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

Zhao Gao collapsed to the ground, his forehead pressed firmly against the earth, his voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty's grace is boundless, this servant... this servant would rather be shattered to pieces than repay it!"

"Everything I have is a gift from Your Majesty. I remember it day and night and dare not forget it in the slightest!"

Zhao Gao stammered out his loyalty, but his mind was racing.

problem occurs.

Something terrible must have happened.

He believed he had acted discreetly and without leaving any trace, so where exactly did things go wrong?

Could it be that old scoundrel Li Si stabbed us in the back?

still is……

He dared not think any further, only feeling a chill rush from his tailbone straight to the back of his head, making his limbs and bones feel icy cold.

Zhang Ying, who was pretending to be unconscious, was actually glaring at herself, her eyes practically shooting sparks.

Here it comes!

A classic scene in historical dramas: settling scores later.

It remains to be seen how this First Emperor will deal with this future "Second Emperor".

Ying Zheng did not let him continue guessing.

"When I first met you, you were a lowly eunuch in the document room, being punished with a beating for writing mistakes."

Ying Zheng's voice remained calm, as if he were recalling an insignificant past event.

"I have noticed your intelligence and your excellent handwriting, so I have transferred you to my side."

"From that time on, you followed me from the Xianyang Palace to the former lands of the Six Kingdoms, and then to this vast Eastern Sea."

"I hereby appoint you as the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, a position equivalent to the Nine Ministers, and grant you the authority to tutor Huhai, my most beloved son."

"Your Zhao clan has prospered because of you. Have I ever been stingy with what you desire?"

"I regard you as a brother, yet you regard me as an enemy?"

The last sentence abruptly changed the subject.

That chilling, bone-chilling killing intent instantly materialized, filling the entire bamboo house.

"This servant wouldn't dare! This servant would absolutely not dare!"

Zhao Gao, tears streaming down his face, kowtowed desperately, his forehead hitting the hard muddy ground with a dull thud.

"Your Majesty, please see the truth! There must be some villains slandering me! My loyalty to Your Majesty is as clear as the sun and moon, and as evident as heaven and earth!"

Ying Zheng watched his performance indifferently, without the slightest emotion.

"The news came from Yin Xu."

Outside the door, a general clad in black armor, with a cold and iron-like face, strode in and knelt on one knee.

"Your subject, Yin Xu, Commander of the Xuanwu Guard, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Bring the items up."

"Here you are."

Yin Xu took out a scroll of silk sealed with sealing wax from his bosom and raised it high above his head with both hands.

A palace attendant stepped forward, carefully took the document, and presented it to Ying Zheng.

Ying Zheng didn't look at it; he simply tossed the scroll in front of Zhao Gao.

The seal on the sealing wax was one that Zhao Gao recognized—it was the personal seal of his son-in-law, Yan Le.

Zhao Gao's wailing abruptly stopped.

He stared intently at the scroll, his whole body seemingly drained of its bones, and collapsed to the ground.

Zhang Ying almost couldn't resist and sat up abruptly in bed.

I rely on!

There is actually physical evidence!

He thought that his drunken ramblings had only planted a thorn in the First Emperor's heart.

Unexpectedly, this emperor of all ages was so efficient in his actions that he immediately sent people to investigate, and they actually found irrefutable evidence.

This is... terrifying to think about.

When did Ying Zheng set up this scheme? Was he already suspicious of Zhao Gao before his sea voyage? Or did he send someone to Xianyang in some unknown way after hearing his own "spoiler"?

Regardless of which one it is, it all illustrates one thing.

The First Emperor's cunning and methods were far more profound than he had imagined.

He's not on the fifth level; he lives in the atmosphere.

"Zhao Gao," Ying Zheng spoke, breaking the deathly silence, "what else do you have to say?"

"You secretly contacted the Grand Master of Ceremonies among the Nine Ministers, promising him great benefits."

"Your good son-in-law, Yan Le, the magistrate of Xianyang, secretly contacted the remnants of the six states, and even the disappeared Mohist disciples."

"Tell them that I have perished in the belly of a fish, and promise them that once Huhai ascends the throne, he will be granted land and titles of kings, and the old system will be restored."

With each word Ying Zheng spoke, Zhao Gao's face paled a little more.

"You have some nerve."

"Use the entire empire of my Great Qin to make your personal deal."

"Use my son Huhai's life as a pawn in your game."

"You're using my Ying clan to pave the way for your unwarranted ambitions."

Zhang Ying was terrified.

Good guy.

They were even more ruthless than I knew.

All he knew was that he had colluded with Li Si and caused the death of Fusu.

Unexpectedly, he had already begun operating on multiple fronts, even daring to contact the remnants of the six kingdoms.

This isn't about wanting to be a "second emperor," it's about wanting to be a "regent," completely sidelining the future Hu Hai and playing the "holding the emperor hostage to command the princes" game.

Talent.

He is truly a genius of his time.

Unfortunately, he was incredibly unlucky and ran into himself, a time traveler, who was also a chatterbox and had drunk too much.

This must be the legendary butterfly effect.

"No...no..."

Zhao Gao finally regained his voice, and he shook his head frantically, appearing as if he were insane.

"It was them! They framed me! It was that beast Yan Le! He betrayed me! Your Majesty! It's all fake! It's a fabrication!"

He reached out, wanting to tear up the scroll, but Yin Xu stepped on his wrist.

The cracking sound of bones breaking was unusually clear in the silent room.

"ah--!"

Zhao Gao let out a bloodcurdling scream that sounded inhuman.

Ying Zheng slowly walked up to him and looked down at this once most trusted close attendant.

"Forgery?"

"Isn't this your handwriting?"

"Back then, you committed a capital crime and should have been executed according to the law, but I spared you because of our past relationship."

Ying Zheng's voice was devoid of any warmth.

"I can save you, or I can kill you."

He turned around and, with a clang, drew the sword that symbolized his status as the commander of the Xuanwu Guard from Yin Xu's waist.

It was a standard Qin sword, with a long, narrow blade and a chilling gleam.

Ying Zheng gripped the sword hilt and tossed it aside casually.

Clang!

The long sword fell in front of Zhao Gao, its tip carving a deep mark in the mud.

"I hereby strip you of your royal status and remove you from all official positions."

Ying Zheng's voice was like the coldest ice in the netherworld.

"The Zhao family is disgraced because of you."

"I hereby grant you the right to commit suicide."

"I'll leave you with a whole body, as a way of honoring our nearly thirty years of friendship as ruler and subject."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire bamboo house fell so quiet that you could hear everyone's heartbeat.

Zhao Gao stared at the sword on the ground, his pupils dilated, and all the expressions on his face froze.

He knew it was all over.

There was no trial, no defense, and no room for maneuver.

When an emperor is enraged, millions will die.

And he was the first corpse to fall down.