Chapter 127 Imperial Preceptor
The market in Xianyang was bustling with people.
Ying Zheng was dressed in simple everyday clothes. Although he was not adorned with a crown or dragon robe, he still exuded an innate imperial majesty. His gaze was deep and sharp, and his every move conveyed an air of authority without anger. Behind him followed Fusu, who had a handsome face and refined demeanor, and Meng Tian, who was tall, imposing, and full of vigilance.
The three strolled through the city, like ordinary wealthy people on an outing.
As if by chance, I stumbled upon a fortune-telling stall. The fortune teller, dressed in the most ordinary coarse blue robe, sat unconventionally at a small table. On the table were only a few Qin Banliang coins used for fortune-telling and a bamboo tube. The cloth banner hanging beside him was mysterious and incomprehensible, unlike the signs of ordinary fortune tellers.
He looked like a conman, but several people were gathered around him, watching with anticipation.
In the center of the crowd, a middle-aged man pulled a clearly unwilling teenager to sit at a table.
"Asking about your future?" Gao Yao asked casually.
“Yes, sir, you are wise.” The middle-aged man nodded with delight, but the boy beside him let out a sneer and was given a stern warning by the man.
"I suppose it's for the martial arts test?"
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man became even more convinced, while the young man looked at him in surprise. He himself was handsome and had no desire to learn martial arts. Today, he had deliberately dressed in a more scholarly manner, just to expose the true face of this "liar".
With the imperial examinations approaching, Gao Yao had previously inquired about his future prospects, which the young man had dismissed. It wasn't until Gao Yao explicitly mentioned the military examination that the young man was momentarily surprised—could it be that he possessed genuine skill?
“That’s right, I’ve come specifically for my son’s martial arts exam. I’d like to ask you, sir, about this…”
Gao Yao looked at the awkward yet curious boy and smiled gently, "This boy has a full forehead, a square jaw, clear eyebrows and bright eyes, and a broad forehead..."
The boy curled his lip. Are all fortune tellers using the same old rhetoric?
"But none of this has anything to do with his exam results."
"Ah?" The boy couldn't help but exclaim. He met Gao Yao's smiling eyes and his face instantly turned red. To be honest, this fortune teller was quite good-looking. Maybe he had some real skills.
"Skill comes from diligence and is ruined by play. It is not something I can determine in a few words. The future is never about fate, but about effort. There is no need to calculate this divination. As long as your son does not slack off, he will surely pass this martial arts test."
"Thank you, sir, thank you, sir." The middle-aged man was overjoyed to hear what he wanted to hear, while the young man beside him looked at Gao Yao with mixed feelings, not expecting that this fortune teller actually believed him.
Actually, if he couldn't continue his fortune-telling business, given how much his father liked him, becoming a retainer in his household wouldn't be a bad idea.
Among the crowd, Fusu praised lightly: "What a fine saying, 'Diligence leads to mastery, while idleness leads to ruin.' This fortune teller is quite learned."
Ying Zheng raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "Aside from his talent and learning, what is your opinion of Fusu?"
Fusu respectfully replied, "I believe that what this fortune teller said was merely a conjecture based on a person's expression and words. But unlike other fortune tellers, he was quite straightforward."
Fusu had always disliked such fortune-telling and divination techniques. But for some reason, he found it difficult to feel any ill will towards this person. Perhaps it was because the other party didn't try to be mysterious and acted quite openly.
Knowing the eldest son's character, Meng Tian looked at him with considerable surprise. Ying Zheng merely raised an eyebrow slightly, saying nothing more. After the man at the table left, Ying Zheng strode in and sat down opposite Gao Yao.
Gao Yao slightly raised his eyes and asked with a smile, "What brings you here, esteemed guest?"
Looking at this familiar face that hadn't faded over the years, Ying Zheng's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He said in a deep voice, "Please, sir, calculate the fate of the Great Qin."
Upon hearing this, Gao Yao stared intently at Ying Zheng, seemingly scrutinizing and calculating, before quickly curving his lips into a smile: "Your Majesty the First Emperor is the chosen one, and the Great Qin is at its zenith, yet there are signs of impending change. Only by governing with virtue and benevolence, and by widely recruiting talented individuals, can it ensure long-term prosperity."
Ying Zheng looked at Gao Yao, unsure whether he was truly skilled in divination or simply using the psychology of dealing with people, as Xiang Shaolong had described. In any case, he hadn't come here today for fortune-telling.
Under the astonished gazes of Fusu and Meng Tian, Ying Zheng cupped his hands towards Gao Yao and asked, "Sir, would you be willing to lend a helping hand to the Great Qin?"
"That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask."
For some reason, the onlookers held their breath, as if witnessing some momentous event, afraid to utter a sound. No one could have imagined that this seemingly ordinary fortune-telling would have such a subtle connection to the fate of the Qin Dynasty.
Fusu was so shocked that he was speechless. Although he had a good impression of Gao Yao, he was still somewhat bewildered by his father's behavior, which was as if he were inviting some great power to come out of seclusion.
Trusting his father completely, Fusu asked himself, bewildered. Could it be that this fortune teller possessed some extraordinary ability that he hadn't noticed?
Soon after, Qin Shi Huang ordered the establishment of the position of "National Preceptor," which was equivalent to the Three Dukes, but did not hold real power for the time being.
During the court discussion, some ministers naturally objected. The "national advisor" who did not hold real power was not important. What was important was whether His Majesty had been fooled by some sorcerer.
But when Ying Zheng produced the snow-white, thin paper made using the techniques provided by Gao Yao, and the books printed with movable type, along with the cement-paved road in front of the palace, everyone was speechless.
This imperial advisor does have some real skills. Wang Wan even felt a little sorry for Gao Yao. With such outstanding abilities, why is he just an imperial advisor who doesn't hold any power? Your Majesty shouldn't be so petty.
...
"What exactly does your brother do?"
Seeing that Gao Yao had successfully fooled Qin Shi Huang and become the imperial advisor on the screen, the expert group had nothing to say.
As far as they knew, Qin Shi Huang had already begun to believe in alchemists and seek immortality. So believing Gao Yao wasn't a problem, but the fact that Gao Yao actually succeeded and rose to prominence in one fell swoop was indeed beyond their expectations.
Because she was an insider and had a blood relationship with Gao Yao, Gao Lan also joined the expert group.
Despite her inner trembling at her brother's impressive abilities, Gao Lan remained humble in the face of the curious gazes of the crowd, saying, "I just run a small business."
"Will Gao Yao change history if he becomes the national advisor? After all, he has brought out so many things that are ahead of their time."
Professor Yi raised this question, and everyone fell silent.
In fact, after the records of "Black Ice Platform" were coincidentally unearthed, Professor Yi put forward the view that "history is being changed." But at the time, most people were against it and thought it was just a coincidence.
But seeing Gaoyao come up with so many new things, people are not so sure anymore.
"Let's check the progress of the archaeological work," the person in charge said, making the final decision. Ever since the "time travel" incident and the coincidence of the discovery of the "Black Ice Terrace" documents, the country has begun to vigorously excavate the documents and records of the Qin Dynasty.
Whether history will be changed depends on the results of the excavation.
"Next, we'll talk about Xiang Yu." Images of Xiang Yu they had filmed and saved appeared on the projection screen. "Is the Xiang Yu on the screen really Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu?"
Yi Xiaochuan couldn't see it, but everyone present was shrewd enough to see that Xiang Yu seemed to be using Yi Xiaochuan to weaken the six-state anti-Qin alliance. However, such actions were inconsistent with his historical identity.
What exactly is the reason? Is it because the historical records are incomplete or biased? This is also a key focus of their research.
"Knock knock"
There was a knock on the meeting room door, and the crowd that had been discussing heatedly for half a day finally quieted down. A staff member walked hesitantly and carefully to the person in charge, handed him the documents in his hand, and whispered a few words in his ear.
The person in charge's pupils contracted sharply. After the staff left, he opened the file and glanced at it carefully. Under the curious gazes of everyone, he looked at Gao Lan seriously: "Miss Gao, what exactly does your brother Gao Yao do? Why can't we find any information about him? It's as if he never existed?"
"How could this be?" Gao Lan exclaimed in shock.
"Is it because he became the Grand Preceptor of the Qin Dynasty that the traces of modernity disappeared?" Professor Yi offered his opinion.
"However, Yi Xiaochuan's information remains unchanged. So, Miss Gao, could you please provide a detailed account of your brother Gao Yao's original profession and the places he had been?"
“My brother…” Gao Lan hesitated, her eyes filled with confusion. She only knew that her brother owned a small company, but she didn’t seem to have ever seen him go to work. So, what exactly did her brother do? She had absolutely no recollection of him.
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