In Zhangtai Palace, King Zhuangxiang's face was unusually pale. His pupils were bloodshot and he looked weak.
Lu Buwei stood beside him and looked at King Zhuang Xiang. He could not help but sigh.
"Three years."
"In just three short years, I will be leaving.”
"What a big joke.”
King Zhuang Xiang of Qin looked at Xianyang City in the distance. There were layers upon layers of houses, wisps of smoke, and cheers.
Those represented power. King Zhuang Xiang stretched out his right hand as if he was grabbing something.
His eyes were filled with desire. He did not want to die.
"Your Majesty is blessed and will definitely recover.”Lu Buwei bowed.
However, King Zhuang Xiang only chuckled and put down his right hand dejectedly.
As the King of Qin, countless people would risk their lives for him with a single order. Wherever his sword pointed, countless people would go through fire and water.
However, the only thing his power could not allow him to grasp was his passing life.
He knew his body better than anyone else. He really did not have much time left.
When he was a hostage in Zhao, he had suffered too much and his body was already in deficit. He should be satisfied to be able to sit on the throne for three years.
"I heard that there was a fierce general in the army of General Meng Ao and General Wang He, who was called the God of Killing by the people of the Three Jin Dynasties?”
King Zhuang Xiang collected his thoughts and asked indifferently.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Today, he, Meng Ao, Wang He, Meng Tian, and the other generals will come to visit Your Majesty.”Lu Buwei replied.
King Zhuang Xiang nodded.
"The God of Killing."
"It's just that I don't know if he can become Lord Wu An.”
Lu Buwei's expression changed slightly. He could not guess what King Zhuang Xiang meant.
Lord Wu 'an was a taboo to Great Qin. He was Great Qin's most famous general and the person with the most military merits.
However, he was also killed by King Zhaoxiang because of his high achievements.
Did King Zhuang Xiang want Zhao Mu to become Great Qin's Lord of Wu 'an, or did he not want him to become Great Qin's Lord of Wu' an?
Lu Buwei was confused.
The later generations only knew that Lord Wu 'an's Baiqi was a great noble, but he was eventually given the death penalty. They felt that King Zhao Xiang was too narrow-minded. After all, there were four other titles above him, Lord Wu' an would definitely not be promoted without a chance.
However, very few people knew that after Shang Yang's reform, according to the Book of Lord Shang, Great Qin only had seventeen ranks of nobility, and the highest rank was Daliangzao.
It was only later on that the system was changed, changing from Daliangzao to Dashangzao, and many more changes were made, increasing the titles of Siche Shuchang, Dashuchang, and the marquises inside the pass.
Later on, when the rank 20 title was completely set, the Han Dynasty directly used it.
In addition, the First Emperor had a very strict control over the two titles of Marquis of the Pass and Marquis of Che. Wang Jian and Wang Ben had made many contributions to the destruction of the Great Qin Empire during the process of unifying the six countries. That was why they were granted the title of Marquis. They were still Marquis of the Pass, not Marquis of Che.
It was to the point that Wang Jian sighed at how difficult it was to become a marquis.
On the other hand, it was because of the promotion of nobility and the control of the First Emperor that the famous generals under the First Emperor did not have to worry about not being promoted. They threatened the throne of the King of Qin like Lord Wu 'an, and it also ensured that the First Emperor had never killed a meritorious minister.
From this, it was not difficult to see that the First Emperor had his own purpose in strictly controlling the rise of the nobility.
King Zhuang Xiang returned to the main hall and knelt on the throne.
He was waiting for the generals of this war to enter the palace.
Not long after, Meng Ao, Wang He, Meng Tian, and Zhao Mu walked into the hall and bowed to King Zhuang Xiang.
The civil and military officials on both sides were already kneeling on the ground in an orderly manner.
Meng Ao was the first to plead guilty." I was incompetent and was defeated by Lord Xinling's army. Please punish me."”
King Zhuang Xiang smiled and said," General Meng, you don't have to be like this. Victory and defeat are common in military strategists. How can there be a general who always wins? Moreover, Lord Xinling has never threatened the Great Qin Empire. This time, the merits and demerits offset each other. General Meng, you don't have to blame yourself.”
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Meng Ao bowed and thanked him. He retreated to his seat and knelt down.
King Zhuang Xiang looked at Wang He and said," General Wang He, guarding the rear, you've worked hard and made great contributions. However, you've lost this battle, so your merits and demerits are offset. How about it?"”
Wang He's expression did not change. He bowed and said,""Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After saying that, he retreated to his seat and knelt down.
Next were the two young generals, Meng Tian and Zhao Mu.
All the officials looked at the two youths.
Many of them did not understand why King Zhuang Xiang had called Meng Tian and Zhao Mu to Zhangtai Palace.
"Meng Tian, you fought a bloody battle to bring up the rear. You have made a great contribution and must be rewarded.”
King Zhuang Xiang's words shocked everyone present. This duke was an eighth-grade noble title, which was considered a high-grade noble title among the 20th-grade noble titles of the Qin army.
Meng Tian was young and held a high position. This was a signal that not only did the King not lose his trust in Meng tribe because of Meng Ao's defeat, he even trusted Meng tribe more.
Meng Tian had already learned from Zhao Mu the reason why she was given a high position, so she was not very excited. However, she still thanked King Zhuang Xiang with tears of gratitude and vowed to go through fire and water.
After Meng Tian left, many people's gazes gathered on him. Some were even filled with jealousy.
Meng Tian's expression did not change.
From the moment he stepped into the officialdom, Meng Ao had told him about today's situation. Those who were not envied by others were mediocre, and those who had enemies in the officialdom were those who could survive smoothly.
If an official was so popular that he did not have any enemies, then the monarch would definitely become the enemy of this official.
This was the principle of survival in officialdom.
"Zhao Mu, I heard that you are called the God of Killing by the people of the Third Jin?”King Zhuang Xiang looked at the seventeen-year-old Zhao Mu with interest.
He had his own arrangements for Zhao Mu.
Zhao Mu bowed and said,"It's all the enemy's nonsense. I've made a fool of myself in front of the king."”
King Zhuang Xiang shook his head and said," No, I already know about your bravery. Why don't you let me and the ministers broaden their horizons today?"”
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