Western Side Hall.
In earlier years, she had heard traveling alchemists mention that although Xu Fu was well-versed in esoteric arts, he was most skilled at currying favor. The so-called “Divine Mountains in the Eastern Sea” and “Immortality Elixir” were merely tricks he used to deceive the emperor.
She never expected her father to grant Xu Fu permission to set sail ahead of schedule…
Ying Qingyue set down the Book of Lord Shang in her hand. If Xu Fu were truly allowed to sail with thousands of young boys and girls and vast resources, it would not only exhaust the people and drain the treasury but also cause her father to become obsessed with the pursuit of immortality, neglecting important state affairs.
Moreover, according to historical records in the “Records of the Three Kingdoms: Book of Wu: Biography of Sun Quan,” Xu Fu led thousands of young boys and girls to sea, reaching Danzhou and never returning. Some believe Danzhou is present-day Japan.
Additionally, the “Shishi Liutie” written by Yichu during the Later Zhou Dynasty of the Five Dynasties period clearly states that the place where Xu Fu went and stayed was Japan, also known as the Kingdom of Wa.
Furthermore, in Shingu City, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, there exists an ancient site known as the “Tomb of Qin Xu Fu,” and in regions like Kyushu, there are ancient temples related to Xu Fu, such as the Xu Fu Temple.
From Japanese folklore, it is widely believed that Xu Fu taught the Japanese residents techniques such as farming, weaving, metallurgy, and medical skills. In many areas of Japan, Xu Fu is revered as the “God of Medicine” and “God of Weaving,” among other titles.
Thinking of Japan’s later actions, a cold glint flashed in Ying Qingyue’s eyes. She lightly tapped her knuckles on the table, lost in thought.
“Princess, what’s wrong?” Qinghe asked softly, noticing her solemn expression.
Ying Qingyue shook her head. “This must not be allowed to happen.”
She knew well that her father was deeply obsessed with immortality at this moment. Directly advising against it would only backfire. Only by finding solid evidence to expose Xu Fu’s deception could she make him see the truth.
However, before she could take any action…
The sky screen descended once again, revealing its display.
In the sky screen’s footage, Shi Jin greeted everyone in a cheerful tone, with a hint of playful charm: [Hello, I’m UP host Shi Jin. Have you missed me?]
As soon as she finished speaking, all the common people stopped what they were doing. Even the street vendors forgot to shake their hand drums, their eyes fixed on the sky screen that had appeared out of nowhere.
[Alright, alright, I know you’ve missed me. I get it.]
[No one can resist my charm~]
Liu Ji widened his eyes. “Who said that?”
How could this young girl be so full of herself? She was even more conceited than he was.
[About the question at the end of the last video, let me check the voting results.]
At that moment, Ying Zheng led a group of officials outside the hall, with the eldest prince Fusu accompanying him to watch.
[92% think The First Emperor was a tyrant.]
[8% think The First Emperor was not a tyrant.]
[It seems most people believe The First Emperor was a tyrant, but that’s understandable.]
[Faced with this question, many of you might say, “Of course he was a tyrant. He killed more people than I’ve eaten grains of salt.”]
[The probability that Qin Shi Huang wasn’t a tyrant is even lower than the probability that I’m Superman.]
“Pfft—” Ying Qingyue, who had just stepped out of the hall, couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this.
But Qinghe, standing beside her, was puzzled. What was so funny about that? And who was Superman?
[I wonder if any of you have ever considered this question—]
[Since Qin Shi Huang managed to unify the six states, he must have been an intelligent person, right?]
Indeed, to emerge as the final victor in the Warring States period, he couldn’t have been foolish.
[So why would he choose to be a tyrant?]
【Future emperors all understood that after major wars or large-scale projects, it’s necessary to recuperate and let people improve their livelihoods before embarking on their own ambitious endeavors.】
【Could it be that The First Emperor had intellectual deficiencies?】
As these words fell, Ying Zheng’s face darkened.
What kind of description was this?
【If later generations of rulers could conceive this, how could he fail to?】
【We can only say the probability is extremely low.】
【This probability is even lower than the chance that every viewer of my video could single-handedly defeat an entire European-American fleet.】
At this point, Ying Qingyue couldn’t suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth.
This content creator was utterly fascinating.
【Given this, why did our Shi Huang immediately begin constructing monumental projects and launching external campaigns right after unifying the six states?】
【The fundamental reason is that he had no alternative.】
The moment these words echoed, the marketplace erupted in chaos. The commoners who had been quietly listening moments earlier now buzzed with whispered exchanges, their faces filled with confusion.
Old Zhang, the tofu seller, put down his wooden ladle and frowned as he muttered to the person beside him: “Had no alternative? What does that mean?”
“Isn’t recuperation preferable? We farmers just want to peacefully work our fields for a few years!”
His words resonated with many around him. Several farmers carrying hoes nodded in agreement, their eyes clouded with bewilderment.
Who wouldn’t prefer an easier life? Why must His Majesty insist on continuous upheaval?
“Later emperors knew to rest – could our Emperor be unaware? Such an intelligent man, why choose the most arduous path?”
“Exactly, what does ‘had no alternative’ truly mean? Surely he isn’t deliberately making life difficult for the people?”
Even the young men who had previously complained about the hardships of building the Great Wall gathered to discuss.
One scratched his head: “Could there be difficulties we’re unaware of? But any difficulty would be better than constant conscription!”
Another added: “Who knows? The more this sky screen speaks, the more confused I become!”
Throughout the crowd, some stared at the sky screen with knitted brows, others sighed repeatedly, while a few couldn’t help but glance toward the imperial palace.
Everyone wanted to understand what compelling reasons lay behind this “had no alternative.”
The common people thought simply – they only wanted to farm their land steadily and live peaceful lives.
【Why do we say this? We must examine several aspects for verification.】
【First, after Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, the conquered states naturally remained defiant – this is obvious to all.】
【Although all six states were destroyed, their submission was never genuine.】
【Need we mention more? If they had truly submitted, there wouldn’t have been incidents like Zhang Liang’s assassination attempt, Jing Ke’s assassination attempt, or King Xi of Yan attempting to restore his state in Liaodong.】
【The nobility of the six states, and indeed most of their populations, maintained this mentality: We can endure hardship, we can restore our nations – why should we become subjects of Qin?】
Hearing this, the officials of Great Qin instantly fell silent.
Weren’t these words pure provocation?
A meaningful glint flashed in Ying Zheng’s eyes as he thought: No matter how these six-state nobles rant and rave, what use is it?
Could this be a case of “the more incompetent, the louder the barking”?
Meanwhile, the remnants of the six states were indeed clamoring.
Exactly!
They had their own kingdoms – why should they become subjects of Great Qin?!
Once nobility, now nothing.
Why? Why?
Hiding in an unknown village, Zhang Liang gazed at the sky screen and cursed bitterly, “I will surely find an opportunity to make this tyrant die without a burial place!”
He refused to believe that if one assassination attempt failed, the second, third, or fourth would also fail!