The Great Qin Empire---Qin Li

The main hall of Zhangtai Palace is called "Four Seas Return to One Hall", located at the commanding height of Longshouyuan. This hall is magnificent. There are 120 pillars supporting the dome alone, and two people are needed to hug each one.

Its interior is also very gorgeous, with fragrant and precious magnolia as the rafters, decorated with gilded copper door knockers, elegant patterns carved on the vertical railings and horizontal thresholds, jade decorations on the open doors, and the apricot wood floor is spotless...

As the Zhonglang Huling of the Imperial Guard, Heifu has inspected the hall four or five times from last night to this morning. It seems empty when no one is there, but when the wind blows in, the rows of bronze chimes on the side of the hall occasionally make a sound.

Now, three hundred musicians in crimson robes have taken their positions. The first thing to sound is the tinkling chimes, followed by drums, zithers, harps, and shengs, and a grand ensemble begins.

Those who understand will know that this is the music of "Da Ya" specially used for court meetings.

As the grand elegant music resounds through the hall, the grand court meeting is officially announced to begin.

"Enter the hall!"

Under the guidance of the usher, the ministers gathered outside the hall entered the Sihai Guiyi Hall one by one.

Since the death of Lü Buwei, no one has been granted the treatment of wearing swords and shoes to court. Everyone handed in their swords twenty steps away from the forbidden gate, and when they came to the hall door, they took off their shoes and shoes and entered only in white foot clothes. If someone had athlete's foot, it would be very embarrassing.

For today's grand court meeting, all the guards were mobilized, from the Zhonglang Jiang Meng Yi to the ordinary guards, everyone had to line up flags and ceremonial guards inside and outside the hall. Heifu was no exception. He was fortunate to be accompanied by a group of strong and sturdy Langzhong and Beishilang in the palace.

However, Heifu had nothing in his hands. The Langzhong in the palace had no weapons. The armed warriors outside were more than a hundred steps away and were not allowed to enter the palace without the emperor's order.

If something happened, Langwei could only use his body to deal a fatal blow to the emperor and capture the assassin with his fists.

Heifu thought to himself: "No wonder when Jing Ke assassinated Qin Shihuang, he had to rely on Xia Wuqi's medicine bag for emergency..."

In addition, different positions in the palace represent different levels and closeness to the emperor. Zhonglangjiang Meng Yi stood directly under "Your Majesty", that is, under the steps of the emperor's couch. Heifu and Wang Li were only on both sides of the palace, parallel to the seats of the ministers, with Wang Li on the right and him on the left.

This position is not bad, and you can have a clear view of the situation in the palace.

At this time, as the elegant music finished, the usher shouted "Go!" again!

The ministers at the end of the hall immediately stepped forward, passed through the aisle formed by the guards, and came to the emperor.

The military generals were arranged in order of rank on the west side, facing east. Heifu saw that from the front to the back, they were Wang Jian, Marquis of Che and Marquis of Wucheng, Feng Wuze, Marquis of Guannei and Marquis of Wuxin, followed by Meng Wu, the Grand Secretary, and the Minister of the Imperial Guards, all wearing crimson clothes and wearing eaves crowns.

The civil officials were headed by the prime minister, and they were also arranged in order on the east side, facing west. The first one was the right prime minister Wei Zhuang, followed by the left prime minister Wang Wan, the Imperial Censor Feng Quji, the Court Justice Li Si, and the Minister of the Imperial Clan, the Minister of the Imperial Household, the Minister of the Imperial Household, the Minister of the Imperial Household, and the Minister of the Imperial Household.

Ye Teng, the internal historian whom Heifu had not seen for a long time, also appeared in the line. However, Ye Teng, who had the final say in Nanjun, could only stand in the middle and back of the hall. The old man held the white jade sceptre and looked straight ahead, as if he did not see Heifu standing solemnly under His Majesty.

Unlike in movies and TV dramas, when the emperor was not here, the ministers could chat and laugh. At this moment, there was no sound of discussion in the hall.

Qin was a vassal state that had been established for hundreds of years. It was not a nouveau riche who rose from the masses. Although the ritual and music system was not as prosperous as that of Shandong, it had its own rules. During the whole process, there were also law enforcement censors who kept patrolling on the side, staring at everyone. If they found someone whose manners were not in accordance with etiquette, they would be immediately asked to leave the hall!

Under the watchful eyes of the public, that kind of feeling must be unbearable, so even if the emperor had not arrived, the ministers were trembling with fear, and no one dared to take it lightly.

"Even if you have to pee urgently, you have to hold it in." Hei Fu felt a little sorry for those old ministers who looked very old. There was no public toilet in the Sihaiguiyi Palace.

Fortunately, the emperor was a diligent person and did not have the habit of keeping his ministers waiting for a long time. The first to come out were nine protocol officers. They stepped in unison and relayed the message in the form of "Luchuan" to announce the emperor's arrival.

The emperor sat upright on the sedan chair and was carried into the palace by eight strong eunuchs and went straight to the throne.

This was the first time Hei Fu saw the first emperor again after he came to Xianyang. There was no gorgeous appearance, but instead a simplicity that surprised Hei Fu.

Qin Shihuang sought change and innovation in everything he did, even changing his formal clothes. He abolished the crown and robes that had been passed down for hundreds of years and replaced them with the simple "袀玄". This is a completely black deep clothing, which conforms to the new system of the Qin Dynasty that values water virtue and black.

But under the simplicity, there is no carelessness. On his back is the Tai'a sword which is more than three feet long. After getting off the chariot, he kneels on the emperor's couch, and next to him is the imperial seal carved from the Heshi Bi...

With the appearance of the emperor, Hei Fu and other palace guards raised their flags and shouted "alert", leading the ministers to pay tribute in shifts according to their ranks.

"Long live your majesty!"

"Long live your majesty!"

All the ministers bowed their heads and bowed, and Hei Fu also knelt on one knee.

While shouting, he secretly glanced at the First Emperor on the imperial couch. Due to the angle, he could not see the emperor's expression. He only saw the round Heshi Bi on the imperial table, reflecting the candlelight, like power, dazzling...

...

"The decree said: I heard that in ancient times, there were titles but no posthumous titles. In the middle ages, there were titles, and the posthumous titles were based on behavior after death. In this way, sons discuss their fathers and ministers discuss their monarchs. It is very meaningless. I do not accept it!"

After the emperor waved his hand to let the ministers excuse themselves from the ceremony, the first thing to do in the grand court meeting was for the usher wearing a mountain crown to read the imperial edict for the emperor.

"From now on, the posthumous title law will be abolished. I am the First Emperor. Future generations will count by the second, third, and even ten thousand generations, and it will be passed down forever!"

All the ministers praised, but the doctoral Confucian scholars Zhou Qingchen and Fu Sheng, who were able to listen to the court meeting at the end of the hall, had stiff faces. Confucian scholars are best at mastering allusions and discussing posthumous titles. When the emperor abolished the posthumous title law, they lost a major power.

However, this was the emperor's will, and the doctors did not dare to oppose it openly. They could only endure it. After all, today, there was something more important to report to the emperor for his decision.

"That is the real event that will affect the future generations." Zhou Qingchen said to himself, and shook his head at the doctors, asking them to be patient.

In addition to abolishing the posthumous title law, the emperor also honored King Zhuangxiang as the Supreme Emperor, but did not honor the Supreme Empress. Everyone knew the reason, and no one dared to say more.

In addition, it was officially announced that Qin was the water virtue, the year was changed to "the 26th year of the First Emperor", and October was still the official calendar. Clothes, flags, and banners were all black...

Heifu knew that in recent days, many Yin-Yang masters from Yan and Qi invited by Wang Wan frequently entered and exited the palace to meet the emperor. They talked about Zou Yan's theory of the five virtues and concluded that Qin was the water virtue.

It is also said that every change of dynasty is accompanied by auspicious signs. The auspicious sign of Qin is the black dragon that was rumored to have appeared in Longshouyuan hundreds of years ago. This is also the reason why the emperor held a court meeting in Zhangtai Palace instead of Xianyang Palace.

His Majesty is very superstitious about Yin-Yang numbers.

The usher read out: "The number is six, the talisman and the crown are both six inches, and the carriage is six feet, six feet is a step, and six horses are ridden..."

Heifu almost couldn't help laughing.

This is the mysterious worship and pursuit of the "number of six six" by the Yin-Yang School and the emperor, but when the usher read it out at this moment, Heifu couldn't help laughing...

"Is His Majesty the Emperor shouting six six six six six to the world?"

...

Heifu didn't laugh at least, otherwise his story might end here today.

When the imperial edict was announced, the ministers who had been standing for a long time were finally able to sit down. The emperor treated his ministers very humanely. Not only did they have their own seats, but he also asked the eunuchs to offer them "legal wine".

Unfortunately, the guards had no seats. Fortunately, when Hei Fu was in the army, he liked to lead his men to stand in military posture. Standing for several hours was not a big deal...

Today's main show has just begun. The ministers toasted the emperor in turn according to their positions, which is the so-called "longevity".

Wang Jian, Marquis of Wucheng, was the first to be affected. He stood up and went to the hall. After toasting for the birthday, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty did not mind that I was useless. You entrusted me with an army of 600,000 to attack Chu. I was delayed for half a year, but you did not urge me. Instead, you gave me countless fields every month. Now you have promoted me to Marquis of Che. I am really ashamed."

"Now that I am old and retired, the only thing I am worried about is my only son Wang Ben. He is far away in Qi, thousands of miles away. If one day I am seriously ill and dying, I can't rush back to see him for the last time. I hope the king can order Wang Ben to be transferred back to Xianyang to see me off..."

Wang Li, who was opposite Heifu, did not change his expression, but his breathing became a little faster. Even Heifu could understand that Wang Jian wanted his son to hand over the military power to reassure the emperor.

Qin Shi Huang refused, and replied to Wang Jian: "General, how can you say you are old? Old General Wang may continue to expand territory for me, let alone young General Wang? Qi is newly annexed, and must be guarded by a general."

He also pointed to your majesty's Wang Li and said with a smile: "Wait until the new young General Wang can guard the territory for me, and then let Wang Ben come back!"

Wang Li felt very honored, but Wang Jian sighed secretly, thanked him and returned to his seat.

Next, it was the right prime minister Wei Zhuang. This old minister, who was older than Wang Jian, moved slowly and spoke long-windedly, all praising his merits. After the emperor listened patiently, he asked the eunuch to help him back to his seat, and also instructed the censor not to embarrass the old prime minister even if he had any foolish behavior...

As soon as Wei Zhuang sat down, the left prime minister Wang Wan stood up impatiently, and it was finally his turn!

"Your Majesty has conquered the world, captured and destroyed the six kings, and united the people from thousands of miles away. This has never happened since the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors!"

Wang Wan was from Shandong. When he was young, he had been in the Jixia Academy and was friendly with Confucianists and Yin-Yangists. It was he who suggested that the emperor recruit Shandong scholars as doctors. This was an attempt by the Qin Dynasty to attract Shandong talents to the court on a large scale.

This move achieved good results. Although some scholars were stubborn, Zhou Qingchen, Fu Sheng, Qi Diao, Le Zheng, Shusun Tong and others entered Qin one after another.

They played to their strengths, listed the rituals of the six countries, selected the best, combined the inherent rituals of Yin, Zhou and Qin, and finally had the grand rituals and music of today's grand court meeting.

In addition, some Yin-Yangists also came to Xianyang. The emperor was much more interested in them than Confucian scholars. It was their credit to determine the virtue of water and count six as a rule.

It was also Wang Wan's credit.

The right prime minister was too old to handle the affairs, and Wang Wan only thought that he, the left prime minister, would be the only one to take the lead in this new dynasty and the days of renewal of all rituals!

So, Wang Wan, who was flattered by the doctors, after toasting and praising the emperor's achievements, boldly put forward a suggestion.

"However, the world is vast, the princes have just been defeated, and the people are not at ease. Especially since Yan, Qi, Jing and other places are far away, it may be inconvenient to establish counties. In the past, when Zhou Wu destroyed Zhou, he made his sons open up land and make them princes, and borrowed land in real terms. In this way, the borders were stable and the barbarians entered the court. Your Majesty has many sons, so it is better to make them princes to guard the borders of Yan, Qi, and Jing. I risk my life to make suggestions, and I hope the emperor will agree!"

In the huge hall, there was silence. Some people looked at Wang Wan, while those who had received the news in advance looked at Qin Shihuang.

The emperor did not say much, not even showing a biased expression, but just said lightly: "What do you think?"

As if they had discussed it beforehand, the civil officials came out one after another and said: "The Qin law has an order that the royal family cannot be registered without military merit, and the princes and grandsons are included. Now that your majesty has ascended the throne of the emperor, the people of Guanzhong have been granted a first-level title, but more than ten sons have not been rewarded. Why not follow the words of the left prime minister and let them be enfeoffed, which can not only honor the princes' positions, but also guard the borders, isn't it beautiful?"

The doctors at the end of the hall were waiting for this moment, and they also quoted classics and talked about "Zhou Wenwu enfeoffed, so that Zhou lived for 800 years", and Qin succeeded Yin and Zhou, and should continue this practice...

Even in the military officials, except for Wang Jian who sat down and closed his eyes and kept silent, the generals who were enfeoffed as Shangqing for their merits also expressed their support.

For a while, most of the ministers in the hall agreed, saying that it was convenient to feudalize the children.

Only Heifu lowered his head, feeling a little uneasy for Wang Wan!

Sure enough, amid the voices of approval, the long-awaited court judge Li Si stood up and walked to the center of the hall.

Holding the white jade sceptre, he bowed heavily to the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, I think that the feudalism of the left prime minister and the ministers is all pedantic!"

As soon as these words came out, the hall, which had just been discussing heatedly, cooled down in vain.

Wang Wan did not expect that Li Si, who had not opposed this matter when he was informed in advance, would stand on the opposite side of him at this moment. He was caught off guard and felt a little angry.

The ministers widened their eyes, and the doctors looked at Li Si with hostility. Some people who had just spoken in agreement immediately shut up and began to retreat to their seats, ready to observe the situation again.

"Here it comes!"

Only Hei Fu clenched his fists. He had expected this, but he did not expect that the dispute between the feudal system of the prefectures and counties and the dispute over national policy would become so tense at the first grand court meeting!