Chapter 91: Second Place Completed! Soon to Reveal the True Eternal Emperor!

Across the sky screen, a few modern bullet comments drifted by:

Modern netizen: "@Li Shimin, the Heavenly Khan, remember to allocate some potato seeds to me; I want to eat French fries!"

Modern netizen 2: "Wake up, upstairs; that's for the Great Tang. If you want fries, buy them yourself."

Modern netizen 3: "@His Majesty Li Shimin, could you reproduce a copy of that three‑piece warhorse blueprint for me? I want to ride a horse to work!"

Modern netizen 4: "@Li Shimin, are you selling the refined salt blueprint? I'll pay a high price!"

Modern netizen 5: "That's enough! This is a historical review, not a sales livestream!"

Li Shimin looked at the bullet comments, both amused and helpless: "People of later ages are truly amusing."

He raised his hand, tucked away the Shouyuan Light Sphere, and turned his gaze toward the potato seeds and the blueprints.

"Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui."

"I am here."

"Potato seeds shall be assigned to the Agricultural Office Temple for trial planting; if they truly yield three thousand jin per mu, they will be promoted throughout the realm."

"As you command!"

"Li Jing, Li Ji."

"I am here."

"The three‑piece warhorse blueprint shall be handed to the Director of Armaments for development, with priority allocation to the Xuanjia Army."

"As you command!"

"Changsun Wujie."

"I am here."

"The refined salt blueprint shall be given to the Salt and Iron Office to swiftly produce refined salt and stabilize salt prices."

"As you command!"

Orders flowed one after another, and the entire Great Tang court operated at high speed.

Li Shimin finally looked toward the sky screen and clasped his hands:

"Thank the immortal for the blessing; I, Shimin, will not disappoint the trust placed in me, ensuring the Great Tang people live in peace and prosperity, that all under heaven become obedient guests, and the realm enjoys tranquility."

The sky screen seemed to respond, golden light swirling.

【Done, the second place review is complete!】

The sky screen's image began to contract.

【Next time we'll continue reviewing the first place, also the final 'Thousand‑Year Emperor'—】

The frame froze, revealing a silhouette.

It was a figure clad in a dragon robe, back turned to all beings, hands clasped behind, with endless rivers and mountains behind and piles of corpses at its feet.

The sheer aura was so overwhelming that emperors of all dynasties felt suffocated.

Ying Zheng squinted: "Who… is this person?"

Liu Bang sat upright: "This aura, stronger than Li Shimin's?"

Liu Che clenched his fist: "The foremost of the thousand‑year emperors… who could it be?"

Zhu Yuanzhang murmured: "That aura must be the First Emperor."

Zhu Di: "Father's words are correct."

Yang Jian stared at the silhouette, suddenly recalling someone, his complexion changing: "Could it be him…?"

A voice from the sky screen rang out, bearing endless authority:

【He unified the realm, standardized script, unified tracks, laying the two‑thousand‑year foundation of China!】

Ying Zheng shivered all over.

Standardized script, unified tracks… isn't this… him?!

He sprang to his feet, staring intently at the sky screen.

【He swept the Six Directions, struck the Xiongnu in the north, pacified the Hundred Yue in the south, built the Great Wall to guard the nine‑province dragon veins, and defended the state to protect the royal lineage!】

Ying Zheng's breathing quickened.

Sweeping the Six Directions, striking the Xiongnu, pacifying the Hundred Yue, building the Great Wall… is this really him?!

【He abolished feudal titles, established commanderies and counties, centralized power, and his millennial achievements began with him!】

【He is the starting point of the thousand‑year emperor, and also its pinnacle!】

【He, therefore—】

In the frame, the figure slowly turned.

Blinding golden light flashed; though the face was obscured, everyone knew who it was.

Ying Zheng's heart hammered like thunder, his hands trembling.

It is him… it really is him!

The foremost of the thousand‑year emperors is him, Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng!

He looked to the heavens and roared with laughter, his voice shaking the Xianyang Palace,

"Hahaha! Good! Good! The foremost of the thousand‑year emperors—who else but me! I, the solitary ruler, can live up to it!"

But the next second, the sky screen's voice changed abruptly, cold and bone‑chilling:

【He sought immortals and elixirs, exhausted the people's wealth, built the Epang Palace, erected tombs, and drained the populace's labor!】

【He imposed harsh punishments and severe laws, treated the people as obstacles, and the world has suffered under Qin for ages!】

【He, the First Emperor whose achievements surpass the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, yet some call him a tyrant?】

【How should his merits and faults be judged?】

【Is the top of the thousand‑year emperors truly him, or is there another?】

The sky screen's image suddenly went dark.

Only a line of blood‑red large characters remained, hanging in the air:

【Next episode reveals: The emperor in Chinese history who truly can be called the eternal first emperor…】

Then, the sky screen vanished.

All dynasties fell silent.

Ying Zheng stood where he was, his smile completely frozen.

He slowly sat down, his hand trembling.

Burning books and burying scholars… oppressive governance abusing the people… the second emperor's downfall…

These words pierced his heart like knives.

"Your Majesty…" Li Si spoke cautiously.

"Shut up." Ying Zheng's voice was hoarse.

He stared at the spot where the sky screen disappeared, blood vessels spreading in his eyes.

The foremost of the eternal first emperors… is him.

But the sky screen said he was also a tyrant, a despot, the root cause of Great Qin's second emperor's downfall.

"I, the lone ruler, do not believe… I do not believe!"

He slammed the table hard, and the table legs rang loudly.

"I unified the six states, ended the wars, standardized script, standardized wheels, built the Great Wall, struck north at the Xiongnu… My achievements cannot be tarnished by the word 'tyrant'!"

He roared, his voice echoing through the hall.

But the last few lines of the sky screen, like a curse, kept winding around him.

Great Han, Weiyang Palace.

Liu Bang swallowed a mouthful of saliva: "Goodness, this first place… really Qin Shi Huang?"

Xiao He said in a deep voice: "From the description, it is certainly Qin Shi Huang. Standardizing script, standardizing wheels, abolishing feudal enfeoffments, establishing commanderies and counties—all are Qin Shi Huang's achievements."

"But he is also a tyrant,"

Liu Bang scratched his head, "This sky screen is interesting; it glorifies Qin Shi Huang to the heavens, then tramples him to the ground. Is he truly first, or not?"

Lv Zhi sneered, "Achievements are achievements, faults are faults. Qin Shi Huang's achievements can indeed be called the eternal first emperor. But the fact that the second Qin emperor perished is also true."

"Then, will that first place be given to him?" Liu Bang asked curiously.

"We'll see in the next episode."

Zhang Liang said lightly, "Since the sky screen leaves a cliffhanger, the next episode will reveal the answer."

Han Wudi period.

Liu Che's expression grew solemn: "Qin Shi Huang… indeed Qin Shi Huang."

"Standardizing script, standardizing wheels, abolishing feudal enfeoffments, establishing commanderies and counties… these achievements certainly surpass Li Shimin's."

"But his harsh laws, burning books and burying scholars, are also facts," Wei Qing said.

Huo Qubing hummed, "If we talk about military merit, Qin Shi Huang's northern strike against the Xiongnu and southern pacification of the Hundred Yue are not inferior to Tang Taizong's, but if we discuss governance…"

He did not finish, but the meaning was clear.

The second Qin emperor's downfall, versus the Tang's Zhenguan governance—who is higher, who is lower, is evident at a glance.

Liu Che shook his head: "Achievements are achievements, faults are faults."

"Qin Shi Huang's achievements can cover his faults. I want to see how the next sky screen will evaluate him."

Tang Taizong period.

Li Shimin watched the sky screen vanish, silent for a long while.

"Qin Shi Huang…" he whispered, uttering the name.

The foremost of the eternal first emperors truly is that First Emperor.

Li Shimin asked himself whether his achievements fell short.

Although he inaugurated the Zhenguan era, Qin Shi Huang opened the heavens and earth, laying the foundation for two thousand years.

"Your Majesty, do you think Qin Shi Huang deserves the first place?" Empress Zhangsun asked softly.

Li Shimin mused, "If we talk about achievements, he deserves it. But if we consider posthumous appraisal…"

He recalled the sky screen's words: burning books and burying scholars, oppressive governance abusing the people, the second emperor's downfall.

"A ruler must not only achieve feats, but also establish virtue and speech."

"Qin Shi Huang built unparalleled feats, yet lost virtue among the people, leading to the second Qin emperor's downfall—that is his shortcoming…" Li Shimin said slowly.

Wei Zheng nodded, "Your words are spot‑on; Qin Shi Huang's achievements are unparalleled in eternity."

"Qin Shi Huang's faults are also unprecedented in the ages. Such a person truly warrants thorough appraisal."

"Next episode… will surely be lively," Fang Xuanling laughed.

Great Qin, Xianyang Palace.

Ying Zheng sat alone in the hall, both pleased and a bit angry.

Li Si, Meng Yi and others knelt nearby, not daring to speak.

After a while, Ying Zheng spoke, his voice hoarse: "Li Si."

"I am here."

"Burning books and burying scholars… I, the lone ruler, burned books; the ones I burned were the miscellaneous texts that slandered the court and confused the people's hearts."

"Burying scholars, the ones I buried were the alchemists who deceived the ruler and swindled money. Did I err?"

Li Si lowered his head: "Your Majesty is not wrong. In chaotic times, heavy punishments are necessary."

"Oppressive governance abusing the people… I built the Great Wall, struck the Xiongnu, repaired roads, built the Ling Canal; none of these were not for the sake of a lasting realm and the people's peace. Did I err?"

「Your Majesty is correct. This is the merit of all ages. 」

「Then why... the world suffers under Qin? Why did it perish in two generations? 」

Ying Zheng raised his head, bloodshot eyes filled his gaze, 「I, have I really made a mistake? 」

No one dared to answer.

Ying Zheng slowly rose, walked to outside the hall, and gazed at the pitch-black sky.

The firmament had vanished, but those words, each character pierced the heart.

「Next episode... the first place among all-time emperors... 」

He clenched his fists, knuckles turning white.

「I indeed want to see, this firmament, how exactly will it evaluate me! 」

「If I cannot bear this first place... then who in the world could deserve it! 」

【Next episode preview: The first place among all-time emperors will be revealed! Is it Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng, or someone else? How will merits and faults be judged? The firmament will bring the final reckoning! Stay tuned!】