Zhu Xiang had studied the laws of Qin carefully before entering Qin. Just looking at those laws made him feel suppressed and horrified.
The Legalist school of thought always believed that everything about a person could be corrected through laws and punishments. As long as the punishments were severe enough and the laws were detailed enough, everyone could become a saint.
But modern people who understand the law know that the law is the bottom line. If everything is regulated by law, there will be no good results in the end.
For example, Qin law stipulates that if you don't perform heroic acts, you will be sentenced, but it never thought about what to do if passers-by don't notice the need to perform heroic acts, if the strength of the two sides is too different, if you perform heroic acts first and then get bitten back... What should you do in these situations
Finally, these overly detailed Qin laws not only made people afraid to even leave the house, but also caused them to break the law without knowing it. Overly detailed Qin laws could also become a tool for those in power to oppress the people, because as long as they were familiar with Qin laws and had a little power to enforce the law, it would be too easy to make common people break the law.
After hearing Zhu Xiang's words, Zichu fell into deep thought.
He thought about it over and over again, but still didn't know how to solve the situation raised by Zhu Xiang.
Explain it with more detailed laws? But how can law enforcers know the specific situation? The energy of officials does not allow them to check every citizen's behavior in detail.
"How about just rewarding without punishing?" Lin Zhi suggested, "Let morality manage moral matters, and the law only punish more serious things. If the words and deeds of the common people are regulated by laws, then officials will have too much to do, and it is easy to lose sight of the main point. Governing the people is like herding sheep. It is enough to keep the sheep in a lush meadow. Why do we have to care which grass each sheep eats?"
Zhu Xiang joked, "Lin Li, do you still want to say, 'Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish', 'I do nothing and the people will be transformed, I like peace and the people will be upright, I do nothing and the people will be rich, I have no desires and the people will be simple'?"
Lin Zhi folded his hands and said with a smile: "You understand me very well."
Zhu Xiang said: "Nonsense, I said all the words in the Tao Te Ching. But when we first unified the world, we really needed to do this."
Lin Zhi was surprised: "You actually agreed?"
Zhu Xiang nodded: "The people have just gone through war, and it is time to recuperate. At this time, we should encourage agriculture and sericulture, and rest and recuperate. The country should reduce taxes and levies as much as possible, except for some necessary projects, so as to stabilize the people's hearts. When the people have lived a stable life for a generation, even if someone rebels again, the people will spontaneously hate the rebels. At this time, the legitimacy of the dynasty is established."
Zichu asked: "Zhu Xiang, doesn't the legitimacy of the dynasty lie with the people instead of with Heaven?"
Zhu Xiang said, "Of course. If the heaven knew, why didn't it kill the King of Zhao with a bolt of lightning? Since the heaven doesn't care about the lives of the common people, what does the dynasty's orthodoxy have to do with the heaven? Can a country's prosperity be obtained by praying to the heaven?"
When Zichu heard Zhu Xiang say why God didn't kill King Zhao with a bolt of lightning, he coughed twice to suppress his laughter.
Lin Zhi said happily: "You are indeed a student of Xunzi. 'The course of Heaven is constant. It does not exist for the sake of Yao, nor does it perish for the sake of Jie.'"
Zhu Xiang said: "Many of Xunzi's theories are indeed very advanced. Many Legalist disciples studied under Xunzi. I told Your Majesty before that the country cannot expand blindly, and Xunzi also said so."
Lin Zhi asked curiously, "Really? I haven't heard Xunzi say that yet."
Zhu Xiang said, "Because Xunzi has not had time to compile books. Xunzi said, 'It is easy to annex and conquer, but it is difficult to consolidate and unite.' 'If you can consolidate, you will surely be able to annex and conquer.' It is the same as what I said to you, Your Majesty."
Xunzi had already discovered what Zhu Xiang said to the old King of Qin about conquering land and educating people.
Xunzi said that it is easy to capture land, but it is difficult to turn it into a national territory. If you cannot "solidify", the occupied land will be easily taken away, so the people's hearts are more important than land.
Xunzi also believed that the people's will was different from that of Confucius and Mencius. Confucius and Mencius both valued "scholars" more, while Xunzi valued "common people".
When later generations evaluated the saying "water can carry a boat", some people always interpreted "water" as scholars. But Xunzi's original words were "the king is the boat, and the people are the water". Xunzi's focus has always been on ordinary people who work in the fields, pay taxes and military service. He advocated "saving money and benefiting the people", which means reducing taxes and levies so that the people can rest and recuperate.
However, this does not mean that Confucius and Mencius are inferior to Xunzi. It is just that Confucius and Mencius lived in a different era from Xunzi. At that time, those who participated in politics and the army were all common people, that is, the "scholars" in the Warring States Period. By the time Xunzi was active, various countries had successively reformed, and common people became the main source of soldiers and taxes.
After listening to Zhu Xiang's eloquent speech, Lin Zhi sighed and said, "Xunzi's 'saving money and benefiting the people' and Laozi's 'purity, tranquility and inaction' are actually the same principle."
Zhu Xiang said: "There are many differences in the views of the ancient sages, but there are also many similarities, because their goals are the same."
Lin Zhi smiled and said, "Why are you talking so much to Xia Tong? You should teach Zheng'er what policies to implement after unification. Xia Tong, he is here to help Zheng'er conquer the world."
Zichu, who was listening with great interest and gaining a lot, clenched his fists.
Meng Wu, who was also listening with great interest, took a few steps back to avoid being implicated.
He found that these three people were really bold, and even the fourth generation of King Qin was confirmed. Meng Wu went from being terrified at the beginning to being numb at the end, and he even unconsciously wondered what it would be like for Prince Zheng, who was raised by Zhu Xianggong, after he succeeded to the throne.
I don’t know if he can live to serve Master Zheng, but my two sons should be able to serve him.
Meng Wu's expression softened when he thought of his two sons.
Zichu and Lin Zhi started to curse at each other, and Zhu Xiang also retreated to Meng Wu's side and asked curiously, "Do you miss your son?"
Meng Wu's face froze: "Can Duke Zhu Xiang read minds?"
Meng Wu finally stopped calling Zhu Xiang "Lord Changping", which was an improvement compared to before.
"No, the kind expression on your face is too obvious." Zhu Xiang said, "You can't be kind to Xia Tong and Lin Li because they are as childish as three-year-old children, right?"
Meng Wu's expression was distorted as if he had swallowed a mosquito.
Zhu Xiang knew that the tragic General Meng, who would commit suicide with Prince Fusu in the future, was one of Meng Wu's sons. He asked, "I heard that you have a son named Meng Tian who is very brave?"
Meng Wu said: "There are too many brave men in the Meng family. Tian'er just wants to live up to the family reputation. Yi'er is quite talented."
Zhu Xiang heard Meng Wu's proud face and finally found a way to get Meng Wu to talk. He immediately continued to ask about Meng Tian and Meng Yi, and Meng Wu finally became talkative and talked about his two sons in detail.
As they talked, Meng Wu began to share with Zhu Xiang the dark history of Meng Tian and Meng Yi. For example, Meng Tian would always fall asleep when reading books other than military books, and Meng Yi would always be clever when practicing martial arts. The two brothers thought they cooperated well and did not let their grandfather and father find out that they were lazy. In fact, Meng Ao and Meng Wu just watched the two brothers gloat in silence.
As a courtesy, Zhu Xiang also shared many of Zheng'er's scandals with Meng Wu.
Zheng'er studied hard and practiced martial arts. But he was too opinionated when he was studying, and he always muttered to himself while studying. When Xunzi heard it, he asked Zheng'er to write down his mutterings, but Zheng'er rolled on the ground and refused to write.
As for martial arts, Zheng'er was short and just played around to avoid hurting himself. But Zheng always thought he was very good and often provoked the dog at home, and then was knocked down by the dog.
"Zheng'er loved the old yellow dog at home, but it was too old. When the old yellow dog passed away, Zheng'er solemnly conferred the title of Dog General on it posthumously." Zhu Xiang said, "I wrote down all the things that happened to Zheng'er when he was a child, and I will give it to him as a gift when he becomes the King of Qin."
Meng Wu, who was sharing his son's ugly deeds, broke out in a cold sweat.
Duke Zhu Xiang wanted to be exterminated by the King of Qin... Well, Duke Zhu Xiang was not really afraid of having his entire family exterminated by the King of Qin.
Meng Wu was moved: "Perhaps I should also write down the stories of these two brothers and give them to them when they get married."
Zhu Xiang agreed: "They will definitely be touched. We remember every little bit of their childhood, which shows how much we love them."
In modern society, when children get married, parents always like to make a slide show of photos of their children from childhood to adulthood and show it to the guests. This is the same principle as what Zhu Xiang did.
I want to record every detail of my children, and then show them to them when they grow up, and tell them that I remember every detail of their growth.
Zichu and Lin Zhi ended their quarrel because of thirst. When they came closer, they heard Zhu Xiang and Meng Wu sighing that their child was growing up so fast.
The two looked at each other, speechless.
Meng Wu's two children were fine, they were still growing fast at the age of 18. Zheng'er was still a little meat ball. From Zhu Xiang's tone, it seemed that Zheng'er was almost grown up.
When Zheng'er really grows up, will Zhu Xiang cry as if he were marrying off his daughter
"Since you miss Zheng'er so much, why don't you go back now?" Zichu said, "Zheng'er must miss you too."
Lin Zhi said, "Zheng'er must not know I'm coming. I'm going to hide in my cloak and scare him."
Zhu Xiang said: "The work we have done now can barely cope with the tasks assigned by the Lord, so let's go back."
He really missed home, Xue and Zheng'er.
After Zhu Xiang left Xianyang, Ying Xiaozheng's mischievousness immediately diminished a lot.
He quickly became calm and mature, and he could help his aunt take care of everything at home without Cai Zeduo's help.
Fan Ju and Bai Qi observed Ying Xiaozheng, and the more they observed, the more surprised they were.
The King of Qin and the Crown Prince Zhu also curiously circled around Ying Xiaozheng. Especially because the King of Qin did not like to give power to the Crown Prince, the particularly idle Crown Prince Zhu did not even get close to the beauties in the backyard, and closely observed Ying Xiaozheng's every move.
After arriving in Qin, Zhu Xiang no longer hid and replaced all the writing tools in his home with paper.
Zhu Xiang also made an abacus. He taught Ying Xiaozheng abacus, Indian numbers renamed "Zheng'er numbers", and arithmetic symbols and simple formulas of later generations.
Ying Xiaozheng was so smart that even though he was still chubby, after he memorized the multiplication table, ordinary addition, subtraction, multiplication and division were no longer difficult for him. Zhu Xiang asked Cai Ze to teach Ying Xiaozheng how to count.
Zhu Xiang argued that the king had to settle the accounts of the whole country, so Zheng'er had to settle the accounts of his own family first. Only if he could sweep away one's own house could he sweep away the world.
In this way, Ying Xiaozheng became a child laborer in his uncle's house.
"Zheng'er, this abacus is more useful than counting sticks. Can you teach us, grandfather?" Prince Zhu teased Ying Xiaozheng.
Ying Xiaozheng said with a straight face, "Okay, but please wait for Zheng'er to finish the account. Don't be distracted during work."
Prince Zhu smiled and said, "Okay. Zheng'er, aren't you tired of doing the daily accounts? Do you want to go out and play with Grandfather?"
Ying Xiaozheng said: "Zheng'er wants to go out and play, but he needs to settle the bills first. Before my uncle comes back, my aunt and I need to take care of the house first."
Prince Zhu said: "Zheng'er can hire someone to do it."
Ying Xiaozheng shook his head: "My uncle said that governing a country starts with governing the family. The treacherous servants can't hide from me, and the treacherous ministers can't hide from me either."
The corners of Cai Ze's mouth curved up. Although Zhu Xiang's words made sense, he knew Zhu Xiang, and he knew that Zhu Xiang was definitely just teasing Zheng'er.
Zhu Xiang never expected that after he left home, Zheng'er would actually become the family's accountant.
However, if Zheng'er does a good job, with Zhu Xiang's casual attitude, he will definitely hand over the family's financial power to Zheng'er and let Zheng'er and Xue Ji manage the household together, which will not only train Zheng'er but also reduce Xue Ji's burden.
Now Zhu Xiang's family business is growing, and Xue Ji is difficult to manage alone, and she will move out soon. Zhu Xiang can't find a housekeeper he trusts, so he might just push the matter to Zheng'er.
Zhu Xiang always said that Lin Zhi was a heretic, but in fact he himself was the most heretic one.
The King of Qin stood by the window and eavesdropped, with a smile on his face that was both kind and helpless.
He left the window and said to Fan Ju and Bai Qi beside him: "Zhu Xiang dotes on Zheng'er and trusts Zheng'er. What a contradiction."
Zhu Xiang usually treats Zheng'er as if he is a baby who can't walk yet, and he wants to hold Zheng'er in his arms all the time. But at the same time, Zhu Xiang treats Zheng'er as an adult, listens to Zheng'er's opinions, and lets Zheng'er take care of household affairs.
Zheng'er is just a little boy.
"I thought Zheng'er would be worried and frightened after Zhu Xiang left home, even with the Crown Prince taking care of him. Zheng'er really gave me a big surprise." King Qin said, "His talent has far surpassed his brothers of the same generation."
Fan Ju smiled and said, "The leaders of Confucianism, Mohism, and Agriculture are all Zheng'er's teachers. Lin Qing and Lian Qing are also rare talents in the world. Moreover, he was raised by Zhu Xiang, so it is natural for him to be so smart."
The King of Qin stroked his beard and said with a smile, "It would be difficult to gather his teachers even if I took the initiative to gather them. Wu'an Jun, Xu Ming and Xiang He should be back soon?"
Bai Qi said, "They are already on their way back to Qin, and may return to Xianyang earlier than Prince Zichu and Zhu Xiang."
The King of Qin laughed and said, "Zhu Xiang is still inspecting the fields of Qin?"
Bai Qi said: "Zhu Xiang should be back soon. According to the news from Meng Wu, Zhu Xiang brought back cotton seeds, which need to be planted before summer."
King Qin sighed: "Cotton... I didn't expect Lin Qing to give me such a great gift."
Fan Ju felt sad, but he still joked: "Isn't the gift that Lin Qing gave to His Majesty Lin Zhi?"
The King of Qin laughed loudly, "Yes, it is Lin Zhi! Zhao refused to make Lin Qing a lord, so I will definitely make Lin Qing's son a lord! What do you think of Lord Handan?"
Fan Ju laughed loudly, and Bai Qi couldn't help laughing too.
"Handan should be given to Zichu, and he can fight for it himself." The King of Qin said with a smile, "After Lian Qing passes away, Qin can send troops."
Lian Po's heroic act of sacrificing his reputation to save the common people of Zhao State made the King of Qin change from calling him by his name with disdain to calling him "Lian Qing".
Even Bai Qi began to take this Zhao general seriously.
Bai Qi has always looked down upon generals who only know how to fight. In Bai Qi's eyes, generals with convictions are not just weapons, and they are worth his respect.
"The people around Zhu Xiang are all talented and beautiful, and that Li Mu is also very interesting." The King of Qin said, "Sir, do you have a way to reunite Li Mu with Zhu Xiang?"
Fan Ju said: "Li Mu is not well-known now, so it is difficult to do so. Once Li Mu has made some achievements, it will be easy to force him to join Qin. The people around the King of Zhao will not want Zhu Xiang's friends to be in high positions."
The King of Qin nodded. I am different. Zhu Xiang can bring his friends to Qin, there are plenty of official positions in Qin.
As Bai Qi had judged, Xu Ming and Xiang He returned to Xianyang a few days earlier than Zhu Xiang.
When the King of Qin told them this, they both did not know whether to laugh or cry.
Does Zhu Xiang, this honest child, really want to use the King of Qin as an excuse to complete the task before coming back
"I am very worried right now." The King of Qin said with a smile, "The governors of Shu and Chu have all sent me letters, asking Zhu Xiang to come and give me instructions on how to cultivate the fields."
Xu Ming said: "I wish to follow Duke Zhu Xiang."
Xianghe immediately said, "I am willing to go with you!"
The King of Qin smiled and waved his hand: "I will not let Zhu Xiang leave Xianyang for the time being. Zhu Xiang has suffered too much. He should rest well in Xianyang for a year or two and recover his health first."
Xu Ming and Xiang He were very worried: "Is Duke Zhu Xiang sick?"
The King of Qin said, "You will know when you see him."
Xu Ming and Xiang He waited anxiously for Zhu Xiang's return. When they went outside the city to welcome Zhu Xiang with the King of Qin, they stared blankly at Zhu Xiang's white hair and cried sadly.
Zhu Xiang was very surprised to see Xu Ming and Xiang He, but when he saw them crying, he was frightened and at a loss as to what to do, and hurried to try to persuade them.
The two hugged Zhu Xiang and cried uncontrollably.
Zhu Xiang regretted it very much. If he had known, he would have dyed his hair black with ink before returning.
In fact, on the way back, his mood had almost adjusted, but his hair really didn't give him face and it just wouldn't turn black.
He suspected that the graying of his hair was not due to his mood, but rather due to the unfamiliar climate and soil in Qin State and the lack of trace elements.
When he returned home, he ate walnuts and sesame seeds frequently so that he could regain his black and shiny hair as soon as possible.
After listening to Zhu Xiang's nonsense, Xu Ming and Xiang He finally stopped crying.
Zhu Xiang breathed a sigh of relief.
The King of Qin said ruefully, "It turns out that Lord Changping is not used to the climate in Qin. Qin is indeed remote, and Lord Changping has worked hard."
Embarrassing, I forgot the King of Qin is still here!
Zhu Xiang quickly said, "Your Majesty, you have worked so hard to make the remote Qin State so powerful. I will serve you till my death and help you make Qin State more prosperous."
Listening to Zhu Xiang's flattery, the King of Qin could no longer pretend and laughed, "Okay, go home. Zheng'er has caught a cold, and Xue Ji is taking care of him. Go home quickly."
Zhu Xiang immediately became very nervous. After getting the King of Qin's promise that he could ride a horse in the city, he left Zichu and Lin Zhi behind and went home.
Even someone as thick-skinned as Lin Zhi felt a little embarrassed.
Zhu Xiang, why don't you introduce me to the King of Qin before running away? Isn't it disloyal to treat your brother like this? Do you still remember that the King of Qin and my father had a rift
Zichu moved silently and stood beside Prince Zhu.
Lin Zhi didn't need Zhu Xiang to introduce him. Lin Zhi had no idea how much the emperor valued his father. The emperor's good impression of Lin Gong was enough to protect Lin Zhi.
Zhu Xiang hurried back home. Even though Ying Xiaozheng had caught a cold, he still sat on the steps at the door wrapped in a small quilt waiting for his uncle to come home.
When Zhu Xiang turned over and got off his horse, Ying Xiaozheng threw away the quilt and rushed forward.
"Zheng'er!" Zhu Xiang received the blow from Ying Xiaozheng's flesh bomb, hugged Ying Xiaozheng and turned around twice, "Do you miss your uncle?"
"I want to!" Ying Xiaozheng childishly spread his arms and circled with Zhu Xiang.
"Okay, don't let Zheng'er fall." Xue was relieved when she saw the smile on Zhu Xiang's face.
She was worried that Zhu Xiang would be too sad after paying homage to Lin Gong. Zhu Xiang was still smiling, which was great.
Zhu Xiang put Zheng'er down and hugged Xue: "I'm back."
"Welcome home." Xue said with a blushing face, "I heard from the king that Mr. Lin has also entered Qin?"
Zhu Xiang said, "Yes. Oh, so the Lord has already told you? Lin Li's evil plan will not succeed."
As he spoke, he picked up Ying Xiaozheng, who was pulling at his sleeve, again.
Ying Xiaozheng hugged Zhu Xiang's neck and said, "What bad idea does Uncle Lin have?"
Zhu Xiang said, "Lin Li said that he wanted to wear a cloak and kidnap you to scare you."
Ying Xiaozheng's face fell: "Is Uncle Lin younger than me?"
Zhu Xiang said seriously: "Maybe it is true."
Ying Xiaozheng buried his face in Zhu Xiang's neck and rubbed it: "How childish."
Zhu Xiang nodded vigorously: "That's right!"
Ying Xiaozheng rubbed his face for a while and said, "It would be great if Mr. Lian and the teacher could come to Qin."
Zhu Xiang said: "I will find a way."
Ying Xiaozheng raised his head in surprise: "Uncle, are you going to find a solution?"
Zhu Xiang walked into the house while holding Ying Xiaozheng in his arms, saying, "Lord Lian is going to Yan State to rob food this time, and I'm afraid he will massacre the city."
Ying Xiaozheng: “Hmm?” Why did my uncle suddenly change the subject
Zhu Xiang said: "It is not that Lord Lian wants to massacre the city, but he wants to take away the food that the Yan people need to survive. The Yan people will fight him desperately. So the final result is the massacre of the city."
Xue's eyes dimmed: "Mr. Lian has strict military discipline, how could it be..."
Ying Xiaozheng thought of himself in his dream and said with a pursed mouth: "Lord Lian wants to transfer the famine in Zhao to Yan."
Zhu Xiang rubbed Ying Xiaozheng's head and said, "In the eyes of the world, it was the people of Zhao who robbed and killed the people of Yan. But in my uncle's eyes, all the people in the world are one family."
Speaking of Zhao and Yan, perhaps I don't feel deeply. But most of Zhao and Yan are in Hebei. People from Hebei killed people from Hebei because of famine, huh
The people of the seven countries are all Chinese, they are fighting against themselves and killing themselves.
As long as the world is not united, these things will not stop.
"What is uncle going to do?" Ying Xiaozheng was a little worried, "Uncle, don't take risks!"
Zhu Xiang shook his head: "Uncle will not take risks. Uncle just... just might make Lord Lian and your teacher sad."
Ying Xiaozheng asked, "Uncle, do you want to allow Lord Lian and the teacher to enter Qin?"
Zhu Xiang nodded.
Ying Xiaozheng patted his chest and said, "Uncle, just do it. If they scold uncle, Zheng'er will go to their door and cry. I don't believe that Lian Weng and the teacher will have the heart to leave me alone."
Xue covered her mouth and said, "This is a good idea. Lian Weng and General Li dote on Zheng Er."
Zhu Xiang nuzzled Ying Xiaozheng's face and said, "Uncle will rely on Zheng'er."
Ying Xiaozheng continued to pat his chest and said, "Leave it to Zheng'er... cough cough cough."
"Why are you still coughing? Uncle will make you something delicious." Zhu Xiang put Ying Xiaozheng down worriedly, without even changing his clothes, and turned to the kitchen to make sugar-steamed oranges for Ying Xiaozheng.
Oranges and grapefruits are specialties of the Chu State. After the Qin State acquired the land of Bashu and burned the ancestral tombs of the Chu King, oranges and grapefruits became common fruits on the Qin King's table.
King Qin and Crown Prince Zhu often stayed at Zhu Xiang's house, and Zhu Xiang's family naturally enjoyed the southern fruits that came from afar.
However, oranges and grapefruits at this time are not very sweet and have a lot of seeds. When Zhu Xiang steamed oranges, he picked out the seeds for a long time.
After steaming the oranges, Zhu Xiang made a pot of ginger tea.
Ying Xiaozheng quickly finished the steamed oranges with sugar, but covered his nose and refused to drink the ginger tea.
“I don’t want to drink!” Ying Xiaozheng kicked his short legs hard, turned around and ran.
"Drinking ginger tea will make you better quickly. Ginger tea is not bad to drink." Zhu Xiang chased after Ying Xiaozheng while holding the ginger tea. "Xue, stop Zheng'er!"
Xue stood by and watched, smiling as Zhu Xiang and Zheng Er chased each other.
Although Ying Xiaozheng had short legs, he ran much faster than Zhu Xiang who was holding the ginger tea.
He led Zhu Xiang around in circles in the yard, shaking his round little head vigorously: "No! It tastes bad!"
"Good medicine tastes bitter. This is not medicine at all. Zheng'er, don't be willful!" Zhu Xiang followed and walked around in circles.
The King of Qin held Lin Zhi's hands tightly and led Lin Zhi, whose back was wet with sweat, into Zhu Xiang's house. Although Ying Xiaozheng was sick, he was still full of energy and was still spinning in circles.
Zhu Xiang was panting heavily, but Ying Xiaozheng didn't slow down at all.
Zichu whispered to his old father, "Dear Yan, is Zheng'er really sick?"
Prince Zhu said, "Maybe Zheng'er's illness will be cured once Zhu Xiang comes back?"
Lin Zhi tried to pull his hand out carefully, but the King of Qin held his hand tightly and he could not pull it out.
Lin Zhi asked in a pleading tone: "Zhu Xiang, what are you doing?" Come and save me!
Zhu Xiang panted and said, "Help me stop Zheng'er, he refuses to drink ginger tea."
Ying Xiaozheng jumped behind the King of Qin and hid: "No! It tastes bad!"
Lin Zhi asked, "King Qin, shall I carry Zheng'er over?"
The King of Qin said with full energy: "Zheng'er, if you don't want to drink, then don't drink. Zheng'er has medicine to drink every day, it's just ginger tea, it's okay if you don't drink it."
Zhu Xiang was speechless: "Your Majesty, Zheng'er can even drink bitter medicine, why can't he drink ginger tea? Don't spoil Zheng'er."
Ying Xiaozheng poked his head out from behind the King of Qin: "No!"
Now that my uncle is back, I will act willfully and a little bit.
Zhu Xiang and Zichu looked at each other.
Zichu turned his head away and didn't look at Zhu Xiang.
The Lord has said that I don’t need to drink anymore, how can I still disobey Him
Zhu Xiang was extremely helpless: "Your Majesty..."
The King of Qin said, "Don't be afraid, Zheng'er. If you don't want to drink, then don't drink!"
Ying Xiaozheng poked his head out: "Yes, I won't drink it!"
Zhu Xiang was so angry that he laughed.
How long has he been gone? Has the King of Qin become a doting great-grandfather? If Zheng'er is taught badly, he will definitely curse the King of Qin silently in his heart.
"Okay, I won't drink it." Zhu Xiang said, "Uncle originally wanted to wait for Zheng'er to recover from his illness and make cream ice cream for him. If Zheng'er doesn't want to recover so quickly, then uncle, Lin Li, Xia Tong, and Cai Ze will gather around Zheng'er to eat cream ice cream. Is that okay with Zheng'er?"
Cai Ze: “?” He didn’t want to join such a childish group.
Lin Zhi immediately said happily: "That's great. Is there anything Zheng'er can't eat? Let's eat together around Zheng'er."
Ying Xiaozheng lowered his head and gave Lin Zhi a bull charge.
The King of Qin finally let go of his hand, and Lin Zhi quickly picked up Ying Xiaozheng and carried him on his shoulders, dancing with joy: "Zheng'er, do you miss Uncle Lin?"
Ying Xiaozheng held Lin Zhi's head. Although his eyes and mouth were curved into crescents, he still said stubbornly, "No, I didn't think about it at all."
"Oh, if you don't miss me, I won't let you come down." Lin Zhi jumped up and down, "I'll make you dizzy."
King Qin: “…” This man doesn’t look like Lin Qing at all. I am still here, why did he jump up
Zichu turned his face away again.
Lin Li is so shameful. How can he be like this in front of the Lord? He is really not afraid of death.
"Hold on, Zheng'er!" Zhu Xiang came over, "I caught you, didn't I? Drink quickly!"
Ying Xiaozheng pouted: "I don't want to drink."
Zhu Xiang asked: "Cream ice cream?"
Ying Xiaozheng angrily took the lukewarm ginger tea from Zhu Xiang, used Lin Zhi's head as a small table, drank the ginger tea in small sips, then knocked the cup against Lin Zhi's head and showed his temper.
Lin Zhi cooperated with Ying Xiaozheng, shouting "Dong Dong Dong" as if Ying Xiaozheng was beating his head like a drum.
The King of Qin looked at Zichu and asked him with his eyes, is this man really Lin Xiangru's son
I am still here!
Zichu sighed in his heart and whispered, "Your Majesty, Lin Li studied under Zhuangzi."
The King of Qin's face fell.
Ah? That Zhuang Zhou? What I want is Lin Qing's son and disciple, not Zhuang Zhou's disciple!
"Although Lin Li studied under Zhuangzi, he is indeed talented." Zichu defended his friend, "Lin Li originally wanted to live in seclusion in the mountains after Lord Lin passed away, but Lord Lin hoped that Lin Li could go to Qin to assist the king. Although Lord Lin could not betray Zhao, he also hoped that the world could be unified as soon as possible. That's why Lord Lin let Lin Li go to Qin."
The King of Qin said with a gloomy face: "For me? Not for Zhu Xiang?"
"If it was for Zhu Xiang, Lin Li could have lived in seclusion in Zhu Xiang's home instead of serving as an official in Qin." Zichu said, "Lin Li only held an idle position in Zhao. The King of Zhao gave Lin Li the position of prefect, and Lin Li soon resigned and returned home."
The King of Qin felt relieved: "He didn't even want to be an official in Zhao, so why would he want to be an official in Qin?"
Zichu said: "Lin Li is filial and obedient. He will certainly obey Lord Lin's orders."
The King of Qin felt more relieved. Lin Qing had me in his heart!
Fan Ju secretly curled his lips. Prince Zichu was really good at talking, no wonder he was able to escape from Zhao State back to Qin State.
Bai Qi glanced at Fan Ju and thought that he would talk to Zhu Xiang later and collect more gifts to help Lin Zhi send to Ying Hou.
After living with Fan Ju for a long time, Bai Qi found that Ying Hou was really narrow-minded.
Fortunately, although Yinghou is narrow-minded, he will let it go quickly as long as respect is shown to him in time.
Bai Qi finally established a good relationship with Fan Ju, and no longer had to worry about Fan Ju stabbing him in the back. However, the process of establishing a good relationship with Fan Ju was more tiring for him than getting Chu to move its capital.
After Lin Zhi had played with Zheng'er, he carried Zheng'er on his shoulders and saluted the King of Qin: "I missed Zheng'er so much that I lost my composure. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
"Nothing, nothing." The King of Qin said with a smile, "Since you miss Zheng'er, you can stay at Zhu Xiang's house temporarily. I will find a house for you near Zhu Xiang's house."
Lin Zhi carried Zheng'er on his back and knelt down to thank him. He kowtowed, and Zheng'er followed suit, which made the King of Qin very amused.
Ying Xiaozheng held Lin Zhi's head with a smile and refused to let go. Even when Zhu Xiang urged him to do so, he refused to come down.
As soon as his uncle came home, the calm and mature Gongzi Zheng immediately turned back into the naughty and childish Zheng'er. And when Lin Zhi came, Zheng'er became even more naughty.
Zichu pressed his brows, feeling a headache.
Prince Zhu actually likes Zheng Er like this. He prefers naughty children to precocious children. It is easier to get along with them this way.
Ying Xiaozheng matured too precociously after Zhu Xiang left, which made Prince Zhu feel a little creepy.
He finally understood why the foolish woman abandoned Zheng'er. Children who are too precocious and smart can really make people feel scared.
However, seeing that no one around was afraid of Zheng'er's weird behavior, Taizizhu had to hypnotize himself that Zheng'er was not weird at all, and all smart children were like this.
After hypnotizing himself for a while, Taizizhu actually succeeded in hypnotizing himself.
When he sees his other grandchildren now, he always feels dissatisfied. He doesn't ask these grandchildren to be as smart as Zheng'er, but at least they should be half as smart as Zheng'er, right
Let’s not talk about how Prince Zhu was becoming increasingly harsh towards his grandson, which caused a lot of jealousy towards Zheng Er to accumulate in the backyard.
When Zhu Xiang returned home, the King of Qin told Zhu Xiang to have a good rest, but he came to Zhu Xiang's house in private clothes and sat there, waiting for the feast to start.
Prince Zhu had also brought the ingredients and seasonings, and he had not eaten much in the morning, so he was waiting for Zhu Xiang to come back and cook so that he could have a big meal.
The King of Qin and Crown Prince Zhu also ordered the dish "Chicken in Lotus Leaf" and brought fine wine for Zhu Xiang to waste.
Zhu Xiang held his forehead with his hand.
Although he knew that Meng Wu would definitely send someone to report to the King of Qin, he still felt a little amused that the King of Qin actually ordered the dishes he had cooked on the road.
Is this how intelligence is used? He thought the King of Qin would hold his hand and ask him about his political discussions with Lin Zhi and Zichu.
The King of Qin did not want to discuss politics for the time being, he just wanted to eat, so Zhu Xiang had no choice but to change his clothes and go to the kitchen to cook.
At this time, the brewing industry was already well developed, and began to use koji made from wheat seedlings. There were also many raw materials for brewing.
Although the alcohol content at that time was only about 10 or 20 degrees at most, the taste was quite sweet. After the wine was clarified, it was not much different from the rice wine of later generations.
In the Western Zhou Dynasty, winemaking already required the use of sweet spring water and utensils that had been boiled with water, which clearly showed that the understanding of winemaking was very comprehensive.
Although the Qin State often issued prohibitions on alcohol among the people, the King of Qin himself had many wine-making workshops.
Although Zhuxiang has a "secret recipe" for brewing wine, the rice wine it brews may not be better than the fine wine carefully selected in the Qin King's brewing workshop. It's just that Zhuxiang is better in quality control.
But Zhu Xiang had other "secret recipes" besides grain wine. Now that he was a noble, he could make his own wine for money.
Although the Qin State prohibited private business, nobles were allowed to do business.
After the Qin unified the six kingdoms, the nobles of the six kingdoms could also engage in business, and even run salt and iron businesses. Qin Shihuang exiled the Qin people who engaged in business, while praising the widowed wealthy women merchants in Bashu. This is the reason for the divisive behavior.
Therefore, the old Qin people who had shed blood for the unification of Qin became more and more disappointed, and when Liu Bang entered Guanzhong, they rushed to join him.
(End of this chapter)