Chapter 250: Why did His Majesty rise to the high platform?
A circle of saliva marks soon appeared on his plain white clothes. Li Mu swung his arms to shake off Ying Jianglu who was hanging on him, but failed.
Ying Jianglu was like a koala clinging to a tree trunk, holding on tightly to Li Mu's right arm and refusing to let go, showing none of the noble reserve of the third son of the Qin state.
"Wu'an Jun, why don't you come with me to fight against the Xiongnu? From now on, I will name my fiefdom Zhao!"
Li Mu responded with a cold look, his face showing no emotion at all, instead he looked even a little indifferent.
"Your Majesty has promised me that as long as I go to Qin, I can preserve the Zhao State's temples and occupy the land without destroying the country."
Ying Jianglu's tearful face immediately showed anger, and he said, "A real man should keep his word. How can you break your promise and go back on your word? If Wu'an Jun doesn't trust Jianglu, you can go with Jianglu and supervise him."
If one wants to supervise Ying Jianglu, he must accompany Ying Jianglu to take over the Xiongnu land.
Li Mu lacked political acumen, but he was not stupid, otherwise he would not have become a famous general.
Hearing this, he sneered and said, "The Ying family, from top to bottom, is extremely shameless."
Little Taotie doesn't care about being shameless or not.
Since he was a child, he accompanied Ying Chengjiao's mother, the Queen Mother Han, to play glass balls. He inherited the pragmatism of the First Emperor by looking for secret guards among the eunuchs and palace maids around him.
False reputation is meaningless; what matters is the benefits you get.
The fact that Li Mu, who was very skilled in martial arts, did not get rid of him made him feel at ease, knowing that Li Mu would not really attack him for the sake of his uncle.
Relying on his young age and innocence, he sincerely complimented: "Mr. Wu'an is very smart. You can see through my thoughts clearly. Nothing can escape your eyes."
No matter how many holes there are, flattery will never wear out.
Li Mu had originally had some favorable impression on Ying Jianglu because of his shamelessness which was similar to Ying Chengjiao, and now he was delighted by Ying Jianglu's endless flattery.
He had long forgotten that he had just said that he hated people who flattered him the most, and his stern face naturally relaxed.
"Your Majesty has already appointed Meng Tian as the general, why are you still looking for Mu?"
"How can Meng Tian compare with Wu'an Jun? If Wu'an Jun is willing to follow Jianglu to the war, Jianglu is willing to appoint Wu'an Jun as the commander. In everything, I will follow Wu'an Jun's orders and become a small soldier under Wu'an Jun's command."
In order to get Li Mu, Ying Jianglu sold Meng Tian without hesitation.
This statement is one-tenth flattery, but nine-tenths of it is sincere.
Meng Tian had always had close contacts with Ying Fusu and had long been identified as Ying Fusu's protector.
But Li Mu was different, he was a retainer of Ying Chengjiao and his uncle, and had no connection with the princes or noble families of the Qin Dynasty.
Compared to Meng Tian, who was born in the Meng family and grew up watching his elder brother, Ying Jianglu believed that he had a higher chance of keeping Li Mu.
Apart from anything else, just talking about military ability, Li Mu is number one in this era in terms of both military achievements and fame .
Even though Meng Tian had just captured two counties, his reputation in the northwest was at its peak.
But in the heart of Ying Jianglu who looked down on foreigners.
What's wrong with taking two counties in a row? Shouldn't we win a big victory against a soft target like the Xiongnu? How can we lose in the Qin territory?
He was far from being as good as Li Mu, who had fought and won tough battles all his life and repelled the Huns, repelled the Qin army, beheaded the Qin general Heng Ji, and defeated the Qin general Wang Jian.
"madness!"
Li Mu wanted to scold him a few more times, but when he saw Ying Jianglu's serious and sincere face, as if saying "I am stupid and need Wu'an Jun's advice", his subsequent words turned into instructions.
"Marching and fighting is no joke. In addition to the command of the generals, the soldiers' execution and combat effectiveness are also tested. The generals you brought with you from Xianyang are all from the Meng family. Meng Tian can control them as easily as if they were his own arm, but Mu has difficulty getting them to follow through on his orders.
"Your Majesty's arrangement may seem casual, but it has its own deep meaning and cannot be changed without permission. You lead the army to Jiuyuan to find Meng Tian and see if Meng Tian is willing to follow you. If he is not willing, please report to me immediately and I will go to ask Meng Wu in your name.
"The first batch of armor and weapons has arrived at Shangjun. You can take them when you leave. With this batch of iron, even if you are a pig, you can stand firm in the Xiongnu territory. When I was young, I fought against the Xiongnu for many years. Before I leave, I will give you a parting message.
"If you want to occupy the land of the Hu people, you must become a Hu person. Wear Hu clothes and do Hu things, follow the water and grass and abandon farming. The Xiongnu are like wolves, cruel and rude. You must be more cruel than them, beat them until they are hurt and scared, and then kill them all!"
Li Mu was also frank. For Ying Chengjiao's sake, he told Ying Jianglu all the information he thought about Ying Jianglu's swimming, his experience in fighting the Huns, and his understanding of the Huns.
Ying Jianglu listened carefully and said hesitantly, "If I find the location of their camp, should I kill the old men, women, and children as well?"
Li Mu's eyes flashed with a sharp look, and he said decisively: "Don't kill the old man to complain to the younger generation, don't kill the child she gave birth to for revenge, don't kill the young man because the strong will kill you. Morality is for people, not for livestock like the Xiongnu. If they don't treat the Central Plains as human beings, we don't treat them as human beings either. Kill them all!"
Listening to Li Mu's murderous words, the oncoming atmosphere of iron horses and swords made the little Taotie's blood boil. He wished he could immediately spurt his horse and whip it to sacrifice the Qin sword with the blood of the Huns in the vast desert.
He tried to calm his turbulent thoughts, not letting his reason be driven away by his emotions, and said, "Before leaving, my uncle sternly warned me not to kill innocent people. He told me to use both kindness and force against the Xiongnu, recruit Xiongnu to fight Xiongnu, and treat the Xiongnu equally, saying that if I didn't do so, I wouldn't be able to take over the Xiongnu's land."
Li Mu was stunned.
A sneer.
"As for fighting, listen to Mu. Your Majesty has never been to the desert. How can he fight the Huns? Recruiting the Huns to fight the Huns is ridiculous!"
You just said that your uncle's arrangements cannot be easily changed.
Ying Jianglu complained in his heart, smiled and nodded vigorously, saying: "In the way of soldiers, no one can compare with Wu'an Jun. Please take me to get armor and weapons."
How to fight the Huns is a matter for later. The most important thing at the moment is to get the armor and weapons that Li Mu said could determine the victory of the Huns.
"Follow Mu."
…
"I dare to ask Your Majesty to send your attendants away." Wang Wan said loudly as he entered the gate of Zhangtai Palace.
The First Emperor looked at the old prime minister's solemn expression, followed his advice, and waved his hand.
Except for Gai Nie and Zhao Gao, the rest of the eunuchs and palace maids bowed politely to the First Emperor, left the Zhangtai Palace in an orderly and quick manner, and stood guard outside the gate of the Zhangtai Palace.
Wang Wan knew that Gai Nie and Zhao Gao were both the First Emperor's confidants, so he did not hesitate.
"I was just handling government affairs at home when a masked man entered with the Prime Minister's seal. When he uncovered his face, he looked exactly like that thief, Lü Buwei."
When Wang Wan said this, Zhao Gao was copying the imperial edict. His writing was as swift as flowing water. When he wrote the word "Han", his speed suddenly slowed down.
"I dare not neglect it. I will immediately take him to the Prime Minister's residence and take a carriage to report to Your Majesty."
The First Emperor looked at Wang Wan with a smile, and Wang Wan lowered his head slightly to indicate that he had finished speaking.
Although Wang Wan was 90% sure that the First Emperor knew Lu Buwei, there was still 10% unknown.
Therefore, these words first say that someone is holding the seal of the Prime Minister, but do not say that he is also wearing the clothes of the Chang'an Junfu. This seal of the Prime Minister may have been given by Ying Chengjiao or it may have been stolen.
Later, he did not clearly state Lu Buwei's identity, but said that he was exactly the same as Lu Buwei. This means that it is possible that he is Lu Buwei, or it is possible that he is not.
He put both options before the First Emperor for him to choose, and whatever the First Emperor said was appropriate.
Wang Wan, who was well versed in Qin's internal affairs, was always careful in what he said, and the reason he was able to secure the position of right prime minister was by no means just because of his outstanding abilities.
"I thought it was nothing, just a look-alike. Lu Buwei died ten years ago, why mention a dead man?" The First Emperor said casually.
One sentence to sum up the matter.
Wang Wan bowed slightly and said apologetically, "I am not worthy of being appointed to such a high position and I have disturbed Your Majesty."
The First Emperor smiled and said nothing.
If you were truly so open-minded that you couldn't hide anything, I wouldn't have let you be the Right Prime Minister.
"Wang Wan."
The First Emperor stood up and walked to Wang Wan, standing shoulder to shoulder with him.
"I am here."
Wang Wan took a half step back, lowered his head, and made sure not to look directly at the First Emperor.
"Come walk around with me. It's really annoying to review the memorials today."
"Yes." Wang Wan bowed and responded.
The emperor and his minister came out of the Zhangtai Palace, followed by Gai Nie and Zhao Gao.
As they walked, the First Emperor said to Wang Wan, who was half a step behind, "More than ten years ago, you were a servant and I was a prince. At that time, Cheng Jiao was highly regarded by the people, and I thought I would be satisfied if I could become the King of Qin. I never thought that the world would be so big. Did you ever think of becoming a prime minister at that time?"
Wang Wan smiled and said, "Your Majesty is extremely capable and is the true emperor. You are destined to unify the country and create unprecedented achievements, put an end to two hundred years of war, and save the people from danger. I have never thought about why I hold an official position. Whether I am a servant or a prime minister, I am serving Your Majesty."
The king and his minister talked and laughed happily, and had a very pleasant conversation.
Afterwards, Gai Nie had a blank expression on his face, silently muttering the word "dog licker" in his heart.
Zhao Gao looked humble, listened attentively and learned with an open mind.
The four of them walked through the corridors inside the palace, walking on the bluestone pavement.
Passing by is a large three-legged tripod with ritual patterns placed in the center of the square, which is said to be able to shock the country if it stands here.
We passed by a lake with a rustling sound in the wind. Although it was a pond, it was so large that it was difficult to see the end of it.
Under the gazes of the officials on duty and the bows of the palace maids and eunuchs, he walked for an incense stick of time and passed through several palaces.
A three-meter-high platform built with cheap stones that should not appear in the magnificent Xianyang Palace appeared in front of the four people.
"Gai Nie, Zhao Gao, you two stay down there."
The First Emperor looked up at the platform and gave the order without turning back.
"only."
"only."
Gai Nie, Zhao Gao responded in a split voice.
The First Emperor led Wang Wan around the platform, which was five or six meters in diameter , and found the stairs to the top.
The stairs are also made of a mixture of gray, white and black, and at first glance they look like they are made of cheap stones.
"Follow me up."
The First Emperor was the first to ascend the heights.
"only."
Wang Wan followed closely behind him and landed two steps below the First Emperor.
In this way, if the First Emperor missed a step and fell, no one would step on his foot and cause both of them to roll on the ground.
With a step as a buffer, he could support the First Emperor.
Da~
Da~
At first, I could still hear the footsteps of two people.
But the higher they went, the stronger the wind became, and the sound of their footsteps became lighter and lighter, until they could no longer be heard.
Three zhang is nine meters.
This is good for those who are in good health, practicing Taoist sexual techniques, and taking the medicine prescribed by Xia Wuqie.
This was obviously not a problem for the First Emperor, who had excellent martial arts skills and could still have more than 20 babies even after staying up late every day.
For Wang Wan, who is a bit old, the windbreak guardrails on both sides of the stairs are helpful. Although he is a little tired, it is not a big deal.
The king and his minister soon reached the high platform. Wang Wan looked around, but it was empty, with nothing there.
This confused the old prime minister, who was shrewd and thought he was very familiar with the First Emperor and knew his mind.
There is nothing here. Why did Your Majesty ask me to come up?
Wang Wan saw the waist-high guardrails on the edge and the few holes on the ground and railings, but didn't take it to heart.
He had never climbed the altar built in Yongdi. If he had, he would have known that except for the different materials, everything was exactly the same as the sacred altar for offering sacrifices to heaven.
The First Emperor grabbed the sleeve of the confused old prime minister and pulled him to the center of the platform.
"Say something."
The First Emperor said softly.
To Wang Wan, this voice sounded almost the same as the normal speaking voice of the First Emperor.
Wang Wan smiled bitterly and said, "This old minister doesn't know what to say."
The sound rang out, circling back and forth at the edge of the altar.
"I don't know what to say..."
"I don't know what to say..."
"I don't know what to say..."
The multiple echoes and Wang Wan's original voice mixed together, reverberating in less than a breath, and could not be distinguished by the human ear.
The old prime minister stared in surprise. The voice was much louder than his normal speaking voice, but he obviously did not speak loudly.
The First Emperor squinted his eyes, put his hands behind his back and looked up at the sky.
"I once spoke loudly here, reading the text of offering sacrifice to heaven, and the feeling of exhaustion was the same as when I was offering sacrifices to the wax candle. Cheng Jiao is right, there is no heaven in this world, no heaven that can dominate everything."
The voice was not loud, and the First Emperor deliberately lowered his voice. However, Wang Wan's legs softened and he fell to his knees.
He trembled and lowered his voice, saying, "Your Majesty, please be careful with your words."
"Are you afraid of what I say, or are you afraid that Cheng Jiao said everything at my behest?"
Wang Wan shrank back and dared not speak, as both of them were afraid.
"I did not see your name in the impeachment memorial, and I do not hope to see it in the future."
"……only."
Wang Wan responded and then gritted his teeth.
"Your Majesty, you must never destroy the nobles. This is destroying the Qin Empire! All the government orders are implemented by you gentlemen. If you do not benefit from them, the government orders will hardly be implemented in Xianyang!"
Under the high platform.
Gai Nie and Zhao Gao also heard Wang Wan's voice.
Zhao Gao, who had no idea what the First Emperor was doing, turned his head and glanced at Gai Nie.
Before he sent Wei Liao to Qi, he was absolutely sure that there was no such platform in the Xianyang Palace.
Gai Nie looked straight ahead, too lazy to pay attention to the lickspittle, wondering when His Majesty would come down and it was time to eat.
Seeing this, Zhao Gao took out a lotus leaf bag from his arms and handed it over, saying, "Mr. Gai?"
Gai Nie smelled a fragrance coming out of it, took it and opened it, revealing a roasted pigeon, his eyes lit up.
It was time for dinner when the four of them started walking, but no one dared to remind the Emperor since he didn't say anything. Gai Nie was a little hungry at the moment.
He tore off a piece of pigeon meat and put it in his mouth. It was tender and juicy. Gai Nie's mood suddenly became relaxed.
"When was this platform built?" Zhao Gao asked with a smile.
"After you leave." Gai Nie replied.
Zhao Gao’s smile froze.
Gao still doesn’t know that it happened after I left?
He hadn't dealt with Gai Nie for some time, and he had somewhat forgotten Gai Nie's straightforward nature.
He didn't hold it in the air anymore and said, "The specific date."
"After the wax festival."
"Your Majesty, why did you build a high platform?"
Gai Nie ate the roasted pigeon and looked at Zhao Gao's eunuch uniform, saying, "This is a different price."
