At this moment, Li Si finally understood everything.
Back when Wang Wan's entire clan was exterminated, Li Si had harbored great ambition for the position of Left Chancellor.
But in the end
The position went to Han Fei.
Although he didn't show it on the surface, deep down, he had been greatly disappointed.
However, he found some solace in the fact that the position ultimately went to Han Fei and not someone from Fusu's faction.
At its core
In terms of ability, Han Fei was certainly qualified.
But in terms of seniority, he was lacking.
And now, Li Si completely understood.
Han Fei had almost no personal connections within the court and had never actively forged ties with the ministers. The only person he had befriended was Zhao Feng.
Years ago, when Zhao Feng personally escorted Han Fei back to Qin, a unique bond was formed between them. From that point on, the two deeply admired each other and eventually became close friends.
Han Fei's appointment as Chancellor was fundamentally because of Zhao Feng.
After his initial shock,
Ying Zheng spoke again: "Zhao Feng is my eldest son, the Grand Prince of Great Qin, and the future Crown Prince."
Li Si's eyes widened, his shock rendering him speechless.
At this moment, he had no idea what to say.
After all, this matter was simply too monumental.
Just confirming that Zhao Feng was the King's son was shocking enough but now, Ying Zheng had outright declared him the future Crown Prince, the heir to the Qin throne.
Clearly
This decision had already been made.
After calming himself down,
Li Si looked at Ying Zheng with apprehension and asked, "Your Majesty, why have you chosen to tell me this today? This… this is an issue that could profoundly impact the entire Qin court."
"Because of Li You, because of Ying'er."
"Now that Li You and Ying'er are engaged, your family is aligned with Feng'er. Naturally, you have the right to know."
Ying Zheng's voice was calm.
Hearing this,
Li Si's heart trembled, and an unspeakable joy surged within him.
"I never expected that You'er's pursuit of Zhao Ying would bring such a great opportunity to my Li family."
"Zhao Ying is a princess, Zhao Feng is the Grand Prince, the future Crown Prince, the future King of Qin."
"If I seize this opportunity well, my Li family will undoubtedly become the foremost family in Qin."
"This is truly unexpected."
"Who would have thought that You'er's choice would bring such tremendous benefits to our family?"
"As for Fusu"
"Once His Majesty acknowledges Zhao Feng no, Prince Feng, Fusu's status as Grand Prince will cease to exist."
"Moreover, compared to Prince Feng's prestige and authority in Qin, Fusu is utterly insignificant."
"With Fusu's mother's clan, the Mi family, having committed treason, he stands no chance against Prince Feng."
Coming back to his senses,
Li Si bowed deeply and declared, "Your Majesty, I pledge my unwavering support for Prince Feng."
"It is enough that you understand."
"Once Qi is conquered and the world is unified, I will restore Feng'er's identity along with his mother's rightful status as Queen."
"This has always belonged to them no one can take it away."
Ying Zheng's voice carried a firm resolve.
Li Si immediately responded, "Your servant understands."
"Alright."
"I won't say anything more."
"Since Ying'er and Li You love each other, I will not stand in their way."
"This is Ying'er's choice."
"Go back and make proper preparations."
Ying Zheng waved his hand dismissively, ending the conversation.
Li Si bowed again. "Your servant takes his leave."
Then
With an incredibly complex mix of emotions, he slowly exited Zhangtai Palace.
Watching Li Si's retreating figure,
Ying Zheng's gaze was filled with deep contemplation.
"Li Si."
"He craves power and has great ambition."
"Ordinary people wouldn't be able to keep him in check but Feng'er can."
"His abilities are exceptional, but his obsession with power is too strong."
Ying Zheng pondered silently.
After years of working together,
He had already seen through Li Si completely.
Leaving Zhangtai Palace, Li Si walked toward his carriage.
"Father, you've finally come out."
Seeing Li Si, Li You immediately stepped forward to greet him.
"You haven't returned home?" Li Si asked, surprised.
"How could I go home while you were still inside? Besides, I have never handled wedding preparations before I have no idea what to do."
Li You sighed helplessly, but the joy and excitement on his face were unmistakable.
For any man, marrying the woman he loves is a cause for celebration and happiness.
And for Li You,
He was about to fulfill his greatest wish.
Moreover, his marriage had received the personal approval of the King.
With Fengchang (the official in charge of court ceremonies) personally setting the wedding date,
The significance of this union was extraordinary.
"You rascal."
Seeing Li You so lovestruck, Li Si couldn't help but laugh and scold him.
"Father."
"The King truly values the Lord of Wu'an. I never expected that even Ying'er's wedding would warrant the Minister of Ceremonies personally selecting the date."
"That privilege is usually reserved for royal princes and princesses."
"I never imagined that I would receive such an honor." Li You smiled.
"You made the right choice in choosing Zhao Ying back then," Li Si said to his son, suddenly feeling emotional.
"Father."
"My love for Ying'er has nothing to do with her being the King's sister, nor is it for the benefit of our family. It was love at first sight I truly like her." Li You spoke firmly.
He wanted to make it clear that his feelings for Zhao Ying were pure and untainted by any ulterior motives.
"Alright, alright."
"I know what's in your heart."
"And now, your dream has come true."
"I was wrong before. I shouldn't have stopped you."
"Even though your love is sincere, this marriage will also bring blessings to our family. Perhaps even your sister will benefit from it and no longer suffer at Fusu's side."
At this, a smile appeared on Li Si's face.
For Li Si, the greatest regret in his heart was his daughter. Though he loved power, he also cared for his children. When he had his daughter marry Fusu, it was a decision dictated by the King's orders one he could not refuse.
But now, Li You's pursuit of Zhao Ying over four long years had finally borne fruit.
Zhao Ying was a princess.
Her elder brother was the Crown Prince, the future heir to the throne.
Now that Fusu had lost his position as the Crown Prince, he was no longer the successor. He would no longer be burdened by the manipulations of the old aristocrats, and in the future, he would have no reason to target Li Si's daughter anymore.
"The King and Prince Fusu have already become enemies. Now that I am marrying Ying'er, this can only be bad news for Prince Fusu. How could he possibly treat my sister kindly?" Li You said, frowning.
"You'll understand in time." Li Si didn't bother explaining further.
At this moment, Ying Zheng's words echoed in his mind.
"Once the world is unified, I shall restore Feng's status as the Crown Prince. I shall also restore his mother's title as Queen."
That single declaration resounded in Li Si's mind, completely consuming his thoughts.
After a long time, he murmured to himself:
"Once the world is unified and Feng's mother is officially crowned Queen, Feng will not only be the Crown Prince he will be the legitimate heir."
"A legitimate heir no one can contest that status. In terms of prestige, contributions to the Qin Empire, and military influence, no one can rival him."
"No matter how many schemes unfold in the court, no one will be able to shake Feng's position."
"Fortunately, I never offended Feng. Otherwise, even if You'er had wanted to pursue Ying'er, he wouldn't have had the chance. He wouldn't have even been allowed to step foot in the Wu'an army camp."
"Wang Wan..."
"That old fox, now dead, ultimately provoked the wrong person. Perhaps from the very moment he moved against Feng, the King had already sentenced him to death it was only a matter of time."
"Even the King probably didn't expect Feng to act so swiftly, secretly uncovering Wang Wan's crimes and sealing his fate."
"Kui Zhuang..."
"Given Feng's attitude toward them, if the old aristocrats continue to oppose him, their end will be just as grim."
"After all, the enmity has already been forged."
"This Prince Feng was raised in the military. He commands immense authority among the troops and is utterly decisive in his actions. In the future, he will surely be a formidable ruler."
"The matter of Qin's succession has already been settled."
As Li Si sat in his carriage, lost in thought, he never expected that today's visit to the palace would lead him to such a monumental revelation.
Meanwhile, Li You did not disturb his father's contemplation. He was too preoccupied with the joy of soon marrying the woman he loved.
At the Zhao Residence
Li Si and his son visited once again.
"Lord of Wu'an."
"We just returned from the palace. Li You has received the King's approval."
"His Majesty has even issued an edict that, once the world is unified, the Minister of Ceremonies will personally select the wedding date."
Li Si spoke to Zhao Feng with visible joy, his tone carrying an unconscious hint of humility and deference.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng simply smiled, unsurprised.
After all, why would the King interfere in his family's matters?
Moreover, Zhao Feng had already made it clear: his sister would choose her husband, and no one would force her.
"Ying'er, did you hear that?" Zhao Feng turned to his sister with a smile.
"Mm." Zhao Ying nodded slightly, her beautiful eyes glancing toward Li You.
"Lord of Wu'an."
"I shall take my leave now to begin preparations. It is my great fortune that Li You may marry the sister of the Lord of Wu'an. I must ensure that everything is well-prepared."
Li Si spoke once more.
"Alright."
Zhao Feng nodded with a smile.
With that, Li Si and his son departed from the Zhao residence.
The Unification of the World and the Fate of Qi
"After the world is unified, the wedding date will be set."
"This suggests that the King is preparing to strike against Qi," Wang Jian remarked with a chuckle.
"Father-in-law."
"I have already received the secret edict."
"In a few days, I will set out for Yunzhong to conquer Qi."
Zhao Feng had nothing to hide from Wang Jian.
Besides, even if the information leaked, it wouldn't matter if the fall of Qi was already inevitable.
The Qi Kingdom now had only one choice left.
Surrender or perish.
For the Qi King, who was now utterly isolated and without allies, if he valued his life, he would know what to choose.
"With you leading the troops and your unrivaled prestige, the Qi King will surely tremble in fear."
"In just two or three months, Qi will likely be fully annexed into our Great Qin."
"The unification of the world…"
"I never imagined it would happen in our generation," Wang Jian said with emotion.
"This land is not yet the world."
"The road ahead is still long," Zhao Feng responded calmly.
Zhao Feng pondered silently in his heart.
Once Qi was successfully conquered, he would need to start planning for the future.
And that future would first take shape within his small world before manifesting on the land of Shenzhou.
After all, everything in the small world was under his absolute control, with no risk of leaks.
Zhao Feng was a selfish man his achievements would never be shared with outsiders.
If he were to change Shenzhou one day, it would only be after it had fallen under his rule.
He would bestow his grace upon it but only on his terms.
…
Yunzhong City.
In the familiar canyon where refugees were being relocated.
Time passed, yet the gathering of refugees never ceased. With the onset of winter, the number of displaced people across the land had skyrocketed over the past few months.
Collecting them had become even faster.
Of course, this was not limited to the canyon in Yunzhong.
Many other Yan Court outposts were also involved.
Zhao Feng rode his Black Dragon, personally overseeing the process of bringing them in.
After so much time, the population within his small world was now approaching 800,000.
Due to the chaos of war and the Qin court's incomplete census of the newly conquered San Jin (Three Jin States), Yan, and Chu, the true population figures were uncertain.
On the vast land of Shenzhou, these refugees who had entered the small world would no longer appear in official records.
Naturally, a population disappearance of this magnitude would eventually reach the Qin King's ears it was only a matter of time.
However, even if the king became aware, he would never suspect Zhao Feng.
After all, who in this world could make so many people disappear at once?
Inside the small world, the people gathered in the central region and gradually dispersed to different areas.
Buildings now stretched for dozens of miles, forming the early blueprint of a nation.
Under Yan Court's governance, labor was exchanged for money, and money was used to purchase food and resources.
Everything was being carefully managed and allocated.
Of course, with a growing population came its share of lawless individuals. For such people, Yan Court swiftly executed extreme punishments as a deterrent, showing no mercy.
Beyond population growth, Zhao Feng also developed the geography of the small world.
Lakes and rivers now existed, though there were no towering mountains only some rolling hills.
Fish and shrimp swam freely in the waters, and a variety of creatures roamed the land, from wild beasts to gentle rabbits.
"The ecosystem has taken shape," Zhao Feng mused.
"Now, it's just a matter of time before the creatures here start thriving."
Satisfied with the progress, Zhao Feng shifted his focus back to the outside world.
At that moment
"My Lord!"
"The army has been assembled!"
"The rations have also arrived!"
"Each cavalryman carries ten days' worth of provisions."
Zhang Han strode quickly into the hall, bowing respectfully as he reported.
"From Yan territory, we can reach Qi in three days by forced march," Zhao Feng calculated.
"With seven days' worth of rations in reserve, we should be well-prepared."
"Send my orders to Cai Ci he is to continue stockpiling provisions and mobilizing the logistics forces to the Qi border."
"My Lord," Zhang Han hesitated, then spoke. "With our 100,000-strong army, Qi can be conquered with ease. We may not need a full-scale war."
"One must always prepare for both possibilities."
"If the King of Qi has a strong resolve, then we shall grant him the battle he desires. But if he chooses to surrender, that would be even better." Zhao Feng smiled faintly.
"Then I shall go relay your orders. When shall we depart?" Zhang Han asked respectfully.
"Let the soldiers rest well for a day. We march tomorrow." Zhao Feng declared.
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