Lu Buwei, dressed in official uniform, walked into Zhu Ji's Cihe Hall in high spirits. Xiang Shaolong stood up and saluted.
Lu Buwei was even more energetic than before. He glanced at Xiang Shaolong up and down with his sparkling eyes, smiled and nodded, and said happily: "I'm so happy to see Shaolong again."
Although it is an ordinary sentence, it contains a sting that can hurt people. It implicitly blames Xiang Shaolong for leaving without saying goodbye and not paying attention to the court; it also implies that he still has his life.
Then he saluted Zhu Ji, but he did not kneel down. It was obvious that he relied on his special relationship and deep connection with Zhu Ji, and did not regard himself as a minister.
Lu Buwei sat at the table opposite Xiang Shaolong and said with a smile: "Our country, Qin, is in an extraordinary period right now. Shameless people are ready to act with evil intentions. If Shaolong doesn't have anything particularly urgent, just stay in Xianyang. I might be useful."
A place worthy of you."
Xiang Shaolong nodded in agreement, but secretly thought that Lu Buwei really knew how to play tricks and use crises to create pressure, so that Zhu Ji, mother and son had no choice but to rely on him.
Lu Buwei turned to Zhu Ji and said, "What are the Queen Mother and Shaolong talking about so happily?"
Just this casual sentence has fully demonstrated Lu Buwei's arrogant mentality. If we talk about superiority and inferiority, then it is up to him, the right prime minister, to take care of the Queen Mother's affairs.
Zhu Ji showed no displeasure and said calmly: "I just wanted to ask about Shaolong's current situation."
Anger flashed in Lu Buwei's eyes and he said coldly: "Shaolong, please retreat for a while. The Queen Mother and I have important matters to discuss."
Xiang Shaolong was also secretly angry in his heart. This was clearly a sign of power to him, and it was clear that he was not qualified to participate in the secret discussion between him and Zhu Ji.
Just as she was about to retreat, Zhu Ji said: "Shaolong doesn't need to leave. How can Prime Minister Lu treat Shaolong as an outsider?"
Lu Buwei was stunned for a moment, then put on a smile and said: "How could I regard Shaolong as an outsider? It's just that he has no interest in government affairs, and I'm afraid he will be upset."
Zhu Ji said nonchalantly: "Lu Lianlian doesn't have the patience to wait for a while. What is so important?"
At this time, both Lu Buwei and Xiang Shaolong knew that Zhu Ji was angry, and was obviously on Xiang Shaolong's side. Lu Buwei was not stupid enough to retort, and said with a smile: "Don't be offended, Your Majesty, I am here to pay a visit to the Queen Mother.
Recommend the most suitable candidate to assume the important position of commander of the capital, so that he can take on the heavy responsibility of the security of the royal city."
This cavalry commander is actually the closest position to the royal family outside the imperial guard commander Angu.
The defense of Xianyang City is mainly responsible for three major systems, namely, the Imperial Guards who guard the palace, and the Duqi Dugui Army, which is responsible for city defense. The former is cavalry and the latter is infantry.
The commander of the capital cavalry and the commander of the capital guards together are equivalent to the previous position of city guard when Xiang Shaolong was in Handan, except that the infantry and cavalry were separated.
The number of infantry is 30,000, which is three times more than the cavalry. However, in terms of honor and status, the cavalry commander in charge of the cavalry is naturally better than the general of the cavalry in charge of the infantry.
Zhu Ji said coldly: "Prime Minister Lu, there is no need to propose anyone. I have decided to appoint Shaolong as the commander of the cavalry. Apart from him, no one can make me feel at ease."
Lu Buwei did not expect that Zhu Ji, who had always obeyed his words, would be so decisive on this matter, leaving no room for negotiation. His face changed slightly, and he looked at Xiang Shaolong in surprise and asked, "Has Shaolong changed his mind?"
Of course Xiang Shaolong understands Zhu Ji's mentality. She is also an extremely powerful person, and she doesn't want to live in Lu Buwei's shadow forever. Now that Xiang Shaolong has won the favor of the military, with him as the commander of the cavalry, he can not only fight against Lu Buwei, but also use
He was scrupulous and did not dare not to take her mother and son into his eyes. He could also maintain the military through Xiang Shaolong so that he would not be forced to stand on the same front as Lu Buwei and there would be no room for change.
Xiang Shaolong knew that although Lu Buwei appeared to be caring on the surface, but in fact he was secretly forcing him to reject the appointment, then he could plausibly recommend the candidate he had in mind. He smiled and said: "As Prime Minister Lu said, our country, Qin, is at a very important time.
During this period, Shaolong had no choice but to put his personal matters aside and endure the arduous task."
Lu Buwei's eyes flashed with anger, then a smile appeared, and he said: "That's the best. It's rare for the Queen Mother to appreciate you so much. Don't let her down."
Zhu Ji said calmly: "What else is urgent for Mr. Lu?"
Although Lu Buwei was furious, he didn't dare to conflict with Zhu Ji. He also knew that his attitude was a bit too much. He smiled and said: "Qi Prime Minister Tian Dan, Chu State Uncle Li Yuan, and Zhao General Pang Jun arrived in Xianyang yesterday, hoping to
Before the funeral of the late king, I would like to say hello to the Queen Mother and the Crown Prince."
Zhu Ji said coldly: "The widow is here to serve as a mourner. What's there to see? We'll wait until the king is buried in peace."
This was the first time that Lu Buwei saw Zhu Ji treat him with such an attitude, and he knew that the problem lay with Xiang Shaolong. He was very sophisticated and did not show his feelings at all. After a few more words, he said goodbye and left.
There was silence in Cihe Hall.
After a long time, Zhu Ji sighed and said: "I have strictly ordered everyone who saw what you said to the king not to spread the word. Anyone who disobeys the order will be killed. Buwei probably doesn't know about it yet."
Xiang Shaolong said gratefully: "Thank you, Queen Mother"
Zhu Ji said dejectedly: "Shaolong, I am very tired, so what if I am like now? Why can't I always be happy?"
Xiang Shaolong knew that she was forcing him to comfort her in another way, and sighed: "The Queen Mother must cheer up, the Crown Prince still needs your guidance and care."
In this case, he couldn't bring up the poison.
At first it was difficult for him to explain why the prophetic poison would come to seduce her, and even more so if Zhu Ji wanted him to replace the "future" poison, he would have an even bigger headache.
It can be seen that history is fundamentally unchangeable.
After Zhu Ji was silent for a while, she said softly: "You should be careful about Pang of Zhao State. He was promoted by Han Jing. He is a famous strategist and eloquent. Now he is the city guard of Handan and is Lian Po."
, Li Mu is now the most famous general in the Zhao Kingdom. He came to Qin this time just to explore our true and false status. Alas, I really don’t know what Bu Wei’s intentions are. He suddenly became brothers with the Six Kingdoms, as if nothing had happened.
Look."
Xiang Shaolong didn't take this unheard of Mrs. Pang seriously. If it weren't for the ambiguous relationship between Guo Kai and Zhu Ji, which made it inappropriate to come in person, this person probably wouldn't have had his turn.
At this time, neither of them knew what to say.
After chattering for a few words, Xiang Shaolong said goodbye and left. Although Zhu Ji was unwilling to do so, she was afraid of what others would say, so she had to let him go.
As soon as he stepped out of the Queen Mother's Palace, An Gu came up to him and said, "The prince wants to see the prince."
Xiang Shaolong followed him towards the crown prince's womb.
The leader of the imperial guards whispered: "After the Grand Tutor has met the Crown Prince, can you please visit Lu Gong's general residence?"
Xiang Shaolong understood in his heart and nodded.
An Gu didn't say anything anymore, sent him to the pavilion of the Tai Palace, and left on his own.
Xiaopan sat on the dragon cushion at the north end of Yuxuan, with a gloomy face. He was exempted from the courtesy of a monarch and his ministers. After asking Xiang Shaolong to sit down, he said fiercely: "Master, I want to kill Lu Buwei."
Xiang Shaolong was shocked and lost his voice: "What?"
Xiaopan lowered his voice and said: "This man has a violent personality and does not care about the kindness of the king's father. He is more vicious than a wolf. He also considers himself the hero of the founding of the country. He also secretly pretends that I am his son. If I don't get rid of him, I will never think about it."
Exercising royal power smoothly."
Xiang Shaolong originally wanted to contact Xiaopan, but Li Si, Wang Jian and others had a big fight with Lu Buwei. Unexpectedly, Xiaopan's idea went a few blocks further than him, which made him hesitate again. He muttered: "This matter between the Crown Prince and Lu Buwei
Has the Queen Mother told you?"
Xiaopan said: "The Queen Mother has always had deep feelings for Lu Buwei that she can't let go of. She told her that she would only teach her a lesson. Taifu, with your peerless swordsmanship and wisdom, it shouldn't be too difficult to kill him."
Xiang Shaolong thought of Guan Zhongxie and secretly thought that you think too highly of me, but of course he couldn't say that, and sighed: "The question is, what will be the consequences if we kill him suddenly?"
Xiaopan showed a thoughtfulness beyond his years and said: "So I will first appoint the Taifu as the commander of the cavalry, and then select a few people to take on important positions in the court. As long as I consolidate the royal power in my hands, will there be any
This thief is no longer a problem. Even if I am afraid of my mother’s opposition, if she joins forces with Lu Buwei, it will be difficult for me to deal with it.”
Xiang Shaolong asked: "Does the prince love his mother?"
Xiaopan sighed dejectedly and nodded.
I am afraid that only Xiang Shaolong understands his mentality. At this time, Xiaopan has transferred his feelings for Mrs. Ni to Zhu Ji.
Xiaopan is right. Zhu Ji knew clearly that King Zhuang Xiang was killed by Lu Buwei, but she still just gave Lu Buwei some color to look at.
Xiang Shaolong said: "I want to kill this old thief more than you do. Do you think the prince should have guessed that Princess Qian was killed by him? But we still haven't established strong strength in a day. We must not act rashly, especially Qin's side."
The system is complex, the direction is unpredictable, and a group of people who support Adult Joe are plotting evil. Under this situation, we must endure our anger for a while."
Xiaopan was greatly refreshed and said: "So, the Grand Tutor is willing to take up the post of commander of the cavalry."
Xiang Shaolong smiled bitterly and said, "I just promised your mother and queen."
Xiaopan said happily: "With the master by my side, I feel relieved."
At this moment, he became the child he once was.
Then he showed a contemplative look and said: "The Taifu's vision is really unparalleled in the world. Mr. Li Si, the imperial guard, is the best example. His ideas and insights are different from others. He pointed out to me that if I can seize the opportunity, with the help of my Da Qin
With strong strength and courageous progress, we can eventually unify the world. Therefore, I will not let a wolf-hearted person like Lu Buwei control the political situation and affect my great cause."
Only then did Xiang Shaolong realize how great Li Si's influence was on Xiao Pan. He could no longer think of Xiao Pan as an ignorant child. Infected by the atmosphere in the Qin Palace, he transformed into another person, and he would be his future.
He single-handedly built a powerful China.
Xiaopan asked coldly again: "How long do I have to wait?"
Xiang Shaolong said calmly: "When the Crown Prince turns twenty-one and holds the coronation ceremony, it will be the time for the Crown Prince to make a move."
This cannot be wrong, because this is history.
Xiaopan said in astonishment: "Doesn't it mean we have to wait eight years? Isn't it more difficult for Lu Buwei to control it?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "During this period of time, we can use a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, we can use Lu Buwei to deal with those who want to shake the crown prince's throne; on the other hand, we can cultivate the prince's team. In other words, we can weaken Lu Buwei's influence."
After a pause, he emphasized: "In terms of government affairs, the prince can let Lu Buwei do whatever he wants, but Xu Xian must be used to check and balance him, and try his best to win over the military generals. That is, Lu Buwei will do the bad things, and we will do our best.
As a good person, as long as you hold on to the military power, even if Lu Buwei has three heads and six arms, he will not be able to fly out of the prince's five fingers in the end. Only the barrel of a gun can bring about political power. This is an eternal truth."
Xiaopan was shocked and muttered: "Political power comes from the barrel of a gun."
The gun barrel he was thinking of was naturally the barrel of a knife and a gun, not the barrel of an automatic machine gun.
Xiang Shaolong secretly scolded himself for speaking without hesitation, and continued: "There are two people who can be promoted in front of me, namely Wang Jian and Wang Ben and his son. These two are the most powerful generals that any monarch can only dream of. With them helping you conquer the world,
Why fear a mere Lu Buwei?"
Xiaopan was stunned and said: "What about you?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "Of course I will try my best to help you, but I am still an outsider. If you want to consolidate the Qin government, you must use their talents as the main force."
Xiaopan frowned and said: "But now Lu Buwei is favoring Meng Ao and appoints his two sons, Mengwu and Mengtian, as partial generals so that they can follow Meng Ao in his campaigns north and south. How should I deal with it?"
Xiang Shaolong said: "This is one of the reasons why Lu Buwei is eager to get rid of me. If Meng Ao knew that his two sons were almost killed by this old thief's conspiracy, how do you think he would feel?"
The two Wu brothers will eventually lean on us, so you can take advantage of the situation and reuse these two people to prevent Lu Buwei from becoming suspicious."
Xiaopan became excited and said: "No one is more powerful than Taifu. I know how to do it."
After the two discussed some details of the operation, Xiang Shaolong resigned and left.
When they arrived at Lu Gong's place, which was in the same place as the Qin Palace, facing the General's Mansion where Lu Buwei was starting to build a new residence in the distance, Lu Gong invited Xiang Shaolong to the quiet inner pavilion. After the servants served him fragrant tea and retired, Lu Gong smiled and said:
"I heard that you are a descendant of the Qin people, but I have never heard of this surname in Da Qin. I wonder which clan you are from?"
Xiang Shaolong groaned in his heart and made nonsense: "My surname comes from my mother's side. Don't tell me what tribe I am. I don't even know who my father is. I only know that he is a soldier from Da Qin. Alas.
This is indeed a confusing account.”
Lu Gong, a "Great Qinist", had no doubts. He nodded and said: "It is rare for the Zhao people to give birth to someone as majestic and majestic as you. The Taifu's body type is rare even among the people of Great Qin. It should be a different species. I am the last one."
I am good at understanding people. When I first saw you that day, I knew you were a loyal person."
Xiang Shaolong gradually figured out his character, and smiled secretly in his heart, saying: "Gong Lu is really very discerning, I can't hide anything from you."
Lu Gong sighed and said: "It would be great if nothing could be hidden from me, but I still missed many things. I didn't expect that the late king was so short-lived, alas."
Xiang Shaolong fell silent.
Lu Xin's eyes widened, shooting out a sharp light, but his tone was quite calm, and he said slowly: "What is the relationship between Shaolong and Lu Buwei?"
Xiang Shaolong didn't expect that he would ask such a direct question, and said in astonishment: "Why did Mr. Lu say such a thing?"
Lu Gong said calmly: "Shaolong, you don't have to hide it from me. You and Lu Buwei are not as harmonious as they appear. Otherwise, the Wu family wouldn't have to hide in the pasture outside Xianyang all day long. Don't worry, the Wu people are after me, the nobles of the Qin Dynasty, and they will come to us."
He said that he must not be compared with outsiders like Lu Buwei."
Xiang Shaolong has been in Xianyang for so long, and this is the first time he has directly experienced the xenophobic racism of the Qin people. He sighed and said: "This matter is really difficult to explain. I proposed to the late king that General Xu should be the prime minister, and Lu Xiangguo and I
It’s quite a grudge.”
Lu Gong smiled and said: "How can it be so simple? In Xianyang City, the person Lu Buwei is most jealous of is you. I don't need to explain this kind of thing."
Then there was a thoughtful look in his eyes, and he said slowly: "There have always been rumors that the prince is not the king's flesh and blood, but the son of Lu Buwei. At first, we didn't quite believe this, and we just thought it was someone with evil intentions who slandered Lu Buwei.
and the Queen Mother’s hidden arrow, but now that the late king died suddenly and for no apparent reason when he was in his prime, naturally we can no longer turn a blind eye to it."
Xiang Shaolong's head was as big as a fight when he heard that Lu Gong was a highly respected person in the Qin Dynasty. His words could be said to represent the thoughts of the most important general in the Qin State. Assuming that they regarded Xiaopan as Lu Buwei's bastard, they turned to
If you help adult Qiao, both Lu Buwei and Xiaopan will die together.
Lu Gong added: "But we must verify this matter clearly before we can decide on the next step. Just as we were still unclear about the relationship between Shaolong and Lu Buwei, so we jointly asked the prince to appoint you as the commander of the capital cavalry. Okay.
I tried to test Lu Buwei’s reaction, but I found out immediately after trying it, because Lu Buwei was the only one who objected.”
Only then did Xiang Shaolong realize how complicated politics is. When he first heard about this, he thought Lu Gong and others thought highly of him, but it turned out that there were other reasons and purposes behind it.
Lu Gong shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Then again, it is really difficult to prove that kind of thing except for the person involved. However, it is not impossible, it is just difficult to do."
Xiang Shaolong was stunned and asked, "What's the best way?" But he was wondering in his heart, he could be said to be Zhu Ji and the Crown Prince's person, wouldn't he protect them? Why did Lu Gong want to find him?
Come to discuss this matter?
Lu Gong said: "Half of this matter depends on Shaolong's help."
Xiang Shaolong looked at him in surprise, suddenly remembered Zhu Ji's words, and suddenly said: "Are you going to use blood to identify relatives?"
Lu Gong said solemnly: "This is the only way to make us feel at ease. We only need to drop the blood of two people into the specially prepared liquid in a pure silver bowl. The authenticity will be judged, and we will not be disappointed every time."
Suddenly, Xiang Shaolong's high-spirited heart relaxed, as relaxed as if he were carefree in space, he nodded and said: "I can be covered by that drop of your blood, but Mr. Lu had better send out witnesses to see me with your own eyes."
If you take blood from your body, no one can cheat."
This time it was the deer man's turn to be startled.
He came to discuss this trip with Xiang Shaolong because he knew that he was the closest person to Zhu Ji besides Lu Buwei, and he was the one who single-handedly rescued the mother and son from Handan. He should also know more or less about the relationship between Zhu Ji, mother and son, and Lu Buwei.
relationship. If he rejects and rejects this method of identifying one's relatives with this drop of blood, it can be confirmed that there must be something ulterior in it. Then of course Mr. Lu will know how to choose between the two princes.
How could he know that Xiang Shaolong readily agreed and even asked someone to monitor him and not cheat? This was beyond his expectation.
After the two of them stared blankly for a while, Lu Gong said decisively: "Well, we will find a solution for the drop of Lu Buwei's blood. But if it is confirmed that the prince is really the son of Lu Buwei, how will you deal with it, Shaolong?"
Xiang Shaolong said calmly: "I firmly believe that the crown prince is the real and genuine flesh and blood of the late king. Facts will prove everything."
Suddenly, the most troublesome thing for him was solved.
Of course, Bixue "cannot recognize his relatives", so at that time, the Qin State's general, Lu Gong, would fully support Xiaopan. The situation was naturally different from what it is now.
However, due to Zhu Ji's relationship, Lu Buwei can still continue to expand his power and control the government.
Now Xiang Shaolong is worried that this ancient method of identifying the blood relationship between father and son is not effective. After thinking about it carefully, he feels that this is unfounded. History has already shown that Xiaopan will be the first emperor to dominate the world in the future.