pappabearbooks #344 - Quickly conquer the world! Do not rule the country according to the ancients, but adapt to lo
#344 - Quickly conquer the world! Do not rule the country according to the ancients, but adapt to lo
When Lu Buwei rushed to the Xianyang Palace to find Queen Dowager Huayang, it could only be said that he made a bad move.
Although in most cases, Lu Buwei and Queen Dowager Huayang were on the same page.
But don't forget that Queen Dowager Huayang represents the Chu faction in Qin.
And in the court, Lord Changping of the Chu faction, and Lu Buwei, even if they were not sworn enemies, were definitely not allies.
At most, it was just that Lu Buwei was now powerful, and Lord Changping and the Chu faction chose to temporarily avoid the limelight.
As Ying Zheng took power, it was conceivable that the Chu faction would inevitably launch a counterattack against Lu Buwei.
The timing, geographical advantages, and popular support, Lu Buwei had almost completely lost, and the only thing that could be regarded as his base was the officials from the six kingdoms of Shandong.
This may also be the reason why Ying Zheng, after defeating Lu Buwei, issued an expulsion order, wanting to expel all officials in the Qin court who were not native to Qin.
After peeling away the layers, it seemed that Ying Zheng completely relied on the old forces of the Chu faction and Lord Changping to get rid of Lu Buwei.
And the expulsion order was more like appeasing those Chu factions and old Qin people, while at the same time, it was a trick to win over the officials of various countries.
After all, the appearance of the "Memorial on the Expulsion of Foreign Officials" was, to some extent, Ying Zheng's demonstration of his willingness to listen to advice.
It might even be said that the expulsion order and the "Memorial on the Expulsion of Foreign Officials" were more like a choice between removing the roof and opening a window.
When Ying Zheng, who controlled the military power, once again openly proposed the request to be crowned and take power in the court.
Except for Lu Buwei who was still prevaricating, Lord Changping and the Chu faction behind him, including the old Qin people and even the military, all resolutely chose to stand on Ying Zheng's side.
In this case, Ying Zheng's coronation and assumption of power was a foregone conclusion, even if Zhao Ji returned from Yongcheng in time and joined forces with Lu Buwei again, it would not be able to stop it.
Although Zhao Ji was the Queen Dowager who listened to politics behind a curtain, Queen Dowager Huayang was the real master of the harem.
After all, Qin Yiren, Ying Zheng's father, was able to ascend the throne thanks to the support of Queen Dowager Huayang and the Chu faction.
Zhao Ji, who was empty in appearance, could only delay Ying Zheng's coronation and assumption of power if she cooperated with Lu Buwei.
And when Ying Zheng controlled the military power, and all aspects of the coronation and assumption of power met the conditions, any change between Zhao Ji and Lu Buwei would prompt them to only be able to watch Ying Zheng become the rightful and de facto King of Qin.
In the court, the time for Ying Zheng's coronation and assumption of power was quickly determined.
However, because Qin had repeatedly moved its capital, Ying Zheng's coronation ceremony could not be held directly in Xianyang, but had to go to the former capital, Yongcheng.
When the news that Ying Zheng was about to be crowned and take power reached Yongcheng.
During this time, Lao Ai, who had been messing around with Zhao Ji and even had sprouted ambitions that he should not have, also took advantage of Ying Zheng's coronation ceremony to plan a mutiny to seize power.
On the surface, everything in Qin seemed to be preparing for Ying Zheng's assumption of power.
But in fact, under the seemingly harmonious appearance, Qin was already surging with undercurrents.
After Ying Zheng determined the time for the coronation, Ying Zheng's coronation ceremony was the top priority of Qin at present, and naturally would not be held hastily.
This gave those with ulterior motives sufficient preparation time.
Inside Yongcheng.
Zhao Ji, with a loving face, teased her two children while looking at Lao Ai beside her with some worry.
Keenly aware of Zhao Ji's worried eyes, Lao Ai said: "Don't worry, this time our preparations are foolproof. When the time comes, our children will ascend the throne of Qin."
Frowning, Zhao Ji said with some worry: "But... Zheng'er..."
"Now that the arrow is on the string, we have to shoot!" Lao Ai said without容置疑: "I know the King is your child, but our children are also your children."
Under Lao Ai's sweet words, Zhao Ji, although still hesitant, finally chose to support Lao Ai.
Everything was proceeding intensively.
And here in Yongcheng, although Lao Ai claimed to be foolproof, unfortunately, his arrogance, coupled with the fact that the Lishan Palace in Yongcheng was not really monolithic, and not all of them were loyal to Lao Ai.
The news that Lao Ai was preparing to rebel, Ying Zheng had already received the news before he had even really set off for Yongcheng.
Inside Xianyang Palace.
Ying Zheng's air pressure was frighteningly low.
He clenched the intelligence that had just been sent from Yongcheng.
At this moment, Ying Zheng's attachment to family affection completely disappeared.
With a backhand, he crumpled the intelligence from Yongcheng into a ball.
Ying Zheng took a deep breath and looked at Gai Nie beside him and said, "Sir, this time I am going to Yongcheng to hold the coronation ceremony, my safety will be entrusted to you, sir."
Although he seemed to really entrust everything to Gai Nie, in fact, Ying Zheng had made multiple arrangements.
Lao Ai's so-called foolproof preparations were actually full of loopholes in Ying Zheng's eyes.
Not to mention other things, Ying Zheng, who controlled the 100,000 Pingyang heavy armor soldiers, the military force responsible for this escort was definitely not comparable to the Jianghu wanderers that Lao Ai had gathered.
In a one-on-one fight, Lao Ai's followers were indeed strong, and could even achieve a one-to-ten degree when facing the Qin elite.
But military formation battles and Jianghu fights were completely different things.
What Gai Nie needed to be responsible for was, at most, some shady assassination methods.
Hearing this, Gai Nie hurriedly clasped his fists and saluted, saying: "Yes, with the subordinate by your side, I will definitely not let the King encounter danger, the King can rest assured."
As the date of Ying Zheng's coronation approached.
The seemingly harmonious court was becoming more and more turbulent.
Inside the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Later than Ying Zheng to learn that Lao Ai was planning to take advantage of Ying Zheng's coronation to rebel, Lu Buwei was so angry that his face turned iron blue.
"Yan Ri." Lu Buwei slapped the table and said angrily: "Quickly go to Yongcheng and stop that idiot Lao Ai."
With the determination of Ying Zheng's coronation and assumption of power, Lu Buwei had already felt the feeling of the rapid loss of power.
Now the only thing he could trust was the Net.
Lao Ai was sent to the Xianyang Palace by Lu Buwei himself.
Especially since Lao Ai was a fake eunuch.
Once this news leaked, Lao Ai was bound to die.
But Lu Buwei himself would definitely not have a good end.
Not to mention other things, just the fact that Lao Ai was recommended by him was enough to doom Lu Buwei's inescapable guilt.
After all, if the matter between Lao Ai and Zhao Ji was not put on the table, it would at most be a secret of the palace, but once it was put on the table, it would be adultery in the harem, a crime that could not be pardoned.
This kind of thing, if it is not weighed, it is not even four ounces, but once it is weighed, it cannot be stopped even with a thousand pounds.
There is no doubt that Lao Ai's actions in Yongcheng, whether successful or not, would eventually cause Lu Buwei to suffer a huge backlash.
As for the possibility of Lao Ai's success, Lu Buwei did not believe that he had the ability.
Even if Ying Zheng was really assassinated by Lao Ai at the coronation ceremony, the throne would definitely not be the turn of Lao Ai and Zhao Ji's children.
Did he really think that the people of the Ying Qin clan were all dead?
In Daqin, don't look at Lu Buwei's current situation of covering the sky with one hand, but in fact, this is all caused by the complexity of the Daqin court situation.
In the Qin court, although Lu Buwei was the only one who was dominant, his forces also had many small factions. After the unsuccessful scholars of the various countries defected to Qin, they would naturally form gangs and factions.
They formed small groups based on region, school, etc., and relied on Lu Buwei's wings like a group to keep warm.
This made Lu Buwei seem powerful, as if he had the final say in Daqin.
But in fact, Lu Buwei's power all relied on his own maintenance. If it were replaced by anyone, this currently united force would probably disintegrate again in a short period of time.
This was still the internal part of the Lu Buwei faction, and in the court, in addition to Lu Buwei, the Chu faction was also a behemoth. With Queen Dowager Huayang and Lord Changping, combining inside and outside, coupled with the marriage between Qin and Chu for hundreds of years, it created an incomparably terrifying behemoth.
This Chu faction's power was closely linked to the Ying Qin clan and the old Qin people.
If the power of the old Qin people and the Ying Qin clan and the military were added, it would be easy to overthrow Lu Buwei's power.
The only thing that Lu Buwei could really believe in now was the Net.
And once he was charged with colluding with Lao Ai, under the principle of catching the thief first, after losing Lu Buwei, his power would probably disintegrate quickly, either being wooed by all parties, or simply expelled, or defecting to the new King of Qin.
And Lu Buwei himself, including his family behind him, would definitely be eradicated.
Lu Buwei was able to complete a gorgeous transformation from a businessman, relying on rare goods to invest in King Zhuangxiang of Qin, and in one fell swoop, he became the Prime Minister of a country from a businessman. His power was so great that even Ying Zheng, the rightful King of Qin, could not take power in person.
He relied on his own wisdom to keenly complete every team standing and every bet in the court.
It was this strong political wisdom that made Lu Buwei keenly feel the arrival of his own doom.
While dispatching Yan Ri of the Net to Yongcheng to prevent Lao Ai as much as possible, Lu Buwei certainly would not put all his eggs in one basket.
After calming down the anger in his heart. After Lu Buwei let out a sigh of relief, a desolate and lonely look suddenly appeared on his face.
"It seems that it is time for me to step down."
With a quiet sigh. Lu Buwei said loudly: "Come, prepare the car, and send a greeting card to Mr. Luo Zi, the old man is going to visit Mr. Luo Zi immediately."
Lu Buwei knew the news as soon as Luo Fu arrived in Xianyang, but Lu Buwei did not intend to meet Luo Fu so quickly.
One was that Lu Buwei was now in a high position of power, while Luo Fu, although he had risen to fame during this period of time, and looked like a new saint of Confucianism.
But the identities of the two were clearly distinct.
For Lü Buwei, Luo Fu had previously been, at most, a Confucian disciple with some academic achievements, not worth the Qin State Chancellor personally visiting.
More importantly, these were troubled times, and Lü Buwei couldn't spare the time.
But now it was different.
In the court, Ying Zheng's, the King of Qin, coronation and assumption of power were unstoppable, while at the same time, Lao Ai in Yongcheng foolishly believed that as long as he held the heart of the Queen Mother Zhao Ji, his child could usurp the throne and become the King of Qin.
It could be said that Lü Buwei, despite outwardly still being the Chancellor of Qin, was actually only a moment away from death and the extermination of his clan.
Of course, besides the difference in status, Lü Buwei and Luo Fu were also different in terms of academics.
Luo Fu was a rising star in Confucianism, and was even recognized by the various states for innovating Confucianism and charting a course towards peace.
Lü Buwei, on the other hand, was a representative of the Miscellaneous School.
Purely from an academic standpoint, the two were different, and while they wouldn't necessarily be opposed, they wouldn't get along harmoniously either.
But now, Lü Buwei had no choice.
Even though he felt that even if he sought out Luo Fu, it might not have much effect, in desperation, Lü Buwei could only choose to cast a wide net.
Inside Luo Fu's residence.
As Ying Zheng's key guard on this trip to Yongcheng, Gai Nie was sitting opposite Luo Fu, with two cups of tea emitting fragrant steam on the low table between them.
"Sir, regarding the safety of the King, I ask for your assistance," Gai Nie said sincerely to Luo Fu.
Nodding slightly, Luo Fu said, "Rest assured, the King is blessed by the heavens. Although there are villains, they cannot possibly threaten the King's safety!"
A look of embarrassment appeared on his face.
Seeing this, Luo Fu quickly guessed that Ying Zheng wouldn't have sent Gai Nie on this trip just to seek his help.
Sure enough, after hesitating for a moment, Gai Nie hardened his heart, gritted his teeth, and said, "Sir, the King hopes that the matter of Yongcheng will not be made public."
A flash of inspiration struck Luo Fu's mind, and he instantly understood.
Yongcheng, Ying Zheng's coronation, Lao Ai…
These keywords held a shocking secret. Even two thousand years later, this secret would still amaze people.
Zhao Ji, as the Queen Mother, was so infatuated with Lao Ai that she not only bore him two children, but was even bewitched by Lao Ai, hoping to get rid of Ying Zheng, her real son, and put her and Lao Ai's illegitimate children on the throne of Qin?
Luo Fu had seen a lot through his access to the myriad realms, and had seen countless people blinded by love, but he had never seen or even heard of anyone like Zhao Ji.
Clearly, since Ying Zheng knew about Lao Ai's plan to rebel in Yongcheng, how could he not know about the affair between his mother Zhao Ji and Lao Ai?
Perhaps Ying Zheng even knew all about the two children Zhao Ji had with Lao Ai.
This time, he sent Gai Nie to persuade him to keep the news as secret as possible, so that the news of the Queen Mother of Qin bearing children for a fake eunuch like Lao Ai wouldn't spread like wildfire.
After all, Zhao Ji's brainlessness was a disgrace to Qin, a disgrace to Ying Zheng, the King of Qin.
Such things naturally couldn't be said too bluntly, which was why Gai Nie looked so hesitant.
After guessing Ying Zheng's thoughts and Gai Nie's true intentions, Luo Fu gave Gai Nie a strange look and said, "Mr. Gai Nie, please inform the King that I am definitely not a gossip."
Gai Nie looked at Luo Fu in astonishment. Luo Fu's words were clearly telling Gai Nie that he knew what had happened in Yongcheng, and was even more aware of Ying Zheng's concerns and what Gai Nie was finding difficult to say.
But Luo Fu had only just arrived in Xianyang.
How could he have known about the affair between the Queen Mother Zhao Ji and the Marquis of Changxin so quickly?
Although he couldn't figure out the reason, Gai Nie wisely didn't dwell on this question.
It was best to avoid discussing the affairs of superiors. No matter how Luo Fu knew, this matter concerned the face of Qin and Ying Zheng, the King of Qin.
His expression flickered slightly, and he quickly returned to normal. Gai Nie pretended to know nothing about the matter and said, "With your words, the King will surely be relieved."
Standing up, Gai Nie said, "Sir, the King is waiting for my reply. Gai Nie takes his leave."
He cupped his fist towards Luo Fu, and just as Gai Nie was about to leave.
A soft sound of footsteps came from afar.
The figures of the Black and White Sisters appeared in Luo Fu and Gai Nie's sight.
Since being given to Luo Fu by Donghuang Taiyi.
Having escaped the fate of the Young Commander, if one were to rank the loyalty of the people around Luo Fu, then the Black and White Sisters would definitely be in the top tier.
Glancing at Gai Nie, the Black and White Sisters hesitated to speak.
Seeing this, Luo Fu said, "It's okay, Mr. Gai Nie is one of us. If you have something to say, feel free to speak."
"Yes," the Black and White Sisters said in unison, "Sir, the Prime Minister's residence has sent a visiting card. Prime Minister Lü will come to visit you immediately. I wonder if you want to see Prime Minister Lü?"
Visiting cards were almost never used in this way by people like Lü Buwei.
Under normal circumstances, visiting cards needed to be submitted in advance.
It was like making an appointment with the host, setting a specific time to come and visit, so that the host would have time to prepare.
But now, Lü Buwei's so-called visiting card and the time of his visit were not staggered at all.
In this situation, it was only because Lü Buwei was of high rank and power, the Prime Minister of Qin, otherwise, if it were someone of equal status, such behavior would simply be a provocation to the host.
However, Luo Fu also knew that Lü Buwei's political wisdom had allowed him to realize what kind of trouble he was about to encounter.
In this situation, Lü Buwei probably regarded himself as one of his saviors.
Yes!
Just one of them. Luo Fu didn't believe that Lü Buwei would be foolish enough to place all his hopes on him.
From the beginning of his speculation and investment in King Zhuangxiang of Qin, Lü Buwei had always been a person who took one step and planned several steps ahead.
As for Ying Zheng, it could only be said that Lü Buwei had misjudged Ying Zheng's determination, and one wrong move instantly put him in a collapsing situation.
However, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse.
Having realized Ying Zheng's methods, Lü Buwei had enough time to plan everything.
Of course, it was definitely impossible to escape unscathed. It only depended on how many tricks Lü Buwei had up his sleeve to survive Ying Zheng's purge.
In fact, even without Luo Fu, Lü Buwei's complete defeat would still be considered a smooth landing. It was just that Lü Buwei was too reluctant to give up his ideals.
The conflict between Lü Buwei and Ying Zheng, in addition to the struggle for power, was more importantly a difference in the path of governing the country.
Ying Zheng felt that Qin had accumulated the foundation of six generations of former kings, and already had the confidence to conquer the world.
But Lü Buwei obviously didn't see it that way.
Unlike Ying Zheng's almost greedy and rash approach, planning to accomplish everything in one battle, quickly conquer the world, and unify the six states, Lü Buwei more hoped for a steady and solid approach. The Lüshi Chunqiu he compiled, to some extent, was a presentation of this idea.
It must be admitted that although he was from a merchant background, Lü Buwei did indeed have great foresight.
Many people had already seen that the world, which had been in turmoil for hundreds of years, was about to usher in an opportunity for unification, but in Qin, many people had not even thought about how to manage this vast country after unification.
Should the system of enfeoffment continue? Or should the system of commanderies and counties be promoted nationwide?
Qin's opportunity to unify the world was indeed largely due to the laws established by Shang Yang, but it was undeniable that Shang Yang's laws were indeed invincible when pacifying the world, but after unification, were Shang Yang's laws still appropriate?
In the Warring States period, reforms were almost commonplace.
Especially in Qin, which respected Legalism, it was believed that the governance of the country should not follow the ancients, but should be adapted to local conditions and times.
Since some people felt that Shang Yang's laws could not manage the world after unification, then naturally there would be people who insisted on it.
Without a doubt, Lü Buwei was the former, and his Lüshi Chunqiu also set a tone for the future Qin's governance after unification.
It was a pity that Lü Buwei's political failure, coupled with Ying Zheng's dissatisfaction with him, even made Ying Zheng shelve this great book, the Lüshi Chunqiu.
Even Lü Buwei's final death was related to his adherence to the ideas of the Lüshi Chunqiu.
The contradiction between Lü Buwei and Ying Zheng almost did not exist any room for reconciliation.
If Lü Buwei directly retired now, perhaps Ying Zheng could ease his attitude towards him, and even if he treated the Lüshi Chunqiu, he would not be so resolute.
It was a pity that, perhaps because he had been a Prime Minister for too long, Lü Buwei underestimated Ying Zheng too much.
Gai Nie, who was about to leave, changed his mind when he learned that Lü Buwei had come to visit Luo Fu.
Although Gai Nie had not learned the essence of the School of Diplomacy, compared to the true disciples of the Ghost Valley School of Diplomacy, he and his junior brother Wei Zhuang were more like pure Jianghu martial artists.
But it was undeniable that Gai Nie was still very clear that he was now loyal to Ying Zheng, and Lü Buwei was the biggest obstacle on Ying Zheng's path to power.
Although Luo Fu had only just entered Qin, his background was very clean, and he had no involvement or karma with the Qin court.
But Gai Nie was still unable to rest assured.
Compared to the almost blank check-like conditions offered by Ying Zheng, Lü Buwei, who now held power alone, could obviously offer more capital to recruit Luo Fu.