Whose Xingyue looks like you?

[The place of punishment and killing, in charge of life and death]

You were deeply moved, so after you left, you placed a pill next to the First Emperor while he was resting at night, and wrote down the instructions for taking it, its effects, and precautions on a piece of paper.

[A pill that can rejuvenate and restore one's life. If taken before death, one can live another life. The body will regress to the time before it reached its peak function. However, one must stay away from the throne and the dynasty's luck. After all, the Qin Dynasty's luck is limited. If one continues to take it, he will die suddenly.]

[After waking up and seeing your handwriting, the First Emperor was filled with emotion. However, a thought that would never have existed in normal history lingered in his mind. This resurrection pill could truly bring him back to life, but what if he sent his beloved son Fusu to Meng Tian to train, and then faked his own death...]

[The First Emperor planned a big event]

Zhao Gao was overjoyed to hear you resign, and felt somewhat fortunate that he hadn't bothered you before. Otherwise, the grass on your grave would be as tall as those of the noble families.

In the Cloud Recesses, Yu Ji breathed a sigh of relief. After leaving human society, she actually felt some emotion.

Yu Ji asked, "What are you going to do next?"

Bai Ming said, "I've had enough of being an official. Now I'm ready to rebel. From now on, don't call me Bai Ming or Bai Qing. Just call me Xiang Yu."

Yu Ji: “?”

[Outsider of the Talent Cycle, activate]

"You want a grand event. After all, in your opinion, history can end with the establishment of the Han Dynasty, but the process cannot be limited to the original historical trajectory. If it is simply a historical trajectory, what is the point? I will let you, as a master, give your good disciple Fusu a grand graduation assessment."

[However, your good disciple is faster than you and the First Emperor.]

In mid-215 BC, Fusu wrote to the First Emperor, requesting that the current chaos be rectified and that appropriate assessments be conducted on Confucian scholars and alchemists. The First Emperor readily agreed.

Without waiting for Xu Fu, Lu Sheng and others to return from the sea, or for Lu Sheng and Hou Sheng to ridicule the First Emperor, Fusu secretly carried out a book burning and burying of scholars. The First Emperor then sent Fusu to the north with Meng Tian to fight against the Xiongnu.

Zhao Gao's ambition increased greatly.

The First Emperor left a will for himself, faked his own death, hid in Wang Jian's house, and watched the Qin Dynasty fall into chaos.

[The news reached you, and you reacted to it. You discovered that both the First Emperor and his son were doing something, so you started doing something too.]

[You, armed with two imperial edicts, brought Concubine Yu directly to Pei County and became the county magistrate. Liu Ji was serving as the chief of the Sishui Pavilion in Pei County. You then hosted a private banquet for Liu Ji. He had been in Xianyang for corvée labor and had visited Xianyang freely during that time. He had seen Qin Shi Huang, and he had also seen you, and had heard of your renowned name.]

You invited Liu Ji to drink and chat. After Liu Ji got drunk, he introduced you to Fan Kuai, a famous butcher from Pei County. After Fan Kuai took his seat and got drunk, you invited Liu Ji and Fan Kuai to rent a peach orchard and performed the Peach Garden Oath of Brotherhood. Yu Ji was used as a witness to this scene.

Chapter 93: When three men get together, things often happen that are difficult to control.

Liu Bang, the idle knight-errant, is the eldest, Xiang Yu, the arrogant and self-righteous one, is the second, and Fan Kuai, the butcher from Pei County, is the third.

Liu Bang didn't understand why you insisted on elevating him to the position of eldest brother, but he still agreed to this matter after your repeated requests.

Yu Ji, standing by, had no idea what the hell you were up to, but considering that the First Emperor, with the Resurrection Pill, could still die once more, and your frivolous disciple could even burn books and bury scholars, she suddenly thought your sudden move of sworn brotherhood was perfectly normal.

[After you, Liu Bang, and Fan Kuai swore brotherhood in Peach Garden, the Qin Dynasty's Xianyang was in turmoil.]

The First Emperor was fond of having children. He had 33 children in total, 23 sons and 10 daughters.

[At that time, Fusu was away, and the First Emperor's "last will" deliberately did not mention who would succeed him. At that time, all of his twenty-two sons, except Fusu, had their own ideas.]

The news of the First Emperor's death spread quickly. Meng Tian, ​​who was in the northern border, hurried into Fusu's tent and conveyed the news to him.

Fusu counted on his fingers, his face full of amusement. His father was faking his death for fun. He immediately said to Meng Tian, ​​"General Meng, don't worry about this. Father is worry-free. He just faked his death for fun. Let's continue studying the Taigong military strategy left by my master."

"Sir, is His Majesty really alright?"

Meng Tian's face was filled with worry. Fusu nodded and said, "Of course it's nothing. Anyway, my father sent me to the northern border to hone my skills in the army and learn military tactics. General Meng and I command 300,000 troops. Even if the court really rebels, what will happen? Even if 300,000 troops fail to quell the rebellion, what will happen? When all else fails, I will ask my master to come. If my master doesn't come, I will ask my uncles and uncles to come. There is always a way to win."

"That's right... Master Bai's magic is superb, and his yellow and white magic is unparalleled in the world."

Meng Tian nodded, then looked at Fusu's heroic and charming outfit and sighed, "It's a pity that the Immortal doesn't like to socialize with others, otherwise I would really like to ask for a set from him."

[On the other side, the remaining forces that wanted to restore the chaos of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period began to quietly gather across the country of Daqin.]

In a dark secret room, a few nobles gathered together. One of the old Yan nobles asked, "Is the tyrant really dead?"

"Not necessarily." A Korean noble asked, "Zifang, what do you think?"

The elegant man known as Zifang shook his head and whispered, "We should wait for the scouts to report back. Three years ago, I wanted to assassinate the tyrant in Bolingsha, but my master warned me not to, or I would perish. Not to mention that Prince Fusu was originally a Confucian, but now he has become a master who combines yin and yang, Taoism, legalism, Confucianism, and military science. I believe there must be a master stirring up trouble in the Xianyang Palace."

"You're a cowardly fellow who only cares about the easy stuff." A hot-tempered Chu nobleman immediately cursed, "Zhang Liang is already cowardly before the battle, and he's killing our spirit."

Calling him by his given name instead of using his given name was clearly a humiliation, and Zhang Liang shook his head.

As a disciple of Chisongzi and Huangshigong, he knew some inside information.

It is quite normal for an immortal to be able to see the past and the future in the long river of time (the Canal of Stars), so Zhang Liang's master repeatedly told Zhang Liang not to provoke Bai Ming, otherwise even if he mentioned the names of Chisongzi and Huangshigong, he would not be able to save him.

Therefore, Zhang Liang did not go to Bolingsha to assassinate Qin Shihuang in 218 BC.

Among these remaining nobles and retainers, some disciples of Guiguzi and some Yin-Yang School sorcerers also knew some inside information, but they could not tell.

Most of the nobles had only a vague understanding or even no knowledge of a series of mysterious things such as Taoism and alchemy, so they could only think that Zhang Liang was trying to shake the morale of the army.

After the Chu noble finished his scolding, Zhang Liang spoke up, "As long as you're happy, if you're so formidable, why don't you go out and fight your way through an army of 300,000 men all by yourself? Instead of standing here barking like a dog whose tail has been stepped on and whose legs have been broken?"

I don't know when, some sarcastic and disgusting words were transmitted in this thought pattern, and there was a comment attached: "The Taoist master will not scold you or beat you, and the Taoist master's Taoist heart is unstable."

Someone with slightly higher authority, such as Zhang Liang, could easily access this information. The person who uploaded the abusive words was Bai Ming, who made Zhang Liang feel uneasy.

Seeing the Chu noble's face flush red in an instant, Zhang Liang thought: Apart from anything else, this gentleman's fighting ability is top-notch when he doesn't swear or curse.

Zhang Liang then stood up and walked out of the secret room, leaving only his words lingering in the chamber: "As Confucius said, rotten wood cannot be carved. Sometimes I really worry about your parents... Sorry, I forgot that when your parents were killed by the tyrant's son, you were still intoxicated in the arms of the dancer. It's unfilial, not to mention your brain."

The Chu noble kicked the table and chairs in the secret room with a thud, intending to fight Zhang Liang to the death, but Zhang Liang turned around and ran away.

With Zhang Liang's intelligence, he had already guessed that Bai Ming was observing his situation in real time and teaching him how to attack the other party's parents on the spot.

Zhang Liang planned to go look for Bai Ming, so after leaving the secret room, he asked, "Master Bai, I'm honored to meet you. Where can I find him?"

A voice came with the wind, and Zhang Liang immediately ran towards Pei County.

[While Zhang Liang was heading straight for Pei County, you were still busy doing things]

Pei County is a place where many talented people emerge, including Liu Ji, Xiao He, Cao Shen, and Fan Kuai.

Liu Ji was a generous person. Since Bai Ming arrived and they became sworn brothers, he was even more sincere to Bai Ming and Fan Kuai. The three of them were inseparable, so much so that Yu Ji, who had always followed Bai Ming, felt a little redundant.

It happened that the Shanfu Lu family migrated to Pei County to avoid their enemies. The head of the family, Lu Gong, was a good friend of the previous Pei County magistrate. So when the heroes and officials in Pei heard that the former county magistrate had a distinguished guest, they all went to congratulate him.

Duke Lu had three daughters and two sons: the eldest son Lu Ze, the second son Lu Shizhi, the eldest daughter Lu Changsou, the second daughter Lu Zhi, and the third daughter Lu Shi.

By chance, Liu Bang met the woman Lu Zhi and was in a trance the whole day.

One day, Yu Ji was drinking tea and quietly watching the three grown men gathered around a table with serious expressions. You know, when three men get together, things often happen that are difficult to control, so Yu Ji was really worried that the three brothers were going to do something extraordinary.

"Second brother, third brother, I met a woman. After seeing her, every time I close my eyes, I can only see her face. Then I think, second brother, you are married. Do you know what I am thinking?"

Liu Bang's words were sincere, and Bai Ming sighed: "Brother, this is a heart disease, as the saying goes, a heart disease needs a heart medicine to cure it."

Fan Kuai said in a loud voice: "I know that too!"

Yu Ji, who was listening to the words, got goose bumps all over her body. These three people were definitely going to cause trouble. The three brothers of Taoyuan had set their sights on the Lu family who had moved to a new house.

About Surnames

I will stack my armor first. I am a graduate student in Chinese literature, so I can’t avoid the pre-Qin culture. I have studied it in detail.

Let's take the First Emperor as an example.

Sima Qian says: "The ancestors of the Qin dynasty had the surname Ying. Later, they divided the land into fiefdoms, using the surnames of the states they ruled. There were the Xu, Tan, Ju, Zhongli, Yun'an, Tuqiu, Jiangliang, Huang, Jiang, Xiuyu, Baiming, Feilian, and Qin. However, the Qin dynasty, after their ancestor Zaofu, granted the city of Zhao, thus establishing the Zhao clan."

The origin of the Ying surname Zhao is not just that his mother was Zhao Ji.

Records of the Grand Historian, Volume 5, Chronicles of Qin, states, "King Mu granted Zaofu the city of Zhao, and Zaofu's clan became the Zhao clan." It also states, "Shen Hou then said to King Xiao, 'In the past, my ancestor's daughter from Lishan was married to Rong Xu Xuan and gave birth to Zhong Yu. Because of our kinship, we returned to Zhou and protected Xichui, and Xichui maintained peace with us because of this. Now I have married Da Luo again and have given birth to a legitimate son, Cheng. Shen and Luo's marriages have brought submission to the Western Rong, and therefore he has become king. Your Majesty, please plan for this." King Xiao then said, 'In the past, Bo Yi was in charge of livestock for Shun, and the livestock produced abundant crops, so he was given land and the surname Ying. Now, his descendants will also provide me with livestock, and I will divide their land and make them vassals.' He then sent the city to Qin, and ordered them to resume the Ying clan's cult, calling themselves Qin Ying. He also did not abolish Shen Hou's daughter, who was married to Luo, in order to maintain peace with the Western Rong."

In the pre-Qin period, women were called by their surnames, and men by their clan names. [Tongzhi, Volume 25, "A Brief Introduction to the Clans," Chapter 1: Before the Three Dynasties, surnames and clan names were separated, with men being called by their clan names and women by their surnames. Clan names served to distinguish between the noble and the humble: the noble had clan names, while the humble had names but no clan names.]

When Qin Shi Huang was born, his father was not yet the heir to the Qin Dynasty, so Qin Shi Huang's surname was Ying and his clan name was Zhao, so he was called Zhao Zheng or Zhao Zheng. Otherwise, why wasn't the fucking "Zhao Zheng (Zheng) Book" of the Western Han Dynasty called "Ying Zheng Book"?

According to the etiquette of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the King of Qin was the head of the Qin State. The royal families of the vassal states did not use their clan names, but were directly called by their title + name. The monarch was called a certain king/duke + name, and the monarch's son was called a prince + name. That's why historical books record "Prince Fusu" and "Prince Huhai". The monarch's grandson was called a grandson + name. It was not until Qin Shihuang's father recognized Lady Huayang as his mother, changed his name to "Chu" (some say Zichu), and became King Zhuangxiang of Qin that the term "Prince Zheng" came into being.

In addition, after much thought, I have to say to the person who discussed history with me in Chapter 92 that Hu Hai’s surname is not Hu.

Only those whose relationship with the monarch is beyond three generations can take a "surname", and those whose relationship with the monarch is within three generations do not need to take a "surname". In addition, after Qin Shihuang unified the six kingdoms and ended a series of reforms after the Warring States Period, surnames began to merge. Therefore, the civil and military classics unearthed by her descendants are all of the Ying surname Zhao, and their names are Fusu and Huhai.

Gu Yanwu's Tinglin Collection of Essays, Volume 1, "Original Surnames": Men are called clan names, women are called surnames. Clan names can change over time, but surnames remain unchanged for thousands of years.

The Han Dynasty was the time when surnames were officially mixed. As for the distinction between the Ying surname Qin and the Ying surname Zhao, or even between the Qin and Zhao families, I don't want to say much. This is a problem caused by Sima Qian's mixing, not my problem.

But if we look into it in detail, it should be based on the principle of "taking the country as the surname when the country is destroyed" recorded in "Tongzhi" Volume 26 "Clans" 2. Considering that Liang Yusheng's "Shiji Zhiyi" Volume 4 records that "Qin and Zhao have the same ancestor, and their descendants may call each other by their names", there is actually not much difference between the Ying surname, Qin surname, Ying surname and Zhao surname. Ying Zheng, Zhao Zheng and Qin Zheng are all recorded in history books.

but,

A surname is a name that refers to the origin of one's ancestors; a clan name is a name that distinguishes one's descendants.

So, Qin Shihuang’s ancestors had the surname Ying and were granted the land of Zhao, so they were from the Zhao clan. How could they be from the Ying clan?

To add to the view that Qin was a clan of Zhao, "The Qin Dynasty maintained its criminal laws unchanged and eventually destroyed the Zhao Dynasty" in the Records of the Grand Historian and the Biographies of Li and Lu Jia, and "Chen She called on the Chuze people and started a rebellion near the Chu State. Both the internal and external forces were involved, and the Zhao Dynasty had no fire to fight against it" in the Biographies of the Five Sons of Wu. I'll just say this briefly. That's it. I don't want to dwell on it anymore. I won't debate next time.

Chapter 94: Liu Bang: Second brother, marry a concubine and put pressure on your sister-in-law

You took Liu Bang and Fan Kuai to Lu Gong's housewarming banquet.

[When you presented the betrothal gift, you didn't have any gold or silver, and Liu Bang was even penniless. Even if Fan Kuai had a lot of wealth, he didn't have it with him at the time.]

[I also heard that Xiao He was helping to collect gifts and acting as the general manager, and that those who gave less than a thousand gold coins were forced to sit in the hall. The three of you brothers looked at each other and came up with a plan. You decided to trap Bai Lang with empty words and torture Xiao He, who was taking private jobs.]

Liu Bang: "Liu Ji, the gift money is 10,000."

Bai Ming: "Xiang Yu, the gift money is 8,000."

Fan Kuai: "Fan Kuai, the gift money is eight thousand."

The three voices came in and shocked Lu Gong. He quickly got up and went to the door to greet the three people.

Lu Gong always likes to read people's faces. After seeing the faces of you three brothers, he respected you very much and specially led you to sit in the hall. However, you three sat down in the seats of honor without any intention of being humble.

"Lü Gong, Liu Ji has always been a big talker, but rarely gets anything done. I don't know how this new county magistrate became captivated by Liu Ji and became his brother. As for Fan Kuai, he's a famous butcher in Pei County."

After hearing about this, Xiao He immediately introduced it to Lu Gong, but Lu Gong didn't care at all.

After hearing what Xiao He said, Liu Bang took the opportunity to tease the other guests. Seeing the two burly men behind Liu Bang, the other guests dared not speak out in anger. Bai Ming walked up to Xiao He and said, "It's quite interesting to see Chief Lieutenant Xiao gossiping behind their backs."

Bai Ming's words made Xiao He's face turn ugly.

Even though Xiao He was the chief clerk and a powerful official in the county, the man in front of him had the imperial edict of the First Emperor in his hand. Even after the death of the First Emperor, his influence could still last for about ten years. The man in front of him could take his life with just one word.

Moreover, according to gossip, although the man in front of him had left the Qin court, the First Emperor did not revoke his positions as court sorcerer and commander of the guards. In addition, with the two imperial edicts in his hands, he could lead an army to Xianyang at any time to support the king and purge the court.