Liu Bang Rising (5)
The morning mist clung thickly to Xianyang, yet the imperial palace at the heart of the Qin Empire still loomed with majestic grandeur. Construction of the Epang Palace continued without pause, but the overwhelming splendor of the palace complex built by the First Emperor was more than enough to dominate the realm. Massive stone pillars soared endlessly toward the sky like a forest, crimson-lacquered beams crisscrossed overhead, and golden ornaments blazed brilliantly as they caught the spring sunlight. Yet deep within that brilliance lurked a thick, rotten stench that no one dared mention aloud.
In the grand audience hall where the morning court was held, hundreds of officials stood in perfect, silent ranks, their eyes fixed on the distant throne. But it was not the young emperor seated upon it who ruled this vast space today. Instead, the true master was the eunuch standing like a shadow just below the dais.
Director of the Gentlemen of the Palace, Zhao Gao.
The chill air swirling through the mist-filled hall seemed to revolve solely around him.
“Your Majesty.”
His voice was gentle and courteous, resonating through the great hall. Zhao Gao’s face was remarkably ordinary. He was in his mid-fifties, slightly plump, with a round jaw that gave him an affable appearance. His thinning hair was meticulously combed and tucked beneath his official cap, and his robes were impeccably arranged. At first glance, he looked like any seasoned bureaucrat one might encounter anywhere. But there was one exception.
His narrow, black eyes were utterly alien.
Though his mouth smiled, those eyes never did. They held a sticky, bottomless darkness, like peering into the depths of an ancient well. And right now, those eyes were calmly gazing down at the young emperor on the throne.
“How shall we conduct today’s court?”
At the question, the young man on the throne twitched his brows. This was Emperor of the Second Generation, Huhai—the youngest son of the First Emperor and the second ruler of the mighty Qin Empire. At twenty years old, he should have been brimming with vigor, commanding the world. Yet the youth slumped upon the throne looked nothing like a supreme sovereign who ruled over all people.
His skin, powdered white as fine jade, was as pale as a corpse. Dark shadows hollowed out the areas beneath his sunken eyes, the result of nights spent in pleasure and sleeplessness. The imperial crown and robes, tailored to fit his father’s build, were comically oversized on him, making him look like a child playing dress-up in an adult’s clothes.
“Your Majesty.”
Zhao Gao pressed him again. Only then did Huhai’s brown eyes turn toward him.
“Zhao Gao.”
Huhai’s hand trembled for a moment before he forced the words out. “Today… I shall preside over the court myself.”
“……Ohhh.”
Zhao Gao’s eyes curved ever so slightly. “How truly admirable. For Your Majesty to handle state affairs in person is a blessing for all the people under Heaven.”
“Mm. Indeed.”
Huhai straightened his slightly hunched shoulders. “I am the emperor. As the late emperor always emphasized, if the ruler grows negligent in governing the state, the very foundations of the nation will tremble.”
His voice carried less dignity than a desperate tone, as if he were trying to convince himself. Huhai swallowed hard as he quietly surveyed Zhao Gao and the officials prostrating themselves on the floor. His thoughts drifted back to a memory from a few days earlier.
That day, while Huhai had left the administration to Zhao Gao and was composing poetry, an official had approached him with a deathly pale face. In a trembling voice, the man had said:
“Your Majesty. The realm is falling into chaos. I beg you to take personal command and look after the people.”
“Falling into chaos? What do you mean?”
“Discontent among the common people is rising everywhere. In particular, there have been repeated desertions among the laborers heading to the corvée at Mount Li.”
“Mount Li… and desertions.”
This was the first Huhai had heard of it. Zhao Gao had only ever told him that the public works were proceeding smoothly.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Bands of bandits have gathered in remote areas like Mount Mangtang in Pei Commandery to the east, speaking of treasonous things and growing their forces.”
What followed next sent a chill down Huhai’s spine.
Zhao Gao had always said that the empire his father built was as solid as bedrock, and that the people obeyed like gentle lambs beneath the iron hammer of Legalist law. Yet here was an official daring to warn that rebellion might break out right before the throne. If his words were true… then Zhao Gao had been blinding and deafening the emperor all this time.
“Does the Director of the Gentlemen of the Palace know of this?”
When Huhai asked, the official’s face twisted.
“That is… the Director has forbidden us from bringing such matters before Your Majesty.”
“Forbidden?”
“Yes. He said we should not trouble Your Majesty with trivial matters…”
……
The sound of the brush slipping from Huhai’s fingers that day still echoed vividly in his ears.
Back in the present, Huhai finished his brief recollection and schooled his expression into one of stern dignity as he racked his brain. Even after a life steeped in luxury, pleasure, and alcohol, the blood of the First Emperor had instinctively grasped the situation.
No one is looking at me.
The officials stood in their lines, bowing toward the throne. But the sovereign reflected in their eyes was not him—it was Zhao Gao standing beside him. They feared Zhao Gao’s gaze, watched Zhao Gao’s expression, and waited only for Zhao Gao’s approval. Not a single one of them was looking at Huhai. At the emperor.
“Then, Your Majesty,” Zhao Gao said in a voice as sweet as honey, “regarding today’s agenda, I have personally selected several items for your consideration…”
“No. Wait.”
Huhai’s voice rose without him realizing it. The word echoed through the silent hall.
“I… I will set the agenda.”
“Oh? Will you indeed?”
Zhao Gao’s smile deepened just a fraction. “Then, Your Majesty, what shall the agenda be?”
“That is…”
Huhai found himself at a loss for words. There were too many things he wanted to say, yet his thoughts refused to organize themselves. He wanted to ask about what the official had told him that day—the band of fugitives at Mount Mangtang, the people’s discontent, the desertions among the corvée laborers. He wanted to verify the truth of it all. But the words would not leave his mouth. How should he phrase it? To whom should he direct the question if not Zhao Gao?
Having sat on the throne for only a year, this thoroughly isolated young emperor—who could not even lift a spoon without his nursemaid Zhao Gao—was faced with an impossibly cruel task.
……
Zhao Gao simply smiled gently and waited in silence. That silence, that composure, tightened around Huhai’s throat.
……Ugh.
The officials maintained their heavy silence as well. None of them moved to help their emperor. Some even looked openly weary, as if hoping the emperor would soon abandon his childish stubbornness and return to his inner quarters.
Huhai’s breath caught in his chest, and his hands began to tremble faintly.
“Your Majesty.”
Zhao Gao slowly ascended one more step toward the throne. “Your complexion looks quite poor. Nothing is more important than Your Majesty’s health. Would it not be acceptable for me to preside over today’s court in your stead?”
His overwhelming presence made it clear that refusal would not be tolerated.
“……Ugh.”
Huhai clenched his teeth. He wanted to resist. He wanted to roar like his father, force this man to his knees, and thunder like a tiger at the officials who had failed to support him. But… no sound would come out.
What if the official had been lying? What if he disappointed Zhao Gao by raising baseless suspicions?
“……Haa. Haa.”
A mild panic attack. His vision blurred and his breathing grew rapid. Meanwhile, Zhao Gao’s smile grew even deeper, fully revealing the bottomless black maw beneath it.
Damn it…
Huhai knew. He remembered it all too clearly. He knew what fate awaited those who defied Zhao Gao.
Li Si. His father’s right-hand man and the Chancellor. On Zhao Gao’s false accusations, he had been thrown into prison and now awaited a punishment that would see his tongue torn out and his waist severed.
Meng Tian and Meng Yi. The empire’s greatest generals and the brothers his father had trusted most. They too had been branded traitors on a single word from Zhao Gao and forced to drink poison.
The princes and princesses had been no exception. Many of his older brothers and sisters, led by Fusu, had been disposed of by Zhao Gao. All under the pretext of securing the throne for him. They had all been torn apart limb from limb in the marketplaces of Xianyang.
That blood-soaked memory gnawed at Huhai’s heart.
“……Very well.”
Huhai muttered through gritted teeth. “I am not feeling well. I shall entrust today’s court to you, Zhao Gao, as always.”
“This servant shall obey.”
Zhao Gao bowed deeply. But an irrepressible smile played at the corners of his mouth. It was the smile of perfect victory. Huhai turned his eyes away from it and muttered bitterly to himself.
“I no longer know who the true emperor of this country is.”
It had been a pure soliloquy. A miserable self-reproach for being born beneath the great First Emperor, only to be toyed with by an old, castrated eunuch.
“……Your Majesty.”
But Zhao Gao did not miss that small whisper. His previously gentle voice hardened ever so slightly. “Forgive my rudeness, but what did you just say?”
His tone had dropped from its usual extreme deference.
Huhai’s back stiffened. “……It was nothing.”
He lowered his eyes and shook his head hastily. “Just talking to myself. Forget it.”
“Yes, I understand. May Your Majesty enjoy excellent health.”
Zhao Gao once again wore his kindly, gentle smile. Then he turned to the officials. He emphasized to them all that everything would proceed ‘normally’ before calmly opening the court session.
……
The court proceeded without a hitch. Tax reports, progress on public works, appointments of officials—everything was decided according to Zhao Gao’s wishes. Huhai merely sat on the throne and listened in silence. Occasionally, when Zhao Gao asked formally, “Is this acceptable?” he would simply nod and reply, “Yes.”
His appearance was not much different from a well-dressed doll placed in a young girl’s room.
“Then, this concludes today’s court.”
Zhao Gao’s calm voice rang out. At those words, the hundreds of officials bowed in unison and flowed out of the hall like an ebbing tide. In the enormous space, only two people remained.
The emperor and the emperor’s master.
Huhai stared for a moment at the emptiness of the now-deserted hall before deciding to voice the question that had started all of this before he rose from his seat.
“Zhao Gao.”
At his call, Zhao Gao, who had been organizing documents, slowly turned his head.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Please issue your command.”
“I have something to ask.”
“Speak of anything you wish.”
Huhai hesitated for a moment before finally opening his mouth. “Recently… how are things faring across the realm?”
“……”
“I am asking you. Is the world at peace?”
This, at least, he had to confirm. After all, rebellion was a matter that concerned not only his own life but the very fate of the Qin Empire his father had bequeathed him.
Zhao Gao’s eyes narrowed slightly for an instant.
“When you speak of the realm’s situation, what specific concerns does Your Majesty have?”
“Unsettling rumors have reached my ears.”
Huhai barely maintained his composure. “Dozens of laborers heading to the corvée at Mount Li reportedly refused their duty and fled. I hear they have gathered in remote places like Mount Mangtang in Pei Commandery and are plotting wicked deeds.”
He had said it. Huhai, surprised at how calmly he had spoken, carefully observed Zhao Gao’s reaction.
Zhao Gao… smiled. A very gentle, benevolent smile filled with affection. He raised his head and met Huhai’s gaze.
“Your Majesty.”
Zhao Gao approached slowly. “Where did you hear such a story?”
His voice was kind. But Huhai felt his spine freeze in that instant.
“Where…?”
“To be precise, I am asking who dared to pour such reckless nonsense into Your Majesty’s ears and disturb your peace of mind.”
Zhao Gao’s eyes pierced through Huhai. The smile did not disappear. But behind that smile lurked clear murderous intent.
“This servant has always reported the state of the realm to Your Majesty without any embellishment. And as I have always said, the world is at peace, the people obey the law, and all citizens sing praises of Your Majesty’s benevolence.”
“But…”
“But?”
Zhao Gao’s voice hardened. “Is Your Majesty saying… that you cannot trust this Zhao Gao’s reports?”
“I-I did not say that!”
“Then what is your intention in bringing this up?”
Zhao Gao took another step closer. His shadow now completely engulfed Huhai.
“This servant works day and night without sleep for Your Majesty’s sake. I refine the realm’s administration, enforce the laws, and do my utmost—grinding my own bones to dust—so as not to burden Your Majesty.”
Zhao Gao’s voice sank lower and lower. “And yet Your Majesty doubts this servant’s loyalty? Over mere baseless rumors of unknown origin?”
Huhai was speechless. If he argued here, it would mean he suspected Zhao Gao. And if he suspected Zhao Gao… he would die.
“……I believe you.”
There was no choice. Huhai surrendered weakly. “It was a foolish question. How could I possibly not trust you, Director?”
“Those are truly gracious words. Your Majesty, this servant is so moved that tears threaten to fall.”
Once again, gentleness returned to Zhao Gao’s face. “In that case, Your Majesty, would you not tell me the name of the person who informed you of that wicked rumor?”
“The name…?”
“Yes. As the Director of the Gentlemen of the Palace who oversees the dignity of the imperial house, I cannot possibly forgive one who has disturbed Your Majesty’s peace with such absurd nonsense.”
His words flowed with logical precision. But their meaning was crystal clear.
Huhai had no choice but to answer. “……His name is Li De.”
“Li De. He is a Clerk of the Ministry of the Palace Treasury. I had been keeping an eye on the boy for his literary talent.”
Zhao Gao clicked his tongue. “I thought him clever… but it seems this servant misjudged him after all.”
Zhao Gao bowed deeply. “Your Majesty need not worry. This servant will handle the matter personally so that he may never again defile Your Majesty’s ears.”
……
That calm voice struck Huhai’s heart like a dagger. He did not know whether the man had truly spoken the truth. Perhaps, as Zhao Gao said, he had merely exaggerated to disturb the emperor’s peace. But just now, he had killed—had sold out—a subject who had wept for his sake, for the sake of his own safety. That much was an undeniable fact.
What in the world am I?
But it was too late for regret. Zhao Gao had already turned his back.
“……Zhao Gao.”
Huhai barely managed to stitch his faltering voice back together. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“There is… truly nothing happening at Mount Mangtang, is there?”
“……”
Zhao Gao stared at him for a moment. His eyes grew so cold they stole Huhai’s breath, then curved like a snake’s.
“Of course not, Your Majesty. Even if someone had hidden themselves there, by now they would all have become a single meal for bears and tigers, just like deer.”
Zhao Gao flicked his sleeve and laughed. “Or they soon will. Whatever end they meet, Qin shall endure forever, Your Majesty.”
With that, Zhao Gao quickened his pace and left the hall. BOOM—! The massive doors slammed shut with a sound like thunder.
“……I hope it really was just needless worry.”
In the empty audience hall, only the weary voice of Huhai, left alone upon the throne, echoed hollowly.