"There is news from Zhaode Palace. Today, Mrs. Li went to Mr. Fu Nian's place to meet Mr. Tianming. Later, she received a secret letter, the specific content of which is unknown."
"It should be related to Han Shen, the envoy of the State of Yan. He wants to send dignitaries out of the palace. He dissuades Han Shen and his party from entering the palace tomorrow. He also gives the palace wine, which contains medicine for dizziness and sweating."
Near noon, in the side hall next to the Xingle Palace, King Qin Zhengzheng was reviewing military and political documents alone. With the effective management of the Zhao Kingdom, the affairs under the center were not much more than last year.
Most of the important ministers are in the palace and rarely enter the palace unless there are important matters. The Qin King is not in a hurry. Now is a time for them to recuperate. There are still important matters to deal with next.
Suddenly, a calm and clear voice came out from within the hall.
Upon hearing this, Qin Wangzheng, who was writing something, stopped for a moment, raised his head, a pair of red and phoenix eyes flashed with a stern dark light, and looked at the personal guard, and fell into a brief thought.
"Who sent the secret message?"
Qin Wangzheng whispers.
"Falling in the void, the real person does not appear."
The man responded quickly.
"There is no need to stop Mrs. Li's movements. All you need to do is replace the wine you were given."
"I hope that the envoys from Yan State will enter Xianyang Palace normally tomorrow!"
Qin Wangzheng felt that he had guessed something about the secret message that could make Li Er give such an order, but... someone reported the message in Xianyang Palace? Who could know this information.
At present, there are indeed people in the Qin court who know this information, but... they will not stop it, and now someone wants to use Li'er's hand to prevent the envoy from the Yan Kingdom from entering the palace.
It's really... damn.
But...it's a pity that everything is useless.
"Here."
Upon hearing this, the man directly accepted the order, and after a few breaths, he disappeared.
"Yan Dan, Han Shen, Mi Xin... The Kingdom of Yan is destined to be attacked and destroyed by the meager Qin Dynasty."
"Years ago, when you left Xianyang, I didn't take any notice of you, which was already the greatest mercy. Now, to plot against me,...that's what you did."
The footsteps of the secret guard in his ears gradually disappeared, Qin Wangzheng's brows were still furrowed, and everything was racing through his mind.
He murmured something in his mouth and put down the pen in his hand.
If the Yan State is really willing to surrender, he can forgive the Yan State and there will be no war. As for now... he has brought the blame on himself.
******
"Your Majesty."
"But it's just Mao hour, so why get up so early."
The next day, under the bright light, the night was still outside the window, and there was still a lot of darkness. After listening to Er's words clearly, Gongsun Li couldn't help but say something when she saw the king getting up from the couch.
"Today is the day when the State of Yan surrenders. All the etiquette is heavy. Zongzheng has already prepared it. As the lord of the Qin Dynasty, I naturally cannot lose my etiquette in Xianyang Palace."
"Li'er, you can continue to rest. The weather is still cold. Qing'er, please add two small stoves."
Qin Wangzheng held down Gongsun Li who was about to get up with one hand, smiled slightly, and asked the palace attendants on his side to help him get dressed. Next, he had to put on the imperial robes in Xingle Palace, which was even more troublesome.
Feeling a hint of coolness inside, his eyes fell on Qing'er again.
"Here!"
The personal maid bowed.
"Your Majesty, what if... what if the Yan Kingdom does not surrender?"
When Gongsun Li heard the sound, the remaining trace of sleepiness disappeared into nothingness. She raised her hand and took a fur coat, put it on her body, lay down on the step, her heart moved, and looked at the king.
"What if the Yan Kingdom doesn't surrender?"
"Then, the Yan Kingdom will naturally become a part of the Qin Dynasty. Wang Jian and others have been waiting in Yishui for a long time."
Qin Wangzheng did not hesitate and looked at Gongsun Li with a smile.
"Do we have to use military warfare to solve the problem of Yan State?"
Gongsun Li's eyebrows moved slightly, this answer was not what she wanted to hear.
"Haha, Lier."
"This matter...all depends on the Yan State. It is true that the Yan State wants to survive, so it should be sincere enough. There are millions of people in the Yan State. If they surrender sincerely, then there will be no worries."
"Yan Dan and the others have always had a high self-esteem. They regarded Da Qin as a barbarian country and were dissatisfied with Da Qin. As expected, they implemented the Yan State with benevolent governance. Li'er thinks it is effective?"
With her arms stretched out flat, a fitted brocade warm robe covered her body, and she responded to Li'er's question at the same time.
Regarding this issue, the initiative lies in the hands of Qin and also in the hands of Yan.
"Your Majesty, is there no other way?"
Gongsun Li sighed softly.
"Of course there is."
Qin Wangzheng is still smiling.
"……really?"
Gongsun Li was surprised and quickly looked at Qin Wangzheng with her beautiful eyes shining brightly.
"As long as Yan State offers Yan Dan's head and sends it to Qin personally, then I can consider not attacking Yan State for the time being."
He took the tea from the maid, rinsed his mouth gently, and continued to respond.
"Yan Dan's head!"
"this……."
Hearing this, Gongsun Li fell into a shallow silence again.
I don't know much about the situation in Yan State, but I don't know everything about it. At present, Prince Dan of Yan State is in charge of the important military and political affairs of Yan State, and he has many capable and promising people under his command.
If Yan Dan dies, the Yan State will only fall into a faster decline. In the meantime, even if the Qin State does not attack, the Yan State will definitely not be able to sustain it.
"Li'er, just leave those matters to me. After the envoy from Yan State surrendered today, everything is settled, so what do you have to worry about?"
Seeing that he had finished wearing his robe, Qin Wangzheng walked into the soft couch, placed the velvet blanket on the couch more tightly around Li'er, took a slow look, stood up and left.
"Qing'er, I'll send you off to the king as soon as I can."
Gongsun Li forced a slight smile on her face and waved to Qing'er who was playing with the small stove.
"Yes, ma'am."
Wearing an ordinary blue maid outfit, Qing'er stepped forward and bowed.
After more than ten breaths.
On the broad road in front of Zhaode Palace, Qin Wangzheng stepped into his car and drove away slowly.
"Madam, this is the soothing fragrant tea that the king ordered Shangshifang to send."
Qing'er held a wooden tray with an exquisite tea cup placed on it, and the steaming heat spread out. When she walked into the inner room, Mrs. Li was still lying on the soft couch, seeming to be deep in thought.
"Soothing fragrant tea?"
"It's okay, I do think too much lately."
Seeing Qing'er approaching, Gongsun Li whispered softly and took the fragrant tea from the wooden tray. It was indeed very fragrant. It was the first time in Mao Shi. It was a bit early to get up now, so it was not too late to take a rest.
Immediately, he drank the cup of soothing fragrant tea in one gulp.
Not long after, a great feeling of tiredness came over her, and not long after, Gongsun Li fell into a slumber.
"lady?"
"lady?"
When the maid Qing'er who had been waiting beside her saw this, her expression moved slightly, she quietly came forward and whispered softly.
After calling a few times, I saw that Mrs. Li had no reaction.
Not long after, he ordered his left and right, and left quietly.
The beginning of spring has passed long ago.
The great sun in the void rises earlier and earlier. Outside Xianyang Palace, under the sunrise sky, wisps of golden eyes in the early morning spread across the sky, falling on every figure in the world.
"Brother Song, why is the bright sun stained with a trace of bright red today?"
In the embassy in Xianyang Xicheng, Han Shen had prepared everything. He wore the robe of a diplomatic attendant inherited from the Yan Kingdom, his hair was tied up in a crown, and his eyebrows were heroic. He stood in the courtyard and looked at the eastern sky.
On the side, the same is true for Song Ruyi.
"Haha, maybe... I am destined to bleed today."
Song Ruyi laughed loudly.
Regardless of whether I succeed today or not, I am happy enough. I have already prepared everything behind me, and I no longer have any worries in my heart.
After burning incense, Han and Shen walked out of the embassy in special crown robes. On the street outside, the mist had not yet dispersed. They were followed by other waiters. Song Ruyi held a copper box in her hand, with Fan Yuqi inside. 's head.
Chenshi!
The bells in Xianyang Palace rang loudly. In order to show the importance of Yan's surrender, the government directly arranged the nine-guest ceremony that had not been used in Qin for nearly a hundred years.
Only the gift of Nine Guests can show that Qin attaches great importance to the alliance with Yan, and it is also a model for the other vassal states.
The gift of nine guests!
It was originally the highest etiquette that the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty could use. However, since the Spring and Autumn Period, etiquette has collapsed. Naturally, it does not need to be paid too much attention to. The nine guests are: Gong, Hou, Bo, Zi, male, lonely, Qing, doctor, scholar, and total. Nine guests.
The first four classes of guests belong to the princes, and the last five classes of guests are officials with varying amounts of fiefdoms. The etiquette for the nine guests is complicated and complicated. There are only three ways of bowing to different guests: day bow, hour bow, and scholar bow.揖, long-term practice by non-full-time ministers is not enough to fully realize it.
This time the Qin State showed the courtesy of nine guests, which was the standard set by the government.
Perhaps among the Xia, only the Qin State has the qualification to use the Nine Guests Ceremony, which means that the Qin State will unite the princes and become the co-lord of all Xia, and its power will be even greater than that of the Zhou Dynasty.
Sure enough, why can't we use the gift of nine guests?
The Yan State was small and weak, and surrendered to the Qin State. Wouldn't it be very similar to the way the princes of the Zhou Dynasty met the emperor in the past?
After leaving the embassy, on the road to Xianyang Royal City, there were still a large number of Xianyang people watching. This was the first time since Qin State came east that a major country had surrendered in person. Isn't it due to the power of Qin State?
The people of Xianyang are so proud!
Han Shen and Song Ruyi were sitting on the bronze chariot, passing by on the road, listening to the sounds coming from all around, their eyebrows could not help but wrinkled, and they had no choice but to close their eyes.
"Haha, the messenger is finally here."
"In the Xianyang Palace, all the ministers have gathered, and they want to have a glimpse of your grace, please!"
Prime Minister Li Si and a group of diplomatic friends were waiting at the main entrance of Xianyang Palace. When Han Shen and his entourage walked in, they stepped forward to greet them and bowed their hands.
"please!"
Han Shen also smiled and bowed his hands.
Immediately, Li Si and others followed the etiquette of nine guests and made three concessions and three speeches. Although they were all modest, they gradually moved towards the Xianyang Palace. They were not all empty courtesy, and Han Shen did not make any messy words.
"The deputy envoy has received the great gift and will follow me to see the King of Qin."
He turned his body slightly to look at Song Ruyi.
Song Ruyi nodded deeply.
After burning incense, Li Si and his party slowly walked to the majestic Xianyang Palace. The great sun in the void had already risen, shining on the bricks and tiles of Xianyang Palace in front of them, reflecting a different kind of glazed light.
"please!"
Li Si saluted again and pointed with his arm at the solemn steps in front of him, which were already covered with high-quality red carpet. Before the Spring and Autumn Period, material resources were difficult, so the stone steps in front of the temple were paved with blue stone strips, which seemed dark and heavy. They were originally painted red to show Ji Qingye.
Nowadays, the treasury of the Qin State is full, and the stone steps of the main hall in front of Xianyang Palace are made of carefully selected high-quality white jade. If it is painted with red paint, it will be a waste of natural resources, so they are all paved with red felt.
Han Shen solemnly nodded and stepped on it.
Behind him, Song Ruyi followed unhurriedly. As for the rest of the envoys, they were not qualified to enter the palace.
Stepping onto the steps paved with red carpet, Han Shen's spiritual awareness spread, and everything around him fell into the depths of his mind. The black dragon army in the royal city of Qin, all wearing black armor and bronze axes, stood solemnly on both sides of the steps, like a dark and golden forest, majestic and majestic.
It is indeed the only one in the world.
Each held a huge bronze alloy axe, each weighing dozens of kilograms. No matter how sharp the sword was, it was hard to beat its slashing and sweeping power. Suddenly, Han Shen raised his eyebrows slightly.
"This is the statue of Lord Shang!"
After stepping up the thirty-six steps, you are faced with an extremely conspicuous white jade statue. He is dressed like an ordinary scribe and stands with a crown in his head. He holds a scroll of bamboo slips in one hand and looks deeply into the distance.
Han Shen had heard that this statue was that of Wei Yang, a peerless talent who emerged from the Wei Kingdom a hundred years ago and helped the Qin State lay its strong foundation today, together with the great merchant Lu Buwei of the Wei State.
Rumor has it that the reason why the Wei State has not been destroyed by the Qin State and has been able to preserve the inheritance of the Zuo Ancestral Temple is because of these two people. Han Shen also admired Wei Yang very much.
In a situation like that more than a hundred years ago, he was still able to join hands with Qin Xiaogong to help Qin grow stronger in the past twenty years and reverse the situation of Wei's oppression. Since then, the country's power has been steaming and unstoppable.
"Exactly."
When Li Si heard the sound, his eyes fell on the statue of Lord Shang.
The great king Su liked the words of Lord Shang, and after being crowned the emperor, he ordered people to build statues like these. As for this place, holding the "Book of Lord Shang" in his hand, he believed that the rule of law in the Qin Dynasty was continuous.
"My hairpin!"
At this moment, Han Shen was about to have a casual chat with Li Si, when suddenly, a surprised voice came from his side.
Han Shen suddenly turned around and looked at Song Ruyi. Then, his eyes fell on a stone pillar not far away. At this moment...a thin iron hairpin was firmly attached to the stone pillar, causing Song Ruyi's hair to twitch.
Get messy.
"this……."
Han Shen also looked surprised. He glanced at Song Ruyi and felt the copper box in his arms shaking slightly. He felt a little panic in his heart. He forced himself to calm down and looked at Li Si.
"Check the flying iron!"
At that moment, Li Zhong, the guard guarding the entrance to the main hall of Xianyang Palace, walked down wearing silver armor. He looked at the things on the stone pillars and saluted quickly. The guards of the Black Dragon Army on the left and right looked over instinctively.
In an instant, the entire venue in front of the temple was filled with solemn silence, and there was even more of a murderous atmosphere.
In the midst of lightning and flint, Han Shen was about to take the copper box that made a slight noise from Song Ruyi's hand, and was about to use his internal power to forcibly suppress the movement inside, when Li Si stepped forward.
"Haha, messenger, please be patient. This is the test stone, the pillar of magnet."
"In the past, Lord Shang reorganized the Qin Dynasty's military weapons and supervised the production. In order to check whether the reeds of the swords were appropriate, he erected this stone. Anyone who passes by with a sword and is sucked out by the magnet will have a useless sword."
"I don't want to suck out the deputy envoy's hairpin today. If something unexpected happens, the envoy will forgive me. The deputy envoy will forgive me."
Looking at Li Zhong who was approaching, Li Si waved his hand, then his eyes fell on the hairpin on the stone pillar. While saying something, he took off the hairpin and handed it back with a smile.