ATPnovel Chapter 23 Prime Minister, you don't want to be replaced, do you? Li Si kneels!
Chapter 23 Prime Minister, you don't want to be replaced, do you? Li Si kneels!
Just as Li Si was wavering, Zhao Gao stepped forward and stood beside Hu Hai.
He stared at Li Si with a sinister gaze, like a venomous snake biting into Li Si's weak spot, and delivered the final blow in the most ruthless tone:
"Li Si, you'd better think this through. If General Meng Tian comes to power and turns against you, you'll regret it!"
Having served Ying Zheng for many years, Zhao Gao had long seen through Li Si's thoughts and accurately grasped his weaknesses: his greed for power and his concern for his family.
Pressing relentlessly, every word piercing the heart, every sentence striking at the heart of the matter:
"Prime Minister, ask yourself honestly, how do your achievements and prestige in the court compare to those of General Meng Tian?"
Prince Fusu has always been kind and benevolent, and opposed to oppressive policies. His political views differed from yours, leading to the burning of books and burying of scholars alive.
He harbored resentment towards you and repeatedly offered direct advice, leading to extremely unpleasant arguments!
"Once Fusu ascends the throne, General Meng Tian, who holds a large army and is as close as a brother to Fusu, will surely replace you and become the most powerful minister in the court!"
At that time, your position as prime minister, your power and glory, and the safety of your entire Li family will be at stake!
Everything will vanish into nothingness; the decline of the family will be nothing more than a matter of a moment!
"Now that His Majesty has passed away, no one but you and me knows about it. We can alter the will at will. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
If we join forces and support the eighteenth prince, Huhai, as emperor, Huhai will be young, inexperienced in politics, and obedient to you.
Not only will you retain your position as Prime Minister and control the Qin Dynasty forever, but you will also ensure the Li family's prosperity for generations to come, without any worries whatsoever!
They used both threats and inducements, leaving no way out.
In the picture, Li Si's expression changes dramatically, from initial anger and resistance to upholding righteousness.
Later, he struggled, hesitated, and wavered, his heart torn between loyalty to the emperor and loyalty to power and family, causing him immense pain.
In the scene, Li Si shook his head, repeating the same words as before, and then suddenly turned around.
They wanted to leave the inner sanctum as quickly as possible and escape this conspiracy that could overturn everything.
His steps were hurried, and the hem of his robe swept across the table, knocking over the bamboo slips on it.
The "whoosh" sound couldn't mask the panic and struggle within him.
But Hu Hai immediately stepped forward and blocked his way.
Hu Hai stood in front of Li Si, his small stature blocking Li Si's retreat.
He looked at Li Si, his eyes filled with urgency and pleading, yet tinged with a stubbornness bordering on unreasonableness; his voice trembled but remained firm:
"Prime Minister! Please help me! I don't want to live my whole life in my elder brother's shadow. I want Father to see that I can be a good emperor too!"
Zhao Gao then slowly walked up behind Li Si, crossed his arms, and fixed his sinister gaze on Li Si's back, his tone cold and mocking:
"Prime Minister, do you think you can still leave now?"
We both know of His Majesty's passing. The imperial edict is in my possession. If you insist on refusing it...
Then we will publicly declare that you conspired with Fusu and Meng Tian to overthrow the Qin Dynasty. At that time, your entire Li family will be executed without exception!
A threat, a blatant threat!
Li Si abruptly stopped, his blood freezing instantly.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white and blood seeped through his fingers, but he didn't notice at all.
In the scene, the clever Hu Hai noticed the change in Li Si's expression and knew that he was close to success!
Knowing the principle of giving a sweet treat after a slap, he immediately offered the most tempting promise.
He stepped forward and bowed deeply to Li Si, adopting an extremely humble posture.
His tone was incredibly sincere, brimming with utmost flattery and ingratiation, his eyes gleaming with an unwavering determination:
"If I become emperor, I will listen to you in everything. I will trust you and value you even more than my father did. I will respect you as I would my adoptive father!"
The words "Uncle" struck Li Si like a hammer blow.
The title of "Uncle" is second only to that of the emperor, the ultimate symbol of power and influence, and irrefutable proof that the Li family will enjoy wealth and prosperity for generations to come.
Compared to Fusu's loss of power after ascending the throne, the allure of this promise almost caused Li Si to lose his judgment instantly.
Li Si finally turned around slowly, looking at Zhao Gao and Hu Hai in front of him. The determination in his eyes began to crumble, replaced by extreme struggle and pain.
On one hand, there is the loyalty between ruler and subject that he upheld for half his life, the lifelong reputation of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country, and the eternal fame that will be left behind after his death.
On the other side lies the catastrophic decline of his family, the position of a powerful and influential figure in the court, and the wealth and glory he had worked so hard for throughout his life.
Zhao Gao's threats, Hu Hai's pleas, the hidden dangers after Fu Su's ascension to the throne, Hu Hai's promises after his accession...
Thoughts swirled wildly in Li Si's mind, tearing his mind apart like a meat grinder.
He looked at the bright yellow edict of succession in Zhao Gao's hand, which read, "Pass the throne to Fusu, and return to Xianyang immediately."
Finally, in the scene, Li Si slowly closed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly.
When he opened his eyes again, the determination in them had vanished, replaced by helplessness, compromise, and a hint of sadness that was hard to hide.
He slowly loosened his clenched fists, his shoulders slumped limply, as if all his energy had been drained away, and he had almost lost the strength to stand.
Looking at Zhao Gao's confident and sinister expression, he thought of his own tragic end after Fusu ascended the throne.
He thought of the power and family glory he had pursued all his life.
Ultimately, his lust for power triumphed over his sense of morality, and his concern for his family outweighed his loyalty to the First Emperor.
Li Si slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the determination in his eyes had completely disappeared, leaving only helplessness and compromise.
He remained silent for a long time before finally nodding slowly, completely siding with Zhao Gao and joining this shocking conspiracy to usurp the throne.
He looked at Zhao Gao and Hu Hai, his voice hoarse and broken, filled with a weary, tearful exhaustion, and slowly began to speak:
"That's enough...that's enough..."
These three words were his final choice, and also the beginning of his betrayal of his original aspirations.
Zhao Gao and Hu Hai exchanged a glance, a glint of triumph flashing in their eyes.
Zhao Gao no longer hesitated, quickly walked to the table, and took out Ying Zheng's original edict of succession from his bosom.
He then took out a brush, ink, and bamboo slips, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth, and said in a deep voice to Hu Hai and Li Si:
"Now that things have come to this, we must quickly amend the will to prevent future troubles!"
Hu Hai immediately moved closer to the table, staring intently at the pen in Zhao Gao's hand, his eyes filled with a fanatical determination to win.
Li Si stood to the side, head bowed, back hunched, eyes filled with regret and pain, but he no longer had the strength to resist.
Zhao Gao held the wolf-hair brush, his fingertips trembling slightly, yet he still wrote with lightning speed, each word landing on the bamboo slips.
The original edict, which stated "pass the throne to Fusu and return to Xianyang immediately to preside over the funeral," was completely altered.
The new imperial edict was filled with blood and tears in every word.
He rebuked Fusu for being "unfilial and disloyal, and resentful of his sovereign and father," and rebuked Meng Tian for "being incompetent in military affairs, disloyal and unjust." He ordered the two to "commit suicide immediately to atone for their sins."
At the same time, Huhai was appointed as the crown prince to inherit the throne of the Qin Dynasty, and he would ascend the throne immediately after his body was returned to Xianyang.
Every stroke of the pen rewrote the fate of the Qin Dynasty and cost the lives of Fusu and Meng Tian.
All of these pushed the Qin dynasty, the empire that Ying Zheng had devoted his life to, into the abyss of destruction.