My son, Fusu, please abdicate the first emperor!

Chapter 674 The winner becomes the king, the loser becomes the bandit.

In the Supreme Court and on the streets of Xianyang, everyone was telling each other that Meng Yi was about to become the Supreme Court Justice.

What was originally a temporary transfer for Ying Zheng was said by everyone to be a done deal.

But it is an indisputable fact that they are really afraid of Meng Yi.

The news was so loud that it reached the Shaofu Temple.

Cao Shen also knew about this. He took three pieces of pork in a box and went to find Xiao He before it got dark after get off work.

Xiao He was teaching his son to read in the yard. Mrs. Xiao was also pregnant and was looking at the father and son in the yard.

Under the peach trees, there is thick green shade, and the sun is still hanging on the western hills.

Cao Shen came to the outside of the courtyard wall and looked at this harmonious scene. He couldn't help but go in to destroy it.

Cao Shen stood outside the high wall, waiting patiently. The sun was setting and the surface of the Wei River was sparkling.

Mrs. Xiao suddenly turned around and saw Cao Shen.

"Master Cao, why are you standing outside the high wall and not coming in?"

Mrs. Xiao wanted to come over with her big pregnant belly, but was stopped by Xiao He. Cao Shen then took the initiative to step into the door.

Cao Shen was embarrassed to smile, "I came to the door and saw the harmonious music of the zither and harp, and I couldn't bear to disturb them."

Xiao He also stood up to greet Cao Shen.

"Master Cao."

"Just call me Shen, why be so distant? We are all from the same place."

When Xiao Lu saw the guest coming, he stood respectfully to the side, clasped his hands together and said, "Uncle Cao."

Cao Shen smiled and stroked Xiao Lu's shoulder.

After inviting him into the house, Xiao He said directly, "You didn't come to me just to send me meat."

"I heard that His Majesty is going to punish the Fifth Grand Officer Zhao Ying, and the position of the Supreme Court Justice will be vacant in the future. But everyone in the Supreme Court Justice Office admires you very much, and they hope to let you be the Supreme Court Justice."

Xiao He looked at Cao Shen in surprise, "You don't want me to fight for it too, do you?"

"This is an unprecedented great opportunity. If you miss it, you will never have it again." Cao Shen said earnestly.

"When we first came to Xianyang, we were not familiar with the situation here. At that time, we were all in the prince's palace, under the protection of the prince. Later, we gradually gained a foothold in Xianyang City and began to interact with the officials in the court."

"You were originally working at the Imperial College, but were transferred to the Imperial Court because of the Emperor's decree."

"It only took you half a year to make the entire Tingwei Mansion look at you, a Qin official from the countryside, with new eyes. You were quickly promoted to historian, and then you can participate in the formulation of laws and the revision of rules and regulations."

"In Xianyang City, where everyone is a dragon, you quickly gained everyone's respect and love."

"It's just that as time goes by, we are all caught up in the tedious affairs of the day-to-day. I am just worried that you have forgotten the oath you made in the past."

Cao Shen looked at Xiao He.

"Someone once told me that he hoped that one day he could make sure everyone had enough food and clothing, and that they would not fight each other over rice. He hoped that the world would be peaceful and there would be no more wars."

Xiao He couldn't help but think of his past in Pei County.

"Do you think I can accomplish something like this?"

History was changed by Fusu, and the fate of many people also changed accordingly.

Without personally experiencing the gains and losses of Qin Shihuang's twelve years of rule in the countryside, Xiao He did not have so much hatred for the Qin Empire, let alone the intention to rebel.

He has a well-fed life, his wife is his cousin, and his son is very sensible. He has won the favor of the prince at a young age and has a bright future.

Xiao He, who had fallen directly into the hotbed, naturally did everything according to plan.

A good family and abundant food all restricted Xiao He from being a man of blood. These beautiful realities were like a soft spot, pinching Xiao He hard and making him dare not do anything out of line.

Xiao He also wanted to do something big, but based on his experience, he just worked honestly and was promoted as he went along.

Is it necessary to fight for a position, or is it Jiuqing...

This position is too high.

After entering Xianyang, Xiao He deeply felt the strict hierarchical bureaucratic system of Qin State.

But Xiao He was born to be a good player in the system. He didn't like to fight for things, but just liked to work hard.

No subordinate or leader would dislike him.

But for the nine ministers who enter the court to discuss government affairs, it sounds like they will have to go through a fierce struggle.

Xiao He knew that there were often power struggles in the court, the corrupt party always wanted more benefits, and the upright party always fought against them. In the end, the emperor became the beneficiary.

But the ones who suffer are the grassroots officials and common people.

So when this great opportunity appeared in front of Xiao He, he was very reluctant to accept it.

First, he is already very happy, is it really necessary for him to stand up for others! ?

Second, the emperor knew it well, but he just liked to watch his ministers fighting each other. What else can be done with such a court atmosphere? He did not stop the behavior of bullying the superiors and fawning on the subordinates, but continued to get close to the villains.

Third, the emperor seemed to be dissatisfied with the prince and frequently tried to suppress him. Even though I was promoted by the emperor, my heart was always with the person who promoted me to the palace. If I wanted to become a court judge, could I pass the emperor's test?

Very difficult.

Xiao He saluted and said, "I have enough food and clothing now, my family is peaceful and harmonious, and I have nothing to ask for. The Tingwei is one of the nine ministers, and his status is second only to the prime minister. He participates in the court to discuss politics and has great power."

"The competition is bound to be fierce. If I intervene with my identity, I'm afraid I have no chance of winning."

"The court established by Your Majesty is no longer a place for the people to work, but a place for ministers to fight against each other and for forces to compete with each other."

“It’s not something I can change on my own.”

Xiao He never liked to stand out. Firstly, he was afraid of getting into trouble and implicating his family; secondly, in his opinion, the current situation was unclear and it would be easy to be killed if he stood out.

"I know you are always modest, and I thought you didn't consider this matter, but it turns out you think more than we do. What right do I have to ask you to give up your own safety and family and force you to do these things for the people of the world?"

Cao Shen said goodbye with regret.

He did not feel sorry for Xiao He's refusal, but felt sad for the situation in this broken era where a gentleman had to look before and after if he wanted to stand out and do something.

After going out, Cao Shen felt regretful as he looked at the sun hanging over the hillside.

Cao Shen walked back home.

Mrs. Xiao said nothing about her husband's decision.

But Xiao He couldn't sleep the whole night, tossing and turning, while Mrs. Xiao pretended to be asleep. Xiao He sat up alone, opened the window, and looked at the dark yard. He didn't know how long he sat there.

From time to time, there were sounds of cats and mice chasing and playing in the yard, and from time to time there were sounds of dogs barking not far away. The night watchman was patrolling in his cart, banging his clappers constantly, and the rumbling sound of the cart made people feel uneasy.

Looking at the darkness, Xiao He let out a long sigh.

He also began to feel that the nights were too dark, too thick, and too long.

It was not until the second half of the night that he began to feel sleepy and slowly lay down.

The next morning, dawn lowered its rosy fingers to the earth, and the breeze blew across the hills. Bang-bang-bang sounds were heard in the farmlands on the outskirts of Xianyang, and several large trees on both sides of the road that were originally used for shade were also cut down.

It turned out that the high-ranking officials used money to forcibly buy the land of the villagers in Xianyang.

They already had a seven-story mansion but they still felt it was not enough. They also wanted to build gardens and a few lakes outside Xianyang. While satisfying their own desires, they also longed for more houses to accommodate their illegitimate sons and daughters.

In this world, there are people who make the rules and there are people who break the rules. As long as you have money and power, you can do anything.

But this kind of thing is not uncommon.

When they do these things, they may not be thinking about exploiting the interests of others. Of course, in most cases they are actually aware of it, but they turn a blind eye to the suffering of others caused by themselves.

Of course, among the people Xiao He knew, there was also a group of extremely ridiculous people.

That is to say, there is a group of people who will eat the people's fat and blood while always shouting about seeking the welfare of the common people. They will enjoy bribes while singing about how important integrity is; their children will firmly believe that their fathers are great and serve the common people.

A real bully with the word "bully" written on his face certainly makes people want to slap him to the ground, but those bullies with kindness written on their faces, those fake people who talk about benevolence, righteousness and morality, are more frightening.

They never feel they have done anything wrong.

Their children will even boast to their peers from time to time about how many gifts their family has received, worth millions, in order to improve their status in front of others and demonstrate their power.

On the other hand, they have to stand up and tell the equally educated poor that their family has served the country and their ancestors have made so many contributions. Then they will stand up again from time to time to show how high their moral character is.

In fact, the credibility of the imperial court and government has never been undermined by those blatantly bad guys.

Instead, it is these evil dogs in sheep's clothing, the real thieves who talk about the interests of the common people, and the pigs and dogs who deceive the world and steal their reputations who have destroyed the credibility of the court.

Xiao He knew, he knew everything.

He was extremely anxious, but this was the way the world was and he couldn't go out.

He couldn't get out either.

Even if we know how to solve these problems and how to deal with these people, what's the use?

I can only live a peaceful life every day, and I have to worry about whether my family will be implicated because of me.

Xiao He walked towards the court.

Behind him are young wives and girls without husbands to rely on, and old men and women without sons to rely on.

Everybody is walking on this street.

Everyone is the same.

The sky was clearly blue, and the bright sunshine was shining on the earth, but everyone felt bleak and uneasy...

Fusu left Xianyang City, but the atmosphere in the court did not improve.

Ying Zheng also felt troubled and resentful about this. He got up early so he didn't have to go to court today, but when faced with the memorials, he had no intention of dealing with them.

Ying Zheng was very angry, but he couldn't show it to the outside world. He opened a few memorials and dealt with them. They all said bad things. He quickly dealt with a few and felt a stomachache. He quickly put them aside. As for the memorials, he didn't want to read them at all.

He missed the queen very much and looked towards the palace door, but it was empty.

The Queen would never come to see him again.

Frustrated, Ying Zheng had no choice but to read.

By chance, he happened to come across a history book of Zhao State among a pile of books in the Shangshu Terrace, which recorded the story of King Wuling of Zhao.

Ying Zheng couldn't help but think of his own bold words in the past.

"Zhao Yong is just a barely qualified person among the kings."

Since the day when Ying Zheng saw King Wuling of Zhao starved to death, Ying Zheng's mentality began to change again.

Ying Zheng kept asking himself, "Should I become King Wuling of Zhao? After all, Fusu is so popular."

Fusu, who was far away in the rainforests of Guangdong and Guangxi organizing the cultivation and development of Guangdong and Guangxi, was still unaware of all this. Only occasionally, Fusu would worry at night that he would become the Prince Shensheng in history if he left Xianyang for too long.

In his haste to eliminate the attacking forces, Ying Zheng started down the wrong path.

As the saying goes, one must first stabilize the country before fighting against foreign enemies, so Ying Zheng started by dealing with his own people.

Ying Zheng was eager to get rid of Zhao Ying, who was soft-hearted in dealing with Zhang Cang, so as to restore the respect of the court officials for him.

If he couldn't kill Chen Ping or Zhang Cang, then Fusu could kill Zhao Gao. Ying Zheng always had to find a place to vent his anger and use the blood of some wavering people to clear his political channels.

Zhao Ying became the main culprit.

As soon as this incident was exposed, the court officials immediately felt panic-stricken.

First, the Zhang Cang incident should have ended here. No one could stand the fight between the emperor and the crown prince. Last time, only Zhao Gao died, but this time many of them had lost the opportunity to tour the east with the emperor. On the other hand, Ying Zheng always wanted to kill a few of Fusu's ministers, which made the ministers who were friendly to Fusu feel trembling. They all longed for enfeoffment, and Fusu was the one who could realize their dreams.

If Ying Zheng did this, it would only anger them.

Li Si also heard about this matter. However, from the beginning, Ying Zheng did not listen to his advice and chose to act blindly. Li Si felt that Ying Zheng had embarked on the wrong path.

There was no way, he was Ying Zheng. He would not allow and could not tolerate his prestige being destroyed by his son.

Li Si can now only follow Ying Zheng's wishes.

At daybreak, Chen Ping received news that the Supreme Court collectively hoped that Xiao He would recommend himself as Supreme Court Justice. He wanted to make Xiao He become Supreme Court Justice, but Xiao He had many shortcomings and Chen Ping was powerless.

The first was that he was not ruthless enough. All the ministers in the court were tactful. The second was that Xiao He did not have enough experience. Even if he mobilized the ministers to remonstrate with him, he would not be able to ascend to the throne. The third was that he was caught between the crown prince and the emperor. If he wanted to become the court judge, he would first have to pass the emperor's test.

However, if he could accomplish this, it would mean that the prince's power would be even greater.

You know, before Fusu left, he arranged for Chen Ping to watch over Ying Zheng, and he believed that Chen Ping could help him deal with Ying Zheng.

Chen Ping felt deeply that this task was difficult. He almost walked on thin ice and was on the edge of an abyss, trembling with fear for a long time.

If we win in this matter, maybe we can directly... Chen Ping thought of something.

But this needs to be discussed with the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince is not in Xianyang City.

Moreover, the Crown Prince is the Emperor's legitimate son, and according to rumors, they have a very good relationship... Will the Crown Prince agree?

All forces began to take action.

However, today, the protagonists of Xianyang are not people like Ying Zheng, Chen Ping, Li Si, and Xiao He.

But he was a Chu person from far away.

Near Mount Li, a rare large pit caught the eyes of the newly arrived prisoners.

The pit was larger than any other human lake they had ever seen.

They were still in chains, and several Qin generals came over with yellow dogs. The yellow dogs stuck their tails out and kept barking at the new prisoners.

A man about eight feet tall, with a sturdy build and standing hair, was walking at the front of the team with his upper body naked.

When the general saw him, he couldn't help feeling jealous.

This man has sharp eyebrows and sharp eyes, and looks more like a general than himself.

However, from today on, he is a sinner.

The general took out a red-hot iron from the fire nearby. It looked like there was still a flame on it.

The man with his upper body naked couldn't help but step back when he saw this scene.

Then, a series of painful wailing and screaming sounds began to be heard from the edge of the grave.

"what--"

The wailing sounds spread everywhere, but people were like wooden sticks, not even one poked their heads out to look.

"Another unlucky guy has come."

(End of this chapter)