69novels Chapter 994: Advice from the Ministers!
Chapter 994: Advice from the Ministers!
Han Xin also cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the new army's training is on track, but all the generals at all levels are hoping that Your Majesty will personally inspect it to boost morale. At present, envoys from various countries are also waiting to pay homage in Xianyang. If Your Majesty does not show up for a long time, I fear that rumors will spread and damage the dignity of the country."
Cao Can and Zhang Liang echoed this sentiment, though their words differed, their core message was the same: a country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and they urged Gao Yao to return to Xianyang as soon as possible.
Gao Yao listened quietly, his fingers tapping lightly on the table. He knew his ministers' concerns were reasonable, but what he was plotting was far beyond ordinary political affairs. It concerned his immortality, his ultimate ambition, and even... the murky debt between him and Yi Xiaochuan that spanned a thousand years.
"Enough," he raised his hand, interrupting the crowd's advice, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority, "I know of your loyalty. But my staying here is not for pleasure or to neglect state affairs. On the contrary, I am doing something of great importance that concerns the fate of our dynasty, and even its future generations."
He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the four puzzled faces: "I summoned you here today to let you see for yourselves what I am doing. Come, follow me."
He dismissed all his attendants and personal guards, and with only Xiao He, Han Xin, Cao Can, and Zhang Liang, he passed through the heavily guarded camp and arrived at the entrance to the mausoleum.
The closer they got, the stronger the chill and stench of decay in the air became. When the dark, gaping opening, resembling the maw of a giant beast, the mountain of earth and rubble beside it, and the deep, deathly tomb passage came into view, even these men, all outstanding figures of their time, couldn't help but gasp in shock!
Especially when they saw the arrowheads gleaming coldly in the tomb passage, and the bloodstains and animal hair on the ground that had not yet been completely cleaned up, an instinctive fear gripped them.
"This...this is..." Xiao He's voice was somewhat hoarse. He was learned and knowledgeable, so he naturally guessed what this place was.
“Indeed,” Gao Yao’s voice echoed in the empty tomb passage, carrying a hint of fervor and solemnity, “This is the final resting place of the First Emperor—the underground palace of Mount Li!”
"Your Majesty! What are you doing..." Han Xin frowned, thinking of the military risks. "Excavating the imperial tombs may damage one's virtue and invite criticism from the world! If the news leaks out, the remnants of the six states will surely use this as an excuse to cause trouble!"
Zhang Liang pondered even more deeply. He gazed at the faint light deep within the tomb passage and slowly said, "Your Majesty has risked the world's condemnation and expended so much manpower and resources. What exactly is in this tomb that is worth Your Majesty's utmost effort?"
Gao Yao turned around to face his four trusted ministers. His face appeared somewhat dim and uncertain in the cold wind blowing through the tomb passage.
"Criticism? Moral failings?" He scoffed. "The victors write history. As for what's in it..."
He paused, his gaze fixed on the deep darkness, as if trying to pierce through layers of barriers to see the ultimate secret.
"Inside lies something that can elevate me, you, and our dynasty beyond the boundaries of the mortal realm! It contains the mystery of immortality, the power to control the world, and even more... the answer to resolving all karma!"
His words struck like a hammer blow to everyone's heart. Immortality? Power? This had gone beyond the scope of their daily political affairs, touching upon the limits of what mortals could imagine.
“From this day forward,” Gao Yao’s voice regained its calm and decisiveness, “the project here will be classified as a top state secret and will be personally overseen by me. Xiao He, you are responsible for the full coordination of logistics and personnel deployment to ensure everything goes smoothly. Han Xin, raise the perimeter security to the highest level; anyone who trespasses within a ten-mile radius will be executed without exception! Cao Can, you and the other ministers will handle the affairs of Xianyang first; do not report to me on matters that cannot be resolved. Zhang Liang, you are meticulous and good at planning; you will accompany me here to advise on important matters.”
He didn't give them much time to process it, and issued the order directly. This was a notification, not a discussion.
The four men exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes revealing immense shock, a tinge of excitement mixed with fear. They finally understood that their king's ambitions extended far beyond the immediate realm. They were now bound to this chariot heading into the unknown, with no turning back, only the option to follow.
Seeing the complex expressions on the four men's faces as they accepted their orders, Gao Yao felt somewhat relieved. He had revealed some of the secrets and brought the core team into the plan, which would reduce internal resistance. But he knew that the real challenge was just beginning.
"Here!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao He, Zhang Liang, and Han Xin, though still filled with immense doubt and unease and unable to fully comprehend and agree with Gao Yao's astonishing pronouncements on "immortality" and "celestial stars" in a short time, bowed in obedience to Gao Yao's now unquestionable authority, daring not to disobey in the slightest. However, the worry lingered in their lowered eyes.
The reason for this concern is quite simple—the lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds. Didn't Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor who swept across the land and unified the world, also indulge in a mad pursuit of immortality in his later years?
To this end, he expended enormous human and material resources, dispatching the alchemist Xu Fu with thousands of young boys and girls to the east in search of immortality, and recruiting sorcerers from all over the land to concoct elixirs of immortality. What was the final result? He merely died suddenly in the sand dunes, turning into a handful of dust, leaving behind only ridicule and sighs. Once an emperor becomes obsessed with the elusive pursuit of immortality, he often neglects state affairs, favors treacherous officials, leading to chaos in the court, widespread suffering, and ultimately pushing the hard-won empire into an abyss of no return.
At this moment, what Xiao He and his companions worried about most was that their brilliant and ambitious King Gao Yao, who had led them to create an unprecedented new era, might follow in the footsteps of Qin Shi Huang and fall into the illusion of immortality. If that were the case, would he, like the First Emperor, gradually abandon the current prosperous and harmonious state, and devote all his energy, wealth, and national strength to that illusory pursuit?
At that time, with domestic affairs neglected and foreign enemies surrounding us, the newly stabilized world will likely fall into turmoil and conflict once again. That would be the truly deadly danger, far more terrifying than any open and direct enemy.
Gao Yao, with his keen insight, glanced at the respectful yet undisguised worry on the faces of the men, and immediately understood. These men were merely agreeing verbally; in their hearts, they were filled with doubt and disagreement regarding his claims about the possibility of immortality. Seeing this, Gao Yao could only sigh inwardly, a sense of indescribable helplessness and loneliness welling up within him.