Spring went to winter, cold came and summer passed, and five years passed without realizing it. In the spring of the fifty-sixth year of King Zhao of Qin, King Zhao of Qin finally fell ill and died a month later. Anguo, who had been the prince for twenty years, finally fell ill. He succeeded to the throne and was called King Xiaowen of Qin. King Xiaowen granted amnesty to the whole world, generously rewarded royal heroes, and reduced palace expenses, which greatly changed King Qin Zhao's harsh and ungrateful attitude. As a result, he quickly gained the support of the princes and nobles. Two months later, King Xiaowen of Qin officially named Zi Chu as the crown prince, and at the same time named Lu Buwei as the crown prince and tutor to participate in the government affairs. Xiong Zhuang was made a guard and Han Qi was made a captain.
Soon after, the news of the death of King Qin Zhao spread throughout the world. All countries wanted to take this opportunity to improve their relations with Qin, and they all sent envoys to express their condolences and attend the funeral.
King Qin Xiaowen also took the opportunity to make peace with various countries. When King Zhao of Qin was alive, he advocated force. The Qin army conquered cities and territories everywhere. Although the territory of Qin was doubled, the national power was also over-consumed. The remaining grain in the granary was less than a year's consumption. Therefore, Qin was in urgent need of a period of peace to recuperate.
King Huanhui of Han has always been afraid of Qin, and has been doing his best to flatter him for a long time. Now that An Guojun has inherited the throne, King Han's sister Xia Ji is treated as the queen and is renamed Mrs. Xia. Zi Chu also takes King Han's daughter, which can be said to be a close relationship, so King Han comes as the nephew of King Zhao of Qin. Crying in mourning. Wearing mourning clothes, he came to the tomb of King Qin Zhao and cried bitterly. He couldn't stop crying for an hour. It is estimated that only he himself understands how much of this is true and how much of it is false.
After paying homage to King Zhao of Qin, King Xiaowen personally received King Han. King Xiaowen held his hand and treated him as a brother. King Han was flattered and thought that South Korea finally did not have to worry about the invasion of the Qin army.
In the next few days, the King of Han secretly visited his sister, Mrs. Xia, his niece Han Ji, and his nephew Han Qi. He asked them to advise King Qin not to invade South Korea and presented him with many gold and silver jewels.
Lu Buwei watched all this coldly. He knew that a new political force was rising in King Qin's palace, which would have a great impact on Ying Zheng's future.
Zhao State also sent envoys at this time to express its willingness to form a good relationship with Qin State. Lu Buwei thought it was time to take Zhao Ji and her son back to China, so he said to Zi Chu, "Your Majesty, do you still remember Zhao Ji and her son who are still in Handan?"
Zi Chu recalled the life and death parting with Zhao Ji, mother and son, and said with emotion: "Since returning to Xianyang, there is not a day that I don't miss. Now that I have become the prince, but they are still suffering in Handan, every time I think of this place Everyone will be heartbroken!"
"Now that Qin and Zhao have reconciled, His Highness has been established as the prince, and the time is ripe to take their mother and son back to the country." Lu Buwei paused and continued: "When we first arrived in Qin, we didn't know much about the situation in the palace. He Although the mother and son suffered some hardships in Handan, they were not in danger of their lives. Now that His Highness is the crown prince, this problem no longer exists. As long as the crown prince asks for your permission, we can now send envoys to take his mother and son back to Qin." Zi Chu said. : "Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Youlao. I will send a petition to your father tomorrow."
King Xiaowen also wanted to see this eldest grandson whom he had never met before, so he agreed to Zichu's request and sent an envoy to Zhao. Lu Buwei mixed in with the envoys and came to Handan, and took two followers to Zhao's house in the evening.
Returning to Handan, where he had been away for many years, Lu Buwei had mixed feelings. The big business he had planned for many years was about to come true. Lu Buwei couldn't help but recall the situation when he first met the stranger. At that time, he was just a downcast grandson, and he was just Handan. of a businessman. The more Lu Buwei thought about it, the more he felt that this business was not a loss. If Zhao Ji could become Yi Ren's wife, it would be nothing more than a big surprise for this business!
Arriving at the door of Zhao's house, Lu Buwei knocked gently. The gatekeeper was none other than Zhao Jia. When he left Handan that year, Zhao Jia was arranged to stay and take care of Zhao Ji's mother and son, and they lived together in Zhao Jincai's home. Over the years, Zhao Jia has been Secretly protecting the safety of Zhao Ji, mother and son. When he saw Lu Buwei coming, he was extremely surprised. He quickly kowtowed to Lu Buwei and said, "Sir, you are back! Madam has been waiting for you for so long, and she has been talking about it every day!"
Lu Buwei hurriedly helped Zhao Jia up and said, "Thank you for your hard work these years! The prince always remembers your loyalty! I will definitely reward you well when you return to Xianyang!"
"I am lucky to be able to work for the prince. How dare I ask for anything in return? I will inform you right away..."
Zhao Jincai had long heard that Lu Buwei had become a high official in the Qin State. Now that he had come to visit him in person, he hurriedly came out to greet him. Said: "My Lord! I finally have you back. I have been worried a lot in the past few years. I am always on tenterhooks. Now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief because of the reconciliation between Qin and Zhao!"
"Brother Zhao, you have been very helpful in the past few years. You have taken care of Zhao Ji and her son for so many years. The prince is also very grateful. This time you came here and asked me to bring a hundred gold to express my gratitude. In addition, I will live in Qin for a long time, and the property of Zhao will also be I’ll give it to Brother Zhao as well, please don’t dislike it!”
Zhao Jincai rolled his eyes and secretly calculated Lu Buwei's property. In the past, when the two of them cooperated, Lu Buwei earned seven points and Zhao Jincai earned three points. Now it's all his own. That's more than three times the current property. He was overjoyed and mouthed But Shang said: "How is that possible? I took care of Zhao Ji out of loyalty to the prince. Now you can take your little daughter, mother and son away without saying thank you again."
"Brother Zhao will look down on me, Lu, if he doesn't agree!"
"Brother Lu said this, it's a disgrace. In this case, I, Zhao, should be more respectful than obey your orders!" Zhao Jincai was very happy. In fact, Lu Buwei had already secretly transferred most of his property to the Qin State in the past few years. What was in the Zhao State was just an empty shelf. Now it doesn't hurt at all to give it to Zhao Jincai, and he has also won a huge favor. After the two chatted for a while, Lu Buwei went to the backyard to meet Zhao Ji and her son.
Zhao Ji burst into tears when she saw Lu Buwei. Ying Zheng was already a nine-year-old boy and very sensible, so he asked who was coming. Lu Buwei was also filled with emotion when he saw Ying Zheng. He was only two years old when they were separated last time. The child was unrecognizable now. Thinking that the young man in front of him was very likely to become the master of the world in the future, he couldn't help but be more respectful and said: "I am Lu Buwei, the envoy sent by Prince Qin to take you back to Xianyang."
"Are you the Lu Buwei that my mother often mentioned? Who is Prince Qin?"
"Prince Qin is your father."
"Ah? My father really became the prince? It turns out that mother really didn't lie to me! Where is he now?"
"In Xianyang, Qin State. This time I will take you back and you can see him!"
"Where is Xianyang? Is it far from here?"
"It's not far. It can be reached by walking west for half a month from here!"
"Half a month is not far! If only it could be reached in half a day!" Ying Zheng has never traveled far, and now he can't imagine that it will take two months for the empire he controls to go from south to north!
Lu Buwei walked up to Zhao Ji. Zhao Ji slowly stopped crying. Lu Buwei said: "I have wronged my wife over the years. After returning to Xianyang, the prince will definitely not treat my wife badly!"
"You are so cruel. It's been seven years since we left! Do you know how we, mother and son, have spent these seven years?" Zhao Ji said with tears.
"Surviving a catastrophe will bring you blessings in the future. Madam, you will have great blessings in the future! If the prince owes you, mother and son, he will definitely compensate you twice as much!"
"Compensation? That's easy to say!" Although Zhao Ji spoke harshly, she still understood in her heart that the hard days were coming to an end. She was tired of crying now and asked coldly: "When do you plan to take our mother and son away?"
"I still have things to discuss with King Zhao these days, and I will set off back to Xianyang in five days."
"I have to prepare well these days. Could you please sir, pack the things I need!"
Lu Buwei understood that Zhao Ji wanted some money. Zhao Ji was used to living a hard life, and it was inevitable that she would be poor, short-minded, and ill-informed. It seemed that she would have to give her more money and things in the future! Lu Buwei thought this in his heart, but said: "Madam, don't worry, I will send someone to bring you all the silk, satin, powder, and soft fabrics you need in the next few days!"
The envoys of the State of Qin conveyed the King of Qin's intention of reconciliation to King Zhao, returned the two cities occupied by the State of Qin, and then returned to the State of Qin. Lu Buwei secretly hid Zhao Ji's mother and son among the envoys. Because Qin and Zhao had just reconciled, the soldiers guarding the gate of Zhao did not check the team of Qin envoys, and the group left Handan City easily.
When they arrived in Xianyang, Zhao Ji and her son were amazed. Compared with Handan, which has been destroyed by several wars, Xianyang City can be said to be prosperous and prosperous. People come and go in the city, juggling, hawking, bargaining, and spectators fill the streets; fine silks and satins, gorgeous ceramics Everything is available; the aroma of food wafts from time to time in restaurants and restaurants...
Ying Zheng's eyes were opened and he was amazed: "Is this the residence of gods? How can it be so prosperous! I have never seen many things!"
Everyone was amused by Ying Zheng's words. Lu Buwei said: "Your Highness, this is not the residence of gods. This is your home! From now on, when you live here, you can eat whatever you want! You can come out to play whenever you want!"
"Is it really possible? Then I want to control everything! I want everyone here to listen to me!"
Lu Buwei was shocked when he heard what Ying Zheng said. He didn't expect that a little child could have such a strong desire to control and possessiveness. Although this is not a bad thing for a king, such unabashed words will sooner or later lead to trouble. upper body, so Lu Buwei squatted down and reminded in a low voice: "Your Highness, do you like to be controlled by others?"
"Zheng'er doesn't like it!" Ying Zheng shook his head seriously.
"Then if others hear that they are being controlled by others, will they be happy?"
"Probably not...well...others might hate me for it."
"So you can think a lot of things in your heart, but you can't say it out and others will hear it. If others hear it and hate you for it, this is not a good thing."
Ying Zheng thoughtfully nodded and said, "Sir, I understand! I can't say everything I want to say! You have to consider other people's reactions before deciding whether to say it."
Lu Buwei was very happy to see Ying Zheng so smart, and couldn't help but get closer to him.
When they arrived at the Prince's Mansion, someone had already come to report Zi Chu. Lu Buwei, Zhao Ji, mother and son were led into the main hall to wait. About a quarter of an hour later, Zichu hurried to the lobby and saw that although Zhao Ji had lost a lot of weight, she was still so charming. Their eyes met, and the old love rekindled instantly! The two of them couldn't help themselves. Zhao Ji fell into Zi Chu's arms and burst into tears. Zhao Ji cried and said: "Husband! I miss you so hard! Do you know how I have lived these past few years? Ugh! Woo..."
Zi Chu also choked with sobs and said: "Madam, I have suffered! I miss you mother and son day and night in Xianyang, and I finally look forward to having you here today!"
Zhao Ji suddenly remembered that Ying Zheng was still beside her, and quickly called to her: "Zheng'er, this is your father! Call me father!"
Ying Zheng, on the other hand, refused to accept his birth. He prostrated himself at Zi Chu's feet and said, "Greetings to my father!"
Only then did Zichu notice the older children around him. In his memory, Ying Zheng was still three years old. Unexpectedly, seven years later, Xiao Zheng'er had grown so big. Zichu picked up Ying Zheng and looked at him carefully for a long time, feeling that he was quite similar to himself. Asked: "Do you remember your father?"
"Zheng'er remembers his father, and his father is still so mighty! Zheng'er misses his father every day! Does father miss Zheng'er?"
"Yes! Of course I do! Zheng'er is still so good, come on, kiss daddy!"
Ying Zheng kissed his father hard, and Zi Chu was very happy. Zi Chu unconsciously compared Ying Zheng with Cheng Jiao. Cheng Jiao was only three years younger than Ying Zheng, but because he grew up in a deep palace and was favored by Han Ji and his mother, the child was infected with a lot of dandyism. The wind is very willful. But the Ying Zheng in front of him was quite sensible and courteous.
Zichu turned to Zhao Ji and said, "I have wronged you two over the years, and I will definitely compensate you twice as much as I owe you. You can live in the east courtyard after it is cleaned up in a few days."
The East Courtyard was originally where the Crown Prince and his wife lived. Since Zi Chu became the Crown Prince, Madam Xia let Han Ji, who had an heir, live in the East Courtyard. Although Cheng Jiao was not announced as the heir, her intention was self-evident. of. So Lu Buwei reminded: "Prince, now Han Ji and Cheng Jiao are living in the east courtyard. I'm afraid Mrs. Xia won't agree. Now that Zhao Ji has just arrived in Xianyang, it's not easy for conflicts to arise again. It's better to live in the west courtyard first and let things calm down later." Not too late."
Zi Chu pondered for a moment and said: "When my father just came to the throne, my mother urged me to appoint Cheng Jiao as his heir. I pushed the matter aside by saying that Cheng Jiao was still young and should not act too hastily, so I pushed the matter aside. If I give in again now, wouldn't it be wrong? Have you accepted Cheng Jiao as the heir?"
"Now that the edict has not been issued, the king is in his prime, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is young, of course the matter of the heir can be eased! Letting Xia Ji live in the east courtyard is not acquiescence, but just a temporary measure."
Zichu thought for a moment and said, "Let's arrange it according to your wishes, sir!"
So Zi Chu arranged for Zhao Ji and her son to live in the West Courtyard. When Han Ji learned about it, she was very happy and ran to Mrs. "
Mrs. Xia had nothing to do with her niece who lacked political sensitivity. She could only say coldly: "So what?"
"Doesn't this mean that Zi Chu has already acquiesced in Cheng Jiao's heir status? Let me just say that the newly returned Ying Zheng looks like a bumpkin, how can he compare with us Cheng Jiao?"
"How can my niece be so naive! The Qin Dynasty ruled the country by law, and only those who have written edicts can be recognized by the world. Now the king has not even issued an oral edict, let alone a written edict! It doesn't matter where we live. The important thing is that we must persuade him as soon as possible. The king issued an edict and named Chengjiao as his successor."
Han Ji was splashed with cold water and had to walk away angrily. Mrs. Xia looked at her back and shook her head helplessly.
At this time, the palace maid reported that Zhao Ji and her son had come to visit. Mrs. Xia straightened her clothes and ordered people to bring Zhao Ji, mother and son into the palace. According to etiquette, a new daughter-in-law must pay her respects to her mother-in-law. When Zhao Ji came to Xianyang for the first time, she needed to pay a formal visit to Mrs. Huayang and Mrs. Xia. I just paid a visit to Mrs. Huayang a few days ago and said some innocuous words. Today I came here to pay a special visit to Mrs. Xia.
When Zhao Ji saw Mrs. On the way back to Xianyang, Lu Buwei told Zhao Ji the etiquette in the palace and asked her to learn it all. Now Zhao Ji is very proficient.
Mrs. Xia did not let her get up. She stared at Ying Zheng for a long time and asked, "Are you the Ying Zheng who was brought back from Handan?" Although he is her own grandson, she has never had any contact with her, so Mrs. Xia did not It doesn't feel friendly.
"Yes, I am Zheng'er. Zheng'er greets grandma!" Ying Zheng replied in a childish voice.
When Mrs. Xia heard him calling her grandma, she couldn't help but become much gentler and said: "Stop kneeling, get up quickly, come here and let grandma take a look!"
Ying Zheng stepped forward, and Mrs. Xia looked at her carefully and said, "Sure enough, he looks a bit similar to Zi Chu. How old are you this year?"
"Zheng'er is nine years old this year!"
"You're so old! This is the first time I've seen grandma." At this moment, Mrs. Xia turned her eyes to Zhao Ji and said, "Are you Zhao Ji?"
Zhao Ji respectfully replied: "As for Madam, the little girl is none other than Zhao Ji."
"I heard that Zichu liked you very much when he was in Handan. You are indeed pretty. But you have to remember that in Xianyang City it is not like in Handan. You have to think twice before doing anything!"
Zhao Ji promised, and Mrs. Xia warned her the first time she saw her. It seemed that she would have to be careful in the future. When Zhao Ji paid a visit to Mrs. Huayang, Mrs. Huayang didn't say a word of respect to herself, but Zhao Ji didn't feel much hostility from Mrs. Huayang to her. On the contrary, she felt a kind of talk from Mrs. Xia. The fear of not leaving.
