In the late winter of the thirty-seventh year, Qin Shihuang left Xianyang with a large entourage...
There were tens of thousands of people, with chariots and horses following one after another. The vanguard had arrived at Baqiao, but Qin Shihuang's golden chariot had not yet reached Weiqiao. With banners fluttering and swords and spears in the forest, this was not like a hunting patrol, but more like a hunting expedition.
An expedition.
Qin Shi Huang looked thoughtfully at the people seeing him off outside the carriage window.
He still remembered the first time he came to Xianyang. It was the first year of King Zhuang and Xiang of Qin, and Gong Zizheng was only ten years old. In the ten years after his birth, he never left Handan and was always kept as a hostage. If it were not for the protection of his mother's family, he would have been killed long ago.
Zhao people killed him.
Relying on Lu Buwei's diplomatic skills, the mother and son finally came to Qin and traveled westward. He still remembered the height of Huashan Mountain, the clear boundary between Jingwei and Jingwei, the fertile fields and the bustling city.
I also remember the coldness of the bricks in front of Xianyang Palace.
It is not that easy to recognize one's ancestor and return to the clan. Queen Zhuang Xiang's biological mother, the Queen Mother Xia, did not want to recognize him and hoped that Cheng Qi would succeed him. The Queen Mother Huayang had also been sending women surnamed Mi to King Zhuang Xiang's harem, hoping to give birth to Zheng Erba.
The "Prince" of the Jing Dynasty continued the power of the Chu family's relatives.
In order to be recognized, Gong Zizheng, encouraged by his mother, knelt in front of the palace for a long time and shouted for a long time.
"Twenty-six generations of descendants of Duke Xiang, the ancestor of the Qin Dynasty!"
"The grandson of Heavenly Ancestor Xiaogong!"
"The great-great-grandson of King Huiwen, the great ancestor!"
"The great-grandson of our great-grandfather, King Zhaoxiang!"
"The grandson of our great father, King Xiaowen!"
"The eldest son of the current king, Zheng, has returned from Handan! He recognizes his ancestors and returns to his clan!"
He knelt for a whole day, shouting until his voice was hoarse and his mouth was bubbling. He shouted at the two queen mothers until they softened their hearts. Only then was he finally accepted. He was no longer a "bastard", was included in the clan's clan, and became a serious son.
.
But what awaits him next is a more difficult road to seize the throne.
Gong Zizheng was a hostage since he was a child. At the worst time, he was humiliated by the Zhao people and made him a stable boy. He also had a corrective voice from Handan Zhao Yin. Compared with Guanzhong Yayan, who was in love with Cheng Qi, the good aristocratic education he received since he was a child seemed to be different.
Take advantage.
But "Zhongfu" taught him the key to victory.
"You don't have to catch up with Cheng Jiao. What I want your son to possess is not martial arts, quoting scriptures, poems, etiquette and music, but the will to be a king!"
"Anyone who has become a great person can endure the impossible in the world, can suffer the impossible in the world, and can do the impossible in the world. This is will. As long as he can do this, he can overcome everything in the world that cannot be overcome. He
He is the greatest monarch in history."
He succeeded, withstood the test of the Queen Mother of Huayang, and became the heir. Of course, in exchange, he had to marry the daughter of the Chu State that he had sent over...
And now, it's his turn to choose an heir.
"Compared with the suffering I suffered back then, what have my disciples gone through?"
Qin Shihuang muttered, in front of his chariot were Hu Hai's chariots and horses.
As the youngest son, Hu Hai was favored by Qin Shihuang and had been crowned in advance a few years ago. But this time, after a dilemma, Qin Shihuang finally asked Hu Hai to accompany him on his hunting tour.
But unlike in the past, this time, Hu Hai had a duty: to support the army!
"The king will follow, and the prince will follow, in order to support the army!"
Although he has not yet been formally registered, in the eyes of the officials, the balance of power in this battle has already tilted towards Hu Hai.
Hu Hai received a good Qin-style education since he was a child. With Zhao Gao as his teacher, he had good qualities in calligraphy, legal orders, and prison breaking.
"And the advantage of younger sons is that they often only need to do one-tenth of what the eldest son does to satisfy the monarch!"
There are different opinions, but no one dares to draw a conclusion.
As the imperial driver passed the Wei Bridge, Qin Shihuang suddenly felt a little uneasy.
Perhaps it was related to the cold reception he received when he first came here. Qin Shihuang had never liked Xianyang very much. The water here was too salty, the accent was too rustic, and the palace was too small.
Therefore, whenever Qin Shihuang had the opportunity, he would never stay here. Instead, he would go out on a tour, constantly move people from other places, build new palaces, and transform Xianyang beyond recognition.
But this time, he felt a little reluctant to leave this city.
"Forty years have passed since I first arrived."
He has left and returned countless times.
But this time, it may be the last time I leave.
And there is no chance to return...
Lifting the curtain and looking at the city farther and farther behind him, Qin Shihuang felt that an acquaintance he had known for many years was waving goodbye to him, and the Wei River that was about to freeze was like the turbid tears he shed.
Farewell, old friend.
Farewell, Xianyang.
When he comes back, he may lie in the car and go to Lishan Mountain to be buried.
Thick dark clouds covered the sky, and goose-feather-like snowflakes fell from the sky, fell to the car window, and fell into the palm of Qin Shihuang's hands, feeling cold...
Snowing.
Touched by the scene, Qin Shihuang once again thought of his eldest son who was born on a snowy night. Recently, he fell into dreams more and more often.
Sometimes, the child who accidentally broke the jade would hide in the wormwood and cry secretly, for fear of being scolded by his father.
But in the next moment, he suddenly grew up, dripping with blood, and knelt beside the couch without saying a word.
Qin Shihuang sighed: "Fusu, today you are thirty years old. You are thirty. Where have you been?"
From Xianyang to Hongmen, and from Hongmen to Bashang, the snow was getting heavier and heavier, but Qin Shihuang often opened the curtains and couldn't help but look out, as if he was expecting something.
But on the roadside covered with snow, that slender figure was never seen...
…
In late winter, the entire north ushered in a nationwide snowfall.
Nanyang County was no exception. It snowed all night. By the next morning, the entire Wancheng area was covered with white: the trees in the mountain forest were covered with snow, like twigs and jade leaves;
The roofs were covered with snow, and the people hid in their houses shivering and didn't want to go out; the empty fields turned into a snow field, with a few stray rabbits leaving plum blossom-like footprints on them, creating a cold scene everywhere.
Outside Wancheng, in a pavilion at a three-way intersection, there was a slender middle-aged man undergoing interrogation.
He wrapped himself tightly, only showing his messy beard. He looked to be in his thirties, and he was holding a biographie, which showed that he was "Zhiyang Shangzao Baihu".
On the other hand, it was stamped with the seal of the Xianyang government, allowing Guan and Liang to pass as they pleased.
He handed the sword to the pavilion chief for inspection. It had a pine scabbard and some rust on the sword. The pavilion chief looked at the man's attire and said:
"The sword needs to be sharpened."
The man smiled.
He once wore a mink fur robe, holding a jade in his hand, and was dressed in bright white, but now he has changed into a coarse soap coat.
He once rode a thousand-mile dragon with a sword of ten thousand gold hanging on his waist, but now he has been replaced by a skinny packhorse and a short rusty sword.
Everything he once owned was gone in the blink of an eye.
Although the inspection of the Qin Dynasty pavilion was strict, it was not as advanced as swiping ID cards and taking fingerprints. As long as it was not as bold as the disciple who pretended to be Feng Wuze's son more than ten years ago and went directly to the government to defraud money.
The laws of the world have been passed, and since there is nothing wrong with the test, the chief of the pavilion just checked it casually, and without any embarrassment, returned the sword to the man, asked for a few pennies on the pretext, and signaled to the pavilion soldiers to let him go.
But when this person reached a fork in the road, he hesitated.
There are three roads, heading south, north and east respectively.
To the south is Nanjun, which is the hometown of Changnanhou. There, it is easy to find his old township party headquarters, and then travel to Jiangnan and Lingnan.
To the north is Wuguan, where you can wait for the Emperor Qin Shi Huang to drive, or you can cross Guanliang and sneak back to Xianyang...
To the east, it is unknown.
The sky became cloudy again and the snow fell again. He hesitated in the snow for a long time, and finally murmured to himself.
"At thirty..."
Once upon a time, he had the hope of everyone in the world, and was pushed and chirped by everyone, forcing him to do all kinds of things.
It seems to be very close to the clouds, and the golden shackles are within reach...
But in fact, it is as fragile as jade. A little setback and accident can destroy everything and plunge you into boundless darkness!
Because his so-called power, so-called fame, and so-called party members and staff are just castles in the air and cannot be relied upon at all.
What is reliable?
"The sword in your hand, the soldiers under your command!"
Betrayal, deceit, betrayal, desperate situation... After experiencing the ups and downs of life, Fusu seemed to be reborn and figured out many things.
"If it only stands against the four walls, it is just the word 'prison'."
"Only by breaking these shackles and standing on one's own two feet can a man be a human being and be able to stand upright!"
His eyes gradually became firm, and when he looked at the three forks in the road, he was no longer confused.
"We can't stop in the south. Even if we go, it will only become a flag in the hands of the Marquis of Changnan. From now on, everything is out of my control."
"We can't stop in the north. The general trend is no longer there. It's useless to sneak back alone. Even if my father spares my life, I will still have to die once my brothers succeed to the throne!"
Until his shoulders were covered with snowflakes, he finally looked towards the east and showed a relieved smile.
Isn’t the answer already there?
"I return eastward, but my heart is saddened by the west!"
After saying that, he got on his horse, then turned the horse's head and galloped eastward without hesitation. He only left a series of hoof prints on the snow!
There is nothing else on this trip.
Only one person, one sword, and one horse!
…
ps: bgm, "The Ordinary Road" by Pu Shu, perfect match.
