Chapter 213

213. Chapter 210 Mount Tai Ascension

This ancient emperor sat solemnly on the offering platform, incense smoke curled upward, condensing into a patch of auspicious cloud pattern, harmonizing with his mysterious gold brocade robe.

The twelve strings of white jade beads on the crown blocked the vast heavenly might; even with eyes slightly closed, the aura emanating invisibly made hearts tremble.

At the foot of Mount Tai lay Jibei Commandery; many people saw the summit's strange sight, winds rose and clouds surged, within the multicolored rays a Daoist temple manifested, the clouds in the sky shifting red and purple, ever-changing.

Some resembled ten thousand horses galloping, some like divine bulls locking horns, some like phoenixes spreading wings, some like jade towers and palaces, encircling the Daoist temple; in an instant the marvel reached its peak.

The sky-filling rosy clouds merged with the boundless sea of clouds on the horizon, and the tiles on that Daoist temple emitted colored light, truly magnificent to the extreme, inspiring awe.

"How could such an exquisite and unparalleled building appear on the mountaintop?!"

"But a ghost market?"

"If it were a mirage, it would be all too real."

The multitude of commoners discussed heatedly, yet they were startled to see a blurry human figure ascending into the sky and entering the illusory Daoist temple.

Everyone widened their eyes, wanting to see more clearly; that figure was lifelike, the black-bird patterned robe on its body exuding an inexplicable dignity.

In a moment everyone's faces changed drastically, unable to help rubbing their eyes, "Who is this person, why does he possess such dignity and bearing?"

"Could it be His Majesty? When His Majesty went on inspection, I once had the fortune to glimpse him, and he looked just like this."

"That's right, I recall this robe; His Majesty the First Emperor once wore it during his inspections."

"But His Majesty is already dead, the Qin Palace has announced it to the world, and tomorrow he is to be buried."

Why would Qin Shi Huang appear in this mirage?

Gazing at the wondrous sight atop Mount Tai, the crowd fell silent, many questions arising in their hearts.

Before they could comprehend it, a roar came from the mountaintop, the sound deafening, earth-shaking, making hearts quiver slightly.

Immediately after, a slender figure flew into the clouds, a faint green light filling it with supreme authority, making people unable to resist the urge to worship.

As that green shadow dissipated, the Daoist temple's form turned illusory, as if an invisible pair of great hands in the air wiped away its existence.

After a brief moment, the sea of clouds returned to normal, leaving only endless mountain ridges and the sun leaping over the peaks, as if nothing had happened.

Yet that scene was etched into the people's minds, lingering long, that shock will make them remember it for life.

Afterward, a few bold people came to the mountaintop, but found no traces left; instead there was an exquisite jade disc, clearly an imperial object.

The jade stone was warm to the touch, with fresh red veins on it, as if it had once been soaked in blood, truly miraculous to the extreme; the people dared not conceal it, hurriedly presenting it as an offering.

The marvel on Mount Tai's summit quickly spread throughout Jibei Commandery, everyone claiming to have seen the mysterious Daoist temple, the First Emperor flying up into it, after which unknown creatures rose into the air.

In the Xianyang Palace, Hu Hai unusually did not summon entertainers for pleasure, his demeanor showing worry and panic.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Zhao requests an audience."

"Summon him quickly!"

Zhao Gao had just stepped into the hall, not even having completed his rites, when Hu Hai helped him up, saying, "Lord Zhao, no need for much ceremony; I summoned you here to discuss important matters—have you heard of last night's evil wind incident?"

Zhao Gao nodded, "As long as Your Majesty's dragon body is well."

Hu Hai's expression was somewhat uneasy, "Lord Zhao, do you think it could be the Father Emperor manifesting spirit? I seemed to have seen a ghostly shade wandering yesterday; does the Father Emperor know of my deeds and thus come to question me?"

Zhao Gao showed a kind smile, but upon closer look the smile did not reach his eyes, "Your Majesty, have no fear, Confucius said not to speak of strange forces; yesterday's incident was merely an accident."

Although he said so, Hu Hai still felt uneasy, but under Zhao Gao's soothing, his emotions had steadied considerably.

"The Father Emperor's burial should still be hastened, otherwise I will continually feel uneasy."

Just then, a eunuch suddenly rushed in, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, a grave matter has occurred."

Hu Hai was vexed by the evil wind affair; at this moment the eunuch burst in, undoubtedly provoking his angry nerves, he kicked the eunuch directly, speaking with a grim expression:

"You wretched thing, who gave you permission to barge in? Believe it or not, I will take your life."

The eunuch dared not dodge; in an instant he was kicked far away, he lay on the ground writhing, his features twisted in pain, stammering, "Please forgive me, Your Majesty, I have an important report."

Hu Hai impatiently asked, "What is it?"

"Your Majesty, the First Emperor's corpse has vanished!"

Hearing this, Hu Hai and Zhao Gao's faces drastically changed, "What did you say?"

Sensing Hu Hai's murderous gaze, the eunuch's forehead sweat increased, "Word came from the imperial mausoleum: just as they were about to seal the coffin, they did not see the First Emperor's corpse; searching all around, they found nothing."

Zhao Gao was also doubtful, "Absurd! Could the corpse possibly have grown legs and run away on its own?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Hai's face turned ashen, he could not help recalling last night's strange evil wind; he ordered a hasty burial, yet today Qin Shi Huang's corpse had disappeared.

Could it all be mere coincidence?

Or perhaps someone is deliberately staging supernatural tricks.

Under such strict guard, who would dare to commit the ultimate taboo and steal Qin Shi Huang's corpse? It's practically courting death.

But now that it has come to this, the burial can only be postponed.

A bunch of useless fools! You can't even guard a corpse, what use are you to me? You all deserve to die!

Hu Hai's eyes were bloodshot, his face twisted with fury; if Zhao Gao hadn't been standing beside him, he would have already launched a massacre.

Zhao Gao furrowed his brows, "Your Majesty, the most urgent matter is to quickly recover the First Emperor's corpse."

If the world were to learn that the First Emperor's corpse had vanished without a trace, it would surely cause many troubles, for the deaths of Fusu, Meng Tian, Meng Yi and others have already spread rumors throughout the land that Hu Hai's throne is illegitimate.

Hu Hai drew a deep breath, desperately suppressing his urge to kill, "Convey my order: seal off the news, no matter the cost, we must find the First Emperor's corpse."

But no matter how Zhao Gao and his men deployed people to search, the First Emperor's corpse seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no clues or traces behind.

Because of this development, Hu Hai in the Qin Palace was uneasy day and night, moreover having nightmares all night long, dreaming that the First Emperor angrily rebuked him and even came to demand his life.

Thus, even at night the sleeping quarters remained brightly lit; before sleeping, Hu Hai required someone to attend at his bedside, and the candles could not be extinguished.

"Father Emperor, I was wrong!"

Hu Hai gasped heavily, let out a sharp cry, and flung his eyes open; dark circles underscored his eyes, his pupils suffused with bloodshot veins, clearly he had not slept well for a long time.

The nearby eunuch hastily handed over a towel, seemingly accustomed to such occurrences, "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

Hu Hai recalled the recent dream, shook his head with lingering fear, "I, I'm fine; has Chancellor Zhao received any news? Have they found my father's corpse?"

The eunuch shook his head. 'Not yet for now.'

Hu Hai's expression instantly turned extremely terrifying; suddenly a murderous aura arose as he drew the long sword at his side.

The next second, a cold light flashed; the eunuch's head hit the ground, blood splattering Hu Hai all over, and with his deranged expression it was truly chilling.

The nearby palace servants hurriedly knelt on the ground, so frightened they didn't dare to breathe.

Soon the eunuch's corpse was dragged away, and after this Hu Hai felt no sleepiness at all.

'Reporting to Your Majesty, Ji North Commandery has sent an urgent report, and there is also tribute arriving.'

Hu Hai yawned, 'Let me see what this is.'

Looking at the jade disc presented by the eunuch, it could be said to be flawless, translucent and pure; those few streaks of red pattern actually added a special peculiarity.

Hu Hai stared wide-eyed, his expression like he'd seen a ghost, and even his voice trembled: 'This, this jade disc—where did you get it from?'

The eunuch, still unaware of the gravity, answered truthfully:

'Recently, a mirage appeared on Mount Tai; we saw the former emperor ascend to immortality, the mirage vanished, and when someone went to investigate, they found this jade disc on the ground.'

That was exactly the time when Qin Shi Huang's corpse disappeared, just a few days ago!

A huge fear surged into Hu Hai's heart, to the point that his features turned somewhat ferocious; his eyes went black and he fainted outright.

Zhao Gao also hurried over upon receiving the news.

He stared at the jade disc, his gaze uncertain; this was exactly the jade disc presented by that strange old man, because Qin Shi Huang had coughed up blood, which splattered onto the disc, causing the red pattern to appear.

It stands alone, unmatched and impossible to imitate.

Zhao Gao remembered that Qin Shi Huang always carried this jade disc with him day after day, never parting with it; after his death, the disc was also placed among his burial goods and interred together.

"How could this be!"

Zhao Gao's face turned deathly pale; on the night Qin Shi Huang disappeared, the jade disc also vanished without a trace, and the next morning someone saw an anomaly atop Mount Tai, and after the mirage faded they found this piece of jade disc.

Even if the jade disc had been stolen, how could it possibly have been taken from Xianyang to Mount Tai in a single night—something no human could accomplish; this alone defies explanation.

Surely Qin Shi Huang didn't bring him to Mount Tai, did he?

Thinking this through, Zhao Gao felt a chill run through him; these events were simply too bizarre, beyond comprehension.

Qin Shi Huang's remains mysteriously vanished, then a jade disc appeared on Mount Tai, along with that mirage scene—everything pointed to something extraordinary.

"Ghosts!"

Suddenly, a piercing shriek rang out, drifting above the Xianyang palace, pulling Zhao Gao's thoughts back to reality.

Hu Hai woke from his faint, but he looked like a madman, frightening the attendants so they dared not approach; upon seeing Zhao Gao arrive, they seemed to see a savior.

"Lord Zhao, you've finally come; after the sovereign woke up, he's been like this."

The Hu Hai before him bore no semblance of an emperor; many would call him a madman, and Zhao Gao felt his temples throbbing violently, "You may withdraw first."

All the palace attendants withdrew, leaving the vast hall with only Hu Hai and Zhao Gao.

"It's Father Emperor! Father Emperor hasn't died; such a sagacious and mighty figure—how could he die so easily? Now that Father Emperor knows I altered the last will and forced my brother's death, he has returned to settle the score with me."

Hu Hai clutched Zhao Gao's hand tightly; having long lived in the shadow of Qin Shi Huang, he feared him immensely, almost to the point of a conditioned reflex.

Zhao Gao comforted him: "Your Majesty, the late emperor is gone; I personally witnessed his last breath, and he will not return to seek you."

But if one looked closely, a flicker of fear could also be seen in his eyes.

Hu Hai shook his head violently: "I don't believe it! Father Emperor's remains vanished suddenly, plus that sinister wind, and the jade disc appearing on Mount Tai—it's over, everything is over; had I known, I never would have coveted the throne."

Hu Hai's agitated words were incoherent; he warily glanced around like a startled bird, "Lord Zhao, do you think it's still possible for me to apologize to Father Emperor now?"

The candlelight flickered, yet the vast Qin palace seemed filled with ghostly shadows.

Watching Hu Hai in that state, I don't know if it was his influence, but Zhao Gao also inexplicably felt an indescribable chill spread over his body.

For several days running, Hu Hai remained uneasy, yet Qin Shi Huang's remains still could not be found.

The burial could not be delayed any longer; out of guilt and fear, Hu Hai and Zhao Gao made the funeral extraordinarily lavish, even adding many more burial goods beyond the original, daring not to be negligent in the slightest.

Even if they tried to seal the news, there are no walls without cracks in the world, and what happened inside the Qin palace still leaked out.

"I heard that the coffin contains no remains of the late emperor at all."

"Impossible—how could one bury without the late emperor's remains?"

"I also have relatives serving in the Qin palace who told me that one night an evil wind arose, beams collapsed several, nearly striking the sovereign; afterward the First Emperor's remains vanished, and later someone on Mount Tai witnessed the scene of his feathered ascension."

"Some say this is because the present sovereign tampered with the last will, causing such supernatural phenomena!"

"Could it be that the First Emperor truly found the elixir of immortality and thus ascended?"

"Affairs of the imperial house are not for us to discuss; we should speak cautiously, lest we invite disaster upon ourselves."

Rumors of this sort spread wildly among the populace, enraging Hu Hai into killing many more; the whole of Xianyang lay under a bloody shadow, and only then did the gossip begin to wane slightly.

Yet this attitude, in effect, substantiated part of the truth.

Probably because a guilty thief fears discovery, Hu Hai thought that by killing those who knew the truth he could restore peace, but one cannot slaughter everyone under heaven.

Hu Hai indulged in pleasure; under his tyranny the people suffered in silence, and soon rebels rose in various regions, proclaiming that timeless slogan.

"The First Emperor has ascended; the realm may be shared by all."

"How could nobles and ministers claim a special birth!" (End of chapter)