Chapter 206: My Lord, what are you playing at?
"When I was young, I only had my mother to accompany me. No one loved me. After entering Qin, I thought we would be at odds with each other, but I never thought that you would treat me the best. You made me believe that as a king, you don't have to be alone."
"I want my sons to be like you and me. I don't want them to fight against each other or kill each other. The hands of Fusu, Gao, Jianglu and others must not be stained with the blood of the Ying family."
"Your words make sense, but as long as I am here, I will not agree with your strategy. Tell Fusu what you said today. From the second emperor onwards, the royal family of the Qin Dynasty can be conferred outside to protect the dragon vein of China."
Throughout history, Emperor Shizong never suspected, poisoned, or harmed his descendants.
Even though the eldest son Ying Fusu strongly opposed the county system and spoke for the sorcerers who deceived the First Emperor, all the First Emperor did was to exile him to a county.
This is extremely rare in the royal family where family ties are weak.
Emperor Wu of Han, who demonstrated the confidence and dignity of the Han nationality, would also suspect the crown prince of treason due to the rumors of witchcraft and kill his own son.
"I don't know whether I can live to see Fusu succeed to the throne, and I don't know whether Fusu will listen to me when the time comes. My fate is the fate of all generations. Please give the order immediately, my brother."
The invasion of the Huns was a great opportunity to divide the lands of other ethnic groups for the descendants of the Ying family.
Ying Chengjiao was afraid that the night would be long and full of dreams, and he didn't know what changes would occur in the future.
The First Emperor pulled the door of the side hall, and Ying Chengjiao pressed it hard.
The First Emperor looked at Ying Chengjiao and said, "If you can wait, then wait. If you can't wait, then rebel again."
Looking at the eyes of the First Emperor, Ying Chengjiao also saw determination and the attitude that he would never do that.
Ying Chengjiao suddenly smiled abnormally.
"What are you talking about, my brother? I was just joking."
He opened the door of the side hall for the First Emperor and led him to the main hall.
"I'm leaving first."
After saying this, Ying Chengjiao left the council hall.
Li Muben also wanted to leave with Ying Chengjiao.
He came here purely because of Ying Chengjiao, otherwise he would not want to give advice to the Qin State.
Just as I was about to move, Ying Chengjiao turned around and gave me a stern look - stay still, I will be back.
Li Mu stopped and continued to stay in the council hall.
The First Emperor ignored Ying Chengjiao who seemed to be leaving in anger, and stayed back beside the map.
"Who can tell me how many troops are left in Guanzhong and how many can be transferred to support the border areas?"
Wang Wan, Li Si, Tu Sui, Ren Xiong and others looked at each other, and finally the most senior right prime minister Wang Wan spoke for them.
The old prime minister stepped forward and said, "May I ask your majesty, this time the support is to completely destroy the Xiongnu, or to recover Yanmen and Jiuyuan counties?"
The number of troops required for these two options is very different, even to the point of being worlds apart.
"Recover Yanmen and Jiuyuan counties."
The First Emperor replied to Wang Wan’s words.
Then, without waiting for Wang Wan, Li Si and others to show their joy, he looked at Ren Xiong, Tu Sui and Zhao Tuo.
"This time, Ren Xiao will lead the troops to support the border, with Tu Sui and Zhao Tuo as his assistants. This battle with the Xiongnu will have to be fought sooner or later, but not now. The three of you should go to the border first to familiarize yourself with the Xiongnu's tactics and be prepared. In three to five years, when I send troops to the Xiongnu, you three will be counted as a part of the battle."
The three generals looked at each other and knew that the decision made by the First Emperor could not be changed.
"only."
"only."
"only."
All three of them responded.
The First Emperor promised that he would give the three men a seat when he went to fight against the Huns in three to five years, so their trip to the Council Hall today was not in vain.
After confirming that the Huns had invaded the border this time, the Qin Dynasty sent troops to Shangjun with the goal of recovering Yanmen and Jiuyuan counties.
Li Si, Wang Wan, Ren Xiong and others began to discuss the details of the reinforcements.
For example, where will the reinforcements come from and how many will be drawn, how much weapons and equipment the Imperial Household should prepare, how much money and grain the Imperial Household Department should provide, etc.
Ying Chengjiao did not hide his whereabouts in the Xianyang Palace, but walked around openly.
A secret guard told him the password at night, and the First Emperor had issued an order allowing him to go to various places in the Xianyang Palace.
He wandered around the Xianyang Palace and soon entered the harem, which was supposed to be a forbidden area for Qin officials.
Strolling to the palace where the second prince of Qin, Ying Gao, lived, Ying Chengjiao was standing outside the palace.
My dear brother, I can’t wait any longer.
"Nephew! Your uncle is here to see you, come out quickly!"
Inside the palace where Ying Gao is.
Hearing Ying Chengjiao's call, Ying Gao, who was reading at his desk, stood up and got dressed with an excited look on his face.
Ying Gao's mother, Concubine Wei, who was watching over Ying Gao's studies, said softly, "It's getting late, Gao'er, wait a moment. I will send someone to ask Lord Chang'an what his purpose is."
After Concubine Wei finished speaking, Ying Gao had already put on his clothes and rushed towards the palace door.
“No, no.”
When Ying Chengjiao walked in the harem again, there was a little tail behind him - the second son of the Qin State, Ying Gao.
"Uncle, where are we going?"
"Uncle will take you to ask your father for a fiefdom."
Ying Gao, who had originally looked very happy, was startled and turned into a crying face.
His brisk steps seemed to be filled with thousands of pounds of lead, and he could not move forward.
"Uncle, please don't harm me. My eldest brother is already the crown prince."
"He is the crown prince, so what? We don't want Qin territory. Go away, why are you so cowardly?"
Ying Chengjiao grabbed his second nephew's hand and dragged him forward.
When Ying Gao's feet passed through the mud, they left two long traces.
"Uncle is going to find my third brother, uncle is going to find my third brother, Gao doesn't want to go!"
Ying Gao shouted loudly and struggled desperately.
Hold your breath and push your center of gravity down onto your buttocks.
Ying Gao pulled back with all his might, his face flushed red and his arms stretched straight.
He feared nothing except his father Ying Zheng.
When facing all the princes and princesses except the eldest brother, Ying Gao is the second brother.
When facing the eunuchs, palace maids, and Qin ministers, Ying Gao was the second prince of Qin.
But when facing the First Emperor, Ying Gao was just a child who dared not speak loudly.
Ying Gao regrets it now.
Why didn't you listen to my mother and ask my uncle why he pulled me out so late?
Ying Chengjiao stopped and looked down at his second nephew, whose face was full of resistance.
"Are you sure you don't want to go? Uncle doesn't like to force people."
“No!”
"I haven't told you where I'm going to seal you."
"Gao only wants the land that my father has allocated to him."
Ying Chengjiao loosened his grip on Ying Gao's little hand.
"Then you can go back."
"Goodbye, uncle."
Ying Gao ran back to Concubine Wei's palace without looking back, for fear that Ying Chengjiao would change his mind and pull him back.
Ying Chengjiao watched his second nephew go away, and walked towards the palace where his third nephew Ying Jianglu was.
Concubine Wei, who was about to go to bed, looked at Ying Gao who suddenly ran out and then suddenly ran back, and asked, "What does Lord Chang'an want to see you for?"
Ying Gao was sitting in front of the table very consciously. He picked up the book on the table and said, "My uncle said that he would take me to ask my father for the land."
Concubine Wei paused and glanced at the eunuchs and palace maids around her.
The eunuchs and palace maids all bowed their heads.
Pretend to be deaf in both ears and unable to hear words.
"Then why did you come back?"
Concubine Wei said as if she didn't care.
As she asked this question, she placed the pillow embroidered with fine silk on the left side of the bed, then on the right side, and then on the left side.
"Father wants to implement the county system, which is to eliminate the feudal states. He made my eldest brother the crown prince, and the Qin Kingdom will belong to my eldest brother from now on. How dare I disobey my father and ask for territory from him?"
Ying Gao said seriously.
The pillow creaked as Concubine Wei grabbed it, and it seemed as if it would tear it apart in the next moment.
"knew."
Why does mother's voice sound a little low?
It must be because I gave up studying halfway that made my mother unhappy.
In order to please Concubine Wei, Ying Gao pretended to study hard and pointed to an obscure passage in the book.
"Mother, what does this mean?"
Concubine Wei didn't even look at where Master Ying's finger landed. She sighed softly and said, "Go to sleep."
What's the point of studying further?
Outside the palace where Ying Jianglu, the third son of the Qin Dynasty, was staying, Ying Chengjiao concentrated his energy into his dantian and engaged in a verbal battle like spring thunder.
"Little Taotie! Your uncle is here to see you! Come out quickly!"
Inside the palace, General Ying Lu's mother raised her eyebrows, flicked her colorful sleeves, and walked out with an angry look on her face.
As he walked, he said, "You let my son get drunk till now, and you still dare to come to my palace to look for my son!"
"Mother."
Ying Jianglu, who was drinking sake, suddenly had a confused mind which became clear, and he immediately called out to stop his mother.
As he spoke, Ying Jianglu rushed out of the palace gate as fast as he could and stood in front of Ying Chengjiao.
"Drinking?"
Smelling the alcohol on his third nephew, Ying Chengjiao narrowed his eyes and wiped the wine stains from Ying Jianglu's mouth.
"After the grand banquet at Xuanniao Palace, Jianglu fell in love with this drink."
"Can you still walk with your uncle?"
"As long as my uncle is willing to go, I will follow you wherever you are."
"Then let's go for a walk."
Ying Chengjiao and Ying Jianglu were walking outside the Xianyang Palace in the night, seemingly aimlessly.
"Little Taotie, do you want a fiefdom or not?"
"want!"
"Don't rush to agree. Let me make it clear to you first. The trend of Qin's great unification cannot be changed by anyone. The fiefdom given to you is not the Qin's native land, but..."
"Uncle, there's no need to say more."
Ying Jianglu took a few quick steps, stood in front of Ying Chengjiao, and looked up at Ying Chengjiao.
"I want."
Ying Chengjiao stopped and chuckled.
"Think about it carefully. If you are not careful, you will die."
"No need, I've been thinking about it for more than ten years."
The dragon has nine sons, each one is different.
What some people discard like a worn-out shoe, others dream of having.
Ying Chengjiao rubbed Ying Jianglu's head and said with a smile: "Let's go, let's go find your father."
On the floor tiles, the moonlight reflected two figures, one big and one small, walking towards the Council Hall.
"The Xiongnu invaded our borders, and Yanmen and Jiuyuan were lost. When our Qin army recovers Yanmen and Jiuyuan, we will throw you into Xiongnu territory. No matter how much territory you conquer or how big your fiefdom is, you must serve Qin as your master."
"Um."
"You are well aware of the current situation in the country. There are no extra troops for you to deploy. You are thrown into the Xiongnu territory this time and need to recruit soldiers on your own. The Qin State cannot give you much assistance."
"Um."
"If you still cannot pacify the Xiongnu after the domestic situation has stabilized, then Qin will send troops to swallow up the territory you have conquered and the Xiongnu territory in one go and turn it into a county of Qin."
"Um."
Ying Chengjiao brought Ying Jianglu to the outside of the Council Hall and stood outside the hall door.
If you get close to the temple door, you can hear faint voices coming from the main hall.
"I forgot to tell you that your father is afraid that you two will kill each other, so he doesn't agree to grant you the land of the Xiongnu. We must first convince your father. It's not too late to regret it now."
Ying Jianglu pushed open the door of the council hall.
He did not answer with words, but with actions.
Wouldn't it be nice to be a prince of the Qin Dynasty with a respected status, no worries about food and drink, and enjoy ?
Ying Chengjiao shook his head and followed Ying Jianglu into the council hall.
Born in modern times in his previous life, Ying Chengjiao, who was extremely annoyed with the 996 work schedule, really couldn’t understand it.
Why would anyone be willing to give up the good life they have and risk their life for an opportunity?
Moreover, this chance is extremely slim. Even if you succeed, your life will not be better than before, and you may even be taken advantage of.
If the Qin State is likened to modern China, then the Xiongnu are neighboring countries such as Mongolia, Vietnam, and Russia.
To give the Xiongnu, who did not belong to the Qin State, to Ying Jianglu was a pure act of getting something for nothing.
He also told Ying Jianglu that you are actually a buffer and that enfeoffment of you is actually to buy some buffer time for the Qin State.
And this time you go to the Huns you won't get much help, you have to rely on yourself for everything.
If you attack too slowly, and wait until Qin has recovered its momentum, then we will be able to take over the land you have conquered along with the Xiongnu.
If Ying Jianglu was replaced by Ying Chengjiao, Ying Chengjiao would have quit long ago. Isn't this a pure act of being taken advantage of?
"go out!"
The First Emperor was finalizing the details of the battle with Ren Xiong, Tu Sui and others.
When he saw that it was his third son Ying Jianglu who pushed the door open, and then saw Ying Chengjiao standing behind Ying Jianglu, he immediately understood why the two men came.
His face was filled with anger and he shouted harshly.
Plop~
Ying Jianglu knelt on the ground with his knees and his head straight.
Wang Wan, Li Si and others who were standing with the First Emperor immediately dispersed. They could not withstand Ying Jianglu's kneeling.
"Father, I only want one chance. I beg you to grant me the land of the Xiongnu!"
Li Si, Wang Wan, Ren Xiao, Tu Sui, Zhao Tuo, Li Mu, Fu Zikang.
Except for the First Emperor, Ying Chengjiao and Ying Jianglu, everyone in the Council Hall, including eunuchs and palace maids, was excluded.
Everyone was stunned.
Did we hear wrong?
What did the Third Young Master say?
Give him the land of the Huns?
It was the Huns who occupied Yanmen and Jiuyuan counties of our Qin State, not our Qin State that occupied the Huns' land.
What we are discussing is how to recover Yanmen and Jiuyuan, not how to divide the land!
How can we seal off the Xiongnu territory when we haven't conquered it yet? Is there some misunderstanding here?
"You bastard! You did a good thing!"
The First Emperor pointed at Ying Chengjiao and felt so angry that his teeth were itching.
"Your Majesty, we should at least ask the person concerned for his opinion, right?"
Ying Chengjiao said with an apologetic smile.
I understand. It must be what His Majesty and Lord Chang'an said in the side hall just now.
The seven people were not stupid. As soon as they saw the Emperor's reaction, they knew that this was definitely not a misunderstanding, but something happened that they didn't know about.
But this made the seven people even more curious.
If it was not a misunderstanding, then what exactly happened in the land of the Huns?
Could it be that another express horse with a speed of 800 li arrived, and that Meng Wu of Shangjun sent out all his troops to conquer the Xiongnu's land?
No, if we had taken it down, what was Your Majesty talking to us about just now?
But if they failed to conquer it, why would the Third Prince come to ask for the Huns' land?
Even Li Mu, who lived under the same roof with Ying Chengjiao, was also confused at this time.
My Lord, what are you playing at?