Starting with ten elixirs of immortality, I led the First Emperor to rebel against the Qin Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, Chunyu Yue retorted, "Prime Minister Li, this is utter nonsense! Xu Fu requested Your Majesty's permission to sail the seas to search for the sacred mountains for Your Majesty; how could he claim to be king?"

"snort!"

General Meng Tian strode out, clad in iron armor, exuding a murderous aura.

"Scholar Chunyu sits idly in his high office, oblivious to the dangers overseas! The Fusang that Xu Fu speaks of is a land of barbarians. If they truly take our Qin's wealth, technology, and people there and occupy the land, it will surely become a major threat to our Qin within a century!"

When Meng Tian recalled Zhao Huan's description of the future—the Nanjing Massacre, the inhumane poison gas experiments—he felt an urge to immediately draw his sword and raze Japan to the ground!

"What use is there in keeping such treacherous traitors with disloyal intentions alive? I second Prime Minister Li's suggestion! They should be executed to uphold the law!"

As soon as Meng Tian finished speaking, the physician Meng Yi also stepped forward.

"I second that! These scourges of the country and its people should be killed! They must be killed!"

Everyone in the imperial court was dumbfounded.

When did Li Si and the Meng brothers become inseparable?

One was the head of the civil service and a representative of Legalism. The other was a military general, Xun Gui, and a pillar of the Qin army.

These two factions are not usually enemies, but they are by no means allies either.

What's going on today? They're all united against a common enemy, unleashing their full force and launching a fierce attack on the Confucianists and the eldest son?

Chunyu Yue and Shusun Tong blushed as Li Si and Meng Tian spoke, but they still stubbornly refused to listen.

"Prime Minister Li, General Meng, what you've said is all speculation, without any evidence..."

"That's enough!"

Ying Zheng rubbed his head, interrupting everyone.

Looking at Fusu, who was still defending the swindler, the disappointment in his eyes was so deep it was impossible to dispel.

Suppressing his anger, he knew that reasoning with Fusu and the group of Confucian scholars was futile.

To deal with them, we need to use their own methods to slap them in the face.

Ying Zheng decided to change the subject, waiting for Chunyu Yue and Shusun Tong to take the bait, and slowly began to speak.

"Since I am immortal, there is no need to continue building the imperial mausoleum at Mount Li."

"By imperial decree, effective immediately, all construction on the Lishan Imperial Mausoleum is to be halted! All 700,000 conscripted laborers are to be discharged and returned to their hometowns! All funds and provisions spent on this project are to be confiscated and used to support the border troops or for the construction of irrigation projects!"

These words shocked the entire court!

How can we stop repairing the imperial mausoleum?

Sure enough, before anyone else could react, Chunyu Yue jumped out.

"Your Majesty! You mustn't!"

Reaching the center of the main hall, he said tearfully, "The imperial mausoleum is a national treasure, a symbol of Your Majesty's eternal achievements! The Book of Rites says that the mausoleum of the Son of Heaven should be nine ren high and the trees nine wei in circumference. This is the law of our ancestors, the cornerstone of the stability of the state! How can it be stopped so easily?"

Shusun Tong also stepped forward, echoing his sentiments with great sorrow.

"Your Majesty, the imperial mausoleum project concerns the national dignity and filial piety! Halting its construction is a grave disrespect to our ancestors! It also demonstrates to the world the collapse of the rites and music of our Great Qin! How will the scholars and literati of the world view Your Majesty then? How will the people of the world view our Great Qin? We implore Your Majesty to rescind your decree!"

A group of Confucian scholars and officials, as if their parents had died, echoed each other in unison.

In their view, the construction of the imperial mausoleum was not merely an engineering project, but a crucial link in the Confucian system of rites and laws. It was the highest manifestation of upholding the divine right of kings and demonstrating the majesty of the imperial family. Stopping the construction of the imperial mausoleum was tantamount to digging up the roots of their Confucianism.

Even the usually composed Right Chancellor Feng Quji felt that this matter was inappropriate and stepped forward to offer his advice.

Fusu, with a furrowed brow, stepped forward once more.

"Father, what Dr. Chunyu said makes sense. The matter of the imperial mausoleum concerns the foundation of the nation. I urge you to reconsider."

He believed that his father was still angry about the alchemist's affair, which was why he made such an impulsive decision. Stopping the construction of the imperial mausoleum, from any perspective, would be detrimental to the reputation and stability of the Qin Dynasty.

Ying Zheng coldly swept his gaze over the Confucian scholars, watching their mournful expressions, and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

When I wanted to kill a few alchemists who plotted against me, you talked to me about benevolence and moral education. When I wanted to stop the construction of the imperial mausoleum to save manpower and resources for the Qin Dynasty, you talked to me about etiquette and ancestral rules.

Ultimately, what you are protecting is never the Qin Dynasty's empire, nor me, the emperor, but rather your ridiculous set of Confucian rules and the right to speak!

I am increasingly aware that knights use martial arts to break the law, and Confucian scholars use literature to disrupt the law.

Ying Zheng let them cry and shout, let them explain all the disadvantages of stopping the repair of the imperial mausoleum, and his expression did not change at all.

Only when the noise in the hall gradually subsided did he slowly stand up from the dragon throne.

An invisible imperial pressure enveloped the entire Qilin Palace.

"Are you done talking?"

Ying Zheng interrupted them, his voice not loud, but it sent a chill down the spines of everyone in the hall.

Chunyu Yue and the others looked up and saw Ying Zheng, who exuded an imposing aura even without anger, and realized that something was wrong.

"I said that I have already lived to a ripe old age, and the imperial mausoleum is no longer needed, so construction should be stopped. But you insist that I continue building it."

Ying Zheng walked down the steps one by one, each step feeling like a blow to everyone's heart.

"I said I wouldn't repair it, but you insist on doing so!"

"What's wrong?"

The sound suddenly rose in pitch, like a thunderclap!

"Are you hoping I'll be buried soon?!"

"Or do you think that my words as the emperor no longer count, and that we should listen to you bunch of pedantic scholars?!"

"May I die young!!"

"boom!"

Chunyu Yue, Shusun Tong, and the other Confucian scholars felt their minds go blank.

Cursing...cursing His Majesty to die young? That's a grave charge!

"Your Majesty, spare our lives! We had no such intention!"

"Your Majesty is wise! Our loyalty to Your Majesty is as clear as the sun and the moon!"

"I'm innocent, Your Majesty!"

The Confucian scholars, who had just been speaking righteously and quoting classical texts, were now terrified and immediately knelt down, stammering incoherently as they tried to explain themselves.

They couldn't understand how a discussion about whether or not to build an imperial mausoleum could turn into a treasonous crime of "cursing the emperor."

Fusu's words were also shut down by "cursing the emperor to die young," leaving him at a loss for words.

Li Si, Meng Tian, ​​and others stood aside, watching coldly.

I admire His Majesty's imperial wisdom and strategy to the extreme.

To deal with these pedantic scholars who only know how to talk about etiquette and law, we have to use such unreasonable methods.

"Absolutely not?" Ying Zheng sneered, walking back to Chunyu Yue and looking down at him. "Then tell me, why would an immortal person waste the people's resources to build himself a mausoleum? Is it just for show?"

"This...this..." Chunyu Yue was sweating profusely, stammering and unable to answer a single word.

Yes, His Majesty is immortal, so what need is there for a mausoleum?

They simply cannot untie this logical deadlock.

"Drag them away! Everyone who was just crying and shouting about building the imperial mausoleum, give them twenty strokes of the cane each! As a warning to others!"

Ying Zheng was too lazy to waste any more words with them and directly issued the order.

"only!"

The guards outside rushed in and dragged Chunyu Yue, Shusun Tong, and a group of Confucian scholars out.

Soon, a series of pig-like screams came from outside the hall.

In the imperial court, the remaining officials remained silent, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Ying Zheng's gaze finally fell on Fusu, whose face was still somewhat pale.

Looking at his son, his anger surged again, but he managed to suppress it.

We can just send it to Huan'er later.

"As for Xu Fu..." Ying Zheng sat back on the dragon throne, his voice turning icy again, "He deceived the emperor and plotted treason; his heart deserves to be punished. Issue my decree: execute him! The other alchemists are also to be put to death, to uphold the law of the land!"

This time, no one dared to stand up and oppose it.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

All the officials knelt down and shouted "Long live the Emperor!"