Chapter 97: Two kings established for one son!
The Supreme Court of Justice in Qin State is roughly equivalent to the modern Supreme People's Legal Aid, Supreme People's Procuratorate, and Ministry of Industry and Security in one, if it is easy to understand.
The Supreme Court had independent military force, the power to judge and adjudicate, and could communicate directly with the First Emperor to report to the emperor.
In the Qin State, which ruled by law, the Supreme Court, which was jokingly called the Legalist Court by Confucian scholars, had actual power greater than the other three combined.
Especially after Li Si, who was deeply favored by the emperor, took over the Supreme Court, he raised the status of the Supreme Court to second only to the Prime Minister's Office.
Such an government office of great significance to the Qin State had to deal with an extremely large number of official documents every day, and it was indispensable to have someone in charge of it.
But today, there is no one in charge of the Supreme Court, the government office second only to the Prime Minister's Office.
The clerks of the Supreme Court carried several stacks of bamboo slips into the back hall as usual, waiting for instructions.
I was surprised to find that there was no one there!
No one dared to issue an order, which meant that the Supreme Court could not function.
The Supreme Court holds a vital position in Xianyang City. If it fails to function, it will directly or indirectly affect the operation of other government offices.
Therefore, before long, the news that there was no one in charge of the Supreme Court spread throughout Xianyang City.
At first, the Qin officials thought the news was false and most of them were dismissive and scoffed at it.
Prime Minister's Mansion.
"Li Tingwei is well-known for his diligence in government affairs. How could the Tingwei Mansion stop functioning?"
"Even if Li Tingwei is not in the palace anymore, there are still three people in charge: Tingwei Zheng, Tingwei Zuojian, and Tingwei Youjian. It's impossible for all three of them to be absent."
The two clerks were chatting with each other while they were categorizing the memorials with the Emperor's imperial approval.
If you are not wearing the official uniform and talk freely outside, you will be sentenced to prison.
"But it's also very strange." The long-faced clerk sorted through the bamboo slips, his face full of confusion, and said, "Today, the Supreme Court should have sent seven bamboo slips, but why haven't I seen any of them? Do you have them?"
Another official shook his head and said, "He's not here. I haven't seen him. Just go to the Court of the Imperial Censorate to ask for his help. I think the Court of the Imperial Censorate must be busy with the matter of the building recently, so maybe they forgot about it."
"That should be it."
The long-faced clerk put down his work.
"Then please wait for a moment, Brother Zhao. I will be back soon. This is not me shirking my duty. If these seven bamboo slips are not submitted today, you and I will be sentenced to three days in prison."
"What's there to explain? Go get busy."
The long-faced clerk went to the Supreme Court to urge the submission of memorials.
There was only one clerk left in the room, sorting out the pile of memorials that was taller than a person.
"Your Majesty, it is really hard for you to review so many memorials every day."
The clerk who stayed behind shook his sore shoulders and smacked his lips.
He was exhausted just from carrying and sorting. It is hard to imagine how hard it was for the First Emperor to read every memorial.
Squeak
The door was pushed open, and the clerk who stayed behind looked back and saw that it was the long-faced clerk who had returned.
The clerk who stayed behind lowered his eyes and saw that the long-faced clerk had nothing in his hands. He couldn't help but ask, "Hey, why didn't you take the memorial back?"
The long-faced clerk looked incredulous and said, "The Supreme Court is really paralyzed."
After a while.
The back hall of the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Right Prime Minister Wang Wan and Left Prime Minister Wei Zhuang gathered together and listened to the report from the long-faced clerk.
"The Lord of the Court of Justice entered the palace, the Lord of the Court of Justice took a day off due to illness, the Lord of the Court of Justice Right took a day off due to illness, and the Lord of the Court of Justice Left... was taken to the Court of Justice Prison. The people in the Court of Justice said that no one had approved the seven bamboo slips, so they could not be delivered today."
"I understand. Go on."
"only."
The long-faced clerk went down on his own.
Wei Zhuang's blue eyes were a little unpredictable, and he frowned and said, "Zhang Han showed up at the tower to kill someone for Ying Chengjiao. When a murder occurred, Li Si went to the palace to meet His Majesty. After leaving the palace, Li Si must have received His Majesty's order to arrest Zhang Han first, and then led the troops to Chang'an Junfu to arrest Ying Chengjiao. From this point of view, Zhang Han should not have been sent by His Majesty, but he took the officials to the tower privately."
"The people from the Imperial Court came out of the Chang'an Palace, but they didn't catch Ying Chengjiao. There is only one possibility, that your majesty didn't ask Li Si to catch Ying Chengjiao. This is a little confusing. Your majesty asked Li Si to enter the Chang'an Palace but didn't take anyone away. This is strange, very strange."
Wei Zhuang never thought that Ying Chengjiao might resist arrest.
In Xianyang City, no one could escape no matter who the First Emperor wanted to capture.
"This is not the end. After leaving Chang'an Junfu, the left supervisor of the Imperial Court, whose brother died in the tower, was arrested and imprisoned. This is completely incomprehensible. Li Si entered the palace again. Before leaving, all the staff of the Imperial Court and the traveling staff were ordered by Li Si to keep their mouths shut. They were not allowed to spread any news, which prevented the affairs of Chang'an Junfu from being spread outside."
"Afterwards, the Chief Justice and the Right Supervisor of the Court of Justice both took sick leave and stayed at home due to tuberculosis, paralyzing the Court of Justice . How could it be such a coincidence that the two of them were both strong and healthy in the past and now both suffered from tuberculosis? What are they hiding from?"
"This series of events happened one after another, leaving no room for any clues. It is difficult to figure out what happened. What exactly happened in Chang'an Junfu, and what does Your Majesty want to do? The Right Prime Minister has been with Your Majesty since he was young, so can he see what is going on?"
Wang Wan stroked the graying beard on his chin, reviewed in his mind what had happened in the past few days, and said, "Your Majesty is a man who has set his mind on the path ahead and will never look back. More than ten years ago, Your Majesty returned to Qin from Zhao. When the Queen Mother Huayang and the former King Zhuangxiang both wanted Ying Chengjiao to be the King of Qin, you resolutely decided to compete with Lord Chang'an for the throne."
"Nearly ten years ago, when Lü Buwei was in power, Your Majesty resolutely went to Yongdi to be crowned and seized power through military operations. The events that have happened in recent days have been full of twists and turns, and it is difficult to find the thread. This is not like Your Majesty's style. This thread is insidious and full of contradictions, and it is somewhat... the style of Master Cheng Jiao."
"Master Cheng Jiao? Is that the guy you're talking about as the Right Prime Minister?"
Wei Zhuang was very unfamiliar with the four words "Master Cheng Jiao".
"Wait!" Wei Zhuang looked at Wang Wan in shock and said, "That bastard is actually eyeing the throne? Are King Zhuangxiang and Queen Mother Huayang looking for a king who has lost his country for Qin?"
He came to Qin relatively late, after Ying Zheng became the King of Qin.
When he arrived in Qin, Ying Chengjiao had already brought shame to Qin, and was regarded as a disgrace by the whole Qin state.
However, he had never imagined that a boy like Ying Chengjiao almost became the king of Qin.
He had never heard of such a secret, and no one had ever told him about it.
After he exclaimed, seeing that Wang Wan had no intention of explaining to him, he rolled his blue eyes and chuckled, "Right Prime Minister, although you and I have been fighting for a long time, in the end, it is all for the sake of our descendants. To explain a little, it is just about fiefdom and title. After Your Majesty put aside the two systems of fiefdom and prefectures, the Chang'an Jun's tower incident came up. And this matter has reached the point where it is so foggy that it is hard not to think about the relationship between the two. In this matter, you and I have the same goal, why don't we put it aside for now and how about after this battle?"
Wang Wan did not say yes or no. After walking two steps, he spoke again and talked about the past.
"More than ten years ago, Chang'an Jun was still called Master Chengjiao. At that time, Master Chengjiao did not linger in the palace, nor indulge in women. He often accompanied King Zhaoxiang to meet with ministers and expressed his unique opinions. Although his words were naive and immature, they were occasionally sharp and hit the essence of things."
That's it? Born in an imperial family, with good teachers since childhood, it would be strange if he didn't know anything!
Wei Zhuang sat on the chair and said disdainfully: "As the son of a prince, his knowledge is beyond that of ordinary people. What's so strange about his shocking words?"
Wang Wan looked at Wei Zhuang with strange eyes and said, "Oh? Then Wanruo told the left prime minister that when Prince Chengjiao accompanied the late King Zhaoxiang to meet with the ministers, he was only five years old."
"What! This is impossible!"
Before Wei Zhuang could even sit down, he was frightened by Wang Wan's two words and jumped up.
"What can a five-year-old child understand? It is not easy for him to understand what adults say and respond fluently, how can he participate in it? Even if the literary style is prevalent in the Central Plains, can all the bamboo slips be stuffed into the head of a child? The Right Prime Minister does not believe the sincerity of the petition and is deliberately playing a trick on it!"
Wang Wan said in a deep voice: "Look at my face, Prime Minister Zuo. Does it seem like I am playing a trick on you?"
"A five-year-old child can not only understand national affairs, but also discuss them and point out the omissions. If this is not playing, then what is playing?"
"This is absolutely true. If Prime Minister Zuo doesn't believe it, there will be nothing for us to talk about today."
Wei Zhuang stared at the Right Prime Minister of the Great Qin, with whom he had been competing for a long time, for a long time. He did not see any trace of joking or suspicion in his eyes, only seriousness and solemnity.
Wang Wan didn't seem to be joking with me, but his remarks were too shocking.
I was still being taken care of by a wet nurse when I was five years old. Is it really possible for anyone to know about state affairs at the age of five?
This guy is still the boy who only cares about romance!
Wei Zhuang was in a state of doubt and uncertainty. He slowly sat down on the chair, as if trying to calm his beating heart.
"If you can tell me the case, I will trust you once, okay?"
Wei Zhuang suddenly realized that he seemed to have missed something, and said belatedly: "The Right Prime Minister is talking about the late King Zhaoxiang? Not the late King Zhuangxiang?"
King Zhaoxiang of Qin was the grandfather of King Zhuangxiang of Qin.
Wang Wan still did not give Wei Zhuang a direct answer, and continued: "At the age of five, he discussed state affairs and current problems. At the age of seven, he accompanied the king to the court. At the age of eight, the king would ask about everything. At the age of nine, he interpreted the memorials from various places. Most of the credit for the fact that the former king Xiaowen and the former king Zhuangxiang were able to become the kings of Qin was due to Prince Chengjiao."
"King Zhaoxiang once personally called King Xiaowen and King Zhuangxiang to his side. Pointing at the young Prince Chengjiao, he said: 'You two must promise me that when Chengjiao comes of age, no matter who is the King of Qin, you must abdicate and not hinder the Qin State! If you agree to this today, after I die, Zhu will be the King. After Zhu's death, Zichu will be the King. Is that ok?' This was the most famous story of the Qin State at that time, establishing two kings for one son. If it weren't for the fact that Prince Chengjiao was young when King Zhaoxiang passed away, the Qin State would have passed the throne to the next generation."
To establish two kings for one son?
Wei Zhuang felt as if his butt was on fire and he couldn't sit still at all.
Even though he had prepared himself mentally, at this moment, he still felt like he was listening to a myth.
Is his mother still a human being?
This is even more saintly than a saint!
A notorious playboy was so talented that he could defeat two generations of Qin kings by himself. Is this really something that can be done by human power?
"What the Right Prime Minister said is really too mysterious and bizarre to be believed."
Wei Zhuang felt that his speech sounded a little dry and his throat was extremely dry, and he urgently needed some clean water.
"What Wan said to the left prime minister today was nothing but lies. I am willing to be torn into pieces by five oxen, and be abandoned by the gods of heaven and earth, humans and ghosts."
Unlike modern times, the Qin Dynasty was a time when beliefs about gods and ghosts were very popular.
Confucian Confucius said: Respect ghosts and gods but keep them at a distance.
Confucius believed in the existence of ghosts and gods.
He asked his disciples to respect ghosts and gods and stay away from them.
Taoist Zhuangzi said: Therefore, those who understand the joy of heaven have no resentment from heaven, no blame from people, no burden from things, and no blame from ghosts.
Zhuangzi believed in the existence of ghosts and gods.
This sentence means that as long as people act in accordance with the will of heaven, heaven will not be resentful, people will not criticize them, they will not be implicated by things, and they will not be blamed by ghosts and gods.
Mozi of the Mohist school said: "To doubt the difference between the existence and non-existence of ghosts and gods is to not understand that ghosts and gods can reward the virtuous and punish the evil."
Mozi believed in the existence of ghosts and gods.
What this sentence means is that the difference between people doubting whether ghosts and gods exist or not is just doubting whether ghosts and gods can reward good and punish evil.
Confucianism and Mohism were once considered famous schools of thought.
Taoism is also a school of thought with great influence among the various schools of thought.
From this perspective, we can get a glimpse of the degree to which ghosts and gods were respected during that period.
Therefore, Wang Wan dared to swear by ghosts and gods, and the price he paid was extremely heavy in the eyes of people at that time.
The last trace of doubt in Wei Zhuang's eyes was dispelled, and he began to truly believe the absurd words that Wang Wan said.
"I've never heard of such a thing. There are people in the world who can do this. I've lived for decades in vain!"
"It's not just you. When I first heard about this, I was also dumbfounded and speechless for a long time."
"The Right Prime Minister only said that Master Cheng Jiao was nine years old. What happened after that?"
"after……"
Wang Wan smiled with a hint of pride.
"Prince Chengjiao is ten years old. Your Majesty has entered Qin from Zhao!"
Back then, Wang Wan defected to Ying Zheng early on even though everyone was optimistic about Ying Chengjiao.
When Wei Zhuang heard Wang Wan say the word "Your Majesty", he was stunned at first, and then he suddenly realized.
Yes, I was so absorbed in what I was hearing just now that I took it for granted that the miraculous Master Cheng Jiao would become king in the future.
I almost forgot that the person sitting on the throne of the Qin Kingdom now is His Majesty, not Lord Chang'an.
"How did Your Majesty defeat such a brilliant and rare young master Cheng Jiao?"
Wei Zhuang didn't even dare to think about it.
Ying Zheng was a hostage who had just returned from an enemy country.
How can he win against Prince Cheng Jiao, who is at the peak of his power in the Qin State and has accomplished the miraculous event of "establishing two kings for one son"?
"Wan, I really don't know."
"Is it not known that the Right Prime Minister was with His Majesty at that time?"
"I really don't know. Maybe there really is destiny between heaven and earth."
Wang Wan's thoughts raced as he recalled the time when the two princes of Qin State were competing for the throne.
"For some reason, three months after your majesty entered Qin, the young master Cheng Jiao, who was praised as the opportunity for the rise of the Qin Dynasty, gradually became mediocre. For this reason, the former king Zhuangxiang even almost beheaded your majesty. He suspected that your majesty had cast a curse on Cheng Jiao with the art of witchcraft."
"King Zhuangxiang once drew his sword in front of all the ministers in the court, pointed it at Your Majesty and the Queen Mother, and cried out: 'I should not have listened to Cheng Jiao's words and brought you and your son back. You and your son turned evil for your kindness, causing Cheng Jiao to suffer misfortune and destroying the Qin Empire. I am ashamed of my father, my grandfather, and all the previous emperors of the Qin Empire! I will kill you today! In exchange for my son Cheng Jiao's return!'"
"What?!"
Wei Zhuang knew that his performance today was extremely poor, like a fool of twelve or thirteen years old.
He is easily startled and has no guile at all.
But he had no choice, he really couldn't control himself from doing such a thing.
The flames on the chair finally made him jump up. The left prime minister, who was second only to the emperor in the Qin Dynasty, was now like a monkey jumping up and down.
But Wei Zhuang did not feel ashamed at the moment. On the contrary, he felt that his current behavior was far from enough to express his inner surprise.
The First Emperor's return to Zhao was actually facilitated by a dandy boy in his eyes. How come he had never heard of this after being in Qin for so long!
"This, this, this is unreasonable, illogical, and unprofitable! That bastard! No! Ying Chengjiao! No! Chang'an Jun! Is Chang'an Jun really a saint?"
