Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 316

Lord Changping, the last king of Chu...

His betrayal has never been mentioned by anyone in Qin to Ying Zheng over the years. The failure of the first attack on Chu was entirely blamed on Li Xin's youthful recklessness. All traces of Changping Jun's existence have been erased in Xianyang and are also being deliberately erased by the history books.

But today, that name has reappeared.

The clanging sounds outside the palace proved that there were quite a few people involved in the assassination attempt, and that they had already clashed with the guards. Inside the palace, in addition to the magistrate of Sanghai County, several maids who had just stepped down from their posts rushed out from a side door and charged toward the First Emperor.

Ying Zheng's face was grim, but his eyes paid no attention to the lowly soldiers who wanted to kill him. Instead, he was intently observing the movements of his ministers: most of them were slumped on the ground, their limbs weak, apparently having been drugged. The two princes, Fusu and Huhai, were no exception.

However, Fusu managed to stand up during the crucial moment and throw himself out to knock down the magistrate of Sanghai County who was passing by. He then fainted after being kicked several times by the enemy, which did not seem like a fake.

Having overcome the obstacle, the magistrate of Sanghai County got up and continued rushing upwards. At the same time, the maid assassins, being closer, had come within five steps of Ying Zheng, but they could no longer take another step: the sudden appearance of the elite Shadow Guards made those five steps an eternity.

These Shadow Guards were extremely skilled in combat, equipped with special short curved swords and reinforced soft armor. With their numerical advantage and excellent teamwork, they easily suppressed these somewhat amateur assassins.

"Keep alive."

Ying Zheng's cold words became the execution order for the Shadow Guards. They acted cleanly, intentionally targeting the assassins' joints, and with a 'crack,' a fracture would occur.

Soon, all five maids and the magistrate of Sanghai County were captured.

The Shadow Guard immediately dislocated the jaws of the six assassins to prevent them from committing suicide.

The situation was resolved in a very short time by the protection that Ying Zheng had arranged in advance. Looking at the ministers, they had all fainted, including Meng Yi, the acting commander of the Shadow Guard. The problem could only have come from the wine.

No matter how careful these people were, they would not suspect that there was anything wrong with the banquet prepared by Fusu. Even if they knew there was something wrong, they would have no choice but to fall into the trap.

Fusu was the only one injured besides the assassin; blood was drawn from his mouth and nose when the assassin broke free.

Clang! At this moment, the noise outside the palace gates subsided. Zhao Gao and his six sword slaves arrived late once again. However, this time it was understandable. Ying Zheng had deliberately ordered the Luo Wang to guard the outer perimeter today. Their arrival was only a few dozen breaths late, which was in line with their behavior and not too far off.

Upon seeing the scene inside the palace, Zhao Gao was greatly alarmed and knelt down in a deep bow. The Six Swordsmen imitated him perfectly, saying, "This servant is late in coming to save Your Majesty. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

"What's the situation outside the palace?" Ying Zheng sat up straight and looked down at the servant who was trembling slightly, asking emotionlessly.

Zhao Gao kowtowed and answered as flawlessly as possible: "Ten assassins disguised as Qin soldiers were causing trouble in the palace guards. Six were killed, but the Six Sword Slaves arrived in time and subdued the other four. They await Your Majesty's judgment."

Are there any survivors? Ying Zheng's silence silenced the entire hall. After a long while, just as he was about to make a decision, the six assassins in the hall who were being held down by the Shadow Guards suddenly widened their eyes, bleeding from all five orifices. They died on the spot before any rescue measures could be taken.

These people had taken poison beforehand, so they were sentenced to death in advance regardless of whether the assassination was successful or not!

Knock knock! The assassins from the Luo Wang organization who had come to see him outside the palace reported the same news: the four Qin soldiers disguised as assassins who had been subdued had also died suddenly...

This outcome made the deathly silence in the hall even more profound...

...

What were the findings of the survey?

The banquet could not continue, and Ying Zheng did not go to the palace outside the city, but instead stayed at Sanghai that night.

The Shadow Guards and the Net worked together intensively to investigate and quickly pieced together the general outline of the incident in just a few hours.

His Majesty the Emperor, who had not slept all day, met with Meng Yi and Zhao Gao in the early hours of the morning to hear the results.

Ying Zheng's eastern tour was fraught with assassination attempts. Whether it was the assassination attempt by the Azure Dragon at Mount Tai or the assassination attempt at the banquet in Sanghai, both left a deep impression on him.

The former posed a real threat to Ying Zheng's life, while the latter directly involved the internal affairs of the empire and Changping Jun.

Meng Yi's resolute expression was tinged with worry. The investigation results were extremely unfavorable to the eldest son, Fusu, but he still recounted the events in detail:

"This rebellion consists of two parts: a decoy and the real killing intent. The former involves the rebels infiltrating tonight's guards and launching an attack on the other guards at the appointed time to create chaos. The latter involves elite assassins posing as the magistrate of Sanghai County to commit treason..."

The police have discovered the real bodies of the magistrate and his entire family in the magistrate's house. The magistrate who died by poison in the main hall was an imposter wearing a human skin mask. Clearly, this assassination was meticulously planned to create a flawless prop.

The Qin soldiers outside the palace were like county magistrates; their true forms had all been killed beforehand.

The fact that these counterfeiters were able to successfully impersonate each other must have been due to the indulgence and assistance within the empire. In terms of the ability to carry out this operation, the most suspicious person would be the initiator of the banquet: the eldest son, Fusu.

"The results of the net are consistent with those of Minister Meng." Zhao Gao cupped his hands to confirm the truthfulness of Meng Yi's answer.

"How was the drugged wine put in?" Ying Zheng asked the most unfavorable question for Fusu: if a traitor could poison the imperial food, Fusu would at least be held responsible for negligence in supervision afterward.

"At this banquet, both the wine and the dishes were tested by the imperial physicians before being served. According to Xia Wuqie, the testing was conducted according to the standards of the palace. Therefore, the deadly poison could not be concealed, which forced the rebels to use a sleeping powder that had less lethal effects instead."

Zhao Gao stepped forward and answered the question on Meng Yi's behalf: "The Luo Wang and Ying Mi Wei immediately sealed off the imperial kitchen and found that three chefs were missing, including the head chef of this banquet: Pao Ding."

"This Butcher Ding is the manager of Youjian Inn in Sanghai City. Luo Wang immediately went to Youjian Inn to search and unexpectedly found some books and secret letters. The preliminary conclusion is that Butcher Ding is a disciple of the Mohist school and holds a high position in the Mohist school. All the clues suggest that he tampered with the wine."

"After all the dishes were served, he and his accomplices escaped from the imperial kitchen in an unknown manner."

"Was this cook brought back by Fusu?" Although Zhao Gao didn't say it, Ying Zheng already knew, so he asked directly.

"Yes, young master misjudged people. According to the law, he should be punished by reducing his daily expenses and being confined to his quarters for a year." Meng Yi knew that Fusu's crime this time was not small. He fully believed that the eldest prince had been framed, but the mistakes Fusu had made in various incidents could not be erased.

A one-year ban is only the minimum punishment, based on a simple case of misjudging people. If the consequences of misjudging people are carefully analyzed and it is determined whether the misjudgment was truly due to a lack of judgment, the punishment could be more severe.

After all, the fact that the butcher was able to escape already shows that someone within the Qin state was helping him... Although Fusu was attending a banquet in the main hall at the time, it was only natural that the eldest son of the empire would have some confidants.

Zhao Gao remained silent at this moment. He was equally well-versed in Qin law. Fusu's crimes were clear, and Ying Zheng would never protect his eldest son. Given this, Zhao Gao didn't need to say anything more to achieve his goal.

"I have my own decision on the punishment." Ying Zheng, his tone unreadable, overturned the punishment decided by Meng Yi and then asked a crucial question: "What do you think of the assassin's slogan, 'To clear Changping Jun'?"

Upon hearing this question, both Meng Yi and Zhao Gao were stunned. They remained silent for a long time, but His Majesty the Emperor did not allow them to leave, clearly wanting to hear their personal opinions on the matter.

Changping-kun's taboo is something that, if answered incorrectly, could have unimaginable consequences...

Chapter 389 Fusu's Exile

"Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, but there are many suspicious points in the banquet assassination case. The common point is that they all point to His Highness the Eldest Prince. The fact that the rebel called out the name 'Lord Changping' further explains why the Eldest Prince 'might have acted,' and his purpose is self-evident."

After making a decision in his mind, Meng Yi boldly dissected the metaphors that could not be said outright: if he did not do this, no one would be able to defend Fusu, who was still in a coma. By the time the eldest son came to apologize afterward, His Majesty would have already made a decision, and it would be too late.

Whether for public or private reasons, Meng Yi did not want to see such a thing happen.

He had long served the Emperor and could be considered favored; his command of the Shadow Guard after Zhang Han's death was proof of this. Furthermore, with the Emperor's support, the Meng family had surpassed the Wang family in this generation, giving them the right to express their opinions.

"The fact that Paoding is a traitor to the Mohist school cannot be simply judged based on a few books. Even if it could be judged, what the empire should be worried about is the collusion between internal traitors and rebels to frame the eldest son."

"Young Master is kind and benevolent. He should be punished fairly according to the laws of Qin if he falls into the enemy's trap. However, Lord Changping has been dead for many years, and his remaining followers in Guanzhong have been wiped out many times. The empire has also discovered many secret passages dug by Lord Changping. Among his confidants, only his son and daughter have not yet been arrested. There is absolutely no power to leave any assassins for the eldest son."

"In my opinion, the rebel's cry of 'to clear Changping Jun' has no deeper meaning; it is merely a means to better frame the young master and mislead the court."

At the end, Meng Yi knelt down and raised his hands, pointing out that the assassination attempt originated from within the empire and that its purpose was to frame Fusu. If Meng Yi's deduction was entirely correct, then from a purely self-interested perspective, it would not be difficult to guess which organization would do such a thing.

Furthermore, this organization is capable of carrying out all the arrangements for tonight's assassination.

Ying Zheng remained noncommittal to Meng Yi's statement, then turned his gaze to Zhao Gao. Zhao Gao promptly knelt down and bowed his head, saying, "Your Majesty, the Net has no self-awareness; it is merely a tool of Your Majesty. Regarding the name of Lord Changping mentioned by the rebels, this servant will carry out Your Majesty's orders at all costs."

This is a pointless act of showing loyalty. As the ruler of the world, Ying Zheng had no shortage of loyal subjects.

However, this method at least won't go wrong...

His Majesty withdrew his gaze. He naturally had his own views on the assassination attempt at the banquet. No one was entirely innocent in this assassination attempt, whether it was Fusu, Li Si, Huhai, the Luo Wang, or the Shadow Guard.

Whether they were negligent, tacitly approved, covered up, or directly involved, it can ultimately be described as 'factional strife'.

Only if he personally handles this problem can the stability of the Qin Dynasty be minimized. The first step is to begin with Fusu, the direct initiator of this problem...

"I have already made a decision on this matter. The Shadow Guards and the Net will continue to investigate along the line of Youjian Inn. They must dig out the Butcher at all costs, whether he is dead or alive."

"Your subject obeys the decree." "This servant obeys."

One voice, steady and the other shrill, rang out simultaneously, and Ying Zheng continued:

"Meng Yi, once Fusu wakes up, bring him to see me in person."

Meng Yi's eyes lit up. The Emperor's words clearly meant that he wanted him to explain the development and outcome of the situation to the eldest son before the eldest son would be held accountable by the Emperor. Having the information in advance would at least prevent the eldest son from being at a loss.

This is a signal that His Highness the Eldest Son will be treated leniently. Of course, the final outcome will depend on how His Highness behaves when facing His Majesty's reprimand.

"When you first arrived in Sanghai, you were assassinated by a traitor from the Mohist school?"

The next day, Fusu waited outside the palace for a long time before finally being summoned by his father, the emperor.

But Ying Zheng's first words were not, as Fusu had expected, about the matter of the butcher.

"Yes, Father. However, I only sent a double into Sanghai that night. General Zhang Han and General Meng Tian had everything arranged." Fusu's unease deepened slightly. He didn't know why his father had suddenly brought this up, so he could only answer honestly.

"So the Mohist rebellion failed?" Ying Zheng, dressed in white, sat on the bed, looking at his eldest son who had been kneeling for a long time, and said calmly, "No, they succeeded. Zhang Han died that night, right?"

Boom! Like a thunderbolt striking Fusu's mind, the eldest son of the empire instantly understood His Majesty the Emperor's meaning.

While the events of the night Zhang Han was killed were dramatic, the cause was his own plot to rebel against Qin, which resulted in his own death. However, considering the current relationship between Fusu and Paoding, another possibility arises: could it be that Fusu had long ago colluded with the Mohists to kill Zhang Han...?

As for the reason, Zhang Han was the commander of Ying Zheng's Shadow Guard, which was sufficient for a prince who wanted to rebel.

Thick beads of sweat appeared on Fusu's forehead, and he stammered in panic, "Father...this matter...this matter..."

Fusu's mind went blank, and he stammered but couldn't say anything, because His Majesty's question could be just the surface meaning, or it could be the deeper meaning he was thinking.

But regardless of the reason, my performance was subpar...

Fusu felt a pang of sorrow. He knew how pleased Ying Zheng would be with him, but he just couldn't live up to that expectation...

"You have disappointed me after all."

Ying Zheng glanced at his eldest son's expression. He knew his son too well, understood what Fusu was thinking at that moment, and knew that Fusu was innocent.

However, the weakness that should not have been exposed in the eldest prince made him no longer innocent.

His Majesty the Emperor rose, went to the desk, picked up a pen, and began to write. He said coldly, "Go back. Your punishment will be delivered to you later."

After only a few words of conversation, Ying Zheng pronounced his judgment on Fusu.

"Your subject... obeys."

As he rose dejectedly and withdrew, Fusu failed to notice that his father's once straight back was gradually disappearing, and his neck was even slightly bent as he wrote: he had inevitably grown old, but no one dared to point it out, and most people subconsciously believed that he was still powerful under the emperor's tough style.

After putting down his pen and stamping the seal, the Emperor, who had barely slept the night before due to dealing with delayed state affairs, had only managed a short nap in the morning. He reached out and picked up a newly delivered Yunzhongjun pill without hesitation and swallowed it. The fatigue in his brain immediately began to gradually disappear.

The situation in Sanghai City is far less complex than that in Xianyang, but Ying Zheng's control over Sanghai is also far less than that of Xianyang. Therefore, he needs more time to understand this city.

The more he had to do, the more he needed the Yin-Yang School's elixirs to help him.

Fortunately, Ying Zheng believed that as long as he unraveled the factional strife behind the banquet assassination and dealt with it step by step, and then sent Mirage away, he would eventually have some peace and quiet.

We will then conscript a group of laborers to build a holiday palace as a memorial to Sanghai, which can also be used when the mirage returns.

The reason why there are so many problems in Sanghai City is ultimately because the people of Sanghai are too complacent!

------

"His Majesty the First Emperor has decreed that Prince Fusu shall be sent to Shangjun to atone for his crimes and perform meritorious service, assisting the Inner Minister Meng Tian in defending the border and destroying the Northern Hu. Without the Emperor's decree, he shall never return to the capital."

"It seems that Luo Wang has ultimately won this battle."