Qin Official

In May of the 27th year, Qin Shihuang visited Longxi and came to the Great Wall in person. And Songzi County, located in Julu County, caused a stir in the city because of one incident...

"Shopkeeper, tell me more about the musician."

In Songzicheng, a commoner man dressed as a merchant placed three and a half taels of money on the table, held it down with two fingers, and gently moved it to the guest house servant.

The servant took it and stuffed it into his sleeve, and smiled: "If the guest wants to know, the villain will tell you everything!"

There were not many guests at noon, so the servant sat in front of the travel-worn man and talked about this strange event that was known to the whole county.

"That musician was originally a member of the wealthy Zhao family in this county. He came to Songzicheng last year. Like me, he was employed as a handyman, doing menial and tiring work to earn a little food every month. He comes here occasionally. Once in a guest house, they only had the worst wine, but after drinking it, they shouted happily!"

"He was working in the Zhao family's courtyard. On that day, the Zhao family's father-in-law was hosting a banquet for guests, and the musicians were building buildings in the hall to entertain the guests. This Yongbao was wandering around in the courtyard, and after finishing his work, he didn't leave. Listen. He also commented on the music, saying that there were areas where Zhu’s tone hit well and there were areas where he didn’t.”

Zhu is a very popular musical instrument in Yanzhao area. It is shaped like a harp and is large, with strings on the head and bamboo strikes. It is different from Zheng and Wei's melodious sound. It has a desolate and solemn beauty, and has always been loved by husbands.

The commoner man nodded: "That Yongbao is indeed someone who knows music."

"Yes."

The servant said: "Yongbao, who worked with me, thought he talked too much, so he complained to the master, saying that this man was doing a menial job, but he was commenting on music in private."

"The master wanted to make fun of him, so he asked him to go to the hall to build a building. Everyone thought that this man would make a joke, but unexpectedly he picked up the bamboo board skillfully and tapped the building strings. It seemed chaotic at first, but as he listened, it became clear that I found that it was a complete movement, and it was better than the musicians in the hall."

"So the master praised him for his kindness, gave him food and wine, and asked him to stop being a mediocre person and become a musician instead..."

Having said this, the servant was a little thirsty, and the commoner man also generously ordered a glass of wine. The prohibition on alcohol in Guanzhong and Nanjun was not implemented in the counties of Shandong, and the price of wine in various places was not deliberately raised to extremely high prices.

However, the measuring utensils used for making wine already use the standard square meter issued to all counties in Guanzhong.

The servant thanked the man in cloth and continued: "So, Yongbao became a musician. Zhao's father-in-law held a banquet for guests and asked him to go to the hall to build the building. After bathing and changing clothes, Yongbao put on a pair of good clothes. , and also embraced the building that he had hidden for a long time. I heard from the guests that the building was made of fine paulownia wood, and the strings were the longest tail hairs of Daibei's horse. It was a chestnut shell color with vermilion paint at the bottom. It’s worth a lot!”

"And his appearance, after the stains were washed off and his hair was combed, was completely different. There was a faint elegance of a celebrity. The host and guests were all shocked when they saw him. They got down from the table and resisted the ceremony, treating him as the guest of honor. .”

"When he was singing while building a building, his voice was sad and exciting. I went to deliver wine and food at that time, and heard a few sounds in the courtyard. Although I don't understand music, I always felt that the sound of building was touching my ears, and I felt inexplicable sadness in my heart. , when I came back to my senses, I was so moved that my face burst into tears, and all the guests who sat there that day also left in tears..."

"Since then, the musician has become a well-known figure throughout the county, and wealthy families have taken turns inviting him to be their guests."

The man in civilian clothes pondered. If he were in Kansai, Sanchuan, and Yingchuan, and met such a person who seemed to be hiding his true identity, the wealthy families would probably report it to the officials immediately to check his identity, right?

But this is the land of Yanzhao, where husbands gather to play games, sing generous laments, and meet people who suit their appetites. How can they care so much?

But Qin officials will notice it sooner or later.

So he raised his head and asked the servant: "Whose house will the musician go to build today? I want to hear it!"

Half an hour later, when the commoner man stood outside the courtyard wall and heard the vaguely familiar sound of building, he had already determined the identity of the mysterious musician.

"Gao Jianli..."

The man sighed: "If you don't keep your name anonymous and make such a big show, what do you want to do?"

…

The night was hazy and the moonlight was like water. When the musician returned to his residence, he closed the door. Before he put down the building in his hand, he, with his extremely sensitive hearing, noticed that there was another person in the house...

"who!?"

He turned his head suddenly, took out the dagger that had been hidden in his arms, and pointed it at the dark desk, ready to throw it out at any time.

"When an old friend comes to visit, will Brother Gao greet him with a sharp sword?"

A faint voice sounded, and then flint sparks flashed, and a handsome man in his thirties appeared in the faint candlelight, looking at Gao Jianli with a smile.

After walking a few steps forward, Gao Jianli saw his appearance clearly, and couldn't help being surprised and happy.

"Zhang Zifang, it's you!"

…

Sitting in front of the case, I could only talk to an old acquaintance who I hadn't seen for many years with a weak voice.

Gao Jianli and Zhang Liang met the year before last, when people from the Yan State and the Three Jin Dynasties who were unwilling to surrender to Qin gathered between A and Juan of Qi State.

Originally, everyone wanted to help Qi and fight to the death with Qin, but Zhang Liang laughed in public and predicted that the king of Qi would definitely surrender without a fight.

"The second and third sons should find their own way out!"

He pointed to the sky where the sun was shining brightly and said sadly: "It's getting dark. The night is long and I don't know when I will be able to regain my sight!"

Everyone scolded him for boosting the morale of the Qin army and destroying his own prestige, but Gao Jianli noticed Zhang Liang and made friends with him. He found that this man was extremely smart and it was too late to meet him.

"Had Zhang Zifang been born ten years earlier and been able to take charge of South Korea, South Korea might not have died suddenly..." He gave Zhang Liang a very high evaluation.

"And there is no need for Jing Ke to enter Qin and never return."

Gao Jianli is still full of regret every time he thinks of his friend Jing Ke who was killed in the Qin Palace.

Within a few days, news came that King Jian of Qi was going to the Qin Dynasty. The old and young of the princes between A and Juan mourned greatly and could only disperse like birds and beasts. The two of them also said goodbye. Zhang Liang went to the seaside in the east, while Gao Jianli went into hiding. Name, lived in Songzi County, Julu County.

"I haven't seen you for a year, and the ovary has become a lot darker. Where has that handsome Korean gentleman gone?"

Zhang Liang, who seemed to have shed layers of skin, smiled and said: "The sun on the beach is so strong that it looks like this, but it's okay. How can a small businessman who works hard all day have fair and tender skin?"

The identity he made up for himself now is that of a businessman. Many of the Zhang family's disciples and former officials have entered the Qin system as officials. It is very easy to get a set of inheritance tests for him, so Zhang Liang can move without hindrance.

Zhang Liang began to talk about where he had been for more than a year.

"Confucius once said, if the way is not up to standard, you can ride on a raft and float on the sea. Now all the princes have been destroyed by Qin, the king's way has collapsed, tyranny is rampant, and there is no place for us in the world. So I took a ship and went to sea to go to the country of Dongyi. I stayed at Lord Canghai for half a year, looking for a warrior who could help me assassinate the King of Qin. After finally finding one, I returned to the Central Plains from Yan. When passing through Quyang County, I heard rumors about a mysterious musician in Songzi County, and guessed that it might be Come and take a look."

What Gao Jianli was thinking: "Zifang still thinks that assassinating Qin is the only way to destroy Qin and restore the country?"

"It's not a cure, but it's the only way out."

Zhang Liang said firmly: "The King of Qin conquered the nine provinces with his own power, conquered the world's famous cities, killed the heroes of the six countries, gathered his troops in Xianyang, and cast them as twelve golden men. He also moved 120,000 households into the pass to weaken the people of Shandong. , Now the remnants of the Six Kingdoms dare to be angry but dare not speak out, all because the King of Qin is still here. But if the King of Qin dies and there is no crown prince in the country, there will definitely be chaos. At that time, the heroes of Shandong will take action, and the country's revenge will be avenged, and the Six Kingdoms will be restored!"

He has already seen that the power of Qin is greater than that of Qin Shihuang alone, and the powerful policies and laws that Qin relies on are not acclimated to the soil of the six kingdoms of Shandong and difficult to take root. As long as Qin Shihuang is killed, Shandong will be in chaos!

Zhang Liang took refuge with Lord Canghai, and at the same time secretly visited the warriors. Now he has found a suitable candidate and befriended him just like Xia Lei befriended Nie Zheng. Now, he only needs to wait for Qin Shihuang's eastward tour...

His purpose in dressing up as a businessman is to familiarize himself with road traffic and find suitable locations!

Time was running out, so Zhang Liang immediately pointed out Gao Jianli's purpose: "Brother Gao didn't hide his name and hid in the market, but suddenly he regained his appearance and clothes, and became famous in Song Dynasty for his construction work. Is this because of his ambition?"

Qin Shihuang hated Prince Dan and Jing Ke deeply. After he proclaimed himself emperor, he ordered that Prince Dan's disciples be wanted. As a guest of Prince Dan and a close friend of Jing Ke, Gao Jianli was naturally wanted. His head was worth five hundred catties of gold! If you can catch it alive, you can get a thousand catties!

However, the Qin government had no foundation in the land of Yan and Zhao, and could not achieve the strict and meticulous control as in the Qin land. If Gao Jianli had been hiding in the image of a mediocre person, Qin officials would not be able to find him.

But it's different now. Sooner or later, the government will notice him and send Ling Shi to investigate.

"Zifang is still as smart as before...I can't hide anything from you." Gao Jianli shook his head and expressed his difficulties:

"I can't hide anymore!"

He was once a famous musician in Yanzhao. He played beautiful music with his dexterous hands. The instrument was like the woman in his life. Zhu was the somewhat fierce wife, Qinse was the gentle concubine, and Shengxiao was the one he occasionally got close to. Foreign wife...

But he lost everything, his identity, name, privileged life, and the admiration and respect of others. As a mediocre person, he did heavy physical work all day long. This was all bearable, but one day, he discovered that his calloused hands , when he was already a little unfamiliar with Zhuxian, he couldn't bear it anymore!

Gao Jianli stroked the Zhuxian with his hand and showed a gentle smile: "I want to play Zhuxian, I want to play the piano, I want to play another Shao music and sing loudly. Even if I die like this, it is better than mediocrity and living like a zombie." "

"Why is it so..." Zhang Liang sighed, but he could understand it.

He suggested: "I'm afraid the Qin officials will come to claim Brother Gao soon, maybe tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. Brother Gao, just hide in my ox cart tonight and leave Songzi County! I can deliver it You go to the seaside, let me take a boat out to sea, go to Jizi North Korea, go to Canghaijun's place, and Brother Gao can play music all day long..."

"What music should I play? Is it the song of a country's subjugation?"

Gao Jianli smiled bitterly: "I don't want to go to Shouyang Mountain and be Boyi Shuqi... And Zifang wants to follow the example of Nie Zheng and assassinate Qin. I think it will not be easy to succeed, and it will be too slow."

"Zifang should know that the King of Qin issued a decree last year that the six kingdoms' homeland must have the same weights, measures, coins, chariots on the same track, and books and writings, all of which must be the same as those of Qin."

"The next generation of scholars in the Yan Kingdom will no longer be able to write the Yan characters that have been passed down for eight hundred years, and they will no longer be able to understand the classics and history books handed down from past dynasties."

When he raised his head, his eyes were full of tears: "Zhao Zheng was greedy and captured his people. He not only wanted to trample on Zhao Gong's land, but also wanted to destroy the foundation of the Yan Kingdom and break the backbone of the Yan people! So! If you go down for twenty years, there will be no more Yan people in this world!"

"So I can't wait any longer. Jing Ke has passed away, Prince Dan has died, but Gao Jianli is still there! I want to let the Yan country and let the people of the world know that there are still people in the Yan country who have strong bones and iron bones and are constantly fighting for success!"

"You want to deliberately lure Qin officials to arrest you." Zhang Liang immediately guessed Gao Jianli's true purpose.

"You want the officials of Qin to bring you to the King of Qin. Do you want to imitate Zhuan Zhu and do what he did to leave, and assassinate Qin at close range!?"

Gao Jianli nodded: "Zhao Zheng is arrogant and thinks he is the lord of the world. He rewards thousands of catties and wants Qin officials to capture me alive. I am afraid he wants to use me as an object to show off my achievements and place it in Xianyang Palace!"

"As long as we get there, there will be a solution!"

"He will be wary of you." Zhang Liang disagreed: "I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to even see him."

Gao Jianli was confident: "The land of Qin also likes to build music. No one in the world will be indifferent after hearing my music. And no one will not want to listen to it a second time after hearing it once! As long as I am taken to Xianyang, there will be opportunities Take advantage of it!”

Zhang Liang knew that Gao Jianli was determined, so he could only sigh: "Brother Gao used himself as bait and regarded death as home. This courage is better than Zhang Liangyuan..."

Gao Jianli held up his hand and said: "Zifang's great talent should be kept useful, but I am useless except for building and playing music. I want to govern the world, but I can still entertain people. In this period of time, I have no use."

Zhang Liang was silent for a long time before he picked up the lamp on the table.

"Liang can only use water instead of wine. Respect to Brother Gao!"

He bowed heavily: "Liang is a man who cherishes his life. He will leave Songzi tomorrow soon. I can't see Brother Gao off in person..."

Gao Jianli laughed and said: "If I fail, I can only rely on the ovary, not to mention..."

The bamboo piece in his hand moved across the building again, as if he was really playing.

"Many years ago, I wrote a farewell song for Jing Ke and for myself tomorrow!"

In the early morning, when Zhang Liang was walking over the wall, he heard the sound of Gao Jianli's building.

First, there was the sound of betrayal that made people feel sad and angry, and Zhang Liang could hardly help but shed tears under the wall, and then came the generous and high-pitched voice:

"The wind is rustling and the water is cold. A strong man will never return once he is gone!"

…

The next day, the Qin officials in Songzi County sent an official to investigate Gao Jianli's identity and brought him to Julu County. Someone who had seen Gao Jianli identified him. The Julu County Governor was overjoyed and took Gao Jianli into prison. With wooden tongs attached, he was sent to Xianyang.

At the same time, Didao, Longxi County, thousands of miles away. After watching Qin Shihuang drive north to Beidi County, Li Xin and Heifu also led a team of more than a thousand people out of the Qin Fortress of the Great Wall and went deep into the Di and Qiang lands outside the border...

According to Qin Shihuang's plan, the white horse and the black dog will take the first step to expand westward!