Chapter 17: Qin King Ying Zheng

  Inside the Xianyang Palace, the entire palace was shrouded in an eerie and oppressive atmosphere. No one dared to make a loud noise, all the servants were on high alert, working with extreme caution, and even the favored concubines were extremely careful, choosing their words carefully, fearing that one careless remark would provoke the emperor's wrath and result in corporal punishment.

  All this is because "Yao Guang True Man" is still in a coma, Your Majesty's mood is gloomy, and no one dares to make a move.

  No one knows what "Yao Guang Zhen Ren" is all about, but they are very clear that it's absolutely not someone they can casually look up to and comment on.

  A month ago, "Yaoguang Zhenren" was escorted back to the palace by General Meng Tian. A few days later, Ying Zheng proclaimed to the world that he had appointed "Yaoguang" as "Emperor's Master", with a position equal to the Three Dukes.

  The imperial edict was issued, and everyone was shocked.

  Taking a person of unknown origin as "Imperial Teacher" is unprecedented, and although it's just an honorary title, Your Majesty has let her have the same status as the Three Dukes. With such honor and favor, who would dare to think that this is an unimportant honorary title?

  This is just the beginning.

  Ying Zheng hung a plaque with the words "Shang Qing Gong" on a large mansion in the city that had been vacant for a long time, and gave it to the "Emperor's Teacher" along with more than 200 guards. All kinds of rare treasures were sent into the mansion like flowing water, dazzling many people's eyes.

  What's even more astonishing is that this "emperor's teacher", who has been stared at by countless pairs of eyes with different thoughts, has never returned to the imperial palace once, nor has he appeared in front of everyone. Later, news came out from the palace that the emperor's teacher was casting a sword.

  Isn't there anyone who has secretly discussed that craftsmen can also become emperor's teachers?

  However, no one dared to speak out openly. Nearly a month later, all those who had once been sarcastic and dissatisfied fell silent.

  That one flash of lightning that illuminated the entire sky on the night of the full moon shocked and amazed people, scorching the eyes of many.

  If the emperor is the Son of Heaven, then what is the imperial teacher who can summon thunder and heavenly authority?

  It has been passed down since ancient times that when divine soldiers emerge into the world, the heavens and earth change color, and winds rise with surging clouds.

  However, this is just a legend, and no one has ever seen it with their own eyes, so people can only hold a vague yearning to talk about those ancient legends.

  It wasn't until that night that everyone saw what it was like when the winds howled and the thunder struck.

  One sword summons wind and thunder, one sword breaks through the blue sky.

  That night's earth-shattering lightning was destined to create a new legend - about that sword and the person who forged it.

  Emperor's Master —— Yao Guang True Man.

  It was then that Xianyang's upper and lower classes thoroughly and deeply remembered this title.

  From disdainful doubt to reverent worship, it only took an instant for the differences brought about by their powerful status to truly become the difference between clouds and dust. It was deeply etched in the hearts of everyone who had ever doubted them that no one dared to privately criticize the Emperor's Master, even calling out the title of "Emperor's Master" would make one's heart skip a beat. In the end, only the two words "True Man" were passed down from mouth to mouth.

  The parties concerned were unaware of this change in public opinion about Qin State.

  Yao Guang did not sleep or rest for several days, forging the sword, her body was haggard, suddenly struck by lightning, her mood was violently turbulent, her energy was exhausted, after surviving the thunder tribulation of the divine sword's birth, she finally could not hold on and fainted.

  This dizziness has lasted for three days already.

  When Yao Guang woke up, her throat was so dry it scared her, and she could almost feel the bloody smell emanating from the cracked wound in her trachea.

  "Water..."

  This soft and hoarse whisper was soon responded to, a small bowl was placed against Yao Guang's lips, the warm and slightly sweet water in the bowl gently touched her lips.

  Yao Guang subconsciously sucked it in, the more she drank, the more urgent she became, completely disregarding the person next to her who reminded her "don't be in a hurry". It wasn't until she finished drinking the entire bowl of water that she finally felt awake. She tried to circulate her true energy once, but inside her dantian was empty and hollow, with only a weak thread of true energy that could almost be ignored. She immediately stopped moving, and let out a sigh with a hint of a smile.

  "As expected..."

  The attendant beside him gently patted her back and asked in a low voice, "How are you feeling, sir?"

  Yao Guang turned her gaze and took a glance, the person in front of her was actually Ying Zheng wearing a black robe, she was stunned for a while before regaining consciousness.

  I thought it was just a maid, but it's actually Ying Zheng?

  Looking at his slightly haggard expression, he was probably guarding for quite some time.

  Perhaps... no matter how much she overestimated "Yao Guang True Person"'s position in the heart of this emperor, it was still an underestimation.

  An indescribable feeling churned in Yao Guang's heart.

  Facing such sincere concern, Yao Guang let out a sigh and said in a low voice: "If it doesn't break, it won't be established. It's destined to be this way after being broken."

  Ying Zheng furrowed his brow, seemingly still somewhat perplexed.

  Yao Guang slowly regained his composure and continued, "Earlier, I forcibly reversed the flow of my meridians, causing seven or eight-tenths of them to be destroyed. The battle at the Mechanism City added new injuries, and I had originally thought that without several years of recuperation, it would be difficult for me to recover... But now, this lightning tribulation has brought both fortune and disaster together. Although it has unblocked my previously obstructed meridians, my cultivation base, which took several years to build up, has probably been destroyed in an instant."

  Yao Guang did not panic because she had already guessed something before Jian Cheng.

  In the Jianghu, there are many who must abandon their original skills after becoming an apprentice in order to continue practicing a new technique. Now that she wants to change her path, it's uncertain how much of her previous training can be retained, and at worst, she'll have to start from scratch. Fortunately, her meridians have become unblocked and even expanded, which is already an unexpected joy for her.

  Ying Zheng did not know the subtlety of this, and when he heard "power destroyed in an instant", his face changed color. A martial artist losing all their power was no different from a ruler losing their authority, who could not care about such a tragic thing? He looked at Yao Guang's expression again, and it was as calm as usual.

  "Alas, sir, I still haven't learned enough from your teachings on cultivating one's mind and energy."

  Yao Guang was slightly stunned by the praise, a faint flush rising to her pale cheeks. She pursed her lips and said in a low voice, "A cultivator should have a clear mind and persistent determination, especially one who practices swordsmanship."

  Otherwise, even if one can master swordsmanship in favorable circumstances, when encountering changes and the sword is stained with blood, how can those with weak willpower continue to hold the sword without changing their resolve?

  Qin Shi Huang seemed to recall something, his originally stern expression gradually became gentle, and his eyes also took on a nostalgic hue. Smiling, he said: "It has been many years since I last heard your teachings, Mr., but now that I hear them again, they are still so simple and incisive."

  Whenever the topic of "past events" was brought up, Yao Guang would not respond excessively to avoid saying too much and making mistakes. She remained silent, waiting for Qin Zheng to speak. After a moment, Qin Zheng cleared his throat, withdrew his hands, and stood up straight.

  "Sir, rest assured and take a good rest. If there's anything, just call someone to attend to it. Don't force yourself to support it. I'll go to the outer chamber to review the memorials."

  Yao Guang nodded slightly.

  Ying Zheng turned around and left, before leaving, he specially took down the long sword hanging beside him and put it in Yao Guang's hand.

  Yao Guang held the long sword close to her body, closed her eyes, and she could faintly hear a pulse-like vibration coming from within the sword. A sharp and powerful sword energy directly penetrated through the scabbard and clothes into her skin, muscles, and bones. It was sharp, thick, and piercing, with more of the momentum of wind and thunder than Yu Qing's, but less of Yu Qing's clarity and purity.

  This is her sword.

  This is the sword that belongs only to Yao Guang.

  Heart and mind are connected, breath and pulse are linked, from now on, a lifetime of cultivation for one sword, one sword for a lifetime of cultivation.

  Yao Guang felt that the missing part in his heart was filled up, and the unease that had been lurking since he lost the Yu Qing sword completely disappeared.

  Yao Guang quietly sensed for a moment, then habitually slung his long sword over his back and slowly walked out to the outer room.

  In the vast and spacious hall, there was only one person.

  The supreme emperor of this country sat at a desk, buried in handling piles of memorials.

  Yao Guang quietly thought for a moment, recalling that the historical records stated that Qin Shi Huang "reviewed and approved 120 jin of documents every day". Among all the emperors throughout history, Shi Huang can be said to be one of the most diligent. With great talent and vision, he was also extremely hardworking and demanding on himself, it's no wonder that he achieved unprecedented accomplishments. If later generations of emperors had such a broad mind and strategic thinking, why would the world have been in constant turmoil? Yi Zheng laid down such a foundation, but his son Er Shi was able to ruin the great empire in just a few short years, how can one not sigh with regret?

  How many people sing the praises of the two Hans, how hard and meritorious the emperors were. However, in Yao Guang's heart, the Han dynasty's emperors are simply a joke. Because they "overthrew" the Qin dynasty, the Han emperors refused to use the mature policies left by the Qin, instead wanting to create new ones, only to end up abolishing many of them later on. After the founding of the Han dynasty, it took many years for the people to recover from their exhaustion. If the emperor hadn't insisted on discarding the Qin laws and national strategies, would they have needed so many years? The emperors saved face and comforted themselves, but in the end, the common people had to pay the price. Moreover, they even used the Spring and Autumn Annals' writing style to criticize the previous dynasty in historical records, as if the Qin dynasty was completely worthless. If the Qin dynasty was truly worthless and Qin Shi Huang was just a tyrant, why did he unify China? Why did he establish the imperial system? It can be said that later emperors simply followed the framework set by Qin Shi Huang and walked along the path he paved, whether they acknowledged it or not.

  The figure working hard in front of the desk at this moment is a hundred times more touching to Yau Kwong's heart than the few strokes of ink on historical records.

  This is the emperor she insisted on promoting and praising even if it meant going against her master.

  Who would have thought that one day she could see this emperor of a thousand years with her own eyes?

  In the quiet palace, even a soft sigh is exceptionally clear.

  Yao Guang walked over with a hint of confusion and asked: "Your Majesty, why are you sighing?"

  Ying Zheng immediately stood up, his expression seemed a bit tired, but his eyebrows and eyes were full of unyielding tenacity. He slightly bowed to Yao Guang, smiling and shaking his head.

  "It's just a few caterpillars, no need for you to worry, sir. You've just woken up, why don't you rest some more?"

  Yao Guang keenly captured the faint worry between Ying Zheng's eyebrows, and she slightly furrowed her brow, shaking her head: "It doesn't matter. If Your Majesty trusts me, you might as well tell me, which place's caterpillars are making Your Majesty anxious? I am willing to get rid of these things for Your Majesty."

  Ying Zheng hesitated for a moment, intending to say that Mr. Gong's power was completely lost and it would be too dangerous to leave the palace, but he thought of some past events and immediately swallowed his doubts, turned around and pulled out a secret report from a pile of memorials and handed it to Yao Guang.

  "Please look, sir."

  Yao Guang was stunned for half a second before taking over the secret report. After unfolding it, she furrowed her brow due to that familiar phrase: "...Cang Long Qi Suo, Dong Fang, Sang Hai, Ru Jia...Mo Jia." Yao Guang pondered for a moment, then looked up at Ying Zheng, "What's making Your Majesty hesitant is the Mo School that has fled to Sang Hai, or the Ru School that has always been entrenched in Sang Hai? Or perhaps it's both?"

  Qin Zheng's expression was serious and he nodded solemnly.

  "The gentleman is still so sharp. Confucianism and Mohism are the two most prominent schools of thought in this world, with many followers and a profound influence. However, the Mohist school has already raised its opposing flag, while the attitude of the Confucian school is unclear, and I cannot help but think deeply about it."

  Yao Guang slowly rolled up the secret report, and replied in a relaxed tone: "Then let's try it out. Whether the Confucians are loyal to Qin or intend to rebel against Qin, we'll know once we try. I'll go to Sang Hai to meet with the Confucians."

  Ying Zheng heard this and unconsciously let out a sigh of relief. Coming back to his senses, he couldn't help but find it amusing.

  It was only because it was Yao Guang who had asked for his life that he felt at ease. If it were someone else, before doubting whether the other party could do it or not, would he also question whether the other party's request for his life had ulterior motives?

  All these years, the one he trusts the most is still his husband.

  Thinking of this, Ying Zheng smiled and said: "Then I'll have to trouble you, sir."

  Yao Guang's expression turned serious as he nodded solemnly.

  "Give me a few days to make some preparations... Is there a library within Xianyang Palace? There are some things I'd like to see if I can find."

  Ying Zheng replied with a smile: "All the books in the world are stored in Xianyang. Please follow me, sir. The Cloud Platform has been built for some time now, and we have been waiting for you."