Chapter 44: The Murder Weapon

Facing the gazes cast by everyone in unison, Zhao Hong unhurriedly opened his suitcase and took out a package from within.

Zhao Hong unwrapped the package to reveal a wooden box, and said respectfully, "This humble subject Zhao Hong presents this gift to Your Majesty. This item is somewhat ferocious in nature."

As soon as the word "ferocious" was uttered, Meng Yi immediately stepped to Ying Zheng's side, staring vigilantly at the wooden box.

Since the descendants of later generations had described this object as ferocious, it must be dangerous, and one naturally had to approach it with caution.

While the Qin people might not have known what the wooden box contained, the modern people present all guessed what it was.

"Damn! No way!" Qiao Wenbo exclaimed in astonishment.

"Holy cow, Uncle Zhao is still the most ruthless! Pulling out such a massive weapon right off the bat," Wu Jie praised.

Geng Cang muttered softly, a hint of regret in his tone, "Actually, I had thought about bringing this thing."

As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately drew the contemptuous glances of Feng Yiming and the other three.

Before coming, none of the four of them believed they were heading to the Qin Dynasty, so how could they possibly have brought such items?

The things in their suitcases were all food items, and the few useful things they had brought were only because Jiang Kai had strongly urged them to do so.

Otherwise, they would have probably only brought changes of clothes and nothing else.

Thinking about it now, they couldn't help feeling a mixture of relief for having listened to Jiang Kai to some extent and bringing along a few useful things, and deep regret for not having followed Jiang Kai's instructions completely. Otherwise, the ones currently stealing the spotlight would have been them, not those six sly foxes.

Under the watchful and wary gaze of Meng Yi and the others, Zhao Hong said calmly, "This item is called 'gunpowder,' and it can assist the Qin army in sweeping across the world."

He slowly opened the wooden box, revealing the grayish-black powder inside.

Ying Zheng looked curiously at the object before him: "Can mere powder possess such miraculous efficacy?"

"Your Majesty might as well see for yourself. Would Your Majesty please move outside the hall?"

Everyone followed them out of the hall.

Zhao Hong took out a pre-measured pouch of gunpowder powder he had prepared in advance, placed it on a stone slab outside the hall, attached a fuse, and unhurriedly produced a cigarette lighter from his pocket.

Jiang Ye warned, "Your Majesty, please step back a bit further."

Meng Yi and the others noticed that those descendants of later generations were all standing far away at the entrance of the hall, not daring to approach.

Seeing them behave this way, they roughly understood just how formidable this object was.

As Jiang Ye and the others watched the fuse approach its end, they unanimously covered their ears.

Ying Zheng naturally noticed their actions, but constrained by imperial dignity, he flatly refused to make such a gesture.

Meng Yi, coming from a distinguished family of military generals, would certainly never make such a move either.

As for Li Si, Feng Jie, Zhao Gao, and the others, maintaining their status, they likewise refused to perform such an unseemly action.

This resulted in a stark contrast right at the entrance of Zhangtai Palace.

On one side, people were covering their ears and shrinking their necks in a "cowering" posture.

On the other side, people stood with chests puffed out, facing the situation with calm and unperturbed expressions.

Zhao Hong's fuse was quite long. He squatted at the far end and ignited the fuse with his lighter.

As the fuse burned down little by little, until...

"Boom!"

Amidst a deafening explosion, a ball of fire soared into the sky, blasting the stone slab underneath into smithereens.

The surrounding patrolling guards and cleaning palace attendants were all startled by this earth-shattering explosion, and one by one cast horrified looks toward the scene.

After the smoke and dust cleared, a terrifying light ignited in Ying Zheng's eyes: "This object is indeed ferocious. Minister Zhao, is it difficult to manufacture?"

Even someone as composed as Ying Zheng could not help but have his emotions stirred in the face of gunpowder.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, manufacturing it is neither difficult nor easy. As long as one masters the technique and has sufficient materials, mass production is entirely possible." Zhao Hong handed over a small notebook he had prepared beforehand.

"What you have just witnessed is merely its smallest explosive power. With further research, more lethal weapons can be created. For example, if used in combination with iron tubes, it can be made into a 'firelock,' capable of taking a person's life from a hundred paces away as easily as reaching into one's pocket."

This was the gunpowder powder he had managed to secure within the limited time available—a semi-finished product—but it was more than enough to demonstrate before the First Emperor.

If anyone was the most excited by the appearance of this gunpowder, it was undoubtedly Meng Yi.

Hailing from a military lineage and influenced since childhood, Meng Yi understood very well what kind of power and effect such an item would have once applied to the battlefield.

Meng Yi grabbed Zhao Hong by the arm: "Brother Zhao, if this item is used at the borders, the Xiongnu cavalry will no longer be anything to fear! The item you brought can vastly reduce the casualties of our Qin army."

"Brother Zhao, please accept a bow from Meng."

Zhao Hong hastily helped him up, "You mustn't, you mustn't. This is all for China, and for the eternal generations of Qin."

"Yes, yes, yes," Meng Yi nodded repeatedly.

Hearing the words "eternal generations," Li Si, Feng Jie, and the others nodded continuously.

Zhao Hong then introduced further, "Not only can this be used in this manner, but it can also be made into a 'heaven-shaking thunder,' which can be hurled into enemy formations during sieges to match thousands of troops and horses. However, because this item is dangerous, its formula must be strictly controlled."

The senior ministers present understood the significance of this item better than anyone else—how this tiny powder would completely transform the nature of warfare.

Li Si stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty! This is a weapon of vital importance to the state, and strict laws must be enacted to control it!"

Ying Zheng nodded, "Indeed it must be so."

Seeing that everyone else had brought gifts for the Ancestral Dragon, Jiang Ye realized he was the only one who had yet to produce a single thing.

He gave a light cough, "Well..."

As soon as he spoke, everyone else's gazes converged on Jiang Ye in unison.

"Your Majesty, I also have something to present to you, but this item is inconvenient for others to see."

The gifts from the others had already left Ying Zheng immensely satisfied.

Jiang Ye's remark instantly aroused Ying Zheng's intense curiosity regarding his gift.

Ying Zheng instructed the crowd waiting outside the hall, "Wait here."

Ying Zheng and Jiang Ye entered Zhangtai Palace one after the other. The heavy doors slowly closed, leaving only the two of them inside the cavernous palace.

Jiang Ye gathered his thoughts and began, "Your Majesty, having witnessed the items brought by the others that benefit the state and the people, I believe Your Majesty is even more eager to know the future trajectory of the Qin Dynasty."

Ying Zheng remained silent, staring intently at him with a burning gaze.

Jiang Ye continued, "The Qin Dynasty will perish in 207 BC, which is eleven years from now."

The candlelight inside the hall flickered abruptly. Ying Zheng's fingers tightened sharply, but his expression remained calm: "Go on."

"Qin fell to the Second Emperor, Huhai," Jiang Ye's voice was measured and steady. "Zhao Gao forged the imperial edict, Fusu was forced to commit suicide, and Meng Tian was murdered. After Huhai ascended the throne, Zhao Gao monopolized state power, pointing to a deer and calling it a horse, plunging the empire into great chaos."

Ying Zheng's pupils contracted violently, "My... Fusu?"

Jiang Ye said softly, "Prince Fusu was demoted to supervise the army in Shangjun because he remonstrated with Your Majesty against the policy of burning books and burying scholars. After Your Majesty passed away, Zhao Gao and Li Si conspired to tamper with the imperial edict."

"Li Si?!" A cold light flashed in Ying Zheng's eyes.

Jiang Ye nodded slightly: "Li Si was ultimately also subjected to execution by being cut in half at the waist by Zhao Gao, along with the extermination of his three clans."

A dead silence enveloped the grand hall.

Ying Zheng walked over to the bronze candle stand and reached out to extinguish a flickering candle: "What about Xu Fu's elixir of life?"

"Highly toxic," Jiang Ye stated bluntly. "It contains large amounts of heavy metals such as mercury and lead—the so-called cinnabar and realgar. Long-term consumption leads to mental derangement and organ failure. Your Majesty ultimately..."

He stopped right before crossing the line!

"What a fine Zhao Gao! What a fine Xu Fu!" Ying Zheng's gaze was like a blade.

Feeling the low-pressure atmosphere lingering around him, Jiang Ye weighed his words and dropped another bombshell: "Your Majesty, there is one more matter... After Huhai ascended the throne, under Zhao Gao's instigation and to consolidate his imperial position, he had all your other children mercilessly executed."