Chapter 594: Baffling

In the thirty-third year of the First Emperor, the second month of mid-spring, the southern and northern campaigns had all been settled. Li You, Governor of Sanchuan, was finally about to leave Xianyang and return to Luoyang.

"Sanchuan is the gateway to Guanzhong, the throat of the empire, a place of paramount importance. As its governor, your responsibilities are not light. You must be prudent in all matters. Otherwise, not only will you be censured, but it may even implicate the family."

Li Si's exhortations seemed tireless. Li You answered with a respectful yes to everything, but before his departure, he could not hold back and asked his father that question.

"Father, His Majesty has now appointed the Young Master Fusu as commander-in-chief to campaign against the Canghai Kingdom. What exactly is his intention?"

In recent days, the court and the whole officialdom had been deeply shaken by this appointment. Everyone was guessing the First Emperor's intent. Li You was not the only one who found it baffling.

Li Si glanced at his son. There was no need to hide it. "His Majesty is making preparations for what comes after his passing…"

Li You was shocked. "After his passing? His Majesty, he…"

Li Si said, "Although His Majesty's health has minor ailments, there should be no serious trouble for at least a few years."

Li You breathed a sigh of relief. "Then why make such an arrangement?"

Li Si shook his head helplessly. "Merely mending the roof before the rain."

Li You was somewhat puzzled. "Hasn't His Majesty been seeking immortality, and therefore delayed appointing an heir? Why now…"

Li Si, however, gave a cold laugh. "Do you believe it? Do you believe His Majesty can achieve immortality and never perish?"

Li You was left speechless. Li Si, without any politeness, tore through the thin veil. "On this matter, aside from His Majesty himself, who believes it?"

At the root of it, Li Si, like his teacher Xun Qing and his fellow disciples Han Fei and Zhang Cang, was a staunch atheist. They believed in human strength and scoffed at matters of ghosts, gods, and supernatural forces.

"Father, you must not say such things."

Li You glanced guiltily outside the study. It would be terrible if anyone overheard this. But only father and son were in the study; even the womenfolk and servants had all been sent away, so they could speak frankly with the windows open.

Indeed, ever since those alchemists were buried, the only person who still believed the emperor could obtain the elixir of immortality and live forever was probably the First Emperor himself, wasn't it?

All the ministers knew in their hearts that the sun must eventually set in the west. The emperor's death was only a matter of time. Expending vast manpower and resources chasing an illusory immortality was ultimately like drawing water with a bamboo basket — all in vain. The ministers dared not object, only to give His Majesty something to strive for.

Even Chancellor Li Si did not believe the emperor could be deathless and indestructible. Moreover, Li Si had learned through certain channels that the emperor's health had indeed been deteriorating lately…

Perhaps even the First Emperor had realized this and begun to doubt his own "Mandate of Heaven." He was re-examining his sons, starting to ponder: if he did not live to find the Queen Mother of the West's realm and obtain the elixir of immortality, who should inherit this vast empire?

When there is a son by the principal wife, appoint him; when there is none, appoint the eldest. For special reasons, the First Emperor had not established an empress and thus had no son by a principal wife. In this way, the eldest son, Fusu, was undoubtedly the most qualified contender for the position of crown prince.

But Fusu also had disadvantages: his mother's family were Chu state in-laws, and Lord Changping, who betrayed the emperor, was Fusu's maternal uncle. He favored the teachings of the Hundred Schools, which deviated from the Legalist state policy that Qin had unwaveringly upheld for a century. He did not curry the emperor's favor, and his repeated remonstrances had angered the First Emperor.

Meanwhile, the other young masters were gradually coming of age. Young Master Gao was proficient in music and had deep artistic attainments. Young Master Jianglü had a reputation for filial piety and fraternal duty. Even the emperor's most doted-upon youngest son, Huhai, was now sixteen and had been arranged by the First Emperor to study law and ordinances under Zhao Gao, the Prefect of the Office of Palace Chariots, who had lost a hand and could no longer drive.

The position of heir apparent hung in the balance. Fusu might no longer be the only candidate. The ministers' minds began to stir, but because the emperor was so formidable, no one dared to form factions and openly stage a battle of nine dragons for the throne.

And now, the First Emperor had suddenly announced Fusu as the commander-in-chief of the eastern expedition, immediately adding another layer of fog to the already complex and intricate struggle for succession!

Li You probed cautiously, "Father once told me that a crown prince does not serve as a general. This has been an unwritten rule among the feudal lords since the Spring and Autumn period…"

This rule originated from an incident in the state of Jin. Hundreds of years ago, Duke Xian of Jin suddenly dispatched Crown Prince Shensheng to lead troops and attack the Gaoluo clan of Dongshan, causing a huge uproar in the Jin court.

At that time, the Jin minister Li Ke remonstrated, saying, "The crown prince is the one who makes offerings to the altars of soil and grain, oversees the granaries and provisions, and never leaves the ruler's side from dawn to dusk. Therefore, he is called the 'heir-apparent.' When the ruler travels, he guards the state; when there is a guardian, he follows. Accompanying the ruler on campaign is called 'soothing the army'; staying behind to guard the state is called 'supervising the state.' This is the ancient system."

Either supervising the state or supervising the army — these were the crown prince's fundamental functions. The state cannot be without a ruler for a single day. If something happened to the reigning monarch, the crown prince had to be ready to ascend the throne at any moment; otherwise, chaos would ensue.

That being the case, leading troops on an expedition was not something a crown prince should do. Military campaigns are perilous. If the crown prince were lost, it would be a loss to the state. If the monarch died while he was away on campaign and he could not return in time to succeed, that would also be a great trouble.

If he returned from a great victory, it would be difficult for the monarch to reward him. The crown prince is already the state's heir apparent; one step further and he would be the ruler himself. And if he returned without merit, he would face the monarch's censure and the people's scorn, bringing disaster upon himself from then on.

Crown Prince Shen of King Hui of Wei was the most typical example. He once led troops in his capacity as crown prince but suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Maling and was captured by Sun Bin of Qi. Although Wei later ransomed him back, because of this defeat, Crown Prince Shen lost his chance to inherit, and his younger brother gained the throne instead.

This is the origin of the saying, "The ruler's heir must not command the army." After the Spring and Autumn period, it was also observed by the seven warring states.

If, knowing this, a ruler still forced his crown prince to lead troops on an expedition, either the ruler was senile, or he was imitating Duke Xian of Jin, sending a signal to the outside world: "I intend to depose the eldest and establish the youngest!"

But Li Si shook his head.

"All of this is merely speculation. What His Majesty's intention truly is, even I, your father, cannot fathom."

Han Fei said: The Way lies in being invisible, its use in being unknowable to the ministers. This means the most important thing for a ruler is that his inner thoughts cannot be seen through by his subjects, and his intentions cannot be guessed by them.

The First Emperor was an emperor who placed great emphasis on the arts of authority and political maneuvering. Although he was clear in his loves and hates, whenever an issue arose, he would not state his position first but let the ministers debate, observing their attitudes. On crucial matters, such as the position of heir apparent, he was even less likely to reveal his true heart to anyone!

Although in Li You's view, Fusu being sent far away as a general was a sign that he had completely lost favor, looking at it another way, could this not also be the emperor's way of valuing and testing Fusu?

Li Si hit the key point. "Fusu is merely a young master, not yet the crown prince. The rule that 'the ruler's heir must not command the army' does not apply to him."

With the veteran general Yang Duanhe as his assistant and Hei Fu, Governor of Jiaodong, handling logistics, leading thirty thousand troops to compel Joseon to pay tribute and then eliminate a small city-state seemed effortless and without much danger. It was practically a merit handed to Fusu on a platter. As long as the emperor was willing, he could completely use this as a stepping stone to formally establish Fusu as crown prince.

But it was also possible that the emperor intended to send Fusu far away, never to return. After this campaign ended, a single edict could order Fusu to garrison the borderlands, unable to come back to Xianyang…

King Wuling of Zhao had done just that. He had Crown Prince Zhao Zhang lead troops to attack the state of Zhongshan. After the troops were withdrawn and they returned, under the pretext of meritorious service, he enfeoffed Young Master Zhang as the Lord of Dai and banished him to the remote Dai Commandery, vacating the crown prince position for his youngest son to become the heir apparent.

So, in the final analysis, was this a prelude to the First Emperor emulating Duke Xian of Jin and King Wuling of Zhao, deposing the eldest to establish the youngest? Or was it deliberately giving Fusu an opportunity to punish the rebellious on his behalf and accumulate prestige, paving the way for him? Even with Li Si's intelligence, he still could not be certain.

"Regardless, Father, our family must make plans early…"

Li Si, however, shook his head. "You focus on doing your duty as governor well. You must absolutely not get involved in the struggle for succession!"

If they guessed the emperor's intention wrong and jumped out early, only to find the result was exactly the opposite, that would be truly awkward.

Although he had decided that the Li family would absolutely not get entangled in the struggle for the heir apparent, after seeing his son's carriage off into the distance, standing before the empty gates of the Chancellor's residence, Li Si could not help but sigh with emotion.

He recalled the lively scene on the day of his seventieth birthday celebration.

He had set up a banquet at home. All the civil and military officials came to offer toasts and congratulations. The carriages and horses before his gate numbered in the thousands. The First Emperor also issued an edict of encouragement. All of Li Si's sons had married Qin princesses, and all his daughters had married into the Qin imperial clan. Who among the civil and military officials could compare to such trust and glory?

That day marked the zenith of Li Si's career in this life. Now the splendor had faded, but the scene of that day still remained vivid in his mind.

Li Si could not help but sigh deeply. "Xun Qing once told me, 'Things must not reach their zenith.' I, Li Si, was originally a commoner from Shangcai, a man from the streets and alleys. Yet His Majesty raised me to such a high position. Now, among the ranks of ministers, none stands above Li Si. One could say my wealth and glory have reached the extreme."

"However, when things reach their extreme, they must decline. When a thing develops past its peak, it begins to wane… Now, no one knows how many years of life His Majesty has left. The position of heir apparent hangs empty. The emperor's heart is hard to fathom. I, too, do not know where my future lies!"

A new ruler brings a new set of ministers — this is the simplest of truths. Li Si knew that although he appeared to be second only to one and above ten thousand, all his power and wealth were granted by the emperor.

What can be given can also be taken away! In the Qin dynasty, where sovereign power was supreme, this was all just a matter of a single word from the emperor!

Once the mountain crumbles and the Second Emperor ascends the throne, would he, Li Si, be like Wen Zhong, killed after the rabbits were caught? Or like Zhang Yi and Gan Mao, cruelly driven out? Or could he, like Tian Ying of Qi, continue to wield power over the court? It was truly impossible to know.

The harder it was to fathom, the more he could not understand, the more lost and terrified he became. This had already become the greatest inner demon of Li Si, the Right Chancellor of the Empire!

The aged Li Si gazed up at the sky and asked in secret.

"If that day truly comes, how can my power and the Li family's wealth and honor be sustained?"

……

In the third month, the news that Fusu had been appointed commander to lead a punitive expedition against the Lord of Canghai, after causing a great stir in Xianyang, traveled along the imperial highways and reached the seaside Jiaodong Commandery.

Inside Heifu's mansion, after receiving Ye Teng's letter, Heifu was also discussing this matter with his wife, and they arrived at an analysis much the same as Li Si and his son's.

"What exactly is His Majesty's intention? A mere woman like me truly cannot see through it."

Clever as Ye Zijin was, the Emperor's maneuver of making Fusu the commander-in-chief and Heifu the army supervisor still stunned her.

Heifu, however, clapped his hands and laughed: "I, on the other hand, have seen through it."

PS: Chapter 2 before midnight.

(End of chapter)