SFS Chapter 79: Hu Hai
Chapter 79: Hu Hai
Night had fallen, and in the young master's bedroom in a side hall of the imperial palace, the candlelight flickered dimly.
The young prince Hu Hai, dressed in a black robe, sat upright at the table.
The exhaustion from accompanying his father on his eastern tour for several days, coupled with the anxious atmosphere within the entourage, caused the young man to unconsciously rub the bamboo slips in his hand.
Clearly, he was in a state of turmoil and unrest at that moment.
In the midst of this deathly silence, a series of footsteps suddenly sounded in the corridor, gradually becoming clearer as they approached.
Outside the palace gate, a figure stood with his head bowed; it was Zhao Gao, the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office.
His posture was extremely humble, his voice low and gentle, without the slightest overstepping of bounds, "Your subject Zhao Gao has come to see you at night, sir, to report a secret matter."
Upon hearing the sound, Hu Hai suddenly looked up, a look of surprise and doubt flashing across his eyes.
In the dead of night, the palace is heavily fortified, and no one may visit without the Emperor's personal edict; this is an ironclad rule.
Zhao Gao's actions undoubtedly crossed a line.
A chill crept up Hu Hai's spine. What could have made this close attendant who knew his father best disregard the prohibitions and come looking for him?
Furthermore, the Emperor had not received any of his subjects for several days.
Hu Hai suddenly shivered; he dared not think any further.
But looking at the figure outside the door, Hu Hai's Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he finally forced himself to remain calm and said, "The Prefect invites you in."
Zhao Gao slowly walked in, turning around with only a slight gesture of raising his hand.
The accompanying eunuch quickly retreated to the corridor and kept a close watch on the palace gate.
The heavy palace doors seemed to isolate the inner chambers, leaving only the faint crackling sound of burning candle wicks.
This single sound, however, only served to amplify the chilling atmosphere of the entire dormitory.
Zhao Gao walked steadily to the table, bowed his head deeply, and adopted a humble posture.
But beneath those eyelids, a storm was brewing.
In a calm and unassuming tone, he uttered a secret that could overturn the empire: "My lord, His Majesty has passed away."
"boom!"
The thunderclap exploded directly into Hu Hai's soul.
He trembled violently, and the bamboo slip slipped from his hand, crashing to the ground with a "thud".
"Is the Prefectural Magistrate joking?!"
Hu Hai's pupils contracted sharply, his face turned ashen, and he instinctively retorted.
Zhao Gao, however, did not speak, but stared at him expressionlessly.
"This...this..."
Hu Hai was momentarily lost in thought, his voice trembling, and he murmured almost instinctively.
"With the passing of our father, the entire nation should mourn and escort the coffin back to Xianyang. As his subjects, we should only observe the mourning period and fulfill our filial duties. How dare we discuss this privately?"
In the candlelight, Zhao Gao took in Hu Hai's icy expression.
Far from being disappointed, he felt a surge of anticipation and ecstasy.
This was exactly what Zhao Gao needed: a prey dominated by fear and weakness. Hu Hai did not disappoint him.
"Does Your Highness know that His Majesty left a will before his death, bestowing it solely upon his eldest son, Fusu, ordering him to return to Xianyang to preside over the funeral and succeed to the throne?"
"Fusu was benevolent and kind, had long held power in the court, and was also supported by Meng Tian's 300,000 troops in the northern frontier."
Zhao Gao raised his eyes, his gaze fixed on Hu Hai, and began to weave a net.
His words were low and deep, each sentence like a poisoned dagger, precisely piercing Hu Hai's most vulnerable defenses.
"When Fusu ascends the throne and takes control of the vast land of Qin, all of you princes will have to bow down and submit to him, without any further transgression."
He bowed slightly, deliberately softening his tone, and presented the harshest reality.
"And you, Prince Huhai... His Majesty has not bestowed upon you any reward whatsoever..."
Zhao Gao looked at Hu Hai with pity, "My lord, you are nothing but an insignificant plaything."
Hu Hai trembled slightly, gripped by immense fear.
But he still lowered his head, making a futile struggle, "The ruler knows his ministers, and the father knows his sons. Father has not issued an edict to enfeoff his sons; this is Father's command. Your son... Your subject can only obey; how dare I say more?"
The voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz; it was less a testament to perseverance and more a mournful cry of despair.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Gao's eyes flashed with a sharp light, and he suddenly took half a step forward.
"Qin law is harsh, and the emperor has no relatives. Fusu has always been at odds with me, and he also dislikes the princes and close attendants Your Majesty favors the inner palace."
"My lord, consider this: with each new emperor comes a new court. You will have no title or power, and will be relegated to the position of a subject, dependent on others."
"Your Majesty is wise; surely you would have thought of this?!"
At this point, Zhao Gao also dropped his submissive demeanor.
Step by step, step by step...
As they walked toward the distraught Hu Hai, the whispers they heard echoed more and more clearly in Hu Hai's mind.
"At that time, the young master's fortune, misfortune, life, and death will all depend on Fusu's single thought."
"Young master, do you think you would let go of this brother who constantly competes with you for favor?!"
The cold reality shattered any sliver of hope in Hu Hai's heart.
This also bluntly tells Hu Hai that Ying Zheng never regarded him as his successor, and that keeping him by his side was merely to enjoy a father-son relationship that he could not experience with Fusu.
Upon hearing this, Hu Hai seemed to see his bleak future.
"certain......"
Hu Hai was speechless.
Seeing this, Zhao Gao pressed even closer to Hu Hai.
He completely tore away that facade of respectfulness and humility, his tone becoming sharper, more direct, and more naked than ever before...
Like a sharp blade, it cuts through all the pretense of etiquette and rules, pointing directly to the essence of power.
"My lord, the power of the world is currently held by three people: His Majesty's last edict is in my hands, Prime Minister Li Si is in charge of all government affairs, and you, my lord, are born with the blood of the imperial family."
"Life, death, nobility, and lowliness—at this moment, they are not determined by fate or our father's decree, but solely by our own will!"
Zhao Gao emphasized the phrase "in a moment's thought" with extreme intensity, as if it were a magic spell to turn the tide.
Before he finished speaking, he quietly circled around to Hu Hai's back.
Zhao Gao leaned down, his lips almost touching Hu Hai's earlobe, and his chilling voice, like a venomous snake's tongue, burrowed directly into Hu Hai's mind.
The flickering candlelight cast a long, shadowy shadow of Hu Hai, enveloping his bewildered and helpless state.
"Those who are subject to others are ministers; those who rule the world are rulers!"
"If Your Highness wishes to ascend the throne, I may withhold the original edict, forge the late Emperor's will, depose Fusu, and install Your Highness as Emperor."
"At that time, you will rule the entire land, possessing a vast territory, wielding the power of life and death, becoming the Son of Heaven, with all nations submitting to you—how magnificent that will be!"
The voice was like a devil's whisper, carrying a terrifying allure.
The poison of power churned within Hu Hai's heart.
Inside the bedroom, the candlelight flickered.
Hu Hai felt that Zhao Gao's voice sometimes came from the left and sometimes pierced his eardrums from the right.
Finally, the sound seemed to lose its source.
He became completely integrated with the tidal wave of 'ambition' and 'fear' in his mind.
Hu Hai could no longer distinguish whether it was Zhao Gao's instigation or the roar of his own deepest, ignited desires.
His eyes were vacant and unfocused, and his fingertips trembled slightly uncontrollably.
After a long silence, Hu Hai finally managed to squeeze out the last gasp of struggle, "But..."
"Now the opportunity is right in front of us. If the three of us—the prince, the minister, and the prime minister—work together, we can turn the world upside down."
Zhao Gao didn't give Hu Hai a chance to hesitate before decisively interrupting him.
"Is it to be a captive for life, at the mercy of others, or to ascend to the throne and establish rule over the world?"
"This is all up to your whim, young master."
After speaking, there were no further movements or seductive shouts.
Zhao Gao stood quietly behind Hu Hai, like a leech, and slowly bent down.
His face was almost touching the back of Hu Hai's head.
In the candlelight, Zhao Gao's eyes were as deep as an abyss, devoid of any light, only filled with an all-consuming coldness.
That chilling gaze seemed to pierce through Hu Hai's flesh, nailing straight into his skull, piercing through all his ambition, will, ruthlessness, and scheming...
It relentlessly crushed into Hu Hai's fragile and chaotic soul, inch by inch.