The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Chapter 224 Eastern Tour - Conspiracy

The next morning, the sun shone faintly through the clouds, and the entire Dune City was still immersed in tranquility.

However, Zhao Ben hurried towards Zhao Gao's residence.

He walked in a hurry, with sweat beading on his forehead, as if he had something important on his mind.

Finally, Zhao Ben arrived at Zhao Gao's door and gently knocked on the doorknob.

After a while, the door opened and Zhao Gao looked at Zhao Ben with a puzzled look.

After entering the house, Zhao Ben hurriedly lowered his voice and said, "Brother, something terrible has happened! Something has changed. This morning, my second brother sent word that after His Majesty took the elixir last night, he had nightmares again and again. In the middle of the night, His Majesty suddenly woke up, and in a rage, he expelled all the palace maids, leaving only Yu Heng to serve. Our men could only guard outside the door, and we vaguely heard some words coming from inside, which sounded like 'Appoint...Su...Meng...Bing...as Prime Minister.'"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gao's expression darkened. His brow furrowed, his eyes flickering as he pondered, "What exactly does this mean? Is Your Majesty planning to make some major adjustments to the court?"

Suddenly, Zhao Gao had an idea and thought to himself, "This is not good. The word 'Li' and 'Su' probably means that Fusu will be made the crown prince. 'Meng' and 'bing' mean that Meng Tian will be in charge of the army. And the last word 'weixiang' is even more confusing."

Thinking of this, Zhao Gao couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety in his heart.

Zhao Gao paced back and forth, then looked at Zhao Ben, "I'm afraid Your Majesty is going to make Prince Fusu the crown prince. This matter must not be made public. We must act first."

Zhao Ben nodded. "My brother is absolutely right. But what should we do now?"

Zhao Gao's face was gloomy as he spoke slowly, "Quickly arrange for your men to monitor Li Si and Meng Yi's every move. I will then test Feng Jie's intentions to see what the Feng family's current stance is."

After Zhao Ben took the order and left, Zhao Gao straightened his clothes and rushed to Feng Jie's residence.

When he arrived at Feng Jie's place, he was quickly invited into the inner hall.

When Feng Jie saw Zhao Gao coming, he already had some guesses in his mind.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhao Gao tentatively asked, "Lord Feng, the situation in the palace has been very unpredictable recently. I wonder if Brother Feng has heard anything about it?"

Feng Jie smiled faintly. "What are you referring to, Lord Zhao? Are you saying that yesterday's debate in front of the emperor has come to a conclusion?"

Zhao Gao decided to get straight to the point, so he whispered, "Brother Feng, you may not know that His Majesty has already made a decision regarding the succession. I came here to ask Brother Feng's opinion on this matter, as one move could affect the entire body."

Feng Jie put down his teacup, his expression becoming serious. "Lord Zhao, what does His Majesty mean?"

Zhao Gao was secretly delighted when he heard this, knowing that Feng Jie was moved. He said, "Brother Feng, to be honest, I received news this morning that His Majesty intends to appoint Prince Fusu as Crown Prince, Meng Tian as Military Commander, and Li Si as Right Prime Minister."

When Feng Jie heard this, he was shocked and felt something was wrong, with disappointment that could not be concealed in his eyes.

Zhao Gao, upon seeing this, struck while the iron was hot and said, "Brother Feng, His Majesty is not feeling well, sometimes conscious and sometimes unconscious. This is not a good sign!"

Feng Jie perked up and asked, "Brother Zhao, what do you think we should do?"

Zhao Gao nodded slightly and said, "If we hesitate to make a decision, we will suffer the consequences. We have decided to support Prince Hu Hai as the crown prince."

Feng Jie frowned and remained silent for a long time. He knew full well that this matter was of grave importance. If he participated, it would be a gamble. If he succeeded, he would be rich and prosperous; if he failed, his entire family would be executed.

"Brother Zhao, this is a serious crime of treason." Feng Jie's voice was filled with hesitation.

Zhao Gao disagreed. "Brother Feng, this opportunity must not be missed. Prince Fusu has always been at odds with us. After he ascends the throne, Li Si and the Meng brothers will undoubtedly be given important positions. You can imagine what will happen to you and me. Prince Hu Hai, on the other hand, is kind-hearted and easy to control."

Feng Jie gritted his teeth. "But Li Si, Yao Jia and others in the court all support Prince Fusu, and Meng Tian commands a large army. How can this be easy?"

A fierce glint flashed in Zhao Gao's eyes. "That's why we need you and I to join forces. First, try to seize control of the Imperial Guards, control His Majesty, rewrite the imperial edict, and then coerce and bribe other officials. At the same time, send a letter to Prime Minister Feng, explaining the situation. Your Majesty's time is running out, and have Prime Minister Feng make early preparations in Xianyang. As long as we plan carefully, we will succeed."

Feng Jie took a deep breath and slowly stood up. "Then I'll follow Brother Zhao's instructions."

When Zhao Gao saw Feng Jie agreed, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

The two of them immediately began to discuss the specific plan, carefully planning every step.

After leaving the Feng residence, Zhao Gao sneered, "With the Feng family's support, the only ones left are Li Si and Meng Yi. As long as we deal with them, Fusu won't be a threat."

Then he quickened his pace and disappeared at the end of the street.

The words are divided into two parts.

This is Meng Yi's side.

Inside his residence, Li Ziwei spoke nervously, "General, this morning, Zhao Ben hurried out of the palace and headed straight for Zhao Gao's residence. Not long after, Zhao Gao also followed suit, heading towards Feng Jie's residence. Such behavior is truly suspicious!"

Hearing this, Meng Yi frowned slightly and remained silent. He lowered his head in thought for a long time before looking up at Li Ziwei and asking in a deep voice, "So, is there anything unusual happening in the palace?"

Li Ziwei shook his head helplessly and replied, "General, to be honest, we haven't yet placed our own people in the palace. Therefore, I have no idea of ​​the specific situation within. However, according to rumors, His Majesty suffered from nightmares last night and was unable to rest all night. Not only that, His Majesty even took elixirs to help him sleep peacefully. But who would have thought that His Majesty suddenly fell into a coma this morning and has not yet awakened."

It turned out that the first emperor woke up in the middle of the night, his face pale and his forehead covered with beads of sweat. He was furious and drove away the palace maids in the bedroom, leaving only Yu Heng.

The First Emperor's eyes were filled with confusion and uneasiness. He gasped and said to Yu Heng, "Do you think I am wrong? There is no such thing as immortality in this world."

Yu Heng's eyes were filled with tears, and he said in a sobbing voice: "Your Majesty, you are the true dragon emperor, you will definitely get better."

The First Emperor laughed at himself, his voice revealing endless fatigue: "I am also a mortal."

His eyes slowly swept across every corner of the bedroom, as if recalling his past glory.

Yu Heng sensed the Emperor's pain and whispered, "Your Majesty, please don't say that. Your achievements will be recorded in history forever, and your name will be remembered by future generations."

The First Emperor nodded slightly, and his eyes gradually became firm.

Then he said to Yu Heng, "Draft an edict: Make Fusu the crown prince. If I fail, he will succeed me. Meng Tian will be the lieutenant general, in charge of the military. Feng Quji and Li Si will remain as prime ministers."

Yu Heng was shocked when he heard this. He knelt down and said respectfully, "Your Majesty is wise and wise. I will obey your orders."

The First Emperor looked at Yu Heng, a trace of relief flashing in his eyes. He gently patted Yu Heng's shoulder and said, "I believe in you, and I also believe in Fusu. I hope he can carry on my legacy."