Xiang Shaolong pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "I do agree with Mr. Fusu's opinion. I also think that building Afang Palace will waste people and money."
The First Emperor said, "Then why didn't you bring it up before him?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "Master Fusu brought it up because he is not deeply involved in the world. I didn't bring it up because I am old and cunning."
The First Emperor laughed and said: "You also know that you are cunning. How can you dare to see me off without fear of my wrath?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "I don't bring it up not because I'm afraid of His Majesty punishing me, but because I think it won't change anything if I bring it up."
The First Emperor asked: "Do you think I can't listen to advice?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "The world has not been stable for too long. Your Majesty has worked hard for the national economy and people's livelihood. How come you don't know that building Afang Palace is different from building the country's infrastructure, but your Majesty still decides to build it. It is human nature to be greedy for pleasure. , His Majesty is rich all over the world, and has worked hard for the country for many years. Now it is understandable that he wants to have some fun. I just hope that Your Majesty can treat the workers well and provide them with generous returns. It is okay to be extravagant."
The First Emperor said: "Good people have asked you to do things, but you didn't say anything. When my son was reprimanded for speaking out, you went to see him off. Aren't you afraid that I would be angry with you?"
Xiang Shaolong asked: "How will your Majesty punish me if I am angry?"
The First Emperor thought for a while and said: "After you resigned, I really had nothing to do with you. Now that you have no desires or demands, I'm afraid you won't care even if I accept your title."
Xiang Shaolong said: "Why don't you have an official position? I am now the president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences."
The First Emperor said: "What kind of official is that? How can it be compared with the Prime Minister? The only thing you are valuable now is the king's title."
Xiang Shaolong secretly sighed that in the eyes of the emperor, the president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was far less important than the prime minister. Not only the emperor, but everyone thought so.
Xiang Shaolong also feels that his demands are too high, and I am afraid that there will never be a day when he can put the two in the same position.
Xiang Shaolong still answered seriously: "This dean is the position I value most since I joined the Qin Dynasty. It is more important than the prime minister and the king of Jin."
The First Emperor didn't expect him to say this. This position had no real power, and many people didn't even know what he did.
But he knows that Xiang Shaolong's choices have always been different, and he has always valued Xiang Shaolong's opinions, although he still doesn't see what's so great about this dean.
The First Emperor no longer dwelled on the importance of this position and continued to ask: "You have never made friends with princes or important ministers. Why did you openly see off the disgraced prince this time?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "I think General Meng's place is a good place. Our Daqin governs the country by law, but Master Fusu is surrounded by a group of unsuccessful Confucian scholars. They taught Master Fusu benevolence and righteousness. This is of course a good thing, but It is impossible to govern a country only by relying on Confucianism. It is a good thing for Mr. Fusu to go to the army and experience the test of blood and fire. I even think that every man should experience military life. .To this day, I still often think of my heroic ambition to guard the border and fight against the Huns. I rode the fastest horse, drank the strongest wine, and killed the most ferocious enemies. There were endless cups of wine to drink, and endless heads of enemies to kill. Mr. Fusu He has not experienced any hardships since he was born, which is not a good thing for him."
The First Emperor was also a man of great arrogance. Unfortunately, due to his limited status, he did not do such pleasant things. He was very regretful. He could not help but feel a little jealous of his son. He said with a hint of ridicule: "Do you think this is because I attach great importance to supporting you?" Su, are you going to have a good relationship with the future emperor?"
Xiang Shaolong nodded and said: "That's right. Mr. Fusu has traveled thousands of miles. Wouldn't it be desolate to be alone? I'm going to send you some warmth. This is a rare opportunity!"
The First Emperor shook his head helplessly. Xiang Shaolong admitted everything, which made him unable to say a few sarcastic words.
Of course, the First Emperor would not worry about Xiang Shaolong's friendship with Fusu. Now that Xiang Shaolong has reached the top of the title, he gave up his official position. He is more than ten years older than himself and has no heirs. He has no desires and desires. This may be the reason why he resigned from the position of prime minister and concentrated on scientific research. Bar.
Therefore, the First Emperor has always been different from others in treating Xiang Shaolong. He is not worried about him forming cliques for personal gain and being greedy for profit. He also has a closer personal relationship and is very willing to listen to his opinions.
Xiang Shaolong's arrival in this era has changed many people and things. When the time came to 210 BC, the First Emperor still started his eastward tour.
Xiang Shaolong didn't know whether this eastern tour would mark the death of the First Emperor. He couldn't even give a warning. He couldn't explain his predictions, let alone whether the direction of history would change.
The First Emperor did not invite Xiang Shaolong to accompany him because Xiang Shaolong had not gone on the previous trips, and Xiang Shaolong was stationed in Xianyang, so the First Emperor was very relieved.
Looking at the convoy of the First Emperor leaving, Xiang Shaolong still did not try to persuade him to stay, but just watched him leave.
Xiang Shaolong felt that the First Emperor was in good health and in his prime, so he hoped that he could avoid this disaster and also allow Da Qin to avoid this disaster.
I wanted to tell Li Si a few words, but I couldn't say anything. I could only sigh in my heart, hoping that my worries were in vain.
Xiang Shaolong has been restless since the First Emperor left. Finally, Xiang Shaolong decided to write a letter to Mr. Fusu.
Xiang Shaolong occasionally corresponded with Fusu in the past two years. The First Emperor knew about it, but did not interfere. He knew that the relationship between Xiang Shaolong and Fusu was not that close. He understood both Xiang Shaolong and Fusu very well and felt reassured.
There is nothing special about Xiang Shaolong's letters, they are just about everyday things. It was mentioned that the First Emperor set out on an eastward tour. Before leaving, he was still thinking about Mr. Fusu. He was very satisfied with his growth in the past two years and hoped that he would continue his efforts and show his full care and love.
In this way, once Mr. Fusu receives the death edict from the First Emperor, he will be able to have doubts and not commit suicide rashly.
The great power of history crushed everything, and due to inertia, the First Emperor died on the way to the eastward tour.
What Xiang Shaolong received was not the news of the death of the First Emperor, but an edict forcing him to commit suicide. Xiang Shaolong knew that the First Emperor had passed away.
The edict stated that he was disobedient and intended to rebel, forcing himself to commit suicide.
In fact, this was beyond Xiang Shaolong's expectation. He had never worried about his situation. He had always been thinking about Mr. Fusu and the Meng family. He was looking at all this like an outsider, but he ignored that he was actually someone who could influence the government. He was already in the middle of the situation.
Xiang Shaolong felt that given the state that the First Emperor was in when he left Xianyang, he should not have died suddenly of illness. From a conspiracy theory perspective, the most likely cause was that he was killed by Zhao Gao and Hu Hai.
It should be that Hu Hai knew that there was no hope of succeeding to the throne, so he joined forces with Zhao Gao and took decisive action to kill the First Emperor, and then forced his rivals to death so that he could succeed to the throne.
In real history, they succeeded. But Xiang Shaolong is not someone who just sits there and waits for death. He made a prompt decision, arrested the person who sent the order, and immediately repaired the book to Fusu and Mengtian, believing that they should have received the order.
Xiang Shaolong bluntly said that Hu Hai and Zhao Gao were plotting to kill the First Emperor, and they also collaborated with Li Si to keep the funeral secret and wanted to make Hu Hai the emperor.
Fusu was ordered to return to Xianyang immediately. Meng Tian raised troops to capture Zhao Gao, Li Si and Hu Hai.
He didn't say that all this was his guess, but that he had obtained the real information and was afraid that the two of them would hesitate.
Xiang Shaolong summoned his ministers and took over Xianyang directly.
At this time, General Wang Jian was dead, and there were still senior generals Li Xin, Wang Ben and Meng Yi in the city. He even made it clear to Meng Yi that the edict to kill Meng Tian had been issued, and Zhao Gao was going to clean up the court.
The spy leader Gan Luo is also in Xianyang. He is not well-known and no one knows that he still has a spy agency. He has always believed in Xiang Shaolong and believed in Xiang Shaolong's words.
Gan Luo was the true confidant of the First Emperor. Based on his understanding of the First Emperor, it was impossible for him to suddenly kill Xiang Shaolong without any warning. He also put his spy agency into high gear and went to the sand dunes in person to coordinate with Xiang Shaolong and Meng Tian's actions.
Zhao Gao's talents are not very high, otherwise he would not be able to explain Li Si.
Zhao Gao felt that Xiang Shaolong would think that the First Emperor believed the slander and sent Xiang Shaolong to prison. He would not resist violently and would wait in prison for the First Emperor to return before he could defend himself. But he didn't expect that Xiang Shaolong directly guessed that the First Emperor was dead, and even guessed what happened to Fusu and Meng Tian, and responded immediately.
Mr. Fusu traveled day and night and hurried back to Xianyang. When he saw that Xianyang was under Xiang Shaolong's control, he felt reassured.
Mr. Fusu has been trained by the First Emperor according to his succession, and his achievements have been very remarkable. He is both civil and military, has both political integrity and talent, and is convinced by all the ministers in the court. The only surprise was that he offended his father last time and was sent to the border gate, but he made friends with General Meng again. Now he has Xiang Shaolong as his escort, so all the ministers are relatively stable regardless of whether they have doubts or not.
Mr. Fusu first appeased the ministers, and then discussed with Xiang Shaolong what to do next.
Fusu bowed his head to Xiang Shaolong and said, "Thanks to His Highness King Jin for saving my life this time, otherwise I would never have imagined that Hu Hai was so vicious and dared to kill his father and harm his brother."
Xiang Shaolong said: "His choice is also normal. His Majesty has more than one son, but there is only one throne. Under normal circumstances, he has no chance at all. If he is not poisonous, he will not be able to become the Nine-Five Supreme. I think he will make the same choice. There are not a few people.”
Fusu was so shocked that he couldn't speak. He had always taken succession to the throne as a matter of course, and had never thought about fighting for it, so he never thought that the power struggle could be so ruthless.
This is because the monarchy was just established and no one had much experience to draw from. Everyone was crossing the river by feeling the stones. As time goes by, you will know that things like fathers, sons, and brothers turning against each other and destroying human relations will happen again and again. The human relations tragedy in the royal family is the worst in the world.
Xiang Shaolong admires Fusu's kind heart, but as an emperor, if he is too naive, it will not be good for himself or the country. He wants Fusu to understand the cruelty and ruthlessness of politics.
