Early the next morning, the whole army pulled out their strongholds, set up their formations, and marched towards Xianyang.
Along the way, there were two more figures in Ying Zheng's car, namely the two princesses Hu Yu and Nan Su.
"Your Majesty, those assassins really deserve to be killed, but they actually pretended to be people from the Chu Kingdom, framed them, and almost ruined my father's wise life." Princess Nansu said angrily.
Princess Hu Yu also said angrily: "Even so, it almost ruined the friendship between our sisters."
Princess Nansu smiled at Princess Hu Yu.
Before coming to Qin to choose a concubine, the two princesses had never even heard of each other's names, so how could they have any friendship. Princess Hu Yu said that to get closer to Princess Nansu so that they could get along with each other in the future.
"Wei's move is really infuriating. If Li Si hadn't predicted it, I'm afraid that even if I didn't survive, I would have sent troops to attack Chu in anger," Ying Zheng said.
"Then Chu State died unjustly." Princess Nansu looked frightened.
"Since Li Si is so far-sighted, the king must reuse him in the future." Princess Hu Yu followed.
Before I even got through the door, the wind started blowing beside my pillow.
"Haha, I have my own plans when it comes to hiring people." Ying Zheng said, "When it comes to you, one is the target of being framed and the other is the target of assassination. During this period, you must be careful."
The two princesses looked at each other. Princess Nansu was a little scared, but Princess Hu Yu had an expression that said she would not refuse anyone who came.
Ying Zheng continued: "After returning to Xianyang, your safety will naturally be guaranteed, but I am worried that if Wei Guo fails in this assassination, there may be other plans in succession. Therefore, it is best to tell your respective envoys to let them know. They inform your father to pay attention to Wei’s movements and don’t be plotted by Wei again.”
The two princesses nodded at the same time, with some determination in their eyes.
After a few sentences, Ying Zheng achieved a great political goal.
If Qin went to war with Wei, even if Chu and Zhao did not send troops to attack Wei, they would definitely not send troops to help Wei.
Wei State is adjacent to Chu State to the south and Zhao State to the north. If these two countries do not send reinforcements and Wei State is isolated and helpless, Qin State will be sure to win in terms of its combat power.
"After returning home, I will write a letter to your respective fathers to explain the matter and discuss the wedding date." Ying Zheng said happily.
"If you don't marry, you haven't even won the hunt yet." Princess Hu Yu raised her mouth a little childishly, but there was already a blush on her cheeks.
"It was just a bet, and besides, the assassin would mess it up." Ying Zheng said slightly embarrassed.
"My sister is joking with the king." Princess Nansu smiled calmly, "Nansu and the king have no bet. When will they get married, I will follow the king's arrangements."
So quickly, even the title was changed.
As soon as Princess Hu Yu heard the word "concubine", she quickly said: "The bet is just to ask you to promise me something. It has nothing to do with whether you marry or not."
"Promise something? What?" Princess Nansu asked: "Your Majesty, you can't be partial."
Ying Zheng smiled bitterly and said: "Okay, okay, let me compete with you, how about playing the piano? If you lose, I promise you something."
There was a lot of laughter and joy during the drive.
There is nothing you can do, you have to fill the hole you dug yourself.
Ying Zheng originally wanted to have a good chat with Li Si, but when he thought about the many doubts in his heart, which could not be explained clearly in a few sentences, and Lu Buwei was by his side, he held back and had to wait until he returned to the palace to talk.
Three days later, Xianyang City finally appeared in sight.
The two princesses almost jumped with joy.
After returning to the city, they can have a good rest, and for them, the day of getting married is getting closer and closer. This is something that every young girl is looking forward to. After all, they also like Ying Zheng very much. .
When we were about five miles away from the west gate, a group of people suddenly rushed out of the city, wearing mourning cloths on their heads and linen clothes outside.
About a dozen people rushed straight towards Ying Zheng's marching team.
Meng Tian, who was at the forefront of the team, rushed out instinctively. He was afraid that the team on the opposite side would disturb Wang Jia, so he hurriedly stepped forward to stop him.
Both sides were running at extremely high speeds, and the distance of several miles was instantly shortened.
Meng Tian was just about to stop the team on the other side, but when he saw the leader clearly, his mind was shaken violently.
"Brother!" the leader shouted.
The person leading a dozen sergeants galloping over was none other than Meng Tian's younger brother, Meng Yi.
And the filial piety hat worn on Meng Yi's head clearly indicates...
"Meng Yi, what happened at home?" Meng Tian asked anxiously.
At this time, Meng Yi had already rushed forward and slowed down his horse: "It's grandfather, he, he... passed away..."
"Huh?" Although I was mentally prepared, sadness still surged into my heart.
Two hot tears welled up in his eyes, but Meng Tian didn't let them roll down.
Meng Tian took a few deep breaths and forced himself to calm down.
"Wait for me here for a moment, report to the king, and let's go back to the house together." Meng Tian's voice was trembling, and he turned the horse's head and galloped back.
Ying Zheng saw a group of people in front of him, but he couldn't see clearly who was coming. When he saw Meng Tian urging his horse to come to him, he asked eagerly: "What happened?"
"Report to the king, it's my grandfather, he..." Meng Tian's voice was choked with sobs.
Ying Zheng suddenly felt uneasy: "What happened to him?"
"Grandpa... passed away..." Meng Tian finished speaking these words with difficulty while holding back tears.
"Ah?" Ying Zheng's heart and soul trembled violently, and the degree of sadness was no less than that of Meng Tian.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to return home immediately to express my condolences as a filial piety." Meng Tian said with cupped hands.
"Prepare your horses, I want to go back with you." Ying Zheng's voice was also trembling.
Zhao Gao quickly led two war horses, helped Ying Zheng ride on one, and he rode on the other.
"Let's go!" Ying Zheng urged his horse and galloped away first.
Meng Tian and Zhao Gao followed.
After joining Meng Yi, a column of people quickly ran towards the city.
Just after entering the west city gate, three more war horses jumped out from the imperial army outside the city and rushed straight into the city.
It turned out that Lu Buwei, who was following Ying Zheng, didn't know what was happening ahead. He only saw Ying Zheng getting on his horse and hurried away with Meng Tian. He came over and asked the two princesses who were driving with Ying Zheng. Only then did he know what had happened, so he got on his horse and wanted to catch up.
How could Princess Hu Yu and Princess Nansu not know who Meng Ao was, and follow Lu Buwei to express their condolences no matter what.
Especially Princess Hu Yu, she is very familiar with the powerful generals from all over the world. Although I have never met Meng Ao, my respect for him is extremely strong.
Lu Buwei had no choice but to slow down his riding speed, keep in line with Princess Nansu, and head towards Meng Mansion.
When Ying Zheng and others arrived at the door of Meng's mansion, Meng Wu and Mrs. Meng were already waiting at the door.
When there was still some distance, Meng Tian got off his horse and ran over.
"Father, mother, the child is late." Meng Tian's voice trembled, with self-blame in his tone.
"Accompanying the king is a duty of loyalty. Since ancient times, it has been difficult to have both loyalty and filial piety, so you don't have to blame yourself." Meng Wu said calmly, "Go to the palace, put on sackcloth and a filial hat, and then express your condolences to your grandfather."
Meng Tian nodded and quickly entered the house.
At this time, Ying Zheng, Zhao Gao, and Meng Yi had arrived in front of the mansion and got off their horses.
"I respectfully welcome the king back to the city." Meng Wu cupped his hands and said, "Because I have a heavy duty of filial piety, I cannot bow down and bow down. Your Majesty forgives me."
Ying Zheng asked anxiously: "When did General Meng pass away?"
"It happened yesterday afternoon." Meng Wu said.
"I have been out of the city for nearly a month. Has General Meng's condition worsened during this time?" Ying Zheng asked.
"Back to the king, since the last court meeting, my father seems to have let go of his worries, and his spirit and condition have improved slightly." Meng Wu said, "When the king left the city, there was no serious problem. Who knows, what will happen soon?" Over the past half month, my father's condition has gradually worsened. A few days ago, I learned that the king had been kidnapped. I wanted to go to rescue the king myself, but Prime Minister Lu ordered me to protect my father at home, so I had to obey. Until yesterday... alas... …”
Speaking of this, Meng Wu's eyes were moist and he couldn't continue talking.
It turned out that on the night that Ying Zheng was kidnapped, the news reached Xianyang, and Meng Wu and several important generals were extremely anxious.
But after all, rescuing hostages is not about leading troops to fight. These generals are gone and their effect is not very big. Besides, the envoys from various countries who participated in the selection of concubines are still around Xianyang. Lu Buwei considered the overall situation and did not bring any generals with him. Instead, he selected a few A very skilled warrior ordered another 20,000 soldiers and horses to rescue Ying Zheng.
Before leaving, Lu Buwei came to visit Meng Ao. At that time, Meng Ao's condition was already very bad. He didn't know whether he was in a coma or had been sleeping.
Unexpectedly, Meng Ao didn't persist until the moment when Ying Zheng returned to the city...
"Your Majesty, please enter the palace first." Meng Wu said.
Ying Zheng nodded and said: "Okay, I will go to express my condolences to General Meng."
Entering the Meng Mansion, a piece of white comes into view, which unconsciously gives people a feeling of sadness.
The living room turned into a mourning hall, with Meng Ao lying peacefully in the middle, and the family members of the Meng Mansion knelt and worshiped on both sides.
Meng Tian knelt in front of the coffin, holding three sticks of incense in his hands. Two lines of hot tears flowed down uncontrollably, crossing that determined face and trembling lips.
"My grandson is unfilial and was unable to see his grandfather for the last time. I hope my grandfather will have a safe journey west this time." After saying this, Meng Tian kowtowed again.
"My grandson went to Zhouquan to protect the king. Although he regrets it, he has no regrets. In the future, my grandson will definitely follow his grandfather's example and be loyal to the king and serve the country until death." Meng Tian kowtowed again.
"You will be General Meng's greatest pride!" Ying Zheng's voice came from outside the mourning hall.
Following a solid voice, Ying Zheng and Meng Wu walked into the mourning hall together.
Everyone present prayed in unison.
Ying Zheng lit three sticks of incense, bowed three times in front of the coffin, stood up and said: "Old General Meng, I feel very guilty for not being able to see you off on your last journey. For this shortcoming, I will use a large piece of the empire's territory to come back to you in the future." Make up for it, and I hope you can rest in peace."
"Father, your greatest wish in this life is to help the Qin Dynasty become stronger and gain a wider territory as much as possible. Meng Wu will definitely honor your wishes and try his best to assist the king and achieve hegemony. It is the common wish of the emperor and his ministers." Meng Wu also knelt down and worshiped the coffin.
At this time, there was a lot of noise outside the door, and many people came in one after another.
In front are Lu Buwei and the two princesses Nansu and Hu Yu.
Following behind were the ministers of the court and some people from the royal family.
The news of Ying Zheng's return to the city has long been spread. Most of these ministers and nobles came to express their condolences to Meng Ao yesterday. Today, they were all waiting in front of the palace. When they heard that Ying Zheng came directly to Meng Ao's mansion, they all followed him. , happened to meet Lu Buwei in front of the Meng Mansion who was about to enter.
Lu Buwei lit the incense, Ying Zheng made room for him, and Lu Buwei stepped forward to express his condolences to Meng Ao.
The two princesses also lit three sticks of incense and bowed respectfully three times.
At this time, a man walked out of the crowd, came to Ying Zheng, and asked eagerly: "Brother Wang, I heard that you were kidnapped, are you injured?"
It was none other than Cheng Xi.
Ying Zheng held Cheng Jiao's hand, his eyes filled with longing, and said, "Brother Wang, of course he's fine. Isn't that good?"
"Brother Wang, just be fine. General Meng..." Cheng Jiao's voice stopped, her lips trembled a little, and tears filled her eyes.
Cheng Jiao respects Meng Ao very much, which Ying Zheng has known for a long time. When Meng Ao died, Cheng Jiao was naturally very sad.
Ying Zheng said: "Chengjiao, let's talk about some things when we return to the palace. Now, I have something to say to everyone."
After saying that, under everyone's gaze, Ying Zheng walked up to them.
