The man tore off his face covering, revealing an angry and majestic face. He was none other than the First Emperor, the master of the Qin Empire.
Plop~
Ying Chengyu, who was so advanced in martial arts, had not yet reacted. The old man who was sitting in front of him had already knelt on his knees in front of the First Emperor, lowering his head and bursting into tears.
"Your Majesty! Ze pointed out that Lord Chang'an rebelled! Lord Chang'an personally told his ministers that he wanted to do the king's business, and also..."
Cai Ze poured beans out of his bamboo tube and said everything.
From what he said to Ying Chengyu after arriving in prison, as well as what he did during this period, he has to tell it in detail with some slight processing.
It would take a while to describe this experience in words.
While Cai Ze lowered his head and narrated, the First Emperor frowned and glared at his brother who refused to let him calm down.
The First Emperor, who didn't know what Ying Chengyong wanted and didn't want to ruin Ying Chengyuan's affairs, opened his mouth and said silently - What kind of tricks are you playing?
Ying Chengyu sighed silently, shook his head, and raised his hands. He indicated that this matter had nothing to do with him, and he was helpless.
"Ze Wan refused to agree, saying that Your Majesty is the master of destiny, and those who disobey and rebel will be punished by heaven. But Chang'an Lord claimed that he was the king of Zhaoxiang, and he was the king of the three generations of Qin kings. His words and actions were arrogant. It is contrary to the Tao..."
Cai Ze continued to discuss. The First Emperor knew that this was not Ying Chengyu's instigation, so he didn't want to listen anymore. He didn't have that much free time.
He immediately picked up the topic and said: "This is true. Grandfather, eldest father, and father all really prefer this son."
Kneeling on the ground, his mouth went dry as he spoke. The old man who had been looking forward to what the First Emperor would say in his heart finally received the Holy Message from the First Emperor.
The old man mobilized his quick and old brain, trying hard to prove his innocence and show his loyalty according to the words of the First Emperor.
Then, the old man realized that he was really old and his brain was old. He didn't know what to say.
He lay on the ground and made no sound.
The First Emperor glanced sideways at Ying Chengyu, you are so stupid, you still want me to help him up?
Ying Chengyu rolled his eyes, went down to the ground, helped Cai Ze up with both hands, and said with a half-smile, "Sir, you are really unyielding and loyal. One minister will do nothing to the two masters. He would rather die than betray the master."
Cai Ze didn't look up.
Ying Chengyu forced Cai Ze's chin to lift the old man's head, forcing Cai Ze to face him and the First Emperor.
The expression on the old man's face was very exciting, he couldn't help but wince. The faces of the two people, the First Emperor and the Emperor, were looking back and forth, disbelief and unreasonable occupying half of his face respectively.
What happened was so sudden and incomprehensible that the old man, who was well versed in the art of protecting himself in troubled times, even forgot the caution engraved in his bones, and looked at the first emperor's transgressions without restraint.
Since the era of Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, the abdication system has become a hereditary system. For the position of king, there are countless fathers and sons fighting against each other and brothers fighting against each other.
The old man has seen too much in history books, and in reality he even witnessed the fight between Mi Bazi and Queen Qin Zhaoxiang's mother and son. The last generation of powerful Empress Dowager Xuan died on hunger strike in the cold palace.
How come your majesty is so close to Lord Chang'an? Why did Your Majesty have such an expression when he heard that Lord Chang'an was about to rebel?
"Does Gangcheng-kun trust Chengyu's words now? Does Gangcheng-kun want to work for my two brothers, or does he want to work for the nobles?" Ying Chengyu asked the previous question again.
"I'm doing something for you, it has nothing to do with me." The First Emperor dismantled Ying into a platform in front of Cai Ze, and said displeasedly, "I haven't agreed to your request yet."
And this sentence automatically turned into eight words in Cai Ze's ears - just go ahead and do it, I support you.
This kind of thing of being an enemy of all the nobles of the Qin State was done by a man named Shang Yang a hundred years ago.
Without the support of Duke Xiao of Qin, Shang Yang would not be able to die even if he had a hundred lives.
For the same reason, in Cai Ze's eyes, without the support of the First Emperor, Ying Chengyu would have died long ago.
Now, your disapproval is nothing more than a fig leaf.
Monarchs are all majestic, bright, just and awe-inspiring. This kind of exploiting nobles from aristocratic families must have been done by a reformer on their own initiative and has nothing to do with the monarch.
In this way, if it succeeds, the monarch will benefit smoothly; if it fails, the reformer will be beheaded to calm the anger of the nobles. Isn't that how Shang Yang died.
"Your Majesty, if Lord Chang'an wants me to do harm to Your Majesty, how should I deal with it?"
The old man must ask clearly. He doesn't want Hulihutu to go to hell with Ying Chengyu to taste the salty Mengpo soup. Those who reform will rarely end well.
"Listen to him."
The First Emperor once sent Cai Ze as an envoy to the State of Yan, and he knew Cai Ze's temperament.
He immediately prescribed the right medicine, and said it directly without saying anything that would not be detrimental to me.
"only."
The old man responded respectfully.
The greatest in the world is the First Emperor.
Although the old man did not agree with the First Emperor that much, he felt that the First Emperor was more trustworthy than those nobles from aristocratic families who gathered to persecute him.
"Brother Imperial, you can leave." Ying Chengyu said with satisfaction.
Nothing could dispel Cai Ze's doubts more than the presence of the First Emperor in person.
The First Emperor wants to get angry. I am extremely busy with government affairs. How can you just call me and leave?
Seeing Cai Ze next to him, he held back and said with a bad look, "I heard that Bao Bai Lingzhi drowned."
"Yes, the elderly are too careless."
"This is the last time." The First Emperor raised a finger and warned: "If your so-called reform is to use this kind of murderous method, then don't blame me for intervening."
When I wanted to kill Chunyu Yue and bury the Confucians in order to revive Fusu, I had to find legitimate reasons and excuses. How dare you do this!
"only."
Ying Chengyu nodded.
Killing Bao Bai Lingzhi was a drug he administered to stimulate the nobles of the family. Strictly speaking, this kind of private killing had violated the rules of the Qin State.
"The Qin Dynasty rules the country by law. Bao Bailing's crime can lead to death, and he can be tried and killed in public. Don't let me hear ridiculous remarks like drowning in Xianyang Prison again, and don't kill people in the middle of the night like ten years ago, otherwise I can't sit back and watch. .”
"Brother, don't worry, I know what's appropriate. It's enough for Bao Bai to put a Qin sword around their necks if they die. I won't swing it down and kill them all. Who will govern the Qin State?"
"That's exactly what it means."
The First Emperor glanced at Gangchengjun Cai Ze, who had calmed down and returned to being cautious, standing respectfully and not daring to look directly in his face.
In front of Cai Ze, he said to his brother: "Cai Ze has great talent but no ambition. His speech and argumentation are not as good as those of Yao Jia. I once promised him a high-ranking official, a rich salary, a rare treasure, and a rare treasure to persuade all countries. He doesn't dare. It's up to you to decide whether to use it or not."
The emperor's brother really knew Cai Ze's talent.
Ying Chengqiao smiled and glanced at Cai Ze, who was not embarrassed at all.
"I had a very pleasant conversation with Mr. Gangcheng. We felt like old friends at first sight, just like Boya did in his childhood."
The First Emperor made his words clear and hurried away with Genie without stopping.
After the First Emperor left, Cai Ze looked ashamed and speechless, as if he felt regret for abandoning Ying Chengyu in front of the First Emperor just now.
"Sir, you are still performing with Cheng Xi? People like you and me, life is more important than the sky, how can we be embarrassed if we act to save our lives?"
The old man returned to normal and agreed: "This is a wonderful statement."
"Then, let's talk about it further?" Ying Chengyu said with a smile: "After the matter is completed, the Chang'an Lord's Mansion will be in one day. As long as the Cai family does not break the law or discipline, I will ensure your wealth."
There is only wealth, no glory... It seems that this son is serious about breaking the boundaries between nobles and common people.
"Thank you, Lord Chang'an, and Ze will do his best."
Ying Chengxuan was not polite and said immediately: "I have something to worry about. I have grain to distribute all over the world, and I want to gather it in the pass. However, nine out of ten grains from Qi land will be lost after entering the pass, and ten grains from Chu land will be lost to Qin Dynasty." 6. I dare to ask, sir, if there is an order for me to gather all my food here."
"One person is weak, but many people are strong. If Ze can lead all the aristocratic families like Gan Luo, he can gather the strength of the aristocratic families to help Lord Chang'an."
"Hahahahahaha!" Ying Chengyu laughed loudly, patted the old man's shoulder and said, "Sir, you can be ambitious even if you are forced to do nothing!"
The old man sighed helplessly and said: "If Ze does not seek some benefits for himself and has no desires, how can Lord Chang'an rest assured? Since Ze must join the game, why shouldn't Ze fight more like the Marquis of Wucheng?"
The old man was not from a humble background, but it had nothing to do with being famous.
He broke away from the civilian class by pulling the nobility's tail. No matter where he went, he could not starve to death with his status, but that was all.
The old man wanted to get rid of his current situation, so he visited famous teachers to study in his early years. This name was not the "name" of "famous", but the "name" of "famous master", and he became a great name in ten years.
After leaving the army, he traveled around the country and sought official positions from many princes, big and small.
It is a pity that he has not been reused by any country, and he will not stay in any country for long.
But this is just a rumor spread by the kings of various countries to save their own face.
The actual situation is that the old man becomes a guest of the monarchs of various countries with just his mouth. Most monarchs value the old man very much.
But all the old people smelled danger and did not dare to wait any longer.
The old man wants fame and fortune, but the prerequisite for all this is his life.
When he arrived in the state of Qin, the old man actually wanted to leave after resigning from his position as prime minister.
But King Zhaoxiang of Qin ordered that he could resign but not leave Qin, otherwise he would be executed immediately.
The old man had no choice but to settle down in the Qin State. In the past twenty years, his family, the Cai family, had become a member of the Qin State's aristocratic family circle, which fulfilled the old man's wish.
Originally, the old man wanted to end his life, but he didn't expect that he would fall into the hands of Ying Chengyu in his later years.
Since you can't resist, then work harder to bring the Cai family to a higher level.
The old man thought so.
"Okay, I will help you become the head of the family. If you go back on your promise and ignore Cheng Xi, don't blame Cheng Xi for killing him." Ying Cheng Xi chuckled and said, "Brother, I am not allowed to kill people, otherwise I will not be allowed to change the law. But if If things don't work out, Cheng Xiu doesn't care about that much. Let's vent his personal anger first and then talk about it. I hope Mr. Cheng won't be the last person Cheng Xiu kills."
"Ze is good at preserving himself in troubled times." The old man said proudly.
…
A few days later.
Zhangtai Palace.
The refreshing aroma of sandalwood could not wake up the First Emperor who had finished reviewing the memorial at 3 a.m. and then went to find a new concubine to make a baby.
The energy was leaking out, and I woke up so early that even an iron man couldn't bear it.
The First Emperor, who had only slept for three hours, mustered up his energy and unfolded a volume of memorials.
[I saw a strange thing today. It is said that it was made by Zhang Liang. It is called paper. It is much better than bamboo slips for carrying words...]
As soon as he read the first few words, the First Emperor's somewhat groggy mind immediately became clear.
The First Emperor, with anger in his eyes, threw the memorial sent back from Yandi to the ground before he could finish reading it.
"How dare you, Zhuzi!"
The First Emperor was very angry, more angry than ever before.
"I don't want him to push it, my father doesn't want him to push it, my eldest father doesn't want him to push it, and my grandfather doesn't want him to push it, so why doesn't he just listen! This guy really thinks that he is the only one smart in the world, and he is the only one who is sober when everyone else is drunk!"
There was no need to read them all before the First Emperor knew that it was his dear brother Ying Chengyu who had done this.
Twenty years ago, Ying Chengxuan held up a piece of paper and presented it to King Qin Zhaoxiang like a treasure, but was banished by King Qin Zhaoxiang.
The person who invented paper and made paper was Ying Chengyu, so Zhang Liang had nothing to do with him.
"A lesson from the past is a lesson for future mistakes. If you don't follow Shang Jun's method, Qin will be destroyed soon. How long will it take for you to understand this!"
Qin's strength began with Shang Yang.
The purpose of Shang Yang's reform is that if the people are weak, the country will be strong. A country with principles should keep the people ignorant, tire the people, and weaken the people.
Shang Yang rewards farming and weaving. Farmers only need to be able to farm and weave, and there is no need to know anything else.
Shang Yang collected high taxes, and the farmers were exhausted from working hard every day from morning to night. After paying the taxes, the grain was barely enough to fill their stomachs.
Shang Yang believed that the value of farmers lies in their ignorance. Once they master knowledge, they will not farm well and will have other ideas.
A tired farmer doesn't have too many ideas and doesn't think too much.
Most of the value created by farmers was given to the state. If the Qin State was strong and the farmers were poor, the farmers would have no capital to rebel.
From Duke Xiao of Qin to the First Emperor of Qin, the State of Qin always implemented Shang Yang's beliefs.
The First Emperor's recent order to burn books is an advanced version of the Legalist policy of obscuring the people.
The Qin State is in the Guanzhong version, and the policy of obscuring the people is 1.0-let the farmers know nothing and only learn to farm.
The State of Qin opened a new map and included the six kingdoms, and the version was changed to Tianxia. The First Emperor updated the strategy and launched the policy of obscuring the people 2.0 - letting the people of the world learn only simplified characters and Qin script, and unify their thoughts first. Only books on farming and medical treatment were allowed, and thoughtful scholars were not allowed to read books from hundreds of schools of thought. The books that the common people could read were strictly restricted by the First Emperor.
This order to burn books was issued by the First Emperor to the world at the Xuanzang Palace last year.
Within Hangu Pass, the base camp of the Qin State, Shang Yang had already done this kind of thing.
It seems that the First Emperor allowed the world to learn writing, which was much better than Shang Yang who banned reading and literacy.
In essence, what they both do is the same, and they are both thoroughly Legalist thoughts.
The First Emperor did not want the world to be literate. He was forced to implement the policy of writing and writing for the sake of unification.
】
If it weren't for the newly acquired territory of the Six Kingdoms, the First Emperor would have wished that everyone in the world was ignorant, so that it would be easier for him to govern.
Ying Chengxuan had mentioned Kai Min Zhi to him before, but was rejected by the First Emperor.
However, out of trust in Ying Chengxuan, the First Emperor, who governed the country according to Legalism, was willing to use the seven northwest counties as a pilot project to let Ying Chengxuan do it. This was already a huge concession.
If it were anyone else who dared to pry off Qin's powerful foundation and shake the legalist ideology of governing the country, it would be unfavorable to see the King of Qin's sword.
The First Emperor did not expect that Ying Chengyu would be dissatisfied with the seven northwest counties.
Without warning, the paper was distributed to the world through Zhang Liang's hand.
The news could be written into a memorial and passed to the First Emperor. Not only was the news in Yandi flooded with paper, it was at least made public for a while locally.
The First Emperor was breathing heavily on the spot, not knowing that he was now going to Xianyang Prison for the third time to question Ying Chengyu.
It would be better to directly issue an imperial edict to ban the paper that Ying Chengyu had invented long ago.
