People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 482, Sweeping Away the Gloom (Double Monthly Tickets, Please Vote!)

After sensing the provocation in Lao Ai's eyes, Ying Zheng's expression remained unchanged, but his gaze became even colder. However, before Ying Zheng could reply, Zhao Ji, the Empress Dowager, spoke first.

"Your Majesty, the Marquis of Guannei has worked tirelessly for the Qin state for a long time. Now that he has passed away, why disturb him further?"

Zhao Ji smiled gently as she looked at Ying Zheng with kind eyes and spoke softly.

Upon hearing Zhao Ji speak, Lao Ai adopted a fawning expression, a gloating smile on his face, and spoke in a somewhat shrill voice.

"What the Empress Dowager says is true. The Marquis of Guannei has worked hard all his life and passed away at the age of forty. It is a happy death. Why should we disturb his spirit in heaven?"

Before Ying Zheng could react to these words, the ministers below erupted in uproar.

The generals led by Meng Ao, the Ying clan members led by Lord Weiyang, and a considerable number of ministers all glared angrily at Lao Ai. Their eyes burned with rage, and they gritted their teeth, wishing they could crush Lao Ai to pieces.

The title of Marquis of Guannei was a symbol of military merit in the Qin state. Its status was extraordinary, representing a group of ministers in the Qin state who were granted titles for their military achievements. They should have been enjoying their retirement in Yongcheng, playing with their grandchildren.

Now, Zhao Ji and Lao Ai have turned a murder into a joyous occasion, and it was Lao Ai, a murderer who was granted a title without any military merit, who said it. How could they not be furious at such an insult?
Seeing that Meng Ao and the others were angry, Lao Ai was not afraid at all. Instead, he moved closer to Zhao Ji, keeping a smile on his face and looking at Meng Ao and the others with a hint of provocation.

He wanted to provoke these people's anger, forcing Ying Zheng to either order an investigation, only to be suppressed by Zhao Ji and lose face, or directly speak well of him, thus losing the people's support.

No matter what choice Ying Zheng made, the final result would be the same.

Looking at Lao Ai cowering beside Zhao Ji, Ying Zheng remained silent, instead gazing at Zhao Ji with an exceptionally deep look in his eyes.

"Mother, I hope you can make the right choice, even if it's just this once."

Ying Zheng looked at Zhao Ji and thought to himself.

Ultimately, Ying Zheng and Zhao Ji were mother and son connected by blood, and they had been through thick and thin together for many years, relying on each other to get to where they were today. Even if Ying Zheng said he had given up on Zhao Ji, he still hoped in his heart that Zhao Ji would come back to him.

However, Zhao Ji's choice ultimately disappointed Ying Zheng.

Zhao Ji also looked at Ying Zheng. Seeing her son trying his best to suppress his anger, a hint of unease flashed in her peach blossom eyes. She subconsciously felt guilty and dared not meet his gaze. Her hands, which were folded in front of her lower abdomen, trembled slightly.

On one side was her son, and on the other was her husband. A complex look flashed in Zhao Ji's eyes, and she spoke softly.

"Your Majesty, since the ministers have objections to this, then you shall decide what to do."

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Ji gestured slightly towards Lao Ai, indicating that Lao Ai should stand behind her.

Lao Ai glanced at Ying Zheng, then smiled and walked behind Zhao Ji, completely hiding himself behind her.

In this scenario, everything is self-evident.

Ying Zheng's face immediately darkened, and the last bit of expectation he had for Zhao Ji vanished. His gaze was no longer cold, but unusually calm, as if he were looking at Zhao Ji and Lao Ai as if they were strangers.

"Your Majesty, I implore you to order an investigation into the death of the Marquis of Guannei! The cause of his death is unknown. If he is buried in this manner, it would be an insult to the past rulers of Qin and to the loyal ministers and generals who served the country!"

"I have failed the spirit of the Marquis of Guannei in heaven, and I cannot answer to his descendants. I have also failed the laws of my Qin state and the people!"

"Please give the order, Your Majesty!"

The dozen or so ministers standing in the center of the hall bowed and spoke loudly, as if they would not give up until Ying Zheng made a decision, and even had the intention of forcing him to abdicate.

Or rather, they are trying to force the emperor to resign today.

Ying Zheng glanced at the ministers below, his expression somber. His hands, clenched tightly beneath the sleeves of his black royal robes, were so tightly knit that his fingernails dug into his palms, drawing blood and flesh.

Didn't he want to investigate? Of course Ying Zheng did. It was common knowledge that Lao Ai had plotted to murder the Marquis of Guannei. An investigation would uncover the evidence, allowing him to take down Lao Ai and cleanse the world.

However, today, more than a dozen Qin native military nobles and old Qin clans stood up together to help Lao Ai force the emperor to abdicate. This made Ying Zheng realize that the voices of opposition to him within Qin were not just those ministers who had previously sided with Lao Ai.

There are many more people hiding in the shadows, and if they are not eliminated, they will surely harm the Qin state in the future.

So now he can only endure it, until he can wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

"Stay calm, everyone must stay calm, we must wait for the results from the master in Nanyang."

Ying Zheng warned himself, but a trace of anxiety still showed in his eyes. He was afraid that he would not be able to stop these people.

Looking at Ying Zheng, who remained silent, Xiong Qi, who stood at the head of the civil officials, had a complicated look in his eyes. He knew that Ying Zheng was waiting for news from Nanyang, but the fact that there was still no news from Nanyang today was enough to show that his plan had succeeded.

However, Ying Zheng was his brother-in-law, and he had personally crushed the hope that the other party had been waiting for. This made Xiong Qi feel somewhat guilty.

"For the sake of all the people, and even more so for the sake of the State of Chu, I can only apologize to you. When Qin is in internal strife and no longer has the strength to expand eastward, I will personally apologize to you," Xiong Qi thought to himself.

When he thought of his ideal of a world without war for all living beings, Xiong Qi's guilt dissipated.

"We beg Your Majesty to make a decision!" This time, it wasn't just a dozen or so ministers who had been instigated by Lao Ai; many members of the Qin royal family also stood up and shouted.

Ying Zheng's lips moved; now that things had come to this, he had to say something, or he would lose his authority.

"Your Majesty."

Just as Ying Zheng opened his mouth, the tightly closed door was suddenly pushed open, immediately attracting everyone's attention.

"Your Majesty, military reports from the front lines: Grand General Meng Tian and his 100,000 Pingyang heavy armor troops have attacked Nanyang. The Han army commander, Marquis Bai Yifei, has surrendered to Qin. Now, the entire rich land of Nanyang, spanning a hundred miles, has fallen to our Qin state!"

A palace guard, holding a military report in his hand, his face flushed with excitement, strode to the center of the hall and shouted loudly.

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng immediately released his grip from under his sleeve, his expression returned to normal, and the corners of his mouth slightly lifted but were quickly suppressed again. His gaze swept calmly over the assembled officials below, devoid of the previous anger and anxiety.

The guard's voice echoed in the main hall of Zhangtai Palace. The courtiers, Zhao Ji, and Lao Ai stared in disbelief at the military report in the guard's hand, their expressions shocked. For a moment, the hall was deathly silent.

Xiong Qi looked horrified, as if he had heard some terrible news.

"What?! What did you say! Bai Yifei led Nanyang to surrender to my Qin Kingdom!?"

Meng Ao was the first to react, and he looked at the guard and questioned him loudly.

"This is a military report from the front lines. The Pingyang Heavy Armored Army has completely entered Nanyang. The troops stationed in Yangren, Huchan and other places adjacent to Nanyang have also been transferred to Nanyang to assist the Pingyang Heavy Armored Army in recapturing various towns!"

The guard showed no panic and, holding up the military report, explained the situation in Nanyang in detail.

After hearing the guard's reasoned explanation, everyone present fell silent again. It wasn't that they didn't believe what the guard said, but rather that the matter was too sudden and too hard to accept.

Wasn't Xu Qing praying for blessings at Mount Taiyi? How could he be leading the Pingyang Heavy Army to Nanyang with Meng Tian? Bai Yifei is a hereditary marquis of Han, so how could he lead Nanyang to surrender to Qin?

Various questions lingered in their minds, leaving these top talents and shrewd individuals unable to understand them no matter how hard they tried.

Lao Ai stared dumbfounded at the guard, his eyes fixed on the military report in the guard's hand. His plan to force the emperor to abdicate was about to succeed, but it was all ruined by this sudden military report.

The dozen or so ministers who had spoken at the beginning were also completely stunned, standing in the center of the hall, somewhat at a loss.

They actively pressured Ying Zheng to abdicate, seizing control of the court discourse. However, the hard-won power they had gained was then snatched away again by a sudden military report.

Lao Ai looked at one of his ministers, who, understanding his meaning, immediately stepped forward and spoke.

"How dare he give false military intelligence! Men, seize this man!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's attention turned to the minister, and Ying Zheng, sitting on the throne, also spoke.

"Who are you going to take down!?"

Ying Zheng's expression was calm, and although his voice was flat, one could clearly feel the domineering aura unique to emperors, which inspired awe.

"Your Majesty, there has never been an order from the court to mobilize troops. General Meng Tian should be leading the Pingyang Heavy Armored Army in Pingyang, not Nanyang, and Grand General Xu Qing is ordered to pray for blessings at Mount Taiyi. As for Nanyang surrendering to Qin?"

"Bai Yifei is the Marquis of Blood Robe of Han, a hereditary marquis whose fate is intertwined with that of the state. How could he possibly lead Nanyang to surrender to Qin?"

Despite his fear, the minister bowed and spoke loudly, voicing all the doubts in the minds of everyone present.

Faced with these questions, Ying Zheng remained calm and simply answered...
"The Grand Chancellor and Meng Tian were dispatched to Nanyang on my orders."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lao Ai, Zhao Ji, and the other ministers in the hall were all stunned, looking at Ying Zheng with surprise, clearly not expecting that Ying Zheng would pull such a trick.

"Bring up the general's report," Ying Zheng continued.

"promise."

The eunuch standing nearby took the military report and presented it to Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng picked up the military report and opened it to read. After reading through its contents, his eyes gleamed, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

These past few days, Lao Ai has been creating momentum to force Ying Zheng to abdicate. In order not to alert Lao Ai, Ying Zheng could only remain submissive, though he was already extremely frustrated.

Now that Nanyang has surrendered to Qin, he can finally speak.

"The Grand General and Meng Tian were sent to Nanyang by me. As for why Bai Yifei surrendered to Qin, you can refer to the military report."

"The general's report was presented to the Empress Dowager for her review, and then circulated among the ministers. No place in the world is more prosperous than Nanyang. Now that such a prosperous land has fallen to our Qin state, the Grand Chancellor has made great contributions, Meng Tian has made great contributions, and the Pingyang Heavy Armored Army are all meritorious ministers of our Great Qin!"

Ying Zheng surveyed his ministers with an air of arrogance and spoke in a loud voice.

(End of this chapter)