Qin Shihuang's twenty-eighth year, May 25th.
A huge convoy came from the west and entered Zouxian County, Xue County.
"Your Majesty, I heard that Mount Yi (yì) is a famous mountain in Qi. It has always been praised by Confucian scholars who entered the Qin Dynasty and is known as the wonder of Zou and Lu. Now that I look at it, it is nothing more than that. Compared with the steep and majestic mountains in Guanzhong, it is really like a place It’s such a letdown with the low hills.”
When the team set up camp near Zouxian County and Zhao Tuo went out to look at Mount Yi to the north, another man's sigh came from his side.
Zhao Tuo turned around and looked at the person who spoke. It was Ziying, the son of King Zhuangxiang of Qin and the younger brother of the current emperor.
It may be because Zhao Tuo once led his army to conquer the north and south, traveled all over the six kingdoms, and had a lot of knowledge about the mountains and rivers of the world.
Ziying, an elder of the clan who traveled with the emperor, often came to talk to Zhao Tuo. After each chat, he felt that he had gained a lot. After going back and forth, there were some interactions between the two.
Zhao Tuo also had a good impression of Ziying, the "Third Emperor of Qin" in history, and did not turn him away.
Compared with other princes, Ziying did not have much inheritance rights in the Qin State, which followed the eldest son inheritance system.
This is also the reason why Ziying dared to stand up and remonstrate when Qin II killed his brothers and sisters and unjustly killed the Meng brothers. Firstly, he was an elder, and secondly, he had nothing to do with the struggle for the throne.
Therefore, Zhao Tuo did not have to worry about violating any taboos when interacting with Ziying.
At this moment, facing Ziying's sigh.
Zhao Tuo said with a smile: "Young Master is used to seeing the steep mountains of Da Qin, and now when you look at the mountains here, you naturally feel that they are boring. You must know what Mencius said: Climb Dongshan and you will be small Lu, and climb Mount Tai and you will be small. In fact, it is It's just that the people of Qilu sit in the well and look at the sky. They don't know how big the world is and how magnificent the majestic mountains are. Even Mount Tai, which is said to be level with the sky, is actually not as high as Mount Huashan in Guanzhong, let alone It’s this little Yishan.”
Ziying frowned and said: "Mount Tai is said to be at the same level as the sky, but it is not as high as Mount Hua? If so, why did the saint kings of all ages want to enshrine themselves in Mount Tai?"
Zhao Tuo smiled and said nothing, saying that although Mount Tai was not as good as the mountains in Guanzhong, it was still outstanding in the land of Qilu in the east. This may be the reason.
In fact, Zhao Tuo did some research after finalizing the conferment of Zen, and estimated that it is difficult to distinguish the authenticity of the ancient saint king's conferment of Zen. It is most likely that it was something accumulated by Qilu Confucian scholars over the past two hundred years.
After all, Confucius never mentioned the word "Feng Chan" in his life, and his works and the classics handed down from the Zhou Dynasty have no record of Feng Chan. The earliest source is "Guanzi" published by Jixia Academy under the guise of Tuo Zhong. Those who boasted that this was the work of the Holy King were all Qilu Confucian scholars, so its authenticity is indeed doubtful.
However, as a layman, Zhao Tuo could doubt things even if he went to the Yushi Mansion to check the classics. Would Qin Shihuang himself not be clear about it?
Isn’t there any doubt among his learned men?
Maybe the First Emperor didn't care about authenticity at all.
Regardless of whether it is true or false, with the efforts of Confucian scholars for hundreds of years, Feng Chan has been completely equated with the Holy King and has been accepted by the world.
With the help of Feng Chan, when the First Emperor was bragging about his achievements to heaven, he was also telling the world that he, the emperor, was the destined one and was blessed by the gods of heaven and earth. The Great Qin Empire was destined by heaven for thousands of generations!
"This is a kind of political propaganda and ideological tactics."
"These days, people believe in things like destiny the most. The emperor's ceremony of conferring Zen means that he has been recognized by heaven. As long as he uses this to promote, he can at least charm most of the nobles and the head of Guizhou. That's why he came to perform such a grand ceremony. Even the sacrifice to the three generations of holy kings in Luoyang had the same meaning."
"The First Emperor did this in order to repeatedly instill the concept of destiny into the heads of the world and transform the concept of destiny of the scholars of the Six Kingdoms. He kept brainwashing the people of the Six Kingdoms. Qin's destruction of the Six Kingdoms was an act of destiny. You were born to be Qin rules, you are born to be the head of Guizhou under the emperor's rule, if you dare to resist Qin's rule, you are going against heaven!"
Since the emperor held sacrifices in Luoyang, Zhao Tuo had some thoughts on his way to Mount Tai. He felt that Qin Shihuang's insistence on conferring Zen might not only be the expansion of his own desire for power, but also his eagerness to show off his achievements. .
The First Emperor used this to deify and sanctify his rule.
This eternal emperor is not as superficial as many people think. In order to show off his merits, he came all the way from Guanzhong to Mount Tai, because Feng Chan is indeed a means of stabilizing the empire and the hometown of the princes, at least in terms of thought. It can play a certain role at this level.
What happened next on Mount Yi confirmed Zhao Tuo's speculation.
The First Emperor climbed Mount Yi together with his beloved son Hu Hai, his younger brother Zi Ying, the martial arts lord Zhao Tuo, as well as the left and right prime ministers, Feng Chang, Ting Wei, Zhi Su Neishi and other important ministers, as well as Qilu Confucian scholars such as Zhou Qingchen and Chun Yuyue.
Fortunately, Yishan Mountain is only 500 meters high, and its mountain path has been cleared by the Xue County Sheriff. This mountain climbing trip is not difficult.
After reaching the top of Mount Yi, the First Emperor worshiped the spirit of Mount Yi here, and then asked Li Si, the court lieutenant, to write and erect the first carved stone of his eastward tour on Mount Yi.
"The emperor founded the country, and the Wei Dynasty was in the past... He crusaded against the rebellion and moved the four extremes, and his military righteousness was straight. The ministers followed the imperial edict, and after a short period of time, they destroyed the six violent powerful... Now the emperor, one family and the world, the army will not rise again. Disasters are eliminated, Guizhou is in peace and stability, and benefits last forever..."
Zhao Tuo silently recited the words carved on the stone, and it suddenly became clear to him that the emperor's heart was indeed similar to what he had guessed.
When the Qin army attacked the six kingdoms, it was called: crusade against rebellion and annihilation of the six violent and powerful states.
The result after the battle is: the army will never rise again.
Then the people of the world enjoy the benefits of unifying the world: Guizhou is in Kangding, and the benefits are long-lasting.
The content of this carved stone is exactly to promote the legitimacy of Qin's unification of the world, and it is a proper brainwashing method.
"If teachers from various schools and county magistrates from various places are allowed to carry out long-term propaganda on the local capital of Guizhou, as long as these survivors of the Six Kingdoms die, after two or three generations, the newly born capital of Guizhou will only be left with the riots of the Six Kingdoms. The impression of the country, and the First Emperor is the lord of destiny to end the troubled times. If this generation of brainwashing continues, if there is another book burning incident in the future, then he will really have all the right to speak."
Zhao Tuo secretly lamented the methods of these rulers.
After the First Emperor finished worshiping the spirit of Mount Yi, and asked Li Si and other craftsmen to carve stones and erect monuments, he walked to the edge of the top of the mountain, looked at the vast plains in the distance, and felt open-minded.
There was a mountain breeze blowing, and his clothes were fluttering. This scene made the emperor feel something.
The First Emperor turned around, looked at the people following him, and asked calmly.
"We, the Qin Dynasty, have merged into one universe, swallowed up the four seas, and achieved today's great achievements. Do you know what it mainly relies on?"
"Hu Hai, please talk first."
The First Emperor looked at his youngest son Hu Hai who was following behind him.
Asking Hu Hai first was to prevent him from following the example of other ministers. The First Emperor wanted to hear his son's views.
Zhao Tuo also looked over, curiosity flashing in his eyes. He had not had much contact with this "Qin II" yet, and now he just wanted to see how the other party behaved.
Although Hu Hai was young, he was smart and lively. When his father asked him questions, he rolled his eyes and already had the answer.
He chuckled and said: "The reason why our Great Qin was able to annex the world and destroy the Six Violent Powers was naturally due to my father's martial prowess. Under my father's leadership, our Great Qin warriors fought bravely and unified the world. .Without my father, there would be no Great Qin today! My father is the reason for everything!"
Flatterer!
Zhao Tuo muttered in his heart.
No wonder Hu Hai was the most favored by Qin Shihuang. On this eastward tour, none of the older princes took him with them, and only the youngest Hu Hai was asked to follow him to see his speaking skills.
If it were Fu Su Lai, he would have made another long speech, which would not make the emperor happy at all.
Sure enough, the First Emperor burst into laughter, shook his head as he laughed, and said, "You kid, you know how to make me happy. Isn't it just because of me that the Qin Dynasty can unify the world?"
With that said, the First Emperor turned to look at the silent Ziying beside him.
This time, apart from Hu Hai, there was only one member of the Ying clan who followed him, Ziying, so he was naturally eye-catching.
"Ziying, what do you think?"
Zhao Tuo quickly looked up.
After Qin I finished asking "Qin II", he asked "Qin III" again.
Such a scene of three generations living under one roof is extremely rare.
Ziying pondered for a moment and replied: "Back to your Majesty, your Majesty is the first to unify the Qin Dynasty. Your Majesty is the first to do so. From then on, it can be regarded as the efforts of the ancestors of the Qin Dynasty. From Duke Xiao, he changed the law to become stronger, and then King Huiwen, King Wu, King Zhaoxiang, King Xiaowen King Zhuang Xiang, the ancestors of the six generations, fought bravely to be the first, making our Qin country stronger and stronger, and this laid the foundation for unifying the world."
Ziying's answer was quite satisfactory, indeed consistent with his age and identity.
The First Emperor also nodded and said: "However, I am a remnant of the sixth generation of Fen, and I used the powerful Qin to crush the six countries. Without the efforts of the six generations of ancestors, I would not have the great achievements I have today."
Everyone around them nodded in praise. Qin's ability to unify the world must have a lot to do with the emergence of six consecutive generations of wise kings.
If there was even one prodigal son among these six people, there would be no Great Qin today.
After questioning his son and younger brother, the First Emperor looked at his son-in-law who was standing next to Ziying.
"What do you think the martial arts lord is doing?"
The First Emperor spoke expectantly.
He recognized what Hu Hai and Ziying said, but he felt it was not enough. He hoped for Zhao Tuo's answer.
When the surrounding ministers heard this, they all became energetic.
Hu Hai looked at his brother-in-law curiously.
Tingwei Li Si also looked over with narrowed eyes.
Zhou Qingchen, Chun Yuyue and other Confucian scholars looked at each other with attention.
Faced with countless gazes.
Zhao Tuo looked calm, saluted the emperor, and then raised his head to look at him.
"Your Majesty, there is only one reason why I believe that our great Qin can unify the world."
"Destiny!"
At this moment, the eyes of the First Emperor burst into light.
Sure enough, Zhao Tuo could understand him!
Zhao Tuo said in a deep voice: "In the past, there was civil strife in the Zhou Dynasty. It was the destiny of our ancestors, Duke Xiang, to obtain the land of Zhou and establish the country. Later, Duke Wen went hunting and found the omen of black dragon elephant water virtue. It was the destiny of Heaven. Duke Mu dominated Xirong and expanded the territory thousands of miles away. It is destiny. From Duke Xiao’s reform, to King Zhuang and Xiang’s succession of six generations of wise kings, it is also destiny!”
"It is destiny that allows me, the Qin Dynasty, to rule the world, and it is destiny that makes Your Majesty the lord of the world!"
"Everything is destiny!"
At Zhao Tuo's voice, everyone was shocked, and they secretly cursed the flattery in their hearts.
Even Tingwei Li Si was grinding his teeth, and Zhao Tuo snatched away everything he wanted to say.
Fortunately, the First Emperor did not continue to ask after getting a satisfactory answer.
The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. He had seen the right person. Zhao Tuo must have known his true thoughts.
Now we know the true purpose of his coming to the Eastern Mount Tai to worship the mountains and rivers of various places.
The First Emperor, in addition to enshrining himself in Zen to show off his achievements, also wanted to declare the destiny of the Qin Dynasty to the world and obtain a legal and reasonable claim to rule, which was of great benefit to the rule of the empire.
If you say that the country was built by the hard work of the ancestors of the Qin Dynasty, the scholars of the Six Kingdoms and the head of Guizhou will not feel anything except resentment. But if it is to promote destiny, it is completely different.
Zhou Qingchen, the servant of the doctor, reacted very quickly and immediately held up his hands and said: "The great Qin has been destined to return. Your Majesty has been ordered by heaven to conquer the four seas and achieve great achievements for all ages. It is time to seal Mount Tai, worship Liangfu, and tell the heaven. Please move to Mount Tai and do this." An act of conferring Zen status!”
Seeing Zhou Qingchen taking the opportunity to stand up and flatter him, Li Si smiled, but his eyes were already full of cold light.
In Zhou Qingchen's voice, the First Emperor once again felt his greatness and destiny.
He glanced at Zhou Qingchen, then looked at Zhao Tuo, smiled and nodded.
"I will move to Mount Tai, and on June 6th, I will perform the great ceremony of enshrining Zen to declare my destiny to the Qin Dynasty, and tell the heaven with my achievements!"
The First Emperor turned around and looked out of the cliff. He saw the vast plains as far as the eye could see, and suddenly felt his heart filled with generosity and heroism.
This is the world I conquered.
And I am the Lord of Destiny.
Everything is already determined.
Zhao Tuo watched this scene silently.
"Destiny..."
There are about five or six identities of Ziying, among which there are two more mainstream ones. One is the "brother and son of the second emperor" in "The Chronicles of Qin Shihuang", and the other is the "brother of the First Emperor" in "The Biography of Li Si".
The former is the most popular. From the Eastern Han Dynasty to modern times, this theory is often used. Some even say that he is the son of Fusu. However, it is not consistent in terms of logic and age. Nowadays, the term "the younger brother of the First Emperor" is more commonly used. To say, please refer to the relevant papers "Identification of the Death of Qin Prince Ying", "Identification of Qin Prince Ying as the Second Brother and Son", and "Revisiting the Mystery of Qin Prince Ying's Life Experience".
As for the popular Internet theory of Cheng Xi's son, it was Mr. Ma Feibai who fragmented "the First Emperor's disciple Ying" into "the First Emperor's disciple, Ying", saying that he was the son of the First Emperor's younger brother, called Ying.
Then Mr. Li Kaiyuan adhered to this theory and further contacted Cheng Xi. Mr. Li Kaiyuan is the only one who holds this view for the time being. It is just a family opinion and will not be taken here.
"Historical Records: The Chronicles of the First Emperor of Qin": In the twenty-eighth year, the First Emperor traveled eastward to prefectures and counties and went up to Mount Zoyi. He set up stones and discussed with the Confucian scholars of Lu, carved stones to praise the virtues of Qin, and discussed the matter of ennobling Zen and worshiping mountains and rivers.
(End of chapter)
