Qin Gong

Chapter 699: The Arbitrary Clan Being Calculated, Discussions in the Academy

"Oh no! Look!"

"Hiss, what?"

Before one crisis was over, another crisis arose. Before the people in Linzi City could wait, they were standing outside the city, watching the old ministers of Chu being beheaded one by one, when they suddenly heard discussions beside them. Then they saw that the officials were posting notices in front of the city gate.

The notice stated in detail that within three years, all people who moved from Chu, Wei, and Yan to Qi must register at the government office. If anyone failed to register within five days, they would be regarded as illegal residents and their status would be reduced to that of slaves.

"How is this possible? The King of Qi also did this in the past, but there were still people in the city who hid it and didn't report it! Now that the Qin officials have posted the notice, could it be that those people will take the initiative to register?"

"Yes! Those people are hiding. Linzi has such a large population that even if we register every household in the streets and alleys, we still don't know when it will be!"

The moment they saw the notice, the Qi people who were crowded outside the city gate sneered. After all, these notices were not issued once every five years in Qi. Even in the past two years, King Jian of Qi had changed the system to every two years, and they were helpless in dealing with those nobles who had secretly moved in.

"cut!"

However, amid the discussions, there was suddenly an angry shout from far behind, and the people all looked over.

When everyone saw it, just outside the city gate, behind the men, women, young and old who were kneeling on the ground, the executioner holding a huge axe raised it and chopped off their heads one by one.

In an instant.

All the common people, merchants, and even scholars, were startled when they saw the head fall to the ground. Their whole bodies trembled. Looking at the bloody scene, everyone fell silent and their hands and feet became weak.

However, when they came to their senses, some scholars suddenly remembered something, looked at the beheaded corpses, and then turned to look at the notice.

wrong!

The King of Qi had no choice because those nobles relied on the fact that there were many people in Linzi and that the King of Qi could not find them, so they were not afraid. However, now that they were facing the Qin State and the fact that Wu Liejun had captured so many remnants, would those nobles still not be afraid? Would they still dare to hide?

Thinking of this, more and more scholars began to realize that Bai Yan seemed to have deliberately waited until this time before issuing the notice.

In Linzi City.

Along with the notices in the streets and alleys, in just two hours, countless people from the gentry appeared outside the Linzi government office. They lined up with their families and gathered together to chat. There were so many horse-drawn carriages that the entire endless street was blocked, making it impossible to move.

"Brother Zhao, Brother Kuang, why are you here too?"

"Who dares not to come? So many former ministers of the Chu State have been captured. Who knows if Lord Wu Lie Bai Yan knows about us? If we don't come, we will be in big trouble!"

"Yes, especially during this period of time, those scholars in Qi have always had grudges against us. With this opportunity, they will inevitably inform Lord Wu Lie!"

Countless men in silk clothes gathered together. When they saw familiar people, they greeted them and started chatting.

The old men were like this, the women were like this, and even the young children, under the care of slaves and maids, played with the children of other noble families.

This scene made the people of Qi in the city marvel again and again. They could not believe that so many nobles had come to the government office in just two hours.

Just when countless men from the aristocratic families were complaining about why the government office had not yet registered.

Finally, inside the gate of the government office, under the guard of Qin soldiers, Qin general Lou Feng slowly walked out of the mansion with a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand.

Under the gaze of the densely packed aristocratic families, Lou Feng opened the bamboo slips.

"The general has ordered that those who register today will be rewarded if they can report other people who are hiding..."

Lou Feng said something, and the many men from the noble families who heard what Lou Feng said all looked at each other without saying a word.

Report, how could they report others!
In Linzi, these people were people who shared the same hardships in Qi, so it was natural that they had a good relationship if they knew each other. If they were not afraid of Bai Yan, they would not come here. Now, asking them to report other people who did not plan to come was a bit far-fetched for Bai Yan.

Just as countless men, women, old and young were all looking at Lou Feng in silence and laughing at Bai Yan in their hearts, suddenly, servants appeared behind Lou Feng, carrying racks with curtains tied to them.

Before everyone could understand why the curtain rack and the wooden tables were moved out, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment after hearing what Lou Feng said next.

"According to Qin law, those who know but do not speak out will be punished together! If there are people who are punished together, they can only be punished if their clan members report them! If you report that one clan is hiding today, it will be considered a merit. If you report that three clans are hiding tomorrow, you will get another merit. The day after tomorrow, only if you report that five clans are hiding will it be considered a merit..."

Lou Feng read aloud according to the contents of the bamboo slips. After he finished speaking, he signaled the nobles in the front to come forward and register. After the registration, they went behind a wooden curtain on the side. There was a wooden table, pen, ink, and bamboo slips for reporting. There were also servants to watch over it. Whenever there was a report, the servants would take the bamboo slips and submit them to the mansion for registration. If the clansmen who reported something concealed something in the future, they could be punished.

Even if you don't report it, you still have to sit behind the wooden frame and the curtain and wait until the servants let you go before you can leave.

After Lou Feng finished speaking, he placed the bamboo slips on the wooden table in front of the Qin officials. Seeing that the Qin officials had been waiting for a long time, Lou Feng asked a dozen Qin officials to start picking up the bamboo slips to register.

Outside the government office.

Hearing Lou Feng's words, all the people from the noble families took a deep breath and felt secretly disappointed.

Looking at the friends beside them, no matter how close they were, the nobles could not help but worry. After all, although they could trust each other's character, what about their clansmen? Not to mention their uncles, even those of the same generation had brothers, not to mention the younger generation had children and nephews. What was even more disturbing was the female relatives!
Who can guarantee that no one will want to report others and leave a way to save their life?

In particular, the Qin people specially took out wooden frames and cloth curtains to cover it up, obviously to protect those who reported the incident. At that time, no one would know whether they had reported on each other.

How cruel!
The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. He looked at the nobles who were lining up in front and who were the first to register. Some of them had already registered and were being escorted by Qin soldiers to go behind the wooden frame and cloth curtains. There were old people, men, and women. The many scholars who saw this scene couldn't help but look at each other worriedly.

To say or not to say?
If he said it, he would be betraying others, but if he didn't say it, although he would not be guilty today, who could guarantee that the nobles he had concealed would not reveal the fact that they knew him after being caught in the future?

It's a matter of life and death, no one dares to take a gamble easily, especially now that all the women and children are involved.

If I am really implicated, I will be the one arrested!
Coming to the government office to register now is because we don't want to take risks, fearing that we will be caught, become criminals, and be demoted to slaves in the future! We are used to a leisurely and enjoyable life, and no one wants to lose everything.

"quick!"

"quick!!"

On the streets, rows of Qin soldiers holding long spears and Qin swords also came to the streets to maintain order.

In the crowded streets, seeing that the Qin soldiers did not stop their clansmen from leaving, some elders and men from the gentry, with worried eyes, hurriedly asked their children to tell those gentry with whom they had good relations what had happened here.

In Linzi City.

In the Jixia Academy, Master Pei and others were talking in the room. When they saw the student coming in hurriedly, they hurriedly told them what had happened in the city.

"That Bai Yan, what a great schemer!"

Master Pei couldn't help but shook his head and sighed.

Unexpectedly, when they were still thinking about how to rescue some people, Bai Yan had already taken action against the Chu, Wei and Yan nobles in the city, and was openly alienating the relationships between the Chu, Wei and Yan nobles. As a result, even if the Chu, Wei and Yan nobles wanted to destroy Bai Yan's purpose, they did not dare to trust others easily, and could not get the nobles who were already wary of each other to gather again.

"On the first day, you only need to report one clan to get a credit. On the second day, you can get three clans! In this way, it is human nature to seek benefits and avoid harm. Compared with the three clans, many people will choose to report the nobles with whom they have a bad relationship without hesitation on the first day. However, everyone has their own preferences. Men, women and children are different, and their words are different. This also means that with the confession, you will get credit on the surface, but in fact, your merits and demerits will be offset..."

At this time, Old Lu also shook his head with a serious look on his face. After thinking about it, he quickly realized Bai Yan's purpose.

As long as people confess today, once this precedent is set, it means that there will be no way to stop. There will be no room for discussion in public. After returning to the mansion, even if everyone tells the truth to each other, the final result will only be that on the second day, more nobles will be given up in order to avoid punishment.

"Linzi City is about to be in chaos! How could Tian Jin have such a disciple?"

Old Tian complained a little, but when he looked over, he saw Old Wei, who was sitting at the wooden table opposite, still resting with his eyes closed. He felt angry and helpless.

"Brother Wei! You should think of a solution!"

Mr. Tian shouted with some dissatisfaction.

Hearing what Mr. Tian said, Master Pei, Mr. Lu, and several other old men couldn't help but look at Mr. Wei.

They seemed to not understand why Wei Zhe could remain so calm. In the blink of an eye, Bai Yan had turned Linzi city upside down. When the storm calmed down, they would probably be powerless to do anything.

They all knew about Wei Zhe's abilities.

"Bai Yan has already laid out the plan, the die is cast!"

Old Wei opened his eyes and saw these people looking at him. He shook his head and sighed.

At this moment, Old Wei's hair was a little messy, and his clothes were also coarse cloth, with a pot of wine hanging around his waist.

inside the room.

Hearing what Master Wei said, Master Pei, Master Tian and the others all froze and looked at each other helplessly. In terms of doctrine, they were not afraid of anyone, but when it came to intrigue, whether it was contempt or negligence, they had inadvertently allowed Bai Yan to gain the upper hand in terms of both people and location.

"But if Bai Yan continues to behave like this, not to mention the nobles of Chu, Wei, and Yan, even the nobles of Qi will probably not be spared! The lips and teeth are interdependent. Previously, the nobles of Qi in the city had already handed over most of their household registration to Xiao He! Once Bai Yan controls the nobles of Chu, Wei, and Yan, he will definitely counterattack the nobles of Qi!"

Master Pei looked at Mr. Wei and saw how serious it was.

As the chief academic officer of the Jixia Academy, if he did not know at the beginning that Bai Yan was the mastermind behind the chaos in Linzi City, then at this moment, with Bai Yan's every move, Master Pei had already realized Bai Yan's plan.

Even Master Pei had to admit that it was no wonder that Ying Zheng valued Bai Yan so much that he even wanted to bring Bai Yan, a native of Qi, to his side as a eunuch.

"Then..."

When Mr. Wei heard what Master Pei said, he stopped holding the wine jug and paused as he was about to drink.

"Force Bai Yan to leave Linzi City!"

After Mr. Wei finished speaking, he raised his head and drank the wine from the jug.

Two breaths later, looking at Master Pei, Old Lu, Old Tian and others with a thoughtful look on their faces, Old Wei smacked his lips and raised his hand to wipe his mouth.

"Earlier, Yunyang Lord Ying Dan brought the Ying clan to Linzi with the purpose of seeking a fiefdom! Now that Qin has annexed other countries, it lacks scholars to serve in Qin. So, we can use the scholars' help in exchange for Yunyang Lord Ying Dan and the Ying clan's dissuading Bai Yan. When the county governor and county lieutenant appointed by the Qin court arrive in Linzi, Yunyang Lord Ying Dan and others will be there..."

Old Wei slowly analyzed the situation to these people. At the end, he burped and shook the wine jug.

When Mr. Lu, Mr. Tian and others heard what Master Pei said, their eyes widened and they looked at each other with joy.

Yup!

As long as Bai Yan does not interfere in the affairs of Linzi City, all difficulties will be naturally resolved.

"Ordinary scholars, such as Ying Dan, cannot satisfy..."

Master Pei nodded, but frowned and was about to say something. However, before he could finish, several students came into the study and saluted Master Pei and others in a hurry.

"Oh no! Master, Fan Zeng of the Fan family and all his clansmen have been captured by the Qin people!"

"Yu, Gu and others have also been arrested and thrown into the cell!"

The students, led by Tian Ziming and Tian Zinong, looked at Master Pei, Mr. Lu and others with worried expressions.

"Fan was also arrested?"

When Mr. Lu heard what Tian Ziming said, he frowned.

Someone must have told Bai Yan the addresses of these people, otherwise Bai Yan would not be able to arrest everyone at once.

"Master Pei! I will personally go to Bai Yan's residence and beg him to let those scholars go!"

Mr. Tian looked at Master Pei, Mr. Lu and others.

Compared with the old ministers of the Chu State, the Fan, Yu, and Gu families were all talented people. It would be a real pity if they were to die under the swords of the Qin army.

It would be better to go there in person and ask Bai Yan to let those scholars go for the sake of the friendship between Tian Jin and others. After all, those people are not old ministers.

“Master, Master!!”

Before Mr. Tian could stand up and answer, another student also came into the room in a hurry.

At the urging of an old man, the student told everyone the news he had heard in front of everyone.

Not only was Fan Zeng taken to see Bai Yan, but the contents of the bamboo slips in Fan Zeng's hand after he returned to the cell had also been found out.

"What? Say it again!"

Mr. Tian, ​​who had originally planned to meet Bai Yan, suddenly stood up after hearing the student's words and looked at the student with a dazed look on his face.

"The bamboo slips that Bai Yan sent to Fan Zeng were written by Bai Yan himself. They said: 'Establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, inherit the lost knowledge of the past sages, and bring peace to the world for all eternity!'"

The student repeated the report again. Looking at the dazed crowd, he was not surprised at this moment. When he just heard these words, he was in a trance for a long time. It was not until he was awakened by the breeze that he came to his senses and hurried to the academy.

"Establish a mind for heaven and earth, and a destiny for the people?"

Tian Ziming knelt on the ground, turned his head to look at the person next to him, and heard some words, and couldn't help but murmur.

"Inherit the unique knowledge for the past saints and create peace for all generations!"

Tian Zinong and his companions were not much better. They kept repeating these words in a trance. This was the first time for them to read such profound words. The profundity of these words made these scholars hold their breath for a moment.

"Bring peace to all eternity!"

Mr. Pei, Mr. Lu, and Mr. Tian all looked at each other and savored these remarks.

As people like Mr. Pei and Mr. Tian, ​​who are already in their twilight years and have mastered the knowledge of various schools of thought, they never expected that after living most of their lives and about to be buried in the earth, they would hear such words.

If the first two sentences are overbearing and arrogant, then the last two sentences are awe-inspiring and admirable ambitions.

There are actually people who can say such things.

However, this person is General Qin... Bai Yan!
"How come Tian Jin has such a disciple?"

At this time, Master Pei said exactly the same words as what Mr. Tian had just complained about, but in the same words, one could clearly sense the difference in meaning.

One seems to be complaining, blaming, and a little bit blaming, while the other is amazed, sighing, and even has a hint of barely perceptible envy.

Next to wooden table.

Mr. Wei took a sip of the wine, and after swallowing it, he smacked his lips. It seemed that the taste of the wine was pleasant. The corners of Mr. Wei's mouth slightly raised, and a smile appeared on his face, and his eyes flickered slightly.

........................

Xianyang, Qin State.

Inside the Xianyang Palace, a eunuch hurriedly came to the study holding bamboo slips and then knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, news has come from Hangu Pass that General Gui, with his cavalry, has escorted the old man to Luoyang! They will arrive at Hangu Pass soon!"

The eunuch reported.

Behind the wooden table, Ying Zheng was reviewing the bamboo slips sent from counties and prefectures across the country. When he heard the eunuch's report, his gaze on the bamboo slips suddenly stopped, and after two breaths, he put them down.

At this time, Meng Yi had also come to the eunuch, holding the bamboo slips in both hands. After the eunuch stepped back and left, he turned around and walked to the wooden table and handed the bamboo slips to Ying Zheng.

As a close minister to Ying Zheng and also the eunuch of Qin, Meng Yi knew very well how much importance Ying Zheng attached to the old man who wrote books.

It is no exaggeration to say that just based on the fact that Ying Zheng often read the bamboo slips written by the old man alone late at night in the past, Meng Yi was certain that when the old man came to Xianyang, Ying Zheng would treat him with great respect and would discuss everything with him.

The entire Xianyang city, all the ministers in the court, and the countless nobles in Xianyang city will be shocked by the arrival of the old man.

"Your Majesty, do you need to send the Imperial Guards to escort us outside Hangu Pass?"

Meng Yi watched Ying Zheng take the bamboo slips, open them and read them. After thinking for a while, he asked softly.

In the past, when Bai Yan attacked the State of Chu and defeated Chu and returned to Qin, Ying Zheng personally went to Wugu Pass to greet him. Although they met later at Bashang, this was enough to show Ying Zheng's favor for Bai Yan.

Now that the old man has come to Qin, I wonder how Ying Zheng plans to welcome him to show his importance.

(End of this chapter)