If you don't give up, I'd like to be your adoptive father.

Chapter 1141 Military Affairs Office

After returning to the Prime Minister's residence, Li Si remained silent, locking himself in his study and not summoning his servants or guests for a long time.

The people in the Prime Minister's residence also knew what had happened in the court. They were both indignant and worried about the old Prime Minister.

Just before lunchtime, Li Gan, the eldest son of Li You and Princess Hualing, knocked on his grandfather's study door and called softly from outside, "Grandpa, it's time for lunch. Would you like your grandson to bring the food over?"

Li Si remained silent for a moment before saying, "Gan'er, come in."

Li Gan listened carefully to the old man's words, feeling both pleased and puzzled.

I'm so glad that the old man is finally willing to see people and talk.

Grandpa's tone was very calm, even somewhat relaxed, which made Li Gan and the people outside feel strange.

Li Gan pushed the door open just enough for him to squeeze through, then quickly closed it again after entering.

He walked lightly to his grandfather's side and whispered, "Black Rakshasa, Xu Fu and other immortal masters have heard about what happened in the court and are waiting for you in the living room."

Drs. Zhang Zong and He Nan are also ready to serve you at any time.

Li Si smiled slightly, stood up and said, "In that case, let's go out."

Li Gan opened his mouth as if to say something, but ultimately swallowed his doubts and worries and followed the old man to the living room.

After the immortal masters and their retainers paid their respects to the prime minister, they took the initiative to inquire about matters of the court and Prime Minister Li's strategies for dealing with them.

Li Si said calmly, "There's nothing to say. Yu Fengxian has already assumed the title of 'Prime Minister'."

The Second Emperor also acknowledged her and even called her 'Uncle Father'.

If she wanted, she could wield absolute power in the court.

“Grandpa, this isn’t a matter of whether it’s possible or not. She’s so arrogant and domineering now, she can control everything.” Li Gan said excitedly.

Black Rakshasa said in a deep voice, "Her supernatural powers are remarkable, that's undeniable. But supernatural powers are not everything."

No one can subdue an imperial dynasty by any means.

Your Excellency, there is no need to be discouraged or confront her directly. First, talk to Prime Minister Feng and Marquis Lieyang.

At least maintain your 'alliance between generals and ministers'.

Li Si asked, "Didn't Yu Fengxian keep Marquis Lieyang behind? What did they talk about? Has any news leaked out?"

His protégé, Dr. Zhang, said with a serious expression, "We're not quite sure what they talked about."

After returning to the northern camp, Marquis Lieyang immediately convened a meeting with the Marquis of Donghai and decided that five days later, he would personally lead the Donghai Legion to escort the Second Emperor to Xingyang.

Judging from his expression, it seemed he had been persuaded by Yu Fengxian.

Li Si showed no anger or impatience, only a soft sigh, and said, "As expected. You should also make preparations. Arrange personnel and supplies within five days, as we will accompany the Second Emperor to Xingyang."

By the way, Gan'er, write a letter to your father now.

He was ordered to immediately go to Xingyang to prepare the emperor's palace and residences for the officials.

Li You was the governor of Sanchuan Commandery, commanding an army of 100,000, and stationed in Luoyang. Xingyang was also in Sanchuan Commandery, only a few hundred miles from Luoyang.

The task of receiving the emperor and his officials was naturally to be undertaken by Li You.

When Hu Hai actually went to Xingyang, Li You suddenly went from being an "outsider" to a "capital official".

Xu Fu's eyes flickered slightly as he asked, "Has the Prime Minister also accepted Yu Zaiheng's rule?"

Li Si frowned and slowly said, "In the court, I questioned and refuted her many times, but in the end, she left me speechless with her 'reasoning'."

She also demonstrated the power to promote her own 'philosophy'.

Even fallacies and heresies, if promoted by powerful forces, become the greatest 'truth' in the world.

I don't like her, and I don't really accept her 'reasoning'.

But I am also the Prime Minister of Qin. I cannot allow Qin to fall into internal strife, and I do not want Qin to truly fulfill its predetermined destiny and perish after only two generations.

Her words made a lot of sense—whoever is capable should take the lead.

We couldn't do it, but she could, so she took over.

This result is very disappointing, but I can barely accept the outcome for both the eastern and western capitals.

Old Li frankly said, "It's mainly because my son, Li You, is the governor of Sanchuan County."

He is currently leading 100,000 elite troops stationed in Luoyang.

"Going to Xingyang will indeed allow me to better deal with the rebellions in the Central Plains."

"Going to Xingyang will not diminish my power as prime minister; on the contrary, I will be more confident than when I was in Xianyang. This is because my son commands an army of 100,000."

Unlike in Xianyang, where I only held the power of a prime minister, any military commander who had gone mad could threaten me and my family.

This is a key reason why Li Tanran accepted reality.

He's quite old now. He started from humble beginnings, followed the Emperor all the way up, and has seen the most magnificent scenery. Now he really doesn't have much fighting spirit left.

By preserving the Li family's existing wealth and status, he had largely fulfilled his wish.

This is a fundamental interest.

If he could also save the Qin Dynasty, his life would be perfect except for "making Yu Fengxian suffer".

He couldn't possibly turn the tables and sacrifice his own fundamental interests for the sake of a petty argument about "making Yu Fengxian suffer."

“But Xingyang is clearly more dangerous than Xianyang,” Li Gan said.

Li Si glanced at him. "Your father is in Luoyang, in Sanchuan County!"

If even Sanchuan County falls, his son Li You will most likely not survive. With Li You's death, half of the Li family's foundation will crumble. Not only will they lose their heir, but they will also lose 100,000 troops, and the imperial court will certainly hold them accountable.

According to normal history, it was only after his son Li Youxian's entire army was wiped out and he died on the battlefield that Zhao Gao dared to easily exterminate the entire Li family.

Now that the capital has been established in Xingyang, Li Si followed the Second Emperor away from Guanzhong, which seems dangerous.

However, with the imperial court's forces shifting to Xingyang, Li Youhui would clearly be safer.

With the military strength of Sanchuan County being stronger, and the Li family working together, Li You was safe. If something really happened and they were defeated, the court would be held responsible, because Li You was no longer the top leader, and he was still safer.

If Li You is safe, then the Li family will be at peace.

Then, Li Si turned to Xu Fu and asked, "Junfang, what do you think of Yu Fengxian's strategy of using Hu Hai's three-year imperial decree to disrupt the established Mandate of Heaven? Is it really feasible?"

Xu Fu pondered and said, "At first glance, it is indeed shocking. No one has ever thought of such a strategy before."

The fact that she could come up with this strategy shows that she truly understands destiny and has a perspective that is a cut above ours.

But thinking about it carefully, I feel that she simply wanted to get rid of you.

Your presence in Xianyang is an eyesore to her. To fight for power and cause internal strife is foolish and a waste of time.

"Why not give me a plausible reason to get rid of you?"

Li Si's face darkened slightly; he was also aware of this.

"I don't really care about her thoughts. Let's just talk about the plan itself."

Xu Fu said, "It is obvious that by establishing the two capitals, East and West, and by publicly revealing heavenly secrets, she has already rewritten the predetermined destiny."

Li Si said, "She also acknowledges this. But she believes that the Mandate of Heaven varies in magnitude, and the establishment of the two capitals, East and West, is insignificant compared to the imperial mandate of Hu Hai in the third year." Xu Fu hesitated and said, "To be honest, I'm not sure how useful it will be. However, I'm very much looking forward to it."

No one had ever used this method to test fate before.

Li Si pressed further, "If she succeeds, will the predetermined fate truly change?"

As she wished, it was a fateful change caused by rebellion.

So, does the Qin Dynasty have a chance to snatch chestnuts from the fire?

Xu Fu shook his head and said, "I really can't answer this question. We'll have to wait a while and see how the great powers of the Three Realms deal with Yu Fengxian's move."

All I can say now is that she made a brilliant move, and someone's going to be in trouble.

Li Gan's face turned ugly as he said, "So Master Xu admits that Yu Fengxian is qualified to play chess?"

Xu Fu said helplessly, "Now it's not a question of who approves or disapproves."

The facts are clear: what she did in court today was nothing short of playing chess.

He also made a brilliant move.

Hu Hai's three-year reign was already difficult to manage, and with ten years of benevolent rule, I doubt the Qin Dynasty could have been revived under any other circumstances.

Li Si let out a long sigh of frustration, seemingly mocking himself while also consoling himself, and said, "In any case, my Li family will share weal and woe with the Great Qin."

"If the Qin Dynasty prospers, we prosper. Yu Fengxian has thus served the Li family."

Xu Fu nodded slightly. "The Prime Minister has extraordinary magnanimity and keen insight. However, since Yu Fengxian has become a powerful minister who commands the court, should the selection of the Grand Tutor continue?"

If no more Grand Tutors are selected, I must bid farewell to the Prime Minister.

Li Si hesitated and said, "Junfang, let's wait a little longer. Yu Fengxian may have occasional lapses in judgment, but she won't change her mind overnight."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a steward entered and reported, "Master, someone from the palace has arrived. His Majesty the Second has an imperial edict for you, related to your deployment to Xingyang."

“Let him come over,” Li Si said.

The steward accepted the order and soon brought a eunuch into the living room.

Li Si and his guests neither rose to greet him nor knelt to receive the imperial decree.

The eunuch who delivered the imperial edict did not show any unusual expression. Instead, he held the edict in his hands and respectfully bowed to Li Si several times.

Li Si took the imperial edict and read it; the contents were relatively simple, as he had expected.

He was simply asked to accompany the emperor to Xingyang to continue serving as the Left Chancellor of the empire and assist the emperor in governing the country.

"Does His Majesty have any message for you to pass on to me?" he asked, closing the imperial edict.

The eunuch nodded with a fawning smile and said, "His Majesty said—Father-in-law said that His Majesty has just ascended the throne and has no experience in governing the country. After you go to Xingyang, all political affairs will be handled by Prime Minister Li and Prime Minister Feng, and military affairs will be handled by the 'Grand Marshal of the Army and Cavalry,' which is also the Prince of Lieyang."

His Majesty said he would completely obey his father's orders and would rely on the Chancellor even more than the late Emperor, even appointing the Chancellor as the "Chief of the Grand Council"!

Li Si seemed to understand, yet was still somewhat confused. "The Marquis of Lieyang has been made a king?"

The eunuch chuckled and said, "Uncle said that Marquis Lieyang was originally the son of the late emperor and the elder brother of the second emperor. Now he has eliminated Lao Ai and made unparalleled contributions. He should be granted the title of king."

His Majesty readily agreed, repeatedly acknowledging that his advisor was right.

Li Si frowned and asked, "What did your ancestor, Zhao Gao, say?"

The eunuch gave a vague answer, saying, "Lord Zhao didn't say anything."

—Is it because I didn't have a chance to say it, or is it because saying it would be useless?

Li Si muttered to himself, but didn't continue with the question.

"What's the deal with the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces and the Chief of Military Affairs?"

The eunuch said, "The Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces of the Realm is to distinguish him from the 'State Commandant.' The State Commandant is still the State Commandant, and there is only one State Commandant in the Great Qin."

While he was stationed in Xianyang, the military power in Xingyang was entirely in the hands of the Prince of Lieyang.

The term 'Military Affairs Supervisor' comes from the 'Military Affairs Department'.

The Grand Tutor said that under normal circumstances, the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers would govern the country without any problems.

However, at this critical moment for the nation, the central government needs greater efficiency and power to more directly manage local counties and prefectures.

Therefore, the Grand Council was established to assist the emperor in handling all government affairs.

The Grand Council has nine Grand Councilors. You, Prime Minister Feng, and Prince Lieyang have all entered the Grand Council and are Grand Councilors.

And you are the leader of all the ministers and the chief of the military council!

Of course, the Grand Council existed only during a special period, assisting the monarch in improving governance efficiency. It did not change the existing system of the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers; the titles of "Grand Councilor" and "Chief Grand Councilor" were merely honorary titles, and therefore no official decree was issued to confer them.

Li Si asked in surprise, "You mean that from now on, all government affairs that should be handled by the emperor will be uniformly handled by the Grand Council and by the Prime Minister?"

The eunuch hurriedly waved his hand, "It is not my intention, but that of the Grand Tutor. The Grand Tutor said that the Second Emperor is too stupid, cough cough. What the Grand Tutor means is that His Majesty the Second Emperor cannot handle dozens of kilograms of memorials a day like the late Emperor."

But national affairs must be dealt with immediately and properly.

Therefore, the Grand Council was established to assist His Majesty the Emperor.

Li Si's mood and expression were very complicated. "Grand Tutor Yu has considered everything very thoroughly."

"But I never expected her to trust me so much, appointing me as the head of the military intelligence."

The eunuch lowered his head and said respectfully, "His Majesty also trusts the Prime Minister. Currently, three Grand Councilors have been selected, and His Majesty will allow you and Prime Minister Feng to choose from the remaining six."

The rest of the people were the assistants of the two prime ministers.

They dealt with small and trivial matters, while the two prime ministers and the King of Lieyang focused solely on important and crucial matters.

If nine people are not enough, the prime minister can recruit two or three more.

Finally, all matters, large and small, were categorized, compiled, and presented to His Majesty the Second.

And the annotations explain the reasons for doing so, in order to help His Majesty understand.

If Your Majesty still has doubts, you may summon the Grand Councilors for questioning.

However, before His Majesty inquires, the Grand Councilors can already review memorials on His Majesty's behalf and issue orders to local authorities.

Even if problems do arise, adjustments can be made later. In short, some errors and omissions are tolerable, but we cannot afford to miss the opportune moment.

Li Si hesitated, saying, "The Grand Council is indeed very efficient, but what if it encounters treacherous or powerful officials?"

The eunuch immediately said, "There are nine Grand Councilors; they can't all be treacherous officials."

Furthermore, the Grand Tutor stated that the Emperor had the right to dismiss Grand Councilors and appoint new ones at any time.

After a moment's thought, Li Si exclaimed in surprise, "This shouldn't be something Grand Tutor Yu came up with on the spur of the moment, right?"

Even though she was an uneducated barbarian, it was still something to boast about for a lifetime, even if it took her ten years of painstaking thought to come up with the "Military Council" as a means of assisting in governance.

If she couldn't have figured it out on the spot, she couldn't possibly be this amazing!

"Whether it was decided on the spot or not, this servant doesn't know. Anyway, Grand Tutor Yu didn't consult anyone and decided on the matter of the Grand Councilors on the spot," the eunuch said.

(End of this chapter)