Chapter 474: Becoming the King of the Xiongnu is not the starting point, but the end point
Qin State, Xianyang City, Xianyang Palace, Xianyang Hall.
Sitting on the high throne was Queen Afang, who was acting as regent.
He wears a luxurious phoenix crown with more than ten kinds of birds on it, and the entire crown is made of gold and shines brightly.
The golden phoenix crown made her face look unusually pale, as if she had suffered a serious illness.
In the court below him, important officials of the Qin State, who were so powerful that the Qin State would tremble if they stomped their feet, stood on the Danchi with their eyes wide open.
They pointed at each other's noses, spitting everywhere, and quarreled like villagers swearing on the street.
An old man named Qin Chen said:
"The crown prince is the eldest son Fusu! When your majesty dies, the crown prince should succeed to the throne. How can it be the Lord of Chang'an who will take over?"
The new Chief Justice of the Court of Justice shouted at each other.
"When King Wu passed away, King Zhaoxiang succeeded him. King Wu had no offspring, didn't he? It is only natural that the younger brother should inherit the throne after the elder brother's death. Your Majesty said it in person, and the more than 200 officials present heard it with their own ears. We should invite Lord Chang'an to return to Xianyang!"
Gan Luo was furious.
"How dare you! Are you plotting a rebellion and want to usurp the throne? The Crown Prince was personally appointed by His Majesty in the court, in front of all the nobles of Yan! Now that His Majesty has passed away, how could he utter such absurd and self-contradictory words!"
Li Si stepped out.
"Are the words of more than two hundred people not as good as those of one person, Shang Qing?"
Another minister with a distinguished background stepped forward.
"Oh, the left prime minister thought that the net he had woven was foolproof? You must know that as long as it is a net, there will be holes! The magistrate of Datian has already admitted that your majesty did not say these words, and it was you, Li Si, who forced everyone!"
Having heard the last words of the First Emperor, the commander of Datian, who was present at Mount Tai, did not back down in the face of Li Si's cold gaze and sneered:
"Left Prime Minister, are you going to kill me? Come on! The Left Prime Minister has killed enough people along the way! You are a petty official of the Chu State. You have received the great grace from His Majesty but have not thought of repaying it. You are even trying to help Lord Chang'an usurp the throne. You should be killed!"
Langzhongling Zhang Han was not wearing the Qin sword and was standing in the court in his official uniform.
Hearing this, he looked at Datian Ling, and the murderous intent in his eyes was more chilling than Li Si's coldness.
"How dare you tamper with His Majesty's last words? How dare you! Han should have beheaded you on the road, a beast worse than pigs and dogs!"
A doctor stood tall and walked to the side of Datian Ling, sneering.
"What a murderous mind! Doctor, do you want me to bleed five steps away?"
“…”
The noisy and chaotic sounds gave Afang a splitting headache.
No matter how noisy the concubines in the harem are, they are not as noisy as these men.
She grabbed the armrests of the throne hard, and her slightly empty eyes were instantly filled with a sense of oppression.
She wants to protect this vast !
"Noisy!"
An extremely sharp scream, the kind that could pierce a person's eardrum.
Those in the hall who were weaker in martial arts felt a buzzing in their heads.
Those who were quick to hold on to the red ground, while those who were slow fell to the ground.
Many of those who were standing and making a lot of noise fell down, and for a moment all kinds of situations were visible in the court.
After shouting this, Afang said nothing. He looked quietly at the ministers below, leaning back on the throne, just like the First Emperor when he was in power.
Except for the personal maid standing beside her, no one knew that she was sweating profusely. It was not that she didn't want to talk at this time, but that she couldn't.
She used Lilong again, accumulating less than a year's worth of Lilong.
She is very weak now.
The last time, Li Long, who was over twenty years old, was able to bring the unrivaled martial arts master Zhao Gao to the brink of death with just one move.
This time, Lilong, who was less than a year old, could only make her voice loud and sharp to make the ministers quiet down and listen to her.
She was not the First Emperor, and no matter how soft her voice was, it could silence the court.
She wanted to temporarily shock these geniuses, and the only method she could think of was Lilong.
The ministers shook their heads and looked at the queen on the high platform in surprise.
The Queen's martial arts skills are so advanced?
They were not afraid. His Majesty was dead. What did a queen of humble origin matter to them? Nothing!
Do you think you are the Queen Dowager Huayang or the Queen Dowager Xuan?
With slightly rapid breathing, Afang finally gathered up the strength to speak. He lowered his voice and tried his best not to sound weak.
"Where is the court judge?"
The Chief Justice Zhang Tu stood up and bowed his head.
"I am here."
"How did your Majesty die?"
According to Qin law, the Imperial Court had the duty to determine the cause of death of all princes and ministers, and had the final say on the death of the First Emperor.
Among all the ministers, the secret of the death of the First Emperor could be kept from anyone for a specific period of time except the Chief Justice.
"He fell off a cliff and died. I have verified the body with the imperial physician Xia Wuqie, and it is undoubtedly your Majesty."
Afang, Zhang Tu's question and answer have already put an end to the whole matter in legal terms.
The reason why Qin Chen had quarreled so fiercely before was to influence Afang's judgment.
No matter how powerful they are, they are still subjects after all.
No matter how indifferent and disdainful they were of Afang.
But the person who was in charge of the country was Afang, and Afang's attitude played a decisive role.
The usually gentle voice seemed unusually cold. Ah Fang nodded slightly and said:
"The Imperial Censor Zhong Kong, you will take over his duties temporarily. All matters concerning the funeral will be led by you, Zhang Tu."
"only."
The moment Zhang Tu responded, the faces of many Qin officials in the court changed drastically.
The announcement of death is a written notice issued after the final approval by the Grand Censor, the Supreme Court and the Imperial Medical Bureau.
The Chief Censor usually held a nominal post in charge of consultations, while the Supreme Court was the central power that completed the actual procedures.
In fact, all matters concerning state mourning, starting from the announcement of the death, cannot be separated from the management of the Imperial Court. For any state mourning, the sooner the Imperial Court gets involved, the better.
Once the national mourning begins, there is no turning back and no room for maneuver.
Many people's eyes turned to Gan Luo, who had quarreled the most fiercely earlier.
The magistrate of Datian rebelled because of Gan Luo's orders.
Gan Luo had a gloomy face and was sweating profusely. That short moment seemed like a lifetime.
Ever since the First Emperor personally supported a certain young man, he has stopped doing any tricks.
The Qin State’s surname was Ying, not Gan.
After the First Emperor expressed his complete trust in a certain young man, if he dared to cause trouble again, he would be seeking death.
Just as a certain young man hoped, he controlled the children of noble families. There had been no trouble in Xianyang since the First Emperor left, and Shangqing Gan Luo played an indispensable role in this.
He kept reminding himself that he had to wait until the crown prince Ying Fusu ascended the throne. The benevolent Qin II would understand the difficulties of aristocratic families, and then everything would be fine.
But what about now?
After his majesty died, the throne was succeeded by Gan Luo's elder brother, Ying Chengjiao.
Gan Luo, this is unacceptable!
He knew better than anyone what his brother was going to do, that would be the end of the family.
No, it should be said that there are no more aristocratic families...
Now is the last chance.
Your Majesty has passed away, and most of the Qin officials who only obeyed Your Majesty are in a wait-and-see state.
In the current Xianyang City, as the head of aristocratic family, he holds absolute say in the court!
Gan Luo's ambition for success suddenly burned brightly.
As long as he wanted, he could lead all the noble families to refute and question the authenticity of His Majesty's will.
Support Crown Prince Ying Fusu and firmly maintain the new civilization of the empire.
When the king dies, the prince succeeds to the throne. Is there any country that is not like this?
Or even, during the reign of Qin II, he could have reached the pinnacle of his achievements like the regent Duke of Zhou.
What is Shangqing? It sounds nice, but in the final analysis it is just a nominal position with no real power.
He became Shangqing at the age of twelve, which was an honor.
It’s a shame that he is still a prime minister now!
He was made a marquis and appointed prime minister at the age of twelve. Others praised him for this, but Gan Luo felt a burning pain on his face every time he heard it.
He has never been a prime minister, not even the worst left prime minister!
The woman on the high platform, although she was the queen, was just a lowly maid.
What do lowly people know?
Most of the officials in the court were against it, how could she dare to disobey?
At that moment, thousands of thoughts and ideas flashed through Gan Luo's mind.
He finally made up his mind and stood up!
He temporarily forgot about the heads of the Meng, Xi and Bai families who died in front of him, and stopped thinking about the three great families whose entire clans were wiped out.
"Your servant Gan Luo has objections!
"I think your majesty's death is very strange!
“Forgive me for being rude, but I want to know if your Majesty’s body is still intact after falling off the cliff?
"If it is intact, I will personally go and see it. If it is not intact...then please ask the Lord of the Court to explain to Luo how you recognized that it was your Majesty."
Gan Luo looked at Zhang Tu coldly, and without waiting for Zhang Tu to answer, he knelt down on his knees and pounded the ground with his head.
"With Zhang Han as your personal protector, why did Your Majesty allow Wang Xu to get close to you? Why did you stand on the edge of a cliff? Why did you make Chang'an Jun the second emperor when the crown prince had already been established? If you had this idea long ago, why didn't you just make Chang'an Jun the crown prince? The queen can turn a blind eye to these strange things, but Gan Luo can't! Luo is making a death appeal, asking the queen to investigate Li Si and Zhang Han strictly!"
One person then knelt on the ground.
"The Crown Prince is virtuous and well-known to the court and the country. Chang'an Jun is a disgrace and is known to the court and the country. Your Majesty is wise and has done nothing wrong. How could you establish Chang'an and depose the Crown Prince? This is absolutely impossible!"
Another person fell to his knees.
"When Wei Zi was the national commander, he rode a four-horse carriage in front of the palace of Lord Chang'an and cursed non-stop. Li Si came out of Lord Chang'an's palace and refuted his words. I do not speculate that the two of them rebelled with malicious intent, but I want to say that it is inappropriate to hold a state funeral based on Li Si's words. This is very inappropriate!"
One after another, they knelt down and knocked their heads on the ground.
Afang's breathing became more and more rapid, and it was difficult for her to continue.
It seemed like she was not the regent to whom everyone was kneeling, but rather she was kneeling in front of the ministers!
Every time someone knelt down and kowtowed, she knelt down again and kowtowed again...
"How dare you! How dare you force the Queen!"
Lu Buwei, who changed his name to Jiang Shang and had no intention of intervening in government affairs, could not help it.
If he doesn't stand up and share the pressure with the Queen, things may go in the direction he least wants to see.
Wei Zhang, the head of the Wei family, who was demoted five ranks by the First Emperor because of Lü Buwei, said coldly:
"Where do you get this from? What Lord Gan and Lord Zhao said came from their hearts. They were mature and prudent opinions on state affairs. How can this be considered as forcing the queen? Does it involve your lord Ying Chengjiao, Prime Minister Jiang? Are you anxious? Don't forget that your position as Prime Minister was given to you by His Majesty. The Chang'an Palace is also within the territory of the Qin Empire!"
Lu Buwei was unwilling to be outdone, so he spoke freely.
Although he said these words, he felt helpless in his heart.
The fact that he was a retainer of the Chang'an Jun Mansion was a great help in building momentum for Ying Chengjiao.
But as great the support was in the beginning, so great is the resistance now.
No matter how much he said, it would not have a decisive impact on the situation.
When the Imperial Captain Lian Po saw Lü Buwei's fate, he no longer sat still and displayed his chariot and horse to support the emperor's last words - that the Lord of Chang'an would be the Second Emperor of Qin.
Xunzi's disciples, who had remained silent all along, also spoke up for justice. When reason failed to convince them, they rolled up their sleeves and tried to convince them with force.
Ever since Xunzi learned that Lanling was massacred, he fell ill and is still bedridden.
Xunzi's disciples, who had been holding back their anger for a long time, rushed over to beat up this group of unreasonable traitors when they encountered them.
The court was in complete chaos...
Queen Afang looked at the chaos below and shouted for silence several times, but it was of no use. No one could hear her - she didn't shout Lilong a second time.
After the death of the First Emperor, these officials who used to show her respect only superficially...
She was silent.
His eyes were cold, as if he was an audience member watching the performance of the actors and actresses.
She could kill Gan Luo to establish her power, and follow the First Emperor's will to make Chang'an Jun the Second Emperor of Qin.
But what are the consequences?
Having lost the support of so many aristocratic families, is the Qin State still the Qin State?
Although the death of the First Emperor in Guanzhong was still kept secret, the news of his death had already spread to other regions. The remnants of the Six Kingdoms had been planning for a long time and were ready to make a move!
No, it should have moved!
The memorial from the Han Dynasty on the table in Zhangtai Palace stated that Chen Sheng and Wu Guang had rebelled with the slogan "Are kings, princes, generals, or ministers any different kinds of people?" and named their country Zhang Chu.
Afang didn't care about these two clowns. They couldn't even figure out the name of the country, so how could they accomplish anything great?
Chu is Chu, and Chu is also called Zhang Chu. It is also interpreted as meaning to expand the State of Chu.
The purpose of naming the country was to win over the remnants of the people and recruit soldiers, not to do it on a whim.
These two people are not a concern, but what about the ones who come after them?
To suppress the remnants of the six kingdoms, Qin needed the power of the Qin nobles.
Besides, your majesty's death is indeed very strange.
From the moment Lu Buwei stood up, it meant that it was no longer a dispute between orthodoxy and ministers, but a dispute between two factions of ministers.
Afang looked at the two factions of ministers fighting for power, but in the end no one could make a final decision. Now she was looking at who looked like a treacherous minister!
…
“Becoming the King of the Xiongnu is not the starting point, but the end point.
"There are not only the Xiongnu in the desert, but also the Donghu, Yuezhi, Wusun and other Hu people. You always say that there is no heaven and earth for you to display your talents. Is this wilderness enough for you now?
"When I come to see you next time, defending the territory is not a skill, conquering more is a real skill. If you can make their lives better, that would be even more amazing..."
Ying Jianglu sat upright, listening to his uncle's instructions. He had never heard his uncle talk so much before. It was as if he wanted to say all the instructions that he had not told him in one breath.
It gets light, turns dark, and then gets light again.
Ying Chengjiao left three hundred retainers to Ying Jianglu, each of whom had his own specialties, and one of them was particularly good at disguise.
Then he rode a fast horse south and started his journey home.
