It is said that Qin Shihuang was controlled by a daughter

The rulers and ministers of Qi watched in fear as the five kingdoms perished one after another.

During the years of trading with Qin, Prime Minister Hou Sheng had already given away most of Qi.

The former State of Qi was a holy land for academic research in the world, and the students of the Jixia Academy all demonstrated their broad-mindedness and courage.

For seventy years, there has been no war at home or abroad in Qi, and the people have lived in peace and comfort, forgetting Mencius' warning: "Born in peace and happiness, die in sorrow and misery."

However, Qi wanted to remain content with the status quo, and its ruler and ministers gradually realized the reality - Qi was isolated and helpless, and King Tian Jian and Hou Sheng of Qi thought of surrendering.

When the country is in crisis, there are many heroes running around and calling for help.

The scholars in the Qi State Academy thought of the enemies and friends in the south. When facing the Qin State, there is often a competition of interests, and it is easy to form a new alliance.

They thought of the Three Jins and the King of Chu who had been imprisoned in Yunmengze.

Qin's final attack seemed easy, but it was extremely dangerous.

If we are not careful, the land we have just conquered is likely to collapse completely.

Qi was a land with a profound culture and flourishing Confucianism; it was not a place that could be conquered by brute force alone.

Ying Zheng and the central court officials were all well aware of this: when dealing with the State of Qi, they strongly advocated persuading it to surrender.

Xu Zhi naturally knew this truth. For a princess who had just committed a disgraceful crime, the State of Qi was waiting to see what would happen to her.

And she must rebuild her reputation in the meantime.

So when she was lying in bed to recover from her illness, Zhilan Palace was closed. No matter how chaotic the world was outside, she needed to remain silent and must not move at this time.

She spent nearly ten years proving a mistake.

It was her fantasy to persuade Zhang Liang to help Qin, and it was even more wishful thinking to want Zhang Liang to fall in love with her.

It took ten years to destroy Qin.

The country was established for ten years.

The Qin Dynasty lasted only fifteen years.

Time won’t give her another ten years!

Ah Zhi rolled up the curtain and, still following her previous habit, placed a cup of sweet red dates next to the bitter medicine.

Ying Hehua drank the bitter medicine and didn't eat a single date.

She just kept taking the medicine and didn't speak for several days. She kept writing something on the paper, which looked like arrows pointing to some strange, crooked symbols.

She sometimes cries and sometimes laughs.

Seeing this, Ah Zhi thought that Zhang Liang must have hurt her to pieces, and was afraid that she might have mental problems. She was even more afraid that she would miss him when she saw the things, so she hurriedly hid the things that Zhang Liang left behind when he was the junior tutor.

"Leave it there," she said.

However, Ying Hehua turned a blind eye to these letters and notes. She neither removed them nor threw them away, nor did she feel sad. She had never been like this since Ah Zhi knew her. She did not ask or talk about what was happening outside, and she did not read or hear about it, and she did not write letters.

She kept silent about what happened on the way that day, but just looked at these things quietly, sometimes for a whole day.

The more normal a person is, the more abnormal he becomes.

No one knew the outcome of her secret conversation with her father that day.

Their plan was finally revealed on the eleventh day that Ying Hehua remained silent.

"Azhi. Get ready to meet the guests."

The door reopens.

Azhi thought it was probably Li Xian or Li Si.

Azhi knew that Li Xian used to rely on his first-rate martial arts to enter and leave Zhilan Palace with ease, but during this period of time, when Ying Hehua had such a big thing, Li Xian had never shown up to visit.

Maybe it was because he was frightened by Ying Zheng's order not allowing outsiders to enter or leave the palace?

Or do you think Ying Hehua is no longer favored and therefore stay away?

Azhi suddenly felt that none of the men were reliable and most of them were trash.

-

The guest Xu Zhi wanted to meet had already arrived at the front hall.

"I have recovered from my illness. If you have any advice for me, please feel free to ask."

As she spoke, she pushed over a shiny ginger-colored box.

In the middle of the box is a golden-yellow ancient Shu Mengshan tea cake, which you can smell a rich fragrance as soon as you open it.

Wang Wan didn't like money, nor did he covet power. His only habit was drinking tea.

She still looked sick, not as well as she said.

All her internal organs were injured, how could she recover in ten days? Not to mention Ying Zheng, anyone who knew the inside story would feel uncomfortable when seeing her.

But Ying Hehua insisted that she was fine, and Wang Wan was always a subject and could not refute her.

"Princess, do you know why I am here?" Wang Wan asked.

Under the high crown, one can vaguely see that his hair is not as dark blue as it was seven years ago.

His fatigue was obvious.

With the empire constantly operating and launching attacks against the six nations, the logistical work was incredibly difficult.

The Xianyang base camp is the guarantee for all outward expansion.

The high-pressure behind-the-scenes work consumed almost all of Wang Wan's energy.

He was ten years older than Li Si, and he was obviously unable to do the job.

Xu Zhi sees things and history that others cannot see.

Occasionally, she would jump out and she would have to be sober.

Cai Ze left too early, so she didn't have time to ask him how to deal with Zhang Liang.

Now, before the empire was about to be unified, she sought advice from Wang Wan in a roundabout way.

In some aspects, Li Si cannot be asked, only Wang Wan knows the answer.

Wang Wan was a man of great insight.

He knew that Ying Hehua had always been close to Li Si.

Her words and deeds over the years had largely not deviated from his understanding of the Legalists.

Because of Zhang Liang's intervention, there were some subtle changes in her eyes, and this change was very familiar - twenty years ago, Lu Buwei's retainer, Mo Qi, also had this kind of eyes.

Xu Zhi said bluntly: "The princess is very clear-sighted. The current situation is turbulent. I really shouldn't run away from marriage and create a bad reputation, giving the people of the six countries an opportunity to find an opportunity."

Wang Wan looked at her.

"No." He said, "If it is like the marriage alliance between Qin and Chu. If the princess becomes the queen of Chu and lives in the royal family of Chu, it may be more difficult for the king."

If Wang Wan could say this, then he was not here to scold her alone.

Only then did he say the next words.

"Changping Jun's rebellion against Qin implicated the old Han army. At this point, I think my father probably no longer trusts the Mi family, nor does he believe in the Chu system."

Perhaps it was Zhang Liang's departure that prompted her thinking.

This is not just Ying Hehua's fantasy.

Wang Wan also had this concern.

After Qin destroyed Chu, the fall of this ancient rival was a real wake-up call for Qin - Qin was bound to choose a different path from Chu.

Regarding the planting of trees on this road and the selection of roadbed stones...

There is a natural difference between Wang Wan and Ying Zheng.

"You should know that you can trust the king. You came to ask me about this matter, but I can't help you."

What Xu Zhi wanted was not an answer, but Wang Wan’s attitude.

Xu Zhi looked at him, "Maybe I don't understand." She stared at Wang Wan, "But maybe everything has its own destiny. Prime Minister, don't worry too much."

She couldn't explain it, but her eyes made Wang Wan ignore the power in them.

He was already over forty and was about to reach the age of knowing the destiny, but when he looked at Ying Hehua, he naturally expressed this vicissitudes of life.

This feeling was beyond words for Wang Wan.

The little princess smiled at him, then her face showed the sadness of a young person.

"I didn't marry Mi You. I think my father will arrange another marriage for me soon. Before that, my brother's wedding is the most important thing."

When Wang Wan spoke to her, he hardly treated her as an ordinary seventeen-year-old girl.

"Princess, I want to know whether the general will return to Xianyang after defeating Chu?"

Xu Zhi raised his eyes, poured clear tea into the cup, nodded, and slowly spoke, "You said, the person appointed by my father to sit in Shouchun is Li Tingwei or the general?"

The State of Chu was vast and rich in resources.

This extremely important position can only be held by the person Ying Zheng trusts the most.

Li Si was from Shangcai, Chu State, and was an important official of Qin State. He played a very good role in pacifying Chu and communicating Qin Shi Huang's wishes.

Wang Jian was undoubtedly an important figure. Under the threat of his martial arts, no one in Chu dared to rebel.

However! It would take at least five years for Chu to be stable. Whoever went to Shouchun would be temporarily away from the political center of Xianyang!

This was also a choice of path. The best way for Ying Zheng to make this choice known to the public for the first time was through this matter!

The marriage of Ying Zheng's eldest son had been arranged before the conquest of Chu, and this is not a mystery.

Wang Wan probed, "As for who is in Shouchun, I think the king has made up his mind. In my opinion, the general is trusted by the king. However, the general is familiar with military affairs and is worried about his own political ability. He will strongly recommend Li Tingwei."

"As for the princess's marriage."

Wang Wan had been in Xianyang for a long time, so he came to a conclusion based on hearsay.

He simply thought that what was written in the manifesto that the little princess liked Zhang Liang was nonsense.

When Zhang Liang was a junior tutor, she had treated Zhang Liang badly in Zhilan Palace when she was in her teens, and she had stabbed someone in Handan. Zhang Liang had a grudge against Qin, and he was upright, so it was unlikely that he would have a good face towards Ying Hehua.

He was thinking again, Li Xian should be considered as a childhood sweetheart. But she didn't care about her life or death in front of Longtai Palace. After escaping from marriage with him this time, she didn't try to tell Ying Zheng that she wanted to marry Li Xian, nor did she seek help from Li Si. As a result, Li Xian was beaten with fifty sticks... and was punished to go to Shu County.

……

Wang Wan suddenly recalled a sentence from his childhood.

——If the Censor does not give me Meng Tian, ​​I will run to Yongcheng to find my father.

Wang Wan then asked, "...Could it be that the princess escaped from the marriage because she had feelings for Meng Tian?"

But she suddenly raised her voice.

"How could the Prime Minister have such a horrible idea?!"

"I heard from Grand Tutor Chunyu in Chen Ying that the King of Chu and I are a match made in heaven... Could it be that the Prime Minister is also involved?"

"You don't mean to randomly match couples! The last person who did that was Lord Changping."

When Ying Hehua was a child, she could scare Wang Wan. When she grew up, she could scare Wang Wan even more.

Changping Jun asked Wei Jiu to marry Yong'an, and then he stepped down from the position of prime minister.

Ordinary people can never cope with Yongan's character!

"I am terrified."

She showed no sign of reducing her mischievous nature. After watching Wang Wan sweating profusely, she smiled and said, "I was joking with the Prime Minister."

Wang Wan pondered and returned to the point, "Although the princess is worried about the Qin State. But the royal family will not easily let go after seeing that the princess has behaved inappropriately."

"I think the princess need not worry too much. The king will not let the princess suffer any harm."

"Father has been dealing with the affairs of the six kingdoms day and night, and he has been working day and night. I cannot let him be distracted from pacifying the royal family." Xu Zhi continued, "The Chu Kingdom was destroyed, and the Chu clan suffered a heavy blow. They must be very terrified. My brother is getting married to the daughter of the general. The court officials are paying close attention to him. The balance of the court cannot be disturbed because of me."

Her words were just like when she decided to go to the State of Chu.

For the Qin State, I would give up anything.

Wang Wan nodded.

The winter wind was cold, he coughed a few times, and slowly turned his gaze to a scattered plum blossom outside the window.

At this time in the Qin State, there were people who were full of vitality and enthusiasm at all times, while there were also people who had long seen from the hustle and bustle of the world that the slightest difference was unattainable.

Wang Wan was not young, but he was not old either. As his health deteriorated, his worries were not answered, and he had no idea what the future would hold.

He dedicated his whole life, and he didn't want the Qin State to have any end.

A breeze came in through the window, and the steam on the table floated, almost covering Wang Wan's face.

Xu Zhi used the bamboo fan at hand to disperse the mist in front of Wang Wan.

Both of them tried to see the road ahead more clearly.

The translucent brown tea slowly poured in, and the falling water caused ripples to gurgle.

She had mostly shown these actions to Li Si and Han Fei, and now she poured a cup of tea for Wang Wan.

"Before I met the princess, I had already informed the king of my intention to retire."

Xu Zhi was shocked, but on second thought, it made sense.

If Wang Wan wanted to leave at this time, Ying Zheng would not agree. After the destruction of Chu, the general direction of the empire was already clear, and the debate after unification had already laid the foundation for the balance.

She said: "The Prime Minister has put all his energy into this matter, so he must not be disappointed."

She lowered her eyes to look at the utensils on the table, "Both charcoal fire and severe ice will make the tea lose its color."

Wang Wan was slightly stunned. "For example, the cup of tea that the princess gave me. When I first held it, it was so hot that I couldn't drink it. Only when I put it aside and let the residual heat fade away, I could taste the true flavor of the tea."

They all understood such metaphors.

Wang Wan continued, "The power of the monarch must be in the middle. It must be held by one family and cannot be lost. In the past few years, the princess may have seen the difference... I think the princess may take a different path."

Wang Wan has extraordinary insight, which is a skill he learned from Cai Ze.

When everyone was walking in the fog, he vaguely sensed some signs of power groups fighting against each other.

Han Fei said it very clearly that for the Qin State, which adhered to the law as its national policy, this kind of attack and oppression was obvious.

Before unification, it was still a struggle between the Qin group and the nobles of the six countries. For example, the current struggle caused by the Han and Zhang families.

After the unification, apart from the royal family with the surname Ying, Ying Zheng was the core of the royal family. Apart from the royal power, among the court officials, it was mostly the game between the three major families of Meng, Wang and Li.

Meng Wu and Wang Jian were old. Among the younger generations, Wang Ben and Meng Tian were very similar to their fathers.

The Wang and Meng families have had a tradition of fighting side by side and cooperating with each other since the time of King Zhao of Qin.

Li Si was different. Wei Liao, Dun Ruo, Yao Jia and others were not as far-sighted as he was. He came to Qin as a foreign guest after Lu Buwei became prime minister, and his extraordinary talent made him famous.

Although Li Xian was not at the core, he was a leader among the civil servants.

As time went by, when Wang Wan was reporting on his work before leaving for Shu County, he felt that Li Xian seemed to hold the secret in his hands in the war to annihilate the country.

——Shu recommended Huai Qing, persuaded Chu to abandon Han, and plotted against Guo Kai, preventing Xiang Yan from committing suicide.

Li Xian always plays a key role at key points.

Maybe he was a breakthrough.

Wang Wan recalled the time when Cai Ze met him before his death.

In the deep cold weather, Cai Ze, wearing a fur coat, arranged the bronze cups one by one, emptied the priceless wine inside, and then pointed at them and said, "Wang Wan, you must remember that a true patriot will die without regrets!"

There is only one position of prime minister.

Wang Wan couldn't help but feel that if there were any problems in the empire in the future, it would be nothing more than the covetousness and infighting between him and Li Si, or between the Li family and the Wang and Meng families.

Ying Hehua had a pair of firm and intelligent eyes. Her gaze made his mind much clearer, so he said two words before returning to the Prime Minister's Mansion.

The plum blossoms in Zhilan Palace scattered again.

The moonlight in the sky is as cool as water.

Ahzhi didn't see the princess return to the palace, so he went to the plum garden with a lamp.

It’s late at night, and the night is hazy.

In her arms, she held a handful of bamboo slips with Korean characters written on them, but the words had been scratched off, leaving only bare yellow-white scratches.

I am alone leaning against the bluestone, sleeping soundly without knowing where my dream is going.

Half a month has passed since Ying Hehua had the accident on the road.

The words people went around saying were all about her bad morals, which brought disaster upon her.

Was the fall of Chu a result of her escaping from marriage? Qin must give an official explanation.

Wang Wan gave her a pertinent answer.

——"Xunzi is still in Qi."

——"The Qin State has a patriarchal system. Considering the state, the princess should choose a prince or a minister to marry. Under the checks and balances, the princess should hold the power and not think about the feelings of marriage."