Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

Ying Zheng watched the battle from the sidelines, secretly praising Yang Ling's martial arts skills. Knowing he was safe, he shouted loudly, "Guards! There's an assassin!"

As his shout faded, palace guards rushed to the scene. Seeing Yang Ling locked in fierce combat with the assassins, they were all taken aback. But without hesitation, they immediately joined the battle.

Seeing the situation was dire, the assassin attempted to break through the encirclement. However, Yang Ling and his guards had already surrounded him, leaving him nowhere to escape. After a fierce battle, the assassin was finally subdued by Yang Ling.

Ying Zheng approached the assassin and coldly questioned him, "Speak! Who are you? Who ordered you?"

The assassin gritted his teeth and remained silent. He knew his mission had failed and had nothing more to say. Seeing this, Ying Zheng asked no further questions and immediately ordered the assassin to be taken to the imperial prison for strict interrogation.

Under interrogation, the assassin finally confessed. It turned out he was a spy sent by an enemy state, intending to assassinate Ying Zheng and disrupt the Qin dynasty. Ying Zheng coldly laughed upon hearing this: "Hmph! To take my life? Truly a fool's dream! Guards! Take this traitor to the death row and await execution!"

Jing Ke was imprisoned in a death row cell, awaiting his final execution. The cell was dark and damp, filled with a heavy smell of mildew and blood. Jing Ke sat on the floor, closed his eyes, and concentrated, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He recalled his mission and the lord who had trusted him and entrusted him with important responsibilities. He couldn't help but lament the cruel twist of fate; despite his best efforts, he had ultimately failed.

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside the prison door. Jing Ke opened his eyes and saw a guard enter.

"Jing Ke, did you have any last words?" the guard asked coldly.

Jing Ke smiled calmly: "Last words? I have nothing to say. I only want to know, will Ying Zheng be pleased by my death?"

“His Majesty will not be affected by your life or death,” the guard replied. “You are nothing but an insignificant assassin; to His Majesty, your life or death is of no importance.”

Upon hearing this, Jing Ke was enraged. He glared at the guards, his eyes wide: "Insignificant? Hmph! You Qin people only know to be loyal to Ying Zheng, but you don't know that he is a tyrant! He unified the six kingdoms only to satisfy his own desires. Harming the common people, burning books, building the Great Wall... Aren't these crimes enough?"

The guard was taken aback by Jing Ke's words, but quickly regained his composure. He sneered, "Jing Ke, who do you think you are? You're nothing but a defeated assassin. What right do you have to judge His Majesty's merits and demerits? Besides, everything His Majesty has done has contributed to the prosperity and stability of Qin. The people live in peace and contentment, and the country is strong and prosperous... Isn't this exactly what His Majesty desires?"

"Hmph! You have all been blinded!" Jing Ke said angrily. "Ying Zheng has no interest in the prosperity of Qin, only in his own lust for power! His so-called unification of the world and the happiness of the people are nothing but pretexts to cover up his crimes!"

The guard, unwilling to argue with Jing Ke any further, turned to leave. Just then, Jing Ke suddenly leaped to his feet and lunged at the guard. The guard reacted swiftly, drawing his sword and thrusting. The two immediately engaged in a fierce battle, plunging the cell into chaos.

However, Jing Ke had been imprisoned for many days and was already exhausted. Before long, he felt his strength failing him and was stabbed in the chest by a guard. He fell heavily to the ground, his blood staining the prison floor tiles.

"Jing Ke!" the guard exclaimed, rushing forward to check his injuries. But Jing Ke had already closed his eyes and passed away, his breath gone.

The guard sighed inwardly and dragged Jing Ke's body to a corner of the cell.

The guard stepped out of the cell, a pang of regret in his heart. Though duty compelled him to be Jing Ke's enemy, he still held a degree of respect for this renowned assassin. After all, Jing Ke had also embarked on this path of no return for his beliefs and his lord.

He shook his head to clear his mind and turned to report to Ying Zheng. At that moment, Ying Zheng was reviewing memorials in the imperial study. Upon hearing the guard's report, he merely nodded slightly to indicate that he understood. The guard stood to the side, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke: "Your Majesty, Jing Ke... has been executed." His voice trembled slightly, as if he could not bear it.

Ying Zheng put down the memorial, looked up at the guard, and said, "Oh? Dead? Perhaps this is the best end for him." His tone was calm and even, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

The guard's heart skipped a beat, knowing that Ying Zheng didn't seem to care much about Jing Ke's death. In Ying Zheng's eyes, Jing Ke was nothing more than a clown trying to sabotage the unification of the country. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, Jing Ke said before he died..."

"What did you say?" Ying Zheng frowned slightly, showing a hint of impatience.

The guard stammered, "He said... His Majesty is a tyrant who harms the people, burns books, and builds the Great Wall to satisfy his own desires..." His voice trailed off at the end, barely audible.

Ying Zheng sneered upon hearing this: "Hmph! This is nothing more than Jing Ke's excuse to cover up his defeat. I unified the six kingdoms and established a great legacy, so naturally I have to pay a price. But what are these compared to my grand ambitions?" His tone was full of confidence and domineering, as if everything was under his control.

The guard dared not say anything more after hearing this and could only stand with his head bowed. He knew that for Ying Zheng, unifying the six kingdoms and establishing unparalleled achievements was the most important thing, and everything else was trivial.

At this moment, another guard hurriedly entered, bowed, and reported: "Your Majesty, Lord Yang Ling requests an audience."

Ying Zheng nodded, signaling for an audience. Yang Ling was his personal bodyguard and trusted advisor; Yang Ling had played a crucial role in capturing Jing Ke.

Shortly after, Yang Ling entered and bowed: "Your Majesty, although Jing Ke has been brought to justice, I fear this matter will attract the attention of other assassins, and we need to strengthen our vigilance."

Ying Zheng frowned upon hearing this: "Hmm, that's absolutely right. Order increased patrols within the palace. If anyone suspicious is spotted, arrest them immediately!"

Yang Ling accepted the order and was about to leave when Ying Zheng stopped him and asked, "Yang Ling, what is your opinion of Jing Ke?"

Yang Ling paused slightly, then turned and replied, “Your Majesty, although Jing Ke was an assassin, he was also a man of faith and integrity. For his beliefs and his lord, he was willing to risk his life to assassinate Your Majesty. Although his actions were flawed, his spirit is admirable.”

Ying Zheng was silent for a moment before saying, "What you say is true. Although Jing Ke was an assassin, he was also a person of flesh and blood. His faith and integrity are indeed worthy of respect. But he chose the wrong path and followed the wrong lord, ultimately ending up dead and disgraced." His tone unconsciously revealed a hint of regret.

Yang Ling remained silent, head bowed. He knew that Ying Zheng's emotions were complex at this moment, a mixture of admiration and regret for Jing Ke, as well as unwavering determination for his own grand ambitions.

At this moment, another guard entered and reported, "Your Majesty, a large number of commoners and scholars have gathered outside the palace, claiming they want justice for Jing Ke and demanding an explanation from Your Majesty." His tone was tense. After all, these people were numerous and emotionally charged; improper handling could lead to a riot.

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng sneered, "Oh? They want to seek justice for Jing Ke? How laughable! Jing Ke is an assassin, a criminal! He attempted to assassinate me and disrupt Qin's rule! What right do they have to seek justice for him?" His tone was full of anger and domineering arrogance.

The guards dared not utter a word and silently withdrew. Yang Ling stood by, his heart filled with worry. He knew that Ying Zheng was truly enraged, and if these people continued to cause trouble, it could escalate into a large-scale conflict. This would undoubtedly be a hidden danger to the stable development of the Qin Dynasty.

Thinking of this, Yang Ling couldn't help but advise, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. These commoners and scholars are only so agitated because of Jing Ke's influence. We should take measures to appease them, resolve the conflict, and prevent the situation from escalating." His tone was filled with worry. (End of Chapter)