Chapter 497: Old thief, how long do you want to deceive His Majesty?
"I've caused trouble for Uncle Lu."
Ying Chengjiao said sincerely.
Li Si could see what he was going to do, and so could Lu Buwei.
But this white-haired old man did not run away. Instead, he stayed to clean up the mess for him and shouldered the eternal infamy that he had caused.
Without Lu Buwei, a prime minister with perfect coordination ability, Ying Chengjiao would not be able to pretend to be a loser.
When he was in Korea, no one helped him, and the memorials he reviewed every day filled up his desk.
Now, everything within Hangu Pass is under their control, and their land area is larger than that of five Han territories.
Without Lü Buwei, how could he dare to come to the Xiangbang Mansion only twice a month. Not to mention that he eats, lives, and defecates here, it's almost the same.
Lu Buwei put in a lot of effort, but gained neither tangible benefits nor good reputation.
There is a high probability that he will be labeled as a treacherous prime minister in this world and for thousands of years.
Ying Chengjiao used himself to represent others, if he was not a time traveler, but a contemporary person.
As they are not related to him, he cannot be as selfless as Lu Buwei, and he is not Mozi.
"As long as you fulfill all the boasts you made in front of Uncle Lu, there will be no question of being implicated.
"So, I can't escape the infamy of this generation, but who knows what will happen to me thousands of years later.
"Lü Buwei is a powerful minister and cannot be changed. You can't let Jiang Shang be infamous forever, right?"
There was a smile in Ying Chengjiao's voice.
“This is very difficult to do.
“History books are like little girls dressed up by nobles, and ordinary people cannot even touch them.
“Unless you and I can turn the world upside down in this life, how can we leave a good name if we overturn the tripod of a noble family?
“Emperor Xin abolished human sacrifice, appointed wise ministers instead of selecting officials from the nobility, and did not offer sacrifices to ghosts and gods. In my opinion, he was better than most kings.
"He was attacked by various princes, led by Xibo Hou, because he could touch the interests of the nobles. As a result, the Shang Dynasty was destroyed. He left behind a name called Zhou, and became a famous tyrant along with Jie.
"Thousands of years later, I guess the next emperors to be called incompetent rulers will be Jie of Xia, Zhou of Shang, and Qin II.
“As for you, Uncle Lu, unless you scold me like Li Si and abandon me now, there is still a chance that you will become Bigan.
"Stay and help me, Fei Zhong is undoubtedly the one."
Lu Buwei was a little angry, puffing his beard and glaring.
"Can't you just stop doing those stupid things? Taking concubines and abolishing slavery are fine, but if it was an order from the First Emperor, none of the ministers would dare to cause trouble. Calling a deer a horse, who gave you this vicious plan? You really deserve to be killed!"
No one can be excused for calling a deer a horse, not even the Qin Emperor, Han Emperor Wu, Tang Emperor and Song Emperor Taizu.
"This is the fastest way to distinguish between the two groups of people who can be used by me and those who cannot. At least now that my orders have been issued, no one will disobey them, right?"
"I don't know what you're in such a hurry for. If you don't want to be the emperor, you should just let Fusu take the throne."
Lu Buwei blurted out in anger.
He could understand why Ying Chengjiao insisted on being called a tyrant. It was for the sake of the crown prince and the State of Qin.
The king rules the nobles, the nobles rule the people, and the king relies on the nobles to rule the world. This is the basis for the operation of the country.
When the nobles did not threaten the royal power and did not hinder the development and growth of the country, the king would stand on the side of the nobles most of the time.
There has never been a king who is completely opposed to the nobles.
Ying Chengjiao wanted to select officials based on their merits and break the theory of bloodline.
This behavior is even more acute than the contradiction caused by directly replacing the feudal system with the county system.
It is a blessing from heaven that this task can be completed. It is impossible for one generation to accomplish it.
Just like Shang Yang's laws, it was not until decades after Shang Yang's death that they were no longer criticized by the Qin aristocratic families and became the "Qin Law" that the Qin people were accustomed to accepting.
It is necessary to add insurance.
But even though he understood it, Lu Buwei still felt a little angry.
Do good things and leave a bad reputation. He doesn't care if this happens to him, because his reputation has been ruined anyway.
But when this happened to Ying Chengjiao, who was already the second emperor of Qin, he could not remain calm.
After he said this, he quickly glanced at Ying Chengjiao, fearing that Ying Chengjiao would take his unintentional angry words to heart.
Seeing that Ying Chengjiao was lying well and without any reaction, he finally felt relieved. After hesitating for a moment, he said:
"No one dared to speak up. I was afraid you would go astray."
Ying Chengjiao turned over and muttered to himself.
"I know, I know. We have a plan in place."
The legendary prime minister who had served three Qin kings did not hear clearly and thought that the child was complaining impatiently.
Lu Buwei could understand that which king would like to be commanded by others?
King Zhuangxiang of Qin, who had helped him rise from a mere merchant to the prime minister and had the greatest trust in him, was furious when he was advised by him to change his name from "Yiren" to "Zichu".
He shouted, "How can a Qin person flatter Chu in the name given by Gengzu?" and slapped him hard in the face.
The hand that Lu Buwei stretched out hung in the air for a long time without falling.
It's not that he was afraid of being slapped again for this slap, he just had never hit Ying Chengjiao before and was not used to it.
With a sigh, Lu Buwei leaned over to chatter some more, no matter how annoying Ying Chengjiao was.
He must persuade Ying Chengjiao and make Qin II remember Chang'an Jun's original intention and Master Chengjiao's dream.
After the incident of calling a horse a deer, the only people left in the Qin court were the loyal ministers who endured humiliation and waited for the prince to restore the government, and the treacherous flatterers who fawned and agreed in the hope of being promoted.
Apart from him, the prime minister, it is difficult to find anyone else who dares to give advice.
Several days passed.
Lu Buwei recruited talented people and carefully selected a group of 300 retainers. He held many meetings to discuss court strategies and asked everyone to discuss them.
The Qin court became a one-man show where Ying Chengjiao issued orders, and he refused to listen to any advice anymore.
But every time when Lu Buwei's three thousand followers discussed state affairs, Ying Chengjiao never missed it unless he had something important to do.
When it comes to advice, it's enough to just listen to it.
Whether in the government or in opposition, it doesn't matter.
Crown Prince Ying Fusu finally arrived in Xianyang.
He didn't bring a large group of people, only about a hundred people.
After entering the Xianyang Palace to pay homage to Qin II, he went to the imperial mausoleum to kneel down and pay homage to the former king. The Qin officials who followed him accounted for as much as 30% of the court officials.
They witnessed the prince kneeling in front of the tomb of the previous king and crying bitterly, beating his chest and saying how great a sin it was for not supporting the coffin for the First Emperor, and that he was willing to observe mourning for the First Emperor for three years.
What a good prince! He is filial, kind and righteous. He is much better than the boy sitting on the throne.
The tyrannical Qin II did not give the Crown Prince of Qin a chance to fulfill his filial piety. After the Crown Prince paid homage to the late king, he was ordered to return to Shangjun three days later.
The important ministers who had endured humiliation and borne heavy responsibilities became anxious. This was not acceptable. How could the prince, who had come with great difficulty, leave?
They stopped the prince who was about to go to the palace for the second time to argue with his uncle. Who knows if something unexpected would happen to the prince on this trip, such as falling into a well or drowning in a toilet.
Thanks to the unremitting efforts of this group of people, the court meeting was held again despite the repeated obstructions of Prime Minister Lu Buwei.
In the Xianyang Palace, a violent conflict broke out between the Crown Prince and Emperor Qin II.
The prince questioned Qin II.
Why stop building the imperial tomb?
Why not let him observe mourning for the late king?
Why are you so rude to your ministers?
Why do we turn a blind eye to rebellions in various places?
Why...
The brave prince dared to stand up straight and said that the First Emperor had killed too many people and should pardon the prisoners. What is there for him not to say when facing Qin II this year?
He transformed into the Great Qin Mouthpiece and questioned Qin II on the throne, whose face became increasingly darker and the armrests of the throne were crushed.
The several important ministers who had brought about this situation were horrified when they saw this scene. They never expected that the prince was even braver than they thought.
They just wanted the prince to go up and attack, but they never expected the prince to go straight to the ultimate.
Seeing that the murderous look in Qin II's eyes was growing more and more intense, they hurriedly jumped out and angrily accused the prince of being disrespectful to his superiors, forgetting all manners of etiquette after staying in the northwest for two years, and having the air of a barbarian.
Ying Fusu only has one mouth, how can he win over these thirty mouths? He is not weak.
Seeing that the loyal ministers who had given him advice and told him to be careful and pay attention to safety yesterday all stood on the side of his foolish uncle in the Xianyang Hall, he was stunned and speechless.
However, the complexion of Ying Chengjiao on the throne became better and better, and the murderous aura that was almost condensed into substance no longer spread.
"Your Majesty, please expel this beast from the palace!"
"How dare you disrespect His Majesty? Get out!"
"Your Majesty, please order this bastard to leave immediately. I am ashamed to be in the same palace with the Crown Prince!"
Ying Chengjiao glanced at the prime minister sitting in the front row, closed his eyes slightly, and said nothing.
Jiang Shang, who had been silent, immediately stood up and clasped his hands and said:
"The Crown Prince disobeyed Your Majesty and did not regard Your Majesty as the king. How can he be the Crown Prince of the Great Qin? Shang believes that he should be killed to serve as a warning to others!"
Zhou Qingchen, the newly appointed Left Prime Minister, was the best at observing people's expressions and he immediately stood up to second the motion. He was afraid of misjudging the emperor's mind and did not dare to be the first to stand up, so he absolutely could not miss the second one.
Right Prime Minister Feng Quji knew what kind of person the new emperor was from the incident of calling a deer a horse. He had performed his duties conscientiously during the reign of the First Emperor, so he stood up and said loudly:
“Stop the Emperor’s Mausoleum to show sympathy for the people.
"I want the Crown Prince to leave Shangjun in three days. It's not that I don't want him to mourn for the late king, but I'm worried about the stability of the border. If the Crown Prince is truly grieving for the late king, can't he dress simply in Shangjun and mourn for the late king?
"Your Majesty has always treated us with great courtesy. You mistook a deer for a horse and even admitted your mistake in public. This is comparable to the previous king's admission of wrongdoing in front of all the ministers after issuing the "Edict of Expulsion". Only a wise ruler can do this..."
Feng Quji talked non-stop and eloquently, rebuffing all the questions raised by the prince, and finally said one sentence.
"This boy has framed Your Majesty for treason, he should be executed!"
He is upright and inviolable.
"color!"
Qin II applauded, his eyes gleaming with excitement, and it looked like he was about to order an immediate execution.
"Your Majesty, you can't do that!"
Wei Zhang, who wanted to expel Ying Fusu from the palace, shouted loudly before Ying Chengjiao could say the next word.
A cold gaze shone onto Wei Zhang's face through the gap in the bead curtain.
"You want to plead for this boy?"
Wei Zhang was terrified, knowing that if he said one wrong word he would accidentally drown in Xianyang Prison.
As soon as his knees became weak, he wanted to kneel down to talk, but halfway through he suddenly remembered that the current emperor hated kneeling the most, so he did a half squat and stood up again.
He lowered his head so much that it almost hit the table in front of him, and said tremblingly:
"I dare not! This boy has defied Your Majesty. Even a thousand deaths would not be enough to atone for his sin!"
Ying Chengjiao's expression eased a little, and there was less biting coldness in his words.
"So you agree to make this guy an example?"
Wei Zhang shouted.
"Your Majesty! This boy deserves to die! But he cannot die in your hands! After all, this boy is the son of the previous king. When Your Majesty first ascended the throne, you killed the previous king's eldest son. We know that this boy was disobedient first, but the world does not know! Your Majesty's reputation is thousands of times more important than this boy."
When the ministers saw Ying Chengjiao frowning and a look of hesitation on his face, many of them thought that this foolish ruler really cared about his reputation among the people.
From selling honeycomb coal to the common people at the price of five cents to granting amnesty to the whole country, the ministers could see from these two things that Qin II valued his reputation among the people the most.
More than a dozen important ministers who wanted to expel the prince from the palace all spoke up in agreement, and their words were similar to what Wei Zhang had said. They all said that Your Majesty's reputation was much more important than the prince's life, and that one should not lose the greater for the smaller.
Qin II's brow began to frown, and he glanced around the court, finally looking at Lian Po, who was in his octogenarian but still energetic.
"What do you think, Captain?"
Everyone thought to themselves that this foolish monarch really trusted the guests in his mansion more.
The veteran looked impatient and stood up like a mountain.
"Why bother? Just kill them if they deserve it!"
Ying Chengjiao nodded, and the murderous intent that had finally disappeared rose again.
Nei Shi Meng Yi stood up.
“I know why Your Majesty is hesitating.
"Your Majesty does not want to kill this young man because of the relationship between uncle and nephew, but his disobedience violates the Qin Law, and it will be difficult to convince the people if he does not punish him.
"I have a plan that will allow Your Majesty to have the best of both worlds and take away his position as Crown Prince!"
Ying Chengjiao's eyes lit up.
"Can!"
Many ministers looked at Meng Yi with murderous eyes.
Your brother Meng Tian is in the northwest, serving the prince. You actually sided with this tyrant and came up with such a vicious plan. You are not a good son!
For them, there was no need for Ying Fusu, who had lost his title as crown prince, to continue living.
The young man who was the Minister of the Ministry of Works stood up with his head held high, clasped his hands and said:
“No!
"The former king died at Mount Tai in his prime.
"Zhao Ji and Gan Luo were plotting a rebellion and trying to assassinate Your Majesty, but Your Majesty has them all executed.
"People have long been discussing this, and there is a vague feeling about your Majesty's words..."
For a while he was hesitant and could hardly speak.
Qin II was furious.
"Do you have a mouth disease?"
After a while, he was sweating profusely and lowered his head.
"I dare not speak. I ask Your Majesty to forgive me and I will speak."
Qin II slapped the throne and roared:
"You are innocent! Speak now!"
"Your Majesty first murdered the late king, then murdered the late king's mother, and then murdered the late king's friend! If you deprive the late king's biological son of his title of crown prince, your Majesty's reputation will be hard to restore!"
After speaking, Shao Shi gasped for breath, as if he couldn't breathe, and his face was as pale as a death.
Ying Chengjiao stood up. He had never been so angry when the prince disobeyed him before.
He paced back and forth on the platform, roaring at all the civil and military officials in the court.
"That's true! That's true!"
Prime Minister Lu Buwei shouted hurriedly:
"This is a short-term plan to help the prince. Your Majesty must pay attention to it!"
Wei Zhang overturned the table, pointed at Lü Buwei and cursed:
"You old thief, how long do you want to deceive His Majesty? You won't let us see His Majesty! You are undermining His Majesty! You deserve to be killed!"
