Chapter 359: Let me go, I will chop you to pieces alive!
Zhao Ji did not accept the invitation.
A few years ago, Zhao Ji traveled all over the nine provinces, looking for many talented people, in order to fight against her husband's other son and to consolidate the throne under her own son.
She personally traveled through the Baiyue, found the legendary Yue girl, and invited her to help at the cost of countless money and food. She went to the Jixia Academy on the coast, visited Xunzi, and invited him to come out of seclusion.
Some people accepted her invitation, while others refused to even see her.
Once, she sat on horseback and drank strong liquor. The more she drank, the more sober she became. She urged the horse and continued her journey, galloping all day and night, and the horse was tired but she was not.
Now, she would get drunk after drinking a jar of liquor, and she would be tired after riding for less than half a day.
She is old and doesn't want to move anymore.
People say it's hard to leave one's hometown, but her hometown is long gone.
Her husband had passed away ten years ago, and the only thing she cared about in this world was her son Zheng. She hated that boy, but sometimes she thought that boy was right - children were the continuation of their parents' lives.
Living in Xianyang, she was despised, so she would just stay in Yong, the ancestral land of the Qin State.
When Zheng'er was still alive, he could come and see her.
When Zheng'er was not around, she would look at the Qin capital not far away and look after the house for Zheng'er.
She gave Zheng'er the golden phoenix crown made of tortoise shell, agate, pearls and colored glaze rings.
"Return the property to its original owner and hand it over to the Queen."
Looking at Zheng'er's departing back, she put on square-toed shoes that were easy to fight with, tight samurai clothes, and drew out Cang Langlang's sword from her waist.
Horizontal chop, vertical chop, forward thrust.
Zhao Ji is very beautiful, but she doesn’t look very beautiful when she slashes and pokes with the sword. The audience is not dazzled by her dancing, but terrified by the sword approaching.
This is not sword dancing, it is a sword that kills people on the battlefield.
Killing people with a sword instead of dancing is the culture of the Zhao people.
The culture of the Zhao people.
It is not the famous poems that have been passed down through the ages, it is not the witches and ghosts that overshadow the emperors, it is not the political intrigues full of conspiracies.
It is to resist the Xiongnu and fight the Donghu in the north, to resist the powerful Qin in the west, to fight against Wei and Han in the south, and to fight against the Chu barbarians in the east. It is martial arts!
A life where one's life is uncertain and one doesn't know when one will die makes the men of Zhao belligerent, the women of Zhao promiscuous, and the people of Zhao slightly proud, so they must enjoy themselves to the fullest!
When faced with a butcher's knife, the people of Zhao would not fearlessly beg for mercy or wail with tears streaming down their collars. Instead, they would spit hard at the enemy's face and laugh, cursing, "Qin dog! Chu dog! Wei dog!"
Parents and children are leaving.
Zhao Ji, a blushing Zhao, grasped a three-foot-long sword. She turned the hilt and thrust the sword through the blade. The sword broke through the wind and the blade broke through the air. No matter whether it was a person, an event, or an object that stood in front of Zheng Er, she would kill them all with one sword!
This is her expectation and blessing for Zheng'er.
She couldn't say that everything was smooth sailing. With so many remnants of the six kingdoms still around, how could this tour be smooth? It was too fake!
The First Emperor returned to Xianyang alone and found a new teacher for the eighteenth prince Ying Hu Hai - Li Si, the left prime minister of the Qin Dynasty and a giant of the Legalists.
Li Si, who was unaware of Zhao Gao's death, had no idea what the First Emperor's move meant, and he was unwilling to think too much about it. He thought that even if he thought about it, it might not be right, so he just did what he was told.
The emperor told him not to make assumptions when facing the orders of the First Emperor.
Ying Hu Hai was very happy to have a new teacher.
Although this teacher would scold him, hit his palms with a thick ruler, and force him to copy the laws over and over again.
But at least the new teacher would not be there reciting the law while he was sleeping, disturbing his sleep and giving him a headache.
My father was always by his side, listening carefully to what he said, just like my mother. But he always had a stern look on his face, which was scary. My uncle was better because he didn't have a stern face.
The insects outside the window were rubbing their wings together, making a buzzing sound. The young man was absent-minded, looking at the yellow paper with the "Military Law" recorded on the table, but what appeared in front of him was his uncle's smiling face.
With a crisp sound, the ruler hit the table hard, scaring the boy.
"Focus on it!"
Li Si scolded with a dark face.
Fortunately, the First Emperor was not accompanying him to study today, otherwise the ruler would not have hit the table but the boy's body.
The boy looked at the new teacher's stern face with horror, and felt that it was much more hateful than these laws that he could never memorize or learn.
Uncle, when will you come to see Hu Hai?
The worries of young people are reading too much and being under strict supervision.
Gai Nie rarely stands someone up, and it is not his responsibility to tip off others.
In his life, he had no interest in anything other than swords.
Coo coo coo
The gray pigeon, which was thin but had strong wings, chirped happily. It stood on the ground and pecked at the grains spread out in the sword master's palm.
After eating the last grain of rice, it shook its feathers and flew up into the sky with the letter tied to its foot. A black dot appeared in the blue sky, moving eastward, getting smaller and smaller, and soon disappearing.
Gai Nie stood up, and his spine, which used to be as tall and straight as a pine tree and as steep as a mountain, was slightly hunched.
“It’s not your fault.”
Lü Buwei, who was summoned by the First Emperor and was supposed to leave the palace after finishing his government affairs, stood beside Gai Nie wearing a mask and spoke in dialect for a long time.
"The young master trusted me so much, but I acted on impulse and ruined his plan. How can I say that this is not Nie's fault..."
If he had followed Ying Chengjiao's advice completely, kept a close eye on Zhao Gao , and had not harbored any grudge against the First Emperor for killing a palace maid, and had not taken sick leave and not gone to work, Zhao Gao would have surrendered when Concubine Hu died that day.
The Eighteenth Prince would not suffer irreversible harm, and the Xianyang Palace would not be in chaos because of Zhao Gao.
"swordsman……"
"Don't try to persuade me, businessman. You and I both know that those words are just excuses."
Lu Buwei opened his mouth, gave a bitter smile, then closed it again, and left with a sad face, holding the memorial.
Yes, they are all excuses and pretexts.
Just like those people who died in Han, even if many people say it was not his fault, the fact is that he killed those Han people.
He couldn't even convince himself, so how could he convince Gai Nie, who had a clear mind? Gai Nie usually didn't want to think about it, but he was not really stupid.
Lu Buwei could not forget those emaciated figures, those bright eyes longing to live, and those tragic scenes of cannibalism.
There was a bookshelf on the east wall of his house, but there were no books on it, but tablets. There were hundreds of tablets, and each tablet was filled with the names of the people who died in the disaster in Korea.
On the first and fifteenth day of every month, he would take a day off and burn paper money in front of the east wall for a whole day.
Gai Nie's back couldn't be straightened.
The tablet of Lu Buwei cannot be thrown away.
The wind blew and the sharp blade attacked.
The two swords collided in the air, and Gai Nie, who was hastily attacking, was forced to take a step back.
Zhang Han, wearing a skeleton armor, put away his sword, his face cold and frosty.
"Your sword is slow."
Gai Nie said nothing, sheathed his sword, turned around, and walked slowly with his head bowed and his back bent. The sound of his shoes rubbing against the ground continued, like an old man about to die.
If it was not in the Xianyang Palace paved with bluestone slabs, but on the dirt road outside the city, it would surely raise a lot of dust.
"Your Majesty asked me to tell you that Your Majesty does not blame you, and this matter is not your fault."
Gai Nie remained indifferent and continued to move forward.
Zhang Han was furious, and quickly caught up with Gai Nie, shouting at him from behind.
"How can you protect His Majesty in this state?"
Gai Nie covered his face in pain, his five fingers seemed to dig into his flesh.
The sword is the best weapon among all kinds of weapons, not something for bravery and violence. When you feel injustice in your heart, you draw your sword, and that is to redress the injustice.
The Sword Saint's sword heart was broken twice in total. The first time was when he killed the palace maid, and the second time was when Zhao Gao died.
The sword in your heart cannot be drawn out, and the sword in your hand cannot be made faster.
That night, the First Emperor issued an order:
Gai Nie was relieved of his post in charge of seals and decrees, and was rewarded with 500 gold, 10 pieces of cloth, a horse, three pairs of jade discs, and was promoted to the tenth rank of guest official.
Four days passed.
When the First Emperor had nothing to do, he would still sit in the courtyard of the Chang'an Palace which originally belonged to Lu Buwei, and still fish with the straight silver needle, looking leisurely.
At night, the First Emperor would return to the Xianyang Palace. He had been visiting Concubine Chu's bedroom more frequently recently, and he had stayed there for two of the past four days.
Concubine Chu's status in the harem, which was already high, had risen to a higher level, and she seemed to be the number one person under the Queen.
The candles in Zhangtai Palace haven't been lit for a long time.
The First Emperor did not review memorials here, and after Zhao Gao's death, Li Si did not teach the Eighteen Princes here. This palace was bright and clean during the day, but at night it was as dark and scary as those sealed cold palaces.
However, the imperial physician Zhang Han often waited outside for the entire night, as if the First Emperor was sleeping in this candleless palace.
Late at night, a quarter of an hour past midnight.
Squeak
There was a crack in the gate of Zhangtai Palace, and the bright moonlight penetrated into the palace, emitting a ray of light into the darkness.
Through the crack in the door, you can see that the two skulls on the left and right chests of Zhang Han, the doctor, are a bit scary. But the owners of the two skulls clasped their fists, lowered their heads, and bowed their bodies, which diluted their terrifying charm.
"Please, Changan-kun!"
Where the First Emperor resided, he had to be served by palace maids and accompanied by eunuchs. Except for the bedroom where the First Emperor resided, candles as thick as an adult's forearm had to be lit in all other palaces in the palace. This was the rule.
But only the doctor-in-chief Zhang Han knew that the First Emperor, who did not visit his concubines every day, would enter the Zhangtai Palace as soon as it got dark. There were no palace maids or eunuchs, no light, and it was not in accordance with the living rules.
Every time Zhang Han guarded outside the Zhangtai Palace, he dared not sleep, for he was afraid that something abnormal might happen to the First Emperor.
He had to concentrate all his attention and constantly sense the life fire of the First Emperor in the Zhangtai Palace.
Squeak
The palace gate was closed again, and the moonlight was blocked outside.
But the originally pitch-black Zhangtai Palace was not completely immersed in darkness. The dusty Ying Chengjiao walked slowly inside, panting, holding a candle in his hand.
"Royal brother? Are you there? Huh, huh, are you alive?"
After taking two more steps, Ying Chengjiao put the lamp on the table, sat on the ground, supported his knees with his hands, and gasped heavily.
"I can't do it anymore. From Xinzheng to Xianyang, I ran for three consecutive times without taking a break. I am dying of exhaustion. Brother, please allow me to rest for a while before I can teach you."
In the light of the candle, the mud marks on Ying Chengqiu's face were extremely clear, and the sweat mixed with dust almost covered Ying Chengqiu's head.
The sound of footsteps came from deep within the Zhangtai Palace. As the footsteps grew louder, the people were getting closer.
"Who asked you, a brat, to enlighten me?"
The once majestic face of the First Emperor was revealed under the candlelight, with a smile on his face.
"You come to see me in such a disheveled state like a mud monkey. This is a serious crime of disrespect. Zhao Gao, take the silk cloth and wipe Cheng Jiao's face... I'll get it for you."
"Such a serious crime, how about you exterminate my three clans?"
"You bastard!"
The First Emperor smiled and raised his hand to hit his brother, but looking at his brother's sleepy expression and the dirt on him, he couldn't bear it.
He stood up and walked away in the darkness.
"Why don't you light a candle? Who are you saving money for?"
Ying Chengjiao was standing by the table and shouting.
"You bastard! You bastard!"
The First Emperor scolded again.
There was no new light, so when the First Emperor came back, he was holding a basin of clear water with a silk cloth draped over it.
Crash, crash~
Ying Chengjiao washed his face quickly, and the sleepiness, fatigue and tiredness that had been surging like waves were gone by three or four points.
The First Emperor handed over the silk cloth, and Ying Chengjiao took it and threw it aside.
The First Emperor raised his eyebrows.
"What's the meaning?"
"I'm more awake with this little bit of water. If I wipe it dry, I'm afraid I'll fall asleep."
The moment he received Gai Nie's letter, Ying Chengjiao rode a fast horse from Xinzheng to Xianyang. He ran for three days and three nights and hardly slept for more than half an hour.
The First Emperor snorted coldly, picked up the silk cloth that Ying Chengjiao had thrown aside, and under Ying Chengjiao's dissatisfied eyes, forcefully wiped the water stains off his brother's face.
"Just sleep if you're tired, why force yourself!"
"Why aren't you sleeping?"
The candlelight was not that bright, but it was enough for Ying Chengjiao to see his neatly dressed brother, with fine bloodshot eyes, slightly chapped lips, and a haggard expression.
" What does it have to do with you? Go to sleep."
The First Emperor forcibly pulled Ying Chengjiao's hand and tried to drag his brother into the bedroom.
Ying Chengjiao did not move at all. He pulled the emperor's arm hard and pushed him back to sit down. He said triumphantly:
"You can only drag when I want you to, and you can't drag when I don't want you to. This is the power of a common man that you despise."
The First Emperor glared at him, and his heavy breath made the candle flame flicker, threatening to go out at any time.
"Let me go, I'll chop you to pieces!"
Ying Chengjiao let go of his hand, but the First Emperor, who had been clamoring, did not take the Qin King's Sword.
Seeing his younger brother yawning and shaking his head vigorously to stay awake, he could not help but whisper:
"Go to sleep. If you have anything to say, you can talk about it when you wake up."
"No, that way my journey won't be in vain, it would be nice if I could come back leisurely. Do you have any wine? I'll drink with you and pass on some of your sadness to you."
The First Emperor rolled his eyes at his brother.
"No wine! I don't like drinking! I don't have any reason to be sad. This villain is dead, I don't even have time to be happy!
"If you are interested, go and see Hu Hai. That boy has been missing you very much. You are closer to me than even my father.
"And Chu'er, I have wrongly blamed her in this matter. I am sorry for her. Please go and say some good words for me.
"And Gai Nie, you are too stubborn . I have been reminded by you dozens of times, but you still can't see that Zhao Gao is a scoundrel with evil intentions. How can he see it? This is not his fault."
Ying Chengjiao sighed and interrupted his brother's words.
"What about you, my brother? You thought of everyone, but why did you forget yourself?"
