Guard of His Majesty the First Emperor

"Have you done everything the old man told you?" Lu Buwei looked at Li Si and asked.

Li Si lowered his head and said humbly, "Students don't dare to slack off what Xiangbang ordered, and they have almost done it."

"The old man really saw you right." Lu Buwei said, "Are you dissatisfied with the old man?"

"...Students don't dare." Li Si didn't understand Lu Buwei's meaning, and there was a little hesitation in his voice.

"What? You don't dare to agree to this sentence just in front of this old man?" Lu Buwei laughed angrily, "What is your heart like? Isn't it because of this old man that you can come to this day? How do you treat this old man?" How much dissatisfaction do you have?"

Li Si fell silent now, he shouldn't have hesitated just now.It is wrong to say anything now.

"Xiangbang treats the students well." This was all Li Si said.

"But it can't satisfy your ambition, right?" Lu Buwei said, "The first time I saw you, I knew you were a person who was unwilling to be mediocre. You studied under Xun Kuang, that is not a simple person. You have Since the performance of the old man

Very satisfied, but there is one thing you are not as good as others. "

Li Si looked at Lu Buwei in confusion. He thought he could do everything better than others, but he was not the one Lu Buwei valued the most.This is also the reason why he chose to betray Lu Buwei. How can a person like him be willing to be a queen?

Lu Buwei didn't intend to let Li Si see it himself.If he can really find out by himself, then he doesn't have to worry about it.

"The old man thinks you are too utilitarian." Lu Buwei said earnestly, "Although it is normal for officials to climb up, we are after all for the great cause of the king. No matter how good one person is, we will squeeze everyone else down. , don't give others a chance, can you help the king to get ahead in this troubled world?"

Li Si suddenly understood that Lu Buwei was saying that he had no heart for others.

"Students understand, thank you Xiangbang for teaching."

"Don't thank me first." Lu Buwei said again, "I have one more thing to say to you: Your Majesty is a smart man, and the one who will be most used by his side in the future will definitely not be the one with the best abilities, but the one who treats him the most. The one with the heart. The old man was originally a lowly merchant, but he has become the most important person of the late king. You should think about why this is so."

"Student—thank you, Xiangbang, for your guidance."

Lu Buwei nodded and said, "I called you here today because the old man knows that you have a private connection with the king."

"Xiangbang—"

"You don't have to deny that although the old man is getting old, he hasn't reached the point where his eyes are dim. The old man has known about you for a long time, and the reason why he didn't tell you is because he doesn't want to argue with you." Lu Buwei said slowly, regardless of Li Si's shocked gaze. , "It's just that Mr. Cheng Yu wants to covet the king's throne now, I want you to remind the king."

Li Si naturally understood that the meaning of this reminder was not to speak out about Lu Buwei: "Why didn't Xiangbang say it in person? It can also resolve the rift between you and the king."

Lu Buwei sighed, and said: "The rift between me and the king cannot be resolved by determination. But that's good, the king doesn't trust the old man, so he won't use the old man's power to seize power. Wait until he really grows up. , nothing can beat him anymore."

"Students are a bit worthless for Xiangbang."

"There is nothing worthwhile or not. The old man's lifelong wish is pinned on the king. The old man believes that the king will help the old man realize this wish." Lu Buwei said, a faint light flashed in his eyes, and he did not know that he was excited Tears, or really full of hope.

Li Si thought that he didn't have Lu Buwei's kindness. Since Lu Buwei wanted him to spread the word, he couldn't blame him for what the King heard for his own future.

After Li Si resigned, he walked into the room alone and said, "Xiangbang is making wedding clothes for others. Then Li Si's eyes are full of thieves, and he is not grateful at all. What if he slanders Xiangbang in front of the king?" ?”

"...You can see it all, can I not know? It's just that since Cheng Yu dared to come to see the old man, he must be full of confidence. Even the old man can't guess what he is hiding. If the king treats the old man Once his attitude changes, he will become vigilant. If he retreats, the king and the old man will have nothing to do with him."

"My subordinate understands."

"You have to stay by Cheng Yu's side."

"promise!"

......

Li Si really told Wanqianbai about the matter, but he said that he discovered it "accidentally", and Lu Buwei was ambitious and wanted to control the king.

Wan Qianbai reported the matter to Ying Zheng truthfully.

Ying Zheng was practicing calligraphy with Arthur at that time.Accidentally learned that Arthur could only write those words, even his own name, he was a little unhappy, so he wanted to teach him.But even if Arthur learned it, he didn't have much chance to learn it.

After listening to thousands of reports, Yingzheng did not get angry, and even wrote the words "Qin Wangzheng" on the paper again unhurriedly, saying: "Did you just see how the widow wrote the pen? Write well with this."

Arthur saw that Ying Zheng wasn't in a hurry and naturally he didn't feel anything, so he picked up a pen and started writing (drawing).

"..." Thousands and thousands.

Seeing Arthur bowing his head to practice calligraphy, Ying Zheng nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Wanqianbai, and said, "I have heard what you said, and I have made my own arrangements. You tell Li Si, I don't use him to inquire about these gossips. Let him concentrate on doing what the widow told him in the future."

"promise!"

Wan Qianbai didn't ask why, and left after winning Ying Zheng's words.

At this time, Arthur put down the pen in his hand, and asked with some concern: "Will the king's behavior make Li Si feel rebellious?"

"The widow would not dare to borrow his courage. Some people need to be beaten. It's too smooth. Don't say he doesn't believe it, the widow won't believe it." Ying Zheng said, "Furthermore, no matter how bold Lu Buwei is, , and dare not join forces with Cheng Yu to seek the throne of the widow."

Without other confidence, Ying Zheng can still be sure of this.Unless Lu Buwei wants to be the king himself, it is impossible for him to pull Ying Zheng down for others.After all, the relationship between Ying Zheng and him is there.

"Your Majesty trusts Xiangbang?" Arthur asked suspiciously.Obviously they are two people who are incompatible with each other, but it seems that Ying Zheng never felt that Lu Buwei was rebellious.

"The widow does trust him in certain matters. It's just that the widow is a king, how can everything be under the control of others?" Ying Zheng said, watching Arthur stop writing, and asked, "You have time here Ask the widow, is the word written? Show it to the widow."

"..." Arthur looked down at his messy handwriting, and really didn't want Yingzheng to see it, "Can the king accommodate you..." Practice for a while.

It's a pity that before Arthur finished speaking, Ying Zheng had already snatched the bamboo slips he was covering.

"Hahaha——" This was Ying Zheng's first reaction when he saw Arthur's word.

"..." Arthur was very speechless, although what he wrote was ugly, it doesn't have to be like this.

Ying Zheng laughed enough, and said, "Arthur, Arthur, you said that you have practiced calligraphy for so long, why haven't you made any progress?"

Arthur said: "In the hands of the minister, this pen is much heavier than a knife. It's not as easy to play as a knife."

"Your hands are too big." Ying Zheng stabbed Arthur without hesitation, "I don't know what you ate to grow up." The hands almost pushed him two big.

Arthur looked at it, and his hands were indeed almost covering Ying Zheng's hands.Just when Arthur was lamenting his big hands, Ying Zheng said another sentence: "Speaking of which, I don't know how old you are. Tell me how old you are now."

"..."

Seeing Arthur's embarrassed look, Ying Zheng joked, "Why, you won't tell the widow, you don't even know your own age, do you?"

"I...know. I'm twenty-one now." Arthur made up an age at random.After all, it is difficult to tell by appearance from 17 to [-] years old.Arthur couldn't be faulted for saying that.

Ying Zheng smiled and said, "I don't know that you are four years older than me."

Arthur didn't speak. If he had known earlier, he would have said that he was one year younger, so that he wouldn't look very old.

"Forget it, forget it, I won't tease you anymore." Ying Zheng said, "You don't have to draw your character yet, just help me study ink! I still have a lot of memorials that I haven't read."

"The King is getting more and more busy," Arthur said, "There are so many memorials to review all day long."

Ying Zheng opened a memorial and said, "You follow the widow every day, don't you know what's going on?"

"...?"

Ying Zheng explained patiently: "The widow told you that I don't only care about my country of Qin. The world is so big, but it is torn apart. The widow wants to be the one who unites the world."

Now Qin has begun to send troops everywhere.Although Lu Buwei is there, Ying Zheng still has too many things to deal with.

......

"Sometimes, I always wonder if I would have agreed to Lu Buwei's conditions if you hadn't come by my side." Zhao Ji said to the man kneeling beside her lap.

That man is none other than the lai ai that Lu Buwei gave to Zhao Ji two years ago.

"Queen Mother, I've been with you for so long, don't you still forget Xiangbang?" Lao Ai's voice was thin, but her hands that didn't match his voice directly wrapped around Zhao Ji's waist.

Zhao Ji is about 40 years old. Although her charm still exists, she has become much plumper than before.It's really not easy for Lao Ai to be able to hug her while kneeling.

"Don't pamper you?" Zhao Ji touched Lai Ai's forehead with cardamom-dyed fingertips, "What are you talking about? Lu Buwei always calls himself a 'subject' in front of me, but you just say 'I' directly. What else are you dissatisfied with? Besides, I still have your child in my stomach, and you are the father of my child. If I don't spoil you, who else will I spoil?"

Lai Ai's face suddenly darkened: "Oh, the child in the Empress Dowager's womb should be very honorable. It's a pity that his father is useless, and will definitely be looked down upon in the future."

"Lao Ai, why would you say such a thing? This child is also mine, how could he be wronged?" Zhao Ji said. of?"

"Queen Mother—" Lai Ai stood up, "I'm not dissatisfied. It's just that the child is born and cannot be said to be your Queen Mother. If I have an official position, the child will have a good name in the future. Besides, I will If you don’t ask for a high official, isn’t it just a matter of your words, the Queen Mother?”

"This——I have to discuss it with Zheng'er." Zhao Ji said, "If you make me happy by serving me, I will ask Zheng'er for a high-ranking official to do it for you."

Lai Ai got up, directly pressed Zhao Ji, and said: "The queen mother still has me to take care of her, I just take good care of her."

The palace guards watching the two of them frolicked, pulled down the bed curtains and closed the door for them as if they hadn't seen them.This kind of fact is too common and common, the person inside is the queen mother, who would dare to control it except the king?

In the past two years, Zhao Ji has not seen Lu Buwei, nor Ying Zheng.The two of them seemed to have made an appointment, so they never came to see her.In the beginning, Zhao Ji was somewhat repulsive to Lai Ai.Who does Lu Buwei think of her?Does she want to meet him just because he can do that kind of thing with her?She just wanted a companion.And Lao Ai knew much better than the two of them, and she had been trying to please Zhao Ji, and finally made Zhao Ji accept him, and regarded him as the only person who could accompany her.Don't say that he wants to be an official, even if he really wants Zhao Ji's life, Zhao Ji may not refuse to give it.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is here." The palace man said.

Ying Zheng was just tired and was about to get up to take a walk when he heard this.

"The widow knows, and the widow will go there immediately." After dismissing the palace servants, Ying Zheng looked at Arthur and said, "You stay here first, and the widow will come over after seeing his mother."

"Your Majesty doesn't need your ministers to follow?"

"There is no danger after seeing the mother. The widow is mainly afraid that the mother will pick on you again." Ying Zheng said, "The widow will go first."

Arthur nodded, he will not make things difficult for Ying Zheng.

"Queen, why are you here today?"

"It's getting cold, and the empress mother made a winter coat for you in case you were freezing." Zhao Ji said, "You have grown a lot in the past two years, and the empress mother has made you a little smaller."

Ying Zheng picked up the clothes for a look and threw them to the palace servants beside him: "The empress mother is right, she is indeed too small. I am afraid that the widow would not be able to wear this dress two years ago. The widow's clothes are all made by a special person. The empress dowager You don’t have to worry about it in the future. Why don’t you tell me what you are looking for today?”

"..." Zhao Ji looked at her clothes with some embarrassment, then at Ying Zheng, and then at Lai Ai.As if Lai Ai had given her support, she said, "Zheng'er, the Empress Mother came here today to ask you for something. This Lai Ai has been with Empress Mother for several years, and she is very dedicated to serving Empress Mother. You can make him an official. "

"Seal an official to do? What is the queen mother thinking?" Even though it was not the first time, Ying Zheng still had doubts. Why did his mother always think about things so simple? "The laws of my state of Qin are so strict, and the positions are all arranged, how can you add them if you want?"

"Do you think the queen mother doesn't know anything? The queen mother didn't ask you to give him an official with real power. The queen mother never thought about an official position like Xiangbang. Just give him a name that is okay. " Zhao Ji said, "This is the first time my mother begged you for this matter, you must not disobey my mother's wishes."

"...You allow me to think about what kind of official you can give him."

"The queen mother will go back first." Zhao Ji didn't want to wait any longer, she couldn't face her son anymore.

After Zhao Ji left, Ying Zheng sat alone and thought a lot.To be honest, Zhao Ji really didn't ask him much, because she always asked Ying Zheng to do this or that.She hadn't seen Ying Zheng in the past two years, and during the holidays, she always claimed to be sick and stayed in the palace.Ying Zheng didn't want her to meet Lu Buwei, so he was very satisfied with it.If that's all she wants, it's not like she can't be satisfied.Doesn't it mean that Yingzheng will give the official position if he says so, and it will be fine if he doesn't delegate power?

"What are you worried about, my lord?" Arthur came out and asked.

"The widow is wondering what official position can be vacated." Ying Zheng said, "The widow wants to be quiet."

Arthur didn't understand these things, so he didn't persuade him any more.

"Arthur, go with the widow."

......

The king appointed a young eunuch next to the queen mother as Chang Xinhou, which is an unprecedented event.

A group of veterans headed by Lu Buwei went to Xiangbang Mansion.

Lu Buwei smiled when he heard their reason for coming, and said, "I would like to ask you, what can a Chang Xinhou do? It seems that he is not more powerful than everyone here and the old man?"

"But asking an eunuch to climb on top of us is really—"

"Just pretend you don't know? Or are you going to ask the king for a theory?"

"This—I dare not."

Ying Zheng is getting stronger day by day, and his temper is becoming more and more unpredictable.

"Since you don't dare, what are you talking about? Why don't you go back and do your own business?" Lu Buwei said, "You are fine, and the old man has other things to do."

This is kicking people out.A group of veterans came with great hopes, and left with full of despair. They had some opinions on Lu Buwei in their hearts.

Lu Buwei didn't say a word, and the others didn't dare to say anything.Therefore, Ying Zheng's designation of Lao Ai as Marquis of Chang Xin this time did not attract much attention.It was another matter that attracted everyone's attention-the queen mother asked to live in the old palace of Yongcheng.

"Why did the queen mother leave?" Ying Zheng asked.

"The empress thinks it's quiet there. As the empress gets older, her body becomes more and more uncomfortable. Living there is good for her health." Zhao Ji said, "If you don't want Zheng'er, the empress will stay here."

"Since the queen mother has already made up her mind, the widow will not stop her anymore." Ying Zheng said, "When the queen mother leaves, take more people with her, so that no one will be unable to serve her."

"Don't worry, the queen mother knows."

"When the queen mother is leaving, you should send someone to tell the widow, so that the widow can go see the empress."

"The queen mother will."

☆、Chapter 35