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

In a small tavern in the south of the city, several drunken men were shouting loudly with their arms around each other's shoulders.

"If you ask me, what's the use of just cursing Li Si? He's nothing but the emperor's dog!" a man with a flushed face said, hiccuping from drinking.

"Exactly! Would a dog dare to bite people without its master's permission?" another person chimed in. "Those harsh punishments, could Li Si have decided on them all by himself? It was only after the higher-ups gave their approval!"

"Shh! Are you out of your mind?!" His companion quickly covered his mouth and looked around in horror.

The man shoved him aside, his eyes glazed with drunkenness, and said, "What are you afraid of! I'm just a worthless old man! In this world, living like a dog is worse than dying! Let me tell you, the very foundation of this Qin Dynasty is rotten! It's rotten in the very person at the top!"

Although their voices were drowned out by the surrounding noise, their words were quietly overheard and remembered by some observant people nearby.

One pass ten, ten pass a hundred.

The Left Prime Minister's Residence.

Inside the study, Li Si listened to the servant's report with a blank expression.

"Prime Minister, right now...it's all over the place. They're saying you're...a traitor, a national villain..." The steward cautiously observed Li Si's expression, his voice growing softer and softer.

Li Si waved his hand, indicating that he didn't need to continue.

"Okay, you can go now."

"Yes." The butler, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, bowed and withdrew.

Li Si was left alone in the study.

He walked to the window, looking at the gray sky outside with a deep gaze.

He had anticipated all of this.

From the moment he took out the "Kong Sheng Muscle Overlord" painting in the Qilin Hall, he knew that he and all the Confucian scholars in the world were now locked in a life-or-death struggle.

The Confucianists may lack other skills, but they are first-rate at spreading rumors and inciting public opinion.

He looked down on these pedantic scholars who only knew how to talk big, but he had to admit that their methods were indeed troublesome.

Without further hesitation, Li Si turned and strode out of the study.

"Prepare the carriage! Let's go to the palace!"

Xianyang Palace, Qilin Hall.

When Li Si entered the main hall, Wang Jian, Meng Tian, ​​and Feng Quji were also in the hall.

Clearly, they came because of the rumors circulating in Xianyang.

"Your subject, Li Si, pays his respects to Your Majesty." Li Si stepped forward and bowed.

"Prime Minister Li has arrived." Ying Zheng's voice was flat, revealing no emotion. "Please sit down."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Li Si sat down in his seat, already understanding the situation. It seemed they had all come for matters concerning the city.

"You've all heard, haven't you?" Ying Zheng's gaze swept over the four men. "My Left Chancellor is quite the celebrity in Xianyang now."

Meng Tian immediately couldn't help but sneer: "A bunch of gossipy bastards who only dare to talk behind people's backs, they'll amount to nothing! Your Majesty, give me three thousand iron cavalry, I guarantee I'll arrest them one by one, and see if they dare to spout nonsense again!"

"You brute!" Wang Jian glared at him and said in a deep voice, "Xianyang is under the Emperor's nose. How can we mobilize troops at will? Besides, can we silence them and the people of the world?"

Feng Quji looked worried:

"General Wang is absolutely right. This matter should be addressed by guiding rather than suppressing. Confucianism has a great influence among the people. If we forcibly suppress it, it will only confirm the reputation of our Great Qin as cruel, which is exactly what they want."

"The rumors circulating in the city now place all the blame for the obstacles to the new policies and the heavy burden of corvée labor and taxes on Prime Minister Li alone. The people are ignorant and easily swayed. If this continues, it will be detrimental to the new policies and will further shake the people's hearts."

Several senior officials expressed their opinions, creating a somewhat somber atmosphere.

Ying Zheng listened, but his face remained expressionless. He simply tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne, making a "tap, tap" sound.

The hall fell silent for a moment, and all eyes were on Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng's gaze fell on Li Si, his tone tinged with amusement: "Li Si, they're all criticizing you. What do you plan to do?"

Li Si stood up, bowed deeply to Ying Zheng, and showed no sign of panic on his face.

"Your Majesty, I believe these rumors are nothing to fear."

"Oh?" Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow. "The whole city is cursing them, so what's not to be afraid of?"

"Although I have a plan to quell this matter, this plan conflicts with Your Majesty's previous plan to bring all the schools of thought of the Hundred Schools of Thought to Xianyang."

"In my opinion, dealing with the Confucianists is not something that can be rushed. Rather, those voices that criticize Your Majesty amidst the rumors and gossip are quite suspicious."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes turned cold.

They were all intelligent people, and naturally they understood the implication in Li Si's words.

The criticism of Li Si was a Confucian act, which was to be expected.

You can insult the emperor...

Even if those Confucian scholars had a hundred times the courage, they wouldn't dare to so openly point their finger directly at Ying Zheng.

There must be someone else behind this!

"Hmph! A bunch of cowardly rats hiding their heads and tails!"

A cold glint flashed in Meng Tian's eyes, and a murderous aura burst forth from his body.

"Your Majesty, there must be something fishy about this! Those spineless Confucian scholars would never dare to do such a thing!"

Wang Jian stroked his beard and said in a deep voice, "What Prime Minister Li said is quite right. The Confucian scholars' clamor is merely an attempt to gain an advantage through words, ruin Prime Minister Li's reputation, and force the court to make concessions. But to directly attack His Majesty is to shake the foundation of the nation, which is tantamount to treason. This is absolutely not the behavior of Confucian scholars."

Feng Quji, deep in thought, stepped forward and said with concern, "Your Majesty, this undercurrent is utterly despicable! They intend to use the storm stirred up by Confucianism to shift blame from Prime Minister Li onto you, attributing all public resentment to Your Majesty's 'tyranny.' This is a hundred times more vicious than the Confucian scholars' vulgar insults!"

An invisible killing intent began to permeate the hall.

The smile on Ying Zheng's face vanished, replaced by a chilling murderous intent.

He knew, of course, that something was amiss.

A bunch of pedantic scholars who only know how to talk can't stir up any trouble.

However, the remnants of the six kingdoms, those lingering ghosts, must be guarded against.

A chilling, piercing voice rang out.

"It seems I have been too lenient with them."

"Let them forget whose world this really is!"

Ying Zheng slowly stood up, walked to the center of the hall, and glanced at everyone.

"This matter cannot be delayed any longer."

"Feng Quji".

"Your subject is here." Feng Quji immediately bowed.

"You are stationed in Xianyang, stabilizing the court, appeasing the officials, and suppressing the villains in the city. I do not wish to hear any bad news during my absence from Xianyang."

"Your Majesty, I obey!" Feng Quji felt a chill run down his spine, knowing that His Majesty was about to get serious.

"Meng Tian".

"Your subordinate is here!" Meng Tian stepped forward, clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

"I have a secret decree for you." Ying Zheng's voice grew even colder. "Mobilize the Black Ice Guard and turn Xianyang upside down, inch by inch! I need to know which rats are behind this!"

"Remember, I want them alive. I want to personally ask them who gave them the audacity!"

"Your subordinate obeys!" A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Meng Tian's eyes; he had been waiting for this order for a long time.

After arranging the two men, Ying Zheng's gaze fell on Wang Jian and Li Si.