The princes saw that King Zheng of Qin came to the throne at a young age and could not personally govern. There was also the Jinyang Rebellion in the country, so they began to despise Qin. This was especially serious in Chu. After King Zheng of Qin came to the throne, no envoys were sent to congratulate him.
At the court meeting, Lu Buwei said: "Now that the rebellion in Jinyang has been put down, everyone in the country admires the great virtue of the king. However, the princes still bully our young king and underestimate the Qin State! We must send troops to deter us! If not, our Qin Dynasty will definitely be defeated by the princes in the future. intrusion!"
Han Qidao: "The Prime Minister's words are reasonable. To capture the thieves, capture the king first. The princes of all countries regard the King of Chu as the most powerful. Now that the king has ascended the throne, the King of Chu has no envoys to celebrate! We must send troops to deter him!"
Duke Heng was born into a noble family of the Qin State. He had always been a militant faction and believed that everything could be solved by force. He then continued: "The State of Chu relies on its strong strength and does not take the Qin State into consideration. This is intolerable! I am willing to Lead the troops and kill him without leaving any trace behind!"
The Queen Mother Huayang did not want to go to war with the Chu State, but if the Chu State was not convinced, the eastern princes would look down on the Qin State, so she had no choice but to agree to send troops to attack the Chu State.
The King of Qin ordered Duke He to lead an army of 100,000 to attack Juan City of Chu.
The army led by Duke He was mainly composed of the old Qin people, and still followed the military merit strategy formulated by Shang Yang. The more people killed, the greater the military merit. Therefore, wherever they went, they were proud of killing more people, even if they were reduced to soldiers.
The Qin army besieged Juan City, and more than 10,000 Chu troops in Juan City resisted to the death. But in the end, they were outnumbered and the city was destroyed. Duke Lu ordered a massacre of the city, killing more than 30,000 people in total.
The King of Chu was shocked when he heard the news, and quickly dispatched 200,000 troops to surround the Qin army. At the same time, he sent envoys to ask for peace from Qin. The Chu army was filled with indignation because of the massacre of the city by the Qin army. Duke Hu suffered heavy losses under the siege of the Chu army and could no longer attack.
The envoy of the King of Chu came to Xianyang and paid homage to the Queen Mother of Huayang. He said, "Has the Queen Mother forgotten that she is from Chu? Your ancestral tablets are still enshrined in the palace of the King of Chu. I often heard about the kindness of the Queen Mother when I was in Chu. , the people of Chu State are also grateful to the Queen Mother! However, they did not expect that the Qin army carried out a massacre in Juan City, killing more than 30,000 people. No matter how few people there are in Chu State, we will resist to the death! Please take care of yourself, Queen Mother!"
The Empress Dowager Huayang did not want to attack the Chu State at first, but when she saw Duke He massacred 30,000 Chu people, she felt pity and said: "Your words are serious, the attack on the Chu State was originally because the King of Chu looked down on the Qin State. Now since We have sent envoys here. We, the State of Qin, are willing to restore old friendship with the State of Chu, so we will stop fighting."
The envoy said: "The King of Chu is also willing to reconcile with Qin, and he will definitely send envoys to Qin again to greet the King of Qin in the future!"
Empress Dowager Huayang convened the ministers, analyzed the situation at hand, and said: "Now that the Chu State has mobilized the whole country to fight against the Qin army, there is no guarantee of victory if it persists. Moreover, the King of Chu has sent an envoy to express his willingness to repair the old enemy." , I want to ask the King of Qin, I want to stop the army right now!"
Lu Buwei knew that the Empress Dowager Huayang did not want to continue fighting with the Chu State, so he continued: "What the Empress Dowager said is true. The new king is on the throne, and the most important thing is to establish his authority. Now that the goal has been achieved, it is not appropriate to start a big war."
So the King of Qin ordered Duke He to withdraw his troops and return Juan City to the State of Chu. After receiving the order, Duke Heng was very angry and said to the deputy general: "How can we give up the victory that tens of thousands of Qin soldiers sacrificed their lives for?"
The lieutenant said: "Even so, the king's order cannot be violated!"
Duke He had no choice but to withdraw his troops. Returning to Xianyang, the King of Qin believed that although he had made meritorious service, the Qin army also suffered heavy casualties. His merits and demerits were balanced, and there was no reward. Duke He was furious, thinking that the King of Qin was being harsh, and said, "I have fought for Qin all my life, and I have never suffered such an insult!" So he asked to go into seclusion. The Queen Mother Huayang resented him for killing too many Chu people, so she immediately agreed to his request. . At this time, Wang Lu was seriously ill. Although he wanted to retain Duke Lu, he died of serious illness before he could go to court.
Now, except for Meng Ao, who is related by marriage to Lu Buwei, there are no generals in the court who accept orders. The ministers in the court have taken refuge under Lu Buwei's door one after another, and there is an endless stream of guests in front of Lu Mansion. All major affairs in the DPRK were entrusted to Prime Minister Lu Buwei.
One day, the Queen Mother Zhao summoned Lu Buwei alone and said, "Sir, you came from Zhao with me. I regard you as a confidant. There are many things I cannot say to outsiders. I can only tell you."
The Empress Dowager Zhao was only thirty years old. Since the death of King Zhuang Xiang, she had been guarding the empty house alone. She was originally a person with a strong sexual desire, but now that Lu Buwei had taken control of the power, she no longer wanted to endure the poverty and loneliness.
Seeing Zhao Ji's beauty and true feelings, Lu Buwei couldn't help but feel moved in his heart and said: "Now that you are the Queen Mother, I have also become the Prime Minister. Of course, my words and actions are different from the past. But the trust between us will not change. What does the Queen Mother have?" If you want, just tell me and I will do whatever I can to help you!"
Empress Dowager Zhao said: "It has been more than two years since the late king passed away. In the past two years, I have worried about Zheng'er every day, fearing that even though he has become the king, he will still be bullied. Now with you in the court and the Empress Dowager Huayang in the harem, both I am relieved to support Zheng'er. Now I feel that I have to live for myself for a few days, but the palace is desolate and I can't sleep every night!"
Lu Buwei already understood what Empress Dowager Zhao meant. He quickly figured out that facing the beauty in front of him, it was impossible not to be moved at all, but having an affair with the Empress Dowager was a serious crime. Once others caught him, he would be finished. Therefore, Lu Buwei could only reluctantly part ways with her, saying: "The Queen Mother's status is so noble that not everyone can compare with her!"
Empress Dowager Zhao thought about it for a long time before saying this. Of course, she would not give up so easily. She said: "You are now the prime minister. You stick to your word. All the ministers in the court follow your lead. What else do you dare not do?"
Lu Buwei saw that the Empress Dowager Zhao was unwilling to give up, and he could not stay in the harem for a long time, so he could only delay the attack and said: "The Empress Dowager is serious. I will take note of your instructions and come up with a perfect plan!"
Lu Buwei returned to Lu Mansion and sighed. Among the hangers-on, there was a man named Mr. Mo who had no property and wandered around the market every day. Hearing that Lu Mansion was attracting many hangers-on, he stopped here. That day, he saw that Lu Buwei was very depressed, so he went to visit him and said, "What is the Prime Minister's secret? I am eating and drinking in your mansion for free. I feel very sorry. I wonder if I can relieve the Prime Minister's worries?"
This kind of thing should not be discussed casually, but firstly Lu Buwei was really upset, and secondly Zhao Mo was cautious and kept everything secret, so Lu Buwei told him his upset: "The Empress Dowager Zhao is only thirty years old, and she is a tiger wolf." At the same age, I need someone to serve me. Sir, do you know what to do?"
After hearing this, Zhao Mo understood his troubles and said: "Sir, you can use the golden cicada's plan to escape from its shell, which will not offend the Queen Mother, but also protect the integrity of the Prime Minister's Kingdom!"
“How does a golden cicada escape from its shell?”
"I know a man named Lao Ai, who is a street performer. This man has a huge penis. He can wrap it in linen, put it on a paulownia wheel and swing it around to attract business. Sir, you can ask this man to pretend to be castrated. Then he will be sent to the palace of Empress Dowager Zhao. In this way, you can keep your husband out of the matter and satisfy the requirements of Empress Dowager Zhao."
Lu Buwei was startled, then thought that this was indeed a solution that had the best of both worlds, and said: "This is indeed a stopgap measure. Please ask Mr. Mo to arrange this for me. I want to see this Lao Ai as soon as possible."
"Lao Ai's whereabouts are usually unpredictable, but wherever she goes, she will be followed by a group of women. I will find this person for you within a month." After saying that, Mr. Mo packed his luggage and left the Lu Mansion.
More than a month later, Mr. Mo indeed brought back a man. He was eight feet tall, with delicate features and a strong build. Lu Buwei secretly thought he was extraordinary when he saw him. Mr. Mo said: "This is Lao Ai whom I mentioned to you before!"
Lu Buwei said: "I have been hard-working for more than a month, Mr. Mo." Then he turned to Lao Ai and asked: "Where is the ancestral home of the strong man? Is there anyone else in the family?"
Lao Ai said: "My ancestors have always lived in Handan, and my family made a living by selling medicinal materials. We once had some industries. By the time of my father, due to years of war, business roads were blocked. Except for large households that could have relations with the imperial court, small households The family had no choice but to run the business miserably. Later, my father and brother were drafted into the army and went completely bankrupt. There was no news about them for several years. My mother remarried and left, leaving me alone, making a living as a street performer."
Lu Buwei thought that since he had lived in Handan, he must have something in common with Empress Dowager Zhao, and their accents were similar, which increased their intimacy. I was very satisfied, and then asked: "I heard that a strong man with a strong penis can make an axle and roll a wooden cart. Why is this?"
Lao Ai looked very proud and said: "To tell you the truth, sir, when I was young, my family was selling medicinal materials. I often ate cattle whips and sheep kidneys, so my manhood was quite strong. When erect, it was two inches long. I slept with you." There is no woman who is not drunk and dreams of death!"
After listening, Lu Buwei understood that although Lao Ai spoke vulgarly and did not know how to restrain himself, he could definitely meet the needs of Queen Mother Zhao. The top priority was to stabilize Queen Mother Zhao and find an opportunity to send him to the palace. So, Lu Buwei ordered his family to find a guest room for Lao Ai to stay in. Lao Ai was naturally very excited, thinking that he could finally live in a wealthy family and no longer have to run around for food and drink.
Lu Buwei approached Zhao Guang, the general manager of the palace, and asked him to help arrange for Lao Ai to enter the palace. Zhao Guang said: "I have a nephew who is responsible for castration in the palace. He acts cautiously. Let him handle the matter to ensure completeness."
Lu Buwei asked: "What do you call your good nephew?"
Zhao Guangdao: "The surname is Zhao, and the single name has the character "高"."
This Zhao Gao is the eunuch Zhao Gao who brought harm to the Qin Dynasty.
It can be said that he was the trigger for the demise of the Qin Dynasty.
Lu Buwei then took out a large sum of money, thanked Zhao Guang and hurried back home. A few days later, Zhao Gao arranged for Lao Ai to have a false purification. In fact, it was just a show and did not harm the important points. A month later, arrangements were made for Lao Ai to enter the palace. Afterwards, in order to express his gratitude, Lu Buwei arranged for Zhao Gao to serve as the CRRC Mansion Order.
Lao Ai was directly assigned to the Queen Mother Zhao's palace. From then on, the two of them danced and fell in love every night and never tired of it. A few days later, the Queen Mother Zhao was glowing with glory, but Lai Ai looked haggard. When it comes to sex, women are always more capable than men. The Queen Mother Zhao was very satisfied with Lu Buwei's arrangements, so all major affairs in the court were arranged by Lu Buwei.
This move did not go unnoticed by the Empress Dowager Huayang, but the Empress Dowager Huayang knew that if Empress Dowager Zhao's promiscuity was revealed at this time, Lu Buwei would inevitably be implicated, and punishing Empress Dowager Zhao would inevitably plant the seeds of hatred in the heart of Qin Wangzheng, so Empress Dowager Zhao asked her spies to keep the secret. The Empress Dowager Xia was in poor health since Chengjiao left Xianyang and seldom interfered with political affairs, so she did not know the inside story.
Among Lu Buwei's followers was a Confucian scholar named Kong Shu, a native of Qi who was famous for his outspokenness. After he arrived in Qin, he found that many behaviors of the Qin people did not comply with the rules of etiquette. Compared with Qi, a state of etiquette, the people of Qin were barbaric and vulgar. He also has a straightforward personality and always says a few words when encountering things that are not in line with etiquette. Therefore, he is not popular among his guests. Only Lu Buwei thinks that he has real talent and knowledge and always treats him as a distinguished guest.
Ever since Lao Ai entered the Lu Mansion, Kong Shu had looked down on Lao Ai's vulgarity. At a banquet, Lao Ai was eating and talking about the gossip in the streets, spitting everywhere. Kong Shu was angry and left the table directly.
Later, when he heard that Lu Buwei sent him to the palace, he was even more indignant. He went to see Lu Buwei and said, "How can Mr. Lu associate with people like Lao Ai? The people of Qin were originally herders of horses for the emperor of Zhou. They were of low origin and a despicable country. I don’t understand etiquette. I originally thought Mr. Lu wanted to help the Qin family and improve etiquette, but I never thought it would be so humiliating!"
Although Lu Buwei believed that some of the ideas of Confucianism had much to learn from, he had always been indifferent to the loftiness of Confucian scholars. He did not want to take Kong Shu's words to heart, so he laughed and said: "I heard that people who achieve great things don't care about trivial matters." At this time, the Qi State has improved its etiquette, but it cannot escape the fate of its declining power!"
Kong Shu was even more angry when he heard this and said: "The world has been following the Zhou rites for a long time. How can Qin rule the world now if it does not practice etiquette? Everyone in the world thinks that Qin is vulgar and will not be able to bear its humiliation. Qin will never achieve hegemony!"
Lu Buwei was left speechless and suddenly realized the seriousness of the problem Kong Shu mentioned. After bidding farewell to Kong Shu, Lu Buwei spent several days in his mansion thinking hard about how to solve the problem of Qin people's rudeness and rudeness in the hearts of the world. ? This issue is related to the people of the world's recognition of Da Qin. If it is not resolved, the great cause of unification will be difficult to complete. After much thought and no explanation, Lu Buwei decided to visit Kong Shu in person.
The next day, Lu Buwei stooped to visit Kong Shu in his guest room and said, "Sir, please teach me how to change the world's view of the vulgar and careless people of Qin."
Kong Shu said: "'The supreme leader has established virtues, the second has performed meritorious services, and the third has established words.' Although it has not been abolished for a long time, these are the three immortals. Da Qin does not lack people who establish virtues and perform meritorious services, but it lacks people who establish words. !”
Lu Buwei's heart suddenly became enlightened, and he thought that everyone in the world thought that our Qin people had no culture. If I collect the world's writings today in Qin and compile them into a great work, then all the world's writings will be hidden in Qin, and I will be able to publish them to the world. People show me the civil rule of the Qin people. So Lu Buwei recruited more than a hundred followers and began to write "Spring and Autumn".
During the three years of King Qin's rule, after nearly four years of efforts by Lu Buwei, the country of Qin was quiet and the princes abroad admired him! So Lu Buwei suggested continuing the strategy of distant relations and close attacks established during the period of King Qin Zhao, and cannibalizing the neighboring vassal states. King Qin targeted the Three Jin Dynasties, which was recognized by the Queen Mother Huayang.
In order to win the support of the Empress Dowager Xia, Lu Buwei suggested to the Empress Dowager Huayang not to target Zhao State for the time being, because Zhao State had previously exchanged hostages with the State of Qin. If a war started, Cheng Jiao would be in danger, and the Empress Dowager Xia and Han Qi would definitely oppose it. If the top and bottom are not united, the war will be difficult to win. So the Queen Mother Huayang adopted Lu Buwei's suggestion, and Zhao was not included in the attack.
The Queen Mother Xia understood that Lu Buwei was showing kindness to her, so she could no longer say anything about Qin's attack on South Korea. If she speaks for Chengjiao, the people of Qin will think that she cares about the prince of Qin. But if she speaks for South Korea, the people of Qin will definitely not tolerate her being attached to her motherland. Therefore, when attacking South Korea, Queen Mother Xia also chose to remain silent.
So in March, King Qin ordered Meng Ao to lead an army to attack Korea. Meng Ao followed Lu Buwei's advice and treated the people who belonged to him well. Therefore, the resistance he encountered was not strong, and he successively captured thirteen cities in Korea. In October, he attacked Wei again and captured two cities. All the princes were shocked and no longer dared to look down on the young King of Qin.
Lu Buwei's position in the court was further consolidated. He did his best to do as little corvee as possible and did not disturb the people. The domestic harvest had been bumper for several years, and the construction of the Zheng Guo Canal had also begun, creating a quiet internal environment for foreign wars.
