Chapter 7 Becoming a proponent of war is as simple as breathing...

If we're talking about the last person Fusu knew to enter the palace, it would undoubtedly be his younger brother, who achieved the feat of "dying after only two generations."

No, actually that's not right either.

In Fusu's memory, Hu Hai was not the absurd figure recorded in historical books.

In his memory, Hu Hai was a rather clever and quick-witted younger brother. Because his birth mother was very beautiful and happened to be born in the year Qin conquered Han, he was especially favored by his father, the emperor. But besides being good at pleasing his father, Hu Hai was also very friendly to his brothers and sisters. Every time they saw him, they would bow properly and greet him with "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Therefore, when he was ordered to commit suicide, he preferred to believe that his father was extremely disappointed in him, and never thought that he would be involved with his younger brother who loved to act spoiled and silly, or even that the latter was one of the masterminds.

As for the truth of the coup after his father's death, and Qin Er Shi's absurd acts such as slaughtering his brothers and calling a deer a horse, Fusu learned about them from books two thousand years later after he learned to recognize simplified Chinese characters.

Fusu couldn't quite describe his feelings. The culprit was right before him, yet even his hatred felt like a flimsy piece of paper, pale in comparison to the overwhelming surge of absurdity. After all, hating a handful of dust from two thousand years ago was strange. And to genuinely hate someone so foolish it was laughable? That was laughable too. It would make him seem less honorable.

All he could do was close the book and ignore it. During history class, he would pretend to be listening to other people's stories and laugh loudly along with the teacher and classmates.

By now, Fusu could no longer distinguish whether his younger brother had been deliberately led astray by someone with ulterior motives, or whether he had been so good at pretending that no one had noticed his wicked intentions. He no longer wanted to distinguish either.

Fortunately, the Emperor had already passed away by then, and was spared the humiliating end. If he had known that the Qin Dynasty's legacy had been destroyed by his beloved youngest son, wouldn't he have been furious enough to jump out of his tomb?

Fusu shook his head, banishing the fragments of the past from his mind.

A quick calculation reveals that, including Hu Hai, most of history's infamous tyrants appeared perfectly normal before ascending the throne, only becoming human-like afterward. They dared to act arbitrarily after gaining power, their actions drastically different from their original goals.

So, how about taking a look at the deposed crown princes?

When it comes to famous deposed crown princes in history, names like Li Chengqian, Li Xian, and Yinreng gradually come to mind.

Uh, doing...doing homosexuality...?

No no no no no!

Fusu clutched his little head and shook it violently. No! This is the only thing he absolutely mustn't do!

Aside from a few common exceptions, Fusu also detailed other candidates he was familiar with. He discovered that all the deposed crown princes, or those who were not so satisfactory to the emperor, shared a common characteristic.

—Disagreement with those in power.

For example, Emperor Yuan of Han, son of Emperor Xuan of Han, wanted to abandon the path of tyranny and instead embrace a purely Confucian moralistic approach to kingship. Emperor Xuan of Han criticized him, saying, "The one who will bring chaos to my family is the Crown Prince." Li Xian, the second son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu Zetian, believed that his mother's methods of suppressing political enemies were too cruel and attempted to win over the imperial clan and accumulate power through appeasement.

So, how should I follow suit?

Fusu quickly reviewed the state of affairs in the Northern Song Dynasty in his mind. Harmless political disagreements were not enough; they had to be at the level of shaking the very foundation of the country. Moreover, it was best not to offend the scholar-official class; he didn't want to be infamous for eternity, like he had been used as a negative example for thousands of years in his first life.

Got it!

Fusu's big, dark eyes suddenly lit up—I have an idea!

Since its founding, the Song Dynasty has never included the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun on its territory. Losing its barrier against northern invasions marked a disastrous start to a unified dynasty. After several generations of emperors' unsuccessful campaigns, the emperor and his court resigned themselves to their fate, accepting whatever money was offered, prioritizing peace above all else.

Even in the recent Song-Xia War, the imperial court fought with gritted teeth and a heavy heart, and would never continue fighting if it could reach the point of peace negotiations.

So, wouldn't it be better to just be a staunch advocate of war? That way, not only would the Emperor be uneasy, but the entire court would also be terrified. They might even prefer a conservative heir as a safer choice rather than watch a warmonger squander the foundation of their Song Dynasty.

Moreover, for Fusu, portraying himself as a pro-war figure was a piece of cake. Back then, he was sent to the northern frontier to oversee an army of 300,000 to prevent the Xiongnu from invading the south; he wasn't going to be a mere figurehead.

Fusu stretched his wrists, a smile spreading across his lips, dispelling the gloom that had hung his brows for days, and his mood lifted in a long time.

Moreover, a clever person pretending to be stupid is easily exposed, and eventually, he will not be able to hide it from those who are paying attention. But pretending to be a proponent of war—no, it shouldn't be called pretending, it should be called becoming a proponent of war—was as easy as breathing for Fusu.

As a man of the Qin Dynasty, known for his fierce and martial spirit, who didn't dream of expanding their territory? He advocated benevolence and compassion, and the leniency of all under heaven, but that was all about appeasement towards the common people. Towards the enemy entrenched in the north, eyeing them with predatory intent, Fusu would show absolutely no mercy.

"My goodness, I'm a genius for coming up with this idea!" Fusu clasped his hands together in front of his chest, his dark eyes crinkling into slits with laughter. He had already planned how to give the teachers of Zishan Hall and even the entire court a huge surprise.

Almost at the same time, the other two families who were to report to Zishan Hall the next day also closed their doors at home and began discussing among themselves. The topic they were discussing was strikingly similar to the question Fusu was pondering—how to disguise themselves.

"You must be diligent in front of the Emperor and His Highness Prince Cheng, and not be as lazy as you usually are. Even if you have to pretend, you must appear diligent."

"Alright, alright, I get it. So, brother, you dragged me here from your residence just for this?"

A smile played on Song Qi's handsome face as he casually remarked, "Not only are you diligent, but I bet you'll also be reminding me to be more meticulous and serious later, and not to say anything I shouldn't. A teacher should act like a teacher, right?"

"You know perfectly well, yet you still don't care." Song Xiang was furious and rebuked him forcefully, "How can I entrust His Highness Prince Cheng to you with this attitude?"

Song Qi leaned back in his chair and snorted softly, "It was His Majesty who was going to hand His Highness over to me, not you, brother."

“No, no.” Song Xiang paced back and forth a couple of times and shook his head. “In your condition, I’d better write a letter to the Emperor and resign from your position as Yishan of Zishan Hall.”

"Hey, that won't do!"

Song Qi immediately sat up straight: "The Emperor has entrusted me with this important task. Brother, how can you overstep your bounds?"

"You know it's an important task!" Song Xiang poked his younger brother's head hard. "You're usually a bit impulsive and unruly, and His Majesty is kind-hearted and never holds it against you. But that's Prince Cheng, the eldest son of His Majesty and the Empress. If you ask for a palace maid in front of His Majesty, His Majesty will punish you severely!"

Song Qi cried out in protest: "How could I recite such erotic poems in front of a child! What kind of person do you take me for, brother!"

Song Qi was known throughout Bianjing for his romantic nature, love of conversation and banquets. One day, he happened to pass by the emperor's carriage, and a palace maid in the procession recognized him, exclaiming with surprise and joy, "This is Little Song!"

Upon hearing this, he was inspired to write a poem titled "Partridge Sky," which became a popular verse throughout Bianjing (Kaifeng). The poem eventually reached the ears of Emperor Renzong, who specially summoned the palace maid who recognized Song Qi and performed a virtuous act of helping her achieve her desires. Song Qi's reputation for being a romantic figure was thus cemented.

Unfortunately, Song Qi's biological elder brother, Song Xiang, who served in the same court as him, was a scholar with a pure and rigid nature.

The two passed the imperial examination in the same year and served as officials in the same court. However, he managed Song Qi's unruly temperament like an old father. After hearing this, his expression softened slightly: "Not only lewd words and erotic songs, but you must not say a single word that crosses the line."

He said earnestly, "That is the Empress's son."

Who was Empress Cao? She was renowned among the officials who offered advice and remonstrances; in other words, she was a carbon copy of them, the complete opposite of Song Qi. If her younger brother's unconventional nature displeased Prince Cheng and the Empress, he would surely suffer the consequences.

Ever since the official appointment was made, Song Xiang had been extremely worried about his younger brother. But Song Qi himself seemed unconcerned: "Brother, do you think I have no ideas?"

Song Qi straightened his handsome face, his eyebrows drooped instantly, his lips were tightly pursed, and his good-looking face immediately became rigid and serious.

“When we get to Zishan Hall, I only need to imitate how you scold me. Brother, you can also give your opinion on how well I imitate you.”

Song Xiang: "...You'd better watch yourself."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

Behind him came his younger brother Song Qi's unrestrained laughter: "Brother, you definitely couldn't hold back your laughter just now, could you?"

Song Xiang: "..."

He walked even faster.

If the appointment of Zishantang was somewhat expected by the other two families, then for the Li family, who were related to the maternal relatives, it was a windfall.

When the imperial edict arrived, the entire household was plunged into a state of shock and bewilderment, a mixture of elation and euphoria. Li Yonghe was so excited that he couldn't sleep for several days, as if he himself were the Prince Cheng's study companion who had been struck by a windfall.

"The Li family is fortunate indeed, truly fortunate."

Li Yonghe muttered to himself, "I wonder what kind of good fortune our ancestors accumulated to be able to emit blue smoke twice in a row..."

On the eve of his departure to report to the palace, he was even more excited than before. Every little thing that happened on the day of the entrance exam was repeated countless times by little Li Qiu, so much so that the latter had become desensitized from the ecstasy and was able to calmly accept both honor and disgrace.

"Isn't it just becoming the king's study companion? Look how excited Dad is." He could even think quite leisurely.

But, Your Highness Prince Cheng…

What kind of person would they be?

Li Qiu wasn't unfamiliar with the other candidates competing with him; there were probably at least eight or ten who were more intelligent and handsome than him. Even now, he still didn't understand why he had won the palace's favor. This unexpected opportunity, which he felt was too good to handle, felt like a hot potato, even causing him anxiety.

His father said it was an act of kindness from the Emperor to the Li family. But Li Qiu instinctively felt that wasn't the case; he hadn't seen the Emperor that day at all. He couldn't quite put his finger on why.

"Qiu'er, when you study in Zishan Hall, you must put His Highness Prince Cheng first in everything. Be quick to help him and help him overcome his difficulties."

Li Yonghe gave his earnest instructions. His youngest son's greatest virtue was his obedience; he would always do whatever he was told to do.

His Highness Prince Cheng has been raised in the deep palace, and his true nature remains unknown. He only knows that the Emperor and Empress cherish him like a precious jewel. But who would dislike someone who cares so much about them?

"You must treat Prince Cheng the way your father treats the Emperor, understand?"

Li Qiu nodded obediently: "I know, Father."

Actually, even without his father's special instructions, little Li Qiu had already planned to do just that. Studying at Zishan Hall was an opportunity that countless children in the capital would kill for; he only had this opportunity because of His Highness Prince Cheng, so naturally he wanted to repay the favor.

"Furthermore, if you discover that His Highness Prince Cheng's studies are not as good as yours, you should try your best to make him happy and cheerful. You must not let him feel frustrated or lose his love for studying. That would be absolutely unacceptable."

Li Yonghe tried to put it tactfully, but the core idea was actually just two words: "conceal your shortcomings".

His considerations were not without merit. First of all, Yan Shu himself was a child prodigy, so his youngest son certainly wouldn't be too stupid.

What if Qiu'er's studies surpass His Highness Cheng Wang's, making His Highness the worst? His Highness is still a three-year-old child, and if he gets upset, he might become averse to studying, and then Qiu'er would become a great sinner.

Who would have thought that Li Qiu seemed quite unhappy after hearing his father's analysis: "Father, why did you say that His Highness is stupid and the Emperor is unreasonable?"

Li Yonghe was taken aback, then clapped his hands and laughed: "It was your father who was narrow-minded, Qiu'er, you did very well!"

It seems their son has entered a state of "helping others in times of need." In that case, his father can finally relax a little.

The following day, amidst the unease and scheming of teachers and students, the auspicious day determined by the Imperial Observatory finally arrived. Zishan Hall welcomed its new owner.

His Highness Prince Cheng's commencement of his studies may seem like a trivial matter, not even worthy of being discussed in the Zichen Hall. In reality, not only is the Emperor secretly concerned, planning to visit his son after the morning court session, but the entire court is also eagerly awaiting any news from within the palace.

What kind of person is His Highness Prince Cheng? Is he intelligent? Is he kind? There are rumors that the Emperor once praised him as an unparalleled child prodigy. Is this true or false?

It's no wonder they're so concerned; after all, he's the designated future crown prince. The Eastern Palace and the foundation of the nation—they can't be too careful with their efforts.

Li Qiu, the only child with a pure heart that wanted to study hard and make progress every day, encountered his first setback today.

"Ah...it's you?"

He pointed at the innocent-looking Fusu: "You, you, you, aren't you the Eighth Prince's son? What are you doing here!"

"Um?"

Fusu tilted his head innocently.

He only mentioned his surname was Zhao, but not his... well, Fusu admits he intentionally misled him. But the imperial edict has been issued for so long, and little Li Qiu still hasn't realized it?

Having witnessed everything, Song Qi thought: "Oh wow, this is interesting."

He stroked his smooth chin, a knowing smile spreading across his face: "It seems His Highness Prince Cheng and the Empress don't have the same personality at all." He'd tell his brother when he got back today, "Brother, you were completely wrong! Hahahaha!"

A note from the author:

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