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

Chapter 1222 Emperor Huhai Wants to Become a Sage Ruler
"Thank you for the treasure, Father!" Hu Hai happily accepted the bronze plate, held it up to his body, and asked, "Father, can this bronze gong be hung on my back as a breastplate?"

Grand Tutor Yu said in surprise, "This is made by melting refined gold and iron essence, so it can be considered a low-grade magic weapon."

It's more than enough to serve as a breast protector. But why isn't it placed on the chest?

Hu Hai said, "That scoundrel Zhao Gao has killed me too many times, and I've figured out a bit of the tricks of the trade."

Hehe, he always stabs me from behind, or chops my head off.

Grand Tutor Yu said, "But if you put it behind your back, how will you strike it?"

"Uh, that's true." Hu Hai was stunned for a moment, then said awkwardly, "Zhao Gao is too fast, I didn't have time to react, what should I do?"

Grand Tutor Yu said irritably, "You've already cultivated the 'False Holy Emperor's Divine Art.' If you continue to be so cowardly, you deserve to die."

Hu Hai said awkwardly, "Could you teach me the Lotus Sutra so that the eunuchs around me can practice it and protect me closely?"

Grand Tutor Yu sighed, "The reason why the King of Bohai was able to receive Qin Fu's selfless protection is because Qin Fu is loyal. Which of the eunuchs around you is loyal?"

They were just sent to deliver a message, to summon Zhao Gao to the palace, and they all betrayed you.

Expecting them to risk their lives to protect you is just wishful thinking, isn't it?

Hu Hai's face twisted with rage as he said, "I'm going to kill them! I'll show them what's what!"

"Whom should we kill?" Grand Tutor Yu asked.

Hu Hai said menacingly, "Kill everyone! All the eunuchs and maids in the palace. I've already dealt with them once, but they're still not 'clean,' so we have no choice but to—"

As he was talking, he suddenly saw Grand Tutor Yu's eyes, which were as calm as a deep pool.

The anger and murderous intent that almost filled his chest seemed to be doused with a bucket of ice water.

He trembled and said in a panic, "I... I'll listen to my father. What does my father say about how to deal with them?"

Grand Tutor Yu said calmly, "Don't ask me, ask yourself how to be a 'false saint emperor'."

"False Holy Emperor." Hu Hai was stunned for a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Father, I understand. I will listen to you and only kill those who cannot provide me with the power of faith."

Even with Grand Tutor Yu's wisdom and composure, he was about to lose his composure.

"When did I tell you that I wanted to kill everyone who couldn't provide you with the power of belief?" she asked blankly.

Hu Hai said, "Previously, I followed my father's instructions and secretly used the False Holy Emperor's Divine Power to walk around the palace."

The palace guards, maids, eunuchs, and even the Grand Councilors and civil and military officials in the front hall—they can all provide me with the power of conviction.

At this point, an uncontrollable excitement appeared on his face, and his voice became more impassioned, "Father, the pseudo-saintly emperor divine skill you taught me is too powerful."

It is absolutely the greatest feat in the world!

I don't need to do anything at all; as long as they see me, they automatically provide me with the power of faith.

The demonic seed between his brows throbbed powerfully like a heart, effortlessly transforming all the power of his conviction into internal energy.

He circulated the "Emperor's Dragon Qi" within his body and clenched his right fist tightly.

"Buzzing~~" Golden energy swirled around his fists and arms, making the air feel scorching hot.
“Father, look! This is just the harvest of one evening. My internal strength has increased more than three times, which is equivalent to a hundred years of hard training in the past.”

One evening is worth a hundred years of arduous cultivation; how terrifying!

The key is that cultivating the 'Emperor's Dragon Qi' is extremely simple and requires no mental or physical effort.

As I walked in front of them and heard them shout "Long live the Emperor!", the power of my conviction naturally arose.

The power of belief transformed into the aura of the emperor's dragon, bringing immense comfort to the entire body.

"Sigh, if it weren't so dark, I would have liked to take a walk outside the palace."

He roused himself, his eyes and face brimming with anticipation and excitement. "Tomorrow morning, I will definitely leave the palace to inspect Xingyang City."

Let all the people of the city see me and offer me the power of faith.

How much power of belief must have been provided by tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of people?
"Father, you were absolutely right. Cultivating the 'False Holy Emperor's Divine Skill' makes one invincible!"

Grand Tutor Yu said impatiently, "Stop daydreaming and get to the point!"

"The main point?" Hu Hai was stunned for a moment before realizing that he had gone too far off-topic.

He chuckled and said, "The point is that when I was touring the palace, I discovered a peculiar effect of the divine skill."

My demonic seed is intelligent; it can discern the amount of faith power each person provides.

Some people gave me more faith, while others gave me less.

Some people don't even give me any strength of conviction.

Clearly, the fact that he gives me more strength of conviction indicates that he is more loyal to me.

Many of the guards were people I didn't even know. Yet, their acceptance of me as emperor gave me more confidence than even my personal eunuchs.

Doesn't this explain the problem?
As my trusted attendants, they should have even greater reverence for me and treat me as the emperor.

Their faith is even weaker than that of the guards, because they are disloyal to me!

Then he looked at Grand Tutor Yu and tentatively asked, "Didn't you ask me, Father, to use the power of belief they provided to judge who is a loyal subject and who is someone Zhao Gao planted by my side?"

Grand Tutor Yu asked, "How much power of faith did you receive from me?"

Hu Hai stammered, "My father-in-law is the master of the demon seed."

He sensed it carefully again and exclaimed with delight, "Although my father is the master of the demon seed, he still treats me as the emperor and has a faint power of faith in me!"

Grand Tutor Yu then asked, "While you were wandering around the palace, did you also see Li Si and his group? How much faith did they provide?"

Hu Hai said awkwardly, "I should know my own limitations. I am stupid and immoral, and I cannot convince the Prime Minister and the others."

Therefore, the power of belief they provide is not much.

Now, let's just talk about the eunuchs and maids in my palace. Shouldn't they revere me like the heavens?

Grand Tutor Yu remained silent for a while before saying, "You can do as you see fit."

After saying that, she disappeared.

Hu Hai hesitated for a long time, but finally waited until the next morning before summoning the Commandant of the Guards to the palace.

He ordered the Imperial Guard to mobilize two thousand guards to surround the "Golden Bell Hall" where he resided.

After confirming his safety, Hu Hai then brought all the palace maids and eunuchs who served him to the front of the palace.

"Who secretly informed Zhao Gao yesterday? Who betrayed me?"

Hu Hai was only humble and respectful when facing Grand Tutor Yu.

He made no attempt to suppress his feelings towards these servants, and his face and eyes revealed no trace of murderous intent.

"Your Majesty, spare me! This servant truly did not betray Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, this servant did not leave the Golden Bell Hall all day yesterday. Please investigate this matter thoroughly."

"Your Majesty, this servant is utterly loyal to you and would never dare to betray you!"

Even a fool wouldn't confess voluntarily, let alone the fact that the vast majority of them hadn't informed Zhao Gao.

Hu Hai angrily said, "Have you all forgotten what happened to the late emperor at Liangshan Palace?"

When Ying Zheng visited Liangshan Palace, he stood on the mountaintop and saw Li Si below with a grand procession, numerous carriages and servants, even more imposing than the emperor's entourage. Ying Zheng was displeased and said unhappily, "Li Si's procession is truly grand."

The next day, Li Si's entourage and servants were reduced by more than half.

Ying Zheng was furious.

He wasn't stupid; he immediately realized that his attendant had leaked his "whisper" to Li Si.

Just like today, or rather, Hu Hai was imitating his father: he arrested all the palace maids, eunuchs, and guards present at the time and asked them who had leaked the secret.

The attendants naturally cried out in protest.

Without saying a word, Ying Zheng slaughtered them all.

Yes, Ying Zheng only executed his close attendants, but did not punish Li Si, who colluded with his attendants.

It's not surprising that Li Si wasn't punished. This wasn't the first time Ying Zheng had complained about Li Si's extravagance and ostentatious lifestyle.

For example, Li Si's mansion was even more luxurious and magnificent than Ying Zheng's palace. Ying Zheng was quite uncomfortable upon seeing it and grumbled about it once. Upon hearing this, Li Si reduced the size of his mansion considerably.

Despite his dissatisfaction, Ying Zheng never truly punished Li Si, and his favor towards Li Si remained unchanged.

When Li You returned home from Sanchuan County, Li Si hosted a family banquet, and all the civil and military officials of the court came to congratulate him, with thousands of carriages and horses at the gate. In other dynasties, such a scene would have offended the emperor and resulted in the entire family being wiped out.

Yet Li Si's favor remained undiminished. Even until Ying Zheng's death, he remained the powerful Prime Minister of the Empire.

Moreover, Li Si was not an exception.

Ying Zheng was also relatively lenient towards other meritorious officials.

However, Ying Zheng's magnanimity was limited to the ministers and nobles who helped him conquer the world; eunuchs and palace maids did not receive the same treatment.

"Your Majesty, spare me! This humble servant truly did not collude with outsiders."

"Your Majesty is merciful. This servant swears to Heaven that I have never betrayed Your Majesty."

Even if these imperial attendants had not personally experienced the "Liangshan Palace Incident," they must have heard their predecessors recount this case to warn them against violating the emperor's taboos.

They were terrified at this moment, and they all wept bitterly, banging their heads on the ground.

"If you are all innocent, how could Zhao Gao have received the news and fled in advance?"

Hu Hai was also annoyed. He flicked his sleeves and shouted, "Guards, drag them out and hack them to death!"

The Commandant hesitated for a moment, but did not try to dissuade him. He simply gave his subordinates a helpless look.

A pack of wolves swarmed forward, and anyone who dared to struggle was either kicked or slashed with a knife sheath, knocking them to the ground in a few blows, and then dragged them out, their excrement and urine flowing freely.

Hu Hai's face showed satisfaction and pride.

—Alas, only today do I enjoy the same power of life and death as my father!
It's refreshing and comfortable, but it's still not as refreshing as practicing the "False Holy Emperor's Divine Skill".

Hu Hai hurriedly activated his profound power.

It's fine if you don't use your internal energy, but once you start using your profound internal energy, a surge of heat immediately rushes from your limbs and bones into your brain.

He had a terrible headache, felt like his insides were burning, and almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Ugh~~" Hu Hai groaned in pain, his face turned pale, and he staggered.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" The Imperial Guard stepped forward and helped him to the dragon throne.

Hu Hai was bewildered for a moment, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and shouted, "Wait! Don't kill my close attendants yet!"

He reacted.

The true dragon energy within him almost entirely came from the palace guards, eunuchs, and maids.

He gains their trust when they recognize him as the Son of Heaven; he cannot gain their trust when they do not recognize him as the Son of Heaven.

—Oh no, I'm suffering from the backlash of my beliefs and have gone mad!

"Father-in-law!" Hu Hai panicked and instinctively called out, "Is Father-in-law still in Xingyang?"

The Imperial Guard Commandant shook his head and said, "This humble subject did not see the Grand Tutor last night and does not know if she is still there."

"Perhaps I should go to the front hall and ask Prime Minister Li?"

Hu Hai, thinking of "Prime Minister Li," suddenly remembered that his father had told him the previous evening to learn from the two prime ministers how to be a good emperor.

"Yes, yes, go and invite Prime Minister Li. Hmm, Prime Minister Li is the head of the military council and is very busy with official duties. Go and invite Prime Minister Feng over!"

He then recalled that when he met the two prime ministers last night, the power of faith provided by Prime Minister Feng was significantly greater and stronger.

—Prime Minister Feng is more reliable!
The Commandant of the Guards sent a deputy general to the front hall to summon Prime Minister Feng, while he himself remained by the Emperor's side and asked, "Your Majesty, all those palace maids and eunuchs have been brought back. What should we do with them now?"

"Don't rush, let's wait for Prime Minister Feng to arrive before we talk!"

Hu Hai said "Don't rush" but he was actually getting anxious inside.

His attendants returned, but the true dragon energy within him remained out of control.

He was still in a state of fanaticism.

A moment later, Prime Minister Feng strode in.

Before he could even bow, Hu Hai pulled the old man behind the screen. Once they were away from the others, he whispered urgently, "Prime Minister Feng, I want to become a wise and enlightened emperor immediately. What should I do?"

Hu Hai was unable to resolve the symptoms of his demonic possession. However, he at least understood the root of the problem and how to solve it.

The only difficulty in cultivating the "False Holy Emperor Divine Skill" is to disguise oneself as a holy emperor.

As long as the people of the world believe him to be the Holy Emperor, he can gain the power of their faith.

With the power of belief, everything is easy to talk about.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing? Why are you in such a hurry? Becoming a holy emperor is not something that can be done overnight." Prime Minister Feng was completely bewildered.

Hu Hai quickly recounted the entire "Golden Bell Hall leak incident" in detail.

Prime Minister Feng pondered for a moment and said, "Yesterday, His Majesty sent a eunuch to summon Zhao Gao, but he didn't mention that he had prepared the Ancestral Dragon Qi Pill to feed him, right?"

“I’m not stupid. If I had told Zhao Gao in advance that I was going to feed him the Ancestral Dragon Qi Pill, he would have definitely run away,” Huhai said.

Prime Minister Feng turned his head to look outside the hall. Listening to the wailing and pleas for mercy from the servants outside, his heart turned as cold as iron, and a murderous aura rose on his old face.

"They dared to eavesdrop on His Majesty's secret conversation with the Grand Tutor, and even dared to leak it. It would be His Majesty's mercy to have them hacked to death."

Hu Hai first showed a look of relief and joy, and nodded, saying, "So the Prime Minister also thinks so. It seems that I did not make a mistake."

As soon as he finished speaking, he recalled his own situation, and the joy and relief on his face were immediately replaced by anxiety and frustration.

"Prime Minister! I want to be a wise and enlightened emperor, not a cruel and bloodthirsty ruler!"

He couldn't help but complain, "It's a pity that my father-in-law wants me to learn from you how to be a ruler."

Yesterday afternoon, you patted your chest and guaranteed that you would definitely educate me into a wise and virtuous ruler like Father Emperor.

Why do you keep talking about killing and violence? Shouldn't the Holy Emperor be benevolent and lenient?

Prime Minister Feng was dumbfounded. "Your Majesty, are you still Your Majesty? Have you been possessed by an evil spirit and become a 'Su Daji'?"

Hu Hai was shocked and furious. "How did you know? Zhao Gao, you treacherous dog, how dare you leak my secret!"

(End of this chapter)