The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Chapter 227 Eastern Tour - Palace Change (3)

After Li Si rushed into the bedroom, he looked over the sickbed anxiously, but found that the First Emperor had disappeared, and even Yu Heng was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly, an ominous premonition arose in Li Si's heart, and a thin layer of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

Yao Jia and several other ministers followed closely behind him and entered the bedroom. Their faces were also filled with astonishment and confusion, and their eyes revealed their worry about the whereabouts of the First Emperor.

At this moment, Zhao Gao came walking towards the side of the bedroom with a smug smile on his face. His steps seemed somewhat leisurely, as if everything was under his control.

Li Si saw this, his eyes widened, and with suppressed anger in his voice, he demanded, "Zhao Gao, where is His Majesty?"

Zhao Gao's smile faded, a subtle slyness appearing on his face. He bowed slightly and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry, Prime Minister. I have received orders to inform you all."

His voice echoed in the empty chamber with an unsettling reverberation.

Li Si frowned tightly and stared at Zhao Gao, trying to find a clue from his expression.

Yao Jia and other ministers also gathered around, their eyes intertwined, creating a tense atmosphere.

"What's the matter?" Li Si's voice became increasingly low, revealing his inner anxiety.

Zhao Gao coughed softly, then spoke slowly, "Your Majesty is in poor health and requires rest. Your Majesty has decreed that Right Prime Minister Feng Quji assist Chang'an Lord Hu Hai in governing the country. I will temporarily take over palace affairs, and Feng Jie will assume the position of Commandant of the Imperial Guard. Your Excellencies must fully cooperate."

His words were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

The ministers looked at each other, not knowing how to respond for a moment.

At this time, Zhao Cheng led a team of guards and rushed in, surrounding the ministers in the bedroom.

Li Si's eyes became sharper, and he was secretly thinking about how to deal with the situation.

Zhao Gao looked at everyone proudly, as if he was full of confidence in his plan.

The atmosphere in the bedroom became increasingly solemn, as if shrouded by an invisible pressure.

Li Si was the first to break the silence. His eyes were as cold as ice, and a sneer of disdain hung on the corner of his mouth. "Zhao Gao, I'm afraid this decree of yours is a forgery. Your Majesty has never expressed such thoughts."

Zhao Gao's face instantly darkened, his voice filled with sarcasm, "Prime Minister Li, please don't slander me. This was said by Your Majesty himself. Could it be that Your Majesty didn't issue an order for Prime Minister Li to assist the country, and you're harboring resentment?"

Yao Jia stood up, his voice loud and firm: "Now that we haven't seen your Majesty's true face, how can we trust you?" His eyes were as sharp as torches, staring straight at Zhao Gao, without flinching.

The other ministers also accused Zhao Gao of forging the imperial edict.

Zhao Gao shouted loudly, and his voice echoed in the bedroom like thunder: "Are you going to disobey the order? Zhao Cheng, if anyone disobeys, kill them without mercy." There was a hint of cruelty in his eyes, and the imperial edict in his hand seemed to become heavy.

Zhao Cheng agreed, and his actions were swift and decisive. The guards drew their swords one after another, the swords flashed, and the cold air was pressing.

At that moment, the air in the bedroom seemed to freeze, and a suffocating atmosphere of tension quickly spread.

A short while later, a sinister sneer crossed Zhao Gao's face. He spoke in a sinister tone, "I have devotedly served Your Majesty for over a decade! I am utterly loyal to Your Majesty. How could I possibly harbor the intention of murdering you? Come, summon Prime Minister Li so he can be reunited with his beloved son."

As Li Si was forcibly taken away by a group of imperial guards, the entire hall instantly became deathly silent, without a single sound.

Everyone present looked at each other in amazement. No one dared to make a sound, for fear that they would be killed if they were not careful.

At this time, Zhao Gao glanced coldly at everyone present, and then snorted heavily from his nose.

Then he continued slowly, "Master Yao, Master Yao, you always boast about your loyalty, integrity, and impartiality, but the truth is far from it! As far as I know, your youngest son has committed all sorts of crimes in Xianyang City, including raping women, taking lives, and committing corruption and abuse of power. And these are not just occasional acts. So, Master Yao, where exactly is your so-called fairness? Where exactly is your so-called loyalty?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yao Jia's face flushed crimson. He lowered his head in embarrassment, not daring to meet Zhao Gao's gaze. His hands trembled slightly, and even his lips were pale from excessive nervousness.

Because he was the Imperial Censor, one of the Three Dukes, the Chief Justice, the Prefect of Xianyang, the Censorate, etc., which official would not give him some face? He never expected that Zhao Gao would say it in public today.

Zhao Gao glanced at Yao Jia with disdain out of the corner of his eye, then turned to another minister and said, "Lord Wei, you are a distinguished scholar and also hold the position of Minister of State. You always talk about the teachings of sages all day long, speaking with great clarity and logic, as if you are a role model of morality. However, behind the scenes, you have been plundering and seizing land, and taking countless concubines. Such behavior is truly despicable! Compared to a mere eunuch like me, you are far inferior!"

When Lord Wei heard this, his originally calm face instantly became extremely ugly, like an eggplant hit by frost.

A flash of anger suddenly flashed in his eyes, but was quickly replaced by deep helplessness.

His lips trembled slightly and he opened his mouth several times, as if he wanted to defend himself, but in the end he found that he didn't know where to start.

At this moment, Zhao Gao sneered, waved his hand, and threw several letters in front of everyone.

The envelope drew an arc in the air and then fell lightly to the ground with a slight sound.

Zhao Gao said in a cold voice: "As for the various 'glorious deeds' of the remaining adults, I will not list them one by one here. They are all recorded in detail in these letters!" After saying that, he patted the stack of letters with his hand, his face full of sarcasm.

As soon as Zhao Gao finished speaking, the entire hall fell into silence, and the atmosphere was so depressing that it was almost hard to breathe.

At this moment, Zhao Gao's eyes were like cold arrows, sweeping across everyone present one by one, as if mercilessly mocking their hypocrisy and incompetence.

After a moment's silence, Zhao Gao raised his voice again and asked loudly: "My lords, you are all powerful figures in our Great Qin State. A random word from you can decide the life and death of the people. So, do you intend to obey the decree issued by His Majesty today, or do you intend to openly disobey it?" His words echoed in the court for a long time.

Zhao Gao paused, then continued, "Let me remind you all, I have more than just these letters. I've already made arrangements for the families of all of you. High positions and generous salaries await you all!"