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

Chapter 1223 Addicted, Can't Quit
"What?! Your Majesty, you... you've actually been possessed by a demon?"

Prime Minister Feng was shocked and furious. He grabbed Hu Hai's shoulder and shouted, "Where did this monster come from, daring to steal the body of the Emperor of Qin?"
Do you really think that our Great Qin will repeat the mistakes of the Shang Dynasty? Our Imperial Observatory—"

After shouting a few times, Prime Minister Feng suddenly remembered that Grand Tutor Yu had come to Xingyang last night and talked with the emperor for a long time.

How long has Grand Tutor Yu been gone?

In such a short time, how could a demon have the opportunity to completely possess an emperor?
Moreover, this so-called monster is too clumsy; he directly admits that he is a monster and even names Zhao Gao.
"I am the Emperor of the Great Qin Dynasty, how could I possibly be possessed by demons!"

Upon hearing Prime Minister Feng's roar, Hu Hai realized that both sides had misunderstood each other.

Although Prime Minister Feng breathed a sigh of relief, there was still a hint of doubt in his eyes. "Your Majesty, you misspoke just now. You admitted that you are a monster."

Hu Hai said awkwardly, "He is not the kind of monster the Prime Minister is thinking of. Last night, the Grand Tutor judged Zhao Gao and said that he ruined the foundation of the Qin Dynasty, just like Su Daji of the Shang Dynasty."

He also said that I was foolish, ignorant, cruel, and vicious, just like King Zhou of Shang, a monster.

Prime Minister Feng was skeptical.

Hu Hai grew impatient and shouted, "Haven't you heard of 'calling a deer a horse'? Some things may not have happened, but everyone knows about them."

Prime Minister Feng said, "His Majesty is very different today. He actually said, 'A wise and enlightened emperor should not be cruel and bloodthirsty, but should be kind and benevolent.'"

Upon hearing this, Hu Hai became enraged again and shouted, "You don't even understand 'a holy emperor should be benevolent,' yet you have the nerve to teach me to become a great monarch like the late emperor?"

Prime Minister Feng said unhappily, "Does Your Majesty not know the old story of Liangshan Palace?"

Those close attendants of the late emperor who only revealed his words to outsiders were all executed as a warning to others.

The things Your Majesty's close attendants are doing now are no different from rebellion, and are ten or a hundred times more serious than the situation back then.

Why keep them alive if not to kill them all?

"I want to be a holy emperor, a holy emperor in the hearts of the people, and I cannot be indiscriminate in killing," Hu Hai said helplessly.

In his heart, he naturally wanted to kill those bastards.

Chop them all into mincemeat and feed them to the dogs.

But once he actually killed those people, including those who were about to be killed, the palace maids, servants, and eunuchs' faith in him diminished greatly, and he almost went mad.

This shows that his behavior did not conform to the "Way of the Holy Emperor" in the minds of the palace maids, guards, and eunuchs.

He knew what he should do to win back the hearts of the people. However, he lacked intelligence and ability and didn't know how to do so, which is why he called on Feng Quji as his advisor.

This advisor doesn't seem to be very capable.

Prime Minister Feng said, "The late emperor was the greatest emperor of all time. Your Majesty can certainly do the right thing by following his example."

He paused, then continued, "Speaking of this case alone, if His Majesty does not display his authority today, his attendants will think you are weak and cowardly. In the future, they will most likely continue to collude with foreign enemies, or even directly harm you."

Your Majesty must be extremely cautious and careful.

Hu Hai wanted to nod vigorously, but his condition at the moment did not allow it.

The "False Holy Emperor's Divine Skill" is still in a state of demonic possession, showing no signs of recovery!

"If Father Emperor is right in everything, how could my Great Qin have lost its Mandate of Heaven?"

The Grand Tutor analyzed the crux of the Qin Dynasty for us and urged us to firmly implement the ten-year benevolent governance.

"I will certainly learn from Father's strengths. But I cannot knowingly violate Father's flaws!" Hu Hai exclaimed.

Feng Quji was stunned, and once again felt that the Second Emperor in front of him had become very unfamiliar, and his words and actions were unexpected.

"Your Majesty, did the Grand Tutor arrange for you to travel through time again last night? Could it be that this time you're traveling through dreams to learn how to be a benevolent ruler?" he asked.

"If I have already learned the way of benevolence, why do I still need the prime minister?" Hu Hai said.

Feng Quji looked at him with a complicated expression for a while, and said, "Your Majesty, please don't be impatient. This old minister roughly understands what you need, and I will recommend someone to you."

"If even you can't teach me, who else can you recommend? You'd better find a way to call your mentor back!"

Hu Hai plopped down in a chair and tried to silently circulate his inner energy to regulate his true qi.

The effect was mediocre.

He grew increasingly anxious.

Feng Quji said, "Grand Tutor just left, how can we call her back?"

"Your Majesty, rest assured, the people I recommended will certainly be effective. Besides, they work in the outer hall and will be here soon."

"Who is it?" Hu Hai became somewhat interested.

Feng Quji laughed and said, "When it comes to the way of benevolence, no one can compare to the Confucian scholars."

Both I and Prime Minister Li are well-versed in Confucianism, but at their core we belong to the Legalist school.

It's a good thing that Your Majesty is going to be a benevolent and wise ruler!
However, while your subject and Prime Minister Li are capable of assisting Your Majesty, it is not advisable for them to directly guide you, as it could easily lead you astray.

Alas, we have followed the late emperor our entire lives; some things are etched into our souls and cannot be changed!

Li Si certainly understood Confucianism; his teacher was Xunzi!

In terms of mastery of Confucian theory and seniority within the Confucian community, even the greatest Confucian scholars of our time would have to kowtow and address Li Si as "Master."

Unfortunately, Li Si studied Confucianism but did not respect it. He didn't even believe in Confucianism himself, so how could he teach Hu Hai about benevolence and righteousness?
Fortunately, although the emperor did not promote Confucianism, he recruited many Confucian scholars to serve as "doctors" in the court.

Prime Minister Feng greeted his attendants and waited for less than half a cup of tea's time before Shusun Tong led several Confucian scholars into the inner palace.

Hu Hai then recounted the "Golden Bell Hall Incident" to them in detail.

Shusun Tong immediately said, “Betraying the lord is a crime deserving of death. Although it would be too brutal and cruel to let the Commandant of the Guards deal with them in secret, it is not a big deal.”

But His Majesty has already caused such a commotion; if he were to openly kill them, the news would damage His Majesty's reputation.

Hu Hai's spirits lifted, and he quickly nodded, saying, "I think so too. But they did commit a crime, and I was so angry before that I even said I would kill them."

It's difficult to change our tune now, that's one reason.

Secondly, I wish to be a wise and virtuous emperor, and I hope that the eunuchs, maids, and guards in the palace will recognize my wisdom, but will not see me as weak.

what to do?"

Shusun Tong's face lit up with surprise, his voice trembling slightly, "Your Majesty's ability to say such things and to have such awareness shows that you already possess some of the qualities of a sage emperor."

"When you see someone virtuous, think of emulating them; when you see someone not virtuous, reflect on your own shortcomings. Your Majesty is a gentleman, a sage!"

The other senior PhDs were also overjoyed, as if they had discovered a beautiful jade in a cesspool.

As soon as they finished speaking, a surge of conviction emanated from them.

Hu Hai's demonic seed throbbed powerfully. An intense, pleasurable sensation spread throughout his body.

—The power of conviction these old guys provided was so abundant, so pure, and so damn satisfying!

Hu Hai almost couldn't hold back and groaned out loud.

Fortunately, after yesterday evening's ordeal, his tolerance to dopamine has improved considerably.

He suppressed a groan, but couldn't help laughing; even his state of demonic possession had largely dissipated.

"Gentlemen, please enlighten me," Hu Hai said earnestly, bowing deeply. "I so desperately want to be a holy emperor; you must help me!"

Honestly, Hu Hai would be willing to kowtow to a few PhDs right now.

Because if one does not become the emperor, the backlash is too strong and too painful; if one becomes the emperor, dopamine surges wildly, it's too comfortable, and the pleasure is too much to quit.

His expression and demeanor surprised and moved the doctoral students even more.

—Why has the Second Emperor changed so much?
Having been in Xingyang for several months, all he did was practice martial arts and indulge in eating, drinking, and merrymaking. Yesterday afternoon, he even openly displayed his debauchery in front of the Grand Tutor.

Today he's begging to be the Holy Emperor, as if he's a completely different person.

"Your Majesty, why did you choose to become the Holy Emperor? What caused this change?" Shusun Tong couldn't help but ask.

He feared that Hu Hai's enthusiasm was just a passing fancy and that he wouldn't be able to stick with it.

If the emperor truly has the determination and perseverance, he will definitely make a great effort to impart the Confucian way of a sage ruler to the emperor.

"Of course, it's for the sake of the Holy Emperor. Only the Holy Emperor can save the Great Qin and the common people!" Hu Hai came to his senses, immediately stopped, and said solemnly, "My father admonished me for most of the night, and I have come to a complete understanding. I have decided to repent and correct my past mistakes."

I will be a wise and benevolent ruler to repay the kindness of my adoptive father and the support of my beloved ministers.

Shusun Tong was skeptical, but Yu Taishi was indeed an extraordinary person.

But no matter how capable she is, can she really transform a spoiled brat into a gentleman in the middle of the night?

Even Confucius, the "teacher of all ages," couldn't win over Zilu so quickly.

Although he couldn't understand it, Shusun Tong was very pleased.

Even if Hu Hai was just saying nice things, it was already quite remarkable that he could say such things, and he truly had the air of a "wise ruler".

"Your Majesty, the first thing you should do in this matter of your close attendants leaking secrets is to reflect on your own actions."

Reflect on whether you have been cautious enough in important matters.

The Grand Tutor has taken out the Ancestral Dragon Qi Pill. Even if you have designs on it, you shouldn't have revealed yourself so early.

When planning something big, one should be careful and proceed slowly.

You should also reflect on why your close attendant, who has been with you for many years, betrayed you so easily.

Do you usually treat them with both kindness and strictness? Have you set rules to both strictly supervise them and clearly reward and punish them?

Secondly, while the betrayal of close attendants is a serious matter, one should not lose composure in a fit of rage. You should adhere to propriety and righteousness, calmly listen to their explanations, and then conduct a fair and orderly investigation, providing detailed evidence.

He succeeded in persuading people with reason, and from now on everyone will genuinely respect His Majesty and dare not easily betray him again.

Hu Hai suppressed his agitation and said, "Your words are reasonable, but at this moment, I have already come to this point. What can I do?"

Shusun Tong pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, you are the emperor. You do not need to deliberately please or flatter anyone."

There is absolutely no need to win over the hearts of the palace maids, eunuchs, and guards, and make them recognize you as a benevolent and sage ruler.

"As long as you do your best, uphold morality, and follow the proper etiquette, you are a sage ruler."

Hu Hai glared and said, "You mean I should just let them wail and cry outside?"

"What I mean is that speaking your mind sincerely to the eunuchs is the greatest act of benevolence; nothing more is needed," said Shusun Tongdao.

Hu Hai asked, "Please be more specific. How should I put it?"

"Your Majesty was very angry before, and wanted to kill them all because some of them betrayed you but refused to admit it, right?" Uncle Sun said.

Hu Hai nodded.

Shusun Tong then asked, "When the guards dragged them away, preparing to beat them all to death, Your Majesty, out of consideration for past relationships, couldn't bear to do it, right?"

—No, I'm suffering from a backlash from my faith, I've gone mad, and I have to suppress my anger.

“That’s right.” Hu Hai nodded again.

Shusun Tongdao: "You are open and honest, and you have spoken these thoughts to them openly."

You lost your temper and ordered them all to be killed.

Out of reason and compassion, knowing that most of them were innocent people and unable to bear seeing them killed innocently, the previous imperial edict was terminated.

Now hand them over to the Commandant of the Guards for interrogation. Once the evidence is established, the guilty shall be publicly executed to uphold the law; the innocent shall be rewarded with gold and silver and returned to their original positions.

"Should we bring them back?" Hu Hai was not happy about it.

Shusun Tong sighed, “Letting them come back does not mean that we can still trust them as before.”

This is to demonstrate His Majesty's benevolence.

Of course, Your Majesty could also simply send them out of the palace or reassign them to other positions.

Hu Hai hurriedly said, "I want to be the Holy Emperor! For this goal, I am willing to change myself."

An old Confucian scholar said with satisfaction, "Your Majesty has this mindset. As long as you follow the rites in your daily life, you are qualified to become a sage ruler!"

"No, merely respecting etiquette is not enough. My father-in-law instructed me to be benevolent to the world and to earn the people's true trust in me."

Hu Hai's expression was solemn as he stared intently at the several elderly scholars. He said in a deep voice, "You must remember this! If you intend to assist me and teach me, then admonish me with the strictest standards of a sage ruler."

If I am wrong, you must tell me.

If I do not perform well enough, I will certainly remind you.

The senior PhDs were both delighted and felt awkward.

It's certainly a good thing that the emperor is so ambitious. But is the emperor's ambition too great, almost like he's possessed?

Prime Minister Feng coughed lightly and said, "Your Majesty, let's resolve the leak of secrets from the Golden Bell Hall first, and then you can consult the scholars on the way of a sage ruler."

Hu Hai rehearsed the scene briefly in his mind before strode back to the outside of the palace with a dignified expression and recounted his "inner thoughts."

"Your Majesty is merciful, this servant kowtows to you."

"Thank you for sparing my life, Your Majesty. I will serve you wholeheartedly from now on."

Although they were not directly pardoned, most of them were still deeply grateful and sincerely kowtowed in thanks.

They understood how grave the crime of betraying the emperor was, and they also understood how lowly they themselves were.

The fact that the Imperial Guards could conduct a thorough investigation and only take action when the evidence was conclusive already met their standards for a wise ruler.

Sure enough, Hu Hai, who had just been suffering from qi deviation and physical discomfort, immediately felt refreshed.

“Those pedantic scholars are actually quite useful, at least more useful than old man Feng.”

Hu Hai looked up at the sky; it was still early before noon.

He returned to the inner palace with great enthusiasm and said, "Shusun Tong, you two accompany me to inspect Xingyang City outside the palace! I want to—"

He's stuck.

He needs the power of faith from the people of Xingyang, but how can he do it?
"My dear minister, what should I do to conform to the image of a sage ruler in the hearts of the people of Xingyang?" he asked sincerely.

Shusun Tong said very honestly, "The people's greatest wish is for Your Majesty not to make reckless decisions."

"No, I must do something!" Hu Hai began to get anxious again.

He has only just recovered from his demonic possession, but he is not satisfied!

The power of belief that can be provided by the people within the palace alone has reached its limit.

Without continuing to develop new sources of belief, his pseudo-saintly emperor's divine skills cannot improve.

Without improving one's skill level, one naturally loses the boundless joy that comes with improving one's skill level.

He must constantly improve his skills; he cannot stop for even a moment!
To improve his skills, he must gain the recognition of more people.

(End of this chapter)