I will make Qin Shi Huang immortal in the Great Qin Dynasty.

Qin Tian looked at Ying Zheng's eyes, which were gradually regaining their clarity from their rage, and sighed inwardly.

This ancestor's recovery ability is indeed unmatched by ordinary people.

If it were anyone else, hearing that their body was covered with rotten fish by their most trusted advisor before it was even cold, that their own children were cruelly murdered by another child, that the imperial family was destroyed and the country was overthrown, they would probably have collapsed long ago.

But Ying Zheng was only angry for a short while before suppressing his anger and calmly analyzing the situation and gathering information.

This is the spirit of an emperor who reigns supreme throughout history.

Even in the face of the most intense emotional shocks, he can quickly regain his composure and shift his attention to "how to cope" rather than "why me".

If someone were truly the kind of person who would fly into a rage and lose their composure at the first sign of bad news, they wouldn't have been able to rise to the throne at the age of thirteen, gradually eliminating Lü Buwei and Lao Ai, destroying the six kingdoms, and unifying the world.

"Okay, I'll continue." Qin Tian nodded, adjusted his posture to make himself more comfortable.

He no longer intended to put on airs like an immortal. After all, there was no one else in the carriage besides Ying Zheng, so why should he put on airs for anyone?

"But Brother Zheng, have some water first, calm your nerves."

He reached for the jade pot on the low table, poured a cup of wine, and handed it to Ying Zheng.

In his fit of rage, Ying Zheng smashed everything he could on the table. Luckily, the jade pot was in a corner and escaped the wreckage, otherwise he wouldn't even have anything to pour wine for now.

Ying Zheng took the lacquer cup, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. The wine slid down his throat and into his stomach, and the burning sensation spread through his chest, turning the last trace of anger into a warm breath.

"After Huhai ascended the throne, Zhao Gao was appointed as the Palace Attendant and later became the Prime Minister. He was Huhai's teacher, and Huhai listened to him without question. All the power of the court fell into Zhao Gao's hands." Qin Tian's voice was unhurried, as if he were telling an ancient story.

"Zhao Gao was ruthless and extremely ambitious, but he had one greatest skill: his control over power was unparalleled. He first eliminated everyone in the court who could threaten him, step by step, including Meng Tian, ​​Meng Yi, and Li Si. Once there were no more dissenting voices in the court, his methods became even more direct."

Ying Zheng's eyes narrowed slightly.

"One year, Zhao Gao somehow obtained a deer and led it to the imperial court."

"In front of Hu Hai and all the civil and military officials, he said, 'Your Majesty, I present you with a horse.'"

Ying Zheng's brows furrowed sharply.

deer?

horse?

Did Zhao Gao think Hu Hai was a fool, or did he think the entire court was blind?

Even a three-year-old can tell the difference between a deer and a horse. How dare Zhao Gao point at a deer and call it a horse in front of the emperor and officials in the imperial court?

Hu Hai laughed and said, "Prime Minister, you've got it wrong. This is clearly a deer, not a horse!"

Ying Zheng's lips twitched slightly, seemingly pleased that his son was at least not so stupid as to not be able to distinguish between a deer and a horse.

But Qin Tian's next words instantly turned his relief into anger.

Zhao Gao didn't explain. He turned around and asked the ministers standing in the court, "Tell me, is this a deer or a horse?"

The ministers exchanged bewildered glances, none of them expecting the Prime Minister to pull such a stunt in court. But they quickly realized that this wasn't a question about a deer or a horse; it was a question of choosing sides. Those who said it was a horse sided with Zhao Gao; those who said it was a deer sided with Zhao Gao.

"And so, this scene unfolded in the court: one group of people rushed to say, 'The Prime Minister is right, this is a horse, a fine horse, a fine horse that can travel a thousand miles a day.' Another group lowered their heads and remained silent, neither calling it a deer nor a horse. And a small group insisted that it was a deer, and a deer is a deer; one cannot call a deer a horse."

"And then?" Ying Zheng's voice was very low.

"Then, those ministers who said it was a deer were killed by Zhao Gao on a pretext a few days later."

Silence fell once again in the carriage.

Ying Zheng gripped the empty lacquer cup tightly, remaining silent.

Calling a deer a horse.

This is utterly outrageous and unbridled.

A minister, in the imperial court, pointed at a deer and called it a horse in front of the emperor, and then, in front of the emperor, killed those ministers who spoke the truth one by one.

And what about the emperor? The emperor sat on the dragon throne, watching all of this happen, unable to do anything about it.

Hu Hai didn't care who was the deer and who was the horse. He didn't care about the court, the ministers, or the common people. The only thing he cared about was whether he could continue to enjoy himself.

Zhao Gao handled state affairs for him, killed people for him, and eliminated all those who might threaten his throne. He was happy to have some peace and quiet, and could lock himself in the harem day and night to drink and play with women.

Zhao Gao understood this point, which is why he dared to act so recklessly.

Ying Zheng closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.

"Although Hu Hai only reigned for three short years, he committed every imaginable atrocity." Qin Tian's voice carried a hint of coldness.

"He was worried about the stability of his throne and feared that his other brothers would fight him for it, so he went on a killing spree. Twelve princes were publicly executed in the streets of Xianyang, and ten princesses were subjected to the most severe punishment of being dismembered, leaving their bodies incomplete. This was not the end of it. Anyone in the imperial clan who was even remotely related to him by blood, as long as Zhao Gao said, 'This person may have ulterior motives,' he would kill them without mercy."

Ying Zheng's eyelids twitched slightly.

He had already heard these words from Qin Tian, ​​but hearing them again was like a dull knife sawing back and forth in his heart.

What did those children, those children who have his blood in their veins, do wrong?

They did nothing wrong; their only "sin" was being born into an imperial family.

"Besides killing members of the imperial family, he also killed ministers. Meng Tian, ​​Meng Yi, Feng Quji, Feng Jie, Li Si... almost all the old ministers who followed you in conquering the country were killed by him."

"Li Si was framed by Zhao Gao and imprisoned. He suffered all kinds of torture in prison and was finally cut in half at the waist in the execution ground in Xianyang. His entire family was exterminated."

Qin Tian's tone carried a hint of emotion.

A renowned prime minister who created the Qin Empire, a founding hero who assisted Qin Shi Huang in unifying the world, and a representative figure of the Legalist school known for its "art of emperors," ultimately met a fate of being "cut in half at the waist in Xianyang and his entire family exterminated."

Li Si played a crucial role in the Qin Dynasty's rise and fall.

He was the First Emperor's right-hand man and an accomplice in Zhao Gao's alteration of the imperial edict.

He thought that by siding with Huhai, he could keep his position as prime minister. However, after Huhai ascended the throne, he only managed to eke out a living for three years under Zhao Gao before finally meeting his end.

When Li Si was escorted to the execution ground, did he ever regret his decision?

Have you ever considered that if he hadn't colluded with Zhao Gao, and if he had faithfully carried out the First Emperor's will, after Fusu ascended the throne, his position as prime minister might have been in jeopardy, but at least he wouldn't have ended up being "cut in half at the waist in Xianyang and his entire clan exterminated"?

Ying Zheng lowered his eyelids slightly, his gaze fixed on the lacquer cup in his hand, remaining fixed for a long time.

Li Si.