In this regard, CRRC Mansion made Zhao Gao see clearly.
Zhao Gaozu was originally a distant relative of the Qin clan, and he was once prominent. By the time of great-grandfather Zhao, the family began to decline. His father did nothing in his life and had enemies with local powerful men. In order to avoid disaster, Zhao's father asked his cousin Zhao Guang, who was in charge of the palace, to send Zhao Gao and Zhao Gao's mother to serve in the Xianyang Palace.
Zhao Gao's mother lived in poverty all her life. When she first arrived at the palace, she saw the dazzling array of gold, silver and jewelry and became greedy. She stole a gold hairpin and was found to have her fingers cut off. After being pardoned, due to his physical disability due to torture, it was inconvenient to see people and he did not want to be seen, so he had been living and working in the hidden palace. Zhao Guang pitied Zhao Gao for being helpless, so he arranged for him to be responsible for the castration in the Internal Criminal Division. Later, by chance, he was promoted to the order of the CRRC by Lu Buwei with the help of a fake castration for Lao Ai, and this was how he got closer. opportunity for the First Emperor.
Zhao Gao knew that the First Emperor admired Legalism and admired Han Fei very much, so he secretly studied the laws of Qin and memorized them by heart. He also read Han Fei's works thoroughly. Every time the First Emperor asked him, he answered fluently, so the First Emperor believed that Zhao Gao Being reliable, he not only allowed him to continue to be in charge of driving, but also allowed him to teach his youngest son Hu Hai to read and solve cases.
Zhao Gao was good at observing people's words and emotions, and he was even more caring about the little prince. Hu Hai lost his mother when he was young and lacked father's love. Therefore, Zhao Gao quickly gained Hu Hai's dependence. Hu Hai always asked Zhao Gao before making decisions.
Zhao Gao knew in his heart that his future depended on whether Hu Hai could become emperor.
At this moment, a huge opportunity seemed to appear in front of him, but Zhao Gao knew that what was in front of him was a huge trap. Therefore, Zhao Gao tried to keep a low profile and always praised other princes when he met everyone, saying that Hu Hai was still young and not qualified for important tasks, so no one recommended Hu Hai in all the letters.
Ten days later, Nei Shi Mengyi had completed the statistics of such memorials and reported to the First Emperor, saying: "Among the memorials, the three most recommended are Prince Fusu, Prince Gao, and Prince Jianglu. The ministers believe that these three are all He is gentle, has a broad mind, and is smart, so he is worthy of a big job!"
The First Emperor snorted coldly and asked, "What about the candidate for the queen?"
"In the harem, there are not many ladies with high status and heirs. All the ministers suggested that Mrs. Han or Mrs. Lu should be appointed queen!"
"Did anyone say anything else?"
"Following Chang Yang, Dianke Liu Min believed that not only should the crown prince be enthroned, but the other princes should also be enthroned as kings by the Jin Dynasty, and they should go to various places to guard and worship the central government."
The First Emperor's face was ashen and he said: "Confucian scholars are so pedantic! They must have listened to Wang Wan's words!"
Meng Yi could not see the tendency of the First Emperor and asked: "What is your Majesty's intention?"
The First Emperor sneered and said, "What? Are you also anxious for me to appoint a prince?"
Meng Yi heard that the First Emperor was displeased and hurriedly bowed down and said: "How dare a humble minister to guess the holy will? It's just that His Majesty has issued an edict before, and now he should give an explanation to his ministers!"
"An explanation? We really need an explanation! These people are eager to be loyal to the new emperor. They have had second thoughts while I was still here. Can they repay me in the future?" The First Emperor could no longer conceal his anger, and Meng Yi was terrified. , thinking that the First Emperor was really going to be angry this time! I'm afraid someone is going to suffer again.
Meng Yi had always been on good terms with the young master Fusu. This time the First Emperor issued an edict. He wanted to recommend Fusu as the crown prince, but his father Meng Wu stopped him. He said that the situation was unclear now. The First Emperor only wanted to discuss the harem system and did not say that he would It is a taboo for ministers to presume on the holy will of a prince when he is appointed, so he cannot submit a letter for the time being. Although Meng Yi was dissatisfied at the time, he did not dare to disobey his father's order. Now that my father had indeed told me what he said, I was secretly shocked.
The next day, the First Emperor suddenly ordered that all the ministers who wrote about the prince's affairs should be imprisoned. He also issued an edict saying: "These ministers did not think conscientiously about how to complete their missions. Instead, they had double-minded intentions and instigated the relationship between the emperor and the princes. They committed a heinous crime. Therefore, they were all imprisoned and will be dealt with later! If anyone talks about this matter again in the future, they will be punished." You will be severely punished!”
As a result, Zhongcheng Wang Zhen, Fengchang Yang Huan, Dianke Liu Min, as well as a group of doctors and censors were all imprisoned. There was an uproar in the court, and all the courtiers realized that the First Emperor did not really want to appoint a prince, but just wanted to test the reaction of the officials, so they wrote letters to apologize.
Fusu couldn't bear it when he learned that many ministers were imprisoned because of him, so he met with the First Emperor, hoping to absolve the ministers of their crimes. Fusu said: "Father, I heard that the rule of the world must be based on convincing people. Now I ask the ministers to submit a letter, but then punish them for their crimes. I think it is inappropriate."
The First Emperor was furious at this moment. When he heard Fusu accuse him, he became even more furious and shouted angrily: "Are you still here to intercede for them? Is this what ministers should do? As a human minister, you don't care about your career. , have you considered it for me? Then what do you want me as the emperor to do?"
Fusu said: "This matter is all my fault. Please forgive me, Father!"
Fusu wanted to exchange his life for the First Emperor's forgiveness to the ministers. Unexpectedly, this made the First Emperor even more angry. The First Emperor said angrily: "Are you trying to win people's hearts for the future?"
Fusu immediately realized that he had made a mistake, and quickly knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "I don't dare to think that, my father will live a long life!"
When the First Emperor saw Fusu lying on the ground and couldn't get up, he thought of Mi Hong again, and his anger gradually subsided. He knew in his heart that Fusu was a respectful and filial man and was weak at heart. He was not really trying to compete for the crown prince's position this time. So he pulled him up and said: "You often read Confucian books, and you should understand the ways of kings, kings, ministers, fathers, fathers, sons, and sons. What they are writing now is not the way of ministers. You don't need to say more, I have my own sense of proportion." "
Fusu thanks.
A few days later, the First Emperor issued another edict to deprive the person who submitted the letter of all titles and demote him to a commoner. At the same time, Mrs. Han and Mrs. Lu were reprimanded in the harem and ordered to keep to themselves, set an example for the world, and not to get involved with foreign ministers. Mrs. Han and Mrs. Lu have been treated coldly since then.
Although the mouths of all the ministers were blocked, the queen and the prince were of great importance after all, and they had to give an explanation to the world, so the First Emperor issued an edict to pursue Mi Hong as Queen Xiaoren. At the same time, because all the princes were still young, the prince's matter Let’s not discuss it for now. Regarding the system and order of honor and inferiority in the harem, all are implemented in accordance with the suggestions of the ministers.
When Taiwei Wang Jian saw all this, he broke into a cold sweat. He knows that the era of conquering the world immediately has passed. Now he can only consume the merits accumulated in the past. If he makes a mistake, he may get burned and die without a burial place. So Wang Jian wrote a letter, saying that he was old and wanted to take care of the emperor's worries, but he was too ambitious and unable to do so, so he asked to return to his fields.
The First Emperor repeatedly asked to stay, but Wang Jian was determined to leave. In desperation, the First Emperor approved his request. He again gave Wang Jian a large amount of land and jewels, but at this time, Wang Jian declined all rewards and returned to his fief alone. Only then did the First Emperor realize that Wang Jian was not a greedy man for money. He had only done it out of expediency in the past. The First Emperor admired Wang Jian's moral character very much and promoted Wang Jian's son Wang Ben to the rank of general.
After that, the ministers knew that the First Emperor was taboo on this topic, and no one dared to take the initiative to mention the appointment of a prince. Because Li Si and Zhao Gao did not submit a letter, they gained the trust of the First Emperor even more. The son Fusu was jealous of the First Emperor because he received the most recommendations from ministers, and the father and son became even more estranged.
Just when the First Emperor was complacent in Xianyang and rewarded the heroes, the old aristocrats in the Six Kingdoms' homeland did not give up any opportunity to restore their country.
When Wang Jian was trying to pacify Chu, he thought that both Changping Lord and Xiang Yan were dead and that the remaining Chu forces were no longer worth mentioning, so he led his army to withdraw from Chu and go north to Pingyan, giving Xiang Yan's old troops a chance to breathe.
Xiang Yan's sons, Xiang Chao, Xiang Liang, and Xiang Bo brothers, inherited their father's legacy and secretly led an army of more than 8,000 people to continue to fight against Qin in the Wuzhong area, known as the Eastern Chu Army. Xiang Chao is proficient in the art of war and has learned the true biography of Xiang Yan. He claims to be the general of Eastern Chu and is the actual commander of the army; Xiang Liang is proficient in strategy and has a deep city, and is the deputy general of the Eastern Chu army; Responsible for the supply of food and grass for the Eastern Chu army and the recruitment of soldiers. When Xiang Yan committed suicide, he shouted: "Although Chu has three households, if Qin is destroyed, Chu will definitely die!" Therefore, the three brothers united sincerely and determined to fulfill their father's legacy!
Although the Qin army withdrew, it set up counties and counties in the old land of Chu before leaving. All the land of the old nobles of Chu was given to the people for cultivation. The grain harvested from farming each year was handed over to the counties and counties in proportion, and the remaining grain was used as own rations and capital for farming in the coming year. The Xiang family's fields were also distributed. As a result, the Eastern Chu army had no food and grass supplies, and the situation was very critical.
The three Xiang Chao brothers discussed countermeasures together. Xiang Bo said: "Food is the most important thing for the people. How can we fight a war if our stomachs are not full? Why not plunder the supplies of merchants and use them as military rations to meet our urgent needs!"
Xiang Chao said: "How many businesses do we need to rob to feed more than 8,000 people? Moreover, once we rob, the government will definitely send people to investigate, and then our whereabouts will no longer be hidden!"
Xiang Liang also agreed: "We were originally Chu troops. If we bring harm to the people of Chu, who will support us? My father was deeply loved back then because of his strict military discipline. Even if he starved to death, he could not rob the people."
Xiang Bo was very discouraged when he saw that his two brothers rejected his opinions. He couldn't help but lower his head in thought. By chance, he saw a notice that the soldiers had just stolen to appease the people. The notice was signed "Chen Dong, Governor of Kuaiji County". Xiang Bo was overjoyed and shouted: "I have it." ! The newly appointed governor of Kuaiji County, Chen Dong, is familiar to me. He is originally from Chu, and he learned to read and write with the support of our family! What I am today is a gift from my family. If I go and ask him to borrow You can definitely borrow food!"
Xiang Liang said: "Chen Dong is the governor of Kuaiji County and an official of the Qin State who accepts his fate. How can I be sure that he will be used by me? Is he reliable?"
But Xiang Bo said, "I have a great debt of gratitude to him. Even if he doesn't borrow food and grass, he won't betray us!"
The three brothers couldn't think of a better way, so they had to agree to Xiang Bo's suggestion and let him try it.
So Xiang Bo went to visit Chen Dong alone.
When he arrived at Kuaiji, Xiang Bo announced his name and asked the county governor Chen Dong to receive him. Seeing that the visitor was very angry, the gatekeeper did not dare to neglect and quickly went inside to report Chen Dong. When Chen Dong heard that it was Xiang Bo who came to see him, he was surprised and happy, and said: "It turns out to be him! Follow me to greet him quickly!"
Chen Dong was very happy to see Xiang Bo and said, "Brother Xiang, you are fine!"
Seeing that Chen Dong had not forgotten him, Xiang Bo laughed and said, "Thanks to the great blessing of the county governor, I can still live in peace for the time being!"
"Brother Xiang, what are you talking about! If it weren't for your help back then, how would I have the spare money to study and read? I would have been dragged into the world by my father!"
Chen Dong knew that Xiang Bo was Xiang Yan's son and had a special status, so it was not suitable to meet him in public. Therefore, while talking, he led him into the secret room and sent all his followers out. Then he said: "After General Xiang Yan died in battle, Brother Xiang Bo How did you escape the disaster?"
Xiang Bo said: "Hey! Looking back on that day, my father led the Jing army to protect King Jing's retreat, and fought with the Qin army for three days and three nights! It's not that my Jingchu disciples are greedy for life and fear of death, but because of lack of food and grass, they were eventually surrounded by the old thief Wang Jian. The whole army was killed in the battle. After hearing the news, my three brothers hid in Qionglong Mountain for more than three months. They did not dare to come out of the mountain until Wang Jian's army withdrew."
Chen Dong was deeply saddened to hear that his benefactor had experienced such a thrilling experience. He could only console him by saying, "Brother Xiang will be blessed if he doesn't die! I wonder where Brother Xiang is settling down now?"
"My three brothers later went out to gather more than 8,000 people from the old Jing army and vowed to fight to the death against the Qin Dynasty. Most of them are still hiding in Qionglong Mountain."
Chen Dong was shocked when he heard this and said: "Now that the King of Qin has defeated the six kingdoms, the world is at peace, and the four seas have returned home, Brother Xiang's resistance to Qin now is like seeking the skin of a tiger!"
"My Xiang family has been a Chu general for generations, how can I sacrifice my life for the Qin people? To be honest, I am here to borrow food from you!"
Chen Dong looked troubled, pondered for a moment, and said: "Brother Xiang, the laws of the Qin Dynasty are very strict now. If you are found to have rebelled, you will not report the same crime as a certain perpetrator. What's more, the crime of financing rebellion is enough to kill the three clans! The former emperor My brother Cheng Jiao rebelled and was killed, so why talk about you and me! I advise Brother Xiang to disband the rebels and go back to Ji to make a living! I, Chen Dong, will never mention this matter to others!"
When Uncle Xiang heard what Chen Dong said, he was very angry and said, "Have you forgotten that you are from Chu? The people of Qin bought you off after giving you a small official. I, Uncle Xiang, have never known you!" After that, Xiang Bo was about to go out.
Chen Dong quickly grabbed Xiang Bo and said, "Brother Xiang, please don't go astray again, otherwise you will be doomed!"
Uncle Xiang was furious and said, "I never thought that you would be an ungrateful person! I guess Uncle Xiang made a mistake!" Then he threw Chen Dong to the ground with a forceful throw. Just as he was about to leave, he then thought that he had just told Chen Dong the hiding place of the Dongchu army. If he went to report or lead troops to encircle and suppress him, the consequences would be disastrous. In anger, Xiang Bo drew his sword and killed Chen Dong. Escape the secret room.
Seeing that the county guard had not come out for a long time after entering the secret room, people from the county governor's house were worried about an accident, so they came to check and found that the county guard had been killed. They were shocked and reported to the county captain and county magistrate.
The county lieutenant rushed to the secret room, inspected the scene, and asked: "Who has ever been alone in the secret room with the county guard?"
The gatekeeper said: "An hour ago, a man who called himself Uncle Xiang came to see the county guard. The county guard led him into the secret room and then drove the children out. The children did not know what happened inside."
The county magistrate was startled and said, "Uncle Xiang? Could it be that he is Xiang Uncle, the son of Xiang Yan?"
The gatekeeper said again: "He is wearing a long sword, eight feet long, and an extraordinary weapon."
The county magistrate said: "It should be Uncle Xiang. Now we should arrest Uncle Xiang first and report it to the court at the same time!"
The county lieutenant said: "The words of the county magistrate are right. Uncle Xiang dares to plot against our governor of Daqin. He should be punished!" So he sent out guards from the county, sealed the city gates, and hunted down Uncle Xiang everywhere.
Xiang Bo knew that he had gotten into trouble. After killing Chen Dong, he fled back to Qionglong Mountain overnight. In order not to involve the Eastern Chu army, Xiang Bo left Wuzhong and fled to Xiapi alone after discussing with Xiang Chao and Xiang Liang.
