Chapter 101 Mr. Zhang Liang [Jinjiang Authentic Edition - Hot Noodle Soup! ...
Sure enough, not long after Li Si's death, the world fell into complete chaos.
Under the instigation of many anti-Qin remnants, the common people in various counties rebelled in large numbers, and the "Second Emperor of Qin", who had just usurped the throne for three years, seemed to be on the verge of losing his position on the throne.
The light in the inner hall of Zhangtai Palace became dimmer.
The six-year-old Hu Hai followed "Qin Ershi" closely, watching the scenes of "rebellion" appearing on the huge map screen, and he looked impatient and guilty.
Embarrassed, he scratched his ear. Even though Hu Hai repeatedly reassured himself that none of these things were his, a voice remarkably like his father's was still ringing in his mind, angrily scolding him: "Hu Hai! You idiot! The five-hundred-year-old legacy of the Qin royal family is about to be completely destroyed in your hands!"
[What should I do?! What should I do?!]
Hu Hai covered his head with his hands in fear, and followed "Qin Er Shi" anxiously. "Qin Er Shi" also bit his fingers anxiously and walked back and forth on the smooth wooden floor with a gloomy expression.
Hu Hai watched as "he" usurped the throne, slaughtered the entire royal family, built tall buildings, and entertained guests, and then watched as "he" was about to see his building collapse!
The Qin Empire, which had just been unified for fifteen years, was already on the verge of collapse.
The leader, "Qin Er Shi," had removed his crown, and his black and red court robes were wrinkled. He no longer had his usual air, but instead exuded a deep sense of unease and impatience. Upon seeing his "teacher" hurriedly enter the inner hall, "Qin Er Shi" grasped at straws and hurried forward, anxiously addressing "Zhao Gao":
"Teacher, teacher, what should I do now?!"
"Those untouchables now dare to rebel against me! Rebellion against the Great Qin! They are truly defying Heaven!"
"Teacher, please help me and kill all those unruly people!"
Hu Hai also tilted his head slightly, looking at his middle-aged "teacher" with hope, thinking to himself: "Teacher, you're so ruthless in the court, you could even fight Li Si to death, so dealing with those rebellious pariahs is no problem, right?"
Zhao Gao, who was completely unaware of Hu Hai's presence, looked at the anxious look of Qin Er Shi and his expression turned very unpleasant. He was much stronger than the young Qin Er Shi and straightened his chest, glared at Qin Er Shi's face and said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, it's not that I won't help you, but it's too late now."
"Since you ascended the throne, only one in ten of the civil and military officials left by the previous emperor remain. The Meng family has collapsed, and the Wang family has retired. Currently, apart from the Minister of the Court, Zhang Han, there is probably no one else in the court who can lead troops into battle."
Upon hearing this, the bloodshot eyes of "Qin Er Shi" lit up, and he immediately pointed his finger at "Zhao Gao" and said:
"Teacher, then quickly let this Shaofu Zhang Han lead the troops to fight and wipe out those rebellious untouchables!"
Hu Hai, who was following beside him, also nodded quickly. Although he had no idea who Zhang Han was, he guessed that this man must have been left behind by his father.
"But--"
A hint of hesitation appeared on "Zhao Gao's" face again.
Upon seeing this, "Qin Er Shi" frowned and retorted in dissatisfaction, "Teacher! The Great Qin is now at a critical moment of life and death. You are not only my teacher, but also the Prime Minister of the Great Qin. Why are you still standing here wasting time?"
"Zhao Gao" raised his eyelids, looked at the angry "Qin Er Shi" and shook his head with a sigh:
"Your Majesty, it's not that I won't inform Zhang Han, but Zhang Han is a dishonest man! He was once a man left behind by the late emperor, and now not only does he have the absurd idea of taking prisoners to fight, he even bluntly stated that he doesn't want to work for a tyrant and a treacherous minister. I, your humble servant, will tolerate a few scoldings, but, but you..."
Qin Er Shi was stunned when he heard this. After a moment, he realized what was happening and almost laughed out loud. He glared fiercely and shouted angrily:
"Great, truly great! Zhang Han, a mere junior official, actually dares to speak so arrogantly! Could it be that by saying such outrageous words, he is siding with those rebels?!"
"Humph! I am the late emperor's most beloved son, and he actually dares to call me a tyrant in such a sarcastic tone?!"
"If I am a tyrant, then who is Zhang Han? Is this how he repays the late emperor's kindness?"
Seeing that "Qin Ershi" was jumping up and down in anger, "Zhao Gao" had a hint of murderous intent in his eyes and waved his hand.
All the palace maids in the hall who had lowered their heads immediately retreated.
"Qin Er Shi" was immersed in his own emotions and did not notice this scene, but Hu Hai who was standing beside him saw it.
He was confused and didn't know what the "teacher" was going to do by sending the palace maids away. The next moment, a huge suction force carried him "bang" and crashed into the body of "Qin Ershi".
At this moment he is "Qin Ershi" and "Qin Ershi" is also him.
Hu Hai subconsciously moved his hands and feet, but before he could feel surprised that he could control the body of "Qin Er Shi", his neck was suddenly strangled tightly from behind.
Hu Hai was startled and subconsciously looked back, only to see his "middle-aged teacher" staring at him with a cold expression, a pair of iron arms tightly strangling his neck from behind, using the same strength he used to control six horses when he was the Minister of the Imperial Chariots for the late emperor, strangling him so hard that he couldn't even breathe.
Feeling the strong murderous intent coming from behind him, Hu Hai was frightened to tears. He desperately used his hands to scratch, claw and pull at the iron arm on his neck. His face flushed red, he looked at the horrified "Zhao Gao" with his eyelids rolled up and asked in a trembling voice:
"Teacher, what are you doing? Are you trying to kill the king?"
"Huh—regicide?"
"Zhao Gao" stared at the dying little emperor in front of him with his eyelids drooping, and couldn't help feeling a sense of satisfaction at having avenged his great hatred.
He is a descendant of the Zhao royal family. If Qin had not destroyed Zhao, his status would have been enough to walk around Handan with his head held high!
However... he was born in the Hidden Palace, and lived a humble life even worse than pigs and dogs. He rushed out of the Hidden Palace with bloody footprints at every step, and it took him nearly half his life to climb to the high position he holds today.
Seeing the reddening face of the "Second Emperor of Qin" and his struggles becoming weaker and weaker, he lowered his head like a demon and whispered in a hoarse voice into the ear of the "Second Emperor of Qin":
"Your Majesty, please don't panic. This old minister did this to save Qin Na!"
"Now everyone in the world knows that you obtained the throne by forging an imperial edict. Rebellious people in various counties are also waving the banner of revenge for the eldest prince to commit treason."
"Everyone in the world hates you to death. Only if you pass away quickly and a new emperor is appointed from the royal family can we turn the tide!"
"Your Majesty, please go with peace of mind. The First Emperor Qin and the other princes and princesses must have been waiting for you for a long time in the underworld."
"Crack--" With a crisp sound, the sound of a broken neck clearly rang in Hu Hai's ears.
"Ah! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"
Hu Hai struggled to sit up from the wooden bed, sweating profusely.
It was the dead of winter and it was already getting dark outside the window.
The two young doctors who were guarding the room were originally leaning on the table with their eyes closed to rest. When they heard the Eighteenth Young Master suddenly cry out "Ah——" they couldn't help but lean forward and said in a gentle voice:
"Eighteenth Young Master?"
Hu Hai, with a confused look in his eyes and a pounding heart, heard a young voice in his ear. He turned his head in a daze, saw two court doctors, and looked at the decoration in the room. Only then did he realize that he had had a nightmare.
He swallowed to moisten his dry throat, and just as he raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead, he saw a tall man hurriedly approaching with a muffled voice, saying in a concerned voice:
"What happened to Master Eighteen? Is it a nightmare?"
Zhao Gao's voice suddenly appeared at the dimly lit doorway. The feeling of suffocation and the crisp sound of the neck from when he was dying in his dream instantly crawled up Hu Hai's calves like two cold poisonous snakes. He almost shrank to the foot of the bed reflexively. The panic and helplessness that could not be concealed made Zhao Gao, who walked to the bedside, stunned.
What's going on? Is Hu Hai afraid of him?
He suppressed his doubts, knelt down on the seat beside the bed, looked at the child shivering in the corner of the bed like a wet chicken, and smiled gently:
"Don't be afraid, Young Master Eighteen. You just had a nightmare while you were sick."
"You see, His Majesty still cares deeply for you. As soon as he learned you were ill this morning, he immediately sent Imperial Physician Xia Wuqie to treat you. These two young doctors are disciples trained by Imperial Physician Xia himself, and they have been by your side for the entire afternoon."
It might be that the scenes in the dream gradually became blurred as his mind became clearer, or it might be that the young Zhao Gao was far less terrifying than when he killed him in the dream. Hu Hai, who was shivering in the corner of the bed, lowered his long eyelashes and closed his eyes.
Xuanniao's kindness gave him unexpected insight into the future, and he knew that his gentle-looking teacher was actually a treacherous person.
If possible, Hu Hai would have wanted to run to Zhangtai Palace crying and ask his father to skin Zhao Gao, the "traitorous prime minister", alive!
But he couldn't—
Zhao Gao's official career had just begun. He was extremely diligent and capable when serving as the "Shangshu Zushi" and was very serious when teaching him the Qin laws. His father would never execute Zhao Gao just because of his words.
Furthermore——
Hu Hai couldn't help but grab his sweaty nightgown, his eyes trembling. In his dream, he killed his brother, sister-in-law, nephew, sister, and younger sister. The entire royal family was killed by him. He had no descendants before his death. It can be said that he alone caused his father to have no descendants. Such a cruel thing even made him feel that "Qin Ershi" was not a human being. How dare he let his father know?
Given my father's temperament, if he knew what he did in his dream, the grass on his grave would probably have been green and yellow for several years by now, right?
[No, I can't let Father know. I already know the future. How can I not defeat Zhao Gao?]
Hu Hai lowered his eyes to hide the hatred in his eyes, and crawled to the bedside tremblingly. He looked at the young teacher beside the bed with tearful eyes, and said in a hoarse and choked voice:
"Teacher, I just had a terrible nightmare. Fortunately, I woke up."
Zhao Gao was very good at observing people's expressions. Although he felt that the Eighteenth Prince's reaction seemed a little strange, he didn't think a six-year-old child was worth his time to figure out. He thought the child was sick, so he wiped the sweat off Hu Hai's forehead with a handkerchief and said with a happy smile:
"Nightmares are all fake. The young master is sweating and his temperature has dropped. It seems he's getting better soon."
Hu Hai forced a smile and stretched out his wrist for the young doctor to take his pulse.
Looking at the flickering candlelight on the coral lampstand beside the bed, he couldn't help but feel a little confused. Was it Zhuang Zhou dreaming of a butterfly or was it the butterfly dreaming of Zhuang Zhou?
The "he" in the dream was so powerful that he could easily kill Qin Ying, but the reality was that the little bastard Qin Ying was very favored. Now, all the princes and princesses in the royal family were "empty", and Qin Ying, the third generation of the emperor, was already the "Prince of An Guo".
Is it that the "Qin Ying" in the dream is too useless? Or is the Qin Ying in reality too strong?
Can he still defeat Qin Ying as he did in his dream, win his father's favor again, and become the most favored youngest son?
Hu Hai lowered his eyelashes to hide the endless confusion and ambition in his eyes.
In the dead of winter, the days are very short.
Shortly after noon, it became pitch black outside the window.
The cold wind blew across the snow on the palace wall and hit people's necks, feeling as sharp as a knife. It was time to get off duty. Zhang Huai, who had been forced to work in the palace for two consecutive days and nights, clenched his hands nervously and followed a group of officials to leave the palace.
Three days had passed since the "Emperor was assassinated in the western suburbs". Zhang Huaisuo relied on the information he heard from the minor eunuchs in the Qinxue Palace and had a vague understanding of what was happening outside.
He only knew that the rebels who "assassinated" him were captured from Hanyangli, a suburb of the city, but he couldn't be sure whether the "assassinating rebels" were really his men? He also couldn't guarantee whether there were any members of his faction among the captured thieves.
Looking at his colleagues queuing up to leave the palace, he couldn't help but feel his heart in his throat. If he could leave the palace smoothly today, it would mean that his true identity had not been exposed, and there must be something fishy about the thief arrest in Hanyang. If he was detained, Zhang Huai narrowed his eyes, thinking that the worst that could happen was that he would die here...
It was Zhang Huai's turn. He used all his strength to keep himself calm and showed his official badge to the guards at the palace gate for examination. When his palms were sweating with nervousness, he saw the guards return his official badge to him and said:
"I'll give you Zhang Zhidian. Leave the palace immediately."
Hearing this, Zhang Huai, who was nervous, felt as if he had been pardoned. He hurriedly took the official badge from the guard and strode out of the palace.
One hundred Zhidianlang from all over the country have been staying in Xianyang for a year.
Living in the imperial capital is not easy.
They were not allowed to linger in the royal city. The small southwestern town was full of powerful people. Except for Zhang Cang, Xunzi's last disciple, who lived in the Supreme Court due to the friendship between master and disciple, the rest of the people either bought or rented houses in the West Market of the southeastern city near the small southwestern town. It was a quiet place in the hustle and bustle, and they could barely settle down in the city.
The same was true for Zhang Huai. Although his family still retained a lot of wealth when his motherland was destroyed, over the past decade or so, in order to build up power in the suburbs, he had already spent all of his family's wealth. The salary of the Zhidianlang could only guarantee his basic living in the city.
There are bluestone lampstands in front of the palaces in the royal city and the southwestern town, and torches are used for lighting after dark. However, in the city where common people gather, there are very few lights after dark.
Zhang Huai stepped on the snow, and a string of white steam came out of his mouth. He walked non-stop towards the small courtyard he rented in the West City, thinking about the events of the past three days in his mind.
Since he was able to leave the palace smoothly, it means that Ying Zheng has not yet discovered his true identity. However, the "rebel" in Hanyang was captured and imprisoned by Meng Yi and his elite soldiers. Xianyang is no longer suitable for him to stay. He needs to quickly arrange a way to escape from Xianyang within these two days.
By then, even if Ying Zheng had wiped out all the forces in the suburbs, as long as he was still alive, he would still have the chance to make a comeback.
Zhang Huai rubbed his hands and hurried to his residence before curfew. Unexpectedly, he was stunned as soon as he pushed open the gate.
The snow-covered courtyard was already full of people. After the dim torches were lit, a short, stout figure with his hands behind his back appeared in the snow. He turned his head at the sound. The moment their eyes met, Zhang Huai clearly saw the corners of the little baby's lips raise, revealing a terrifying smile like a little devil. He waved his chubby hands and shouted in a childish voice:
"Mr. Zhang Liang, isn't it cold outside? Come in quickly and try the hot noodle soup Ying prepared for you!"
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