Chapter 554 Li Si

[Do people say this? How old am I to teach me to read? It's like pulling up seedlings to help them grow, pulling up seedlings to help them grow!]

Ying Zheng ignored him, looking at the tense Li Si kneeling before him, and patted Fusu's head knowingly.

Indeed, the person recommended by Lü Buwei was truly talented; otherwise, he wouldn't have heard Fusu's thoughts.

Yes, ever since returning from visiting Meng Ao, Ying Zheng has used Fusu's thoughts as a talent test, and found that it seems to follow the rule that only capable ministers and generals can hear them.

Therefore, Ying Zheng discovered that those who heard his thoughts, even those who held low-ranking official positions at the time, were indeed capable and competent, judging from their past handling of government affairs and the content of their memorials.

Li Si was someone Ying Zheng had tested for a long time before bringing him before Fusu, to be the final step in verifying Fusu's feelings. Sure enough, he could hear him too.

The comparison and verification further confirmed his conjecture.

As for Fusu's golden eyes, Ying Zheng never deliberately verified them.

This was contrary to his nature as the King of Qin, but before that, he was also a father.

The effect of the golden eyes was too incredible. With a pair of golden eyes, Fusu looked even more otherworldly, making him worry that one day Fusu might just disappear.

Therefore, for Ying Zheng, who had a strong desire for control, Fusu's golden eyes were an accident he deliberately let go of.

Sometimes Ying Zheng felt helpless, wondering when he had started having such self-deceiving thoughts. But looking at Fusu's soft little face, he casually began choosing a teacher for him.

After much deliberation, Li Si emerged as the most intelligent and capable candidate.

The clever Li Si, who was kneeling on the ground at that moment, was only surprised and stunned for a moment when he heard the eldest son's thoughts, before calming down.

Li Si was very self-aware; he knew he wouldn't be the only one. After recalling the information he had gathered from Lü Buwei, he quickly realized that this was the king's final test for him.

So, it's good that he can hear, but it's a skill to pretend he can't.

“Li Si is extremely learned; he is more than enough to be your teacher for now,” Ying Zheng said slowly, his tone leaving no room for refusal.

I don't believe it! Show me five cartloads of proof if you dare!

He was already quite eloquent in expressing his inner thoughts, almost too fluently. Not wanting to listen to his chatter, Ying Zheng calmly extended his finger and pinched his little mouth shut.

"Mmm..."

Open your mouth and respect freedom of speech!

Meeting Fusu's wide, round eyes, Ying Zheng's tone softened slightly, "You like the Meng brothers, right? Let them be your martial arts instructors."

[Ahhh, three! Three teachers! Three against one, you mute dad, you're so cruel, I'm going to die...]

Fusu stopped struggling, tilted his head to the side, and pretended to be dead in Ying Zheng's arms.

Li Si, who was kneeling below, was truly pretending to be mute. It didn't seem like a good thing that he could hear anything. Was it something he could even hear?

Ying Zheng pinched his little cheek, then turned to look at Li Si: "Li Si."

"Your subject is present."

"I'm entrusting the eldest son to you."

"Your Majesty, I will certainly live up to your expectations and properly educate the eldest son."

Li Si responded sincerely, and Ying Zheng was quite satisfied. If it weren't for Fusu's incessant "ah ah ah" incessant inner monologues ringing in their ears, it would truly have been a scene of harmonious relations between ruler and subject.

...

Humans cannot, or at least should not...

The cicadas' chirping shattered the afternoon air on the vermilion pillars of the side hall. Fusu lay lazily on the table, listening listlessly to Li Si's rambling.

"Your Highness, what character do you think this is?"

Since Fusu was young, Li Si's teaching also started with recognizing characters.

[I know this is Qin, but I won't say it. How about we spend a month learning each character? That's brilliant, a truly ingenious idea!]

Fusu calmed himself down, sat up straight, and shook his head innocently, "I don't know him."

Li Si smiled; if he hadn't been able to hear his thoughts, he would have been completely fooled. The eldest son is indeed intelligent, so he should study even harder!

Li Si pointed to the next character, "Come, young master, today we will learn about the character 'Ying'..."

[Is this right? This doesn't seem right. How come you've only learned one character? What about reviewing what you've learned? I didn't even recognize the previous character!]

"I don't know him!"

Fusu's small hand touched the character "Qin," showing considerable impatience.

Li Si said seriously, "It's alright, young master. After we finish learning today's characters, we can learn them together again."

【Huh? Is your teaching method correct?】

As if suddenly remembering something, Li Si added, "I forgot to tell you, young master, that His Majesty values ​​his ministers highly. To repay His Majesty's kindness, I have put aside other affairs and will devote myself to teaching you from now on. So, young master, don't worry, we have plenty of time. If you don't recognize them, we can start from the beginning and learn slowly. You'll be able to recognize them after a few tries."

[Damn it, where's your ambition? You're not worried, but I am!]

Fusu reluctantly stretched out his chubby little hand and tapped it on the bamboo slip, "Qin".

Li Si subtly curled the corners of his mouth, "Your Majesty is wise, then we can learn a little faster today."

“Good.” Fusu nodded solemnly, mimicking Ying Zheng’s expression.

[Hurry, hurry, a few simple words can't stump me, let's finish class right away!]

“Young master, this is the character ‘law.’ Laws are like flowing water, seemingly weak yet capable of carving through mountains and rivers…”

"My lord, this is the character 'Chu,' referring to King Zhuang of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period who sought to seize power in the Central Plains..."

“Young master, this is the character ‘Han’…”

"Young Master..."

Is this reasonable? How many characters are they trying to learn? Three characters yesterday, one hundred and thirty today? No wonder your father chose you; you're all the same—forcing your children to learn too quickly!

"stop!"

Fusu couldn't help but call for a stop, and Li Si didn't struggle, smiling gently at him: "Young master, are you tired? Let's take a rest."

"good."

Fusu nodded, but his expression was still somewhat displeased.

[This Li Si is so perceptive, like he can read my mind... Let me see.]

Li Si's heart skipped a beat as he realized he had gone a bit too far today. Just as he was getting nervous, he looked up and met a pair of golden eyes. He froze on the spot, his heart pounding like a drum.

[Humph! Li Si actually became prime minister? No wonder he's so perceptive.]

Li Si was both surprised and delighted, but this quickly turned into greater anxiety. So, the eldest son's eyes could see the future? Was this something he could possibly know?

[Huh? Aren't you my teacher? Why are you trying to kill me?]

Li Si's heart sank. Would he really be this bold in the future?

[What a ruthless person! Taking advantage of someone's illness to kill them. You should take the life of the mute father too.]

Li Si's legs gave way and he collapsed.

"Um?"

Fusu looked at him with suspicion, and Li Si forced a smile: "I didn't get enough rest yesterday and was momentarily distracted. Please forgive me, young master."

[Great opportunity! Time to end class!]

"rest."

Fusu looked at him with concern, but he couldn't tell what kind of future Fusu saw, nor could he tell that Fusu was resting for his own sake.

If it weren't for hearing his true feelings.

Li Si was in a state of utter confusion. He couldn't understand whether the eldest son was too naive or what. How could he treat him as if nothing had happened after seeing such a future?

After much deliberation, watching the eldest son, who was carrying away by palace servants after nodding in agreement to end the get out of class, radiating happiness, Li Si hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to go and see the king.

The eldest son might not care, but Li Si couldn't gamble on whether he would let something slip in front of the king, especially with a weapon like the "Heartfelt Words" in hand.

Therefore, he needs to be honest first.