In the Sand Dune Palace, there is a majestic side hall, where Hu Hai is sleeping soundly. Suddenly, a forty-year-old waiter walked into the hall and reported to the young master: "Sir, Mr. Zhao, please see me." Hu Hai woke up, rubbed his groggy eyes and said, "It's so late, what's the matter?" He put on his clothes. Sit up. At this time, Zhao Gao walked straight in. Hu Hai saw that Zhao Gao was a little flustered and suddenly lost all sleep, so he asked him to sit down and talk. Zhao Gao did not sit down, but looked around, then asked the waiter just now to look at the door, and told him that no one was allowed to come in. The waiter came out in response. Zhao Gao closed the door, walked quickly to Hu Hai's couch, knelt down and whispered urgently: "Sir, the emperor has passed away!" Hu Hai was shocked at first when he heard that his father had passed away, and then he was about to cry. The sound comes. Zhao Gao hurriedly covered his mouth with his sleeve and whispered: "You must not make a sound, otherwise you will die!" Hu Hai was surprised and asked why.
Zhao Gao briefly told what happened, and then said: "The Prime Minister has ordered that anyone who tells what happened tonight will be beheaded!" Hu Hai was shocked and asked why. Zhao Gao replied: "If the emperor dies outside and there is no choice of a prince in advance, your brothers will fight for the throne in the capital and kill each other. Especially those generals who lead troops outside will surely lead their troops to the capital to attend the funeral." . When the heroes gather together, each with different intentions, they will definitely support their master on the throne. The people of the six countries will also take the opportunity to rebel, and the world will be in chaos. Therefore, the Prime Minister ordered that no one can spread the funeral of the emperor. Wait for us Return to Xianyang, establish a new king first, and then announce the funeral, so that the country can be safe."
Hu Hai was innocent and cute, and didn't have much insight. After hearing Zhao Gao's words, he opened his eyes wide and praised Li Si: "The Prime Minister is thoughtful and considerate, and he is worthy of being a wise man of Qin! Then I have to wait until I return to Xianyang to pay filial piety to my father." After all?" Hu Hai said, holding back his grief and wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. Zhao Gao said: "However, the emperor did not agree on the prince before his death, and who will inherit the throne has not yet been decided!" Hu Hai said without thinking: "Who will inherit the throne is not what we are discussing. When my father is dying, he will definitely give it to the prime minister and ministers. We have left a will, and it is very clear who the prince is. I know my father very well, and he is very knowledgeable about people. We don’t need to worry about this matter!" Zhao Gao trembled nervously after hearing Hu Hai's words, and he couldn't help but grow taller. Kneeling on the ground, he coaxed: "That's not the case. Young Master, before the emperor died, I was also with him. He only asked the prime minister to write an edict asking the eldest son Fusu to rush back to the capital from Shangjun to attend the funeral. He did not say that he was allowed to Come and inherit the throne!"
Hu Hai said smartly: "That's right. I know that my father never takes this matter lightly. His intention is very clear, which is to let the eldest brother take the throne. Besides, the eldest brother is the eldest son, and the eldest son is of course the heir. This has been done since ancient times. Rules!" After hearing this, Zhao Gao was so anxious that he was sweating profusely and said, "But Master, why don't you think about yourself? To this day, you haven't got an inch of land. Are you indifferent to the land?" Hu Hai said calmly: "No, but that's because I am young. I heard that a wise king knows his ministers best, and a wise father knows his son best. As the saying goes, 'No one knows his ministers better than the king, and no one knows his son better than his father.' 'Of course my father knows who should be granted a title and who should not be granted a title. Although I don't have a fief, I have no complaints. Because my father loved me very much when he was alive!" Zhao Gao was shocked and became even more anxious. He continued Said: "You can't say that. Now the power of the world is in the hands of you, me and the Prime Minister. Whoever we let take the throne will take the throne, and whoever we don't let take the throne will step aside. Now please think carefully, Master. Is it better to control yourself? Or is it better to control others?" Hu Hai said without thinking: "Of course it is better to control others!" Zhao Gao immediately asked: "Then why is the young master indifferent to the throne of the emperor?"
Hu Hai suddenly realized, and seemed to understand what Zhao Gao meant, and said tremblingly: "Since ancient times, abolishing the elders and establishing the younger ones have been the source of trouble. It is unjust to try to usurp the throne when you should not inherit the throne; you do not obey your father's rule. It is unfilial to wish for an heir after leaving an edict; it is unfaithful to rely on others to conspire to usurp the throne despite one's own limited abilities and incompetence. If you do something unjust, unfilial, or disloyal, the world will laugh at you, so in the end It's better not to have any whims!" Zhao Gao was very anxious, thinking that this plan is a big deal, and the matter of proclaiming himself emperor is no small matter. Since it has been revealed but not adopted, once the person who takes the throne knows about it in the future, he will lose everything at all. Wealth and honor may lead to the disaster of annihilation.
Zhao Gao was so anxious that the sweat on his forehead was dripping down like broken beads. While wiping sweat with his sleeves, he said plausibly: "I heard that King Tang of Shang and King Wu of Zhou killed their kings. The people in the world did not accuse them of being unjust. They killed the king with his ministers, so it is not wrong. Loyalty; Wei Chugong killed his father, and the people of Wei supported him. Confucius also recorded it in the "Spring and Autumn", and did not say it was unfilial. You see, the common people are busy with daily chores all day long, and the emperor The generals and ministers are busy with national affairs. The nature of things is different. National affairs cannot be treated with the behavior of ordinary people, and people who do big things cannot be allowed to do small things. Therefore, whenever opportunities come, if you do not grasp them firmly, This is so stupid!"
Seeing the teacher's accusation, Hu Hai was surprised and asked: "Teacher, are you talking about me? What should I do? Could you please give me some advice?" When Zhao Gao saw that the young master asked him for advice, his eyes suddenly shone and he said: "Young Master, the late emperor The edict written to Fusu is on me. If you want to get a big position now, there is no chance of failure! As long as you are brave and decisive! I am willing to help you!" Hu Hai was shocked and said: "Listen to the teacher. , now is a rare opportunity?" Zhao Gao said excitedly: "Opportunities cannot be lost!" After hearing this, Hu Hai's calm heart became uneasy, but he was still hesitant.
Seeing this, Zhao Gao impatiently pulled out the imperial edict from his arms, stood up and approached the candlestick, threw Qin Shihuang's imperial edict on the fire, burned it desperately, and said coldly: "Now the imperial edict has been Ruined, if the prime minister is found guilty, you and I will be guilty of treason! Please make up your mind, sir!" Hu Hai stood up in shock, not expecting that Zhao Gao had destroyed the imperial edict, so he let out a long sigh and said : "However, my eldest brother is a generous and kind man. He respects his father and loves all his younger brothers and sisters. I really can't bear to compete with him! Besides, my father has just passed away and his bones are not yet cold. How can I bear to discuss usurping the throne with the prime minister? Besides, this is This matter is related to the safety of the country. If the Prime Minister does not agree, I will be despised by my elder brother in the future. I am scared to death when I think about this!"
Zhao Gao boldly said: "As long as you have the ambition to reach the sky, I can do it for you, and you will definitely get a big position. I know the prime minister best, and he loves glory and wealth very much. Please rest assured, he will definitely agree to this." Matter." After hearing this, Hu Hai was still confused. He felt numb all over and his mind went blank, so he said casually: "I can't decide this matter, it depends on you, teacher!" Zhao Gao heard that the young master agreed. When he came down, he was immediately elated, but he did not show any emotion. Instead, he bowed deeply, got up and left.
At this time, the lights were still on in Li Si's residence. Because Qin Shihuang died so suddenly, Li Si was also very scared. He was afraid that something would happen. Ever since he left Qin Shihuang's main palace and returned to his residence, he was so nervous that he couldn't sleep at all. He paced back and forth in the room, thinking about how to rush back to Xianyang and welcome Fusu to the throne. But he felt that the matter was too difficult. It was such a long journey, when could he arrive? In history, when the old king died and the new king had not yet ascended the throne, there were countless precedents of fighting for the throne and killing each other. The most typical one is the story of Gongzi Jiu and Xiaobai. Li Si thought to himself: The First Emperor was a great human king, and his vigorous life was so great! How glorious was his all-powerful life! But why did he die suddenly? Besides, we are still on the way to patrol, what should we do? What if the people of the six countries take the opportunity to rebel? This series of questions was placed in front of Li Si, and he was really at a loss.
At this time, he remembered his past and the scene when he first came to Qin, as well as the scene when the King of Qin issued an expulsion order to expel him. How could he have stayed in Qin if he hadn't taken the initiative to write to the King of Qin that time? How can we build achievements for Qin in the years to come? How could he be able to become an extremely popular minister in Qin later? All of this, in the final analysis, is because of the late emperor's presence. A great and wise king. Without him, where would I, Li Si, be today? Now that we have lost this wise king who knows people well, is talented and has great strategies, how will the future of Qin go? Can Fusu, who ascends the throne, continue to work hard to build a strong Qin State like the late emperor? Can I, Li Si, continue to be his loyal minister and show my talents? When Li Si thought of this, he felt uncertain. He thought of the late emperor again and burst into tears again. Suddenly someone came in and reported: "CRRC ordered Mr. Zhao to see you."
When Li Si heard that Zhao Gao was coming, he hurriedly asked left and right to step aside, and then wiped the tears on his face. After a while, Zhao Gao strode in. Seeing that there was no one in the room, he said bluntly to Li Si: "Prime Minister, the emperor has many sons, and they are all outstanding. Have you thought about who should inherit the throne?" When Li Si heard this, he was surprised and said: "Before the emperor died, didn't he ask me to write a will and ask Fusu to come back and take the throne? How long has it been? Why are you still saying this?" Zhao Gao pretended to be surprised. : "It said that Fusu should come back to attend the funeral, but it didn't say that he should inherit the throne? There were many young masters of the late emperor, and which one of them had no conditions? The young master Hu Hai is also very capable. He also wants to inherit the throne. Isn't it possible? ?"
The prime minister heard Zhao Gao's words and was very shocked and said: "Since ancient times, abolishing elders and establishing young ones has been the source of trouble. How can you say such words of subjugation of the country? Although the prince was not sure, the late emperor's intention was already very clear. I just want the eldest son to come back and take the throne. Is this wrong? This matter is not what we are discussing. You must stop talking nonsense!" Zhao Gao was not discouraged and continued: "Although it is clearly written in the edict, even if it is to support Su succeeded to the throne, but the imperial edict is now with the young master. He is determined not to let it go out, and there is nothing I can do!" The prime minister was surprised and asked why the imperial edict was with the young master. Zhao Gao said: "I was about to send someone away. It happened that the young master came. He insisted on seeing it. How could I not let him see it? He detained him after he saw it!" When Li Si heard about this, he suppressed his anger. , said very angrily: "This is a national event, why do you treat it like a child's play?"
Zhao Gao said calmly: "Excuse me, Lord, how do you compare with Meng Tian?" This question made Li Si confused, and he replied without thinking: "There is no need to ask, how can I compare with him?" ?!" Zhao Gao said confidently: "That's right. I have five questions for you to answer. Can you please estimate who is more talented, you or Meng Tian? Which of you has contributed more to the country? You Which of the two is more supported by the people? Which of you has the closest friendship with Fusu? Who is more favored by Fusu?" Li Si frowned and smiled bitterly: "I can't compare with him in these five aspects, why do you ask this? talk?"
Zhao Gao talked eloquently: "Although I, Zhao Gao, have the same ancestry as the royal family, I am now an insignificant servant. I was lucky enough to understand the law and was favored by the late emperor. It has been more than 20 years since I came to this day step by step. I serve as the central The important position of Che Fu Ling is really beyond the scope of duty! But in the past twenty years, I have personally seen that the heroes and generals of the Qin State did not end well. They died miserably! Even The late emperor's father-in-law also drank poison and died, not to mention others! While the late emperor was still alive, you and your ministers got along very harmoniously, and you were the most favored by the late emperor. But what happened after Fusu came to the throne? What about his relationship with Meng Tian? , it is obvious that Meng Tian must be reused instead of the prince. Why? Fusu was expelled from the capital because he opposed the burning of books and the persecution of Confucian scholars. However, these two things were the idea of the prince. . In this way, it is impossible for you to wear the seal of Marquis Che and return to your hometown to retire. Even a child can understand the consequences, but why can't the prime minister, who is so scheming and decisive, not think of it? Besides, Fusu is a man. He is brave and decisive, hates evil as much as his enemies, and is very popular among the courtiers and the people. If such a person who is respected by everyone becomes the Lord, will you still have a good life? Think about how much he resented the monarch in the past. If the prince is dismissed, the prince will be in great trouble from now on!"
After hearing this, Li Si felt like a wake-up call and immediately trembled involuntarily, but he still forced himself to calm down and said: "I treat state affairs with loyalty and cannot let the late emperor down because of interests. Moreover, Fusu's talents are not comparable to those of the young master Hu Hai." !" Zhao Gao continued: "I have accepted the late emperor's order to teach Hu Hai's studies for several years. I know the young master very well: he is kind and kind, smart and kind, and he values scholars very much. Such a polite and virtuous corporal. When the prince ascends the throne, he will definitely become a promising king of Qin and the leader of the country! I have been with him for so many years and I have never found any fault in him. If the prince can now make Hu Hai the king of the country, and then assist him with the talents of the prime minister , Hu Hai will definitely become a wise king! And the status of the prime minister will be as stable as Mount Tai! At that time, you will be a veteran who has served two generations of emperors, and you will be prominent throughout your life! After thousands of generations, you will be as famous as Zhou Gongdan! These are all things I thought of for you, please think twice."
After hearing what Zhao Gao said, Li Si was so shocked. He was silent for a long time, and his heart was already shaken. However, because the matter was so important, he could not agree so quickly, because if he did this, he would The betrayal of the late emperor was also an injustice to Fusu. Perhaps this matter would cause an uproar and even cause chaos in the country. At that time, he may also become the target of public criticism, and he may be infamy for treason. Li Si thought carefully again: No matter it is Fusu, Hu Hai, or another prince, they are all the sons of the late emperor. If any prince takes the throne, the country will still belong to the Ying family. The natural surname of Qin is Ying, not Wang or Zhao. , let alone his surname Li, how much fault do I have? Moreover, Fusu's political views are really at odds with his own. When a king whose political views are inconsistent with his own comes to power, can he still appoint a minister he doesn't like as his prime minister? The matter is obvious, just as Zhao Gao said: If Fusu succeeds to the throne, he may be dismissed. Even if Fusu is generous and does not depose me, I will be ignored like a concubine who is not favored by her husband. In short, the days when the late emperor obeyed my advice will be gone forever, and my official career, Li Si, may come to an end. Is Zhao Gao really doing it for me? But even if he was doing it for my own good, I shouldn't bear the charge of treason! Now I should pretend to be at his mercy and let him do treacherous things, and I will only be his accomplice. In this way, even if people know the truth of the matter, they will not regard me as the target of criticism. After Li Si thought about it, he continued to hesitantly and said: "I, Li Si, act in accordance with the emperor's decree and have never had any selfish thoughts. Please stop talking and go back and do your job!"
After hearing Li Si's words, Zhao Gao was not discouraged and continued: "Master, what does it have to do with me which young master ascends the throne? But it is different for the prime minister! If the prime minister does not listen to my advice today, not only you will be affected in the future. He will lose his power, and it will also harm his descendants! How can a person who doesn't know how to control his own destiny be considered a wise man?" Li Siqiang said calmly: "I am just an ordinary citizen from Shangcai, and I have survived until today. I am already content with my position, so what else can I hope for? Moreover, when the late emperor was dying, he entrusted me with important matters. Now that the late emperor's body is still cold, how can I dare to rebel? I have heard that 'there is filial piety and kindness when the six relatives are in discord, and there are loyal ministers when the country is confused. 'Please don't say it again. If you say anything more, you will be setting me up, Li Si, for injustice!"
Zhao Gao did not slack off and continued to use his eloquence skills, and said in a threatening tone: "I have also heard that 'Those who know the current affairs are heroes, and those who adapt to changes are heroes.' A wise man must be flexible in dealing with the world and seize opportunities. . It is not only the prime minister's responsibility to obey the people! Now the power of the world is in the hands of Hu Hai. I am just here to convey his wishes to the prime minister. Besides, Fusu is on the outside and Hu Hai is on the inside; Hu Hai is supreme. , Fusu is the bottom; control the outside from the inside, control the bottom from the top, and the big thing will be decided. Once you miss the opportunity and change the situation at the top, bottom, and inside, and then want to deal with Fusu in turn, the bottom is against the top, and the ministers Anti-monarch. So it is said that plants bloom in spring and bear fruit in autumn. This is the law of nature. The objective form determines people's subjective will and actions. Now that the opportunity comes and the monarch is not good at controlling it, he is simply bringing it upon himself. You Let's think about it carefully! I feel sad privately for a person who puts the cart before the horse and doesn't know where to go in the face of big issues. What else can I plan for you?" Zhao Gao actually shed crocodile tears when he talked about his sadness. Li Si didn't say a word, just listened silently.
The two of them were speechless for a while. Li Si walked to the window hesitantly again, opened a window, and looked up at the night sky. At this time, the rooster was already crow. He couldn't help sighing several times and said with tears: "I unfortunately grew up in this turbulent era. Since I can't If you die to repay the late emperor, where can you expect to put your future? Now that I have encountered a conspiracy to usurp the throne, how can I bear to participate in the plot!" After Zhao Gao heard what Li Si said, he looked at his words and figured out his thoughts. Feeling that Li Si had already planned to abolish the elders and establish younger ones, and he was 80% sure, he said decisively: "As long as the prime minister and the young master have the same mind, I will bear the infamy for the ages. As long as you are loyal to the young master, I will If I continue to plan for you, great things will definitely succeed, and your position as king will never be lost!" Li Si just sighed and stopped talking. Zhao Gao felt ecstatic in his heart, but he just bowed to Li Si without any expression and turned around to go out.
