I started on a deserted island and encountered Ying Zheng, who insisted I was an immortal.

gentlemen?

Zhao Gao and Li Si were both taken aback.

The three thousand Xuanwu Guards were also in an uproar.

Ying Zheng ignored them and walked up to Zhang Ying.

The man who had just been criticized for his poor acting skills was now standing there, pale-faced and trembling slightly.

"Sir," Ying Zheng's voice softened slightly, "now, do you believe me?"

He turned to the side, pointed to the dark mass of troops behind him, and then to the black bird banner fluttering in the wind.

"Aren't my Qin warriors valiant and brave?"

His words carried a hint of barely suppressed smugness.

This is his army, this is his domain.

Zhang Ying did not answer.

He opened his mouth, but it felt like his throat was stuffed with cotton, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Believe it.

How can I not believe it?

This aura forged in iron and blood, this majesty of having thousands of troops under one person's control, is not something that can be acted out.

It’s over.

It's all over.

His life, which started as a comedy about surviving on a deserted island, turned into a horror movie called "One Hundred Ways I Died in the Qin Dynasty".

The intense sunlight made him feel a little dizzy.

The immense shock of reality snapped the last thread in his mind.

He felt dizzy and everything went black.

He fell straight backward.

"teacher!"

Ying Zheng's expression changed drastically. He stepped forward, but found nothing.

Wang Ruoshu exclaimed in surprise, disregarding the proper separation between men and women, and rushed over, squatting down to check on Zhang Ying's condition.

"The imperial physician!" For the first time, Ying Zheng's voice betrayed panic as he roared at the kneeling officials behind him, "Where is the imperial physician?!"

"Summon the imperial physician immediately!"

He turned his head and stared intently at Zhao Gao.

"If the gentleman is even slightly injured."

"I will have you all buried with me!"

......

Inside the bamboo house, it is simple yet elegant.

An elderly man with white hair and beard was kneeling on the ground, carefully taking the pulse of the unconscious Zhang Ying.

His name was Xia Wuqie, and he was the Imperial Physician.

This trip to sea was something Li Si had specifically brought along as a precaution.

Unexpectedly, His Majesty was unharmed, but this unknown "gentleman" collapsed first.

A moment later, Xia Wuqie withdrew his hand and bowed to Ying Zheng, whose face was cold and gloomy.

"Your Majesty, this gentleman is fine."

"It was just that I was so angry that my blood rushed to my head and I felt a tightness in my chest, which caused me to faint."

"I will prescribe a remedy to calm the mind and regulate the Qi. After a short rest, he should be able to wake up."

Ying Zheng's tense body finally relaxed slightly.

He waved.

"Take the gentleman downstairs and take good care of him."

Several guards carried Zhang Ying out quietly and took her to another temporary tent.

The air inside the bamboo house instantly dropped to freezing point as Zhang Ying left.

Ying Zheng sat on that bamboo chair, which Zhang Ying had made herself.

He didn't say a word, but simply tapped rhythmically on the smooth bamboo tabletop with his fingers.

"Thump."

"Thump."

"Thump."

Each sound was like a heavy hammer, striking Li Si and Zhao Gao in the heart.

The two knelt on the ground, their heads bowed low, even their breathing becoming soft.

Outside the bamboo house, the leisurely scene is no longer what it once was.

Five hundred of the most elite Xuanwu Guards surrounded the small valley so tightly that not even a bird could fly in within fifty paces.

Further away, three thousand elite Qin soldiers, following battle formations, had already infiltrated various parts of the mountains and forests, completely taking control of the core area of ​​the entire island.

Swords are drawn, bows and crossbows are nocked.

This idyllic paradise has, in the blink of an eye, transformed into a deadly trap.

"My lord, you are guilty."

Li Si could no longer bear the deathly silence and slammed his forehead heavily onto the ground.

Ying Zheng's tapping stopped.

"Li Si".

"Your subject is here."

"What did you say when you first came to me?"

Ying Zheng's voice was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger.

Li Si trembled; he knew the emperor was trying to break his spirit.

He raised his head, his voice hoarse but firm: "I have said that I am willing to assist Your Majesty in seizing supreme royal power, sweeping across the land, and unifying the world!"

Even if I die nine times, I will not regret it!

Ying Zheng looked at him.

"Step down."

There was no punishment, no reprimand, only two simple words.

Li Si's heart sank to the bottom.

He knew that the emperor had seen through all his little schemes on the ship, his plans about Fusu and the future.

We didn't kill him because he was still useful.

We're not punishing him because a bigger punishment is yet to come.

"Here you are."

Li Si kowtowed, then stood up shakily, bowed, and slowly retreated from the bamboo house.

The moment he turned around, the back of his court robes was completely soaked with cold sweat.

Outside the bamboo house.

Wang Ben, Meng Yi, and a worried-looking Wang Ruoshu were waiting there.

"Prime Minister, the master..." Meng Yi stepped forward and asked in a low voice.

"The imperial physician said there's nothing seriously wrong." Li Si composed himself, barely managing to maintain the dignity of the Right Chancellor.

Meng Yi nodded, then glanced at Li Si's dejected appearance and suddenly spoke.

"Prime Minister, there is something I feel it is necessary to tell you."

"Please speak, Lord Meng."

"Sir, you are no ordinary person."

Meng Yi's tone carried an unquestionable solemnity.

"On this island, there are countless fairy valleys, yielding a thousand catties per mu. I and Marquis Tongwu witnessed this with our own eyes."

"Sir, you possess extraordinary craftsmanship. Without using a single nail or tenon, you can build such an exquisite bamboo house in a single day."

"And the method of turning stone into salt is something I've never heard of before."

Wang Ben chimed in from the side, "That's right! The master can even steam six pounds of flatbread from four pounds of flour! I watched him weigh it myself!"

Wang Ruoshu whispered, "The master can also conjure up many kinds of food out of thin air. Those peanuts and melon seeds are things we've never seen before."

Li Si was completely bewildered as he listened to their back-and-forth conversation.

A yield of 1,000 jin per mu?

Turning stone into salt?

Four pounds turned into six pounds?

As the Prime Minister of Qin, in charge of the nation's household registration and finances, the impact of these figures was more intense for him than for anyone else.

These words, coming from Meng Yi and Wang Ben, left him no choice but to believe them.

But he never believed in ghosts or gods, only in laws and power.

Now, the worldview he had held onto all his life was shattered by these few light words.

Could it be that there really are immortals in this world?

Could it be that everything Your Majesty said is true?

Li Si stood there, stunned, his mind a complete mess.

Meng Yi and Wang Ben exchanged a glance, both understanding a great deal from each other's reactions.

The two walked to the side without realizing it.

"It seems His Majesty will not take action against Li Si for the time being," Wang Ben said in a low voice.

"The Prime Minister's talent is useful to the country. Moreover, he has not plotted rebellion, but he did have some inappropriate thoughts." Meng Yi stroked his beard. "His Majesty, remembering his past merits and for the sake of stability in the court, will keep him."