Qin Official

Fan Zeng's prediction was correct. As the strange sight of Yinghuo Shouxin appeared in the sky, people in Xianyang were already in panic.

The first to make a fuss were the Heavenly Officials and Taishi, who were responsible for monitoring the stars. The officials were in a panic, and then came the few Confucian scholars who had only a few achievements in stargazing. They were either gloating about the misfortune or worried about it. For a while, the scholars were worried about The discussion of this vision was noisy.

But soon, with the cold ban from the Yushifu and Tingwei, there was no more discussion in Xianyang, and it was as silent as a cicada.

"A hundred officials in Guizhou are not allowed to discuss the stars!"

But it is impossible to pretend that this incident did not happen. Although the doctors learned the lessons of Xi and others, they did not dare to attack Qin Shihuang again, and mentioned what Confucianism is best at, "righteous punishment and virtue, to serve heaven." But in private , but secretly gathered at the home of Chunyu Yue, who had retired as a doctor, to discuss the matter.

But what Chunyu Yue didn't expect was that just before a few disciples left, jailers came to the door and arrested him without explanation and took him to the Xianyang County Temple!

When he came to Yan Le, the prime minister of Xianyang, who was Zhao Gao's son-in-law, Chunyu Yue was still arguing with his high Confucian crown.

"We never drank alcohol!"

When they were drinking together, Chunyu Yue thought that this was the reason for Xianyang County to arrest him, or that some gossipy neighbor had sued them.

The crime of drinking in groups was once practiced during the reign of Shang Yang. Later, as the ditches of the Qin State were unblocked and grain production increased, it was relaxed for a time.

But since this spring, Qin Shihuang responded to the request of Daxia and ordered Li Xin to lead 60,000 soldiers and civilians and tens of thousands of cattle and horses to march westward from Yumen Pass. He wanted to bring the north and south of the Western Region under his control. He hoped to cross the Congling Mountains next year and penetrate deep into the west of Daxia. "Tiaozhi", looking for the real Queen Mother State of the West.

When Zhangye County was first established, its grain output was very small, so it could only feed grain from thousands of miles away from Guanzhong. A large amount of grain stored in warehouses was continuously supplied to the west. In Guanzhong Land and Sea, which has always been known as the "Land of Abundance", the price of grain has quadrupled within half a year and continues to rise.

Therefore, in order to save food, the Yushifu revised the law and reiterated the prohibition on alcohol, especially if there are more than three people drinking in groups, if caught once, they will be fined four taels!

However, Yan Le, the Prime Minister of Xianyang, smiled and said, "Mr. Chunyu, do I know whether you are drinking or not?"

Next, Yan Le did something that shocked Chunyu Yue. A scroll was spread out in front of him, with a living room painted on it and five people sitting in it.

"Mr. Chunyu, come and take a look. Although this painter is a bit poor at painting, the one wearing a white Confucian crown and a black Confucian uniform, sitting upright on the couch, is you right?"

Then, Yan Le pointed at those people one by one, not only naming them, but also clearly stating the clothes they were wearing, where Chunyu Yue was at that time, and how many fruits were placed on the table in front of them.

What is even more shocking is that even the conversations between the five people were briefly written down, among which Chun Yuyue was undoubtedly the most detailed.

"Next, let me read, you just need to nod and shake your head to see if this is what you said..."

Yan Le held the slip and read it: "You said that the changes in the stars correspond to the appearance, to show the heaven's precepts and to clarify the king's affairs."

"Also, if there is a severe drought in the country, doesn't it mean that all punishments and virtues have been lost? There are disasters in the sky, and the reason is that the king has lost his virtue. The same is true for the emperor who has deceived and guarded his heart. It is because His Majesty the emperor has abandoned the ways of the previous kings and abandoned the opinions of hundreds of schools of thought. You are provocative, it is not caused by feudalism, and you still say..."

Chunyu Yue's face turned pale after hearing this, he clenched his fists and said, "That's enough! I admit, these are indeed what I said."

He understood that either the Xianyang jailer was so powerful that he hid in his house and monitored every move, or one of the four Confucian scholars reported it to the government afterwards...

"But I said that all this is for the long-term peace and stability of the Qin Dynasty and its continuation for eternity!"

Chunyu Yue felt that he had been wronged: "The reason why the Yin and Zhou dynasties lasted for more than a thousand years was because they enfeoffed the meritorious officials among their descendants and served as branch assistants. Now your Majesty has a vast territory, and the territory far exceeds the nine states, and everyone The young master is just a common man, with no big title. If there are ministers of Tian Chang and Liu Qing in the future, and there are no princes to assist the court, how can we save him? This Yinghuo star is a warning, a warning to Your Majesty, even if the six kingdoms are not sealed , then Haidong, Lingnan, Zhangye and even the Western Regions, we can always entrust some young masters to go there..."

"Don't miss a word, write it all down!"

However, Yan Le happily interrupted Chun Yuyue's words and said to the clerk who was recording on the side: "This foolish scholar is talking about the past three generations again, and he is blaming the past for the present! As loyal ministers, we must kill his party members Find them all.”

Chunyu was so angry that he no longer cared about his dignity. He stood up and pointed at Yan Le's nose and cursed: "You! You are not a loyal minister when you are flattering a cruel official!"

Yan Le wiped the saliva from the tip of his nose and sneered: "You still call yourself a loyal minister? Why do you think someone would be timid and report everything to the government afterwards? It's better that you said something you shouldn't have said. Those who talked to you The Confucian scholar said, "You are deceived and guard your heart. Your Majesty will change the government. If the Lord goes to his palace, Your Majesty may die. After saying this, he still looked happy and said that a certain young master can ascend the throne, and the world will be at peace..."

"With evil intentions, I openly cursed His Majesty for his short life, and began to look forward to the new emperor's succession. Is this also for the long-term peace and stability of the Qin Dynasty?"

"This..." Chunyu Yue was dumbfounded. Of course, they said they were happy and a little forgetful.

Yan Le straightened his face and shouted sternly: "Chun Yuyue, I advise you to be careful in your words and deeds! Every word and deed you say will be treated as evidence and handed over to the court captain to appear before His Majesty to convict you!"

…

Although the celestial phenomenon of Yinghuo Shouxin quickly disappeared, the shock it brought to Xianyang's court and the public remained for a long time.

At the end of August, Yan Le, the Prime Minister of Xianyang, reported to the First Emperor of Qin that the former Dr. Chun Yuyue gathered Confucian scholars at his home, and that the past was different from the present, and there were even more unpredictable things. Everything was recorded and handed over to the emperor for review.

Qin Shihuang immediately ordered the establishment of a large prison, arrested Chun Yuyue and those involved in the case, and detained dozens of the only remaining doctors in Xianyang after the "Xiangyang Shulu" incident. With the emperor's permission, Yan Le even went to the mansion of Prince Fusu to arrest people... …

For a time, people's hearts were in a state of confusion.

At this delicate moment, the Changnan Hou Mansion, which lives a low-key life and rarely opens its doors, welcomed a faltering guest.

The staggering was due to obesity. Although his home was next door to the Wei Mansion, Zhang Cang, whose weight was approaching 250 due to eating too much sugar, was still panting from exhaustion. He sat in the small hall where Ye Zijin welcomed guests and drank several drinks. A big bowl of "tea" sent back by Hei Fu from the south.

After drinking the tea soup, Fatty Zhang said with satisfaction: "This water soaked in southern leaves is a bit astringent, but it can quench your thirst."

Ye Zijin asked his maidservant to continue to Zhang Cang and introduced: "These wild teas are only found in the hills of Yuzhang, Kuaiji, and Minyue. When a good man led his army to attack Minyue, it didn't rain for a long time, and the army was very thirsty. The soldiers picked leaves on the roadside and put them in their mouths, and they were able to produce saliva. It was a bit bitter at first, but when they went to a water source to drink the water, it became sweet again, so they named it tea..."

Zhang Cang's belly was filled with not only fat but also knowledge, such as the Book of Songs, and he opened his mouth and said: "Who calls tea bitter? It's as sweet as a shepherd's purse."

He smiled narrowly and said: "Hei... Marquis Changnan likes to give names the most, but every time he gets a bad name, he finally got something a little more beautiful and appropriate..."

Ye Zijin couldn't help laughing, but she knew that Zhang Cang's visit today was definitely not to reminisce about the past.

Sure enough, Zhang Cang made it clear why he came: "Isn't Mrs. Wei aware of the recent incidents caused by Ying Huo Shou Xin?"

Ye said: "I have heard a little bit about it."

Zhang Cang sighed: "Actually, it's not a big deal at all. My Master Xunqing once said that the laws of nature are always consistent. If it is not for Yao, it will not exist. If it is not for Jie, it will be good. If it is governed, it will be good, and if it is chaos, it will be bad. My husband. The eclipses of the moon, the occasional wind and rain, and the appearance of strange stars are things that have never existed before. They are all natural things, so there is no need to make a fuss."

But in the whole world, except for Hei Fu, not many people can agree with this sentence. Even Li Si and Fu Qiubo, who are from the same family, cannot talk to Zhang Cang.

Although Zhang Cang wanted to tell the emperor and the world loudly, this is the normal trajectory of the stars. Give me some time, and I can calculate why it deviates and how often it deviates!

But Zhang Cang suffered a loss many years ago on the top of Mount Tai, and he knew that people who pretend to be asleep cannot wake up. Things in the world are complicated. Even though he can prove it, others don't believe it, and instead want to shut his mouth.

Now it is not a matter of whether what is said is right or not, but it is not a matter of saying or discussing it at all. The imperial court has reached the point where during the reign of King Li of Zhou Dynasty, it was more about guarding the people's mouth than guarding the rivers!

What worries him even more is that first, several members of the Mohist family were exiled half a year ago, and now the Confucian family is unlucky, and everything hurts its own kind. Although Zhang Cang, who calls himself a scribe, doesn't care much about political affairs, he can see that these two This incident was all aimed at Young Master Fusu.

Zhang Cang had a good impression of this young master who respected the knowledge of all schools of thought and loved the benevolence and virtuousness of his time. Seeing that he was in trouble, and all the ministers were as silent as a chill, they felt as if they had something stuck in their throats and could not stay in the study without peace of mind to study.

After thinking about it, I could only come to the Wei Mansion to ask when Hei Fu could come back to Xianyang.

He had a kind of confidant trust in Heifu, and felt that as long as he was in Xianyang, there might be a solution to these chaos.

No matter how bad it is, you can still listen to Ye's opinion. Zhang Cang once heard Heifu drunkenly boast that Ye Zijin was more keen on political affairs than him...

Ye Zijin didn't say anything at first, but after Zhang Cang asked again and again, he let all the maids go out, leaving only his eldest son Polu playing in the house.

"Since the eldest brother insists on asking me, based on my ignorant opinion, His Majesty is so wise and wise. How can he not know that Mohists, Confucianists and the Young Master are intimate?"

"This..." Zhang Cang's heart was filled with chills. He knew it and deliberately eliminated it. Could it be that the emperor was afraid that the young master had gained the hearts of the people after the Eastern Expedition and had grown more powerful, so he was threatened?

Madam Ye guessed what he was thinking and said with a smile: "Brother, don't worry, it won't be like this."

At this time, there was a sound of children crying. It was the second son Fubo who woke up from his nap and cried for his mother. Fu Mu carried him in. Ye Zijin held him in his arms, touched his son's head and smiled. : "There is no parent in this world who doesn't love their children. My eldest brother is knowledgeable. He must know the story of Meng's mother's three moves, right?"

Of course Zhang Cang knew. It is said that Mencius lost his father when he was young and was raised by his mother. Their home was close to the cemetery. Mencius and his friends came to mourn the mourners, learned some things like offering sacrifices, and played at the grave. Then Meng's mother said that this place was not suitable for my son to live, so she moved. She moved her family near the market, and Mencius learned how to do business and slaughter, so Meng's mother moved again until she moved to the edge of the academy. Mencius began to imitate the Confucian scholars, bowing to advance and retreat, and being polite. Meng's mother Only then was he satisfied and settled down.

He somewhat understood: "What Madam means is that in the eyes of Your Majesty, Confucianism and Mohism are just like those who buried and slaughtered merchants and dogs in the two places where the Meng family lived before. They are harmful to friends, so they must be removed from their homes." Are you chasing everyone around the young master?"

But this is too rude, and it can easily cause other people to have bad thoughts.

But this is Qin Shihuang, and he is completely unreasonable in his actions. Since Young Master Fusu is always surrounded by Confucianists and scholars, driving away one group after another, let's just get rid of him completely!

It is really difficult to deal with such a father and a son like Fusu...

Ye Zijin said: "Not only are the bad friends around the young master, but now His Majesty, I am afraid that Confucianism and Mohism have been regarded as a thorn in the flesh, which must be pulled out... The beloved son of his parents has far-reaching plans. Of course, , This is just my crude opinion."

Zhang Cang felt that it made perfect sense: "What do you think, Mrs. Yiwei, what should Young Master Fusu do now?"

Ye Zijin pondered. Heifu once wrote to Ye, telling her to keep a low profile and not to provoke any forces. When she heard from him, the water in Xianyang was about to boil again, and the south still refused to believe it. She was helpless and had to find a way. , to cool down the charcoal stove, maybe with Zhang Cang's help...

So Ye shook his head: "At this time, it is easy to make mistakes in anything you do or say, but there is only one thing that cannot be wrong."

Zhang Cang asked: "What's the matter?"

At this moment, the eldest son Polu peeled off a fruit and handed it to his mother as if offering a treasure. Ye Zijin praised him with a smile and took the fruit.

"Of course it is something that Confucianism, Mohism, Legalism, and even everyone in the world think is right..."

She held the fruit peeled by her son in the palm of her hand and said with some show off:

"filial piety!"

…

After Zhang Cang finished his visit to the Wei Mansion, he lingered at the intersection for a long time, then stamped his feet one last time and headed towards the Young Master Fusu Mansion!

The next day, Prince Fusu wrote a memorial to Qin Shihuang:

"There are three stars in the heart, not only the emperor star, but also the two stars of the child genus, which are confusing and guarding the heart and passing by in retrograde direction. This is because I have improperly hired people, and I have not been able to complete the project for a long time. This is a natural warning! Today, I have driven away all the corrupt scholars. , let them return to their homes. I hope that my father will do the best for the world. Don’t get angry and take care of your jade body..."