Chapter 304

This night, almost all the nobles were excited!

Because... it was an opportunity!

This was a real opportunity!

Everyone was excited to the extreme!

“Write a letter immediately, asking Meng Wu to capture Ying Su when he passes through Yan Sect Pass!”

“Then, escort him to Xianyang City!”

“And we, in the morning court, will start pushing the First Emperor to return to the throne!”

At this moment, many people were shouting!

Everyone was excited!

At this moment, they even thought of the enfeoffment system, and those taxes, etc.!

Everyone was excited to the extreme!

And just amidst everyone's expectations!

Finally, the next day arrived!

But... just under everyone's expectations.

Feng Feng Qiji, Wang Wan, and Censor-in-Chief Li Tan did not take the lead in speaking for Ying Zheng!

Nor did they have any intention of pushing Ying Zheng to the throne!

They didn't speak, and others didn't stand up to speak for Ying Zheng either!

Nor did anyone mention this matter!

Even, some officials indicated that they had already paid all 10% of the tax!

“This...”

“Why?”

“Why don't you speak up?”

“And... pay taxes?”

“What do you all mean!”

After the court session, the Fourth Prince of Qin, Jiang Lu, was very confused and questioned some people!

However, they just smiled and didn't speak!

Then, they waved their hands and left!

These people continued to pursue and ask!

However... everyone was smiling, and no one spoke!

“Why? Why is this? Wasn't it all discussed last night?”

“With you like this, how can you accomplish things?”

At this moment, Jiang Lu was getting more and more anxious!

However, at this time, the head of the Wei family, the former foreign relative force of the Qin State, Wei Pao, walked up to him and smiled:

“Do you think they are all timid?”

“Isn't it?”

“Last night it was clearly discussed, but today no one took the lead to speak!”

Jiang Lu was furious!

You know, if Ying Su was brought down, he would also get benefits!

Even if he couldn't be the Emperor, with the enfeoffment system, as the Fourth Prince of Great Qin, he could also get a piece of territory!

How could he not be anxious?

However, Wei Pao looked at Jiang Lu and smiled:

“Fourth Prince, although you have supervised the country four times, in my opinion, you are not experienced enough!”

“Ah?”

“Why do you say that?”

Jiang Lu was confused!

Wei Pao said:

“Although it looks like the time is ripe now, how can you be sure that the news from Meng Wu is true?”

“How can you be sure that Meng Wu is not lying to us?”

“Ah?”

“What do you mean?”

Once these words were spoken, Jiang Lu was stunned!

Wei Pao said:

“To put it bluntly, Ying Su is cunning; what if Li Li Yuanba and Li Li Cunxiao didn't die?”

“Or what if this is Ying Su playing tricks?”

“You have to know, Ying Su has always treated us as enemies, and we have also treated Ying Su as an enemy!”

“This is almost an open card, a fact everyone knows!”

“But what is the reason Ying Su hasn't acted for so long?”

“He can't distinguish between friend and foe!”

“He can't kill all the nobles, right!”

“If he wants to distinguish between friend and foe, what should he do?”

“Pretend to be very weak and let the enemies jump out themselves!”

“In this way, wouldn't all the enemies be wiped out?”

“Understand?”

Wei Pao smiled!

And when these words were spoken, Jiang Lu's scalp was numb!

“This... this... do you mean that the report of victory from Meng Wu is fake?”

He asked while his scalp was numb!

Wei Pao waved his hand: “I didn't say that!”

“I just said that the situation is unclear now, and we need to wait! Wait and see!”

“And what I want to tell you is that these nobles are not fools; on the contrary, they are all very smart!”

“And smart people do things with a low profile!”

“The bigger the matter, the less people want to be the first bird!”

“Why? The first bird will be hit!”

“The first rafter will always rot first!”

“Although Meng Wu is a military man, he is not a fool either!”

“Do you know why he was in such a hurry to transmit the news?”

“What do you think he wants to do?”

“Nothing more than wanting us to act first, and then he will follow!”

“In this way, if nothing happens, that's naturally good!”

“But if something really happens, we will be the first to have an accident!”

“He still has room to maneuver!”

“After all... things haven't been done completely!”

Wei Pao was laughing!

And Jiang Lu's head was buzzing, and at this moment, he was shocked to the point of numbness!

Wei Pao continued:

“Wait!”

“Ying Su is good at calculations; Li Li Yuanba and Li Li Cunxiao are not ordinary people. If the news from Meng Wu is fake, do you know what the consequences will be?”

“People will die!”

“Many, many people will die!”

“Almost everyone involved will be charged with treason and executed!”

“Too many people are not sure about all this now!”

“So, we need to wait!”

“Wait for three or five days to see the reactions of Zhuge Liang, Zuo Zuo Zongtang, Li Si, and Xiao He!”

“Starting tomorrow, my Wei family will take the lead in refusing to pay taxes to test them!”

Wei Pao finished speaking and turned away!

And Jiang Lu looked at Wei Pao's back, shocked!

This... is this political struggle?

Is it so complicated, so insidious and terrible?

He was shocked.

However, if he knew that Wei Pao was the only one in the entire imperial court who didn't understand this, I don't know if he would be even more desperate!

Yes!

Everything Wei Pao said was understood by everyone in the imperial court!

This was also the reason why no one took the lead to express their stance today, even though they shouted happily last night!

Still the same saying, no one wants to be the first bird!

Who among those who can be officials in the imperial court is not a human spirit?

Who among those who can become human spirits is not a smart person?

Ying Su relying on some conspiracies and tricks to fool people like Xiaoyaozi in the Jianghu is fine!

But wanting to fool these people, it can only be said to be difficult, very difficult!

However... even if they understood all this, Ying Zheng still didn't dare to be careless!

Because... paper cannot wrap fire!

If it's true, it will definitely surface!

If it's fake, it will be exposed sooner or later!

He also hoped that this was Ying Su playing tricks and engaging in conspiracies!

But... how is that possible!

Meng Wu's secret letter already asked him if he wanted to capture Ying Su; if there was no absolute certainty, would he dare to ask that?

“Watch, starting tomorrow, their probing will begin!”

“All this must start with resisting the payment of this 10% tax!”

Ying Zheng sighed to Zhao Gao.

At this moment, his heart was full of despair!

Because... only he believed that Meng Wu's report of victory was true!

Li Li Yuanba and Li Li Cunxiao were likely dead!

As for why they didn't know, it was probably because they hadn't seen the detailed report of victory!

If they finished reading the detailed report of victory, let alone probing, today might be the general attack!

Ying Zheng guessed in his heart...

And in fact, Ying Zheng guessed correctly!

The reason why they didn't dare to launch an attack at will was indeed because of this.

Unclear truth!

But no matter what, there would definitely be a probe!

And this probe was indeed very fast!

The next day at the morning court, Wei Pao bowed to Ying Zheng: “My Wei family had a poor harvest this year, plus the 60% tax paid before, and the huge expenses of the mansion, so I want to delay it until next autumn to pay it all at once!”

He bowed and explained!

And facing this kind of probe, Ying Zheng said toughly: “No!”

“It must be paid this year!”

However, his toughness was useless; this kind of probe was not testing Ying Zheng's reaction!

But testing Zhuge Liang, Zuo Zuo Zongtang, and Xiao He!

So, for Ying Zheng's toughness, Wei Pao ignored it and looked at Li Si, Zhuge Liang, Zuo Zuo Zongtang, and other factions of Ying Su: “Can Prime Minister Li say a word for me to allow a few days of grace?”

Li Si directly took out Ying Su's edict and said:

“The Emperor's edict, at most one month, must be paid, otherwise, the family will be confiscated!”

“This...”

Once these words were spoken, Wei Pao narrowed his eyes, and finally looked at the nobles beside him!

Instantly, nobles stood out to respond, bowing to Ying Zheng: “Your Majesty the Emperor, the tax paid this year is really too much; first the new Emperor ordered 50% tax, then another 10%, and now another 10%!”

“We really can't maintain it anymore!”

“Please be merciful, Emperor, and give us some time!”

“Please be merciful, Emperor, and give us some time!”

At this moment, everyone bowed to Ying Zheng!

And Ying Zheng's attitude was extremely tough: “The new Emperor's throne was passed on by me, his edict is the Emperor's edict, and cannot be changed!”

Li Si said the same thing: “The new Emperor's edict, at most one month, must be paid, otherwise, the family will be confiscated!”

“This...”

After these words were spoken, everyone stopped talking!

Finally, the court session dispersed!

Ying Zheng looked at Zhuge Liang, Li Si, and others, sighed, but didn't say anything, and left directly!

The next day!

It was in the court again!

But this time the probe was not Wei Pao, but Wang Wan!

He bowed to Ying Zheng: “Yesterday, the old minister emptied his family's bottom, and was still 100 shi short of the 10% grain required by the new Emperor, Emperor, please show mercy!”

“Can it be paid next year?”

“Or, the old minister will smash the pots and sell the iron to pay this 100 shi of grain first, and the subsequent grain will be made up next year!”

“No!”

Ying Zheng refused again!

Zhuge Liang and Li Si also refused!

No matter who spoke, it was one sentence: No!

In the blink of an eye, the court session dispersed again!

And next, the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day!

For ten consecutive days, almost every day someone expressed that this 10% grain could not be paid!

As for the reasons, they were all kinds!

Either the quantity was insufficient, or there were other reasons!

Even, some people died on the spot, demanding the cancellation of the nobles' tax payment!

Claiming that this was an act against heaven!

The court was very chaotic!

And amidst these disturbances, even Ying Zheng and Zhuge Liang couldn't bear the pressure.

Because... they didn't just talk, they would take actual actions!

Mutiny, that was not the case!

But... making some small moves, such as ignoring government affairs, various government offices, military mobilization, etc., no one managed, government offices were not open, and government officials watched others steal property and ignored it, etc.!

This led to chaos in Xianyang City!

The people were complaining, etc.!

Everything was chaotic!

They didn't care, and these government affairs naturally fell on Zhuge Liang, Zuo Zuo Zongtang, Li Si, Ying Zheng, and others!

For a time, they were under great pressure!

But... no matter how great the pressure was, they didn't loosen their mouths!

The attitude was still extremely tough!