Chapter 62 Dislikes the Qin Dynasty If only we could hire another Qin person…
Don't blame me for not showing any fatherly affection towards my daughter.
If she doesn't blame Jiang's father, then Jiang's father will also not blame her out of consideration for their father-daughter relationship, right?
——
Huo Qubing felt the white light still lingering before his eyes, the fresh scent of wheat fields in Songyang County still filling his nostrils, and the unique aroma of Weiyang Palace already reaching his ears. Before he even opened his eyes, the hairs on his body stood on end—an instinct honed through years of battles, the most acute perception of danger.
The hall was eerily quiet.
Even the sound of breathing could be clearly heard.
When he finally opened his eyes, the scene that greeted him made even the invincible Marquis's throat tighten. Beneath the gilded dragon pillar, the emperor, dressed in a yellow dragon robe, sat in the main seat, his slender fingers gently tapping the table. The soft "tap, tap" sounds were like war drums striking the heart.
Wei Qing stood on the left, his usually gentle features now frosty; on the right, Wei Zifu, dressed in plain white, gripped a handkerchief tightly with her slender fingers, her knuckles turning white. But what was most chilling were Liu Che's unfathomable eyes—seemingly calm as still water, yet churning with undercurrents capable of tearing a person apart.
"Your Majesty..."
Huo Qubing was about to speak when his sleeve was suddenly tugged. After a long day, Xiao Liu was rubbing his eyes, still half asleep. Upon seeing the situation inside the hall, he immediately shrank behind him like a frightened animal.
This action seemed to ignite some kind of fuse.
"Fun, isn't it? Go get sick." Liu Che suddenly chuckled, his voice so gentle it sent chills down one's spine. He slowly rose, the hem of his dragon robe trailing on the gold bricks, "Elopement with my crown prince, hmm?" The last rising syllable made Wei Qing unconsciously straighten his back.
It was far too reckless of him to try to cure the disease.
Huo Qubing knelt on one knee, shielding Liu Ju behind him: "Your subject..."
"Did I give you permission to speak?" With a crisp clinking of jade pendants, Liu Che had already walked to the steps. He leaned down and pinched Huo Qubing's chin with such force that he almost crushed his jawbone. "One day. You disappeared for a whole day."
Wei Zifu suddenly coughed lightly, covering her mouth, and Liu Che released her. As he turned around, the wind stirred by the wide sleeves of his dragon robe startled the candlelight, casting a jagged shadow on the wall.
"Come here, Ju'er." The Emperor's back was to everyone, and his voice suddenly became very soft. "Let your father see what kind of people my Marquis Champion took you to see in the fairyland...."
The last two words were enunciated with extreme force, like a dull knife cutting flesh. The young prince trembled with fear, but dared not disobey, and could only shuffle forward step by step. Wei Qing was about to speak when Liu Che's gaze froze him in place.
At this critical moment—
"Your Majesty!" Huo Qubing suddenly kowtowed heavily, his forehead touching the cold gold bricks. "Your subject took the Crown Prince to Songyang County." The moment he raised his head, a burning light shone in his eyes. "We saw wheat seeds yielding thirty shi per mu, we saw Magistrate Jiang, we saw..."
"I've witnessed a peaceful and prosperous world where there will be no starving people." A childish voice suddenly interjected. Liu Ju, emboldened by some unknown source, threw himself at Liu Che's feet, his small hands tightly gripping the hem of the dragon robe: "Father! If the Han Dynasty had this wheat seed, all the people of the land could have enough to eat!"
The hall was deathly silent.
Liu Che looked down at the little bundle at his feet and suddenly chuckled softly. He bent down, picked up Liu Ju, and, amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, pressed his forehead against the child's cheek: "Then Ju'er, you must help your father well..."
When he looked up again, the emperor's eyes were burning with a familiar, wildfire-like ambition.
"Let's bring this golden age to our great Han Dynasty ahead of schedule."
—The Great Tang Dynasty.
Yuchi Jingde's rough fingers rubbed his thick beard incessantly, his brows furrowed so deeply they almost formed a "川" character on his forehead. "Old Qin, what about Magistrate Jiang's matter..." he lowered his voice, a rare hesitation in it, "How should we report this to His Majesty? We can't just say that Magistrate Jiang was distracted after reading the letter, can we?"
Qin Shubao paused upon hearing this, a hint of worry flashing in his large, bell-like eyes. The copper studs on his armor gleamed coldly. "Ever since Zhuge Liang came to Songyang County, His Majesty's interest in this place has only grown stronger." He sighed, the armor making a slight metallic scraping sound with each breath. "Let's report the truth; His Majesty detests deception the most."
The two men straightened their clothes and walked towards Ganlu Hall under the cover of night. The guards in front of the hall, seeing that they were two trusted generals, silently made way for them. Inside the hall, candlelight shone brightly, and Li Shimin was bent over his desk reviewing memorials; the sound of his vermilion brush marking on bamboo slips could be clearly heard.
"Zhijie and Jingde have arrived." The emperor did not raise his head, his voice steady and powerful, exuding an unquestionable majesty.
"Tell me, how is Songyang County doing these days?" His voice was unhurried, yet it made the air in the hall freeze.
Yuchi Jingde and Qin Shubao exchanged a glance, their armor clashing with a crisp sound. In the end, Qin Shubao stepped forward, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Your Majesty, since Zhuge Liang took office, the county's administration has been running smoothly. However..." He hesitated slightly, "...after receiving the letter from home, Magistrate Jiang's behavior has been quite unusual."
Li Shimin's brow twitched almost imperceptibly: "Oh?"
Seeing this, Yuchi Jingde quickly added, "In the afternoon, a man covered in blood came to Magistrate Jiang, saying he had brought a letter from her father. After reading the letter, Magistrate Jiang turned pale." As he spoke, he unconsciously rubbed his beard.
They didn't know what the letter said, or perhaps they simply didn't mention it.
Yuchi Jingde clasped his hands and reported, "Your Majesty, it is quite a novel event that General Huo brought Crown Prince Liu Ju to the Songyang County government office today."
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin raised an eyebrow and paused slightly in his teacup: "Oh? Huo Qubing took the Crown Prince to the county government office? Aren't you afraid of Emperor Wu of Han?"
Emperor Wu of Han could go mad.
Qin Shubao stepped forward and respectfully replied, "That's right. General Huo said he wanted to teach Liu Ju about government affairs."
"Is Liu Ju adapting well?" Li Shimin put down his teacup, his eyes gleaming.
Yuchi Jingde grinned and said, "Liu Ju is very clever, but..." He suddenly hesitated.
"Please feel free to speak."
"It's just that the Crown Prince is exceptionally close to Zhuge Kongming, calling him 'Master' all day long." Yuchi Jingde scratched his beard. "That Kongming is truly remarkable. When he talks about government affairs, he quotes classics and allusions, and even we ministers listen with rapt attention."
Qin Shubao added, "General Huo was indeed very conscientious, staying by the Crown Prince's side at all times. And then his wages were docked..." He hesitated for a moment, "When the court session ended today, the Crown Prince grabbed Kongming's sleeve and refused to let go, insisting on coming back tomorrow."
Zhuge Liang's work in Songyang County wasn't finished; he also had to take care of his child. It must have been really tough for him.
Upon hearing this, Li Shimin's eyes flashed with amusement: "That's interesting. Huo Qubing has always been arrogant, yet now he's willing to study with the Crown Prince?"
"General Huo said..." Yuchi Jingde suddenly lowered his voice, "that he can see many new things in the county government office, which will be of great benefit to the Crown Prince."
Perhaps it can also prevent the scourge of witchcraft.
Li Shimin suddenly chuckled and tapped the table lightly with his fingers: "Since children can be brought along... let Chengqian and Qingque go and see for themselves tomorrow."
Qin Shubao and Yuchi Jingde exchanged a glance and responded in unison. As they exited the hall, Yuchi Jingde couldn't help but whisper, "Old Qin, do you think His Majesty isn't..."
A bit biased.....
Didn't you say before that you wouldn't be biased anymore?
Is it because it's become a habit that can't be broken?
Qin Shubao shook his head slightly, indicating that he should be careful what he said.
The two departed into the night, leaving Li Shimin deep in thought inside the palace.
—Great Qin
With the recruitment of immortals, Ying Zheng's conquest of the six states accelerated dramatically, becoming as unstoppable as autumn leaves falling. The unification project, which originally required two years, was now nearing completion in a very short time.
The Qin army's iron cavalry swept across the snowy plains of Liaodong, completely annihilating the remaining forces of the Yan state. Those Yan nobles who fled to the harsh, cold lands ultimately could not escape the pursuit of Wang Jian's army. As the last Yan banner snapped in the biting north wind, this nation that had once sent Jing Ke to assassinate Yan was finally erased from existence forever.
In the imperial court, Li Si held up the latest battle report, his voice trembling with excitement: "Your Majesty, five of the six states have now been conquered, leaving only Qi..."
How could he not be excited to witness the establishment of such a great undertaking?
Because of Li Si's outstanding abilities, he was spared the daily whippings long ago and was able to continue moving forward in the court, all thanks to his exceptional abilities.
Ying Zheng sat upright on the dragon throne, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. Under the light of the golden dragon candlestick, his eyes were as deep as an abyss: "Qi?" A cold smile appeared on his lips, "Nothing but a self-deceiving old man."
Indeed, the State of Qi was now utterly insignificant. For years, its policy of "serving Qin cautiously" had crippled its military. King Jian of Qi was consumed by the illusion of "Qin-Qi friendship," allowing his prime minister, Hou Sheng, to accept bribes from Qin and disband hundreds of thousands of Qi soldiers, sending them back to their fields.
Meng Yi stepped forward and reported: "According to reports from scouts, there is singing and dancing in Linzi City. King Jian of Qi is still holding a grand banquet to celebrate the Qin army's annihilation of the remnants of the Yan state."
Upon hearing this, all the generals in the hall sneered. Wang Jian stroked his beard and shook his head: "Poor King Qi, he didn't even know that the army that destroyed Yan had already turned east."
Ying Zheng suddenly stood up, his dark dragon robe shimmering with subtle patterns in the candlelight: "Order Wang Ben to advance eastward immediately without rest." He glanced at the civil and military officials in the hall, "I want to see King Qi Jian kneeling before Xianyang Palace as quickly as possible."
Li Si hesitated, then said, "Your Majesty, should we send an envoy first...?"
"No need," Ying Zheng interrupted decisively. "Since the immortals have already helped my Great Qin, why should we continue to feign friendship with a dying man?"
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in the city of Linzi, King Jian of Qi was enjoying a song and dance performance with his beautiful concubine. A courtier rushed in, whispering in his ear, "Your Majesty, the Qin army... the Qin army is coming towards us!"
King Jian of Qi, his eyes blurry with drunkenness, waved his hand dismissively: "My dear minister, you worry too much. The King of Qin and I are..."
Before the words were even finished, a deafening roar of war drums suddenly erupted outside the city. Only then did King Jian of Qi finally come to his senses, but it was too late. Just as Ying Zheng had said, the State of Qi was indeed insignificant.
Hei Fu knelt wearily on the golden bricks of Xianyang Palace, his forehead pressed against the cold ground. He had just finished reporting what he had seen and heard in Songyang County—how Jiang Ge usually behaved, how Zhuge Liang strategized, and even trivial matters like Huo Qubing taking the young prince to the fields.
The hall was filled with the fragrance of ambergris. Ying Zheng's fingers tapped lightly on the bronze table, producing a dull "tap-tap" sound. Hei Fu held his breath; he could feel the emperor's gaze scraping across his back like a knife.
"You say..." Ying Zheng suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with rare hesitation, "What does Magistrate Jiang want?"
He suddenly realized that the Qin Dynasty was far behind the Han Dynasty. Was it because Magistrate Jiang disliked the Qin Dynasty?
Or is it that Heifu is too crude and stupid?
Hei Fu abruptly looked up, meeting the unfathomable eyes of the Emperor. Within them surged complex emotions he had never witnessed before—resentment, confusion, and a barely perceptible hint of...defeat?
After all, the Qin Dynasty only had one Hei Fu, which was not comparable to the famous generals and ministers of other dynasties.
If Magistrate Jiang could hire another person from the Qin Dynasty, that would be wonderful...
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Author's Note: Li Shimin: Still favoring his fat son, what do you say? [Okay]
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