Chapter 422: He withheld your troops and food supplies, but didn’t he give you a good brother in return?
In the back hall of the county magistrate's mansion, which was used exclusively for discussing important matters, the atmosphere was very strange.
The main seat at the top should have been the position of the governor of Jiuyuan County, but it was occupied by Chang'an Jun, who did not hold any official position in the Qin State.
His face was extremely cold and he didn't say a word, which was the main reason why the hall was silent and the atmosphere was heavy.
The first seat on the right was occupied by the third young master, whose faces were swollen like buns. This position should have belonged to the county lieutenant.
Below the Third Young Master was Li You, who was still confused and wearing the armor of his personal soldiers.
The young man couldn't understand why he had deserved to sit with all these big guys.
He stole a glance at the county governor who was sitting below him, and straightened his back intentionally.
Still sitting in the second place! I, Li You, have made it!
The third, fourth and fifth people below Li You were the three giants, the governor of Jiuyuan County, the lieutenant and the chancellor, who were supposed to be the masters of this place.
The three of them looked exactly the same, as if they had been sent to a plastic surgery clinic - kneeling on the ground, backs bent, hands on knees, heads lowered, as if this matter had nothing to do with us.
Sitting in the first seat on the left was General Meng Wu who came from Yanmen County.
In fact, Meng Wu's fief was not in Yanmen County, but in Yunzhong. Yanmen was the fief of Meng Ao. But after Meng Ao passed away, the fief fell into the hands of his only son Meng Wu.
The fief was inherited perfectly, but the title was not, and it was downgraded. It was not downgraded from the Chehou that Meng Ao had held before his death, but downgraded from the Guanneihou that Meng Ao had originally held, to the Dashuchang.
Everyone knows the origin of the title of Marquis of Guanjun Mengao. It was not earned by Wang Jian, Marquis of Wucheng, but a reward before his death.
How dare your Meng family submit a petition to lower your rank from Marquis of Guanjun and use this as an excuse? Are you relying on the emperor's favor to become arrogant and deceiving the First Emperor that he would not kill anyone?
After Meng Wu comes his son Meng Tian.
Meng Tian, who was so arrogant in Jiuyuan County, was only seated second from the left. If this got out, no one would believe it.
The outrageous things haven't stopped yet.
There is no one below Meng Tian!
On the left are only Meng Wu and his son Meng Tian.
Usually in such situations, the left and right sides should be symmetrical, and at least five people should be completed, the same as on the right.
Bang!
The slap arrives late but arrives.
Meng Wu suddenly slapped his son in the face. This time Ying Chengjiao was still able to stop him, but he sat there motionless and watched coldly.
Meng Wu exploded in anger and stood up to scold his son.
"How dare you! How dare you be rude to Chang'an Jun! Slap me in the face!"
Bang!
Meng Tian fanned himself without hesitation, with blood on both sides of his mouth. He bowed his head and saluted to the person in the upper seat.
If you carry a whip on your back, it means you are asking for forgiveness.
Meng Wu turned around, clasped his fists, and said in a deep voice:
"I am young and ignorant. I have caused a lot of trouble to Lord Chang'an these days. I hope Lord Chang'an will forgive me."
Except for replacing "General Meng" with "Lord Chang'an", this sentence is exactly the same as what Ying Chengjiao said to Meng Tian.
Ying Jianglu's face should have been in great pain, but at this moment he was completely unaware of it. His face was swollen and he could not see his expression, and his heart was filled with turmoil.
Meng Tian, who was so strong in front of me, didn't even dare to say a word in defense in front of his uncle. He was slapped in the face just like that?
And where did the younger generation come from? My uncle and Meng Tian are of the same generation! From what Meng Wu said, it seems that my uncle is a generation older than Meng Tian? How can this be based on? My father and Meng Tian are of the same generation?
Li You still looked confused.
He chased the Huns for seven hundred miles like chasing rabbits, was praised by the Huns as the bravest general , and was slapped twice?
The county magistrate, county assistant minister, and county lieutenant did not dare to look up, and secretly groaned in their hearts.
Although we didn’t see it, this shouldn’t be something we can hear!
"Meng Wu, Meng Tian, Ying Jianglu, and Li You stay, and the rest of you go out."
"only!"
As soon as the voice of the leader came out, the three giants of Jiuyuan responded in unison, as if they were waiting for this sentence. They did not feel insulted at all and were full of relief in their hearts.
The three of them ran out of the back hall swiftly, as if they were fleeing.
After the three giants left, Ying Chengjiao leaned back, slumped in the main seat, and said unhappily:
"Uncle Wu has come in person, what else can I say?
"Little Taotie, go back to your house and get me some ice. Don't say you don't have any."
Before Ying Jianglu could speak, Meng Tian spoke first:
"No need, it's here, go get it."
After saying this, he immediately turned around and walked out.
Meng Wu smiled and sat in the first seat on the right, saying, "This boy is teachable."
Ying Jianglu was stunned. Why does this smell like flattery? Don’t you, Meng Tian, hate people who get promoted by luck the most?
After a moment, he came back to his senses and asked:
"What does uncle need ice for?"
Ying Chengjiao raised his slightly red and swollen index and middle fingers.
"Do you think your good brother's sword is so easy to catch?"
Li You: “…”
Ying Jianglu: "..."
Ying Chengjiao complained, but he was very proud in his heart.
It hurts, but it's really cool. Gai Nie is such a show-off. Alas, I don't know where he ran off to. Jianxin is lost, he won't die...
Gai Nie's martial arts skills are too high. If he loses Jianxin, he will be on the same level as top masters like Yue Nu and Zhang Han, instead of falling to the bottom. Among the men that Ying Chengjiao can use, no one can track down the Sword Saint.
When I thought of this, the joy of pretending to be cool subsided.
No one spoke for a while.
Until Meng Tian came in with a tray with an ice cube in it.
Ying Chengjiao applied ice to his fingers, and the burning sensation suddenly subsided.
He looked at Meng Tian, who came from a family of military generals, and then at Li You, the son of Left Prime Minister Li Si, and couldn't help but complain.
"The military commanders are playing tricks, and the civil officials are playing with swords. Were you two born into the wrong family?"
The boy frowned and wanted to refute.
He is good at wielding a broadsword, why do you say that the general is playing tricks?
Before he opened his mouth, his good brother beside him had already secretly hit him on the arm, and the general facing him also gave him a look that said "don't talk".
The young man lowered his head slightly and remained silent.
There were only four people off the court, and Ying Chengjiao saw all their actions and expressions.
Ying Chengjiao didn't point it out and just smiled.
"General Meng Tian, can I lead the Taotie Army?"
Meng Tian did not hesitate.
"They are the soldiers of Lord Chang'an."
General Ying Lu felt as if in a dream. He couldn't believe that the army he had worked so hard to obtain was easily taken by his uncle with just one sentence.
He looked at Ying Chengjiao with shock in his eyes.
He always knew that his uncle was powerful, but he didn't expect his uncle to be so powerful, much more powerful than he had imagined. The arrogant Meng Tian looked completely helpless in front of his uncle.
“Thank you.
"Uncle Wu, Cheng Jiao will meet you for a drink tomorrow. I am really tired today, so I will leave first."
Ying Chengjiao said casually.
"Go ahead. I'm tired from running all the way here from Yanmen."
Ying Chengjiao walked up to Meng Tian and stood in front of him. He looked at him carefully, then smiled and stretched out his hand.
"From my heart, I am very upset that you have withheld my soldiers' food and fodder and bullied my third nephew.
“From the perspective of the Great Qin, you have done your best in your position. My brother and I are very happy.
"The country is lucky to have Meng Tian and Fusu, and the Qin Dynasty is lucky to have him."
Meng Tian was in a daze, not because he was confused, but because he didn't know what to do. He had never seen the etiquette of extending a hand.
"Hold it."
Meng Wu gave some advice.
Meng Tian suddenly realized and quickly reached out to hold it.
Ying Chengjiao smiled and said:
"Last year, General Meng came to see me at Chang'an Junfu with his nephew. He wanted to beat me up, but was stopped by Li Mu. Today, the general got slapped twice because of Cheng Jiao. How about continuing what he did that day and giving Cheng Jiao a beating?"
Meng Tian smiled bitterly and said he dared not.
Just by looking at what you did on the main street I knew that if I fought with you I wouldn't be beating you up, I'd be beaten by you!
"Then thank you, General Meng, for not beating me."
Ying Chengjiao had a look of regret on his face and exerted force with his palms and fingers.
Meng Tian felt as if his hand was bitten by a wild beast. The pain was so severe that his face turned pale and cold sweat broke out. He gritted his teeth and said nothing.
Ying Chengjiao let go and turned to look at Li You, who was sitting second from the right and had not made any move to stand up.
"What are you sitting for? Come with me."
Li You looked at Meng Tian, and Meng Tian nodded. The young man then stood up reluctantly.
After Ying Chengjiao led Ying Jianglu and Li You out.
Meng Tian shook his hands wildly, and beads of sweat as big as soybeans fell to the ground with a crackling sound.
"How can Lord Chang'an bear such a grudge?"
He felt like his hands were about to be crushed!
Meng Wu shook his head.
"Qiaoer doesn't bear grudges, and usually takes revenge on the spot.
"If you were not born in the Meng family, you would have been beaten by him the night you went to his house."
Meng Tian looked unconvinced.
"That's a bit of an exaggeration. There are many experts in my Meng family. His skills are far better than Tiantian admits, but how can he commit atrocities in the Meng family?"
"Qiao'er sneaked in, and the people in the mansion only dared to follow him and tip him off. Who would dare to stop him?"
"…Why?"
"Your grandfather and your uncle were both deputy generals of Qiao'er in the battle of Handan. It was Wang Jian who destroyed Zhao, but it was Qiao'er who defeated Li Mu. The people in your mansion are all good soldiers in the army, and they were all Qiao'er's soldiers."
Meng Tian was stunned and his hands no longer hurt.
Zhao Wuanjun was defeated by a beating? This...
So many people in the mansion know how powerful Chang'an Jun is? No one told me and my brother?
"He is a man of cunning strategies and good at fighting. Chang'an Jun is a man of both civil and military talents. How could Your Majesty allow him to be idle for ten years?"
"Qiao'er doesn't want to be an official, Your Majesty, please don't force him."
Meng Tian, who was plotting in the court, looked around the hall and found no third party, so he said carefully:
"If Chang'an Jun shows his true strength, many people will turn to Chang'an Jun, and our Meng family will also..."
Meng Wu glared at his eldest son and was about to scold him.
Thinking of the current situation in the court and the First Emperor's repeated attempts to push Ying Chengjiao, he took back the words that were about to come out of his mouth and nodded slightly.
I don’t know whether my father will fall or not, but Mengwu will definitely fall. The late king originally favored the second son!
By this time, with the world unified, the First Emperor took the initiative to mention those past events and was the first to express that he didn't care, so Meng Wu didn't care too much about it.
Meng Tian subconsciously rubbed his twisted hands, and after a while he came to his senses and gave a bitter smile.
"If Father had told me earlier, I wouldn't have done such stupid things."
Meng Wu said nothing.
If he were alone, he would be afraid of nothing.
Dare to say anything and do anything.
But he has the Meng family behind him.
Since His Majesty did not take the initiative to express his opinion and did not care, how could Meng Wu dare to say anything?
Meng Tian sighed.
"I really don't know what Chang'an Jun is thinking this time. He wants to help the Third Prince attack the Xiongnu. This will not only hurt the national strength, but also plant the seeds of civil strife in Qin. Your Majesty is also the same. He originally disagreed with the invasion of the Xiongnu, so why do you agree now?"
His father warned:
"You are the general that His Majesty left for the Crown Prince. The withholding of Third Young Master's troops and food is all for the Crown Prince's consideration. As long as His Majesty is here, you will be fine.
"But what you just said is beyond this scope. This is not something you should consider. Unless His Majesty summons you and asks for your opinion, you cannot speak of it, not even in private!"
Meng Tian nodded.
"only.
"Tian fully cooperated with Lord Chang'an this time, it's a pity that all those military achievements were wasted. If it was Tian who defeated the Xiongnu, he would be worthy of being made a marquis."
Meng Wu hummed.
I was a little confused but didn't tell my eldest son.
If they wanted to fight the Huns, they needed the seven northwestern counties to be united and provide a stable rear.
The first thing that Jiao'er should do when he comes this time is to read out the imperial edict. There is no way he can wait for a day before reading it out.
Unless... there is no imperial edict!
Thinking of this, Meng Wu felt a little uneasy and immediately went to find Ying Chengjiao.
Without the logistical support of the seven northwestern counties, no matter how many troops enter the desert, they will die! We can't act on impulse!
Li Mu, who was the best at fighting the Huns, led the Zhao flying soldiers, but they only flew a few hundred miles around Yanmen. Beyond this distance, the flying soldiers were just fertilizer!
He took two quick steps and suddenly slapped his forehead.
As he was old and had poor memory, he forgot that the First Emperor had issued an order that the prince had the final say on matters concerning the seven northwestern counties.
The prince often visited his uncle when he was in Xianyang. The two people he valued most now - Han Fei and Li Mu - were both his uncle's retainers.
Even without the imperial edict, with the prince himself here, the seven northwestern counties will still supply Ying Chengjiao.
…
In Ying Jianglu's mansion, three people were sitting at the desk.
"Uncle, did Meng Tian just let it go?"
Ying Jianglu put ice on his face, his brows gloomy, he was unwilling to accept it. He was bullied so badly, and it was just a matter of thunder and rain?
Ying Chengjiao rolled his eyes at his third nephew.
"So what do you want to do? Kill him?"
Li You suddenly glared, and Ying Chengjiao slapped the boy on the head.
"Idiot! How could Li Si have such a stupid son like you? You were sold and you're still counting money for them!"
The boy stiffened his neck.
"Don't you dare talk about the general like that!"
Ying Chengjiao shook his head.
"I told you! What? Are you unhappy? Come and hit me!"
The young man who rushed over was pinned to the ground and beaten violently, but he still fought hard for his general.
The two people, one big and one small, were arguing fiercely.
Ying Jianglu: "..."
If Meng Tian saw this scene, he probably wouldn't be shocked by his uncle, my naive uncle...
A quarter of an hour later, Ying Chengjiao felt refreshed. He still felt a little unhappy that he hadn't beaten anyone just now.
Li You looked dissatisfied and indignant. If he knew that he was blocking the bullet for the general, perhaps he would feel less pain.
Ying Chengjiao picked up an orange and threw it at his third nephew.
"Don't say your uncle doesn't support you. He traveled thousands of miles to bring it to you.
"Okay, stop looking so gloomy, think carefully, have you ever really been bullied?
"You have all the delicious food and beautiful women to offer you, and you call this bullying? If this is bullying, everyone in the world would be eager to be bullied!
" Besides..."
Ying Chengjiao glanced at the boy who refused to obey.
"I said Meng Tian was playing tricks. It sounded like I was scolding him, but in fact I was praising him. He withheld your troops and food, but didn't he give you a good brother in return?"
