Xianyang, Qin State.
"stop!"
"Where did it come from?"
Dozens of Qin officials were checking the pedestrians and merchants coming and going, and a carriage with a black flag with the word Qin on it and officials came over, and the Qin officials gave way one after another.
Other pedestrians, as well as noble merchants, were already accustomed to this scene.
Inside the carriage.
Mao Jiao was riding in it. As the carriage bumped and undulated slightly, Mao Jiao's body also swayed slightly.
Compared to how he looked a few months ago, Mao Jiao looked a little tired now.
On the way back from Qi to Qin, although there were envoys and carriages, the journey was smooth, but Mao Jiao was here after all, and it would be false to say that it was not tiring after running around for days.
However, looking back on this trip and the people and things he got to know, Mao Jiao sincerely felt that it was worth it.
Listening to the bustling sounds outside the carriage, Mao Jiao was full of expectations.
An hour later.
The carriage finally stopped slowly. After getting off the carriage, the coachman quickly opened the curtain, and Mao Jiao slowly walked out of the carriage.
Looking at the Xianyang Palace in front of him, Mao Jiao, who was dressed in the official uniform of the Qin State, carefully stepped out of the carriage with his clothes in hand, and then came to the front of the palace.
"grown ups!"
At the gate of the palace, a general wearing Qin armor saw Mao Jiao and raised his hand to salute.
As a general who is responsible for protecting the palace all year round, he naturally recognizes Qing Mao Jiao.
"Excuse me, please report to the king. Mao Jiao wants to see you!"
Mao Jiao bowed his hands to the general and said very politely.
The general nodded, turned to the Qin soldiers on the side, and asked him to go in and report.
After a long time.
When the soldiers of Qin came out, they saw a eunuch accompanying him.
"Master Mao, the king ordered you to go to the study with the younger one."
The eunuch came to Mao Jiao, bent down and said.
Mao Jingjiao nodded and then motioned for the eunuch to lead the way.
Inside the palace.
As Mao Jiao walked, he looked at the huge empty land, the hundred steps of stairs, and the deserted huge palace.
Although he is the Qin State's top minister, the number of such individual summons is really rare.
Walked for a long time.
Mao Jiao came to the study room of the palace, took off his boots, and only entered the study room after the order to summon him came.
In the study, when Mao Jiao saw Ying Zheng, Ying Zheng was standing in front of the map, alone, looking at the huge map.
Mao Jiao took a few steps forward.
"Weak minister Mao Jiao, pay your respects to the king!"
Mao Jiao came to Ying Zheng's side and bowed his hands in greeting.
Ying Zheng turned his eyes from the map to Mao Jiao. Looking at Mao Jiao's dusty appearance, he thought that if it hadn't been for Mao Jiao, his mother would have been imprisoned and he would not have a good reputation. But now Mao Jiao is old. , and worked tirelessly for several months.
Thinking of this, Ying Zheng looked at Mao Jiao with a soft look in his eyes.
"You don't have to be polite, Mao Shangqing! This time you returned to Qin from Qi, did you see anything?"
Ying Zheng said.
At this moment, Ying Zheng was also looking forward to Mao Jiao's trip to Qi State, which would yield some results.
Thinking back to what that young man had done in Shangjun and his previous fight with Li Mu, Ying Zheng was lying when he said he didn't take him seriously.
In the Qin court today, there are only a handful of generals who can fight with Li Mu without falling into a disadvantage, and the only young general is that young man.
Not to mention that there is no noble family behind that young man.
"Back to the king, this time I entered Qi. As the king said, I really went to a small village called Shuicun."
When Mao Jiao heard Ying Zheng's words, he saluted with both hands, and then did not rush to continue speaking. Instead, after the ceremony, he looked at Ying Zheng: "Your Majesty, I dare to ask whether the person named Yan is Zuo Chief concubine, Bai Yan!"
Hearing Mao Jiao's words, Ying Zheng was not surprised.
The bamboo slips given to Mao Jiao originally only contained the words "You Yan". Now that Mao Jiao looks so confident, it is obvious that the young man did not lie to him.
"It's indeed Bai Yan!"
Regarding Mao Jiao, Ying Zheng had no intention of hiding it.
Now in the Qin Thatched Cottage.
There are two officials in Ying Zheng's heart who can serve as "upright men and ministers who dare to admonish". One is Meng Yu, and the other is Mao Jiao.
This is also the reason why Mao Jiao was asked to go to Qi State.
When Mao Jiao was asked to go to Qi State, Mao Jiao would know about Bai Yan sooner or later.
I didn't say it out loud at first, just to let Mao Jiao guess it without knowing the specific situation.
"Mao Shangqing, tell me what you saw during your trip to Qi."
Ying Zheng said.
Then he looked at the map, first instinctively looking at the location of Zhao State, and then looking at the farthest State of Qi, where Qi State Linzi was written.
"Back to the king! This time, I heard about Yan from people in other villages before entering the water village!"
Mao Jiao said with his hands raised.
One sentence made Ying Zheng look at Mao Jiao in surprise.
What does it mean?
Yan is very famous in Linzi, Qi State? Or is the village in Zhouzhuang very famous?
However, what Mao Jiao said next completely surprised Ying Zheng.
In the huge study room, hundreds of candlelights lit up the walls.
Mao Jiao slowly told what he saw and heard in the village, the words of the villagers and the women.
While Ying Zheng looked at the map, the young man Bai Yan he had met before came to mind. At this time, Bai Yan's past as a child came to mind unconsciously.
The figure of a young man who was laughed at by the villagers in the village because of his frailty appeared in Ying Zheng's mind.
When I heard the old woman's words, "My grandson will definitely be more successful than you!" There will definitely be a wise king and a wise king who will recognize my grandson and make him a minister and a general! ' At this time, Ying Zheng couldn't help but laugh.
Does this refer to yourself?
It was also at this time that Ying Zheng understood why the young man traveled thousands of miles from Qi to Qin alone, and why he had to enlist in the army after gaining the trust of the Bai family by pretending to be a young man.
Giving up the compensation given by the Bai family and the wealth brought by the Bai family, he did not hesitate to devote himself to being a pioneer and narrowly escaped death.
"Has Mao Shangqing ever met that old woman?"
Ying Zheng looked at Mao Jiao.
At this moment, even though he is the king of a country, he can't help but his eyes turn red when he hears the touching things between his grandfather and grandson.
"Back to the king, Wei Chen went all the way to see the old woman!"
Mao Jiao nodded when he heard Ying Zheng's question.
Not to mention Ying Zheng, his eyes were red when he heard it.
"Because the old woman is old and seriously ill, she has moved to a small garden in Linzi, Qi State. The small garden is not big enough."
Mao Jiao told Ying Zheng all about the small garden he saw in the alley and the old woman's serious illness.
When Ying Zheng heard about the illness, he frowned slightly.
It wasn't until he heard that Tian Feiyan, Tian Ding's daughter, also appeared in Xiaoyuan, did Ying Zheng relax his brows.
Regarding Tian Ding's daughter, Bai Yan also mentioned it in the bamboo slips.
When Mao Jiao talked about Tian Ding's daughter, he specially observed Ying Zheng and was relieved when he saw that Ying Zheng had no reaction.
"When the old woman learned that her grandson had become a concubine in the Qin Kingdom, she shed tears and kept kneeling down, saying that the king is an eternal wise king. However, when the old woman sent Mao Jiao out of the alley, she asked Mao Jiao to help him, who was seriously ill. Please don’t tell Bai Yan about it.”
Mao Jiao said to Ying Zheng.
Mao Jiao didn't say anything about what happened next, because what he said before was enough.
Seeing that Ying Zheng didn't ask, Mao Jiao continued to talk about the young man's experience, including that when he was young, he was forced to be an embalmer and share the hard work at home.
Mao Jiao also told Ying Zheng that he had gone to see the young man's parents.
After a long time.
Mao Jiao just finished speaking.
"Your Majesty, with General Bai Yan's abilities in Shangjun, your Majesty will definitely be famous throughout the ages."
Mao Jiao raised his hands to Ying Zheng.
This sentence is absolutely true. Ying Zheng reuses Bai Yan, and Bai Yan uses his talents to serve the Qin State. In the future, the old woman, Bai Yan, and the king will achieve eternal fame.
This reputation is definitely not inferior to that of Zhao Guo's once unparalleled "general and prime minister"!
The Zhao State's "harmony between generals and prime ministers" and his move to Qin made King Zhao Huiwen's reputation spread all over the world.
If the world knows about Bai Yan's opportunity in the future, they will also be excited about it.
"This matter cannot be spread out for the time being."
Ying Zheng heard Mao Jiao's words and said with a smile.
The compliments from other ministers only sounded comfortable and joyful, but when Mao Jiao opened his mouth to flatter him, it was extraordinary. If Ying Zheng remembered correctly, this was the second time.
But for now.
Ying Zheng was not in a hurry to speak out.
The higher Bai Yan's ability is, the sooner these things are spread out, the better. The country of Han has just been destroyed now.
One day, Bai Yan can grow up and pacify other vassal states for him. Only when word spreads, can these deeds be better reflected.
"My grandson will definitely be more promising than you! There will definitely be a wise king and a wise king who will recognize my grandson and make him a minister and a general!"
When Ying Zheng thought of the old woman's words, he couldn't help but smile.
Looking at Qi State Linzi on the map, Ying Zheng had never thought of it before.
That young man had experienced so many hardships.
There is such a good elder.
(End of chapter)
