Qin Official

(Change it, the previous chapter was about the fire, not the fire)

In the early twelfth month of the thirty-fifth year of the First Emperor of Qin, in Zigaoli, Ye County, Nanyang County.

The Ye family has a long history, which can be traced back to Ye Gong of the Chu Kingdom three hundred years ago. Therefore, the Ye family can be regarded as the descendant of the Mi surname. Later, during the war between the Three Jin Dynasties and Chu, Nanyang returned to South Korea, and the Ye family entered the country. Han, but it also spread its branches and leaves, and families gathered here to live, which was called "Zigaoli". The entire area here was composed of Ye family members.

At the inner gate, Heifu had to dismount. It wasn't that Zheng Zheng dared to stop him, but the road inside was paved with bluestones. People came and went and became extremely smooth. Now it snowed, and the horses' hooves stepped on it. It was even more slippery when going up.

He could only walk in. The Ye family lived in adjacent alleys, and the houses on both sides were quickly left behind. Not long after, the old house of the Ye family with white walls and red tiles arrived.

Although it was snowing in the sky, everyone in the house seemed to have gathered here, surrounding Ye Teng's house. They didn't care that their shoulders were covered with snowflakes. They all looked worried and sighed. The mainstay of the Ye family might not survive the night. .

Everyone in the Ye family was worried that the family's support was about to collapse, but they also had their own calculations: Ye Teng was worshiped as Lunhou by Qin Shihuang, but he had no children and only had an only daughter. How should the inheritance of the title be said?

So the brothers and uncles who were closer came here with their children and grandchildren, hoping that Ye Teng would call them in at the last moment and adopt one of them...

Everyone was thinking their own thoughts, until a sound of footsteps broke the dull atmosphere, and a voice sounded: "The Marquis of Changnan is here, please give way!"

"The Marquis of Changnan?"

Everyone in the Ye family is at a loss. The news of what happened in Jieshi has not yet reached this point. They only know that Ye Teng was named "Gaoliang Hou", which of course does not mean Gaoliang, but is taken from the ancestor of the Ye family: Ye Gong Shen Zhuliang, whose name is Zi Gao, the protagonist of Ye Gong Haolong...

But Changnanhou is unheard of.

But they knew Gong Ao. He was a confidant of Ye Teng's son-in-law Heifu. He escorted Ye Teng back to his hometown last month, and left in a hurry the day before yesterday. When he saw the extra imperial banner in his hand, everyone was stunned. Understanding something, he quickly stepped aside and saluted.

Under the guidance of Gong Ao, a dusty black-faced man walked straight into the door. The door was closed again, blocking out everyone who wanted to inquire about the Ye family's condition!

This was the first time that Heifu came to Ye's old house. As soon as he entered the door, two children ran over from the snow-covered yard and threw themselves into his arms.

"Father!"

They are Heifu's two sons, Polu and Fubo. Polu was born in the 29th year of Qin Shihuang. He is six years old and is as tall as Heifu's waist. Fubo was born in the 32nd year of Qin Shihuang and is also three years old. , the height just reached Heifu’s knees.

Heifu picked them up one by one and asked, "Where is your mother?"

Fubo was a little scared and hugged Heifu's neck tightly without saying a word. Polu, on the other hand, was a bit more stubborn. He struggled to think about it and said, "Mother is inside, accompanying my grandfather."

Heifu carried them into a warm room, threw the snow-stained cloak by the door, and entered the back room.

At this time, Ye Zijin also heard that Heifu had arrived and walked out of the ward.

Hei Fu took a look, was this still his plump and beautiful wife? We haven’t seen him for several months. His chin is as sharp as an awl, and he is so thin that it makes people feel distressed. His hair has not been combed out, and he has stayed up many nights without sleeping. He is in a state of complete exhaustion.

Heifu wasn't much better. In order to rush for time, he didn't take a shower for several days. His body stinked, his cheeks were red from the cold, and his hair was messed up by the wind.

When encountering this kind of thing, there is no dignity and reserve left, only embarrassment remains.

"The beloved has arrived."

But Ye Zijin's voice was still firm, and he did not rush towards Hei Fu and burst into tears as soon as he saw him.

Just because when her father was seriously ill, she was the backbone of the family. If she collapsed, who would be in charge, the group of relatives outside who stretched their necks, hoping for pie in the sky?

Heifu went over and hugged his wife, put his strong arms around her thin back, and whispered in his ear:

"I'm here, everything is fine, everything is fine."

Ye, who had been alone for a long time, finally couldn't help sobbing on Hei Fu's shoulder for a while, but soon she wiped away her tears and said to Hei Fu:

"My father is dying, and what he keeps talking about is that he wants to see his beloved one last time!"

…

Ye Teng had been ill for more than half a year, and various doctors in Xianyang had crossed the threshold of Ye's house. Qin Shihuang even sent the imperial physician Xia Wuji to treat him, but to no avail.

Under the candlelight, the powerful old man in the past looked haggard, his breathing was weak, and he was about to run out of fuel.

When he opened his eyes with difficulty, he saw a black shadow beside the couch.

"Woman."

Hei Fu came closer, but Ye Teng closed his eyes tiredly. He could only call softly: "Woman, it's me, Hei Fu, I'm back!"

After a long time, Ye Teng opened his eyes again, glanced at Hei Fu, and said with a twitching beard: "It's Hei Fu, no wonder my eyes are so dark no matter whether I open or close them!"

Hei Fu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. How old is this old man Ye? There is still time to bury him, but he heard Ye Teng ask: "Where is Zijin?"

"Old lady, you were the one who asked Zijin to go out just now. You said you had something to say to me alone."

Heifu was very helpless. It seemed that Ye Teng was really sick. Such a conversation had happened once a moment ago. When he settled his wife to rest outside and returned to the ward, he found that Ye Teng had fallen asleep. He had to Sitting here for a long time.

"That's right..."

Ye Teng sighed: "What on earth do I want to tell you? Hey, I can't remember. You can tell me first."

The two had not seen each other for two years. Although they exchanged letters, it was not as fast as talking in person, so Heifu talked about the important things, such as the victory in Haidong, the trouble in the south, and his being named Lunhou by Qin Shihuang. This series of simple things Tell Ye Teng succinctly, while also paying attention to the old man not to fall asleep again.

Ye Teng only listened absentmindedly. It wasn't until he learned that Hei Fu had become the "Marquis of Changnan" that he suddenly became energetic and cursed:

"I have worked hard all my life and succeeded in destroying Han. Only when I was about to die did I have to seal the pass. You are only in your early thirties and you can still be called a prince? Really, really..."

As he spoke, he coughed violently, and the sound was terrifying, like the dying struggle of a broken drum.

Heifu quickly stroked his back and said with a smile: "Although they are both Lun Hous, the Marquis of Fu Weng is a well-deserved Marquis. My Marquis is the sweet dates that His Majesty thrust over me, so I have to agree to it for two years." Pingyue, the weight is far inferior to yours..."

Ye Teng said: "Forget it, Weng and his son-in-law are both granted the title of marquis. Although it is not as good as the three generations of Chehous of Wang Jian's ancestors and grandsons, it is not bad."

At this time, he also remembered what to say to Heifu.

Ye Teng held Hei Fu's hand, and Hei Fu could feel that it was skinny and lifeless.

"I only have an only daughter and no son, and I don't want to give this title to those relatives. You can let Fu Bo take Ye as his surname. This Gaoliang Marquis was obtained by me as a traitor to the Han Dynasty, destroying my mother country, and working hard all my life. If It’s such a shame that it’s so late.”

Heifu hesitated: "It's okay, but isn't it against the law?"

The inheritance law of the Qin Dynasty, the order is: son, son, son, father, mother, son of the same child, daughter of the same child, wife, eldest father, eldest mother, son of the same child (nephew and niece), the priority decreases in order. If the title is inherited, women will automatically be ignored.

There is also a supplementary decree: "If the Marquis of Che and Marquis Lun die and have grandchildren who have children together, they can all be heirs." When there are no children, the heirs can be the descendants of their grandchildren or adopted brothers. The premise is that the brothers' sons must be adopt……

Ye Teng had no sons, and all his brothers were dead. By analogy, even if he had to adopt, it would be his brother's son's turn. There was no reason to let his grandson take the title, even if the younger son of the black husband changed his name to Ye Fubo.

Wait, why does it feel like my name suddenly sounds better after I changed my surname? No wonder so many protagonists are named Ye!

Ye Teng smiled and said: "Ling Ling, what is Ling Ling? Ling Ling is His Majesty's mood. Why can Wang Jian's Marquis Wu Cheng directly skip Wang Ben and pass it to Wang Li? Is this legal? You should know that in this world, Who is the only person who can change the law?"

Indeed, Wang Jian's Marquis of Wucheng should have been passed on to Wang Bi, but in order to highlight Wang's achievements, Qin Shihuang personally intervened and first promoted Wang Bi to Marquis of Che, and then directly passed Wang Jian's title to Wang Li, only changing it to "Wucheng" "For the "Wucheng", Gedun was forced to surrender.

"This is Wang Jian's request before he dies. Apart from the Wang family and his son, I am the only veteran minister who helped His Majesty destroy an entire country. Isn't it too much to make such a request?"

Looking into Ye Teng's eyes, Heifu immediately understood Ye Teng's intention...

"Woman..."

He was a little touched. Old man Ye, an old conspirator, would not do him a big favor even when he was dying!

"In the past, Wang Jian sent 600,000 men to attack Chu. He was afraid that your majesty would doubt him. Before leaving, in addition to complaining that he had not been able to make a marquis after many years of fighting, he also asked for good land and a beautiful house for the Wang family, saying that he hoped that his descendants could make a living. Your Majesty Laugh and then happily agree..."

"After Wang Jian came out of the customs, he sent people back to Xianyang five times to ask for more fertile land. Others thought he was greedy and excessive. However, your majesty has always been suspicious. He ignored the Qin soldiers and appointed Wang Jian specially. He asked for more land. Staying at home is for self-reliance!”

"Wang Jian asked Tian Zigu. Now I ask my stepmother Wengzhi for my son to inherit the position of Marquis of Gaoliang. This can be regarded as a self-reliant strategy..."

It is not in compliance with the laws and regulations, but there is no small request that exceeds the emperor's bottom line. This is the art of self-protection and self-defilement!

In this way, his family, as well as the newly released three-year-old prince "Ye Fubo" in the future, will become a reassurance for Qin Shihuang and a guarantee for Heifu to develop in the south with peace of mind...

It seems to be Ye Teng's selfishness, but in fact, it is full of the old man's good intentions.

Hei Fu bowed solemnly and nodded to Ye Teng: "From today on, Fu Bo is the direct grandson of the Ye family!" "Okay, okay... In this way, I have nothing to worry about."

Ye Teng said so many words and was so tired that he closed his eyes and breathed hard. Hei Fu thought that his father-in-law had fallen asleep again, so he could only wait for him to wake up before telling him those important words.

But soon, Ye Teng's voice sounded, as if he was talking in his sleep.

"Have you understood that sentence?"

…

Everyone is a shady person, so Hei Fu naturally knows what is going on: "Did the old man say 'big fish in the sea'?"

Ye Teng didn't answer, which was regarded as acquiescence, and Heifu continued:

"Four years ago, before I left Xianyang and went to Jiaodong to take up my post, my wife gave me the words 'big fish in the sea'."

This is an allusion. Mengchangjun's father, Jingguojun Tianying, was preparing to strengthen the city wall of Xue County, his fiefdom, to make it as high as Linzi due to selfish motives, and to pursue independence behind closed doors. The diners tried to dissuade them one after another. Lord Jingguo was furious and forbade any diners to speak about this matter again. Anyone who spoke would be killed!

Only one bold guest came to Tian Ying and said only three words to him: "Big fish in the sea!" Then he turned around and ran away.

Tian Ying didn't know what he meant, so he could only agree to let him speak freely.

The guest said: "Have you heard about the big fish in the sea? It can't be caught with nets, hooked, and has no natural enemies in the sea. But once the big fish leaves the water, even small ants can do whatever they want on it. . The state of Qi is like the water of the lord. You can control the world and pay tribute to the princes, not because Xuecheng is strong and has many soldiers, but because you are the prime minister of Qi, backed by mountains. If you break with Qi, there will be no more Being protected, even if the walls of Xuexian County are built as high as the sky, can they still block the 100,000 troops of Chu and Wei?"

Tian Ying suddenly realized it and stopped building Xue.

Heifu told the story of the big fish in the sea again and said:

"I initially thought that Fu Weng meant that I was like a fish in the sea. In Nanjun and Guanxi, I could rely on the people of Qin, and I had the trust of your majesty and the cooperation of my colleagues, so I could be like a fish in water and fully display my talents."

"But going to Jiaodong is the farthest place from Xianyang. The capital of Guizhou has not yet gathered, the people's hearts are uncertain, and there are many wealthy people in the fields. I look like a offshore fish, but in fact I am just a fish on the beach. A tiger falls in Pingyang and is bullied by a dog, but a dragon swims in If you don't want to die in the shallows and be swallowed up by ants, you must recruit some talents and become your brothers and sisters..."

"It's really a piece of rotten wood, is that what I mean?"

Ye Teng said angrily, his eyes still closed.

"of course not."

Heifu smiled and said: "I later understood that the real warning of the old lady was that Qin is like the sea and I am like a fish. If I leave this vast water, I will be like Tian Ying who left Qi and cannot survive. Therefore, the fish Don’t escape from the abyss!”

This is a dilemma that every high-ranking person cannot avoid.

Ye Teng was a smart man. He vaguely sensed something and hoped that Heifu would abide by his duties as a Qin official and not have any messy thoughts just because he was far away from Xianyang.

This is Ye Teng's own experience. Without the protection of the Qin Dynasty, he and the entire family will be torn into pieces by the nobles of the Six Kingdoms. Therefore, he can only be loyal to the Qin Dynasty, and he dare not have any dissent to guard Han. But betraying Han, working as an official of Qin but betraying Qin, his reputation will be ruined and he will be reviled for eternity!

Ye Teng thought that Heifu was in a similar situation to him, so he must not go the wrong way!

The last thing he couldn't let go of before he died was Heifu's thoughts.

But Hei Fu said: "This statement is indeed reasonable, but if the sea is about to boil, are the fish in it going to move and wait to be stewed into soup?"

Ye Teng opened his eyes suddenly and looked at Hei Fu in surprise.

“How could the sea be boiled if it’s so big?”

Heifu gently fiddled with the lamp core on the table: "The sea does not hesitate its water, so it can contain it. But if it is cut off from the living water and then cooked with fierce fire, it will eventually boil. You must have felt it too," he said. ... "

It was obviously a freezing snowy day, but Hei Fu stretched out his hand and said, "It's getting hotter and hotter today!"

Ye Teng was really sweating, and the heat wave was rolling, how could he not know? But still don’t give up:

"Can't we warn and stop it? This is the duty of Qin officials!"

Hei Fu was silent for a long time, and then said: "Can the fish in the cauldron stop the fire if it jumps and struggles? I should know the source of the fire that boils this sea... Young Master Fusu, Mao Jiao, me, and even And you, old lady, we have tried it all and you can’t stop it.”

He and Ye Teng both know what each other is, so at this moment, Hei Fu doesn't have to be an actor, he doesn't have to pretend to be a brave and lonely minister, a good teacher and friend, an upright official and a good official, and the leader of the country...

He is just a middle-aged man standing at the crossroads of history, hesitating when faced with a decision that will affect his own life, affect 30 million people, and affect the world for two thousand years!

Is it to turn the tide, or to add fuel to the flames?

Okay, before you open your mouth to save the people and save the world, save yourself first.

He said from the bottom of his heart: "I can't expect the fire to stop on its own, and I can't serve the public wholeheartedly without any selfishness. Over the past few years, the black man has been running around, fixing leaks for the country, working as a dog for His Majesty, working hard and without complaint, but I'm really tired. I think it's time to think about myself..."

"That's all... I will die soon. The next road, whether it is life or death, you can only walk on your own. I'm just glad that the ghost uncle has arrived at the door, and I don't have to see the day of chaos."

Ye Teng looked away and laughed.

Only one last question remains.

"But Heifu, what are you going to do? How do you solve the dilemma of the big fish in the sea? How do you get out of the abyss, fish?"

"For others, it's almost impossible, but for me, it's not difficult."

Heifu came closer and told the dying old man his answer in his ear:

"There is a fish in the North Ming Dynasty, and its name is Kun. It turns into a bird, and its name is Peng!"