Qin Gong

Chapter 685: Ying Zheng’s shock and his brother’s revenge.

Chapter 685: Ying Zheng’s shock and his brother’s revenge.

Ying Zheng knelt behind the wooden table, looking at the bamboo slips presented by counties from all over the country, his brows slightly frowned.

"Your Majesty! Outside the palace gate, there is a man who claims to be entrusted with presenting the bamboo slips of 'Extension of Favor' to Your Majesty!"

Han Yezhe came to the wooden table and reported to Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng was frowning, and when he heard Han Yezhe's words, he was surprised. Then he immediately stood up, hurried to Han Yezhe, picked up the bamboo slips and looked at them impatiently.

Ever since he last met Tian Xian, the son of Tian Ding, who personally delivered the bamboo slips to the palace, Ying Zheng had summoned Li Si, Wei Liao, Feng Quji, Wang Wan and other ministers countless times to discuss how to extend favors.

But in the end, no one was left scratching their heads.

No one understands why the bamboo slips now say with such certainty that Extension of Favor can bring peace to the world for thousands of years.

Now, hearing Han Yezhe say that someone outside the palace had presented a bamboo slip concerning the matter of extending favor, how could Ying Zheng not be excited and expectant.

No matter who sent it, no matter whether it was real or fake, it did not prevent Ying Zheng from reading the contents of the bamboo slips first.

"In ancient times, the vassal states were no more than a hundred miles apart, and the strong and weak were easy to control. Now that Qin has conquered the world and swallowed up the lands of various states, the people's customs have changed and are turbulent. Your Majesty is afraid that the vassal states will fight and cause chaos again, as in the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty..."

"The number of Qin's meritorious officials is in the tens or even hundreds. The Qin clansmen are all stationed in Guanzhong. The old clans are all there. If you are afraid of restoring the Zhou Dynasty but not afraid of people, you will lose the people's hearts. If you lose the people's hearts, the world will be in chaos..."

"People, if they are slow, will become arrogant and extravagant, and easily commit promiscuity, because of their greedy nature! The chaos and annexation of the Zhou Dynasty were caused by the annexation of the princes. After hundreds of years of accumulation, there may be dozens of sons and nephews, and the legitimate heirs will take over. Although the rest are flesh and blood, they have no fiefdoms of even an inch of land, so they are forced to do it, which is a disaster! We should extend favors and divide them according to the law. I hope that the princes can extend favors to their sons and nephews, and give them land. Everyone will be happy to get what they want. The emperor will show his kindness and give them real land. If they are not divided, they will become weak, and if they are not in chaos, they will perish. If they are not divided, the world will be stable..."

In the study, Ying Zheng held the bamboo slips in his hand and recited the contents softly. The more he read, the more his hands trembled with excitement.

This scroll of bamboo slips describes in detail how the Zhou Dynasty gained control of the world, divided it up, and then the princes became stronger, leading to the reasons for the Zhou Dynasty's demise. It also points out Qin Shi Huang's concerns and the consequences of forcibly promulgating the county system.

Ying Zheng saw in detail that if his generation only cared about not repeating the path of the Zhou Dynasty, without considering the support of court officials and clan members, then the Qin State would lose its most powerful support and the most important person in governing the world. In this way, the world would only become more and more chaotic, eventually leading to a weak country and even more important hidden dangers.

At last.

The bamboo slips pointed out the weaknesses of human nature in detail from a human perspective, and told Ying Zheng that the Zhou Dynasty once divided the world into fiefdoms because the princes had many children, but the only one who inherited everything was the eldest son. As a result, the vassal states continued to annex other states and would only become stronger and stronger over the centuries. This was the biggest disaster.

If the monarch's favor is implemented according to the law, the princes who have been enfeoffed must voluntarily distribute their fiefs and wealth to all their sons in the future. In this way, the biggest hidden danger of the princes will no longer exist. If the princes are unwilling, then the illegitimate sons who already have irreconcilable conflicts with the eldest sons will bury hidden dangers for the princes. Many of the princes' descendants will fight against their fathers and elder brothers for the Qin court. The Qin court can also implement benevolent policies by sending troops to quell the rebellion and finally rewarding them, so as to win the hearts of the people for the next prince after the enfeoffment. This will be repeated over and over again. These princes who have been enfeoffed will also divide the land among their many sons, and then the many sons will divide the land among their several times more grandsons.

Two generations are fine, three generations are weak, and four generations are in name only…

The chaos of the Zhou Dynasty is no longer there, and this goes for both meritorious ministers in the court and clan members. No matter who blocks the implementation of this order, not only can the king send troops to attack and force it to be implemented, but all the descendants of court ministers and clan members will stand on the side of the Qin court. In this way, the biggest dilemma facing Qin at the moment can be resolved.

"Tui En!!!"

Ying Zheng raised his head and looked ahead with a dull expression, his eyes full of shock and hesitation.

Before this, Ying Zheng had never thought that there would be such a strategy in the world!

Looking down at the bamboo slips in his hand, Ying Zheng couldn't imagine what would happen if the Zhou Dynasty eight hundred years ago had obtained these bamboo slips.

Will there still be the Spring and Autumn Period in this world, will there still be the Three Jins and Seven Heroes?

Will the Zhou Dynasty last for a hundred years, a thousand years, or even ten thousand years...

"Counties and prefectures run parallel, extending grace to all generations!"

Now, Ying Zheng finally understood why this sentence appeared in the bamboo slips. Perhaps he had suspected it was an exaggeration before, but now Ying Zheng was filled with fear and had even more respect for the old man who wrote the book whom he had never met.

What kind of person can come up with such a method and strategy?

"Where is the person who presented the bamboo slips?"

Ying Zheng turned around and immediately asked Han Yezhe.

After reading the bamboo slips, Ying Zheng was certain that these bamboo slips must have been written by the mysterious old man, both in terms of the handwriting and the content.

After reading this scroll of bamboo slips, the thing that had been bothering Ying Zheng the most and that he feared the most was finally alleviated.

As to whether it can be completely resolved, it depends on the result of the discussion after Ying Zheng summoned Li Si, Feng Quji, Wei Liao and others. After all, behind this Enfeoffment Order is the parallel development of counties and kingdoms.

What is involved behind these four words cannot be determined by just a few words.

However, with this brilliant plan, Ying Zheng no longer had to worry about his clan members and the military elites in the court. Even though the eldest son was the most powerful person in the clan in the past and had completely inherited the clan's network of contacts.

But Ying Zheng, who had walked step by step, understood this better than anyone else. Besides the legitimate sons, other illegitimate sons actually also had forces to rely on, from small clans to the former Chang'an Jun Chengjiao.

Regardless of whether they are clan enemies, or frustrated retainers and talented scholars, what will happen to them after the Enfeoffment Order is issued?

"Your Majesty, the person is outside the palace!"

When Han Yezhe heard Ying Zheng's question, he lowered his head and said, "I'm so sorry, but I can't wait to see the person who presented the letter." Hearing Ying Zheng's eagerness to see the person who presented the letter, Han Yezhe quickly accepted the order and turned to leave.

In the study room.

Ying Zheng looked at Han Yezhe's back as he left, and thought that the author of the book was still in Qi. For the first time, a deep sense of uneasiness and even panic emerged in Ying Zheng's heart.

"No matter what, I must meet this person!"

Ying Zheng looked very solemn, looking at the bamboo slips in his hand in shock. Thinking of Wang Zhaozhong, who had sent the Qi land to Bai Yan, and had instructed Bai Yan to bring the old man to Xianyang, Qin at any cost, Ying Zheng felt less nervous.

"If Bai Yan can't be invited..."

Ying Zheng sighed, turned around and looked out the window, standing with his hands behind his back for a long time, his expression seemed to indicate he had made some decision.

Mount Tai, State of Qi, Ying Zheng didn't mind going to Linzi, the capital of Qi, as soon as possible.

Outside the Xianyang Palace.

Ji Gu and Ji You, the uncle and nephew, stood outside the palace with nervous faces. They had wanted to return to Linzi in the past. After meeting Bai Yan, they learned that Tian Ding had already left Linzi. They asked Bai Yan if he needed their help, but unexpectedly, Bai Yan asked them with a serious face to personally deliver a scroll of bamboo slips to Xianyang.

Although they didn't know why Bai Yan didn't allow anyone else to send it, not even his close confidants, but out of trust in Bai Yan, neither Meng Gu nor Meng You refused.

Thinking of Bai Yan's previous instructions, Meng Gu looked around and reminded his nephew again.

As time passed, suddenly a horse-drawn carriage came slowly from a distance. Bo Gu and Bo You turned their heads to look, and when the carriage stopped, they saw a middle-aged man getting off the carriage.

"You two! The king summons you two to the palace!"

While they were wondering, Han Yezhe's voice suddenly interrupted the attention of Bo Gu and Bo You. Seeing Han Yezhe, Bo Gu hurriedly saluted him, then exchanged a glance with Bo You, and the two of them hurriedly followed Han Yezhe into the palace.

the other side.

Tian Ding naturally also saw Han Yezhe. This was not the first time Tian Ding came to Xianyang, and he clearly remembered that Han Yezhe was a close attendant of Ying Zheng.

At this moment, seeing Han Yezhe personally bringing the two men into the palace, Tian Ding frowned slightly, with some speculation in his eyes.

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

At dusk.

Under the protection of Qin soldiers holding long spears, more than a dozen civilians, trembling with fear, huddled together and walked slowly on the plain.

soon.

As everyone was watching, Bai Yan was seen walking out from outside the Qin army camp in the distance with his parents and brother.

"Brother-in-law!"

"In-laws! In-laws!! In-laws!!"

When they saw Bai Yan, all the people, without exception, trembled with fear. However, when they saw Bai Yan's parents and brother, Ping as well as his parents Gao and Huo, all cried out in excitement, their tear-stained faces and their eyes full of pleading.

The other common people also placed all their hopes at this time. They knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Yanfu and the Xie family to admit their mistakes. Faced with being beheaded or becoming prisoners and forced to do hard labor, the male villagers who had been about to attack Shui Shou before all kowtowed to Shui Shou with fear on their faces and admitted their mistakes. They did not dare to stop even when their foreheads were broken.

"Yan'er, let him go!"

Shi Qi looked at the appearance of those villagers, then turned to look at her second son Shui Yan.

"..."

Bai Yan looked at his mother, then at his brother who was being bullied. They all looked at him, with expressions that hoped he would let him go.

Thinking that he was his elder brother, he didn't want his brother and sister-in-law to have any grief in the future, so he brought his parents and came to plead without telling his brother and sister-in-law.

Thinking of this, Bai Yan could only turn his head and look at those people coldly.

Seeing Bai Yan's gaze, all the villagers, as well as Ping and others, were frightened, trembling, and kneeling on the ground in panic.

"You three can leave now!"

Bai Yan looked at Ping and her parents and spoke.

At Bai Yan's instruction, the soldiers let Ping and her parents go. As for the other villagers, Bai Yan would not let them go so easily. Moreover, Ping's family had done something wrong before. Even her parents and brother could not bear it. In addition, given the relationship between her brother and sister-in-law and these three people, Bai Yan would not let that family have an easy time.

"From now on, if the three of you dare to use my name to bully others, Bai Yan will not let you go even if my brother and sister-in-law plead for mercy!"

Bai Yan looked at Ping's family, who were all filled with joy.

"We dare not! General, we dare not!"

"General, rest assured, we would never dare to do that!!!"

After being let go with great difficulty, both the young Ping and her parents were already frightened out of their wits. When they heard Bai Yan's words, they dared not disobey him and immediately knelt down and kowtowed to promise.

When Huo and Gao saw their son-in-law Shui Shou coming to support them, their expressions were full of regret. However, after what happened, they didn't know how to talk to Shui Shou's family again.

Thousands of words seemed to be expressed in a look of regret.

"The rest of you will have to work for one year!"

Bai Yan no longer cared about the look in his mother's eyes. As long as his father and brother didn't say anything, it would be fine. So in front of everyone, Bai Yan ordered his soldiers to suppress these people.

One year of hard labor may seem like a light punishment, but anyone who has done hard labor as a prisoner knows how hard it is, and it is far more difficult than just farming.

Even if one is not healthy, he may not be able to live to the next year.

Bai Yan not only wanted these people to hate Ping's family, but also wanted their families to hate Ping and her parents who lived in the same village. Only in this way, not only would Ping's family be disliked by the people in the village, but no one would help this family in the future.

And Bai Yan’s words just now were not only a warning to this family, but also a statement of his attitude to everyone.

At dusk.

Bai Yan, his parents, and his brother watched Ping and her parents leave. They did not dare to go back to Linzi because there were Qin troops outside the city.

"You kid!"

Xi looked at the villagers who were being escorted away, and then looked at Bai Yan with a displeased look. Her tone seemed to be complaining, but her eyes were full of doting like a mother.

"Tell me, why did you hide it from mother?"

Shi Qi looked at her second son Shui Yan, who was now wearing Qin's armor and crown.

Everyone says that Qin General Bai Yan is majestic and a famous general of the Qin State. He is deeply trusted and respected by Ying Zheng, and has made great military achievements for the Qin State. But in the eyes of Shi Qi, he is now looking at his own son.

Shi Xi was so heartbroken that tears welled up in her eyes and flowed out uncontrollably.

In the water village.

Faced with the sudden incident, Shi Shi was confused for a moment and her whole body was in a daze. Now that she has gradually recovered, she looks at her son.

The first thought in Mrs. Qi's mind was that since her son was Bai Yan, then the experiences she heard about Bai Yan at the beginning must have been her son's experiences.

When she thought of this, Shi Xi couldn't imagine what her little son had been through and how many dangers he had been in during the years he had been away from home.

"Tell it to me, I'm afraid mom won't believe it!"

Bai Yan looked at the tearful face of Xi Shi and listened to his mother's familiar tone, and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Seeing that his mother did not blame him, nor did she blame him for punishing the villagers, Bai Yan felt relieved. As the sky was getting dark, Bai Yan knew that Shi had a lot to say and a lot to ask.

But Bai Yan still comforted Shi Xi, saying that after persuading King Qi to surrender, he would slowly tell Shi Xi and his father about his experiences in the past few years.

After saying that, Bai Yan asked his father to take his mother back first.

As for the brother...

Bai Yan looked at his puzzled brother, then asked him to stay and ordered someone to send him back tomorrow.

Late at night.

Just outside Linzi City, more than 20 miles away, walking upstream along the river, under a simple wooden shed, Tian Jia was tied up, tied up with a charming woman in silk and gauze, and several servants.

"Woooooo~!"

Tian Jia struggled continuously, but it was all in vain. With his fat face, Tian Jia looked around the wooden shed with horror at the men holding swords.

Tian Jia didn't understand who had the audacity to kidnap him, a member of the Tian family, in Linzi.

What made Tian Jia even more puzzled was that from the time he was tied up until now, these people did not seem to be here for money or beauty, otherwise the concubine beside him would have probably been violated long ago.

Then why did they kidnap him? A former enemy? That couldn't be the case, and it didn't seem like...

Looking at the crackling bonfires and the summer mosquitoes, not to mention the beautiful concubine who was already crying, even Tian Jia had small blisters all over his face.

Finally, there was movement in the distance. Under Tian Jia's gaze, he finally saw several torches slowly approaching.

"Woooooooooo~!"

Seeing someone coming, Tian Jia became excited again. No matter what the other party's purpose was or what request he had, Tian Jia would agree without hesitation.

At this moment, Tian Jia had only one thought in his mind, which was to return to Linzi City to enjoy himself.

Accompanied by the sound of footsteps approaching.

Finally, Tian Jia saw the group of people clearly, but when he saw that the leader was a young man, Tian Jia was a little surprised, as if he did not know this young man.

And others...

Hmm? Why does it look familiar?

When Tian Jia saw Shui Shou limping behind Bai Yan, he suddenly felt that he looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him. However, as he saw Shui Shou limping, he looked at Shui Shou's face.

In an instant, Tian Jia thought of something, and his whole fat face turned pale, his eyes were full of panic, fear and confusion.

Similarly, it was not just Tian Jia. The other tied-up slaves also showed expressions of fear and terror when they saw Tian Jia. They kept struggling, as if they wanted to escape, with despair in their eyes.

And Tian Jia's beautiful concubine, the enchanting woman in tulle, looked at Shui Shou with a dull look on her pretty face.

"General!"

"General!!!"

When the men outside the wooden shed saw Bai Yan, they all stood up and bowed to Bai Yan.

These people were all close confidants of Bai Yan and Wei Lao. After receiving the news that Tian Jie was going to flee Linzi, they ambushed on the road and arrested Tian Jie.

"Ok!"

Bai Yan nodded, looked at the expressions of Tian Jia and the others, turned to look at his brother who also had a dull look on his face, and stood there in a daze.

Knowing his brother's character, Bai Yan didn't say anything. He just walked towards Tian Jia step by step, stretched out his hand and slowly pulled out the Zhanlu from his waist.

"Brother! It was this person who caused you to get hurt in the past!"

Bai Yan held the sword in reverse and pointed it at Tian Jia's head in front of Tian Jia's terrified gaze. After he finished speaking, he looked at Tian Jia who was struggling and trying to retreat, and Bai Yan's face was gloomy, and he stabbed him with all his strength.

"Woo!!!"

Bai Yan noticed the violent shaking of Zhan Lu, but his eyes were fixed on Tian Jia, who was in front of him with a painful and hideous face.

"It hurts? What my brother went through in the past was much more than this!"

Looking at the blue veins popping out on Tian Jia's forehead and looking at Tian Jia's eyes, Bai Yan looked back without any hesitation.

At this moment, Bai Yan knew that the person who hurt his brother in the past was not only Tian Jia, but also others. Thinking of this, Bai Yan stood up, pulled out the Zhanlu, and Tian Jia screamed again.

Bai Yan looked at the people who were tied up nearby with frightened faces.

After his brother has taken revenge, no matter what his brother does, Bai Yan will not let these people leave alive!

　Yesterday was Daidao’s birthday, so the update was a little late. That’s because my wife was the only one with him on his birthday, so the update was only made in the early morning.

　　The Enfeoffment Order was just the beginning. After checking many scholars' information, I found that during the reign of Emperor Qin Shihuang, the Qin State was capable of implementing it and did not worry about any severe backlash.

　　Bai Yan’s other suggestions to Ying Zheng will be revealed later.

　　Qin Gong's final ending was very special, and Daidao had been considering it over and over again in the past two days.

(End of this chapter)