Looking at Ying Zheng's domineering gaze, Meng Yi fell silent.
His relationship with Ying Zheng was extremely good.
They were lord and subject, but also close friends.
Therefore, none of the court officials understood Ying Zheng as well as he did.
He knew that Ying Zheng didn't care about these things.
He didn't care about the world's evaluation of him.
His goal was much grander.
Zhangtai Palace.
Ying Zheng and Meng Yi stepped down from the imperial carriage.
Ying Zheng walked up the steps, one by one.
When he reached the highest point, he slowly turned around and looked at the magnificent Xianyang Palace, a surge of heroic spirit rising in his heart.
He didn't care about the world's evaluation of him.
Tyrant or not.
Benevolent ruler or not!
What he wanted to do was far more important than these so-called reputations.
What he sought was beyond the comprehension of those short-sighted individuals.
If anyone could understand, then, under heaven, it could only be that person in the imperial prison!
Thinking of this, Ying Zheng sighed and walked back into Zhangtai Palace.
Zhangtai Palace had already been cleaned, and the desks were neatly arranged.
Ying Zheng sat down, opened a bamboo slip, and began to handle state affairs.
After lingering for a moment, Meng Yi also bid farewell and left.
Within the vast Zhangtai Palace, it was exceptionally quiet, with only the sound of Ying Zheng constantly flipping through bamboo slips.
Night.
Inside Zhangtai Palace, roars echoed.
Imperial physicians continuously entered Zhangtai Palace.
One after another, until late into the night, silence was finally restored.
...
Morning court.
All the court officials, civil and military, were waiting.
"His Majesty arrives!" As Zhao Gao's voice rang out, Ying Zheng slowly walked forward and sat on the dragon throne.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The civil and military officials bowed.
"Rise!" Ying Zheng waved his hand, signaling everyone to stand.
Ying Zheng looked at the civil and military officials, and they in turn secretly observed Ying Zheng.
They noticed that Ying Zheng seemed even more haggard than a few days prior, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, and a faint redness and swelling visible.
His Majesty's health seemed to be deteriorating day by day.
This was the thought of many.
"If you have matters to report, report them; otherwise, court is dismissed!" Zhao Gao called out.
"Your subject has a matter to report!" Imperial Censor Feng Jie stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "The Yellow River has burst its banks, the Bian Prefecture region is severely affected, the people are displaced, and there are already many refugees. I request Your Majesty to order disaster relief!"
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng couldn't help but frown. "This matter should be dealt with immediately by opening granaries and distributing grain to aid the disaster victims! Feng Jie, you shall be responsible for this matter."
"As you command!" Feng Jie accepted the order.
Ying Zheng looked at the civil and military officials and asked, "The Yangtze River and Yellow River are the sources of life for the people, with countless tributaries. Water is the foundation of life and agriculture. Do any of you have a method to control the waters, so that the people of the world will no longer suffer from water-related disasters?"
Upon hearing this, Zheng Guo's eyes lit up. He stepped out of the ranks, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, Great Qin now has the Zheng Guo Canal, the Ling Canal, and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, which not only protect the people of the Qinling Mountains from floods but also benefit future generations for millennia. Your subject is willing to travel to the Yellow River, draw water maps, and manage the water disaster! I hope Your Majesty will grant this!"
Ying Zheng nodded slightly, approvingly, and said, "In ancient times, there was Yu the Great who controlled the waters; today, there is Zheng Guo who constructs canals. You will surely leave your name in history! I appoint you as the Grand Master of Water Control, in charge of all water conservancy under heaven, to draw a map of the Yellow River and solve the Yellow River's water disaster!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Your subject will do his utmost; I will not return until the water disaster is cured!" Zheng Guo was very excited and quickly bowed in thanks.
He looked gratefully at Feng Jie.
If Feng Jie hadn't brought him to court today, he might not have had this opportunity.
After building the Zheng Guo Canal, he had stayed in Xianyang, feeling like he had strength but no place to use it, which was very uncomfortable.
Now, he finally had a chance to show his full potential!
Moreover, he was still very moved in his heart.
He was originally a spy from the State of Han, using the 'exhaust the state' strategy to drain Great Qin's national power; but after Ying Zheng discovered him, he not only did not punish him but continued to let him build canals.
Perhaps others thought Ying Zheng was a tyrant, but Zheng Guo knew that Ying Zheng cared for the world, and as long as it benefited the people of the world, he was willing to do it.
Furthermore, his inclusion of officials from the Six Kingdoms was something other monarchs could not compare to.
After numerous officials reported on state affairs,
Chunyu Yue stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice, "Your subject earnestly requests Your Majesty to end the burning of books. If Your Majesty continues to act arbitrarily, he will inevitably be nailed to the pillar of historical shame and be reviled by the people of the world in the future!"
Other scholar-officials also stepped forward.
"Please, Your Majesty, retract your decree and end the burning of books!"
"The burning of books is an evil act, and it is an act that severs the inheritance of civilization. Without books to pass down, the world's people will become ignorant and may regress to the period of eating raw meat and blood, and the culprit is Your Majesty!"
"Your Majesty, this is the act of a tyrant. Your Majesty surely does not wish for historians to record this, allowing your ill reputation to spread!"
...
Looking at the sharp-tongued Confucian scholars, Ying Zheng was not angry but simply looked at them indifferently.
After they finished speaking, Ying Zheng slowly stood up.
He walked down the steps, looked at the court officials, and asked, "Just now, I heard you say that I am a tyrant?"
The other officials couldn't help but fall silent.
Chunyu Yue said emphatically, "Your Majesty, you have slaughtered countless people, destroyed the Six Kingdoms, and your hands are stained with millions of lives. If this is not a tyrant, then what is it?"
"Your Majesty governs the country with severe laws and undertakes grand construction projects, using hundreds of thousands of people to build the Great Wall, construct the Qin Emperor's Mausoleum, and build Afang Palace. If this is not the act of a tyrant, not the act of a foolish ruler, then what is it?"
"If Your Majesty still has self-awareness, you should implement the benevolent acts of Confucianism and govern the country with virtue!"
Li Si immediately stepped forward and angrily rebuked, "Silence! Govern the country with benevolence? Govern with virtue? Are we to use benevolence to appease the hatred of the people of the Six Kingdoms towards Great Qin? You only talk on paper and do not understand the national conditions of Great Qin at all!"
"That's not because Prime Minister Li, you are a Legalist and a traitor to Confucianism, so you advocate governing the country by law, satisfying your selfish desires, and harming the people of the world!" Chunyu Yue cursed.
"Silence! You insult my teacher, you deserve to be executed!" Li Si was furious.
Chunyu Yue glared, "Could it be that Prime Minister Li still intends to use private torture on this official!"
Li Si glared at Chunyu Yue.
A group of Confucian scholars all glared at Li Si, as if ready to go to war with him at any moment.
Ying Zheng snorted coldly.
Seeing this, everyone hurriedly cupped their hands and bowed their heads.
Ying Zheng slowly said, "You say that I am a tyrant, a foolish ruler, and you are placing the sins of the Six Kingdoms upon me, aren't you?"
Chunyu Yue said, "Your Majesty should have self-awareness. It is not that we are imposing the sins of the Six Kingdoms upon Your Majesty, but rather Your Majesty caused all of this to happen. The wars against the Six Kingdoms resulted in millions of deaths, nearly ten million, exhausting resources and people, causing the people to be displaced, without clothes, without food, and furthermore, the construction of palaces, mausoleums, and the Great Wall consumed the people's strength. This is all Your Majesty's fault!"
This was the phenomenon of the Great Qin court.
Officials could vehemently criticize Ying Zheng.
And Ying Zheng would never kill them out of anger.
If they had not committed a crime, Ying Zheng would never arbitrarily kill any official.
Therefore, Ying Zheng was also the only emperor in history who never killed a meritorious minister.
But this also emboldened the arrogance of these Confucian scholars.
Ying Zheng had long been accustomed to the words of Chunyu Yue and others and did not care. Looking at Chunyu Yue, he said, "You say that I waged wars against the Six Kingdoms, resulting in nearly ten million deaths and injuries, and the people were displaced. Then I ask you, before I unified the Six Kingdoms, for how many years did the Seven Kingdoms fight? How many people died?"