SWDnovel Chapter 19 The First Emperor Riding in the Same Carriage as Salted Fish?! How Dared Zhao Gao!
Chapter 19 The First Emperor Riding in the Same Carriage as Salted Fish?! How Dared Zhao Gao!
"Rest assured, once you successfully ascend the throne, I will be your right-hand man, helping you control the court, clearing away all obstacles that oppose you, and ensuring you sit firmly on the dragon throne and secure your rule over the Qin Dynasty!"
Zhao Gao's words, like poison, gradually eroded Hu Hai's mind.
At this moment, the struggle in Hu Hai's eyes completely vanished. All his cowardice, concerns, and unease were completely overshadowed by his greed and desire for the throne.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his fingertips dug deep into his palms, and the sharp pain did nothing to bring him back to his senses.
Instead, it made his eyes incredibly determined, filled with an almost obsessive madness and longing.
He stared intently at Zhao Gao, his chest heaving violently, his long-suppressed obsession finally erupting.
Each word, uttered with barely suppressed conviction, slowly revealed his truest thoughts: "I don't want to lose this opportunity."
As soon as he finished speaking, Hu Hai seemed to suddenly come to his senses and looked sharply at the body of Ying Zheng lying peacefully on the bed.
A flicker of panic flashed in his eyes, and his mind, which had been clouded by greed, cleared up a little.
He hurriedly grabbed Zhao Gao's sleeve, his voice trembling as he asked, "Right, right! What about Father? The news of Father's death can't be kept secret!"
"If this gets out, the entire court will be in uproar, and our plan will be exposed immediately! Then we'll all be doomed!"
Faced with Hu Hai's flustered questioning, Zhao Gao showed no sign of nervousness; instead, he gently patted Hu Hai's shoulder.
A confident, shrewd smile spread across his face, a glint of cunning glint in his eyes. His tone was mysterious and certain as he slowly began to speak:
"Young master, please rest assured, I have a brilliant plan! I have already planned this matter thoroughly and I am confident that I can deceive everyone!"
We will hold the funeral rites after we have safely returned His Majesty's remains to Xianyang.
By then, you will have rightfully taken control of the situation, and no one will be able to shake your position!
The scene changes.
Outside the sand dune palace, where yellow sand filled the sky, a simple carriage stood quietly.
The so-called "wen cheng" was just an ordinary wooden carriage, with the carriage covered by layers of heavy cloth curtains.
There were neither luxurious decorations nor the regulations expected of an imperial funeral; instead, there was an indescribable sense of eeriness and oppression.
The carriage that should have been used to hold the emperor's remains with the utmost honors was now filled with golden salted fish.
Countless salted fish were piled up haphazardly in the corner of the carriage, some of them already dried and cracked from the sun.
Some of them even had a faint fishy and salty smell, and a strong and pungent stench mixed with the salty and fishy smell of salted fish wafted through the gaps in the curtain.
The stench wafted into the hall, as if even the air itself had become foul.
Deep within the pile of salted fish, Ying Zheng's body was hastily placed on a simple bed.
The emperor's body, which was originally wrapped in a dragon robe, is now covered only by a thin layer of linen.
His pale face looked even more desolate against the backdrop of the salted fish.
Even the dragon's might surrounding it had completely dissipated, leaving only a body that was being manipulated at will.
The camera slowly pans across the carriage, where Zhao Gao stands beside a pile of salted fish, a nonchalant expression on his face, directing several eunuchs.
They loaded cartloads of salted fish into the carriage, carefully adjusting the placement of the fish to perfectly conceal the stench of Qin Shi Huang's decaying body.
As he fiddled with it, he muttered to Hu Hai beside him in a low voice, his tone full of frivolity and calculation.
There was absolutely no reverence for the monarch.
"Don't worry, young master, the stench of this salted fish is strong enough to completely mask the smell of His Majesty's body decaying."
As long as we keep the body hidden in the carriage the whole way, and tell everyone that His Majesty is seriously ill, and then hold the funeral and enthronement ceremony upon returning to Xianyang, no one will know the truth, and no one will be able to find any flaws!
Hu Hai stood aside, his face no longer showing any grief for his father's passing, but rather a hint of eager anticipation.
Watching Zhao Gao's actions, his eyes were filled with a desire for the throne, and he was oblivious to the absurd scene before him.
Meanwhile, most of the accompanying ministers and eunuchs were kept in the dark, believing that Ying Zheng was truly seriously ill.
Arranged by Zhao Gao to accompany them all the way, they were completely unaware that the emperor had already passed away.
Unbeknownst to him, he was sharing a carriage with a corpse covered by salted fish, embarking on the journey back to Xianyang.
Every detail in the scene was presented with crystal clarity to the Qin emperor and his ministers:
The emperor's corpse was treated like an ordinary object, carried in the same carriage as salted fish; the supreme majesty of the ancestral dragon was wantonly trampled upon.
To have to rely on the stench of salted fish to mask the stench of one's own body in the final moments after death is such a humiliating end.
On the Dragon Platform, Ying Zheng's originally upright posture suddenly stiffened.
His imperial aura suddenly surged, and the dormant, furious dragon abruptly raised its head.
A boundless and incomparable aura of malevolence surged and roared, engulfing the entire world and dominating the heavens.
The storm instantly engulfed the entire hall, causing the candlelight inside to flicker violently and nearly go out.
His face went from ashen, then flushed bright red, and then quickly turned deathly pale.
His jawline was taut, his knuckles were white, his fists were clenched so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms, and even the veins on the back of his hands bulged like dragons.
An indescribable sense of extreme humiliation overwhelmed Ying Zheng like a tidal wave.
He was the First Emperor who swept across six kingdoms and unified the world. He was an emperor who was ordained by Heaven. His majesty was unparalleled throughout his life. He was worshipped by all people. Who would not bow down and worship him as a god?
But now, even in death, he is so humiliated, riding in the same carriage as salted fish, being treated like an ordinary object by treacherous officials, his dignity even in death has been trampled to the bone!
Such a heinous act, such a heart-wrenching humiliation, was more unbearable for him than death!
A sudden surge of pent-up anger welled up in Ying Zheng's chest, unable to escape, like a red-hot iron branding his heart.
The pain made his vision go black, his ears ring, and his eyes begin to blur.
He clung tightly to the railing of the Dragon Platform, barely managing not to fall, and maintained the ancestral dragon's upright stance.
But his slightly trembling figure, and the almost overflowing anger and humiliation in his eyes, revealed his inner emotions.
The entire court was in an uproar.
"What?! His Majesty is being humiliated like this even after his death?!"
"That treacherous Zhao Gao! How dare he transport His Majesty's remains in the same carriage as salted fish! This is an outrage against both heaven and man!"
"Outrageous! Utterly outrageous! The laws of Qin will never tolerate such a treacherous official!"
The initial whispers gradually escalated into angry shouts.
The three dukes and nine ministers all bowed, their expressions a mixture of shock and rage. The ministers who had previously held a sliver of hope for Zhao Gao now saw through his wolfish ambitions.
This person not only bewitched the young prince, altered the imperial edict, and plotted to murder the crown prince, but also disregarded the dignity of the monarch after death. His heart is despicable!
Right Chancellor Feng Quji was the first to be unable to contain himself. He strode out of the ranks of civil officials and bowed to Ying Zheng on the Dragon Platform.
His voice boomed like thunder, filled with extreme rage: "Your Majesty! Such treacherous officials deserve to be executed!"
Zhao Gao dared to humiliate His Majesty's remains in this way; he is truly a traitor unprecedented in history!
Your Majesty, I request that an immediate order be issued to execute Zhao Gao by slow slicing, and to have his bones ground to dust and scattered, to comfort Your Majesty!