Chapter 137: Duke Xiao's Life is Short
Chu Yian did not answer his question, nor did he try to soothe Qin Sheng's complicated heart, but continued speaking.
Duke Xiao was ill, and it was only then that Shang Yang suddenly realized that there was only one Duke Xiao of Qin in the State of Qin, and that Duke Xiao of Qin had only one child, Ying Si.
And the prince... the former prince, now a commoner Ying Si, has been traveling for so many years and no one knows where he is.
I don’t know how his travels went. It’s not clear whether he became a fool or learned some real skills.
Although Qin Xiaogong was still young, only in his forties, he had to consider the matter of the crown prince carefully.
Ying Si...it's time for him to come back. Give him enough time to familiarize himself with state affairs and ensure that there will be a wise successor.
After chatting with Qin Xiaogong for a long time, Shang Yang couldn't help but ask about Qin Xiaogong's ambitions since Qin was now a rich and powerful country.
Duke Xiao of Qin originally wanted to restore Duke Mu's hegemony. Now that the Qin State has achieved this, what other plans does it have?
Duke Xiao of Qin could not help but think of Shang Yang's previous promise to unify the six kingdoms. But how long would it take? Could he achieve this hegemony while he was still alive?
Shang Yang shook his head regretfully. According to his speculation, if Qin wanted to unify the world, it would require several generations of wise rulers to work hard and make the country strong, at least three generations.
This required Qin Xiaogong to set standards for future generations to ensure that future generations would be wise rulers and uphold the rule of law.
If a tyrant appears and ruins the ancestral foundation again, unifying the six kingdoms will probably only be a fantasy and will never be achieved.
Shang Yang naturally told King Xiaogong of Qin about Ying Si and persuaded him to bring Ying Si back to Xianyang.
Thinking of his useless son, King Xiao was also worried.
It's hard to uphold the rule of law, and it's even harder to have wise rulers...
When writing this, Qin Sheng couldn't help but think of the person above him. The person above him still wanted to become a wise ruler who would be remembered for thousands of years. Although his abilities were not very good, he really cared about the people.
Just the next generation...
Qin Sheng thought carefully about the older princes.
The eldest prince was frail and had been carefully fed with various medicinal herbs since childhood. He was pure-hearted and had no concerns about worldly affairs.
The second prince had a violent temper and would beat and kill his servants and civilians at will. Although the emperor was angry, he was his own son after all, and he could not just order someone to be killed.
He had been under house arrest in the palace before, but because he had a great impact on me after watching "The Great Qin Empire", the emperor lifted his house arrest and had him imprisoned in the prison.
The impact will be even greater in the future, and you might even kill someone in a fit of rage.
Anyway, I’m afraid it can’t be released for the time being.
If the emperor becomes obsessed with state affairs and only thinks about how to make Dashun stronger, it is likely that he will no longer remember this son.
Even if I think of it, I won't entrust you with important tasks, so there's no need to think too much about it.
The third prince... is cunning, but he always appears to be gentle and generous.
He is lenient towards his servants and has certain insights into handling government affairs. Judging from his performance so far, he is a person who cannot be faulted, but he also has nothing outstanding about him and is just average.
No one can predict what will happen after they actually take power.
The Fourth Prince... let's not talk about him.
However, because he was the queen's son, the first two princes, one of whom was indifferent to worldly affairs and the other was cruel and bloodthirsty, gave him many opportunities.
In terms of ability, Qi Ze is not bad, and he is the legitimate son, so the possibility of him inheriting the throne is actually quite high.
Chu Yian didn't think of Qi Ze. She thought of something else: "Qin Sheng, I'm not familiar with any of the princes. Who do you think is better among them?"
Chu Yian asked in a tactful way, but in fact he was asking who among Qin Sheng had the qualities to be a wise ruler.
Qin Sheng pursed his lips and said, "It's hard to say. Your Majesty is in his prime, and the younger princes are also growing up."
Who knows how long the person above can live?
What if you live to be seventy or eighty years old?
At that time, the princes were already quite old, and it was not just the third and fourth princes who were competing for the throne.
Moreover, how can we explain the power struggle after so many years now?
If the emperor died earlier, within two years, Qi Ze would undoubtedly be the most likely culprit.
Chu Yian obviously also thought of Qi Ze. Thinking of the way he looked at her today, she couldn't help feeling uneasy.
He leaned close to Qin Sheng and asked in a low voice, "Little Shengzi, let me ask you a question. If, I mean if, the Fourth Prince goes up, will he take you by force?"
If he had taken advantage of Qin Sheng and didn't care about his feelings, then it would be even more impossible for him to let her go.
Chu Yian seemed to see a bright red, enlarged and bold word "danger" hanging above her head, really.
Qin Sheng: ...
Qin Sheng opened his mouth and wanted to curse, but since Chu Yian was sitting opposite him, he held back.
If the person sitting opposite him now was someone else instead of Chu Yian, he would have had someone throw her out, the farther the better.
Facing the curiosity in Chu Yian's eyes, Qin Sheng felt a heart attack: "Do you really want him to take me by force?"
Chu Yian shook his head without hesitation, sat back, curled his lips and said disdainfully: "Liking is about respecting each other, respecting each other's choices, not forcing each other to submit."
"I despise people like this. If the Fourth Prince really wants to take you by force, I, I will..."
She stopped and thought about it. She seemed to have no ability to do anything to Qi Ze. At most, she could only scold him.
Qin Sheng looked at Chu Yian expectantly, waiting obediently for her next words: "What about you?"
Chu Yian: ...
She is just a little loser who can't do anything.
But when she thought about how the Fourth Prince had taken Qin Sheng away, locked him up in the harem, clipped his wings so that he could no longer do what he wanted and could only be subservient to him from then on, she felt a ball of rage burning in her heart.
Qin Sheng's life has been overshadowed. After finally overcoming so many obstacles, he has new hope. Chu Yian really hopes that his future life will be smooth sailing without any twists and turns.
Pursing her lips, she looked into Qin Sheng's eyes and said seriously: "I will do everything I can to rescue you. We will leave Shengjing and never come back."
Qin Sheng stared at her for a few seconds and was not surprised by Chu Yian's answer.
She has always been like this. Although she is timid, she is willing to give for others. However, there are very few people who can truly receive her sincere treatment.
Qin Sheng's lips curved up, his eyes were very gentle: "Don't worry, he won't."
Chu Yian's eyes suddenly lit up: "Have you trained him to be so obedient?"
Qin Sheng: ...
Qin Sheng lowered his head: "Go on."
Chu Yian: ...
What else can I do? I can only say yes.
Duke Xiao personally went to bring Ying Si back. Ying Si had been wandering in the mountains for many years, and had changed from a prince to an ordinary scholar and commoner. He had been to many places and met too many people.
His growth surprised both Duke Xiao and Shang Yang, and he wrote down many of his experiences over the years on the bamboo slips he presented to them.
Even when someone came to Ying Si to frame Shang Yang, he did not rush forward in anger as he did before, but instead investigated the matter in detail.
Duke Xiao and Shang Yang saw new hope in him.
However, as Qin Xiaogong's health deteriorated, all the forces that had been suppressed for a long time began to stir.
The exiled Gongsun Jia, Ying Qian, and even the dormant old Grand Tutor Gan Long...
Everyone turned their attention to Ying Si.
This new emperor, who had just returned to the palace, could inspire them to do what they wanted, eliminate Shang Yang, and restore the new law...
Duke Xiao had always known that there was a force secretly obstructing the reform. However, as the reform was implemented over the years, the obstructive force among the common people gradually disappeared because the people did indeed gain practical benefits from the reform.
But those old clans...
The implementation of the reform almost completely deprived them of their privileges. All the powerful officials of the old clans were deposed and sidelined without exception, and the senior aristocrats all declined. How could they not resent the new laws and Shang Yang?
Before he died, he had to solve these hidden dangers.
Moreover, Duke Xiao of Qin could sense that Ying Si had a vague sense of alienation towards Shang Yang, and a vague sense of apology towards Ying Qian and others. If he came to power, he would definitely favor Ying Qian and others.
But if it weren't for the instigation of these forces, Ying Si would have become a good monarch.
However, news of Duke Xiao's plan eventually leaked out. Just when he was about to gather these old aristocratic families together, he received news that Grand Tutor Gan Long and General Ying Qian had passed away.
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