Qin Official

This was the only direct conversation between father and son in more than ten years. It came to an abrupt end after Fusu loudly said that he was willing to go to Kunlun in the Western Region to find the Western Queen Mother State for his father and seek immortality. novel .

"Why did you say the same thing as Hu Hai?"

After being stunned for a moment, Qin Shihuang did not show any joy, nor did he ask Fusu to answer those difficult questions, nor did he agree to Fusu's request. He just told the eldest son to get out of the gate.

The incident mentioned by Fusu was also one of Qin Shihuang's worries.

It has been eight years since Qin Shihuang heard the legend of the "Queen Mother of the West" from Wu Ya of Chen Bao Temple in the 27th year, and began to make western expansion a national policy.

In the thirty-first year, Li Xin defeated the Yuezhi and killed the king of the Yuezhi. The five tribes of the Yuezhi were scattered. Two surrendered, one went to Mobei to join the Xiongnu Maodun, and the other fled west to Pulei, the northern road of the Western Regions. Ze, part of it goes over the Qilian Mountains and escapes into the snow-capped mountain plateau. Hexi then entered the Qin Dynasty, and "Zhangye County" was established there. From then on, traveling from Xianyang to the Western Regions was unimpeded...

It's a pity that Li Xin sent people to travel all over the Qilian Mountains, a mountain range that was suspected of being the "Ruins of Kunlun" in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Except for the Di and Qiang tribes who drank blood and wore sheepskins, no trace of the Western Queen Mother State was found.

Qin Shihuang was slightly disappointed, but he also said that Kunlun was not Qilian. It had a radius of 800 miles, a height of 10,000 miles, and was far away in the Western Regions.

Qin Shihuang saw another glimmer of hope, so he appointed Wushi Luo's younger brother, Wu Shiyan, as a traveler in Zhangye Dianke, with a rank of 600 stones. He was specifically responsible for carrying out trade envoys to the Western Regions and looking for the Queen Mother of the West. In the past five years, there have been returns every year. .

In the thirty-first year, just after the Western Region was opened, the Wusun tribe from Zhangye County, led by Wu Shiyan, came to Xianyang to pay tribute.

In the thirty-second year, the Wushi caravan finally crossed the quicksand desert (Bailongdui) and arrived at Loulan, the oasis country. King Loulan was shocked by the wealth of the Qin Dynasty merchants, and sent envoys to the Qin Dynasty and presented beautiful women.

In the thirty-third year, the Wushi caravan continued to march on the southern road and arrived at the land of beautiful jade, a small country called Khotan, which had been directly trading with the Central Plains for thousands of years. Countless white jade was sent back. To commemorate this, Qin Shihuang ordered Li Xin to build Yumen Pass in the far west of Zhangye. Unfortunately, in the "Yushan" where the Queen Mother of the West reportedly lived, there were no miracles except jade mining.

In the thirty-fourth year, silk and brown sugar opened the way, and the Wuzhi caravan completely passed the southern route of the Western Regions along the foothills of the Kunlun Mountains that stretched for thousands of miles.

But along the way, I never found the Western Queen Mother State. However, in Shule, I heard a local merchant from Kangju who bought silk say: "To the west of Congling, there are high mountains with national residences and Pegasus horses." Attracting Wushi's attention, after crossing the Congling Mountains, they arrived at the city-state called "Dawan". Although it was not the Queen Mother State of the West, they still bought two "Pegasus" with divine horses like dragons at a high price, which made them famous in the local area. Some of the products, grapes and wine, were sent back to Xianyang, which shocked the country for a while...

At the same time, Li Xin also went out of Yumen Pass to pursue the Yuezhi Guishang Shehou who was hunting in Puleihai. He defeated them and beheaded thousands of captives. He then marched to Gushi in the North Road of the Western Regions, overlooking the Beishan (Tianshan) Mountains, and at the same time, for The Central Plains brought back a lot of melons and fruits from the Western Regions, and Qin Shihuang named him the Marquis of Guannei, with the title "Marquis of Dingyuan".

But there is still no trace of the Queen Mother State of the West. More than half a year has passed, and there is no news from the Western Regions. Even Chen Bao Temple Wu Ya is dead.

Qin Shihuang could feel that his health was getting worse and worse, but the illusory "Kunlun Ruins" was so hard to find. Sometimes when he couldn't sleep late at night, he would even feel despair and desolation...

So he got up, asked his servant to hold the lamp, and walked into a side hall, which was filled with "Statue of the Queen Mother of the West" painted by painters from the Six Kingdoms.

The painters of the seven kingdoms have different techniques and techniques. The Chu people's ethereal imagination, the Yanqi's fairy imagination, the various dyes of the Three Jin Dynasties, coupled with the Qin craftsmen's obsession with details, can produce the most perfect paintings in the world.

The portrait that most satisfied Qin Shihuang was large and painted directly on the palace wall.

The Kunlun Ruins Yaotai in the painter's imagination is extremely luxurious. Surrounded by the immortals, the Queen Mother sits in the upper hall facing east. She is wearing a golden mantle, with bright literary talent, elegant appearance, a large spiritual flying ribbon, a sword that divides the scene at her waist, and a sword on her head. Wear a Taihua bun, wear the crown of Taizhen Chen Ying, and wear Yuan Feng Wen's saddlebags. He looks like he is about thirty years old, he is short and slender, his natural appearance is kind, his appearance is peerless, he is a truly spiritual person...

Qin Shihuang had never been infatuated with any woman in his life, except this fairy. He hoped countless times that she could escape from the wall, emit divine light, add more warmth to this huge and cold palace, and then take him to travel to the fairyland. And he will also stand in the clouds and proudly introduce to her the great empire he created!

"That's my Great Qin! It crosses the quicksand in the west, ends in Beihu in the south, has the East China Sea in the east, and crosses Daxia in the north. Wherever people go, there are all those who do not fail to serve."

But after all, no, the dimensional wall is not so easy to break through.

Qin Shihuang's hand gently touched the portrait and asked:

"Queen Mother of the West, where are you? Is there really a god, or is Wu Zhu using it to deceive me!?"

Should I continue with this dream of immortality?

…

Once suspicion arises, it is difficult to eradicate.

On the next day, the visitors were surprised to find that His Majesty the Emperor, who had worked diligently for more than thirty years, rarely held office or reviewed memorials. Instead, he asked everyone to retreat. He sat alone in the palace, resting his head on his hands, thinking all the time.

The emperor was alone for several hours, and then summoned several waves of people in succession.

The first ones to come were Yao Jia, the Shaofu, and Zhao Gao, the commander of the CRRC.

After Lao Yao dragged his sick body into the palace, he discovered that Qin Shihuang asked him about the progress of two major projects, Afang and Lishan, and the number of envoys.

Yao Jia said tremblingly: "Your Majesty, Afang has three hundred thousand, Lishan has two hundred thousand..."

"Pass on my system and ask the young master to help Su supervise Afang!"

"No!" Although Zhao Gao had broken his left hand, he could still use his right hand. Of course he knew that once Qin Shihuang called him, he would prepare an edict.

Qin Shihuang had his own considerations. Of course, it was impossible for Fusu and Hu Hai to just let them go wherever they wanted to go. Moreover, there were Li Xin and Wu Shiyan to the west. They spent four or five years and got nothing. What other uses can there be for gesticulating?

But since Fusu showed his filial piety, Qin Shihuang must respond. Well, since he cares so much about the immortality of your father-in-law, then he will supervise the construction of Afang, which can be regarded as fulfilling his filial piety!

But the second command is a bit interesting.

"As long as I have 100,000 corvees left in Afang, I will transfer 200,000 to Lishan. Prime Minister Li Si will be the prisoner of the left, and Zhao Gao will be the deputy of the CRRC Mansion..."

Yao Jia was in a daze. This edict was worth pondering.

First of all, does this mean "Afang can slow down, Lishan should hurry up"?

Or does it mean "I don't want Young Master Fusu to take charge of too many people"?

Also, Li Si was responsible for the nominal supervision of the work. Does this count as Qin Shihuang's trust in him, or is it another disparagement?

In the end, what if Zhao Gao, the commander of CRRC, intervened?

Yao Jia has always been alert, but this time he was also full of doubts, but he showed no signs of abnormality and agreed to resign.

After Yao Jia left, Zhao Gao, who was ordered to prepare the edict, knelt down in front of Qin Shihuang and burst out crying, with tears like springs...

Qin Shihuang looked at his old friend who had been with him for thirty years with disgust:

"why are you crying?"

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty."

Zhao Gao couldn't hide his sadness: "I hope your majesty will not let me go to Lishan Mountain, but let me go to the Western Regions. Zhao Gao's surname is Zhao. I am willing to be your majesty's father. Even if I risk my life, I will find the Kingdom of the Queen Mother of the West!" Return to Xianyang again, and take Your Majesty to the fairyland. Eat the elixir of death and drink the nectar of the Tianchi Lake, and you will live forever! Qin Sheji will last for eternity, and Your Majesty can also rule it for eternity!"

"Weren't we all afraid of the vastness and desolation of the Western Region in the past? How come these days, everyone is trying to grab this job?"

Qin Shihuang smiled, but slowly his smile faded and he looked at the sad Zhao Gao.

"you understood?"

Zhao Gao did not dare to answer, but bowed to the ground, supported the ground with his severed hand, and wiped the tears from his face with his right hand, which made him even more sad.

"Only you understand, you are kind, you understand, I don't have to worry about you doing things..."

Without waiting for Zhao Gao to answer, Qin Shihuang said: "Come with me for a walk."

With that said, he walked out of the palace gate and stood on top of the majestic Zhangtai Palace, with the bustling Xianyang in the distance.

When the people in the palace saw the emperor's figure, no matter how far away they were, they immediately knelt down and trembled.

Qin Shihuang did not look at the ants. His eyes were too far away, and he could only see the clouds in the sky and the sun, moon and stars.

The setting sun was setting in the distance, and when Qin Shihuang saw it, he seemed to see himself.

He pointed at the red sun and suddenly said:

"The sun rises and sets again, but has anyone ever thought that the sun that will rise tomorrow will still be the same one as yesterday?"