While Li Shui was writing the memorial, Gongsun Cheng and others had already been arrested.
The reason why Ying Zheng arrested them was simple, because they had all contacted Ji Ming, formed a clique for personal gain, and falsely accused Li Shui without evidence.
This kind of person, who wants to kill another person because of political disagreements, is definitely a black sheep in the court. Therefore, Ying Zheng will not keep them.
According to Ying Zheng's original intention, all these courtiers must be killed. Just killing a dozen courtiers will definitely shock the government and the public.
Even if they are just arrested now, many courtiers have already begged for mercy. Most of the memorials pleading for mercy focused on one point: Gongsun Cheng impeached Huaiguzi out of justice, not selfishness. Guilty, but not guilty enough to be imprisoned and subjected to humiliation.
According to the wishes of the courtiers, the most that can be done is to fine him a salary.
After reading these memorials, Ying Zheng was unmoved. He was waiting for Li Shui's memorial. After Li Shui twists and turns and beats these people into rebels, he can justifiably kill them.
Li Shui naturally knew what Ying Zheng was thinking, but after careful consideration, he finally decided to ask for a favor from Gongsun Cheng.
The reason is simple. The people in Gongsun City are still useful. Da Qin has a vast territory and is short of people, especially people who can read and write.
People like these in Gongsun City are more useful alive than dead.
Of course, there is also skill in begging for mercy. Rushing for mercy often angers the emperor. Li Shui, on the other hand, mastered the skill of interceding.
He wrote two memorials, one public and the other secret.
In the public memorial, Li Shui easily labeled Gongsun Cheng and others as rebels. In the secret memorial, Li Shui persuaded Ying Zheng to leave a few people in Gongsun City.
When Li Shui sent a public memorial to the palace, he specifically asked Wu Jiao to leak the news, so the contents of the memorial quickly spread.
Almost in one day, all the dignitaries in Xianyang City knew about it. Li Shui has designated several people in Gongsun City as rebels and hopes that your majesty will kill them.
Those were more than a dozen important ministers in the court. The powerful people in Xianyang City felt that the deeds of banishing immortals were getting bigger and bigger. This person must be stopped, otherwise he may kill everyone in the future and dominate Chao Gang.
However, this kind of careful thinking is just a thought. There are too many people who want to bring down Huaiguzi, and they end up ruined. We must learn from the past mistakes.
On this day, many dignitaries in Xianyang City came to Shangjun Courtyard with complicated emotions.
They wanted to see Li Shui and persuade him not to falsely accuse Gongsun Cheng of being a rebel.
These people also knew in their hearts that Li Shui's words carried great weight with Ying Zheng, so if they wanted to save Gongsun City's life, they had to start with Li Shui.
Unfortunately, the group of people begging for mercy were blocked at the door.
Each person has to pay 100,000 yuan to enter.
The courtiers were a little hesitant. Today they are here to speak out for justice. Why should the word "righteousness" be measured in money?
These people were hesitant and a little reluctant to go in.
At this time, Chun Yuyue gave everyone a good start and directly called for 100,000 yuan to go in without blinking.
The courtiers were filled with emotion. During the last sale of his house, Chunyu Yue muddleheadedly kept his own house. As the price of big houses in Xianyang City became higher and higher, Chun Yuyue became richer and richer.
In his eyes, this hundred thousand dollars is really nothing...
Finally, a few people who had good relations with Gongsun Cheng gritted their teeth and paid to go in.
As for the others, they shamelessly waited outside.
A quarter of an hour later, Chunyu Yue and the court officials came out with dark faces. Judging from their expressions, they looked extremely unhappy.
The courtiers waiting outside asked uneasily, "How is it?"
Chunyu Yue shook his head and left.
Several courtiers behind him sighed: "Huaiguzi, you are so shameless. This Shangjun Courtyard is full of villains."
"The gatekeeper, Niu Cal, knew that we were here for Huaiguzi. But he didn't say a word. After we paid to go in, he told us that Huaiguzi was not at home. Isn't this making fun of us?"
The courtiers waiting outside laughed dryly. While lamenting Li Shui's shamelessness, they also felt that they were very smart and did not rush in...
When the courtiers were about to leave, they saw a large group of people coming over carrying a coffin.
These people are all the family members of those courtiers. I heard that Li Shui suggested that your majesty kill his family leader, so he came over with a coffin, hoping to use this deceitful method to make Li Shui change his mind.
The courtiers looked at the crying family members with sympathy in their hearts. Not only did he sympathize with Gongsun Cheng who was about to be killed, but he also sympathized with the family members.
Because the court officials knew that their pleas were destined to be fruitless. Would a shameless person like Huai Guzi care about this kind of harassment?
…………
Xianyang City, in the imperial palace. Ying Zheng is reading the memorial.
The first thing he received was Li Shui's secret memorial. In this memorial, Li Shui listed the advantages of not killing Gongsun Cheng.
These suggestions made sense, but Ying Zheng felt a little unhappy. He was already sharpening his knife and preparing to kill people. Why did Huai Guzi start interceding for these people again?
Could it be that Huaiguzi has begun to cherish his reputation? Do you want to gain a reputation as a tolerant person in the court? In this case, if I insist on killing these people, wouldn't I be a tyrant? But I would be really unwilling to let these people go.
Ying Zheng was thinking when he saw Ji Ming limping in.
Ying Zheng felt unhappy and waved his hand. He was about to order someone to drag Ji Ming out and give him a beating.
Ji Ming suddenly bowed and said, "Your Majesty, the news has spread outside."
Ying Zheng asked: "What spread?"
Ji Ming said with a strange look: "There are rumors outside that Huaiguzi has written a memorial to His Majesty, which lists many crimes and recommends that Your Majesty kill Gongsun Cheng."
Ying Zheng sneered: "Who is spreading such rumors?"
Ji Ming said: "I'm afraid it's not a rumor. Now the courtiers in Xianyang City are all restless. They think Huaiguzi is too cruel. He will kill more than a dozen courtiers at every turn. Alas, in short, he has aroused public outrage."
Ying Zheng closed his eyes slightly, wondering: "It's strange, who is spreading this rumor? How did this rumor spread?"
At this time, a young eunuch outside said: "Your Majesty, Wujiao asked for an audience and brought a memorial to banish the immortal."
Ying Zheng looked at the memorial in his hand and was stunned for a moment: "Is there another copy?"
Soon, Wu Jiao presented the memorial and said in a hoarse voice: "Your Majesty, this is a memorial to banish the immortal. The banished immortal believes that Gongsun Cheng and others are plotting evil and intending to rebel. I hope your majesty will kill them."
Ying Zheng opened the memorial and looked at it. The content inside was exactly the same as the so-called rumors.
He glanced at Wujiao: "What's wrong with your voice?"
Wujiao laughed dryly and replied: "I talked too much along the way, and my throat is a little dry."
Ying Zheng asked thoughtfully: "What did you say?"
Wu Jiao whispered: "The dignitaries in Xianyang City heard that the slave was going to send a memorial to banish the immortal to the palace, and they all asked the slave what the content of the memorial was."
Ying Zheng smiled: "So, you are the one who spread this rumor?"
Wujiao said with a fearful look on his face: "This slave will die."
Ying Zheng waved his hand: "That's it, step back."
Wu Jiao left, but Ji Ming stayed there with a puzzled look on his face. He was a little confused: What on earth is Huaiguzi going to do?
The contents of this memorial were clearly leaked by him on purpose. Why would he do this? What good would it do him to make everyone reviled him?
Ji Ming couldn't figure out this problem, but Ying Zheng figured it out: Huai Guzi, you are interested.
Li Shui's first memorial was secretly sent to the palace, asking Ying Zheng to spare the lives of Gongsun Cheng and others. The second memorial was sent with great fanfare, hoping to kill Gongsun Cheng.
In this way, if the emperor killed Gongsun Cheng, the fault would all fall on Li Shui. It was his memorial that led to the death of Gongsun Cheng and others.
If the emperor agreed to the reasons in the first memorial, he would pardon Gongsun Cheng. All the praise goes to Ying Zheng. Everyone will feel that although today's emperor favors and banishes immortals, he is definitely not so stupid that he obeys his words and does not argue between right and wrong.
After figuring this out, Ying Zheng was in a good mood. He suddenly felt that Gongsun City might not necessarily have to be killed. It wouldn't hurt to leave them alive.
Therefore, Ying Zheng made a decree.
The next day, all the courtiers in Xianyang City received the news that those in Gongsun City were not killed, but were released from prison.
This man has been deprived of his title and is still a guilty person, waiting for punishment at any time. But one thing is for sure, they continue to live.
After these people were released from prison, they hugged and cried with their relatives and friends. Then he saluted from afar in the direction of the palace.
After thanking the emperor, they cursed Li Shui a few more times, and then went back with the support of their family members.
In one day, Ying Zheng's reputation became ten times better than before. In the past, some people praised him for his talent and strategy, some praised him as the emperor of the ages, and some called him the most powerful lord in history. But no one ever praises others for their generosity.
Even a flatterer like Zhou Qingchen has never flattered anyone generously. This is not to say that flatterers have professional ethics. But... Ying Zheng is not lenient, and everyone knows it at this time, so trying to flatter him like this sounds a lot like irony.
But now it's better, and I can publicly praise the emperor for his generosity, and the emperor himself seems to be very pleased with it.
…………
In the alchemy room, Li Shui and Fu Yao were playing chess.
Originally, Fu Yao came to Li Shui to play Go with him. But Li Shui didn't know how to play at all. He barely learned it and was only half-experienced.
It's a bit embarrassing for a master to lose to a student. What's more, Wei Young is still watching.
So Li Shui cleared his throat and said to Fu Yao seriously: "You are young and should not play Go. This kind of chess is a waste of brain power."
Fu Yao said something like he didn't understand.
Li Shui added: "I will teach you a new kind of chess now. There is no need to change the chessboard or the chess pieces. As long as your own chess pieces have five stars in a row, then the game will be won. This is called backgammon."
Fu Yao nodded and said, "It sounds like fun."
Li Shui played a game with Fu Yao and defeated him easily.
After all, Li Shui played backgammon countless times in class with his classmates when he was a student, and he was very proficient at it. And Fu Yao was just a beginner.
After playing ten games, Li Shui won them all. Then he resolutely refused to have sex with Fu Yao again. The reason he gave was that the so-called chess game was just for fun, and a man should never neglect his studies because of games.
Li Shui's reasons were very fair. In fact, the real reason why he didn't play was that Fu Yao was making rapid progress. Li Shui was already having a hard time playing, and he felt that he might lose if he continued.
Since he stopped playing chess, Fu Yao began to ask Li Shui for advice on how to govern the country.
He asked Li Shui in confusion: "Master, I heard that you have submitted two memorials. One of them is public, asking father to kill Gongsun Cheng. The other is secret, asking your Majesty to spare their lives."
Li Shui looked at Fu Yao with a puzzled expression: "Since it is a secret memorial, how do you know the content?"
Fu Yao smiled proudly: "I can go in and out of my father's study at will."
Immediately afterwards, Fu Yao said again: "Master, I heard that many people are scolding you, thinking that you are evil-minded and like to kill innocent people indiscriminately. My disciple also doesn't understand, why did you write two memorials? Why do you want everyone to Did I misunderstand you?"
Li Shui said: "Master has been very popular recently. He has weakened the Xiongnu's strength and taken away a lot of territory. He has also transported countless gold, silver, copper and iron from outside the customs."
"My merits are high and my power is great. Even if I don't have my power and my power is great, those villains with ulterior motives will still come forward to slander His Majesty."
"And if I make good friends with the courtiers at this time, what will His Majesty think? He thinks that I, Huaiguzi, want to form a clique for personal gain, and want to conspire against evil."
"Even if His Majesty has no evidence and doesn't even intend to punish me, as long as he has this idea, I will be in danger. Therefore, I have to taint myself. A lonely person is the safest for Your Majesty."
Fu Yao nodded as if he understood: "That's it."
Then he shook his head again and said: "Father will never do this. If Fu Yao wants to treat Master like this, I will also advise him."
Li Shui smiled and shook his head. He touched Fu Yao's head: "Being an emperor, in addition to personal feelings, you also have to weigh the world. You will understand these things in the future."
Fu Yao was silent for a long time, then raised his head, looked deeply at Li Shui, and said, "Master has suffered too much for Great Qin. No matter how outsiders slander Master in the future, I will never believe them."
When Li Shui heard this, he nodded with satisfaction, thinking: "The arrangements you and I have made are not in vain."
Afterwards, Li Shui began to write another memorial to get the Gongsun City group to the Western Regions. Help develop the frontier. These people who talk so much about benevolence and righteousness cannot always keep their righteousness in words.
