Zhu Xiang's words struck the Zhang brothers on the head like thunder, making their faces pale and their bodies tremble.
"You, how dare you insult my father!" Zhang Liang was the first to come to his senses. He held the iron railings tightly with both hands. His expression was like that of an angry puppy trying to break out of the cage.
Zhu Xiang said indifferently: "Take a look at your brother's expression."
Zhang Liang suddenly raised his head and looked sideways at Zhang Sheng.
Zhang Sheng was stunned, then reflexively turned his face away from Zhang Liang.
Zhang Liang's hands were clenched so tightly that veins appeared on the back. He pleaded with his eyes, "Brother..."
Brother, why don't you refute it? I beg you to refute it!
"That's not the case, that's not the case. Han will not perish... Even if Han will be destroyed by the unjust Qin State, the Zhang family will stand by Han!" Zhang Liang gritted his teeth.
Zhu Xiang asked seriously, "What you have seen and heard about this Qin group, can you still say that Qin is unjust? Let me ask you, Qin, where even the prime minister must abide by the law, or Han, where the prime minister's young son can play freely in a confidential place?"
"You...!" Zhang Liang's face flushed. "If Qin is a righteous country, why would it attack other countries?"
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "Well said. Then let me ask you, has South Korea never conquered other countries?"
Zhang Liang hesitated: "That, that's different..."
Zhu Xiang's smile faded. "There are indeed some differences. The ancestors of Qin State founded the country because the King of Zhou asked them to fight against the Western Rong by themselves, and they were granted as much land as they could conquer. Qin State became a vassal state because of its meritorious service in escorting the King of Zhou. Han State, Zhao State, and Wei State founded the country because they betrayed their lord and divided Jin into three states."
Zhu Xiang sighed deeply and asked seriously, "Where are the descendants of Duke Jin now? Sons of the two Han prime ministers, do you know?"
Zhang Sheng couldn't help it, he clenched his fists and asked: "Why did Lord Changping tell us this? My brother and I will no longer be the prime minister of Han. The prime minister has nothing to do with us!"
Zhang Liang looked at Zhang Sheng in disbelief: "Brother, what did you say?"
Zhang Sheng gritted his teeth and said, "I was wrong. My father asked me to find a place to live in seclusion and separate the family, and asked you to worship Master Fei as your master. I thought that my father wanted me to preserve the Zhang family bloodline and let you inherit the Zhang family's position in the Han court. I already knew that Master Fei would definitely not be tolerated by the King of Han. If you worship Master Fei as your master, it will be difficult for you to gain a foothold in the court in the future. Who knew..."
Zhang Sheng bent down, pounded his legs hard, and said with red eyes: "I am just being too clever, too clever!"
Zhu Xiang said: "A gentleman can be deceived. Zhang Ping knew that he entrusted his young son to Han Fei with his last words and all the resources of the Zhang family. Even if Han Fei had complaints against him, he would protect Zhang Liang for him."
Zhang Sheng cried, "But the person I met was not Master Fei, but Lord Changping. Lord Changping is Master Fei's teacher, so he came to warn the Zhang family not to plot against Master Fei!"
"Calculation..." Zhang Liang muttered, clenching his hands tighter.
Zhu Xiang wanted to say no, but he felt the anger in his heart and said with his eyes half closed: "Yes."
It turns out that he was angry.
But this anger was too childish. Although Zhang Sheng was about the same age as himself, Zhang Liang was still a teenager. He probably shouldn't have scolded him like that.
But it turns out he was really angry.
"Han Fei has been in pain since he came to Qin to study. The more he learns, the less hope he sees for the survival of Han." Zhu Xiang said, "So he decided to become a criminal of Han and serve as an official in Qin. If Han is destroyed, he can be supported by the royal family. Although the royal family of Han will no longer be a royal family, they can return to their previous positions as ministers."
"He wrote to the king for five years, five whole years, but received no response from the king of Han."
"One day he got drunk and cried loudly to me, saying that he was honest and upright and could not tolerate corrupt officials. Which corrupt officials in Han were they? Did the Zhang family, who served the five generations of Han kings as prime ministers, know?"
Zhu Xiang took a deep breath and sneered, "I really admire Han Xiang, too much. But Han Fei has to make his own decision. I will write a letter to Han Fei, and he will most likely do what Han Xiang expected. I just hope that you Zhang family can understand clearly that it was you who asked Han Fei for help, and you owe Han Fei. Don't feel that Han Fei took advantage of you when you took advantage of him!"
"I won't become your disciple." Zhang Liang said in a hoarse voice, "I won't leave Korea. I won't leave Korea!"
Zhang Sheng reprimanded: "Zhang Liang, don't be willful!"
Zhang Liang was puzzled and said, "Brother, you have been scolded like this, don't you have any dignity?!"
Zhang Sheng said: "The future of the Zhang family and your life are more important than dignity."
Zhang Liang: “…” No, that’s not the case! How could you be like this, brother!
Zhang Sheng bowed to Zhu Xiang and said, "Please ask Lord Changping to write to Master Fei. If Master Fei agrees, I will personally take Zhang Liang to Southern Qin to become his disciple."
Zhang Liang shouted, "Brother, are you crazy?"
Zhu Xiang looked at Zhang Sheng, feeling a little surprised.
Zhang Sheng shed tears and said, "My brother is still young, please have mercy on me, Lord Changping."
Zhang Liang's legs went limp and he fell to the ground.
Zhu Xiang stared at Zhang Sheng for a while, then sighed and said, "Whether the Zhang family owes Han has nothing to do with the Changping Lord of my Qin State. It's just that seeing Han Fei being humiliated, seeing..."
The ridiculous image of the King of Han coming to Qin State in mourning clothes emerged in his mind.
The King of Han was also the ruler of a country, the man who had the final say in his country and had held power for many years. Wasn't he really embarrassed to have made such a big fool of himself
Zhu Xiang recalled that King Renwen of Qin once sighed that even if he wanted to please Qin, the ministers could do it. The king humiliated the ministers and the ministers died. The State of Chu would fight to the death with Qin because King Huai of Chu died in Qin, and would not yield even if defeated. How could none of the ministers in the court of Han die to make a protest
Zhu Xiang watched the Zhang family hurriedly looking for a way out and couldn't help but think that perhaps not only did no one in the Han court die to protest, but it was they who wrote a letter to the King of Han and pushed him out to be humiliated.
Zhu Xiang lifted Zhang Sheng up with one hand and said, "I recognize your love for your younger brother, and I will write a letter for you. But whether it will happen or not depends on whether your younger brother is willing. I let him study in Xianyang Academy for a month, so that he can see what changes are needed if Han wants to become strong. Han is not the first target of Qin now. If you wake up, you can give it another try."
Zhang Liang's eyes lit up.
Zhang Sheng was puzzled and asked: "Why does Changping Jun want to help South Korea?"
Zhu Xiang said: "I am not helping Han, but Qin. I am sure that the King of Han and the ministers of Han will never change. Your move is doomed to fail. If you fail, the King of Han will lose the last bit of popular support, and Han will lose the last bit of luck. The unification of the world by Qin is only the beginning. Governing the world is the most difficult task for the King of Qin."
He looked at Zhang Liang, whose eyes were gleaming with hope again, and said, "Do you two brothers want to take on this conspiracy?"
Zhang Liang immediately said, "I'll take it!"
Zhang Sheng said: "Brother Liang, you..."
Zhang Liang interrupted Zhang Sheng and said, "If I don't give it a try, wouldn't it be like what Lord Changping said, that the Zhang family are all mediocre? With the power of the Zhang family, they will definitely achieve something! Big brother!"
Zhang Sheng hesitated.
Zhu Xiang said: "If you fail, you will know that it was not Qin that destroyed Han, but Han. After Han was destroyed, you can serve Qin with peace of mind. Even if you don't serve Qin, it is better to live in seclusion in the mountains than to be a rebel and harm the common people."
Zhang Sheng was moved, and he looked at Zhang Liang again: "Liang, my brother will enter the court and work hard to reform the law. If my brother fails, how about you become my disciple?"
Zhang Liang gritted his teeth: "Okay!"
Zhu Xiang said calmly: "Okay."
He turned and left: "I will ask the jailer to let you go. You can rest for a day. I will send someone to pick you up tomorrow."
After the brothers Zhang Sheng and Zhang Liang watched Chang Ping Jun's back go away, the two brothers did not dare to look at each other for a long time.
After Zhu Xiang left the prison, he did not leave immediately. He asked the jailers and guards to disperse and hid at the door himself.
When he saw a thin figure in black walking by, Zhu Xiang sneered, "Your Majesty, do you still have the habit of eavesdropping? You are so idle, it seems that you don't have enough clerks."
Zichu's face froze, and then he said confidently: "I heard that the son of the prime minister of Han pretended to be the son of the prime minister of Qin and was imprisoned by Zheng'er. I wanted to escort him out personally to show the King of Qin's generosity, but who knew that I saw the dignified Lord Changping of Qin bullying the younger generation."
Zhu Xiang scolded, "Kindness? I think you just found this story very interesting and came out to have fun."
Zichu touched his nose and said, "You knew about this, but you still exposed it?"
Zhu Xiang: “…” After Xia Tong became the King of Qin, his face became thicker and thicker… No, that guy has always been thick-skinned! Otherwise, how could he hide his identity and come to a commoner like me to work as an accountant and eat and drink for free!
"Then why are you hiding?" Zhu Xiang asked unhappily, and got on the carriage side by side with Zichu.
When Zichu saw that he had been discovered by Zhu Xiang, he ordered the coachman to go directly to Zhu Xiang's farm and not return to the palace.
"I saw you bullying the younger generation, and I was afraid that you would be embarrassed." Zichu said, "You are the dignified Lord Changping, tsk tsk."
After hearing what Zichu said, Zhu Xiang felt a little embarrassed.
He stiffened his neck and said, "Zhang Sheng is about the same age as me, how can he be called a junior?"
Zichu glanced at Zhu Xiang and asked, "Where's Zhang Liang? Is he about the same age as you?"
Zhu Xiang said, "Zhang Liang is only a few years younger than Zheng'er. It was Zheng'er who put him in jail. It was Zheng'er who bullied him. What does it have to do with me?"
Zichu sneered: "Who would scold his own father in front of little Zhang Liang who has not yet fulfilled his filial duty? Aren't you bullying him?"
Zhu Xiang argued: "I didn't curse. Tell the truth, did I curse?"
Zichu waved his hand: "Tell the truth, you use telling the truth as an excuse. Why do you insist on exposing the Zhang family's secret thoughts and whether what they said is true? Overt conspiracy?"
Zhu Xiang asked, "How about the conspiracy I thought of last night?"
Zichu praised: "Not bad, quite vicious. If you were not reluctant to let Han Fei go, and let Han Fei go back to raise his arms and then fail, perhaps Han would fail faster."
Zhu Xiang shook his head: "No, Han Fei did not have this effect. Han Fei was never valued by the King of Han, and the scholars and common people of Han did not know who Han Fei was. The Zhang family father and son served as prime ministers for five generations of Han kings, and the scholars and common people of Han only knew that there was Prime Minister Zhang, and did not know which Han king was in power now. That is why the Zhang family failed to save Han and was labeled as a traitor by the King of Han and the Han court, and the people of Han were very angry."
Zichu mocked: "You only know the Prime Minister, but not the King of Han."
He glanced at Zhu Xiang and said: "Be careful. I'm afraid the people of Qin will only know you, Lord Changping, and not the King of Qin."
Zhu Xiang laughed: "Why? Who said something bad about me in your ear?"
Zichu pulled out a box from under the carriage seat: "All the memorials criticizing you are in here. Take a look at them later. They are very interesting."
Zhu Xiang was speechless. This guy not only came out of the palace to see little Zhang Liang laugh, but also to see me laugh
"When I was in Southern Qin, I always mentioned the name of the King of Qin whenever I did something, and the people of Southern Qin all praised the former king as a benevolent monarch." Zhu Xiang said proudly, "I am a professional at promoting the reputation of the king. When I return to Southern Qin, I will praise you too."
Zichu snorted coldly: "I don't need your bragging, I can build my own achievements."
"That also needs to be publicized. It's also a measure to calm the people." Zhu Xiang said, "Wait a minute. I've already started editing it. I'll show it to you when it's done."
Zichu said: "Are you really making it up? Don't make it too outrageous, such as the sun entering the arms and the black bird entering the dreams..."
Zhu Xiang said disdainfully, "This kind of thing can no longer fool people. I made up a story about you when you were in Zhao State, you chiseled a small hole in the wall to borrow light from your neighbors, and caught fireflies in the summer to use as lanterns. No matter how difficult the environment was, you never put down your books, and often read until you vomited blood. What's the point of birth? Which monarch didn't make up a good birth? Only this kind of character will be passed down to future generations."
Zichu: “…”
He was silent for a long while, then raised his hands and bowed to Zhu Xiang: "I am convinced. I am convinced. Please accept my respect, Lord Changping."
Zhu Xiang modestly helped Zichu up: "No need, no need... Well, I remember I am still your teacher? Then you can pay your respects."
Zhu Xiang let go.
Zichu raised his fist and hit Zhu Xiang.
The king and his ministers were laughing in the car, which didn't sound like a king and his ministers at all.
The groom wiped his sweat vigorously. He didn't want to listen to the treasonous conversation between the King of Qin and the Lord of Changping! Please ask the King of Qin and the Lord of Changping to keep their voices down!
But there were actually people in the court who falsely accused Duke Zhu Xiang
The coachman fell into deep thought and decided to tell his neighbors about this matter.
Although the Qin people did not discuss politics, it was okay to talk about it in private.
They must have secretly cursed those treacherous ministers who framed Duke Zhu Xiang at home!
Those who could serve as grooms for the King of Qin were all trusted confidants of the King of Qin. Moreover, Zichu wanted the groom to spread the news.
He knew that someone was trying to find out his private information. When there were too many people, there would be too many rumors. Even if he managed the Qin Palace strictly, the royal family and nobles would still be able to find out what he was saying, so it was better for him to spread the word himself.
Zichu was already very angry about the slander, so he immediately put the slander into a box and went to find Zhu Xiang to scold him together. Unexpectedly, the envoy of Han State lost his child, and the child was caught by Zheng Er. He deliberately took a detour to watch the fun.
At this time, Zichu understood why King Zhaoxiang of Qin and King Renwen of Qin liked to watch entertainment so much. When the king was depressed, he needed entertainment to relieve his mood.
Zhu Xiang said he wanted to eat roast duck, and the chef at home had already hung the roast duck. Ying Xiaozheng waited for his uncle to come back and slice the roast duck, but when he saw his father-in-law rushing to eat, his face suddenly fell.
When Zichu smiled and handed Ying Xiaozheng the document impeaching Zhu Xiang, whose reputation overshadowed that of the King of Qin, Ying Xiaozheng's face fell even further and he immediately lost his appetite.
Zichu laughed out loud.
Zhu Xiang reminded him, "Although you and Zheng'er are both out of mourning, didn't you have a minor illness not long ago? Didn't the imperial physician say that you should eat light food? Have the duck bone soup. I'll give you some more noodles."
Zichu's laughter paused.
Ying Xiaozheng opened his mouth and laughed out loud in a drawn-out tone, which made Zichu so angry that he raised his fist to beat this unfilial son who dared to laugh at his king and father.
When Xunzi heard that the King of Qin was coming, he slowly came forward with the help of a cane to pay his respects, and saw the King of Qin and the Crown Prince surrounding and beating Zhu Xiang.
Xunzi raised his cane and said, "How shameful!"
Now it was Zhu Xiang's turn to laugh.
(End of this chapter)