Unparalleled Evildoer

Chapter 137: Both Feet Have Walked on the Blood-Stained Road
The breeze blew through the curtains, bringing a little coolness. Xianyang City was now shrouded in moonlight. Wuzhan finished stitching the wound with silk and bandaged it with gauze. He said to Zhao Gao with clean hands, "Don't bathe or touch water to the wound. If you are thirsty, you can only moisten your throat, but not urinate. You need to rest quietly, avoid spicy food, and stay away from women. After seven days, come to my humble house and wait for me to untie the silk thread before you can be free."

Zhao Gao stood up tremblingly, tears of gratitude welling up in his eyes. He was about to kneel down and said, "Your Excellency has been very kind to me, Gaozi. I can only..."

Wuzhan stretched out his hand to support him and said, "Your Excellency has lost too much blood and should not be excited. I am just doing my best to relieve your worries. You are so polite. Don't you want to make friends with me?"

"How could that be? Little Gaozi will never forget your kindness!"

"Go back to the palace quickly. You have been out for so long this time. If Lord Meng asks you about it, just say that you had a cup of tea here. He will naturally not ask any more questions. Your beard will grow slowly in the future, so you must clean it in time. Your Adam's apple will bulge and your voice will change accordingly. You must be careful to hide it so as not to arouse suspicion."

"Thank you for the reminder, sir. I have noted it all. I will go back now. Bye!" With a black cloth covering his head, he walked out of the mansion gate with difficulty. Although his body was in pain, his heart was warm. He got on the carriage and disappeared into the night.

After Zhao Gao left, Jin Xingzi came in and laughed, "I didn't expect that thing was his. Hehe, interesting, interesting!"

Wuzhan said: "Don't talk nonsense, this may cost you your life!"

"Little Master, don't worry. Although I am not as good as you, I am still much tighter than you. But I have a question. Although I know that you must have an intention, I still want to ask, Zhao Gao is just a eunuch, why did you spend so much effort on him?"

Wuzhan said: "He serves the emperor every day and knows everything about the emperor's actions. Moreover, he is the person the emperor trusts the most. This cannot be measured by the size of his official position. A word from him can cause the unjust death of soldiers and the suffering of the people. You can't underestimate him!"

"A single word can actually have such great power. This is really like killing someone invisibly, and disaster comes from the mouth!"

……

The Qin Dynasty held court once every half month. If there was a major event, the time would be changed temporarily or the main ministers would be summoned to the palace for "court meetings". This day was the day of the court meeting again. Civil and military officials entered the hall as usual according to their official ranks. Zhao Gao read out the emperor's appointment letter in a sharp voice, appointing Li Si as the left prime minister and Feng Quji as the right prime minister, to be in charge of state affairs. All civil and military officials congratulated him in unison.

After the celebration, Ying Zheng said, "The position of the Minister of Justice is now vacant. I wonder if any of you, my dear ministers, have any candidates who can take on this position?"

The officials discussed in low voices, and Imperial Censor Feng Jie said, "I recommend someone who will surely be able to take on this task!"

"Who does the old censor want to recommend?"

"The Counselor, Wuzhan!" Everyone was stunned after hearing this. Feng Jie and Yao Jia had a deep friendship, and both of them were veteran ministers in the court and had made great contributions. They thought Feng Jie would recommend Yao Jia, but they did not expect Feng Jie to recommend Wuzhan who had just entered the court. They all turned their eyes to Wuzhan who was on the rise.

Ying Zheng suddenly smiled and said, "Oh, why did the old censor recommend Wuzhan?"

"The Counselor helped General Meng defeat the Xiongnu. I don't need to describe his intelligence. A few days ago, he was in the Court of Justice. He was sharp-eyed and thoughtful. He helped the Prime Minister uncover the traitors hiding in the court. This is a great achievement. I believe that if the Counselor is appointed as the Court of Justice of the Qin Dynasty, he will be able to enforce the law impartially, strictly enforce the law, punish the rebels, and eliminate the remnants of the six countries!"

"I have an objection!" said the old general and guard Yang Ruihe.

Ying Zheng looked suspicious and asked, "What objection do you have, old general?"

Yang Ruihe said solemnly: "Although the Imperial Counselor has made great contributions in defeating the Xiongnu, he still needs to be tempered. Our Great Qin unified China, and every important official in the court has made outstanding achievements. It is too far-fetched to rely on just this one thing. If we talk about achievements, this old minister thinks Yao Jia is the most suitable."

Yao Jia had been sent as an envoy to the four countries of Chu, Yan, Zhao and Wei. He maneuvered among the four countries and disintegrated the final stage of the four countries' coalition counterattack. He devoted his life to the cause and made outstanding political achievements. After hearing this, all the court officials nodded in approval.

Feng Jie said: "Times have changed. What our Great Qin is facing now is no longer the six kingdoms of the past, but a world that needs to be governed. In order to make Great Qin a civilized country forever, we are old and our eyesight is blurry. We can no longer distinguish between the benefits and disadvantages. If we hold important positions, we may make mistakes in major policies. The state system urgently needs talented people like the Counselor to share the responsibility."

Chunyu Yue stepped out of the line and said, "I think what the Censor said is absurd. We should know how to appoint the right people to the right posts and make the best use of their talents. When it comes to deploying troops and making wise plans, Lord Yao is not as good as the Counselor. However, the laws of the country need an experienced minister like Lord Yao who is well-versed in history and present affairs. How can we treat him like fighting and killing the enemy? It is too arbitrary to appoint such a person based on a few alarmist remarks!" His intention was to satirize Wuzhan's accusation that those who implemented benevolent policies were tantamount to restoration.

After hearing this, many of the ministers loudly agreed. It was obvious that Wuzhan's words had aroused the indignation of many people.

After hearing this, Ying Zheng's face darkened, and he seemed displeased. He said to Li Si: "The Prime Minister is an old court official. Who do you think is qualified for this position?"

Li Si stepped forward slowly and said in a loud voice: "I agree with the recommendation of the Imperial Censor. Although the six kingdoms have been pacified, the remnants have not been eliminated, and the pedantic legacy remains. Undercurrents are surging. The words of the Imperial Counselor are by no means alarmist. The battlefield of the Qin Dynasty is no longer the thousands of troops of the six kingdoms, but the rumors spread by the remnants and the rebellious forces. The war is far from over and the world still needs to be rectified."

"I second the motion!" Old minister Yao Jia stepped out and said excitedly, "I am over sixty years old and can still serve the Qin for a few more years. Moreover, with my little knowledge, I am indeed not suitable for the position of Chief Justice, and I cannot see through everything and take precautions before it happens. I think that although the Counselor has just entered the court not long ago, his wisdom and talent are obvious to all. He is indeed a rare talent, and he is many times better than those who can only talk big and judge. I strongly recommend Wuzhan!" Everyone understood then. It turned out that Yao Jia and Feng Jie had already communicated privately. That was why Feng Jie recommended Wuzhan. In this way, the position of Chief Justice, one of the Nine Ministers, would have to be Wuzhan.

"I have objections!" Wuzhan spoke at this time.

Ying Zheng looked at Wuzhan in surprise and said, "Oh...! Wuzhan, what do you object to?" "I used to be a commoner, contented with having enough food to eat. Now I am appreciated by Your Majesty and have the honor to serve the Great Qin. I am flattered to be a doctor. How can you be so talented and worthy to be such an important official? Lord Yao is well versed in laws and has a wide range of knowledge. He is a loyal official of the Great Qin. I am ashamed of myself. I strongly recommend Lord Yao!"

When these words were spoken, the whole palace was shocked. You know, the Chief Justice was in charge of the laws of the Qin Dynasty and was directly under the command of His Majesty. He was an important official with the power of life and death. It was an official position that many people dared not even think about, but Wuzhan actually refused.

Meng Yi knew that Wuzhan was unwilling to be an official. He was not as surprised as Li Si and others, but he was still angry. He thought, "How much have we wasted our time and energy talking about you, and you actually gave up your position!"

The unimpeded rejection embarrassed those who had already prepared their speeches, and they didn't know what to say next.

Ying Zheng was the first to come to his senses. He smiled and said, "Interesting, this kind of situation is rare in our Great Qin. Both of you recommended each other. You can be said to be promoting the virtuous and giving way to the capable, and being selfless. However, you are so humble. Is it difficult to be the Minister of Justice in our Great Qin?" He stared at Wuzhan, obviously very unhappy.

"I am considering this for the sake of the country and people of the Great Qin. Lord Yao is the most suitable person to take on this important task. I am still inexperienced and I am afraid that I will make mistakes. Your Majesty, please think twice!" Wuzhan bowed and replied.

Ying Zheng said: "Since Wuzhan is unwilling to take the responsibility, there is no need for you to argue. Let the old minister Yao Jia take the position of the court judge. Little Gaozi, issue my edict!"

"Our emperor is wise!" all the court officials said in unison, and then congratulated Yao Jia.

Ying Zheng said loudly: "Wu Zhan, you can't sit idle either. I have written down all the words you said in the Court of the Supreme Court. Now our Great Qin is indeed facing an invisible battlefield. The enemies on this battlefield are the remnants who want to restore the monarchy through speech. Huan Xi and other traitors are examples. It is conceivable that there are many such restorers in this world. I now grant you a special order and appoint you as the Imperial Censor to monitor the speech of the world and eradicate the remnants of the restoration who are misleading the people. You must not disobey!"

While all the court officials were still trying to figure out why Wuzhan refused, Ying Zheng's imperial order came down like a thunderbolt. The Censor for Suppressing Rebellion was obviously not among the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers. In terms of enforcing the laws of the Qin Dynasty, he should belong to the Chief Justice, and in terms of supervising all officials and counties across the country, he should belong to the Chief Censor. The position of the Censor for Suppressing Rebellion seemed to involve both, but was separated from them and specialized in dealing with the remnants of the restoration. The power of this position could be very flexible. No one expected that Wuzhan gave up the position of the Chief Justice, but got a special position that was comparable to it.

Your Majesty's decision was obviously well prepared. He guessed that Wuzhan might not necessarily be appointed as the Chief Justice, so he set up a special position for Wuzhan. This shows Your Majesty's determination to punish the remnants of the restoration.

It has only been a few days since Wuzhan entered the court and he has been appreciated by the Majesty, and is close to important ministers. He is at the peak of his career. Although there have been many precedents of such things in the Qin Dynasty, there have never been such a young person. It seems that this weak and sickly boy is not simple.

Wuzhan had no choice but to kneel down and thank him, "Thank you for your respect, Your Majesty. I will definitely fulfill my mission!"

When Wuzhan knelt down, the doctors in the Doctoral Academy felt a chill in their backs, especially. If they offended Wuzhan again, the consequences would be very serious. They would be labeled as remnants of the restoration and their fate would be the same as Huan Xi and others, who would be buried alive and their entire clans would be exterminated. They tried hard to recall what they had done in the past few days, whether they had said anything they shouldn't have said or done anything they shouldn't have done. Their faces began to turn pale.

"Xiao Gaozi, issue my edict and grant me the tiger talisman!"

Everyone was shocked. With the tiger talisman, one could mobilize troops and generals. Even the tiger talisman was given to Wuzhan, which showed His Majesty's trust in Wuzhan.

Zhao Gao quickly finished writing the edict, read it out, took out the tiger talisman and handed it to Wuzhan. Li Si, Fusu and others congratulated him.

……

Wuzhan knew very well that he could not accept the position of Supreme Court Justice at the moment. Firstly, his foundation was unstable and there would be opposition. If he was not careful, he would be caught by others. The higher the position, the more dangerous it would be. Secondly, he was really not capable of the position of Supreme Court Justice as he would be completely bound in the Supreme Court Justice's Mansion and would not have the free time to do his own things. Thirdly, some people in the court, including Ying Zheng, were still testing him. He had to be cautious because no one in the court was in the same mind as him. In other words, they were all enemies. Fourthly, the height of the official position was not important. What was important was the reality, not the name.

The reason why Ying Zheng appointed Wuzhan as the Imperial Censor for Suppressing Rebellion was actually within Wuzhan's expectations. In the main hall and the Supreme Court, Wuzhan strongly advocated that the counties and prefectures oppose the enfeoffment, and proposed that restoring the old system was tantamount to restoring the monarchy, and that the country needed to punish the old customs, which had already planted the seeds of disaster. After hearing this, Ying Zheng would certainly seek ways to eradicate it in order to secure his throne.

Wuzhan knew very well what Ying Zheng wanted. What he wanted to do was to use his desires to disintegrate the government and consume the Qin State, and to use the dictatorship he wanted to deprive him of all other voices. Wuzhan had made this purpose very clear to Gongsun Yu in the mountain village of Donghai County.

However, Ying Zheng was able to annex the six kingdoms, unify China, and become an emperor of all ages. He was not a mediocre king. It would not be easy to destroy his country under his nose.

Sometimes, Wuzhan thought, how many monarchs have there been like this since ancient times? His hatred is actually just the despair and unwillingness crushed by the wheel of time. He has the same sorrow as Gongsun Yu, Zhang Liang and others, but he has no choice.

Before his father went on his last expedition, Wuzhan had tried to persuade him, but his father did not listen. His parents eventually died for him. This hatred was inherited as long as he was alive. It was an eternal nightmare and one should bear it while alive. Even if one was despised by all eternity, one had to bite the bullet and go on. What's more, the Qin State might not be the law of nature, and Ying Zheng was even less so.

Sometimes he felt that he was not possessed by a demon, but that he was the demon. The name his father gave him was not an exaggeration at all. Even he was afraid of himself because he never blinked when killing people.

……

After the court session ended, Wuzhan had just returned to his residence when the guard at the gate reported, "There is a young female Taoist priest outside the gate who wants to see you, sir!"

……

(End of this chapter)