The Great Qin Empire---Qin Li

In a quiet hall with excellent lighting, there are twelve chess paths on a chessboard made of fine apricot wood. The 12 chess pieces are divided into two groups of black and white, and are arranged on the left and right. One owl is large, and five scattered pieces are small.

This is the popular Liubo game in the world. Six white and six black pieces are twelve pieces, and both sides compete for a game. Just because of the joy of getting chips, they forget to eat and sleep and are still addicted.

Yan Le, an assistant official in Xianyang County, picked up the chips that function like sieves and threw them gently. Different numbers of chips appeared according to the front and back of the chips, and then they started to play chess according to these numbers.

The black owl, surrounded by scattered pieces, moved forward and approached the "fish" on the white chess path. As long as the "fish" is eaten, the white side can get a chip. When six chips are accumulated, it is considered a winner. This is the origin of "one chip more".

However, watching Yan Le's moves, Zhao Gao, the commander of the Imperial Chariot Office, who was sitting opposite him, started laughing.

He threw out the chips and picked up the white owl, but instead of saving the "fish", he attacked the scattered pieces around the black owl and ate them all in a short time...

The winner was decided. Zhao Gao packed up the chips and said, "My son-in-law, when you do things, remember to think about it when you see something profitable. Your move just now was like a dead fish seeing the bait!"

Holding the eaten black owl in his hand, Zhao Gao narrowed his eyes and said meaningfully, "You really need to learn this from the black man. He is a cunning loach that refuses to swallow the bait even when it is handed to his mouth!"

Yan Le lowered his head quickly: "My son-in-law, remember this!"

Zhao Gao is Yan Le's "uncle", that is, his father-in-law. A year ago, when Zhao Gao's daughter came of age, he ignored the commoners and princes who came to propose marriage, and married his daughter to Yan Le, a Doushi assistant official in Xianyang. It was really shocking.

Yan Le was also stunned. This marriage was a turning point in his life. In the past year, not only did his official position rise by two levels, but no one in Xianyang County Temple dared to disrespect him.

He knew that all this was due to the protection of his uncle, and he could not help but feel grateful. Zhao Gao said that he was nearly 40 years old and still childless, so he only regarded Yan Le as a half-son. Yan Le also treated him like a father and was determined to work for Zhao Gao.

A task Zhao Gao recently gave him was to instigate the Zuo Shuchang Mai Hui, who was also an official in Xianyang County Temple, to attack the newly appeared brown sugar shop in Nanshi through a colleague!

A series of incidents began from this.

Zhao Gao originally only planned to let Hei Fu get involved in this lawsuit and compete with Mai Hui for profit. When the matter became serious, it would definitely disappoint the emperor.

It was nothing for officials to let their families do business secretly. The emperor also understood that if the water was too clear, there would be no fish. Sometimes, greedy officials were easier to control than officials without any hobbies. That was why Wang Jian desperately requested houses and ponds for his family during the expedition to Chu to reassure the emperor.

But if one openly competes for profit, he is a short-sighted person who disregards the law and will be abandoned.

Unexpectedly, Hei Fu happened to be having a banquet at Ba Zhong's house at that time, which was a pleasant surprise.

Zhao Gao was good at guessing the emperor's mind. Because he had a good handwriting and was familiar with the laws, he often drafted edicts and had a good understanding of the policies that the empire was about to implement. He knew that Ba Guafu Qing might decline from its peak and be forcibly relocated, and Ba Zhong was like a frightened bird. He wanted to make friends in Xianyang. Even if he could not let his family stay in Ba County, he could at least gain a foothold in the local area.

Hei Fu, the emperor's close minister who was in great demand recently, became the focus of Ba's investment.

Zhao Gao watched all this silently in the dark. If Heifu relied on Ba's power to solve the matter, the two sides had conflicts of interest, and even confusedly pleaded for Ba to the emperor, it would be wonderful...

Unfortunately, Heifu was very good at using his "power". He solved the matter perfectly with just a letter to Sima Xin, and left no handle.

Zhao Gao could only hope that Heifu, due to his humble origin, could not resist the temptation of huge profits and accepted Ba's bribes, either openly or secretly.

Dianke, one of the nine ministers, was responsible for managing the diplomatic relations with the barbarians and the affairs of the border tribes, and Ba was also under its jurisdiction. The emperor favored Ba's widow Qing's family but was wary of it. The people under Dianke were always secretly monitoring Ba Zhong's every move and reporting to the emperor at any time.

So Zhao Gao knew that this matter would sooner or later be heard by the emperor, and then he would see how Heifu would defend himself.

The emperor hated close ministers making friends with the rich and powerful the most! Just imagine, if the guards around him were easily corrupted by money and used by others to speak for him, what is the difference between them and the internal spies such as Guo Kai of Zhao and Hou Sheng of Qi?

But what surprised Zhao Gao was that the next morning, when the Dian Ke Xingren reported the matter to the emperor, the emperor only replied with three words.

"I know it!"

...

Zhao Gao had driven the emperor for twenty years and knew his verbal habits well. These three words meant that everything was normal and would not be dealt with for the time being.

Now Zhao Gao understood the emperor's plan. Hei Fu did not intercede for Ba and passed the test smoothly.

That's why Zhao Gao praised Hei Fu in front of his son-in-law.

"Although Heifu was born in the countryside, he is smart and steady. He knows how to use his power and understands that there will be dead fish under the bait. If I were him, I would not necessarily do better than him!"

Zhao Gao was full of praise, but Yan Le felt a chill on his back. Zhao Gao was a thoughtful person. The more he praised someone, the deeper his fear and hatred were.

At present, the degree of Heifu's praise by Zhao Gao was second only to Meng Yi, who had sentenced Zhao Gao to death!

Why is it so? Zhao Gao recalled that he found that his vigilance against Heifu originated from the inexplicable murderous intent outside the tent of the king of Chen County...

He was sure that at that moment, the light flashed in Heifu's eyes, his sudden rapid breathing, and his lightly clenched fists were murderous! Although it was only a moment, it was noticed by the sensitive Zhao Gao.

At that time, Zhao Gao thought it was a coincidence. Heifu and he met for the first time and had no grudges. Why would he have murderous intent?

Until last month, the emperor ordered his ministers to discuss the title of the emperor. He thought he could take the lead, but unexpectedly, Heifu suddenly appeared halfway! His suggestion was almost exactly the same as his!

When Zhao Gao received the emperor's edict of promotion, he felt not honored and proud, but inexplicable anger.

And a deep sense of crisis!

"If the memorial was submitted by Li Si, the court judge, it would be fine, but a southern barbarian boy could actually guess the emperor's mind!?"

So Zhao Gao began to trip Heifu up. He didn't expect to make him lose the emperor's favor in one go, but at least he wanted to test his depth...

Among the twelve curved paths on the chessboard, there is an "evil path" that is not conducive to playing chess, but Heifu, either out of intuition or instinct, took the "good path" impartially.

Zhao Gao's test failed.

He lowered his head, looked at the two black and white pieces tightly in his hand, and fell into deep thought.

On the Liubo board, there are also sayings about the gate of life, the gate of death, mutual generation, and mutual restraint, which also have an impact on the game.

Zhao Gao thought that he was a white owl that slowly transformed from a scattered piece. His mother suffered from torture and was born as a lowly hidden official. He gritted his teeth, made military merits to regain his freedom, and after unremitting self-improvement in civil and military training, he went from an illiterate man to one of the top three calligraphers in the world and entered the vision of His Majesty.

In his twenty years of official career and eight thousand days and nights of diligence and dedication, he never slacked off for a day. Even in the details of choosing a son-in-law, he deliberately chose Yan Le, a capable but low-ranking official, to give the emperor an impression that Zhao Gao never formed a party to consolidate himself.

His efforts were rewarded. If Li Si was the emperor's most trusted minister, then Zhao Gao was the emperor's most trusted close minister.

But now, facing Heifu, Zhao Gao only had four words in his heart.

"Young people are to be feared!"

Seeing Zhao Gao remained silent, Yan Le said cautiously: "Uncle, Heifu has only a lucky chance to escape punishment. If it doesn't work once, then let's do it the second time. Why don't you let me..."

"No need!"

Zhao Gao said decisively: "This matter ends here. This boy is both intelligent and resourceful. If we act rashly and make him alert, it will be bad."

A light move didn't work? It doesn't matter. Zhao Gao is not anxious. A smart hunter is always waiting for the best opportunity.

"Although I am afraid of this boy, I am not worried that he can surpass me! How can the closeness of the ministers be determined overnight?"

While saying these words indifferently, Zhao Gao walked to the quietly burning charcoal basin and threw the black owl in his hand, which was broken by the pinch, into the fire!

When the flames devoured Heizi and the light flashed in his eyes, Zhao Gao showed a hint of a grim smile.

"You are in the light! I am in the dark!"