Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 326

"Zhao Gao, what do you think I should do next to persuade Li Si?"

When Hu Hai, who had only been imprisoned for a few hours, was released and learned of his father's sudden death, he inevitably felt sadness and panic. However, with a few words of encouragement from his teacher Zhao Gao, the heterochromatic-eyed boy began to dream about becoming emperor in the future.

The ruler of the world can do whatever he wants! Hu Hai firmly believed in this.

"Your Highness, rest assured, I will take care of everything. You only need to promise him that he will not be removed from his position as prime minister at the appropriate time, and Li Si will surely join your ranks," Zhao Gao said respectfully to Hu Hai.

Although he still called Hu Hai by the name 'Crown Prince,' his attitude already regarded Hu Hai as 'Emperor,' which greatly pleased Hu Hai: 'Well, then I'll leave everything to you.'

Seemingly feeling that this was not enough, Hu Hai emphasized again: "Don't worry, Li Si is getting old. In a few years, I will make you the prime minister. I will only feel at ease entrusting the country to you."

A child, a puppet he had raised, was trying to buy him with promises. Zhao Gao found this laughable, but his expression became even more respectful: "Serving the Crown Prince is my honor."

His ambition was not just to be a prime minister; Zhao Gao was even willing to sell a portion of the Qin state to Lu Wei. His ambition was always only for the throne!

"Your Highness, Lord Zhao Gao, Prime Minister Li, and Minister Meng have arrived."

"Bring Li Si here, and kill Meng Yi on the spot!" Hu Hai still remembered that Meng Yi had caused him to be scolded by Ying Zheng. He was extremely serious about studying Qin law, and his bloodlust was no less than that of the assassins from the Luo Wang organization.

"No, Your Highness, I have already arranged for executioners. Why not let the Prime Minister see Meng Yi's fate in person? That way, he will surely respect Your Highness even more."

A combination of soft and hard tactics works on everyone, whether it's an imperial prime minister or a beggar.

"Very well..." Hu Hai paused for a moment, as if he had thought of something, then clapped his hands and laughed, withdrawing his own order and choosing to act according to Zhao Gao's suggestion.

This series of actions gave the reporting eunuch a clearer understanding of his own position: 'The Eighteenth Prince may not be someone we can't offend, but the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office is absolutely not someone we can afford to offend!'

Chapter 407 has been reviewed and duplicates are not accepted; please do not subscribe.

The jingling of bells started again in the morning.

Hearing the unfamiliar voice of a young girl not far from her side, the Moon Goddess helplessly turned around, leaving only her fair back facing the two who had started their morning commotion.

Her gaze drifted outside. On the clothes rack in the room, her own long, wide-sleeved dress and Shao Siming's purple-blue short skirt were intertwined in a slightly messy manner. Her moon-white inner garment had fallen to the ground, half-covering two pairs of embroidered shoes that had fallen to the side. The whole scene, combined with the movement behind her, gave rise to a unique feeling.

Shao Siming's violet stockings were no longer on the clothes rack; only the stockings and the bells strung on the pink silk cords remained on her body, thus causing the swaying of the curtains and the ringing of the bells to always begin simultaneously.

The continued sound gradually aroused the usually calm Moon Goddess. The new leader of the Yin-Yang School closed her eyes to meditate, but the clear bell ringing suddenly stopped, and a pair of arms abruptly reached out from behind her to her front...

The slender hands belonged to Shao Siming, but she wouldn't dare to tease her. It's easy to guess who was behind this.

The Moon Goddess initially wanted to turn around and stop the two from fooling around, but Shao Siming then went even further. After hesitating, he finally lowered his head and pressed it against her...

The Moon Goddess's pupils contracted as she sensed a rich and familiar aura flowing in. At the same time, Lu Wei seized the opportunity to advance.

"Mmm," after a while, the Moon Goddess could no longer suppress her moans and groans, and simply let loose completely...

Both women have purple hair, but their styles are completely different.

With the sun high in the sky, a refreshed-looking Mr. Lu left his dormitory and headed down to the alchemy room.

Yun Zhongjun was unaware of Ying Zheng's death. He was simply continuing to refine pills here at Lu Wei's request, unaware of what was happening on the deck of the Mirage, let alone outside the Mirage.

After using him to complete the plan, this alchemy master lost his greatest value, and Lu Wei could then discard Yun Zhongjun's Yin-Yang technique and hand it over to Xiao Yu at any time.

Yun Zhongjun's alchemy skills were indeed superb, but he always liked to play dirty tricks: for example, he would deliberately reduce the potency of the medicine when making pills for Ying Zheng, so that Ying Zheng would notice that the pills were not as effective as before and thus summon him, thereby escaping the mirage.

Lu Wei had anticipated this, and Xia Wuqie from the Luo Wang side concealed the truth, successfully making Ying Zheng not notice the lack of medicinal potency.

In fact, if this continued any longer, even Xia Wuqie wouldn't be able to keep it a secret, but Ying Zheng simply couldn't afford to wait that long.

Yun Zhongjun is unreliable. According to Yue Shen, there are several disciples of the Jin Department in the Yin Yang School headquarters who are also outstanding in alchemy. Although they are not as good as Yun Zhongjun, they are capable of growing in the future.

With this news, the necessity of Yun Zhongjun has become even less.

"Lord Hero!" Yun Zhongjun, unaware of Lu Wei's thoughts or that his tricks had been seen through, hurriedly stepped forward upon seeing Lu Wei approach, smiling obsequiously as he asked, "What brings you here, sir?"

"What, can't the leader of the martial arts world come to this alchemy room if he has nothing to do?" said Xinghun, who walked over with his hands behind his back.

Xinghun, who still holds the position of Left Protector of the Yin-Yang School, was released after the death of Donghuang. He has been interrogating the Ji Zhou people at the bottom of the Mirage Tower, and used this to complete the breakthrough of the Yin-Yang Technique of Cleansing His Hatred. As a result, he not only obtained all the treasures of the Ji Zhou royal family, but also further enhanced his strength.

Now that Ying Zheng is dead, Xinghun has one less enemy, but the Qin state and Luowang still exist.

Having emerged from seclusion, he can now participate in this final frenzy.

"Not at all, Lord Xinghun, please don't misunderstand my loyalty to the Hero Chief." Yun Zhongjun didn't hesitate to contradict Xinghun, who was of a higher status than him, and then seized the opportunity to show his loyalty to Lu Wei, saying, "I'm just always thinking about relieving the Hero Chief's burdens, so I hope to receive as many orders as possible from him."

"You go first." Lu Wei dismissed Yun Zhongjun indifferently and began to talk to Xinghun, whom he rarely saw. The former dared not say anything and obediently retreated.

"Is Lord Xia Kui's plan going smoothly? I deduced from the pills refined by Yun Zhongjun that Ying Zheng is already dead?"

The two walked out of the alchemy room, and Xinghun asked in a high-pitched tone, with a hint of respect.

"Your tone seems a bit strange?" Lu Wei smiled slightly, teased Xinghun for a moment, and then nodded in response to his question: "It ended last night; the plan has reached its final stage."

“I am the pragmatic Left Protector of the Yin-Yang School, so naturally I must show you some respect now that things have come to this.” Xinghun grinned, the strange patterns on his face glowing with an eerie blue light. “Or do you want me to go further and address you directly as ‘Your Majesty’?”

The former Gan Luo was out of touch with reality, so he became Xinghun and completely changed the 'bad habits' of his former name.

“When I am worthy of that title, people will naturally choose it. It’s still a bit early.” Lu Wei’s ambition was revealed as he said arrogantly, “Let’s continue to call him Xia Kui for a few more days for now.”

"Are you going to become king?" Xinghun seized on the flaw in the statement and asked curiously.

"After the uprising at Dazeshan, I should naturally declare myself king to set an example for the world." Lu nodded again: "The former Prime Minister of Qin, Gan Mao, was well-versed in military affairs and knowledgeable about the geography of the Central Plains. I wonder if you would be willing to revive the achievements of your ancestors?"

"I am lacking in military skills, but I can be a guide for the leader of the Xia clan." Xinghun agreed with great enthusiasm, as leading a large army to conquer the Qin Kingdom was his greatest wish!

...

“Meng Yi sent his Shadow Guards to inform us in advance that he would visit Xiaoshengxianzhuang, but he suddenly withdrew the visit at the last minute. This matter is probably related to Brother Lu’s plan.”

As Fu Nian played chess with someone, he looked at the one-sided situation on the chessboard and couldn't help but sigh.

"Brother Lu? Is that the young man who gave the 'Confucius Observing the Leaning Vessel' painting to Xiaoshengxianzhuang?" The opponent of Fu Nian was Xun Fuzi, a rare figure among Confucian scholars.

Xun Kuang, playing black, could only struggle to hold on against Fu Nian's relentless attack. Although he was the senior in terms of seniority, Fu Nian would not give him any leeway in the game.

“Indeed, when Brother Lu last met his master, he was still the head of the Farmer’s School. Now he is the leader of the Farmer’s School and the leader of the Anti-Qin Alliance.” Fu Nian made a move and captured another group of black pieces, pressing his advantage relentlessly: “The Confucian School will also have to rely on his support in the future.”

"Zifang has news that a sizable uprising has broken out in the southern Chu region. According to his calculations, the Qi region may soon break away from Qin's control as well. At that time, Fu Nian will also come out of seclusion to support the peasants."

"That's rare." Xunzi hesitated for a long time after hearing this, stroking his beard and thinking, "The sect leader's decision is the decision of Little Sage Village. I have been in seclusion for many years and know very little about the outside world, so I can't really help you much."

"Since Lu Xiaokui has gained your favor, the chances of success are not low. If you need to use my reputation, feel free to spread the word. Xiaoshengxianzhuang has never taken sides before, but now that we have, we must go all out."

"Uncle-Master, rest assured, Fu Nian understands." Fu Nian stood upright and looked at Xunzi with great dignity: "The fact that Xiaoshengxianzhuang is siding with the Farmer School means not only standing on the side of the victor, but also on the side of justice... The world is poor, and the First Emperor is warlike and fond of military exploits. Only the Farmer School can correct all of this in the world today."

“Alas,” Xunzi sighed when talking about the common people. Even though he hadn’t heard much since leaving the pass, he knew that the world had become a furnace.

"If a ruler treats his ministers as his hands and feet, then the ministers will treat the ruler as their heart and soul; if a ruler treats his ministers as dogs and horses, then the ministers will treat the ruler as a fellow countryman; if a ruler treats his ministers as dirt and weeds, then the ministers will treat the ruler as an enemy."

Xunzi put down the chess piece, slowly got up and turned around, and slowly recited Mencius' famous saying, which describes the relationship between ruler and minister and is also applicable to the relationship between ruler and people.

"When Fusu visited Xiaoshengxianzhuang last time, I had to kneel and pay my respects to him. After the peasant uprising, I would be grateful if you could take me to pay my respects to this Lu Xia Kui."

"Yes." Fu Nian nodded in agreement. Only after Xunzi's figure had completely disappeared did he tidy up the chessboard and leave to continue his work.

'My uncle didn't just leave because he was about to lose the game, did he?'

Chapter 408 I'm on top

As soon as Li Si and Meng Yi entered the Binhai Palace, they sensed that the atmosphere inside was somewhat unusual, with the Dragon Tiger Cavalry arrayed in a defensive formation.

The eunuch who greeted the two explained that an assassin had appeared in the palace the night before, which made Prime Minister Li and Minister Meng exchange glances and quicken their pace.

Your Majesty has already been assassinated twice since entering the land of Qi and Lu, and now a third attempt has occurred. One can only imagine how arrogant the rebels here are, and one can only imagine how Your Majesty feels.

They walked through the intricate corridors and arrived at the main hall. Before they could even enter, the black-armored Qin soldiers on both sides of the corridor suddenly moved, pointing their spears at the two men's chests.

Li Si and Meng Yi were startled by their actions: the sudden appearance of the sharp blade within inches of them inevitably made their hearts pound, but after regaining their senses, Li Si immediately flung his sleeve and angrily rebuked them: "Insolence! Minister Meng and I have come at His Majesty's summons, how dare you stop us?"

Despite the Prime Minister's rebuke, the Qin army remained unmoved. These men were there on His Majesty's orders, and they would strictly obey orders regardless of who the target was, unless commanded by their commander.

The commander of the Luo Wang assassins, who were lurking among the Qin army, stared at the upright-looking Meng Yi with a ruthless gaze beneath his mask. After Li Si finished speaking, he thrust his spear directly into the chest of the high-ranking official without hesitation!

Blood splattered everywhere, and with his movement, the other Qin soldiers also thrust out their spears in unison...

"You...you all..." Li Si was horrified. His hand trembled as he raised it, his pupils widening as he stared blankly at Meng Yi, who had just been traveling with him but now collapsed, a few drops of Meng's blood even splattering onto his own face...

"Oh dear, how did I frighten Your Excellency?"

At this moment, Zhao Gao pushed open the palace door and walked out. Looking at Meng Yi, who was not quite dead yet and was still struggling in the bloodstains on the ground, a happy smile appeared on his lips.

When he looked at Li Si again, he had a different expression: "Prime Minister, do not be alarmed. This traitor has been found to have colluded with anti-Qin rebels to harm His Majesty. His Majesty was furious and ordered his execution. It has nothing to do with you, Prime Minister."

Even Li Si, whose thoughts were somewhat clouded by the scene before him, did not believe this explanation at all. However, looking at the blood-dripping spear tip in the soldier's hand, he suppressed his emotions and calmly said, "Where is His Majesty the Emperor? I have important matters to discuss with you."

"His Majesty is waiting for the Prime Minister inside the palace. Please come with me."

Zhao Gao's smile deepened. He bent down to invite Li Si inside and instructed the soldiers, "Drag this dead dog to the back field and prepare for his execution by dismemberment. The Eighteenth Prince will be here to see it in person later."

"Yes, sir!" The soldiers dragged the dying Meng Yi away. Li Si swallowed hard and followed Zhao Gao into the main hall.

Upon entering the palace, he was astonished to see Hu Hai, dressed in a black and gold dragon robe, sitting high on the throne, looking down at him with disdain.

Hu Hai was not yet an adult this year, and his figure was no different from that of an ordinary fifteen-year-old boy. However, the black and gold dragon robe originally belonged to the tall Ying Zheng. Wearing it on Hu Hai made Li Si coin a new idiom: "a monkey wearing a crown."

"This...this!" The complexity of Li Si's mental state today was unprecedented, even more so than when he was appointed prime minister by the First Emperor a few years ago.

"Your Excellency, my father passed away last night. Before he died, he asked me to accept the throne at his bedside. I wonder what Your Excellency thinks of this decision?"

Hu Hai was pleased with Li Si's expression; he was about to bring a great surprise to the world!

"That's right. When His Majesty the First Emperor was arranging his affairs after his death, I was there. The contents of his will were also his oral instructions, which I wrote down."

Zhao Gao chimed in, revealing their ultimate goal: "However, this is ultimately against etiquette. Therefore, we invited the Prime Minister here today to ask him to make another copy as the official version to announce to the outside world... After all, who in the world does not know that the Prime Minister's calligraphy is the best in the world?"

In a short time, Li Si quickly calmed down and understood everything from Hu Hai and Zhao Gao's words: these two guys murdered the emperor and usurped the throne!

Throughout history, such events have occurred quite frequently. While it's difficult to accept that it happened to a powerful ruler like the First Emperor, isn't Duke Huan of Qi, the first hegemon of the Spring and Autumn Period, a case in point...?

As for whether he should cooperate or not... Meng Yi's fate left him no choice but to cooperate!

Cooperation was a must, but how to do it? After a brief moment of grieving for Ying Zheng, Li Si immediately saw this as an opportunity to profit.

Just as Zhao Gao guessed, Li Si did not want Fusu to succeed to the throne too early. If he had to retire in ten years or so, it would not matter, and he might even leave a good reputation in history. But at this point in time, Li Si only wanted to monopolize the power of the prime minister!

To be honest, Li Si didn't take Hu Hai and Zhao Gao seriously: one was a mere child, and the other was a lowly eunuch. How could they understand how to govern a country?

Even the First Emperor was not as good at handling state affairs as he was. However, when the First Emperor was alive, he had to follow the emperor's wishes in some matters. If Huhai had succeeded to the throne, he would have had the opportunity to seize power in the court!

"I wonder, may I first take a look at the contents of the will?" Li Si, already biased, calmly asked Zhao Gao beside him, knowing who the mastermind behind this was.

"Please examine this, Your Excellency." Zhao Gao knew that Li Si was tempted, so he took out the prepared 'Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Last Edict'.