Crowning has always been a top priority.
So the King of Qin's ceremonial guard set off from Xianyang Palace in a mighty manner, and the cheers of the old Qin people on both sides of the Wei River could not be heard. It seemed to rise on a white dove hovering in the sky, and then rushed to Xianyang Palace like a parabola. Under the eaves of the palace.
Under the eaves stood a girl who was as beautiful as a demon. Her pupils were golden brown. The hawks under the eaves actually flew to the girl's sleeves at a strange speed.
The girl's red robe was gathered up, and the corners of the colorful gold robe fell to the ground. She dragged the gold chain and walked in without a trace: "Okay, my excursion is over, you don't have to stare at me like this."
The palace maids and chamberlains saluted respectfully and opened the solemn door to separate the dreamlike and charming world inside.
After Baitao entered, she dragged her anklets and stepped on the jade slab with her bare feet.
"Zhe, Zhe, Zhe."
Her ankles are slender, and the curvature of her instep reaches to her toes. They are as pure as the crescent moon in the sky. When she steps on the jade slab, there is a thrilling heartbeat.
This jade slab is also different from those in other palaces. They are all covered with rare warm jade. The reason is that she loved to run around barefoot when she was a child. Later, King Qin ordered people to repair the palace.
Warm jade that is warm in winter and cool in summer, precious flowers and plants in the yard, a swing frame made of vines, bed curtains made of silk, and a bed curtain made of tortoise shell
Every bit of it is tailor-made for her.
Baitao took out the falcon from his robe, took off the mailbox, read it word for word, then went to the long desk to pick up the pen by his wrist, tied it to the falcon's feet and let it fly again.
Rui'er stood beside her all the time, saying nothing.
Baitao said: "The King of Qin is going to Yongcheng to be crowned? Today?"
"Yes, your Majesty is going to pay homage to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. He is accompanied by some relatives from the Qin State, as well as the Prime Minister Lu Buwei, who has brought two thousand soldiers with him."
"Only two thousand? Is that enough?"
An unknown omen emerged in Baitao's heart.
"These are the elites of the Qin State. The Qin State respects the eagle, so these elites are named Black Eagle Death Soldiers. They cannot be mobilized except by the emperor himself. They are experts who can fight one against ten."
Baitao lowered her eyelashes: "Yongcheng has high mountains and long rivers, and there are many poisonous snakes, scorpions and ants. I'm worried. Rui'er, I have to leave the palace."
Rui'er's heart skipped a beat, and her expression changed in an instant.
The horror in the water prison made her whole body tremble uncontrollably. Baitao looked sideways at her, and the precious tassel earrings she wore under her ears swayed slightly.
Rui'er clenched her fingers, giving herself great courage, "How long will my little master be out?"
"It can take as little as ten days, or as long as more than half a month."
Rui'er's pupils shrank.
She lowered her head again and stared at the jade plate below for a moment, "Okay, I'll do my work, I don't care. I just go ahead."
"But if I go, you will be dragged down and tortured again. Aren't you afraid?"
Baitao blinked.
Rui'er's eyes filled with tears: "Don't be afraid, slave. You are my master's slave when you are born, and you will be your master's slave after you die. Being able to do things for your master in this life is worth it. I just want to ask you, master, if you can be kind to me." My little brother is as fierce as a tiger and as cunning as a wolf in the officialdom. He has no foundation behind him, and he is young and energetic. The only one that I can't let go of is him."
"."
Is it really worth sacrificing your life for others?
Baitao was silent, then stretched out his hand and pinched her cheek: "Si Rui'er, you don't need me to be kind to your brother."
She took out King Qin's jade pendant from her body, put it in the brocade box and handed it to her, "Take it, with this jade pendant, no one will dare to put you in jail."
Rui'er's face was full of shock, and she hugged her like a hot potato, crying: "Little master, wuwuwu, you treat your slave so well."
If it were anyone else, the slave's life would not be his fate, and he would have to die through fire and water for his master.
In the deep palace, slaves are like duckweeds, who cares where their lives will drift.
She had also prepared for the worst in her heart, but she didn't expect that in the dim darkness, she would still be cherished by her master.
Rui'er's tears kept falling, and she became more determined to be a cow and a horse, "Master, I will definitely be able to serve you well in the future!"
Baitao poked her face, took out the handkerchief and put it in her hand: "Okay, it didn't rain today, but it started raining for you."
Rui'er hiccupped: "Hiccup, hiccup."
Her demonic pupils were pressed into vertical lines as she looked at the sky outside the window: "Don't cry, I'm leaving."
Rui'er was still crying with tears in her eyes. When she wiped her tears with a handkerchief, her vision became clearer and she realized she was gone, "Little Master?"
Only a long gold chain was left on the ground, and the clanging sound completely disappeared from the palace.
Baitao left Xianyang Palace and walked directly into Xianyang Prison.
At the same time, Li Si, a popular figure in front of the King of Qin in the imperial prison in Xianyang, came to the imperial prison for questioning. At Li Tingwei's request, all the jailers were cleared.
Therefore, no one else noticed that a woman had broken into Xianyang Prison.
Li Si was dressed in a black and red official robe, looking majestic and majestic.
When he saw Baitao coming, he hurried over to greet him, "Everyone in Xianyang City said that my young master is beautiful in the country. Now that I look at it, it is true that fame is worse than meeting me. Li Si, a humble minister, has met my young master."
Small talk.
Flattery.
After looking at this, Baitao felt that compared to other officials in the Qin State, he was too willing to mediate.
She also put on a serious air and said, "Well, there's no need to be so polite. Where is Zheng Guo? Where is he being held?"
"Zheng Guo is a felon and is locked up at the bottom of Xianyang Prison. My young master, please come with me."
Li Si led the way for her, "Last time, my little master wrote to Si, saying that he asked General Si to investigate Zheng Guo. Fortunately, he did it right away. Regarding whether Zheng Guo is a traitor, little master, please rest assured. From Si Full discretion.”
Baitao opened her eyelids and glanced at him in the dim and cold cell.
Li Si thought to himself: "Although I am a prisoner, with Si watching me, Zheng Guo has not deducted any of his daily food and drink expenses."
"Well done."
After Baitao finished speaking, he walked down the stairs. After walking for about a moment, the light of day began to disappear.
This airtight Xianyang Imperial Prison can be said to be impenetrable with water and impenetrable with needles.
However, Baitao found that there were very few prisoners held here.
It stands to reason that the severity of Qin's laws is outrageous. The six kingdoms of Shandong spat and cursed Qin, a tiger and wolf. Even the people of Qin were wary of making mistakes if they were not careful. Whenever there was a conscription, more There are countless pairs of eyes staring at you and reporting you.
The Xianyang imperial prison should be full, but after going round and round like this, it turned out that it was not as rumored that nine out of ten people were guilty.
The two finally reached the bottom floor of Xianyang Prison and found a spacious cell in front of them.
The layout inside is like a small bedroom.
A clean and tidy bedding, fluffy bedding and animal skins, a polished table with tea on it.
Zheng Guo was wearing a thin ocher jailer's coat, sitting on his back with his hair disheveled, and he didn't put on his anklets.
After making such a fuss and asking him to close the stall, Baitao felt that Zheng Guo, a stupid beaver, was going back and forth to dismantle the bones, and then peeled off the skin with cramps. Baitao shouted angrily: "Zheng Guo."
The little fox's voice was like the sound of nature in the claustrophobic cell. Zheng Guo turned around suddenly, his handsome face showing disbelief, "Auntie, is that you?"
Li Si retreated very wisely.
Baitao: "Is it me or who is it? Now that your sins have deepened, do you think there will be anyone who comes to see you without avoiding suspicion?"
Zheng Guo came over in a hurry, and across the iron railing, he made a crying face and said, "Auntie, you're here. I'm here in fear. I can't eat every day. I'm afraid that one day the market will go to the east and the west to the east." There's just a trace of the ghost of injustice floating around that makes my head explode, ugh."
Baitao: "."
Baitao: "Don't say that you have these things or not. The Qin State is saying that you are a craftsman. What's going on?"
Zheng Guo stuttered: "This is a letter to and from South Korea. I found dozens of letters in the small mansion."
"Dozens of letters? So many, aren't you already my little brother? Then why were dozens of letters sent to and from South Korea found in your residence? Tell the truth. Could it be that some villain has wronged you? ."
Zheng Guo's eyes dodge and hesitantly said: "There is no such thing as a villain, and it is not unjust. The matter of these letters is indeed true."
Before he finished speaking, Baitao said with fury: "You are really a bad goblin with bad intentions! You promised not to have contact with South Korea and not to use your plan to weaken the Qin Dynasty, but it turns out that you built a plank road to hide in Chen Cang."
Zheng Guo couldn't argue: "It's not... my aunt."
"Thanks to me for trying so hard to get Li Si to take you into his arms, I don't want you to be my little brother anymore. Let's go back to our own way. Goodbye!"
"No, no, aunt, please listen to my explanation."
Zheng Guo's face was pressed against the railing, and he said in a panic, "Auntie, Xiaoyao's letters are not plotting to weaken the Qin Dynasty. In the past year or so, people in South Korea have been sending letters urging children to act as soon as possible. , Don’t let Tiger and Wolf get a chance to recuperate, but Xiaoxiao asked himself, he really didn’t want to do such an immoral thing, and because the man was kind to Xiaoxiao, he didn’t have the nerve to refuse, so he just dragged him away as if he couldn’t see him.”
Baitao's beautiful eyebrows furrowed: "It started a year ago, why didn't you tell me?"
He blushed and said mischievously: "I am already a thousand years old, and you are only a hundred years old. I can't even make up my mind about this matter. How can I have the dignity to stand in front of you in the future? And I feel that in the mountains, you are so far away, so pretending." If I can’t hear or see, the old King Han may not be able to do anything to me.”
"You hide your ears and steal your bell, and cover your eyes."
Baitao held her breath and decided to save some face for him, "I won't talk about you now. Just talk about yourself. You are now in prison. Is there anyone who dares not do anything to you?"
Zheng Guo was speechless.
"I don't believe that you hid dozens of letters in your mansion and were searched out, but no one interfered with it. Or are you so stupid that you kept all the dozens of letters? You even put them in the study and burned a big incense candle. ?”
"I did listen to you and burned the letter."
Zheng Guo was also confused, "I don't know, there are dozens of letters appearing out of nowhere, as if someone specially copied them."
"Copying?"
Baitao grasped the key point, "Yes, when you identify yourself, you will say that someone is faking it."
Zheng Guo drooped his eyelids and said, "No, this copy of the handwriting has been widely circulated in the Qin State. Anyone with a discerning eye can tell who wrote it at a glance. Moreover, the starting and ending of the writing, the handwriting and even the habits are exactly the same. I am not sure if it is a copy."
Baitao: "?"
Zheng Guo pursed his lips and said, "The widely circulated book is none other than Han Feizi. The person who corresponded with me urging me to tire out Qin quickly was none other than Young Master Han."
Baitao narrowed his eyes dangerously: "Han Feizi, the ninth young master of Korea."
Zheng Guo understood her unkind tone and said, "It's impossible. It's impossible for the young master to have harmful intentions. He will definitely not harm me."
"How do you know he won't harm you? All mortals are fake. As far as Li Si is concerned, you have been with him for several years. Haven't you made any progress?"
Zheng Guo shook his head and said with a bit of stubbornness, "Han Feizi is a genius. He is the son of the old King of Han and the ninth prince of South Korea. If the current people in power in South Korea are a bunch of rotten wood and bedbugs, then he is He is a new species in South Korea, and he is as unpopular as I am in the court, so maybe we can be friends because of some sympathy for each other."
"Auntie, do you think our fate is wonderful? Besides, he mostly writes books in his room and rarely controls power. Occasionally, he and I invite each other to have tea and play the piano. We talk about ancient books, sages, and recite Korean music. The lyrics were about Han Qu'er, and he also said that he wanted him to write me into the book."
Zheng Guo’s starry eyes.
Baitao looked at the stupid beaver who was being sold and helped others turn gold, and patiently continued to listen to him.
"Cunning deceit is worse than sincerity, only sincerity can win people's hearts."
He smiled with a row of neat teeth, "He is so kind to me. This is also a paragraph he wrote for me. He is not popular in Korea and is depressed. Despite this, he still shields me from the open fire. Hidden Arrow, from this we can see what a brilliant gentleman he is, and besides, we have been friends with him for several years, so I believe he will not harm me."
Baitao: "."
Baitao rushed up in one breath, swallowed it down, and said: "We are different in Tao, and we don't conspire with each other. Besides, if you are loyal to Da Qin, you will definitely turn against him. You should be more careful about him in the future."
"Uh-huh."
Zheng Guo nodded, stretched out his hand, and pulled her robe pitifully across the iron railing, "Auntie, I have listened to you. I am still your loyal little brother. You must never abandon me. Never abandon me." You have to rescue me."
Baitao lightly took out her robe from his hands, looked into his ink-green eyes, and said: "What are you throwing away? What are you talking about? You should find someone who can protect you from the open and hidden arrows." Han Feizi, in your mind, what does it mean that I, my aunt, have worked so hard for you?"
After saying that, he left, ignoring the crying beaver behind him.
Zheng Guo cried without tears: "Auntie, you are the aunt in my heart forever. You must save my little one! Auntie!"
Baitao put his plea behind her mind, walked over to see Li Si waiting on the steps, and asked, "Han Fei also studied at Jixia Academy, do you know him?"
Li Si didn't dare to hide it: "Yes."
"You are Xunzi's favorite disciple, where is this Han Fei?"
Li Si said almost without moving his lips: "He is Master's disciple and the most famous disciple in Jixia."
Baitao, this fox, was so smart. She caught all his expressions in her eyes and continued to test: "Oh? How about comparing with you?"
He cupped his hands and bowed his body, saying, "In terms of talent, knowledge, insights, knowledge, and splendid compositions, I am far inferior to him."
"Is there anything else you can do to compare with him?"
"."
"Our Qin State's order seeking talents was sent to the six countries in Shandong. Have you, a classmate, seen it?"
"Junior brother, he is a Korean prince and he is only loyal to South Korea."
"Maybe someday it won't be."
Baitao said neither lightly nor seriously, "Korea is weak. The king is in a daze and doesn't know what to do. The government is indifferent and ignores political affairs. The Qin Dynasty is a master of tigers and wolves. When leaving Hangu Pass, the first thing to break through is the wall of Korea. Maybe one day, as soon as the sky breaks and I wake up from my dream, your junior brother will be able to come to Xianyang and work with you after the country is defeated."
As soon as she finished speaking, Baitao noticed that he was leaning on his back like a cane. The corner of her mouth curled up slightly, not wanting to tell the truth.
The oil lamp flickered, and Li Si walked silently in the shadows.
As if he felt something was inappropriate, he began to laugh a little, "It is a dream for Si to be able to work with his junior brother for Great Qin. When Si was in Jixia, he made an appointment with his junior brother to realize his ambitions in different countries in the future."
"What ambition?"
"The laws are rectified and severe punishments are introduced to save the masses from chaos and eliminate disasters in the world, so that the strong will not bully the weak, and the masses will not bully the few."
His eyes were a little vacant. He had been ups and downs in the officialdom and struggled hard for the past few years. This ideal was like the moon hanging high in the world, out of reach.
Facing the unfathomable Bai Tao, Li Si warned again: "Why did the young master suddenly ask about Han Feizi?"
There is no sound from the front.
The girl had already walked more than ten steps away. Li Si hurriedly chased after her and said, "In the case of Zheng Guo, Si has lived up to my young master's expectation and taken full authority. In a few days, the strong wind of Daqin will become stronger and stronger. When the waves are violent, I also hope that my little master will do his best for Stoja."
"You want me to say a few more kind words to King Qin for you?"
Baitao picked up the jailer's long whip from the side. There was an iron hook on the whip. When she hit it, the leather and flesh flew out. She hit it on the iron fence in front of a cell with a "swish".
The prisoner shivered and moved inside.
She pulled the whip, turned sideways and smiled innocently at Li Si, "This man is still in prison and hasn't come out yet, and you are so quick to reward me based on his merits?"
Li Si's cheeks were slightly cold.
As a truly talented student from Jixia, he felt sick at first for being so groveling to a harem woman, but now that he was rejected, he couldn't hide his expression.
Baitao said, "I originally thought you were a smart person, but unexpectedly you were not."
His tone softened: "Please let me know, Master."
"You also know that the wind is strong now, and you don't know how to avoid the sharp edge for a while, but you still show it like this. Little do you know how many people are watching you in the dark and are jealous. When the time comes, the court will vigorously clean up, and you don't know, you will be the first one to be pulled into the water and thrown Will it be you who will be shattered to pieces?"
After asking three times in a row, Li Si looked solemn.
Baitao's eyes twitched, "Or do you think that King Qin loves you so much, or do you have such a powerful belly? Where are you going to climb to become a big fat man in one bite?"
"Li Si, Li Si."
She swung out the whip and then stopped it brilliantly, her red robe fluttering like a butterfly spreading its wings, "Now everyone in the Qin State knows that the Prime Minister is about to lose power, but how many people are openly on the opposite side like you? Even the two Montessori brothers are just stirring up trouble and beating dumb people, and you, too, stand like a target, for fear that others won't be able to hit you."
Li Si began to sweat on his back.
Baitao added: "It's just like a whip. When you use it, it goes out and when it comes out, it's taken in. But one day the whip catches something that's hot to your hand. It's just a whip. Who will pick up what is thrown out?"
The words that penetrated the whip struck Li Si's limbs and bones, and he shuddered.
Li Si is a smart man, able to assess the situation well enough. He was thinking a lot before he knelt down and said, "I hope my little master can save me! Li Si is willing to go through fire and water for my little master!"
White peach lips.
Mortals are just creatures with a little enlightenment.
Be tame.
Only by taming it can you know who is the master of life and death. If you know it, it will be afraid, and it will naturally wag its tail at you and beg for meat from your hands.
She raised her fingertips and pressed them on Li Si's majestic official hat, "Do your job well for me. You will never miss the road to heaven."
