Among the magicians who participated in the discussion that day, there was a man named Liu Sheng. He was jealous that Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng were favored by the First Emperor. After hearing these words, he went to report to the First Emperor.
When the First Emperor heard about it, he became furious and ordered people to seal all the city gates and conduct a city-wide search. He must be arrested and brought to justice! However, the two men had already escaped from Xianyang at this time. The soldiers guarding the city hunted them for three days, but they were not caught.
After the First Emperor reprimanded the Xianyang Order, the anger in his heart still could not be resolved, so Zhao Tingwei Meng Yi said: "I used to collect books from all over the world and burn all those that were no longer useful, in order to unify my thoughts and create a peaceful and prosperous age; the imperial court also recruited many Warlock, I hope to refine the elixir and obtain the strange medicine to ensure peace!"
Seeing that the First Emperor was very angry, Meng Yi did not dare to contradict him, so he could only say: "What your Majesty is thinking is a plan for the ages. How can these quacks and magicians understand it?"
The First Emperor ignored Meng Yi's words and continued: "I have paid so much for them, but how did these people repay me? After Han Zhong left, he never came back; Xu Fu and others spent tens of thousands to build huge ships and sail into the sea. I have been searching for immortals, but I still haven’t gotten the elixir. I respect Lu Sheng and others and rewarded them generously, but now he is slandering me to aggravate my unkindness!
What I hear every day now are these warlocks defrauding me of my money in the name of seeking immortals! Now, not only can these magicians not find the elixir, they also gather people to criticize me, and even create weird and heresies to confuse the people! It is unbearable! "
"Your Majesty, please calm down. These young people are deceiving the world and stealing their reputation. They are not worthy of Your Majesty's anger!"
"What do you think should be the crime for deceiving the emperor?"
Meng Yi did not dare to neglect and said, "Deceiving the emperor is a crime worthy of death! According to the criminal law, you must be buried alive."
"Meng Yi, you immediately send people to arrest the warlocks in Xianyang City and interrogate them strictly. Anyone who cheats under the guise of an immortal will be jailed! Anyone who discusses the court's faults in private will also be arrested!"
"I accept the decree!"
So Meng Yi sent people to arrest and interrogate all the magicians in Xianyang City. Many warlocks used to be just street gangsters with no backbone. They only pretended to have seen immortals to cater to the emperor's desires. Now, in order to avoid their own sins, they reported on each other.
In the end, more than 460 people were found to have violated the law. The First Emperor ordered them all to be buried alive in Xianyang as a warning to future generations. The rest with minor crimes were sent to the border to guard the border.
Meng Yi was shocked when he heard this order. He was responsible for the trial and summary of the cases and knew that many of them were framed by others and were not guilty. Many of them were Confucian scholars and became sorcerers in search of a ladder to advance. , has a great influence on the literati of the empire, so Meng Yi advised: "Your Majesty! Many of the more than four hundred people are implicated. The crime will not lead to death. Your Majesty, please think twice."
Ever since the First Emperor wiped out Liuhe, he had always believed that his achievements were greater than those of the Five Emperors, and that there was no one before or after him. Unexpectedly, Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng actually talked about him like this, not only denying all his achievements, but also not even a qualified emperor. One can imagine the anger in his heart! Now that the two parties involved have escaped, their anger has nowhere to vent, but now Meng Yi pleads for mercy, and the anger in his heart rises again, and he scolded: "Meng Yi! Are you confused too? The world is so big, if I can't even preserve my dignity How can we govern the country? These magicians, relying on my usual favor for them, dare to criticize the government behind their backs and disturb the people's hearts. How can they be forgiven! You don't need to say more, execute all the magicians in custody immediately!"
Seeing that the First Emperor was so determined, Meng Yi knew that further persuasion would have no effect and would only further anger the First Emperor, so he had no choice but to accept the order and leave.
The eldest son Fusu and Meng Yi have always been on good terms, and Fusu even married Meng Yi's sister. Meng Yi understood Fusu's temper and knew that if he knew about this, he would definitely advise the First Emperor, so he rushed to Fusu's residence as soon as he left the palace. Meng Yi dismounted and hurried to the eldest son's mansion. At this time, Fusu was in a hurry to go out, and the two almost collided head-on.
Meng Yi saw Fusu dressed in court clothes and knew that what he had expected was good. But at this moment, he pretended not to know and asked: "Why are you in such a hurry, Master?"
Fusu said: "I heard that my father wanted to execute more than 400 warlocks. Brother Meng quickly went with me to persuade my father to stop this!"
Meng Yi quickly grabbed Fusu and said, "Young master, please don't be reckless at this moment. His Majesty is very angry. If you go and remonstrate now, not only will you not be able to stop the entrapment and killing, but you will most likely get angry!"
Fusu said dissatisfied: "I always thought that Brother Meng was a loyal person, how could he not save me now? If I don't advise him now and kill these sorcerers, the people of the world will think that my father does not know right from wrong and kills innocent people indiscriminately. Once a mistake is made, it will be infamy for eternity!"
"Of course I understand this matter. To be honest, Young Master, I just went to advise His Majesty, but now His Majesty is so angry that he won't listen to your advice!"
"Even if my father doesn't listen, I will go! At least let the world know that there are loyal ministers around my father!"
Meng Yi grabbed Fusu and said anxiously: "Young Master, think twice! His Majesty is getting older and it is only a matter of time before he is crowned a prince. It is not appropriate to cause trouble and offend Your Majesty now!" Meng Yi knew that Fusu had many quarrels with the First Emperor on weekdays. This is most likely the reason why the First Emperor has been reluctant to appoint a crown prince. If the emperor is angered again this time, the crown prince's position will be further removed.
Fusu couldn't listen to Meng Yi's dissuasion at all, and said: "As a minister who knows the emperor's faults and does not correct them, that is disloyal and the behavior of a villain. How can I, Fusu, be a person who is greedy for power?"
So he shook off Meng Yi's hand and went straight out of the door.
Fusu came to the palace to meet the emperor. The first emperor had just calmed down a little and was reviewing the memorial.
After Fusu came in, he got straight to the point: "Father just burned the Book of the World last year, and now he wants to kill Confucian scholars. I think it's inappropriate."
The First Emperor sneered, "What's wrong? Tell me!"
"The world has recently been peaceful and the people have not yet been appeased. Confucian scholars believe that learning to imitate Confucius and practicing benevolent government is conducive to the peace of the world! They should not be punished with punishment. Moreover, this will leave the stigma that the father is a murderer."
The First Emperor had always believed that he had been deceived, and now Fusu came to accuse him again. His anger that had just calmed down was suddenly ignited again. He threw the memorial in his hand on the table and said angrily: "These Confucian scholars are spreading rumors everywhere and criticizing the government. Is it conducive to the stability of the world to confuse the public? I am still alive now, and they slander me like that. Can I leave a good name by tolerating them? "
Fusu argued: "The ancients said that it is better to guard against the people than against the rivers. The world is so big, how can it be completely banned? Only by cultivating holy virtue can we slowly influence them!"
The First Emperor, who had always disliked Confucianism, became even more angry and said, "When did you learn the tricks of Confucianism? You always focus on benevolent government and holy virtue. If this can also govern the world, why can't the Emperor of Zhou stop the disputes among the princes? It seems that only Let you experience killing, and then you will know that what Confucian scholars advocate is simply unworkable in reality!"
Seeing the First Emperor's anger, Fusu did not dare to argue. The father and son were silent for a moment, and then the First Emperor said: "Go to Longxi to assist Meng Tian in supervising the army!"
On that day, the First Emperor issued an edict, ordering Fusu to go to the north to supervise the army. After Meng Yi learned the news, he sighed!
The First Emperor was very depressed after experiencing the escape of Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng. He also began to doubt whether the immortal could really be found.
As he grew older, the eldest son Fusu became more and more mature and showed a lot of talent in politics. He was knowledgeable, humble and prudent, and had a benevolent heart. He was also close to Meng Yi and other capable ministers in private. Although he was in many matters There were differences of opinion with the First Emperor, but the First Emperor had to admit that Fusu would be a qualified successor.
But in terms of temperament, the First Emperor preferred to be close to his youngest son Hu Hai. Hu Hai has no political talent and is not interested in national affairs, but he worships and respects his father from the bottom of his heart. Perhaps because of this, he shows more true temperament in his life. Therefore, whenever the First Emperor encountered troubles, he liked to have Hu Hai by his side. When you are with Hu Hai, you will temporarily forget your political worries and just teach your son as a father. Only at this time can you better appreciate the family happiness of life.
On the night when Fusu left Xianyang, the First Emperor was upset and strolled to Hu Hai's palace.
Hu Hai was playing with the puppets he had carved. When he saw the First Emperor arriving, he quickly stood up to greet him and said, "Father! You have come at the right time. Come on, come on, let's take a look at the child's carvings!"
The First Emperor had always doted on Hu Hai and did not have high hopes for him to govern the country. Therefore, he was not disgusted with his fun-loving and only asked Zhao Gao to teach him some common sense about criminal law and prison sentences.
The First Emperor picked up the two small wooden figures and said, "Hai'er's carvings are getting more and more exquisite! Why are there two wooden figures, one big and one small? Is it because the small one doesn't have enough wood?" asked the First Emperor with a smile.
"No, I deliberately carved a big one and a small one. The big one is my father and the small one is Hai'er. I want to be with my father forever, just like these two wooden figures. Where does the big one appear? , the little one will appear wherever he goes!”
"Haha... It's rare for Hai'er to be so filial!" The First Emperor felt tender.
"I still want to carve a lot, just like the terracotta warriors and horses ordered by my father. I also want to carve a mighty army for my father according to the terracotta warriors and horses!" The First Emperor once took his princes to visit the Lishan Mausoleum that was under construction. Hu Hai was very interested in the mighty Terracotta Warriors and Horses.
"Haha... That would require too much. If you really think so, just let the servants carve it!"
"Hai'er wants to carve by himself. I'm bored when I'm free. Unlike my eldest brother, my father takes him with him every time he goes on tour. I heard there are a lot of fun things out there, but I haven't tried them yet!"
"Why, does Hai'er also want to go on tour with his father?"
Hu Hai's eyes immediately lit up and he said: "Of course I want to. If I go out with my father, I can not only stay with him all the time, but also see the outside world. I am almost bored to death staying in the palace all day."
When the First Emperor saw Hu Hai being so filial, he said happily: "Okay, I will take you with me next time when I go on patrol, so that you can go out and see the country of our Great Qin! Look at the vast sea!"
When Hu Hai heard that the First Emperor agreed to take him on a trip, he was extremely excited and said quickly: "Thank you, my father! Thank you, my father! You are the greatest and most benevolent emperor in the world!"
"Ha ha……"
Staying with Hu Hai, the First Emperor felt much more relaxed instantly, and the unhappiness caused by Fusu was wiped away.
In the thirty-fifth year of the First Emperor, after eight years of construction, the Great Wall was finally completed. The only remaining concern in the First Emperor's heart for the safety of the empire - the Xiongnu, had been completely blocked from the Central Plains. The Qin Empire is already rock solid, at least on the surface!
At this time, the Chidao with Xianyang as the center extended in all directions, which greatly facilitated the emperor's travel and the flow of people, and business began to prosper. But at the same time, an unexpected consequence occurred, that is, the surrounding people began to migrate to Xianyang. In addition, since the First Emperor had migrated a large number of wealthy people from the six eastern countries, Xianyang became increasingly crowded.
The First Emperor liked to change his clothes and go on patrols, but he often felt a lot of inconveniences: the roads in Xianyang City were narrow and the flow of people was dense. If two carriages passed by, the entire road would be occupied, leaving pedestrians with no place to avoid; and many residents who had recently moved to Xianyang were building houses everywhere. , making Xianyang City very chaotic.
So during the court meeting, the First Emperor said: "I feel that now that Xianyang has a large population, the palace of the previous king is too small. I heard that King Wen of Zhou built his capital at Feng, King Wu built his capital at Hao, and between Feng and Hao, they were all the capitals of the emperors. .”
Zhao Gao, the commander of the Zhongche Mansion, immediately understood what the First Emperor meant and said accordingly: "Since your Majesty came to the throne, you have conquered Liuhe, pacified the world, and established unprecedented achievements, but you still live in the palace of the late king. It is inappropriate."
Li Si also understood what the First Emperor meant, and he was also very aware of the crowded situation in Xianyang City, so he continued: "The imperial palace in Xianyang was built according to the standards of the palaces of princes. Now that your majesty has vigorously pursued his strategy in Yunei, he is rich all over the world, far from the previous princes." By comparison, you really shouldn’t live in the previous palace anymore. Moreover, the population of Xianyang has increased dramatically in recent years. The north of the Weishui River is restricted by the two rivers, making it difficult to continue to expand. I hope that your Majesty will build a new city!"
Prime Minister Feng Quji said: "In the past few years, the country has continuously mobilized people to build roads, build the Great Wall, drive away the Xiongnu in the north, and pacify Baiyue in the south. The veteran believes that we should cultivate with the people and build new cities, but we should not rush it."
Zhao Gao retorted: "The Prime Minister's remarks are exaggerated. Now, except for the Lishan Mausoleum, which is being built, the country has no major projects at all. I think this is the right time to use the saved people's power to build a new city and connect it to Xianyang City." , completely solving the congestion phenomenon in Xianyang.”
When the First Emperor saw that all the ministers agreed to build the new city, he said: "I am very happy that all my dear friends are loyal to the state affairs. What Prime Minister Feng said makes sense. The construction of the new city is related to the national plan and cannot be done overnight. I want to start with Shanglinyuan on the south bank of the Weishui River. In the middle, we will build the imperial palace, with the imperial palace as the center, and then build the new city. Now we will build the imperial palace first. I heard that CRRC Fu Ling is proficient in construction, and I hope you can plan a new palace for me. The new palace is located south of the Weishui River and is temporarily called Become an Afang Palace!"
"I must live up to the holy hope!"
One month later, Zhao Gao drew the drawings of the new palace and made a comprehensive plan for the new palace: the new capital city was built according to the cosmic diagram, the Wei River was introduced into the palace to symbolize the Tianhe, and an orchid pond was built in the middle of the Tianhe to symbolize the vast sea. Then he built a palace in the orchid pond, which was called the Immortal Island. The First Emperor could seek immortality on the Immortal Island in his spare time.
The front hall is the main palace of Afang Palace. It is five hundred paces from east to west and fifty feet from north to south. Ten thousand people can sit in the hall, and a flag five feet high can be erected at the top of the hall. It is surrounded by pavilion roads, leading directly from His Highness to Nanshan. Build a sign on the top of Nanshan Mountain as a gate. A road was built in the air to cross the Wei River from Afang Palace to connect with Xianyang, symbolizing that the Tianxia Pavilion Road crossed the Tianhe River and reached the barracks;
The gate of Epang Palace is a magnet gate. Anyone who wants to see the emperor must pass through this gate. In this way, the weapons carried by the assassins will be attracted by the magnet, thereby protecting the emperor's safety and shocking the barbarians.
In addition, the Celestial Platform and the Earth Sacrifice Altar were also built in the new palace to worship the gods of heaven and earth respectively, so as to protect the Qin Dynasty forever and everlasting.
The First Emperor was very satisfied with what he saw, so he summoned more than 700,000 hidden officials and prisoners, and divided them into several groups to build the Epang Palace or the Lishan project. The stones excavated and transported from Beishan and the timber transported from Shu and Jing areas are all concentrated here. There are 300 palaces in the pass and more than 400 outside the pass.
