Chapter 556: The Struggle between Heaven and Man
In the wilderness, the army led by Ying Chengjiao set up camp.
There was tight security outside the tent, and there were only two people inside.
In addition to the Second Emperor who had a smile on his face as if he had stolen a chicken, there was also an old man with four fleshy moles on his head, Guiguzi Wang Chan.
"How dare you appear before me, my lord? Aren't you afraid that I will kill you?"
Ying Chengjiao tapped his knees and spoke slowly.
His fingers suddenly stopped, his brows raised, and his words, which were as warm as the warm breeze, turned icy cold.
"Your Majesty, are you deceiving me because of my kindness? Do you think I won't kill anyone because of our old friendship?"
"No."
Wang Chan looked Ying Chengjiao up and down rudely, his eyes full of admiration, as if he was looking at his life's work.
"The kind-hearted Lord Chang'an would kill Chan for the sake of one county and two counties in Lanling, but Your Majesty, who cherishes old ties but doesn't, would not."
"If you kneel down and talk to me now, you will have a chance to survive. Also, don't act like you have everything under control! I hate people who are smarter than me."
"Your Majesty is trying to scare Zen again. Which retainer doesn't know that Your Majesty always hates red tape and cherishes talents."
In the Chang'an Junfu, Ying Chengjiao was always the most humble person. Even when dealing with Guiguzi, who was codenamed the source of trouble, he only banned him from traveling, and treated him equally in daily interactions. He did not impose any restrictions on Guiguzi, nor did he ask him to kneel down and submit.
"This is a different time, and that is a different time. You also said it. I am the emperor now, not the Lord of Chang'an."
Guiguzi chuckled, and the wrinkles on his face piled up, squeezing the mole so much that it trembled.
"Your Majesty, can you be frank? I had a fortune-teller when I came here, and I have nothing to do today."
Ying Chengjiao sneered and said nothing.
He has read the book "Shi Zi" no less than ten times. He can only say that the Yin-Yang technique is profound and has many merits. It can predict the recent changes through the changes in heaven and earth.
But if you really think that everything works, you are totally wrong, he has already verified it.
Outside the long pavilion, beside the ancient road, the grass is green and endless.
Guiguzi raised his eyebrows, pointed at his forehead, and asked with a provocative smile:
"Your Majesty, why don't you take out your pistol and point it at Zen's head to warn him to behave himself? Isn't this what Your Majesty likes to do most?"
"I pulled out my gun before because I couldn't beat you. But now...why would I need a gun to kill you?"
Before he finished speaking, Ying Chengjiao suddenly jumped out, as nimble as a monkey and as fierce as a tiger.
If Wang Chantong came from the present world, he would definitely shout:
"You bully a 200-year-old man like me. You have no moral principles!"
The eyes see it, the brain reacts, and the hands and feet follow suit.
Wang Chan was sitting on his knees.
In an instant, he supported his body with his ten toes, stood up on his legs, and put his arms in front of him to block the sudden palm from the Second Emperor.
With his own strength and the power of this palm, the old body floated backwards like a duckweed.
In a flash, one move was enough.
The second emperor stood in Guiguzi's original position, applauded, and spoke in praise with an expressionless face.
"The prince is good at martial arts. If Xunzi had fought with the prince during his lifetime, he would have been defeated in ten rounds."
Xunzi never had a good impression of Guiguzi. How could a great scholar who was committed to the peace of the people have a good impression of the founder of the art of diplomacy who was only afraid of chaos in the world?
Guiguzi, however, admired Xunzi very much and often came to Xunzi's residence uninvited to discuss Taoism and chat. Every time, Xunzi threatened to blame him for being disrespectful to the elderly if he didn't leave, and ended up expelling him by force.
Although Xunzi was also an old man, he could not really be called "old" compared to Guiguzi, who lived for more than 200 years and was active from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Qin Dynasty.
Guiguzi's arms went numb, and for a moment his blood was boiling and he couldn't speak. The external force of this palm was not small, and the internal force was even greater. If the internal force that suddenly poured in was not restrained in time, it would break his meridians that became increasingly fragile as he grew older.
He immediately calmed his mind and entered a state of meditation, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing for an unknown amount of time, with sweat pouring down his face, before he finally dissipated the external energy.
When he opened his eyes again, the Second Emperor was lying on the ground, yawning impatiently.
“Too slow.”
I don’t know whether it was talking about Guiguzi’s actions just now, or the time Guiguzi took to regulate his breathing.
I was so focused on regulating my breathing that I didn't count the time. I don't know how much time has passed.
Guiguzi raised his right hand, which was still a little numb, and counted with his five fingers, feeling a little amused.
Just past tea time.
The second emperor stood up, put his hand on his chin and shook his wrist.
"Old ghost, be frank and honest. Say something useful in exchange for your life. God has no control over me. Your divination is not accurate. Have you forgotten the farewell day?"
"Your Majesty has only learned Liu Ren from the book 'Shi Zi', right?"
Guiguzi's face twisted slightly as he thought of the only time he was shocked in the past hundred years. He would remember the road from Han to find the Red Emperor for the rest of his life.
It is inevitable that you will die or not. Man disposes, God disposes.
"Is this the Great Perfection of Yellow Emperor? Zen is a little disappointed. It is far from Yue Zen, but it seems to be a little short of Yue Nu."
"This is only 80% of my strength."
Ying Chengjiao was slightly surprised.
"I remember that you have never been interested in martial arts."
The strategists rely on knowing people's hearts and using clever words to frighten the princes of the world and change the overall situation. In the eyes of the strategists, force is just a lower class.
“I really don’t value force.”
Guiguzi nodded.
Ying Chengjiao noticed that the old man's fingers were pinching unconsciously, and he didn't know what he was calculating.
"No matter how advanced your martial arts skills are, they are not as good as the double pupils. The bravery of the ages was born in this world. If Your Majesty used all his strength, you should still be defeated, right?"
"It doesn't matter."
Ying Chengjiao didn't want to talk about this topic. When it comes to martial arts, he and Guiguzi have nothing to say about each other. Even a summer insect cannot talk about ice.
His current combat power is so high that he has the right to be so proud. He is the second "Yellow Emperor" in the history to have reached great perfection. He is so strong that even Ying Chengjiao himself finds it a bit outrageous.
It was said that he used 80% of his strength in that palm strike just now, but in fact, it was less than 50%.
Now he doesn't have a pistol, he can fight Yue Nu head-on, and defeat both Yue Nu and Lu Gou Jian.
It took the combined efforts of Yue Nu, Zhang Han, and Lu Gou Jian to defeat him. This was proven through actual combat exercises.
Ying Chengjiao’s current mentality is that I am invincible and unbeatable.
Gai Nie, who had regained his swordsmanship and improved his swordsmanship again, killed hundreds of people in one battle and successfully retreated, appeared in front of him. If he dared to ask him if he wanted to fight again, he would beat the swordsman until his swordsmanship was shattered again!
So what if Xiang Yu has double pupils? Is he very strong?
He didn't know why this overlord was born so many years earlier, but according to the intelligence from the State of Chu, Xiang Yu was not yet an adult.
If he had met the King of Chu in his heyday in his previous life, Ying Chengjiao would have had some fighting spirit. But this underage kid in this life was not worthy of the title of King.
If he wants to defeat the second emperor in a one-on-one fight, it may be possible in twenty years.
“It’s still quite important.”
Guiguzi kept counting with his fingers.
"When military power reaches its peak, one person is enough to decide the outcome of a battle."
Ying Chengjiao chuckled and was too lazy to answer.
He likes martial arts for self-protection and personal interest, but he knows clearly that martial arts is of little use to the world situation, and there is no one in the world who is an immortal master.
Yue Nu, Zhang Han, Lu Gou Jian, Gai Nie, including him Ying Chengjiao.
You don't need many. If you face five hundred cavalrymen alone, you will surely die if you don't escape.
"Change your eyes and talk to me.
"It would be fine if you were a peerless beauty, but an old ghost who has lived for more than 200 years is disgusting to me."
Qingmei and Dingxiang, the two women who depended on him the most, didn't look at him with eyes as fiery as Guiguzi's.
Of course, he never suspected that Guiguzi had any quirks. The passion in Guiguzi's eyes had nothing to do with love. It was a look that looked at the most perfect work of his life, and this made Ying Chengjiao even more uncomfortable.
“Zen once had an old friend, Ou Yezi.
"When he forged the sword for Gou Jian, he showed a look in his eyes that I had never seen before, a passionate love that he did not even have for his daughter Moye.
"Zen has not understood its meaning until now, but now I finally understand what that look means."
The weapon that Ou Yezi was most proud of in his life was the Sword of Goujian, King of Yue, which became famous in later generations.
"From the day your majesty left Xianyang, Chang'an Jun died. Only by discarding your womanly kindness can your majesty truly rule the world.
"It is worth killing the nobles and the rich to win the hearts of the people. It is also worth losing more than a thousand soldiers for the rise of a general. Congratulations to your Majesty on becoming king. I congratulate your Majesty."
Wang Chan stood up, bowed deeply to the ground, and his words were filled with joy from the bottom of his heart.
Ying Chengjiao couldn't be happy.
Having been ahead for two thousand years, he could temporarily gain the upper hand over these historical figures.
But in the long run, he lost.
He never thought of ascending the throne, but in the end he became the second emperor.
Even the ministers of Qin State knew that the word "two" means stupidity, so how could he who wrote this word not know?
The second emperor, the second emperor.
It's not just a sign of weakness, it's also self-mockery.
The first time he met Guiguzi, he was on high alert against him and gave him the only code name that contained extremely strong personal emotions: "The Source of Disaster".
He had been on guard for so long, but the situation still went as Guiguzi had expected.
The world was in chaos, the six kingdoms rose again, the First Emperor faked his death, and he was forced to take the throne.
Chen Ping boasted that he could control the heroes and came up with many vicious schemes, which led to the Taishan Incident and the death of Qin Shi Huang. He thought that he was the one who caused the catastrophe in the world.
In fact, he was just a chess piece in Guiguzi's hand.
The reason why Chen Ping was successful was because the result he wanted was the same as what Guiguzi wanted.
Without Guiguzi's guidance and instigation, there would not have been two massacres in Lanling, and the First Emperor would not have come up with the idea of faking his death and forcing the throne.
Ying Chengjiao didn't feel anything about Guiguzi who could calculate the sky with his hands, but he was very afraid of Guiguzi who could calculate people in his heart.
"If I had known earlier, I should have killed you the first time I saw you."
Ying Chengjiao had a blank expression on his face, and it was hard to tell whether he was sincere or not.
"If Your Majesty were that kind of person, you would not have seen Zen."
Guiguzi smiled, full of confidence, because he saw that Ying Chengjiao would not kill anyone casually to enter the Chang'an Palace.
"That's true. So, you came here today to discuss with me whether to kill you or not?"
Guiguzi seemed to see that the emperor in front of him was really impatient, so he spoke more directly.
"Tan Lang, Po Jun, and Qi Sha are all already in your majesty's service. The Red Emperor, who was supposed to succeed Qin , is also in your majesty's service."
"Are you trying to say that this is all your credit, and you want to use your credit to exchange for your life?"
"No."
Guiguzi bowed deeply to the ground for the second time, and the joy in his words was even stronger than the first time.
“Congratulations, Your Majesty, for winning this battle between heaven and man.
“When the three killing stars gather together, no one can defeat them in the way of soldiers.
"The Red Emperor obeyed the will of heaven, and Pei County was the place where the dragon rose. Your Majesty changed Pei County to Chang'an and accepted the Red Emperor as a minister.
"Heaven has given in, and the fate falls on your majesty. As long as your majesty follows the will of heaven in the future, the Great Qin should enjoy a life of 1,200 years."
If someone else had said this, Ying Chengjiao would have just laughed it off and not taken it to heart.
But the person who said this was Guiguzi, a figure who existed throughout the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and whose disciples guided and even caused the rise and fall of various nations.
The Second Emperor sat up straight.
"Your Majesty, could you please explain more clearly what it means to act in accordance with Heaven's will?"
Ying Chengjiao never cared about such nominal matters. Whether it was following the will of heaven or going against it, he only did what he wanted to do.
Guiguzi talked freely.
"New things cannot be reproduced, and hot air balloons are the last . During your reign, the Huang-Lao school of thought should be promoted, and Taoism should flourish for 66 years.
"Before abdicating, Confucianism should be promoted. From now on, the Qin Dynasty will rule the world with benevolence, filial piety, courtesy, wisdom and trustworthiness. Taoism will fade away and Confucianism will emerge. This will not change for a thousand years."
Ying Chengjiao smiled and said:
"What if I say no?"
Narrow your eyes.
"You should have known long ago that I do not believe in heaven. Huang Shigong gave Han Xin a copy of Taigong's Art of War. He prayed to heaven before the battle and used tortoise shells to predict victory or defeat.
"Winning battles are big fights, losing battles are small fights. In the battle of Deshui, Han Xin burned a tortoise shell to get the divine order, winning, but in the end he was defeated.
"My lord, don't be superstitious about God. Your God has never gotten any advantage from me."
Guiguzi's joy faded and his face became solemn.
"Changtingtian miscalculated, Deshuitian made a mistake, it is indeed because of your Majesty. Your Majesty comes from the future, and the sky cannot see your Majesty."
Pointed above his head.
"But apart from Your Majesty, everything is in the eyes of Heaven. Your Majesty, do you think that if I join the Six Kingdoms, Your Majesty will still be so smooth?
"Your Majesty should know that although Chan has left you, everything he does is still for your benefit. Chan does not consider himself as your retainer, but his actions are no different from those of your retainers.
"Your Majesty, can you achieve what you have today? Can one person do it? No.
“It was jointly initiated by teachers, scientists, stutterers, businessmen, drunkards, veterans and other fellow warriors. Farmers are still developing new products for your majesty to ensure the stability of the Qin Dynasty.
"The heavens can do nothing to your majesty, but they can do nothing to your majesty either. The heavens have already made concessions. If your majesty insists on not making concessions, then next, your majesty will be betrayed again! You will die of depression and anger, and your eyes will not close. All your passion and life's hard work will be wasted!
"Your Majesty, have you really thought it through?"
Ying Chengjiao waited in silence for a moment, and after seeing that Guiguzi had no intention of continuing to speak, he smiled and spoke:
"That's it? No follow-up? Then you can't convince me."
He stood up from the ground, Qin Wang's sword in hand, and poked a small hole in the tent, only the size of a fist, through which a starry sky could be seen, just like he had poked a hole in the sky.
He was in mid-air, his words falling.
"I am not afraid of being frightened, but I am afraid of death. If you want me to stop, words are useless."
Keeping his feet on the ground, Ying Chengjiao also pointed to the top of his head, and the starlight shone above his head.
"Let there be a meteor shower in your sky."
