The First Emperor's Wrath, Fusu's Blame

Looking at the crumbling map of the empire on the sky, at the vast land engulfed in flames of war, Zhu Dijun let out a long sigh.

His voice was filled with regret.

"What a powerful dynasty, an empire that for the first time truly united the land of China into a unified whole, yet it perished after only two generations."

"It's truly...heartbreaking."

"In this tragedy, besides the members of the royal family who were slaughtered, the most pitiful people are probably the brothers Meng Tian and Meng Yi."

"They were utterly loyal, guarding the northern frontier for the empire against the Xiongnu, yet they ultimately met a tragic end, framed by treacherous officials and dying unjustly. How pitiful!"

"And besides them, the most pitiful and hateful person is that Prime Minister Li Si."

Zhu Dijun's tone became complicated.

Many people would say that Li Si aided and abetted the tyrant and deserved to die. That's true; judging from the outcome, he deserved to die a thousand deaths.

"But family members, have you ever considered that, with Li Si's wisdom, he wouldn't see what kind of person Zhao Gao is? Wouldn't he know that Fusu is the rightful heir?"

Why would he risk the extermination of his entire clan to board Zhao Gao's pirate ship?

This question has caused people from all times and spaces to fall into deep thought.

Yes, why?

In the Xianyang Palace, Li Si, who was already heartbroken, also raised his head blankly.

Zhu Dijun didn't keep them in suspense; he directly gave the answer hidden deep in history.

"In the end, the blame still falls on our 'benevolent' eldest son, Fusu!"

These words shocked everyone present!

Fusu was struck dumb, completely stunned.

What does Li Si's rebellion have to do with me?

"Family members, we must first understand a fundamental contradiction—the conflict between Confucianism and Legalism!"

"Li Si was a representative figure of Legalism! All his learning and achievements were built upon Legalist thought!"

"And what about Fusu? He was a staunch supporter of Confucianism! He was surrounded by a group of Confucian scholars!"

"From a Confucian perspective, what is Legalism?"

Zhu Dijun gave a cold laugh.

"He's a traitor!"

"Legalist thought originally diverged from Confucianism. Confucianism emphasizes benevolence and righteousness, and virtuous governance, while Legalism emphasizes law, tactics, and power, and strict laws and punishments. The two are fundamentally opposed in their governing philosophies!"

"Once Fusu, the Confucian prince, ascends the throne, how will he treat Li Si, the Legalist giant? How will he treat the entire Legalist school?"

"Even a fool would know that it will inevitably involve brutal purges and suppression!"

"The debate between Confucianism and Legalism is a life-or-death struggle over policy! There is no room for reconciliation!"

"Therefore, Li Si faced a desperate choice."

"If I follow Fusu and wait for the new emperor to ascend the throne, I and the entire Legalist school will be purged. The best outcome will be dismissal from office and disgrace."

"Following Zhao Gao and Huhai, although it's a heinous crime, at least it ensures the preservation of one's power and the Legalist school's position!"

"He gambled!"

"He bet that Hu Hai, this puppet ruler, would allow him to continue to wield power."

"Unfortunately, he overestimated himself and underestimated Zhao Gao's ruthlessness!"

This analysis, like a bolt of lightning, cleaved through the fog in everyone's hearts.

Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, suddenly realized.

"So that's how it is... It's a dispute over policy! It's a matter of factionalism!"

He recalled his time as crown prince, the open and covert struggles with Jiancheng and Yuanji, which were nothing less than a power struggle between different political groups!

Liu Che, the emperor of the Han Dynasty, had a deep gaze.

His policy of suppressing all other schools of thought and exclusively promoting Confucianism was precisely to prevent such ideological struggles from shaking the foundations of the nation. In hindsight, this move was the right one!

But Confucianism must be reformed. Confucianism without the concept of loyalty is not the Confucianism he wants. Otherwise, he would rather destroy it than let this bastard betray his Han Dynasty at the end of the Han Dynasty!

In the Xianyang Palace, Li Si listened to Tian Mu's analysis, tears streaming down his face.

Those who truly understand me are those of future generations…

He wasn't trying to excuse his crimes, but rather finding a sliver of poignant "understanding" amidst his endless remorse.

That's exactly what he thought back then!

Prince Fusu was kind and benevolent, but his kindness and benevolence were Confucian, not Legalist!

"Of course, understanding his motives does not mean we condone his actions."

Zhu Dijun's voice turned cold again.

"Li Si's achievements cannot be denied. He assisted the First Emperor in unifying the written language, establishing weights and measures, and setting up the prefecture-county system. These are all achievements that will last for generations."

"His calligraphy in small seal script is a treasure of Chinese civilization."

"But, one thing at a time!"

"His choice directly led to the downfall of the Qin Dynasty and the deaths of countless people. He must bear this responsibility!"

"And the root of all this lies in Fusu's stupidity and pedantry!"

Zhu Dijun once again turned his criticism towards Fusu, his tone filled with disappointment and frustration.

"Doesn't he know who his father hates most?"

"In reality, the Qin Dynasty, represented by the First Emperor, and the Zhou royal family of the Ji clan were mortal enemies for hundreds of years!"

"And Zhou Gongdan, one of the founders of Confucianism, who was later lauded by Confucian scholars, was a key figure in the Ji Zhou dynasty and a mortal enemy of the ancestors of the Ying Qin dynasty!"

"Another founder of Confucianism, Confucius, had an ancestor, Wei Zi Qi, who was a traitor to the Shang Dynasty! Members of the Shang royal family, the ancestors of the Qin Dynasty, Fei Lian and E Lai, as well as the Fei clan, were traitors who served Emperor Xin. They were people who betrayed their own country and their monarch!"

"These deep-seated hatreds are known to us, descendants of two thousand years later, just by looking through the history books. How could Fusu, as the eldest prince of Qin, not know them?"

"He knows it! But he insists on learning it!"

"They don't learn the good things, but only those hypocritical morals and outdated, retrogressive ideas!"

"His father burned books and buried scholars alive to sever the ideological foundation of the old nobility of the six states, and for the unification of the empire! He stood up to oppose it!"

"His father wanted a strong-willed heir, but he insists on acting like a helpless, innocent little lotus flower!"

"Isn't this slapping his father in the face in front of the whole world?!"

"The First Emperor must have been incredibly angry back then!"

"It's true that Duke Zhou was an enemy of the Qin Dynasty, but it's undeniable that his methods of governance had many aspects worth learning from and could have been used to manage the nobles of the six former states and consolidate rule. But what was the result?"

"Tsk tsk tsk..."

Zhu Dijun's two contemptuous "tsk tsk" sounds were like two loud slaps to Fusu's face.

Fusu's face was deathly pale, and his body swayed precariously.

His much-vaunted "benevolence" has, in this bloody analysis by later generations, become the death knell for the empire!

He was wrong...

He's completely wrong!

He finally understood where his father's repeated disappointment and anger came from!

Just then, that extremely cold voice rang out in Xianyang Palace.

The First Emperor, Ying Zheng, slowly stood up.

He descended the royal steps, one by one.

He neither looked at Huhai nor at Fusu.

He walked up to Li Si.

Li Si trembled violently, prostrated himself on the ground, and didn't even have the courage to raise his head.

"Li Si".

Ying Zheng's voice was hoarse yet calm.

"Your talent is enough to bring peace and stability to the country."

"Your sin is so great that it could destroy your ancestral temple."

"I will not kill you."

Li Si suddenly looked up, a glimmer of unbelievable hope flashing in his eyes.

However, Ying Zheng's next words plunged him into an even deeper abyss.

"You will continue to be your prime minister, and for me and for the Great Qin, give your last drop of blood."

"After I pass away..."

Ying Zheng leaned down, his voice so soft that only Li Si could hear it, yet it carried boundless majesty and cruelty.

"You will be buried alive with me. If your family does not rebel, you will continue to enjoy the title of Grand Master of the Palace. But if your descendants rebel, do not blame my descendants."

Li Si's body stiffened instantly, and then he kowtowed with tears in his eyes:

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your mercy."

To be buried alive with one's spouse!

This is a colder ending than any punishment!

His talent and his life will ultimately become a funerary object in the First Emperor's tomb!

This is the price of betrayal!

Moreover, the fact that Ying Zheng had already allowed his descendants to inherit the great legacy was an immense favor. What else could Li Si say but to continue to wholeheartedly assist him for as long as Ying Zheng lived?

Immediately, Ying Zheng turned around, his gaze sharp as a sword, and fell upon his eldest son, Fusu.

"Fusu".

"Your subject is here!" Fusu's knees buckled, and he knelt down heavily.

"Your benevolence is not the benevolence of the nation. Your virtue is not the virtue of the ruler."

Ying Zheng's voice was filled with disappointment.

"You don't need to go to Shangjun."

Fusu was overjoyed, thinking that his father had forgiven him.

"I'm giving you a new job."

Ying Zheng's eyes became unfathomable.

"I order you to immediately go to Sanchuan County and thoroughly investigate the case of corruption among local officials and collusion with powerful local families."

"I will give you one year."

"Within a year, you must eradicate the deep-seated problems of Sanchuan County! I want to see a clear-headed and prosperous Sanchuan County!"

"I don't care whether you use Confucian benevolent governance or Legalist harsh punishments."

"I only want results!"

Ying Zheng's gaze was fixed on Fusu's face.

"If you succeed, you will still be my eldest son."

"If you can't do it..."

"Or, let me see you still there, spouting empty rhetoric about benevolence and righteousness with those pedantic scholars, inflexible and unyielding..."

Ying Zheng paused, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Then this position of Crown Prince, and this empire of Qin, will have nothing to do with you anymore!"

"You are not my only son!"

Fusu said with a bitter expression:

"Yes, Father."