The Great Qin Dynasty: The egg of the Black Bird was revered as a national guardian beast.

this day,

Upon returning from the Prime Minister's office, Li Si met his eldest son, Li You, packed his luggage, and prepared to return to Sanchuan County.

Li You was the governor of Sanchuan Commandery, in charge of the entire commandery.

The reason he was able to come back this time was because his father was the Left Prime Minister of the Qin Dynasty.

However, one cannot stay there for long.

Only a few days after returning, I had to hurry back.

"The Three Rivers are the gateway to Guanzhong and the throat of the world."

"As a prefect, one must shoulder the responsibilities of a prefect and be extremely careful before taking any action."

Before leaving, Li Si sat upright behind his desk.

Looking at his son standing in front of him, he was satisfied but couldn't help but give him a few more words of advice.

Li You stood to the side, nodding repeatedly.

"Yes, Father, I understand. I will certainly not disgrace the Li family or tarnish your name."

But after he finished speaking, he raised his eyes again.

After hesitating for a while, he finally brought up something to his father.

"Father, not long before you returned, Gongzi Gao came to visit, but I sent him away by saying that you were not here."

Li Si raised his head and glanced at his son.

Then he nodded and said calmly, "Yes, you did a good job this time."

"The matter of the crown prince is not something you or I can interfere in."

He looked up and around.

Li You asked in a low voice, "Father, is His Majesty's move an attempt to depose the eldest son and establish a younger one in favor of the emperor?"

"Should we support a young master?"

"After all, the eldest son has always favored Confucianism. If he were to ascend the throne, how could our Legalist school have a place?"

Li Si narrowed his eyes, raised his head, and gave his son a deep look. "Who taught you to say that?"

He lowered his head silently: "It was my own thought."

Since the First Emperor ordered that his two sons attend court and listen to state affairs, there has been much speculation in Xianyang.

Some people are trying to fathom His Majesty's true intentions.

They assumed that His Majesty disliked the eldest son, which gave rise to the idea of ​​choosing a crown prince from among the princes.

Li You also felt that this was the truth.

Looking at his father, he tentatively said, "His Majesty dislikes Fusu now, this is our chance."

"Why not support a young master to ascend to the position of crown prince?"

"Then, when His Majesty passes away, as long as it is not the eldest son who ascends the throne, that will be enough."

"You bastard!"

Li Si slammed his hand on the table.

He turned to look at Li You, his face turning cold: "Who told you to say that? What do you know? Just tell me!"

"Father, please calm down."

"Hmph!" Li Si snorted coldly. "Li You, remember this: you are the prefect, do not meddle in court affairs."

"Do not utter these words again."

"Otherwise," he said, looking at Li You, "not only will you be convicted, but your entire family might also be implicated and executed!"

Li Si naturally knew that because of the First Emperor's actions, most people were speculating about the emperor's intentions and trying to profit from them.

But he felt that it wasn't that simple.

Opinions were divided, but he ignored them, believing it best to do nothing before drawing any conclusions.

Li You remained silent, and the room fell quiet.

The silence was broken when a servant rushed in and spoke to Li Si.

"My lord, His Majesty has arrived."

His Majesty?

Li Si paused for a moment, then quickly stood up and glanced at Li You, only to see that his face had turned pale instantly.

"You stay here and you're not allowed to go anywhere."

After saying that, he straightened his clothes, looked around, and then walked out.

When Li Si walked to the front of the hall,

The First Emperor had already entered the gate, and everyone around his mansion silently bowed down.

Li Si stepped forward and bowed deeply.

He bowed his head and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty. I was unaware of Your Majesty's arrival and failed to greet you properly. Please forgive me."

The First Emperor did not have any elaborate ceremonial procession on this occasion.

He rode his horse there alone, without any attendants, and was accompanied by only two or three guards.

But you can tell at a glance.

The two or three guards around the First Emperor were very strong.

The First Emperor looked at the few people who had bowed down. He had not been there for a long time, and there were only these few people left in the Prime Minister's residence.

He raised his hand slightly: "No need."

Seeing that Li Si and the others had all stood up.

The First Emperor smiled and said, "I haven't been here for a long time. Why has the Prime Minister's residence become so deserted?"

The First Emperor laughed, but Li Si dared not laugh.

He carefully chose his words before replying, "Your Majesty is too kind."

Li Si had no idea why the First Emperor had come today, and there had been no prior notice. This almost frightened Li You to tears.

But, this is for the best.

Let's see if he dares to speak recklessly about royal affairs again.

Thinking this, Li Si led the First Emperor to the main hall to give his report, saying, "Your Majesty, please come with me."

The First Emperor and Li Si entered the main hall together.

The three guards who had accompanied the First Emperor stood dutifully at the gate, their eyes fixed straight ahead.

Whenever he saw a servant passing by.

He glared at her fiercely, which wouldn't have been a big deal in itself, but when their eyes met those of the other guards...

His lips trembled, and his face suddenly became incredibly expressive.

Finally, she was trembling all over, but she forced herself not to make a sound.

In the room, a table was placed in the middle.

This separation between Li Si and the First Emperor is like a chasm, separating their relationship as ruler and subject.

"The last time we sat and chatted like this."

The First Emperor chuckled: "But what time is it?"

Li Si squinted, as if trying to recall something, but after a long while, he shook his head: "I can't remember."

"Yes, I can't remember either."

In fact, the First Emperor remembered that it was Chunyu Yue who, along with Confucian scholars, pressured him to enfeoff his sons.

On that occasion, he summoned Li Si to have a talk.

That conversation also led to Li Si's later proposal to burn books in order to suppress the opinions of various schools of thought.

The two sat facing each other, with the First Emperor tapping the table.

Li Si's expression tightened, and he lowered his head slightly. He knew this was a sign that the First Emperor was thinking about something.

Your Majesty's arrival suggests that you truly have something to ask.

"Prime Minister."

A calm voice rang out, and the First Emperor asked seemingly casually, "Prime Minister, you are learned; do you know how many sons the Yellow Emperor had?"

Li Si paused for a moment, but quickly replied, "The Yellow Emperor had two legitimate sons, one was Xuanxiao, and the other was Changyi."

"In addition, there are more than twenty half-brothers."

"More than me. I also have over twenty children, but only eighteen sons..."

The First Emperor murmured to himself, then looked at Li Si.

"If that's the case, then among these twenty-odd sons, who ultimately inherited the Yellow Emperor's legacy?"

After a moment's hesitation, Li Si said, "He is the grandson of the Yellow Emperor and the son of Changyi, also known as Zhuanxu."

The First Emperor laughed, "So, you're establishing your grandson as heir instead of your son?"

At this point, the First Emperor squinted at Li Si, remained silent for a long time, and then spoke softly.

"Prime Minister, I have eighteen sons."

"The eldest son, Fusu, is kind and benevolent; the second son, Gao, is harmonious and amiable; the third son, Jianglu, is intelligent and clever; the remaining fifteen sons are all just reaching adulthood, and are inevitably lonely and weak."

"In your opinion, Prime Minister, who should be the successor?"

"His Majesty!"

Li Si quickly bowed and said, "The position of crown prince should be decided by Your Majesty's word; it is not something a subject can discuss."

"As a subject, one should respect His Majesty's edicts and not presume to discuss matters of state."

The First Emperor smiled slightly. "By order of my decree?"

"In that case," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "My second son, Prince Gao, is benevolent and filial, and I have never seen him make a mistake."

"Does the Prime Minister think Gao is suitable to be the Crown Prince?"

A bead of cold sweat dripped down Li Si's forehead, and he was terrified, his heart filled with cold sweat.

"Your Majesty, this is a deliberate test!"