Chapter 139 The Death of Shang Yang

After the death of Duke Xiao of Qin, King Huiwen of Qin, also known as Ying Si, became the new monarch.

It was only now that Shang Yang truly felt the difficulty of carrying the burden alone.

When Duke Xiao was still alive, he had the support of Duke Xiao behind him to implement the new law, but now...

He clearly realized that he would never meet a monarch like Qin Xiaogong again.

After thinking for a long time, Shang Yang wrote a letter of resignation and decided to resign from his official position and return to Shangyu to spend his old age in peace.

He actually had a lot of concerns. In addition to feeling that Ying Si was very polite but distant to him, Qin Xiaogong's last words before his death also put him in a very delicate situation.

If Ying Si can be supported, then support him; if not, then you can establish yourself as king...

If Ying Si was really incompetent, Shang Yang would not hesitate to replace him according to his will.

However, Ying Si had become a piece of fine iron after so many years of training, and he also strongly defended the new law.

Since you have recognized Ying Si, you should let him do it.

A new emperor has new ministers. Would a wise ruler be afraid of not finding talented assistants?

After writing the letter of resignation, Shang Yang asked someone to give it to Ying Si.

At this moment, Ying Si was holding a "Petition to Revive the Emigrants" which had been submitted by someone unknown and listed Shang Yang's ten major crimes.

It lists Shang Yang's ten major crimes in detail.

They plotted treason, misled the people, tarnished the king's way, oppressed the people, and punished the royal family and nobles, shaking the foundation of the country.

He ignored the previous emperor, bullied the dukes, appointed private individuals, formed factions to disrupt government affairs, carried out lynchings in front of the army, secretly mobilized troops to threaten Xianyang, married a princess, and tarnished the royal family.

Ying Si carefully read the letter they presented to him requesting the exiles to be raised. How could he not see the meaning behind these words?

They only mentioned Shang Yang's punishments and killings, but did not mention the benefits that Shang Yang's reforms brought to the Qin State.

Moreover, this letter requesting the exiles not only listed Shang Yang's crimes in detail, but also threatened him.

How can we sleep peacefully if the lifeline of our country is gone?

Then Ying Si saw Shang Yang's letter of resignation, but he suppressed it in the end.

This is a serious matter, you need to think it over carefully before making a decision.

While Ying Si was still thinking about it, Shang Yang returned to his fiefdom without reporting to him. Someone also came to tell Ying Si that there was a mysterious army there, and he was afraid that Shang Yang had the intention of rebellion and the country would be in chaos.

Ying Si had no choice but to ask someone to "invite" Shang Jun back to Xianyang.

It says "please", but how many people don't understand the deep meaning behind it?

The news reached the princess, who hurried to find Ying Si. Only then did Ying Si know that the army was left by King Xiao to Shang Yang.

Ying Si only felt a chill in his heart. In fact, he did not take Xiaogong's last words too seriously.

Duke Xiao may have said those words in order to dissuade Shang Yang from developing any inappropriate ambitions.

But now he has been handed over an army that is powerful enough to turn the world upside down...

Gongfu trusted Shang Yang far more than he did himself, and even believed that only Shang Yang's iron will could uphold the new laws and advance the great cause of the Qin State.

He made mistakes when he was young, but aren't all these years of hardship enough to erase the shadow left by his childhood mistakes?

Ying Si still had Shang Yang brought back.

Shang Yang knew clearly what he would face when he returned, but he still came back.

Once he died, Ying Si could use this as an excuse to attack the old nobles and the six countries in the future, which would be beneficial to the country.

This kind of open-mindedness of putting public interests above personal interests deeply touched Ying Si.

But killing Shang Jun was no small matter.

On one side were the angry people, and on the other side was the pressure from the nobles, and Ying Si had just come to power.

All forces were watching secretly, and even the envoys of the six countries were observing the changes in Qin.

If this matter cannot be handled properly, it will definitely bring disaster to oneself and cause turmoil to the family and the country.

In order to appease the nobles and avoid chaos, Shang Yang must be dealt with.

But punishing Shang Yang would also incur the wrath of the people. His foundation was still shallow, and the old nobles would need to step in...

After much deliberation, Ying Si decided to put the blame on the six countries.

The six countries wanted to unite their forces to attack Qin and kill Shang Yang. Shang Yang asked to be imprisoned for the safety of Qin. He did not want to kill Shang Yang at all.

And just like that, Shang Yang died.

In front of countless ministers and common people, he was executed by being torn apart by a chariot. Blood was spilled all over the execution ground and countless people wept bitterly.

The content of the first part of "The Great Qin Empire", the story of Qin Xiaogong and Shang Yang ends here.

Chu Yian was in a complicated mood.

Qin Sheng's mood was also complicated. The story of tonight was over, and he no longer had to worry about disrupting Chu Yian's thoughts.

After staring at the written manuscript for a long time, he always felt that people like Shang Yang seemed unlikely to exist in this world. Even if they did, they would be very rare.

He never acts out of personal gain for his country and people, and never regrets his actions even if he dies. It is no exaggeration to call him a saint for his behavior.

Shang Yang...is he really so noble?

Or was it beautified by later generations and became what it is today?

If you think about it carefully, and combine it with reality, there are actually many parts of this book that don't stand up to scrutiny.

However, Qin Sheng never commented on what the content of the book should be.

Now that the book is temporarily finished and the previous content has come to an end, he can finally ask the doubts in his heart.

He looked at Chu Yian, and after a brief thought, decided to start by asking about what happened tonight.

So he asked, "Is there really someone in this world as selfless as Shang Yang? Is he truly so dedicated to public service that he disregards personal interests?"

Shang Yang had the ability and means, and even if he removed Ying Si and took the throne himself, he could still stabilize the situation.

Even if there is turmoil for a while, with him around, it is only a matter of time before things settle down.

If it were him, he would definitely get rid of this man and become the emperor himself. It is better than being torn into pieces by five horses.

Chu Yian saw Qin Sheng's confusion, smiled, supported his chin and looked into his eyes, appearing a little nonchalant.

"Qin Sheng, this is a storybook. Storybooks, you know, may not be true history."

"You're so smart, guess what the real history is like?"

Qin Sheng: ...

He just knew...

Qin Sheng's mood was extremely complicated, and he looked at Chu Yian with a hint of resentment: "I really thought this was the true history of your world before, but as I was writing, I felt that something was wrong."

"But I can't interrupt you, so I can only continue writing. Now I still need you to help me solve my doubts."

Chu Yian nodded and hummed, but did not answer: "So, what do you think? Will Shang Yang be remembered as a virtuous man or as an infamy for all eternity after his death?"

Qin Sheng lowered his eyes and looked at the manuscript papers, gently stroking his hands on the papers, thinking about this question.

This question is actually not difficult to guess. Since ancient times, history has been written by the victors. Although their merits and demerits are left to future generations to judge, the classics left behind can serve as a great reference.

Shang Yang is dead, so the name should not sound very good.

And the policies he implemented...

Chu Yian wrote out the general legal provisions, and did not actually write about most other things in detail, and only mentioned them to him occasionally.

Too much information can be inferred from those things.

Qin Sheng raised his head and looked at Chu Yian. After a slight hesitation, he asked, "Can I tell you anything?"

Chu Yian nodded: "You can say it, just say it."