I am already immortal, why should I ascend to become an immortal?

Chapter 173: Cannibalism, storing people for food; destroying a country is no joke, Prime Minister, you are naive (6.2k)

Among the court officials at this time, most of the important positions were still held by Lu Buwei's followers.

But after experiencing the experience of donating to the country, their mentality underwent a subtle change without them even realizing it.

As for the military generals, they were even more grateful that the King of Qin at that time had such great ambitions.

"Your Majesty, destroying a country is no joke, especially when conquering it by force."

Lu Buwei's words were like pouring a basin of cold water on a hot iron.

With these words, the arrogance of the crowd was instantly extinguished by more than half.

The seven kingdoms in the Central Plains were at war for years, but none of them was destroyed. There is a reason for this.

Not to mention that all countries are not as soft as the emperor, who can be bullied by others.

Speaking of military strength and generals, although there are differences among the seven countries, there is no one-sided crushing trend.

Moreover, national destiny can only be achieved within one's own territory.

If you donate your national fortune to a living person, outside of your own borders, not only will the ominous backlash be multiplied, but the effect will even be worse than within your own country.

Take the incident at Hangu Pass for example. Even though Ying Lou had made donations for three hundred miles outside the pass.

But when it reached the territory of Chu more than a hundred miles to the east, Qin's national fortune was no longer effective.

The north and south sides alone stretch for three hundred miles.

To put it another way, currently, apart from the Tang Kingdom's Fish Belly Sword in Jin Chan's hands,

Although the names of the Central Plains soldiers of the other five countries are known, their power remains a mystery.

Even if Xiang Yu's Lanjing chariot climbed the tower and fought to the death, it was still unknown whether he could destroy Hangu Pass, the number one pass in the world.

"My Lord Prime Minister, how can my Great Qin army of millions of tigers and wolves be afraid of a mere Qi State? You are afraid before the war even starts. Isn't this destroying your own prestige?"

"Besides, the unification was originally the result of the bloodshed of the Qin people. If we don't use force to conquer, could it be that the Prime Minister has other good ideas?"

Unlike those civil officials who are always hesitant and cautious, military generals like Zi'an don't care about those things.

He only knew that the Qin army was so brave that it could sweep across the six kingdoms.

Not allowing Zi'an to establish military merits would be even more painful than killing him.

"Haha, stupid! You are just a brave but foolish man!"

Lu Buwei snorted disdainfully, and in his hands he had a pair of shiny walnuts.

"Do you think you can destroy Qi just by force?"

Lu Buwei no longer paid attention to Zi'an, whose face was flushed red, and turned to ask the civil officials.

"Prime Minister, please don't keep me in suspense. Since you ask this, you must have a plan to deal with it!"

The person who said this was an old minister of the Qin State, who was estimated to be around 70 years old.

He is not from Lu Buwei's camp, but he is not loyal to Ying Lou either.

"If you want to destroy a country, why waste a single soldier?"

"I have already started planning five years ago. Judging from the timeline, I will be able to finish it in the spring of two months. Although I cannot annihilate Qi, I can make the King of Qi cede sixty-four cities to my Qin."

Without sacrificing a single soldier, we can force Qi to cede sixty-four cities!
The absurdity of this statement is no less than that Ying Lou donated Wanli's national destiny.

"Bullshit, you want them to cede 64 cities without sending troops? Do you think the King of Qi is a fool?"

Zi'an was the first to get angry. In his eyes, what Lu Buwei said just now was pure madness.

Since ancient times, there has never been a precedent of countries ceding the sixty-four cities, let alone small villages on the border.

Every inch of land was conquered by soldiers who fought bravely, sword by sword and gun by gun.

"Although the King of Qi is not very smart, you are a complete fool!"

Lu Buwei stood in front of Zi'an, a military general, and his burly figure was not inferior to Zi'an in momentum.

"伱"

Zi'an, who was not good at speaking, was so angry that his face turned red, and he wanted to go up and punch Lu Buwei directly.

"Stop arguing, or else the Prime Minister should just tell us what you think!"

Unlike Zi'an, Ying Lou, as the King of Qin, does not mix personal feelings when doing things.

Everything starts with purpose.

Of course, Ying Lou was indeed somewhat interested in what Lu Buwei had just said.

Forcing Qi to cede sixty-four cities without sacrificing a single soldier was indeed unheard of.

"Your Majesty, do you know that there is a species called red deer in Qi?"

"Red deer! I remember that this is an animal unique to Qi State, and it is rampant."

Ying Lou changed his posture and used his left hand to support his cheek.

By the way, he waved his finger and asked Zhao Gao to bring another chair.

"Yes, although this thing is called a deer, its entire body is rose red, and its body is only the size of a rabbit. You can buy one for only twenty cents. As for the taste, it can only be said to be barely edible, and the fur sheds and does not keep you warm!"

Lu Buwei stroked his beard, sat on the chair and said.

"What does this have to do with the cession of sixty-four cities?"

Ying Lou was puzzled.

"Five years ago, I offered 150 coins to buy it from Qi. Four years ago, the price was raised to 300 coins. This year, the price has even increased to one tael of silver per piece."

When Lu Buwei said this, he looked completely complacent.

He didn't care at all, Zi'an looked at him as if he was a fool.

"One ounce of silver for each? This thing is tasteless to eat, and the fur can't be used to make clothes. Prime Minister, you still call me stupid, I think you are the one with a brain burnt out!"

Zi'an said what he was thinking without any hesitation.

Although the others did not speak, their thoughts were probably similar to what Zi'an said.

Among the people present, only Ying Lou's expression gradually became serious.

"In the past five years, my bank has spent a total of 100 million taels of silver to purchase these things."

One hundred million taels of silver?
This is a terrifying number. No wonder people all over the world say that Lü Buwei is as rich as a country.

However, before everyone could be surprised, Lu Buwei once again said something shocking: "This ten million taels is only a small part of my wealth. You don't have to be so surprised!"

"You still say you are not stupid. If these silver coins were used for military pay, our Qin soldiers would surely be as powerful as tigers descending from the mountains."

Zi'an was so angry that his teeth were itching.

Ten million taels of silver!

Why do you have to buy a bunch of junk that can’t be eaten, used, or even used as medicine?

"Haha, you are such a brainless person!"

"In the past five years, everyone in Qi State has gone hunting. Even the fool King of Qi personally sent troops to the mountains, just for the little bit of silver in my hand."

"In the past five years, Qi State has abandoned tens of millions of acres of good land. If I hadn't sold them grain from the granaries of the world at a very low price, it is estimated that tens of millions of people would have died of famine in the fourth year!"

The Tianxia Money House and the Tianxia Grain House were established by Lü Buwei before he became an official in Qin.

As the names suggest, these two places gather all the wealth and food in the world.

"Prime Minister, you want to..."

Mr. Yuan, the Internal Secretary who was in charge of Qin's farming, suddenly spoke.

But he stopped halfway through his words.

"It's exactly what you think, Master Yuan!"

"It turns out that the brain of this civil servant is smarter than that of a warrior!"

Lu Buwei chuckled, and while speaking, he did not forget to mock Zi'an who was standing next to him.

Although Zi'an is a military officer, he has read a lot of books and is not as brainless as Lu Buwei just said.

"Humph, using grain to control the people and weaken Qi's national strength. Then, as long as you stop buying red deer, the grain stores in the world will cut off Qi's grain supply. The sudden famine will cause civil unrest in Qi. In addition, the Tian family is not popular among the people. The Prime Minister's method is indeed a good idea!"

Zi'an revealed Lu Buwei's intention, but at the same time he also found the loophole.

"But do you really think the Tian family of Qi is stupid? They can just go to Chu to buy grain. The money they have earned from you in the past five years is more than enough to buy at a high price. When the time comes, the national policy will be announced and all the people will have to continue farming. Within a year, the famine will be alleviated!"

"Prime Minister, your plan seems to have failed. Conquering cities and seizing territories is not something that a mere businessman like you can accomplish by just talking."

Qi State was located in the northernmost part of the Central Plains, bordering Chu State to the south and Qin State to the west.

Moreover, the huge Chu State was located in the water town of Jiangnan and had thousands of miles of fertile fields, with fertile land everywhere.

Not only is the country self-sufficient in food, but there is also surplus every year.

As long as the King of Qi is willing to pay a high price, there is no reason for the King of Chu to refuse.

"How can I not think of what you can think of?"

Lu Buwei chuckled.

"My bank has already reached a cooperation agreement with the royal family of Chu State, and twelve of the sixty-four cities will be given to Chu State!"

"Do you think the King of Chu would be interested in the twelve cities, or would he care about the little gold and silver of Qi?"

As soon as this statement came out, everyone was in an uproar.

The prime minister of Qin State actually had secret dealings with the royal family of Chu State. This crime was serious enough to exterminate three clans.

"Everyone, if the law does not work, it is the fault of the law. Although I trade with the royal family of Chu, my Great Qin can obtain 52 cities without shedding a drop of blood. Such an achievement is nothing compared to a mere trade!"

Although Lu Buwei's behavior violated the laws of the Qin Dynasty, what he said is not without reason.

If we really can take over fifty-two cities without losing a single soldier, even the laws can be changed.

After Lu Buwei finished speaking, he looked at Ying Lou, who had been sitting in the chair without saying a word.

Ying Lou remained calm and composed, not showing any shock at all from his previous remarks.

"My lord, this is what I told you before about unifying the world with 'resources'. Compared to your idea, isn't my idea easier and more reasonable?"

Lu Buwei stared at Ying Lou, his eyes full of unreserved confidence.

He didn't even try to suppress the upturned corners of his mouth.

This donation of Wanli's national destiny did make the civil officials gradually recognize Ying Lou at the beginning.

But who would have thought that this recognition did not even last a day before it was shattered by Lu Buwei's remarks.

pop, pop, pop
"Not bad, not bad, you are worthy of being my Prime Minister!"

Ying Lou was still sitting steadily on the chair, applauding Lu Buwei and speaking with a smile.

However, after hearing Ying Lou's praise, Lu Buwei's brows, which had been relaxed, suddenly furrowed together.

"The Prime Minister paid out of his own pocket to acquire fifty-two cities for our Great Qin. This achievement is enough to be recorded in the annals of history. Don't you agree?"

Ying Lou glanced at all the ministers and asked with a smile.

"Your Majesty, why do you have to keep us in suspense?"

Just when the ministers were preparing to flatter him, Lu Buwei, with a cold face, directly questioned Ying Lou.

"The Prime Minister's method just now is indeed good, but it is a pity that it was used in the wrong place. If it was used in Tang State, it might be successful."

"But if it were Qi, it would be less than 20%!"

Ying Lou patted his clothes, stood up, and walked slowly to Lu Buwei.

"Twenty percent?"

Lu Buwei crushed the walnuts in his hand and then looked over.

"Well, maybe less than 20%!" Ying Lou made a thinking expression and said again.

"My lord, it's no use just talking tough. Please tell me why the method I used just now has less than a 20% chance of success!"

Lu Buwei was not willing to be outdone.

He had spent tens of millions of taels of silver and laid out the plan for five years, so why did Ying Lou deny it?

"cannibal!"

Ying Lou spoke calmly and uttered two words.

"Cannibalism?"

Not only Lü Buwei was shocked, but all the civil and military officials were also shocked, including Zi'an, who had fought on the battlefield all his life and killed no less than 500 people with his long sword. Unlike the four seas and eight wastelands, the Central Plains had fertile land and was blessed by national destiny.

For thousands of years, there have been disasters at best but no catastrophes, and the phenomenon of cannibalism, which is against the will of heaven, has never occurred.

"The Tian family of Qi State, who replaced Queen Jiang with Tian, ​​once massacred more than 200,000 people. Prime Minister, do you remember that?"

These words were originally said by Lu Buwei to Ying Lou when the two were discussing the world a few days ago, but now Ying Lou asked the question back.

"So what?"

Lu Buwei asked doubtfully.

"Such a tyrannical clan, why would they care about the people? In their eyes, the people are just food, fat meat, and military rations."

"If Tian ordered that all women over 35 and men over 45 be kept in captivity as food, can Qi survive for a year?"

Ying Lou's words instantly made everyone feel a chill in their hearts.

How could the seven Central Plains countries, which claim to be the representatives of civilization, consider the idea of ​​cannibalism, which is only possible in barbaric places?

There is a reason why Ying Lou mentioned these two age groups of men and women.

Women over 35 are particularly pitiful. They are not as fertile as those in their teens or twenties. Even if they are eaten, it will not affect the foundation of the continuation of the bloodline of the Qi State.

The same is true for men over 45 years old. The decline in physical strength makes it difficult for them to work or join the military.

Instead of wasting food, it is better to let them become food.

"Yes, but"

Lu Buwei was about to explain himself but was interrupted.

"Not to mention cannibalism, even digging up graves and eating carrion is not impossible! Moreover, Qi has a large population. Even if 30% of the elderly, weak, sick and disabled women are eaten, it will not have any impact on its foundation. As long as it can hold on for a year, the famine crisis will naturally be resolved with a good harvest. Sixty-four cities, haha, will the King of Qi be the kind of monarch who puts the people first?"

In the palace of Qi State, although the king’s throne is high, it cannot hide the decay underneath.

The powerful and wealthy may be obsessed with fine buildings, music and dancing, and rampant greed, and turn a deaf ear to the suffering of the people.

Even if the fields are barren, the crops have failed, and you are starving and cannot find any food.

But as long as the royal family is wealthy, this is not a problem.

Even if the people had to eat their own children and use their own flesh and blood to maintain a glimmer of survival, as long as they could survive for a year, this would definitely be more acceptable to the Tian family of Qi than ceding sixty-four cities.

"If sixty-four cities are unacceptable, fifty-two cities, thirty-eight cities, or even twenty cities, as long as the King of Qi is willing, our Great Qin will not have to shed a drop of blood. No matter what the result is, it will not be a loss!"

Lu Buwei replied.

Businessmen care about gains and losses and returns on investment.

Although Lu Buwei had been sitting in the chair of Prime Minister of the Qin State for many years, his thinking pattern had been formed when he was young.

"Thirty-eight cities, twenty cities, or ten cities, if it really reaches the bottom line that King Qi can accept, it is not impossible."

"But what happens next? Once Qi solves the famine problem, they will send troops to attack the city. Should we fight or not?"

Ying Lou's questioning left Lu Buwei speechless.

If you want to fight, then why not fight at the beginning?

If we don't fight, wouldn't it be a waste of millions of taels of silver?

"Your Majesty, this is just your one-sided statement. Cannibalism is against the moral code. Even the Tian family of Qi would not dare to risk the wrath of the world by hoarding people for food!"

Although according to Ying Lou, Qi State did not need to cede cities to survive the famine crisis.

But even so, Lu Buwei still didn't want to believe that Qi would really dare to do so.

Not only Lu Buwei, but all the court officials did not believe that the King of Qi would be so cruel.

If such a thing really came out, it would definitely be abandoned by the other six countries.

"Sweeping across the six kingdoms will surely cause rivers of blood to flow throughout the world. Petty schemes will never achieve the goal of royal hegemony. Only through war can the truth of territorial expansion be achieved."

"Prime Minister, didn't you say before that you would finish your plan after the beginning of spring? Now it's less than 60 days away. I can forgive you for trading with the State of Chu, but if your plan fails, what will you do?"

Ying Lou returned to his seat and asked Lu Buwei indifferently.

He secretly traded with other countries and, in the name of prime minister, arbitrarily agreed to give up twelve cities. If Qin law were followed, these crimes would result in the extermination of his three clans.

"Your Majesty, please speak frankly. As the Prime Minister of the Great Qin State, I naturally know that what I did violated the law!"

Lu Buwei calmed down his inner restlessness. He knew that the guests sitting down were all waiting for his reply.

"Tianxia Bank, if the Prime Minister's plan fails, then your Tianxia Bank will belong to the Qin Dynasty. Otherwise, the generals guarding the western frontier will be appointed by you, the Prime Minister."

Ying Lou's words shocked everyone.

All the money houses in the world gather the wealth of the world. If they were to be given away, it would be tantamount to cutting off one of Lu Buwei's arms.

But then again, there are at least 800,000 troops guarding the western border, which is equivalent to handing over the military power of 800,000 troops.

The two are bets on each other, so they are equal.

"it is good!"

Now that things have come to this, if Lu Buwei refuses, it will shake the determination of the guests sitting there to follow him.

Moreover, military power was the thing that Lu Buwei lacked the most, so he had no reason to refuse such conditions.

Hearing this, Ying Lou laughed and said nothing more.

Ever since he donated Wanli's national destiny, the balance of the struggle for royal power has gradually moved towards him.

However, Ying Lou had his own arrangements for the affairs of Qi State and would never let it develop in the direction that Lu Buwei wanted.

After discussing this matter.

The next thing was that Ying Lou led the army in person.

No matter what the outcome of Qi State is, the emperor must go to Yinglou in person.

On the one hand, it was to prove to the six kingdoms that Great Qin had produced a person who could benefit the country's destiny and live forever.

On the other hand, Ying Lou also had to make preparations in advance to destroy Qi.

After everyone left, Ying Lou left Li Xin to ask some questions about Duyi County, and then told Zhao Gao that he needed to rest for a few days.

Don't let anyone disturb me.

It's just past midnight.

Ying Lou fell asleep.

Xianyang City, inside a small courtyard.

Jin Chan opened his eyes and slowly sat up from the bed.

At this time, Xiao Luoyang had already fallen asleep, and only the guard at the door had not closed his eyes.

Because the Fish Belly Sword was left with Ying Lou as a backup, Jin Chan could only take Qing Tan, Zhao Guizhen's brass bell, and He Bingweng's elixir, and rode on the black horse, ready to go to Duyi County.

However, before going to Duyi County, there are some accounts that need to be settled with that guy Tangqian Yan.

When I came to the Heavenly Prison again, I found that this guy was still staying in there obediently.

Unlike other prisoners, Tang Qianyan not only has a new cell, but also has all the good food and drinks.

It's more like a vacation than a prison sentence.

"Brother Jin, you are finally here. I have been listening to you these past few days and have never stepped out. Look at the Emperor's Seal."

Before Tang Qianyan could finish his words, Jin Chan stabbed him in the heart with a branding iron.

"You didn't go out? I told you not to go out!"

The red-hot iron mercilessly left marks on Tang Qianyan's body.

The charred flesh sizzled.

But this guy recovers very quickly.

Although it is different from the golden cicada's regeneration of severed limbs, it is basically the same.

The screams in the cell lasted for about an incense stick before gradually subsiding.

"Help me do something!"

Inside the cell, Jin Chan and Tang Qianyan sat on chairs and looked at each other.

"The Emperor's Seal!"

Tang Qianyan spread out his hands. Even though he had just been abused, he still wanted to bargain.

"I will give it to you when the time comes. Don't even think about getting the Emperor's Seal or the Black Water Dragon Seal of Qin in the next few years!"

Yan in front of the hall fell silent.

Anyway, among the seven kingdoms’ seals, only the Golden Phoenix Seal of the Tang Kingdom has been obtained so far.

Since the Emperor's Seal and the Black Water Dragon Seal cannot be obtained in a short time, we might as well get those from the other five countries first.

"Tell me, what's the matter?"

After thinking about it, Tang Qianyan asked.

"Help me go to Qi State, and then..."

Jin Chan looked around before telling Tang Qianyan what he needed him to do.

"It's just a small matter. I just happen to be going to Qi State and borrow the jade seal from the King of Qi!"

After hearing Jin Chan's words, Tang Qianyan responded with a relaxed expression.

"Okay, let's go tonight."

Thanks to the souvenirs Li Xin left behind in advance, the two of them were able to leave the city smoothly.

"Brother Jin, the road is straight. Today we two brothers will part ways, but the mountains will remain green and the rivers will flow forever!"

Tang Qianyan, who was on horseback, clasped his hands together and spoke in a serious yet showy manner.

"Go away, and let's just part ways. Do you know how to use words?"

After giving this guy a cold look, Jin Chan turned his horse around and galloped towards Duyi County.

At night, Duyi County was filled with an overly quiet and gloomy atmosphere.

Although there were some noises from house to house, no one even lit a candle.

There was no other light in the entire city except for that little moonlight.

Leave Genma outside the city.

A golden cicada dressed in black was quietly wandering around Duyi County.

"Yuxi, do you know your mistake?"

Sudden.

The sound of conversation in a tavern not far away reached Jin Chan's ears.

Because the golden cicada has an extraordinary hearing ability and the surroundings are very quiet, the originally subtle sounds now sound like conversations through the window.

"I, I know I was wrong!"

A woman's voice trembled as she answered.

"Yuxi?"

"Could it be the woman who assassinated me?"

Jin Chan frowned, bent down and walked over quietly.

"If it weren't for Mu Rouyuan, you would have died in the hands of that monster King Qin!"

"Now that our whereabouts have been exposed, it will be extremely difficult to assassinate the King of Qin. Yuxi, you should just commit suicide here!"

　There is still a long way to go before I can be a full-time employee! (Today’s word count is equivalent to the previous three chapters)
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(End of this chapter)