In January, a sparse light snow fell on the top of the city wall, turned into water, and flowed to the base of the city wall. Winter has arrived.
It's covered in snow, and the already cold long street is deserted. People are hiding in their homes, looking forward to this winter passing quickly. They don't like winter.
For the poor people, winter means cold, chill, and nothing. A vast expanse of white is not worthy of praise, and there is nothing to see.
"God, let this winter pass quickly!"
People all over the world shivered and shouted.
Winter is not suitable for traveling, so naturally it is not suitable for patrolling.
The cold weather will bring great trouble to the Qin army, adding countless negative variables to the already dangerous patrol, but will also provide better assassination opportunities for the remnants of the Six Kingdoms.
The First Emperor was not afraid of these, but he would not cause trouble for himself or create difficulties to move up.
Cold comes and summer comes, autumn harvests and winter hides.
Work at sunrise and rest at sunset.
This is the law of nature and the law of the ancients.
The ancients had great reverence for the sky because they really relied on the sky for their livelihood, far more than modern people rely on the sky.
Once winter lasts for a little longer, people will really starve to death and freeze to death, especially the elderly.
The physical fitness of the elderly is not as good as that of the young. Every winter is a life and death crisis for many elderly people.
If you can't bear it, you will die.
In this snowstorm, the two generals of Daqin rushed to Xianyang from the northwest.
The First Emperor granted a pardon to guard the borders of the Qin Empire. Meng Wu, who was stationed in Shangjun, and Meng Tian, who was stationed in Jiuyuan County, could return to the capital.
We marched against the wind and snow, under the stars and under the stars.
The father and son, covered in white frost, returned to the Meng family where they grew up.
Those who greeted them were Zhao Su, Xijun of Mengwu, Bu Xianglian, Xijun of Mengtian, and Meng Yi, who was the internal history of the Qin Dynasty.
There was also an elderly man wrapped in thick leather clothes, who was supported by Ying Chengxiao, the Lord of Chang'an who was not supposed to be here.
"I'm home?"
The veteran smiled widely and was very happy.
"Father."
"Big father!"
Ying Chengyu handed the old man into the hands of Meng Wu and Meng Tian, and said with a smile:
"Old boy, the emperor calls me. I will enter the palace first and come to see you another day."
When Meng Wu and Meng Tian didn't come back, there was no problem for him to accompany Meng Ao here. When Meng Wu and Meng Tian returned home, the family must have something to say, and it would be inappropriate for him to stay any longer.
"Thank you, Lord Chang'an."
The veteran said gratefully.
A veteran who has never read and cannot read is not stupid.
After leaving the gate of Meng's house and facing the long street, Ying Chengyu's expression suddenly turned gloomy.
Meng Ao was still angry, as this frail old man wouldn't live long.
Birth, old age, illness and death were matters beyond his control. He once felt a deep sense of powerlessness.
The last time, his father, King Qin Zhuangxiang, died of illness. He had a huge family fortune and countless treasures of heaven and earth. There is a descendant of Xia Wuji, a medical doctor with the highest medical skills in Xianyang. It is difficult for ordinary people to see such a master medical doctor.
However, it is difficult for Ying Zichu to survive for another month.
In the face of death, all living beings are equal.
It doesn't matter whether he is a beggar who is begging for a living or a co-owner who holds the most power in the world.
The pond in Chang'an Junfu was not frozen, and pieces of snowflakes fell into the pond and blended into it.
It's cold, and the koi no longer writhe happily on the water, but swim at the deepest and warmest bottom of the pond. Sometimes he would surface, open his mouth to take a breath of fresh air, and then sink quickly.
There are more koi under the water, the silver needle sinking at the bottom of the water moves much more frequently, and the floats on the water surface move much faster.
The First Emperor, who did not forget to fish with straight hooks in winter, had a calm face. He turned to Xia Wuji who had just come out of Meng's house and said:
"How is Duke Meng?"
Recently, every day, Xia Wuqie would go to Meng Ao's house to check up on Meng Ao's health, and prescribe medicine according to Meng Ao's physical condition. He knew Meng Ao's physical condition well.
"We won't be able to survive this winter."
In the courtyard, Ying Chengyu was sitting on the pillar, the First Emperor was fishing by the pond, and Xia Wuji was standing with his hands folded. All three of them were silent.
The north wind swirls back and forth, carrying not only the temperature, but also life.
"Female him as a Marquis of Che."
Ying Chengyu suddenly said:
"Although this old boy has never said it before, he actually values this very much. People are going to die, so making him a Chehou will make him happy."
Xia Wuqi wanted to resign, this was not something he could listen to.
After so many interactions, he already knew that the relationship between the two brothers, the First Emperor and the Lord of Chang'an, was unusual. They are not like other royal family members who regard each other as enemies and bandits, but like brothers who depend on each other for survival in a poor family.
However, in such a major matter as the title of Marquis, especially the Marquis of Che, Ying Chengyu's random intervention still made Xia Wuqi feel unreal - there was only one Che Marquis in the Qin Empire, Wucheng Marquis Wang Jian.
[Your Majesty clearly understands rewards and punishments. How can you grant a title to a man just because he is dying? Chang'an Jun is so naive, so naive that he is a bit cute. Maybe Han Di is a good place. ]
Xia Wuji thought to himself that he was not optimistic about Ying Chengyu's words, but he was optimistic about Ying Chengyu's territory.
The next day, a court meeting was held in Xianyang Palace.
The First Emperor ordered that all qualified persons must attend the meeting.
At the meeting.
The civil servants were headed by Xiangbang Jiang Shang.
Prime Minister Wang Wan on the right, Prime Minister Li Si on the left, and Feng Quji, the imperial censor, are at the beginning.
The military general was headed by Guo Wei Lian Po.
Meng Wu, Meng Tian, Tu Sui, Zhao Tuo and Ren Xiao were at the starting point.
There was also a man named Meng Ao who should not have appeared at the court meeting, but he seemed to be outgassing more and taking in less air.
Meng Wu, Meng Tian, and Meng Yi sat around Meng Ao, with confusion and anger in their eyes.
The First Emperor issued a separate order for the veteran general Meng Ao to attend the court meeting and must arrive.
Meng Ao was already in very poor health, and the court meeting was very early, so he had to get up before dawn to go out, which was the coldest time of the day.
Even though the oxcart was covered with thick animal skins, a fire was lit in the carriage a quarter of an hour in advance to increase the temperature, and the old man was wrapped in four layers of leather clothing.
The moment the old man left the house, his complexion was still visibly worse, and he coughed a few times.
"This is murder! Father, I will help you back to the house!"
Meng Wu uttered heart-wrenching words with an angry look on his face, and helped his father to walk back.
"I'm going to tell your Majesty! How can you act like this!"
Meng Tian, who had given birth to a child for the First Emperor, did not protect his child this time, and he had the same expression as his father. For the first time, he felt so angry and disappointed with the First Emperor.
His face felt cold, and his body resisted the cold that penetrated from his skin to his internal organs.
Those originally bright eyes glared at the eldest son and eldest grandson, without much energy.
"The king's order must be obeyed."
The old man said weakly.
He had seen the fate of Lord Wu An who disobeyed Wang's orders, and he would not make this mistake.
He is dying, but his family is still there, and the descendants who will continue his life are still there.
The meeting begins.
The First Emperor asked Prime Minister Jiang Shang to report on the situation after the implementation of the decree in various places, and if there was anything urgent that needed to be dealt with immediately.
Fu Zikang, who wanted to govern Su Neishi, reported on the taxes of various places, and judged the degree of return of each place from the taxes paid.
Tingwei Zhang Tu was asked to report the number of people in prisons in various places, the number of people serving as corvees, the number of concubines, and the number of cases.
…
This court meeting lasted for a long time, and Ying Chengyu, who was in the first row, was always paying attention to Meng Ao's direction.
He saw that Meng Ao could no longer sit still, and his body was shaking. He could sit upright for a whole day, but now it was torture.
He saw that the faces of Meng Wu, Meng Tian, and Meng Yi were getting more and more ugly, and their dissatisfaction and anger were piling up more and more.
He also looked at the aloof Emperor Shi Huang angrily, his eyes as if they were real, causing the Emperor Shi Huang to instantly react and look over.
"Brother Emperor, what are you waiting for? Become a Marquis!"
Ying Chengyu moved his lips slightly but made no sound.
The First Emperor could read lips and could tell what he was saying from the shape of his mouth.
The First Emperor, who was sitting on the high platform, turned to look at Meng Ao and smiled.
Without the cover of Gai Nie and Zhao Gao, this smile appeared clearly and unmistakably in front of all the courtiers.
[Your Majesty is in a good mood, is it because Meng Ao is dying? ]
[Wang Jian went to Qidi. The Wang family's influence in the army was greatly reduced, and only the Meng family was left in the army. Now that Meng Ao has been defeated, the army is under His Majesty's control. ]
[The Meng family’s holy family has come to an end! OK! The Meng family, whose eyes are higher than their heads, will eventually be suppressed! ]
[Why do you torture Duke Meng like this! ]
…
The courtiers were each thinking and had different ideas.
An angry look appeared on Meng Wu's face. He had been hiding his clumsiness and couldn't hide it anymore, so he got up immediately.
He has long disliked the current king, and he cannot bear this humiliation! His Meng family was full of loyal men, and there were countless men from the Meng family who died on the battlefield fighting for the Ying family. Why was my father so humiliated?
But he was pinned down by the veteran, and he didn't know where the strength came from as he struggled to sit upright.
Ying Chengyu, who knew the inside story, thought that the First Emperor would speak in the next second and make Meng Ao a marquis.
Unexpectedly, the First Emperor turned his eyes and glanced at Feng Quji, the imperial censor who was responsible for inspecting the officials and was known as the deputy prime minister.
"Feng Quji, Xianyang officials have violated Qin laws recently..."
"His Majesty!"
Ying Chengyu stood up and rudely interrupted the First Emperor's words in front of the civil and military officials of the court.
The civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty, which were already quiet, fell into a solemn silence, which was terrifyingly quiet.
Ying Chengyu was extremely powerful, and they knew that they were afraid of avoiding Ying Chengyu.
But how dare you, Ying Chengyu, be so presumptuous? Interrupted forcefully when the First Emperor was speaking. It is true that your power is overwhelming, but you have forgotten that this power is given to you by God!
The king of Qin is the First Emperor.
The civil and military officials of the entire dynasty paid attention to the interrupted speech of the First Emperor. Many people thought that they would definitely see the First Emperor being furious. The First Emperor was not happy or angry, and his anger and joy were all written on his face.
However, they saw the First Emperor's smile deepening.
"What's the matter?"
They heard the voice of the First Emperor being gentle.
[Don't provoke Lord Chang'an! ! ! ! ]
For a moment, all the courtiers had this thought flashing through their minds and were shocked.
[Brother Imperial, you are really good at scheming! ]
Ying Chengyu raised his hands high, lowered his head slightly, and said in a deep voice:
“In the first year of the reign of King Zhuang Xiang, Duke Meng became a general and attacked Han, captured Chenggao and Xingyang, and established Sanchuan County.
"In the second year, he attacked Zhao and captured thirty-seven cities.
“In three years, I conquered thirteen cities.
"In four years, the two cities of Wei Guo, Chang and Yougui, were conquered.
"In five years, we will attack Wei, capture 20 cities, set up Dongjun, and quell the Jinyang rebellion.
“In six years, we defeated the Five-Nation Alliance.
"Your Majesty succeeded to the throne. In the first year of the king's reign, Prime Minister Lu Buwei and his disciple Lao Ai rebelled in the Qinian Palace. Meng Gong led eight thousand soldiers to attack and put an end to the uprising in the Qinian Palace. They killed the traitor Lu Buwei and Lao Ai. After the chaos was brought to an end, your majesty became the king. .
"Meng Gong's hard work has made great achievements, he is loyal to the Qin Dynasty, and he has devoted himself to His Majesty. Meng Gong's son Meng Wu, Meng Gong's grandson Meng Tian, and Meng Yi inherit the ambition of Meng Gong, and they are all the humerus of the empire.
"I am Duke Meng, please grant me the title of Marquis of Che!"
Shocking!
Before the last wave that stunned the civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty had passed, a wave that was even bigger than before hit.
Meng Ao has passed away, and His Majesty is about to take full military power. Now, Lord Chang'an, do you want to grant Meng Ao the title of Marquis of Che?
Your Majesty used Fertile Qi Land to finally replace Wang Jian, the Marquis of Che, and now you want to invite another one? Do you think His Majesty doesn’t know that you are close to the Meng family?
——Meng Wu didn’t even propose a toast to Queen Afang at the banquet in the Xuantiao Hall, but only offered a bottle of Ying Chenglong, which had long been noticed by those who were interested.
Aren't you anti-aristocratic? Do you want to centralize power to His Majesty? What is this thing you are doing now? You are taking His Majesty's power! Your Majesty cannot use your holy family so much! Isn’t this seeking death?
"His Majesty!"
The veteran Meng Ao shouted weakly. With the support of his eldest son Meng Wu and eldest grandson Meng Tian, he stood up tremblingly. He wanted to stop this!
"Meng Gong, wait a moment."
The First Emperor's voice was not high-pitched, but the firmness and warning in those words were clearly audible, and these four words made the veteran hold all the words in his heart.
The veteran had already been warned once by the First Emperor when he broke into the palace wearing armor and sword.
He moved his eyes to look at his brother and said with a smile:
"Have you thought about banning your account?"
[Chang'anjun is smarter. If you speak appropriately at this moment, you can still save your life. ]
The courtiers all lowered their heads and remained silent in the cold Xianyang Palace. Everyone thought that the First Emperor was laughing in anger.
If it were a normal situation, ministers could put forward suggestions for banning the title, but this is an abnormal situation.
Proposing to grant the title of Marquis to Meng Ao was originally a step on the line of killing the First Emperor. If he had even thought about the title in advance, it would be a complete jump to the side of being killed.
"Meng Gong captured more than seventy cities for the Qin Dynasty. Since the founding of the Qin State, no one has captured the city more than his equal. If you bravely conquer the entire army, please make me the champion!"
Ying Chengyu's words were sonorous and powerful.
[Chang'an Jun is finished! Where does the Marquis of Champion put the Marquis of Wucheng! Where is Mr. Wu An placed? ]
All the courtiers exclaimed inwardly.
[Courageously championing the entire army, this title is so revered! ]
A few generals had strange gleams in their eyes and glanced at Ying Chengyu involuntarily.
Although they felt that this young Lord Chang'an might not be able to outlive Duke Meng, they could not stop them from feeling particularly good about this Lord Chang'an who spoke uprightly for Duke Meng at the moment.
"Be brave enough to win three armies, and be a champion. Not bad."
The First Emperor nodded repeatedly, and his soft words to himself made everyone in the court think it was the calm before the storm.
The next moment the First Emperor dragged Ying Chengyu out, chopped off his limbs and exposed them to the sun outside the palace, they would not be surprised. They felt that any excessive reaction from the First Emperor would not surprise them.
"That's right.
"Meng Ao, be crowned champion."
The First Emperor looked solemn and said in a deep voice.
One by one, the courtiers raised their heads, their faces full of horror and shock.
[Your Majesty, do you agree? ]
(End of chapter)
