Qin Official

"Zhonglang Huling, I heard that the golden man in Xianyang Palace is ten taller than me. Is it true?"

Heifuchi turned his head and looked at Youzhan, who was in the same car with him. He was only over five feet tall. He was a congenital dwarf with short legs and short hands, but he had an exaggerated mustache on his lips, which made him look even more comical. . .

He did not answer the dwarf's question directly, but looked at the people on the side of the road in Xianyang City. They were accustomed to the emperor's patrol. Apart from bowing down and bowing, they were not too surprised. The little dwarf was more curious.

"I see that the common people are no less interested in you than the golden people in the palace."

Youzhan stood on the carriage rail, waved to the people on the roadside, made faces at the children, and said with a smile: "The people of Xianyang will naturally be surprised, because a person like me who can survive in Qin is no less powerful than Jin." The miracle of man.”

Heifu was familiar with the laws and regulations, so he naturally knew what he meant. The laws of Qin strictly prohibited people from killing their children without authorization, and any offenders would be tattooed and tortured by city officials. But it also stipulates that if a child is born with foreign objects on his body or missing limbs, he will not be punished by killing him...

Xunzi said that the people of Qin were narrow-minded and cruel, and the difficult living environment made it impossible for ordinary people to allow a freeloader to exist.

Therefore, when walking on the streets of Xianyang, it is rare to see those with congenital disabilities, and there are almost no dwarfs. It is not that the Qin people are superior in race, but that these people were almost killed at birth!

But Youzhan is an exception. His parents are kind people and their family conditions are not bad. They did not drown him in the toilet, but allowed him to live a good life.

When he grew up, Youzhan was only five feet tall. He could not be a scholar, farmer, or merchant, so he had to find a new way and went to Xianyang. He learned from Qi Chu who came to Qin to seek life from the elite, and learned funny things.

Advocating excellence is common in all countries. Their main duty is to serve as retainers and entertain monarchs and princes with humorous and funny words during banquets. Life is not easy. As a dwarf, you can only make yourself versatile.

Youzhan was very eloquent. After living in Xianyang for many years, he became Qin Shihuang's favorite talent advocate. Whenever there was a banquet, he was often invited to attend, and he would say funny words to heat up the atmosphere and entertain him.

Today, the Twelve Golden People came to Xianyang Palace. The emperor wanted to hold a banquet in the palace to celebrate this event, so he also brought Youzhan with him...

Today, Youzhan did not ride in the carriage given to him by the emperor. Instead, he ran to the palace gate with short legs and waited. When the emperor's carriage passed by, the little man ran out and confessed, saying that his coachman's mother had died of illness, so he sent him away. He came home.

At that time, he rolled up his sleeves, pointed to the position of Zhao Gao, the commander of the Zhongche Mansion, and said seriously: "I come here to practice my royal skills diligently. Your Majesty, why don't you let me control the six horses?"

These words made the emperor smile, and with a wave of his hand, he asked the man in front of him, Hu Lingheifu, to lift the little man into the car and take him for a ride.

Heifu didn't think it was humiliating, because he had a good impression of Youzhan. Although the little man's profession is to be funny, he is different from the vulgar ordinary advocating for excellence. He has also read some books, knows good and evil, knows loyalty and villainy, and what he says often implies truth.

Last month, the emperor held a banquet in Zhangtai Palace. It was raining. Under the steps of the palace, Hei Fu and all his men were soaked in the rain, but they could not move. When Youzhan entered the palace and saw this situation, he asked everyone: "Do you want to take shelter from the rain?"

Everyone was a little miserable from the rain, and they all nodded. It was impossible for Hei Fu to go into the palace to ask for a rest. He knew that Youzhan had many ideas, so he wanted to see what tricks he could play.

After receiving a positive answer, Youzhan went to the palace to toast Qin Shihuang and shouted long live. Then Youzhan approached the railing and shouted to the outside of the palace: "Your Majesty!"

The guards agreed, and Youzhan smiled and said: "Although you are tall, what's the use? Now you have to stand in the open air and get wet in the rain. Although I am short, I am lucky enough to take shelter from the rain in the palace, hahaha."

This sentence reminded Qin Shihuang, so he allowed the guards to reduce their duty by half and take turns to stay on guard.

From then on, Heifu no longer regarded Youzhan as an ordinary minister advocating excellence.

Not long after the emperor passed the Wei Bridge, Xianyang Palace arrived.

"Is it the first time that Zhonglang Huling comes to Xianyang Palace?" Youzhan is a regular visitor here. Compared with him, Heifu is a newcomer.

Hei Fu said: "Of course, it has been four months since I entered the palace as a man. This is the first time that Your Majesty has moved to Xianyang Palace, so I have never been lucky enough to come here."

"Nothing lucky."

Youzhan smiled and said: "Xianyang Palace was built a hundred years ago, and those Jiques are very old. That's why Your Majesty prefers Zhangtai Palace and dislikes the narrowness of Xianyang Palace."

Hei Fu nodded: "However, I heard that Xianyang Palace has been expanded a lot in the past few months."

Lu Sheng, an alchemist from Qi and Yan, and others advised Qin Shihuang that the heaven and earth were symmetrical, and that the heavenly residence of the Emperor of Heaven also corresponded to the palaces and cities in Guanzhong. The Wei River is like the Milky Way, and the Zhangtai Palace where His Majesty lives is the end of the sky. The Xianyang Palace that is reached after passing the Wei Bridge and crossing the Tianhe River corresponds to the Ziwei Palace and is the residence of the emperor...

Qin Shihuang believed their words and began to pay more attention to Xianyang Palace and renovate it.

Today, with the completion of the Twelve Golden Figures and their placement in the Xianyang Palace, it is also announced that the first phase of the Xianyang Palace renovation project has been successfully completed.

"But His Majesty's desires don't stop there..."

Youzhan shook his head. He was also a close minister, so he also knew the emperor's next plan.

Qin Shihuang had the "Six King's Palace" built in imitation of the palaces of the Six Kingdoms. As the Six Kingdoms gradually perished, it had been built behind the Xianyang Palace. It was filled with women's jade and silk ritual utensils snatched from the Six Kingdoms. This was a sight to behold. The second phase of the project is now halfway through.

That's all, but Qin Shihuang's ultimate goal is to build a "heaven on earth" in Guanzhong, and build more palaces in various places. From the east of Yongmen to Jing and Wei, the palaces and houses are complex and the Zhou Pavilion is listed, so that they can be compared with The stars in the sky correspond one to one!

While he was talking, the Wai Lang who was guarding Xianyang Palace opened the heavy door. Under Meng Yi's order, Hei Fu and other Lang Wei took the lead in counting the carriages and rushed in first, with the guards on the left and right.

When the car entered the city gate, what Heifu saw at first glance was a wide square with a very flat ground paved with foundation stones. A central axis avenue led directly from Sima Gate to the main hall of Xianyang Palace.

On both sides of the road, there are twelve huge golden figures standing tall and tall!

Each of them is five feet tall, about 11 meters in later generations, four stories high, and they are sitting in a kneeling posture.

The first six Jin men were wearing foreign clothes, and they did not look like Xia people. After Heifu clicked on them, he found that except for the five-foot-long giant who appeared in Lintao with a tall nose and deep eyes, the others corresponded to Xirong, Dongyi, Nanman, and Beidi respectively. Huns, and Yue people.

The next six are the six kings of Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, and Wei. Their faces are lifelike, and they all have respectful expressions. They are dressed in different manners and look like terracotta warriors that have been enlarged seven or eight times...

The difference is that the terracotta warriors and horses are used to guard the emperor's tomb, and these twelve golden figures symbolize the surrender of the six countries and four barbarians.

It doesn't make much difference when you look at them individually, but when the twelve people lined up on the roadside, the metallic luster was reflected in the sunlight. When you think about this being 221 BC, you feel that they are indeed a miracle...

The Colossus of Rhodes, the Pyramids, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria were also full of miracles in the West at the same time. This was probably a common problem in classical empires.

"So tall, so big."

Youzhan raised his head exaggeratedly in Heifu's car, looked at the twelve-gold man who was ten times taller than him, and said with emotion: "What a pity, it's so big and useless! It's just a thing that hurts the country and the people!"

Heifu glanced at the little man in surprise, and Youzhan also grinned and said: "Zhonglang Hu Ling, are you wondering? Why would I say such a thing since I have always been an advocate for excellence and have made a career out of being funny?"

Youzhan stopped being funny and became serious: "Zhong Lang Hu Ling's previous letter to Your Majesty has been spread. Although it seems that it is just a suggestion to cast a thousand sharp swords for the king's bed, in fact, it is a reminder to Your Majesty. , It’s not easy to win the world, it’s even harder to defend it!”

"I heard the meaning of your words. It is to persuade your majesty that instead of going out on a large scale and gathering the strength of 100,000 people to cast twelve golden figures, it is better to cast a throne that is difficult to sit on, to remind the emperor and future generations not to forget In Ju, you are really well-intentioned!"

Heifu was a little surprised. Did Youzhan make something wrong?

"You are also the first courtier in the whole court who dares to speak out and advise on this matter! You should be a role model for us!"

Youzhan bowed deeply to Heifu, his eyes full of admiration.

Heifu was speechless. He was just a bad joke of the time traveler, but unexpectedly, Qin Mo and Cheng Shang came to him to thank him afterwards, saying that he did not expect Heifu to really give advice, but it was a pity that His Majesty did not listen, leaving him confused.

Listening to Yuzhan's words at this moment, Heifu thought about it and realized that he had made a mistake. It really looked like a clever remonstrance!

"Could it be that Zu Long thought so and rejected my suggestion?"

Heifu didn't know if he was self-defeating or making a fool of himself. He wanted to explain: "I didn't...it wasn't me..." But Youzhan seemed to be very motivated and didn't give him a chance to explain.

"Although Youzhan advocates excellence and dare not compare with Yan Ying and Chunyu Kun of Qi, he can still learn from Youmeng of King Zhuang of Chu!"

These three people are all people who can give advice with witty words, and they are also his idols.

After saying that, the dwarf put on a funny look again, skipping past the feet of the twelve golden men, and ran towards Qin Shihuang's chariot. Under the huge golden man, the short dwarf stumbled and ran, looking very funny. .

When the emperor got out of the car and looked at the first miracle he had erected with his hands behind his back with satisfaction, he asked Youzhan if the twelve golden people were spectacular. Youzhan smiled and said: "Shan, these twelve golden people are tall and big. They are guarding Your Majesty. If the invaders come from outside the palace, they will be scared away just by seeing these golden men, and there is no need for Lang Wei to guard the palace gate!"

"I also heard that Your Majesty wants to build a large palace, reaching Hangu Pass in the east and Yong and Chencang in the west. This would be even better. In this way, the soldiers do not need to guard Hangu and Wuguan. If the invaders come from the east, they can use the palace to build a large palace. The concubines held bows and arrows, rode elk, and drove sheep carts to stop him in every palace!"

Heifu happened to walk to the side. When he heard this, he saw the emperor's face was quite unhappy. He suddenly felt nervous and quickly stepped forward with a smile to smooth things over and said: "Your Majesty, Yuzhan himself was so scared that his legs were weak, so he said this. "

Qin Shihuang was disappointed and very unhappy, but he did not want to argue with a dwarf who spoke indiscriminately.

How could he know that he had good intentions in erecting the Golden Man to symbolize the surrender of the six countries and four barbarians, and that there would never be a war in the nine states?

So he scolded: "Nonsense! The world has been settled, the six kings are convinced, there is peace inside and outside the pass, Guizhou is the leader, where do the bandits come from?"

Just as he was about to wave his sleeves and ask Mr. Hei to lift the man down and blast him out of the palace, unexpectedly, among the people who came to greet him from the steps of the main hall of Xianyang Palace, the leader was wearing plain white dark clothes and a jade pendant hanging from his waist. , the jade-faced young man who stood out among the black robes also heard Youzhan's advice.

He gritted his teeth, and regardless of the obstruction of a certain attendant on the side, he stepped forward and bowed:

"Your Majesty, although the talk of advocating excellence is crude, it is also reasonable. I have been studying recently and saw the words of Zi Mozi, 'He who shares the benefits of the world will win the world. Those who are good at the benefits of the world will lose the world!' Today is the beginning of the world. It is determined that the head of Guizhou has not gathered in the distance. Your Majesty should work with the world for the benefit of the world, and not be preoccupied with the world's benefit and suddenly build construction projects!"

After saying this, he raised his head, revealing a face as delicate as jade. He was seventeen or eighteen years old, but his eyes already had a look of compassion.

"Fu Su Mo dares to speak out. I don't ask your Majesty to remove the Jin people, but I hope your Majesty can stop repairing the palace in Guanzhong and rest with the people!"