4: Chapter 4 Stupid Pig! Absolutely a stupid pig! It's like lightning striking a cow, so awesome it's like lightning!

Hu Hai's voice echoed throughout the hall.

"Quick, say it: 'All ministers may rise'!"

The officials looked at one another, all of them staring in mutual bewilderment.

They desperately wanted to laugh, but they didn't dare. They could only hold it in, forcing themselves to think of sad things.

But it was so hard to suppress the laughter; their faces turned the color of pig liver from the effort.

"Take your seats!"

As Hu Hai's teacher, Zhao Gao hurriedly stepped forward to smooth things over for him.

Afterward, he essentially took over the morning court session.

He took the initiative to ask, "Report if there is business; otherwise, the court is dismissed."

"This minister has a report."

The man who stepped forward held the rank of Minister of Ceremonies.

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

He 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 encoffinment, the lying-in-state, and the funeral procession.

What he wanted to discuss with Hu Hai were the arrangements for Qin Shi Huang's funeral procession.

Hu Hai was still young and knew nothing of these ceremonies, so he needed the minister's explanations and arrangements.

Once the court session ended and the officials dispersed, a dark shadow entered the secret chamber where the First Emperor was located.

"How was Hu Hai's first day of court?"

Ying Zheng lay on his side on the bed, his expression quite languid.

Ever since he ascended the throne, he had never relaxed, his nerves always pulled taut.

Every day, he had to review a hundred pounds of memorials.

Those memorials written on bamboo slips required two people to carry them, and their contents exceeded two hundred thousand characters.

He was too tired.

On the rare occasions he rested and felt a sense of ease, he would feel a pang of guilt in his heart.

Ying Zheng felt he might simply be destined for a life of toil.

Regarding Hu Hai, Ying Zheng's impression was generally positive. This youngest son of his was clever and quick-witted; aside from being a bit mischievous, everything else was quite good.

Xia Wuche stood beside Ying Zheng, massaging him to relax his muscles.

The dark shadow kneeling on the ground had a somewhat unsightly expression.

He was somewhat afraid to speak.

"Speak!"

Ying Zheng added a bit of weight to his tone.

The shadow's body trembled, and he hurriedly recounted the events of today's court session in full detail.

After hearing it, Ying Zheng rose from the couch like a tiger or leopard.

The storm of aura erupting from him made the air pressure in the secret chamber become incredibly oppressive.

The shadow's body shook like chaff in the wind.

"Stupid pig!"

"A total stupid pig!"

"It's truly a case of lightning striking a cow—electrifyingly awesome!"

Ying Zheng's roar was like thunder, full of vigor.

Despite Ying Zheng consuming alchemical pills and having quite a bit of heavy metals in his body,

his constitution was still very good; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to undertake five inspection tours across multiple provinces by carriage.

Modern people feel physically uncomfortable after just two hours on a bus.

Let alone riding a swaying carriage on bumpy dirt roads, bouncing up and down, left and right, for several months.

After venting his anger for a while, Ying Zheng sat back down on the couch.

He clenched his teeth, still brooding over Hu Hai's disgraceful behavior.

He hadn't expected this usually clever youngest son of his to have such a pathetic reaction in the court; he was practically laughing from anger.

Truly as stupid as a pig!

Ying Zheng couldn't understand; he was quite intelligent himself, so how did he sire such a foolish son?

"Your Majesty, please appease your anger."

Xia Wuche said from the side, "After all, this was Prince Hu Hai's first time presiding over the court."

"Prince Hu Hai is still young; he is but a child. It is only normal for him to make a fool of himself."

Xia Wuche was indeed speaking up for Hu Hai out of fairness.

Hu Hai's performance was pathetic, but he hadn't yet reached adulthood.

To let a child who hadn't even come of age preside over a national assembly, poor performance was to be expected.

"Bullshit prince."

Ying Zheng said disdainfully, "If such a stupid pig of a prince succeeds the throne, the Great Qin will surely perish within five years!"

He couldn't help but think of that dream again.

"Sigh!"

Ying Zheng let out a heavy sigh. It wasn't that he wanted to toil; it was simply that his descendants were so disappointing!

He could only do his best to smooth the path for his progeny.

"Where is Hu Hai?"

Ying Zheng asked the shadow again.

"He has returned to his sleeping quarters."

"Good, I understand."

Inside Hu Hai's bedchamber, Hu Hai and Zhao Gao returned together.

Hu Hai was somewhat lost in thought, his face filled with wild joy. With his eyes slightly closed, he was still savoring the scene of sitting on the imperial throne, issuing commands and barking orders at the ministers.

Just thinking about it felt incredibly satisfying.

That feeling was too exhilarating, too wonderful!

With a creak, Hu Hai's bedchamber door was pushed open from the outside.

Hu Hai was still immersed in that pleasure, so he didn't notice someone had entered.

When Zhao Gao saw the person who entered, his expression changed instantly. He hurriedly prepared to bow and address him as the First Emperor.

But the First Emperor stopped him with a single look.

Zhao Gao was still very wary of this Emperor of the Ages; therefore, he did not dare to defy the First Emperor to his face.

The First Emperor's gaze coldly fixed upon Hu Hai, who was still lost in his euphoria.

Sensing that someone was staring at him, Hu Hai thought it was his teacher Zhao Gao.

He said excitedly, "Teacher, if Imperial Father didn't die, how could I have ascended the throne? It's good that he died—he died so well!"

Zhao Gao covered his face.

The First Emperor's eyes widened.

He looked left and right, and finally, he looked down at the taia sword hanging at his waist.

He slowly drew it out.

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

Zhao Gao hurriedly cried out.

He was also trying to interrupt Hu Hai, fearing the boy would say even more treasonous things.

Hu Hai also sensed the atmosphere was wrong. He opened his eyes and saw a rugged, majestic face of a Northwest man appearing before him.

"Fa—Father! How did you crawl out of the Golden Coffin!"

Hu Hai was terrified.

He was scared out of his wits.

This was simply too terrifying!

"I was brought back to life by your anger."

After the First Emperor finished speaking, he took his sword and went to strike Hu Hai.

"Murder! He's killing me!"

Hu Hai scrambled to run.

Ying Zheng chased after him with sword in hand.

Back then, Ying Zheng was someone who could outrun Jing Ke in a hundred-meter sprint. How could the pampered Hu Hai outrun Ying Zheng?

Soon, Hu Hai was caught by Ying Zheng and kicked over.

"Father, Father! I am your Hu Hai!"

Seeing he couldn't escape, Hu Hai grabbed Ying Zheng's leg, wiping a mess of snot and tears onto the First Emperor's black robes.

"Get lost!"

Ying Zheng gave Hu Hai another kick.

After kicking Hu Hai twice, Ying Zheng finally felt his mood improve considerably.

"Fa—Father, you're not dead!"

Hu Hai said toward Ying Zheng.

"Are you disappointed?"

Ying Zheng kept a stern face, staring at Hu Hai.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

Hu Hai said hurriedly.

He was indeed disappointed, but looking at the cold, glinting taia sword in his old father's hand, how could he possibly admit it?

He was truly afraid the First Emperor would perform an act of 'righteous kin-slaying'.

"Zhao Gao."

The First Emperor's gaze shifted to Zhao Gao, who was standing trembling to the side, his back drenched in sweat.

"This servant is here."

Zhao Gao replied in a low, humble voice.

"Teach your student well how to act!"

After the First Emperor spoke, he flicked his sleeve and left with the Shadow Guards of the Black Ice Platform.

Upon returning to the secret chamber, the First Emperor gazed toward the north.

With his intelligence, how could he not know that if Hu Hai were to succeed the throne, the Qin Dynasty would surely fall within five years?

That dream of his was incredibly realistic.

The only variable was Fusu.

Light flickered in Ying Zheng's eyes; he wanted to see what other extraordinary moves Fusu would make next.