Li Shui was praising Huaiguzi, and Hu Hai next to him looked envious.
Hu Hai thought to himself: How great would it be if my master was still here and praised me like this?
Li Shui boasted for a while and then closed his mouth. Ying Zheng looked at Young Master Gao and others and asked, "Do you have any opinions?"
Those who were more self-aware and knew that the position of prince did not belong to them, so they hesitated. Some said they agreed with Fusu, some said they agreed with Fu Yao, but no one agreed with Hu Hai.
At this time, the young eunuch who was sent to summon Niu Du came back in a hurry.
He said with an embarrassed look on his face: "Master Niu is ill. My servant has been urging him for a long time, but he just refused to come."
Ying Zheng was furious: "Niu Dou is so arrogant and courageous. Is he really sick, or is he pretending to be sick?"
The young eunuch said: "I don't know, Master Niu closed the door tightly, and I didn't even see his face."
Ying Zheng said: "Take a group of soldiers. If he doesn't come, carry him here. If he still refuses to come, kill him on the spot."
The young eunuch agreed and left in a hurry.
Sure enough, he led a group of soldiers to Niu Dou's house.
When the servants in the mansion saw the Qin soldiers coming, they were all frightened and wanted to inform Niu Dou. However, these Qin soldiers were extremely impatient and broke in directly. They were led by the young eunuch to Niu Dou's bedroom.
The young eunuch bowed first and then sent troops, and said to the inside: "Master Niu, your Majesty has invited me."
Niu Dou was lying on the couch reading Zuo's Spring and Autumn Annals. When he heard the little eunuch's voice, he felt a little happy.
He pretended to be humble and said: "No, I am seriously ill and cannot walk... It is really disrespectful to meet His Majesty like this..."
While Niu Dou was chattering, suddenly the door was kicked open and a group of Qin soldiers rushed in. They picked up Niu Dou and dragged him outside.
The young eunuch was still standing by and said respectfully, "Your Majesty has invited Master Niu to enter the palace."
Niu Dou sighed and said: "I didn't expect that Your Majesty was so fond of Niu that he sent troops. It seems that Your Majesty won't be able to feel at ease if you don't see Niu today. That's all, that's all. I'll just go with you."
However, those Qin soldiers ignored him and dragged him quickly towards the gate.
Niu Dou was a little anxious: "Everyone, I haven't changed my clothes yet. How can I meet people like this? Hey, I'm going to take a carriage. Do you plan to take me to see the emperor like this?"
Unfortunately, those Qin soldiers ignored him and dragged Niu Dou, who was wearing small clothes, out of the house.
At first, Niu Dou yelled and shouted, looking sad and angry. Later, he found that people on the street were pointing at him, so he could only cover his face with his hands and pray not to be recognized.
Niu Dou sighed slightly in his heart: It must be the little eunuch who is causing trouble. I caused him to make two extra trips, so he held a grudge and deliberately misinterpreted the emperor's meaning to make me look embarrassed. Haha, I will take care of you when I have time to see Your Majesty.
Qin Bing was strong and he quickly brought Niu Dou to the palace and to Ying Zheng's study.
Niu Dou paid great attention to details. When he was put down, he staggered to show his physical weakness.
Then, he let the young eunuch support him and took him to Ying Zheng's study.
After Niu Dou entered, he was stunned for a moment, because there were more courtiers here than he thought, much more. Most of the important officials in the court have arrived.
Do you want to accept the reward in public? Niu Dou was a little embarrassed, but also vaguely looking forward to it.
He saluted and said angrily: "I am weak, Your Majesty, please forgive me."
Ying Zheng didn't say anything, just waved his hand, and an old man walked up to Niu Dou and started to take his pulse.
Niu Dou was stunned for a moment and recognized that this was the doctor Hua Que, the most skilled person in Xianyang City.
Why, did your Majesty specially invite a doctor for me? Niu Dou felt a little moved.
At this time, Hua Que let go of his hand and said to Ying Zheng: "Niu Dou's pulse is healthy and strong, and he is not sick."
Niu Dou was stunned, Hua Que was clearly trying to cause trouble.
He quickly said: "I am sick. My body is weak and I cannot walk. I..."
Ying Zheng dropped the inkstone from the case and hit Niu Dou on the forehead: "Lies and excuses."
Niu Dou was smashed and fell to the ground. He got up dizzy, thinking: Even if I pretend to be sick, it won't be like this. After all, I have just made a great contribution.
He turned to look at Li Shui and thought: Could it be that Huaiguzi is slandering His Majesty again?
At this time, a young eunuch came in and said, "Chun Yuyue wants to see you."
Chunyu Yue had no intention of entering the palace, but the news that Niu Dou was brought to the palace by a group of Qin soldiers had spread throughout Xianyang City, and Chunyu Yue naturally heard about it.
Although he has been dissatisfied with Niu Dou recently, Chunyu Yue couldn't watch Niu Dou in trouble without saying a word, so he came in a hurry.
Chunyu Yue knew very well that Niu Duo had made Xianyang City angry and resentful. Afterwards, instead of coming forward to solve the problem, he shut himself up at home and pretended not to know anything. His Majesty must have been angry.
When the emperor was angry, his body was buried thousands of miles away.
After Chunyu Yue entered the study, he saw a big gash on Niu Dou's forehead and blood was flowing from it. He immediately panicked and quickly said to Ying Zheng: "Your Majesty, Niu Dou may not be capable, but he has a heart to love the people. Yes. I, Da Qin, am even more loyal to Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty to be lenient and spare his life."
Niu Dou felt a little unhappy when he heard this: What do you mean? Am I not capable enough? Please, Your Majesty, please spare my life? Isn't that ironic? Is this a hint to His Majesty to kill me?
The more Niu Dou thought about it, the more something was wrong. He suddenly understood. Could it be that he had intended to replace Chunyu Yue and become Master Fusu, but Chun Yuyue had noticed it and he wanted to take the opportunity to take revenge?
At this time, Ying Zheng asked Niu Dou calmly: "What did you say?"
Niu Dou said with a sincere face: "Your Majesty, did someone slander me? I can explain."
Everyone in the room was speechless. What's the meaning? Is Niu Dou calling everyone a slanderous villain?
Ying Zheng waved his hand and said: "Pull him out, as long as he is eighty, and come back after the beating."
Niu Dou was pulled out with a look of grief and anger. When he was being beaten, he found Ji Ming lying next to him, also being beaten.
Compared to Niu Dou's crying and screaming, Ji Ming seemed much more calm.
He even had the time to give Niu Dou some guidance: "Master Niu, don't be afraid of the pain, just relax. By the way, it won't hurt so much if you relax."
Niu Dou received eighty strokes and was brought back.
Ying Zheng asked calmly: "Do you know you are wrong?"
Niu Dou racked his brains and couldn't figure it out: "Your Majesty, what did I do wrong?"
Ying Zheng waved his hand, and Niu Dou was taken out again.
When Ji Ming saw Niu Dou go and come back, he looked surprised: "Master Niu, what are you..."
Niu Dou's face turned pale in pain, and he whispered: "Excuse me, please help me find out why Your Majesty hit me."
Ji Ming and Tian Jing have a close relationship and know everything about things outside the palace. Hearing Niu Dou ask, he was stunned: "Master Niu doesn't know?"
When Niu Dou heard this, his heart suddenly moved: Could it be that I really did something to anger His Majesty?
Niu Dou said quickly: "I have been busy repatriating the alchemists recently, so I don't know what happened."
Ji Ming looked strange: "Isn't it because you went wrong in repatriating the alchemists that you angered His Majesty?"
Niu Dou was even more surprised: "Something went wrong? No, haven't the alchemists outside Shangjun's courtyard dispersed?"
Ji Ming was stunned. He looked at Niu Dou carefully for a while to make sure that he was not joking with him, and then he said: "The alchemists did leave Shang Jun's Courtyard. But they all arrived in Xianyang. They petitioned everywhere and harassed the courtiers. Niu Dou Sir, you don't know, right? You haven't gone out for the past two days? Even if you haven't gone out, the servants at home should know it. Didn't they report it to you? "
Niudou broke into cold sweat immediately.
In the past few days, he has been shutting himself in his room without seeing anyone, even the servants at home are too lazy to pay attention to him.
So, are those alchemists really so crazy that they dare to harass the court officials?
And he was so confident that he wrote a memorial to take credit? It's over, it's over. After reading the memorial and hearing the news from outside, what will your Majesty think?
Niu Dou suddenly felt that his butt no longer hurt. The board fell hard and I didn't feel it at all. After all, if your head is about to fall off, what else do you need your butt for?
After finishing the beating, the executioner said breathlessly: "Master Niu, please go back. After you go back, deal with His Majesty well, but don't accept any more punishments. I'm... really tired."
Niu Dou walked back blankly. Staggering every step. This time he was not pretending to be weak. After all, he had suffered more than a hundred blows, and his iron-clad body could no longer hold on.
Niu Dou entered Ying Zheng's study. When he saluted, no one could stand still and fell directly to the ground.
He tried twice, but he didn't get up. He just lay there, crying and saying: "Your Majesty, I closed my eyes and listened, and was deceived by the villains in my family. I am guilty, I... I..."
Niu Dou wanted to say that there were elders and younger children in the family, but he couldn't say this kind of begging for mercy.
Fortunately, Chun Yuyue, who was standing by, said: "Niu Dou is the most filial to his mother. If Niu Dou dies, his old mother will not be able to live alone. How innocent is the mother of Niu, please be kind to your majesty."
Niu Dou looked at Chunyu Yue gratefully.
Ying Zheng had no expression on his face and asked calmly: "Niu Dou, are you deceived by a villain in your family?"
Niu Dou nodded repeatedly: "Yes, I have been ill recently and have been resting at home. The servants at home told me that the alchemists had left the Shangjun Courtyard. I believed it and thought that the alchemists had returned to their hometown. Unexpectedly, they arrived. In Xianyang City."
Ying Zheng suddenly turned to look at Fu Yao: "In your opinion, how should we deal with this bull fight?"
Fu Yao thought for a while and said: "This person is not bad at heart, but his ability is a little poorer. He lacks some experience. Now Shangjun Courtyard is recruiting alchemists to go to the far west to find immortals. Why don't you let Master Niu go and experience An exotic scenery.”
When Niu Dou heard this, he almost fainted: This is going to be exiled. I heard that the climate in the far west is harsh. After this trip, is there any chance of coming back?
He struggled and said: "Your Majesty, please give me another chance. I will definitely be able to drive away the alchemists in the city."
