In the morning, the sun rose from the east and the autumn wind blew.
In the Zhangtai Palace's court assembly hall, nearly a hundred officials and generals of all levels entered the hall in order and were arranged according to their ranks.
At the top of the hall, behind the high steps, there were two seats, one in front and one behind, separating some distance.
Ying Zheng was sitting at the back while Zhao Ji was sitting at the front.
The two of them had different expressions. Ying Zheng's expression was calm, and his gaze was like the deep sea. He was calm to the extreme.
On the other hand, Concubine Zhao's face was radiant, and the smile on her lips showed her good mood at the moment.
In Concubine Zhao's opinion, the previous court meetings were too boring. All kinds of wrangling and mutual accusations made people doze off.
Now that the dog was about to enter the royal court, he could sit on the throne and exchange glances with him in the future. Just thinking about it was extremely interesting.
"Dog…"
The elegant and dignified Lady Zhao secretly cursed Mr. Li in her heart. Last night, that dog went too far. He was crying and begging for mercy, but that dog was not obedient and only knew how to bully others.
Not long after, the court session entered its initial stage. One official after another opened their mouths to report various matters or make various suggestions, hoping to be adopted.
At this stage, the Qin State had yet to unify the world, and the three dukes and nine ministers had yet to be born. After Shang Yang's reform, many new official positions had been added.
Prime Minister, State Lieutenant, Left and Right Prime Minister, Imperial Censor, and the other five positions were the highest. Below them was the position of High Official.
The official system at the end of the Warring States Period was influenced by the Spring and Autumn Period and the Zhou Dynasty. The monarch, the officials, and the scholar-bureaucrats ruled the world together. The officials were divided into three levels: Shangqing, Zhongqing, and Xiqing. The local officials were also divided into three levels: upper, middle, and lower.
Sometimes, a high official was both a real official position and a virtual advisor title. It all depended on how much the emperor trusted you.
At his strongest, the minister was equivalent to a prime minister and could control the government. At his weakest, he was an advisor who specialized in making suggestions.
For example, the Great General Meng Ao of the State of Qin who had just passed away not long ago. His position in the army was not inferior to the Marquis of Wucheng, Wang Jian. His position was the Minister of the State of Qin, and was now taken over by Meng Wu.
…
In the court hall, the reports gradually quieted down. No one spoke anymore. It was obvious that they were waiting for the next court session to go home for lunch.
At this moment, Concubine Zhao moistened her throat, raised her voice, and said loudly," A few days ago, I met Jiang Li, who came to Qin from Handan, in Ganquan Palace. I'm sure you're familiar with Mr. Li. Such a great talent should be kept in Qin to carry out Duke Xiao's will. If any guest or minister can come up with a strange plan to strengthen Qin, Qin will respect his official position and divide the land with him.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell into silence. Many high officials and marquises looked at each other and exchanged glances.
Recently, Xianyang City was in an uproar. How could Master Li be unfamiliar with this?
Moreover, Jiang Li went to Ganquan Palace every day. This was undoubtedly because he had relied on the Empress Dowager and wanted to become her lackey. Perhaps the Empress Dowager's purpose was to let Jiang Li use his fame to go against Lu.
Of course, no one knew that Mister Li had already become Empress Dowager Ji's vassal. They spent almost every night together, and the beauty of his life was unimaginable.
After a moment of silence, the number one figure under Lady Zhao, Right Prime Minister Kui Zhuang, took a step forward.
Kui Zhuang held the court board in his hand and looked around." Empress Dowager is right. Mr. Li is knowledgeable and proficient in all aspects of literature and martial arts. He is a capable person who can stabilize the country and govern the country. Mr. Li came to Qin from Handan and wanted to show what he had learned in his life. Qin is thirsty for talents. We must not miss such a talented person. This will cause Mr. Li to abandon Qin and join the six Eastern countries.”
"Prime Minister Kui is wrong."
A middle-aged man dressed in the official uniform of the Imperial Censor stepped forward. He was called Yao Jia, one of the two subordinate officials of Imperial Censor Wang Wan.
Yao Jia, who had stepped out of the crowd, looked at Right Prime Minister Kui Zhuang and said loudly,""Mr. Li is indeed knowledgeable and we are sincerely convinced. However, Mr. Li has not made any contributions. If you can take up an important position just because of your reputation, I believe many of our colleagues will be slightly dissatisfied.”
Above, Concubine Zhao had expected that some ministers would refute and interfere. She said in a clear voice," When I met Jiang Li, he presented three strange items to the State of Qin. We'll discuss it again when you see them.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Ji gave the proctor a sideways glance, asking him to summon the people into the hall.
"Jiang Li, from Handan, Zhao, has entered the palace!”
A loud and clear shout came from outside the hall, passed through one person after another, and entered Jiang Li's ears, who had been waiting for a long time.
In a small hall next to the court hall, a middle-aged eunuch respectfully said,""Mister Li, the Empress Dowager has summoned you into the palace.”
Jiang Li smiled and nodded. He strode toward the court assembly hall not far away.
At the same time, four eunuchs carried a low table and followed behind Jiang Li.
There were three items on the table. They were rice paper, a printed version, and a compass.
It was easy to become a high official, but it was difficult to become a marquis. Without great contributions, even if Lady Zhao was speechless, there would be endless objections.
The Meng family, a top-notch family of generals, had made great contributions to the expansion of the Qin country. However, no one from the Meng family had received a Marquis title. The deceased Meng Ao, the current Meng Wu, and even the future Meng Yi and Meng Tian had not received a Marquis title.
However, the Wang Clan, which was also a top-notch military family, would have three marquises in the future. Marquis Wucheng Wang Jian, Marquis Tongwu Wang Ben, and Wang Li, who succeeded Marquis Wucheng after Wang Jian's death. The Meng Clan and the Wang Clan received vastly different treatment for some unknown reason.
…
Zhangtai Palace's court meeting hall was extremely spacious. The painted round wooden pillars supporting the hall were about ten meters tall. The roof of the hall was supported by crisscrossing beams. There were many people in the hall. High officials and marquises were arranged in layers, nearly a hundred people. At the top, Concubine Zhao and Ying Zheng sat solemnly, looking down.
As he walked into the court assembly hall, nearly a hundred pairs of eyes were fixed on Jiang Li.
? Ying Zheng's expression was calm, and no reaction could be seen.
Concubine Zhao's phoenix eyes lit up, and the corners of her mouth automatically curled up into a smile.
Lu Buwei straightened his back and raised his head, his eyes shining brightly.
Lord Chang Ping's pupils moved slightly as he slowly sized her up.
Right Prime Minister Kui Zhuang had a kind smile on his face as if he was looking at an old friend.
Marquis Wucheng Wang Jian and High Official Meng Wu didn't move at all, as if this matter didn't concern them.
The sound of footsteps broke the silence. Jiang Li came to the middle of the two rows of high-ranking officials and marquises. He bowed slightly and put his sleeves forward. He cupped his hands and said,""Jiang Li from Handan of the State of Zhao greets the King of Qin and the Empress Dowager.”
He was not from the State of Qin and had yet to enter the court as an official. He was also a celebrity. Under the watchful eyes of the public, he could not directly address the king and empress dowager as he entered the palace for the first time.
"Mr. Li, please excuse me!"
Ying Zheng was the first to speak. His voice was as calm as clear water, and no one could detect any emotional fluctuations.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Li immediately lowered his sleeves and stopped saluting. He stood neatly, allowing the Empress Dowager to admire him.
At this moment, Lu Buwei raised his eyes and looked at Lady Zhao, sneering in his heart.
Mistress Zhao's reaction was so obvious, and Lu Buwei had already guessed that the two of them were definitely in cahoots.
"Master Li, you go to Ganquan Palace every day. Is the painting teacher painting on a bed?”
Lu Buwei whispered to himself. His thick eyebrows furrowed slightly as he pondered whether he should suppress Jiang Li or rope in this man so that Ying Zheng would not be able to get involved in politics.
Based on his understanding of Lady Zhao, she had been lonely and bored for more than ten years. Now that she had suddenly met a man like Jiang Li, who was both talented and handsome, and had been rolling around every day, Lady Zhao would not be in the mood to listen to politics from behind the curtain. She would most likely obey whatever Jiang Li said.
If Jiang Li was ambitious enough, then he would be a friend, not an enemy. Moreover, Jiang Li was much stronger than Lao Ai, and there was a huge gap between heaven and earth. If Ying Zheng wanted to cooperate with Jiang Li and take over the government himself, he would have to wait until the Prime Minister abdicated.
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