After Xiang Shaolong and Lu Buwei stepped forward to salute King Zhuang Xiang and others, Lu Buwei laughed and said: "Shaolong has not seen General Xu Xian yet."
This Xu Xian has a typical Qin figure, tall and strong, only a little shorter than Xiang Shaolong and Lu Buwei. Although he is wearing the official uniform of a civil servant, if he puts on armor, he will definitely be a majestic warrior.
This man's eyes are sparkling, but his cheekbones are too high, which weakens his strong nose and makes him look a little uncomfortable. He is about thirty years old, and his face is calm and composed, just right with Xiang Shaolong.
After a few polite words, he said calmly: "I have heard about Taifu for a long time. Unfortunately, the young general is stationed at the border, so I only have the opportunity to meet him today."
Xiang Shaolong felt that the other party's tone was cold, and there was a look of disdain before speaking. He also showed no sign of being submissive to Lu Buwei. He knew exactly what was going on and didn't say much.
Zhu Ji hasn't had a chance to speak yet. The beautiful lady who is slightly less beautiful than her, but whose charm is hard to capture, smiled and said: "General Xu is a famous general of our Qin Dynasty. Together with General Wang and Lu Gong, they are called the three great generals of the Western Qin Dynasty by the Eastern countries."
Where is the tiger general?”
Xu Xian quickly gave in, with no joy in his expression.
When Xiang Shaolong saw this, he already had some concerns in his mind, but he didn't know who Mr. Lu was.
This Xu Xian is like the party of Mr. Yangquan and Mrs. Xiuli, but he obviously doesn't have much affection for Lu Buwei, and he also despises himself as Lu Buwei's lackey. It is really unfair.
Lu Buwei treated him with great respect on the surface, and said with a smile: "To know a hero and value a hero, it would be better to have a glass of wine with me, so that Shaolong can ask for help from General Xu."
Xu Xian smiled and said: "Mr. Lu, you're welcome." He turned to King Zhuang Xiang and asked to leave, and left without saying a word to Lu Buwei's invitation.
Xiang Shaolong secretly had a crush on this tough guy who was not afraid of power.
At this time, Xiaopan pulled Xiao Ben to greet the prince. After the latter kowtowed, he said happily: "Dad is full of praise for Mr. Xiang. I wonder if Mr. Xiang can teach the prince swordsmanship as well as Wang Ben."
Watch from the sidelines.”
Everyone laughed, but Na Cheng glanced at Xiang Shaolong disdainfully and then stopped looking at him. Apparently he was used to hearing people around him say bad things about him.
At this time, a chamberlain suddenly arrived and Fu said that the Queen Mother wanted to see Xiaopan.
King Zhuang Xiang was busy with Xiaopan accompanying his chamberlain to see Mrs. Huayang. Although Xiaopan was reluctant, he had no other choice and left sadly.
After King Zhuang Xiang said a few words to the queen and his beloved concubine, he went to discuss matters with Lu Buwei and Xiang Shaolong. Only then did Xiang Shaolong realize that his visit to the palace was not just about talking about romance.
After the emperor and his ministers were seated according to their rank, the guards all withdrew, leaving only three people inside.
King Zhuang Xiang, who was sitting on top, smiled at Xiang Shaolong who was sitting on the lower left and said: "Shaolong is indeed a man of deep love and righteousness. Although I want to drink and talk with you, I can only wait patiently. I am feeling better now."
?"
Xiang Shaolong became fond of him again. His caring character was probably unique among the kings of the Warring States Period. He quickly apologized and thanked him.
Lu Buwei was surprisingly silent, just looking at Xiang Shaolong with a smile.
King Zhuang Xiang's eyes flashed with memories, and he sighed: "I have been a hostage in Zhao for a long time, and my life has been rough, but it has also made me feel the suffering of the people. Now that I am the king, I remind myself every day that I must understand the people's sentiments and be lenient for the government."
He. Alas, I didn’t want to start a conquest not long after taking the throne, but Lu Xiangguo was right. If you don’t attack others, they will attack you. In this era of countries competing for hegemony, the only way to survive is to use force to stop them.
Wu. Alas"
Xiang Shaolong was moved in his heart and secretly thought that if it weren't for Lu Buwei's instigation, King Zhuang Xiang would never have used troops against the east. The reason why Lu Buwei was able to persuade him was because the Eastern Zhou Dynasty made an appointment with the princes and conspired to destroy Qin.
Unintentionally, I did Lu Buwei a big favor.
Lu Buwei intervened: "This is a helpless matter. All the countries in the east have the intention of subjugating Qin, and they must not let its fierce flames spread. Although the Eastern Zhou Dynasty only owned Henan, Luoyang, Gucheng, Pingyin, Yanshi, Gonghe,
The land of Zong's seven counties cannot block the way we must pass to the east. If I don't kill him, he will kill me. Please be careful, your Majesty."
A wry smile escaped from the corner of King Zhuang Xiang's mouth, but he said nothing, and the atmosphere became heavy.
Lu Buwei said solemnly: "If you want to prosper your country, if you want to destroy it, your Majesty, please do not hesitate in this matter. Now that Xiao Cheng has just passed away and the Korean people are weak, this is actually a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you miss it, it will actually lead to endless disasters.
"
King Zhuang Xiang said calmly: "I have understood this a long time ago. The Prime Minister can handle the matter of destroying the Zhou Dynasty."
Turning to Xiang Shaolong, he said: "I have discussed it with Lu Xiangguo. The destruction of the Zhou Dynasty deeply hurts King Han Huanhui. I can't even hope to appease his heart with empty words. It is better to save some energy and set the target on other countries."
I know that Shaolong is extremely intelligent, so I will listen to you and act according to your convenience."
Lu Buwei reminded: "Among the five kingdoms, Yan and Zhao are at war and have too much time to take care of themselves, so they can ignore it. The other three kingdoms, especially Qi and Chu. We must convince them that the destruction of the Zhou Dynasty is just for self-protection and not a prelude to foreign invasion. And
Among the two countries of Qi and Chu, the Chu people are easier to deal with. Shaolong can show his favor to Xiaolie. If an alliance can be formed, it would be ideal. Prince Zheng is getting older, so it is better to arrange a marriage for him. I heard that Xiaolie
The young girl is beautiful and beautiful, but is only two or three years older than the prince. If she can make a marriage contract, it will be more at ease in people's hearts."
Although Xiang Shaolong nodded in agreement, he was still complaining in his heart. Was he going to harm the little princess of Chu State?
Moreover, the purpose of lying with open eyes is to harm the other person. Although he is not so pure that he has never tried to harm others, he has had the right reasons and goals in the past, such as capturing Zhao Mu, or to protect himself.
It's not like the current situation where we take the initiative.
Xuan comforted himself again, Tian Dan, Li Yuan, Xinlingjun, Han Chuang, Long Yangjun, who are not doing harm to others and benefiting themselves every day for the benefit of their own country?
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but smile bitterly.
King Zhuang Xiang had been paying attention to his expression. When he saw this, he said apologetically: "I know that Shaolong is a great hero. He doesn't like to use conspiracies and tricks unless he has to. I just hate that in this unusual situation, if you don't cheat others, they will.
You, well, there are many things that I don’t want to do, but I still don’t do them.” After saying this, he let out a long sigh.
Lu Buwei frowned and said, "Has your Majesty thought of Lord Yangquan?"
A helpless look appeared on King Zhuang Xiang's face, and he nodded and said: "After all, he is the Queen Mother's biological brother. If it had not been for his contribution back then, the Queen Mother might not have regarded me as her son and persuaded the king's father to make me her legitimate heir."
, now that I have to deal with him, the Queen Mother will definitely be very sad."
Lu Buwei moved out of his seat, knelt down and kowtowed: "Don't worry, Your Majesty, Bu Wei will handle this matter carefully. Unless Zuo Xiangguo really rebels, he will not start a war first. Maybe he can hide it from the Queen Mother and not disturb her peace."
State of mind.”
Seeing this, Xiang Shaolong had no choice but to accompany him and kneel down in front of King Zhuang Xiang. He secretly exclaimed that it was amazing that Lu Buwei was able to discern looks and demeanor so well and fall into King Zhuang Xiang's favor. No wonder he was able to maintain a good relationship with the King of Qin.
Of course he knew that Lu Buwei was lying. With his hands, he would have a way to force Lord Yangquan to rebel. By then, he would have deprived Lord Yangquan of all his power, and it would no longer matter whether he should be killed or not.
As expected, King Zhuang Xiang was overjoyed. He led the two of them back to the table and said happily: "With these few words from Lu Xiangguo, I feel more at ease."
Lu Buwei said to Xiang Shaolong: "Although Shaolong has been here for more than a year, he didn't stay in Xianyang for a long time, so he doesn't know the current situation. But it's not a good time to be distracted by this now. I have prepared everything for you. You will be here in three days."
Set off for Wei immediately to cooperate with our plan to conquer the Eastern Zhou Dynasty."
Xiang Shaolong sighed inwardly and agreed to him.
At this time, a chamberlain came to report that the Queen Mother, Mrs. Huayang, wanted to see Xiang Shaolong. The three of them were shocked.
Under the guidance of the chamberlain, Xiang Shaolong arrived at the Queen Mother's Palace on the east side of the Qin Palace. When he entered the small side hall where the Queen Mother was, he was shocked to see that in addition to Xiao Pan, the beautiful widow Qing Jing, who was good at both sexes with Ji Yan, was accompanying her.
On the right side of the Queen Mother, Mrs. Huayang, hurriedly knelt down to see.
Mrs. Huayang is in her forty-fifth or sixth year. Her appearance is even more noble and graceful when set off by her fine clothes. Although she is a beauty in her old age, and makeup cannot cover the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, it can still make people think of Zhuang Xiang who suffered so much in those days without any difficulty.
When King An Guojun, the king's father, loved his pet, he showed his charming charm.
Qin Qing on her right was still looking cold and solemn, as if she didn't care about anything in the world. Xiang Shaolong's arrival did not cause her any mood swings.
Mrs. Huayang said in a gentle and kind voice: "Master, please get up."
Xiang Shaolong and the others stood up in dismay, confused as to why the Queen Mother, who had changed the fate of the Qin State, summoned them. They only bowed their heads respectfully and did not dare to look at her rudely.
After an uncomfortable silence, Mrs. Huayang said softly: "Master, please raise your head."
Xiang Shaolong got what he wanted and looked up at Mrs. Huayang who was standing on the stone steps, but deliberately did not look at the widow Qinghe Xiaopan.
The two men's eyes met.
Mrs. Huayang's eyes lit up and she sighed: "Such a talent is indeed a leader among people. Don't think that I judge people by their appearance. What is in the middle is what is in the outside. A person with a straight heart has a straight eye. When I met the king
, then he knew that he had a kind heart and would be a good monarch who loved the people as his children. He was far better than the previous king who wanted to raise an arrogant and arrogant son, so he told the previous king: "I am lucky to be in the harem, but it is a pity that I have no children. I would like to have a son."
Chu Li regarded him as his direct heir and entrusted me with his concubine. The late king then carved a jade talisman with me and made an appointment with Chu Li as his heir. Others thought that I was really just for selfish reasons, but they didn't know that I really had other deep intentions."
Xiang Shaolong was dumbfounded after hearing this. He didn't expect that Mrs. Huayang was such a wise and heroic woman, and she had chosen the right person. The only problem was that she ignored Lu Buwei, who was beneficial to unifying the world but detrimental to the imperial court.
the existence of characters.
Mrs. Huayang said: "Taifu Xiang, please sit down. Alas, it will be the death anniversary of the late king in three days, so the Ai family is particularly touched and makes Taifu Xiang laugh."
Xiang Shaolong sat down blankly, and a palace maid served him some fragrant tea. The side hall had a peaceful atmosphere, and outside was a world purified by white snow.
Qin Qing, a stunning beauty full of classical elegance, remained silent, which made people feel that she did not need any external things to feel at ease.
She is like a white lotus that should only be admired from a distance. Some blasphemous and unclean thoughts will destroy her perfection.
At this moment, Xiang Shaolong still couldn't figure out why Madam Huayang summoned him. He couldn't help but look at Xiaopan, who was staring at him. Seeing him looking at him, he shook his head slightly, as if to teach him not to worry.
expression.
The hall was so quiet that one didn't want to make any noise to ruin the atmosphere.
When Xiang Shaolong was admiring the beautiful environment of the carved beams and paintings in the palace, Mrs. Huayang said softly: "The Zhao Ai family wants to see the Taifu today, mainly because they want to see someone who can impress the talented girl Ji who is as famous as Qin Qing."
Now we finally have a satisfactory answer to what kind of character a man is."
Xiang Shaolong secretly realized that this was the case and quickly gave in.
Qin Qing, who had been silent all this time, said in her voice that sounded better than Chu Gu Huangying: "Miss Ji has been here for more than ten days, and Qin Qing still hasn't had a chance to meet her. Can Mrs. Xiang make arrangements? The Queen Mother also hopes that we can meet her.
Meeting with Miss Ji. I heard that Mr. Zou Yan is a scholar of heaven and earth. If he can spare time for a trip, Qin Qing will treat him wholeheartedly."
Just hearing that she can speak out the invitation on behalf of Mrs. Huayang shows her position in the Queen Mother's Palace.
Xiang Shaolong couldn't help but look at her, their eyes met again, and the beauty looked at him calmly.
Xiang Shaolong was angry and smiled slightly: "I just know that among the guests that Taifu Qin entertained, are you including me?"
Qin Qing was stunned for a moment, a hint of displeasure flashed across her pretty face, she avoided his gaze, and lowered her head.
Mrs. Huayang laughed and said, "Don't blame Qing'er, Mr. Xiang. Qing'er has never had contact with young men since she lost her husband."
Xiang Shaolong said apologetically: "I have offended you so much. Please forgive me, Mrs. Qin. I have to go home to prepare for my mission to a foreign country. If the Queen Mother has no other instructions, Shaolong will resign."
Mrs. Huayang's expression changed and she said: "When will Taifu Xiang leave?"
After Xiang Shaolong said this, Mrs. Huayang thought for a while and said, "Does Master Xiang's itinerary include the Kingdom of Chu?"
Xiang Shaolong realized that she was originally a noble of the Chu State. When King Zhuang Xiang first met her, Lu Buwei dressed him in Chu clothes to impress her feelings about his homeland. King Zhuang Xiang changed his name from a stranger to Zi Chu, also known as Zi Chu.
Therefore, he said he would go to Chu State.
Mrs. Huayang said: "I will ask someone to bring something to the Tutor in the next two days. When the Tutor arrives in Chu, please give it to Mrs. Xiu on my behalf. If my body is not able to support it, I really hope I can go back to Chu."
After Xiang Shaolong agreed, he said goodbye and left, never looking at Qin Qing again.
After walking about ten steps out of the palace, Xiaopan chased him out of the palace, and the bodyguard responsible for his safety was so tired that he chased after him panting.
Xiaopan shouted to more than a dozen personal guards: "Stand here, you are not allowed to follow."
As expected, all the guards stood at attention, not even daring to move a finger.
After Xiaopan was intimidated, he dragged Xiang Shaolong into the garden as if nothing had happened. His eyes turned red and he said, "Master, I killed Zhao Muli. Don't blame me. This is the last time Xiaopan calls you master. I won't dare to call you master again."
Already."
Xiang Shaolong was secretly frightened by the power of the future Qin Shihuang. When he heard this, he was stunned and said: "You killed Zhao Mu?"
Xiaopan surprisingly held back her tears and said calmly: "I told him who I was in his ear, and after I killed him to avenge his mother, I pierced his heart with a knife. Didn't Xiang Long say that?"
Is the sword destined to die without help? Hum, the look of surprise on his face when he died was really wonderful, I should be able to die with my eyes in peace."
Xiang Shaolong secretly felt cold.
Xiaopan was only thirty years old when he left Handan, and he should be fourteen now. Not only did he have the courage to kill people, but he also clearly knew how to put people to death. Although he was dealing with his mother-killing enemy, his coldness and ruthlessness, and the aftermath
The way he casually describes what happened is really chilling.
Seeing that Xiang Shaolong was silent, Xiaopan thought that Xiang Shaolong blamed him, so she hurriedly said: "Don't worry, Master. After killing him, I threw myself into the arms of my queen mother, crying and saying that I had avenged her, including
I’m sure no one will doubt that they still think I love my mother so much?”
Xiang Shaolong was stunned and speechless.
Xiaopan whispered: "But I really love my mother."
Only then did Xiang Shaolong understand how to speak, and said: "Let's not delay too long. Your father, the Queen, the Queen and the Prime Minister are all waiting for us to have lunch..."
Xiaopan tugged on his sleeve and said, "Master, can you come and see me again before you go on your mission?"
After Xiang Shaolong nodded in agreement, Xiaopan was willing to leave the Queen Mother's Palace with him.
When Mr. Xiang returned to Wufu, it was already dusk.
As soon as he got off the carriage, the servant reported that Li Si was looking for him. He was waiting in the side hall and hurried to see him.
After being polite, Li Si sat down and said gratefully: "It is all thanks to Taifu's support that Li Si can follow Taifu Jiwei and go on a mission to the six countries. Li Si doesn't know how to thank Taifu for his kindness. Alas!
The life in the government almost bored me out of my mind."
Xiang Shaolong didn't expect that he would say bad words, so he laughed and said, "Brother Li, why should I thank you? I have to rely on Brother Li's talents. The more I know about the layout of the Six Kingdoms, the more Brother Li will be able to display his ambitions in the future."
Li Si hesitated for a long time, and finally couldn't help but said: "I really can't understand why Taifu thinks so highly of Li Si? He has never even had a chance to show off..."
Xiang Shaolong smiled and patted his shoulder and said, "I, Xiang Shaolong, will never misjudge the wrong person. Brother Li, have you packed your bags?"
Li Si's face was slightly red, and he said a little embarrassedly: "After receiving the order from the Prime Minister, I immediately made all preparations."
After the two looked at each other, they laughed at the same time, full of the joy of knowing each other.
Xiang Shaolong said to this great hero who would help Qin Shihuang conquer the world: "It would be better to meet by chance than to invite you, and it would be better for Brother Li to stay and have a casual meal before leaving."
Li Si laughed and said: "The days are long, are you afraid that there will be no opportunities along the way?"
Xiang Shaolong knew that he wanted to avoid Lu Buwei's eyes and ears, so he didn't force him. He sent him to the gate and asked casually: "Brother Li, do you know the current situation in Xianyang?"
Li Si whispered: "We'll have a detailed discussion with Taifu after we get on the road."
Looking at his back disappearing outside the gate, Xiang Shaolong felt a sense of absurdity and indifference. With Li Si's current desolate appearance of being unappreciated, who would have guessed that he would become the prime minister of Qin in the future?