How A Ride-Hailing Driver Comes To Dominate The World? [EN]: Chapter 713

Doing Me a Favor by Making Me Your Chancellor?

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) ordered Wang Jian to lead the soldiers from the Lishan camp back to their garrison. He also mandated a strict and thorough ideological investigation of the soldiers involved in Ying Yu’s rebellion to ensure their loyalty solely to him, preventing them from following any commander’s unauthorized orders.

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) then led the Imperial Guards to bring Lao Ai and other key conspirators back to Xianyang Palace, where he summoned civil and military officials to witness their execution.

Following this, 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) and Yang Chen, accompanied by the Imperial Guards, went to the 离宫 (Lí Gōng) Palace [a detached palace or secondary residence, often used by royalty].

Zhao Ji had been waiting at the entrance. Upon seeing 嬴政’s (Yíng Zhèng’s) arrival, her expression turned visibly panicked. Before 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) could approach, she rushed inside, urging the maids and eunuchs to take the two children and escape through the back door.

At that moment, 嬴政’s (Yíng Zhèng’s) voice echoed in.

“Mother, Lao Ai has been captured. There’s no use in struggling!”

Zhao Ji froze for a moment, then quickly urged the palace maids and eunuchs to leave with the children through the back door, while she tried to stall 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) to buy them time.

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) entered the hall, and Zhao Ji quickly ran to him, embracing him as she pleaded, “政儿 (Zhèng’er) [a term of endearment for ‘Zheng,’ his given name], it’s all my fault. Blame me, kill me, but please spare your two younger brothers. Please?”

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) looked at his mother with surprise and questioned, “Mother, what do you take me for? Huh? What do you take me for? To protect the sons of a traitor, you would have your own son bear the infamy of matricide? Are they more important to you than I am?”

Zhao Ji quickly cried and explained, “No, no. You are all my flesh and blood. It’s not that I don’t care about you, but I can’t accept you killing your own brothers.”

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) immediately retorted angrily, “They are not my brothers, and I am not their brother. My surname is Ying, not Lao.”

Just then, four guards brought back the palace maids and eunuchs who were trying to escape with Lao Ai’s two sons, along with the children themselves.

The two children were terrified, constantly crying for their mother.

Zhao Ji tried to step forward and embrace the children, but 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) pulled her back.

“Can’t you leave me any dignity? Do you insist on making me a laughingstock?” 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) questioned.

Zhao Ji immediately knelt down and begged, “I’m kneeling before you, I beg you, spare them, please spare them.”

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) also knelt down and kowtowed to Zhao Ji, saying, “I beg you, Mother, to treat me as your son, please? Guards, drag all the palace maids and eunuchs in the 离宫 (Lí Gōng) Palace out and behead them! Take these two bastards and throw them to their deaths!”

“Yes!”

Zhao Ji immediately turned to try and snatch the children, but 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) pulled her back again.

“No! Please, no! Let them go, don’t kill them! 政儿 (Zhèng’er), I beg you, give them a chance to live!” Zhao Ji cried.

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) was indifferent, his heart now as cold as ashes.

The palace maids and eunuchs cried and begged for mercy, but the guards ignored them, dragging them to the backyard where they were all beheaded.

Then, Lao Ai’s two children were lifted high by the guards and thrown forcefully to the ground, once, twice, three times… until the two children were completely lifeless.

Zhao Ji was in unbearable pain and began to beat 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng), but 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) remained unmoved.

After a while, Zhao Ji stopped, exhausted, and collapsed to the ground, weeping.

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) released Zhao Ji and then said, “Send the Empress Dowager to the 萯阳宫 (Yíng Yáng Gōng) Palace in Yongcheng. From now on, she is forbidden from stepping out of the palace gates, or all the guards will be beheaded and displayed as a warning.”

The guards immediately stepped forward to escort Zhao Ji away. Zhao Ji was too weak from crying, so 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) summoned maids and eunuchs from other palaces to accompany her to the 萯阳宫 (Yíng Yáng Gōng) Palace.

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) composed himself, ignoring the pain from Zhao Ji’s scratches on his face, and smiled at Yang Chen, saying, “先生 (Xiānshēng) [Sir/Teacher/Master], is my handling of this acceptable?”

Yang Chen smiled and nodded, saying, “政哥 (Zhèng Gē) [Brother Zheng – a familiar form of address], your handling is of course perfect! Lao Ai’s children had to die, but the Empress Dowager is, after all, your mother, so confinement is sufficient. You must not harm her life. Next, you should deal with Lao Ai and Ying Yu and the other rebels. Oh, and there is one more person you must kill.”

“Who?” 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) asked.

“Lü Buwei!” Yang Chen replied.

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) remained silent.

Yang Chen continued, “You will soon exile Lü Buwei to Ba Shu. Lü Buwei knows that his relationship with you cannot be repaired, and he cannot endure the life of exile, so he will commit suicide by poison in the second year. Since he is going to die anyway, you might as well fulfill his wish. It will also serve as a warning to everyone that no matter how great their contributions, those who harm you will not have a good end!”

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) looked surprised and said, “先生 (Xiānshēng) is truly a divine being. I was indeed planning to exile Lü Buwei to the Ba Shu region. You can see through my thoughts.”

Yang Chen laughed and said, “Not really. I am from 2000 years in the future. I have read history books, so I naturally know how you plan to deal with Lü Buwei.” 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) nodded and said, “That’s true. Since you have read in the history books that Lü Buwei will commit suicide by poison next year, then I will not exile him to the Ba Shu region. After dealing with Lao Ai and Ying Yu, I will grant him a cup of poisoned wine.”

Yang Chen nodded and said, “That works too. Let’s go, they should be ready, it’s time to execute Lao Ai and Ying Yu.”

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) nodded and hurried back to Xianyang Palace.

By this time, everything was prepared in the palace square. Ying Yu and other rebels were kneeling on the ground with their hands tied behind their backs, awaiting beheading, while Lao Ai’s neck and limbs were tied with thick ropes, the other ends of which were tied to five horses.

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) announced loudly, “Since my ascension to the throne, I have been working diligently to fulfill the wishes of my ancestors and lead Great Qin on the path to strength. I believe I have treated every loyal minister and general well enough, but I never expected that Ying Yu would be bewitched by Lao Ai to rebel and kill me. I am ashamed of Ying Yu, and the Ying clan is ashamed of Ying Yu! Today, in front of all my esteemed ministers, I will execute these rebels!”

At this point, a group of ministers with the surname Ying came forward to plead for Ying Yu, arguing that Ying Yu was temporarily confused by Lao Ai’s bewitchment and that he might not have actually wanted to kill 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng). They hoped that 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) would spare Ying Yu for the sake of their shared ancestry.

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) was furious and immediately drew his sword, pointing it at the ministers as he roared, “You… you are truly something! What do you take me for? Why does no one consider my feelings, only your own! Whoever pleads for Ying Yu, come forward and speak! Come here!”

嬴政’s (Yíng Zhèng’s) veins were bulging on his hands. At this moment, even if Zhao Ji came, she would probably be stabbed to death. The ministers were not fools. They could say a few words, but they would not risk their lives to plead for Ying Yu.

Seeing that no one dared to respond, 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) immediately shouted, “Except for the main culprit Lao Ai, all others will be beheaded and displayed as a warning!”

The executioners immediately picked up their knives, walked behind Ying Yu and the others, and then raised their executioner’s blades and struck down.

Although Yang Chen was mentally prepared, he was still uncomfortable with such a bloody scene.

Ying Yu’s relatives sighed helplessly at this scene, blaming Ying Yu for his own stupidity, not anyone else.

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) turned his gaze to Lao Ai and said loudly, “Lao Ai led his retainers to assassinate me, a crime that cannot be forgiven! I sentence him to be torn apart by five horses [a brutal execution method], and his three clans to be exterminated! Execute!”

Lao Ai knew that he had no chance of survival, and since 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) was going to exterminate his three clans, he completely let go and cursed, “嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng), you little brat, I am your father! Hahaha… ha… oh… oh…”

The five horses ran in different directions at the same time, and Lao Ai’s body was immediately stretched taut by the ropes.

The guards kept whipping the horses, and the horses, in pain, ran forward desperately. Lao Ai’s neck and limbs felt intense pulling pain. When the pulling force of the horses reached a certain point, Lao Ai’s head and limbs were successively torn off.

Yang Chen immediately covered his eyes, thinking, “This is too bloody.”

The ancients were ruthless. There were many such cruel punishments, such as branding, slow slicing, etc., each more cruel and bloody than the last.

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) announced loudly, “Anyone who plots rebellion will suffer a fate even worse than theirs! I do not want to experience a second time, and I hope that all of you ministers will be loyal to me!”

The civil and military officials immediately expressed their loyalty to 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng).

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) nodded and said, “Please, all of you ministers, come to the hall to speak. I want to introduce you to a very important 先生 (Xiānshēng).”

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) smiled at Yang Chen, and they both went to the hall, understanding each other’s intentions.

The civil and military officials quickly followed.

“Who is the king going to introduce to us?”

“I heard that the king met a strangely dressed man who helped the king escape danger, eliminate Lao Ai’s retainers, and capture Lao Ai alive.”

“Ah? So powerful! It seems that the king will reward him, and the official position will not be low, possibly even at the level of a chancellor.”

“Impossible, right? Even if the king wants to thank him, he can’t give him such a high position in one step. He should give him a small official position first and then find opportunities to promote him later.”

“I agree with this approach. Giving him a high official position in one step would be too unconvincing. The king should understand this principle and not do such a foolish thing.”

…

After everyone had arrived, 嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) announced loudly, “Although I was assassinated, I am still very happy. Why? First, I eliminated the hidden danger. Second, from now on, I will officially rule in my own right, without being restrained by anyone. Third, I have gained a very powerful 先生 (Xiānshēng). He is the one beside me, his name is Yang Chen. He is the one who helped me escape danger and eliminate Lao Ai’s retainers. 先生 (Xiānshēng) Yang, please greet the ministers.”

Yang Chen smiled and said, “Hello, everyone. My name is Yang Chen. In the future, let’s discuss things together and assist the king in unifying the six kingdoms!”

嬴政 (Yíng Zhèng) laughed and said, “先生 (Xiānshēng) Yang speaks well! To express my gratitude to 先生 (Xiānshēng), I want to appoint 先生 (Xiānshēng) as chancellor. I wonder if 先生 (Xiānshēng) is willing?”