kvmb Chapter 18 A Warning to Zhao Gao
Chapter 18 A Warning to Zhao Gao
Only then did Ying Wuyou notice Zhao Gao's presence. Suddenly, alarm bells rang, and he frantically shouted to the system in his mind: "System, system, Zhao Gao is still here! How come I didn't notice him? He's said so much! This man is incredibly ruthless. After the First Emperor died, he altered the imperial edict, forced Prince Fusu to commit suicide, and installed Prince Huhai on the throne. Then he seized control of the court, basically wiping out the First Emperor's children. He even manipulated Huhai by pointing at a deer and calling it a horse, killing most of the court officials. Finally, he even tried to kill Huhai and become emperor himself, but he was only killed when the six states rebelled. If he had succeeded, it's unimaginable how cruel a ruler he would have been. He was one of the biggest culprits in the downfall of Qin. Given my actions today, will he attack me beforehand?"
The system said: "Host, don't be afraid. Zhao Gao is still quite obedient right now. Moreover, the First Emperor is young and strong, so Zhao Gao wouldn't dare to make any moves. At most, he'll just get closer to Huhai. He'll only dare to do those things after the First Emperor dies. Zhao Gao is very good at reading people. The King of Qin currently favors you greatly, and besides, you're a princess. Even if you're very capable, Zhao Gao sees you as someone who can't inherit the throne. He won't make a move against you for now. Unless the First Emperor dies, and if Zhao Gao then holds power, you will definitely be the first person he kills!"
Upon hearing this, the King of Qin was so enraged that he wanted to kill Zhao Gao immediately. He stared directly at Zhao Gao, [Zhao Gao? One of the major reasons why the Qin Dynasty only lasted two generations was Zhao Gao? He altered the imperial edict, forced Fusu to commit suicide? He even killed all my sons except Huhai, and then wanted to declare himself emperor? He wanted to seize my Qin Dynasty, who gave him the audacity? He deserves to die!]
Feeling the King of Qin's cold gaze, Zhao Gao shrank back, completely unaware that his life was hanging by a thread.
The King of Qin glanced at Zhao Gao, suppressing his anger. [Zhao Gao, Xu Fu, very well. Since you're both courting death, I will make sure you suffer a terrible fate!]
After dismissing Ying Wuyou, the King of Qin asked Zhao Gao, "How long have you been following me?"
Zhao Gao replied, "Your Majesty, your subject (historically, Zhao Gao was not a eunuch; he held an official position as the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, which had two duties: first, to drive the King of Qin's carriages; and second, to attend to the King of Qin's daily needs. Therefore, he referred to himself as 'your subject' rather than 'your slave') has been serving you for seven years!"
The King of Qin said, "Oh, it's been so long? I've heard that you and Huhai have been getting close?"
Upon hearing the King of Qin's question, Zhao Gao was so frightened that he immediately knelt down and admitted his mistake, saying, "Your subject has made a mistake, and I am willing to accept punishment."
Looking at Zhao Gao kneeling below, kowtowing repeatedly, the King of Qin recalled the conversation between Ying Wuyou and the system: "Is this really the same person? Could someone who was cowardly as a mouse in life really commit so many cruel acts after my death? Jia Yang and the system's words have all been verified; they haven't made any mistakes. Therefore, this matter is indeed true."
Even if the King of Qin knew that this matter was very likely true, he wouldn't deal with Zhao Gao so easily. There would be plenty of opportunities to deal with him later. He was confident that Zhao Gao couldn't cause any trouble now. He would give him a warning first, and if he still harbored rebellious intentions, then there was no need to keep him alive.
Zhao Gao didn't hear the King of Qin's voice for a long time, so he could only keep kowtowing until his forehead was covered in blood. At this moment, the King of Qin finally spoke: "Get up! You should stay home and rest for now. You don't need to come and serve me anymore."
Zhao Gao knew that the King of Qin was giving him a warning, so he dared not plead any further and could only reply, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness!"
King Qin waved his hand, and Zhao Gao withdrew. King Qin looked at the empty hall, and his heart was stirred. [They all want me dead, they all wait for me to die and destroy Qin. Ha, I won't let them have their way!] King Qin calmed his thoughts.
King Qin sent a eunuch to invite Lu Sheng, an alchemist. Lu Sheng arrived quickly at the palace and, after being announced, entered the hall and bowed to King Qin: "Lu Sheng, the alchemist, greets Your Majesty! May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings!"
The King of Qin asked Lu Sheng, "I have heard that one of your alchemists is Xu Fu. Do you know him?"
Hearing the King of Qin's question, Lu Sheng was filled with doubt and apprehension: [What does the King of Qin mean by asking about Xu Fu? Does he know that Hou Sheng and I don't possess any elixir of immortality? Or does Xu Fu have some special ability? What should I do? Should I try to escape?]
Knowing he had paused for too long, Lu Sheng quickly said, "Your Majesty, I have never heard of this person among the alchemists. However, I recently perused ancient books and found one that records, 'There is a fairy mountain overseas, and on the mountain live immortals!' I believe that immortals must be immortal. In order for Your Majesty to achieve immortality, I am willing to go to the fairy mountain to visit the immortals and obtain the elixir of immortality for Your Majesty!"
Looking at the sorcerer spouting nonsense with a straight face, King Qin would have believed him if he hadn't overheard Ying Wuyou's conversation with the system. King Qin then asked, "Oh, Lu Sheng, you are so considerate of me? I understand your loyalty, but I have heard that this Xu Fu has some abilities. You should find this Xu Fu for me first. As for the matter of finding the Immortal Mountain, there is no rush for now."
Hearing that the King of Qin was not in a hurry to find the elixir of immortality, Lu Sheng became increasingly uneasy. He decided to go back and discuss it with Hou Sheng. So he said to the King of Qin, "I will go back and ask Hou Sheng to find someone to inquire. If Xu Fu is really one of our alchemists, we will be able to find him easily."
The King of Qin said, "I await your news. Alright, you may leave now. Find Xu Fu as soon as possible, or you will be of no use!"
The King of Qin spoke calmly, but Lu Sheng felt a chill run down his spine. He knew he had to run, but now he knew he couldn't. He could only pray that Xu Fu would appear soon.
After leaving Zhangtai Palace, Lu Sheng hurriedly went to find Hou Sheng. Seeing Lu Sheng's anxious appearance, Hou Sheng joked, "Is a female ghost chasing you?" Hearing Hou Sheng's teasing, Lu Sheng said with a mournful face, "You still have the leisure to tease me? We're both about to die."
Upon hearing Lu Sheng's words, Hou Sheng was startled and hurriedly asked, "What happened? Tell me quickly." Lu Sheng then told Hou Sheng about how the King of Qin had summoned him to find a sorcerer named Xu Fu.
Upon hearing this, Hou Sheng asked, "Didn't you tell the King of Qin about the immortal mountain?" Lu Sheng replied, "I did, but I don't know what happened this time. The King of Qin seems completely uninterested in it. He just wants us to find Xu Fu, and even said that if we can't find Xu Fu, we won't be alive! What should we do?"
Upon hearing this, Hou Sheng said, "Then the most urgent task is to find this Xu Fu. You and I should both send messages to our respective sects and ask our fellow disciples to help us look for him. Since he is also a sorcerer, surely someone in his sect knows him."
Lu Sheng said, "You're right, I'll write a letter to Master and all my fellow disciples right now." Hou Sheng also said, "I'll write a letter too." Then the two of them left in a hurry.