The Great Qin Empire---Qin Li

"Thank you for your advice, otherwise how could Heifu know so many anecdotes from the imperial court."

After the discussion in Qinian Palace, Heifu caught up with Nei Shiteng and thanked him after leaving the hall.

Nei Shiteng looked at his son-in-law, stroked his beard and said, "You came up with the idea yourself, I just supplemented it a little."

Having said that, Heifu knew that if he didn't communicate with Nei Shiteng, the answer he submitted would get at most 70 points. Ye Teng taught him some wording and anecdotes from the imperial court, which made his persuasiveness much stronger, at least 90 points.

He secretly said: "My meaning at that time was that my father-in-law could offer advice as an internal historian. As an internal historian, it was natural for him to propose to consolidate Guanxi. But he asked me to find an opportunity to offer advice myself. Is he paving the way for me..."

Nei Shiteng knew that he was a Han Chinese, but he joined Qin to destroy Han, and was hated by the Han people. The only thing he relied on in the court was the emperor's trust. Once this support was gone, the end of the Ye family would probably be miserable.

He had no sons, only one daughter. Although there were several nephews in the family, they were all untalented. In this way, Heifu, the son-in-law who was a "half-son", became the only hope for the family's future.

It was because of Heifu's rising potential that Ye Teng agreed to this marriage without hesitation. He had accumulated a political foundation in Nanjun for many years, and Heifu had an unlimited future. The two sides simply hit it off.

Now, he felt more and more that his decision was right. Heifu once proposed to establish Yuzhang County and Nanchang City south of Pengli Lake in order to "prosper the southern border", which was only a strategy for one county. But during the journey west with the emperor, Heifu found Neishiteng and proposed the idea of "solidifying the foundation", which can be regarded as a national strategy!

However, Qin Shihuang still had the old habit and did not agree on the spot. Instead, he asked the ministers to express their views after they came down, and also issued an edict back to Xianyang, asking the prime minister, the imperial censor, the court judge, etc. to participate in the discussion.

After all, it is a national policy. Once it is determined, it will have a great impact.

So Heifu was a little unsure. After returning to his residence, he visited Ye Teng again, sat opposite him, and asked, "Do you think that His Majesty will agree with this policy?"

Ye Teng said, "You said that His Majesty likes to be quick, and what you said just hits the point. His Majesty will not be disgusted."

"As for whether he will agree, His Majesty generally considers two things. One is His Majesty's desire. Once he decides on something, he will do it until it is completed. The second is the opinions of the ministers in the court."

Next, Ye Teng showed his old politician's interests and helped Heifu analyze which ministers in the court would support this policy.

"The most supportive of this policy are the old Qin clans such as Meng, Xi, and Bai."

For these local forces, the focus of the emperor's national policy has been away from Guanxi for a long time. It's okay to annex the six countries, but after fighting the six countries, they have to transfer their own children to the distant and hot south. They feel incomprehensible, but they dare not resist, so they can only go on the road reluctantly.

But now, Heifu, the first general to "guard Jiangnan", has betrayed the Southward Advance faction, which had few supporters, and instead advocated the Westward Advance, first consolidating Longxi, Beidi, and Shangjun, and then going out of the Great Wall to open up the land of Ronghu.

For the Qin people in Guanxi, these places are just like their own doorsteps, and they can get used to the local customs and habits, which is much better than going to Jiangnan. Moreover, once the westward advancement is determined as a national policy, the children will also have the opportunity to use the familiar chariots, cavalry, bows and horses to make meritorious deeds.

So just now in the palace, the three elders Meng Xibai desperately seconded the proposal, and their eyes became extremely kind when they looked at Heifu. The patriarch of the Meng family even asked if he was married, and left in a huff when he heard that he married the daughter of the internal historian.

Whenever troops are raised on the border, good generals must be sought. The second batch of ministers who may support Heifu are the border generals.

Ye Teng said: "I heard that Li Xin, the lieutenant of Longxi County, has been depressed since the first attack on Chu. He is over 30 years old, but his hair is completely white. Although he made military achievements when destroying Yan and Qi, he lost the favor of the emperor and was driven to Longxi to guard the border. He is probably the one who supports the use of troops against Hexi the most!"

"There is also Meng Tian, who stayed in Shangjun for three years. When destroying Dai, he led the Shangjun Diqi to Yanmen and confronted the Xiongnu Chanyu who supported Dai. When you and Zijin returned to Nanjun, he also wrote a letter to propose to prepare for the border in Shangjun and compete with the Xiongnu for Henan."

"If nothing unexpected happens, these two people will submit a memorial to support the proposal."

Heifu nodded. Li Xin is fine, but as for Meng Tian, he was the main general in the Qin Dynasty's northern expedition against the Xiongnu in history. However, Qin Shihuang is not very interested in using troops in the north. Meng Tian is the position of Shaofu Shaojian, responsible for all weights and measures.

Hei Fu smiled and said, "Will my father-in-law also write a petition in support?"

"Of course."

Ye Teng said as a matter of course, "If I were the governor of Nanjun, I would definitely support the southward advance, garrison Jiangnan, and conquer Baiyue. But now I am the internal historian, and the south has nothing to do with me. Instead, I will consolidate Guanzhong, open up the borders of the three counties, raise food, and recruit soldiers. I will have more opportunities to use my skills!"

From the internal historian to becoming a nine minister, and even a glimpse of the position of censor and prime minister, it will take several years to go!

Hei Fu understood that his father-in-law really puts profit above all else...

However, he still had some concerns and hesitated to speak.

Ye Teng saw Hei Fu's thoughts and said self-deprecatingly: "If I deliberately raised objections to avoid suspicion, it would be too deliberate. Your Majesty can see it at a glance. Who in the court doesn't know about our relationship? It's better to be open and aboveboard. It's an open conspiracy, which is for the benefit of the country. Who can say it's not right?"

In any case, there are obviously more ministers in the court who support the westward advance. Judging from public opinion alone, this matter is already settled.

At this time, Ye Teng said: "But don't be too happy too soon. I know one person who will definitely oppose this matter! At least he will oppose the expedition to Hexi."

"Who?" Hei Fu asked.

Ye Teng smiled and kept it a secret: "The world is bustling with people all for profit, and the world is bustling with people all for profit. Who do you think it is?"

Hei Fu suddenly realized and whispered: "The old man is referring to... Wu Shiluo?"

...

"Wu Shiluo said that Qin has always been in harmony with the Qiang and Yuezhi, so why attack them for no reason? Every year, silk and silk are exchanged for cattle and horses, which is very beneficial to the Central Plains..."

Ten days later, in the Qinian Palace, Qin Shihuang put down the memorial in his hand, shook his head, and commented: "Sure enough, no matter how big a merchant is, he is still a merchant. He only sees the petty profits in front of him. Wu Shiluo is far inferior to Tao Zhu!"

He turned to look at Zhao Gao, the Minister of the Central Chariot House, who was drafting an edict for him and had not expressed any opinions on the Qinian Palace for ten days.

"Zhao Gao, what do you think?"

Zhao Gao smiled and said, "I dare not go beyond my position and talk nonsense about political affairs."

The emperor frowned: "Heifu is the Minister of the Imperial Household. With my permission, he can also make suggestions. Why can't you?"

Zhao Gao hurriedly asked the emperor to atone for his sins, and then said: "I think that the words of the Minister of the Imperial Household are mature and well-founded. It is really not something a young man in his twenties can say. Thinking of his background, I am even more surprised..."

Qin Shihuang heard what Zhao Gao had not said, but he didn't care: "Although Heifu is not good at writing, his foundation is not bad."

He pointed to the thick hemp paper thread-bound book on the table and said: "This time when he returned to Xianyang, Heifu presented the revised "Southern Expedition Records". The whole book was written for more than 300 days and tens of thousands of words. Although the text is simple, it is really not easy. Thanks to this book, I can know the customs and customs of Jiangnan."

"Furthermore, since the discussion of the title, Heifu has been running to the censor's room frequently, and he is also friends with Zhang Cang, the historian of the pillar. After a year, he can even quote from the classics when speaking. I asked him why he could do so, and he replied, 'Last time the discussion of the establishment of counties and prefectures was held, your majesty ordered me to look up books, and after reading them, I learned about the three rebellions of the Marquis of Shu. I felt ashamed of my ignorance and could only work hard to make progress.'"

Then Qin Shihuang pointed at Zhao Gao and said, "Speaking of which, this boy's desire to learn and make progress is somewhat similar to yours. More than ten years ago, I said that your handwriting was ugly, and you practiced calligraphy day and night, regardless of the cold and heat, and became one of the top three calligraphers in the court!"

Zhao Gao laughed and said, "So that's the case. In time, your majesty may have another doctor."

But the emperor shook his head: "It's a waste for a man of all talents in civil and military affairs to become a useless doctor?"

"But, the Minister of the Imperial Household has the ambition to be a marquis."

Zhao Gao smiled and agreed, but he was more afraid of Heifu in his heart.

Yes, like him, he was born in a humble family. Like him, he was good at guessing the emperor's mind. Like him, he was quite motivated.

But the difference was that Heifu had solid military achievements, novel ideas, and strategies that the emperor praised, which Zhao Gao did not have. How old is he, but he has already made suggestions on national policies. What will happen in a few years?

Zhao Gao shuddered when he thought of the murderous intention that Heifu accidentally revealed in Chen Ying.

"What if this guy really wants to kill me? When he is in a high position, won't I have to sit and wait for death?"

But when faced with Heifu's proposal, Zhao Gao was frustrated to find that it was really watertight. Expanding the border, making quick profits, and making long-term plans were all things that the emperor cared about. Coupled with the politically correct "solidification" strategy, it was impossible to correct the mistake.

So he could only follow the emperor's words, and after praising Heifu, he said unintentionally:

"I am just surprised. Shaofu Cheng was originally a Sima of the other army who opened up Yuzhang and guarded Jiangnan. He built Nanchang City and asked to set up Yuzhang County. He also proposed to enfeoff his sons and daughters to Shanggan and Cangwu. He obviously supported the southward advance. But why did he suddenly change his mind after returning to Nanjun after getting married, and thought that Guanzhong should be consolidated and the land of Hurong should be expanded to the west first? This is unreasonable..."

At this point, Zhao Gao stopped talking and apologized: "I am too suspicious, please don't blame me, Your Majesty!"

Although it was just a slight mention, it was enough. It certainly would not be fatal, and it would not even affect the decision this time, but it could plant a seed of doubt in your Majesty's heart: Heifu also has selfish motives, and is not completely loyal to the country!

Be patient, spend a few years or ten years, slowly irrigate the seeds and let them germinate, and eventually they will grow into a fierce vine that can strangle people to death!

Back then, he relied on this invisible means to make several heroes of the Qinian Palace Incident alienated from His Majesty, and eventually, under different reasons, they betrayed the country one after another! Afterwards, His Majesty would only feel that his intentional or unintentional reminders were a manifestation of identifying traitors.

Qin Shihuang glanced at Zhao Gao, pondered for a moment, but did not mention the matter again. It was not until Zhao Gao was about to leave that the emperor issued an oral order.

"The day after tomorrow, the emperor will set off, pass through Longguan, and enter Longxi County. Since he is leaving the territory of Neishi, and Neishi Teng is old, there is no need to accompany him. Let him go back to Xianyang!"