King Zhaoxiang of Qin died in the Eastern Qin Mausoleum.
The Eastern Qin Mausoleum is located at the western foot of Mount Li and the eastern bank of the Ba River, west of Lintong District, Xi'an City in later generations. Because it is near Zhiyang County of the Qin State, it is also known as Zhiyang Mausoleum.
It is just east of Xianyang city.
Standing on the high platform and looking eastward, Qin Wangzhu always had the illusion that he could see Qin Dongling.
In order to take care of his health, Qin Wangzhu stayed in the mausoleum for only one day before returning to Xianyang Palace. Crown Prince Zichu continued the sacrifice on his behalf.
Prince Zichu held Ying Xiaozheng's hand and walked up the steps to the sacrifice step by step. This was the step that King Qin Zhu had specifically instructed.
Last year, Zichu had a new child in his backyard, born to the Han woman given by Xia Ji.
The prince's frail health and lack of offspring have always been the biggest concern of those who support Zichu. Even if Prince Zheng is smart, it is too easy for a child to die young, and even when he grows up, there may be accidents.
The prince finally had another son, which not only freed him from the worry of the death of his offspring, but also proved that Zichu was in good health and could continue to have children. This was very good news for those who supported Zichu.
Zichu consolidated the power around him because of this young son, so he loved the child more and named him Chengjiao.
The Qin State revered Shaohao, one of the Five Emperors, as the chief god. Shaohao had a son named Jiaoji. "Cheng Jiao" was taken from this meaning, which shows the expectations that Zichu placed on this child.
Although this child had no blood relationship with Zhu Xiang, since he was the son of his good friend, Zhu Xiang was very active in helping Zichu to name him and brought Ying Xiaozheng along.
After Ying Xiaozheng hung on Zhu Xiang's neck and heard the truth that "No matter how many sons Zichu has, I only have one nephew, Zheng'er", he behaved very magnanimously.
He knew that this brother would betray him in his dreams.
It is also possible that Cheng Jiao did not intend to betray, but was forced into betrayal by someone with ulterior motives, but betrayal is a fact.
But he also knew that the world in his dreams was not his own world, and what would happen to the people around him in the future was up to him.
Li Mu, the Wu'an Jun of Zhao State, could become his teacher and the future Wu'an Jun of Qin State, so what is Cheng Jiao
Ying Xiaozheng had mixed feelings towards Cheng Jiao. Compared to himself who suffered in Zhao State, this younger brother had been raised with his father by his side with pearls and jade in his mouth. It was inevitable that he would feel jealous of this younger brother in his dream.
This younger brother must have had mixed feelings about himself. For a long time, he must have thought of himself as his father's only child - a brother who was far away in Zhao State, whose mother was of humble origin and who had been forgotten by everyone in Qin State.
Before he returned to Qin, all the nobles of Qin revolved around him.
It was for this reason that the State of Zhao sent his mother and son back to Xianyang immediately after the death of his great-grandfather in order to disrupt the succession to the throne of Qin.
Because of Lu Buwei's relationship, his father acknowledged his mother's identity as the Crown Prince's wife, and he put pressure on Cheng Jiao, making his firm belief of nearly ten years come to nothing.
So although Ying Zheng in the dream was angry, he was not surprised that Cheng Jiao would betray him, or that he would be forced to betray him against his will.
Ying Xiaozheng poked his brother's face. His brother smacked his lips and drooled.
Ying Xiaozheng withdrew his fingers in disgust.
In this world, his position as heir is very secure. Cheng Jiao has known since he can remember that the future King of Qin is his elder brother and has nothing to do with him. Therefore, there will be no more hatred between him and Cheng Jiao.
He also has enough power to prevent others from taking advantage of his blood relatives.
Ying Xiaozheng didn't have any feelings towards Cheng Jiao, he just couldn't tolerate others using his brother as a pawn to attack him. This had nothing to do with Cheng Jiao, but was an insult to him.
Furthermore, Ying Xiaozheng had no complex emotions, including jealousy, towards the newly born Cheng Jiao. He had lived a happy life since childhood, and Cheng Jiao, who could not grow up with his uncle, would definitely not be happier than himself.
Zichu and everyone around him knew that although Zichu loved his youngest son, his feelings were completely different from those for his eldest son. No matter how favored the youngest son was, he could never be compared with Prince Zheng.
But precisely because both Prince Zheng himself and his supporters are so powerful, it is inevitable that some people will spontaneously gather around this still unconscious baby.
Some of them believed that adding icing on the cake was not as good as providing timely assistance, not to mention that Prince Zheng's power was already so strong that there was no way to add icing on the cake; others did not want a wise King of Qin to come to the throne, because a strong ruler would make the ministers weak. If Prince Zheng succeeded to the throne, no matter how great their achievements were, they would probably not be able to become new princes.
Why would one work for the Qin? Most people worked for fame, profit, or both. Nothing could be more tempting than becoming a new vassal or even the new "King of Qin".
Qin Wangzhu was really troubled. He constantly reflected on whether his reputation was too good, making people think that he was easy to bully.
Before his king and father were buried, all kinds of monsters and demons appeared to show off their power to him.
But Qin Wangzhu did have a good temper. If King Zhaoxiang of Qin found out about this, not only would the city of Xianyang be flooded with blood, but some people would definitely be given wine and daggers.
King Zhu of Qin thought about it and asked Crown Prince Zichu to take Ying Xiaozheng with him to take on the task of main sacrifice and announce Ying Xiaozheng's status to the world.
Zichu did not sit still. He paid a visit to the Queen of Qin, Lady Huayang, who ordered Cheng Jiao to be brought up by her side.
The people who were trying to curry favor with Cheng Jiao's biological mother immediately collapsed, and the Korean forces in the court who supported Cheng Jiao became even more furious.
They found Xia Ji, hoping that Xia Ji would put pressure on Zichu.
Xia Ji stayed in the palace and refused to see anyone, even her grandson born to Han, who had once been the center of all her family's hopes.
When she stayed indoors, she embroidered a small cloak for Ying Xiaozheng, who was going to guard the mausoleum for a while, and asked Xue Ji to deliver it to Ying Xiaozheng.
Ying Xiaozheng wore this small cloak to block the wind when he went to Qin Dongling.
After Ying Xiaozheng returned to Xianyang, Xia Ji often gave Ying Xiaozheng some embroidery work, but never took the initiative to meet Ying Xiaozheng.
But whenever Ying Xiaozheng was free, he would go to see Xia Ji when he greeted Lady Huayang every day, and present her with small gifts such as flowers and snacks.
However, Xia Ji never gave Cheng Jiao any gifts made by hand in private until Ying Xiaozheng succeeded to the throne.
This is something.
Now, Qin Wangzhu just gently told his subordinates not to commit suicide. Xunzi was very happy.
Compared with King Zhaoxiang of Qin, the way Qin Wangzhu does things now is obviously more in line with the Confucian idea of a sage king. To break the conspiracy, it is necessary to be upright and without bloodshed, which is the best strategy.
As for Zichu, who directly gave his son to Lady Huayang to raise, Xunzi had some complaints and felt that Zichu was too cold.
However, Zhu Xiang advised: "Zichu is a loving father if he leaves Chengjiao to the queen to raise. No matter how good the conditions of the prince's residence are, can they be as good as those of the queen of Qin? The queen of Qin has never given birth, and Zichu was already an adult when he was registered under her name. Chengjiao is her first child, so she must protect him like the apple of her eye. Even if Zheng'er succeeds to the throne, I'm afraid Chengjiao, relying on his mother's pampering, would dare to roll on the ground in front of Zheng'er's throne and act like a spoiled child."
Xunzi's expression froze, and then his face darkened: "You must educate this young man well in the future, and never let him roll around in the court! If he does something rude like this, you will have to take the blame for him!"
Zhu Xiang: "?" Why should I take the blame for him? What did I do wrong
He immediately found Zichu and asked Zichu to hand Cheng Jiao over to Lin Zhi for instruction.
"If Cheng Jiao is spoiled too much and behaves improperly, it will be Lao Zhuang's fault, and has nothing to do with Xunzi." Zhu Xiang said, "Xunzi will definitely not beat me."
Zichu: "... Instead of thinking about how you will suffer after Cheng Jiao is spoiled, why don't you think about teaching him a good lesson?"
Zhu Xiang said meaningfully: "You don't understand how favored a grandson raised by his ancestors is. His character may be upright, but his behavior... I think he is probably similar to Lin Li. Really, listen to me and let Lin Li teach you."
Zichu refused and started fighting with Zhu Xiang.
Lin Zhi was not in Xianyang at that time. When he returned to Xianyang and learned about this, he immediately patted his chest and promised to teach Prince Chengjiao to become a talent.
Ying Xiaozheng, who was passing by, sighed deeply. It was a little hard for him to imagine what kind of person Cheng Jiao would become under the hands of his elders.
Or, bring it yourself
Ying Xiaozheng thought of Ying Zheng’s useless sons in his dream, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.
He decided to trust his uncle and Uncle Lin. At worst, he would ask the most reliable Uncle Cai to teach Cheng Jiao.
"After returning to Xianyang, I found that the king's life was really difficult." Zhu Xiang was with Zichu and Ying Xiaozheng when they built a hut to guard the mausoleum. While making a bonfire and roasting potatoes and pumpkins, he sighed, "There were rumors in Xianyang that you and I were the masterminds, disputes over mourning rituals, and your newborn son was used as a raft... It was really one wave after another."
Lin Zhi said: "It is normal for people to come one after another to test the new king after he ascends the throne."
Cai Ze asked, "Is it really okay for us to roast potatoes in front of the First Lord's Mausoleum?"
Zichu: “…”
He avoided Cai Ze's upright gaze and said, "It's just warming up by the fire. Grandfather won't blame me."
Cai Ze said: "Of course I know that the first lord will not blame me, but is this in accordance with etiquette?"
Zhu Xiang held Cai Ze's shoulders and said earnestly, "We are hungry, but we can't not eat, right? Instead of letting others serve us food, we make a fire and cook for ourselves. Doesn't this show more respect for the first master?"
Cai Ze silently pushed Zhu Xiang's arm away and said, "I heard that you three were saying the same thing when you were playing music in front of Lord Lin's tomb."
Zichu's face flushed, "That... that's different. I definitely won't play music here."
Cai Ze sighed, "Xia Tong, don't let Zhu Xiang and Lin Li lead you astray. You are going to be the King of Qin in the future. If the King of Qin learns from them, it will be a disgrace to the Qin State."
Lin Zhi said, "I don't like to hear that. Even if you despise me, this is the world-famous sage Zhu Xianggong! If the future King of Qin is as virtuous as Zhu Xianggong, it will be a blessing for the people of the world! You actually insulted Zhu Xianggong. Do you know how people who take Zhu Xianggong as their role model will scold you?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Yes, I am a great sage in the world, Cai Ze, please show some respect!"
Zichu covered his face. He would take Cai Ze's advice to heart.
Ying Xiaozheng, who had had a good sleep, came out of the house smelling the aroma of baked potatoes. Hearing this, he paused and turned back into the house.
He didn't want to get involved in this boring discussion, so he decided to wait for his uncle to finish baking and send it to him.
Cai Ze didn't want to continue discussing this topic. He was afraid that he would not be able to help but give his friend a look of contempt, which would affect the relationship.
There is no conflict between Zhu Xiang being a great sage and Zhu Xiang being shameful.
"Each Qin king has his own way of dealing with things. The first lord used authority directly, while Your Majesty is more gentle." Cai Ze turned the subject back, "Gentleness does not mean being easy to bully. Your Majesty's way of dealing with things also demonstrates his ability."
Lin Zhi said: "I think the king should pay equal attention to kindness and power."
Zichu agreed: "He who should be killed must be killed. Your Majesty is too soft."
Zhu Xiang said: "It is still the mourning period, and the monarch may not want to see blood. Although those who have different intentions can be expelled, the monarch may want to make the situation in the court more stable and have a peaceful transition."
Lin Zhi said: "Leaving hidden dangers behind is not a peaceful transition."
Zichu said: "That's right."
Zhu Xiang shook his head: "How easy is it to kill and exile people? But there are still many people who do not recognize your talents. You should use gentle means to win these people back and make them return to their hearts. This will be more beneficial to your rule."
Cai Ze said: "Be gentle at home and tough abroad, that's enough."
The four of them started arguing from their own perspectives, and continued to roast potatoes and pumpkin while they argued.
Ying Xiaozheng was growing up and was at the age when he could eat his uncle out of poverty. He was so hungry that he came out again.
Zhu Xiang handed the roasted potatoes and pumpkin to Ying Xiaozheng, who dipped them in powdered sauce mixed with chili powder and spices and ate until his cheeks were bulging.
The elders also stopped discussing and continued to argue after they had their fill.
Ying Xiaozheng yawned, too lazy to wash up, and went back to his room to continue sleeping.
Zhu Xiang grabbed Ying Xiaozheng and forced him to rinse his mouth and brush his teeth before letting him go to bed.
After serving the little ancestor Ying Xiaozheng, Zhu Xiang returned to the campfire with great enthusiasm and continued arguing with his friends.
In this debate, it’s either you die or I live!
"Where's the chili powder? Zichu, eat less. You can't handle spicy food."
"I can eat it."
"I made a vinegar dish. It tastes better with vinegar."
"It tastes better with soy sauce."
"Heretic, heretic, judge the heretic!"
"Zhu Xiang, what nonsense are you talking about?"...
The guards and officials standing by pricked up their ears to listen to the debate between the four great sages.
Some officials wanted to record this scene, but they were afraid of leaking secrets, so they could only keep it to themselves.
However, after he returned, he changed his mind and realized that the four great sages did not avoid the crowd and discussed the matter almost in public. They were probably not afraid of having the matter recorded.
Even... did they intend to spread this matter
Qin Wangzhu soon learned about the argument among the four people, chuckled, shook his head, and threw away the report on the matter.
These four people are still children.
However, apart from Zhu Xiang, Cai Ze was indeed his most desired prime minister.
I'm sorry, my Lord and Father, but you should leave Lin Zhi, whom you recommended, to Zichu. They are the ones who have similar interests.
"One generation is tight and the next is loose, only when there is a certain degree of loosening can it not break." Qin Wangzhu stood by the window, looking in the direction of Qin Dongling, "I don't know how many years I can be the King of Qin, Zichu, I will take a good rest in the next few years, and when you are the King of Qin, the chariot of Qin will continue to run at high speed."
The only person Qin Wangzhu feared in his life was the old Qin Wang. Although he was submissive to the old Qin Wang, he was never very kind to other people.
Even when he was not the crown prince, he was still the only son of the old King of Qin and the crown prince's only brother.
The Prince of Qin could not be granted a title of king without any merit, but he was granted the title of Lord Anguo, which shows how much the old King of Qin loved him.
With a background like that of Qin Wangzhu, he probably didn't know how to be patient with his subjects even more than Zichu, who had been a hostage and knew what it meant to endure humiliation.
But King Zhu of Qin decided to endure it and use a gentle approach to deal with those who were testing his abilities and testing whether the Qin State could continue to be strong.
Before the old King of Qin passed away, he rushed to pave the way for him, which made the situation in the Qin court very tense, and the royal family, relatives and nobles were all panic-stricken. The six countries also had a tendency to unite because of the pressure from the old King of Qin.
He had to pacify the domestic situation and paralyze the six kingdoms in order to accumulate strength and allow the next generation of Qin King to wipe out the six kingdoms with thunderous force.
The next time Qin sends out a large army, the offensive will not stop.
Qin Wangzhu looked down at his old hands, looking a little lonely.
He actually wanted to be the King of Qin who unified the world, just like a monarch and father.
But he was very clear about his age and his body, and he, like his father, would not live to that age.
When he ascended the throne, he tossed and turned all night, thinking about what kind of King of Qin he wanted to be.
In the end, he decided that it would be safer to change the driver while Qin was speeding along the way, which would put Qin in danger.
More secure.
He has Zichu and Zhenger, so he can be more cautious.
"But I still don't want to give up."
Qin Wangzhu murmured.
He deeply felt the resentment and resentment in the hearts of his king and father as they were about to pass away.
I really can't accept this.
When Zichu and Ying Xiaozheng returned to Xianyang, Zhu Xiang, the "nanny", naturally followed them back to the Xianyang Palace.
Lin Zhi, the "broker", finally "found an opportunity" to allow Chunshen Jun to meet Zhu Xiang.
Zhu Xiang asked, "Do I need to follow your script and play the role of a great sage who is imprisoned?"
Zhu Xiang was puzzled: "Will it not interfere with your plan?"
Lin Zhi winked and said, "Who do you think I am? No matter what conclusion Chunshen Jun comes to, as long as he comes to see you in the Xianyang Palace, my goal has been achieved. Whatever you say will not affect my future actions. You are free to do as you please."
Zichu also said, "I'd like to see Lin Li's plan fail. You can give it a try."
Lin Zhi said contemptuously: "Ah! I don't even know who I am doing this for. My kindness is really not rewarded."
Cai Ze sighed: "Alright, alright, don't gather together. Did you see the horrified looks on the palace maids' faces? Zheng'er is here too. Don't give him a bad influence."
Ying Xiaozheng said in a very mature manner: "Don't worry, Uncle Cai, I'm used to it and won't be affected."
Even if his uncle, father, and uncle did something stupid like gathering in the middle of the Xianyang Palace Square in broad daylight and plotting loudly, he would not be affected.
He wouldn't be stupid, never.
Cai Ze patted Ying Xiaozheng's shoulder and said with relief: "Very good, very good."
He looked at Ying Xiaozheng as if he saw a lotus blossoming in the mud, the only upright bamboo shoot among a group of crooked and weak bamboos.
The future hope of Qin State lies entirely on Zheng'er.
Qin Wangzhu, who was walking in the palace after finishing his paperwork, pointed at the group of younger generations in the distance in confusion, turned his head and asked Xunzi in confusion: "What are they doing?"
Xunzi said respectfully, "They are looking for a beating."
Qin Wangzhu: "… I agree."
Xunzi rushed over aggressively.
Qin Wangzhu sighed deeply. As expected, he was too indulgent to the younger generation, which made the atmosphere in Xianyang Palace weird. When the emperor and father were in power, Xianyang Palace was so solemn.
He shook his head, sighed, and then went to watch the younger generation being beaten by Xunzi with a happy smile.
Huang Xie never expected that when he entered the Xianyang Palace to meet Zhu Xiang who was waiting in the garden, Zhu Xiang would first be baptized by Xunzi's ruler.
Xunzi forced Zhu Xiang to change into clothes that could show his temperament, personally selected a jade crown for Zhu Xiang, and picked out accessories for his waist and long and short swords.
The nobles of Qin were different from those of the six other states. They did not originally carry long swords, but only short swords.
The Qin people once lived together with the Rongdi people. Their nobles wore short swords to cut meat when eating. Wearing a short sword meant that they had meat for every meal, so it was a symbol of status.
However, later the Qin State moved eastward and accepted the Central Plains culture, and the Qin nobles gradually began to wear long swords, but short swords were still a necessity.
When Xunzi formulated the Qin ritual, he also specially modified it for the Qin people to wear both short swords and long swords. He asked Zhu Xiang to wear both long swords and short swords, which showed Chunshen Jun that he had fully integrated into the Qin ritual.
Not only the long and short swords, but every accessory on Zhu Xiang's body reflects the unique etiquette culture of the Qin State.
Zhu Xiang listened to Xunzi chattering in his ear and felt like he was listening to a palace intrigue story.
What hairstyle to wear, what hairpin to put in the bun, how many beads to hang on the hairpin, what rouge to put on the face, what kind of rings and pendants to wear on the body, what color and pattern of the rings and pendants... all the details on clothes and accessories are the embodiment of etiquette and are all silent confrontations.
Zhu Xiang: "... In fact, Chunshen Jun might not notice it."
Xunzi glared angrily.
Zhu Xiang shut up obediently, continued to listen to Xunzi's talk, and took Xunzi's test after Xunzi's talk.
He had to remember the meaning of every accessory on his body and every pattern on his clothes, so that he would be more confident when facing Chunshen Jun.
But Zhu Xiang really didn't think that Chunshen Jun would pay attention to these.
He is not fighting with Chunshen Jun in the palace.
Seeing Zhu Xiang's exhausted expression, Xunzi ended his pre-battle guidance to Zhu Xiang and nervously let Zhu Xiang meet Chunshen Jun, one of the four great princes of the Warring States Period.
Xunzi's eyes looked like he was watching his unreliable disciple challenge the leader of the martial arts world.
In the eyes of the scholars of the Warring States Period, the four young masters were indeed at the level of leaders in the martial arts world.
Mengchangjun had died long ago, Pingyuanjun was already old and sick, Xinlingjun had suffered a blow and stayed indoors, and now Chunshenjun was the only one left among the four great princes who were still roaming the world during the Warring States Period.
Chunshen Jun was not a member of the royal family, but was included among the four great princes as a scholar, which shows his ability.
The rising star who replaced the four great princes in the Warring States Period was Changping Jun Zhu Xiang, the world-famous Duke Zhu Xiang.
Some people say that Changping Jun is the fifth prince; others say that Changping Jun may surpass the four princes.
Regardless of the statement, in the minds of scholars all over the world, Zhu Xiang was the new candidate to lead the Warring States nobles and the key to Qin's ability to attract talents.
Now that the new nobles and the old nobles are facing off, how can Xunzi not be nervous
He originally thought that Zhu Xiang had learned his subjects very well, and Chunshen Jun needed his help, so being in a weak position, he might not have any major problems.
But he was still worried, so he came with Qin Wangzhu to warn Zhu Xiang.
As a result, he saw Zhu Xiang, the Crown Prince and others plotting loudly in the center of a square somewhere in Xianyang Palace, as if they were completely unprepared for the upcoming war.
Xunzi's mentality immediately collapsed.
This bastard! Rotten wood cannot be carved! Dung cannot be used to paint the wall!
"Xunzi, don't worry. Duke Zhu Xiang has never made any mistakes in the etiquette of entertaining guests." Han Fei was so frightened by Xunzi's dark face that he stopped stuttering.
Xunzi took a deep breath, a deep breath, and then snorted coldly: "I hope he doesn't make any mistakes, otherwise..."
Han Fei finally got up from the sickbed and stopped cursing the mediocre people in the court of Han who made the king of Han look bad. He was almost scared by Xunzi and lay down again.
Otherwise what? Xunzi, don't speak half of your words, it's scary!
Today, the young Han Fei is still trembling beside Xunzi.
Zhu Xiang is indeed reliable in entertaining guests.
He understood what Xunzi meant. Isn't it just pretending to be cool? How easy is it to pretend to be cool? He could easily scare Chunshen Jun.
So Chunshen Jun was taken to the pavilion in the middle of the garden pond, and Zhu Xiang had prepared the most impressive scenery for him.
He covered both sides of the pavilion with bamboo curtains, leaving only two sides open. On one side, one could see the water, and on the other side, one could see the pine and bamboo trees that were specially transplanted in the courtyard and were easy to die.
Zhu Xiang did not use the tables and chairs that were very common in the Qin State. Instead, he put down his seats and low table as he did before and sat upright in front of the table.
He lit some elegant incense and prepared the teapot, with hot water on the stove nearby so it could be easily accessed.
Huang Xie was led through the winding garden path, past the corridor standing in the water, and when he pulled up the bamboo curtain, he saw Zhu Xiang sitting upright by the stove, holding a scroll of bamboo slips.
When Zhu Xiang heard the sound of the bamboo curtain, he put down the bamboo slips in his hand, stood up and bowed: "Lord Chunshen, I have long admired you."
Huang Xie saw a white-haired scholar with an indifferent expression emerge from the smoke. He was still in a daze when he heard Zhu Xiang take the lead in saluting him. He couldn't help but feel a little flustered. He even said that he didn't dare and bowed to Zhu Xiang.
Zhu Xiang did not say anything polite. He extended his hand to invite Huang Xie to sit on the other side of the table and made tea for him.
The first step in making tea is to wash the teacup with hot water, the second step is to wash the tea leaves with hot water, and the third step is to make the tea. Regardless of whether it tastes good or not, Zhu Xiang first took out the pretentious steps of making tea in his mind.
What is pretentiousness? Pretentiousness is when you do something that you can do once, but you do it in vain, making others feel impressive.
Zhu Xiang had practiced this tea-making action many times, and it was as smooth as flowing water.
This was not something he practiced himself, but was thought up by Xunzi after he realized that tea could represent etiquette.
Zhu Xiang was dragged by Xunzi to study and practice together, and suffered greatly.
This is the sweet pain of having a great scholar as a teacher.
After being strictly trained by Xunzi, Huang Xie became extremely nervous when he saw Zhu Xiang's skill in pouring tea.
Although he could not understand it, he could see the complexity and elegance of the steps. In the minds of scholars, this was the embodiment of etiquette.
Zhu Xiang placed the teacup in front of Huang Xie and said calmly, "A cup of tea to quench Lord Chunshen's thirst."
"Is this clear tea?" Huang Xie observed the clear tea in the green ceramic cup and recalled the rumors about Zhu Xiang.
Legend has it that Zhu Xiang was honest and incorruptible and did not like the strong-flavored drinks of the time, so he invented tea.
Tea tastes bitter at first, but sweet aftertastes. After swallowing, the fragrance lingers in your mouth. A cup of tea can relax your mind and body. This is the embodiment of Zhu Xianggong's Taoism and etiquette.
Huang Xie once wanted to imitate Zhu Xiang's way of drinking tea, but the tea he made was hard to drink.
He suspected that the tea Zhu Xiang drank was also very unpalatable, but the people around him admired Zhu Xiang, so they even praised the unpalatable tea Zhu Xiang drank.
Now Zhu Xiang personally made tea for him, and this cumbersome procedure made him suspicious. Maybe the tea really wasn't bad, but he just didn't know how to make it
Huang Xie felt the temperature of the teacup and took a sip of the tea which was not too hot.
His eyes lit up. "It's just as the rumors say. It tastes slightly bitter at first, but sweet aftertastes, and leaves a lingering fragrance in the mouth. I once brewed tea like the rumors say, but it didn't taste like Changping Jun's tea. Is it because the steps are different?"
Zhu Xiang opened a lacquer box filled with tea leaves. "I drink tea because it is easy to drink. In fact, I can skip all the steps I just took. I just need to put a handful of tea leaves into the cup and brew it with hot water."
The indifference on Zhu Xiang's face disappeared, revealing a sly smile: "It's just that the tea leaves are different. I roasted this tea before drinking it. Chunshen Jun, would you like to try making tea yourself?"
Huang Xie looked at Zhu Xiang in astonishment as his temperament suddenly changed from that of an immortal to that of a mortal, and took the tea leaves to make tea with half belief and half doubt.
After the tea cooled down a little, Huang Xie took a sip.
Just as Zhu Xiang said, the taste is almost the same.
Huang Xie said: "But the tea brewed by Zhu Xianggong is still better." Although they are similar, there is still a difference.
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "This is the difference between the upper limit and the lower limit. Tea leaves will never taste bad no matter how you brew them, but the complicated steps will make them taste better. It's just that the taste won't be improved much."
Huang Xie immediately responded: "Is this just like studying? Once you reach a certain level, it becomes difficult to make further progress?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Although what Chunshen Jun said makes sense, what I actually want to say is that I am a commoner and I don't pay much attention to etiquette. Chunshen Jun doesn't need to be too nervous. If you are nervous, I will be nervous too."
Zhu Xiang pointed at the accessories on his body and said, "Before I came to see Chunshen Jun today, Xunzi specially made me a set of etiquette clothes and asked me to recite books for half a day, fearing that I would lose face for the title of Changping Jun. You don't know how tiring it is, alas."
Huang Xie: “…”
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "Is Chunshen Jun disappointed to see the real me?"
Huang Xie's face twitched for a moment, then he slowly held his forehead: "No...it's just..."
Zhu Xiang laughed out loud.
Huang Xie sighed helplessly and laughed along.
The strange and stiff atmosphere between the two of them was swept away at this moment.
"Your behavior reminds me of Lord Xinling." Huang Xie said after he finished laughing, "When Lord Xinling saw me, he insisted on asking me to drink, and even pulled my clothes askew."
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "When I met Lord Xinling, Lord Xinling was seeing me off. We sat on the ground and drank, which was quite pleasant."
Huang Xie asked: "Is it joyful? Isn't it sad?"
Zhu Xiang said: "It is definitely very sad, but now that I think about it, I feel relieved to have made a good friend."
Huang Xie sighed: "Changping Jun is very free and easy."
Zhu Xiang held the tea and said, "If life is not free and easy, there will be too many troubles."
Huang Xie said: "Indeed. But there is no use being carefree about some things, you will still have to worry about them."
Zhu Xiang said, "That's right. Now is a time of great strife, and it's a time of great strife that is about to be decided. Everyone is sad. Come, taste some osmanthus cake. This is a cake made with rice and last year's osmanthus. Try it."
Zhu Xiang opened another lacquer box, which contained the osmanthus cake he had made himself.
The osmanthus cake is as white and tender as jade, dotted with golden sugared osmanthus flowers, and its appearance alone attracted Huang Xie's love.
Huang Xie joked, "I heard that Lord Changping is good at cooking. Could it be that Lord Changping made this osmanthus cake himself?"
Zhu Xiang said, "Of course. Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar?"
Huang Xie felt warm in his heart, but then bitter again.
The rumors about Zhu Xiang, apart from his talent and moral character, are his terrifying ability to make friends.
He now finally understood how terrifying Zhu Xiang's ability to make friends was. With just a few words, he wanted to become friends with Zhu Xiang.
"How nice it would be if you were in Chu?" Huang Xie did not take the osmanthus cake. "I sent people to Handan to pick you up that day, but it was too late."
Zhu Xiang smiled and sighed, "It's not too late. When Zichu was still a hostage, he had already figured out how to lure me into Qin."
Huang Xie almost knocked over the teacup: "What?!"
Seeing Huang Xie's expression, Zhu Xiang couldn't help laughing for a long time before continuing, "You should have heard that Master Zichu and I met in Handan. Besides, Zheng'er is my only descendant. How can I let Zheng'er go to Qin alone?"
Zhu Xiang's smile faded a little: "But I was originally planning to wait for the day when Qin came to pick up the hostage, and then go back to Qin with Zheng'er. In my expectation, I would stay in Zhao for at least ten years, and then enter Qin as an unknown person with a very calm mood."
Huang Xie was silent for a long time, then said, "But the situation is pressing."
Zhu Xiang said: "Yes, it is the situation that forces us to do so. The world is unpredictable."
Huang Xie sighed: "It seems that I am indeed more than one step late."
Zhu Xiang put his hand to his mouth and lowered his voice, "In fact, without Zichu and Zheng'er, I would have had no choice but to enter Qin. The First Lord was in Changping at the time. When he let me go back to Handan, he knew that I would be feared by the King of Zhao. He let me go and immediately sent Wu'an Jun to Handan to pick me up."
Huang Xie's mouth twitched: "No wonder the Qin army came so quickly. He is worthy of being King Zhao of Qin."
Zhu Xiang kept nodding. That's right, he is indeed the famous devil of the Warring States Period. When Bai Gong told him about this, Zhu Xiang was so frightened by the old King of Qin that his hair stood up.
Huang Xie looked at the easygoing smile on Zhu Xiang's face, rubbed his teacup with his fingers, and said, "I heard from Lin Qing that the King of Qin was afraid of you, so he detained you in the Xianyang Palace?"
Seeing that Huang Xie came straight to the point, Zhu Xiang knew that he was doubting Lin Zhi's words.
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "He misunderstood. In fact, I volunteered to come to the palace to take care of Jun Shang and Zheng Er."
Huang Xie asked: "It sounds like the relationship between Lord Changping and the King of Qin is very deep. But why doesn't Lord Changping serve in the court?"
Zhu Xiang said seriously, "Because the court meeting requires us to get up too early, which affects our rest."
Huang Xie: “…” Do you think I believe it
Zhu Xiang laughed: "I know you don't believe me, but I really don't want to go to the court. There are countless talented people in the court, but I am the only one who works in the fields. Of course, I will stay where I am most needed. After the emperor's mourning period, I will leave Xianyang and continue to farm as before."
Zhu Xiang tapped the cup with his fingers, looked at the ripples on the tea and said, "Lord Chunshen should have experienced firsthand how useful my farming is."
(End of this chapter)