I started on a deserted island and encountered Ying Zheng, who insisted I was an immortal.

"Keep it?" Wang Ben asked, somewhat puzzled.

"I'll keep it, but I won't use it anymore." Meng Yi's voice was even lower. "I'm afraid my time as Right Chancellor is coming to an end."

Wang Ben suddenly realized.

He remembered the promise Ying Zheng had made to Zhang Ying.

"Grand Tutor!"

"Ranked above the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, wearing a golden seal and a purple sash, they do not have to hasten their steps when entering the court, nor are they called upon to pay homage; they can carry swords and wear shoes in the palace!"

"Rule the world with me!"

At the time, he thought it was just a shocking statement made by His Majesty to recruit the teacher.

In retrospect, that was not just empty talk at all.

That was the supreme position His Majesty had carefully considered and tailored for you.

A position powerful enough to suppress the entire court, a position that would allow your talents to be promoted without hindrance in the Qin Dynasty.

The power vacuum created by Li Si's dismissal was perfectly filled by the newly appointed "Grand Tutor".

Support a "celestial being" with no foundation but extraordinary talent to balance the entrenched power in the court.

This is the true art of rulership.

Wang Ben felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet and instantly spread throughout his body.

He looked at the small bamboo house, as if he were seeing not a house, but the center of a vortex that was about to stir up the Qin Dynasty.

The heavens of the Great Qin are about to change.

......

Inside the bamboo house, the air was still as water.

Ying Zheng sat upright on the bamboo chair that Zhang Ying had personally crafted, without uttering a word.

He simply tapped the table slowly and deliberately with his index finger.

thump.

thump.

thump.

The sound resonated in the heart of the person kneeling in the center of the room.

Zhao Gao, the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office.

He maintained an extremely humble posture, his entire upper body almost pressed against the ground, his forehead against the cold mud.

Cold sweat had already soaked through his luxurious eunuch's robes, trickling down his temples and leaving a small, dark stain on the ground.

He dared not move, and he dared not even breathe too loudly.

On the other side of the makeshift bed, Zhang Ying had already woken up.

He didn't open his eyes, just lay there like a piece of wood that had been drained of all its strength.

My mind is a complete mess.

crossed.

I really time-traveled.

It wasn't acting, it wasn't a dream; he had returned to the Qin Dynasty more than two thousand years ago.

He not only kidnapped Qin Shi Huang, but also, in front of the First Emperor of Qin, revealed the entire future of his country, along with his family's messy affairs.

From Zhao Gao pointing at a deer and calling it a horse, to Hu Hai's ascension to the throne, and then to the Qin Dynasty's demise after only two generations.

One pile, one piece.

He was so pleased with himself back then, but now he's incredibly panicked.

This isn't just courting death; it's practically dancing wildly on the King of Hell's disco list.

All he can do now is pretend to be unconscious, act as a background figure, and pray that the First Emperor won't be the first to target him.

thump.

thump.

The knocking continued.

Ying Zheng's thoughts drifted back to a long time ago.

Zhao Gao.

A distant relative of the Zhao royal family, a person born with the word "noble," yet cruelly trampled into the mud by fate.

When he was young, his family suffered a great upheaval, and in order to survive, he castrated himself and entered the Qin Palace.

Ying Zheng still remembered that when he first met him, he was a humble young man who showed amazing talent in handling documents.

He has beautiful handwriting, remembers the law well, and what's even more remarkable is that he can read people's expressions and is efficient in handling affairs.

Ying Zheng promoted him all the way up, from a subordinate of the Imperial Chariot Office to the head of the Imperial Chariot Office, making him his closest attendant.

This pursuit has lasted for nearly thirty years.

He had also committed a capital crime and was sentenced to death according to the law.

It was only because he considered the years of loyalty the man had shown him and his undeniable talent that he made an exception and pardoned him, restoring him to his original position.

Trust is built up little by little in this way.

Because it is useful.

Because he is obedient.

It was also because of his insignificant Zhao bloodline that Ying Zheng felt that he was ultimately family and could be relied upon.

But now...

Ying Zheng recalled the "stories" that Zhang Ying had told him and Wang Benmengyi a few days ago when she was drunk.

"Zhao Gao was no good, Old Ying. After Ying Zheng died, it was he who conspired with Li Si to kill that stupid son named Fusu."

"Then Huhai was installed as emperor."

"In the end, he also killed Li Si and forced Hu Hai to commit suicide, all in an attempt to become emperor himself."

"Oh, by the way, he killed most of your thirty-odd children."

More than thirty children...

most……

Massacre.

Ying Zheng's fingers, which were tapping the table, stopped.

Inside the bamboo house, there was a deathly silence.

Zhang Ying's heart skipped a beat at that moment.

He could feel an indescribable, chilling killing intent emanating from the direction where Ying Zheng was sitting.

This is an aura that cannot be acted out.

This is the aura that only an emperor who has crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood would reveal when he is truly enraged.

Ying Zheng thought of Li Si.

The prime minister who had ulterior motives while on the ship.

He did not punish Li Si immediately because Li Si was still useful, and the Qin Dynasty still needed the prime minister's talent to govern.

Furthermore, although Li Si had selfish motives, he did not give up searching for himself, and this achievement was enough to offset his inappropriate thoughts.

Once the gentleman enters the court and I have laid out a new strategy, I will allow him to retire and return to his hometown, thus fulfilling the bond between ruler and subject.

But Zhao Gao was different.

Sever his Ying clan bloodline, kill his crown prince of Qin, and destroy his eternal legacy.

This touches a raw nerve.

It is the dragon's inviolable reverse scale.

Zhang Ying could even imagine the raging fury beneath the calm exterior of this emperor who had ruled the world for generations.

He even began to feel sorry for the future "second emperor" kneeling on the ground.

Zhao Gao also sensed this change.

That murderous aura felt like countless needles piercing his back, making his blood almost freeze.

He didn't know what had happened.

All he knew was that His Majesty wanted to kill him.

Why?

"Zhao Gao."

Ying Zheng finally spoke, his voice calm and undisturbed.

This calm was more terrifying than any thunderous rage.

"This servant is here."

Zhao Gao's voice was hoarse and dry, with an uncontrollable tremor.

Ying Zheng slowly stood up, walked to him, and looked down at him from his superior position.

"Raise your head."

Zhao Gao's body stiffened, but he dared not disobey. He shakily raised his head, and on his sweat-covered face, he forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"How many years have passed since you entered the palace?" Ying Zheng asked.

"Yes, Your Majesty, it is the twenty-ninth year and seven months," Zhao Gao replied quickly, a memory he was very proud of.

"Twenty-nine years..." Ying Zheng repeated, his tone devoid of any emotion.

He was silent for a long time.

So long that Zhao Gao felt his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

Then, Ying Zheng asked another question.

"Have I ever mistreated you?"