Upon hearing about the long-lost eldest son, Wei Liao, and Han Fei immediately made the connection.
A crown prince raised among the common people, despite having royal blood, could never be suited for the position.
It would be akin to assigning someone completely ignorant to oversee an unfamiliar domain an inevitable recipe for political upheaval and national turmoil.
Of course!
All this time, there had been whispers about Lady Afang.
Many ministers had heard rumors, but none dared to speak or inquire further.
Everyone knew that she was a forbidden topic in the presence of their king.
Hearing Han Fei and Wei Liao's concerns, Ying Zheng only smiled and did not get angry.
"I am still in my prime, but no one can escape the passage of time. If my eldest son is not suitable, then who do you believe is?" Ying Zheng swept his gaze across the court.
"This matter..."
"Only with Your Majesty's guidance can the most suitable heir be determined," Han Fei replied.
"I second this," Wei Liao immediately echoed.
"Your Majesty is in your prime, and the world is now unified. You have the time to personally cultivate an heir. Under Your Majesty's tutelage, the successor will surely grow into a capable ruler."
"A prince raised among the commoners may have royal lineage, and Your Majesty may feel attached to him," Wei Liao continued. "But for the sake of Great Qin, Your Majesty must proceed with caution."
"We urge Your Majesty to reconsider!"
Huan Yi, Feng Jie, Feng Quji, and other ministers all bowed in agreement.
Seeing this, Ying Zheng remained unperturbed, his smile only growing wider.
The ministers were puzzled as to why was the king smiling after they had opposed him.
Only Wang Jian and Li Si seemed to understand, their expressions carrying a knowing smile.
"What if I told you..."
"That Zhao Feng is my son?" Ying Zheng suddenly said.
The words fell like thunder.
Aside from Wang Jian and Li Si, every other minister in the room stared in shock at their king.
Especially Han Fei.
"Your Majesty, surely you must be joking?"
"How could Zhao Feng possibly be your son?"
"He was raised in Shachiu since childhood, thousands of miles away from Great Qin!"
"And... and..."
Han Fei was at a loss for words, completely stunned.
"Your Majesty!"
"Could it be that the mother of Lord Wu'an was the rumored Lady Xia from back then?" Huan Yi asked in shock.
"Indeed."
"Zhao Feng and Zhao Ying."
"They are the children of Afang and me."
"When Afang was forced to leave Xianyang, she was already carrying my bloodline."
"Perhaps it was fate that brought Feng'er and Ying'er back to me."
"I have known the truth for several years now." Ying Zheng smiled, speaking loudly and clearly.
At this moment, with the empire united under his rule, Ying Zheng could no longer suppress the excitement in his heart.
At last, he could reveal the truth.
Looking at the ministers before him, he finally announced the true identity of Zhao Feng and Zhao Ying.
It was a great relief.
And their stunned expressions were exactly what he had expected.
"General Wang Jian, did you know about this all along?"
Han Fei turned to the completely composed Wang Jian, unable to hold back his question.
"Haha."
"His Majesty entrusted me with this knowledge years ago." Wang Jian laughed, visibly pleased.
Especially when he looked at Huan Yi, his smugness was even more apparent.
"No wonder this old man has been acting so smug all these years!"
"No wonder he once told me that I would be even more shocked in the future."
"So, Lord Wu'an is the king's son Great Qin's eldest prince!"
"This is simply unbelievable!"
Huan Yi was utterly shaken.
"Lord Chancellor, did you know as well?"
Wei Liao's eyes now fell upon Li Si.
"Did I not recently bring my son to Zhangtai Palace to request His Majesty's permission for a marriage proposal to Lord Wu'an's sister?"
"It was on that very day that His Majesty revealed the truth to me," Li Si replied with a satisfied smile.
Knowing ahead of time meant having an advantage.
After a moment for everyone to process the revelation, Ying Zheng smiled and asked again,
"Now, my ministers, tell me..."
"If I declare my eldest son as the crown prince and heir to the throne, do you have any objections?"
This time, the court's reaction was vastly different from before.
"Lord Wu'an is highly capable he can govern the nation and lead its armies. He possesses both wisdom and martial prowess and is worthy of the title of Crown Prince," Han Fei declared immediately.
"I second this."
"Lord Wu'an is indeed fit for this great responsibility."
"Great Qin has united the world, and Your Majesty has ushered in a new era. But the future requires a strong and capable successor to ensure eternal stability."
"There is no one more suited for the task than Lord Wu'an."
"With Lord Wu'an, Great Qin's destiny shall never wane!" Wei Liao added firmly.
"Lord Wu'an as Crown Prince."
"I second this motion!"
Feng Quji, Feng Jie, and Huan Yi also immediately voiced their agreement.
As for Wang Jian and Li Si, there was no need to say more.
One was Zhao Feng's father-in-law, and the other was the future father-in-law of Zhao Feng's sister.
This was already a family alliance.
It could be said that Zhao Feng becoming the Crown Prince of Great Qin in the future aligned with everyone's interests.
However, for those in the court who were unaware of Zhao Feng's true identity, this news would certainly not be in their favor.
When Zhao Feng's identity was officially announced, it would undoubtedly cause a shocking upheaval.
"Weren't you all against it just a moment ago?"
"Why are you all supporting it now?"
Ying Zheng looked at the group with amusement.
"Your Majesty."
"If you had told us earlier that Wu'an Jun was your eldest son, we would have supported it right away."
"It was Your Majesty who kept us in suspense." Han Fei replied helplessly.
"Indeed."
"There is no need to question Wu'an Jun's abilities."
"His military command alone proves that he is not only skilled in leading troops but also highly intelligent. As for governance, with Your Majesty's guidance, Wu'an Jun will surely master it in no time." Wei Liao also agreed with a smile.
"Wei Qing."
"You once said that after the unification of the empire, you would retire and return to Ghost Valley."
"Now I ask you again."
"If Feng'er becomes my heir, will you be willing to stay?"
Ying Zheng looked at Wei Liao intently, full of anticipation.
If Wei Liao truly left, it would be a great loss for him.
"Your Majesty."
"When I left Ghost Valley, I made a promise to my master that once Great Qin unified the land, I would return to Ghost Valley and serve him."
"This was my vow." Wei Liao replied, looking troubled.
"What if I told you..."
"That in the future, your master will also descend from the mountains and join Qin? Would you believe it?" Ying Zheng chuckled.
"What?"
Wei Liao widened his eyes in disbelief.
"This is what Feng'er himself told me." Ying Zheng smiled.
"Then I will find a day to return to Ghost Valley. If my master truly leaves the mountains, then I will naturally stay in Great Qin as well." Wei Liao replied with a smile.
"It's a deal." Ying Zheng also laughed.
If what his son said was true and Ghost Valley's master descended from the mountains, then Great Qin would gain immensely.
Of course...
This was not something Zhao Feng personally told him, but rather something Ah Fang had told him.
If it weren't for Ah Fang...
Ying Zheng would have never known that his son had hidden so much from him.
"Does Young Master Feng know his true identity yet?" Wei Liao asked with a smile.
"His mother has already reunited with me."
"But Feng'er and his sister are still unaware."
"This matter..."
"I ask that none of you spread it. I will announce it to the world at the right time."
"Besides..."
"I want to see Feng'er's reaction when he learns the truth."
"You all don't know this boy..."
"After defeating Chu, he told me he wanted to go conquer Baiyue and then station himself there."
"Tell me, isn't this kid frustrating?" Ying Zheng spoke with a grin.
He seemed to be recalling how Zhao Feng had gone to great lengths to head to Baiyue seemingly to avoid the political struggles of Xianyang and to stay away from any future battles over the throne.
On the surface, he was distancing himself.
In reality, he was lying in wait.
That was why Ying Zheng was so eager.
He was looking forward to the moment when he would announce Zhao Feng's identity and declare him the Crown Prince of Great Qin just to see what kind of expression Zhao Feng would make.
...
Time passed in a flash!
The returning convoy arrived at Xianyang.
Zhao Feng did not ride his horse but sat inside a carriage.
Among the convoy were the King of Qi and his family.
This time, they were all leaving Linzi together.
Inside the carriage, Zhao Feng closed his eyes, but in reality, his consciousness had entered his small world.
"I wonder what conditions must be met for my small world to ascend again."
"Spirit stones? Treasured resources? Or perhaps spiritual veins?"
Looking at the progress of his small world, Zhao Feng was filled with anticipation.
Tens of thousands of inhabitants.
Creatures that flew in the sky.
Beasts that ran on land.
Fish that swam in the water.
Now, it was starting to resemble a true world.
"Forget it."
"I'm clueless for now. I'll just let the small world develop on its own."
"In a few years, maybe ten years, the population will increase on its own."
These past days, aside from cultivating, Zhao Feng had been closely observing the growth of his small world, hoping for another transformation. But so far, there have been no results.
Perhaps...
It still required some sort of fateful opportunity.
From Qi to Xianyang, traveling westward.
Because the convoy was large...
And there were many carriages...
It took an entire month before they finally reached Xianyang.
"Welcome back, Wu'an Jun!"
As Zhao Feng's convoy arrived at the gates of Xianyang...
Just like every past return.
The city was packed with countless citizens who had gathered on their own accord to welcome Zhao Feng home.
Zhao Feng...
Within the Great Qin Empire, his prestige was second only to Ying Zheng. In the military, his influence even surpassed the king's.
The unification of the empire, and the downfall of the six states all of it bore Zhao Feng's mark.
It could be said that...
Zhao Feng was the greatest contributor to Qin's unification.
Along the way...
There were no obstacles.
Zhao Feng's carriage, followed by the King of Qi's, made their way toward the Qin palace.
Upon reaching the palace square...
Zhao Feng stepped out of the carriage.
The King of Qi, on the other hand, appeared uneasy.
"Wu'an Jun."
"The Qin King... He won't do anything to me, will he?"
At this moment,
the King of Qi was still extremely anxious.
"King of Qi, you worry too much."
"Follow me into the hall."
"His Majesty's word is as good as gold; he will never go back on it."
Zhao Feng smiled and walked steadily towards the grand court hall.
The King of Qi followed behind him nervously.
Back in Linzi, he had at least felt some sense of security, but now, in the Qin capital, he had surrendered his army, his officials, and everything else to the Qin state.
Aside from his wealth, he had nothing left.
"Welcome back, Lord Wu'an!"
Outside the hall, Ren Xiao led the imperial guards in bowing to Zhao Feng.
"No need for formalities,"
Zhao Feng replied with a smile.
Without removing his shoes, he walked into the hall with his sword at his side.
The guards did not stop the King of Qi from following him.
"Lord Wu'an has returned with the King of Qi!" Ren Xiao announced inside the hall.
Instantly, all eyes in the court turned towards the entrance.
Especially those who had been present at the Zhāngtái Palace incident and now knew Zhao Feng's true identity
Seeing him return in such a majestic and imposing manner, his noble and heroic figure
They couldn't help but see the striking resemblance between him and the man seated on the throne.
"How did we never notice before that Lord Wu'an looks so much like His Majesty?"
"Now that I look at him, there's no doubt they are father and son!"
"We must have been blind not to see it earlier."
"Lord Wu'an is the Crown Prince… The future of Qin is about to change."
…
As Zhao Feng strode into the hall,
Ying Zheng smiled and raised his hand.
"Welcome back, Lord Wu'an!"
All the officials in the court immediately understood and bowed in unison to greet him.
"Minister Zhao Feng."
"I led the army to Qi and was fortunate not to fail in my mission."
"Now"
"The territories of Qi have been fully integrated into Qin's administration, the Qi army has been incorporated into our forces, and I have personally overseen their selection and restructuring, keeping only the best."
Zhao Feng stood in the center of the hall and reported loudly.
"Excellent!"
Ying Zheng let out a hearty laugh.
"Lord Wu'an, your contributions are unparalleled."
"You have aided me in unifying the world."
"You deserve a great reward."
"But"
"You have already reached the highest rank among military officials, the highest noble title possible."
"It seems there is nothing left for me to bestow upon you."
"However"
"In due time, I shall grant you a reward beyond your expectations."
Ying Zheng smiled, his gaze carrying a hint of amusement as he looked at Zhao Feng.
"I must serve Qin. I do not seek rewards," Zhao Feng replied humbly.
Just as Ying Zheng had said
He had already reached the peak of military and noble ranks.
There was nothing left for him to be granted.
So he did not concern himself with it.
"Tian Jian."
"Pay respects to the King of Qin."
"May His Majesty reign for ten thousand years."
At that moment,
the King of Qi, Tian Jian, bowed deeply to Ying Zheng.
Seeing this,
Ying Zheng smiled slightly.
"King of Qi, there is no need for such formality."
"This time, you have shown great wisdom and righteousness by surrendering to Qin, sparing both nations from the devastation of war."
"This is a great merit and an even greater virtue."
"Both in principle and sentiment, you have done a great service to Qin."
"If there is anything you wish for, speak freely."
"I shall grant it without exception."
Ying Zheng gazed intently at Tian Jian.
Upon hearing these words,
Tian Jian let out a sigh of relief.
Then, with great reverence, he replied:
"I do not seek much I only ask that Your Majesty show kindness to my clan."
"Grant my family a place to live, so that our bloodline may endure."
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