127: Chapter 127 describes how sculptures of AKs, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, and sniper rifles were used as burial goods for the First Emperor.

"Your Majesty the Paramount Leader!"

The Minister of Ceremonies came to Xianyang Palace and found Zhao Fusu.

As the head of the Nine Ministers, he was in charge of ancestral temple rituals and held a key position in the funeral affairs of the monarch.

The Minister of Ceremonies was responsible for formulating and executing funeral ritual standards to ensure the entire process complied with the Great Qin's patriarchal system and ritual traditions, such as arranging the ceremonies for encoffining, the lying-in-state, and the funeral procession.

The reason he came to see Zhao Fusu was that in one week, the First Emperor's coffin would be taken out for the funeral procession and buried within the Lishan Mausoleum.

The First Emperor's concubines who had not given birth were to be treated as burial objects and sent into the Lishan Mausoleum to be buried with the First Emperor.

Not only that, but the craftsmen who built the underground palace for the First Emperor—especially Cui Wenzi's team—held the core secrets of the underground palace and knew the locations of the tomb's traps and passages.

To prevent Cui Wenzi's team from leaking secrets and causing the First Emperor's underground palace to be damaged, they were to be executed or locked inside the underground palace to be buried with the First Emperor.

As a modern person, Zhao Fusu could not stand by and watch living people be used as burial sacrifices.

Cui Wenzi's team had not only built the underground palace but also helped him build the Steel Mill's workshops; the Coking Furnaces, blast furnaces, Open-hearth Furnaces, and chimneys were all researched and constructed by Cui Wenzi's team.

The Cui clan also originated from the Gongshu Family, and Zhao Fusu planned to entrust the Hot Air Balloon project to them for research and development.

He absolutely had to protect such talents.

Zhao Fusu said, "Regarding burial objects, do not use living people."

"Have the craftsmen use clay to sculpt life-sized human models and place them in the underground palace as burial objects for His Majesty the First Emperor."

"This..."

The Minister of Ceremonies frowned.

Zhao Fusu's approach was clearly in violation of ancestral systems.

"Go and do it,"

Zhao Fusu said, "Do not skimp on the burial sculptures. Not only must there be thousands of troops and horses, but also war chariots, crossbows, and Bronze Swords, to ensure His Majesty the First Emperor can still wage war in all directions once he reaches the Yellow Springs."

"As you command!"

Thinking of this image, the Minister of Ceremonies was so excited that he got goosebumps.

If His Majesty the First Emperor could also carve out a realm in the underworld, then they truly would be Great Qin people in life and Great Qin ghosts in death!

"Also, have a large number of these Thermal Weapon sculptures made so they can follow His Majesty the First Emperor to conquer the underworld together."

As Zhao Fusu spoke, he took out many blueprints for the Minister of Ceremonies.

On them were AKs, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, and sniper rifles.

These Thermal Weapons had detailed dimensions, so there was no fear that the master sculptors wouldn't be able to recreate them at a one-to-one scale.

"As you command!"

Although the Minister of Ceremonies did not know what these things were, he still agreed.

The corners of Zhao Fusu's mouth curled slightly.

If later generations ever opened the underground palace, it would surely give them a massive surprise!

Zhao Fusu sent someone to find Cui Wenzi.

When the members of the Cui clan learned that Zhao Fusu wanted to summon Cui Wenzi, their expressions became solemn.

An elder of the Cui clan said, "Has what was meant to come finally arrived?"

A member of the Cui clan said, "His Majesty the Head of State is benevolent; he surely wouldn't make us be buried with His Majesty the First Emperor!"

"But the ancestral system is as such!"

The Cui elder said, "We know too many secrets of the underground palace."

"Indeed."

Another Cui elder added, "While building the Steel Mill for His Majesty the Head of State, we also learned too many core secrets of the mill."

"To keep these secrets, His Majesty the Head of State will only eliminate us!"

"The best way is to secretly lock us in the underground palace and let us die inside."

The Cui clansmen discussed how Zhao Fusu would deal with them.

Most of these people held a pessimistic attitude, yet there wasn't much worry on their faces.

This was because they had long ago left themselves a way out.

When they were building the underground palace, they had used Self-locking Stones and Hooked Keys to pre-install escape passages and mechanisms.

If Zhao Fusu wanted to seal them in the underground palace to be buried with the First Emperor, they would leave through the pre-installed escape passages and mechanisms.

Whether it was building the underground palace or the Steel Mill for Zhao Fusu, they had earned a lot of money.

This money was enough for them to use for the rest of their lives.

Cui Wenzi shared the same thoughts as his clansmen.

He thought Zhao Fusu coming to find him this time was likely to say that the underground palace still needed their final inspection.

After tricking them into the underground palace, he would seal it off and trap them inside to die.

Such things were common occurrences; when they were building the First Emperor's underground palace, they had been cautious and had already prepared a fallback.

"This humble commoner greets Your Majesty the Paramount Leader!"

After seeing Zhao Fusu, Cui Wenzi respectfully bowed to him.

"Sit."

Upon seeing Cui Wenzi's arrival, Zhao Fusu motioned for him to sit down.

He had a palace maid bring tea.

"Your Cui clan originates from the Gongshu Family, right?"

The question Zhao Fusu asked was somewhat unexpected for Cui Wenzi.

Cui Wenzi thought Zhao Fusu would talk about the underground palace; he didn't understand why he was bringing up the Gongshu Family.

Cui Wenzi narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking this might be Zhao Fusu's stalling tactic.

He would eventually get to the matter of the underground palace!

"Yes."

Cui Wenzi nodded.

"Then what about the main branch of your Gongshu Family?"

Hearing this question, Cui Wenzi's eyes narrowed; he knew Zhao Fusu still wouldn't let the Gongshu Family and the Cui clan go.

Cui Wenzi said in a deep voice, "Reporting to Your Majesty the Paramount Leader, the Gongshu Family is building the underground palace at Mount Li."

"Then bring them all here."

Zhao Fusu said, "I want to see them."

"This!"

Cui Wenzi panicked instantly.

How was the development of this script different from what he had imagined?

He wasn't afraid of Zhao Fusu locking the Gongshu Family and the Cui clan in the underground palace; what he feared was that after Zhao Fusu gathered them all together, he would have them secretly executed.

"Is there a problem?"

Zhao Fusu looked at Cui Wenzi with confusion. "You're acting as if I'm going to kill them."

Cui Wenzi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Your Majesty the Paramount Leader is benevolent; how could you do such a thing!"

Cui Wenzi could only hope that Zhao Fusu truly was benevolent.

After returning to the residence where the Cui clan lived, he immediately sent someone to invite the kinsmen of their main branch, the Gongshu Family.

After telling the Gongshu kinsmen the news that Zhao Fusu wanted to summon them, the people of the Gongshu Family fell silent.

"Let the young people of the clan leave Xianyang City and go far away."

The current patriarch of the Gongshu Family, Gongshu Chou, said, "Only we few old fogies will go see the King of Qin."

"Mm."

The group of white-haired elders of the Gongshu Family all nodded.

Cui Wenzi made the same arrangements as the Gongshu Family, letting the young people of the Cui clan take the children and women of the clan away from this place of trouble.

Their residences all had secretly built tunnels so that if they ever encountered a disaster, they could escape through them.

Having made full preparations, Cui Wenzi and Gongshu Chou finally led the group of old fogies to Xianyang Palace to see Zhao Fusu, with an aura like the wind sighing over the Yi River—once the old men depart, they shall never return.