The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 328: Merits and demerits are not equal, Wang He is dismissed, Qin Wangzheng's iron-blooded tactics
At the Caotan execution ground in Xianyang City, many people died every day.

The surging Wei River changes from clear to turbid, and from turbid to red.

Among those who died, the Bai family was an important part.

They died in batches, and the vacant positions were mainly filled by Xunzi's disciples, led by Fu Qiubo.

The Xiangbang Mansion was renamed the Prime Minister's Mansion, and its main hall is still under reconstruction.

Fuqiu Bo worked in this new government office, which still had a residual smell of smoke and fire. His official position was the chief secretary of the prime minister.

This official position is a bit awkward because the Chief Secretary is usually the deputy of the prefix.

The Qin State now has two prime ministers, but Fuqiu Bo, the prime minister's chief secretary, is not clearly classified as the left prime minister's chief secretary or the right prime minister's chief secretary.

King Zheng of Qin seemed to have forgotten that he had divided the power of the prime minister into two, and only appointed a chief secretary for the prime minister, without distinguishing between left and right.

Left Prime Minister Xiong Qi and Right Prime Minister Xiong Wen would not think so.

The two men knew that the king did not trust them and was trying to divide their power.

The title of Prime Minister's Chief Secretary Fuqiu Bo is not prefixed with "left, right", which means he is neither under the jurisdiction of the Left Prime Minister nor the Right Prime Minister.

The Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister, who has no actual subordinate relationship with the left and right prime ministers, is nominally a deputy, but in fact is the full-time position and the de facto third in command of the Prime Minister's Office.

And because the powerful prime minister's base was the Prime Minister's Office, his power was liquidated after his death, and the new Prime Minister's Office had the most vacant positions of any government office.

Half of these official positions were held by Xunzi's disciples, who called Fuqiu Bo their eldest brother.

The greater the power, the greater the voice.

Outside the Prime Minister's Residence, there was no place for the Prime Minister's Chief Secretary to stand in front of the two prime ministers.

Without leaving the Prime Minister's Mansion, it is hard to say who has higher authority between the two prime ministers and the Prime Minister's Chief Secretary.

The two brothers, Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi, were both prime ministers. Although they were extremely valuable in the eyes of others, they knew their own sufferings.

While the two brothers were furious, the only thing that comforted them was that Fu Qiubo, whom the king had sent in, had no desire to win and had no intention of undermining them.

Fu Qiubo, who works diligently every day, is very busy and works diligently.

In his spare time, he likes to stand in the independent courtyard outside his office, look up at the sky, and think about the two white cranes that have accompanied him for many years.

In addition to Xunzi's disciples, the emperor's disciples also entered the Qin officialdom, but they were extremely rare.

These scholars who came from all over the country and had already gained some reputation had to pass the examination of Ying Chengjiao, the chief academic officer of the Imperial College, before they could enter the officialdom.

The examination for the Imperial College's chief academic officer is a bit difficult.

In fact, it was not that Ying Chengjiao’s questions were difficult, but that the national conditions of the other countries were different from those of Qin.

For the same thing, the people of Chu had their own way of dealing with it, and the people of Zhao had their own way of dealing with it. Their ways of dealing with it were feasible in their own countries, but not in Qin.

If you want to be an official in Qin, you should use methods that are in line with Qin's national conditions. If you think this method is inappropriate or has problems, then you cannot be an official.

In this chaotic period, Ying Chengjiao does not need any fancy ideas and seeks stability rather than change.

King Zheng of Qin, who was considered extremely radical in Ying Chengjiao's eyes, actually agreed with his brother on this point of view, which was rare.

There are certainly problems with the old laws, but this is definitely not the time to reform them.

King Zheng of Qin did not think that he would have enough energy to implement reforms after replacing so many people.

His younger brother thinks he is radical, but he himself doesn't think so. He thinks he is very calm and everything he does is within his ability.

Perhaps it was because the questions were too difficult, or perhaps it was because some people who lost their jobs but survived felt aggrieved, and some rumors began to spread.

"Are we, the students of the Imperial Academy, disciples of the Emperor or of Prince Ying? Why does Prince Ying decide whether we can be officials or not? The King hasn't spoken yet!"

"A foot of cloth can still be sewn. But two brothers cannot get along."

"The test questions are so rigid! How can such a rigid person be a son? How can he be a crown prince? If he does things this way, wouldn't it be against Qin Xiaogong's order to recruit talented people?"

"..."

These words have not yet reached the ears of King Zheng of Qin, who has lived in the deep palace for a long time.

Chang'an Jun, who often traveled outside, heard it but pretended not to hear it, as the young man had more important things to deal with.

The rebellion in Qin could not be concealed at all. The death of its teacher Lu Buwei had already spread to neighboring countries, and the impact was gradually becoming apparent.

Wei and Zhao were ready to make a move, and Han was preparing to send envoys to Qin.

Ying Chengjiao had just sent someone to kill Pang Nuan, who had left a deep mark in history and had no grudge against him. He knew that he had no morals, and he knew that he was very moral compared to others.

Good people don't come, and those who come are not good. The Three Jins definitely have no good intentions.

Perhaps, there will be another war.

Take advantage of his illness and kill him.

There are only interests but no morality between countries.

But the current Qin State is really not suitable for war.

There are millions of people working on flood control in Guanzhong.

The older generation of generals, Bie Gong and Meng Ao, died, leaving only Wang Ling and Wang He.

Of the contemporary generals who were capable of fighting, Fan Yuqi and Teng are dead, leaving only Huan Xi and Yang Duanhe.

It’s not that the Qin State was without other military generals, but compared with the eight people mentioned above, they were all mediocre and had no experience of leading 100,000 men to an expedition.

The consequence of appointing an inexperienced person as the chief general was that the Yan State's prime minister sacrificed his life and Yan State's 600,000 troops to become a negative example - the famous general Lian Po defeated them with only 130,000 troops.

Not to mention appointing an unknown person as a general, even if he appointed Wang Ling, Wang He, Yang Duanhe, and Huan Xi as the main generals, Ying Chengjiao would not feel at ease if Li Mu or Lian Po were in command on the opposite side.

It would be best not to fight the Qin State, which has lost many generals and has unstable military morale.

But whether to fight or not is not decided by one side.

For this purpose, the young man went to Bai Qi's mansion several times.

Ren Tu, who had always wanted to go to war, now agreed with the young man that this was not a good time to start a war.

If war is unavoidable, the butcher can be resurrected from the dead to boost the morale of the army.

The young man felt relieved when Bai Qi agreed, but he was still a little unwilling.

After hiding Bai Qi for so many years, you let him go just to keep him safe?
Under the four great generals, the somewhat famous Wang Jian advised the young man not to be too anxious.

The Qin State had Hangu Pass in the east, Dasan Pass in the west, Wugu Pass in the south, and Xiao Pass in the north.

With the four natural passes, Qin is more than capable of protecting itself. It was of no use the last time Lian Po led the coalition forces of five nations.

The young man originally thought so and believed that the Qin State was invincible.

The death of Meng Ao, the death of Meng Yi, the broken arm of Meng Tian, ​​the death of Fan Yuqi, the death of Teng, and even Pang Nuan who died at his hands most recently.

These changes, which were different from those in the history books of his previous life, made the boy realize that he was not in history but in the real world.

Even history can change, so what is so unbreakable about a seemingly unbreakable barrier? Nothing is ever indestructible.

If Bai Qi, this powerful weapon, is not released, the Qin military must not allow any more accidents to happen.

to be exact.

Nothing must happen to Wang Ling and Wang He, and nothing must happen to Yang Duanhe and Huan Xi.

The young man sent visiting cards to veterans Wang Ling and Wang He, hoping that this time he would not be rejected like he was rejected last time.

Neither of the two veterans replied.

Just as the young man was waiting patiently and wanted to hand over the second visiting card.

The one-armed Meng Tian sent someone to deliver a letter, telling the young man a piece of news that was considered a secret at the time.

Last night, veteran general Wang He was dismissed.

Meng Tian asked Chang'an Jun to persuade the king to revoke the order.

The teenager has a headache.

The veteran general Wang He had conquered the Xiangbang Mansion and had made great contributions in suppressing the rebellion. How could his radical brother be dismissed just a few days after being awarded the title? How could he be dismissed?
The veteran general Wang He, who made great contributions to the suppression of the rebellion, was dismissed.

If this news gets out, all the generals will be in danger. How can the army still maintain its morale? What on earth are you thinking, Ying Zheng?

----last night.

Huxiongfang.

The night was as dark as ink. Only sporadic torches were swaying in the wind on the streets of Xianyang City. The positions of guards who had died in the civil strife had not yet been filled.

Inside the residence of veteran general Wang He, a rapid knock on the door broke the silence of the night.

Wang He woke up from his light sleep. The death of his old friend Meng Ao and the recent frequent troubles made it difficult for him to sleep.

Although he was nearly seventy years old, he was still agile. He put on his robe swiftly and strode towards the door.

When he opened the door, under the moonlight, his gray beard and the wrinkles on his face looked particularly deep. His slightly narrowed old eyes shone with a cold light, revealing the sharpness of someone who had been through many battles.

"Why are you so flustered?" Wang He asked in a deep voice.

A soldier knelt on one knee on the ground, his voice choked with sobs:

"General, the young master, he was executed by the king!"

"What?!" Wang He was struck by lightning. His body swayed and he held onto the door frame to avoid falling down.

The Wang family has only one son, Wang Yan.

Wang Yan is Wang He's only grandson and the last bloodline of the Wang family.

Ever since his son died on the battlefield, Wang He placed all his hopes on this smart and sensible grandson.

These days, Wang He was exhausted because of the turmoil and the death of his old friend. It was not until before going to bed today that he remembered that he had not seen his grandson for a long time, so he sent his personal soldiers to the main gate to look for him.

"What's going on? Tell me quickly!" Wang He's voice was as cold as the north wind in winter, bitingly cold.

The bodyguard trembled as he recounted what had happened.

On the night of the turmoil, King Zheng of Qin led his troops out of the palace.

As the Sima of the main gate, Wang Yan was worried about the safety of King Zheng of Qin and insisted that King Zheng of Qin stay in the palace and not open the main gate.

King Zheng of Qin was furious and executed Wang Yan on the spot for disobeying the royal order.

"You brat!" Wang He punched the door frame, sending wood chips flying everywhere.

His eyes instantly became bloodshot, like an enraged tiger:

"Prepare the horses! The Lord is coming to the palace!"

"General! It's curfew now!" the soldier reminded in a trembling voice.

"Prepare the horses!" Wang He roared, his voice shaking the roof tiles.

A moment later, a horse galloped along the long street, rushing towards the central palace of the Qin Palace.

The howling night wind ruffled Wang He's white hair, but it could not blow away the anger in his heart.

He remembered how his grandson would pester him to tell him stories about the battlefield when he was a child, the proud look on his grandson's face when he put on armor for the first time, and the proud look in his grandson's eyes when he said, "Don't worry, grandfather. I won't be a civil servant who lives on idleness and waits for death."

The sound of horse hooves clattered as we passed Zhangtai Street and arrived at the main gate of the Central Palace.

"Open the door!" Veteran Wang He roared at the door.

The palace gates are closed during curfew.

When the guards at the palace gate saw that it was the veteran general Wang He, they did not dare to shoot him with arrows and quickly reported to the king.

In less than half an hour, the guard who received Wang Ling put down a large basket.

The veteran stepped on the basket and entered the palace.

In the council hall, King Zheng of Qin was reviewing bamboo slips.

Under the candlelight, the young King Qin's face looked particularly grim.

Hearing the hurried footsteps, King Zheng of Qin frowned and raised his head.

Seeing Wang He overthrowing Zhao Gao, he rushed in angrily.

"Your Majesty, what important matter has brought you to the palace so late at night?" King Zheng of Qin calmed himself down and forced a smile.

Wang He did not salute, but directly asked:

"Why did the king kill my grandson Wang Yan?"

King Qin was silent for a moment, put down the bamboo slips in his hand, and sighed softly:
"My Lord, I have already made a promise to you that day. If you try to stop me again, you will be disobeying my order and you shall be put to death.

"Your grandson still refuses to let me go and disobeys the king's order..."

"My grandson is worried about your safety, what crime has he committed?" Wang He's voice trembled with anger.

"Your Highness's merits are merits, and your grandson's faults are faults." Qin Wang Zheng said gently: "Your Highness has made great contributions to the Qin Dynasty, and I will remember what you have done for me. But your grandson did not listen to my order. I have said that I will kill you if you try to stop me, but you still won't let me go..."

Wang He, who had spent his entire life in the military and had many military achievements, could not save his grandson's life. He laughed out of anger:

"Nai Gong has fought for the Qin for more than 40 years, and has 27 scars on his body. Which one is not caused by the Qin?

"My son died on the battlefield, and my grandson died at the king's command!

"Your Majesty, is this how you treat the generals who fought bravely for Qin?"

Qin Wangzheng's face turned cold:
"If you disobey the king's order, you shall die."

"Deserve to die?" Wang He suddenly laughed, his laughter full of sadness: "What a death! Your Majesty, do you still remember the Battle of Changping?"

"Of course I remember."

Wang He suddenly ripped open his shirt, revealing a hideous scar on his chest:

"This wound that almost cost Naigong's life was left by the Battle of Changping, and it was left for your Qin State!
"Three generations of my Wang family have served the Qin Dynasty and died for it, and all I get in return is a sentence of death?"

The atmosphere in the room was tense, and the candlelight flickered in Wang He's angry breathing.

King Qin was silent for a moment, then said coldly:

“My Lord, merits and demerits cannot be offset.

"Your grandson disobeyed the king's order and shall die. This matter ends here."

"Is that it?" Wang He's voice suddenly calmed down, but this calmness was more terrifying than the previous roar.

He smiled bitterly and nodded repeatedly:
"Good, good, very good.

"I have long known that the kings of your Qin State are all equally mean and ungrateful.

"Wu'an Jun's military exploits were greater than the sky, but his end was such a disaster. How can a birdman like me be an exception?
"You are not qualified to serve such a ruthless king. Please resign."

A trace of anger flashed in King Zheng of Qin's eyes.

Resigning at this moment? This is a threat!
The anger in his eyes soon disappeared and he regained his calm, like a deep pool with no bottom to be seen:
"The prince has thought it through."

"I think clearly!" Wang He pulled off the seal from his waist and threw it heavily to the ground. "I, Wang He, shed all my blood for the Qin Dynasty, but I can't even protect my only bloodline! Such a Qin Dynasty is not worthy of my loyalty!"

King Zheng of Qin looked at the seal on the ground with a blank expression:

"Accurate."

Wang He glared at King Zheng of Qin, then suddenly laughed out loud:

"Ying Zheng!
"You are such an ungrateful and self-willed boy!

"I want to see if you can keep this position if you do this!"

After saying this, the veteran turned around and strode away, his back looking resolute and tragic.

King Zheng of Qin stood where he was, looking in the direction where Wang He left, with a complicated look in his eyes.

After a moment, he bent down, picked up the seal on the ground, and gently placed it on the table.

"Dismiss Wang He from his post, but retain his title and salary as usual." King Zheng of Qin said to Zhao Gao in the room, without any emotion in his voice.

Zhao Gao took the order and left.

King Zheng of Qin sat down again, picked up the bamboo slips, and continued to review them, as if nothing had happened just now.

(End of this chapter)