Chapter 8

But placed on his other sons, it really wasn't certain they would understand.

Take for instance Prince Fusu, whom he had once favored most—he didn't understand either!

Previously, when he wanted General Meng Tian to array three hundred thousand troops along the Great Wall, Prince Fusu had advised him that mobilizing so many troops to array along the Great Wall would be far too costly in military strength and far too damaging to the treasury!

Yet he failed to understand that this was military intimidation—without three hundred thousand troops to intimidate by force, what would the Xiongnu have reduced the border passes to?

But then again… one couldn't really blame Prince Fusu—he'd been brainwashed by the Confucians, spending all day opposing military affairs and opposing strict laws, believing that all military activity and harsh punishments were acts of cruelty!

This was also the point that angered him most!

In governing a nation, how could one rely solely on benevolence and love?

He sighed without cease, but at the same time, turned his gaze toward Ying Su, his eyes turning darkly cold:

"If I do not abdicate, and do not write an edict of succession, what will you do then?"

He spoke the question, his eyes fixed intently on Ying Su!

At this moment, he was both unwilling to submit easily, unwilling to be intimidated by his force of arms!

But likewise, he wanted to see how he would handle it!

Could it be that he would dare to slay his own father?

Ying Zheng shook his head!

His heart was very confident!

Ying Su of course would not dare to slay his father!

The infamy of that was too great; throughout history, not a single person had been able to bear the curse of patricide.

Li Shimin did not dare, and Yang Guang did not dare either!

After Li Shimin rebelled, he still went again and again to Li Yuan to weep, kneeling and sucking at his breast!

Yang Guang, let alone killing his father, did not even dare to kill his elder brother—he could only secretly imitate Zhao Gao, forging a false edict and letting the Crown Prince take his own life!

However, although he did not dare slay his father, he did dare to write a false edict!

"Li Xuanba, grab someone from outside who can write!"

He called out.

In the blink of an eye, a eunuch was dragged in!

Ying Su pressed him directly:

"Write: In the thirty-seventh year of the First Emperor, I, Ying Zheng, having toiled long over the affairs of state, recently feeling unwell, after much deliberation, have decided to abdicate in favor of the worthy!"

"The Sixth Young Master, Ying Su, possesses both virtue and talent; after examination upon examination, I find him a worthy talent of his generation, and hereby pass the throne to the Sixth Young Master, Ying Su!"

"All officials shall spare no effort and devote themselves wholeheartedly to assisting him!"

He called out, and the eunuch, hearing these words, was simply dumbfounded.

At that moment, he stared blankly at Ying Zheng, then at Ying Su.

In the end, trembling and shaking, he did not dare write a single character!

It was not until Li Yuanba set those twin hammers down before him that he dared not delay in the slightest, and began writing at once!

There was no choice—it was far too terrifying!

The scene of Li Yuanba killing a man just now, he had witnessed with his own eyes.

Such a ruthless man—his mere presence was enough to terrify him into compliance!

But all of this, in the eyes of the First Emperor, at that moment, nearly drove him to explode with rage.

A mere eunuch, and he actually dared to write such a thing?

His fury was boundless; he glared furiously at the eunuch, and the eunuch had long since been scared out of his wits!

He could not afford to offend either side; at this moment, he could only bury himself in writing, as if once the edict was finished, it would no longer be his concern!

Soon, the edict was finished!

However… having glanced at this edict but once, Ying Zheng could not help but let out a cold laugh:

"Do you think that by writing such a thing, you become the Emperor?"

"If it were truly that simple, this realm would be in utter chaos!"

He laughed and shook his head, looking at Ying Su; though he was laughing, there was also a touch of disappointment in his heart.

Sigh!

Indeed—none of his sons could amount to anything!

As for Prince Fusu now, although he still harbored a sliver of hope for him, reason had long since told him countless times—it was useless!

This Prince Fusu was already ruined!

Young Master Gao, Young Master Jianglü—they were even more hopeless!

This Ying Su—seeing that he possessed absolute power, and could even rebel before his very eyes—he had thought he might amount to something.

But now it seemed, nothing more than this!

He was a creature even beneath Prince Fusu!

At the very least, Prince Fusu still knew how an edict should be written, and knew what was required for an edict to take effect!

But him?

He had no idea at all!

Ying Zheng laughed as he shook his head!

But at the same time, the disappointment in his heart grew heavier!

It seemed this Great Qin Jiangshan could still only rely on himself!

This Great Qin's Wan Shi foundation could only rest on this one man alone!

None of the others would do!

It's just Xu Fu... can he bring back the elixir of immortality for me?

Ying Zheng was thinking to himself.

Even at this very moment, he still hadn't taken Ying Su's rebellion to heart in the slightest!

But very soon, he could no longer afford to ignore it!

Because...

At some unknown moment, he had pulled something from his robes and, waving it in front of Ying Zheng, said:

"Father, you said the realm was in chaos, that what I did was too childish — was it because this thing was missing?"

"This... the Imperial Jade Seal?"

Ying Zheng was shocked!

In that instant, his whole body trembled!

Yes — the Imperial Jade Seal!

What an immensely important object this was!

Any edict, without the seal stamped upon it, was nothing more than a scrap of waste cloth!

But once stamped with the seal, it became an edict!

It represented Qin Fa!

And now, he had actually gotten the Imperial Jade Seal into his hands?

Hadn't this object always been under Zhao Gao's guard?

When had it fallen into his hands?

Ying Zheng's shock was boundless!

And under Ying Zheng's utterly stunned expression, Ying Su simply pressed the Imperial Jade Seal down onto the edict!

From that moment on, this edict took effect!

It possessed the authority of Qin Fa!

And even more, it represented Qin Fa!

"Zhao Gao!"

In that instant, Ying Zheng flew into a rage. Those eyes stared fixedly toward Zhao Gao, his voice icy and hoarse!

His fury was boundless!

Those eyes radiated killing intent!

And Zhao Gao was so terrified he nearly lost his senses, dropping straight to his knees and beginning to wail:

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, this matter has nothing to do with this servant!"

"It wasn't this servant who gave it to him!"