Simultaneous travel: City, infinite evolution

Chapter 242 The First Emperor's Debate
"You don't want to see me?"

"Or do you still think I am not worthy of being seen, not even worth seeing?"

"I am furious!"

Ying Zheng had never been so insulted; he felt as if the dignity of the emperor had been trampled on by an immortal.

How is this possible?

Even immortals must submit to the emperor's majesty.

At least, they can't make things too embarrassing for me, the emperor, right?

So many men are watching.

Don't I want to lose face?
How shrewd and cunning was Li Si?

It was obvious to everyone that Ying Zheng was deliberately getting angry, putting on a show for his subordinates.

He wasn't really angry.

What a joke! His Majesty the Emperor is overjoyed at the rare news of a possible true immortal.

It's just a little bumpy, isn't it?

Anything is worthwhile if it leads to the secret to immortality.

So Li Si quickly offered a way out.

"Your Majesty need not be angry."

"Immortals are people outside the mundane world, so it's understandable that they don't want to be involved in worldly affairs."

"Perhaps it's because we brought too many mortals with us this time that the immortals don't want to see us."

"Next time, we won't bring so many people. If we show our sincerity, the immortals will naturally be more willing to see us."

Ying Zheng immediately gave Li Si an approving look.

As expected of the Prime Minister, he has a keen eye for detail.

"Ahem, what you say makes sense."

"It is I who have been too hasty."

"Your Majesty is acting so urgently for the sake of the Qin Dynasty's long-term prosperity and for the well-being of its people. There are so many things to do."

The Great Qin cannot be without His Majesty!

"I urge Your Majesty to take care of your health and seek a miraculous method for achieving immortality, which will surely ensure the Qin Dynasty lasts for thousands of years and its dynasty endures forever."

"Hahaha...Good! Good!"

Old Qin Shi Huang laughed heartily.

"My dear minister, you truly understand my heart. With your full assistance, how can the Great Qin not prosper?"

"It is all thanks to Your Majesty's wise decision; this old minister has only done his humble best."

"Oh, my dear minister, you are too modest, too modest."

For a time, there was harmony and joy.

"Alas, this immortal is really putting on airs."

"Alright, next time, next time we'll bring fewer people and see how the immortals react."

Li Si understood that his First Emperor was suspicious, partly because he coveted the immortals' secrets of immortality, and partly because he feared their unpredictable methods.

He was worried that he didn't have enough people with him, that they wouldn't be able to defeat the immortals, that his life would be in danger, and that he might be assassinated.

No wonder, His Majesty was a hostage in Zhao since childhood. After finally returning to Qin, he was caught in the power struggles caused by Lü Buwei and the Empress Dowager of Zhao.

During his conquest of the six kingdoms, he was assassinated.

I have witnessed what it means for a common man's anger to cause bloodshed within five steps; for within arm's reach, everyone becomes an enemy.

It would be strange if they weren't suspicious.

Immortals, that's more than just bloodshed; who wouldn't be afraid?

When an immortal gets angry, who knows what kind of scene it will unfold.

No one in the world has ever witnessed the wrath of an immortal.

What will happen is unpredictable.

When the First Emperor returned to Xianyang Palace, he met Fusu.

Fusu told the First Emperor everything he had seen and heard that day.

Hearing Chen Hong's various analyses of the Qin laws and the solutions he proposed.

Ying Zheng exclaimed in admiration: "To have such insight, even if it is somewhat narrow-minded, is still extremely rare. You are truly a great talent."

"He is a promising talent; if we can acquire such a capable individual, it will surely make the Qin Dynasty even stronger."

But when Ying Zheng heard Chen Hong's criticism of his construction of the Lishan Mausoleum and the Epang Palace, he couldn't help but frown.

"Hmph! How could a country bumpkin like you know the breadth of my mind?"

"The mausoleum is where I am buried, where the destiny of the Qin Dynasty is suppressed, transformed into dragon energy, and protected China. How can it not be important?"

"If it's not built to be grand and imposing, how can it suppress the dragon vein's fortune?"

"Ignorant child, spouting Confucian rhetoric, unaware of my grand ambitions."

"The Epang Palace is the imperial palace of the new dynasty. If it is not built in a magnificent and imposing manner, how can it reflect the pride of my great Qin Dynasty in unifying the world?"

How can we suppress the ambitions of those with ill intentions?
When the imperial palace is built to be magnificent, those who come to pay homage will feel ashamed of their own inferiority and will be subdued by its majesty, thus refraining from rash actions and unrealistic ambitions.

The Son of Heaven regards the four seas as his home; without magnificence and splendor, his authority cannot be strengthened, and future generations must not be able to surpass him.

"Once I have repaired the Epang Palace, my descendants will not need to expand it further; the problem will be solved once and for all."

“The wisdom of the countryside is ultimately the kindness of a woman; it lacks the magnanimity of me.”

"Father!" Fusu said anxiously, "What Father said makes sense, but what the gentleman said is not unreasonable either."

"How about we compromise and slow down the project a bit, giving the people a chance to catch their breath?"

"Fusu, I am already old and do not know how many years I will live. If I cannot find the way to immortality, I must achieve it in one lifetime."

How could future generations possess such great talent and ambition as I?
"I am not at ease entrusting important matters to an incompetent successor."

"Father!"

Fusu has settled in Bengbu.

Does this mean he is incompetent?

Is it because you don't trust him?
Does this mean they don't believe he can inherit the First Emperor's will and has the ability to continue accomplishing great things?
So, it turns out that everything was because I was too incompetent?
The people of the world are struggling in vain, only to find that they, as younger generations, are incapable of accomplishing great things.

This caused the great First Emperor to be uneasy about entrusting his great cause to others, and thus he was impatient for success and frequently launched large-scale projects.

The First Emperor did not believe in the wisdom of later generations.

One person lives a hundred lives.

It turns out, the cause of everything was my own doing.

I'm just too bad at it.

Fusu found himself in a strange dead end.

"Fusu!" "Fusu!"

Ying Zheng shook Fusu, and seeing that his eyes were vacant, he couldn't help but feel worried.

Did I say something too harsh again?

Did that upset him?
How did things get so badly damaged?

This is way too fragile!
How could an emperor be so fragile?
Was choosing Fusu the right or wrong decision?

The First Emperor hesitated again.

He searched and searched, but could never find a satisfactory successor.

Moreover, he harbored the fantasy of immortality.

Therefore, no crown prince has been appointed to this day.

This also sowed the seeds of a major hidden danger that led to the downfall of the Qin Dynasty.

The Han Dynasty later learned from this lesson and placed great importance on the crown prince.

Not only can they establish their own government and cultivate their ability to govern from a young age, but they also have a complete set of mini-court staff.

Once the old emperor passes away, the crown prince can seamlessly take over the reins, smoothly assume power, and govern the country without any problems.

This is one of the reasons why the Han Dynasty had so many capable emperors and so few incompetent rulers.

The crown princes of the Han Dynasty were all all-around geniuses who had undergone real combat training.

They were even powerful enough to rebel and challenge the old emperor.

Although Ying Zheng hesitated on the matter of choosing a crown prince.

However, he still valued Fusu highly and intentionally or unintentionally cultivated his abilities.

Fusu snapped out of his daze and calmed himself down.

"I am fine, Father. I have caused you worry. I am an unfilial son."

Ying Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. Fusu was already the tallest among all the princes he had chosen. It was good that he hadn't gone astray.

If it's not broken, you can continue to increase the pressure and hone its capabilities.

How can an emperor be left untrained?

Without willpower and wisdom far surpassing others, how can one manage a group of ministers as cunning as foxes?
How to govern a country and handle all kinds of major and minor matters?

Ying Zheng wanted to replicate his success on Fusu and cultivate a qualified second emperor.

If successful, the template will be replicated for three, four, five... even ten thousand generations.

Unfortunately, Fusu's ideas always clashed with his own.

It must be that damned, corrupt Confucian scholar who has corrupted his good son.

When I have time, I must get involved with Confucian scholars.

Looking at Fusu's pitiful appearance, and then carefully recalling Chen Hong's plan.

"Forget it, forget it. Thinking about what that hermit and wise man said, it's not entirely without reason."

"How about this, I will discuss it with the Prime Minister and the others."

Let's see if we can revise the Qin laws again, incorporating effective strategies and making further improvements.

"You can also try to get in touch with that talented person and bring him into the court."

If we could oversee the compilation of a comprehensive legal code that integrates all laws, what... a systematic and grand legal code—the "Great Qin Code"—it would emerge.

"I will reward you handsomely!"

"Thank you, Father!"

Fusu was overjoyed and bowed deeply to Ying Zheng.

After all these years, my father has finally listened to my advice. It's not easy.

Fusu was moved to tears.

Ying Zheng stroked his beard and said with a touch of triumph:
"A great physician from Dang County who cured the plague."

"A great legal talent who proposed revising laws among the common people."

"And then there's the appearance of an immortal."

"These are the three great talents."

"Our Great Qin is truly blessed with good fortune and abundant blessings. One after another, extraordinary talents are emerging among the common people."

“Even immortals who only appeared during the time of the Yellow Emperor have emerged.”

"Isn't this proof of my unification of the world and my achievements surpassing those of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors?"

"I look forward more and more to the day when I receive the teachings of the immortals, take the elixir of immortality from the Jade Pool, and live forever."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations on Your Majesty! May you live forever and enjoy boundless blessings."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations on Your Majesty! May you live forever and enjoy boundless blessings."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations on Your Majesty! May you live forever and enjoy boundless blessings."

The eunuchs and palace maids immediately knelt down in a flurry, showering him with flattery, creating an atmosphere of extreme ceremony.

"Hahaha……"

"Good servant!"

"Good servant!"

Qin Shi Huang was in a great mood; he was happy whenever someone spoke auspicious words about immortality to him.

Language is the ancient power of words, perhaps carrying remnants of the mighty power of gods and demons.

Say some nice things, what if they come true?

This is similar to the principle behind modern people's belief that positive words bring power.

Why is positive energy science considered unscientific, while the power of words and immortality are considered unscientific?
It must be because I didn't say enough.

Let me say a little more.

When Fusu heard about immortality and immortals, he already had a stress reaction and became worried.

He discovered that as his father grew older year by year, his obsession with immortality deepened year by year.

This is not a good sign.

Confucianism emphasizes "respecting ghosts and spirits but keeping them at a distance."

Like most people of his time, Fusu believed in the existence of ghosts and gods.

Since the Shang and Zhou dynasties, whether it was the Shang dynasty's superstitious and even fanatical sacrificial rituals to the gods, or the Zhou dynasty's theory of the Son of Heaven being "ordained by Heaven," these practices have been deeply ingrained in Chinese culture.

All of these are based on the belief in the existence of supernatural forces.

At least there was a Heavenly Emperor overseeing the Zhou Emperor's power, wasn't there?

Although Fusu also believed in ghosts and gods, like Confucius, he hoped to stay far away from them.

Don't get involved with him in any way.

(End of this chapter)