The younger brother of the First Emperor

Chapter 341: Mad Queen and Mad Prince, Mother and Son Kill Nobles
The high and mighty King Zheng of Qin looked very unhappy.

The spring sun was shining brightly outside the palace, casting dappled light and shadows through the carved window lattices, making the golden dragon pattern on Qin Shi Huang's black crown shine brightly, but making his gloomy face look even colder.

Across the nine-foot high platform, the ministers sitting in the hall looked directly at King Qin Zheng, who lacked reverence for him, and could see clearly his gloomy mood.

The ministers were not surprised, because this grand court meeting was not initiated by King Zheng of Qin, but by the dissolute Zhao woman behind King Zheng of Qin.

Queen Mother Zhao, Ji Yaotiao.

The Queen Mother of Zhao returned to court after more than a month, and the system of co-existence between the King and Queen of Qin was restored.

The power of the Queen Mother and the Queen Mother of Qin was natural and equal to that of the king. Whatever the king could do, the queen could do too.

Queen Mother Zhao in the front hall of Xin Palace did not look as charming as she did in her bedroom.

The phoenix crown on her head, with tassels hanging down from it, half covers and half blocks her charming face, hiding her beauty and adding to her mystery.

The cold look that shone from him afterwards carried the same majesty that had suppressed the old patriarch of the Bai family at the last court meeting, and no one dared to underestimate him.

Many civil and military officials who attended the court according to old rules frowned, not knowing what would happen today, but they knew that something would definitely happen when this wanton and crazy woman convened the court meeting.

Their eyes lingered on the tassel in front of Queen Mother Zhao, and as they slid down, they would linger on the back of the young man in the front who was sitting on a chair with his feet off the ground.

The madness of a wanton mad woman is different from the madness of Chang'an Jun.

Chang'an Jun's madness is in accordance with morality, and can be called virtuous.

This crazy woman...it's hard to say...I don't know how many people sighed in their hearts.

Although the recent domestic turmoil was a struggle between the king and the old Qin nobles, it had little to do with these court officials who stood at the top of the Qin power pyramid.

But when the nest is overturned, all the eggs will remain intact. Once the other countries broke into Hangu Pass, all their high positions and generous salaries were lost.

Those who were living in Qin State sincerely wanted to bring stability to Qin State.

Wei Zhuang, who was promoted by King Zhuangxiang of Qin and became the Imperial Censor step by step, turned around, glanced at the large group of unfamiliar faces, and said in a voice that only he could hear:
“What an eventful spring it has been.”

Meng An, the head of the Meng family, and Xi Shan, the head of the Xi family, led the old Qin noble family heads who usually did not attend court meetings and sat in the front seats of the court.

At the front are the prime minister, the chief censor, and the nine ministers. The old Qin nobles no longer hold high positions in the Qin State, so there is no place for them in the front row of the court.

The newly added sandalwood chairs exude a light wood fragrance, which is incompatible with the scent of incense that has been permeating the hall all year round.

Because of these old Qin nobles, thirty-seven chairs were temporarily added to the court. Although there were only a hundred civil and military officials, in fact, there were less than a hundred. The old Qin nobles accounted for half of the original court officials.

They were invited by the newly appointed Shaofu Lin Yi and changed into court robes to attend the court.

In today's Qin State, the Chu clan can be said to be the dominant one among the foreign relatives, occupying the two prime ministers, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Guests among the nine ministers.

But in the eyes of many people, the Zhao faction, which only occupied one Shaofu among the Nine Ministers, was not inferior to the Chu faction.

Shaofu Lin Yi was the father of Queen Dowager Zhao.

The Queen Mother Zhao of the Zhao family is still alive, while the Queen Mother Huayang of the Chu family is dead.

Lin Yi, who was in charge of the royal purse, sat on a chair with his eyes closed. His face became much squarer after coming to Qin. His majesty was completely different from that in Zhao. The common people looked nervous at first glance.

He was playing with a golden abacus between his fingers hidden in his sleeve, and the cold light appeared and disappeared in his palm.

Power can change a person dramatically.

Almost everyone had arrived, and Zhao Gao, who was in charge of issuing seals and decrees, announced the start of the court meeting.

King Zheng of Qin, who was supposed to say a few opening remarks to announce the host, said nothing. He sat upright on the throne and looked at the ministers below with a grim expression.

The king doesn't speak, the queen mother speaks.

Queen Mother Zhao sat on the chair with her legs together, leaning forward, her elbows on her thighs and her hands on her cheeks. She opened her mouth and the underwater undercurrent rushed out of the water as waves:

"The country has been very unstable recently. Even a woman like me in the deep palace cannot find peace."

Her beautiful eyes narrowed and her voice sank:
"Transform into a dragon."

Most of the court officials looked around. There were only a few people in the court, and no one was called Hualong? Those new Qin nobles?

Ying Chengjiao, who was sitting on the chair in the front row, jumped off the chair, folded his hands, lowered his head and replied:
"My son is here."

The young man responded, causing some ripples in the hearts of the ministers.

Who doesn't know that Chang'an Jun's name is Ying Chengjiao? Then Hualong can only be a word, which is a bit offensive.

Many people looked upwards, and the king's expression became even uglier.

Queen Mother Zhao seemed unaware, her eyes were bright and kind, but her words were slightly cold:
“I remember that the previous king once said that no more assassinations of subjects would be allowed in the country.

"Wang He was dismissed by the king, and he is no longer a minister of the Qin State.

"However, he will continue to enjoy the salary and honors of the Qin State.

"He was assassinated less than a month after returning home and died in Pinyang under the rule of Xianyang."

The hand that was supporting her cheek suddenly flipped over and slapped the handle of the chair with a loud bang, and the crisp sound lingered in the air.

Queen Mother Zhao's eyes were murderous, and her words were murderous:
"Who is seeking death? I will help him!"

Meng An and Xishan frowned. What was going on? Did Lin Yi call us here to establish his authority by using us as an example?
The two sat next to each other, looked at each other, nodded slightly without revealing their feelings, tapped their fingers on their knees, and conveyed information in a rhythm that only they understood.

They asked their father, and learned that the assassination of Wang He had nothing to do with the Meng and Xi families, but was done by the people below, among whom the most important one was Wang Kuan of the Wang family.

Because of this incident, the old Qin nobles did not alienate the Wang family because Wang Wan was favored by Qin Wang Zheng. The Wang family assassinated Wang He as a token of their loyalty and made their stance clear.

Wang Kuan is here today too.

Meng An and Xishan looked over and met Wang Kuan's anxious eyes, which formed a sharp contrast with his usual expression.

The two of them gave Wang Kuan a "reassuring" look at the same time.

This is not the hypocritical and meaningless consolation from before.

As representatives of the old Qin aristocracy, the Meng and Xi families would not stand by and watch the Wang family collapse.

If you sit back and watch the Wang family fall today, you will watch his family fall tomorrow. Once the hearts of the Qin nobles are divided, the Meng and Xi families will not be able to maintain their transcendent status in Qin.

The Queen Mother Zhao's voice came down from high above:

"Hualong, I heard that you are in charge of this matter, but have you found the person who is to die?"

Ying Chengjiao bowed slightly:
“My dear mother, I have already found out the truth. The one who assassinated the prince was not just one clan or one family, but many clans worked together.

"The leaders are Wang Wen, Baili Sheng, and Sima Xin..."

The boy read out five names in one breath.

Every time a name was read, the temperature in the hall seemed to drop a degree. When five names were read, some court officials unconsciously tightened their collars.

Family members know their own affairs. There are more than five clans involved in this matter. The old Qin noble who planned to assassinate Wang He but was not named had a gloomy face and a slightly depressed mood, waiting for the young man to report his name.

The young man stopped talking, took a breath, and said, "These are the five people."

The eyes of the old Qin nobleman who participated but was not named widened. No one? What about me?

They didn't believe that Baili Sheng would help them conceal the truth. No one could not hide the truth under Qin's torture.

The old Qin nobleman whose surname was called kept looking at Meng An and Xishan, with a bad feeling in his heart.

"Is there any evidence?" Queen Mother Zhao asked, her eyes as cold as ice.

When questioning and convicting a criminal in front of civil and military officials, one must not be too hasty in order to leave no evidence.

Ying Chengjiao responded with a "yes", summoned Baili Sheng, took out the murder weapon found after Baili Sheng's confession, and summoned the assassins who were stationed in the manor outside the city and disguised as farmers.

When the assassin was brought up, he was still carrying straw fragments on his body, which were obviously brought directly from the threshing floor.

The young man had no shortage of both human and material evidence.

Xiong Wen and Xiong Qi, who had been suspended from their posts for a long time, looked at each other in bewilderment. Didn't they find out all this? Didn't they say that these were confessions obtained under torture and were not valid? What was going on? Didn't you say that this was not in accordance with the Qin system?

Xiong Wen, who was of steady temperament, was mostly surprised, while Xiong Qi, who looked very similar to the Queen Mother Huayang, was mostly sad and angry.

I can't do it, but you can. That's too stupid!
Meng An and Xi Shan, the two leaders of the Qin nobles, watched calmly. To them, the witnesses and evidences that the young man produced and the legal terms that he recited were meaningless.

The laws of the Qin State were intended to manage the untouchables and maintain social stability, not to restrict the real masters of the Qin State.

The rise and fall of a clan is not determined by how many Qin laws it has violated, but by its actions and the actions of its opponents.

Politics is usually about exchange, not killing.

The Imperial Censor Wei Zhuang, who was second only to the two prime ministers, half-closed his eyes, waiting for this high-sounding presentation of facts and laws to pass quickly so that he could get to the point.

The green smoke from the incense burners at the four corners of the hall rose straight up and dispersed only when it touched the beams.

Chang'an Jun and Queen Mother Zhao, who communicated fluently through question and answer, turned a blind eye to the reactions of their ministers and indulged themselves in their own world, talking about the decree that was only useful to the common people but useless to the nobles.

In less than a moment, all the facts of Wang He's assassination case came to light. Wang He was assassinated by Baili Sheng and four other prisoners who were brought to the court.

When the young man's voice came to a conclusion, all the officials were cheered up.

Enough of the nonsense, now comes the important part.

however.

Queen Mother Zhao narrowed her eyes, leaned back, and waved her white and tender palm in the air:

"The previous king has said that anyone who dares to assassinate him will be killed.

“In that case, let’s do as the late king said.

“Participants were put to death.

"Behead him and leave the body intact."

A sound of gasps rang out from the hall. Is this right? This is not right! This is too crazy! They really treat the nobles as pariahs! In order to appease the military commanders, they are targeting the Qin nobles!
Everyone had been feeling insecure these days, but this time, they went to court and there was no fighting. The generals, who had been silent like the deep ocean, suddenly looked like stones coming alive.

They sang the songs of birds and flowers, and some of them carried chairs and rushed towards Baili Sheng in the center of the court. They wanted to kill this old thief who assassinated the prince! They wanted to kill all the thieves who assassinated the prince!
The generals were filled with anger, but then their hearts calmed down. The country had not forgotten them, and the country still valued them the most.

What old Qin nobles, outsiders.

None of them can compare with their generals, and none of them have a higher status than their generals!
Seeing that a fight was about to break out, with no winner but only life and death, Wang Ling, the only remaining veteran among the Four Lords, stood up and shouted:

"Go back, motherfuckers!"

Before he could finish his words, the old and frail Wang Ling rushed angrily towards several angry generals who were carrying chairs.

With punches, kicks, and swearing, the fight was ultimately declared a failure before it even began.

The generals returned to their seats indignantly, looking murderously at Baili Sheng and the three old Qin nobles who were dragged out by the palace guards and thrown beside Baili Sheng.

The people they wanted to kill the most were these few people; in their eyes, those assassins were already dead.

Except for Wang Wen, all the masterminds mentioned by Ying Chengjiao are here, namely these four people.

When the Imperial Censor Wei Zhuang saw this, he wanted to speak.

The previous king had been very kind to him, and he could not watch the Qin State being defeated by a whore and a scoundrel. If things continued like this, the hearts of the military officers would be at peace, but what about the hearts of the civil officials? Could the Qin State survive by relying on military officers?

Stop again.

Although this was a matter of civil and military status, it was more of a matter for the old Qin nobles. Why should he be the first to offend Queen Mother Zhao and Lord Chang'an? Those old Qin nobles were more anxious than he was, and there was no need for him to take risks for the sake of the old Qin nobles.

The facts turned out to be just as Wei Zhuang had expected.

Meng An stood up:

"I have something to say!"

Death penalty? This crazy woman really wants us to establish her authority! Hateful!

Before the King of Qin and the Queen Mother of Zhao on the high platform could reply, the Crown Prince Ying Chengjiao standing in the front suddenly turned around and shouted:
"What do you have to say!

"I am acting in accordance with the law and the orders of the previous king. Is it possible that the laws of Qin cannot govern you, the Meng family?
"If you say anything disrespectful to the late king today, I will suspect that the Meng family is just like the Bai family, and that you are planning to usurp the throne!"

Meng An looked at the young man deeply.

It's okay to disobey the law, but disrespecting the previous king is a very serious blame, and this is Ben Meng's fate.

But, whether someone is respectful or not is not something that can be decided by just a few words from a boy like you.

"I have absolutely no such intention." Meng An lowered his head and expressed his attitude with five words, then said, "Well, since we are acting according to the law, then the first thing to do is to conduct the interrogation in accordance with the law. Do you agree with me, Your Majesty?"

After finishing his words, he raised his head slightly, his eyes piercing Ying Chengjiao's eyes like hooks, and then his gaze fell on Baili Sheng, who had a rag stuffed in his mouth and was tied up with a hemp rope in the middle of the hall, and said in a deep voice:
"I am very confident in interrogating you secretly.

"Your Excellency's reputation is known all over the world, and you are a living saint. You would never do such illegal and treasonous acts as torture.

“But now Lord Baili is speechless and cannot defend himself. If it gets out, others may doubt your reputation and it will be difficult to restore your reputation.

"Why don't you take the dirt out of Lord Baili's mouth, loosen the ropes, and let Lord Baili speak for himself."

Meng An looked concerned about Ying Chengjiao, but sneered in his heart.

He just didn't believe that Baili Sheng would not seize this last opportunity to change his confession.

Since you, Ying Chengjiao, use the law and the orders of the previous kings as your sword, let's talk about this law.

The person involved does not admit his guilt and accuses you of torture and coercion. Even if you, the crown prince, followed orders completely during the interrogation, you will not be convinced.

It doesn't matter what the truth is.

The best is for us, the best is the truth.

(End of this chapter)