Sky Curtain: A Review of Historical Foes and the Secrets of Ministers

Li Tai strode forward with a pigeon-toed gait, bowed to Li Er, and began to speak eloquently.

"Your Majesty, I happened to be compiling the 'Kuodi Zhi' and had consulted historical materials about the southern border."

"This Zhao Tuo was originally from Zhen Ding in Hengshan Commandery. When Qin Shi Huang sent troops to pacify Lingnan, he established the three commanderies of Guilin, Nanhai, and Xiang. Zhao Tuo was appointed as the magistrate of Longchuan County in Nanhai Commandery."

"Later, during the chaos at the end of the Qin Dynasty, Ren Xiao, the Commandant of Nanhai Commandery, fell seriously ill and entrusted Nanhai Commandery to Zhao Tuo before his death. Zhao Tuo then ordered the blockade of the Five Ridges, cut off the roads, and gathered troops. Later, he also annexed Guilin and Xiang Commandery, established the Nanyue Kingdom, and proclaimed himself King Wu of Nanyue."

At this point, Li Tai paused deliberately, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the astonished ministers around him, and raised his voice a few decibels.

"What is most astonishing about this person is not his martial arts skills, but his longevity. Historical records state that he lived to be over a hundred years old, from the time of Qin Shi Huang until the fourth year of Emperor Wu of Han's reign. He outlived several generations of emperors in the Central Plains."

"Oh? He lived to be over a hundred years old?" Li Shimin raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's truly an extraordinary person."

The surrounding ministers, such as Cen Wenben, immediately echoed this sentiment, showering Li Tai with flattery once again.

This heartwarming scene of a loving father and filial son, with courtiers offering their praise, was like a series of steel knives piercing Li Chengqian's heart.

Li Chengqian sat in his wheelchair, biting his lip tightly.

Is Qingque well-read? Is Qingque the most knowledgeable?

Li Chengqian's heart was bleeding and he was roaring madly.

Father, have you forgotten everything?

Who was it that could recite the Analects and the Classic of Filial Piety by the age of eight?

Who was it that you held on your lap when he was only twelve years old, praising him as intelligent and destined to inherit the throne?

It's me! It's your eldest son, Li Chengqian!

Once upon a time, Li Chengqian was the most dazzling genius of the Tang Dynasty and the most perfect crown prince recognized by all the civil and military officials.

He oversaw the country on behalf of his father, the emperor, and handled government affairs in an orderly manner. He studied poetry and books diligently, and even the great Confucian scholar Kong Yingda praised him highly.

But everything changed after he developed a foot ailment and started walking with a limp.

The emperor's gaze shifted from pride to regret, and finally to deep disgust.

Meanwhile, the fourth brother, Li Tai, who could only write a few articles and relied on his fat body to act cute, climbed step by step over his dignity to reach the height of his current position, where he received rewards beyond the prescribed limits and even dared to covet the position of crown prince.

You only recited a few lines of history from the previous dynasty, yet you can gain such blatant favoritism from your father?

Then what about all the torment I've endured over the past decade, walking on thin ice, trying to maintain the perfect image of the crown prince?

Looking at Li Shimin's doting eyes and Li Tai's undisguised ambitious and smug smile, Li Chengqian felt as if his chest might explode at any moment.

"This damned sky..." A hint of malice flashed in Li Chengqian's eyes. Why should only the Qin Dynasty be listed?

Why don't you take stock of the Tang Dynasty?

I want to see if, in the end, Father, you really will depose me and install that fat bastard in place!

Just as people's thoughts were divided and undercurrents were surging.

Above the sky, a meticulously edited video suddenly began to play.

An old man dressed in the armor of a high-ranking Qin general, but with a gaudy leopard-print cloak over it, appeared in the center of the screen.

He was holding two walnuts in his hand. Although his hair and beard were all white, his face was ruddy and he looked quite energetic.

The old man's voice had a strong fatherly tone from the moment he opened his mouth.

"Back in the day, I was a handsome young man, a warrior with the spirit of a tiger, ready to conquer the world."

"Why did the First Emperor send me to pacify the Baiyue? Wasn't it because he valued my dashing and commanding presence, and my unparalleled military strategist skills?"

As he spoke, Zhao Tuo in the video even flaunted the white hair at his temple.

"Go and see for yourselves in Lingnan. Hundreds of thousands of troops were brought to life by my own hands, which can turn the world upside down. I transformed a barbaric land full of miasma and poisonous insects into the prosperous and resource-rich Nanyue Kingdom."

"In terms of political achievements, I have expanded the territory; in terms of appearance, I am the glory of the Baiyue people."

"As for standby time—humph! I outlasted the First Emperor, outlasted Liu Bang, and even that poisonous woman Lü Zhi was eventually reduced to ashes by me."

Xianyang Palace.

Ying Zheng, who had initially held a glimmer of hope for Zhao Tuo because of his promise to "expand the territory by millions of miles," twitched his eye twice upon hearing that Zhao Tuo had "exhausted him."

He pursued immortality and was most averse to the word "death".

This Zhao Tuo, who was playing in the mud in the barren land of Lingnan, actually dared to proudly say that he had outlasted me.

The courtiers were so frightened that they dared not utter a sound.

Before the Qin emperor and his ministers could recover, Zhao Tuo slammed his hand on the table, puffed out his beard, and glared at them as he began to curse.

"But how did those bastards in the Central Plains portray me? Every word in the history books is a veiled insult, calling me Zhao Tuo a treacherous coward who holds military power and is two-faced!"

"They say that I took advantage of the impending fall of the Qin Dynasty and the chaos in the Central Plains by sealing off the passes and cutting off the roads in order to establish myself as king."

Zhao Tuo pointed at the screen, spittle flying everywhere.

"Then let me ask you! When that brat Hu Hai made such a mess of the court, and that damned eunuch Zhao Gao even rose to the position of prime minister, defecating on the heads of all the officials, why didn't a single one of you corrupt officials dare to step forward?!"

"Now, to clear your name, you're dragging me out and whipping my corpse?!"

Boom!

It was as if a thunderbolt had struck directly onto the main hall of Xianyang Palace.

At this moment, all the military and civil officials' eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Has that brat Hu Hai turned the court into a complete mess? Where is Prince Fusu?

Did Zhao Gao become the prime minister?

Upon hearing this, Li Si was struck dumb. He turned his head sharply and stared intently at Zhao Gao, who was cowering in the corner. "Prime Minister??"

I am the Prime Minister of the Great Qin!

You are a eunuch, a mere official in the Imperial Carriage Office. What gives you the right to sit in the position of Prime Minister?

If Zhao Gao becomes prime minister, where will I be?!

Li Si, a man of exceptional intelligence, almost instantly deduced a chilling outcome of a political struggle in his mind.

He, Li Si, was killed by this damned eunuch in the future.

Not only Li Si, but Ying Zheng also lost his composure from yesterday. Although he was disappointed in Li Si, he never considered changing the heir apparent.

How did it end up that Hu Hai succeeded to the throne?

And why is Zhao Gao mentioned again?

"No, no... Your Majesty! I didn't! I really didn't!"

This time, Zhao Gao didn't even have the strength to slide to his knees; he collapsed straight to the ground.

Yesterday Zhang Han criticized him for calling a deer a horse, and today this Zhao Tuo, who seems to have come from nowhere, says he should be prime minister.

A clear, ringing sound of a sword echoed throughout the hall.

Ying Zheng suddenly stood up, and the Tai'a sword, which symbolized the supreme royal power of the Qin Dynasty, had already been half-drawn out by him.

He didn't look at Zhao Gao, but stared intently at the sky.

Did Hu Hai wreak havoc on the court? Did Zhao Gao seize power?

So, this is the truth behind the demise of my Great Qin Dynasty after only two generations?