the chair. Instead, he lowered his head slightly and asked in a gentle voice:

"Wu'an Jun, please sit down for a moment. Zichu will go get a set of bowls and chopsticks."

He hurriedly ran out of Zuoshu Academy in his slippers. His figure seemed a little unreal and illusory under the candlelight.

After Qin Zichu left, Bai Qi put his right thumb and middle finger together and flicked Ying Chengjiao's head lightly.

Ying Chengjiao, who had tried to dodge but failed, flew into a rage, venting his anger and anger on Bai Qi, jumping off his chair and shouting:

"What! Take medicine if you are sick!"

Bai Qi looked at Ying Chengjiao's wide-open eyes and stroked the boy's messy hair with his big hands.

"You are still a child after all..."

Ying Chengjiao knocked Bai Qi's hand away.

"I'm not a child! If you have something to say, just say it. Don't always use the excuse of childishness or immaturity!"

Bai Qi withdrew his arm naturally, without any sign of hurt face. He laughed and shook his head.

“Okay, then I will treat you as a minister in the same palace.

“I originally thought that military commanders only needed to win battles, be loyal to the country, and be loyal to the king, and they didn’t need to care about bullshit politics.

“But because I don’t understand politics, I can’t speak like Fan Ju, that villain.

"I failed to complete the mission at Changping, and I failed to prevent the inevitable defeat at Handan. I almost died at Duyou...

"Old man, I regret it."

Bai Qi looked somewhat dejected. This famous general who had never been defeated on the battlefield suffered a crushing defeat in the court and felt deeply powerless.

"During these seven or eight years underground, what I have done most is to study politics and power tactics.

"I just want to know what this is all about! How did I and the 400,000 Qin men lose?
“I read history, let Wuxia tell me about the court affairs, let Wuxia tell me about the major events that happened in Qin.

"I have achieved something in these years, let me tell you about it."

Ying Chengjiao was still angry. He jumped onto the chair, folded his arms and glared at Bai Qi, as if to say, "If you don't explain yourself clearly, I'm going to make you pay."

His almond-shaped eyes were wide open, looking extremely delicate.

She has been well-nourished since childhood and has a round, fair and tender face.

Like all young children, he pouts unconsciously when he is angry.

When Bai Qi saw it, the slightly sad mood disappeared. Who could refuse a cute human cub?
The old man grabbed a handful of white hair and was about to speak when his eyes turned toward the door.

"Qin Zichu, come in now that you're back. Why are you standing still like me?"

Prince Chu of Qin walked in from outside, placed a pair of chopsticks and bowls in front of Bai Qi, sat down on the chair obediently, and said:

"When Zichu came just now, Wu'an Jun said he had finished his meal and avoided seeing him. I guess he didn't want to see Zichu.

"Now that he is here again, Zichu thought that Wu'an Jun must have something to say to me.

"So I went out to get the things, and when I came back I waited outside, wanting to wait until Wu Anjun had finished speaking before coming in, so as not to upset Wu Anjun."

Bai Qi sighed, pointed at Qin Zichu and said to Ying Chengjiao:
"Look, look, this is the king of our Qin State.

“The night before, I saw your father for the first time in nearly ten years, but I felt very familiar with him.

"He is exactly like Qin Ji.

“It’s not the appearance, but the spirit.

“Except for your grandfather who was a little bit arrogant, all the Qin monarchs in the past have been like this.

"Be humble and humble, and bow your head without any hesitation.

"Back then, Qin Ji made an appointment to meet the King of Zhao. The two met at Mianchi and drank and talked happily.

"When the banquet was in full swing, Qin Ji said that he had heard that the King of Zhao was very good at playing the harp, and asked the King of Zhao to play it.

"When the King of Zhao arrived, he responded with joy and played a song.

"Our country's historian immediately wrote down: In the 28th year of King Qin Ji, the King of Qin and the King of Zhao had a drinking party, and the King of Zhao was asked to play the harp.

"At this time, Qin Ji had the upper hand, and the news spread to the outside world that Qin was powerful and Zhao was weak.

"At this time, Lin Xiangru took the wine jar from the table in front of him and walked to Qin Ji.

"Do you know, little kid?"

Bai Qi picked up the wine jug on the table and gestured as he spoke:

“This thing is common among the people, but not used in the palace.

"It is wider than this wine jug, with a long body, thick neck, bulging belly and a lid. It is usually used to hold water or wine.

"When they are happy, the old Qin people love to sing, so they just hold the drum and beat the rhythm, which is the local custom of ancient Qin."

Ying Chengjiao was displeased.

Doesn't this explanation still treat him as a child?

How could he not have seen the gu? He had been to all the places in Xianyang.

His face was calm and he said:

"I know what a jar looks like, you don't need to describe it.

"I also know that later Lin Xiangru asked his great-grandfather Wangfu to beat the drum, but his great-grandfather Wangfu was furious and refused.

"Lin Xiangru knelt down and begged, but his great-grandfather still refused.

"Lin Xiangru said that within five steps, he would cut open the neck and the blood would splash all over my great-grandfather, threatening his life.

"My great-grandfather's attendants drew their foot-long swords and tried to kill Lin Xiangru.

"Lin Xiangru glared and shouted, and the attendants all became listless and put their swords back into their sheaths.

“My great-grandfather Wang was helpless and could only knock on the drum.

"Lin Xiangru immediately asked the historian of Zhao to record: In the 21st year of King He of Zhao, the King of Qin beat the drum for the King of Zhao.

"What do you want to say?"

Bai Qi was very surprised.

Most people like to remember glorious things and don’t like to remember humiliating things.

The seven-year-old Ying Chengjiao could describe the meeting at Mianchi so accurately, even the details were exactly the same, which showed that he had memorized it carefully, which was not easy.

Is this kind of kid really the lazy and slacking boy that his own granddaughter described, who can't stand the hardship of paperwork?

The old man turned his head to look at Qin Wang Zichu, but he could not see any emotion such as surprise or admiration on Qin Wang Zichu's smiling face.

[Bah! Why am I looking at him? Except for Qin Zhu, who among the King of Qin can't hide his thoughts? I'm really wasting my time.]
Bai Qi secretly cursed in his heart and clapped his hands in praise:
"color.

“You even know this, I underestimated you.

"You are not only very courageous, but you must have read a lot of books.

"Lin Xiangru asked Qin Ji to beat the drum, which not only perfectly helped Zhao State to win the game, but also made our Qin State fall behind, because..."

Ying Chengjiao was a little impatient, disliking the old man's slow speech, and said very quickly:
“Because the qin is a real musical instrument, while the gu is just a container for wine or water.

“People didn’t have any musical instruments, so when they sang, they just patted the dau, which was almost like patting a basin of water, and it was not elegant enough.

"Lin Xiangru asked his great-grandfather Wangfu to beat the drum in public, not only because he had no musical instrument, but more importantly, he wanted to mock the Qin State for being crude and without music, and the Qin music was beating the drum.

"Master Wu'an, what else do you want to say?"

Qin Wang Zichu, who was listening in, trembled his hands under the table and almost lost control of his expression.

For the second son to say such words, if someone had not taught him intentionally and it was really what he thought, then he must have some understanding of the Qin State's landscape, people's customs, and the changes from ancient times to the present.

Let’s not talk about anything else, let’s just talk about this one thing.

Those young civil officials he had newly promoted in the court might not be able to explain Lin Xiangru's intentions at the meeting at Mianchi.

[This time I met this bastard, and only heard these words, and it was worth it to get scolded.]
Prince Chu of Qin took a bite of the dish. Although the food didn't taste good, it did not affect his happiness.

Bai Qi, who had studied political tactics for seven or eight years, was stunned.

[No way...this kid even understands this?]
[When I told Wuxia about this, she didn’t understand. She must have been around 11 or 12 at that time…]
[This kid is so good at political tactics... No, I have to try him again.]
The old man sat up a little straighter and asked tentatively:

"Qin Ji has been a strong man his whole life, but why didn't he lose his temper over this matter and just endured it? Do you know why?"

"Because Lian Po deployed his troops on the border between Qin and Zhao to protect the safety of King Zhao." Ying Chengjiao answered very quickly.

Bai Qi nodded and felt relieved.

[Fortunately, Qin Zichu’s wife is Lin Xiangru’s granddaughter, so she probably told this kid about it.]
"Yes, but there is a more important reason."

As soon as he finished speaking, a certain guy who had kept silent said crisply:

"A year before the meeting at Mianchi, my great-grandfather Wang appointed Sima Cuo and Bai Qi as generals and divided their troops into two routes to attack Chu."

As soon as Ying Chengjiao said something, Prince Qin frowned, tapped the table and reprimanded:
"Calling Wu'an Jun by his name! It's disrespectful and disrespectful, you..."

Bai Qi stopped Prince Chu of Qin with his arm crossed, his eyes shining slightly as he stared at the impolite boy.

"Let him say it!"

Ying Chengjiao ignored his father and treated him as a transparent person. He continued:
"General Sima led his army out from Longxi.

"They passed through Shu County, supplemented Ba and Shu with 100,000 troops, 10,000 large ships, 6 million hu of rice, and sailed down the Yangtze River to attack Chu, occupying Chu's Qianzhong County (western Hunan and northeastern Guizhou).

After Bai Qi attacked Zhao and captured Guanglangcheng (now west of Gaoping, Shanxi), he also marched southward to attack Dengcheng (now northwest of Xiangfan, Hubei) in the northern border of Chu.

"When the Battle of Mianchi occurred, the main force of our army was fighting in Chu territory. My great-grandfather was afraid that Zhao would attack while our army was fighting Chu.

"Chu is in the south of our country, and Zhao is in the north of our country. Once Zhao attacks, our army will be caught in the dilemma of fighting in the north and south at the same time, which is extremely disadvantageous.

"The meeting at Mianchi was a banquet arranged by my great-grandfather to appease and intimidate the King of Zhao and prevent him from interfering.

"Letting the King of Zhao play the harp is a means of deterrence, while beating the drum is a means of appeasement. I don't believe that the elite soldiers of my Qin State will be frightened by Lin Xiangru's glare." As long as the State of Zhao does not send troops, my great-grandfather will achieve his strategic goal.

"At this time, my great grandfather would never turn against the State of Zhao because of saliva or anger."

Bai Qi applauded and praised:

"color.

"It took me seven or eight years to learn the art of power, but you already knew it when you were seven. Did your mother teach you when you were still in her womb?"

The old man was talking with a smile on his face, when he suddenly snapped his fingers and flicked Ying Chengjiao's head, causing it to explode.

"You just paused on purpose, how dare you tease me!"

The young man's anger had already been extinguished, and the real pain from the bullet aroused his anger again.

He knew he couldn't beat Bai Qi, so he jumped off the chair and ran three meters away from Bai Qi, holding his head and sneered:
"Wu Anjun said that I like to brag and boast. It turns out that I am the one who brags and boasts.

"You are so old now, and it took you seven or eight years to learn what I understood when I was seven. Is that what you call learning success?"

Prince Chu of Qin did not stop his second son this time, and he was blaming himself.

He discovered the night before that his second son was extremely talented, but he also knew that he had always hated studying.

In order not to waste the second son's talent, he was sent to Bai Qi to learn the art of war. If he was not good at literature, he would learn martial arts.

Who would have thought that the second son had such a high level of control over power and human hearts.

With a little training, in time, he will become the future Prime Minister of Qin, a prime minister who truly comes from the royal family.

He regretted letting his second son, who had the potential to be a prime minister, learn military tactics.

[I can’t take back what I have said. I’ll just have to wait and see what happens this time!]
Bai Qi was not angry when he was ridiculed.

When fighting, the enemy invites you to fight and the insults they say are much more unpleasant than this.

Of course, it was mainly the people who were scolding that were pleased by Bai Qi.

If someone else had come to mock him, he would have been slapped in the face and become obedient.

The old man stroked his snow-white hair and said with a smile:

“Since you understand all this, you should know that even if you ask your great-grandfather a hundred times how he died, he will only answer that he died of illness.

"King Qin, you value the interests of Qin above all else, and perhaps they cannot even be called human beings.

"When they need to be humble, they can bow to the ministers of the enemy country and lose face without pursuing it. They bend down to their own ministers and show utmost respect.

"When they need to be ruthless, they can massacre their own relatives, as your great-grandfather did. They can also sacrifice themselves, as your great-grandfather did.

"Now it is your father's turn to be the King of Qin. It is already difficult for him to spare your life. How can you expect him to change his mind for your sake?

"You already have the answer in your mind, right? Why do you need to confirm it from your father?"

Ying Chengjiao lowered his head slightly and remained silent.

Father, like son.

But he was not confused as he was in power, and he understood everything Bai Qi said.

He just can't let go of the blood ties that bind him together.

From the moment his father came to see him with the food box, he was certain that his grandfather did not die at his father's hands, but committed suicide.

"Qin Zichu, I'll ask you one last time." He raised his head, his eyes slightly red: "How did my grandfather die?"

Qin Wang Zichu said without hesitation:

"Died of illness."

The seven-year-old boy stood there, not saying a word.

Although his eyes were red, no tears fell.

At this moment he suddenly realized that he was born into the royal family of Qin, the royal family of the late Qin Dynasty that produced many wise rulers and eventually unified the country.

His father, Qin Zichu, was the last of the six generations of heroes.

His status is very important, otherwise his father would not have come down with a food box to see him when he heard that he was going on a hunger strike.

But in front of the Qin State, it doesn’t matter, nothing matters.

All Qin emperors in every generation have been like this, and only such a Qin State can unify the world.

Qin Zichu put down his chopsticks and looked at his second son with a fatherly look.

"Cheng Jiao, your great grandfather's last wish was to destroy the six kingdoms and unify them, making Qin the successor dynasty to the Zhou.

"You are your grandfather's most beloved grandson. He held my hand and said that you are also a child of the royal family. It is time for you to grow up and study the art of war with Lord Wu'an."

Ying Chengjiao had a tense face.

He remembered clearly every word his grandfather said in his dream.

He was very sure that his great-grandfather wanted him to live happily... His father even dared to tamper with his great-grandfather's dying wishes and not tell him the truth.

The seven-year-old boy spoke coldly:
"If it weren't for my father's concern for Qin, and if it weren't for the fact that I didn't want Qin to be in chaos, I would have scolded you when the civil officials, military generals, relatives, and clan members were all in Jingquan Palace, instead of waiting until everyone left."

Qin Zichu nodded appreciatively and said with a smile:

"Although you are reckless, you haven't completely lost your mind. This is a good move."

Bai Qi couldn't laugh as he heard it.

How painful it would be for a seven-year-old child to find out that his grandfather, with whom he had the deepest affection, was killed by his father.

revenge.

Committing the same act of patricide? Killing his father who treated him well on weekdays? The boy was incapable of doing such an inhuman thing.

Not revenge.

The young man in front of him couldn't just pretend to be nice and pretend he didn't know. He was not afraid of power and was full of passion. His character hadn't changed in his two lives.

Since he can't kill the person himself, nor can he pretend to be ignorant even though he knows the truth, there is only one way left.

Disregarding life and death, he questioned him face to face and cursed him to his heart's content.

But even when scolding, the young man could not act on impulse and could not cause the instability of the Qin State, which his grandfather valued most during his lifetime.

Seven years old, an age when ordinary people have not yet started doing farm work.

After enduring the great grief of his father's murder, he had to calm his mind and think rationally. After finally choosing to go crazy, he had to choose a time that would not affect others or the Qin State.

He knows more about political tactics than this old man who has been studying them for seven or eight years.

The old man looked serious.

"Qin Zichu."

Qin Prince Chu, who was addressed by his surname, turned his head and looked at him with a slight respect.

"Please speak, Lord Wu'an."

Bai Qi said in a deep voice:
"You let this boy worship me as your master, which is really a waste of his talent.

"You and I have all witnessed his performance. As a prime minister, he is definitely a hundred times better than that villain Fan Ju!
"You should take him up with you. The place where he can display his talents is not on the battlefield, but in the court of Qin and in the courts of other nations!"

Under the old man's extremely oppressive gaze, Qin Wang Zichu smiled and shook his head firmly.

"no.

"I put him in Xianyang prison the day before yesterday, and I let him go today. Where is my dignity?"

Bai Qi's hair and beard stood on end, and he said angrily:

"Qin Ji was humiliated by Lin Xiangru for the sake of Qin State, but you dare to talk about majesty with me!

"This boy is no more important to the Qin State than your shitty power! I really misjudged you!"

Qin Wang Zichu slowly explained:

"When King Zhaoxiang met at the Mianchi Conference, he had been king for 28 years and his throne was secure.

"I have just ascended the throne, and now is the time when I need to establish my prestige the most. Prestige is especially important.

"If I had been on the throne for three years, I would have let this brat go, but not now."

The angrier the old man gets, the calmer he becomes.

Invisible evil and murderous aura surged together, making Qin Zichu feel a chill penetrating his body.

"A prime minister who comes from the royal family and is absolutely on the side of Qin is not as majestic as the king you just succeeded to the throne?"

Prince Chu of Qin pondered for a moment.

“If he is truly a talent for the prime minister, then his authority is naturally greater than mine.

"but.

"This boy only has the appearance of a prime minister, but not the talent. It will take at least ten years for him to become a prime minister.

“The Mianchi meeting he analyzed is something that happened in the past, which is much simpler than analyzing the current situation.

"Take the Battle of Changping, which was the most impressive event for Wu Anjun.

"If there is another Battle of Changping, Zhao will definitely not exchange Zhao Kuo for Lian Po, right?

“No matter how brilliant or thorough the analysis in the past was, it is of little benefit to the present.

"What I need is a prime minister who can see through the various countries, understand the current situation, and give me national policies and strategies.

"Shang Jun reformed the system, Zhang Zi made alliances, and Fan Zi made friends with people far away and attacked people near.

"The future prime minister is nothing"

Before he finished speaking, the young man who had not spoken for a long time suddenly interrupted and said coldly:
“Qin Zichu.

"If I can analyze the current situation of the country, offer you strategies for governing the country, and give you the governing principles.

"Not only do I need to be released from prison, but Bai Qi needs to be released from prison as well, should I?"

Qin Wang Zichu was both amused and annoyed, and said:

"Look, Wu An Jun, this guy really thinks he is the prime minister."

Bai Qi, who also found it funny, did not laugh. Morale is one of the important factors in fighting a war.

He believes that what growing teenagers need most at this moment is self-confidence, not setbacks.

The old man then said with a cold face:
"Qin Zichu, let me out, do you dare to agree?"

Prince Chu of Qin understood Bai Qi's intention instantly.

Young people should be given confidence when they need it.

Turning back, he saw the second son's face full of seriousness, his eyes looking at him and his finger pointing at Bai Qi.

Qin Wang Zichu thought it was very interesting, raised the corner of his mouth, nodded and smiled:
"If there is really a prime minister in front of me, it would be my fault if I don't use him. I agree."

　If the number of words is not enough, send red envelopes in the group

　　
　
(End of this chapter)