Chapter 24 Huayang Queen Mi Buming

The blood of Caotan flowed into the Wei River and passed through the city of Xianyang.

The Red River flows away, taking the dead souls with it. I wonder how many people have been wronged.

Going upstream, the water is clear and transparent.

After walking five miles, the sound of people gradually grew louder and the outlines of tall houses appeared.

After walking another three miles, you will see a bustling crowd and houses like a forest.

In front of one of the houses, there were two bi (fourth tone) and an (fourth tone) crouching. (Note 1)
It looks majestic and like the real thing.

There is a plaque hanging above the door with the word “Huayang” inscribed on it. It is the house built by the Minister of Justice Huayang Bufei and has been ownerless for many years.

Today, it is rare to welcome its master.

The main room, the back room, and the bed.

Huayang Bufei gradually regained consciousness, but his headache came in waves.

He covered his head and opened his eyes with difficulty.

Everything was hazy, as if a layer of steam was covering my eyes.

He panicked.

He had seen people go blind from head injuries.

[I am not blind…]
After blinking repeatedly, I could gradually see the roof beams clearly. I recognized that this was my home and felt relieved.

It is both for avoiding blindness and for safety.

“woke up.”

A cold female voice sounded.

Judging from the voices, she was very close to him, sitting next to him.

He turned his head and spoke before seeing anyone, in a very bad tone.

“You still know how to come?”

The woman wore a tall golden crown, her eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her eyes were like clear lakes.

The face was expressionless, and was about 50% similar to Huayang Bufei who was lying on the bed.

There are traces of time at the corners of her eyes, and she is no longer young.

Time took away her youth and exchanged it for power.

She just sat there, her brows not frowned, her eyes not fixed, and she looked intimidating without even getting angry.

He stared at the old court judge without saying a word.

The old chief judge was unaware of anything and was not afraid at all, because she was his own sister.

The old man pulled his face, which was even more stinky than his sister’s, and said coldly:
“If you want to act like a queen, go back to the palace. I don’t want to see it.”

Prince Huayang looked annoyed and was about to say something when he looked up and saw five circles of white cloth wrapped around his brother’s head, leaving a large red area.

His heart softened, he looked helpless, and said softly:
“Brother, can you please stop causing me trouble?”

“I caused trouble?” The old court official asked back, sitting up angrily, pointing at his head and roaring: “That bastard beat me up like this, who is causing trouble?”

Queen Huayang was a little annoyed after being yelled at for her kind advice.

“He holds the Qin King’s Seal in his hand!”

The tone of voice also rose.

“He wants to go alone, so you should not let him enter the Supreme Court. But he has the seal of the King of Qin, how dare you neglect him!”

The old judge was so angry that he slapped the edge of the wooden bed, making a crisp “pa” sound.

“So what if he took the Qin King’s seal? Who knows if he stole it or robbed it!”

Queen Huayang’s face turned pale.

“You are so stupid!”

The old chief justice was completely furious.

“Get out! Get out of here!”

He jumped off the bed, grabbed his sister’s arm and pulled her out, cursing.

“I was nearly beaten to death!
“You didn’t avenge me, you didn’t care about my injuries, and you blamed me and cursed me. How can there be such a vicious sister like you in the world!”

Huayang’s legs were fast and his movements were amazing. He didn’t look like a seriously injured person at all.

Queen Huayang could no longer bear it, so she swung her arms to break free and slapped her brother in the face.

The old Tingwei was a little confused. He never thought that his sister would hit him.

He covered his face and was about to get angry.

Another slap in the face took away his words.

Being slapped in the face by his sister again and again, the old court judge was furious and raised his hand to slap her back.

Queen Huayang stared at his raised hand with cold eyes, murderous intent boiling in her!
The old judge felt a chill on his back, and was unable to raise his hands. He felt even closer to death than when that bastard hit him on the head, as if he had drunk the water of the underworld.

His eyes immediately cleared.

The woman in front of him was not only his sister, but also the Queen of Qin.

He put his hands down tremblingly, kept silent, and maintained his dignity as an older brother.

Queen Huayang sneered and pointed at her heart.

“Without this vicious sister of mine, how would you be alive today?”

He poked the old judge in the chest, again and again.

“You were able to become the Qin State’s Chief Justice. Do you think it was because of your ability? How many articles of the Qin Law can you recite?”

She approached step by step, and the old judge retreated step by step.

“Is this the first time that bastard has taken the seal of the King of Qin? The seal of the King of Qin has almost become his private seal! Which official in Zhangtai Street doesn’t know about it? But you thought he stole it!
“Who do you think you are? Qu Yuan? Everyone else is drunk but you are sober; the whole world is turbid but you are clear? Qu Yuan jumped into the Miluo River. There is no Miluo River in Qin, but there is Wei River. Go jump into it!”

Queen Huayang spoke in a stern voice.

The old court judge had never seen his sister like this before, and he took a few steps back. When he got close to the bed, his legs were blocked and he fell backwards onto the bed.

With a “duang” sound, his head hit the wall and he groaned in pain.

Seeing her brother in such a miserable state, Queen Huayang couldn’t bear it, so she put on a cold face and stopped the verbal attack.

He sat on the bed and rested for a while. He heard the moaning in his ears gradually subside. He spoke again, his voice full of sarcasm.

“Is the Lord Tingwei awake?”

The old chief justice was totally humiliated and dejected.

“Ah.”

“The King of Qin’s seal is here in person. He will take it to the court. You just do as he says. Don’t you know how to coax a child?!”

“He’s just a kid, why should I bow down to him?”

“You can look down on him, but you can’t look down on the Qin King’s Seal!”

“How long can the king live?”

The old court judge blurted out.

Queen Huayang’s face changed drastically and she slapped her brother in the face.

This time the beating was particularly severe, and five finger marks were clearly visible and quickly colored.

“I see you are still not awake!”

He slapped him left and right, more than a dozen times, with loud and crisp slapping sounds.

Huayang Bufei’s thin cheeks were puffed up by the beating, like an old hamster with its mouth full of food.

“I don’t understand! What are you afraid of?”

Huayang Bufei pushed his sister away and saved his cheeks from the slap.

“In order to please you, Qin Yiren changed his name to Zichu and sang Li Sao by heart. He even disowned his own mother and now recognizes you as his mother!
“It was with your support that he became the crown prince.

“It is said that the crown prince is the regent and the queen is the assistant, but is there anything that Qin Yiren doesn’t ask for your opinion on?

“All important matters in the court can be decided by your words, but you were frightened by the seal of that mediocre king!”

Queen Huayang was shaking with anger.

“Huayang Bufei! You are so brave!”

The old chief justice threw everything out and told all the grievances he had suffered over the years.

“Of course I’m bold!

“You are a woman, childless, living only for yourself, and now you have reached the peak. In order to protect yourself, you do not fight or compete.” “I can’t do that! I, Huayang Bufei, have three sons and four daughters! I have to think about them! The future of Huayang family lies with me!”
“Do you think I’m really making things difficult for him just because I despise that guy?
“I am a man who is nearly fifty years old and half buried in the ground. How can I be so impatient that I want to compete with a little kid?

“When you were a kid, you were noisy and naughty, and everyone hated you. You were no better than that brat. Who played with you and put you to sleep?
“I can coax you, but I can’t tolerate him? You think too little of me, Huayang Bufei!”

Queen Huayang gritted her teeth.

“Don’t always talk to me about your childhood. If it weren’t for your kindness, who would care about you?
“I don’t care what you think, or why. (Note 2)
“Don’t be disrespectful to the king!

“In my heart!
“On the mouth!
“No!

“See the seal of the King of Qin, as if the King himself is here!

“Today at noon, nearly two thousand people were executed by the Weishui punishment!

“All the assassins who killed that Zhao child died on the grass beach along with their relatives in Xianyang!
“This is just the first batch! Their three tribes are on the way!”

Huayang Bufei’s pupils suddenly shrank.

“Do you know what you’re talking about?”

Queen Huayang pointed at the door.

“Go to the Weishui River now and see if the water downstream of Caotan is clear or red!”

The old court judge was dumbfounded, with a look of horror.

“Two thousand people? Has there ever been such a large-scale killing since the founding of the Qin State?”

Queen Huayang’s answer was firm and decisive.

“no!”

The old judge sat there with his knees hanging down on the edge of the bed, as if he were made of wood.

After a long while, he sighed and said:
“I made things difficult for that brat just to show other government officials.

“Everyone is intimidated by the Qin King’s Seal, but I am not afraid… Not that I am really not afraid.

“However, the matter of Qin Yiren’s husband being assassinated can only be traced back to the assassin. It would not be beneficial to anyone to pursue it further.

“Since the outcome is set, why don’t I take this opportunity to use the Qin King’s Seal to establish my prestige, expand my power, and seek the king’s favor…”

Queen Huayang’s eyes were full of severity and murderous intent.

The old court judge avoided her gaze and tactfully did not say the word “hong”. Anyway, his sister had already understood his meaning.

“…what happened afterwards.

“Who would have thought that that brat would dare to hit me on the head with the Qin King’s Seal… Do you think he saw that I was going to step on him to get to the top, or is he just arrogant?”

Queen Huayang sneered.

“Do you really think that boy is a child prodigy? He is just spoiled by the king! Without the king, he is nothing.

“Now you should not be thinking about that bastard, but why the Wei River flows into the Red River, and how stupid you are!”

The old court official was frightened, but he did not retort. He thought carefully and praised after a long while:
“The clan punishment…is too high!
“Most warriors who die without hesitation do so for their families.

“When one person dies, his master will take good care of the whole family, so that they can face death with equanimity and fear no death.

“The execution of 2,000 people at Caotan will make the whole country know about the execution of Qin Yiren’s cousin. How can the murderer find an assassin to kill him?

“When my husband was assassinated, I didn’t investigate the matter thoroughly. This is saving face. I didn’t tear my face off, but I was able to make Qin dare not assassinate him… It’s really smart!
“Sister, this Qin Yiren is not a simple person, he is definitely not a puppet to be manipulated!
“Your son is better than my three sons and four daughters combined!”

The Queen Mother Huayang looked cold.

“That’s why I want you to be careful and not give anyone a handle on you. It may seem like I’m in a high position in the Qin State, but in fact, my son is the one in control.”

Stand up.

“Just stay calm and do your job as a court judge. Don’t stir up trouble anymore. Qin is the Qin family after all. It is impossible for it to become the Huayang family.

“You are right about one thing. I am a girl, I have no children, and I only care about myself.

“I am taking care of Huayang Clan now because of your kindness to Huayang Bufei. If you die, what will the rise and fall of Huayang Clan have to do with me, Mi Buming?”

He flicked his sleeves and walked out of the room.

At the gate of the mansion, two Bi’an were watching a carriage drawn by four horses.

Queen Huayang walked out of the gate and got into the carriage, surrounded by a crowd of people.

“Go to Chengjiao Palace.”

“only.”

Four horses raised their hooves and the wheels rolled.

The slightly setting sun was emitting strong light and was a bit hot.

Chengjiao Palace, Huaqing Palace.

Qin Zichu came out of the small palace where his two sons were sleeping, holding a scroll of bamboo slips in his hand, and walked into the palace next to the small palace.

“Bring Lu Buwei to see me.”

“only.”

Quarter of an hour later, the dispirited Lu Buwei knocked on the palace door.

Qin Zichu slid off the bed, grabbed Lu Buwei’s hand and shook it hard.

“Sir, you are so talented! Sir, you are so talented!
“You not only saved Zheng’er’s life, but also preserved my position as Crown Prince. You are the savior of our entire family!
“Bao Shuya, Guan Zhong, and Baili Xi reborn together are not as good as you alone.”

The prince spoke clearly and quickly, with almost no pauses.

Lu Buwei tried to interrupt and remind him several times but all ended in failure.

He didn’t want to interrupt, as he thought that would be disrespectful, so he just waited.

Qin Zichu’s face turned red as he spoke this long paragraph. After he finally finished speaking, he took a breath.

Lu Buwei took the opportunity to interrupt and bowed slightly.

“This is Bu Wei’s duty.”

As he was talking, a pair of big feet stole the spotlight. The master did not even have time to put on his shoes before he came up to greet him. (Note 3)
Lu Buwei was touched.

“My Lord, you are not wearing shoes.”

Qin Zichu lowered his head and realized that he was barefoot on the ground, and smiled awkwardly.

“I was wondering why it was a bit cold. Please forgive me for being rude, sir.”

“What virtue and ability does Bu Wei have…”

Lu Buwei was moved and quickly helped his master sit on the bed. He yawned and looked a little tired.

“Are you very sleepy, sir?” Qin Zichu asked with concern, “If you don’t mind, you can sleep here.”

Lu Buwei patted his face, cheered himself up, and decided to tell the truth.

“My Lord asked me to come here. Apart from the assassination of the eldest son, is there anything else?”

He pointed to his eyes and smiled bitterly.

“I haven’t slept all night, and I can’t hold on any longer.”

Qin Zichu’s face was full of regret.

“Sir, please take a rest here. Damn it, I didn’t realize you were so tired!”

Lu Buwei was unwilling to sleep and kept asking if there were any other reasons.

Qin Zichu didn’t say anything, but just asked Lu Buwei to go back to sleep and talk about anything after he woke up.

Lu Buwei could only force himself to be alert and think carefully to see if there was anything he had missed.

From last night until now, his entire body and mind have been focused on properly handling the assassination of Ying Zheng. How could he have the time to think about anything else?
After thinking about it, I still couldn’t think of it.

After a night, my mind was not clear at all, so I had to leave.

Qin Zichu personally escorted him out of the palace and watched him go away.

When Lu Buwei disappeared, he closed the palace door, frowned, and took out the bamboo slips from under the table.

Without opening it, it was just rolled up and piled in front of me.

He received more than a dozen bamboo slips today impeaching Meng Wu, the defender of Hangu Pass, and the one in front of him was one of them.

The contents are similar, all saying that Meng Wu dispatched 500 cavalrymen from Hangu Pass to leave Hangu Pass with the intention of rebellion.

“Father, can the Hangu Tiger Treasure be given to anyone casually?”

[Note 1: Bi’an, also known as Xianzhang, is a mythical beast in ancient Chinese mythology. It is also the seventh of the nine sons of the dragon. It looks like a tiger, likes litigation, is eager to serve the public, speaks for justice, can distinguish right from wrong, and makes fair decisions.]

[Note 2: In the pre-Qin period, the word “gu” could be used by the queen, queen mother, and prince to refer to themselves.]

【Note 3: Ju means shoes.】

(End of this chapter)