The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

That night, under a dark and windy sky, Ren Qi personally led a team of elite guards and rode at full speed to the outskirts of Xianyang.

At the same time, Zhao Tuo, who was far away in the three counties of Nanhai, was left behind by Ren Qi to take charge of the army there.

The next morning, the sun shone on the streets and alleys of Xianyang City, and the whole city seemed full of vitality.

At this moment, an imperial edict came out from the palace and reached Fusu, Li Xin, Meng Tian, ​​Ren Qi and others, ordering them to enter the palace for an audience immediately.

This decree was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

However, something unexpected happened.

When Ren Qi and Wang Li rode their horses towards the palace gate, Fusu, Meng Tian and others did not take any action.

They remained stationed outside Xianyang City as steady as a rock, as if they had turned a deaf ear to the imperial edict.

The news soon reached Hu Hai's ears, and Hu Hai couldn't help but feel secretly anxious.

After Zhao Gao learned about this, he thought about it for a while and decided to discuss countermeasures with Feng Quji.

It was finally decided to send Jiang Huang and Dong Yi to the outskirts of Xianyang to convey the imperial edict again.

After Jiang Huang and Dong Yi received this task, they were extremely unwilling to do so.

They knew very well that Fusu, Meng Tian and others were not people to be trifled with, but they were afraid of Zhao Gao's power and majesty and did not dare to disobey his orders.

In desperation, the two had to bite the bullet and set off on their journey trembling with fear.

When Jiang Huang and Dong Yi arrived, Li Xin shouted angrily before they could even open their mouths, "Go back and tell your master we won't be entering the city. If you have anything to say, let's talk it out openly. Hiding in the palace and plotting against others, what kind of ability do you have?"

Li Xin's voice was like thunder, shaking Jiang Huang and Dong Yi so much that they trembled all over.

They looked at each other, their eyes full of fear, and crawled back.

After returning to the Xianyang Palace, Jiang Huang and Dong Yi breathlessly reported Li Xin's words to Zhao Gao and Feng Quji.

After hearing this, the two of them looked gloomy and secretly thought about how to deal with the situation.

The two sides finally reached an agreement and met at the gate of Xianyang city.

After all the people around the Xianyang city gate had been driven away, Hu Hai, accompanied by Zhao Gao, Feng Quji and others, brought all the officials to the city gate.

Fusu, escorted by Meng Tian and Li Xin, rode his horse to a place a hundred paces from the Xianyang city gate. His gaze was firm and calm as he met Hu Hai's gaze on the city wall.

At this moment, the imperial guards on the city wall were holding swords and on high alert. Their eyes were stern, as if they were ready to engage in battle at any time.

All around, there was a guard post every five steps and a sentry every ten steps, like a solid wall of steel.

Fusu and others looked solemn. They knew very well that today's matter was of great importance and any carelessness would lead to a bloody storm.

On the city wall, besides Hu Hai, Zhao Gao, Feng Quji and others, there were also other ministers who were attending the small court meeting. Some of them looked worried, while others were secretly observing the development of the situation.

Gan Luo had been arrested and imprisoned by Zhao Gao and others, Xin Qiliu had been dismissed from office and exiled, and some other ministers had been executed.

The situation in the Xianyang court is now extremely tense, and everyone is carefully trying to figure out Zhao Gao's thoughts.

"I am very pleased that my brother has come." Hu Hai said with a bow, a barely perceptible smile on his face.

Fusu returned the salute, staring at Hu Hai with a sharp gaze, and said, "Brother Hai, how is our father's health now? Is he safe and sound?" There was a hint of anxiety and concern in his voice.

Hu Hai avoided Fusu's gaze and said, "Brother, our father is in a deep coma and his life is hanging by a thread. I'm afraid he will die at any time."

Zhao Gao hurriedly stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with cunning. He said, "Prince Fusu, His Majesty is in a deep coma, his life hanging by a thread, and I fear he will die at any moment. I have summoned you here to discuss state affairs. His Majesty has already issued a will: Crown Prince Hu Hai will be made emperor."

Li Xin sneered, his eyes filled with suspicion and disdain, and said, "We haven't even seen this will, so how can we know if it's true or not?"

Zhao Gao's face changed, and his voice became sharp. He said, "General Li Xin, please don't be unreasonable. This was personally appointed by Your Majesty. You are not joking."

Meng Tian suddenly took a step forward, staring straight ahead, and shouted, "Lord Zhao! Your Majesty has always favored the eldest son, Fusu, and placed high hopes on him. Yet, now, without any warning, Hu Hai has suddenly inherited the throne. What is the reason behind this? It is truly puzzling."

At this moment, Ren Qi saw this and echoed, "That's right! Lord Zhao, without real evidence, it will be difficult to convince the entire court and the people of the world!"

At this point, Feng Quji, who had been silent all along, finally coughed softly. He spoke in a deep voice, "You all are so aggressive. Are you trying to commit a coup and force the emperor to abdicate? Don't forget, His Majesty has already clearly decreed that Prince Hu Hai will be the heir some time ago. Now that His Majesty is dying, when he passes away, Prince Hu Hai will naturally be the heir."

As soon as Feng Quji said this, the atmosphere on the scene instantly became solemn and tense.

The eyes of everyone present met and collided with each other, as if intense sparks were bursting out.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze, and people felt an invisible pressure enveloping everyone.

At this tense moment, Yang Duanhe, who had been silent until then, finally broke the silence. With a solemn expression, he said, "I, your humble servant, believe that the most urgent matter at this moment is to awaken Your Majesty. Only after Your Majesty has regained consciousness can we discuss the crucial matter of establishing an heir!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Gao, who was standing nearby, suddenly turned around and glared at Yang Duanhe fiercely. He then shouted angrily, "Your Majesty is now terminally ill and there is no hope of recovery! Do you dare to disobey the emperor's will?"

At this time, everyone's eyes were focused on Fusu.

Fusu looked around and then spoke loudly, "We have no intention of disobeying the imperial edict. We simply wish to uncover the truth. If this is indeed the emperor's true wish, then Fusu will obey without complaint. However, if anyone dares to harbor ill intentions and deliberately tamper with the emperor's will, then we will certainly not forgive them easily! I simply want to ask Hu Hai in person: were you involved in this matter?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fusu directed his sharp gaze at Hu Hai.

In an instant, the already tense and depressing atmosphere on the entire field became tense again, and it seemed that a fierce conflict could break out at any time.

Hu Hai suddenly threw his head back and laughed heartily, his laughter filled with mockery and resentment. "Fusu, Fusu! My dear brother! Why should everything in this world belong to you? From childhood to adulthood, no matter what we do, the one that our father values ​​most is you! As for me... humph! Who am I? In his eyes, I'm just a playboy who only knows how to have fun!"

At this point, Hu Hai's face became increasingly gloomy, and his eyes flashed with resentment.

"But who could have imagined that a man as wise and powerful as my father would actually become so confused in the end! He actually obsessed over the pursuit of the illusory art of immortality! If it weren't for this, how could someone like me have the opportunity to stand out and become outstanding? Hahahaha... Now that I have my father's edict, my reputation is justified."

Hu Hai burst into laughter again, and the laughter echoed on the empty city wall, sounding particularly harsh and desolate.