Sky Curtain: The Overlord Charges into Battle, Shocking Emperors of All Dynasties

Chapter 32 Calling a Deer a Horse

"Li Si"

Suppressing his anger, Ying Zheng's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he slowly said, "It seems you really want to be the emperor's adoptive father!"

Ying Zheng thought of himself; when he succeeded to the throne of Qin, he had also addressed someone as "Uncle Zhong".

That person later died.

Ying Zheng had not expected Li Si to be so power-hungry, so much so that he dared to defy his own will and wanted the emperor to call him "Uncle Father." This greatly challenged Ying Zheng's authority as emperor, even though the matter had not yet occurred.

However, according to Tianmu, Li Si's fate did not seem to be very good.

Ying Zheng thought that Li Si was just as senile as Liu Che. He didn't even consider that after Hu Hai ascended the throne, he would definitely trust Zhao Gao. Zhao Gao was Hu Hai's close confidant and had helped him to the throne. It would be strange if Li Si could compete with Zhao Gao.

Hu Hai was not only stupid, but also extremely wicked. Although the Records of the Grand Historian states that he initially tried to shirk responsibility, after becoming emperor, he killed all of Qin Shi Huang's sons and daughters.

Follow-up comment: An unprecedented massacre! Qin Shi Huang had twenty-four sons and seven or eight daughters, and in the end, almost his lineage was wiped out—they were all killed!

A massacre! Did this little beast really kill all thirty-odd of my children? Am I really childless?

Ying Zheng was panting heavily, feeling a sharp pain in his heart.

Neither the Qin Dynasty's demise after only two generations nor the usurpation of the throne by Hu Hai and Zhao Gao could completely break his strong spirit. During his time as a hostage in Zhao, he endured countless cold stares and oppressions, which forged Ying Zheng's powerful inner strength. However, this news was too shocking and too explosive. Not only Ying Zheng, but all the ministers in the hall showed fear on their faces and felt a chill in their hearts.

When Qin conquered the six states, it didn't exterminate them all; it only demoted them to commoners or exiled them. You people surnamed Ying are truly ruthless, even towards your own people!

Let's talk about the final fate of Qin Shi Huang's twenty-four sons. Qin Shi Huang's eldest son, Fusu, was given a death sentence. Twelve princes were executed in Xianyang, and their bodies were displayed in public. Six princes were crushed to death. The three brothers of Jiang Chuang were forced to commit suicide. Prince Gao volunteered to be buried with Qin Shi Huang, thus saving his family from being exterminated. It is possible that only Prince Gao's descendants survived.

Follow-up comment: Brothers, you can't escape. Don't forget that at the end of the Qin Dynasty, after the rebellion of the nobles of the six states, they also carried out a large-scale hunt for the Qin royal family. Follow-up comment: During the reign of Qin Er Shi, the Qin royal family directly entered a battle royale mode. Follow-up comment: Don't forget there were also princesses. Hu Hai killing the princes can be understood as fearing the usurpation of the throne, but killing princesses, especially...

"To subject them to the five punishments"—how much hatred must they have felt? [Hu Hai's move completely cut off all of Qin's escape routes. Later, when Zhao Gao seized power, forced Li Si to commit suicide, and even forced Qin Er Shi to take his own life, no member of the royal family protected him because they had all been killed.]

Follow-up comment: Who could have imagined that Hu Hai would squander the Qin people's centuries-old wealth in just three years? [Isn't there an idiom for Zhao Gao's monopolization of power?]

Follow-up comment: Yes, that's right. During the Hongwu era, Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly. There were few good people among these eunuchs. Once they gained power, they began to abuse their authority. Just like Zhao Gao in the Qin Dynasty who altered the imperial edict, and eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty who even controlled the military and could depose and install emperors.

During the Northern Wei Dynasty, the eunuch Zong Ai even killed two emperors, the crown prince, and a prince, and was even granted the title of king in the end.

Eunuchs must not participate in politics; all possibilities of their involvement in politics must be eliminated.

"Listen up, all of you," Zhu Yuanzhang instructed his sons beside him. "Biao'er, you must remember this." Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at Zhu Di and reluctantly added, "And fourth brother, you must remember this too."

"Eunuchs must never be allowed to participate in politics; they can only be given odd jobs, and eunuchs must not be literate."

"This is an ancestral precept; we should get a large iron plaque and hang it on the palace gate."

The inscription above reads: "Eunuchs are forbidden from interfering in political affairs; violators will be executed."

"Let this be established as an ancestral precept, so that our great Ming Dynasty will never again be plagued by eunuch interference in politics."

Zhu Yuanzhang was full of confidence, believing that with this ancestral instruction, the Ming Dynasty would certainly not have as many powerful eunuchs as the Qin and Tang Dynasties.

During the Zhengtong era, "Yes, that's the sign they took down and smashed."

Wang Zhen directed the eunuchs to remove the iron plaque hanging on the palace gate. With a loud crash, the iron plaque, which had been there since the Hongwu era, fell to the ground from the palace gate.

Wang Zhen stood on the iron plaque inscribed with the words "Eunuchs are forbidden from interfering in politics; violators will be executed." He looked at it for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "Violators will be executed?"

"My family is the Emperor's chief advisor, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial."

"Who dares to kill me? Who can kill me?"

Wang Zhen's laughter grew increasingly unrestrained, and the little eunuch beside him fawned over him, "What the old master says is true..."

"7

The phrase "calling a deer a horse" is extremely famous.

After Zhao Gao killed Li Si, he wanted to see if anyone in the court opposed him and whether the officials listened to him or the emperor. So he brought a deer and asked what it was. Hu Hai and the ministers all said it was a deer, but Zhao Gao said it was a horse.

[It's basically a large-scale obedience test, to see whether these people listen to the emperor or him.]

Follow-up comment: Zhao Gao, are you a salted shrimp? This is a deer! [Where's the rat's head? It's clearly a duck's head!]

Follow-up comment: Who, who put this comment on my phone? Follow-up comment: You admit this is your phone?

In fact, Zhao Gao was a great explorer. He brought this creature from a distant mythical mountain and named it a red deer.

During the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty, Liu Jin, who was appointed "Emperor", stood respectfully beside Zhu Houzhao. Zhu Houzhao was a playful person who loved to keep rare and exotic animals. After the appearance of the celestial screen, he found great amusement in the comments of later generations on it, which added a bit of fun to his life.

"My lord," Zhu Houzhao said, sitting in a chair, holding a leopard cub in his arms, "what do you think I'm holding in my arms?"

"Your Majesty, it's a young leopard."

Zhu Houzhao raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

"Why do I feel it's a young tiger?"

Zhu Houzhao looked at Liu Jin with amusement, and a bead of cold sweat appeared on Liu Jin's forehead. "Your Majesty is right, it's a tiger, it is a tiger."

Calling a deer a horse? Very well, I never expected there to be such a method. Zhao Gao, you have truly broadened my horizons.

"Your Majesty," said Dr. Chunyu Yue, stepping forward with a solemn expression, bowing and speaking, "I believe that future chaos will stem from the uncertainty surrounding the succession."

"Your Majesty, I request that the eldest son, Fusu, be made Crown Prince, in order to solidify the foundation of the state and reassure the people."

Following Chunyu Yue's initial memorial, the court officials also submitted their own, saying, "Your Majesty, we request that Chang Fusu be established as the Crown Prince."

After recovering from the series of outrageous actions by Zhao Gao and Huhai, Ying Zheng declared, "From this day forward, the eldest son, Fusu, shall be established as the Crown Prince of Qin."

Fusu's face still showed lingering fear. When he learned that all his brothers and sisters had been killed by Huhai, his heart was filled with guilt. He felt guilty for committing suicide after receiving the edict, guilty for failing to protect the Great Qin, and guilty for failing to protect his brothers and sisters. Ying Zheng's gaze passed through Fusu and looked outside the hall. His sons and daughters were kneeling in a row, not saying a word, just kneeling there.

He himself couldn't even imagine how much pain his son and daughter were in at that time.

"It's all because of those two beasts, Hu Hai and Zhao Gao! Calling a deer a horse, is that it?!" Ying Zheng roared, his eyes fixed on Zhao Gao, who was slumped like a dead dog, and Hu Hai. "Zhao Gao likes horses, doesn't he? Then let him experience the feeling of a thousand horses galloping!"

"Crush his legs into a pulp for me!!!"

"Remember, don't let him die!!!"

Two armored soldiers, one on each side, dragged Zhao Gao out of the hall. Zhao Gao was filled with despair; his lips moved, but fear prevented him from uttering a single word.

"Hu Hai"

Ying Zheng looked at Hu Hai indifferently, "You are, after all, my son. I'll give you a quick death!"

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