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

Chapter 540, The Current Situation of the Qin State, The Birth of the Shadow Guard
Meanwhile, inside Zhangtai Palace.

Ying Zheng's chariot has returned to the palace. The palace, which had been in chaos, has been cleaned up and is now as solemn and majestic as ever.

After meeting Queen Mi, Ying Zheng took Xu Qing and Gai Nie to the palace where government affairs were handled.

"This servant respectfully welcomes Your Majesty back to the palace."

At the entrance of the palace, Zhao Gao and a group of eunuchs respectfully bowed to Ying Zheng.

Looking at the scar on Zhao Gao's face that had not yet healed, Ying Zheng felt a sense of relief. He had already learned from Hei Bingtai that Zhao Gao had led the eunuchs to defend the palace to the death after the rebels stormed Zhangtai Palace.

"Zhao Gao, you did well. You were fearless in the face of danger and risked your life to protect the government hall from the chaos caused by the rebels. From today onwards, you are promoted to my personal attendant and appointed as the Eunuch Commander," Ying Zheng said.

"This servant is very grateful for Your Majesty's kindness. I will serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly in the future to repay Your Majesty's kindness."

Zhao Gao was excited and immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing to Ying Zheng.

The Eunuch Commander, one of the fourteen commanders under the Minister of the Imperial Household Department, was in charge of all the palace eunuchs, second only to the Minister of the Imperial Household Department. How could Zhao Gao not be excited to rise from a mere palace attendant to the leader of all the eunuchs?

Xu Qing looked at Zhao Gao soaring into the sky, a smile flashing in his eyes.

His advance warning proved worthwhile; Zhao Gao did not disappoint him. He dared to lead a group of eunuchs to fight against well-trained imperial guards. With that kind of courage, the ability to survive, and luck, he was more than qualified to be a eunuch commander.

If the other party's cultural level wasn't so low, given the title of "Qin King's Personal Attendant," he should also have served as the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, responsible for transporting documents within the palace.

However, it's better not to appoint him as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat. If he were given too much power and status all at once, it's hard to guarantee that he wouldn't become arrogant.

Ying Zheng nodded slightly and walked into the hall.

"Go to the Imperial Hospital later and ask Xia Wuqie for some medicine to treat external injuries. Take good care of the wounds on your face," Xu Qing said to Zhao Gao.

"Thank you, Lord Zhaoming."

Zhao Gao spoke respectfully, his eyes filled with reverence as he looked at Xu Qing.

He was able to rise to the position of Imperial Eunuch, a leading figure in the palace, all thanks to Xu Qing's guidance and arrangements. He would always remember this kindness.

Xu Qing said nothing more and walked into the palace with Gai Nie.

After returning to the palace, Ying Zheng removed the nine-tassel crown from his head, took off his royal robes and placed them on a rack to the side, and changed into ordinary clothes.

"Sir, you saw the reactions of the courtiers just now. What do you think of them?"

After Ying Zheng sat down, he looked at Xu Qing and asked.

"The situation is not optimistic. The people of the six kingdoms are filled with anxiety, the royal family is eager to try their luck, and the maternal relatives are eyeing us covetously. Subduing Lao Ai is only the first step; what follows is the crucial one." Xu Qing shook his head slightly and said in a deep voice.

"I previously thought you were overthinking things, but seeing the reactions of the ministers today, I realize that I was too simplistic. The problems in Qin must be addressed starting now, beginning with the royal family, the imperial relatives, and the scholars of the six states."

Ying Zheng nodded solemnly and spoke slowly.

“If Your Majesty is truly determined to do this, the first thing to do is to use both kindness and force to win over the scholars of the six states, gradually drawing them away from Marquis Wenxin and bringing them to your side,” Xu Qing said.

"I understand, but I am worried about the royal family. They have long harbored hatred towards the scholars of the six states, and many of them were involved in Lao Ai's rebellion. They certainly will not easily give up targeting the scholars of the six states," Ying Zheng said with a sigh.

The loyalty of the royal family and the talent of the scholars from the six states were both things that Ying Zheng valued. They were both equally important to him, and losing either one would not benefit the Qin state.

"Your Majesty, we need to appease the royal family. We need you to reason with them and appeal to their emotions," Xu Qing said, cupping his hands in greeting.

Although he was highly respected by the royal family, he was ultimately one of the scholars of the six states, not a native of Qin. Once it came to the division of interests, it was uncertain whether the other party would still respect him.

Ying Zheng nodded slightly. With Lord Weiyang and the old clan leader present, there would be dissenting voices within the clan, but they wouldn't be very strong.

"Putting aside the affairs of the court officials, Lao Ai's biggest supporters in this rebellion, besides the three Jin states, are the Luo Wang (a powerful organization). The Luo Wang is a sharp weapon, but if used improperly, it will harm both others and oneself."

"If we abolish the Net of Law, it would be like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Therefore, I wish to establish a private army that will only be accountable to me. This army will oversee the entire world and will have the power of life and death, acting first and reporting later."

Ying Zheng looked at Xu Qing and shared his thoughts.

After experiencing the assassination attempt by Luo Wang and the betrayal by Lao Ai, Ying Zheng had mixed feelings about Luo Wang, a powerful tool. He loved its pervasiveness, which provided Qin with tremendous intelligence support for its conquest of the other six states and could sometimes easily influence a battle.

Hatred is a sharp weapon that can easily fall into the hands of others. Once it falls into the hands of those with ill intentions, it can easily become a sword that harms the Qin state.

Upon hearing Ying Zheng's idea, Xu Qing immediately thought of the Shadow Guard. In the original novel, the Shadow Guard was Ying Zheng's bodyguard team, helping him monitor his ministers and investigate the enemy. They complemented the Net while also checking and balancing each other.

In other words, the Shadow Guards were the Ming Dynasty's Embroidered Uniform Guards, while the Net was the Qing Dynasty's Flying Guillotine. The former had legitimate law enforcement power, while the latter was the emperor's private assassin guard.

However, Xu Qing was more concerned about another force, the Black Ice Platform. "What about the Black Ice Platform?" Xu Qing asked.

"My teacher and I have already discussed this matter. This private army will be reorganized based on the Black Ice Guard, so as to counterbalance the Luo Net," Ying Zheng said, glancing at Gai Nie.

After experiencing the assassination attempt in Korea, Ying Zheng had this idea, but after gaining the loyalty of the Black Ice Guard, he temporarily put it aside.

Now that Lao Ai is plotting a rebellion, he has been reminded of this matter again.

“It’s difficult to train a new intelligence agent in a short period of time, so the best way is to renovate the Black Ice Platform,” Gai Nie said in a deep voice.

Xu Qing nodded thoughtfully. No wonder the Black Ice Platform disappeared in the original work; it turned out it had been rebuilt into the Shadow Guard.

But it makes sense. Although the Black Ice Team is in Ying Zheng's hands, this team has been away for too long and has been suppressed too severely because of Zhao Ji, making it difficult to return to its former glory.

The best solution is to rebuild, which not only allows for a reshuffling to ensure absolute loyalty but also strengthens the organization.

"Although Your Majesty has now come of age and assumed personal rule, the Qin state has undergone tremendous changes, and your control over the Qin state is not yet complete. You urgently need eyes and ears, and this kind of private army to monitor the world is imperative. This can strengthen your control over all parties in the Qin state, and at the same time protect your safety."

Xu Qing affirmed Ying Zheng's idea, but then suddenly changed the subject and continued...
"However, I do not mind completely abolishing the Black Ice Guard. The Net and this new private army can indeed check and balance each other, and I believe that these two swords will be absolutely loyal in Your Majesty's hands."

"But what about the future? The future rulers of Qin may not all be as wise and powerful as Your Majesty. What if a situation arises again where the ruler is young and the country is in turmoil, and these two private armies are controlled by powerful ministers?"

"I have discussed this with my teacher. It is an unavoidable matter. We can only wait until the world becomes more stable before gradually weakening the power of the two teams."

Ying Zheng looked helpless and sighed.

"Therefore, I propose that the Black Ice Guard be retained, and a portion of it be divided into a new private army. The Black Ice Guard will no longer be used against the outside world, but will be solely responsible for protecting the royal bloodline and the safety of the King, while secretly monitoring the Net and the new army, thus becoming the last private army in the King's hands."

Xu Qing looked at Ying Zheng and said in a deep voice.

In the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty, the Embroidered Uniform Guard began to collude with the Eastern Depot, and then the Western Depot emerged. Unfortunately, due to opposition from both the court and the public, the Western Depot existed for a very short time.

Rather than waiting until future rulers lose control of the Net and Shadow Guard and are unable to establish new private armies, it is better to leave the Black Ice Platform now and make it the last trump card.

Moreover, the triangle has stability, and the mutual checks and balances among the Net, Black Ice Platform, and Shadow Guard can ensure that someone is available to the greatest extent.

Upon hearing Xu Qing's suggestion, Ying Zheng fell into deep thought. It wasn't that he hadn't considered this approach, but he felt that three private military organizations were somewhat bloated and a waste of manpower and resources.

However, things are different now. He has taken personal control of the government and no longer needs to worry about these things.

Moreover, from a security perspective, a system of checks and balances among the three forces is indeed the most suitable.

“What you say makes a lot of sense, sir. Although it will cost more money, the gains from this rebellion should be enough to make up for it. So, as you said, let’s keep the Black Ice Guard.” Ying Zheng nodded and said.

Ying Zheng thought more and more that a balance of power among the three was more appropriate, and he thought Xu Qing's suggestion was brilliant. However, a new problem arose, and he continued to ask...
"Sir, what do you think should be the name of this private army?"

“The new private army is Your Majesty’s private army, and its name should be decided by you. This is not something a subject can decide,” Xu Qing said solemnly.

Xu Qing naturally had names like Embroidered Robe, Embroidered Uniform Guard, Eastern Depot, Western Depot, and Central Depot, but there were too many names, and Xu Qing was also conflicted. It would be better to let Ying Zheng think of one himself.

Ying Zheng glanced at Xu Qing and felt a sense of helplessness. Xu Qing was good in every way, except that he was too cautious.

"Last night I also gave this private army a name, Shadow Guard. What do you think?" Ying Zheng didn't hesitate and shared his thoughts.

"This is a very good name," Xu Qing praised.

“Very well, then it is decided in this way. We will have to trouble you for a few days. After your father abdicates, you will be appointed as the prime minister,” Ying Zheng said.

"It's all for the sake of the Qin state," Xu Qing said nonchalantly.

He wasn't particularly interested in the position of prime minister because he knew his own limitations and knew he couldn't hold the position for long.

Ying Zheng's eyes flickered as he looked at Xu Qing. He wouldn't believe that others showed no interest in power, but Xu Qing was different.

This was because, in Ying Zheng's heart, Xu Qing was a selfless and loyal man who cared for the common people and had no selfish desires for power.

"It's getting late, the celebratory banquet is about to begin, and the ministers are waiting for Your Majesty," Gai Nie said after glancing at the hourglass.

"Yes, teacher, please join me at the banquet."

"promise."

(End of this chapter)